Drive for 55 - Exercise Volume Benefits for Fat Loss Maintenance

The magic formula for keeping off lost weight

To drop 10 per cent of their body weight and keep it off for two years, obese and overweight women must exercise at least 55 minutes a day, five days a week, according to a new study.

Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine this week said that in addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women must exercise substantially more than was previously recommended.

"The less they exercised the less weight they lost and the less they kept off," said John Jakicic of the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study. "It seemed like this magic number of 275 [minutes a week] is what really made a difference."

Dr. Jakicic and his team spent two years studying 191 women between the ages of 21 and 45 with a body mass index of 27 to 40, which is above the threshold of healthy weight. Before taking part in the research, all of the women exercised less than 20 minutes a day, fewer than three days a week.

The women were prescribed diets of between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day, and were divided into groups with different exercise goals.

While women in various groups lost weight, only those who exercised more than 55 minutes a day, five days a week, managed to keep the weight off two years later.

"We really wanted to delve into the issues around how much you might really need to do to keep this weight off long term," Dr. Jakicic said. "This study sheds some clear light on what those numbers need to be."

Before this study, health professionals often recommended that people exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days a week. But that level is helpful only for those trying to maintain their health, Dr. Jakicic said, and is not effective for those who have managed to lose a large amount of weight and are trying to keep that weight off.

Obesity is a major issue in Canada, where 59 per cent of adults are overweight, including 23 per cent who are obese, according to Statistics Canada. Overweight is defined as having a BMI - an approximation of body fat based on height and weight - of more than 25, while a BMI of more than 30 indicates obesity.

But much of the focus on obesity has centred on issues of diet and ignored the impact of regular physical activity.

"There's been so much about the Atkins diet and the Zone diet and surgery," Dr. Jakicic said. "But even people who have the surgery gain weight again without a major lifestyle change."

Dr. Jakicic does not believe people should be discouraged by the exercise level required by his findings, even though working out 55 minutes a day, five days a week, may sound like too punishing a regimen.

Most of the women who were successful in the study were working mothers, he said, and got their exercise by walking. They were only required to reach a moderate level of intensity with their workouts, and few women put in serious hours at the gym.

"This shouldn't be discouraging. It can be done," he said. "They were able to find ways to make it work with their lifestyle."

Keeping up the intense workout schedule was sometimes difficult, Dr. Jakicic admitted, but because the women were focusing on both diet and exercise, they were able to make up for any momentary lapses of will.

"Not that over two years these women didn't flounder," he said. "But when they floundered with their diet, they were a little more diligent with their exercise."

The women exercised in periods that would previously have been designated as "sitting time," spent in front of a TV, a computer or a book.

"Most women say, 'I can't fit this into my lifestyle because it's going to negatively impact my family and children,' " he said. "When in fact what's negatively impacting the family is that they're not taking care of themselves."

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Lower Fluoride Levels In Water - Panel Recommendation

Fluoride levels should be lowered, panel tells Health Canada

A panel of experts convened by Health Canada is recommending new optimal concentrations of fluoride in drinking water and suggesting the levels of fluoride ingested from a variety of sources by children and infants be lowered and monitored.

The authors suggest Health Canada adopt a level of 0.7 mg/L as the optimal target for fluoride in drinking water, to limit exposure. This level, they say, balances the need for dental cavity protection with the risk of dental fluorosis, which leads to staining or pitting of the teeth if too much fluoride is ingested.

The report, which was released in January of last year, was posted on Health Canada's website in April.

The panel notes in the report that the overall intake of fluoride in recent years has decreased, as have the concentrations of fluoride in infant formula.

It also does not find any link between fluoride and cancer, a decrease in IQ or reproductive, immunological or developmental toxicity. Previous studies have raised concerns about the toxic effects of fluoride and made connections between excessive consumption and such diseases as bone cancer.

The panel does acknowledge that excess fluoride intake, which constitutes 10 mg/day after 10 or more years of exposure, can lead to skeletal fluorosis, which is caused by too much accumulation of fluoride in the bones and leads to brittle and deformed bones.

However, "the current maximum acceptable concentration of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water is unlikely to cause adverse health effects," reads the report.

The report does caution however, that infants are particularly vulnerable if they ingest powdered infant formula reconstituted with fluoridated water. "The risk of excessive intake of fluoride is higher for infants consuming larger quantities of infant formulas," reads the report.

