The NEW™ Institute Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

The NEW™ Institute Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

We are also proudly celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Naturopathic Evidence-Based Wellness (NEW™) Institute.When family health and well-being are at stake, we all want the best information available. We all want the correct information. We want unbiased information.

The National Institute of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies that we traditionally rely upon to serve as vanguards of medical authenticity are experiencing funding and manpower shortages. While these agencies are without doubt the most capable sources of evaluating legitimate health-benefit claims, they are buried by the sheer volume of their mandates, and have difficulty coping.

Dr. Dorodny, the founder of the non-profit Institute, recognized the critical need for a repository of unbiased, timely medical research and information. The goal of NEW™ was and remains to provide such a repository of current, reliable, legitimate, hard information that empowers its members to make good, safe decisions for both consumers and providers.

The advocacy of NEW™ serves first and foremost as a member resource. When appropriate, it also assist regulatory agencies such as the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in determining the legitimacy of claims made by product suppliers and vendors.

Finally, it provides an authoritative resource for its members who manufacture food supplements to educate their markets about the true benefits of their products through compelling and compliant advertising and marketing.

Be Well!

Freshly"" Frozen Sushi!

Originally posted on Friday, March 2, 2007
"Freshly" Frozen Sushi!-a fascinating expose of the "fresh sushi " myth appeared in the April 8, 2004 edition of New York Times, by Julia Moskin.

Consumers have a right to know and make choices based on informed decisions--here is our take on the issue:

The general sushi/sashimi eating public creates and propagates urban legends based upon particular chef’s “being in the know” for access to "just come out of the ocean" fish and other seafood and spending his/her early morning hours perusing local “fresh” fish markets.

This sushi eating public might not realize that fresh frozen seafood for sushi or sashimi consumption and is also commonly used in sushi restaurants, whether its referred to as: "fresh-frozen, freshly-cooled, previously frozen and thawed, re-freshed, flash-chilled"-- take your pick-its all frozen!

Most would be even more surprised to learn that if the sushi has not been frozen, it is illegal to serve it in the United States.The Japanese Restaurants Association of Southern California is not in a hurry to advertise as to why most seafood are “always in season (freezer?)”.

Some, actually, take pride in the fact that they do not use mictowaves to thaw the fish slated for sushi!

Shipping seafood from overseas by airplane would make the cost of most products impractical. Shipping high quality seafood by ship, in a frozen state, allows for a reasonable price for the consumer.

Many seafood items from around the world are prepared specifically for sushi or sashimi and are only imported in a frozen state.

I wonder how many fine “fresh” sushi restaurants tell customers upfront that they may be eating fish that has been in deep freeze for up to two years!

Modern fishing trawlers are virtual fishing factories at sea-seafood they harvest is cleaned, processed and flash frozen aboard ship within hours.

Many fish and shellfish (with the exception of tuna) that is suitable for eating raw must be must be frozen for seven days at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit flash frozen within hours of harvest, and than must be kept for 15 hours at negative 31 degrees., or frozen for seven days at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

But tuna is often frozen, too, not necessarily to make it safe, but because global consumption of sushi continues to rise.

Frozen fish usually costs about half as much wholesale as fresh. And some cuts, like the prized fatty toro, are practically unavailable fresh.A

At 76 degrees below zero, one can feel one’s hair follicles freeze. A 20-pound chunk of premium bluefin tuna is rock hard and cold enough to burn a blister on one’s finger.

But all it takes is a band saw, 10 minutes and a bowl of warm water to produce deep red, dewy slices of the finest sushi money can buy, the same toro served big cities sushi shrines.

There is only one question one should ask about "fresh" seafood: how long it traveled to distributors, whether it was kept cold enough in route to maintain its flavor and safety, or how long it has been on ice?.

Many fish and shellfish are "flash frozen" within hours of harvest. It might take several days for the same seafood to make it to your local seafood dealer as "fresh".

Fish from most supermarkets are up to weeks old, and not always properly taken care of, which is why they are not usually safe to eat raw.

It is important to remember that it will only be safe to eat raw for up to 2 days if properly stored.For safety reasons raw seafood is not recommended for people with poor immune systems.

