Why take oats if you have high blood cholesterol?

Oats is a soluble fiber & acts to absorb toxins and fats in the intestines thus lowering the LDL-cholesterol.

Read on!

We all know the benefits of fiber! Fiber not only promotes health, it also help reduce the risk for some chronic diseases.

·Generally, fiber can be classified into 2 categories, namely:

i) Soluble: Acts like tiny sponges, sopping up water as
well as toxins that would otherwise irritate intestines or be absorbed into the bloodstream.


Benefits of Soluble Fiber
· lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) therefore reducing the risk of heart disease
· regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes

Food Sources of Soluble Fiber
· Oat/Oat bran
· Dried beans and peas
· Nuts
· Barley
· Flax seed
· Fruits such as oranges and apples
· Vegetables such as carrots
· Psyllium husk


ii) Insoluble: Acts like tiny brooms sweeping away stagnant
wastes.



Food Sources of Insoluble Fiber
· Whole-wheat products
· Wheat oat
· Corn bran
· Flax seed
· Vegetables such as green beans, cauliflowers and potato skins
· Fruit skins and root vegetable skins

Benefits of Insoluble Fiber
· promote regular bowel movement and prevent constipation
· remove toxic waste through colon in less time
· keep an optimal pH in intestines to prevent microbes from producing cancer substances; therefore preventing colon cancer

Seperate Blog!

I am seperating my Health & Deeper Thoughts/Gospel writings, more for the long term as I believe God will inspire me to pen down a lot of revelational truths in the coming years.

For Deeper Thoughts, I am entering them at victorchenministries.blogspot.com. There is a link on the right side anyway.

It is not the critic who counts

I have tried many things in the past – with a mixture of failure & success - with encouragement as well as criticism from others. BUT I guess…..

It is not the critic who counts,
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or
where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena;
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs and comes short again and again;
who knows the great enthusiasms,, the great devotions,
and spends himself in a worthy cause;
who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievements;
and who, at the worst, if he fails.
at least fails while daringly great,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who knew neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore

Preventing Osteoporosis

Mum had a fall yesterday evening & sustained considerable soft tissue injury to her right wrist, but no fracture (Colles' fracture of the wrist is very common in osteoporotic women). Thank God that I had started her on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in her early menopausal years. Her bone is now solid even in her late 60's.

Prior to the WHI Study that was published in 2002, menopausal women were taking HRT for their hot flushes, to prevent heart disease & osteoporosis.

However, NOW many perimenopausal women considering HRT are wary of it and thus avoiding it (This is sad!).

The WHI study showed that there were (1).More breast cancer in women taking HRT - 8 more cases in 10,000 women years of intake in the combined Estrogen/progesterone study after 5.2 yrs. (2). More strokes & Coronary Heart Disease.


The study is flawed in several ways.
1). I personally don't think HRT causes new breast cancer. I believe it causes existing breast cancer to grow so they were detected faster. Hence the 8 more cases per 10,000 women years in the treatment arm (people taking HRT) vs those taking placebo after 5.2 yrs.

Cancer takes years to form, i.e 10 years from mutation of genes to dysplasia of cells, to forming enough cancer mass to reach detectable limits, i.e carcinoma-in-situ. (In the study there was no increase in initial cancer or carcinoma-in-situ).

Cancer starts with initial transformation of cells - turning "on" the oncogenes - then estrogen adds to the progression of existing cancer cells to grow).

Ask any gynecologist, and he will tell you that the mortality (death) from breast cancer is lower in people on HRT than those not taking HRT. It is because they are more followed up more closely and if detected appropriate treatment is sought.

2).The study's average age was 63.6 y.old. No gynecologist would in the right mind, start a woman on HRT at that age. It is women age 48-52 that I would recommend HRT. It is in the first five years of menopause that you lose 30% of your bone density. This study was designed by Epidemiologist & Cardiologists, not Gynecologists)

3).There was an increase incidence of stroke & CHD in the group taking HRT. But after 5 years, it was the other way round. Women on HRT had lower incidences. I believe this is due to the initial increase in thromboembolic (clots) events in the initial 12 month with any hormones but more than offsetted by the lipid-lowering effect of estrogen later.

