Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

The benefits of fish oil have been attributed to two fatty acids that are abbreviated as EPA and DHA. These play many important roles in the body: they contribute to the structural integrity of cell membranes and are converted to substances called eicosanoids that act as hormones, promoting normal communication between cells (including brain cells) and controlling inflammation. When early research showed lower rates of depression and mental illness in people who ate more fish, scientists studied the human brain and found it contains significant amounts of DHA. They concluded that DHA is best for the brain and EPA plays other roles in inflammation and heart health.

However, research failed to confirm this view. When the effects of EPA and DHA were compared in double-blind studies, EPA provided clear benefits whereas DHA did no better or marginally worse than placebo. This was seen in a number of conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (1). In a study of depressed patients who did not respond to standard medical care, pure EPA at a dose of 1 gram per day was found to be an effective treatment (2). The same dose of EPA was also found to provide some degree of help in borderline personality disorder, a condition that is usually non-responsive to drug therapy (3).

Leading fish oil researchers now believe that DHA only plays a structural role in the brain, whereas EPA contributes to its function (4). There is a critical need for DHA during fetal development and early infancy – the fact that DHA is found in breast milk is clear evidence of this. Past this early period, the need for DHA is limited and too much of it seems to actually have an adverse effect on moods.

Until recently, pure pharmaceutical-grade EPA was only available for research purposes, and all the fish oil on the market contained varying concentrations of both EPA and DHA. Now, the innovative Canadian supplement manufacturer Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR; see www.AOR.ca for more information) has introduced a pure EPA supplement called EPA Brite that is also available here in the online store.

(1) Schizophr Res 2001 Apr 30; 49 (3): 243-51, Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 2003 Dec; 69 (6): 477-85, Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 1999 May-Jun; 60 (5-6): 329-37
(2) Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2002 Oct; 59 (10): 913-9
(3) Am J Psychiatry, 2003 Jan; 160 (1): 167-9
(4) See The Omega 3 Connection, by Andrew Stoll, MD

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The mother of one of my patients suggested to Channel 2, the NBC affiliate here in Houston, that they should include me in their multi-part report on autism that ran this month. When they interviewed me, they were very interested in the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) approach to treating the condition and the positive results we have seen with many of the children under my care. The report, which ran on the late afternoon newscasts on consecutive days, also included interviews with several of my patient families as well as other healthcare professionals. The series also included useful information about working with insurance companies for better coverage of various therapies. Thanks to Krista Marino, Health Beat reporter, Emily Akin, consumer advocate, and their Channel 2 News team for focusing attention on this important topic.

If you are interested in this subject but missed the series, just ask to see the tape next time you’re in the office.

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When it comes to diet and health, one of my favorite books is “Life Without Bread.” If the title sounds too forbidding, you can relax (at least a bit); based on content, the book should really be named “Life With a Little Bread.”

I like this book because the authors call it as they see it, with no concern for marketing gimmicks or the politically correct. One of the two authors, Austrian physician Wolfgang Lutz, wrote this book after retiring from 40 years in practice. By contrast, many diet and health books today are nothing but self-promotional tools written by individuals with little actual experience to back them up.

Throughout his years in practice, Dr. Lutz meticulously charted the benefits of his carbohydrate-restricted diet on conditions ranging from hormone imbalances in women to digestive disorders and even cardiovascular disease. I am not saying that this diet is a cure-all, but I do think that Dr. Lutz and his co-author Dr. Allan know what theyíre talking about.
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Some of the most health-conscious people I know elect to have full body scans as an early detection method for possible cancer and heart disease. But is it really a good idea? It now appears that these scans expose people to significant amounts of radiation, itself a cause of cancer.

According to a recent study published in the journal Radiology (Radiology, 2004; 232: 735-38),
a single full body scan is enough to increase a person’s lifetime risk of cancer slightly. When scans are repeated on an annual basis the risk increase becomes substantial.

David Brenner, Ph.D., lead author of the study, says “our research provides definitive evidence that radiation risk is associated with full-body CT scans” and “the radiation dose from a full-body CT scan is comparable to the doses received by some of the atomic-bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

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Although summer is just over, if you read newspapers or have children you’re probably all too aware of the upcoming flu season and the need to once again make a decision about the flu shot.

During the summer, while many of us were thinking about vacation or trips to the beach, the staffs at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and pharmaceutical companies were hard at work planning for a successful “immunization season.”

