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Home > Herbal Remedies Natural Health Newsletter, October 2009, Issue 290 > Herbal Remedies Newsletter Archives > 

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Herbal Remedies April 2006
Natural Health Newsletter Issue 258
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Herbs - Vitamins - Minerals - Magnetics - Candles - Aromatherapy - Holiday Gifts - Bath & Beauty - Essential Oils - Natural Pet Care - Condition & Ailment Guide - Women's Health - Men's Health - Weight Loss - Health Books
  • Propolis Plant Extract Exhibits Anti-Cancer Effects - Click here for full story.

  • Study Finds Aloe Vera Increases Absorption of Two Crucial Antioxidants - Click here for full story.

  • Heart Healthy Properties of Garlic Found in It's Ability to Fight Inflammation - Click here for full story.

  • Ginger Root Shows Promise in Helping Protect Diabetics Against Kidney Damage - Click here for full story.

  • Creatine Found Useful in Helping Treat Lung Disease - Click here for full story.

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    Taking the latest scientific research and combining it with the most effective ingredients nature offers leaves no room in Kiss My Face bottles for artificial colors, unnecessary chemical additives, animal ingredients or animal testing. Vitamins, minerals and botanicals are utilized to the maximum, proving that glamour does not have to be sacrificed for healthy, cruelty-free product choices! Everybody wins -- your beautiful face and body, farmers, animals and the planet! Kiss My Face natural and organic products are the most effective you'll encounter anywhere... just ask anyone who uses them!

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    Subject: Hello
    I had a question in regards to something. I was looking on your website regarding eye infections and I wanted to purchase something that can treat one. I do not have wateriness or anything coming out of my eye but it is all bloodshot and irritated. I had this before and the doctor gave me eye drops but I know they are not good for your eyes even though they treat the infection. If there something natural you have I can purchase for an eye infection?
    Many thanks

    A:
    Dear Customer,
    One product we have that has worked well for others with eye infections is our Ionic Silver: Silver Ionic Mineral Supplement . This product can be applied to a gauze eye patch and applied to eye several times a day. Lay silver soaked eye gauze over eye and lie down for about 10-15 minutes with patch resting on infected eye. Or you can apply two drops to eye four times daily. You may also want to take one tsp once daily to help eradicate the infection from your body.
    Thank you for your interest in Herbal Remedies.com and the opportunity to serve you. Lisa
    * The statements regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information on this Web site or in emails is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding you or your child's condition. Informational material and representations have been provided by the manufacturers of the listed products.

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Propolis Plant Extract Exhibits Anti-Cancer Effects

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, March 5, 2006, abstracted from “The anticarcinogenic effect of propolis in human lymphocytes culture” in the November 2005 issue of Phytomedicine

As the new number one killer of Americans since early 2005,(1) it is estimated that cancer will strike about 1.4 million Americans and kill close to 570,000 in 2006.(2) While the causes of cancer are numerous, research suggests that alcohol consumption, smoking, exposure and X- and gamma-rays appear to be the most frequent external risk factors for the development of cancer.(3)

Because nearly 42% of men and women born today will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime (NCI), now more than ever an emphasis is placed on prevention. Fortunately, research has uncovered a number of different nutritional options for people to help protect themselves against cancer, including drinking tea (4) and eating nuts,(5) increasing your carotenoid intake(6) and avoiding processed foods.(7) Even the National Cancer Institute has handouts on the anti-cancer properties of garlic (8) and red wine .(9) Now a new study(10) has found that a supplement called propolis may be another way to help protect yourself against cancer .

