FEATURED RESEARCH
Eat your veggies!
Research is confirming your mom's advice to eat your vegetables. The study found those who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grain cereals, legumes, and nuts have a much higher chance of having a healthy heart thanks to the high levels of antioxidants in this diet. More details in the article, "Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Lower Heart Failure Risk" in the April, 2013, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Threat to compounding?
There are special compounding pharmacies that make ("compound") medications without prescriptions that your physicians can buy and keep for future use. These medications are often less expensive versions of very expensive prescriptions drugs. In 2012, poor quality control by one compounding pharmacy led to the contamination of a compounded medication that resulted in more than 50 deaths. Despite many complaints against this pharmacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conceded that their lack of oversight action contributed to the unsanitary conditions at the compounding pharmacy that allowed the medication to be contaminated. But instead of finding a way for the FDA to do a better job in monitoring compounding pharmacies and leaving regulation to state pharmacy boards, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions has taken the position that they need to make things safer by giving the FDA the power to regulate all large compounding pharmacies and the medications they make. This bill would divide compounding pharmacies into two categories. Pharmacies that make customized compounded medications for patients at the direction of their physicians which would remain supervised by state pharmacy boards, whereas the other pharmacies would become a new class of drug makers for products to be kept by physicians for future use. This second group would be controlled by the FDA.

Those who oppose the Senate committee's draft legislation, released April 26, claim that the unannounced agenda is to enable the FDA to entirely remove competing compounded medications from the marketplace and force patients to use more expensive patented drugs.

ISSUE: Is giving the FDA more power over compounding pharmacies the answer to making safer compounded medications?

To help you research this matter, we have compiled the following online articles:

PRO
Draft bill gives FDA authority over some pharmacies (4/26/13)
by Toni Clarke
Reuters

FDA chief vows to get 'aggressive' with compounding pharmacies (4/16/13)
by Monte Morin
Los Angeles Times

CON
Don't Empower the FDA to Take Away Your Access to Compounded Medications (5/7/13)
Alliance for Natural Health USA

GOP lawmakers balk at giving FDA more authority over compounding pharmacies (4/16/13)
by Jonathan Block
ModernHealthcare.com

We also encourage you to go to our blog at ahhablog.org and share your comments and tell others about additional resources you have found related to this important matter.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Change a life
AHHA offers a single sheet that introduces the powerful concept of the "holistic approach." It's available for free! Check out our "Gift for a Better Life". Who do you know who could benefit from receiving a copy of this sheet? Download it, print it out double-sided, share it with a friend, and empower that friend's life. We now also offer a version in Spanish.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Essential iron
If you are one of the forty percent of menstruating women who experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, a recent research study may be of interest to you. "High Iron Intake Linked to Reduced PMS Risk" in the March, 2013, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter presents the value of adding higher amounts of iron to your diet and supplements.

FEATURED ISSUE
Toxic meat preservatives
Starting May 6, 2013, the meat industry has permission from the U.S. government to use toxic meat preservatives (sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, and benzoic acid) to preserve and treat meat and poultry products. These preservatives were previously banned. How did this happen? Major companies did their own studies showing these preservatives were safe, and successfully lobbied the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Opponents claim that the company studies are flawed and that the real aim for using these preservatives is to cover up tainted meat.

ISSUE: Are you comfortable with sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, and benzoic acid in your meat and poultry products?

To help you research this matter, we have compiled the following online articles:

PRO
Food Ingredients and Sources of Radiation Listed and Approved for Use in the Production of Meat and Poultry Products (3/7/13)
Federal Register Volume 78, Number 45/ U.S. Department of Agriculture

FDA Approves Three Meat Preservatives (3/12/13)
by Philip A. Janquart
Courthouse News Service

USDA OKs Sodium Benzoate, Other Food Preservatives (3/12/13)
by Carla Gillespie
Food Poisoning Bulletin

CON
USDA Approves 3 Dangerous Food Preservatives for Meat and Poultry (4/8/13)
Before it's News

USDA caves to food industry pressures, approves three new toxic meat preservatives (4/5/13)
by Ethan A. Huff
Health Freedom Natural News

The WAR on meat pathogens: sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, benzoic acid legal for rotting meat cover up! (4/5/13)
Health Ranger Update

We also encourage you to go to our blog at ahhablog.org and share your comments and tell others about additional resources you have found related to this important matter.