Also, all freshwater fish which includes our salmon must be frozen to kill possible parasites, bacteria and viruses.

A parasite is a living organism dependent on a host for which it takes nourishment. It grows naturally in many animals and can be transmitted to humans and cause illness.

One of the major human health hazards of consuming uncooked, undercooked or unfrozen seafood are the parasites, particularly, nematodes, or roundworms, tapeworms and flukes.

Parasites occur in mackerel, squid, cod, haddock, fluke, pacific salmon, herring, flounder, monkfish, anchovy, and tuna.Within one to six hours after the ingestion of infected larvae, violent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may occur.

Bacteria and viruses that cause disease do not normally occur in the part of the fish that is eaten, the intact muscle.However, fish fillets and steaks can become contaminated by improper handling, storage, or preparation.

There are many different types of bacteria, but one in particular is associated with the rice used to make sushi.

Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacterium commonly found in soil, dust, and raw foods which when ingested can cause profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea.Another bacteria associated with seafood is Yersinia enterocolitica.

These bacteria are transmitted to humans by cross-contamination from raw to cooked seafood, the consumption of raw seafood, and temperature abuse.

When bacteria are ingested it causes diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. Vibrio spp. is a bacterium that is commonly found in oysters and other shellfish (lobster, shrimp, clams and mussels.

Having placed all of relevant rules and regulations on the books, the FDA does not enforce the frozen-fish rule, leaving that to local health officials.

The agency says sushi fish can be frozen either by the producer, the wholesaler/distributor, or by the restaurant, and each party likes to believe that the other is taking care of it.

This uncontrolled “cross-reliance” can result in either “fresh” fish frozen and re-frozen 3-5 times, or simply unsafe for raw consumption by the general public resulting in food-borne illnesses and deaths.

Be Well!

This article is to be used for education and general discussion purposes only. It does not constitute medical opinion and should not be used for or relied upon as medical advice. Publication of this article does not create physician-patient relationship between the reader and the author. Dr.Dorodny assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any and all actions and/or inactions by any person(s) as a result of this article. The article does not contain comprehensive description of the subject issues discussed. It is based on present medical knowledge which is subject to change and is unclear in numerous respects. The issued discussed in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The issues discussed can not be resolved without specific analysis of the specific circumstances of each person. The readers should consult with their individual health care/wellness professional to resolve their individual situation.

Fish Oil v Fish

From www.AskDrD.com, posted May 9, 2006


"A new tuna warning for pregnant women” article in the Health section of the June 12, 2006 issue of the Los Angeles Times stirred quite a controversy in the health and wellness community.

As a result, the NEW™ Institute in Malibu, California has received a number of inquiries. The original article (May 9, 2006) was published in response to legitimate concerns of the general public caused by mass media desire to cause a sensation, rather than provide useful information.

Fish oil supplementation has waxed and waned in popularity over the past decade.In the late 1990s when large clinical trials such as the GISSI study were published supporting the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil became one of the most sought after supplements.

Hence, most health and wellness experts recommend consumption of fish and shellfish to meet some of the human bodies’ requirement for fish oil.However, due to fish oil's less than desirable taste characteristics, it was not well tolerated by even its most ardent supporters.

Improved molecular distillation processing has helped to enhance fish oil's purity and flavor and there are now even more studies to support the benefits of fish oil supplementation that reach beyond heart health.Some of the these studies were presented at the Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Recommendations for Therapeutics and Prevention Symposium, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York in October of 2005.

Recent studies by Craig L Jensen, M.D. (that included outcome measurements of gestational length and birth weight, preeclampsia, recurrent miscarriages, and maternal depression) have found positive associations between fish intake and gestational length and birth weight.

In a randomized multi-center trial, supplementation of 2.7g EPA and DHA from 20 weeks gestation or 6.1 g EPA and DHA from 33 weeks gestation reduced risk of preterm delivery.Preeclampsia is a common problem during pregnancy, especially as maternal age increases.

Observational data of potential effects of n-3 fatty acids on preeclampsia and related conditions show benefit.Additionally, the potential effects of n-3 fatty acids and recurrent miscarriages are promising.