Propolis, which is a a resin gathered by honeybees from the buds and barks of certain trees and plants, has been shown to possess antibacterial,(11) antifungal,(12) antiviral,(13) antiinflammatory,(14) pain-killing(15) and antioxidant(16) properties for nearly three decades.(17)

In the study, researchers exposed blood samples of ten healthy, non-smoking males between 25 and 35 years of age to increasing concentrations of propolis ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 ml to observe propolis’ effect on two specific markers of cancer. They found that the two cancers markers “decreased significantly” at all propolis levels tested except 1.0 ml. At 1.0 ml of propolis, one of the cancer markers increased and caused the researchers to caution against taking high doses of propolis and recommended that propolis be used in moderation.

Regardless of the results observed for the very high level of propoplis, the researchers concluded that “The decreasing [levels of cancer markers] in [the blood] indicate that propolis may be an [anti-cancer] agent.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 “Cancer Tops Heart Disease As Number One Killer In US” posted on www.healthtalk.ca/cancer_heart_disease_012205_36773.php

2 “Leading Sites of New Cancer Cases and Deaths - 2006 Estimates” posted on the National Cancer Institute Website www.cancer.org/downloads/stt/CAFF06EsCsMcLd.pdf

3 Seitz et al., 1998 H.K. Seitz, G. Poschl and U.A. Simannowski, Alcohol and cancer, Recent Dev. Alcohol. 14 (1998), pp. 67–95

4 Larsson SC. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2683-2686. Tea Consumption and Ovarian Cancer Risk in a Population-Based Cohort

5 Phillips KM. Phytosterol Composition of Nuts and Seeds Commonly Consumed in the United States. J. Agric. Food Chem 2005; 53: 9436-9445

6 Huang CS. Lycopene Inhibits Cell Migration and Invasion and Upregulates Nm23-H1 in a Highly Invasive Hepatocarcinoma, SK-Hep-1 Cells. J Nutr. 2005 Sep;135(9):2119-23

7 Walker M, Aronson KJ, King W, et al. Dietary patterns and risk of prostate cancer in Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Cancer, Sep. 10, 2005;116:592-598

8 “Garlic and Cancer Prevention: Fact Sheet” posted on the National Cancer Institute Website www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/garlic-and-cancer-prevention

9 “Red Wine and Cancer Prevention: Fact Sheet” posted on the National Cancer Institute Website www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/red-wine-and-cancer-prevention

10 Ozkul Y. The anticarcinogenic effect of propolis in human lymphocytes culture. Phytomedicine 2005; 12(10): 742-747

11 J.M. Sforcin, A. Fernandes Jr, C.A.M. Lopes, V. Bankova and S.R.C. Funari, Seasonal effect on Brazilian propolis antibacterial activity, J. Ethnopharmacol. 73 (2000), pp. 243–249

12 Sawaya et al., 2002. Comparative study of in vitro methods used to analyse the activity of propolis extracts with different compositions against species of Candida, Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 35 (2002), pp. 203–207

13 Amoros et al., 1994 M. Amoros, C.M.O. Sýmoes, L. Gýrre, F. Sauvager and M. Cormýer, Comparision of the anti-Herpes simplex virus activities of propolis and 3-methyl-butyl-2-enyl caffeate, J. Nat. Products 57 (1994), pp. 644–647

14 Miyataka et al., 1997Evaluation of propolis. I. Evaluation of Brazilian and Chinese propolis by enzymatic and phsico-chemical methods, Biol. Pharm. Bull. 20 (1997), pp. 496–501

15 M. Paintz and J. Metzner, Zur lokalanasthetischen Wirkung von Propolis und einigen Inhaltsstoffen, Pharmazie 34 (1979), pp. 839–841

16 Orhan et al., 1999. Effects of some probable antiooxidants on selenite-induced cataract formation and oxidative stress-related parameters in rats, Toxicology 139 (1999) (3), pp. 219–232

17 E.L. Ghisalberti, Propolis: a review, Bee World 60 (1979), pp. 59–84

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Study Finds Aloe Vera Increases Absorption of Two Crucial Antioxidants

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, March 7, 2006, abstracted from “Effect of Aloe vera preparations on the human bioavailability of vitamins C and E” in the November 15, 2005 issue of Phytomedicine

