Muscle strength linked to magnesium in older adults

PALERMO, ITALY.

Magnesium is central to human health as it plays a role in a wide range of activities on the cellular level. A deficiency can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue and insomnia. This nutrient may therefore be essential for maintaining muscle strength throughout life.

Evidence from athletes supports a role for magnesium in avoiding damage to muscle cells. Muscle mass and function can be compromised in older age, a condition known as sarcopenia.
Researchers from the University of Palermo investigated the relationship between sarcopenia
and magnesium status.

Magnesium status was found to be significantly related to each of the measures of muscle strength - grip strength, lower-leg muscle power, knee rotation, and ankle strength.

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Gary Moller comments:

Depending on the study, around 70% of adults do not get enough magnesium in their diets to remain healthy. Hard exercise, emotional stress, injury, illness and various medications boost our daily requirements.

Few athletes would not benefit from supplemeting their diets with this mineral which is their principal protection from muscle cramps.

Magnesium has an important role, working with other nutrients including vitamin D, for prostate, blood pressure and bone health.

Programmes to reduce falls in the elderly are a wasted exercise if nutrition (including Mg intake) is poor because physical strength can not be created out of thin air. Any gains will be temporary, impossible to sustain for long.

Magnesium supplementation is cheap and very safe. Up to 800mg of total Mg can be safely taken per day depending on need.

A message to all of our clients and customers

Cycling Vanuatu: The best way to meet, mix and
mingle with the locals.

We are off on a tropical cycling holiday!

No tarted up resorts here: Just real hospitality by the
First People of Vanuatu

Alofa and I will be out of New Zealand from 17th September to 4th October for a much needed holiday in the sun.  This time, it is Fiji.

Our office and clinic will not be attended during this period.  It will be business as usual from 5th October.

If you are running low in anything that you get from us, please tell us within the next few days what you need to keep you going while we are away.  Please tell us by return email, or purchase off our website what you need and we will get onto is right away.  Here is my email: gary@myotec.co.nz

Whey Protein

One of the most effective nutritional measures an active person can do to improve health and performance is to have a small intake of protein about three waking hours for about three months.  

At 57 years I hover at about 10% body fat while having more muscle than I did in my 20's.  I don't lift weights.  And I am cycling 20 minutes faster over a two hour course than I did three years ago.  While there is more to it, not constantly going into protein deficit during the day has played a big part in my spectacular improvement in health.  You can do the same by following this simple piece of advice.  This is where the convenience of a whey protein shake comes in.....

We now have our own whey protein in store.  This is perfect for protein shakes when in a hurry.  Our shake mixes are fresh, quality New Zealand whey, in plain, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours.  Priced at only $45 per kilogram bag (free delivery within New Zealand), this is very good value for money.  We have yet to publish fancy photos of the bags; but here is the link to the product page to learn more.

Website Upgrades

We are investing in long overdue site upgrades as I type.  Before year's end, we shall launch a brand new website complete with a much improved shopping cart.  There will be several new features, including a "Member's Only" section where we can offer you special prices and practitioner products that are not presently available to the public.

Wishing you good health.

Gary Moller and Alofa Kosena

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!

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Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).

Getting the zinc taste test done where you live and how to interpret the results

Hi Gary,
I have visited 2 other places. Amcal haven't marketed that test in 5 years so if they do have the solution its likely to be out of date (from what I found out). I actually got it done at a herbal dispensary and a Health 2000 store. The results were quite similar. It begins with no taste and then builds to a kind of metallic taste (or mild anti bacterial taste). This usually takes about 2 to 5 seconds and stays for a while. Its not an overpowering horrible taste but is unpleasant.
From talking to the people it seems that they think I am slightly deficient and one recommended a solution over tablets. They said that if I tasted nothing then I have no Zinc in me and if it was a terrible taste then I have plenty?
"J"
__________________________________
Gary:
Image via WikipediaZinc deficiency is one of the most common health issues I see daily.  This is increasingly common in young people who are increasingly raised on a diet consisting mostly of noodles, pasta, white rice, refined cereals and chicken.
First we had Gen X, Gen Y and now we have the In Generation: The Instant Noodle Generation.  Characterised by numerous health problems associated with chronic nutrient deficiencies.