Pilot study supplemented fish oil in patients with persistent anti-phospholipid syndrome associated recurrent miscarriages and found over a 3-year period, 86% of the patients had well babies.

Clinical depression has been associated with low levels of n-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA. A large, multi-country observational study of postpartum depression found a negative correlation between seafood consumption and/or breast milk DHA concentrations and postpartum depression.

Maternal DHA levels decline during pregnancy (as well as postpartum) as DHA is transferred to the fetus or newborn to aid in neural development.

Studies by Susan E. Carlson, M.D. clearly demonstrated that there is definitive evidence that DHA is essential in cognitive and visual development of a fetus/child because DHA is concentrated in the brain and retina.

Dr. Carlson discussed the positive long-term effects of early DHA supplementation related to higher Bayley Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) (gold standard for neurological development, measures body control, coordination and fine motor skills) in scores at 30 months, higher IQ at 4 years, higher MFFT (Matching Familiar Figures Test) score and speed at 6 years, and lower diastolic and mean blood pressure at 6 years of age.

However, the specific benefits of adequate DHA intake during periods of rapid brain development may not be measurable until older ages. Infant development studies often compare formula to human milk.

Human milk levels vary and the United States is considered an "at risk population" for low DHA levels, because US women consume lower levels of DHA compared to intake in other countries.
Human milk DHA content varies primarily as a result of mother's dietary intake differences.The highest levels of DHA in human milk are found in the Japanese and marine China female populations.The United States has some of the lowest levels of DHA in human milk. In the United States, DHA was added to infant formula in 2002.

To reach worldwide median human milk DHA consumption levels, formula should contain 0.3% to 0.4 % DHA and women who are considering getting pregnant, who are pregnant and are breastfeeding should consider supplementation -- current recommendations are 300 mg/day.

Epidemiologic studies in the United States report 500 mg/day of n-3 fatty acids can decrease CHD (coronary heart disease) risk and mitigate many risks of pregnancy as well as to contribute to the fetal and neonatal cognitive development.The average American diet only provides 100 mg EPA and DHA per day.

This is 5 times less than the amount observed for cardiovascular benefit and also 5 times less than the WHO's current dietary recommendation for EPA and DHA. Not only are consistent recommendations needed, strategies to increase intakes are also necessary. Some recommendations are to increase fish intake, while others recommend specific amounts of EPA and DHA either as supplemental or marine sources.

Since March 2004, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have recommended women who are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant should eat no more than 6 ounces of albacore tune a week; and recommends up to 12 ounces (the amount of fish in two meals) per week of fish and shellfish low in mercury, such as shrimp, salmon, light tuna and catfish for general population.

Current prudent recommendations for consumption of fish (other than tuna) high in n-3 fatty acid contents are anchovies, mackerel, salmon, sardines, sea bass, swordfish, and trout.Some of these fish also need to be consumed in limited amounts because of mercury and other toxins. Swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish should be limited to 7 oz/week; red snapper should be limited to 14 oz/week; while salmon, catfish, and mahi-mahi have no restrictions.

Water sources have differing toxic levels of mercury, PCBs, digoxins, and others that may alter these general suggestions.However, Consumer Reports magazine published by Consumers Union recently said that 6% of canned tuna tested by the FDA “contained at least as much of the metal—in some cases more than twice as much—as the average albacore”.

It further recommends that women who are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant eat neither “fresh”, nor canned tuna.

Again, this a “knee-jerk” overreacting by an ill qualified layman organization that creates panic, without informing the general population of the fact, that nutritional benefits of fish oil in seafood (especially in general population) easily outweigh the risk of trace amounts of contaminants.

Clearly, the general public often receives conflicting, and frequently contradicting, recommendations from mass media, Governmental and private sources--not only are consistent recommendations needed (please see above), but strategies to increase intakes are also necessary.

An effort by Kris-Etherton to substitute fish oil with walnut, flaxseed, soybean, and canola oil can contribute to meet LNA (pre-cursor of EPA and DHA) failed, despite the results from the landmark Lyon Diet Heart Study.

