A research of fifty showerheads from nine different U.S. cities showed that about 15 showerheads or 30 percent of them contained high levels of Mycobacterium avium which when inhaled or consumed cause lung infections.  These researchers from University of Colorado stated that the amount of Mycobacterium avium found in these showerheads was almost 100 times higher than the number found in household water.

Norman Pace, a researcher, stated, “If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy.”

Mycobacterium avium causes pulmonary diseases, which exhibit many common symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, and lasting drug cough.  It usually attacks people with deteriorated immune system, but it may sometimes infect others that are healthy.

Pace believes that the increase in pulmonary diseases from “non-tuberculosis” mycobacteria may be caused by people engaging in more showers and fewer baths.  As the showerhead sprays out the water, droplets filled with pathogens linger within the air causing one to inhale the pathogens into the deepest parts of their lungs.  The Mycobacterium avium are able to survive within the showerheads because of the warm, dim, and moist insides where the bacteria are able to form “biofilms.”

Although this might have little to no effect on healthy people, researchers recommend people with deteriorated immune systems to use metal showerheads and replace them as frequently as possible.  “This really shouldn’t concern average, healthy people.  The main concern is for people who are immune-compromised,” researcher Leah Feazel told Reuters Health.

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As previously discussed in our Swine Flu Overview the H1N1 influenza holds the potential to become a large scale pandemic if proper prevention is not implemented by both individuals and governmental agencies.  As of now, humans have no natural immunity to the virus, allowing its spread much faster  then the regular seasonal flu.  While the seasonal flu usually effects those that are weak or old, the Swine flu has a much higher rate of lethally effecting the younger and stronger.  A large scale pandemic across the globe would make prevention difficult considering the limited amounts of medication (Tamiflu + Vaccines) currently in distribution. There are a number of techniques individuals can implement in their daily routine to strengthen their defenses against the virus, however, a popular one has become surgical and/or N95 respirator masks.

So the real question is, do these masks make a bit of a difference?  Surgical masks are unavailable in many areas now due to their high demand, especially in foreign 3rd world countries with denser populations.  As of now there have not been any studies conducted to validate whether or not surgical masks have ANY benefit whatsoever, but personally I can tell you that they are almost useless.  Airborne droplets containing the virus, and the virus itself can pass through the large pores in the mask quite easily.  Also most surgical masks are tied on with four strings.  This leaves plenty of openings around the edge of the mask for the virus to slip through.  These masks were created to prevent the transfer of any specimen from the doctor to the patient, not the other way around.  Another growing problem with the masks primarily in areas like India and China is their disposal.  They can be find lying around on the street, and individuals have reported reusing their masks.  First of all reusing the mask almost eliminates its purpose.  Second, a mask with a possible H1N1 strain that is not properly disposed of could be hazardous to others.

Side note: If your mask has ‘Hello Kitty’ on the front, alligator teeth, a smiley face, artificial nose, than please don’t purchase the masks with hopes that it will protect you.

While surgical masks are utterly pointless, I do see some use of the N95 respirator masks.  These masks are created with much smaller pores, that make it more difficult for viral strains to pass through.  However, the CDC and WHO do not recommended these masks for everyone.  It is best if they are used by those that are in close contact with individuals that have procured the virus.  The mask is also more expensive than surgical masks, making it more difficult to attain for those in poverty stricken areas where the pandemic has begun to strike the hardest.  The same problems that apply to surgical masks apply to these also, people tend to reuse the mask or improperly dispose of them.

What’s my personal opinion? I wouldn’t bother with the surgical masks, however, if I was in a facility that has individuals with the H1n1 influenza, then I may just consider buying one, however, am I willing to purchase a new mask after each use? Probably not.  So that goes out the window.

At the end of the day the best methods for prevention is washing your hands and staying healthy.  For more tips and an in-depth overview of the swine flu read Swine Flu: An Overview

Also consider reading the CDC’s recommendations on who should and should not use a respirator mask.

Have comments? Then share them below!

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Christopher Li, PhD and an associate member of the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, conducted a research examining tamoxifen’s effect on women who developed breast cancer in their other breast, almost six months from when they were first diagnosed.

