Cousin Jimmy syndrome

By JOHN HALAMKA

I have great respect for my colleague in which IT Branche.Es is a demanding profession, a blend of technical knowledge, skills and emotional stability to customer dissatisfaction, if technology does not require.

There is however a detriment to be an IT Profi.Egal how much experience you have or what can be your reputation, many customers are unable to distinguish between a polished IT groupie industry experts and support.  

I call this the "cousin Jimmy syndrome".    

   Here's how it happens.Join a meeting to a huge IT project to diskutieren.Sie talk about topics such as security, disaster recovery, to change management, training and support.

  Then someone says: "Oh yes, we have doing, cousin Jimmy the."   Or Bob lives in his parents basement.Or Carol, who know how to use Excel and serves as the technology go-to guru.

  Unfortunately, when Jimmy, Bob and Carol have an opinion, your colleagues can appear nimble confidence about you as professional IT organizations less you less concentrated, less responsive than local experts dedicated to.  

Does not imply that IT professionals are perfect in large organizations, have your Fehler.Gute administration and supervision but usually creates a culture where there is Division of labor, escalation and some single points of human failure.Cousin Jimmy do not know what he does not know.  Its solutions may quickly or cheap, but ultimately you are untenable, maintainable and unbearable.

How should the IT professionals deal with cousin Jimmy syndrome?

1. Allow cousin Jimmy error - it may take a while, but finally there is a big failure, security breach, or data loss.Although this can feel temporarily as a victory, it really is a loss for the customers.It is a win the battle, losing the war tactics.

2. Make cousin Jimmy part of your team - this sometimes works and it is an attempt.Success has a 1000 fathers, so if you feel of the team in create can Jimmy gets all the credit, but others do all the work, so be it.Customers win. of course, it's hard to take the credit for what you did Jimmy but I've learned over the years that everything is possible if you are willing to give the credit for success to others.

3. Offer a service as well, so cheap and so reliable that Jimmy finally moved on - this much of the time works.I believe that hard work, innovation and honesty finally pay off and the game to gewinnen.True, sometimes politics triumph over expertise but the naysayers überdauern.Durch who selflessly focusing on customers, the technology and your employees are you dealing with that is really hard a service, at any price to schlagen.Jimmy may be omni-present, but he have to keep a difficult time until how technology developed.

So if the sessions are embarrassing, keep your serenity, keep to your principles, and customers first setzen.Neun time of ten suggest finally cousin Jimmy syndrome.

If you need inspiration, you can always Verizon commercials view, where the polished FIOS cable guy wins the meddlesome Ingenieur.Das next time you cousin Jimmy technology are discussed, just think of it as the Cable Guy!

Great article! his very true make this choice in health insurance isen don't simply but very important!

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The conservative way forward on health care

The landslide Republican victory, the House and the choice can some strong conservative in the Senate as a mandate to reduce government spending and especially ObamaCare lift are interpreted as these questions clearly behind the large turnout were.  It is still a very real possibility for the Supreme Court unconstitutional the "individual mandate" to buy private insurance.  When this provision is raised, it is difficult to see how the law survived because the mandate is necessary to finance it.

Now a conservative alternative vision for real reform is our health care delivery an excellent time to konstruieren.Da the current problems with the health care system by Government stem, a conservative plan should look to reduce their role. 

It goes without saying that the patient protection and affordable care must act since be lifted, as all the laws passed by this administration, it does exactly the opposite of what his name andeutet.Durch massively increase health care bureaucracy at the expense of the actual providers of care, make it more difficult and expensive care access.  Early retirement takes many doctors and the great physician shortage is exacerbated. 

The law is too large and complex to waste time to save food items. There is a large risk left behind hidden mandates and rules, which harmful werden.Besser be scrap the whole thing.Running Democratic Senators fear for their jobs in 2012 it is possible that the Senate for lifting (Harry Reid notwithstanding) würden.Aber vote not even the most generous view Barack Obama's ideological flexibility has given him signing a waiver is Bill, and a veto override in question for now. 

  It can be possible to adopt positive measures making ObamaCare irrelevant.Here are some common sense, free market proposals, of which many were proposed and discussed, but ignored by the President and the Congress leadership in leading to the adoption of ObamaCare. 

   1. Transfer the tax deduction for the health care expenditure by employers to individuals.  This the absurdity would purchase health insurance on the "company store," a practice, the limits of individual choice and freedom, nourishes a sense of dependency and the overuse of care promotes policy beenden.Diese an accident which was WW II wage and controls, the "original sin" in health care financing;  Away with it would empower consumers to shop for the best plan for their families, reduce premiums. 

   2. Remove barriers, the interstate sale of Krankenversicherung.Es wide consensus on this statement.  It would mandate that drive you to choice and competition between insurers and reducing premiums increase by effectively stopping State.

  3. Deregulate and allow greater contributions to health savings accounts. This fabulous tax havens give individuals more control over your health spending, and paired with a cheap insurance to cover the catastrophic disease (i.e. true insurance) are all most people need.Hampered by returning immediately slow down most purchasing decisions for consumers, health care expenditure is and prices.This conservative, free market is already tested and proven way to "The cost curve stoop." 

  4. Consequences you the recommendations of the bipartisan Breaux Commission giving Medicare beneficiaries a means-tested scholarship, private insurance to kaufen.Diese solution came during the Clinton era, but was also free market place with Bill and Hillary passed. With Medicare it should return moments from bankruptcy a bipartisan consensus to reform these giants.

  5. Transfer (gradually) all Medicaid responsibility in the Staaten.Federal allows support for Medicaid much bigger issues than usual occur.It forces economical States lavish coverage in New York, California, and elsewhere to subventionieren.Staaten your Medicaid systems along their own priorities in Exchange should complete freedom for lose maybe five years have organized federal subsidy. This would encourage countries, innovative ways of providing of health insurance for the poor, such as individual health accounts or subsidies, buy private insurance.

The latter the mammoth would two points to Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, be mothballed, allow although Medicare expensive, chronic diseases could keep a role as an insurer of last resort for those with already existing.

  6. Institute a "Loser Pays" system for medical malpractice to cut frivolous litigation.The ability to start a court action (and this applies in addition medical malpractice) with minimal financial risk is the reason for the explosion of misconduct litigation with all the associated costs.Reform at the federal level would require tort trial veto, to override lawyers that could be a problem.This reform should be pushed at the State level.

7. Finally, for true patient protection, let us guarantee a constitutional amendment to the individual the right to contract private medical Versorgung.Dies will eliminate time for all the threat to the private practice of medicine and assure that no matter what system is set up, patients always be allowed their own money for maintenance.

The above points are clear, simple and practical solutions. you authorize each and significantly reduce malicious government influence and the taxpayer to entlasten.Es is the conservative way forward on health care.

Richard Amerling, MD is a nephrologist City.Er practice in New York is an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of medicine in New York and Director dialysis at Beth Israel medical patient Center.Dr.Amerling studied medicine at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, graduating cum laude in 1981.Er graduated from a medical residency in wrote New York Hospital Queens and nephrology fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.Er and taught extensively on health care issues and is a Director of the Association of American physicians and Surgeons.Dr.Amerling Declaration of independence (http://www.aapsonline.org/medicare/doi.htm) is the author of the doctors.

It's hard top believe that Medicaid take responsibility best practice in various health programs search wird.Seine before you reach this position.

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Announcing the health 2.0 2011 conference planning

We are pleased you introduce our exciting conference schedule for 2011! In San Diego on March 21-22 our spring fling Conference will take place. This event focuses itself on three topics where health 2.0 can make a big difference: making health care cheaper; the future of research; and prevention, wellness, exercise and eating. For our fifth annual fall health 2.0 Conference we are again in San Francisco on September 26-27.

Innovative health 2.0 technologies that affect our three topics present our spring fling the "lower cost health", "Research" and "Prevention". We are highlighted also winner of the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge. See the AGENDA for more details.To get your Earlybird registration tickets click here!Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are now available! 

