Seafood and Vitamin K2

In his travels around the globe, Dr. Weston Price found that the most robust groups were often those who had access to marine and freshwater foods. For example, Polynesian groups had a tooth decay prevalence as low as 0.6% of teeth. That's roughly one in 5 people with even a single cavity, in a population that doesn't brush its teeth, drink fluoridated water or go to the dentist. These individuals had broad dental arches, straight teeth, and fully erupted wisdom teeth as well.

As soon as they adopted white flour and sugar as dietary staples, the tooth decay prevalence of Polynesian groups went as high as 33.4% of teeth, or about 11 cavities per person. This represents a 5,600% increase in the prevalence of tooth decay. The next generation to be born also suffered from characteristic facial and skeletal abnormalities that are common in modern societies to varying degrees.

This leads me to ask the question, what is unique about seafood that allows it to support excellent development and maintenance of the human body? Seafood has a lot of advantages. It tends to be very rich in minerals, particularly iodine which can be lacking in land foods. It's also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and low but adequate in linoleic acid (omega-6). This impacts development and maintenance in a number of ways, from fat mass to dental health.

As I wrote in the last post and others, I believe that one of the major determinants of proper development and continued health is the diet's content of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2. K2 in particular is rare in the modern diet. We're also deficient in vitamin D because of our indoor lifestyles and use of sunscreen. Polynesians didn't have to worry about vitamin D because they spent much of the day outside half naked.

How about K2? Is seafood a good source? At first glance, it doesn't appear to be. Mackerel is the best source I came across on NutritionData, with one serving delivering 5.6 micrograms of vitamin K. It wasn't specified, but only a portion of that will be vitamin K2 MK-4, with the majority probably coming from K1. Most other types of fish have very low levels of vitamin K.

But we have to probe deeper. Nutrition information for fish refers to muscle tissue. Muscle is a poor source of K2 in mammals, could that be the case in fish as well? It turns out, the organs are the best source of K2 MK-4 in fish, just as they are in mammals. It's most concentrated in the liver, kidneys, heart and gonads. This loosely resembles the situation in mammals, which also retain MK-4 in their kidneys and gonads (along with pancreas, salivary glands, and brain).

I don't know how frequently traditional non-industrial cultures ate fish organs. My guess is they discarded most of them as do modern cultures, because they smell funny and putrefy rapidly. There are some exceptions, however. Certain traditional cultures ate fish livers, cod for example. Price described a dish eaten by a healthy, isolated Gaelic group in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration:

An important and highly relished article of diet has been baked cod's head stuffed with chopped cod's liver and oatmeal.

Gonads are one of the richest sources of K2 MK-4 in fish, containing 5-10 micrograms of MK-4 per kilogram of tissue in a few different species (according to this paper). Even that is not really an impressive concentration.

One thing that is universally relished by traditional groups is fish eggs, which of course develop from the gonads. A number of cultures dried fish eggs, sometimes trading them far into the interior. Although they haven't been analyzed for MK-4 content in modern times, Price found fish eggs to be a rich source of K2. Speaking of vitamin K2, he said: "its presence is demonstrated readily in the butterfat of milk of mammals, the eggs of fishes and the organs and fats of animals". Unfortunately, Price's assay was not quantitative so we don't have numbers.

As mainstream medicine slowly catches up to the importance of vitamin K2 MK-4 that Price described in the 1940s, more foods are being tested. I think we'll see values for fish eggs in the near future. This will allow us to discriminate between two possibilities: 1) seafood is a good source of K2, or 2) the human requirement for K2 is not particularly high in the context of an otherwise healthy diet.

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Vitamin K2 and Cranial Development

One of the things Dr. Weston Price noticed about healthy traditional cultures worldwide is their characteristically broad faces, broad dental arches and wide nostrils. Due to the breadth of their dental arches, they invariably had straight teeth and enough room for wisdom teeth. As soon as these same groups adopted white flour and sugar, the next generation to be born grew up with narrow faces, narrow dental arches, crowded teeth, pinched nostrils and a characteristic underdevelopment of the middle third of the face.

Here's an excerpt from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, about traditional and modernized Swiss groups. Keep in mind these are Europeans we're talking about (although he found the same thing in all the races he studied):

The reader will scarcely believe it possible that such marked differences in facial form, in the shape of the dental arches, and in the health condition of the teeth as are to be noted when passing from the highly modernized lower valleys and plains country in Switzerland to the isolated high valleys can exist. Fig. 3 shows four girls with typically broad dental arches and regular arrangement of the teeth. They have been born and raised in the Loetschental Valley or other isolated valleys of Switzerland which provide the excellent nutrition that we have been reviewing.

Another change that is seen in passing from the isolated groups with their more nearly normal facial developments, to the groups of the lower valleys, is the marked irregularity of the teeth with narrowing of the arches and other facial features... While in the isolated groups not a single case of a typical mouth breather was found, many were seen among the children of the lower-plains group. The children studied were from ten to sixteen years of age.

Price attributed this physical change to a lack of minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins necessary to make good use of them: vitamin A, vitamin D and what he called "activator X"-- now known to be vitamin K2 MK-4. The healthy cultures he studied all had an adequate source of vitamin K2, but many ate very little K1 (which comes mostly from vegetables). Inhabitants of the Loetschental valley ate green vegetables only in summer, due to the valley's harsh climate. The rest of the year, the diet was limited chiefly to whole grain sourdough rye bread and pastured dairy products.

The dietary transitions Price observed were typically from mineral- and vitamin-rich whole foods to refined modern foods, predominantly white flour and sugar. The villagers of the Loetschental valley obtained their fat-soluble vitamins from pastured dairy, which is particularly rich in vitamin K2 MK-4.

In a modern society like the U.S., most people exhibit signs of poor cranial development. How many people do you know with perfectly straight teeth who never required braces? How many people do you know whose wisdom teeth erupted normally?

The archaeological record shows that our hunter-gatherer ancestors generally didn't have crooked teeth. Humans evolved to have dental arches in proportion to their tooth size, like all animals. Take a look at these chompers. That skull is from an archaeological site in the Sahara desert that predates agriculture in the region. Those beautiful teeth are typical of paleolithic humans and modern hunter-gatherers. Crooked teeth and impacted wisdom teeth are only as old as agriculture. However, Price found that with care, certain traditional cultures were able to build well-formed skulls on an agricultural diet.

So was Price on to something, or was he just cherry picking individuals that supported his hypothesis? It turns out there's a developmental syndrome in the literature that might shed some light on this. It's called Binder's syndrome. Here's a description from a review paper about Binder's syndrome (emphasis mine):

The essential features of maxillo-nasal dysplasia were initially described by Noyes in 1939, although it was Binder who first defined it as a distinct clinical syndrome. He reported on three cases and recorded six specific characteristics:⁵

• Arhinoid face.
  
• Abnormal position of nasal bones.
  
• Inter-maxillary hypoplasia with associated malocclusion.
  
• Reduced or absent anterior nasal spine.
  
• Atrophy of nasal mucosa.
  
• Absence of frontal sinus (not obligatory).
  

Individuals with Binder's syndrome have a characteristic appearance that is easily recognizable.⁶ The mid-face profile is hypoplastic, the nose is flattened, the upper lip is convex with a broad philtrum, the nostrils are typically crescent or semi-lunar in shape due to the short collumela, and a deep fold or fossa occurs between the upper lip and the nose, resulting in an acute nasolabial angle.

Allow me to translate: in Binder's patients, the middle third of the face is underdeveloped, they have narrow dental arches and crowded teeth, small nostrils and abnormally small sinuses (sometimes resulting in mouth breathing). Sound familiar? So what causes Binder's syndrome? I'll give you a hint: it can be caused by prenatal exposure to warfarin (coumadin).

