Babies who are breastfed have lower cholesterol as adults, researchers say.  It should be noted that breast milk itself is full of cholesterol.  Infant formulas actually tout themselves as "low cholesterol" as if that were somehow healthier, despite the facts that infants who breastfeed have lower rates of allergy and asthma and less cardiovascular risk. 

We must remember that cholesterol is a necessary part of each of our cells, and that consuming it as an infant is crucial to normal nervous system development.  Additionally, cholesterol that we consume as part of a healthy diet does not adversely affect our health!  Cholesterol is only a problem when our our metabolism spins out of control due to an unhealthy lifestyle and the liver starts to create unhealthy cholesterol ratios.  Please read my Cholesterol Article for more information on the subject.

Read the study. 

Mothers-to-be can decrease their child's risk of asthma by simply taking fish oil.  In 1990 researchers gave one group of expecting mothers 2.7 grams of omega-3's from fish oil, and gave another group olive oil.  They began giving the oils when the mothers were at 30 weeks duration.  The children were then followed until they were 16 in 2006.  At that time, the rate of asthma was 63% less in the children of the mothers who took fish oil, and the rate of allergic asthma was 87% less!

Most American are deficient in omega-3's.  These beneficial fats form a large part of the structure of our brains and nervous system, benefit out cardiovascular system, our immune system, and are a potent anti-inflammatory.  It is crucial that we supply these necessary cellular component to children in the womb--fully 60% of the dry weight of an infant's brain should be omega-3 fat!  Read more on omega's in this Article, read more on developing a healthy immune system here.  Buy omega-3's for adults here, and for children here.

Read the study here.

The best scientific studies show that the optimum cesarean rates for mothers and children are somewhere between 5 and 10% for the general population.  Rates above 15% do more harm than good.  Astonishingly, 1 in 3 childbirths in this country are currently cesarean births!  This is a dramatic rise from a rate of 4.5% in 1965.  Why?  An excellent article (to read it click here) outlines the primary reasons:

A new study shows that regular consumption of probiotics can ease seasonal allergies.  Holistic doctors have been prescribing probiotics for allergies for years--this new study lends credence to the practice.  Researchers found that people who regularly consumed a fermented milk product had a decreased immune response to grass pollens that they were previously allergic to.  The following is extracted from an article on yahoo on the study:

"The probiotic strain we tested changed the way the body's immune cells respond to grass pollen," added Kamal Ivory, a researcher who worked on the study. In the study volunteers with a history of seasonal allergies drank a daily milk drink with or without Lactobacillus casei -- a bacteria widely studied for its beneficial properties -- over a five-month period. The researchers took blood samples before the grass pollen season, at its peak and after the end of season. They found that people who had been drinking the probiotic drink had lower levels of an antibody that help produce allergy symptoms.  At the same, these people also had higher levels of a different antibody, called IgG, that may play a protective role against allergic reactions.

These same mechanisms are in part why raw milk is far superior to pasteurized milk--raw milk is full of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, whereas pasteurized milk is sterile.  Other health-giving that are full of beneficial bacteria include kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and kimchee.  I recommend daily consumption of fermented foods.

Read the study here.

Sons of women who are exposed to pesticides during pregnancy have impaired reproductive development.  You'll recall from my article on organic foods that this has been shown before--this new study from the National Institutes of health once again demonstrates the importance of eating organic!

The authors state "Boys of pesticide-exposed mothers showed decreased penile length, testicular volume, serum concentrations of testosterone, and inhibin B."

Given increases in cancer, degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, decreased fertility and altered sex organs and hormones, organic is the only way to go!  You are not only taking proper care of yourself, but of generations to come.

Read the study here. 

The use of high-dose antibiotics to treat children's middle-ear infections increased over 20-fold between 1996 and 2004.  One would expect that dramatic results are obtained by this treatment in order to justify the huge increase in a treatment riddled with side-effects.  A new study shows that this is not the case.  Failure rates in treatment have dropped only 1.3%, and relapse rates have increased by only .3%!