The In Generation: Weakly and with Poor Health

Rather than granting the inventor of the Instant Noodle with medals, I think he should have been lined up and shot for crimes against humanity.

Cycling Study: Why did females who ingested protein complain of sore and tired muscles during the sessions?

Woman running on empty: A seriously depleted nutrient base.

The study that is reported below this commentary found that female cyclists suffered discomfort and loss of performance the days after ingesting a mix of protein and carbohydrates following an exhausting endurance cycle as compared to a carbohydrate only intake; whereas their male counterparts in the study had a 4% improvement as compared to men who had the carbohydrate only intake.

Speculation is that the differences in protein digestion and metabolism between the male and female test subjects is probably due to differences in hormonal dominance. While this may well be the case, I tend to think that hormones do not have all that much of an influence. I think the answer is a lot simpler and to do more with the generally poor state of nutrition of many young and not so young women.  This is especially so for women who participate in endurance sports like cycling and running.

Is your Achilles tendon injury really that: Or is it something else?

When people come to see me with their injuries and health problems, it is usually because they have exhausted every other option.  Achilles tendon injuries are near the top of the list of reasons for paying me a visit.  These injuries tend to be very poor healers.  The reason given most times is that this tendon has no direct blood supply to expedite healing.  There may be another reason why Achilles tendons fail to heal: The injury may not actually be to the Achilles tendon; but to one or more muscles immediately adjacent to it.  Of course, recovery will be poor if the wrong part is being treated.

If the first diagnosis is of, say “Achilles Tendonitis”, the tendency for all who may subsequently become involved in your treatment is to blindly continue down the Achilles pathway, even when the results are disappointing.  One reason why this may happen is the medical hierarchy and ACC claims setup makes it difficult for a therapist to

Which Waihi Bush Flax Seed Oil blend is the best for you?

In this video presentation I explain which of the Waihi Bush flax seed oil blends is right for you and when to switch between blends.

Available from http://www.myotec.co.nz/

Are you addicted to caffeine and what can you do about it?

Are you addicted to caffeine? Do you really believe the popular hype that substances like coffee and chocolate are super foods, preventing everything from depression to cancer? Are you aware of the serious downsides of coffee and chocolate and all the other stimulants that soak our fast-paced society?

I just updated one of my most popular ever newsletters and turned it into an E-Publication.

If you think you might be hooked on caffeine or related substances, I have the test for you. If you are hooked, I show you how to get free and how to regain control.

I show you how to improve your health and zest for life.

Here is the direct link to the publication.

Honest Food Guide Launched

The Honest Food Guide is exactly that: it outlines in a chart the foods to eat more of an those to eat less of and explains concisely and honestly why.

While one may not necessarily agree with everything stated, I think it is a good guide to refer to and it certainly get's one thinking!

Here is the direct link to download the chart in PDF format.

Antioxidant supplements may raise death risk - study

CHICAGO - Beta carotene and vitamins A and E, antioxidant supplements taken by millions to fight disease, may actually raise the risk of death, a review of 68 studies on nearly a quarter-million people said today.
The finding drew fire from critics who said it was flawed and based largely on studies of people who were already chronically ill before they were treated with the supplements.
Tuesday's report related only to synthetic supplements and not to fruits and vegetables in everyday diets which are natural and contain less concentrated levels of antioxidants, said the study from the Centre for Clinical Intervention Research at Denmark's Copenhagen University Hospital.
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Gary Moller comments:
Over the last year I have shifted away from advocating anything other than supplements that are from natural food sources. This is due to concern that the synthetic copies of naturally occuring vitamins and other nutrients may not improve health and may even have a deleterious effect.

It is sensible to be cautious about the small one-per-day capsule that claims to contain every known vitamin, mineral and antioxidant needed by Man. To get all of that into such a small container probably means the contents are from pure synthetic sources. Supplements that are derived from natural sources, like herbs, look and smell like food concentrates and are usually the size of horse pills. Other forms for the Purists among us are elixirs like the Floradix range that are certified organic plant concentrates.
Synthetic vitamin E is not the same as the natural substance, nor is vitamin A. In their natural forms these vitamins actually include hundreds of different compounds (co-factors) that work together to do their healthy work. Pure synthetic Vitamin A, for example, can be highly toxic and is implicated in birth defects and should only be taken in small amounts, if ever. The natural form of vitamin A is derived from sources like egg yolk, butter and cod liver oil are very safe to take, despite the dire warnings that may come on the labels.

