Everyone is getting on the energy band wagon and Wrigley is no different. Wrigley introduced it’s latest product recently, caffeinated chewing gum. Alert Energy Caffeine Gum has about as much caffeine as a half cup of coffee per piece.

Wrigley’s has decided to cease production, sales and marketing of their energy gum after multiple meetings with the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA raised concerns about the safety of the gum for children and adolescents. Wrigley aimed marketing towards adults 25 and older but we all know kids will get their hands the caffeinated gum.

Wrigley released this statement ”When Wrigley launched Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, we took great strides to ensure that the product was formulated, distributed and marketed in a safe and responsible way to consumers 25 years old and over. After discussions with the FDA, we have a greater appreciation for its concern about the proliferation of caffeine in the nation’s food supply. There is a need for changes in the regulatory framework to better guide the consumers and the industry about the appropriate level and use of caffeinated products.”

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been the butt of many fat jokes over the last couple of years and a few months ago decided to do something about it. Mr. Christie secretly underwent Gastric Lap Band surgery in February due to pressure from his family and what many believe is the beginning to a run for the White House.

Christie told the New York Post this ”I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years. For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”

About 200,00 Americans have lap band surgery per year, the adjustable band is inserted through small incisions in the belly. The Laparoscopic band is used the make the stomach smaller and limit the amount a patient can consume. After the initial surgery the patient must heal for 4 to 6 weeks prior to tightening the band. The band is adjusted through an access port which is inserted under the skin. To tighten the band a saline solution is injected into the port, to loosen the band the saline can be extracted.

Although Gastric banding is relatively safe there are risks like any other surgery, here are just a few:
Bands can slip out of place and may require second surgery.
Infection can occur.
Blood clots may occur.
Obstruction in the band can cause pain, nausea and vomiting.
Patients can develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

When we hear the word stent we usually think of a treatment for coronary disease called atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis is the build up of cholesterol and fat deposits called plaque. Fortunately stents are now being used for treatment of erectile dysfunction as well as coronary disease in some men.

Erectile Dysfunction affects as many as 18 million men in the United States alone. Drugs like Cialis, Levitra and Viagra are most often the answer for E.D. treatment, but for some patients medication is not the answer. Cardiologists estimates that 70 percent of E.D. patients have some form of atherosclerosis.

A patient with erectile dysfunction can have an angiogram of the pelvic area to determine whether there is a blockage or not, if there is blockage a stent can then be inserted to increase blood flow. Just to keep it clear (no pun intended) stents are used in the pelvic area not the penis.

In a small study there were no negative results of this treatment, the only drawback was that a very small percentage of the men screened were candidates for the stent procedure.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is proposing raising the legal age to purchase cigarettes from 18 to 21. Quinn and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley teamed up to introduce the bill that is following the same proposal Texas Senator Carlos Uresti proposed about a month ago.

Christine Quinn is the leading Democratic contender in the New York Mayoral race, Quinn hopes to replace current Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Quinn said this about being the first major city to raise the smoking age “That will literally save lives, the more difficult it is for [young people] to gain access to tobacco products, the less likely they are to start smoking.”

Needham Massachusetts is currently the only U.S. city that requires tobacco purchasers to be 21. Smoking rate dropped in Needham from 13 percent in 2006 to 5.5 percent in 2012, it is unclear if the age increase was the only reason for the significant drop.

If this proposal becomes law will it have any real impact? Time will tell.

Healthfixdaily would like to wish all a very happy and healthy Easter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported there have been 24 people across 15 states infected with E. Coli from Farm Rich frozen foods. The outbreak strain of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia Coli 0121 (STEC 0121) has been linked to Farm Rich frozen chicken quesadillas.

The 24 reported illnesses were from these states, Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (2), Michigan (2), Mississippi (1), New York (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (3), Utah (1), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (2).

No one has died as a result of this outbreak but 8 people have been hospitalized.

A drug that is being called the miracle cancer drug is set to begin human clinical trials after incredible laboratory results in mice. The drug works by blocking a protein called CD47 which is a “do not eat” signal to the body’s immune system. The single antibody treatment works by blocking the protein’s signal, which then instructs the immune system to attack the cancer cells.

The protein CD47 is present on the surface of healthy blood cells but researchers found significantly higher amounts of CD47 in all cancer cells.

Researchers used this protein blocking drug in mice with human breast, ovary, liver, brain, colon, prostate and bladder tumors transplanted into them. The incredible results were that none of the cancers spread to other body parts and the treatment either killed or stopped the growth of the cancerous tumors.

A four year $20 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has been given to the team from Stanford University’s School of Medicine to begin the first phase of human clinical trials.

Quinoa has become extremely popular over the last few years, hopefully this trend will last a long time. Quinoa has been around for thousands of years but has recently become a household ingredient for many of us.

Quinoa pronounced (Keen-wah) is a seed that is often treated as a whole grain, Quinoa is loaded with nutrition and should become a staple in every home. Quinoa is high in protein, high in magnesium, high in iron, a great source of dietary fiber and calcium. Quinoa is gluten free and a great protein option for vegans.

Quinoa is simple to prepare, use one part Quinoa to two parts water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Quinoa is great as a side dish with any meal or even as a hot breakfast cereal. Quinoa can be used to stuff peppers, toss over your favorite salad or spice to flavor and enjoy as an entree.

Texas Senator Carlos Uresti put in a proposal to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 under the Senate Bill 313. The bill if passed would implement fines up to $500 and would be a Class C misdemeanor for anyone under 21 purchasing or possessing tobacco products.

Senator Uresti made this statement “If we are serious about stemming the epidemic of tobacco-related diseases and the misery they cause, we must steer people away from the potentially devastating choice of addiction. This bill recognizes and takes advantage of a simple fact. The later one tries that first cigarette, the less likely they are to become a lifetime user.”

Texas has a high percentage of smokers with 1 out of every 5 adults addicted to smoking. Uresti believes the bill would reduce smoking in 18 to 20 year olds by about 30 percent. Opponents of the bill only seem to care about the possibility of revenue losses up to $20 million per year in taxes which is why state lawmakers shot down Uresti’s previous attempts of raising the legal age.

Will this new law have any real impact if passed? The legal age to purchase tobacco products in Texas is 18 and 9 out of 10 teens start smoking before 18 in Texas. With those statistics, if these laws are not enforced the age minimum will make no difference.

Scary statistics were released yesterday (03-19-2013) noting that 1 in 3 seniors die while suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Alzheimer’s deaths increased a whooping 68 percent from 2000 to 2010 while most other diseases decreased during the same time period.

The Alzheimer’s Association also reported on the monetary side this disease for unpaid caregivers. Long distance caregivers spend about $10,000 per year and local caregivers will spend about $5,000 per year out of pocket to tend to a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

The overall cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is around $200 Billion and that number will rise to around $1.2 Trillion in the year 2050.

Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease which begins long before it is diagnosed in most people, we need to do our best to possibly prevent this disease with healthy lifestyles.

There are a few things that are strongly recommended to give us the best odds of beating this disease. Experts advise the best way to maintain a healthy brain is to treat your heart right. The heart pumps blood into the brain, if the heart isn’t healthy obviously the brain will not receive enough blood. The same goes for damaged blood vessels, clogged arteries will restrict the flow of blood to all body parts.

Here are some highly advised tips for Alzheimer’s prevention, always maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, quit or do not start smoking and exercise the brain with mind games such as crossword puzzles, brain teasers, strategy games and memory games.