the hypoglycemic health association newsletter · the editor, jurriaan plesman, would like to meet...

The Hypoglycemic Health Newsletter December, 1999, Vol 15 No 4- 1 -

PATRON: Dr George Samra

Volume 15 Number 4 December, 1999

The Hypoglycemic Health Association

Phone: (02) 9553-0084, Fax: (02) 9588-5290

PRESIDENT: Steve McNaughton, BE (NSW)Secretary: Dr George SamraTreasurer: Babs LamontEditor: Jurriaan Plesman, B.A. (Psych), Post. Grad. Dip. Clin. Nutr.

Steering CommitteeMembers:

Auditor: Hugh D Macfarlanes, Chartered Accountant

The NEWSLETTER of the Hypoglycemic Health Association is distributed to members of the Associationand to Health Professionals with an interest in nutritional medicine and clinical ecology.

Catering Committee: Reg & Lynnette Grady

Dr Katrina WatsonTed GrantJoy SharpSue Litchfield

Our Next Public Meeting will be at 1.00 PM

on Saturday, the 4 December,

1999

at YWCA2 Wentworth Ave, SYDNEY

and our guest speaker is

Dr Joachim Fluhrer

who will be speaking

on the subject of

“ Migraine & Head-aches”

Correspondence: THE HYPOGLYCEMIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, P.O. BOX 830, KOGARAH, N.S.W. 1485

NEWSLETTER

Dr Joachim Fluhrer is a registeredmedical practitioner and is the principaland owner of his practice at Manly, whichis called “Sydney Natural MedicalCentre” . Dr Fluhrer's main interest lies inthe area of chronic illness. The practice isshared with other professionals in General,Nutritional and Environmental Medicine,Allergies, Acupuncture, Osteopathy,Homeopathy, Support for cancer patients,Chelation Therapy, Immune Therapiesand, General and Biological Dentistry.The Institute caters for chronicdegenerative diseases, chronic fatiguesyndrome, chronic toxicity, mercury-amalgam toxicity, immune disorders,attention deficit disorders and, of courseMIGRAINES & HEADACHES which willbe Dr Fluhrer's topic at the next meeting.

NEXT MEETING IS OUR CHRISTMAS MEETING at the YWCA, 2 Wentworth Ave, Sydney and will start at 1 pm,one hour before the talk given by Dr Joachim Fluhrer. Please bring in a wrapped present worth about $5.00 and aplate of sugar-free food. For details see page 2 under "CHRISTMAS PARTY". Entry fees for non-members will be$5.00 and for members $3.00 & families $5.00. Members are reminded that most subscriptions expire on the 31December 1999 (expiry dates shown top-right hand corner of address labels). Please send in you application formsat the last page of this Newsletter to PO Box 830, Kogarah 1485. Receipts will be issued only upon request.At the last meeting of the Committee it has decided to slightly change the format of this Newsletter. The intentionis to personalize the content by asking members to submit their personal accounts of their experience withhypoglycemia and related illnesses for publication in this Newsletter. This will provide a more person-to-personcommunication among members of the Association. These will be published on the first few pages of the Newsletterthen followed by articles of a more scientific nature. We also will include two pages of recipes.

Registered Charity CFN 16689

Continued on page 2


Any opinion expressed inthis Newsletter does notnecessarily reflect theviews of the Association.

Donations by professionalsProfessionals are reminded that the Asso-

ciation is now a registered charitable organi-sation and that any donations are tax-deduct-ible.

Dr George Samra has paid for the hire ofa room at the YWCA and his donation isgreatly appreciated by the Association. Do-nations by professionals help to financiallysustain the work of the Association for thebenefit of not only doctors and practitionersbut patients as well.

Books for sale at the meetingJurriaan Plesman: GETTING OFF THE

HOOKThis book is also available in most public

libraries (state and university)Sue Litchfield: SUE’S COOKBOOKDr George Samra's bookThe Hypoglycemic Connection(now out of print) is available in public

libraries.

The Newcastle branch of the Associa-tion are still meeting with the assistance ofBev Cook. They now meet at ALL PUR-POSE CENTRE, Thorn Street, TORONTO.Turn right before lights at Police Station, theCentre is on the right next to AmbulanceStation. For meeting dates and informationring Mrs. Bev Cook at 02-4950-5876.

Entrance fee at meetingsDue to diminishing income from our quar-

terly meetings we regrettably have to in-crease our fees. Entry fees for non-memberswill be $5.00, members $3.00 & families$5.00

Donations for raffleOne way of increasing our income is by

way of raffles. If any member has anything todonate towards the raffle, please contact DrGeorge Samra’s surgery at 19 Princes High-way, Kogarah, Phone 9553-0084.

At the last meeting on the 4 Septemeber1999 Babs Lamont won the lucky doorprize and Dr George Samra won the raffle.

Previous Copies of theHypoglycemic Newsletter

Back issues of the HypoglycemicNewsletters are available at the NSWState Library, Macquarie Street, Syd-ney. They are filed underNQ616.466006/1 in the General Ref-erence Library.Other libraries holding copies are:Stanton Library, North Sydney;Leichhardt Municipal Library; TheTasmanian State Library; The Syd-ney University; The University of NSWand Newcastle University. The As-sociation will provide free copies inPDF format to any library upon re-quest to [email protected]

Fund raising activitiesWe need money, ideas, donations, bequests

(remember us in your will).

Ms Bousfield has requested us to place anad in this Newsletter calling for interestedmembers to start a discussion group in theGymea area. Please call Ms Bousfield at 9525-9178

Many thanks go to Lynette Grady ofNowra who has donated a home-made jumperworth about $250 to the Association. Thejumper was sold at Dr Samra's surgery. MrRaymond Pont purchased the jumper for hiswife Pat who travelled all over England withthe jumper. She said: "It was absolutely won-derful and warm".

