Some of the most commonly reported neurological symptoms of artificial sweeteners include:

• Headaches
• Changes in behavior or mood
• “Fuzzy” thinking
• Seizures
• Depression

Read more here

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/31/aspartame-update.aspx?aid=CD945

A recent study found that patients with celiac disease can react to “gluten free” bread made with maize (corn) protein.  Serum IgA was measured against the prolamine in corn. Previous studies have found similar reactions with corn in patients with gluten sensitivity.

J. Agric. Food Chem, 2008, 56 (4), pp 1387–1391.J. Agric. Food Chem, 2008, 56 (4), pp 1387–1391.

Gluten Free Society recommends the avoidance of corn.  Typically, people with celiac disease are instructed that corn is a safe food to consume.  They are told that is is “gluten free”.  The reality is – corn contains gluten.  The gluten in corn has not been studied as aggressively as the gluten in wheat and other common grains associated with gluten intolerance.  Several recent studies have shown that people with gluten sensitivity react to the gluten in corn.

Remember that most studies focus on antibody production as the outcome for a reaction.  Because many celiac patients have IgA deficiency, the test often yield false negative results.  The above study used IgA as an outcome measure and (fortunately) found that celiacs react to corn gluten.

The immune system is complex.  IgA, IgG, IgM, IgD, and IgE antibodies are only a small part of immune system reactions.  Immune cells create a myriad of different inflammatory molecules in response to the environment.  Leukotrienes, prostaglandins, eicosanoids, histamines, cytokines, serotonin, etc.  Most lab tests focus only on antibody production.  This is a major part of the problem in accurately diagnosing food reactions.

Please be informed about your options for vaccination.  Even if you do want to vaccinate, you can break them up (ie: the MMR – instead of one possibly overwhelming vaccine, you can break into 3 individual ones that allow the body to react less violently).

http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx

Ginny Bank, an industry expert in antioxidant research explains that ORAC measurements have changed in the past few decades and that deceptive marketing allows companies to compare new ORAC values with older values and technically not be “lying”.  Also, failing to report serving size values can also be misleading in that ORAC statements may actually be for the entire bottle vs. a single serving.

For more details and the full story – click the link below

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/28/ginny-bank-on-orac-values.aspx

Additional information can be seen at

www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitaminDToxicity.shtml

Typical symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
• Coarse, dry hair
• Dry, rough pale skin
• Hair loss
• Cold intolerance (you can’t tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
• Constipation
• Depression
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Decreased libido

There are simple blood tests available to determine if a patient has Hashimoto’s. We run tests for two thyroid antibodies: Antithyroglobulin and Thyroid Peroxidase. If either of these tests is positive a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s must be considered.

The medical approach to treat HT is to prescribe natural or synthetic thyroid hormone. Our approach which is often times complimentary to medication, is to first run other specialized blood tests to determine which parts of the immune system is attacking the thyroid. When we know more about how the abnormal immune function we prescribe nutritional supplementation to tone down the attack on the thyroid and balance the immune system in general.

Unfortunately, hypothyroidism and especially Hashimoto’s is under-diagnosed.

Reading food labels to check for MSG content may be challenging as it often goes by many different names.

The following is a list of some of the other names used for MSG or MSG type substances.
(other names may also exist)

Monosodium glutamate

Monopotassium glutamate

Glutamate

Glutamic Acid

Vegetable Protein Extract

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)

Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)

Autolyzed Plant Protein

Sodium Caseinate

Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)

Calcium Caseinate

Textured Protein

Yeast Extract

Yeast food or nutrient

Autolyzed Yeast

For more information please see http://www.msgmyth.com/

If  you suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) a certain type of antibody is present in your body vs the Rheumatoid Factor (RF) you may develop a more severe arthritis and possibly require a more aggressive treatment.  Please talk to Dr. Slavin about options that might be right for you.

By Nancy Walsh, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today

May 13, 2010

Patients with inflammatory arthritis who have anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies have more severe disease and show less benefit from treatment than those who are antibody negative, British researchers found.

At baseline, antibody positive patients had higher disease activity scores (4.4 versus 3.73, P<0.001) regardless of whether they were also positive for rheumatoid factor, according to Tracey M. Farragher, PhD, of the University of Manchester, and colleagues.