 Our fifth annual Conference the case provide a wide overview of health 2.0 in our landmark event of the year.For more information click here and wait tickets to your regular Earlybird registration TODAY!See available sponsorship and Exhibitor-options!

Offer we temporarily early bird rate currently offer for Both conferences most A low Earlybird price.The special $2199 combined registration rate saves you don't have to register hundreds of regular registration Preise.Warten - soon raise prices!Get your tickets now click here and choose the San Diego early bird combined 2011 (includes San Francisco 2011) registration pricing option.  

Health 2.0 offers a wide range of Sponsorship opportunities for your company in the healthcare before our influential and varied audience, including exhibitors unable to erhalten.Wir help the best level for your organization to gain the maximum exposure find. for more details and information see San Diego and San Francisco sponsorship brochure.

And if you not Yet…the videos from the annual health 2.0 case conference in San Francisco had seen last month you are up on Health 2.0 TV!

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Best of red wine cancer connection

Red wine has a mixed reputation in the medical community. Some health authorities cite evidence that indicates it may be the one form of alcohol that provides actual health benefits. Generally speaking, the positive research regarding red wine has to do with its impact on cardiovascular health. In recent years, scientists have begun to analyze the specific chemical make up of this popular beverage. In doing so, they’ve discovered several phytochemicals that could be the reason why fermented grapes discourage heart disease. Furthermore, some of these substances have exhibited benefits in other arenas, such as anti-cancer activity in animal models and in-vitro (test tube) experiments. However, these laboratory findings are often at odds with population studies that find negative associations between alcohol consumption and cancer incidence. Today I’ll examine the most recent findings regarding the alcohol cancer connection.

The decision about whether to include red wine in your daily diet is an important one. There is considerable evidence that demonstrates its cardiovascular benefits. Since cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of premature mortality, we need to do all we can to prevent it. But breast and prostate cancers are significant health threats as well and it’s also vital to limit risk factors for those diseases. This is why the pros and cons of red wine need to be carefully evaluated. (1,2,3,4,5,6)

Several recent studies have specifically examined the role that red wine may have in the promotion of breast cancer. Here is a summary of those findings:

The March 2009 Issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention - Over 6,300 women with breast cancer (BC) and 7,500 without were interviewed about their alcohol intake and other potential risk factors such as family history of the disease, age of first pregnancy and the use of hormone replacement therapy. The women who drank 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day were 24% more likely to have breast cancer. No differences were found in terms of what form of alcohol was consumed. The primary author of the study concluded that, “We found no difference between red or white wine in relation to breast cancer risk. Neither appears to have any benefits”. (7,8)The March 2009 Issue of the European Journal of Cancer - A study carried out by the oncology department at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center examined the effects of beer, liquor and wine in over 2,800 women with BC. They discovered a dose-dependent increased risk of breast cancer for those who drank alcohol on a daily basis. This proposed threat did not seem to be influenced by the type of alcoholic beverage. (9)

These two recent studies are supported by previous research dating back over a decade. In 2001, over 61,000 women were followed for almost 10 years. About 1,300 of the participants developed breast cancer during that time frame. The older women who drank the most were 31% more likely to contract BC. A 1997 investigation in premenopausal French women likewise discovered an association between even small amounts of alcohol (60 calories per day) and breast cancer risk. Red wine was the predominant form of alcohol used by the trial subjects. (10,11)

This topic is controversial for several reasons: 1) Population studies are observational and not controlled. Often times, the conclusions found in such research doesn’t translate to real world results; 2) Other experiments indicate that red wine may actually combat the formation of dense breast tissue, which is also associated with increased BC risk; and 3) certain antioxidants in red wine (polyphenols and resveratrol) have exhibited protection against breast cancer growth and spread in animal and test tube studies. (12,13,14,15,16,17,18)

Alcohol Consumption, Benign Breast Disease (BBD) & Breast Cancer

Source: Breast Cancer Research 2005 7:R555 (a)

Breast and prostate cancers are linked by a few key features. Both diseases are influenced by sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone and tend to manifest themselves in middle age or senior years. However, the connection between red wine and prostate cancer (PC) incidence is not as clear as in the case of breast cancer. Several epidemiological studies that have examined this proposed link:

The April 2007 Issue of the International Journal of Cancer - A group of over 45,000 men were analyzed based on their “average consumption of red wine, white wine, beer and liquor”. Over the course of 16 years, about 3,300 were diagnosed with with prostate cancer. Drinking more than 4 glasses of red wine weekly seemed to slightly increase PC risk. But the change was so small and inconsistent that the authors concluded that, “red wine does not contribute appreciably to the etiology of prostate cancer”. (19)The March 2007 Issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch - This report proclaimed that men who drank an average of 4-7 glasses of red wine per week were 52% less likely to develop PC. It also stated that an inverse association was found between red wine consumption and “advanced or aggressive cancers”. (20)Nutrition and Cancer 2006 - 34,565 men (aged 50-76) were monitored for two years via questionnaires. 816 of them were diagnosed with PC during that period. White wine consumption was associated with prostate cancer, but red wine was not. (21)The January 2005 Issue of the International Journal of Cancer - 753 middle aged men with PC were compared to 703 men who were disease free. Interviews about “lifetime alcohol consumption and other risk factors” were conducted with each participant. Overall, no link was found between total alcohol intake and PC. However, there was a 6% decrease in “relative risk” discovered for “each additional glass of red wine consumed per week”. The authors of the study commented that this may imply, “a reduced risk associated with increasing levels of red wine consumption”. (22)

A 1999 study in the journal Cancer Causes and Control determined that “fortified” and white wines appeared to increase PC risk, but red wine did not. It’s possible that resveratrol, an “antioxidant in red wine”, has an anti-PC effect. Resveratrol is being aggressively studied as a possible adjunct in the fight against PC and as a preventive aid. (23,24,25,26,27,28)

The question that begs to be answered is, “What is it about alcohol and/or wine that may spur the growth of cancer?”. A presentation given at a recent American Physiological Society annual meeting offers one possible explanation. A group of rats with breast cancer were fed diluted alcohol or pure water in order to replicate what may occur in a human model of BC. Over the course of 4 weeks, the researchers found that the rats that were fed the alcohol had tumors that were nearly twice the size of those in rats that were fed only water. It seems that the alcohol increased blood flow to the tumors (via microvessel growth), perhaps because of increased levels of a pro-cancer protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). (29)

If it’s the actual alcohol in wine that is the problem, then using a dealchoholized red wine may be an option. New evidence presented in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry has determined that removing alcohol from red wine does not adversely impact the level of beneficial substances. In fact, the dealcoholized red wines generally exhibited higher levels of phenolic antioxidants than the traditional red wines. In this analysis, Merlot reds were the top source of the highly esteemed resveratrol. (30)

There are many questions still left unanswered in this debate. However, based on the preponderance of the evidence, it might be wise to limit alcohol consumption (including red wine) if breast cancer is a significant concern. If you choose to include small to moderates amounts of alcohol in your diet, then perhaps a dealcoholized red wine could be a viable alternative. The connection between red wine and prostate cancer seems to have a rosier tint. I’ll be sure to look out for more details that will hopefully confirm a positive end to that story. In closing, I’d like to remind you that there are plenty of biodynamic and organic wines available at many health food stores and online. These products are free of pesticides and added sulfites (preservatives). This is the variety of red wine that we stock in our home.