With or without HRT the fact is that prior to menopause, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in women is 4 times less compared to men. But in a few years after menopause it approaches to a similar rate as men.

Recommendation:

1).Weight bearing exercise
2).HRT for perimenopausal period up to age 52-53, then switch to Fosamax or Evista

Natural products (Black Cohosh, Red Clover & Soy) are all supposedly for "acute" menopausal symptoms such as sweating & hot flushes, and NOT for preventing osteoporosis. Even then all the studies are 6-12 weeks and fare no better than placebo (except for 2 black cohosh studies using outdated parameters).

3)Adequate protein intake - no need to take overpriced collagen products - as collagen is digested into amino acids in the stomach. Just eat enough proteins.

4). If you are eating enough calcium, supplements help little. The needed daily dose is 1,200mg. Yes, some may argue that absorption in the elderly gut may not be as good etc. But studies have shown that calcium supplementation alone is futile in retarding bone loss in the absence of HRT.

Inactivity Kills!

Yesterday Star paper quoted the Health Minister saying that Malaysia had the highest obesity rate in the region (30%).

He also stated that only 2 out of 10 adults exercise regularly. This is a concern as obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers—colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrial, kidney, and cancer of the esophagus(1). It is estimated that up to 16% of all cancer deaths are linked to excess weight.

The reverse is also true in that a 10% weight loss can result in 40-50% reduction obesity-related cancer death(6).

Steps to prevent obesity-related cancer

Reduce weight with dietary means
Exercise reduces body weight by burning up the calories and also promotes sweating to rid the body of accumulated cancerous toxins.

References

1.Vainio H, Bianchini F. IARC handbooks of cancer prevention. Volume 6: Weight control and physical activity. Lyon, France: IARC Press, 2002.
2.Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Obesity 2003; Malaysia Academy for the Study of Obesity

ebooks

Finally!

My ebook website www.drvictorchen.com is ready.

New books coming are Battle Plan Against Cancer, Battle Plan Against Diabetes & Battle Plan Against Cardiovascular Disease.

Also writing a novel entitled "The Difference". May take a while but I am sure with God's grace it will be finished.

Why are there more than 400 types of good bacteria in the tummy?

The average person has 2 kg of bacteria on and inside his body. We live in symbiosis with many of our small unseen friends - the friendly bacteria.

The human intestines is home to more than 400 types of good bacteria. Why is there so many types?

According to my microbiologist friends, they all advocate the more strains a probiotics has the better because each has a different function. Some companies do not have the R&D facilities and manufacturing know-how to produce more than a few strains so they will tell you al you need is a few strains. But make sure the strains are microencapsulated & freeze-dried.


Below are some of the functions:

Bifidobacterium Bifidum
Protects against rotavirus diarrhea and intestinal infections. Reported to have immune strengthening properties.

Bifidobacterium Breve
Beneficial for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, prevents rotavirus induced diarrhea, activates the humoral immune system.

Bifidobacterium Infantis
Helps inhibit pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. Produces compounds with antiproliferative activity useful in prevention of solid tumors like breast cancer.

Bifidobacterium Lactis
Resists acid digestion. Helps alleviate constipation, prevent diarrhea and chronic inflammation of the sigmoid colon. Helps suppress candida.

Bifidobacterium Longum
Eliminates nitrates. May also significantly inhibit development of colon, liver and breast cancer.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus
First line of defense against invaders and opportunistic organisms like yeast. Helps keep heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels. Prevents pathogens from lining the intestinal wall.

Lactobacillus Brevis
Decreases intestinal permeability and has a positive effect on the immune system.

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
Alleviates digestive problems. Enhances digestion of milk products. Helps produce natural antibiotic substance, prevent adhesion of candida, and helps clean the colon.

Lactobacillus Casei
Protects against Listeria bacteria, which infects shellfish, birds and mammals (including cows) most commonly transmitted through consumption of contaminated dairy products and raw vegetables. Also being studied for use with cancerous tumors. Helps prevent candida overgrowth.

