In This Issue...
Lose 30+ Lbs. Without Dieting
Let’s have a brief, frank talk about a problem no one loves hearing about -- sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The fact is, we all need to pay attention and I do mean all of us. These days even seniors are being infected by these diseases at a much higher level -- think Viagra and Cialis. The truth is, anyone who has had a sexual encounter can unwittingly be carrying a latent STD. Should it become active, you really want to make it go away, and quickly. If you can accomplish that without having to talk to others about it, all the better, right?
STD Cures do need a Doctor
In fact, you may have seen ads promoting scam products that promise to banish everything from herpes to chlamydia to HIV without any need to see a doctor or get a prescription. This is incredibly appealing for a variety of reasons -- privacy, cost and convenience instantly come to mind -- but using these products can be terribly dangerous.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 19 million new STD infections each year in the US, and these occur among people of all ages. The simple reality is that having sex without a condom with anyone you don’t know for sure to be infection-free puts you at risk. Some STDs (such as chlamydia) can be symptom-free for a while... some (herpes) are incurable... and some (gonorrhea or syphilis) can be life-threatening.
All of which makes it sadly unsurprising that unscrupulous companies are alert and eager to make a buck on people who are scared and looking for a quick, easy solution to a problem that they don’t want to admit they have. Now the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are taking action to protect these vulnerable folks through the recently launched "Fraudulent STD Products Initiative." The FDA and FTC have issued warnings to a number of companies that claim their products can prevent, treat or cure STDs -- but in reality these products do nothing at all and have the potential to put even more people at risk. Targets include products you may well have heard of, including Medavir, Herpaflor and Viruxo -- you can see a full list at
www.fda.gov/stdfraud.
I spoke with infectious disease specialist Jeffrey P. Engel, MD, state health director for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, who told me that the FDA/FTC concern isn’t so much that the products are harmful but rather that they are completely ineffective. People use the products, assume that they are effective and not only remain infected themselves but then go on to have unprotected sex with other partners -- and so the diseases claim more and more victims.
It Gets Worse...
The problem has multiple layers. According to Dr. Engel, most patients who seek a quick cure to an STD do so because they’re experiencing symptoms -- the blisters associated with herpes, for example, or the discharge associated with gonorrhea or chlamydia. With herpes, the blisters -- though not the infection -- will subside over time, which could give the illusion that the fake cure has worked. But it hasn’t -- the disease still can be spread even without visible signs. And with gonorrhea or chlamydia, the time spent using a fake cure could lead to a more serious infection or long-lasting damage, such as infertility.
The simple truth is that the only effective drugs to treat STDs require prescriptions. There are no over-the-counter treatments that work. So if you experience genital sores or blisters, pelvic pain, discharge from your penis or vagina or a burning sensation while urinating, see a doctor immediately. Most communities have walk-in clinics, and these can be a welcome resource for those who are embarrassed to see their regular doctors or who don’t have health insurance (check with your local health department). And, whether we’re talking about STD treatments -- or anything else -- remember that if a product sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Source(s):
Jeffrey Engel, MD, infectious disease specialist, state health director, division of public health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Shocking #2 Cause of Cancer
An official at the American Cancer Society said that it's easy to avoid half of all cancers.
However, an adviser to the American Institute for Cancer Research was even more optimistic when he said that nine out of 10 cancers are related to factors we control.
Of course, their #1 piece of advice is "stop smoking." We all know that. But I bet you don't know the #2 cause of cancer. It's something totally under your control -- it's much easier than quitting cigarettes -- and it's the last thing you'd ever expect. I'll tell you about it in a moment.
Read on...
Antibiotics to Treat Depression?
In a few years, there may be a new treatment for psychological disorders -- antibiotics.
It might sound far-fetched that drugs developed to fight bacterial infections could reverse mental disorders, but there is, in fact, mounting evidence that bacteria in our guts can affect our brains and that decreasing the population of certain types of bacteria with antibiotics can have a positive impact on how we feel emotionally and how we act.
Scientists are increasingly intrigued by the connection between what goes on in the gut and what goes on in the brain. In one rat study at Stanford University in California, researchers found evidence that gastric irritation, such as irritable bowel syndrome, was linked to depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. In another, conducted at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, scientists studied how bacteria in the digestive tracts of mice influenced their behavior, affecting their natural exploratory tendencies (which, in mouse behavior, is measured by the time they choose to spend in the dark or an illuminated environment). For more insight, I checked in with Premysl Bercik, MD, assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster University and author of the study that was reported in the May 2011 online edition of the journal Gastroenterology.
Antibiotics Changed Their Behavior
Dr. Bercik and his colleagues dosed healthy adult mice with antibiotics in order to alter the composition of bacteria in their gastrointestinal systems, then charted whether and how the animals’ behavior changed. They found that the mice became less cautious and less fearful -- almost daring, in fact.
An example of one of the mouse challenges: Researchers gave antibiotics to half the mice and then allowed sufficient time for the antibiotics to eradicate a large amount of bacteria in their intestines. Next the mice were individually placed on platforms about four centimeters high (tall by mouse standards). Researchers watched to see how long it took the mice to step down from the platforms and begin exploring their new surroundings. Those who’d had no antibiotics waited an average of about four minutes to take the plunge, while those given the drugs waited just about a minute before setting forth.
Of Mice and Men
According to Dr. Bercik, the million-dollar question is how bacteria in the gut affect the way the brain operates. His best guess at the moment is that certain bacteria release molecules that affect the neural system -- perhaps in the brain alone or perhaps throughout the body. For example, Dr. Bercik said that the recent McMaster University study showed that antibiotic treatment changed the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that helps build and maintain the nervous system.
As far as what this might mean to humankind, Dr. Bercik acknowledged it’s a "relatively great leap" from mice to men but noted that it is certainly a possibility that bacteria in human guts more or less directly affects behavior and emotions, since research has already suggested that some patients with depression might have abnormal microbiota in their guts.
Dr. Bercik told me that further research will focus on identifying the actual biochemical links between bacteria and behavior, with an upcoming McMaster University study examining patients with irritable bowel syndrome to find out whether they harbor gut bacteria that may be connected to anxiety and depression.
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