Today In Alt Med

What The Sunlight Fast Is

 

The web has been abuzz this week with news that another practitioner of the so-called sunlight fast has starved to death. The newspaper article doesn't name the woman but says that she was a follower of an Indian "guru" who claims to have lived decades on sunlight alone.

The AP report that translated the Swiss article didn't name the "guru" the woman was following but I suspect that it was a man named Prahlad Jani. Jani claims to have lived without food or water since 1940 or so. In recent years he's been featured on several documentaries about his claims.

Jani's absurd claims have been put to the test--sort of--at least twice in the past decade. Back in 2003 he was supposedly sealed in a hospital room for 10 days and was given only a small amount of water to use as a mouthwash. He survived the fast but his claim that he could survive indefinitely was damaged when doctors found that Jani had, in fact, lost weight during his supposed confinement.

A couple of years ago he was supposedly tested at an Indian research facility. A press release issued at that time by the facility postulated that perhaps Jani had developed an unusually high tolerance for starvation and water deprivation. The facility's spokesperson was quoted on an Indian website at the time as saying, "We would like to keep the information confidential for the time being, but we shall share it when the results are established." As far as I can tell no actual results from the 15-day study have ever been made available for scientific scrutiny.

Whether Jani can truly go for days without water or not, it's a no-brainer that he hasn't really survived years on just "energy" beamed to him from a goddess. But as the Swiss woman's case so clearly demonstrates there are, unfortunately, people out there just gullible enough to not only believe it, but to even kill themselves trying to emulate Jani and people like him.

Listeria Found In Springwater Organic Alfalfa Sprouts

Image of recalled Springwater organic alfalfa sprouts provided by New York Department of Agriculture & Markets

The press release about Springwater's Organic Alfalfa Sprouts recall was dated yesterday but I'm only seeing it today. In it the company admits that samples of the sprouts that were collected by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets inspectors have come back positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Based on the company's statement it appears that the recalled alfalfa sprouts were sold only in New York. They were, however, sold both to the public and to food service institutions.

New York's Department of Agriculture & Markets has provided an image of the sprouts' front labels. You can see that just to the left. These are the UPCs that Springwater says are covered by this action:

• 688267047411
• 042891000523

The company says that no actual Listeria infections have been reported so far. About 100 pounds of sprouts are affected.  If you have these in your home you are advised to return them to your place of business.

Institutional customers should look for the production code P93 on bulk packages of sprouts. Springwater says that the bulk packs were sold in Upstate New York.

Listeriosis--what doctors call Listeria infection in humans--is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and anyone whose immune system is compromised or depressed. Last year, just one outbreak of Listeria killed 30 people in 28 states. That outbreak was ultimately blamed on contaminated melons produced at a single farm.

Older Australian Women Use A Lot Of Alternative Medicine

The use of complementary and alternative medicine among older women isn't a topic that's seen a whole lot of study but research gleaned recently from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health may shed new light on the unique challenges older women face when it comes to their health.

This very, very small study was based on face-to-face interviews with 13 women living in rural parts of Queensland and 12 women living in urban areas of Queensland. All of the women were between 83 and 88 years old. They were asked, among other things, about their marital status, income levels and education. They were also asked to rate their own health as "Very Good," "Good" or "Fair".

But the researchers didn't stop there. They also designed a set of questions that they divided into groups of what they called "push" questions and "pull" questions. These were designed to help the scientists learn what factors "pushed" women away from mainstream medicine and which factors "pulled" them toward alternative therapies.

Some of the answers the women gave won't surprise anyone familiar with alternative medicine. The women, for example, expressed a strong desire to be in control of their own healthcare choices. They also relied on alternative medicine to maintain good health.

They did not, however, cite a general dissatisfaction with mainstream medicine as a primary reason for experimenting with complementary therapies. Some of the women--especially those in rural areas--discussed certain occasional frustrations they experience with access to healthcare but none of women seemed particularly disenchanted with mainstream medicine.