Update: November 2010 - The correlation between cancer incidence and alcohol/wine consumption has been a frequent topic in the medical literature of late. Over the past several months, researchers spanning the globe from Zhejiang, China to Oakland, California have amassed summaries on the effects of various forms of alcohol and malignancy rates. Here are some of the key findings: a) wine appears to afford minor protective activity (-15%) in relation to bladder cancer occurrence; b) consuming 3 or more alcoholic drinks per week seems to increase the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and cancer-related mortality in women diagnosed with “early-stage breast cancer”; c) wine was not associated with an elevated risk of endometrial cancer in a meta-analysis involving “20 case-control and seven cohort studies”; d) moderate red wine intake (2 glasses/day) didn’t impact colorectal cancer prevalence in a large “prospective, mutliethnic cohort (study) of middle-aged men”; e) having up to 3 alcoholic drinks daily is unlikely to influence prostate cancer risk, but heavier consumption of 7 or more drinks daily may contribute to “excess risk for this disease”. When it comes to alcohol/cancer connection, it’s becoming quite evident that avoidance or moderation is generally the best way to go. But it’s important to stay abreast of the latest research, as the knowledge base in this field is constantly evolving. Doing so may allow you to use alcohol in the safest possible way, if it enhances your lifestyle. (31,32,33,34,35)

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Hospital price dispersion

By DAVID DRANOVE

A study by the Center for studying health system change, which frees Tolday shows that hospitals different prices for the treatment of the same diseases erhalten.Center President Paul Ginsburg says that the disclosure:

"Variation in hospital pricing found (sic) are incompatible in this study with competitive markets - at least for markets outside health care," said HSC President Paul B. Ginsburg, Ph.d.;

Hospital markets may not hard-fought, but this argument is silly. "("One could also say "Is (not) the variation in automobile prices" are") with highly competitive markets incompatible." But it would be wrong in both cases.

Vertical quality differentiation (i.e., some vendors are better than others) generated in competitive price dispersion. It is only in the most basic treatment of competition - in the first week of the intro economics course, vertical differentiation is ignored. Observed price dispersion is not incompatible with competition.

In addition it is severity dispersion within Diagnostics (such as some hospitals get the sickest patients within DRGs). Medicare ignored this when the prices set. But private insurers need not ignore this and can calibrate prices accordingly.Hospitals can get higher prices getting sicker patients.Also, this is not incompatible with competition.

So, what have we learned from this study? the different hospitals have different prices?We see price dispersion for authors and for dry cleaning and electric pencil sharpeners, for crying out loud.This is not news, and there are no political implications that that drawn from the study werden.Aber is health care, so I cover in the New York will this trial times, predict even if it fails, say anything we don't already know.

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Best of fenugreek research

Very few health conditions are brought about by genetic factors alone. Some people may be prone to elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity or type 2 diabetes. But it’s extremely uncommon that such health concerns are solely influenced by a familial predisposition. More often than not these conditions are influenced by diet and lifestyle choices that are less than optimal. A pertinent analogy for this might be that genes are like a field. If you eat well, exercise regularly, practice stress reduction and supplement wisely, you will, in effect, encourage lush green plant life to grow. However, if you don’t take proper care of yourself, the field will become dry and lifeless. When ash or a spark comes drifting your way, which type of a field would you rather be?

On many occasions I’ve emphasized that supplements are not a replacement for healthy lifestyle choices. But the fact of the matter is that many people fall short of their dietary and exercise goals. Another reality is that some people have stronger genetic hurdles to overcome. In both of these instances, supplements can often play a more prominent role in managing wellness naturally.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) was first mentioned in “an Egyptian papyrus” dating back to 1500 B.C. This culinary herb has traditionally been used to support milk production in pregnant women, healthy digestion and even to reduce inflammatory conditions relating to the skin. However, in recent years scientists have focused on fenugreek’s ability to counter several maladies that are extremely common in the 21st century. (1)

Two recent studies on fenugreek indicate that it may play a valuable role in the arena of hunger management. The first trial was published in the November 2009 issue of Phytotherapy Research. It involved 18 “healthy obese subjects”. Each of the participants ate three breakfasts that were supplemented with varying levels of fenugreek fiber – 0 grams (used as a “control” or comparison), 4 grams or 8 grams. Dietary records were kept that detailed the food consumed in meals and snacks following the experimental breakfasts. Several significant findings were noted:

The meals containing 8 grams of fenugreek fiber supported a greater feeling of fullness and satiety.This reduced level of hunger decreased subsequent food consumption on the days when the 8 gram dosage was administered.The caloric intake in the groups receiving 4 and 8 grams of fenugreek also dropped during lunch time meals. (2)

A study from the October 2009 edition of the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology explains that fenugreek seeds have been shown to reduce “feeding behavior in animals, but strong clinical data (in humans) are lacking”. In order to remedy this information gap, a group of 12 healthy male volunteers were enrolled in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. On three separate occasions, the men were given either a placebo, 588 mg of a fenugreek seed extract or 1,176 mg of the extract. There was a “washout period” of 14 days between each test in order to rule out any competing influence. The results of this experiment indicate that the higher dosage of fenugreek significantly reduced fat and total caloric intake while having no ill effect on nutrient levels. (3)

If a reduction in appetite was all that fenugreek could accomplish, I probably wouldn’t devote an entire column to it. But it also appears to provide some valuable benefits with regard to blood sugar disorders and cardiovascular health. Here are some of the key findings that I discovered while sifting through the most recent scientific data:

A new Iranian study examined the effects of 10 grams of “powdered fenugreek seeds” in a group of 24 type 2 diabetics. The fenugreek powder was either “soaked in hot water” or mixed into yogurt and fed to the diabetics over the course of 8 weeks. The subjects who were in the “hot water” group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in fasting blood sugar, VLDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels. But those receiving the fenugreek-enhanced yogurt showed no such benefits. This research suggests that certain water soluble fractions of fenugreek may be responsible for its therapeutic activity. (4)Several animal studies provide a basis for the lipid-modifying effects of fenugreek exhibited in the previous study. An Indian trial from the October 2009 issue of the journal Obesity, discovered that fenugreek could assist the body in processing LDL cholesterol and decrease fat accumulation in mice. These results may help explain why other recent animal studies demonstrate fenugreek’s ability to reduce plaque formation in the arteries of rabbits and even reduce the likelihood of cholesterol-based gallstones in mice receiving a high cholesterol diet. (5,6,7)Fenugreek Fiber (Galactomannan) and Blood Sugar ControlSource: J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2008 November; 43(3): 167–174. (a)

Perhaps the biggest question about fenugreek that’s currently being examined is how and why it works as well as it does. As I write this, there are food scientists fast at work trying to find a way to incorporate fenugreek into our modern food supply. An October 2009 study in the Journal of Medicinal Food tested the use of a proprietary fenugreek flour which was added to a commercial bread mix. The experimental bread contained 5% fenugreek flour. Testing on 8 “diet-controlled diabetic subjects” found that the fenugreek bread helped to manage blood sugar and insulin more successfully than a 100% whole wheat bread. Another important finding was that the taste of the fenugreek bread was “indistinguishable from the whole wheat bread control”. (8)

A substance by the name of 4-hydroxyisoleucine is believed to be at least partially responsible for the blood sugar balancing effect of fenugreek. This “atypical branched-chain amino acid” has been shown to reduce insulin resistance in the liver and muscles, and stimulate insulin secretion by the pancreas. The weight loss demonstrated in certain animal studies is postulated as being one more way in which fenugreek can cause a decline in blood sugar and plasma insulin concentrations. This evidence recently prompted a group of Canadian researchers to remark that, “4-hydroxyisoleucine, a simple, plant-derived amino acid, may represent an attractive new candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia, all key components of metabolic syndrome”. Other scientists report that even long term exposure (in animal models) to 4-hydroxyisoleucine does not damage the liver and appears to improve certain cardiovascular risk factors such as HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. (9,10,11)

The truth of the matter is that researchers are often left wondering exactly how natural “medicines” work. Herbal extracts are frequently comprised of hundreds, if not thousands, of naturally-occurring chemicals. Most prescription medications are synthesized in a laboratory and contain only one, isolated chemical. This is partially why it’s not yet clear whether the healing properties of fenugreek are due solely to 4-hydroxyisoleucine, water soluble phytochemicals or possibly even a viscous form of fiber known as galactomannan. The overall potential of fenugreek is also not entirely clear. Preliminary research indicates that it may benefit aspects of health that extend far beyond blood sugar, cholesterol and weight. In recent years, scientific trials point to fenugreek as a possible analgesic (pain reliever), a liver protector and a memory enhancer. There is even a study underway to verify its time tested ability to safely support lactation in women who have difficulty producing adequate breast milk. Fenugreek has indeed come full circle. But now, that circle is expanding. We’re learning more about this valuable spice each day and the information is becoming available just in the nick of time. (12,13,14,15,16,17)