According to a recent article by Dr. Sherri Tenpenni, published on the online weekly magazine Red Flags (www.redflagsweekly.com), the CDC spent the last few months hatching a seven-step plan to insure high vaccination rates.

The plan includes disseminating posters, fliers and other documents, stressing the potential dangers ñ including death ñ of the flu, and releasing reports through the media “helping to foster the perception that many people are susceptible to a bad case of influenza.”

Personally, I have never had a flu shot; I take vitamin C. I used to think that vitamin C made me completely immune to the flu, but in a few instances I realized this wasn’t always true. I still think that vitamin C helps me resist the flu most of the time, even though I am exposed to it frequently because of my work. When I do catch it, it seems to be mild or at least short-lived.

Getting immunized for the flu is a decision we all need to make for ourselves, but in making this decision we may consider a few facts. If there is a risk of death from the flu, is it any greater than the risk of, say, being struck by lightening? And we need to also take into account what’s in the shot, aside from the active vaccine. Last year’s vaccine contained such additives as mercury, aluminum, antifreeze and a host of other chemicals that are toxic to the brain, immune system, and possibly other systems of the body as well.

The final question: does the vaccine even work? In case you’ve forgotten, last year’s vaccine was developed for the wrong strain of the virus and it turned out to be basically ineffective. On the other hand, natural products, including vitamin C, anti-viral herbs and immune-boosting supplements can help prevent the flu at least most of the time and have side benefits, rather than side effects.

To read the entire article about the CDC and its vaccination strategy go to http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferences/vaccines/2004_aug30.html

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Many people have asked me why I rarely recommend flax oil. Although I consider freshly ground flaxseeds to be a highly nutritious superfood with significant immune-enhancing properties, flax oil presents problems. It is highly vulnerable to rancidity – even if refrigerated – and it is not immediately usable in the body because it depends on an enzymatic conversion that does not always take place.

An interesting new study (Am J Clin Nutr 2004 Jul; 80 (1): 204-16) focused on intakes of different fatty acids in roughly 48,000 men over 14 years in relation to the occurrence of prostate cancer. It found that higher consumption of fats found in meat or butter had no effect on the rate of prostate cancer, while fish oil was protective and those who consumed more of it enjoyed a lower rate of prostate cancer. Intake of ALA (alpha linolenic acid), the primary fat in flaxseed oil, was neutral in terms of overall cancer rates, but those who consumed more of this oil had a higher occurrence of advanced prostate cancer.

Although more research might be needed to confirm this finding it is hard to think it was coincidental, given the large size of the study. It would therefore seem that while ALA does not cause prostate cancer it promotes its growth.

We don’t know exactly what causes prostate cancer, and probably multiple factors are at work, but highly unsaturated oils with a strong tendency to become rancid ‘such as flaxseed oil’ might provide a perfect medium to help this cancer grow.

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Dr. Ben Feingold, a pediatric allergist, said it as early as 1973: additives in foods cause hyperactivity in sensitive children. What followed was a succession of biased industry-sponsored studies aimed at discrediting Dr. Feingold’s findings. Then the food industry continued along its merry way of creating ever more additive-laden foods and marketing them to children.

For many of us natural practitioners, and for parents who are not so quick to medicate their children and instead observe their behaviors carefully, Dr. Feingold was never wrong. Now a large double-blind placebo-controlled British study is providing further confirmation for this.

The study (Arch Dis Child 2004; 89: 506-11. doi: 10.1136/adc.2003.031435) can be found online at www.archdischild.com. It looked at nearly two thousand three-year-old children, separating them into different groups based on prior hyperactive behavior and the presence of allergies. In each group, children were either given a diet free of dyes and sodium benzoate (a preservative commonly found in soft drinks), or a diet containing these additives.

Researchers concluded that “the effect of food additives and colorings on hyperactivity is substantial” and in fact comparable to that seen in some medication studies. They further stated “the potential long-term public health benefit is indicated by studies which have shown that the young hyperactive child is at risk of continuing behavioral difficulties, including the transition to conduct disorder and educational difficulties.” In other words, just covering up a problem without addressing its root causes is likely to lead to continuing and escalating trouble as children grow into adulthood.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that the negative effects of these additives were independent of prior hyperactive behavior or allergies. What this means is that these chemicals are simply bad, with no redeeming qualities. I’m all for a free country but someone out there should be watching out for the health of our children and removing these dangerous chemicals from our food supply!

