You’re sitting for some quiet family television time in the early evening. Suddenly before your eyes a child is being thrown violently against a wardrobe by an enraged, alcohol fuelled man.   Your young daughter begins to whimper, and a cold chill sweeps over you.  Welcome to the controversial, hard hitting three million dollar ALAC alcohol abuse awareness campaign that has got New Zealanders sitting up and taking notice. It’s a campaign designed to help people make the connection between drunkenness and harm and take personal responsibility for their drinking choices.

The truth is that shock tactics may be what is needed to jolt New Zealander’s out of their complacent attitudes towards alcohol. A glass of wine with dinner; a few bottles of beer with the boys after a rugby match; a daily tipple or two at the bach.  For many New Zealanders this is their moderate, safe and enjoyable relationship with alcohol. But there are many others,  ranging in age from young teens through to old age, living with an unhealthy and potentially deadly relationship with the bottle.  In any given week around 25% of drinking New Zealander’s will end up drunk and possibly violent. (ALAC NZ)

As the ads say “it’s not that we’re drinking, it’s how we’re drinking”, and around 25% of New Zealander’s are “binge” drinking every week.  (ALAC NZ) Defining exactly what constitutes a “binge” in terms of number of drinks consumed, is difficult as it varies from person to person, and can even  vary for one person from one day to the next.  According to ALAC binging is about people drinking to a point of drunkenness and intoxication.  It is when they say and do things they wouldn’t normally, and when alcohol puts themselves or others at risk of harm.  

When we think of problem drinkers, usually we think of raucous, out of control teenagers or the down at heel.  We don’t tend to conjure up pictures of devoted mums with children; affluent and successful business men or young and vibrant women climbing the career ladder…. in other words, our picture of alcohol abuse is distorted and incorrect.  Alcohol doesn’t discriminate based on age, sex, affluence or education…. anyone can become a binge drinker, an alcoholic, a drunk driver or a dead driver.

When it comes to women and alcohol, our drinking patterns are changing. More women are drinking, and the amount they are drinking is increasing.  85% of New Zealand have a drink at least once in a typical year, and 10% of women are drinking every day.  Young women are a special source of concern, with those teenage girls who are drinking showing increased consumption, often drinking large amounts in one go. (ALAC)Many of the problems of our teen culture are a consequence of such binge drinking.  Alcohol is directly linked with our high rate of unplanned teen pregnancy (the second highest in the world) and sexually transmitted disease.

Female bodies don’t handle alcohol well, and a woman drinking the same amount as her male partner will get drunk faster and cause more damage to her body than he will to his. Heavy female drinkers usually develop liver cirrhosis much faster than their male peers.   There is evidence that as little as two glasses of alcohol a day will increase the risk of breast cancer.  Heavy alcohol consumption also causes bone loss and increased risk of osteoporosis.  Despite the fact that there is NO safe limit for alcohol consumption during pregnancy too many women still choose to drink at this time, and risk damaging their unborn child.   

The news on alcohol is not all bad!  In moderation, alcohol can reduce your risk of heart disease; lower blood pressure; and even reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The emphasis here is on the word moderation… and remember “it’s not that we’re drinking, it’s how we’re drinking that’s the problem”.

What are the consequences of binge or heavy drinking?

Liver damage and cirrhosis

pancreatitis

gastritis (stomach problems)

high blood pressure

stroke

cancer of mouth, pharynx, larynx, breast and liver

fetal alcohol syndrome in offspring if woman drinks heavily during pregnancy

increased risk of road death and injury, drowning, suicide, violence.

In teen and childhood drinkers, detrimental effects on physical, intellectual and emotional development.

What is considered to be a low risk level of alcohol consumption?

*For men drink no more than 21 standard drinks in a week, and no more than 6 standard drinks in one sitting.

*For women drink no more than 14 standard drinks in one week, and no more than 4 standard drinks in one sitting.

(ALAC recommendations)

What constitutes a standard drink?

Beer (4% alcohol) – 250mls

Wine (11% alcohol) – 90mls

Sherry/Liquors (18% alcohol) – 60mls

Spirits (40% alcohol) – 25mls

It takes one h

Take broccoli for example, that green and crunchy vegetable loathed by children throughout the ages. My kids would flatly refuse to eat this nutritional goldmine when they were little. Brocoli is a rich source of a phytonutrient called d-glucarate, with proven powerful anti-cancer qualities, by enhancing the liver’s ability to detoxify toxins and pollutants. Regular intake of broccoli is associated with a reduced risk of lung, gastrointestinal and breast cancers. Another superfood cancer fighter found in this humble green vegetable is sulforaphane. This compound blocks the formation of tumours caused by chemical carcinogens, and actually causes cancer cells to die off. Sulforaphane also supports the important phase II liver detoxification enzyme systems. An even more potent way of receiving these broccoli health benefits is to add broccoli sprouts to your salads daily, as they contain 30 – 50 times more of these protective chemicals compared with broccoli itself.