Update: November 2010 - The October 2010 edition of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reveals yet another side of fenugreek – as an ergogenic aid. A group of forty-nine “resistance trained men were matched according to body weight and randomly assigned (in a double blind trial) capsules containing 500 mg of a placebo or fenugreek”. Over an 8 week period, the participants engaged in an identical 4-day a week resistance training program. Measurements pertaining to body composition, exercise performance and strength were taken at baseline, after 4 weeks and at the end of trial. Several noteworthy differences were detected between the fenugreek and placebo groups: a) the fenugreek subjects lost more body fat: -2.3% vs. -1.4%; and b) significantly greater gains in bench- and leg-press exercises were recorded in those receiving the fenugreek capsules. A variety of blood tests were conducted on both groups as well. No alterations in clinical safety data (complete blood count, kidney and liver function, lipids, etc.) were detected in any of the study volunteers. The findings of this pilot trial indicate that this proprietary fenugreek extract (Torabolic) has “a significant impact on both upper- and lower-body strength and body composition”. Longer term studies are now needed to expand upon and verify these preliminary results. (18)

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Expressive writing

Expressive writing is encouraged a stress management technique that individuals make emotional and/or traumatic events from their past. This sometimes cathartic experience is generally within 3 to 5 sessions, which take 15-30 minutes. In the process some patients find that you more about your feelings control and develop more confidence in dealing with stress resulting in positive results in a variety of health conditions. Three recent studies of expressive writing document favorable results in different patient populations: men and women with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome); Students with eating disorders; and issues to test living with psoriasis.

Researchers from the Boston University School of medicine are the latest report success with a modified expressive writing Protocol. A total of 103 IBS patients participated in the study. The majority (82) engaged in four, 30 minute writing exercises described "Your deepest thoughts, feelings and beliefs concerning the disease and their perception of the impact". The rest of the participants (21) served as a peer group. A battery of IBS tests were conducted at baseline, symptom severity 1 month post treatment and 3 months after conclusion of the study performed. The writing abusive exercises experienced significant improvements in IBS results at 1 and 3-month mark.Benefits in cognitive performance were also noticed.(1)

September October issue of the European Journal of Dermatology focused on the potential of "emotional writing disclosure" as a complement to conventional care. In this study, researchers evaluated its impact on patients with skin disease which psoriasis .Vierzig psoriasis patients were treated all UV-B (UVB)-Exposition and one of the three add on treatments: 1) expressive writing Protocol; 2) writing about "great life objectives";3) no write/control group. Study volunteers who participated in an expressive writing routine "a longer remission after Phototherapie.Dies offers first indications that such a simple and inexpensive tool a role in improving the effectiveness of treatment and QoL (quality of life)". play (2)

The expressive illustrate the previous two examples the potential in writing under the terms of a physical nature. Some psychological disorders such as eating disorders, also appear to take write on emotional.This statement is präsentiert.Eine 8 week investigation of two experimental writing tasks in the May 2010 issue of the magazine European eating disorders review and a control task showed that expressive writing "specific functions associated with eating disorder presentation" treated, that "therapeutic writing for this vulnerable population of value can be". The conclusion of the study encourages other mental health professionals confirm and extend these preliminary results. (3)

Expressive writing may reduce short-term fear and DepressionMean and standard deviations for that-21 and SF-12 subscales at baseline and two weeks follow up (n = 14). source: harm day j. 2006. 3: 34. (a)

A research abstract from the publication of advances in psychiatric treatment provides an example for a step-by-step guide to the one of the most basic forms of expressive writing. The authors DRS. Karen A. Balkie and Kay Wilhelm, offered the following general instructions. "For the next 4 days, I want you to write your very deepest thoughts and feelings about the most traumatic experience your entire life or an extremely important emotional issue that has affected you and your life." Write in your would you really let go and explore your deepest feelings and thoughts. Could your theme to your relationships with other countries, including parents, lovers, to bind friends or relatives; Your past, your present or your future;or, you have that you want to be who or who are you jetzt.Sie can same general problems or experience every day write about every day of writing or on various subjects.All of your writing will be absolutely confidential.Don't you worry about spelling, grammar or sentence structure."Ride the only rule that is once you start writing, until the time has expired."(4)

The common thread that connects the studies already mentioned is that expressive writing as supportive therapy, professional care employs habe.Niemand proposes a way to express your emotions a panacea for every physical or psychological challenge which humanity faced ist.Eine more accurate and realistic view may deny or suppress, experiences and feelings that accompany a deterioration in health kann.Da Body-mind of expressive writing for almost all of us easily accessible, I believe, it is thought within a comprehensive treatment Protokolls.Wenn you are interested, please consult determine team with your health care, whether appropriate obsolete.you could it in your particular case also try the works of the expressive writing Pioneer Dr. James W. Pennebaker.(5)

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Locks of antimatter

Scientists at CERN, the European nuclear research facility, say they have produced and trapped molecules of antihydrogen, a form of antimatter. Physicist Jeffrey Hangst explains how they were made and captured. Will trapping antimatter help scientists learn about the construction of the universe?

Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

IRA FLATOW, host:

Up next, on the trail of the elusive antimatter.

(Soundbite of movie, "Angels and Demons")

Unidentified Man (Actor): (as character) We have a signal on the (unintelligible) monitors. We have events.

FLATOW: Remember that scene from "Angels and Demons"? It showed scientists at CERN running experiments with a Large Hadron Collider and capturing antimatter in a bottle? Well, this week scientists at CERN - real scientists and not the movie variety - announced the same thing almost. They say they have finally produced and captured antimatter - antihydrogen, exactly - long enough to study it, not a very long time, though, it's about a second, but it doesn't last long enough to be captured in a vial like in the movie, so they didn't get that part down yet.

Here to tell us how they did it and what the physicists hope to learn from this antihydrogen is my guest Jeffrey Hangst. He's professor in the Department of Astronomy and Physics at Aarhus, the university in Denmark. And he joins us from Switzerland. Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY.

Professor JEFFREY HANGST (Aarhus University): Thank you very much. Although, I think it's going to be hard to follow that oboe stuff.

(Soundbite of laughter)

FLATOW: You mean antimatter is not sexy enough to follow an oboe made out of a straw. I think it is. How were you able to capture antimatter?

Prof. HANGST: Okay. We have kind of a magnetic trap. Antihydrogen is neutral, so it has no net charge. So you can't trap it the way we normally trap charged particles. It has a little magnetic character, like a little compass needle that flies around with the atom. So it can be deflected by very strong magnetic fields. And what we did here was we created the antihydrogen atom in the magnetic trap. So that if it was cold enough or moving slowly enough, it didn't escape this magnetic bottle.

FLATOW: Hmm. And how many atoms were you able to capture?

Prof. HANGST: Well, in this article we reported 38 as a proof of principle. This was the first signal that we saw, so of course we report the signal as soon as it comes because we've been working a long time to see anything at all. So this is a proof of principle experiment, but we're making steady progress since then.

FLATOW: Now, what is the difference between antihydrogen and the real or the regular hydrogen we see around us?

Prof. HANGST: That's exactly the question that we'd like to answer. The laws of physics say that hydrogen and antihydrogen should behave in the same way. The problem is that nature chose to only give us matter. You know, people think at the Big Bang there were equal quantities of matter and antimatter, but for some reason the antimatter has disappeared. It's like nature took a left turn instead of a right turn and chose matter. So we don't know what happened to the antimatter. So we'd like to study and see if there's some fundamental difference between the two that the current laws of physics have overlooked.

FLATOW: Hmm. And you were able to capture it for one second. Is that - and you say this is a proof of concept. Does that mean that theoretically you can capture it for a longer amount of time?

