A major alert has been raised concerning the world’s most popular weight-loss drug after it was discovered to cause serious organ damage.
A US researcher has discovered that popular weight-loss drug Orlistat interferes with the natural detoxification process in the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract
A researcher from the University of Rhode Island in the US has discovered that Orlistat interferes with the natural detoxification process in the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. In previous articles on detoxing the body, I have written about how important it is to keep these organs healthy to allow the body to function correctly.
The weight-loss drug – which is an over-the-counter remedy and available in many pharmacies – can cause damage even at low doses, according to Biochemical Pharmacology, 2012, published online. The drug regulator in the US, the Food and Drug Administration, has been alerted.
This remedy also interacts with other medication, making it ineffective, or even dangerous. It weakens the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs and can increase the risk of bleeding with aspirin, according to recent research and tests. The feedback from the researcher states that as a result of the interference with organs, the result to the body is “severe toxicity”.
• Moving on to further news, age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of failing eyesight in the Western world. Recent studies have shown that the herb, rosemary, can keep our vision sharp and protect against failing eyesight as we get older.
The herb’s active ingredient is carnosic acid, a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which protects against macular degeneration, especially age-related. It also protects against retinal deterioration, say researchers from the Sandford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, which is where the herb was tested. In earlier studies, it was found that carnosic acid protects the brain against inflammation (Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 2012).
• Reflexology may be a treatment we associate with a visit to a spa. However, researchers from Michigan State University have discovered that receiving reflexology had a positive effect on 385 women who were receiving chemotherapy for their advanced breast cancer.
The women receiving this treatment had significantly less shortness of breath, which is a common symptom with breast cancer. As a result of this, they were able to perform more common everyday tasks with ease and could climb stairs, get dressed and go shopping easier.
Interestingly, the effects were physical, not psychological, said the researchers, which ruled out any thoughts of a placebo effect from the reflexology treatment. This is the usual reason given by sceptics to explain why alternative therapies work (Oncol. Nurs. Forum, 2012).
It would be an excellent idea to offer reflexology to all women suffering the symptoms associated with chemotherapy as a matter of course by the specialist or hospital where they are being treated. Not only would it help with the symptoms, but it would also be a relaxing treatment to help with the stress of the chemotherapy.
• Vitamin D has been much researched recently. However, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri, have found that low vitamin D levels play an essential part in diabetes.
Apparently, a deficiency in the vitamin is the cause of clogged arteries and heart disease.
The vitamin stops the inflammatory process in diabetics, which involves white blood cells binding to the cells lining the interior walls of the blood vessels near the heart. When there is a vitamin D deficiency, there is an increased expression of certain proteins on the white blood cells, making them more likely to stick to the insides of arteries, say the researchers (J Biol Chem 2012).
It is worth noting that even people living in a hot climate like Malta still need to be exposed to some sunlight, such as by walking around in the day, to ensure vitamin D levels are kept up in the body.
• According to a recent study of 100 young people, their heart rate fell by 2.21 beats per minute, while their blood pressure also dropped after 45 minutes of breathing in aromatic oils. As a result, the researchers concluded that aromatherapy essential oils lower heart rate and blood pressure and could play an important role in reducing cardiovascular disease.
However, the oils have a paradoxical effect. Although they have an immediate beneficial effect, the oils can start to increase the heart rate and blood pressure if breathed in for more than an hour (Eur. J. Prev. Cardiol., 2012). One could conclude that a 45-minute aromatherapy massage would be enough to have the desired effect and benefit heart health.
• Finally, a warning to those taking regular sleeping pills. Researchers at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in London have concluded that sleeping pills and sedatives increase the risk of pneumonia by up to 50 per cent.
This lung infection is a common cause of death among the elderly. The researchers worked on the statistic that one in 10 elderly people in the UK take a medication prescribed for anxiety and insomnia.
The fatal effects are almost immediate, with 22 per cent of people dying from pneumonia within 30 days of starting the drugs, and 32 per cent dying after three years.
Previous studies have also shown that the drugs increase the risk of infection and blood poisoning (Thorax, 2013).
kathryn@maltanet.net