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're 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 articles on this vital topic. See What is Holistic? Perhaps these articles will help you clarify your own thinking.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Reducing autism risk
The first three months of a developing fetus are significantly impacted by the nutrition of the mother. For this reason, women hoping to become pregnant have been urged to be sure they have folic acid in their diet. The list of reasons for this just gained a new, important item. A recent study shows the correlation between low folic acid and the risk of autism in the child. Details about this study are in "Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation May Reduce Autism Risk" in the February, 2013, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
GMO winning again?
The U.S. Senate is debating the Continuing Resolution appropriations bill that must be passed by March 27 to continue government funding. Special interests often try to take advantage of this type of must-pass bill to add unrelated amendments or provisions that would have a difficult time getting passed if they were under the close inspection a regular bill usually gets. A number of groups who typically speak out against genetically engineered (GE) crops [also known as genetically modified organisms (GMO)] are sending out notices this week to alert the general public that the Senate Appropriations Committee added just such an unrelated provision, Section 735, to the Senate Continuing Resolution bill. This provision, which is labeled "farmer assurance provision," would strip the rights of federal courts to halt the sale and planting of genetically engineered crops during the legal appeals process while the USDA is performing an environmental impact statement. If this Section 735 provision stays attached to this bill, the biotech industry, including giant Monsanto, would be able to plant GE crops at will. The public and government would be virtually powerless to stop GE crop.

The Senate appropriations bill will go to a conference committee to negotiate a compromise between its bill and the corresponding House appropriations bill and resolve differences. However, the anti-GE advocacy groups feel the Section 735 provision must be pulled completely out of the Senate bill. The U.S. House of Representatives left a similar provision in its House Agricultural Appropriations Bill last summer under similar conditions, so there is no expectation that the conference committee would remove this provision.

ISSUE: Is it right to prevent the judicial system from due process of evaluating genetic engineering crop impact?

Below are a few resources to assist you in doing your own research in this very complex matter.

Senate Poised to Pass Continuing Resolution This Week (3/13/13)
By Lauren Fox
US News
Explains the Continuing Resolution bill, but makes no mention of Section 735.

House Watching for "Poison Pills" as Senate Turns to Continuing Resolution (3/13/13)
By Kerry Young and Alan K. Ota
Roll Call
Notes amendment process

URGENT! Stop the Monsanto Rider in the Senate! (3/13/13)
Alliance for Natural Health USA
Presents anti-GMO point-of-view

Stop the Monsanto Protection Act!
Food Democracy Now!
Plea for public action to ask Senate to pull rider

We also encourage you to go to our blog at ahhablog.org and share your comments and tell others about additional resources you have found related to this important matter.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Quench your thirst for knowledge
AHHA members offer an interesting variety of self-help options. This month we feature options that offer you personal educational opportunities for self-improvement and life enrichment. Check out the Education-Personal category on the AHHA Organizational Member searchable database. There are online and in-person courses and seminars, plus publications. Which ones intrigue you?

FEATURED RESEARCH
Tomato a Day
If you're concerned about lowering your risk of heart disease risk, check out the results of a ten-year study addressing the health benefits of lycopene from tomatoes and tomato-based products. Details about this study are in "Lycopene Consumption Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk" in the January, 2013, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Allergic?
Allergic reactions to foods range from mild to death. For those with severe reactions, not knowing what is in their food can be a life threatening matter. Since 2006 there has been a government regulation mandating that the labels of foods containing eight major food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy) declare the allergen in plain language.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently revising food allergen thresholds that would trigger this requirement and has issued an invitation for input. The original February 12, 2013 deadline has been extended to May 13, 2013. If this matter affects you or a loved one, you still have time to research what is happening (or not happening) and submit your input to the FDA.