Prof. HANGST: Not just theoretically. The antimatter didn't escape in this experiment. We threw it out. The way we show that we've trapped it, we have to first trap it and then release it intentionally. The thing about antimatter is that when it meets matter it annihilates it. It makes a little microscopic explosion that we're very good at detecting. So the way that you show that you've trapped antihydrogen is to intentionally let it go at a given time. So the time that we stored the antimatter for in that experiment was by choice, not by some limit. We've already succeeded in storing it for much, much longer times.

FLATOW: How much longer?

Prof. HANGST: I can't tell you because we...

(Soundbite of laughter)

FLATOW: You'd have to shoot me then.

Prof. HANGST: Yeah. It's not like that. It's just that we don't quote published numbers. But I usually say it's a number that you could measure with a watch. Okay?

FLATOW: Okay. And when you say well, isn't it there we always see in the movies and we hear, you know, what happens when antimatter annihilates with matter is there's huge explosion. Wasn't there a huge explosion or danger one?

Prof. HANGST: But - on the microscopic level, it's a huge explosion. But the amount of energy from a few atoms is completely negligible. In fact, the total amount of antimatter produced at CERN in all of its history would barely boil your coffee. And so the - for us, it's easy to detect but it's of absolutely no danger to anyone anywhere. I usually say it would take longer than the age of the universe to create just one gram of antimatter. So you don't need to worry about that.

FLATOW: Yeah. And now, what practical value comes out of this work?

Prof. HANGST: Absolutely none. This is basic research at the most fundamental level. We're asking about, what's the structure of space and time? Can we learn something about what we usually refer to as symmetry in nature? Is there a difference between left and right? What happens if time runs backwards? Is there a difference between matter and antimatter? You can actually get paid for trying to answer those questions.

FLATOW: And we think you should, actually.

Prof. HANGST: Yes.

FLATOW: But everything has to have a, you know, discernible who knows, somewhere down the line, there might be was it "Star Trek" where they have antimatter running in their engines there?

Prof. HANGST: Yeah, that's true. I don't know where they found that. But if you found some antimatter, okay, first you should keep it at a safe distance. But then you could consider it as an energy source. The problem is that if you try to make antimatter in the laboratory, it requires much, much more energy than you would ever get out of it. It's a complete loser as an energy source. So that's really science fiction.

FLATOW: Hmm. But it's also a kind of science fictiony(ph) but fact to think that if there was equal amounts of matter and antimatter at the Big Bang, where did it all go?

Prof. HANGST: Yeah. But I'm not sure that our experiment will ever address that question. We're interested more in: Do the laws of physics be applied in the same way to matter and antimatter?

There are other experiments at CERN that are trying to address that question more directly. Those are at the LHC. Our experiment doesn't use the LHC in any way, in contrary to what you've seen in Dan Brown's films and movies. We work at a low energy accelerator.

In fact, CERN has the only accelerator in the world that works in reverse. We actually slow the antiprotons down. We need to have them at very low energy, very cold, in order to make them and hold on to them.

FLATOW: And how did you actually make this antimatter?

Prof. HANGST: Very slowly.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Prof. HANGST: What you do is you take the components of the antihydrogen atom. Okay. We start with hydrogen, because that's the simplest atom. Everybody remembers from high school, hopefully, it has a proton and a nucleus with a positive charge, and an electron negatively charged orbiting around it. That's the normal atom cartoon that we all see.

FLATOW: Right.

Prof. HANGST: So antihydrogen is the identical but opposite. So the antiproton has a negative charge and is in the center of the atom. And the positron, or anti-electron, is the thing doing the orbiting. We're at CERN because they provide us with antiprotons. We have to make those in the accelerator. And this is where Mr. Einstein comes in, E=MC2. What CERN does is use E, energy, to make M, mass, right?

FLATOW: Right.

Prof. HANGST: So we use energy to produce mass. And here's the curious thing. When you do that, you always make equal amounts of matter and antimatter. In the laboratory, if you produce an antiproton, you produce a proton at the same time. That seems to be a fundamental law. And that's why we're confused about the beginning of the universe.

So we make this stuff within the big accelerator and then slow it down. We want it at really cold temperatures when we combine antiprotons and positrons to make antihydrogen atoms.

FLATOW: Quite fascinating. And so, then you sort of recycle it when you're done with it, right? Getting and so you this could have been done years ago, do you think? Or just people...

Prof. HANGST: No, no, no. We've been working on this steadily since the well, the history of the field goes to the late '80s. And there's been no pause or let up in the attempt to get this far. The last big breakthrough was in 2002.

There's another experiment that we had called ATHENA, where we actually produced a lot of antihydrogen atoms for the first time. So we've been producing them for the last eight years. It's only now that we've learned how to hold on to them so they don't run off and annihilate.

FLATOW: So you caught lightning in a bottle.

Prof. HANGST: That's a good way to look at it, yes.

FLATOW: Yeah. Well, we want to wish you good luck.

Prof. HANGST: Thanks very much.

FLATOW: And thank you for taking time to be with us.

Prof. HANGST: Hey, it's my pleasure.

FLATOW: And...

Prof. HANGST: And thank you for your interest.

FLATOW: Yeah, because we're very interested in this topic. And we'll check in with you when the research continues.

Prof. HANGST: Okay. Thank you very much.

FLATOW: Thank you.

Prof. HANGST: Okay.

FLATOW: We were talking about antimatter being caught in a bottle at CERN with Jeffrey Hangst, at - professor in Department of Astronomy and Physics at Aarhus University in Denmark, but he was in Switzerland when we were talking about him.

(Soundbite of music)

FLATOW: A quick note to mark the passing of astronomer Dr. Brian Marsden, supervisor of astronomy at The Smithsonian Physical Observatory and director emeritus of the Minor Planet Center, frequent guest on the program. Dr. Marsden was known for his expertise in identifying comets.

(Soundbite of archived audio)

Dr. BRIAN MARSDEN (Former Supervisor of Astronomy, The Smithsonian Physical Observatory): Comets are a dirty snowball or a snowy dirt ball, if you want to call it that. As the ice vaporizes and turns to gas, it releases this dust. Some of the dust sticks around with some of that gas around...

FLATOW: And he was on our program back in 1994, talking about comets. He was an expert on that. He also was warning us to keep our eyes watching out for asteroids that might collide with the Earth. He was also, well you might remember, one of the first to call for the demotion of Pluto out of the family of planets. But none of his scientific work, I don't think, would have received the widespread attention that it deserved if he had not been such a vocal and visible scientist, and someone who was always eager to come on SCIENCE FRIDAY and talk to the public whenever he could.

Brian Marsden, dead at the age of 73 after a long illness.

I'm Ira Flatow. This is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR.

Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

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Creamy asparagus soup recipe

Asparagus cream soup one of my is comfort favorite cooler weather food. However, I do it slightly different than most. You can't tell by his appearance and perhaps even the taste but my version of this delicacy is complete dairy free. I guess that I to replace the cream or milk with soy milk. False. Instead I use the taste and texture of raw cashew nuts to the wealth of cream while at the same time to imitate, improve the overall nutritional composition of the final product.

There are obvious and subtle differences be found if cashews to compare heavy cream. A half cup serving raw cashew nuts rings in at approximately 360 calories. It offers approximately 10 grams protein and 30 grams mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Heavy cream is about 410 calories per 4 oz. The majority of energy comes from saturated fatty acids (44 G).Other differences include higher levels of antioxidants, fiber and phytochemicals in cashew nuts.(1,2,3,4,5)

One of the best features of nuts such as cashews is to improve the nutritional composition of ones diet without weight gain - when eaten in moderation are capable. A recent analysis of Louisiana State University found that regular tree nut consumption significantly improvements nutritional value over increased intake of calcium, fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamin E led.These same people showed a tendency consume less sodium on a daily basis.And while eating nuts often results in a slightly higher calorie intake, this gain in calories is not affiliated with Gewichtszunahme.In demonstrates some research that including nuts in those diet contributes risk of a long-term weight to reduce win Act.(6,7,8)

Healthy fellow cream of asparagus soup
32 Ounce organic vegetable broth
12 Oz organic asparagus Spears
1/2 Cup organic, raw cashew nuts
2 Tablespoons organic, extra vergine olive oil
2 large organic shallots
organic black pepper to taste
NutraSalt or salt to taste

Nutrition content: Calories: 130. Protein: 3 grams. Fat: 10 Grams. Fiber: 2 G."Net" carbohydrates:6 Grams.