Funny isn't it? - Many of the best foods that contain the essential fats, minerals, vitamins and proteins are the ones that are bad for you - eggs, liver and butter! These are the high cholesterol foods that don't get the Heart Foundation tick. Do they really believe that margarine with synthetic vitamin A and cancer-producing trans-fatty acids is really better for you than pure New Zealand butter?

There is also the debate about "more being better". Of course, this is not the case and one should errr on the conservative side with vitamins unless the evidence tells you otherwise.

As an observation, when people with chronic health problems do consult me, there is usually more than a few signs of nutritional deficiency, such as magensium deficiency or low vitamin D. Often supplements are being taken but these may be synthetics that are poorly targetted to need. Another potential pitfall is to be taking too much of a single vitamin which may create an imbalance with others - nutrients need to be in balance with each other to be able to do their work.

So, take vitamins; but ensure they are mostly from natural sources. Take according to established need. Continue to ensure that your diet is your principal source of quality nutrients - quality meats, fruits, nuts, vegetables and whole grains.

How to interpret your vitamin D results

Over the last year, I have had many people obtain blood tests through their doctor or specialist for vitamin D levels. This test is often not easy to obtain with some doctors refusing outright to order the test, or charging the patient extra to get it done which is outrageous.

What I can tell you is every test result - without exception - has come back as either clinically deficient, or not far off. Nobody, including me, has produced a result anywhere near optimum. If a person is suffering ill health such as depression, low energy, viral infection, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, muscle and joint pain and so on and so on, then nothing less than optimum is acceptable as far as vitamin D is concerned.

Whenever you are addressing a health issue: "Normal" is not necessarily "Healthy". Always find out what is "Optimal" and go for that and settle for nothing less

When interpreting Lab test results for Vitamin D:

Optimal 25-hydroxy vitamin D values are:

45-50 ng/ml or 115-128 nmol/l

Normal 25-hydroxy vitamin D lab values are:

20-56 ng/ml 50-140 nmol/l

Your vitamin D levels should NEVER be below 32 ng/ml, or the equivalent in nmol/l. Any levels below 20 ng/ml are considered serious defiency states and will increase your risk of breast and prostate cancer, osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases like MS and rheumatoid arthritis - to name a few.

(Reference: Holick MF. Calcium and Vitamin D. Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Clin Lab Med. 2000 Sep;20(3):569-90)

How modern lifestyle can ruin your child's vision

Children of all ages are constantly learning new things. The first 2 years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your child's brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults. Too much television can negatively affect early brain development. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is so important."

For one of the most concise and informative articles on the issue of TV and child health, click on the linked title above. This article concentrates on how television, can affect child development including eyesight.

"In Singapore, 80% of 18-year-old men recruited to the army are short-sighted. This compares with 25% just 30 years ago. There has also been an increase in the number of people with extreme myopia, which can lead to blindness. In Sweden, 50% of 12-year-old children are short-sighted. That is expected to be 70% by the time they are 18".
...As kids spend more time indoors, on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic," said Ian Morgan. ". BBC News.

It has been long known that if, for example, we were to take a group of kids and place them in a submarine for a month, all would emerge with degrees of short-sightedness.

It is not the submarine or the TV that is doing the damage, what causes the damage is not allowing the child's eye and brain to focus on distant objects.

When was the last time your child looked at the moon and the stars? Has your child ever played "spot the airplane?" Has your child ever been bird-watching? Does your child play in open spaces daily? How often do you take your child to the beach or for a hike in the hills? Has your child a kite?

Or does your child start the day with television before being driven to school enclosed in a tinted glass case? Is the school play area an enclosed courtyard? If your child plays sport, is it indoors? Does your child watch several hours of television or play computer games?

The brain and the eye adapt to the conditions they find and, if that does not include constant daily use of long vision, then long vision simply does not develop. Once into adulthood that's it - no long vision - Ever! Your child has no choice. As parents you have taken it away and instead you have given your child a lifetime of expensive optometrists and the inconvenience of wearing glasses

I am so thankful to my Mum and Dad that I was raised in the country, spending more hours running about the fields than being indoors.

For your child, or grandchildren, the actions for ensuring healthy eyesight are obvious. It is time to act now.

