Articles

FDA will not require labeling of genetically engineered animals that are sold as food

info — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:21:11 +0000

GENETIC ENGINEERING

FDA will not require labeling of genetically engineered animals that are sold as food

SOURCE: http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/006137.html

September 18, 2008

Statement of Consumers Union

Consumers Union finds it “incomprehensible” that the FDA will not require labeling of genetically engineered animals that are sold as food. Genetically engineered animals may contain genetic material from entirely different species. For example mouse genes have been put into pigs to help them metabolize phosphorous more efficiently, and spider genes have been put into goats so that they produce spider silk in their milk.

FDA proposed today that they will only review genetically engineered animals for their safety as food, and will not require any labeling. “It is incomprehensible to us that FDA does not view these animals as different from their conventional counterparts, and therefore something that under law is required to be labeled,” stated Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “In our view, consumers have a right to know if the ham, bacon or pork chops they are buying come from pigs that have been engineered with mouse genes.”

Consumers Union is also concerned that cows engineered to produce antibiotics in their milk, which can help the cow avoid udder infections, also will not be labeled. “Unlike conventional antibiotics, which must be cleared from the cow before it can be used to produce milk or meat, the antibiotic that is genetically engineered into the animal will always be present. We are concerned both about the potential safety and lack of labeling on such food products,” stated Michael Hansen, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at Consumers Union.

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SOURCE: http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/006137.html

Consumers Union Contacts:

Jean Halloran, (914) 378-2457 and/or Dr. Michael Hansen, (917) 774-3801

T. Denny Sanford Donates $30 Million to San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine

info — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:08:12 +0000

STEM CELLS

T. Denny Sanford Donates $30 Million to San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine

Consortium of Four Research Institutions to be Renamed Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine

SOURCE: http://www.burnham.org/default.asp?contentID=615

September 16, 2008

The San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine today announced that it has received a generous $30 million donation from T. Denny Sanford of South Dakota.

In recognition of the donation, the Consortium is now known as the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. The funds provided by Sanford, combined with a $43 million major facilities grant awarded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) earlier this year, will be used to build and equip a facility where scientists from the Consortium’s four member institutions can collaborate on world-class stem cell research

“The fact that Denny Sanford chose to make such a substantial donation to the Sanford Consortium speaks volumes about the quality research that scientists from our four member institutions bring to the table,” said Edward Holmes, M.D., SDCRM’s President and CEO. “This facility will allow for faster and smarter research to take place by providing a venue for collaboration.”

Sanford added, “I am excited to support this unique collaboration of four world class institutions. I believe that by working together these researchers will quickly bring forward novel scientific developments that ultimately help patients with limited or no treatment options today.”

The gift will be announced at a press conference to be held today at 10 a.m. PDT at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, Calif.

The Sanford Consortium will be one of seven new stem cell research Institutes funded by CIRM to help build California’s global leadership in stem cell research and to accelerate the field as a whole.

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About T. Denny Sanford
A philanthropist from Sioux Falls, S.D., T. Denny Sanford is a philanthropist who donates significantly to health and science ventures. Through his own giving and the Denny Sanford Foundation, his charitable donations include $400 million to Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health Systems, now Sanford Health; $70 million to the state of South Dakota for the Sanford Science Center; and $20 million to the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in San Diego for the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center. Sanford has been listed on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of top donors and BusinessWeek’s “50 Most Generous Philanthropists” list.

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SOURCE: http://www.burnham.org/default.asp?contentID=615

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About the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine
Formed in 2005, the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine is a nonprofit organization that marshals the intellectual resources of four world-leaders in life sciences research: the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego. Using the collective strength of its members, the Consortium’s research program is focused on developing tools and technologies to hasten the pace of stem cell research progress and to discover and develop diagnostics, therapies and cures to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and injury. The Consortium was originally assembled as the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, but renamed in September 2008 after a naming donation from T. Denny Sanford.

Immune Soup for Colds and Flu

info — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:50:50 +0000

RECIPE BANC

Immune Soup for Colds and Flu

Garden of Healing®

Begin eating this soup at any sign of a cold or flu. Garlic has potent antioxidant properties and is a good source of immune-boosting selenium. Medicinal mushrooms like Shiitake contain various powerful antioxidant, antibacterial and infection-resistant properties.

1 small onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 can chicken broth
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
Fresh ginger (amount based on personal preference), peeled

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Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and brown them. Pour in the can of chicken broth.

With a garlic press, squeeze garlic and ginger into the broth mixture.

Stir well, heat thoroughly and serve.