As we’re talking green things and cancer prevention, we cant go past mentioning the powerfully antioxidant rich green tea as a vital addition to your healthy diet. This traditional dietary staple of the orient is bursting with antioxidant compounds, the most important of which is a polyphenol called EGCG. Test tube studies show that these compounds potently cause cancer cells to self destruct, while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Studies with animals show these same compounds inhibit the formation of cancerous tumours in the skin, lungs, liver, stomach, breasts and colon. That cup of steaming hot green liquid is not only working in the fight against cancer. Green tea is also an ally for your cardiovascular health, as EGCG helps to reduce the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and it is this oxidation that increases the likelihood of LDL cholesterol actually sticking to artery walls and causing clogging. The more green tea you sup, the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure. If you’re worried about your gradually increasing blood glucose levels, start drinking 4 cups of strong green tea a day and you could well see blood sugar begin to drop.

If I’ve convinced you about the merits of green tea, invest in a tea pot and some quality green tea leaves. Don’t use the decaffeinated green tea as it is lower in naturally occurring antioxidants. Make the tea in the pot, ensuring the water is hot, but not boiling. Boiling water will make your tea taste bitter and unpalatable. Pour on your water, pop on the tea cozy and leave to steep for ten minutes before drinking, for maximum health benefits.

Two of the most common chronic diseases effecting women later in life are the “brittle bone” disease, osteoporosis; and cardiovascular disease including arterial plaquing or “clogging”.  Did you know that there is a direct connection between these two conditions, and women that develop osteoporosis are more likely to also have arterial disease… and the reverse is also true – women with arterial disease are more likely to develop osteoporosis?   Atherosclerosis involves hardening and calcification of the linings of the arteries, while osteoporosis involves the loss of calcium from the bones.

“What could possibly explain this connection”?, I hear you ask!  Well here’s a clue… the cells lining your arteries are multifunctioning, and as you age, these cells (called endothelial cells) can actually take on a new guise, and become osteoblasts (the cells that regulate your bone formation).

Two vital nutrients help to ensure the health of both your arteries and bones.  Vitamins K and D work together to ensure healthy calcification of your bones, and to prevent calcium deposition on blood vessel walls, where it will cause hardening and arterial disease.  One of the nutritional features shared by both arterial hardening, and osteoporosis is low blood levels of vitamin K.  This vitamin is vital for the proper functioning of special proteins found in bones and blood vessel walls.  These proteins help to balance calcium deposited in bones, while also preventing the improper laying down of calcium in blood vessel walls.  When there is not enough vitamin K in the body,  it makes it difficult for these proteins to balance calcium deposits.

Vitamin D, is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” due to the fact that we can manufacture vitamin D when we are exposed to sunlight on the skin.  Here in New Zealand where UV light levels are low for many months of the year, vitamin D deficiency is endemic. 

For many years we have understood that vitamin D is vital for the fixing of calcium into bones, and without it we are at risk of bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis.   What we have only recently come to understand is that vitamin D also plays a role in preventing calcium deposits in the arteries. 

So, what is the take home message and points of action for you?

Firstly have your vitamin D levels checked with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test.  Ideally levels will be above 80ng/ml.  If not, more sunshine exposure combined with vitamin D3 supplements should boost levels quickly.

Boost vitamin K rich foods such as leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, silverbeet).  You can make your own vitamin K in your gut, as long as gut bacteria are healthy and flourishing.  Supplementing with a quality probiotic to balance gut bacteria, while chowing down on dark greens regularly, will boost levels of vitamin K without resorting to supplements.   

A new study from Denmark confirms what I’ve suspected for a long time. Women who live a life of high career pressure (a role traditionally associated with males) take on the male profile of cardiac disease. The Danish study looked at a group of 12,000 nurses between the ages of 45 and 64, and assessed the impact of their work pressures, and the degree of personal influence or power they had in the workplace. The nurses were tracked for a fifteen year period. The results were hardly surprising, but interesting confirmation that it’s not just stressed out type A business men who pay a price for workplace stress. Those nurses who reported their work pressures to be too high, were 25% more likely to develop heart disease compared with nurses who said work pressures were manageable and appropriate. For those at the top end of the stress scale, who felt overwhelmed by work pressures, there was a 35% increased risk of heart disease.