Pour the olive oil in a large soup pot on medium low heat.Roll the shallots and the hot oil to soften.Rough chop the asparagus Spears and add the pot.Season generously with salt and pepper and cooking for 5 minutes.Stir occasionally to prevent the shallots burn.Stir in the vegetable broth and cover the pot. simmer for 5 minutes.Turn the heat and add the cashews.Use a hand blender, puree the soup in a creamy consistency.Check seasoning and accordingly adjust.

Tree nut consumption may help prevent weight gain 

I personally use a variety of dairy products in my own Ernährung.jedoch some people not tolerate or object from philosophical Gründen.Das is why I always like to have to alternatives to the hand when guests come to besuchen.Aber is yet another reason why I occasionally a familiar food from my own diet omit: diet diversity to promote it is much easier for milk products, exposed as cashews application more, do not always and kept the same foods to eat the way, a wide range of phytochemicals, naturally occurring minerals and vitamins genießen.Kurz telling your bases helps to mix it to you in the kitchen the nutritional front and cover.

You may have noticed that I spend the recipe ingredient not at any time in today's column on the stars: Spargel.Ich recently wrote a column, which focused on health, the promotion potential of Asparagus officinalis, so I, decided not to previous material I'll tell Runderneuerung.jedoch I first and foremost, chosen because it packs use impressive nutritional punch this low Glycemic, non starchy Gemüse.Ein 12 ounce bags of asparagus Spears income less than 90 calories and contributes a significant amount of protein, fiber, potassium and vitamin an excellent example c.Dieses for how much healthy vegetables of each diet program, including low-carbohydrate diet can add.

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S.m.a.r.t.-objectives: an essential step in strategy formulation

By MATT MODLESKI

We are often asked to organizational strategy weigh when the proverbial "House is on fire" and a client will experience business challenges. Our first question to the CEO and his staff as soon as we our consulting to begin journey is simply, "what is your goal?" Many times it is uncomfortable silence or clients offer an admirable and ambitious objectives which are not quantifiable.Things like "We want to be a high quality provider" or "We want to inspire our customers."In an instance of a CFO told us "I will make the financial objective later, I want to talk strategy!"

Aspirational and inspiring rhetoric is valuable in many related.Leadership inspires energy and enthusiasm with aspirational declarations from the podium. And mission and vision statements are accordingly with statements on efforts and commitments we want our Organization to "do and be."That's ok. What is wrong if we confuse these things with business performance goals.

Needless to say, no clear lenses, there can be no clear strategy. If there no clear s.m.a.r.t.-target, an organization has difficulty who decide how you align activities and resources in ways that will lead this objective.For example, is "to the quality provider" much less clear than to say "till December 31, 2011, we will hospitals in employee satisfaction scores in the top 15% of the VHA."

A clear, focused goal is the first step in creating Gewinnstrategie.Aber discipline, which for the first and crucial step required is often defective. Or if the willingness to articulate a goal often present lacks the strict necessary, really focused one to create.

Before we can evaluate the strategy and tactical plan supported in all strategic plan, the strategy, we need a s.m.a.r.t.-purpose. Whether we are talking about an organization, a business unit or individual, in which we are confronted with evolving terrain change realities that force, and can we assess our strategy we must start with the objective.

So let's do a quick refresher on the s.m.a.r.t.-code. 100% Boards to pass strict on each abbreviation must all targets:

S PECIFIC: hone in want to achieve with a focus on exactly what it is.

M edible: mathematics people Mathematik.Jedes arithmetic components must target.Share growth, raw unit volume or dollar volume, number of measurable Responses…etc.

A Ttainable: Stretch is good but let us not mission so ambitious that there is no way we'll it getroffen.Zu much stretch and teams are never the journey involved in accomplishing the target have.

R-Ealistic: this is not redundant to the achievable plank. This measure provides balance achievable Herausforderung.Wir want too much stretch in our goal but we also want under set of the bar.That are "A and R" checks and balances to ensure the correct amount of healthy tension in our goal.

T IME bound: participation in the proverbial sand on the drop dead return date that would like to celebrate, have reached your destination.Why? because we, when the party favors and balloons for the celebration to shop need to know.Seriously people "Perpetual in the entire 2011" as your drop dead, date assures that energy and focus on the importance of the objective will dissipate.

The remaining steps in the strategic process include a thorough knowledge of themselves, the environment and competition, which then strengthen of an honest assessment of your unique culminating against the competition.Once these unique strengths was distilled the power efficiently reaching the raw material for most should have your destination is selected and tactically executed.The strategic process rigorous in all aspects fehlt.Klingen is focus away from a longer view of our world and the hardships which draw sometimes strategic processes, short-term tactical distractions and quarterly earnings "Panic" often.

Rigorous strategic processes start with the clear intention and preferably in s.m.a.r.t.-objectives are grounded.So what is s.m.a.r.t.-target the ACO's development, or for that matter in healthcare reform as a whole? "Improving the quality of care while reducing costs through collaborative care" sounds good, but existed the s.m.a.r.t.-test?Since the reform law seem as written, links less than strict an enormous amount of latitude in HHS and CMS, many of the elements of sound strategic planning at this Punkt.Und frankly, could a singular s.m.a.r.t.-aim for the health the Attainable and realistic test despite our best efforts to create are one.

A more cautious approach would s.m.a.r.t.-herstellen.Diejenigen objectives objectives within the health care chain for certain reform could such as access, quality, commercial insurance and federal and Government plans enthalten.sobald s.m.a.r.t.-objectives within these targets have been set up, we could see more accurately and relevant an ACO model.

Less than strict s.m.a.r.t.-objectives often become a causal variable in organizational performance deficiencies and Herausforderungen.Wenn contribute to the moral business units and individuals are insecure are how the organization defines a "win", be it a lack of commitment and Fokus.Und you probably because these two pieces of the strategic plan reform shaky at best as Lewis Carol ", ACO Street looks pretty well" could have said!

Matt Modleski is a Vice President with Stovall Grainger Modleski Inc, a strategically focused organization that consulted and of goods and services for the healthcare has trains customers and marketing Wirtschaft.Matt extensive experience in strategic direction, management and healthcare was his work in the health sector, sales Beratung.Vor and moves by an experienced pilot marketing Matt 355th wing instructor was the ranks in the U.S. Luftwaffe.Er rider of the year and also a lead member of the United States Air Force air demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds.

Yes, you Suggsted everyone Hae smart and all people must obey follow.

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The Penguin problem

Nobody moves when everyone moves so that no one moves.

  To overcome the Penguin problem has to do a lot with creating expectations.A recent letter from Dr. James O'Connor in the doctor presses practice a voice from the physician community which I never before heard haben.seinem essay is entitled "use meaningful — doctors have no choice ".

Dr. O'Connor argues that doctors are effectively forced the adoption facts cited EHRs.Er and achieved a powerful conclusion:

Revisiting the Penguin problem of EHR adoption. What here's happening?

View Dr. O'Connor's comments relating to the Penguin problem the EHR adoption:

Should Dr. O'Connor's write as a sentinel event - a possible early signal of massive changes ahead? Las his conclusion and consider associations such as the collective actions of the Federal Government, payer and doctors strong expectations of EHR adoption create:

I never seen an article like Dr. O'Connor's plan - a letter from a doctor that to effectively express that doctors are feeling pressure to rise ice floe and directly into the aquatic environment of the EPO adoption.

Is pressure acts as a slight nudge or a painful is perceived in the butt? Dr. O's article suggests the latter, but let's leave the topic for another discussion.