Lactobacillus Gaserri
Demonstrates good survival in the GI tract, adheres to intestinal tissues, suppresses H.pylori (bacteria that causes peptic ulcers and stomach cancer), reduces gastric mucosal inflammation and has demonstrated a hypocholesterolemic effect.

Lactobacillus Paracasei
Effective in prevention and treatment of certain types of diarrhea. Regulates the immune system and perhaps reduces the risk of some cancers.

Lactobacillus Plantarum
An excellent alternative to antibiotics. An important tool in anti-microbial defense.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
Helps alleviate lactose intolerance, viral and bacterial diarrhea, constipation, candida overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease, and food allergies. Inhibits the growth of tumors.

Lactobacillus Salivarius
Has the unique ability to fight peptic ulcers by eradicating Helicobacter pylori bacteria.

Lactobacillus Lactis
A natural antibiotic. Reduces the ability of pathogenic bacteria to grow and cause infection.

Streptococcus Thermophilus
Antioxidant activity scavenges the body for free radicals that increase with age, stress, antibiotics, sugar and chlorinated water consumption. Displays anti-tumor activity, especially related to colon cancer. Effective in treating diarrhea as well as intestinal and vaginal candida infections.

Temporary Shutdown

www.drvictorchen.com is temporarily shutdown for repair.

Just bear with us, especially those who go into the "Ask Victor" section. It should be repaired in 1-2 days.

Omega-3

I was asked what is the supplement I never miss everyday.
Well, it is Omega-3 oil. The rest I may miss here & there but not my Omega-3.

FAT THAT HEALS

In the 1970s, scientists noticed an interesting phenomenon: although Eskimos consumed large amounts of fat daily, they had an exceptionally low rate of heart disease and cancer. But unlike others who also ate lots of fat – notably from meat and dairy products – the predominant fat in the Eskimo diet was in the form of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is found primarily in marine plant life called phytoplankton, which is eaten by fatty fish, a mainstay of the Eskimo diet. Omega-3 contains two polyunsaturated fats: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).


Clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can reduce the risk of heart disease(1).


CLINICALLY PROVEN BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3
Reduces risk of heart attacks(2)
Reduces triglycerides(3)
Mildly reduces blood pressure(4)
Decreases risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden death(5)
Prevents clots (anti-thrombotic effects)(6)
Stroke(7)

RIGHT AMOUNT
1-2 capsules of 1000mg daily with meals.

Patients needing to lower trigylcerides and cholesterol should take 2-4 capsules a day.


References:
1. Kris-Etherton et al. AHA Scientific Statement. Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease. Circulation 2002; 106: 2747
2. Bucher, HC et al. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Med.2002; 112:298-304.
3. Harris, WS. N-Fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: human studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997; 65(5 suppl): 1645S-1654S
4. Morris, MC et al. Does fish oil lower blood pressure? A meta-analysis of controlled trials. Circulation 1993; 88:523-533
5. Hallaq H et al. Modulation of dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels in heart cells by fish oil fatty acids. Proc Natl Aca Sci USA.92; 89:1760-1764
6. Mori ,TA et al. Interactions between dietary fat, fish and fish oils and their effects on platelet function in men at risk of cardiovascular disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997; 17:279-286
7. Keli, SO et al. Fish consumption and risk of stroke: the Zutphen Study. Stroke 1994; 25:328-332

Swimming

Someone asked me whether it was good to exercise everyday. Of course it is as long as you don't injure yourself.

We need to do cross training to prevent injuries. For instance say if i had been running the last 2-3 days, then I should go for an upper body workout - gym or swimming - as it uses different muscle groups and allows the lower body muscle groups to rest.

I personally swim 40 laps of the Tropicana pool (50 mins) twice a week between my running to cross train my muscles. For instance, freestyle swimming involves mainly strength from the upper body (85%) & little from the lower body (15%). Breaststroke is 60% upper body & 40% lower body.

To prevent injuries, make sure you warm up & stretch before & after. Take enough antioxidants to prevent free radical damage to muscles generated from the workouts.

If you are doing daily aerobic exercise, the best time to replace the carbohydrates back into your muscles is within 60 minutes after your workout as glycogenosis is maximal 30-60 minutes after aerobic exercise. Eat soon after workouts to ensure there is enough glycogen (carbo) for next day's workout.

