Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Ask the Pharmacist...

A patient called recently asking if .....

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Our Food - Just Empty Calories?

Unfortunately, America's food source is not what it seems, nor does the food contain the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and available amino acids and proteins required for good nutrition. In order to mass produce, distribute and protect from spoilage, our food manufacturer's and distributors, must irradiate our food with ionizing gamma radiation to kill microorganisms and parasites and protect from the development of toxic microoganisms during storage and transport. Sulphites and Nitrites are also often added to food, which places extra stress on our kidneys when clearing out these chemicals. There are many other techniques, but these i find to be the most troubling as they chemically or structurally modify the actual molecules the food is made of, altering their use as fuel in our bodies. For example, Gamma radiation has the potential of permanently modifiying the actual protein and DNA structure that the food is made of rendering it unusable by the body or what's possibly more troubling, making the proteins mutated in a way that they may cause dysfunctional or even mutated structures in our bodies once incorporated into our cells and tissues. Microwaving foods, especially protein, at prolonged higher temperatures may have a similar effect, and none of these effects and the possible creation of mutated proteins that we ingest have been studied long-term. Much of our food sources are stored in bright Ultraviolet lighting which also has long-term effects of destroying vitamins in food, particularly vitamins, B, C and A and D. So Buyer beware that the stated vitamins and minerals listed on food packaging are not what you are ingesting and absorbing when you eat your chosen foods. It would be in the consumers best interest to choose minimally processed, fresh food and supplement their diet with high levels of B Vitamins, Vitamin C and fresh enzymes, Macro and trace minerals.

For Vitamins, Minerals and Enzymes to improve your health go to www.AcropolisRx.com

--- Dr. Sparta

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Trauma and Arthritis

It isn’t thought about much, but slips, falls and car accident trauma such as whiplash or low back strain earlier in life often lead to premature arthritic conditions in middle age. Many of my patients who have had previous trauma find that they have onset of pain, stiffness and swelling after only minor to moderate activity. This is most likely due to deposition of scar tissue, which is not quite identical to the original injured tissue that is created in joints and other connective tissue regions of the body. With time, these “healed injuries” made up of scar tissue regions, contract and age, and often due to poor blood supply and circulation, are not maintained well by the body. Even minor to moderate stress on these tissues, by lifting, repetitious activity, poor body posture or mechanics or exercise for example, may cause reinjury and accelerated changes to the connective tissue made up of cartilage, collagen and elastin fibers. Thus, it is the incomplete repair or healing of previous trauma to connective tissue that will eventually set the stage for premature arthritic changes to joints. It is reported that approximately 47 million adults in the USA have been diagnosed with arthritic conditions by healthcare professionals, with a little over a quarter of these patients saying that it impairs their life significantly enough to seek treatment. A projection by the CDC for 2030 indicates an increase to over 67 million affected Americans. With such a magnitude of people facing premature arthritis, it is truly important to make lifestyle and dietary changes to enable the best chances for connective tissue health, including proper weight management. As the country truly becomes more obese by definition, so will we see a proportionate increase in the incidence of "premature arthritis".

For Arthritis Treatment options go to http://www.acropolisrx.com/

--Dr. Sparta

Canadian Pharmacies

Canadian Pharmacies....Mostly are not really in Canada. A1ctually many canadian pharmacies are not actually in Canada. They are in Malaysia, India, Israel, Costa Rica, China and Taiwain. In August, 2005, the FDA conducted "Operation Bait and Switch" at three U.S. airports - JFK Airport in New York City, Miami International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport. During the "Sting Operation" the FDA inspected all mail parcels suspected of containing prescription drugs sent from India, Israel, Costa Rica, and Vanuatu (previously noted as drug sources for pharmacies claiming to be in Canada). Over 4,000 mail parcels were inspected and over 1,700 (43 percent) were ordered from a Canada pharmacy on the Internet. More than 15 percent of the drugs purported to be from Canada actually originated from Canada. Over 85 percent of the drugs which claimed to be from Canada actually were manufactured in 27 different countries. Many of the drugs were not labeled in English, adding to confusion. Thirty two of the intercepted drugs were found to be counterfeit. This is truly a scary proposition, to put your health in the balance of unknown drug origin purported to be safe. This is why it is in your best interest to buy your medications from a reputable American-Based pharmacy like Acropolis Pharmacies located in Illinois. They purchase all their medications from American-made only manufacturers and can be seen at www.acropolisrx.com