Warfarin is rat poison. It kills rats by causing them to lose their ability to form blood clots, resulting in massive hemmorhage. It does this by depleting vitamin K, which is necessary for the proper functioning of blood clotting factors. It's used (in small doses) in humans to thin the blood as a treatment for abnormal blood clots. As it turns out, Binder's syndrome can be caused by a number of things that interfere with vitamin K metabolism. The sensitive period for humans is the first trimester. I think we're getting warmer...

Another name for Binder's syndrome is "warfarin embryopathy". There happens to be a rat model of it. Dr. Bill Webster's group at the University of Sydney injected rats daily with warfarin for up to 12 weeks, beginning on the day they were born (rats have a different developmental timeline than humans). They also administered large doses of vitamin K1 along with it. This is to ensure the rats continue to clot normally, rather than hemorrhaging. Another notable property of warfarin that I've mentioned before is its ability to inhibit the conversion of vitamin K1 to vitamin K2 MK-4. Here's what they had to say about the rats:

The warfarin-treated rats developed a marked maxillonasal hypoplasia associated with a 11-13% reduction in the length of the nasal bones compared with controls... It is proposed that (1) the facial features of the human warfarin embryopathy are caused by reduced growth of the embryonic nasal septum, and (2) the septal growth retardation occurs because the warfarin-induced extrahepatic vitamin K deficiency prevents the normal formation of the vitamin K-dependent matrix gla protein in the embryo.

"Maxillonasal hypoplasia" means underdevelopment of the jaws and nasal region. Proper development of this region requires fully active matrix gla protein (MGP), which I've written about before in the context of vascular calcification. MGP requires vitamin K to activate it, and it seems to prefer K2 MK-4 to K1, at least in the vasculature. Administering K2 MK-4 along with warfarin prevents warfarin's ability to cause arterial calcification (thought to be an MGP-dependent mechanism), whereas administering K1 does not.

Here are a few quotes from a review paper by Dr. Webster's group. I have to post the whole abstract because it's a gem:

The normal vitamin K status of the human embryo appears to be close to deficiency [I would argue in most cases the embryo is actually deficient, as are most adults in industrial societies]. Maternal dietary deficiency or use of a number of therapeutic drugs during pregnancy, may result in frank vitamin K deficiency in the embryo. First trimester deficiency results in maxillonasal hypoplasia in the neonate with subsequent facial and orthodontic implications. A rat model of the vitamin K deficiency embryopathy shows that the facial dysmorphology is preceded by uncontrolled calcification in the normally uncalcified nasal septal cartilage, and decreased longitudinal growth of the cartilage, resulting in maxillonasal hypoplasia. The developing septal cartilage is normally rich in the vitamin K-dependent protein matrix gla protein (MGP). It is proposed that functional MGP is necessary to maintain growing cartilage in a non-calcified state. Developing teeth contain both MGP and a second vitamin K-dependent protein, bone gla protein (BGP). It has been postulated that these proteins have a functional role in tooth mineralization. As yet this function has not been established and abnormalities in tooth formation have not been observed under conditions where BGP and MGP should be formed in a non-functional form.

I think there's a good case to be made that most people in modern societies exhibit some degree of "Binder's syndrome" due to subclinical vitamin K2 deficiency during growth. I believe the evidence suggests that prenatal vitamin K2 MK-4 deficiency is behind narrow dental arches, crooked teeth, underdevelopment of the face and jaw, underdevelopment of the sinuses with mouth breathing in some cases, and poor tooth development resulting in a high susceptibility to dental cavities.

These symptoms are so common they are viewed as normal in industrial societies. There is no other single factor that so elegantly explains these characteristic changes in cranial form. Rickets (vitamin D deficiency during growth) also causes cranial malformations, but they are distinct from those caused by K2 deficiency.

Humans do not efficiently convert K1 into K2 MK-4 (unlike rats), so we require a ready source of K2 in the diet. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had a relatively high intake of K2 MK-4 from the organs of wild animals (particularly brain, pancreas, and marrow), insects and seafood. Our food supply today is depleted of K2, due to our avoidance of organ meats and poor animal husbandry practices. K2 MK-4 is found only in animal products. Pastured dairy is the most convenient source of K2 MK-4 in the modern diet, just as it was for the villagers of the Loetschental valley when Dr. Price visited them. Dairy from grain-fed cows contains much less K2.

Price felt that to ensure the proper development of their children, mothers should eat a diet rich in fat-soluble vitamins both before and during pregnancy. This makes sense in light of what we now know. There is a pool of vitamin K2 MK-4 in the organs that turns over very slowly, in addition to a pool in the blood that turns over rapidly. Entering pregnancy with a full store means a greater chance of having enough of the vitamin for the growing fetus. Healthy traditional cultures often fed special foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins to women of childbearing age and expectant mothers, thus ensuring beautiful and robust progeny.

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: The Final Word

Over the course of the last month, I've outlined some of the major findings of the Tokelau Island Migrant study. It's one of the most comprehensive studies I've found of a traditional culture transitioning to a modern diet and lifestyle. It traces the health of the inhabitants of the Pacific island Tokelau over time, as well as the health of Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand.

Unfortunately, the study began after the introduction of modern foods. We will never know for sure what Tokelauan health was like when their diet was completely traditional. To get some idea, we have to look at other traditional Pacific islanders such as the Kitavans.

What we can say is that an increase in the consumption of modern foods on Tokelau, chiefly white wheat flour and refined sugar, correlated with an increase in several non-communicable disorders, including overweight, diabetes and severe tooth decay. Further modernization as Tokelauans migrated to New Zealand corresponded with an increase in nearly every disorder measured, including heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, asthma and gout. These are all "diseases of civilization", which are not observed in hunter-gatherers and certain non-industrial populations throughout the world.

One of the most interesting things about Tokelauans is their extreme saturated fat intake, 40- 50% of calories. That's more than any other population I'm aware of. Yet Tokelauans appear to have a low incidence of heart attacks, lower than their New Zealand- dwelling relatives who eat half as much saturated fat. This should not be buried in the scientific literature; it should be common knowledge.

Overall, I believe the Tokelau Island Migrant study (among others) shows us that partially replacing nourishing traditional foods with modern foods such as processed wheat and sugar, is enough to cause a broad range of disorders not seen in hunter-gatherers but typical of modern societies. Changes in vitamin D status between Tokelau and New Zealand may have also played a role, due to the more indoor lifestyle of migrants.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Gout

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Gout

Gout is a disorder in which uric acid crystals form in the joints, causing intense pain. The body forms uric acid as a by-product of purine metabolism. Purines are a building block of DNA, among other things. Uric acid is normally excreted into the urine, hence the name.

On Tokelau between 1971 and 1982, gout prevalence fell slightly. In migrants to New Zealand, gout prevalence began at the same level as on Tokelau but increased rapidly over the same time period. Here are the prevalence data for men, from Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau (I don't have data for women):

This paper found that the age-standardized risk of developing gout was 9 times higher in New Zealand than on Tokelau for men, and 2.7 times higher for women.

Gout is usually treated by taking drugs and avoiding purine-rich foods. According to Wikipedia's entry on purines, these include:

sweetbreads [calf thymus or pancreas], anchovies, sardines, liver, beef kidneys, brains, meat extracts (e.g Oxo, Bovril), herring, mackerel, scallops, game meats, and gravy. A moderate amount of purine is also contained in beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, lentils, dried peas, beans, oatmeal, wheat bran and wheat germ.

Those include some of the most nutritious foods available! The idea that the human body would not have evolved to tolerate most of the foods listed above is beyond comprehension, given our species' carnivorous tendencies. As a matter of fact, the only controlled trial I found suggests that a diet high in purines from animal protein has no effect on the uric acid concentration in the blood, because the body simply excretes any excess. In any case, like cholesterol, the majority of purines in the body are synthesized on-site, rather than coming from the diet. The only thing I found in support of the purine-gout hypothesis was a prospective study from 2004 that found an association between dietary purines and gout. I think we need to consider other possibilities.