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Flax and Olive Oil Dressing

info — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 02:45:54 +0000

RECIPE BANC

Flax and Olive Oil Dressing

Garden of Healing®

Servings 6

Sidestep heart disease with simple recipes like this one which boasts good fat and great flavor.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

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Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk the together olive oil, flax oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and capers. Season with salt and pepper.

Ozone Gas suggested to Sanitize Leafy Greens

info — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:21:39 +0000

FOOD SAFETY

Ozone Gas suggested to Sanitize Leafy Greens

By Tracie Cone, Associated Press

SOURCE: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080912/news_1n12ecoli.html

September 12, 2008

MONTEREY – Ozone gas, commonly used to disinfect wine barrels, also could help the produce industry keep the nation’s salad clean.

Research on E. coli transmission released yesterday said ozone gas is faster and more effective than chlorinated water at sanitizing leafy greens. Scientists said it could be pumped into cooling vacuums where lettuce is stored after arriving from the fields.

“This is great, it’s really simple to do,” said Steve Scaroni, a grower and shipper who works in California and Mexico. “This could be the answer.”

Scaroni was among 300 food industry executives, growers and regulators who gathered in the Central California city of Monterey to learn the results of the $2 million research, funded by Fresh Express, in response to the 2006 E. coli outbreak in spinach. The outbreak killed three people, sickened 200 others and cost the leafy greens industry about $80 million.

Fresh Express wasn’t linked to the 2006 spinach recall but funded the studies to help the industry avoid another outbreak.

Among the research findings:

Contamination can spread during washing, cutting and the tumble drying of greens, and chlorinated water alone isn’t enough to kill the pathogens.

Some varieties of spinach with textured leaves have greater potential for harboring pathogens than smooth-leaf varieties.

E. coli can paralyze pore closures on spinach leaves and allow bacteria into the plant.

Even cooked compost used in organic operations can retain traces of live E. coli cells that can reconstitute under the right conditions.

Spinach and lettuce harvested on hotter days are more likely to create an environment for pathogen growth.

“I think one of the most important things these studies have shown is that temperature control is a key issue,” said Linda Harris of the University of California Davis. “Lower temperatures reduce the statistical probability (that harmful pathogens will develop).”

The research is the beginning in the industry’s effort to determine how E. coli is transmitted and how it reproduces in processed foods.

The exact source of the 2006 contamination wasn’t discovered, but scientists suspect cattle, feral pigs or other wildlife may have spread the E. coli by defecating near crops.

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SOURCE: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080912/news_1n12ecoli.html

Nutrients that boost Immunity

info — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:41:43 +0000

IMMUNITY

Nutrients that boost Immunity

By Ronald Hoffman, M.D., CNS

SOURCE:
http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/125

Recently a national Conference on Nutrition and Immunity was convened in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing together top scientists in the fields of nutrition and immunology. The participants concluded that “Because nutrition and other factors are critical to the establishment and maintenance of a healthy functional immune system the role of nutrition warrants closer scrutiny.”

Scientists now recognize the crucial role that nutrition plays in supporting immune function. Nutrition authorities have long acknowledged the importance of macronutrients — adequate intake of protein and calories in maintaining the body’s defenses. Protein-calorie malnutrition, such as occurs with prolonged starvation, stringent self-imposed dieting as in anorexia, or in profound disease states such as cancer and AIDS, robs the body of its defensive capabilities, depleting white blood cells as well as crucial immune system proteins.

But the new frontier of nutrition research lies in the application of micronutrients — vitamins, minerals, and related cofactors — to immune support. Modulating the immune response with supplements has become a reality.

Vitamin a: The fat-soluble vitamin retinol is crucial for immune defense. Studies in Third-World countries have shown that the administration of Vitamin A to malnourished children confers protection against measles and reduces the death rate associated with this viral infection. The administration of Vitamin A to cortisone-treated animals appears to abolish the immunosuppressive effects of cortisone. Vitamin A enhances white blood cell function, enhances resistance to infection and carcinogens, and helps maintain skin and mucus membrane defenses to infection.

Carotenoids and beta-carotene: Besides being a precursor to Vitamin A, beta carotene has its own unique immune-stimulating properties that Vitamin A does not. Beta carotene is also a potent anti-oxidant, but there are over 600 other carotenoids found in nature. Many, like lycopene and zeanxanthin have potent cancer-preventing effects.

B vitamins: The B vitamins are often thought to work together in concert as a “B complex”. For example in AIDS, more rapid disease progression is seen in patients with deficiencies of the B Vitamins B6 and B12. B6 is particularly important for immune function. Deficiency of B6 is particularly common in teenage girls and young women who are prone to dieting and consumption of sugars and refined foods. It can lead to decreased white blood cell response and shrinkage of the critical immune system organ, the thymus.

