“One of the subjects that I have taught for over twenty-five years is psychopharmacology. It might be helpful to challenge one of the great myths about mental disorders, namely that they are caused by chemical imbalances. This myth is founded on some of the tricks that are pulled in so-called scientific research in psychology and psychiatry. First, there is a large volume of research claiming to discover all kinds of chemical imbalances in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. The manipulation of research has become one of the most powerful and most unethical marketing tools ever devised. Not one study can be replicated at the testing labs of hospitals or by laboratories involved in clinical patient care. All that one needs to do is ask his or her doctor to order a blood or urine test to confirm any psychiatric disorder, and the response will be, “I’m sorry, but no such test exists.” Replication is a basic step for all sciences.”
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Archive for October, 2009
The Chemical Imbalance Scam
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Meta-analysis supports safety of soy, red clover
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009Phytoestrogens like soy and red clover isoflavones pose no safety issues with regards to heart health and breast cancer risk, according to a new meta-analysis from Austria.
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Chilli extract may prevent obesity complications
Monday, October 26th, 2009Dietary intakes of capsaicin, the compound that gives red pepper its heat, may prevent the development of diabetes-like symptoms in obese people, says a new study with mice.
Animals fed a high-fat diet and supplemented with 0.015 per cent capsaicin lowered blood sugar insulin, and leptin levels, according to findings published in Obesity.
“Our data suggest that dietary capsaicin may reduce obesity-induced glucose intolerance by not only suppressing inflammatory responses but also enhancing fatty acid oxidation in adipose tissue and/or liver, both of which are important peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance,” wrote the researchers, led by Rina Yu from The University of Ulsan in South Korea.
If the results can be replicated in further studies, the results could see a strengthening of capsaicin in the weight management supplements market, currently estimated by Euromonitor International to be worth US$0.93bn (€0.73) in Europe in 2005 and $3.93bn in the US.
Over 300m adults are obese worldwide, according to latest statistics from the WHO and the International Obesity Task Force. About one-quarter of the US adult population is said to be obese, with rates in Western Europe on the rise although not yet at similar levels.
Inflammation related to obesity is known to contribute to the development of a range of disorders, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease.
The South Korean researchers fed male C57BL/6 obese mice a high-fat diet for 10 weeks and the separated them into two groups: Both continued to eat the high-fat diet for a further ten weeks, but one group received supplemental capsaicin.
“Dietary capsaicin lowered fasting glucose, insulin, leptin levels, and markedly reduced the impairment of glucose tolerance in obese mice,” they reported.
Markers of inflammation such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin (IL)-6 fell significantly following capsaicin supplementation, in both fat tissue and the liver.
These decreases occurred with a simultaneous increase in levels of adiponectin, a hormone that regulates a number of metabolic processes. Furthermore, the researchers noted changes in the gene-expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha), which controls enzymes linked to fatty-acid-oxidation, they said.
Additional studies are needed to examine if such effects could be repeated in humans.
Capsaicin has been used in folk medicine as a remedy for rheumatism. The humble red chilli pepper has also been in the news recently with research linking the spice to inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, as well as a growing body of studies suggesting it may cut fat and energy intake when added to the diet.
Some experts recommend caution, however, as high intake of hot chillies has been linked with increased risk of stomach cancers in the populations of India and Mexico.
Source: NutraIngredients
Med-style Diet May Battle Depression
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009Consuming a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, fruits and nuts, olive oil, and legumes, may prevent depression, according to a new study from Spain.
Individuals who ate a Mediterranean-style diet were 30 per cent less likely to suffer from depression, compared to those who had the lowest Mediterranean diet scores, according to a study with over 10,000 people published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Natural Treatment for Infertility
Monday, October 19th, 2009One in seven couples has difficulty conceiving, and many experts in the field predict this could double over the next decade. That infertility rates are rising suggests that specific factors in modern day living are responsible. Pinpointing these reasons is essential, since there is always a good reason why someone cannot have children. Natural health care can help couples get to the root of why they cannot conceive and help them have the child they desire.
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The Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds
Saturday, October 17th, 2009Soaking nuts, grains, seeds, and legumes
Nature has set it up so that the nut, grain and seed may survive until proper growing conditions are present. Nature’s defense mechanism includes nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances that can be removed naturally when there is enough precipitation to sustain a new plant after the nut, grain or seed germinates. When it rains the nut, grain or seed gets wet and can then germinate to produce a plant. So we are mimicking nature when we soak our nuts, grains and seeds.
Nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in nuts grains and seed can be minimized or eliminated by soaking. These inhibitors and toxic substances are enzyme inhibitors, phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens.
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Are you drinking enough water?
Monday, October 12th, 2009Most people don’t think they need to worry about dehydration. To them, dehydration is something that happens to travelers in the desert when they run out of water. But there is a chronic form of dehydration that does not have the sudden and intense nature of the acute form. Chronic dehydration is widespread in the present day and affects everyone who is not drinking enough liquid.
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Why We Should All Be Eating More Artichokes
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009Artichokes, which can be eaten or taken as artichoke leaf extract, have been shown to improve various digestive health disorders. They significantly lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis, enhance detoxification reactions, as well as protect the liver from damage.
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