CCH Health Review
Ideas & Strategies to Improve Your Health
September-October 2005
Fish Aids Fetal Brain Development
New research suggests that fish may indeed be "brain food".
In a study of 135 mothers and their infants, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that mothers' fish consumption during pregnancy aided fetal brain development. Overall, the greater a woman's fish intake during the second trimester, the better her 6-month-old performed on a standard test of mental development.
On the other hand, when mothers had fairly high mercury levels -- as measured in hair samples -- their babies tended to have relatively poorer test scores.
According to the researchers, fish can be a brain-healthy food for women to have during pregnancy -- but only if they eat varieties likely to have little mercury contamination.
Environmental mercury is primarily a product of industrial pollution. Most fish and shellfish have some level of mercury, but certain large, long-lived fish are likely to accumulate high levels of the pollutant, which can damage the developing fetal brain. Some shark, swordfish, albacore tuna, king mackerel and tilefish may be high in mercury.
However, fish provide a number of important nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, which support fetal brain development.
When participants' babies were about 6 months old, the researchers gave them a test that measured their visual memory. The test is a good way to measure the potential effects of fish intake, the lead researcher said, because it looks at both brain function and vision. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in eye development as well as brain development.
Overall, babies' scores on the test climbed by 4 points for each weekly serving of fish their mothers had during the second trimester.
If you're avoiding fish because of concerns about mercury, we have the perfect solution for you. You can take fish oil capsules that contain highly concentrated amounts of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Vital Nutrients' fish oil has been thoroughly tested by independent labs for mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, rancidity and a wide range of environmental pollutants. It passes all specifications for acceptability and is one of the purest fish oil products on the market.
Source: Oken, E et al, Maternal fish consumption, hair mercury, and infant cognition in a U.S. Cohort, Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Oct;113(10):1376-80
Liver Test May Predict Heart Trouble
An elevated blood level of an enzyme produced by liver damage also appears to predict the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In a recent study, researchers report that men with even moderately high levels of the enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were at a 28% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than were those with low levels. For men with the highest levels, the risk was 68% greater. In women, the increase in risk ranged from 35% to 51%.
A follow-up of more than 11 years found that an elevated GGT level was a better predictor of cardiovascular death than high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, but not as good a predictor as smoking and high blood pressure.
A blood test for GGT is widely used to monitor liver function. For example, many doctors give this lab test routinely to people who take cholesterol-lowering statins, where liver damage is a possible side effect. The GGT test is commonly included in a blood chemistry panel.
There are two possible reasons why GGT is a marker for cardiovascular disease. First, it is an indicator of general damage to the arteries. Second, it could indicate the damage done to blood vessels by excessive drinking.
Some doctors may overlook a "high normal" or mildly elevated GGT on a blood chemistry panel. This study suggests your GGT test value should be evaluated along with cholesterol and other markers of cardiovascular health.
When you have any blood test, always get a copy for your personal records. If you notice that GGT or any other test value is elevated, always ask your doctor about it -- or bring your blood test report with you the next time you visit our clinic. We will be happy to review it with you.
Source: Ruttmann, E et al, Gamma-glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163,944 Austrian adults. Circulation. 2005 Oct 4;112(14):2130-7
Vitamin C Can Help Stabilize Heart Rhythm
Vitamin C appears to reduce early recurrence of a type of abnormal health rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, after patients undergo cardioversion. Cardioversion is a procedure used to convert an irregular heart rhythm to a normal heart rhythm by applying electric shock.
Vitamin C also appears to reduce inflammation that accompanies this condition.
Atrial fibrillation recurrence may be due to electrophysiological changes in the chambers of the heart, known as atrial remodeling. Previous animal studies have shown vitamin C can help prevent such remodeling, and the vitamin has been shown to reduce atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.
To investigate whether vitamin C reduces atrial fibrillation recurrence, the researchers divided 44 atrial fibrillation patients into two groups: (standard therapy plus oral vitamin C, or (standard treatment only. The Vitamin C group received a 2-gram dose 12 hours before cardioversion and 500 mg twice daily for the next seven days.
Only one (4.5% ) of the patients given vitamin C had a relapse of atrial fibrillation, whereas eight (36.3%) of patients not given the vitamin did. In this study, vitamin C supplementation reduced both atrial fibrillation recurrence and inflammation.
If you or a loved one has heart rhythm problems, please consult with one of our physicians. In addition to vitamin C, we have some excellent treatment options to offer you.
Source: Korantzopoulos, P et al, Oral vitamin C administration reduces early recurrence rates after electrical cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation and attenuates associated inflammation, J Cardiol. 2005 Jul 10;102(2):321-6.