The panel subsequently calls on the manufacturers of infant formula to lower and standardize the fluoride concentration in infant formula.

Source: CBC.ca

Sweet Substitute Prevents Decay

Yum! Candy that fights cavities

Children everywhere may have scored a major coup this week in the eternal battle with parents over the consumption of candy, after new evidence found sweets made with the sugar substitute xylitol could actually reduce the risk of cavities.

But the findings are already creating some worry among leaders of Canada's dental industry who are concerned candy companies could overstate the limited advantages of the sugar substitute to boost their products.

Although xylitol has been found to reduce the bacteria that cause cavities and tooth decay, some experts fear the evidence could dilute messages children receive about the critical importance of brushing, flossing and a proper

diet.

"You're talking about a very small benefit," said Larry Levin, president of the Ontario Dental Association. "I think you always run the risk that people can misinterpret what that message is."

A study published this week in the journal BMC Oral Health and led by a researcher at the University of Washington found that children who ate Gummi Bears made with the teeth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol showed a decrease in the amount of bacteria that can cause cavities.

Xylitol is commonly used to make sugarless chewing gum, which has been associated with a decrease in cavity-causing bacteria in those who chew it. Since many children are considered too young to chew gum, researchers used Gummis to determine whether candy could carry the same bacteria-fighting benefits as sugarless gum.

They found that children who ate four xylitol Gummi Bears three times a day during school hours showed a decrease in the amount of plaque bacteria. The findings have led to the start of a clinical trial that will explore whether it's feasible to distribute Gummis made with xylitol in schools to combat tooth decay, according to the researchers.

But it's possible that kind of initiative could erroneously convince parents and children that candy made with xylitol is an adequate cavity-fighting tool that could even substitute or replace proper brushing and flossing, according to Dr. Levin.

"I think it's good to see it in proportion, that this xylitol chewing gum [and candy] is just a small adjunct to overall good health," he said. It's not going to counteract meals containing naturally occurring sugars that can also contribute to tooth decay, he said.

Introducing cavity-fighting candy may also confuse some children over the presence of sugar in other types of candy, said Euan Swan, manager of dental programs at the Canadian Dental Association.

"A young child might beconfused if they don't realize the Gummi Bear is a special [sugarless] Gummi Bear," he said. "They might go on eating other candy that has sugar in it."

Source: TheGlobeandMail.com

Eye Drop Recall - Health Canada

Prescription eye drops recalled due to risk of adverse effects

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use some strengths of the prescription drug Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution because some bottles may contain more of the active ingredient than indicated on the label, exposing patients to an increased risk of adverse events.

Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution 0.25 per cent and 0.5 per cent are eye drops taken for treatment of increased intraocular pressure (high fluid pressure inside the eye) and glaucoma. The active ingredient is timolol maleate.

Potential adverse events may include red eye, eye irritation, inflammation of the eyelids and-or cornea, drooping of the upper eyelid, double vision, dizziness, headache, abnormally slow heartbeat, abnormally low blood pressure, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and cardiac failure Health Canada said in an advisory Friday.

Patients taking either Sandoz Timolol Ophthalmic Solution 0.25 per cent or 0.5 per cent eye drops should discontinue use and consult their health-care practitioner immediately to ensure that treatment of the original condition (intraocular pressure) is not interrupted. Consumers should return the product to their pharmacist for safe disposal.

The manufacturer, Sandoz Canada Inc., is recalling the products. Sandoz will also be notifying doctors and pharmacists of the recall.

Consumers requiring more information about this advisory can contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

To date, there have been no cases of adverse reactions linked to the use of this product reported in Canada.

Source: CBC.ca

Hot Peppers Implicated in Salmonella Outbreak

U.S. food agency says consumers should avoid jalapenos from Mexico only

Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico are implicated in the countrywide salmonella outbreak, the government announced Friday in clearing the U.S. crop.

The Food and Drug Administration urged consumers to avoid raw Mexican jalapenos and the serrano peppers often confused with them, or dishes made with them such as fresh salsa.

But the big question is how those who love hot peppers would know where the chiles came from, especially in restaurant food.

"You're going to have to ask the person you're buying it from," said Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's food safety chief, who is advising restaurants and grocery stores to know their suppliers and pass that information to customers.

