Links

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-nutrition-surveillance/health-nutrition-surveys/canadian-community-health-survey-cchs/canadian-adults-meet-their-nutrient-requirements-through-food-intake-alone-health-canada-2012.html

Anti Cholinergics and Dementia

Somewhat preliminary research shows a strong correlation between anti cholinergic drugs (such as Benadryl and Amitriptylene) and dementia in older adults (the study actually looked at people 65+).  

It doesn’t seem like these drugs would affect younger people long term, but it’s probably something to be aware of.  With any luck, the scientific community will nail this down better with more detailed and comprehensive follow-up studies.

Here are a few references: 

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20160509/anticholinergic-drugs-dementia-link#1

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/414049

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2091745

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/224695

Vitamin D

RDA 400 - 1000 IU for adults, Health Canada recommends 400 IU supplementation for 50+.   Vitamin D levels are sub-optimal for many Canadians, especially during the winter, but only seriously low for 10%.  Ethnic groups with darker skin tend to have a higher rate of deficiency, i.e., the evolution of paler skin lead to greater production of vitamin D at higher latitudes.

The winter sun in Canada doesn't supply vitamin D Oct - Mar.  Below the 35 latitude, vitamin D is supplied by the sun all year round, excluding sun screen of course.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php

http://www.cmaj.ca/content/182/12/E610.full

http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/6/698.full

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php#a10

http://www.osteoporosis.ca/news/press-releases/new-vitamin-d-guidelines/

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2010001/article/11131-eng.htm

Sinus, Lymph Nodes Massage

https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=848220555252230&id=157695160971443

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-wi0d7-Ro

http://blog.massagebyheather.com/self-lymphatic-drainage-for-legs/

Contraindications for lymphatic massage are included in the last page above, just after the video.

Iron Supplements -- When to Take

This post is probably only of interest to people who are anemic or know people who are anemic.

I'm posting some information about taking iron supplements, because the information doesn't seem to be available on the bottle, and iron deficiency is not uncommon. However, too much iron can be very bad for you, so don't take iron supplements without blood tests to confirm that you need more iron and blood tests to confirm when you have enough.  On the other hand, most people's digestion will limit iron absorption to prevent overdose. To paraphrase an article, "iron is absorbed with a rate that's reverse logarithmic with respect to current iron stores", i.e., if you have a good iron store, much less is absorbed.

Here are guidelines for how to take an iron supplement:

• Best is on an empty stomach
• Alternatively, at least two hours after and one hour before a meal
• One hour between the supplement and tea or coffee
• Two hours before and after medications or supplements (iron, like calcium, can interfere with the absorption and operation of many different medications and supplements)
• If you have to take them with food to avoid nausea, not with foods or supplements with calcium, caffeine, tannins (tea) , fiber, phytates (legumes, grains), soy, polyphenols (wine, fruits, vegetables, nuts)

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/iron-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/proper-use/drg-20070148

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007478.htm

http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/iron-supplements

Arsenic and Rice

New articles:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2817542/More-half-rice-products-exceed-new-EU-limits-ARSENIC.html

I see from the above article that the EU is just bringing in standards for arsenic in rice -- 100 ppb (parts per billion) for children's food, and 200 ppb for adult food.  Italian brown rice is quite low in arsenic and meets the EU new standards (160 ppb).  They don't really factor in how much rice a person eats though, which the consumer reports article tries to do.  And some of the scientists think the new limits for children are still too high.

The European Food Safety Authority says that there is a 1% increase in cancer risk between 0.3 and 8 micrograms/kg body weight arsenic per day (benchmark dose lower confidence limit 1%). The WHO has standards for water that arsenic must be lower than 0.1 micrograms per liter (i.e. 100 ppb, parts per billion).  Some jurisdictions in the US have limits of 0.05 micrograms per liter. The UK has limits of arsenic in food of 1 microgram/kg of body weight per day, but the article then notes that the limit was set in 1959 before they knew that arsenic was carcinogenic.

Several articles mention that there is higher risk to children.  One report recommends not giving rice drinks to children less that 4.5 years old.  Consumer reports has a "points" system whereby you have 7 points per week.  Examples of point values are Lundberg's white rice at 1-1/4 points, their brown rice at 3-1/2 points, and some rice pasta at 3 points. Servings for children have higher point values because of they weigh less.

The articles seem to have the same figures for arsenic concentrations in food, but disagree as to how bad that is for consumers.

Consumer Reports
Latest update: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm

Original Report: http://consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm

European Food Safety Authority: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1351.htm

United Kingdom: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120206100416/http://food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/may/arsenicinriceresearch
 
Report from Canadian Food Inspection Agency:  https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=E7B9C2EAB39D854C&resid=E7B9C2EAB39D854C!70853&app=WordPdf

(this is actually on my own cloud drive -- let me know if you run into an issue accessing it; it's also possible to have it emailed to you from the government.)