The FDA wants my dog to have more nutrition rights than me!

According to this article, as silly as that initially sounds, that may be the case. Actually, I'm not surprised at this at all. The FDA has tried this kind of stuff before, but, due to public response and politicians who were savvy enough to realize that Americans are smart enough to handle vitamins and nutrition supplements, their authoritarian takeover attempts were stopped dead in their tracks.

Well, the nutrition nazis are back. According to the first article linked below, if the FDA gets its way, the following things may possibly come to pass:

1. Green tea may be outlawed (I buy 20 oz bottles of Lipton tea with green tea in it all the time. I guess the Lipton company is now a drug dealer)

2. Bottled water used for the purpose of hydration could be classified as a drug. Water? Water? Even the communist party in China never tried to brainwash people into accepting the notion that water was a drug.

3. Vegetable juice could be regulated as a drug (There's goes my V8. And I guess the juice bars at the gyms can hang it up. What's next? Outlawing free weights and stair steppers because they might accelerate my heart rate as a drug might?)

4. Herbs could be considered a controlled substance, meaning that if you have an herb garden you could potentially be considered on the same playing field as someone who has a pot garden.

Here's the article I referred to:

FDA takeover of the Nutritional Supplements industry

And here are a few other comments/blog posts on the subject:

FDA to regulate herbs, juices and vitamins

FDA WANTS TO ELIMINATE NATURAL HEALTH CARE

The FDA is nothing more than a pimping operation for the big pharma houses

FDA attempting to regulate supplements, herbs and juices as "drugs"

FDA threatens your freedom

FDA WILL REGULATE VITAMINS, HERBS


It's incredible that this could actually be happening, but it looks like the feds are once again attempting to assume total control over your one-a-day pills, garlic pills, and glucosamine and chrondroitan supplements. And here's the funny thing. I give glucosamine supplements to my dog, based on my vet's recommendation.

I guess if the FDA gets it way, my dog will have more rights in the vitamin, supplement arena that I will.

My advice? CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN, WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN, AND TELL YOUR CONGRESSMAN THAT A POLITICIAN WHO ALLOWS THIS TO HAPPEN WILL NOT GET RE-ELECTED.

These clowns at the FDA and all the members of Congress work for us----NOT VICE-VERSA.

Burning fat without exercising

This is pretty amazing stuff. Researchers have come up with a pill that allows a person's body to switch on a gene that would normally burn body fat during exercise. And this pharmaceutical does this sans exercise.

Calling it an exercise pill, a Dr Fredrik Karpe stated (in the article below) that the pill would be unlikely to provide all the other benefits normally afforded to those who actually engage in exercise. And, by that, I think he means, among other things, cardiovascular conditioning.

But, good grief, a pill that allows your body to flip a switch and start burning fat...By any estimation, that would be incredible. And it could be a boon to those older indivduals with slower metabolisms and individuals who are medically at risk due to obesity.

Of course, it could potentially be a detriment to the diet supplement industry, not to mention all the various publications that are devoted to providing diet advice and tips.

The exercise Pill

Vegan Blogs, Vegan Websites, and, oh yes, Ferrets too

I came across a site today that's quite nice. It's a blog titled " The raw and the cooked".

I really don't do much commenting on blogs but I felt compelled to leave a comment in this case because the author of the blog (Opal) is an Xbox 360 gamer (same here, mainly Halo live these days) and is also a ferret owner. I told her in my comment that I happen to have a ferret and Chloe will be getting her website up and running sometime soon.

Opal's blog looks great and has a lot of interesting information. Her resource list, however, is quite nice (blogroll to the right of the page) and lists quite a few good ferret blogs and vegan health food sites and blogs. If I ever get around to developing a good list of sites and blogs, a directory of sorts, hers will be on the list.

A Gene that contributes to being overweight

A couple posts back, I referenced a gene that may have something to do with why some individuals are a bit different from the rest of the world in terms of their sleep schedules.

Well, on the subject of genetics, a gene that contributes to obesity has been found (for those who always believed that being overweight involved more than simply one's diet habits, feel free to say Aha!, I knew it!).

According to British scientists, about 15 percent of people have a genetic profile that makes them vulnerable to obesity. And these same individuals have an extra 15 percent body fat.

Finding an inherited basis for being overweight may be the first step on the road to developing gene therapy for obesity. Obesity is a primary contributor to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and even cancer.

How bad is Chinese restaurant food for you?

You know, I like chinese food as much as anyone (though, I have to admit, the quality of takeout varies and finding a good buffet can be a shot in the dark). But I've sometimes wondered to myself as I devoured my large serving of General Tso's chicken or Shrimp Lo Mein, "How healthy (or unhealthy) is this stuff?".

Last month, a story come out in the associated press that indicated just how bad the answer (and unfortunately the food) may be.