EXERCISING TO SHED FAT?

Pic: Me jogging around my neighborhood.

I met a friend in her early 30's who tried to lose weight by going to the gym but without success. I asked what was she doing and she replied that she was doing 25 minutes of treadmill. I then asked her what heart rate was she achieving and she said 150 beats per min (This is far too high if she had wanted to burn fat).


You do not start to burn fat as soon as you begin your work out. The first 20 minutes of exercise the body burns sugar from the glycogen stores. The next 10 minutes it is a mixture of sugar and fats. Only after 30 minutes does the body burn predominately fat. The key about fat burning is to exercise not hard but long.

Studies show that to shed fat demands continuous movements of at least 30 minutes duration carried out at least 3 times a week. It has to be continuous and should you stop and restart workout after 20 minutes of exercise, the hormonal shift has reverted to burning sugar again. For beginners, you may find that your muscles may not sustain exercise for 30 minutes (aim for 45-60 mins). It is okay as it may take several weeks to build up your muscular strength first.

SLOW DOWN. Many so-called instructors advocate a training heart rate of 60-70 percent of the maximal heart rate (220 minus your age; ie. if you are age 30, your maximal heart rate is 190). However, at that kind of rate the unfit majority will reach their anaerobic threshold, and the body will burn mostly protein and sugar. That is why you see so many overweight women in aerobic classes and overweight men jogging in the park, panting like mad.

In fact, the optimal intensity of exercise for fat burning is far lower at 50-60 percent of your maximal heart rate. A daily walk of at least 30 minutes (longer the better, with no stops) will burn far more fat than killing yourself at the gym.

Body fat is very caloric dense. It needs a lot of oxygen to be metabolized – broken down – so that it can be put into the bloodstream and used as energy. If your workout is too intense (i.e. HEART RATE 150), the body will not be supplied with enough oxygen and switch to other tissue for energy. In effect it will stop burning your stored fat and increase its burning of protein and glucose, for these tissues require less oxygen to burn.

Living deliberately

As I flipped though some old letters I found this quote written by a well known American writer Henry Thoreau. It reads;

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front the essential facts of life, and see what it had to teach that I could not learn, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why not then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."


Yes these are good sentiments. But what are we living for and not just floating around like many many others in this world. I thought about it and wrote;


Generations come, and generations go. The sun rises from the east and sets in the west, and quickly returns to where it rises for yet another day. The wind blows to the south, to the north, round and round ever returning to its course. The water flows down the streams, to the sea, but yet the sea is never full, then again to where the streams began. A new day at school, another day for work. A predictable sequence of life we face; education in our teenage years, followed by university for some. Then, “I shall make money and get married”. All the grievous work ensues because we must leave something to the one after us. What is the point of it all? The saddest thing is that when we are there, we may think it is wonderful. And who knows whether they will be a wise person or a fool?

If it all ends in a wooden box, 2 meters long, why bother?

The tenderest memories we have, our proudest achievements, the pleasures that we never deny ourselves and all the love within our hearts will be erased, be extinct. Existence that ends is pointless and cast an impenetrable doubt of meaninglessness over our lives. Everything is meaningless, unless it lasts.

I discovered and now know the truth, that there is something truly beautiful beyond. That the greatest investment I can make in my life is on something that will outlast it.

Indeed it is possible to invest on something that will outlast life itself. Jesus has made it all possible.

Run properly, or injure your knees and ankles prematurely

ISN'T IT PARADOXICAL THAT IF YOU EAT RAW FRESH FOOD YOU MAY GET PARASITIC INFECTIONS? IN ORDER TO PREVENT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, MANY DOCTORS ADVISE US TO PUT ON THE RUNNERS AND GIVE THE HEART A WORK OUT.

BUT ARE YOU RISKING OSTEOARTHRITIS OF YOUR KNEES?

I had dinner with a coursemate who is an ophthalmologist in his mid-30s. He said he could not run anymore as his knees hurt. He used to be an avid runner and athlete.