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Until very recently, every woman going through menopause or past it was told she should take hormones. There seemed to be no good reason not to do so; hormones helped women feel better, they were believed to protect their hearts, their bones, and even their brains from the effects of aging. The fact that these hormones came from horses and were very different from human hormones didn’t seem to raise many suspicions. After all, that’s what the doctors were prescribing and what pharmaceutical companies wanted to sell.

A small group of physicians with an interest in nutritional medicine had always favored natural, so-called bio-identical hormones; but at the time few people took notice. These hormones are synthesized from plant materials and – unlike hormones from horses – are identical to hormones produced in the human body. Because they cannot be patented and so cannot be used to make enormous profits, pharmaceutical companies have never had an interest in them.

Twenty years after the fact, we discovered that the old studies about the benefits of hormone replacement were all wrong. New research started to surface and was broadcast everywhere showing that everything that was believed about hormone replacement was incorrect. Not only do hormones not protect women from heart disease, they can cause it – and besides that, they can cause cancer too.

Many of the “natural hormone” doctors felt vindicated and, before they knew it, their practices were booming with women wanting to stop the dangerous horse hormones and replace them with something natural. However, natural does not always mean safe, and there have been no safety studies to date on natural hormones. The doctors’ contention has been that natural hormones must be safe because they are identical to those produced in the human body. A compelling argument, but one that never quite convinced me in the absence of confirming studies.

Now an interesting study from the UK (Environ Health Perspect 112: 1137-1142 (2004)doi: 10.1289/ehp.7028 available from dx.doi.org/) voices that very same suspicion. The study compared growth-promoting effects on uterine tissue of synthetic estrogen, natural estrogen and genistein, a plant estrogen found in soy. If these effects are not substantially different, it is likely that all of these compounds might have the same effect in promoting uterine cancer. The researchers did find that all three compounds acted in a similar manner and they concluded that “the case is yet to be made for regarding synthetic estrogens as presenting a unique human hazard.”

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Constitutional Growth Delay (CGD) is a primary cause of short stature in children. It can also cause delayed onset of puberty in boys and, less frequently, in girls. This condition is characterized by slow growth until age 3. The growth rate then normalizes, but children continue to have short stature. Bone development is also affected and may results in increased rates of fractures later in life.

Physicians commonly prescribe growth hormone and/or testosterone for this condition to help accelerate growth and development. While hormone therapy is effective, it presents some long-term risks, including severe liver disease with prolonged use.

A recent study of children with CGD compared the effectiveness of various interventions. Three groups of children were given different hormone combinations and doses, while a fourth group was given a supplement containing vitamin A and iron. The vitamin A was given at a dose of 6,000 IU per week, and the iron at 13 mg per day. A fifth group received a placebo.

Both vitamin A and iron are essential for normal growth and previous investigation indicated that children with CGD have decreased levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also critical for sexual maturation.

The study (Clin Endocrinol 2004 Jun; 60 (6): 682-7) found that children receiving the vitamin A and iron experienced accelerated growth and development comparable to that of children on hormones and greatly superior to the placebo group.

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Most of us realize that shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics, soaps, and other personal hygiene products contain chemicals, but we might assume that someone out there is watching out for us and making sure they’re safe. Not so. Some might think that products labeled “natural” and sold in health food stores must be safe. Wrong again. It’s just marketing and has nothing to do with the safety of chemicals in a product.

In fact, the FDA has made it very clear that “a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from the FDA.” FDA sources also indicate that roughly 90% of ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety (for references see the website below).

It’s clearly a mistake to think that since we don’t eat or drink these products it doesn’t matter what’s in them. Consider that many chemicals readily cross the skin and gain access to our bloodstream. When it comes to a fragrance, once you smell it it’s in your lungs and a second later it’s in your blood. That’s why so many people get headaches when they smell strong perfumes. In children, hyperactivity is a common reaction to these volatile chemicals.

To learn more about this go to http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/report/executive_summary.php

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has studied more than 10,000 personal care product ingredients and ranked them according to what is known about their safety and the potential health risks in the absence of any relevant data.

According to the EWG report, about 1% of products on the market contains ingredients that are known or suspected to be human carcinogens. Some hair dye products contain coal tar derivatives for which the FDA issued a consumer alert on the benefits of limiting their use to “reduce the risk of cancer.” In addition, as many as half the products on the market contain impurities with varying degrees of potential toxicity.

Once you’re at the EWG website you can click the link “Find Products You Use” and search under various categories. For each category the EWG lists products they consider the best and worst choices. I was shocked to find a well-known health food store’s hair conditioner listed among the most toxic.