Is there anything else that elevates uric acid in humans? Ah, sugar, one of my favorite punching bags. You never let me down, old friend. Refined sugar (sucrose) increases serum uric acid under controlled conditions, as does fructose when compared to starch. This has never been demonstrated for purine-rich foods that I could find.

Another clue comes from a disorder called "hereditary fructose intolerance". These patients are missing an enzyme required for metabolizing fructose, and must avoid it or risk becoming very ill. Some of the relatives of these patients are "heterozygous" for the mutation, meaning they have one mutated copy of the gene and one normal copy. They can metabolize fructose, but at a slower rate than someone with two functional copies. And they also have a very high incidence of gout.

Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand consumed significantly more sugar than Tokelauans on Tokelau during this study period (13 vs. 8 percent of calories in 1982). This explanation makes much more sense to me than the idea that gout is caused by the very foods that have sustained us as long as our species has existed.

There is one piece that doesn't fit, however. If sugar is causing gout, then why didn't gout incidence increase on Tokelau as their sugar consumption increased? I don't know. Perhaps there is another factor involved as well. Any thoughts?

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Asthma

Asthma is another disease of civilization. Between 1980 and 2001, its prevalence more than doubled in American children 17 years and younger. The trend is showing no sign of slowing down (CDC NHANES surveys).



The age-standardized asthma prevalence in Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand age 15 and older, was 2 - 6 times higher than in non-migrants from 1976 to 1982, depending on gender and year. The highest prevalence was in New Zealand migrant women in 1976, at 6.8%. The lowest was in Tokelauan men in 1976 at 1.1%.

A skeptic might suggest it's because these adults grew up around certain types of pollen or other antigens, and were exposed to new ones later in life. However, even migrant children in the 0-4 age group, who were most likely born in NZ, had more asthma than on Tokelau.

What could contribute to the increased asthma prevalence upon modernization? I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the mechanisms of asthma, but it seems likely to involve a chronic over-activation of the immune system ("inflammation"). In the case of Tokelauans, this could result from wheat gluten, an excessive sugar intake, and/or insufficient vitamin D. All three are potential culprits in my opinion. Stress may also play a role.

Anecdotally, many people report freedom from asthma and allergies after adopting a "paleolithic"-style or low-carbohydrate diet. I feel that's consistent with the effects of a good diet on inflammation. If you reduce or eliminate the chief offenders-- wheat, sugar, industrial vegetable oil and other processed food-- you will most likely reduce your level of chronic inflammation, which seems to be tied to many modern disorders.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study data in this post come from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: The Case of Tokelau.

Thanks to the EPA and Wikipedia for the graph image (public domain).

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Diabetes

This post will be short and sweet. Diabetes is a disease of civilization. As Tokelauans adopted Western industrial foods, their diabetes prevalence increased. At any given time point, age-standardized diabetes prevalence was higher in migrants to New Zealand than those who remained on Tokelau:


This is not a difference in diagnosis. Tokelauans were examined for diabetes by the same group of physicians, using the same criteria. It's also not a difference in average age, sice the numbers are age-standardized. On Tokelau, diabetes prevalence doubled in a decade. Migrants to New Zealand in 1981 had roughly three times the prevalence of diabetes that Tokelauans did in 1971. I can only imagine the prevalence is even higher in 2008.

We don't know what the prevalence was in Tokelauans when their diet was completely traditional, but I would expect it to be low like other traditional Pacific island societies. I'm looking at a table right now of age-standardized diabetes prevalence on 11 different Pacific islands. There is quite a bit of variation, but the pattern is clear: the more modernized, the higher the diabetes rate. In several cases, the table has placed two values side-by-side: one value for rural inhabitants of an island, and another for urban inhabitants of the same island. In every case, the prevalence of diabetes is higher in the urban group. In some cases, the difference is as large as four-fold.

The lowest value goes to the New Caledonians of Touho, who are also considered the least modernized on the table (although even their diet is not completely traditional). Men have an age-standardized diabetes prevalence of 1.8%, women 1.4%. At the other extreme are the Micronesians of Nauru, affluent due to phosphate resources, who have a prevalence of 33.4% for men and 32.1% for women. They subsist mostly on imported food and are extremely obese.

The same patterns can be seen in Africa, the Arctic and probably everywhere that has adopted processed Western foods. White rice alone (compared with the combination of wheat flour and sugar) does not seem to have this effect.

The data in this post are from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau.

The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Background and Overview
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Dental Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health
The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain

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Vitamin B2 Can Help Ease Migraines

If you suffer from migraines, there is some good news for you. This good news comes in the form of riboflavin, otherwise known as Vitamin B2. Taking regular doses of Vitamin B2 is believed to reduce migraine episodes as well as lessen their occurrence.
Riboflavin

Riboflavin is just one of the eight B complex vitamins that are responsible for breaking down fats and proteins. B complex vitamins also help with the digestive system by providing good muscle tone, and aid in the overall good health of the eyes, skin, hair, liver and nervous system. Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin and plays a vital role in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar for the body to burn and produce energy.

Lack of Vitamin B2

If we lack vitamin B2, we may experience headaches, vision problems, photophobia, tiredness, digestion problems and painful cracks in the mouth corners.

Sources of Vitamin B2

Riboflavin is not commonly found in many foods unlike the other seven B vitamins. Many people, especially the elderly, often find themselves having vitamin B2 deficiency because they cannot easily get riboflavin from their diet. Food sources that contain riboflavin include brewer’s yeast, almonds, wild rice, wheat germ, mushrooms, milk, yogurt, eggs, broccoli, brussel sprouts and spinach.

Flour and various breakfast cereals usually contain riboflavin, and while it can generally withstand heat, its soluble properties makes it easily disappear in water when cooking food. Many methods can be done to counteract this during cooking, like making gravy by keeping the water from sprouts.

In addition, vitamin B2 is easily destroyed by exposure to light, so it is best to keep food sources such as milk and vitamin B2 supplements in the dark. This is the reason many milk containers come in cartons.

Vitamin B2 Supplements

If you do not regularly eat a balanced diet, taking vitamin supplements is recommended. The thing to watch out for when buying multivitamins is the essential vitamins and minerals that it contains. Make sure that it has 100-300% of the recommended daily vitamin intake.

It is best to take riboflavin with a meal, as it is more effectively absorbed into your stomach when taken with food. To prevent an imbalance of B vitamins, it is advisable to also take another B vitamin along with B2.

Limitations

Some medications have been known to reduce riboflavin levels in the body, and riboflavin in turn can affect the way some medicines work. Before taking vitamin B2 supplements, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor, especially if you are also taking any of the following:

- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Anti-malaria drugs
- Chlorpromazine or other antipsychotics
- Birth control pills
- Doxorubicin
- Methotrexate
- Phenytoin
- Probenecid
- Selegiline
- ‘Sulfa’ medications
- Thiazide diuretics

Side Effects

While riboflavin does not seem to cause any serious side effects, you may experience itching, numbness, burning or prickling sensations and light sensitivity when you take high doses.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

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Magnesium And Headaches

More and more doctors are concluding that an imbalance of important minerals like magnesium and calcium is responsible for a large percentage of migraines. This mineral imbalance is one of the key causes why many medications are not successful in treating all headaches. In fact, around 50% to 60% of migraines are linked to lack of magnesium in the body. While experts have not really agreed that magnesium is the ‘missing link’ in the treatment of migraines, more evidence is turning up for its use in migraine treatment.