Before examining the research, one must first understand the two types of breast cancer.  ER positive or estrogen receptor positive is the most common type of breast cancer, which grows when exposed to estrogen.  Tamoxifen and other hormone therapies are used to stop the ER-positive breast cancer cells from dividing.  While, the ER negative breast cancers are uncommon and extremely aggressive when compared to ER positive breast cancers.  These cancers are not treated with tamoxifen or other estrogen related drugs, since ER-negative breast cancers are not sensitive to estrogen.

Li’s team researched data on a group of 1,100 Seattle women between the ages of 40-79 who were treated for ER-positive breast cancer.  These women were treated for the cancer between 1990 and 2005.  Out of the 1,100 women, 367 of them developed breast cancer in their other breast almost six months from when they were first diagnosed.

Through careful interviews and examination of medical records and usage of tamoxifen or other hormone therapies (how much was used and how often the drugs were used), the team came to a surprising conclusion.

Compared to women who never used tamoxifen, women who did were 60% less likely to develop an ER-positive cancer in the other breast.

However, women who used tamoxifen for a time period of five years or longer were four times more prone to developing ER-negative breast cancer in their other breast, compared to women who never used tamoxifen or other hormone therapy.

One must keep in mind that tamoxifen’s link to ER-negative breast cancer risk was found in those who used the drug for five years or more.

Patients should not stop using tamoxifen because of this finding, as its benefits outweigh the risk of ever developing a rare ER-negative breast cancer.

Molecular Structure for Tamoxifen

“We don’t think that it overall changes the risk-benefit equation, in that women who are eligible to take this drug probably should still take it because of its proven benefit,” Li said.

Just like all treatments, tamoxifen has its risks and benefits.  Tamoxifen is also know to increase the risk of a stroke of endometrial cancer.  Li does not believe that the dosage requirements should be changed because in the end, the benefits still win out.

“The randomized trials looking at tamoxifen have very convincingly shown that full benefit of the drug is only obtained when it’s used for five years,” Li says. “I don’t think they should change the recommendation that women should use it for the full five years.”

Vogel from the American Cancer Society is worried that people might acquire the wrong impression regarding the study.  Vogel also notes that most women do not take tamoxifen for more than five years.

He clearly states, “”Certainly none of the data has suggested that we stop using tamoxifen or change the way we apply it. … The net benefit for tamoxifen is huge.”

In the future, Li’s team hopes to understand the exact link between ER-negative breast cancer risk and tamoxifen, especially how tamoxifen raises the risk.

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A new research on rats discovered that 10 days of eating high-fat diet resulted in short-term memory loss and made it much more difficult for the rats to exercise.  Although this might not come off as a big surprise, how the researchers interpreted the results might.  Apparently, researchers believe this study indicates that high-fat diets make humans “lazy and stupid.”

Researchers hope that this particular study will compel people to pay better attention to their diets and health.  Andrew Murray, co-author of the study from University of Cambridge in UK said, “Western diets are typically high in fat and are associated with long-term complications, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, yet the short-term consequences of such diets have been given relatively little attention. We hope that the findings of our study will help people to think seriously about reducing the fat content of their daily food intake to the immediate benefit of their general health, well-being, and alertness.”

Murray and other researchers compared rats that ate a low-fat diet (7.5% of calories as fat) with rats that ate a high-fat diet (55% of calories as fat).  The results were astounding as the rats eating the high-fat diet had muscles that were less able to use oxygen to make energy and had hearts that increased in size and were pressured to work harder.  Also, after nine days on the high-fat diet, the rats took longer to complete a maze and made more mistakes compared to the rats on low-fat diet.

The rat’s inability to use oxygen was due to increased levels of uncoupling protein 3.  As a result, the rats were inefficient at producing the oxygen required to make energy, which is highly necessary for running.

However, the results of this study are not 100% accurate, as the same, exact study must be conducted in human trials to confirm the hypothesis. Also, rats have a shorter life span which suggests that the effects from the study may play out in a shorter time scale than in humans, making the changes seem much more quicker and significant.  But for now, rodents are good correspondents to human studies and should compel people to take further steps in becoming healthier.