B12 is also central to immune processes because it governs cell division and growth. Without adequate B12, white blood cells can’t mature and multiply. Folic acid also plays a key role in immune system development and maintenance.

Vitamin c: Championed by Linus Pauling as an antiviral and anticancer nutrient, Vitamin C is an immune system booster par excellence. White blood cells use Vitamin C to combat infections, and in the face of inflammation or microbial challenge, levels of Vitamin C are depleted. Animals — with the exception of guinea pigs — have the ability to manufacture extra Vitamin C in their livers to replete their stores — but humans and their distant rodent relatives lack the crucial enzyme that synthesizes C. Thus, when confronted by stress, we need additional outside sources of C. How much C is enough? Recent studies show that tissue levels of C top out at around two to three grams per day of oral intake, but nutritionally-oriented physicians sometimes overcome this limitation by administering high intravenous doses of C to patients with serious infections or cancer.

Vitamin e: Deficiency of this crucial immune booster is not uncommon. A survey of older Americans revealed that over 40 percent of elderly men and women had intakes of Vitamin E two thirds below the RDA (which is a paltry 40 international units!). Studies have shown a statistically significant reduction in infections in elderly volunteers with use of from 400 to 800 i.u. of Vitamin E daily. Lab measurements of immune function were also decisively enhanced. It is worthy of note that megadoses of Vitamin E may be immunosuppressive. This quality of E may be harnessed in autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus where overexuberant immune responses need to be restrained.

Chromium: Mostly thought of as a blood sugar regulatory mineral, recent research in animal models shows chromium can enhance the ability of white blood cells to respond to infection.

Copper: A recent study shows that a diet deficient in copper affects the human immune system, reducing the activity of some cells that attack invading bacteria. Plans are underway to see if copper supplementation in non-copper-deficient individuals can further enhance immune function.

Iron: Like vitamin E, the effect of iron on immunity is two-fold. Iron deficiency paralyzes the immune response. In fact, response to tetanus vaccines can be marginal in iron-deficient individuals. But don’t try too hard to emulate Popeye; excess iron is deleterious to immunity. The immune system keeps invading microbes in check by depriving them of iron via a specific immune defense substance called lactoferrin, made in the intestine and found in mothers’ milk.

Manganese: Supplementation of manganese has been shown to enhance natural killer cell and macrophage activity.

Selenium: A clue to selenium’s crucial role in immune system support is the fact that serum levels of this mineral are the single most important nutrient factor accounting for survival in patients with AIDS. Selenium also has been shown to protect humans from the heart-damaging effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV). Researchers now suspect that selenium deficiency may allow viruses to mutate into more dangerous pathogens. Selenium’s role as a partner for the key antioxidant glutathione also helps explain its protective effects.

Zinc: Dr. Ranjit Chandra, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the role of nutrition on immunity, has pioneered research on the essentiality of zinc for optimum defense. Numerous studies now prove supplemental zinc can restore flagging immunity. This may be the basis of the observed benefits of zinc lozenges for colds. As with iron and Vitamin E, more isn’t necessarily better. Daily doses of 100 mg. or more of zinc may actually be immuno-suppressive.

Other non-vitamin mineral supplements may have a role in supporting immunity. Here are some of the key players:

Arginine: The amino acid l-arginine augments T-cell response and may be helpful in hastening surgical recovery, as well as in cancer and AIDS. But sometimes caution is warranted, because very high levels of arginine can compete with lysine, an amino acid which keeps certain viruses in check.

Alkylglycerol: Derived from oil of the liver of the ratfish found in the North Atlantic, alkylglycerol promotes white blood cell production. I use alkylglycerol to restore the white blood cell counts of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

CoEnzyme Q10: This energy-enhancing nutrient may work to promote immunity by powering the cellular batteries of microbe-devouring macrophages.

Dimethyglycine (DMG): Research on this nutrient has centered on its ability to enhance the efficacy of vaccines which depend on optimal host immune response to take effect.

Phytonutrients: A wide variety of plant-derived substances have specific immune-augmenting capabilities. These include garlic, echinacea, arabinogalactan from larch tree bark, cat’s claw, astragalus, maitake mushroom, and yeast-derived beta 1, 3 D-glucans.

Clearly, then, the way is open to a better understanding of how synergistric application of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and plant-derived factors can optimize immune function.

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Dr. Ronald Hoffman is recognized as one of America’s foremost complementary medicine practitioners. He is founder and Medical Director of the Hoffman Center in New York City, author of numerous books and articles for the public and for health professionals, and is host of the popular nationally-syndicated radio program Health Talk.

SOURCE:
http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/125