How Magnesium Helps

It is important to examine how a migraine is triggered. Stress and chemicals in the blood called serotonin and catecholamines can cause muscle contractions, triggering changes in the blood vessels, which in turn leads to a migraine. While this has been known for some time, the problem lies in stopping these changes.

An excess of serotonin will slow down the blood flow, and having too little of it will make the blood move too quickly. Serotonin also can flow fast if there is not enough magnesium in the body, constricting the blood vessels and releasing pain-producing chemicals.

The release of these pain-producing substances can be halted by normal magnesium levels. The recommended daily dose of magnesium is about 400 mg, and studies have shown that most people hardly get anywhere near that amount. About 30% to 40% of Americans only get less than 75% of the needed magnesium intake daily, which in time leads to a deficiency.

Magnesium Loss and Deficiency

Our bodies can very easily lose its supply of magnesium. If you are taking asthma or cardiovascular medications, drinking at least two cups of coffee and other diuretics every day and you are usually stressed out, you need to know that these things can lower the magnesium level in your body.

Magnesium deficiency is believed to be present in 50% to 60% of people who suffer from migraines. However, a good 85% to 90% of migraine sufferers can often find immediate relief once they start taking supplements.

The recommended doses for magnesium are two 500 mg magnesium gluconate tablets at lunch time, two tablets in the afternoon and two tablets at bedtime.

Important Note

It is imperative that you consult with your doctor first before beginning your magnesium supplementation because the doses involved are rather high and require monitoring by a medical professional. Keep in mind that taking high dosage levels of magnesium has risks. Most importantly, you should not take magnesium supplements if you have a kidney or a heart problem without medical supervision.

Calcium

Calcium will also be necessary if you decide to take magnesium supplements. If you haver magnesium level is normal but your calcium level is low, your migraines will not stop. However, be careful when you are taking calcium supplements. If you take too much calcium, your body will simply get rid of the excess amount. This may sound good, but you should also know that calcium will take magnesium with it. So your calcium level may be normal, but your magnesium level is not. Make sure that you take magnesium and calcium at different times during the day since calcium can prevent the magnesium from being properly absorbed in the body.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

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Positive Attitudes Add Up For Weight Loss

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight and improve your health the next thing to do is mentally commit to it with a positive attitude. Losing weight can be quite a challenge on some days. For some it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits.

Think like a winner. Hold a vision of your goal in your mind daily. Emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. Strong, positive mental images along with a high emotional anticipation of reaching your weight loss goal is very powerful.

Make an effort to keep negative emotions out of your head. It will hold you back from accomplishing the
things you want to do. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it with a positive image. Think about the great things that lie ahead of you.

Losing weight is not just about diets. It's about a new mental image of yourself and the possibility of creating a new life. Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process. Look for support among family and good, positive friends.

Look for others on a weight loss and fitness program, too. It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles
and share skills and tactics with others on the same path. Seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off.

If there is no one in person to help you look for success stories on television, in newspapers,
magazines and online. There are inspirational people everywhere who lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.

There are new foods to explore and a postive attitude here can very a big boost. Trying new low fat or high grain alternatives can be made into an exciting adventure. Additionally, you can look forward to learning new, wiser eating skills. Focus on new-found skills that give you some control over your eating habits, rather than being victim to them.

Keep in mind, too, that a good weight loss program should include some physical exercise. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreational. Focus on the fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field. Adding a fitness program to any weight loss effort will quickly show positive results.

Adding fitness can be as simple as walking 30 minutes a day, five times a week. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will
benefit a weight loss program.

The bottom line is stay postive and have fun with any weight loss program you start. Focus on the end result,pat your self on the back often and you'll make the changes you need in no time.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Weight Gain

Between 1968 and 1982, Tokelauans in nearly all age groups gained weight, roughly 5 kilograms (11 pounds) on average. They also became slightly taller, but not enough to offset the gain in weight. By 1980-82, migrants to New Zealand had become especially heavy, with all age groups weighing more than non-migrants by about 5 kg (11 lb) on average, and 10 kg (22 lb) more than Tokelauans did in 1968.

The body mass index (BMI) is a rough estimate of fat mass (although it can be confounded by muscle mass), and is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters [BMI = weight / (height^2)]. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight; 30 and over is considered obese.

The graphs I'm about to present require some explanation. The data in each graph were collected from the same individuals over time (15-69 years old). That means some weight gain is expected, as this population normally gains weight into middle age (then loses weight). What's interesting to note is the difference in the rate of weight change between migrants and non-migrants. The first two data points in 1968 are baseline, and compare non-migrants with "pre-migrants" still living on Tokelau. The second two data points in 1981-82 compare the same individual migrants in New Zealand with the same non-migrants.
Unless they all decided to become body builders, migrants to New Zealand gained more fat mass than Tokelauans between 1968 and 1982. The rate of weight gain in New Zealand was more than twice as fast for men and more than 50% faster for women than on Tokelau.

Why did Tokelauans and especially migrants to New Zealand gain weight? I can't say for sure, but this is a blog so I get to speculate. I've noticed an interesting association between the appearance of wheat and weight gain in a number of cultures, even if it replaces another refined carbohydrate such as rice. Sugar, although it may not cause weight gain directly, contributes to insulin resistance and leptin resistance, which may interfere with the body's ability to regulate weight. The introduction of wheat and sugar, at the expense of coconut and traditional carbohydrate sources, was the main change to the Tokelauan diet during this time period. See this post for a graph.

Finally, there's the question of exercise. Did a change in energy expenditure contribute to weight gain? The study didn't collect data on exercise during the time period in question, so all we have are anecdotes. During this time, men living on Tokelau progressively adopted outboard motors for their fishing boats, replacing the traditional sails and oars. Their energy expenditure probably decreased.

But what about women? Tokelauan women traditionally perform household tasks such as weaving mats and preparing food. Their energy expenditure probably didn't change much over the same time period. Since both men and women on Tokelau gained weight, it would be hard to argue that exercise was a dominant factor.

How about migrants to New Zealand? Here's a quote from Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau:

Overall it is our belief that most of the migrants expend greater energy in their work than is currently the case in Tokelau.

I don't think exercise is the key to reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. The key is maintaining the biological feedback loops that normally keep fat mass in a tight range. They function by regulating the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. I believe they are most influenced by diet, although exercise also contributes. I'll write more about this another time.

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Weekend Headaches

Weekend headaches can be a common occurrence, but they can strike when you least expect it. Picture this: you have worked hard all week and you are looking forward to the weekend, maybe planning to go out, meet friends, do some shopping or just relax. And then a headache hits you, effectively ruining all your plans for the weekend.

This horrible headache that seems to only happen during weekends can be caused by a number of reasons, and we'll examine them all.

Caffeine Withdrawal

It is fairly normal to take several cups of coffee during a work day, as it not only gives you a good enough reason to leave your desk and walk around, but also keeps you awake and alert to cope with your workload.

Suppose you usually take three cups of coffee by 11am at work. During a weekend, you might want to sleep longer since you do not have any work to do. But as you continue sleeping, your body is craving its first cup of coffee, and will crave the three cups you usually take if you sleep until 11am. The result? You wake up with a caffeine withdrawal headache.

Identifying If You Have Caffeine Withdrawal

You can try to find out if you have caffeine withdrawal. Set your alarm clock during a weekend and get up at the usual time for work. If you wake up without a headache, you most probably have a caffeine withdrawal problem.

Now test it again... this time go ahead and enjoy a prolonged sleeping period, but as soon as you wake up, have a cup of coffee. If your headache is relieved, or even partially relieved, then the culprit is most certainly caffeine.

Preventing Weekend Headaches

You have two choices if you want to stop the caffeine withdrawal headaches: you cut down on your caffeine intake or you quit drinking coffee altogether. Try drinking decaf. Keep in mind, too, that coffee is not the only source of caffeine; chocolate and soft drinks are also loaded with caffeine.