If personal care products are toxic, you can imagine what might be contained in the cleaning supplies, disinfectants, polishing agents, and pesticides we use around the house on a daily basis. A recent study reveals that many of these chemicals can have a damaging effect on the nervous system, the reproductive system, or other systems of the body. Besides, when it comes to home supplies, chemicals are not even listed on labels (see abcnews.go.com/wire/Living/ap20040714_1671.html).

One thing we can do is rid our homes of most – if not all – these products. Skillful marketing campaigns have convinced us that we need a different brand-name product for each housekeeping task, while in reality we might do just as well with a few simple and non-toxic ingredients. The excellent book “Clean House Clean Planet” by Karen Logan tells us not only about the dangers of home chemicals but also teaches us how to replace them with safe and effective substitutes.

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Neurotoxicity – or toxicity to the brain – of drugs and other chemicals has traditionally been very difficult to establish in humans. In animals, neurotoxicity can be demonstrated by giving a rat or other test animal a drug before sacrificing it and then looking at its brain under a microscope.

For humans this is obviously not an option, and since the effects of toxic drugs in humans can be subtle – or may only occur years after exposure – establishing cause and effect can be close to impossible.

The effects of methamphetamine (meth) on the brain had previously only been studied in rats. We have dramatic photographs of sections from normal rat brains alongside the brains of rats pretreated with meth that show widespread scarring and loss of brain cells. Some of these pictures were published in the excellent book “ADD and ADHD, Complementary Medicine Solutions” by Charles Gant MD, PhD.
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If you’re loading up on soy thinking you’re improving your health, it’s becoming increasingly clear you’re the victim of unscrupulous advertising. There’s no better way to sell a product than to convince people it’s healthy!

It is true that this study (Cancer Res 2001; 61 (13): 5045-50) was performed on mice, not people, but its conclusions are nonetheless disturbing. Researchers found that “soy protein diets increased estrogen-dependent tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner.” In other words the more soy the mice ate, the faster their tumors grew. It should also be noted that these were human tumor strains sensitive to human estrogen even though they happened to be in mice. Of course the study refers to already existing tumors and doesn’t imply that soy causes breast cancer in healthy people, but it also doesn’t seem like the type of thing I’d consume in large amounts.

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Making sure there is enough calcium in your child’s diet can be a daunting task, especially when they are on a casein-free diet. The option of calcium supplementation is always available, but the body’s ability to absorb these nutrients from supplements is not nearly as good as when the calcium is contained in the food you eat.

So in my quest to add natural food sources of calcium, I turned to a very wise doctor we all know. He informed me that the sesame seed is an excellent source of calcium. So off I went to Whole Foods Market in search of sesame seeds, and it is there that I discovered a very important piece of information about sesame seeds. All of the bottled tahini (sesame seed paste), the sesame seeds in the spice aisle, and even the shiny white ones in the bulk bins, contained very little calcium.

I was a bit confused, had I been led astray? Surely not, so after further inspection I discovered another bulk bin that contained tan or mottled brown sesame seeds. Certainly not the sesame seeds you would choose to eat, let alone take home to your kids. But I felt fairly confident that Whole Foods was not peddling rancid sesame seeds, so I checked the label.

The difference was that this bin contained unhulled sesame seeds, and the majority of calcium is contained in the hull. In fact, just 1/2 cup of these seeds contains 350 mg, 35% of the recommended daily allowance for calcium. By comparison, 1/2 cup of whole milk provides about 75 mg.

The key to unlocking the nutrients for use in the body is grinding them before consumption; otherwise they will just take the quick tour through the body. You should store them in the freezer and grind only the amount you need to prevent rancidity.

Not only are these seeds full of calcium, they are also powerhouses of other nutrients. They are packed with B vitamins in the form of riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, folic acid and vitamin b6. They also contain the minerals iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. To top it all off, the sesame seed makeup is 25% protein.

So pick up a bag of not-so-shiny sesame seeds the next time you are at a health food store, and grind them up to use in cookie and bread recipes, as a crispy coating on your chicken or fish, as a spread for crackers, or as a boost to your smoothie.

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Wheat-derived products have become a staple of the average American’s diet, especially for children; but increasing numbers of children and adults are finding that they feel better, have sharper focus, and a clearer mind when they leave the wheat out.

Celiac disease, however, deserves a separate discussion. It is a serious immune system disorder that can affect children and adults alike with varying degrees of severity. Although generally associated with chronic diarrhea, at its worst it can lead to failure to thrive, mental retardation, and even early death in untreated children.