The big break in an outbreak that now has sickened nearly 1,300 people came on Monday, when FDA announced it had found the same strain of salmonella responsible for the outbreak on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno in a south Texas produce warehouse.

Tomatoes had been the prime suspect for weeks. And while those now on the market are considered safe to eat, health officials still haven't exonerated them from causing illnesses when the outbreak began in April.

The pepper discovery threatened to paralyze that industry, too. Chile production is a $500 million crop in New Mexico alone, which produces most of the U.S. crop, state agriculture commissioners wrote the FDA on Thursday.

Friday's move clearing U.S. peppers came because clusters of illnesses around the country all seem to be tracing back to Mexican jalapenos, though not all sold through the McAllen, Texas, produce warehouse, Acheson said.

"Domestically grown products are not tracing back at all to the outbreak," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "On Monday, we didn't know exactly where they all were coming from. Today we're certain these are coming from Mexico."

FDA inspectors are on the farm that grew the only tainted pepper discovered so far, trying to determine where else it sent a harvest that began in April, Acheson said. The farm is large, but the question now is whether it harvested enough to be responsible for such a geographically large outbreak.

Mexican officials blasted the announcement as premature, saying the fact that no additional salmonella was found in the Texas warehouse doesn't eliminate that site as a suspect.

"Both U.S. and Mexican tomato producers are still dealing with the impact of premature public information given by the FDA in the past, and we expect the FDA to present solid scientific evidence to back today's announcement as soon as possible," said Ricardo Alday, spokesman for the Mexican embassy in Washington.

The news is a relief for U.S. pepper growers.

"It's good news, late in the process. It's an announcement they should have made some days ago," said John McClung of the Texas Produce Association.

He called the warning still too broad, because many peppers from Mexico are grown on farms in regions not implicated.

At the same time, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are retracing the probe's early steps to see if jalapenos were missed early on, or if tomatoes did indeed play a role. Initial reports from the first ill in New Mexico and Texas provided a strong link to tomatoes, but salsa was eaten, too, with less attention paid to its other ingredients.

"We're still very interested in looking at the role tomatoes played in this outbreak given the strong epidemiological association," said CDC's Dr. Ian Williams. That is "very much part of the active investigation at the moment."

To date, the CDC has confirmed 1,294 people sickened from the outbreak. It doesn't appear to be over yet, with people falling ill as late as July 10.

Source: CBC.ca

Potential Sperm Count Drop - Tofu Related

Tofu a day, sperm goes away: study

A new study has found that men who consume more soy products have lower sperm counts, especially if they are overweight.

The study, published in yesterday's online version of the journal Human Reproduction, found that men who ate the most soy food had 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre than those who did not consume soy products.

"What we found was men that had the highest intake of soy foods had a lower sperm concentration," said Jorge Chavarro of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study.

He believes this happens because soy contains isoflavones, a naturally occurring compound that can mimic the effects of estrogen.

Previous studies have linked high consumption of isoflavones with infertility in animals, but Dr. Chavarro's research is the first to show a similar effect in humans.

The study analyzed the semen of 99 men who attended a U.S. fertility clinic between 2000 and 2006. The men were asked how often they ate soy products, including tofu, tempeh, soy milk and other soy products such as ice creams, cheeses and energy bars.

The average intake of soy for those with the highest consumption levels was about half a serving a day, although some men in that group ate as many as four servings a day. (A standard serving of tofu was 115 grams.)

The researchers also found that soy food intake had the greatest impact on sperm concentrations among those who were also overweight or obese.

This may be because overweight men already have higher levels of estrogen, Dr. Chavarro said.

"It's possible that when you already have very high levels of estrogen, an additional source of an estrogen-like compound may become an issue, but not if you're a lean man," he said.

This may explain why soy does not seem to affect fertility among Asian populations, for whom it is a food staple, he said. Obesity is not as common in Asian populations as it is among Western men.

In Dr. Chavarro's study, it was not clear whether the reduction in sperm count was a factor in the subjects' fertility issues, and he believes it is too early to warn people away from soy.

"I guess if somebody already knows they have a low sperm count and they're very avid consumers of soy foods they could try stopping it, but there's no guarantee that's going to help them," he said.

Isoflavones are present in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including black beans, peas and other legumes, but are most concentrated in soy.