Premenopausal women under the age of 50 generally have a low incidence of heart disease, due to the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen. If you’re a younger woman in a stressful work environment, don’t bank on your female hormones protecting your heart from the effects of stress. According to this latest study, you are in a demographic MOST at risk of work stress related heart disease. Nurses under the age of 50, who felt they were under moderate work place stress were a whopping 60% more likely to have heart disease compared with their unstressed peers.

So is it the actual biochemical changes resulting from stress that predispose us to heart disease, or is it the effect that stress has on our lifestyle choices? Most likely it’s a combination of both. Feeling chronically stressed puts you into a “fight or flight” state for much of the day, complete with health damaging biochemical changes. But the truth is that if you’re stressed and exhausted when you get home you’re much less likely to have the energy to exercise or cook yourself a healthy dinner… and a glass or three of wine a night may look just a little too tempting.

If you are interested in finding out proactive ways of optimizing your health, read “Wellbeing”, by Lynda Wharton, published by Harper Collins. Available in book stores, and online at www.lyndawharton.com

CoQ10 not just about heart health

CoQ10 is essential for the normal and optimal function of every type of cell in the human body, and not surprisingly there are a multitude of different disease states which have proven responsive to supplementation with this antioxidant. CoQ10 supplements make a huge difference to energy levels as well as strengthening the immune system and boosting our resistance to infection. Supplementing with CoQ10 raises antibody levels and super boosts the killing ability of macrophages (the immune cells which devour bacteria and viruses). Even the normal age related decline in immune function can be slowed with CoQ10 supplementation.

Periodontal disease effects 60% of young adults and 90% of people over 65. It is often the cause of tooth loss with aging, and research has shown that most people with periodontal disease have low levels of CoQ10 in their gum tissue. One study demonstrated that after only three weeks of treatment with CoQ10, patients showed improvements in their periodontal disease consistent with 6 months of normal periodontal disease treatment.

CoQ10 research has also produced some exciting results in the field of cancer research. In one study a group of 32 women with “high risk” breast cancer had CoQ10 included in their treatment protocol. None of them showed signs of further distant metastases, and quality of life improved for all. Six patients showed a partial remission. One of these was given an increased dosage of CoQ10. After two months the mammogram confirmed the tumour had gone. A second patient was then treated. Within three months she was in excellent condition with no residual tumour tissue.

A couple of years ago, researchers from the University of Miami presented their findings at a national cancer conference, showing a very powerful cancer killing ability for CoQ10. Using lab animals and test tube studies, they found that by delivering CoQ10 to breast and prostate cancer cells, they could be triggered into self destruction. CoQ10 was found to greatly inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells, while providing a stabilising effect on normal breast cells.

CoQ10 has also been used successfully to prevent damage to the heart caused by chemotherapy drugs, which can themselves cause serious levels of toxicity with long-term treatment. In one test, seven patients were given CoQ10 daily from before the start of their treatment with a common chemotherapeutic agent. This prevented the decrease in heart function that occurred in the study patients taking the drug without the addition of CoQ10

Supplementing with CoQ10

Research into CoQ10 is extensive and increasing rapidly, but as yet it is still not known exactly how much CoQ10 is required as an ideal “preventative” dose. Research shows that blood levels of CoQ10 and heart function change with supplementation of just 30 – 60mg daily. Many aware cardiologists recommend 100mg of CoQ10 daily to safeguard cardiovascular health. Patients with active heart disease are often prescribed doses of between 400 – 600mg a day. CoQ10 is a fat soluble compound which is best absorbed when taken with a meal containing fat. A recent New Zealand study demonstrated that not all forms of CoQ10 are equally absorbable and bioavailable (NZMJ 8 October 2004, vol 117). Ensure that any supplement you use is in an oil based encapsulated form rather than a tablet, for maximum absorption.

CoQ10 levels can be measured with a blood test. Normal levels are between 0.8 – 1.2 micrograms per milliliter of blood. For therapeutic benefit however, CoQ10 levels need to be increased to 2.5 to 3.5 by supplementation.

Finally, if you decide to supplement with CoQ10 and you are taking any type of cardiac medication it’s important to let your GP know as the effects can be dramatic, and existing medication may need to be reduced or altered. For example, blood pressure may drop significantly, leading to low blood pressure if existing medication is not reduced.

Lynda Wharton
www.lyndawharton.com

When all the studies are added together a clear picture of the cardiovascular benefits of CoQ10 emerges. Therapeutic doses of CoQ10 have been proven to result in:

*Reduction in blood pressure and heart rate
*Reduction in sweating and palpitations
*Reduction in need for cardiovascular drugs
*Decreased chest congestion after heart failure
*Prevention of the negative effects of beta blockers without impairing the positive effects
*Improvement of children with Mitral Valve prolapse.

