‘Straight’ Black Tea  -- Keeping Mean Old Mr. Tooth Decay at Bay

Although not approved by the American Dental Association, a swig of  black tea between meals may help reduce cavities and plaque. In a recent study, subjects were asked to rinse with black tea for 30 seconds at a time, repeating the procedure after five intervals.  Levels of bacteria in their mouths before and after rinsing were then compared. The results showed that the black tea helped control bacteria and reduced plaque buildup.

Dental plaque contains more than 300 species of bacteria that adhere to tooth surfaces and produce cavity-causing acid. Plaque is also a leading cause of gum disease.  Polyphenols, a specific biochemical element of black tea,  killed cavity-causing bacteria or kept it from producing acid.  While tea does not replace a toothbrush, it can be another way to prevent decay.  To get this benefit from black tea, however, it must be taken "straight" -- without milk, honey, sweeteners, or other additives.  Should you decide to employ such a therapy, baking-soda toothpaste is recommended to reduce tea stains on your teeth. 

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Vitamins: Another Defensive Weapon to Help 
Stave Off Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder related to abnormal blood-sugar metabolism that can often lead to heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and kidney disease.  Studies have found that those who suffer from diabetes are four times more likely to die from a heart attack than those who don’t.  Now, researchers have reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that adults who use vitamin supplements may significantly reduce their chances of developing diabetes. 

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) who studied the health of almost 10,000 people found that those who took vitamins on a regular basis had a 25% less risk of developing diabetes than those who took vitamins infrequently.  This suggests that vitamin supplements may reduce your risk of diabetes. 

Some experts like to claim we can get all the nutrients we need from a balanced diet. Unfortunately, however, our food supply has been largely depleted of vitamins and minerals over the past 50 years.  This has resulted from such factors as acid rain, failure to rotate crops and the use of pesticides in farming.  If our foods are therefore deficient in vitamins, it only makes sense to supplement one's diet with them. 

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The Missing Ingredient in Your Marriage?

Here’s one for the ladies: What do DHEA and a Barry White Album have in common?  The answer: Both may help put new zip in your marriage.  At the meeting of the American Urological Association, researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine presented data on 32 women. After 6-12 months of receiving 50 mg of DHEA daily, all of the subjects reported improved scores both on the Female Sexual Function Index and the Sexual Distress Scale.  The results included improved libido, less fatigue, and more motivation.  However, it should be noted that the study included no blood monitoring of these subjects.

We believe that DHEA can be effective in a select group of women who are deficient in this androgen.  It may be more appropriate and effective to measure complete hormone profiles before prescribing such hormone replacement. At the Magaziner Center we use salivary tests to measure levels of DHEA, as well as those of progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and other hormones. 

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You may have heard about a new CAT-scan machine, one that scans the entire body to detect early signs of disease. Its capabilities were recently given a plug on the Oprah Winfrey Show, which featured a woman who was examined with one and found to have kidney cancer. The cancer was subsequently removed while at its earliest stage, potentially a lifesaving procedure. 

Federal officials are now concerned that performing a whole-body CAT scan may expose people to unnecessary amounts of radiation.  Officials at the FDA stated that the average such examination delivers anywhere from 0.2 to 2 rads of radiation, depending on the size of the patient's body. Studies of Japanese  survivors of the U.S. atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II linked an increased risk of cancer to lifetime cumulative exposures of 5 to 20 rads. 

While whole-body CAT scans will undoubtedly find their place in medicine, it’s a good idea to be aware of such potential risks.  It’s likely that future cat-scan technology will offer a safer alternative by featuring electronic controls that limit the amount of radiation needed for the exam. 

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Have you had your fat today? No, we’re not referring to the kind found in meat or French fries, but rather in  fatty fish.   Mackerel, salmon and sardines might cut the risk of prostate cancer in half, suggests published research in the British medical journal Lancet.  Omega-3 fatty acids, plentiful in oily fish, are known to fight heart disease. They also have shown promise in protecting against cancers of the colon, rectum and ovary.  Previous studies have shown that fish oils can impede the growth of prostate cancer cells in laboratory dishes and in animals. In another study, prostate cancer was found less frequently in men who had high levels of fatty acids in their blood. 

So if fish isn’t your dish, you’d best make complete essential fatty acids part of your supplementation program. 

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