I had run with him before and the problem with his gait is that he toe-strikes (landing on the toes). The correct gait is to heel-strike (land on the heel) so the forces of the body is transferred to the calf muscles and the hamstrings. If you toe-strike, the forces goes to your ankles and knees. That is why a lot of regular joggers find that when they are in their early 30s they cannot run anymore.

BOUGHT THE EXPENSIVE NIKE SHOES?

What is worse, the normal Reebok and Nike shoes are all made for heel-strikers, and if you are a toe-striker it will magnify the problem. Just imagine! All the padding is on the heel of the shoe, and you land on your toes. The padding will act as a fulcrum to further worsen the forces onto the ankles and especially the knees.

WHAT TO DO? Get on a treadmill and video your running. Observe in slow motion, how your feet land. A lot of good athletes are actually toe-strikers. If you toe-strike, then there are several things you can do to remedy your gait.

Firstly, what I did was to lift my sofa or bed with my toes and feet twice a day. This makes the dorsi-flexors (muscles that lift your feet and toes towards your face) stronger. Then you would naturally heel-strike with your gait.

I am indebted to a trainer from the Western Australia Institute of Sports who taught me the above in my early 20s. Now I am still running strongly and regularly without pain at all. Don’t believe me then go to the steep Bukit Kiara/Tmn Tun track on Sunday evenings he!he! Usually wear a yellow cap that covers my front but not the top of my hair.

In Australia, they can custom make jogging shoes for toe-strikers while they are being rehabilitated for their painful knees and strengthening of their dorsiflexors. Don’t think there is such a service here though!

If you are a regular jogger, your shoes need to be changed every 6-9 months or when there is no spring/cushion left in them. Happy running!

WHI study on Low Fat diet in postmenopausal women

Ask your mum to forget about the salads and instead go for the Char Koay Teow and Nasi Lemak?

A large U.S. government study has found that a diet low in fat but high in vegetables, grains and fruits does not reduce the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer or cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.

The Women's Health Initiative is a mammoth, 15-year study designed to identify the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women. The findings, which appear in three separate papers in the Feb. 8 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, involved almost 50,000 postmenopausal women age 50-79. The cost is estimated to be about US$400 million for the study.

Comments:

Point (1): Prevention of chronic disease with diet starts in your 20’s. Vessel damage (atherosclerosis & arteriosclerosis) starts as early as mid-20’s. Bear in mind with even borderline blood sugar levels there is already microvessel damage in progress. You should watch you diet in your 20’s, start supplementing with omega-3, ginkgo, antioxidants etc early and not when the disease process is advanced.

But in the study, there was a trend in lower risk of coronary heart diseases in a group of women who made the greatest reduction in saturated and trans fat. So it is not only reducing fat but eating the right types of FAT!

Point (2): the group taking the low fat diet did not achieve the targeted 20% of calories from fat, but instead achieved 24% first year into the study, and by the 6th year they were consuming average 29% of caloric intake from fats (average population is 30%).

Point (3): There was no reduction in colorectal cancer but there was a 9% reduction in colorectal polyps, a precursor for cancer.

Point (4): There was a 9% decrease in breast cancer which was not statistically significant (i.e.could happen by chance), but 7 years of the study is not long enough. Also the background rate seems high (42 cases per 10,000 women years (low fat); 45 cases per 10,000 women years (control group), as with the WHI HRT study the background rate for the control group was only 30 cases per 10,000 women years). Bear in mind the baseline was between 35-38% fat as their daily calories (i.e when they entered the study) which is on the high side.

Well, rubbish in à rubbish out. Just like the WHI study on Hormone Replacement Therapy. They spent US$650 million on a HRT study in women average age 63.6 years and found that is was not beneficial. But then which doctor would start a 63 year old on HRT! HRT best benefits peri-menopausal women 48-52 yrs of age.

Sabbath

Over lunch today I met someone who knows a Christian pharmacist I knew. He commented how busy she is working long hours and 7 days a week in her own pharmacy, and has no time for anything.

The virtue of working hard is admirable but even God rested on the 7th day! Christ came to restore the "toil-free" business partnership that Adam had with God (Genesis 2:15).

