FEATURED RESEARCH
Retinopathy solution?
Researchers report that a patented extract made from the French maritime pine may help prevent eye problems associated with diabetes. Those in the study using this product had significant improvements in vision. If you know people dealing with this serious condition, you may want to recommend that they and their doctors review the article, "Pycnogenol® for Retinopathy," as presented in the December, 2009, issue of the Integrative Medicine Newsletter. The authors suggest that the beneficial results from using this product may be attributed to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and capillary-protective effects.

FEATURED ISSUE
Is your food harming you?
Are you concerned about how the animals you consume were raised? Does the meat and poultry you are eating contain antibiotics? Probably. Is the level of antibiotics allowed to be fed to animals by current government regulations safe for the humans who eat them? Those who insist that there is no danger may need to take note that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is starting to talk about establishing limits.

Are current antibiotics levels fed to meat and poultry safe?

PRO
Animal Antibiotics and Food Safety: What You Should Know
Food Insight: Your Nutrition and Food Safety Resource

USA - More on antibiotics in farm animals
Meat Trade News Daily

CON
Guidelines Issued For Antibiotic Use in Animals
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric

Antibiotics for Farm Animals - Is the FDA Serious?
Alliance for Natural Health USA

You are invited no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Knowledge Is Power
Have you discovered our Health Information Search Services list? This unique list includes organizations whose experts can research information and treatment options for any health condition. One organization even will find which doctors are successfully treating your specific condition. Imagine how much more confident you could be with knowledge about what both conventional medicine and alternative approaches have to offer. This type of support is especially important for someone dealing with a life threatening or debilitating diagnosis.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Spicy pain reliever
Are you one of the growing number of people adding a vigorous workout to your daily life? Then you're probably dealing with some sore muscles. A new study suggests that ginger may offer you some relief. Check out the article, "Ginger for Muscle Pain", as presented in the June, 2010, issue of the Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Water is vital. Look who wants to add stuff to it.
With so many people hooking expensive filters and other devices onto their household water supply to remove minerals, it is interesting to hear talk that the World Health Organization is advocating the addition of calcium to municipal water supplies. When considered from a strictly health benefit perspective, this proposal appears to focus on just one or two minerals and ignore the need for synergetic balance when we supplement our mineral intake.

How do you feel about an expanding trend to deliver minerals in the public water supply?

PRO
Calcium and Magnesium in Drinking-Water: Public health significance
World Health Organization

CON
Fluoride is Not Enough-Now They Want to Add Calcium to Our Drinking Water!
Alliance for Natural Health

You are invited no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
How do YOU define "holistic"?
Have you discovered that others are not defining the term "holistic" the same way you do? AHHA has always recommended that when you are talking about holistic concepts, it's wise to define terms and make sure you and the person you are talking to are on the same page. AHHA offers you some articles on this vital topic. See What is Holistic?. Perhaps these articles will help you clarify your own thinking.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Mind-body connection proven again
Those of us favoring a holistic approach to health are always gratified when scientific research establishes a relationship between a person's mental or emotional state and a physical disorder. Another example recently reported is research on how behavioral therapy impacts a patient's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. For details on this research finding, check out the article, "Behavioral Therapy May Improve IBS," as presented in the May, 2010, issue of Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Is the food on your store's shelves safe?
What is your view of genetically modifying foods? Genetically modified (GM) plants and animals have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. The U.S. government has maintained that GM foods are safe. Many other countries strongly disagree. How do we know if GM foods are safe? Many scientists claim that absolute proof either way does not exist. You need to do your own research.

PRO
Plant Biotechnology for Food and Feed: FDA's Biotechnology Policy
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Genetically modified food risks
Choice

GM foods are safe, says expert
The Hindu (India's National Newspaper)

CON
The Effects of Genetically Modified Foods
by Dr. Edward F. Group II
Global Healing Center

Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked to Organ Failure, Study Reveals
The Huffington Post

Russia says genetically modified foods are harmful
The Voice of Russia

Those choosing to not include GM foods in their diet are hampered in the U.S. by the lack of labeling requirements to identify GM foods. It has been estimated that 60 to 70 percent of food products in retail stores already contain genetically modified ingredients.

You are invited no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Does your iPod include our booklet?
The AHHA booklet, Wellness From Within: The First Step, is posted online in MP3 format. When you go to ahha.org/MP3.asp, you will see the option to download this recording to your computer, listen to the audio presentation online, or transfer it to your personal iPod. The wonderful message of this booklet is very special when read, but even more powerful when listened to. It's our gift to you.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Does mental order improve focus?
Psychosocial intervention has proved to have a robust effect on reducing the severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A research study provided adults who met criteria for having ADHD with support in improving their time management and organizational skills. If you know someone who might benefit from this intervention, consider directing them to the article, "Behavioral Therapy for ADHD," as presented in the April, 2010, issue of Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
You can't live without B6, but can you get it?
There is extensive research documenting the importance of vitamin B6 for maintaining good health and preventing disease. Major sources of vitamin B6 in your diet include numerous vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

But you may not be able to find vitamin B6 on the shelf of your local health food store. In case you have not been following the conflict between pharmaceutical companies and dietary supplement manufacturers for control of B6, we have compiled the following information to help you understand what is going on.