Statins

Statin drugs are used to reduce cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Statins are the darlings of the pharmaceutical industry, generating $US 14 billion dollars a year in sales. Nearly a quarter of a million New Zealanders take these drugs every day. Despite the fact that the benefits and side effects of these drugs are increasingly controversial, there is no abate to their rapid rise to fame and fortune. The sometimes deadly side effects of statins have been widely discussed in the media, but there is one potentially serious side effect which rarely makes it to the headlines.

Statins interfere with the body’s ability to manufacture its own CoQ10, leading to a drug induced deficiency of this vital cardiac nutrient. Heart failure victims often have abnormally low concentrations of CoQ10 in their heart muscle. Some scientists believe that while statins reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels, they may also increase the risk of sudden heart failure related to CoQ10 deficiency.

A recent small study looked at 14 patients (with no previous history of heart failure) who had received statins for 3 to 6 months. 10 patients showed a worsening of at least one of three different markers of heart function during their treatment. 5 patients had a worsening of all three markers of heart function. Of the ten patients with worsening heart function, 9 were given 100mg of CoQ10 daily for three months while they continued their statin treatment. Of those 9 patients 8 showed an improvement in at least one of the markers, and 5 showed an improvement in all three of the markers of cardiac function. Each of the heart marker abnormalities that developed with statin use in this study are signs of potential heart failure.

In many parts of Europe it is standard practice to prescribe CoQ10 along with a script for statins. Sadly, this is not a widespread practice in New Zealand, and it is common to see CoQ10 deficiency develop within a year of beginning statin therapy. In America a group of 14 concerned scientists and clinicians have petitioned the FDA stating that the muscle destruction and fatigue linked to statin use may actually be a direct result of CoQ10 depletion induced by the drugs.

Muscle pain is another common statin side effect. A small double blind study from the University of Wisconsin suggests that CoQ10 supplementation may significantly reduce the incidence of this problem. 40 patients suffering from statin induced muscle pain were randomly placed in two different groups. One group received 400iu of vitamin E each day for 30 days. The other group received 100mg of CoQ10 daily for 30 days. The CoQ10 group had a significant reduction in muscle pain, with none evident in the vitamin E supplemented group.

Lynda Wharton
www.lyndawharton.com

CoQ10 was first discovered in 1957 when it was isolated from the heart muscles of cows. It took until 1974 before sufficient quantities of CoQ10 could be produced to begin clinical trials with patients. This fat soluble vitamin like substance is present in every cell of the body, as well as occurring naturally in a number of foods including organ meats, soy oil, sardines, mackerel and peanuts. In theory our body can synthesise its own CoQ10 through through a complex 17-step process. In reality though, this process is often impaired, leading to a decrease in CoQ10 levels in the body. A lack of dietary CoQ10 or biochemical changes which cause an increased requirement of this nutrient can also lead to deficiency.

As well as functioning as a powerful antioxidant , CoQ10 serves as a coenzyme for several of the key steps in the production of energy within every cell. Athletes are often lacking in CoQ10 as their high energy production burns through huge amounts of this nutrient. With the widespread use of pharmaceutical drugs, drug induced CoQ10 deficiency is also increasingly common. Statins, beta blockers and tricyclic antidepressants all effect CoQ10 levels adversely.

Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the Western world, accounting for over forty percent of all deaths. Research has repeatedly shown that an improvement in cardiovascular health is one of the most significant benefits of CoQ10 supplementation. The heart muscle never gets a chance to rest and with its never ending energy requirements, CoQ10 levels are especially concentrated in the heart muscle. Low levels of CoQ10 in both the blood and tissues are significantly correlated with congestive heart failure. Sometimes the low levels of CoQ10 themselves become a primary contributing factor to the development of heart failure.

Internationally there have been at least 9 placebo-controlled studies investigating the treatment of heart disease with CoQ10. All of them have shown a remarkable benefit from CoQ10 supplementation, as well as demonstrating a high degree of safety. Over 300 papers presented at nine international symposiums devoted solely to the study of CoQ10 have demonstrated the efficacy of CoQ10 for improving heart muscle function while producing no adverse effects or drug interactions.

Most of the clinical trials have involved the use of CoQ10 in addition to, rather than instead of pharmaceutical drugs. Often though, the CoQ10 supplements have allowed the pharmaceutical medication to be discontinued. In one study involving 109 subjects with high blood pressure, 51% were able to stop between 1 and 3 hypertensive drugs at an average of 4.4 months after starting CoQ10. The largest study involving patients with congestive heart failure was carried out in Italy, with 2664 patients. After three months the majority of patients experienced an improvement in a range of symptoms including circulation, shortness of breath, palpitations and sweating.

(if you or anyone you know is taking a statin drug for cholesterol control, don’t miss part 2 of this blog)

Lynda Wharton
www.lyndawharton.com