PODCAST #6 11-1-06

WELCOME TO THE 6th EDITION OF THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS PODCAST

To-days podcast covers Fish Oil (Omega-3 Fatty acids). And heartburn (GERD)

30 years ago scientists discovered that the diet of Greenland’s Eskimos was mainly fish and fat. The fish eating Eskimos have much lower cardiovascular disease then nonfish eaters. Evidence demonstrated that this protection is due to the omega-3 fatty acids found in the fish.
A 1999 study of 11,000 heart attack survivors showed that patients that took about 1 gm. of fish oil daily for three and a half years had a 30% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 45% lower risk of having a sudden fatal heart attack.
In the year 2000, the American Heart Association began recommending taking omega-3 fatty acids to prevent heart attack and stroke.
Found in cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring and sardines, these fish have a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Other good sources are walnuts soybeans and canola oil.
Studies suggest omega-3s may protect the heart by reducing systemic inflammation. Omega-3 decreases the stickiness of platelets lowering the risk of clots that can cause heart attack or stroke. Research also indicates that omega-3
might fight mild to severe depression, as well as autoimmune disorders as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease. Most people do not eat enough fish to get enough fish oil to fight or prevent these diseases. There is also the problem of mercury, PCBs and dioxins in large fish.
Taking fish oil capsules is a good way to get your omega-3s with out mercury, PCBs, etc. If you are the average healthy person a dose of 1 to 3 capsules a day is fine. If you take anti-clotting agents check with your doctor for dosage.
Fish oils are so good for you that a Drug Company has come out with Omacor a prescription drug that is a concentrated form of omega-3s. Thus the drug company can make a profit by selling a prescription drug that is available over the counter with out prescription at a lower price.

Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. The stomach and the bottom of the esophagus lie behind the heart. When the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus is weak the result is a reflux of acid, enzymes, bile, etc. into the delicate tissues that line the esophagus. This burning condition is known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD),
.           40% of the of the adult population suffer from GERD. 60 million Americans experience heartburn once a month and more and 25 million Americans suffer painful heart burn symptoms every day.
Most people take Prilosec, Tagamet and Tums etc. to relieve the burning condition. Chronic heartburn exposes people to the higher risk of esophageal cancer.
There is a natural substance d-limonene an extract from orange peel which can be used to control GERD. Taking one 1000 mg. capsule of purified d-limonene every other day for 20 days has be shown to reduce or eliminate symptoms in most people for months or longer. Some people experience minor burping when taking d-limonene.
In a small two week study of 19 participants. They said that after taking d-limonene once a day or once every day their heartburn went from a high of 8.3 to a low of 1 or 2. In a second double-blind study of 22 participants that took either d-limonene or a placebo. At day 14, an impressive 83% of those taking d-limonene reported heartburn severity no greater then 2 compared with 30% taking the placebo. After stopping the d-limonene, the good effect lasted from 2 weeks to a few months.
D-limonene should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, or by people who have or suspect they have ulcers. People using d-limonene should follow the manufactures instructions.

That’s all for PODCAST #6. I hope you found it interesting and informative. The next PODCAST will be Dec. 1

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED ON THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS PODCAST OUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS
health@lencolabs.com.

By clicking on PODCAST and then clicking the box next to PODCAST #6 you can get the text version of the PODCAST.

For more information on this subject and other subjects go to www.lencolabs.com, thank you for listening to the health and happiness podcast with–Leonard Austin