Pyridoxamine is a chemical compound in the vitamin B6 family, which includes pyridoxal, pyridoxine, and pyridoxamine. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, called P5P or PLP, is the form into which all B6 (natural or synthetic) must be converted for the body to use it.

Two pharmaceutical companies have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give them exclusive rights to the natural substances pyridoxamine (B6) and P5P, respectively. The request for B6 rights has been successful. The request for P5P rights is still pending. Success means that the natural substance is banned (except for use by the drug company). Any dietary supplement product with this substance can therefore be considered adulterated and illegal by the FDA. And so it disappears from the store shelves.

In 1999, the pharmaceutical company, BioStratum, petitioned to have sole use of pyridoxamine, which was the only active ingredient in a drug they were developing to prevent the progression of diabetic nephrothapy (kidney disease). Despite challenges, in January, 2009, the FDA declared pyridoxamine to be a drug. Specifically, the FDA determined that products containing pyridoxamine dihydrochloride or any other compound containing pyridoxamine are not dietary supplements within the meaning as indicated by DSHEA and "may not be marketed as such." The reasoning here appears to be that the FDA considered the initial request by BioStratum for use of pyridoxamine in an investigational drug to have precedence over any rights to use it in a dietary supplement product. Implementation of this ban on pyridoxamine recently took effect.

In November, 2007, a pharmaceutical company, Medicure Pharma, applied to the FDA for sole rights to pyridox,al 5'-phosphate for use in developing a drug using this substance. As of 2010 the company has not marketed a drug that contains P5P, but it continues to petition the FDA to rule that their company be protected from competition from any dietary supplement product with P5P. The petition asserts that P5P is a new dietary ingredient which has neither been present in the food supply as an article used for food in a form in which the food has not been chemically altered, nor has it been the subject of a new dietary ingredient notification prior to their original application to the FDA. It is ignoring the fact that P5P, the natural and bioactive form of B6, has existed in food for as long as anyone knows and has been available as a supplement for many years.

Again, when a natural substance is designated a "drug," it cannot be used in a dietary supplement product. Your only options would be to eat foods with the nutrient or get a prescription for the drug that contains it.

Should the FDA have the right to ban an essential natural nutritional substance found in nature? What do you feel about losing your rights to purchase vitamin B6 (as pyridoxamine) as a dietary supplement?

PRO
Citizen Petition To Prohibit the Marketing of Dietary Supplements Containing Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (P5P)
Medicure Pharma

Capitol Comments: FDA's Pyridoxamine Decision
Nutraceuticals World

CON
Big Pharma and the FDA: Suppress the Science, Ban the natural Substances, Sell the Drugs!
True Health Is True Wealth!!

Alert: Protect Your Right To Natural and Bio-available Vitamin B-6!
Alliance for Natural Health USA

You are invited no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Who needs an uplifting message today?
AHHA offers you a unique opportunity to send Get Well(ness) messages to someone you care about. On our Get Well(ness) Messages page there are special messages on attractive backgrounds. Pick the appropriate one and email the URL to your loved one.

FEATURED RESEARCH
New version of eating flowers?
Red clover is considered to be one of the richest sources of isoflavones, which are water-soluble chemicals that act like estorgens. It is often used for hot flashes. Recent research found an additional benefit. Taking red clover also reduces the symptoms for post-menopausal depression and anxiety. If this interests you, check out the article, "Red Clover for Depressive Symptoms," as compiled by the Natural Standards Research Collaboration (http://naturalstandards.com) and presented in the March, 2010, issue of Integrative Medicine Newsletter. As always, check with your physician for any potential side effects.

FEATURED ISSUE
Without your consent!
Is it just a matter of time until most U.S. citizens will have their private medical information as part of a centralized electronic record system? There are many aspects of this important issue that need to be addressed. As you research "electronic medical records," pay attention to the following issues:
Convenience of accessing all records on a patient.
Impact on quality of care.
Security protecting patient privacy.
Choice in participation, patients and physicians.
Cost to hospitals and physicians, initially and in the future.
Financial impact on the healthcare industry.

Do the benefits of electronic medical records outweigh the problems?

PRO
Electronic Health Records Overview
National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources

Electronic Health Records Frequently Asked Questions
ehrCentral

Moving forward with electronic health records
by Katherine Harmon Scientific American

CON
Proposed Rule on Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Threatens Privacy
Institute for Health Freedom

Electronic Health Records: Concerns About Potential Privacy Breaches Remain an Issue
Science Daily