The average sperm concentration for men ranges between 80 million and 120 million per millilitre. But even with reduced sperm count, men are capable of conceiving a child, said Dr. Chavarro, and soy seemed to have no other adverse effect on the sperm.

The study corrected for other factors that may affect sperm count, such as age, caffeine intake and smoking.

There have been two other studies on the connection between soy and sperm count. One, a study of 14 young men, found no change in semen quality, while the other, which followed 48 men, found that isoflavone intake had a positive effect on sperm count.

The men in Dr. Chavarro's study were predominantly white, and he plans to test the connection with different ethnic groups, as well as with larger sample sizes.

Source: TheGlobeandMail.ca

Health Canada Warning

Jin Bu Huan Anodyne tablets recalled: Health Canada

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Jin Bu Huan Anodyne tablets after two reported adverse reactions in this country.

The Canadian importer, Wing Quon Enterprises Ltd., has initiated a recall of the product — unauthorized for use in Canada — as the federal agency says it contains an undeclared ingredient (tetrahydropalmatine).

Health Canada says the amount of the chemical tetrahydropalmatine, contained in a daily dose of the tablets, has been associated with liver injury in adults, and brain and nervous system injury in children and adults.

It's also been associated with adverse reactions such as fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea.

The product label also promotes unauthorized use in the treatment of ulcer pain, and abdominal pain after childbirth.

Health Canada wants retailers to pull the herbal treatment from store shelves, and advises consumers who have taken the tablets to discontinue use immediately and consult a health-care professional.

Source: CBC.ca

Social Tonics Not Safe

Health Canada warns against use of 'social tonics' which contain drugs

Health Canada is urging consumers not to use products sold as "social tonics" by the company Purepillz, saying they contain unauthorized drugs.

The department says four products that go by the names "Peaq", "Freq", "PureRush", and "PureSpun" are promoted on the company's website as safer legal alternatives to street drugs.

But they contain compounds that reportedly have effects like amphetamines and the drug MDMA, and can't be legally sold in Canada this way.

Health Canada says the products can cause hallucinations, convulsions and slowed breathing.

They can increase body temperature and blood pressure, dilate pupils and increase euphoria, alertness and paranoia.

Health Canada says it has repeatedly asked Purepillz to remove the products from the market and is taking enforcement action because the company has not complied.

he products contain benzylpiperazine (known as BZP) and 3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP), compounds that require a drug identification number (DIN) before they can be legally sold in Canada.

Health Canada says BZP and 3-TFMPP have no therapeutic uses and while BZP is frequently claimed to be a "natural" substance, it is not a natural health product.

Health Canada says it is carrying out an assessment to determine whether it would be appropriate for these substances to be regulated under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Source: CBC.ca

Potential Tendon Rupture Caused by Medication

Cipro, similar antibiotics can cause tendon ruptures, FDA warns

The U.S. government has imposed its most urgent warning on Cipro and similar antibiotics.

The Food and Drug Administration warns that such drugs can cause tendon ruptures, a serious injury that leaves some patients incapacitated.

The FDA is ordering makers of fluoroquinolone drugs — a potent class of antibiotics — to add a "black box" warning to their products, which include Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin and other medications.

It says patients should immediately stop taking the medications if they develop any tendon pain, swelling or inflammation.

Source: CBC.ca

Cervical Cancer Vaccine - Adverse Reactions

Almost 8,000 adverse reactions to cervical vaccine reported in U.S.

Almost 8,000 U.S. recipients of the vaccine used to protect against cervical cancer have reported adverse reactions, ranging from pain at the injection site to serious side-effects, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A total of 7,802 people who received Gardasil, made by Merck and Co. Inc., have reported adverse events to the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) between June 8, 2006, and April 30, 2008. The United States distributed 2.2 million doses of the vaccine in 2006 and 11.3 million in 2007.

Of the people who reported adverse reactions, the most common side-effect was pain at the injection site, according to a recent CDC report.

Seven per cent had serious side-effects — "about half" the average of vaccines overall, according to the report. There were 31 reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological condition that results in temporary but often total body paralysis, with 10 cases confirmed.

Fifteen deaths were also reported, with 10 of these containing the level of information required for further analysis, according to the CDC.

"After careful review of those reports, we could not establish the causal relationship between vaccination and death," reads the VAERS report.