... and you're either way, the ice floe and swimming in the ocean of EHR adoption.

An article by a doctor is probably not enough to get all the penguins in the Water…but, it definitely is noted importance and continue to dribble

Is Vince Kuraitis JD, MBA health care consultant and principal author of the e Care Management blog where was this post.

THCB the more I read the more I have the impression that the EPA for the healthcare analysts always what bloodletting to doctors of the nineteenth century - magic bullet with unrealistic war.Und I'm someone who who actually supports EHR and who worked with 3 different EPA since residency in 2000.

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Best of natural liver protection

The word “detoxification” is frequently mentioned in holistic circles. Perhaps the most important organ involved in this process is the liver. Without it, the body could not handle exposure to alcohol, environmental contaminants, junk food and even medications. The liver is responsible for promoting healthy blood (via the production of albumin and clotting factors) and combats fatigue by storing fat as an source of energy. Furthermore, it also aids in the absorption of life promoting nutrients such as CoQ10, Vitamins A, D, E and K. Simply put, without a properly functioning liver, one cannot live a vigorous life.

An herb known as milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is probably the best known natural remedy that supports healthy liver function. It has garnered this reputation with good reason. But there are some other lesser known ways to protect the liver as well. (1,2,3)

Liver Protector #1 – Coffee

A new study appearing in the journal Hepatology examined a proposed link between coffee consumption and hepatitis C outcomes. 766 Hep C patients were medically evaluated every 3 months for almost 4 years. During that time, they reported their average coffee and tea intake. Researchers found a dose dependent protective effect afforded by regular coffee use. The relative risk of disease progression was 30% lower in those drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day and 53% lower in participants drinking 3 or more cups daily. An interesting side note is that black and green tea did not appear to confer the same benefit. Prior population studies appear to support the superiority of coffee vs. tea in this particular circumstance. The exact mechanism by which coffee imparts this protective effect isn’t clear at this time. However, some scientists suspect that certain phytochemicals in coffee (cafestol, diterpenes and kahweol) may block the damaging effects of toxins on this vital organ. (4,5,6)

Liver Protector #2 – Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance produced by the body that plays an integral role in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system and supporting cellular energy. The liver is one of the richest sources of CoQ10. Perhaps this is why a recent study presented in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology points to its application in protecting against liver damage caused by a poor diet.

A group of mice was fed a junk food diet or a “balanced diet” for 8 weeks.The unhealthy diet was higher in fat and included 21% added fructose in the water supply.Some of the mice receiving the unhealthy drink and food were also supplemented with CoQ10.

The researchers reported that the junk food mice ate more, gained weight and demonstrated elevated blood sugar and “impaired glucose tolerance”. There was also a significant increase in inflammation and oxidative stress – particularly with regard to liver metabolism. On the other hand, CoQ10 supplementation countered some of these ill effects by decreasing liver inflammation and stress markers via altered gene expression in the liver. This is not the first mention of a hepatoprotective effect of CoQ10 in the medical literature. Other trials have concluded that this coenzyme may combat symptoms of cirrhosis and even mitigate the harmful effects of certain medications on the liver. (7,8,9)

Liver Protector #3 – Krill Oil

Krill oil is a valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and a potent antioxidant known as astaxanthin, a carotenoid that gives wild salmon its distinctive pink color. The October 2009 edition of the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry points to a relatively new method for shielding the heart and liver against dietary insults. Much like the previous study using CoQ10, the mice in this experiment were fed two different types of diet: 1) a “standard feed” that was used for comparison purposes; and 2) a heavily processed feed that was intended to tax the cardiovascular system and liver. The researchers then added krill oil to the chow of some of the lab animals that were fed the unhealthy diet.

The mice who received krill oil while eating the unhealthy diet showed a reduction in liver fat content and liver weight.Lower levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides were also detected in the krill supplemented group.

It’s also interesting to note that krill oil provoked an increase in adiponectin levels. This is a substance released by fat cells that helps to regulate lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and promotes insulin sensitivity. Higher levels of this hormone are connected to improved cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of diabetes. In general, marine-based omega-3 fats have been shown to support hepatic health. But krill oil appears to be more effective than fish oil in this regard. However, this conclusion needs to be interpreted with caution because it’s based on a very limited number of studies. (10,11,12)

Source: Can Fam Physician 2007;53:857-863 (a)

The single best way to support the liver is to avoid harming it in the first place. We all understand that abusing alcohol and drugs can ruin virtually any organ or system in the body. But not everyone is aware of the damage caused by consuming excessive carbohydrates on a regular basis. Even moderate amounts of carbs in the form of added sweeteners can lead to harmful shifts in lipid profiles and liver health markers. This is according to a new study conducted at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington. The worst sweeteners appear to be the fructose based variety – agave nectar, crystalline fructose and high fructose corn syrup. A recent review in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry again points to fructose as a primary culprit in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. On the flip side of the coin, the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains that higher protein intake may actually lower fatty deposits in the liver – via increased bile acid production. (13,14,15)

There may never be a drug, food or supplement that allows us to eat and live recklessly without suffering the consequences. However, I am a realist and do understand that most people don’t always eat and exercise as they should. Coffee, CoQ10 and krill oil may help overcome genetic weaknesses or the occasional dietary indulgence. But ultimately it’s important to remember that “supplements are meant to supplement an otherwise healthy lifestyle”. When used in that fashion, they can often be the body’s best friend.

Update: November 2010 - An analysis in the September 2010 issue of the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences determined that as many as 92% of patients with chronic liver disease are deficient in Vitamin D. A lack of D or cholecalciferol is most commonly associated with poor bone density. However, new evidence details a much more direct role for this nutrient in the management of the liver disease hepatitis C. A recent Italian trial evaluated the connection between Vitamin D concentrations and the response rate to conventional treatment of recurrent hepatitis C (RHC). A total of 42 patients with RHC took part in the 48 week examination. Fifteen of the study volunteers were given supplemental Vitamin D in order to address an overt deficiency and prevent further bone loss. In this subset of participants, 13 responded well to treatment by exhibiting “sustained viral response”. This compared favorably to the remainder of the non-supplemented participants: only 1 in 10 patients with severe Vitamin D deficiency (10 to 20 ng/ml) demonstrated sustained viral response. The conclusion of the study states that “Vitamin D deficiency predicts an unfavorable response to antiviral treatment of RHC. Vitamin D supplementation improves the probability of achieving a SVR following antiviral treatment”. This suggests that anyone concerned about or living with a liver condition would do well to monitor 25-OH Vitamin D serum levels. (16,17,18)

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Are you safe airport scanner?

Some airport body scanning machines use X-rays to generate images. How much radiation is a traveler exposed to? Should frequent fliers opt for a pat down instead? Radiation expert David Brenner explains the possible public health concerns of scanning millions of passengers.

Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

IRA FLATOW, host:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow.

Lots of talk this week about public resistance to the new full-body scanning machines at the airports. The full-body scan, which penetrates your clothes, showing great detail, is done using one of two different machines. There's one machine that uses millimeter waves that's - millimeter wave machine, and there's another one that uses X-rays. And it's the latter that have radiation experts buzzing because they subject passengers to what the TSA and the FDA say is a miniscule amount of ionizing radiation.

But just because it's a small amount, does that mean it's safe? And how do scientists know what a safe dose of radiation is? In addition, some TSA workers are exposed to small amounts of radiation that may leak or escape the baggage X-ray machines. How much of a risk do they face from accumulated radiation exposure?

Joining me to talk about it is my guest. David J. Brenner is the Higgins Professor of Radiation Biophysics at Columbia University. He's also director of the Center for Radiological Research there, and that's the oldest and largest radiological research center in the country. It was founded by a student of Marie Curie.

Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY, Dr. Brenner.

Dr. DAVID J. BRENNER (Higgins Professor of Radiation Biophysics, Columbia University): A pleasure to be here, Ira.

FLATOW: Yeah. Thank you. Let's talk about the machines that scan the people -there are two basic types, right?