A Mediterranean style diet could provide approximately 0.6% to 1% energy or 2 g LNA, no more than 7 g per day LA, be rich in oleic acid, poor in saturated fat, and low in n-6 fatty acid sources.

The American diet, unfortunately, does not mimic these fatty acid intakes and is very high in n-6 fatty acid intake, which hinders the ability for LNA to be converted to EPA and DHA.

Having understood the critical importance of EPA and DHA for healthy childbearing and proper cognitive development of fetuses, infants, children and adults, and following the recent recommendation of the Consumer Reports, where should a pregnant and/or breastfeeding women to turn to?

Nutritional supplements of the health food grade fish oil, even in rather lower doses recommended by most of the over-the-counter manufacturers (700-1500 mg/day) generally provide a proper level of protection for pregnancy and child development.

Levels of in-organic (Dioxins, Mercury, etc), as well as microbial contamination of those supplements could be as high as in the fish it’s made from. However, in the recommended doses the possible side effects of contaminants are, probably, negligible.

The commercial grade fish oil is affordable and easily available.

Pharmaceutical grade (PG) oil is produced through 8-stage purification process followed by concentration with resulting no trans fats, and higher levels of EPA and DHA and low contaminants levels.

Some PG fish oil products contains 100 times less PCB's than health food grade fish oil, has twice the EPA and DHA as found in health-food grade fish oil.

Further, most people will not experience mild gastric problems often found with high doses of health-food grade fish oil.

The supply of this type of pharmaceutical grade fish oil is very limited since it takes 100 kg. of health-food grade fish oil to make just 1 kg. of pharmaceutical grade fish oil!

One teaspoon of the liquid OmegaRxTM contains 1.8 grams of EPA and 0.9 grams of DHA.

Such quality of fish oil is usually not available in health food stores because the supply of this type of pharmaceutical grade fish oil is very limited since it takes 100 kg. of health-food grade fish oil to make just 1 kg. of pharmaceutical grade fish oil!

And that is why one teaspoon of the liquid OmegaRxTM may contain 1.8 grams of EPA and 0.9 grams of DHA.
Although pharmaceutical-grade fish oil costs 10-20 times more than health-food grade, responsible manufacturers keep their price per gram of EPA and DHA as low as possible as shown below:

Product Grade: Price PerGram ofEPA & DHA

Lowest grade health food grade $0.30Molecular distilled health food grade $0.54OmegaRxTM Pharmaceutical grade capsules $0.56
OmegaRxTM Pharmaceutical grade liquid oil $0.49

All & all, pharmaceutical grade fish oil offers significant advantages and wellness benefits than the health food grade one, and, yes, higher concentration requires a lesser number of capsules to swallow!

Happy fishing and/or fish oiling.

Be Well!
***This article is to be used for education and general discussion purposes only. It does not constitute medical opinion and should not be used for or relied upon as medical advice. Publication of this newsletter does not create physician-patient relationship between the reader and the author. The article does not contain comprehensive description of the subject issues discussed. It is based on present medical knowledge which is subject to change and is unclear in numerous respects. Statements regarding the bio-efficacy of the nutritional supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The issues discussed can not be resolved without specific analysis of the specific circumstances of each person. The readers should consult with their individual health care/wellness professional to resolve their individual situation.

Celebrating TRI-PAC Anniversary and its Proud Achievements.

20 years ago TRI-PAC Health and Wellness Advocacy was established by Prof. Victor S. Dorodny, M.D., Ph.D., MPH (Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors), and Mr. Robert Donin, MPA, President.

Over the past 20 years, TRI-PAC Health and Wellness Advocacy emerged as a nationally recognized and respected organization for its active participation in the areas of healthcare policy design and implementation.

In practical terms, we were fortunate to be able to assist thousands of patients coping with life changing illnesses with such issues as denial of care, appropriateness of care, access to care, limits of coverage, out-of-network services, to name a few.

It is a not for profit organization Governed by a respected Industry Advisory Board, TRI-PAC has been extremely effective working with local, state and national legislators and regulators to influence policy and politics of health care, as well as the practical aspects of delivery of health services.