As an estimated 6 in 10 Americans consume vitamin supplements ,(1) conventional medicine is finally acknowledging the importance of taking a multivitamins to maintain optimal health especially in the elderly population.(2) Vitamins are especially important to this group because of age-related decreases in absorption, reduced food intake, and increased prescription drug use.(3)

Two of the most important antioxidants to our health are vitamin C and vitamin E . As an antioxidant shown to reduce the risk of cancer , diabetes , cataracts , and Alzheimer's disease ,(4) the RDA for vitamin C has been increased recently to 75 mg per day for men and 90 mg for women.(5) Research suggests that the amount should be increased to 200 mg per day.(6)

Despite being needed in much smaller amounts than vitamin C (ranging in amounts from 28 IU per day in teenager to 1,500 IU per day in elderly patients(7)), vitamin E plays just as important a role in our overall health by helping reduce cognitive decline,(8) improve the immune system,(9) decreasing our risk of Alzheimer disease,(10) prostate cancer(11) and heart-related deaths in women.(12)

But research has started to find many ways in which absorption of vitamins C and E can be inhibited in our body, from infection with H. Pylori,(13) a bacterium that infects half of the world's population(14) to low-fat meals(15) and consumption of Orlistat (a fat absorption inhibitor used for weight loss), and Olestra, a fat substitute.(16)

Now a new study(17) has found a way to counteract the problem of low vitamin C and E absorption in the form of taking aloe .

In the study, 11 men aged 21-42 took either 500 mg of ascorbic acid, 420 mg of vitamin E acetate (control), or both with 2 oz of two different Aloe preparations (a whole leaf extract or gel). Their blood samples were taken 1,2,4,8 and 24 hours after consumption to measure vitamin C and E levels.

Researchers found that while both aloe supplements caused a “significant increase” in both vitamin C and E compared to control after 8 hours, only the aloe gel sustained the “significant increase” after 24 hours. In addition to concluding that “both aloes improved the absorption of both vitamins C and E”, researchers concluded that “aloe is the only known supplement to increase the absorption of both of these vitamins and should be considered as a complement to them.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 Hensrud, D.D. Underreporting the use of dietary supplements and nonprescription medications among patients undergoing a periodic health examination, Mayo Clin. Proc. 74 (1999), pp. 443–447

2 Fairfield, K. M. and R. H. Fletcher (2002). "Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review." Jama 287(23): 3116-26.

3 K.M. Fairfield and R.H. Fletcher, Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 287 (2002), pp. 3116–3126

4 Bsoul, S. A. and G. T. Terezhalmy (2004). "Vitamin C in health and disease." J Contemp Dent Pract 5(2): 1-13.

5 Levine M. A new recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C for healthy young women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2001; 98(17): 9842-9846

6 Levine M. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: evidence for a recommended dietary allowance, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93 (1996), pp. 3704–3709.

7 Vitamin E Fact Sheet Posted on the Office of Dietary Supplements Website http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine.asp

8 M.C. Morris, D.A. Evans, J.L. Bienias, C.C. Tangney and R.S. Wilson, Vitamin E and cognitive decline in older persons, Arch Neurol. 59 (2002), pp. 1125–1132.

9 M. Meydani, Nutrition interventions in aging and age-associated disease, Proc. Nutr. Soc. 61 (2002), pp. 165–171

10 Engelhart MJ. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer's disease, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 287 (2002), pp. 3223–3229.

11 Fleshner NE. Vitamin E and prostate cancer, Urol. Clin. North Am. 29 (2002), pp. 107–113.

12 Lee IM. Vitamin E in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: The Women’s Health Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA 2005: 294(1): 56-68

13 Woodward M. Helicobacter pylori infection reduces systemic availability of dietary vitamin C, Eur. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 13 (2001), pp. 233–237

14 Go MF. Review article: natural history and epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection, Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 16 (2002), pp. 3–15

15 Dimitrov NV. Plasma tocopherol concentrations in response to supplemental vitamin E, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53 (1991), pp. 723–729.