In a simple conclusion, Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of FASEB journal said, “It’s nothing short of a high-fat hangover. A long weekend spent eating hotdogs, French fries, and pizza in Orlando might be a great treat for our taste buds, but they might send our muscles and brains out to lunch..”

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Are B-12 injections really for me?

While vitamin supplements such as B-12 are usually beneficial for your body, is B-12 really what you need?  Vitamin B12 is important for metabolism, the creation of red blood cells, and maintenance of the central nervous system, however, what most individuals forget is that the average American adult does receive the recommended 2.4mcg of B-12 in his or her daily diet.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency

• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Muscle Weakness
• Dizziness after work
• Diarrhea
• Mouth Sores
• Can lead to pernicious anemia
• Vegetarians are more prone to B12 deficiencies primarily because most B group vitamins are derived from meats.  A lack of protein can also lead to B-12 deficiency, once more strict vegans are more prone to this.

Okay so I have the above symptoms, what should I do now?
While many of the above symptoms do point towards B-12 deficiency, they can also attribute to a wide array of issues.  It’s important to look at what maybe causing your B-12 deficiency because if it is a ongoing issue then shots or supplements won’t necessarily be the cure to the problem.  Genetics can often lead to a B-12 deficiency.  In cases like this studies show that stress and high blood pressure often passes on to the offspring especially when these traits are common during pregnancy.  H-pylori could be another serious cause for these symptoms.  It is often overlooked by some physicians, and can be passed to your body through sexual fluids, raw eggs, and chicken.   H-pylori is a bacteria that is produced in the small intestines and symptoms of it usually include migraine, ulcers, and a mix of both diarrhea and constipation.  So why is this information important?  Well if you do have any of the above problems, especially H-pylori, then your body will always suffer from chronic symptoms of B-12 defiencies.  Before going ahead with B-12 shots or supplements it is important to have proper lab tests done (especially one for H-pylori) to see what the problem can be. Low hydrochloric acid can also lead to a deficiency in B12, and a variety of other issues.  The best way to find out if B-12 shots are for you is once more to have test done.

The article isn’t trying to debunk any of the benefits associated with B-12 shots and supplements, because, yes many users do report having a much healthier and effiencient lifestyle after taking the injections.  Instead the article is trying to inform you about the facts behind B-12 defienincies and the supplements itself before you fork out cash that could possibly be wasted.

If you have any questions or comments please submit them!

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The History

So where did the myth originate?  One possibility is the heavy campaigning that took place for the vegetable by the British government and airforce during World War II.  The British government didn’t want the Germans to know of their newly acquired radar technology, so instead spread the word that eating plenty of carrots was what was helping their pilots see at night.  The propaganda was further fueled by the over emphasis placed on the importance of carrots to one’s health.  And you ask why carrots?  Well, Britain was facing a major food scarcity and carrots were one of the most abundant and cheap vegetables around.  Carrot fields sprang up around the country very quickly during the campaigning.  All of that led to a big part of today’s myth, that carrots can heal your vision.

The Facts

Carrots, vegetables, and many dietary supplements contain provitamin A carotenoids or beta-carotene which your body converts into Vitamin A.  Beta-Carotene has a variety of health benefits which can include prevention against cancer and heart disease, helps to boost immunity, and assists in the prevention of cataracts.  Studies show that myopia commonly known as nearsightedness is usually caused by environment factors and not by genetics.  Constant stress to the eyeball caused by computers, reading, and focusing on close objects causes it to elongate.  Once elongated the eye has trouble focusing on distant objects.  The only way to fix this is laser surgery or by wearing glasses/contact lens, carrots play no roll in lens correction.  They myth is alive because of its historical background and the fact that it has helped individuals that are Vitamin A deficient.  On the other hand, too much vitamin A can become a harmful toxin for the body.  Studies conducted on nepali and middle eastern citizens, that are vitamin A deficient have proved that a sufficient increase in the vitamin has helped individuals see clearer in the dark, but does only that.  Carrots have never been a factor in decreasing nearsightedness or improving eyesight in general.

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