We would be much more productive if we treated with a combination of prevention and natural remedies.  Most research over the past decade has actually supported using less antibiotics for ear infections (see this paper that supports rational guidelines for antibiotic use).  We also know these things:

• Using herbs during cold and flu season, or when your child's immune system is run down, decreases the risk of developing colds, flu's, and other upper respiratory problems that put your child at risk of developing an ear infection.  These include:  echinacea, propolis, and Andrographis .
• Eating fermented foods rapidly increases the presence of healthy bacteria in mucous membranes--the bacteria compete with "bad" bacteria to help prevent ear infections.
• Chiropractic adjustments reduce the risk of ear infections and hasten recovery.

Read the study here. 

 The following is published in this month's Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institutes of Health.  The moral is buy organic sheets and PBDE-free furniture whenever possible.  Buy your children organic "sleepwear", as opposed to pajamas, because most states require pajamas be treated with PBDE's.  Read on....
"Researchers have known for years that house dust is a major exposure route for lead and certain pesticides. Now a growing body of evidence indicates that polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants released from a wide variety of consumer products such as electronics and upholstered furniture are finding their way into air and dust in homes, cars, and workplaces. Several states and nations have banned or are considering banning PBDEs, but because these substances have recently been shown to bioaccumulate and persist for long periods in the environment, people will continue to be exposed to them. Moreover, investigators are finding extremely high concentrations of these substances in individuals in certain segments of the U.S. population, including children and the elderly. Studies are now focusing on how these substances are ending up in dust, how and to what extent exposure is occurring, and the impact of exposure on human health."

New research sheds more light on how Andrographis Paniculata benefits your health.  You'll recall from previous blogs that Andrographis is the most beneficial herb known for the treatment and prevention of cold and flu.  Several studies done over the past few months show that Andrographis causes your body to produce more glutathione--your body's most powerful antioxidant and detoxifier.  For more on Glutathione read my Antioxidant Article.  Glutathione powerfully protects your body from free radicals and helps you to process and and excrete toxins.

One of the new studies showed that the increased glutathione levels from Andrographis supplementation provide protection to your heart after a heart attack (read the study), and another shows that it protects the liver from injury (read the study).

This powerful herb should be in every medicine cabinet.  It is extremely bitter as a powder--I carry an excellent pill-extract in my webstore--check it out. 

The hepatitis B vaccine is in the news this week as a French lawsuit raises concerns regarding the association between the vaccine and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  In 1998 the vaccine was curtailed from routine use in France amid rising concerns of significant risk of the vaccine precipitating multiple sclerosis.  The best available research on the subject was published in 2004 in the journal Neurology.  That study was a prospective, well done project that showed a 310% increase in MS among people who received the hepatitis B vaccination!  

As with all vaccinations, it is important to weight the risks against the benefits.  The risks of the the Hepatitis B vaccine are significant.  A study reported in the journal Autoimmunity in 2005 reported the following increases in risk of autoimmune disease following hepatitis B vaccination:

•  520% increase in Multiple Sclerosis
• 1,400% increase in optic neuritis
• 260% increases in vasculitis
• 201% increase in arthritis
• 910% increase in lupus
• 1,800% increase in Rheumatoid Arthritis

The authors of the study conclude "...chances of exposure to hepatitis B virus in adults is largely life-style dependent. Adults should make an informed consent decision, weighing the risks and benefits of HBV, as to whether or not to be immunized."

In the United States the hepatitis B vaccination remains part of the infant vaccination routine.  Hepatitis B is transmitted via blood, with nearly all cases being transmitted through sexual activity or IV drug use.  The vaccination probably has benefits that outweigh the risks in  sex workers and IV drug users.  As far as the routine vaccination of infants, I believe this is inappropriate, and that we could learn from the French!

Read the Neurology study here.   Read the Autoimmunity study here.