If we work 7 days a week how are we going to attend church, fellowship and grow spiritually. The trust for business blessings is not on God but on "toil". Self-effort can only bring a limited amount of success. But we need to invite the Lord to have net-breaking, boat sinking business breakthoughs!

Lift me up O God
Let me enter Your rest
As I utter Your word into my life
“Giants will be my blessings”

The Promised Land clearly before me
Little by little I will conquer
No more will I fear for You are with me
It is You who will turn my giants into blessings
My weaknesses into strength

Blow away the false expectations from within
Calm my emotions O God
I will utter Your word again and again
Being clear of my direction
Committed to go forward
Confident of my desires

Giant will be my blessings
For bigger are their warehouses
Deeper are their wells
Laid up for me in Your time
I just utter Your promise O God
Claiming the victory.
Amen.

Oxygen Water

I feel so sorry for people wasting money on oxygen water. A bottle is "RM4.20". Yes it is good water, as it is filtered and treated by reverse osmosis. There may even be testimonies that people feel better as most of us don't drink enough water throughout the day in the first place. Water in itself is GOOD. No doubt about that!

But the oxygen will never be absorbed by the gut as humans do not have "gills." God never designed us as fishes and have us extract oxygen from drinking water. We breathe in oxygen via the lungs.

The below article quoted "The highest amount of oxygen among the brands tested was 80 ml of oxygen per 12 ounces of water. However, a normal human breath contains more than 100 ml of oxygen; therefore, the body gets more oxygen from a single breath than from an entire bottle of oxygenated water." (Firstly):This is besides the point as even if it is high the oxygen cannot be absorbed by the intestines. This is basic science. (Secondly): Take in a few big breaths and you have more oxygen going into your blood than drinking a gallon of the oxygen water.

God made men simple. His complexities are often his own doing.


Is Oxygenated Water Just a Bunch of Hot Air?By Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP)

Healthnotes Newswire (May 27, 2004)Drinking bottled water described as oxygenated before exercising does not enhance athletic performance, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2003;290:24089). Although most of the brands of water tested contained more oxygen than tap water, the higher oxygen content appears to provide no health benefits.

In the new study, five brands of water marketed for their high oxygen content were tested for the amount of oxygen per 100 ml of water and compared with the amount of oxygen found in tap water. Water was extracted from each bottle by inserting an airtight syringe into the side or cap of each bottle and pulling out the fluid. Of the five brands tested, the one with the highest oxygen content was used in the exercise phase of the study. Eleven healthy adults (with an average age of 35 years) exercised on a stationary bicycle on two different days, at least three days apart. Five minutes before performing each exercise test, participants were asked to drink 12 ounces of either high-oxygen water or ordinary water. Specific tests that measure athletic performance were recorded for the duration of the exercise session, including heart rate and the amount of oxygen consumed by the body during exercise.

Four of the five brands of oxygenated water contained more oxygen than tap water, while the amount of oxygen in one brand was equivalent to that of tap water. The highest amount of oxygen among the brands tested was 80 ml of oxygen per 12 ounces of water. However, a normal human breath contains more than 100 ml of oxygen; therefore, the body gets more oxygen from a single breath than from an entire bottle of oxygenated water. During the exercise phase, no difference in any marker of athletic performance was found between drinking oxygenated water and drinking ordinary water.

These results cast serious doubt on whether any health benefits could be expected by consuming water that contains more oxygen than that which is normally present. Oxygen does not dissolve easily in water, which means much of the oxygen is lost by merely opening the bottle. Also, the intestinal tract is not designed to absorb oxygen; this process occurs in the lungs, so drinking water would not significantly contribute to raising oxygen levels in the blood. In healthy adults, red blood cells are almost completely saturated with oxygen, so even if the body absorbed a small amount from these waters, it is highly unlikely that such a minute amount of oxygen would produce any significant health benefits. However, dehydration is known to decrease athletic performance, so drinking pure water while exercising is all that is necessary to help prevent dehydration.Is Oxygenated Water Just a Bunch of Hot Air?By Darin Ingels, ND, MT (ASCP)

Source: doctor's trust

Gimmick Foods

Below is an article found at "netdoctor". A lot of parents are wasting money on omega-3 milk and eggs. There is too little in them to make any difference.