Other Causes of the Weekend Headache

In as much the same way as a partial withdrawal from caffeine can cause a headache, the same holds true for a partial nicotine withdrawal. Smoking heavily throughout the week then sleeping in on a weekend will cause a headache when you wake up, as your body will be craving its regular nicotine fix. The solution is similar to caffeine withdrawal -- cut down or give up smoking.

Stress Withdrawal

It is a well known fact that stress is one of the most common triggers of migraines. So it seems strange to find out that withdrawing from stress can give you a headache as well. It’s not really exactly understood why the absence of stress can cause a headache.

If you work during the entire week under a certain level of stress and then you try to relax during the weekend, you might get hit with a headache, which is believed to be linked to the relaxation. If this is the case, doing some relaxation exercises when your stress levels are high will help to "even out" the stress. This will result in decreased headaches, since your weekend relaxation won’t contrast too much with your weekdays.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances

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How the Mediterranean Diet Beats High Blood Pressure

The Mediterranean diet is not some new fad diet ... dreamed up by a weight-loss "guru" or as a new health measure. It is thousands of years old. People living along the Mediterranean Sea have been eating a natural diet ... that has been proven in numerous studies to reduce the risk of heart attack and keep blood pressure from rising.

The great thing about the Mediterranean diet is ... it's a pleasure to eat and you're much more likely to stick with it. It's easy to adopt this diet as there are no special requirements. Unlike the radical requirements of many fad diets, the Mediterranean diet doesn't ask you to make impractical changes in your eating ... it offers you a way of eating that you can maintain long-term. It will lead you to long-term health benefits.

~ What is a Mediterranean Diet ~

Amongst the people of Greece, southern France, and parts of Italy ... natural whole foods are a large part of the diet. Fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil are the heavy hitters in protecting your heart and lowering your blood pressure. Drinking wine with meals is an old custom ... and gives even more health benefits.

The Mediterranean diet doesn't look at all fats as bad. Instead, this way of eating makes wise choices in the fats that are used. Low in saturated fat ... the Mediterranean diet is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats.

Since mainly whole foods are eaten along the Mediterranean Sea ... the deadly trans-fats -- found in fast foods and bakery goods -- are greatly reduced.

~ Living on a Sea Gives you Lots of Fish ~

Fish are a big part of the Mediterranean diet. Eating lots of fish has been recognized as being heart protective for quite a while, now. Especially, fatty fish are good for your heart and blood pressure ... they are full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Eating fish 2-3 times a week is a great way to lower blood pressure and ensure a long, healthy life.

~ Lots of Olive Trees Grow Along the Mediterranean Sea ~

Olive trees grow on sunny hillsides ... providing both tasty olives and golden olive oil. Olive oil is used in most Mediterranean cooking ... drizzled on rough chunks of whole-grain bread, mixed in salads, used in making tomato sauces. The flavonoids in virgin olive oil lower blood pressure and increase your levels of good HDL cholesterol.

That ... and olive oil tastes great and gives off a wonderful fragrance when heated.

~ Nuts Are an Ancient Energy Source ~

Since the Stone Age, nuts have been an important source of energy. Shunned a few decades ago because of their high fat content ... nuts were given a bum rap. The fats in nuts are good fats ... healthy fats that will lower your blood pressure and protect your heart.

Just a handful of nuts -- especially walnuts -- is a tasty way to protect your heart.

~ Wash Your Meal Down With a Glass of Red Wine ~

A glass of red wine goes great with Mediterranean meals. Your heart will also enjoy the glass of wine. Red wine is rich in healthy flavonoids -- anti-oxidants that protect your heart from dangerous free radicals. Enjoy a daily glass or two and lower your blood pressure ... lower your risk of heart attack.

Recent studies have shown that light red wine drinkers have less risk than non-drinkers. Just don't over-do it.

~ A Great Diet to Start Today ~

The main feature of the Mediterranean diet is the focus on natural whole foods ... a shift away from unhealthy processed foods with their dangerous bad fats. And, the good thing is ... it's so easy to get started. Nothing radical ... just ask those who live healthy lives along the Mediterranean Sea.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

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12 Questions Your Doctor May Ask You About Your Headache

Approximately 75% of the American population suffer headaches each year. While most headaches are benign or harmless, there are headaches that are severe and dangerous. If you are worried about your headaches, you need to check with your doctor. Your doctor will try to diagnose the cause of your headaches, but in order to make an accurate diagnosis, he or she will need your help. Your doctor will greatly rely on your descriptions and patterns in order to ascertain the possible causes of your headaches
It is a good idea to prepare your responses to possible questions that your doctor will ask you. Below are just some of the questions your doctor may ask you in order to make an accurate diagnosis about your headaches.


Question #1: How long have you been having these headaches?

If you have been suffering the same kind of headache for a long while, the more likely it is that your headaches are harmless or benign. Migraine sufferers will report having the headaches since their childhood, teenage or young adult years. Women who are about to start menopause may experience migraine less frequently although migraines can start during menopause too. Tension headaches, on the other hand, can happen anytime at any age.


Question #2: Does anyone in your family suffer from headaches?

Cluster headaches do not run in families, but migraines do.


Question #3: How frequent are the headaches?

Let your doctor know how many times you have headaches in a given day, month or year. This information can help your doctor prescribe the correct treatment: prophylactic (preventing the headaches from starting) or abortive (stopping a headache attack that is already in progress).


Question #4: Do your headaches occur more often or have their pattern changed?

Many people have been suffering from headaches for a few months to several years. Most see a doctor because the headaches have become more severe. Your doctor will try to find out what is making your headaches worse.


Question #5: Where is the pain usually located?

Your doctor will be able to diagnose what type of headache you have based on the location of the pain. For instance, you may have migraines if the pain is usually located in the temple area. Tension headaches are typically felt on one or both sides of the head, sometimes on the front, but more commonly in the neck, shoulder and back of the head. Cluster headache pain is always on one side of the head only, usually around the eye.


Question #6: What kind of pain accompanies your headaches?

Again, the kind of pain you experience with your headaches will greatly help your doctor determine the type of headache you have. If the pain is throbbing or pulsating, you may have migraine. Dull, dragging ache that often feels like you have a tight band around is descriptive of tension headaches. Cluster headache pain is deep and extremely painful, as if something sharp is being pushed into your eye.


Question #7: What other symptoms do you have with the headache?

Other symptoms for migraine include loss of appetite, feeling or being sick, and aversion to light or noise. Tension headache symptoms include a stiff or sore neck, teeth grinding at night and clenched jaw. Watery eye and stuffed nose are symptoms of cluster headaches.


Question #8: How long does your headache last?

Migraine headaches usually last no more than 24 hours. It can be as short as 20 minutes, and in rare cases, it can go on for weeks. Tension headaches usually last for days, weeks and in rare cases, years. Cluster headaches, on the other hand, occur for a short time, between 30 and 90 minutes and repeat two to six times during a "bout."


Question #9: Do your headaches occur at a specific time?

Migraine sufferers usually wake up with migraine in the morning, usually during weekends. In women, migraines normally occur a few days before the start of their menstrual period. Tension headaches usually occur during times of stress while cluster headaches happen at night, while the sufferer is in deep sleep.


Question #10: Does your mood change because of the headaches?

Migraine sufferers are usually withdrawn and irritable during a migraine attack and prefer to be alone. On the other hand, those who suffer from tension headache welcome care and attention during the headache attack. People suffering from cluster headache usually pace up and down, hold their head or make rocking motions during an attack.

People who suffer from headaches have a higher risk of developing depression. In some cases, depression can cause the headaches. Your doctor will look for symptoms of depression. If you are sleeping poorly, feel tired all time, do not have an appetite and have lost interest in sex, you may be suffering from depression in addition to the headaches.