Celiac disease has been with us throughout history. The very term celiac is derived from the ancient Greek “Koiliakos” meaning “suffering in the bowels” and the oldest known written record of it goes back to the ancient Roman physician Galen.

What many do not realize is that for most of history, in fact until the 1950’s, celiac disease was a medical mystery and children who had the severe form of it were hospitalized with no hope of a cure.

World War II eventually led us to the solution. When the Germans confiscated all the wheat and other grains in Holland to feed their armies, hospitalized children suffering from celiac disease suddenly and mysteriously recovered, only to relapse again when the war ended. However, it was not until 1950 that the pieces of the puzzle were put together in the doctoral thesis of a Dutch pediatrician by the name of Dicke.

Today it is a well-established fact that a majority of people with celiac disease can enjoy full remission of symptoms through complete avoidance of wheat and other grains that contain a protein called gluten. But could we be on the verge of another breakthrough in our understanding of celiac disease, and possibly other forms of wheat and gluten intolerance?

A recent study found that bread made from wheat flour that is fully fermented using various strains of lactobacillus bacteria is tolerated by individuals with celiac disease (Appl Environ Microbiol 2004 Feb; 70 (2): 1088-1096, PMID 14766592).

Bacterial fermentation is the authentic way sourdough bread is made (unfortunately not the kind sold today in most bakeries and stores). This method represents a primitive bread-making technique and it may not have been until other forms of bread-making were introduced, including yeast fermentation, that celiac disease first appeared.

The lactic acid-producing bacteria used in the study are capable of predigesting gluten and other allergy-inducing proteins, making them tolerable and possibly even beneficial. Children with severe intolerance to milk and other dairy products can actually thrive on yogurt that is fully fermented using the same types of bacteria. Unfortunately this yogurt is not available at stores, but can be ordered from specialized farms throughout the country, including www.whiteegretfarm.com in Texas, or can be made at home using starter from www.customprobiotics.com . I am still researching sources for the right types of bread.

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It used to be that the world was simple. Everyone knew that cholesterol caused heart disease and dairy fat contained cholesterol, so it had to be avoided. Then some people started to ask too many questions and it all became complicated.

One thing we came to learn is that most cholesterol is made in the liver, and the liver keeps on making it whether we eat cholesterol or not. So the question became, why on earth does the liver make all this cholesterol, endangering our health? A few interesting new studies could point us in a new direction.

In the first study (Br J Nutr 2004, Apr; 91 (4): 635-42) researchers started out with a statement of fact (from when the world was simple): “milk fat is high in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and high intakes of SFA are associated with cardiovascular diseases.”

Oddly enough, though, when they looked at the occurrence of first-ever heart attacks in a north Sweden population, they couldn’t find any link between these two. In fact, when they analyzed some recognized risk factors for heart disease, including insulin resistance (a pre-diabetic condition) they actually found an inverse correlation between them. This means that some important risk factors for cardiovascular disease decreased as people ate more milk fat.

In another study (BMJ 2003; 327: 777-782, 4 October) researchers analyzed intakes of saturated fat in more than 40,000 US healthcare workers. They then looked at rates of stroke within this group over a period of 14 years and concluded that “intakes of red meats, high-fat dairy products, nuts, and eggs were not appreciably related to risk of stroke.”

So if milk fat does not cause first heart attacks or strokes, what does? The answer to this question is probably complex and multi-factorial, but a third study (Obes Res 2003 Sep; 11 (9): 1069-103) does at least give us a hint. The study found that when carbohydrate consumption goes up, the body rapidly starts to produce fat. Not only that, but the excess carbohydrates apparently activate genetic factors that are programmed to keep on making more fats (including cholesterol). Could sugar be the real culprit? Remember, too, that when people cut fat from their diets they inevitably end up eating more carbohydrates because of the unavoidable law of nature that says you’ve got to eat something.

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If you have fibromyalgia – a condition characterized by persistent muscle pain – or if a friend or loved one of yours is afflicted, you’d do anything for some relief, and if it can come in the form of a natural supplement that is good for you, all the better.

This study (J Rheumatol. 1992 Jan; 19 (1): 90-4) is a bit old, but it deserves a second look. Reviewing the blood levels of different nutrients, investigators found that people with fibromyalgia had consistently lower levels of tryoptophan, a protein-derived amino acid that the brain uses to make serotonin, the “happy” neurotransmitter.