These women surprised researchers in another way, too. Unlike previous studies, which have found alternative medicine patients to be reluctant to talk about complementary therapies with their doctors, this study found that most of these women did discuss their supplements and other CAM therapies with their physicians. Only one of the women remembered hearing her doctor describe alternative medicine as a "waste of time" and none of them reported that their doctors tried to persuade them to give up alternative medicine completely.

It's hard to know exactly how significant this study's findings really are. It was a very small study of quite elderly women. But it does provide, as the researchers put it, an interesting "snapshot" of how some of our world's oldest citizens view complementary and alternative medicine.

FDA, USDA Say "Don't Worry About Mad Cow Disease"

Earlier this week federal agriculture officials disclosed that a California dairy cow had tested positive for "mad cow" disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The disease, which is always fatal, can cause an equally fatal condition in humans--variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Victims literally die from their brains being turned into a spongey mess. There is no treatment for the disease.

via www.todayinfoodsafety.com

Both the USDA and the FDA have come out publicly to assure the US population that the American food supply is still among the safest in the world.

X-Rock "Male Enhancement" Pills Recalled For Spiking

 

Image of recalled X-Rock male enhancement supplement provided by FDA.

The company behind the X-Rock brand of "male enhancement" products has announced a recall of the supplement. The recall, says the company in its press release, covers all lot numbers and expiration dates.

In the release the company admits that it was only through tests performed by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, that the "spiking" was brought to light. Those tests found both the prescription drug sildenafil and one of its drug analogues, hydroxythiohomosildenafil. Sildenafil, of course, is widely used to treat erectile dysfunction and is sold in most countries under the brand name Viagra.

XRock Industries doesn't provide any explanation for how the spiking occurred but does say that the company is looking at its in-house procedures to prevent such a recall from being needed in the future. X-Rock is available nationwide at retail stores as well as several company-run websites.

On those websites the company claims that the supplement is "completely organic" and made from "pharmaceutical" grade herbs. Those herbs include horny goat weed, ginger, ginseng and coffee berry.

Even in healthy men, say doctors, the drugs that were slipped into X-Rock are capable of causing side effects like headaches and flushing. But to men who are also taking certain medications the effects could be far more serious. The drugs can interact with nitrates, for example, and cause a sudden loss of blood pressure. And because supplements like these are often schlepped around as a "natural" alternative to drugs like Viagra the fear is--as it always is with these kinds of recalls--that men who know that they shouldn't take Viagra will turn to supplements like X-Rock believing them to be a safe and natural remedy.

If you have any X-Rock on hand you're advised to return it to your place of purchase for a refund. You can also contact the company directly by calling 877-976-2563.

And, of course, if you've taken X-Rock and believe you've been harmed by it you're urged to seek medical treatment and have your doctor file a report with the FDA's MedWatch program.

Hibiscus Extract Eases Depression, Says Study

Most of us think of hibiscus as that ornamental plant with the big bell-shaped flowers that we see growing outside banks, shopping centers and, perhaps, even in our own backyards. But the hibiscus may also have potential as a treatment for depression, too, if the results of a new study from Brazil hold up.

In this study researchers collected blossoms from Hibiscus tiliaceus and had them analyzed to make sure that what the researchers thought they were getting was actually what they got. Then they dried and then ground the flowers into a powder.  After that the scientists soaked the powder in methanol to make an extract, which they then dissolved in distilled water. That gave them their potential remedy.

To test their hibiscus extract for depression the researchers took a group of lab rats and divided them into groups. One group was given a dose of a standard pharmaceutical antidepressant, a dose of the hibiscus extract or a dose of saline water. Thirty minutes later the animals were put through 2 different tests to gauge the reactions to stress.

What the researchers found was that the rats who were given the hibiscus extract prior to their tests did much better than the rats who got the plain saline. This means, say the authors of this study, that hibiscus, which already sees some use as a folk remedy for other ailments, could provide effective relief from symptoms of depression--and do it without causing drowsiness. It might be especially helpful to women struggling with postpartum depression, they add. (Hibiscus-based remedies have been the subject of several studies on PPD in recent years.)