Top Hospitals Questioned In Electronic Health Records Probe
The Huffington Post

You are invited--no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHAÕs interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Power of your everyday choices
More and more diseases are being documented as being the result of poor everyday lifestyle choices. AHHA's booklet, Wellness From Within: The First Step, reminds you of the power of how you live each day. Take time to review the options included in this booklet. Pick one thing to do differently in your everyday routine. Click here to review the various formats of the booklet.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Natural, no side effect option.
The dietary supplement, omega-3 fatty acids, may have still another claim to fame. Recently published research results show promising findings that omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial in preventing a psychotic illness. If you have adolescents and young adults in your family who are at risk of developing psychotic disorders, you and your physician might want to review the details in the article, "Fish Oil and Psychotic Disorders," as compiled by the Natural Standards Research Collaboration (http://naturalstandards.com) and presented in the February, 2010, issue of Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Urgent for all who take dietary supplements.
There is an expanding program in Europe for government control of which food supplements can be legally sold and, further, at which potency levels. This dovetails with the Codex Alimentarius international trade guidelines, which can impact trade disputes between countries. (See codexinfo.org for background on this matter.) In the U.S., we have felt secure that we would continue to have freedom of access to the natural dietary supplements of our choice because of the provisions in our Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

A new bill, S.3002, The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA), has been introduced in the Senate and co-sponsored by senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND). While the original motivation for this bill seems to have been protection from tainted over-the-counter products, this bill also has provisions that would eliminate the supplement access protections contained in DSHEA and allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) arbitrary authority to make drastic changes that would impact all aspects of the dietary supplement industry and public access to supplement products.

We particularly draw your attention to the provision that would allow the FDA to create a list of which supplements can be sold and at what potency levels.

Should the FDA have the power to determine which dietary supplements you can buy and at what potency levels?

PRO
The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010: A long overdue correction to the DSHEA of 1994?
Science-Based Medicine

John McCain Introduces Dietary Supplement Safety Act
Nutritional Outlook

Dietary Supplement Safety Act Introduced by Sen. McCain
Team USA

CON
New Bill Seeks to Ban Consumer Access to Dietary Supplements
by William Faloon Life Extension

Update: Senator McCain Cosponsors a New Bill That Threatens Your Access to Supplements and Repeals Key Sections of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
Alliance for Natural Health

Take Action Now To Protect Your Supplements!
National Health Federation

You are invited no, urged to join the conversation. Register your opinions on this issue. Post new current web articles you find. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org. Note that the instructions for how to post are now available on every page.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
It's more than just not being sick.
Have you checked out the three special portal boxes at the top of the AHHA website home page? This month we invite you to visit the Healthy? box. Take a brief, intimate journey to connect with our key resources appropriate for those who are not sick, but know there is lots of room for achieving a higher level of wellness.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Could we start saying, "A pomegranate a day keeps the doctor away"?
Pomegranates are becoming a popular subject of research for prevention and treatment benefits for a wide range of conditions. Pomegranates are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, but could there be synergetic actions from other aspects of this fruit? The most headline-catching research is detailed in "Anticancer Effects of Pomegranate" as compiled by the Natural Standards Research Collaboration and presented in the January, 2010, issue of Integrative Medicine Newsletter. You and your physician might find this information worth reading.

FEATURED ISSUE
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
As consumers are becoming more health conscious, major food manufacturers are increasing their use of health benefit claims to market their products. Unfortunately, many of these claims are either misleading or unfounded or both. They are leading to problems for products with legitimate claims of nutritional benefits. The Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is campaigning for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to tighten restrictions on health claims by all food and supplement manufacturers in order to protect the "uninformed consumer" from health claims that are not "scientifically supported." Could this be a good thing, or could the pendulum swing too far the other direction? Some people are concerned that the U.S. could end up with rules similar to those being adopted in Europe, where even a doctor is not allowed to educate patients about "unapproved" nutritional information.

Currently in the U.S., only a drug company selling an FDA-approved drug is allowed to make the claim that a product will help prevent or treat a health condition or disease. Food and dietary supplement product manufacturers have the option to present nutritional information as long as they use the qualifying "may" in the text. This option is what the campaign wants to eliminate.

The FDA and CSPI seem to be in agreement that food, supplements, and drugs should all be treated the same. If they get their way, food and dietary supplements would be required to go through a very expensive approval process (up to $1 billion for a single product) to give us some idea of the nutritional and health correlation for their products. Manufacturers of non-patentable food or supplement products cannot afford to pay for expensive approvals for inexpensive, competitive products. With only drug-related health benefit information allowed, consumers could end up having only scientific journals as their source for learning about the health benefits of foods and supplements. Is this too drastic a solution?

This issue was selected because of the lack of media coverage for what might be a significant loss in your access to nutritional information. You have the right to be aware of what is developing. There is very little attention being paid to this issue in the U.S., even on the Internet. Here is a bit on each side of the issue.

PRO
CSPI Urges FDA Crackdown on False & Misleading Food Labeling
Center for Science in the Public Interest

CON
CSPI Asks FDA to Abolish Food and Supplement Health Claims
Alliance for Natural Health

You are invited--no urged to join the conversation! Post new current website articles you locate. Register your opinions on this issue. Participate in AHHA's interactive Issues Forum at ahhaissuesforum.org.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
A new powerful tool
AHHA has a new resource for you. We are calling it the "gift for a better life" sheet. This is a compact explanation of the "holistic approach." We want you and everyone you know to benefit from this powerful, life-changing tool. Feel free to download this double-sided single sheet and share it with everyone you know.