A plate of General Tso's has more than half the calories you need for an entire day! According to Bonnie Liebman, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Americans need to cut back on calories and on salt consumption. But that's exactly what you get too much of with chinese restaurant food.

However, having said that, Mexican and Italian restaurants are even worse and the food they feature tends to be high in saturated fat which is an ingredient for heart problems.

Of course, I don't think anyone has ever tried to make the argument that chinese take out or buffet food could be confused with health food of any stripe. And I would never rule it completely out of my meal choices. But moderation is probably warranted and this is true for most restaurant food. In fact, it was only a few weeks ago that an article (I forget the publication) pointed out that the majority of restaurant food was amazingly overboard in terms of calories and saturated fat content. And this, sad to say was even true for food that was presented as diet and weight loss food.

Sleeping Patterns may be based on Genetics - Night Owl Gene is discovered

If your sleep cycle is at odds with the rest of the world, you're bound to have trouble. Not only will you be out of sync with family and friends, you'll also be out of kilter with the the majority of occupational work schedules. Without a doubt, this can lead to a life less satisfying on a number of different levels.

But according to Science Journal, there may be a reason why some people are perpetual night owls. And the reason may be in the genes of such individuals. Apparently, an altered gene, called AFH or the after-hours gene, may be responsible for night owl syndrome.

It's interesting that, more and more, science is providing medical reasons for conditions that are, all too often, thought to be the result of poor habits or personal deficiencies. Bipolar disorder is certainly one of those conditions that is increasingly better understood. And so is fibromyalgia. Amazingly, it wasn't even that long ago, that rheumatoid arthritis was not recognized as a valid medical impairment.

On the subject of sleep cycles, this information may be useful: Melatonin

Red meat and the effect on the incidence of breast cancer

Well, the results of the study cited in this following article are not particularly appetizing (that's a pun, albeit a bad one).

What does the study say? That, for older women, even consuming small amounts of red meat can significantly and dramatically increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The increased risk was actually pegged at 56%, which should be enough to make a lot of people, not just women, begin to evaluate what percentage of their protein intake actually comes from red meat consumption.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the results of this research. One individual referred to it as rubbish. As you'll see in the article, he is the chairman of a butcher's guild.

Steak: its for dinner

Vitex if you're bodybuilding or in the mood to be not in the mood

Vitex. It sounds like the name of a roman centurion. Well, I suppose it may as well since it was used by the romans for certain pre-birth and after birth applications.

What is Vitex used for? Here's a short list.

1. At varying points in history, it was used as an anti-aphrodesiac, to reduce or quell the sex drive. Hence, the names chaste berry and chaste tree.

2. Vitex has been used to treat PMS and irregular menstrual cycles.

3. Vitex has been used to treat women who have experienced abnormal hair growth.

And, lastly, Vitex has been used as a component in bodybuilding supplements.

Additional information on Vitex can be found on these pages:

The herb Vitex, aka Chaste tree

The wikipedia page on Vitex


Vitamin Stuff Homepage

Researchers report that Vitamin C may offer protection against stomach cancer

According to this article (linked below), Vitamin C may offer some protection against the development of stomach cancer by blocking the formation of certain carcinogenic compounds. Which, of course, is fantastic, particularly since, as the article also states, stomach cancer is the fourth most diagnosed form of cancer world wide.

Here's that article:

Vitamin C and possible protection from stomach cancer.

And here's the article on Vitamin Stuff (a two parter) that covers Vitamin C:

Vitamin C, part 1

Vitamin C, part 2

And here are some answers to general questions about Vitamin C:

Advantages of using Vitamin C

What Vitamin C is used for - problems and conditions,

How much Vitamin C should you take?

How much Vitamin C is too much to take in supplemental form?

Vitamin C - are there risks in using it as a supplement?

Do dietary sources provide enough Vitamin C to provide health benefits?

And...last but hopefully not least here's a short note from Vitamin Stuff on Vitamin C (and this one also relates to cancer as well) ---

Vitamin C, an antioxidant that may hold promise as a cancer fighter

Vitamin Stuff Homepage

Some good advice regarding supplements

Here's a page from the Mayo clinic (linked at the bottom) on vitamins and other types of supplements. The information at the top of the page is fairly general. However, I'm providing the link for the advice that's been provided on the lower half of the page, most of which can be boiled down this:

1. When taking nutritional supplements, read the labeling. I repeat, read the labeling. Product labeling includes expiration information as well as storage information. As the page states, dietary supplements can lose potency over time and they can also lose potency as a result of improper storage. And, of course, there' the safety factor with regard to leaving any sort of pill bottle out where a child may reach it.

2. Be careful when it comes to megadoses and megadosing and for several reasons. Not all individuals may tolerate the same dosage of any supplement equally well. Also, individuals taking prescribed medication should take caution when it comes to nutritional supplement (really, if you're on medication, it would be safest to consult with your doctor before using any sort of supplement).

Vitamin Stuff Homepage