At five years, disease activity scores among patients who had the anti-CCP antibodies remained higher (4.41 versus 3.76, P<0.001) and patients had greater functional disability, the researchers reported in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research

Go to MedPage

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to a potential role for anti-CCP antibodies in the diagnosis and classification of inflammatory arthritis, with some studies suggesting that these antibodies are a more sensitive biomarker than rheumatoid factor, which is the marker used in the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology.

But few studies have compared the utility of the two types of antibodies in association with clinical outcomes such as disease activity, functional disability, and response to treatment.

To examine these associations, Farragher and colleagues recruited 916 individuals from the Norfolk Arthritis Register, a primary care-based inception cohort of patients with recent-onset arthritis.

Anti-CCP antibodies were present in 29.3%, and rheumatoid factor in 27.8%.

When patients were classified at baseline according to the presence of either or both antibodies, differences in disease activity and severity were seen only for those who were anti-CCP positive.

Patients who had anti-CCP antibodies at baseline were more likely to be older and male

Compared with antibody-negative patients, they also were characterized by the following:

* C-reactive protein level, 12 mg/L versus 3 mg/L, P<0.001

* Swollen joint count, 8 versus 6, P<0.001

* Disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), 4.4 versus 3.73, P<0.001

* Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, 0.88 versus 0.625, P<0.001

Over five years, patients who were anti-CCP positive had a mean change on their HAQ scores of 0.20 points (95% CI 0.09 to 0.31), which reflected a worsening of functional disability.

Those who were negative for the antibodies had no worsening in HAQ score, with a mean change of 0.005 (95% CI “0.06 to 0.07).

At five years, patients with anti-CCP antibodies had worse scores on other disease outcomes:

* Swollen joint count, 3 versus 0

* Tender joint count, 2 versus 1

* DAS28, 3.09 versus 2.22

* Presence of erosions, 80.6% versus 29.4%

Differences also were seen in treatment during the five years of follow-up. Patients who were positive at baseline were more likely to be treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and steroids (85.4% versus 37.5%, P<0.001).

Patients who were positive for the antibodies benefited less from treatment, particularly early treatment, than did antibody-negative patients.

Compared with anti-CCP negative patients who were never treated, anti-CCP negative patients who were treated early had a significant improvement in functional disability at five years, with a mean adjusted difference in HAQ score of “0.31 (95% CI “0.53 to “0.09).

In contrast, there was no significant change in HAQ score in anti-CCP positive patients treated early (mean change “0.14, 95% CI “0.52 to 0.24) compared with those who were never treated.

Anti-CCP antibody negative patients also experienced significant additional benefit for each month of early treatment (“0.13, 95% CI “0.22 to “0.04), while anti-CCP positive patients did not (“0.05, 95% CI “0.18 to 0.07).

“In our analysis of patients with early [inflammatory polyarthritis], we found that at baseline and five years, all of the disease outcome measures were differentiated by anti-CCP antibody status rather than [rheumatoid factor] at baseline,” Farragher and colleagues wrote.

A strength of the study was its use of a primary care-based cohort of patients with inflammatory polyarthritis, so there was limited selection bias.

In addition, the researchers used a statistical method that adjusted for time-varying confounders such as fluctuating disease activity.

However, there may have been residual confounding from unmeasured variables.

Other limitations included the fact that the study was conducted before the use of biological agents such as anti-TNF drugs and the inability to know whether seronegative patients converted over time.

The investigators concluded that anti-CCP positive patients require more aggressive treatment, and that future clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis should stratify for anti-CCP antibody status.

“Our study provides further evidence for the reevaluation of the 1987 classification criteria for RA, and support for including anti-CCP antibody status as well as [rheumatoid factor] status,” they wrote.

The study was supported by Arthritis Research UK.

No other financial disclosures were provided.

Primary source: Arthritis Care & Research

Source reference:

Farragher T, et al “Benefit of early treatment in inflammatory polyarthritis patients with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies versus those without antibodies” Arthritis Care Res 2010; 62: 664-75.

Disclaimer

The information presented in this activity is that of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, MedPage Today, and the commercial supporter. Specific medicines discussed in this activity may not yet be approved by the FDA for the use as indicated by the writer or reviewer. Before prescribing any medication, we advise you to review the complete prescribing information, including indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse effects. Specific patient care decisions are the responsibility of the healthcare professional caring for the patient. Please review our Terms of Use.

© 2004-2010 MedPage Today, LLC. All Rights Reserved.