Polynesians are fat - a sweeping generalisation

"Pacific Island nations have the most overweight people in the world, according to the most recent estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Eight out of the ten of the "fattest" countries are in the Pacific, the research found.
The top four - Nauru, Micronesia, the Cook Islands and Tonga - all have more than 90 per cent of their population defined as obese. "
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Gary Moller comments:
There is unquestionably a serious world-wide obesity problem that is only going to get much worse before it gets better and that will not happen for several generations, if the latest crop of kiddies coming online right now are anything to go by. Polynesians are at the top end of the problem - there is no argument about that. But let's kill some stereotypes:

We have discussed BMI in a previous posting about how heavy boned and muscled people are penalised by the one-size fits-all limitations of BMI measures. Polynesians, being among the most naturally well muscled and big boned races on the planet are immediately at a disadvantage with regards to BMI. That does not mean to say Many, if not the majority, have a serious problem with obesity.

The solutions are simple but extremely difficult to implement because one comes up against unhelpful stereotypes and health resources are almost exclusively locked up in the ambulance services (Drugs, surgery, hospitalisation). But, for the moment, let's dispel these broad-brush misconceptions that all Polynesians are fat. There are many, many exceptions that include my immediate and extended family.

Polynesians that exercise regularly and who eat well make exceptional physical specimens that make scrawny people like me very poor examples of humanity. The holiday photos above show Alofa with the kind of food that produce a strong and healthy human. You will see, despite her high BMI, she is thin, but very strong, muscled and in glowing health. She, and the rest of her family, is not the obese and sickly stereotype of the Polynesian. The photo of Alama, our son who will never get skin cancer (btw) is significant because it shows a lean, muscular 7 year old with a narrow waist and a broad barrel chest. Incidentally, outside of Africa, this physique is most unusual nowadays. The swiiming togs he is wearing are sized for a three year old! My, how children have changed!

Good health is not about race - It is all about lifestyle - plenty of sun, exciting and stimulating exercise and lot's of good food. It is about choosing to walk to school and riding a bike to work, rather than to drive. It is about taking responsibility for one's personal health which means becoming informed about traditional and natural therapies and taking control of one's lifestyle - like placing family before work.

Can you be fat and healthy at the same time?

Hi Gary,
I’ve been looking for a web site regarding health/nutrition and stumbled over yours... plenty of info but wanted to ask a specific question and you certainly look like you know your stuff. So here goes...
With all these fat loss shows on television I thought I would find out my BMI was and correct weight for my height and age etc. I am 93kg, 173cm & 29 years of age. My BMI is 31, and to my surprise that tips me into the obese category. You can imagine my surprise... I am of European Maori descent and have always had extra pounds on me but never really anything extreme. I find it hard to get under the 90kg mark and very rarely have I been over the 95kg mark (since my mid 20's). I have exercised regularly for the past few years and over the last 12 months I have done two fitness boot camps over several months and that aside I am road running up to four times per week for 30 - 45min and a pump class on the weekend. I eat fresh food and minimal fats, although a like a few beers on Friday night after work and probably a bottle of wine a week over some Thai food.
Question being... Can someone be obese and healthy/fit at the same time? I feel im fitter then I have ever been but am labelled fat. What are your thoughts?
Thanks a bunch!
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Gary Moller comments:
One of the problems of one size fits all prescriptive health advice is it fails to cater for those who fall to the upper or lower ends of the population distribution curve. This is the failing of BMI measures. If you are a heavily boned and heavily muscled person, probably due to your Maori genes, then you are immediately in trouble with BMI which does not differentiate between muscularity and fat.

My best mate at university was a national class gymnast and springboard diver. He is part Maori and weighed in a collossal 14-15 stone (Very heavy for a gymnast). Going by BMI, he was grossly obese. But he was pure muscle and could lie on the bottom of the pool with a lung full of air and he could carry a fridge on his back no trouble.

The problem with this kind of body type is the tendency to go quickly to fat if the exercise is neglected and the eating not moderated. In your case, you are doing plenty of exercise - more than enough to remain fit and healthy and your diet seems fine.

