Are You Missing This Important Supplement for Childhood Behavioral Problems?

Behavioral problems in children often start during the preschool years.  Making sure that kids have a healthy, balanced diet, as well as plenty of physical activity, can make a big difference in kids' behavior.  One "supplement" that is becoming more overlooked these days is one of the foundations of health in naturopathic medicine: sleep.

Recent research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City (1) examined almost 9000 preschool aged children, and looked at the relationship between sleep and behavior.  They found that kids who average fewer than 9.44 hours of sleep per night have a 30 to 40% higher rate of anger, impulsivity, overactivity, and tantrums.  Significantly, these kids were also 80% more likely to be aggressive.  More than two hours of television viewing per night was also associated with worse overall behavior.

Inadequate sleep for adults may result in mood problems, increased pain sensitivity, and even a greater risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Now, we have further evidence of just one more way that sleep is critical for kids as well.  Follow these guidelines to ensure a good nights rest for your little ones:

• Stick with a scheduled bedtime and wake-up time.  Aim for at least 10 hours of sleep per night.  So if the kids have to be up at 7 AM, make sure they're in bed by 9 PM.
• Turn off all screens (TV, computer, smartphone, tablet, etc.) at least one hour before bedtime.
• Keep the bedroom cool and dark to make falling asleep easier.
• If your child is having trouble falling asleep, consult your naturopathic physician before trying any sleep aid -- even natural ones.

1.  Scharf RJ et al.  Nighttime Sleep Duration and Externalizing Behaviors of Preschool Children.  J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2013;34:384-391.

Coffee: Superfood or Death Sentence?

Earlier this year, I outlined some of the amazing health benefits associated with regular coffee consumption.  These include a decrease risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and endometrial cancer; pain reduction as among its benefits too.

Now, new research from the Mayo Clinic (1) makes us pause and reflect on how much is too much of a good thing.  I often hammer that old adage, "all things in moderation;" in this case, moderation appears to be 4 cups of coffee per day.  More than that raises the risk of death for people under age 55.

Researchers looked at data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, which examined dietary habits and health data from over 43,000 participants over the course of 31 years.  For folks under the age of 55 who drank more than 28 cups of coffee per week, all-cause mortality risk increased by over 50% for men, and more than doubled for women.  The direct cause of this association is unknown, but seems to be unrelated to coffees cardiovascular effects.

One of the important points to keep in mind is that a "cup" in this study is defined as 8 fluid ounces; the cutoff point therefore seems to be about 32 ounces per day.  The "cup" markers on your coffee pot are 6 ounces each, so the limit would be about five of those cups.  If you prefer to get your coffee on the go, this would translate into only two "grandes."

This study leaves a lot of questions, such as the association of caffeine on health (the study didn't differentiate between regular and decaf coffee), the actual biological mechanisms of coffee (it has hundreds of phytochemicals besides caffeine), and the confounding factor of smoking with coffee consumption.  In the meantime...  Come on, people, four cups per day should be plenty for anyone.  In fact, beyond the first one or two cups of the day, why not explore the benefits of other healthful beverages such as green tea?

1.  Liu J, Sui X, Lavie CJ, et al. Association of coffee consumption with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.Mayo Clin Proc 2013; DOI:10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.06.020.

Amazing Breakthrough for Depression - You Won't Believe What It Is!

Depression is not just "feeling blue," but rather a significant mental health condition that can affect one's whole life.  The CDC estimates that one in 10 American adults is depressed.  Depression goes hand-in-hand with poor outcomes in chronic health conditions like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, in addition to the more obvious negatives social and behavioral effects.

For this reason, antidepressants have become one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs in the US over the last 20 years.  The most common of these are the SSRIs, such as Prozac (fluoxetine).  While these medications can help people to live more normal and productive lives, they do come with significant side effects, such as sleep disturbances, loss of libido, weight gain, and even an increase in suicidal ideation.

There is good research about natural alternatives for mild to moderate depression, such as aerobic exercise and St. John's wort.  Exciting new research out of India has highlighted a safe alternative for major depression: curcumin.  Curcumin is the active compound in the herb turmeric.  This was a relatively small study, involving 60 patients with major depressive disorder.  They were divided into three groups: one group received fluoxetine, 20 mg daily; the second group received curcumin, 1000 mg daily; the third group received a combination of the two.  Outcomes were measured using the Hamilton Depression rating scale.  There was no statistical difference in the response rate among the three groups, and at the end of six weeks, the change in Hamilton score was comparable in all three groups.

This is big news.  Depression is a serious health condition, but the side effects of SSRIs are further complicated by the difficulty that patients have in coming off these medications.  On the contrary, the "side effects" of curcumin include:

• protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's,
• enhanced gastrointestinal health,
• protection of the liver against toxins,
• anti-inflammatory effects from muscles and joints,
• and more.  

One thing to keep in mind about curcumin, however, is that most standardized extracts are poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract.  It is best to use curcumin that is complexed with phosphatidylcholine (such as Curamin [BCM-95--the type used in this study] or Meriva), or used in conjunction with black pepper (piperine).

A last note of caution: if you are currently taking antidepressant medications, do not discontinue them abruptly.  Consult with your prescribing physician about weaning down gradually on the dosage, to avoid withdrawal effects.  It is perfectly safe, however, to start taking curcumin while still on the pharmaceutical antidepressant.