16 Melia AT. The interaction of the lipase inhibitor orlistat with ethanol in healthy volunteers, Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 54 (1998), pp. 773–777

17 Vinson JA. Effect of Aloe vera preparations on the human bioavailability of vitamins C and E. Phytomedicine 2006; 12(10): 760-765

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Heart Healthy Properties of Garlic Found in It's Ability to Fight Inflammation

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, February 27, 2006, abstracted from “The influence of garlic (Allium sativum) extract on interleukin 1á-induced expression of endothelial intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1" in the March 2006 issue of Phytomedicine

As a slow, progressive disease that is the building block for heart disease , stroke and peripheral artery disease, atherosclerosis affects the arteries of the brain, heart, kidneys, arms and legs by causing the buildup of either hard or soft plaque on the inside walls of the arteries. While hard plaque causes artery walls to thicken and harden, soft plaque can break apart from the walls, enter the bloodstream and cause a blood clot.(1)

Research has started to show that inflammation plays a crucial role in the onset of atherosclerosis. Inflammation contributes to atherosclerosis by causing cells to "stick" to the lining of blood vessel walls (2,3) while proteins called cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) help these cells migrate into the walls of blood vessels and facilitate the progression of atherosclerosis. (4,5)

Because of this research, a focus on preventing inflammation may also hold the key to preventing atherosclerosis. Now a new study(6) has found that this inflammatory process may be stopped by an age old heart-healthy food: Garlic .

As a food known to promote healing for over 5,000 years,(7) garlic contains a tremendous amount of antioxidants (8) and possesses anti-bacterial properties that have been shown to help prevent amoebic dysentery(9) and gangrene.(10) Garlic is such a healthy food that even its odor is good for you.(11)

In the study, researchers exposed human heart artery cells to garlic extract at various concentrations (0.25–4.0 mg/ml). After this exposure the cells were exposed to an inflammatory protein called human interleukin-1a for 1 day. Researchers measured garlic’s effect on inflammation by looking at levels of inflammation and the ability of cells to migrate into the lining of blood vessels.

Researchers found that the garlic extract "significantly decreased" this cell migration into the lining of blood vessels and "significantly inhibited" the sticking of cells to the human heart artery cells. For the researchers, "These results indicate that garlic extract [decreases] the [migration of cells into blood vessel walls], thus potentially contributing to the beneficial effects traditionally attributed to garlic."

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 "What Is Atherosclerosis?" posted on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Website www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Atherosclerosis/Atherosclerosis_WhatIs.html

2 A.D. Blann and G.Y.H. Lip, Cell adhesion molecules in cardiovascular disease and its risk factors – what can soluble levels tell us? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 85 (2000), pp. 1745–1747

3 Richter, F. Circulating vascular cell adhesion molecules VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin on dependence on aging, Gerontology 49 (2003), pp. 293–300

4 V. Richter. Effect of extracorporeal low-density lipoprotein elimination on circulating cell adhesion molecules in patients with hypercholesterolemia, Am. J. Cardiol. 87 (2001), pp. 111–113

5 D. Reissig. Effect of fatty acid on expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules, Eur. J. Nutr. 42 (2003), pp. 224–227

6 Rassoul F. The influence of garlic (Allium sativum) extract on interleukin 1á-induced expression of endothelial intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. Phytomedicine 2006; 13(4): 230-235

7 Koch HP, Lawson LD. Garlic: the science and therapeutic application of Allium sativum L. and related species. 2d ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1996.

8 Borek, C., Antioxidant health effects of aged garlic extract. J Nutr, 2001. 131(3s): p. 1010S-5S.

9 Ankri, S., et al., Allicin from garlic strongly inhibits cysteine proteinases and cytopathic effects of Entamoeba histolytica. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1997. 41(10): p. 2286-8.