Is fat unhealthy? Well the answer is "No!" In the case of the solidly built individual it is quite natural to have a healthy layer of fat. If you want to see a really unhealthy person, take a look at the zero fat body builder. A naturally heavily boned and muscled person should have some visible fat when healthy. To try to force fat levels below what your body is naturally telling you what it should be is distinctly unhealthy. In this case, forcing the body under 90kg or so would appear to be unnatural and therefore unhealthy. 95kg is fine, but this could be increased to 100kg if a weights programme was included in the weekly fitness regime.

As a related aside: Isn't it interesting that a person with high cholesterol often feels very healthy when first diagnosed. What is most interesting is how unhealthy the person then feels once going on a low fat diet and taking statin drugs. Fats, including cholesterol, are essential for good health; it is just a case of how much, in what form and what else comes with them.

One of the things a big guy has to take extra care of is his knees, hips and his heart even if all are currently in perfect working order. In addition to a healthy wholefoods diet, I recommend taking a mineral supplement that has magnesium in it (Due in part to loss through heavy sweating), a fish oil supplement and glucosamine and chondroitin. These are available from www.myotec.co.nz and we do deliver to Australia.

How Medication Causes Anaemia in Senior Citizens

Anaemia should be considered a critical health concern for everyone over the age of 50. This is especially so for those who are taking prescription drugs, because many have a side effect that you'll never see mentioned on the label: the impairment of essential vitamin and nutrient absorption.

Red blood cells deliver oxygen from the lungs to the tissues throughout the body. Anemia occurs when the red blood cell count becomes depleted, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and hair loss in extreme cases. The two primary causes of anaemia are iron-poor blood (often triggered by menstruation or internal bleeding), and a deficiency in two critical vitamins: folic acid and vitamin B-12. Getting good amounts of these nutrients is very important for seniors because as we age our ability to absorb vitamins from food diminishes. Consequently, our tendency to develop anaemia rises.

Unfortunately this absorption problem is just the first link in a chain of events that adds up to a health issue that's far more serious than simple fatigue.

Many prescription pharmaceuticals interfere with the absorption of nutrients. For instance, drugs that inhibit stomach acids have been shown to significantly decrease absorption of vitamin B-12; one of the primary vitamins needed to prevent anaemia.

Other medications that are known to play a role in nutrient depletion are among the most frequently prescribed medications on the market. Antibiotics, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatories, blood pressure medications, cholesterol- lowering drugs, estrogen, and tranquilizers can all strip valuable vitamins and minerals from the body. When any of these drugs are combined - especially in an older patient - the risk of developing anemia rises.

And now it seems that this chain of events is being rushed along more quickly than ever. Did you know the average American senior receives 25 prescriptions annually - a 100 percent jump in just four years! So as the over-medication of seniors grows at an alarming rate, we see two serious problems becoming even greater health threats:

• The wider variety of drug intake creates conflicting side effects (and as know, many doctors treat drug side effects with other types of drugs), and
• These potent drug mixes rob patients of the very nutrients they need most when fighting an illness.

But the chain of events just keeps getting worse. Many mainstream doctors see so many elderly patients who have anaemia that the condition is widely regarded - somewhat lightly - as a normal part of ageing. As a result, when anaemia is diagnosed it often goes untreated. This is a mistake because anaemia dramatically increases the risk of mortality for those with chronic health problems such as heart disease. At the same time, anaemia can also promote cancer, which thrives in a cellular environment that's starved of oxygen.

Anaemia is easily diagnosed with a blood test, so during your next check up, ask your doctor for a test of your red cell blood count - especially if you're feeling unusually fatigued. If you do have an anaemic condition, the next step is to find out the cause. If your doctor downplays anaemia's importance, or if a prescription drug is recommended to address the problem, you should get a second opinion.

As for treating anaemia, you simply can't go wrong with the right nutrition and supplements. High doses of B group vitamins can be helpful, but not necessarily iron supplements. Take a broad spectrum Natural vitamin B supplement twice daily with iron rich food. The best source of iron is from natural dietary sources, plus a supplement from natural sources that steadily restore levels to normal.

The best dietary sources of iron red meat, fish, pork, and poultry, with beef liver and chicken liver having the highest amounts of iron. An additional intake of high quality vitamin C with iron rich food can also help the body absorb iron. Even an orange juice with your meal will help.

Talk to your doctor about discontinuing the use of any drugs that aren't absolutely necessary.