Why should you care? A key consideration for regulation changes appears to be whether or not an ingredient causes "an allergic response that poses a risk to human health." Manufacturers are lobbying to reduce restrictions. People with food allergies want to maintain what is already in place and expand the regulations to include ingredients, like gluten, which may not cause death but can damage internal organs. (It is interesting to note that Congress has instructed the FDA to add gluten to the list of major food allergens; this appears to not be happening.)

ISSUE: Is the issue really defining what is a limit that does not pose a "risk to human health"?

Below are a few resources to assist you in doing your own research in this very complex matter.

Current regulation that went into effect January 1, 2006:
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-282, Title II)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA Request for Comments:
Request for Comments and Information on Initiating a Risk Assessment for Establishing Food Allergen Thresholds; Establishment of Docket (12/14/12)
Federal Register

Notice for extension of deadline for submitting comments:
Request for Comments and Information on Initiating a Risk Assessment for Establishing Food Allergen Thresholds; Establishment of Docket; Extension of Comment Period (1/30/13)
Food and Drug Administration

Explaining threshold levels:
FDA Requests Input on Allergen Threshold Levels (12/14/12)
by Linda Larsen
Food Poisoning Bulletin

Discussing exemptions and listing what FDA wants comments on:
F.D.A. considering food allergen thresholds (12/27/12)
by Jay Sjerven
Food Business News

Concern about not adding gluten to the list of allergens:
FDA Again Ignores Instructions from Congress (1/29/13)
Alliance for Natural Health USA

Other concerns:
Watch Out for Undeclared Food Allergens (12/11/12)
by Christine Chiao
First We Feast

We also encourage you to go to our blog at ahhablog.org and share your comments and additional resources you have found related to this important matter.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Personal healthcare team?
Whether your team is one individual or a diverse group of practitioners, the ideal team is one in which you and your physicians and other healthcare professionals function as partners and everyone espouses a holistic (whole person) approach to creating optimal wellness. If this isn't happening in your case, consider making some changes. A great place to start your search is the AHHA Practitioner Member list.

FEATURED RESEARCH
Fat vs. Lean
We who have made losing weight our new year's resolution have new options. Current research documents the benefits of aerobic exercise for those aiming for less fat mass and resistance training for a lean body mass. Details about this study are in the article, "Aerobic Exercise May Benefit Weight Loss More Than Resistance Training" in the December, 2012, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

FEATURED ISSUE
Why!
The horrific shooting deaths in Newtown, CT, in December, 2012, impacted us all. We will never know the real root cause of this tragedy, but it is interesting to note the many different theories. Part of our healing process may be to consider possible causes for mass shootings and what we might wish to do differently in the future so that something positive can come out of this.

AHHA has compiled a variety of reactions. Do any of these resonate with you?
ISSUE: What is your reaction? Will you be doing anything different now?

Special Note: From Dr. Amen about Newtown Tragedy (12/19/12)
Dr. Amen's Blog

Run, Hide, Fight - Surviving When the Worst Happens (12/18/12)
by Bernie Siegel

Newtown shooting demands we consider our "call of duty" as parents (1/2/13)
by Maureen Downey
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

School Shootings: By-Product of An Emotionally and Spiritually Bankrupt Nation
by Daria M. Brezinski, PhD

Newtown Tragedy: Push for Mental Health Reform (12/20/12)
by Mike Fitzpatrick
National Alliance on Mental Illness Blog

You are encouraged to go to our blog at ahhablog.org and share your comments and additional resources you have found related to this important matter.

FEATURED AHHA RESOURCE
Considering a career change?
AHHA Organizational Members offer health-related products, services, and educational opportunities. The category Education-Professional has a list of educational institutions appropriate for individuals considering a career in the healthcare field. Check here to check things out.