Unfortunately, the authors of this study did not, as far as I can tell, include data on how well the hibiscus extract remedy did against the pharmaceutical medications. And the study was very small. Each group of rats included only 10 or so animals. The researchers also say that each animal was only tested once.

This study on using hibiscus extract for depression was published online at the website for BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Leaner Living's Glycosolve Earns Itself An FDA Warning Letter

 

Anytime a dietary supplement claims to be as effective as a pharmaceutical drug--for any condition--it practically begs the Food and Drug Administration to go after it. And that's exactly what osteopath Spencer Nadolsky accomplished with his company's Glycosolve shtick. This morning the agency released a copy of its April 4, 2012 warning letter to Nadolsky and his company, Leaner Living. From it we see that Nadolsky was making claims like these about his Glycosolve product:

• Most EFFECTIVE diabetes supplement ever made 
• Pharmaceutical grade blood sugar control!
• . . . more effective than the prescription drug Metformin

The FDA, of course, calls Leaner Living's product "misbranded" and says that Nadolsky's Glycosolve has never been proven safe or effective for diabetes. And because Nadolsky is hawking the stuff without FDA approval the agency is going to treat it as a "new drug".

Glycosolve is in further violation of FDA regulations, accuses the agency, because diabetes isn't something the average person can successfully diagnose or treat without a doctor's supervision in the first place.

But it's not just Spencer Nadolsky's claims that have the agency's dander up. Numerous testimonials--which the FDA also considers to be part of a product's marketing spiel--also cross the line and make unallowed medical claims. In the video above, which I found today at Leaner Living's YouTube page, you can plainly see promises like "Pharmaceutical-like Blood Sugar Control" and guarantees of no side effects. But you can also see "testimonials" like the one from "Dee", who seems to claim that even her prescription drugs couldn't get her fasting glucose levels low enough. But 1 day on Glcyosolve and Voilá!

The FDA's official warning letter to Leaner Living adds that the letter is not intended to list all of the potential problems with Glycosolve's marketing. But it does give Leaner Living 15 working days to address the agency's allegations. As of my visit to www.leanerliving.com this morning I found the "most effective diabetes supplement" claim still plainly visible on the site's home page and the video still publicly viewable at what appears to be the company's official YouTube account.

1 in 88 Kids Autistic

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control now estimate that 1 in 88 American kids is autistic. The study from which doctors gleaned this info also found that boys are still far more likely than girls to receive the diagnosis--5 times more likely, in fact. Currently 1 in 54 American boys is officially recognized as having autism.

These new numbers reflect a 23% increase in autism since the CDC's last autism update. That study was released in 2009.

As grim as the numbers seem there is some good news. Many of these cases, say experts, may not actually be due to more autism--they may simply be cases in which kids who wouldn't have been diagnosed a few years ago are finally falling under the autism umbrella. And there is evidence that more kids are being diagnosed earlier, too. That's important, say care providers, because earlier diagnosis means earlier treatment. And earlier treatment generally means that the kids' outcomes are better, too.

Unfortunately, around 40% of autistic kids still aren't diagnosed until age 4 or older even though symptoms usually pop up well before then. 

There were a few interesting facts to come out of the study. We know, for example, that autism is more common in some areas of the US than it is in others. In Utah, for example, the autism rate is about 1 in 47 but in Alabama that number is 1 in 247. And the largest jumps occurred among Hispanic and African-American kids. Experts urge caution, though, and stress that those numbers may not mean that autism is actually increasing in those populations.