Question #11: Do you get warning signs before a headache starts?

Approximately 15% of people who suffer from migraine say that they get an "aura" before a migraine attack. The aura can be in the form of dazzling lights or zig zagged lines. Some say that they feel numb or notice a distinctive odor just before a headache attack. Let your doctor know if you have an aura before a headache attack as well as if the aura continues on long after the headache is gone.


Question #12: Do you have an idea of what could be triggering your headaches?

Headaches and migraines can be triggered by anything. If you have already identified the things that trigger your headaches or migraines, let your doctor know. It is also a good idea to start a diary wherein you list down the food you have eaten and activities you engaged in during the day. You also take notes of the times you have headaches. Doing this can help your doctor determine what are triggering your headaches as well as what type of headache you have.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

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Keep glycemic index of foods low to bolster cardiovascular health, says study

(NaturalNews) Australian researchers recently reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine that a diet rich in low-glycemic carbohydrates leads to lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol.
A Sydney research team conducted a 12-week study of 129 overweight and obese people an average of 32 years old, with an average BMI of 31.2. The researchers split the subjects into four groups and randomly assigned each group a diet to follow. The first group followed a high-carbohydrate, high-glycemic diet with average protein intake. The second group followed a high-carbohydrate, low-glycemic diet with average protein intake. The third group followed a high-protein, high-glycemic diet with low carbohydrate intake. The fourth group followed a high-protein, low-glycemic diet with low carbohydrate intake.

Researchers measured each group's levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, total cholesterol, HDL "good" cholesterol and triglycerides at the start, middle and end of the study, and found that the third group had the highest percentage of people with five percent weight loss or more. However, the third diet group also experienced an increase in total and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.

Dieters in group two (high-carb, low-GI, average protein) saw a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol. Women and participants with high triglycerides benefited the most from following the second group's diet.

"Diets based on low-GI whole grain products (instead of high-GI whole grains) maximize cardiovascular risk reduction, particularly if protein intake is high," the researchers concluded.

Researchers have debated for some time whether or not the glycemic index could be an effective tool for consumers seeking to become healthier.

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Behave Like A Thin Person

Want to lose weight? Want to keep it off? Permanent weight loss occurs when you change negative behaviors.
THe most effective point about weight loss with hypnosis is you change you metal view of yourself. You see yourself as thin.

You can multiply the benefits of weight loss, especially with hypnosis, when you act like you're thin, even if you are not yet. If you adopt these habits, weight will naturally start to reduce, without effort. There are behaviors that have nothing to do with food that have a direct influence on your physical weight.

Do you know which behaviors and habits are associated with the thin personality? Here are a few:

1) Do I push compliments away?
If someone compliments you on your hair, clothes, appearance, talent, ability, etc., do you immediately apologize for not being even better? If someone wants to pay you money for something, do you feel guilty and feel obligated to give them a "deal?" This behavior is an artificial habit that many of us get into as if it is polite or spiritual. The truth
is that it not only is hurtful to the person who just tried to give you something, but it is incredibly damaging to you.

If you continue to push away the nurturing things that come your way, you will feel empty all the time. This hunger is usually and wrongly interpreted as a physical hunger and leads to over-eating.

2) Do I Skip Meals?
Naturally thin people do not skip meals. Why do you? Thin people especially eat breakfast. Do you skip meals hoping to lose weight put on from the previous day? Stop it! It backfires for two reasons: one, when you skip a meal your body enters "starvation mode" and due to historical reasans called "survival", keeps weight on! Because you're so famished from skipping a meal, you're more inclined to eat too much at the next meal or to eat foods that
are unnecessarily high in calories!

3) Do I Eat While Doing Other Activities?
Reading the paper or watching TV while eating may be "efficient" use of time but you risk swallowing a lot of unhappiness along with your food. Some people can do this with no problem, as they have the ability to remain detached. If you find that you are becoming passionately concerned about what you are reading or watching, you should not do this.

4) Do I Attempt To Do More Than One Thing At A Time?
Our physical reality is simply a projection of our thoughts. If you have a distraction tendency then it means that you have an "expanded" attention span. This mental expansion manifests itself as a physical expansion in the form of extra weight! Giving yourself the best chance to learn focusing skills begins with doing one thing at a time.

For example, don't balance your checkbook while you are having an important talk with a loved one. You'll surely make errors in your checkbook as well as say something you regret. The human brain really can only attend to one task at a time consciously. If you are doing more than one thing at a time, you only have the illusion that you can handle it. In reality, you are only focused on one activity for any small moment. Then your concentration flips to the other activity, and back again. So you can delude yourself that you are clearly focusing on more than one thing, but you are in reality alternating your attention between activities at a rapid pace. This is
DISTRACTION. Remember: DISTRACTION = WEIGHT GAIN! Please realize that this idea of doing one thing at a time refers only to activities that require focused concentration. For example, If you are running and you notice your mind thinking of 100 things, this is actually OK. That's because running is normally a mindless activity and does not compete for the attention of your thoughts.

When you believ, truly believe you are a thin person you will act like you are thin. Your mind will think it is thin and begin to adjust how your body acts, reacts and functions. Being thin for life is a whole new way to respond to conscious and unconscious stimulation. Start to act thin before you are thin and you'll jump start your permanent weight loss program.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

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The Tokelau Island Migrant Study: Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Health

Let's get right to the meat of this study. It's a direct test of the idea that saturated fat is a cause of cardiovascular disease. If you were to design the perfect experiment to determine if saturated fat causes heart disease, and ethics were not a concern, how would you do it? You would stuff one group of people with as much saturated fat as they would eat for their entire lives, while feeding far less to a genetically identical group. Ideally, you would keep everything else about the diet and lifestyle the same. Then, you would measure some marker of cardiovascular disease, or even better, count actual heart attacks.

The Tokelau Island Migrant study isn't a perfect experiment, but it's about as close as we're going to get. Tokelauans traditionally obtained 40-50% of their calories from saturated fat, in the form of coconut meat. That's more than any other group I'm aware of, even topping the roughly 33% that the Masai get from their extremely fatty Zebu milk.

So are the Tokelauans dropping like flies of cardiovascular disease? I think most of the readers of this blog already know the answer to that question. I don't have access to the best data of all: actual heart attack incidence data. But we do have some telltale markers. In 1971-1982, researchers collected data from Tokelau and Tokelauan migrants to New Zealand on cholesterol levels, blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings.

The Tokelauan diet, as I've described in detail in previous posts, is traditionally based on coconut, fish, starchy tubers and fruit. By 1982, their diet also contained a significant amount of imported flour and sugar. Migrants to New Zealand had a much more varied diet that was also more typically Western: more carbohydrate, coming chiefly from wheat, sugar and potatoes; more processed sweet foods and drinks; more red meat; more vegetables; more dairy and eggs. Sugar intake was 13 percent of calories, compared to 8 percent on Tokelau. Saturated fat intake in NZ was half of what it was on Tokelau, while total fat intake was similar. Polyunsaturated fat intake was higher in NZ, 4% as opposed to 2% in Tokelau. I don't have data to back this up, but I think it's likely that the n-6:n-3 ratio increased upon migration.

Blood pressure did not change significantly over time in Tokelau from 1971 to 1982, if anything it actually declined slightly. It was consistently higher in NZ than in Tokelau at all timepoints. Men were roughly three times more likely to be hypertensive in NZ than on Tokelau at all timepoints (4.0% vs. 12.0% in the early 1970s). Women were about twice as likely to be hypertensive (8.1% vs. 15.0%).

