Fax and Soy -- Two Secrets of Maintaining a Healthy Heart 
and a Trim Waistline

Important information in the Journal of Nutrition may teach us how to better protect women from the risk of heart disease.  A decrease in heart-protecting estrogens is believed responsible for a sharp rise in the incidence of cardiovascular disease in women after menopause.  Although synthetic hormone replacement with estrogen has not been found to reduce a woman's risk of heart disease, a trip to your local health food store may. 

In this study, researchers investigated the relationship between the intake of natural plant estrogens, known as phytoestrogens, and various heart-disease risk factors, including body fat distribution, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  Two main categories of phytoestrogens were studied - isoflavones, commonly found in soy products and lignans, found in flaxseed and flax oils. 

The researchers found that women who consumed the highest amounts of phytoestrogens had a reduced risk of heart disease. Subjects who consumed the highest amount of soy isoflavones and lignans had significantly lower triglyceride levels than those who consumed the least amount of phytoestrogens. Women who consumed the highest amounts of lignan-rich foods also had less weight concentrated around their waists than did those who ate little or no lignan-rich food.  While excessive weight around the waist may make one feel bloated and uncomfortable (as well as self-conscious), it is also a risk factor for heart disease. Phytoestrogen intake was not associated with lowered blood pressure, however. 

To increase your chance of a long, healthy life, and to keep your waist trim, we recommend consuming natural soy products like tofu and miso, and lignan-rich foods like flaxseed.  However, don't forget that exercise also plays a most important role in preventing both heart disease and obesity. 

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Research Sheds Light on How Vitamin C Counters Cancer

 Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, have been thought to prevent cancer by preventing cellular free radical damage.  But researchers from Cornell University have discovered a more precise explanation for vitamin C's anti-cancer activity. 

This finding, published in The Lancet, proves that vitamin C can block the mechanism that cancer cells use to interact and communicate with one another.  If the cancer cells cannot communicate, they will no longer be able to grow and multiply, essentially halting their growth.  The specific unit of the cell that is inhibited is known as the hydrogen-peroxide dependent gap junction.

While the researchers state that vitamin C may be useful for cancer prevention, we think this research has a far deeper reach into cancer treatment.  There are numerous medical studies that show how antioxidant vitamins help to improve outcomes and reduce side effects in those patients who undergo traditional chemotherapy and radiation for cancer.  But it isn’t until now that we have a greater understanding of the biochemistry behind these findings. 

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Gastritis is a condition in which the stomach lining becomes inflamed and irritated, resulting in stomach pain. To treat its symptoms, conventional medical wisdom (as indicated by the commercials featuring the "heartburn hotel") uses a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors.  Essentially what these medicines do is to block the normal acid-secreting mechanism of the stomach.  Brand names of these proton pump inhibitors include Prilosec, Aciphex, and Prevacid.

But is the "acid blocking" theory the way to cure the problem of chronic gastritis?  Perhaps not.  Two new studies with laboratory mice, conducted by Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School, indicate it could be exactly the wrong thing to do.  Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining that triggers production of proteins called cytokines, which stimulate production of a hormone, called gastrin. This hormone triggers specialized cells in the stomach lining to produce more hydrochloric acid, which kills off most invading microbes.  Thus, if we inhibit acid production, we interfere with the body's normal defense mechanism. 

The researchers noted that the best way to cure gastritis may actually be to treat the underlying problem of bacterial overgrowth in the stomach.  While they recommended using prescription antibiotics, we know this is not the only option.  Many natural agents, such as uva-ursi and garlic, have antibiotic properties that help the body rid itself of unwanted bacteria, thus reducing the irritation of gastritis. 

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Celiac disease, also known as tropical sprue, is a syndrome affecting the large intestines.  It occurs when the intestinal lining, referred to as the mucosa, begins to degenerate, resulting in malabsorption and severe diarrhea. It is known that patients with this disease need to avoid foods containing gluten. This calls for  adherence to a strict diet devoid of wheat, rye, oats, barley, and millet.  Obviously, the restrictions involved in such a diet may be difficult to comply with. 

Despite these recommendations, researchers from Finland decided to track the health of celiac patients who included a moderate amount of oats in their diet.  Patients were studied over a five-year time period for both gastrointestinal symptoms and for intestinal damage as seen in a colonoscopy.  As published in the journal Gut, it was found that those who consumed a small portion of oats twice weekly did as well as those who avoided oats. 

This study adds more credibility to the idea that oats may be an acceptable part of the diet of celiac patients. Other studies, lasting up to one year, have also shown that oats are well tolerated in celiac disease.  The researchers warn that caution must be taken to be sure the oats are not contaminated with any other gluten-containing grains. 

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Who would be the type of person you would think most apt to suffer from heart disease?  Most likely, you would picture a middle-aged, overweight male.  Think again, because cardiovascular disease, which affects over 50% of the population, is an equal-opportunity killer of both men and women. The one advantage that women have, as mentioned in a prior story, is a built-in protection that generally lasts until menopause, which means they usually start to experience heart problems about 10 years later than men. 

But new research indicates they also have a handicap. Information published in the journal Circulation shows that women might be over three times likelier to die than men after undergoing coronary bypass surgery.  Out of over 57,000 women studied who underwent the procedure between 1993 and 1999, some 5.3 percent died in the hospital, compared to 2.9 percent of the men.  In addition, a woman's risk of death compared to a man's was almost three times greater in those under 50 years of age. 

Dr. Viola Vaccarino of Emory University, who led the study, did not offer any definitive reason why women are more prone to death following bypass. But he theorized that women tend to have more preexisting illnesses, including stroke and heart failure, and are usually referred for surgery when their heart disease is more severe. Also, the symptoms of heart disease in women are usually not recognized as much in their early stages as in men.  Dr. Vaccarino also noted that women have smaller arteries than men therefore making bypass surgery more difficult to perform and, therefore, more stressful on women.

Such findings emphasize the importance of becoming more aware of the prevalence of heart disease in women and of evaluating such individual risk factors as life style, family history, stress level, and biochemistry.  With new breakthroughs in laboratory testing, including measurement of homocysteine, lipoprotein (a), cardiac CRP, fibrinogen, and infections such as Nanobacterium, we can help to lower a woman's risk of developing this devastating disease.  To learn more about how to protect your heart, you’re invited to attend Dr. Magaziner's upcoming chelation therapy lecture this May 22nd at 7 p.m..  Call our office at 856-424-8222 to reserve your spot. 

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