Dr. BRENNER: Yes, there are. One is usually called millimeter wave scan machine and the other is called X-ray backscatter machine. In fact, they both work on the same basic principle of firing a beam of radiation at the individual and looking at what it's reflected back, quite similar to radar or sonar, but in one case using millimeter waves which are not so different from microwaves, in fact, and the other uses X-rays.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm. And it's the backscatter X-ray machines that give you a dose of X-ray radiation?

Dr. BRENNER: That's correct. As far as we know - one can never say something is safe - but as far as we know, there is no health hazard associated with the millimeter wave scanners. So the concern is more about the X-ray scanners.

FLATOW: Mm-hmmm. And what is that concern?

Dr. BRENNER: Well, we know that X-rays can damage DNA in cells, and we know that X-rays can ultimately produce cancer. So the concern is about the possibility of inducing X-ray-induced cancer in one of the individuals who's scanned.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm. On their website, the FDA says that these X-ray machines, quote, "deliver an extremely low dose of radiation to the person being screened. The radiation is so low that there's no need to limit the number of individuals screened or in most cases the number of screening an individual can have in a year."

Dr. BRENNER: Well, I certainly agree with the first part of that statement. The radiation doses we're talking about here are exceedingly low. I think there's some evidence they're a little bit higher than the TSA are stating, but even then the dose is still very low. And what that means is that the risk is extremely low for any individual going once through one of the scanners.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: The concerns we have are actually twofold. One is that there are actually a lot of people who go through airport security many times. One group, of course, is airline pilots, another group is frequent fliers. A typical commercial airline pilot in this country goes through security anywhere from 200 to 400 times a year. So that means that the very small risk from an individual scan is multiplied by that number 200 or 300 times for a pilot, or for a frequent flier, in fact. There's certainly frequent fliers who go through the security that many times in a year.

FLATOW: Or a flight attendant.

Dr. BRENNER: Or flight attendants, indeed.

FLATOW: I was talking to one on the plane the other day about this and I asked her if she was fearful. And she said, you know, I've been a flight attendant for 40 years. And she said just being up here at 35,000 feet for six hours at a time, I get plenty of radiation alone from just being that far above the Earth and the pilots do also. And, you know, I'm the last person who wants to walk through one of these machines.

Dr. BRENNER: Well, I would agree with that. And you could argue that the radiation that pilots and the rest of the air personnel get from natural sources is inevitable. There's nothing you can do about that. But the radiation from the scans, certainly, one could avoid if one used, for example, a millimeter wave scanners, which don't involve X-rays at all.

FLATOW: Well, why don't we just use those then? Why not use the - do away with the X-ray scanners and just use the millimeter ones and everybody might feel better?

Dr. BRENNER: I certainly would. It's hard to know what the logic is. I mean, I think the logic must be that the TSA believes both of them are safe and so they're using both of these devices. But there is certainly not conclusive evidence but convincing evidence that there will be some cancers induced some time in the future by these X-ray devices.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: The issue, Ira, is even though the individual risk is very small, we also think, when we think about risk, in terms of the population risk -that's the risk - we've factored in the number of people exposed to that risk. And what's happened in this field is until 2010, these machines were used actually quite rarely. They were not first-line screening devices. They were used for random checks and for people with - who have some special interest in.

But after the Christmas Day bombing of last year, the so-called underwear bomber, the TSA changed their policy and decided to use these devices as a frontline screening device, essentially, ideally for everybody.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: So what that meant is that the number of people being scanned has gone up or is going to go up quite dramatically. You know, the number of people going through airports at the moment is something like 750 million per year in the U.S. That's a big number.

So imagine all of those people getting scanned. So we have a small risk, but we have an awful lot of people exposed to that small risk. And that gives you a public health concern as well as a concern for the individuals.

FLATOW: Have independent labs verified that these scanning machines are giving the low-level radiation that the TSA says they are?

Dr. BRENNER: Well, the answer is no. It would be good - and I think this really should happen - that these machines become available for the general scientific community to actually assess what the radiation doses actually are. At the moment, people are having to do it in a rather indirect way. You look at the images, the pictures that you've probably seen on the Internet from these devices, and you can work backwards from the quality of the image to how much radiation dose was actually produced...

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: ...needed to generate that image.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: And it's actually rather larger than the TSA's numbers. But what we really need is some independent measurements.

FLATOW: So you suspect that those numbers may be higher because the picture is so good?

Dr. BRENNER: Well, because the picture is moderately good, I would say.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm.

Dr. BRENNER: And even if they're higher, the doses are still very low - that, I think, one must say. But they're probably somewhat higher than the TSA's estimates at this point.

FLATOW: Let's talk a bit - only a couple of minutes we have left - about the baggage handlers, because they stay by those baggage machines. And there was a study that came out in 2008 that sort of flew under radar screen, I think, of anybody's attention. It was a study by NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, at the request of the TSA, to determine the level of radiation emissions from these systems that scan the baggage. And they had some very disquieting conclusions about what they found.

Dr. BRENNER: Yeah, indeed. They found that the handlers were actually getting radiation exposure that we didn't expect, in part, because they were reaching into the machines. And, yeah, that that really shouldn't have happened. And it indicates some failure in terms of the quality control of the whole system.

FLATOW: Well shouldn't the TSA workers being wearing badges? Everywhere you go that people are around radiation in hospitals, in clinics or dentists, wears a badge to see what their cumulative exposure is.

Mr. BRENNER: Absolutely I work at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital here and everybody associated with radiation work wears a film badge and it's easy and it's inexpensive and so every month there is a reading of how much radiation exposure anyone wearing the film badge gets. It would sound an alarm if there are any possible over-exposures. So it's a no-brainer in many ways for the folks associated with these devices to wear film badges.

FLATOW: Yet they tell us from personal communications that they're afraid or discouraged from wearing them. It's not against the rules but they're told, you know, it has to be out of sight, some people have said.

Mr. BRENNER: Yeah, that's a little surprising. I mean, and the film badges have to be organized by the employers because the film badges then have to be sent off to be read and analyzed so it's not something you can really do on an individual personal basis. It's something that the employers have to organize.

FLATOW: And so we don't know even after this report came out, we don't know if any practices have changed.

Mr. BRENNER: I certainly haven't seen film badges on personnel in airports. I don't know if you have.

FLATOW: No, well as I say when I don't see them I ask them and I ask why and some people know about it. Some people don't know about it. And you get some of the answers from when I go through there and I say, are you fearful of the machine? Are you getting any exposure? And many of them tell you, oh, I'm getting a little bit but it's not harmful.

Mr. BRENNER: Well, small amounts, very low doses of radiation on an individual basis probably are not so harmful but radiation is cumulative. It builds up over time. And if a large population of people are being exposed to radiation that's also a problem.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm. And so as far as the personal scanning and the choice between these two machines, one ,if we did away with the X-rays people might not worry about any X-ray radiation because there is a technology to use the millimeter.

Mr. BRENNER: I think that's true.

FLATOW: Is there any sound, sonic kind of ultrasound scanner that they might develop?

Mr. BRENNER: Ultrasound has not proved very successful. It has been tried in fact and it doesn't seem to have worked very well. The two devices that seem to give the best images are the X-ray and the millimeter wave scanners, although it must be said there are lots of people working on different and newer technologies right now.

FLATOW: Well, thank you Dr. Brenner for taking time to be with us.

Mr. BRENNER: A pleasure.

FLATOW: I should point out to you and our listeners that we did invite the TSA to come on and talk about it but they have declined to take us up on our invitation. David J. Brenner is the Higgins professor of radiation, biophysics at Columbia and he is also director of the Center for Radiological Research there and that's interesting to note that. As I said the oldest radiology center in the country founded by a student of Marie Curie.

We're going to take a break and come back and change gears and talk about music, how every time you listen to music or play an instrument you're doing a little physics experiment. Why does a note make a certain sound and a hammer hitting a nail make a different one? There's physics behind all of this and how you listen to music so stay with us. We'll be right back after this break.

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