On to cholesterol. Total cholesterol in male Tokelauans was a bit lower on average than in New Zealand, but neither was particularly elevated (182 vs. 199 mg/dL). LDL was also a bit higher in NZ males (119 vs. 132 mg/dL). Get these guys on Lipitor!! Triglycerides were lower in Tokelauan men than in NZ (80 vs. 114 mg/dL). There were no differences in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglycerides between Tokelauan and NZ women.

These data would make Dr. Uffe Ravnskov smile (actually I'm sure he's aware of them). Much of the hoopla surrounding saturated fat is due to the fact that in controlled clinical trials, it seems to elevate blood cholesterol (by elevating both LDL and HDL). What Dr. Ravnskov and others have pointed out is that the correlation between saturated fat intake and blood cholesterol is weak, and in any case, so is the correlation between blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. This study lends support to the idea that saturated fat is not a major determinant of total cholesterol or LDL.

But does it cause heart attacks? The best data I have from this study are ECG readings. These use electrodes to monitor the electrical activity of the heart. There are certain ECG patterns that suggest that a person has had a heart attack (Minnesota codes 1-1 and 1-2). The data I am going to present here are all age-standardized, meaning they are comparing between groups of the same age. On Tokelau in 1982, 0.0% of men 40-69 years old showed ECG readings that indicated a probable past heart attack. In NZ in 1980-81, 1.0% of men 40-69 years old showed the same ECG readings. In Tecumseh U.S.A. in 1965, 3.5% of men 40-69 years old showed the same ECG pattern. I don't have data for women.

These data don't prove that no one ever has a heart attack on Tokelau. They do sometimes, and they also have strokes (at least in modern times). But they do allow us to compare in quantitative terms between genetically similar people living in two different environments.

This is consistent with what has been observed on Kitava and other traditional Pacific island cultures: a vanishingly small incidence of cardiovascular disease while they retain their traditional diet and lifestyle (and sometimes even when some processed Western food has been introduced). When diets and lifestyles become modern, there is invariably a rise in the incidence of chronic disease.

I don't believe that saturated fat contributes to cardiovascular disease. The best data available have never supported that hypothesis, even from the very beginning. The Tokelau Island Migrant study, among many others, should have put it out of its misery long ago. Tokelau underlines the fact that the most important determinant of health is a diet based on whole, natural foods that are familiar to the human metabolism, prepared in traditional ways that maximize their digestibility and nutritional value.

Unless otherwise noted, the data in this post are from the book Migration and Health in a Small Society: the Case of Tokelau.

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Tension Headache: The Most Common Headache

If you are a women in your thirties, you are definitely a prime candidate for experiencing tension headaches, the most common form of headache.

Quick Facts about Tension Headaches

- Tension headaches are the most common type of headache.

- Women are more prone (90%) to experiencing tension headaches than men (70%).

- Tension headaches are very common in women who are between 30 and 39 years old.

- Tension headaches typically appear in the morning and usually get worse as the day goes on.

- People who experience tension headaches are often describe feeling as if they have "a tight band around the head."

- Tension headaches can cause pain at the bottom of the skull and back of the neck.

Episodic Tension Headaches

The most common tension headache that most people suffer from is known as an episodic tension headache. An episodic tension headache is typically short, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours. Episodic tension headaches typically occur no more than 15 days in any given month. It has been reported that more than 60% of episodic tension headache sufferers experience tenderness in the scalp and neck muscles.

Chronic Tension Headaches

When episodic headaches increase in frequency, they become chronic, occurring on more than 15 days per month for a minimum of three consecutive months. While chronic tension headaches last for about the same length of time as episodic tension headaches, the pain can unfortunately be felt by sufferers on a daily basis. Though not as common as episodic tension headaches, twice as many women suffer from chronic tension headaches than men.

Depression and Tension Headaches

While people who suffer from chronic tension headaches are more likely to be anxious or depressed than most, it can be also be viewed as a chicken-and-egg situation -- does the depression cause the headache or does the headache cause the depression? It is recommended that people who suffer from chronic tension headaches also seek some form of treatment for depression, as the treatment can help in alleviating the headaches.

Causes of Tension Headache

- Stress
- Skipping meals
- Bad posture
- Lack of exercise
- Anxiety and depression
- Hormonal changes in women
- Taking too many painkillers for headaches
- Teeth grinding during sleep

Treating Tension Headache

Treatment for tension headaches can be as simple as eating something if you have skipped a meal. Sometimes, getting yourself out of a stressful situation can treat a tension headache. Common over-the-counter medications like aspirin, Advil or Tylenol will also quickly get rid of a tension headache; if it doesn't, you can pay your doctor a visit and ask for a stronger prescription. It is advisable, though, that you limit your use of painkillers, as painkillers tend to lose their effectiveness when used for too long a period of time. Worse, you will start getting rebound headaches if you take too many painkillers.

Alternative Remedies

Acupuncture has been known to relieve tension headaches; it's recommended to visit the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture web site to locate a doctor who practices acupuncture in your area.

Aromatherapy can also help treat tension headaches; the easiest to use is probably lavender oil, as you can apply it directly onto your skin's various pulse points. It is also worth to try out peppermint or ginger, which are both good; find out which one works best for you.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances

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Fight Cardiovascular Problems with Vitamins and Over the Counter Products

Except pulmonary arteries, all Arteries bring oxygenated blood to the tissues and except pulmonary veins, all Veins bring deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Blood passes into the lungs where Oxygen is pickup and CO2 is expelled. The Blood then through the arteries into capillaries, which are the thinnest and most numerous of the blood vessels and these capillaries helps transport nutrients into the cells and picks up waist products for transport. Blood then flows into the veins and transports CO2 to the lungs. Without the cardiovascular system vital oxygen and nutrients would not be able to be delivered to the cells in your body you would cease to exist.
The most common life threatening problems of the Cardiovascular System are Arteriosclerosis and Strokes.

Arteriosclerosis is commonly referred to as a "hardening" or "furring" of the arteries. Arteriolosclerosis (hardening of small arteries, the arterioles) is the result of collagen deposition, but also muscle wall thickening and deposition of protein ("hyaline").

The constant accumulation fatty substances called plaques on the arterial walls characterize arteriosclerosis. These complications are chronic, slowly progressing and cumulative. This plaque buildup is usually found in most major arteries of the human body. Arteriosclerosis typically begins in early adolescence but is rarely diagnosed until late in life usually due to a stroke or heart attack.

When a bubble (aneurysm) occurs in the walls of the blood vessels it can lead to a blowout of the blood vessel and subsequent damage of the organ being supplied and even death. When this happens in the brain it is call a Stroke.

Research has shown that lowering cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood will lower the chance of coronary arteriosclerosis. Non-pharmaceutical means are usually the first method of treatment, such as cessation of smoking and regular exercise.

Copper - Calcium - Magnesium
Vitamin C - Vitamin E - Zinc
Vitamin B - Ginkgo Plus - M.S.M

There is strong evidence that trace mineral Copper is vital to the tensile strength of the coronary blood vessels.

Scientists have found that people who drink hard water, water rich in calcium and magnesium, stand less chance of developing cardiovascular disease that people who drink soft water.

Vitamin C is essential for defending the body against pollution and infection. It enhances the immune system and aids in growth and repair of bone and tissue. Vitamin C has show to reduce cholesterol levels and lowers high blood pressure.

Vitamin E supplies Oxygen to the heart and the other muscles in the body. Accelerates wound healing and aids in the functioning of the immune system.

Zinc is needed for healing and maintaining healthy tissues. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are the vital components of skin, hair, muscle tissue, the body's organs, blood cells, various enzymes and hormones. Zinc also has a profound influence on the body's ability to resist disease.

Vitamin B taken together as B-Complex work as a team to perform vital biological processes, including energy production and efficient metabolic function.