Autism is a developmental disability which can greatly impact a child's ability to function normally in the world. The degree of disability can range from mild to severe. Currently there are 3 types of autism officially recognized. Those are:

• Classic autism, in which development is noticeably delayed. People with classic autism typically have trouble communicating with others and may experience significant social challenges. They may also have impaired intellects.
• Asperger syndrome, which is thought of as a "mild" type of autism. People with Asperger syndrome may have social issues to deal with but they typically don't have impaired intellectual functions.
• PDD-NOS, which stands for pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified. This type of autism is marked by impaired communication and social interactions but those problems are milder than those seen in classic autism or Asperger. People who are diagnosed with PDD-NOS are often given the diagnosis simply because they fit some but not all of the regular autism criteria.

Feds Announce Seizure Of Illegal Cancer Remedies

The US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, announced late last week that it had enlisted the help of US Marshals in the raid and seizure of a company selling illegal cancer remedies. Agents say that they snatched up 1600 containers covering 3 different products:

• A product called Chickweed Healing Salve, which contains comfrey and is marketed as a skin cancer remedy,
• A salve marketed as To-Mor-Gone, which claims to cure cancer with black salve and 
• A product called R.E.P., which promises to cure sinus infections.

The agency says that its action was prompted by a consumer complaint. The customer apparently found the product's marketing deceptive. Another customer--this one a skin cancer patient--reportedly used the Chickweed Healing salve on a tumor on her leg but found that the salve made her problem worse and required medical intervention.

As far as I can tell from the FDA's press release (which doesn't go into many details) there have been no reports of any injuries from the other 2 products. It's important to note, though, that the To-Mor-Gone salve apparently contains bloodroot. Bloodroot, or Sanguinaria canadensis, is most often made into caustic salves that are used to "burn" or "eat" away moles, warts and small tumors. The herb can be highly toxic and severely disfigure people who use products made with it.

The R.E.P. product reportedly had no ingredient list on its label. Agents did not speculate about what, if any, herbal ingredient it might contain.

So far I've been unable to get my hands on a copy of the actual seizure order but the FDA does say that it inspected the company, Notion-n-Things, back in January. At some point the products were placed under an embargo order which held until the seizure order was signed on March 27th.

I can't be absolutely sure, of course, until I see the actual paperwork filed by the feds but it looks as though these products were distributed nationwide. It took me only a few minutes of searching to find several "natural" and "Amish" websites still offering products with these names and fitting these descriptions for sale in New York and Indiana and at web-based "stores" like eBay.

The FDA, of course, says that all the products it seized from Notions-n-Things are unapproved drugs that could cause serious harm to users. Claims made about their anti-cancer and anti-tumor actions are "unsubstantiated", says the agency, and against the law.

I have been unable to get any information on the people behind Notions-n-Things. (Local media is referring to them as "Amish" but not identifying them by name.) I have also been unable to determine who, exactly, manufactured the seized remedies.

Alcohol Benefits Men Who Have Had A Heart Attack

Men who have had a heart attack and survived it may benefit from moderate drinking, says a new study. Published in the European Heart Journal, the study looked at data on more than 1800 American male health care professionals. What it found was that when those men were compared to non-drinkers, they were 14% less likely to die for any reason and 41% less likely to die from a second cardiac event during the course of of study.

The idea that alcohol reduces heart attacks isn't new. In fact, its pretty well accepted by mainstream medicine that light to moderate drinking of certain types of alcohol can reduce heart attacks and strokes in both men and women. What makes this study important, say its authors, is that it's one of the few to look specifically at data on men who've already survived that first heart attack.

But this is not a case of if-a-little-is-good-a-lot-is-better. Binge drinkers--even if they binged only occasionally--and heavy drinkers were no better off than men who didn't drink at all. This "U-shaped association," as the authors put it, held up even when the numbers were "adjusted" to take into consideration things like the men's ages, their smoking habits and how obese or fit they were.

So what, exactly, constitutes "moderate" drinking? For this study it was 2 drinks a day. That's about 20 grams of alcohol. And while this study looked specifically at men, other studies have looked at alcohol's affect on women and saw similar results. In those studies a "moderate" amount of alcohol for a woman is about 1 drink per day.