Points (1)

When we are born 90% of the brain is already developed (that is why the brain is proportionately bigger compared to the rest of the body at birth); the next 10% is developed in the next 2-3 years. Once the child is past the age of 5, DHA & AA won't help much. However, marketing people have managed to instill fear to parents that if you don't give these milk to their child they are putting them at a disadvantage.

Points (2)

The probiotics (good bacteria) is too low in bacterial count in these yogurt drinks. The bacteria needs to be freeze dried to preserve its viability.If not you could be eating dead bacteria (how horrible!). Even if it was high it may not be acid & bile resistant and likely to killed in the stomach juices. They need to be microencapsulated with a lipid layer (microencapsulation technology to prevent acid and bile degradation) as with some better probiotic preparations.

A lot of the studies done with yougurt drinks are done with drinks specially fortified with probiotics, and not the standard commercial yogurt drinks.

Article:
Gimmicky health foods 'not worth buying'

Gimmicky health foods 'not worth buying''Brain-boosting' foods such as milk and eggs enriched with omega-3 oils and probiotic drinks are not worth buying, claim food experts.

The claims made by so-called 'healthy foods' are often misleading and many have little impact at all, according to Dr Alex Richardson, an Oxford University researcher.

Research has revealed that omega-3 can boost brain activity in children, leading to a glut of new products on the market claiming to be able to boost brain power simply by containing omega-3.

One such product is St Ivel's Advance, which is advertised as 'clever milk' and is much more expensive than ordinary milk.

However, experts believe that anyone drinking the product would have to consume at least three pints a day for any noticeable effect on their brain power.

Dr Richardson told the Daily Mail: "If you want omega-3, why not go straight to the foods that are high in it anyway?

"The best place to get nutrients is from a healthy, balanced diet of fresh foods."

Another recent study by Which? magazine found that the effects of fashionable probiotic drinks is "patchy" and most of the drinks are simply loaded with sugar.

Yakult for example, contains 18 per cent sugar.

"Probiotic bacteria may be beneficial in certain circumstances but the evidence for this is patchy. There's no reliable research to prove that probiotics help your general wellbeing," concluded Which?.

Source:netdoctor.co.uk (March 6, 2006)

Theme for 2006

Poem inspired by Pastor Joshua Yee's watch night service Dec 30, 2005 & picture of me besides Jordan River taken during my Holy Land trip in Dec 2005.

"Walk in All My Inheritance"

I looked to the north, to the south;
Gazing far to the east and west;
From where I am, of what I see,
The testament of my inheritance[1]


I had dreamt of the riches of my Father
The length, the breadth of distant lands[2]
Of its wealth and opulence;
I had walked them only in my dreams
Now the Lord has spread all inheritance under my feet

I marvel at His love
It is because Someone died that I inherited
The full blessings of the cross
Countless as dust is my inheritance.
Bequeathed to me with His love
Thank You O God.
Thank You Jesus
Amen.

[1] Genesis 13:14
[2] Genesis 13:17

New Book Launches

Welcome to Eleventh Hour! Attached are the covers of our 2 latest books that will be available in local bookstores as well as www.drvictorchen.com (online mid-March).

We certainly live in exciting times as medical science brings us closer to immortality, we can now live fuller and more enriching lives even with advancing years. In recent time there has also been a great explosion of interest in health, wellness and health supplements. Often promoters of these products will make many claims. For the average individual it is difficult to validate all these claims and decide what is really appropriate for their condition.

Far too often, these products offer a panacea or a cure-all promise. They tend to give people an idea that a pill or nutritional supplement will do wonders even without modifications to lifestyle such as diet and exercise. Of more serious concern is that large amounts of nutritional supplements, traditional medicines and extremely strong protein supplements, are being recommended and sold by people with little understanding of health sciences, motivated only by commercial interests.

Healthy living is not just about a pill, a particular diet or exercise regimen. It is an attitude that encompasses diet, exercise and many other factors. The explosion in health matters is legitimate, as it is estimated that over 80 percent of all illnesses have environmental and lifestyle causes. But the public should be given correct information. That is the purpose of this BLOG!

Dr.Victor Chen.