The report notes that when Gardasil was being tested in the U.S. before being licensed, 10 individuals who were in the group that received the vaccine died, and seven in the placebo group died. None of these deaths were considered vaccine-related.

All Canadian provinces starting HPV vaccinations

Health Canada approved Gardasil on July 18, 2006. Since then, all 10 provinces have started or said they would be starting vaccination programs. Nova Scotia led the way, announcing in June 2007 that it would begin offering vaccinations to girls in Grade 7.

As of Jan. 8, 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada had received a total of 145 reports of adverse events following vaccination with Gardasil, none of which were of death or Guillain-Barré syndrome, according to the agency.

"These reports are mostly of minor adverse events, including injection site reactions, which are consistent with the results reported by clinical trials conducted prior to the approval of the vaccine, and can be expected with the administration of any vaccine," reads PHAC's website.

The vaccine works by boosting the immune system so that it effectively fights off four types of human papillomavirus, the most prevalent STD in modern society. In North America, HPV is said to infect half of all sexually active women between 18 and 22.

It's estimated that about 1,300 women contract the sexually transmitted virus each year in Canada. About 400 women in Canada die of cervical cancer annually — making it the second most common type of cancer for women between the age of 20 and 44.

Source: CBC.ca

ADHD Drug Linked to Suicide

ADHD drug linked to suicide attempts: Health Canada

A drug commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) disorder in children, teens and adults has been linked to numerous adverse reactions, including suicide attempts, Health Canada has warned.

In its adverse reactions newsletter from July 2008, the health agency warns that Atomoxetine (Strattera), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, had been linked to 189 reported adverse reactions as of Dec. 31, 2007.

Fifty-five of those included suicide attempts, a designation that encompasses non-accidental overdoses, showing suicidal tendencies and experiencing thoughts of self-harm. Twenty-nine of the patients recovered, three had not by Dec. 31, 2007, and one patient died. Data was not available for the remaining 22 patients.

Among the 55 suicide attempts reported in connection with the drug, 43 were among children between the ages of 6 and 17. Twelve were among adults ranging in age from 18 to 45.

Links between the drug and suicidal behaviour were first reported in September 2005, and the warnings and precautions section of the drug's monograph was changed to reflect those concerns.

Health Canada advises health-care professionals to warn patients who are on ADHD medications, as well as their families and other caregivers, to be on the lookout for changes in mood, behaviour and feelings.
Source: CBC.ca

Snooze and Lose - New Study

Why You Shouldn't Hit Your Snooze Alarm

It's the most tempting thing in the world - your alarm clock goes off to wake you up in the morning. You reach for the snooze button to get an extra few minutes of sleep. It's something you've likely done often as the daily ritual of getting up just a bit too early, staying up just a little too late and working just a few too many hours catches up to you.

But you shouldn't.

That simple act of getting back to sleep may be costing you mentally. Studies show the brain produces a "wake-up" neuron called orexin, designed to help you feel more alert in the morning. It combines with activity neurons that make it harder for you to fall back into the land of nod.

But hitting the snooze alarm doesn't always create the necessary cycle that allows them to both work together. And scientists say it appears that's why so many people appear "dozy" during the day - they simply didn't let the natural processes that involve waking actually happen. The result: a long hangover effect the more you hit that time delay switch.

best bet to stop the effects of too little sleep is to make sure you get the most from your down time. Here are some ways to do it:

• Establish regular bed and wake times.
• Avoid consuming alcohol near bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine in coffee, tea, colas after 4pm
• Don't use your bedroom for doing work or problem-solving. Use it only for sleep or sex.
• Take a hot bath before bed.
• Keep your bedroom cool.
• Place the bedroom clock out of reach and facing away. Looking at the clock can aggravate sleep problems.
• Have a light snack before bedtime: Foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan, such as milk and turkey, can help you sleep. But avoid heavy or fatty meals, which can cause acid reflux, too close to lights out.
• If you frequently wake up to urinate during the night, cut back on fluids near bedtime.
• If your partner snores, sleep in a separate bedroom or get a good pair of earplugs.
• If lying in bed and unable to sleep, get up and go back when you feel sleepier. Don't lie there stewing.
• Seek medical help if you can't sleep for long periods of time.

Source: CityNews.ca