10 Tattleman E. Health effects of garlic. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Jul 1;72(1):103-6. Review

11 Bautista DM. Pungent products from garlic activate the sensory ion channel TRPA1. Published online August 15, 2005 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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Ginger Root Shows Promise in Helping Protect Diabetics Against Kidney Damage

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, March 15, 2006, abstracted from “The effect of ginger on diabetic nephropathy, plasma antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation in rats” printed online March 6, 2006 in Food Chemistry

The many complications of type 2 diabetes failure , which include heart disease and blindness, result in an annual cost of $132 to our healthcare system.(1) One of the most costly complications is kidney damage (called ‘diabetic nephropathy’) because the kidneys serve as a ‘filter’ to help the body get rid of toxins.(2)

One of the causes proposed to play a major role in kidney damage in diabetics is the oxidation of fat(3) by free radicals(4) that can be accelerated by high blood sugar.(5) Now a new study(6) has found that helping prevent kidney damage in type 2 diabetics may lie in supplementing the diet with ginger root .

Found to possess antioxidant (7) and free radical-scavenging properties,(8) ginger has also been found to help lower blood sugar in rabbits(9) by increasing the activity of an enzyme in the liver (called 7-alpha-hydroxylase) that increases excretion of cholesterol from the body.(10)

In the study, 24 rats were divided into three groups of non-diabetic control, non-treated diabetic and treated diabetic. Each group received ginger powder as 5% of daily food intake while two of the groups had diabetes induced with an injection while non-diabetic and non-treated diabetic rats received ordinary food and water for eight weeks. At the end of the study blood was taken to measure antioxidant levels by the ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) method.(11)

At the end of the study, researchers found that kidney damage was “significantly improved” in rats while the antioxidant levels in the treated diabetic rats was 30% higher than the non-treated diabetic rats (763 vs. 586 mmol per liter).

For the researchers, “ginger powder significantly reduces the extent of [fat oxidation] and improves [antioxidant levels]” and concluded that “ginger [root] would be a useful addition to current treatment strategies” for diabetics.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 Hogan, P., T. Dall, et al. (2003). "Economic costs of diabetes in the US in 2002." Diabetes Care 26(3): 917-32.

2 “Type 2 Diabetes Complications” posted on the American Diabetes Association website www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/complications.jsp

3 J. Nourooz-Zadeh, A. Rahimi, S.J. Tajaddini, H. Trischler, P. Rosen and B. Halliwell et al., Relationship between plasma measures of oxidative stress and metabolic control in NIDDM, Diabetologia 40 (1997), pp. 647–653

4 J. Baynes and S. Thorpe, The role of oxidative stress in diabetic complication: a new perspective on an old paradigm, Diabetes 48 (1999), pp. 1–9

5 A. Cerriello, A. Quatraro and D. Giugliano, Diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress, Diabetologia 36 (1993), pp. 265–266

6 Afshari AT. The effect of ginger on diabetic nephropathy, plasma antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation in rats. Food Chemistry, available online 6 March 2006.

7 Z.F. Cao, Z.G. Chen, P. Guo, S.M. Zhang, L.X. Lian and L. Lua et al., Scavenging effects of ginger on super oxide anion and hydroxyl radical, Zhongguo ZhongYao ZaZhi 18 (1993), pp. 750–751.

8 T.P. Krishnakanta and B.R. Lokesh, Scavenging of superoxide anions by spice principles, Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics 30 (1993), pp. 133–134.