The role of food additives in causing or worsening ADD/ADHD is a controversial topic. Can removing certain foods from your child’s diet really help?
By Amy Paturel, MS, MPH
Medically reviewed by Kevin O. Hwang, MD, MPH
Do food additives have a role in the rising rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/attention deficit disorder (ADD)? This is a controversial subject among experts, but in fact, any child may be a little hyper after eating foods pumped with dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, and other artificial ingredients – whether or not he has ADHD. Unfortunately, such foods are more commonplace than you may think. Take any popular children’s cereal, for example, and you’ll probably see ingredients ranging from refined sugar, corn flour, and gluten to red dye #40, yellow #6, and blue #2.

But sugar and additives aren’t the only culprits. Several studies indicate that some children’s behavior significantly worsens after eating “healthful” foods like milk, eggs and wheat. Some potential problems in the diet include:

Food colorings/flavorings
In the mid-1970s, Benjamin Feingold, MD, suggested that enhancements added to processed food — including colorings, flavorings, and related substances — could trigger ADHD. And while a scientific review by the National Institutes of Health concluded that food additives affect only a small proportion of children with behavioral problems, recent research tells a different story. In a study of 300 children from the UK, researchers found that certain mixtures of artificial colors alongside sodium benzoate (a common preservative found in soda and ice cream) may increase hyperactivity.

Sugar
Since most sugary products also contain dyes, caffeine, and artificial flavors, determining the role sugar plays in ADD/ADHD is a challenge. Even if a high-sugar breakfast triggers hyperactive behavior, there’s no way to identify it as the culprit in the midst of so many other potential offenders. “If you give a child jelly beans for breakfast, the crash and burn from the ‘normal’ physiology of blood sugar rising and falling is going to make him feel cranky and irritable,” says Roberta Anding, M.S., R.D., clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital. “It’s poor nutrition, not true ADHD.”

Milk and Wheat
For some children with ADD/ADHD, a diet that eliminates gluten and milk products may produce improvements in behavior. “Milk products and glutens such as wheat are the foods most commonly linked to behavior changes,” says Dana Laake, R.D.H., M.S., co-author of The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook. “And they’re not mandatory foods for human survival.” When the body doesn’t absorb these foods properly, it triggers an allergic response (think brain fog and mood swings).

Focused Elimination
If you think changing your child’s diet may help his or her ADD/ADHD symptoms, start by eliminating potential triggers for a week or two, suggests Laake. Then test your child by reintroducing foods one at a time and seeing how he behaves. If it turns out your child is sensitive to milk or other major sources of nutrients, remove those foods, but work with a dietitian to ensure your child gets the necessary nutrients for growth and development.

“The more restrictive the diet becomes, the more you need an expert to make sure you’re not treating one problem and creating another,” says Anding. The big risk is malnutrition since children have a greater need for complete nutrition than adults, thanks to growing bones, developing organ systems, and building immunity. And if elimination diets are taken to the extreme, they could cause a deficiency in key nutrients like calcium and B vitamins – the very nutrients associated with reducing symptoms of ADHD.

Whether refined sugars or additives affect behavior or not, most children would do best to avoid sugary, processed foods, Anding notes. Perhaps the best solution for any child – with ADD/ADHD or not – is to make sure he or she gets a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole unprocessed foods. After all, the body simply works better when it has the proper fuel.

Copyright © 2010 Everyday Health, Inc.
The material on this web site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information. Use of this site is subject to our terms of service and privacy policy.

At the bottom of this article they site “cost” as a reason for not monitoring Vitamin B12 status in diabetic patients!!!!!

Full Article

The association of metformin treatment with vitamin B12 deficiency was confirmed in a long-term trial, suggesting that diabetic patients receiving the popular drug would benefit from vitamin monitoring and perhaps B12 supplementation.
With 4.3 years of treatment in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the hazard ratio for developing vitamin B12 deficiency while on metformin was 5.5 relative to placebo (95% CI 1.6 to 19.1), reported Coen Stehouwer, MD, of Maastricht University in theNetherlands, and colleagues online in BMJ.
“Our study shows that this decrease is not a transitory phenomenon, but persists and grows over time,” the researchers wrote.

Primary source: BMJ
Source reference:
de Jager J, et al “Long term treatment with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetesand risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency: randomised placebo controlled trial” BMJ 2010; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c2181.
Additional source: BMJ
Source reference:
Vidal-Alaball J, et al “Reduced serum vitamin B-12 in patients taking metformin” BMJ 2010; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c2198.