Tryptophan is also known for an infamous episode in the 1980’s when the FDA removed it from the market after a single contaminated batch made it into the U.S., probably as a result of poor FDA supervision. Fortunately, tryptophan is slowly making its way back and 5HTP – a related compound – is readily available at health food stores.

It is not known whether fibromyalgia is in some way associated with low levels of serotonin in the brain, or whether it is some other function of tryptophan that is lacking. Nevertheless it has been a steady observation of mine that, although not a cure, either tryptophan or 5HTP can help. This is also a case where if a little doesn’t do the job, more might.

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As parents, we find it difficult to streamline our children’s diet with balanced nutritional ingredients and still keep our little ones pleased with their food, especially snack foods. Most snack foods (even gluten- or casein-free) have little or no protein and tons of carbohydrates.

Many of you have probably read or heard of recipes that called for flour made from ground tree nuts. I am guessing that many of you dismissed this idea, because how in the world will a nut flour stack up in baked goods? We really want to try new things, but we are so tired of using new ingredients that have created spectacular flops; and we simply draw the line at using ground nuts for flour.

However, this alternative ingredient deserves a second look. Almond flour (my personal favorite) does wonderfully in baked goods. From cookies to crackers to breads to pound cakes, it really works. One reason I am fond of almonds, besides the nice flavor it adds, is its nutritional makeup. It is balanced between carbohydrates and protein and offers a good source of fat. So, as long as you keep sweeteners in your recipes to a minimum, you can have a balanced snack that is easy to pack and go.

The thought of finding raw nuts and grinding them seems expensive and labor intensive, so you may wish to order almond flour in bulk. Initially, purchase a small quantity and try some recipes to see if it is a product you will use. If you are satisfied with the results, you can order in larger and therefore more economic quantities.

Two places I found online are www.almondsonline.com, and www.sunorganicfarm.com. Even with added shipping charges, buying the flour this way seems to be price- effective as long as you order a large enough quantity (at least 10 pounds).

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An article published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (J Am Diet Assoc 2004 Jan; 104 (1 Pt 2): 22-30) reports the findings of a survey on food intake of American infants and toddlers.

The conclusions are truly shocking and confirm what many newspaper articles have been reporting in recent times: that an increasing number of parents are letting the packaged food industry decide what their children eat.

Some parents would say that there’s nothing they can do about it, because their children love sugary foods and refuse green vegetable. However, when we talk about infants and toddlers, the reality is that they will eat what they’re exposed to. Sugar is a non-food that is highly addictive and should be carefully avoided at this age if we want to raise healthy children.

The survey found that fruits and vegetables were rarely consumed in this age group and that, when a vegetable was consumed, it was most often French fries. Even more disturbing is the finding that by the age of seven months nearly half consume some type of sweetened dessert and by 19 to 24 months nearly two-thirds consume baked desserts.

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This study is an interesting one because it raises a question no one would have thought of asking. It also shows how chemicals can have unpredictable long-term effects in the human body.

The study (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 96, No. 1, 22-28, January 7, 2004) analyzed previously collected data from a huge project known as the “Nurses’ Health Study” that followed more than 88,000 women for a period of 18 years. While only 161 cases of pancreatic cancer were reported, I am sure no one would put him/herself willingly at risk for this terrible disease.

The investigators concluded that the risk of pancreatic cancer was significantly correlated with long-term aspirin intake. Women who reported taking aspirin every day for more than 20 years had the highest relative risk.

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As most people know these days, SSRI stands for “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor,” an acronym for a class of antidepressant medications that includes Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, and others. These drugs have become among the most widely prescribed in our country, but only recently have studies surfaced that question their safety for long-term use or for use in children.

These drugs are also considered safe – and are often prescribed – to pregnant women. As it turns out, this assumption of safety is based on cursory studies that only looked at major outcomes, such as physical growth, and complications that would be evident in medical records.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina studied 17 full-term newborns whose mothers had taken an SSRI and compared them to an equal number of infants whose mothers had not taken these medications (Pediatrics, 2004 Feb; 113 (2): 368-75). Unlike previous studies, this one focused specifically on neurobehavioral development. They found that infants previously exposed to SSRI’s were more likely to suffer from nervousness, startles, and sleep disturbances. Although this was a limited and very short-term study, it does raise legitimate suspicions that these drugs are not so safe after all. Larger and longer-term studies are now needed to shed light on exactly what these medications do to developing brains.

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