9 U. Bhandari, J.N. Sharma and R. Zafar, The protective action of ethanolic ginger extract in cholesterol-fed rabbits, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 61 (1998), pp. 167–171

10 K. Srinivasan and K. Sambaiah, The effect of spices on cholesterol 7á-hydroxylase activity and on serum and hepatic cholesterol levels in the rat, International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 61 (1991) (4), pp. 364–369

11 I.F. Benzie and J.J. Strain, The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power: the FRAP assay, Analytical Biochemistry 239 (1996) (1), pp. 70–76

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Creatine Found Useful in Helping Treat Lung Disease

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, March 23, 2006, abstracted from Creatine supplementation during pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” in the July 2005 issue of Thorax

As the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects more than 12 million adults aged 25 and older, causes over 119,000 deaths, 1.5 million emergency room visits and 726,000 hospitalizations, and costs our healthcare system over $32 billion each year.(1)

Although COPD is a disease of the lungs, one of its most problematic symptoms is muscle wasting from the severe inactivity in patients with COPD, which contributes to the increased death rate among patients with COPD.(2) Several methods have been tried to prevent muscle wasting, including nutritional supplementation,(3) human growth hormone ,(4) anabolic steroids ,(5) and appetite stimulants .(6) And while weight gain has been achieved through these means, they have not demonstrated improvements in muscle strength or in measures of whole body exercise performance.

Now a new study(7) has found a supplement to help increase muscle mass in patients with COPD: Creatine .

Creatine’s most popular use is as an aid to exercise performance because of its ability to sustain the rate of energy production during exercise. Studies have been done on a broad range of populations, from the young to the elderly, and two recent reviews of studies on creatine have concluded that it does enhance performance.(8, 9) But creatine’s potential to help COPD patients comes from new findings that it helps patients with chronic heart failure (10) and other muscle wasting conditions.(11, 12)

In the study, 38 patients with COPD were given either 5.7 grams or placebo three times daily for two weeks (called the ‘loading phase’) and then participated in a pulmonary rehabilitation program combined with a once daily dose of 5.7 grams for 10 weeks. Researchers measured lung function, body composition, and exercise performance in the form of muscle strength and endurance, shuttle walking and cycling performance before the study began, after the loading phase, and at the end of the study.

The researchers found that although no difference was found in exercise performance (shuttle walking/cycling), creatine increased muscle mass , muscle strength and muscle endurance both at the end of the loading phase and at the end of the study. What’s more, use of the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire(13) found that creatine also improved health status between the beginning and end of the study.

For the researchers, “Creatine supplementation led to increases in fat-free mass, peripheral muscle strength and endurance, health status but not exercise capacity” and that “Creatine may constitute a new ergogenic treatment in COPD.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:ChiroDocPSUalum@msn.com or visiting his website www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com

Reference:

1 “Chronic Obtructive Pulmonary Disease” posted on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/other/copd_fact.pdf

2 Marquis K. Mid thigh muscle cross-sectional area is a better predictor of mortality than body mass index in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;166:809–13

3 Steiner MC. Nutritional enhancement of exercise performance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax 2003;58:745–51

4 Burdet L. Administration of growth hormone to underweight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A prospective, randomized, controlled study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1997;156:1800–6

5 Creutzberg EC. A role for anabolic steroids in the rehabilitation of patients with COPD? A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Chest 2003;124:1733–42

6 Weisberg J. Megestrol acetate stimulates weight gain and ventilation in underweight COPD patients. Chest 2002; 121:1070–8

7 Fuld JP. Creatine supplementation during pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 2006; 60(7): 531-537

8 Branch JD. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2003;13:198–226

9 Nissen SL, Sharp RL. Effect of dietary supplements on lean mass and strength gains with resistance exercise: a meta-analysis. J Appl Physiol 2003;94:651–9

10 Andrews R, Greenhaff P, Curtis S, et al. The effect of dietary creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle metabolism in congestive heart failure. Eur Heart J 1998;19:617–22

11 Tarnopolsky MA, Roy BD, MacDonald JR. A randomized, controlled trial of creatine monohydrate in patients with mitochondrial cytopathies. Muscle Nerve 1997;20:1502–9

12 Hespel P, Op’t EB, van Leemputte M, et al. Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans. J Physiol 2001;536:625–33

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