Ginkgo Plus supplies a comprehensive range of important nutrients needed for the proper functioning of the vascular system and for improving blood circulation to the brain.

M.S.M maintains the development of the body's protein by forming flexible disulfide bonds between certain amino acids and in maintaining the strength of connective tissue. This allows water and nutrients to flow freely into cells and allows toxins to flow freely out of the cells. M.S.M increases athletic stamina and helps eliminate muscle soreness. M.S.M is a natural supplement that is getting a lot of attention due to its role in tissue healing at the cellular level. It is a natural organic sulfur that comes from rain fall and is found naturally in the human body.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.

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Cardiovascular Diseases

The cardiovascular diseases are those diseases which are caused by disorders of heart and blood vessels. Coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and failure of heart came under the category of cardiovascular diseases.
Most of the western countries face the high and increasing rate of cardiovascular diseases. More people are killed by this disease every year as compare to cancer. A survey concludes that diseases of the heart alone caused 30% of all deaths, with other diseases of the cardiovascular system causing substantial further death and disability. Every 2 out of 3 cardiac deaths occur without any diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.


After a survey it was conclude that this is the prime cause of death and disability in the United States and most European countries. A large histological study (PDAY) showed vascular injury accumulates from adolescence and makes primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood. An estimated concludes that17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005 and this is about the 30 % of all global deaths. 7.6 million out of these were died due to heart attacks and 5.7 million were due to stroke.


Around 80% of these deaths occurred in developing or under developed countries as they have low and middle income. If not step is taken against it then according to an estimate, by 2015, 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease every year and most of them will be from heart attacks and strokes.


Causes- The cause of cardiovascular disease is a blockage that prevents blood to go to the heart or to the brain. The most important and main cause of cardiovascular disease is build up of fatty deposits in the inner wall of blood vessels. In this particular condition, blood vessels become narrower and less broad and heart doesn’t receive the blood. In that case it results to failure of heart.


Reasons- The major reasons of having cardiovascular disease are tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. An early form of fatty deposits, which is known as fatty streaks can also be found in children. Some children may be younger than 10 years. These deposits get slowly worse as the person gets older.


Helpful tips- If you are obese or overweight then it increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. To maintain an ideal body weight, you should take regular physical activity and eat a healthy diet.

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Q&A: How do I avoid atherosclerosis and improve cardiovascular health? What if I have been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse?

In the first part of this question on avoiding atherosclerosis and improving cardiovascular health, we talked about what to avoid so that you don't worsen your situation. Here in the second part, we'll talk about more proactive strategies that you can use for reversing the build up of plaque in your arteries.
First off, one of the better-known therapies for eliminating the buildup of arterial plaque is called intravenous chelation. This is a therapy that can truly work miracles and help people avoid heart bypass surgery and other complications from atherosclerosis. Intravenous chelation involves the introduction of certain minerals and binding compounds into the human bloodstream through an intravenous solution. In other words, they put an IV in your arm and drip fluids containing chelated minerals into your bloodstream.

What does this do? This chelation solution binds with the plaque in your cardiovascular system and then helps flush it out of your system. At the same time, it is also very useful for removing heavy metals, such as mercury, cadmium, and lead from your body.

But because this is an invasive procedure, it is only performed by trained medical professionals. Typically, you're only going to have access to this by visiting a naturopathic clinic or some kind of alternative health clinic that pursues pioneering medicine. But by no mean is this intravenous chelation a brand new technology. It's been around for decades and has been well proven to reduce the buildup of atherosclerosis or plaque in your arteries.

However, remember that if you continue to pursue a diet and lifestyle that created the plaque in the first place, then engaging in intravenous chelation is really only going to help for the short term. To have long-term results, you need to change your lifestyle, as was discussed in part one of this article.

Next on the list is what's called oral chelation. This is a strategy where you take supplements known as EDTA that claim to work in the same way as intravenous chelation. These substances bind with heavy metals and plaque in your arteries and help flush them out of your system. Unfortunately, my information on oral chelation is rather sparse at the moment. I haven't fully investigated this, so I can't say whether I support it or whether it has been proven to work. I plan to look more closely at this in the future.

Another thing you can do from a nutritional standpoint to enhance your cardiovascular health is to be sure to take a plentiful supply of antioxidants. Of course you want to get those from natural sources, and some of the best sources of antioxidants are berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and so on. You can also get antioxidants from superfoods such as various sprouts, Spirulina, Chlorella, and seaweed.

One of my favorite sources of antioxidants is a substance I'm calling Vitamin X. It is known as astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is just now emerging on the scene. Most people don't know about it yet, but it's a powerful antioxidant that belongs to the same carotenoid family as the better-known zeaxanthin, which is quite well known to be important for eye health -- that is, the health of the retina and in preventing macular degeneration.

To my knowledge, there aren't many studies available right now showing the relationship between astaxanthin and heart health, but I think those studies will be coming down the road. So this is one of those areas where, if you're taking the supplement, it's not necessarily proven for cardiovascular health but it probably will be down the road. And in the meantime, you're giving yourself worthy antioxidant protection by taking it.

Moving on to heart health in general, one of the main points I want to get across to readers here is that many of the defects that are diagnosed in people's hearts are really not physical defects at all. There's a great tendency in conventional medicine to misdiagnose functional disorders as physical or structural disorders. For example, one of the most common diagnoses in heart health is the so-called mitral valve prolapse. This is generally explained to patients as being some kind of physical defect with their heart valve. Often it's called a genetic defect or a birth defect; but far more often than not, this is really just the lack of fitness of the heart muscle due to chronic malnutrition, typically a lack of B vitamins.

So, if you think about it, any muscle in the body that isn't fit, that doesn't have good nutrition and plenty of hydration, will lose its tone, and muscles will begin to sag or deform or not have the structural strength they once had. This is especially evident in people with back pain who have experienced a loss of muscle tension in the lower spine so that when they sit, their lower back begins to hurt. I'm quite familiar with this. I suffered from it for more than 10 years before I transformed my own health.

The very same thing can be true with the heart. If a person isn't getting adequate nutrition (and remember that most Americans are nutritionally deficient even though they're overeating in terms of calories), then their hearts can lose a level of fitness. They no longer retain the shape -- that is, the physical shape -- that they should retain in order to properly pump blood. So of course a conventionally-trained medical doctor is going to see this misshaped heart and diagnose it as some kind of physical, structural deformity, typically one that can only be resolved through surgical procedures.

But that's about as crazy as telling someone who has weak shoulder muscles that the solution is to cut into their shoulder with sharp instruments and insert a balloon that can be pumped up so that their shoulder appears larger. The real solution, of course, is to strength train the shoulder. Engage in some strength training, and get proper nutrition so that the muscles can have the nutrients they need to grow on their own.

When it comes to heart health and subsequently cardiovascular health, nutrition is the key. Virtually all surgical procedures conducted for mitral valve prolapse are medically unnecessary. What the patient really needs is adequate hydration, a brand new approach to nutrition, and the avoidance of all dietary substances that are known to worsen cardiovascular health and deplete water soluble vitamins from the body. And of course, B vitamins are water soluble vitamins.

Moving on in the herbs category, of course there are many, many healing herbs for heart health, including herbs like garlic, onions, and juniper berries. But I think that the big solution here when it comes to avoiding atherosclerosis, and doing what many people describe as unclogging their arteries, really comes down to avoiding hydrogenated oils, fried foods, and trans fatty acids.

This is a disorder for which avoidance is really the best treatment. In fact, if you avoid those foods and engage in basic nutritional supplementation and cardiovascular exercise, your body will clean out the arteries for you over time all on its own. But don't forget it also means shifting to healthy oils and getting plenty of omega-3 oils, fish oils, and other healthy oils into your diet on a regular basis.

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