Biking to work too dangerous - cycling advocate

Cycling campaigners say fewer people are cycling to work because the practice is becoming more dangerous and difficult.

Figures from the 2006 Census show 38,000 people routinely bike to work, down from 41,000 five years ago and 51,000 10 years ago.
The Cycling Advocates Network says people are afraid to cycle because there are too many cars on the road, travelling too fast.
It says a large increase in funding for projects to encourage cycling is needed.
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Gary Moller comments:

What a child learns when young, he or she will be very likely to continue as an adult; even if there has been a long break. On the other hand; if a child does not participate in an activity and learn the basic skills, then he or she is unlikely to take up that, or similar activities later on.
Girls are by far the least likely to take up an outdoors activity later on - lack of basic skills, soft bodies, gender bias and stereotyping, fear of sunlight, fear of bugs and fear of strangers lurking the bushes see to that.
My little boy is the only child in the Central Wellington City suburb of Brooklyn to ride a bicycle to school which I feel very sad about.
This is the trend that is happening now and it is showing in activities like cycling. The majority of young adults have had little or no practice riding a bike. Riding on roads nowadays requires a high level of skill from Day One on the road and few youngsters are learning these. It is therefore no surprise that total numbers of cyclists is on the decline.

Take a cold shower!

"Dear Gary,
Cold therapy. Hey I was amazed you kept up the cold shower routine for all of TWO days!
(Refer my earlier article about cold therapy)
I'll tell you a story.

When I was at school I read a book. I think it was "A stone for Danny Fisher" by Harold Robbins. It was about a young boxer who, on advice from his coach, finished each shower with an icy cold one.

I was impressed so started to do the same. Normal shower, then turn the water up to slightly more you can bear for a minute, then turn off the hot and spend two or three minutes under the cold water only.

Believe it or not I still do this every morning to this very day! No bullshit! I did it in Dunedin in the winter and was pleased to find out that when you step of of the cold shower your pores have snapped shut and you don't feel cold while you are drying off! Step out of a hot shower on a Dunedin winter's morn and see how you feel!

Result: Apart occasional sniffles for a day or two i can honestly say I have never had the flu or a bad cold in my entire life! I still piss people off every winter when the cold bugs are doing the rounds, watch them suffer and here them say "You'll be next" and never have it happen."
Dave
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Gary Moller comments:
Staying fit and healthy is not rocket science and can be as simple as a cold shower and a few other simple dietary and lifestyle measures. As Dave illustrates, even a rather trashy novelist can be a source of excellent health advice. The same can be said of Grandma with her cod liver oil for the children. Scientific evidence often lags decades behind experience and intuition. Dave has so ably demonstrated that the key to health is to consistently apply these simple practices year after year.

Freezing your body is good for you!

"Cryotherapy could be the key to keeping joints, muscles and tissues healthy over time. It works by shrinking the molecules in the body, so that when you emerge from the cold, the molecules expand, increasing the blood flow and easing pain, swelling and inflammation.
Cryotherapy involves exposing yourself to extremely cold, dry air in a sealed room for up to three minutes at a time. In Poland, cryotherapy has become a popular treatment for rejuvenating and revitalizing the body and it is also widely used by eastern European athletes instead of an "ice bath" to aid post-training recovery. ...."
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Gary Moller Comments:
I think the theory of shrinking and expanding moleclues is speculative bunkum.

The better explanation is that acute exposure to cold, such as an ice bath, gives a shock to the body's immune system. Done regularly, like the little old lady who takes a daily dip in the ocean, this keeps the immune system stimulated on high alert.

This is why people who adhere to these kinds of daily practices have robust immune systems and appear to be resistant to immune related ailments that are referred to in this report.

As a matter of interest; about 10 years ago I was so convinced of the health benefits of the early morning dip, I began taking cold showers first thing in the morning. I managed to keep this routine going for all of two days!

Cell phones reduce sperm counts

A study debuted in New Orleans has suggested that electromagnetic radiation from cell phones may have an effect on a man's sperm count.
The researchers, whose findings were presented at the 62nd annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said the sperm may also be affected by the heat generated by the phones, RxPG News reported Tuesday. Researchers from Cleveland, Mumbai and New Orleans said the effect on a man's sperm count depends on the number of hours he spends using his cell phone every day. They said data from 364 men being treated for infertility revealed that men who do not use cell phones averaged sperm counts of 86 million per milliliter with 40 percent normal forms and 68 percent motility, while men who used their phones for more than four hours per day averaged sperm counts of 66 million per milliliter with 21 percent normal forms and 48 percent motility. The researchers said further studies are needed to accurately identify the reason for reduced sperm counts in cell phone users.