We are proud to successfully defend the health consumers rights of our members/clients in their fights with the likes of Kaiser Permanente, Humana, Blue Shield, Health Net and others, whose bad faith actions and inaction's were jeopardizing patent's lives and well being.

Be Well!

New Joint Statement Streamlines Definition of Metabolic Syndrome

Friday, October 9, 2009

New Joint Statement Streamlines Definition of Metabolic Syndrome

From Heartwire, by Michael O'Riordan

October 8, 2009 (Brussels, Belgium) — A new joint statement from a number of professional organizations has identified specific criteria for the clinical diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome, tightening up the definition, which previously differed from one organization to the next [1].

The statement, published online October 5, 2009 in Circulation, includes the participation of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the World Heart Federation, the International Atherosclerosis Society, and the American Heart Association (AHA) and is an attempt to eliminate some of the confusion regarding how to identify patients with the syndrome.

Specifically, the new metabolic-syndrome definition streamlines previous differences related to abdominal obesity as defined by measurements in waist circumference. Substantial disparities existed between the previous IDF and the ATP III definitions of what constituted an excessively large waist circumference, by as much as 8 cm between the two groups, but these have been amended. Now, the criteria for elevated waist circumference are based on population- and country-specific definitions, which, although streamlined, do leave some work to be done, said Eckel.

The new definition relies on different geographic regions, or different countries, to drill down into their own databases in terms of relating waist circumference to risk.

Now, waist circumference is just one of five criteria that physicians can use when diagnosing the metabolic syndrome.

Patients with three of the five criteria--including elevated waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL-cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting-glucose levels--are considered to have the syndrome.

Criteria for Clinical Diagnosis of the Metabolic Syndrome

Measure	Categorical cut points
Elevated waist circumference	Population- and country-specific definitions
Elevated triglycerides (drug treatment for elevated triglycerides is an alternate indicator)	>150 mg/dL
Reduced HDL cholesterol (drug treatment for reduced HDL cholesterol is an alternate indicator)	<40>
Elevated blood pressure (drug treatment for elevated blood pressure is an alternate indicator)	Systolic >130 mm Hg and/or diastolic >85 mm Hg
Elevated fasting glucose (drug treatment for elevated glucose is an alternate indicator)	>100 mg/dL

Notably absent from the joint statement is the American Diabetes Association--there are unresolved scientific issues between the ADA and other associations, including the AHA, regarding the metabolic syndrome.

Specifically, the ADA, as well as the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), objected to the manner in which the metabolic syndrome was characterized as a risk factor for heart disease or diabetes, arguing that there was no need to diagnose a patient with the syndrome because emphasis should be placed on aggressively treating the individual risk factors.

In 2005, the ADA and EASD issued their own joint statement calling for a critical appraisal of the metabolic syndrome, its designation as a syndrome, and its clinical utility.

Be aware and be well!

Dr.D

Toxic Fat News

Friday, October 17, 2008

Toxic Fat News

“Toxic Fat,” the latest book by my friend and colleague Dr. Sears explains the role of inflammation in obesity and chronic disease.

If almost by serendipity, the October, 2008 issue of Cancer Journal has a major article linking omega-6 fatty acids to breast cancer.

For years it was though that eating grilled meats was a potential causative factor because meat produces heterocyclic amines that had been demonstrated to cause cancer in rats.

This new article studied women for 10 years and found that consumption of heterocyclic amines was not associated with the development of breast cancer.

What researchers did find was that a diet rich in omega-6 fats (but low in heterocyclic amines) was strongly associated with increased breast cancer.

The answer is quite clear. Those women with low intakes of heterocyclic amines had been previously shown to have high levels of insulin. When excess insulin is combined with high levels of omega-6 fats, the result is the production of increased arachidonic acid.

This is the toxic fat that is the driving force of increased cancer.

Be Well!

Diabetes, Heart Disease and Sea Vegetables.

Diabetes, Heart Disease and Sea Vegetables.

Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Sea Vegatables originally published by Well Being Journal, Vol.13, #3, May-June 2004.