1.  Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.  Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5025. [Epub ahead of print]

More News about the Gut's Role in Autism

Last week, I highlighted new evidence about the link between gluten and the symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).  Hot off the presses, we have another study about a gut-autism link.  Researchers at Arizona State University (1) found a significant difference between the normal flora (bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract) of children with autism and non-autistic children.  In particular, autistic children had lower levels of three types of bacteria:  Prevotella, Coprococcus, and Veillonellaceae.  These were identified from fecal samples taken from children ages 3 to 16 years.  These organisms, especially Prevotella, are important for carbohydrate digestion, and maintenance of healthy biodiversity in the gut ecosystem.  Impairment of carbohydrate digestion may leave these kids more susceptible to developing the leaky gut and gluten sensitivity described in last week's article.

While this research is intriguing, it still presents us with a chicken-or-egg dilemma: do disturbances of gut bacteria contribute to the development of ASD, or are children with ASD more susceptible to gut flora imbalances by some other mechanism?  We are only in the very early stages of identifying all the complexities of the trillions of microorganisms that live inside of us.  Now that we have identified the human genome, the next step is to tackle the human microbiome:  the identification of all of those microbial species in their proper proportions to maintain good health.

Over the next 20 years or so, our current probiotics supplements will look like primitive stone tools.  Hopefully, we can get to the stage where we can supplement with specific organisms like the ones identified in this study (none of which are available in current probiotics supplements).  Otherwise, we may have to look more seriously at fecal microbiota transplantation as an important technique for many health conditions, not just C. difficile infection.

Related posts:

• I Have a Gut Feeling They're on to Something.  
• Good Bacteria = Smaller Waistline?

1.  Kang D-W, Park JG, Ilhan ZE, Wallstrom G, LaBaer J, et al. (2013) Reduced Incidence of Prevotella and Other Fermenters in Intestinal Microflora of Autistic Children. PLoS ONE 8(7): e68322. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0068322

New Evidence on the Link between Gluten and Autism

Rates of autism have been on the rise in the US over the last few decades.  The exact cause of this is unknown; part of the reason may be due to an increased degree of awareness and diagnosis.  This uncertainty is reflected in a major change to the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5): the terms autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder have been replaced by the single umbrella term autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).  Holistic doctors and concerned parents continue to search for therapies that can help mitigate the symptoms of autism in any way.  One of the cornerstones of this natural approach has been a gluten-free diet.

The theory behind this is that children with ASD are particularly susceptible to a compromised barrier in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract -- a condition known as "leaky gut".  This allows larger "chunks" of protein to make it into the bloodstream without being fully digested.  Gluten, the main protein in wheat and related grains, can contribute to this GI damage.  The gluten protein in the bloodstream can also stimulate an immune system response; the resulting inflammation can have an impact on the nervous system, exacerbating autistic behaviors.

New research out of Italy (1) demonstrated that children with ASD have a higher rate of IgG antibodies to gluten than healthy children of the same age.  They did not have higher rates of lab markers for celiac disease, such as tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes.  This indicates that there is a continuum of sensitivity to gluten other than full-blown celiac disease.

While the authors of the study are cautious in their interpretation of these results, it just adds more support to the naturopathic approach of a gluten elimination diet, along with nutritional and herbal therapies to help repair the lining of the GI tract.  A gluten-free diet is not easy under the best of circumstances in our culture; for autistic children, who often have very strong food preferences, it can be even more difficult.  However, with the prospect of significant behavioral improvement, it's definitely worth a try.

1.  Lau NM, Green PHR, Taylor AK, Hellberg D, Ajamian M, et al. (2013) Markers of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity in Children with Autism. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066155

Pomi-T: One More Follow-Up

Well, I was unable to locate the authentic Pomi-T supplement for prostate cancer, but an astute patient found a UK supplier that will ship to the U.S.:

http://www.powerhealth.co.uk/products-detail.asp?productid=2002

For more information, check their main web site.

Ladies, Improve Your Sleep Quality 800% With This Simple Fix

In the dog days of summer, "women of a certain age" probably know well the difficulty of getting a good night's sleep, especially when dealing with postmenopausal hot flashes.  The benefits of sleep cannot be overstated in terms of our overall health.  Inadequate sleep can lead to diabetes, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and even certain types of cancer.  Fortunately, there is a natural remedy for this situation; it is as close as your sneakers, and costs nothing.

Yes, once again, it's my favorite supplement: exercise.  In March 2013, a study published in the journal Menopause found that women with high levels of leisure time physical activity over eight times as likely to experience good sleep quality.  While the authors did not quantify exactly what types or how much physical activity was involved, we can presume that any activity is better than being sedentary.  It's amazing how much of our leisure time is taken up with electronic screens: computers, TVs, iPads, smartphones... we never have to be without these magical devices that keep our brains engaged, while allowing our bodies to wallow in torpor.

So get out there, and enjoy some walking, biking, swimming, or gardening, and get a better night's rest tonight.

Physical activity and sleep among midlife women with vasomotor symptoms.  Menopause. Published online March 25, 2013. 

Pomi-T Follow Up...
My article about the beneficial effects of a new botanical supplement, Pomi-T, for prostate cancer patients brought a flood of interested feedback.  However, I have been hard-pressed to find the actual product.  It was produced by a British company called nature Medical Products, and sold out as a response to the publicity about the research study.  An internet search yielded no further reliable information about the availability of Pomi-T or nature Medical Products.  So until we have a source for Pomi-T in the U.S., keep eating your veggies, and look for other standardized supplements for pomegranate, broccoli, green tea, and curcumin (turmeric extract).