___________________________________

Gary Moller comments:

The radiation exposure from cell phones is an uncontrolled experiment being conducted on the human population. A scandal of massive proportions is possibly in the making.

If you value the Family Jewels, as well as your brains, why wait for the researchers decide what's up? Here's a few obvious safety measures for cell phone use that don't compromise their utility:

• Don't hang your phone on your belt right next to your crutch, or store it in your pocket where it snuggles up to to the dangly bits. The same should apply with more importance to women with regards to avoiding exposure of their ovaries because their eggs are one-off gems that tend to degrade with time, so it makes sense not to risk anything that might hasten this natural process.
• Use a hands free device whenever possible. The radiation is strongest when the phone is in active use, so it makes sense to keep it away from the brain.
• Do not sleep with the phone on standby, tucked under your pillow (a common practice with teenagers exchanging txt day and night.

This advice is probably more important for younger people who have more rapidly dividing cells and who stand to have longer lifetime exposures.

Rickets on the increase

Waikato Seeing An Increase In Rickets,10 Oct 2006
Doctors in Waikato say they are concerned about an increase in the number of cases of rickets in children.The disease can cause severe bone deformities, including bowed legs and is caused by a lack of vitamin D which is mainly obtained by sunlight.Although rickets is usually associated with poorer nations, Dr John Goldsmith from Waikato Hospital says the condition seems to be becoming more common in New Zealand.He says that could be because children are not regularly given vitamins and are staying out of the sun more, probably due to skin cancer campaigns.
_____________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
This report comes on the tail of a recent study here in Wellington showing an upsurge in rickets among South Wellington children. These are the very same kids that I published a picture of a few years ago because school policy did not allow them to go outside on bleak Wellington days without being covered up (Many of these kids are of Northe African descent, so sunburn is hardly and issue!). I have been going on about this for years and it is only now when disabling ailments are afflicting our kids that we get any kind of acknowledegement from these experts that running about without being covered from head to toe might be a healthy behaviour. The evidence has been out there for decades that raising our kids in dark caves and not allowing them to play and be active outdoors is not good for them.

Sunlight is essential for health; but professional myopia continues to predominate. For example; it continues to be ignored that exposure to sunlight during adolescence may reduce breast cancer risk by up to 50%. As I have said before, if a drug were invented that was as effective as sunlight, it would be a media and health profession sensation. But sunlight is free.

I was listening to Dr Goldsmith doing a radio interview about rickets a few minutes ago and, while he referred to the importance of sunlight and exercise, his parting comment was to suggest vitamin D pills for kids! This is both ridiculous and unsafe and further sets out to medicalise an entire generation of healthy people. It is easy to overdose with vitamin D medication; whereas production via sunlight is self-regulating. A person taking vitamin D pills needs regular blood tersts to ensure there is no overdosing.

Medicating kids normalises the taking of pills and this is highly undesirable for their futures especially when it does not deal with the underlying issues - lack of wholsome exercise outdoors.

Chocolate as a source of antioxidants

http://www.ffnmag.com/NH/ASP/strArticleID/240/strSite/FFNSite/articleDisplay.asp

Gary,
Its me again. Hello.
Can I ask if you have an opinion on chocolate - nice way to take an antioxidant!
please see above site
thanks
John
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Gary Moller comments:

John,

While I love chocolate, I am very sceptical of what is said in the article by a spokesperson for the cocoa industry. Chocolate is a billion $ industry and we hear little of research of the downside simply because there is no funding and no massive publicity machine to get the bad news out, even if the research somehow gets done.

We have a similar problem with products like coffee and sports drinks which are equally harmful to health.

A kiwi fruit or an apple can equally claim to have similar antioxidant benefits of cocoa but without the side effects.

I recall a client who was very unwell. It turned out he was addicted to peanut slabs, eating 8 per day.

There is merit in topping up the antioxidant levels. If you want a quality antioxidant here is one of the best:

All the best John.