The Editor, Jurriaan Plesman,would like to meet members in-terested in assisting him editingthis Newsletter, especially in thepreparation of recipes, which isnot his forte. It is hoped that suchperson has access to a computerand has internet facilities. Thusthe sub-editor need not be lo-cated in Sydney. Ms Babs Lamonthas indicated that she would liketo relinquish the job as treasurerfor personal reasons. So we areanxious to hear from any memberwho is willing to take up this all-important job. [email protected]

Continued from page 1

Christmas PartyChristmas Party

Our next meeting at the YWCA,2 Wentworth Ave, Sydney will startone hour earlier at 1 pm on 4th De-cember 1999, the last in this century,to celebrate our Super ChristmasParty.Please bring along a plate of sugar-free foods. Presents: The Commit-tee asks everyone to participate inthe Lucky Dip. Bring a wrappedpresent worth about $5.00 with youand mark it "male" or "female". Thesewill be placed in special bags aspresents to your fellow members. Ifyou don't you will not be disappointed!!There will be presents for kids, andthey are welcome.

How I discovered I hadhypoglycemiaBy Babs lamont, Bowral

My mother had tobacco poisoning whilstpregnant with me, the result of working in atobacco factory. She has never smoked. Atsix months my very existence was threatenedwith an abortion. Her kidneys failed. She ewas told if she did not pass urine by the nextmorning it would be her life or the foetus’s. Ireckon I heard those words and kicked herkidneys and the rest is history.

At three weeks of age I ulcerated bothnipples on my mother’s breasts. I was putonto cow’s milk to which I proved to be“allergic” or intolerant. In my early schoolyears I must have “outgrown” the allergy asI loved to drink as much of the free schoolmilk as I could summer and winter.

During my school years I constantly hadsinusitis, tonsillitis and chilblains. At highschool I craved fresh bread rolls, doughnutswith real cream and real jam, and overripebananas. I could never eat enough. I’d con-stantly raid the sweet tin. Fruits, fresh andhome preserved, jams, pickles, artificiallycoloured and flavoured cordial drinks wereabundant in my diet until I was 18 and a halfwhen I left home. I was never a fat or over-weight child or teenager.

I have always been very fit, healthy, activeperson. I loved to sing and dance. I was neverstill unless I was reading. As a child I played,ran, climbed the highest trees and walkedmiles. This continued into my teenage yearswith team and individual sports of netball,gymnastics, tennis, swimming, cycling, ath-letics and walking. With running 100 yardsrace, after being out in front about then 75yard mark my energy level would suddenlydrop and I’d finish the race heavily and closerto the back than the front. I remember hefrustration and embarrassment. In my 30’sand 40’s I was backpacking (bushwalking)and kayaking I could never understand de-spite highly nutritious breakfasts, lunches,morning and afternoon teas and my fitness,how my energy or stamina would just flag.After just a couple of hours I’d start stum-bling and would really resent the idea of suchhard work, forgetting my love and enjoymentof walking and kayaking in the isolation,fresh air and beauty of the bush and riverswhere I was truly happiest. I hated my packon my back, and would get short temperedand irritable.

In my early 30’s I joined weight watchers,lost required weight, low cal drinks, artificialflavourings, colouring and preservatives againbecame part of my life. At about 37 I becamea vegetarian, and only very occasionally eat-ing a little fish or a few eggs. I went on a 5 dayfast and immediately psoriasis broke out allover my body. Through trial and error I foundI was allergic to all dairy products.

Continued on Page 12


A simplistic view would be that the allo-pathic doctors treat with the aim to treat thedisease (e.g. kill bacteria/viruses etc.) removeunpleasant symptoms whereas the holisticpractitioner is more likely to boost the im-mune system, treat the digestive system, workon mind/body connections, all with the aimthat the body should heal itself. The biggestdifference in reality between the two is aphilosophical difference.

Sufferers of conditions such as chronicfatigue and hypoglycaemia are often on thereceiving end of such a dichotomy. In the fieldof oncology, this variation is starkly seen.Much of the attitude of orthodoxy has beendeveloped by the fact that patients show nosigns of ill health apart from their tumour.Their routine pathology tests are often in nor-mal range (apart from tumour markers) andthey often feel quite well. The reverse appliesto Chronic Fatigue patients whose pathologyis often normal yet feel extremely unwell.Interestingly, a study in Germany suggestedthat many cancer patients do not catch even aflu or a cold for approx. 5 years before they arediagnosed with cancer. This study suggestedthe merits of having a fever once a year.

We have a world-wide situation where atest such as mammography is promoted asbeing the best screening device available todetect early breast cancer. Of course by thetime a breast tumour is found it really is toolate, and to make matters worse, there is mount-ing evidence to indicate that annual mammog-raphy may indeed be seen as a way to dramati-cally increase a woman’s risk to develop thedisease. So, it becomes imperative that betterand less harmful screening methods be devel-oped.

There are however, some tests availablethat can measure subtle changes in the body,and that do in fact show many health problemsin cancer patients. One such test is RegulationThermography. This is closest to a truly func-tional test of the body as is possible. Thermog-raphy in this form was developed in Germany,with the latest version of this equipment, be-ing used in our laboratory.

For hundreds of years, physicians haveused the temperature of the body as a measure-ment of health or illness. We know that whenfighting off an infection, one of our responsesis to mount a fever. This stimulates the im-mune system and helps us rid ourselves ofharmful organisms. We may now be seeing indeveloped countries, the long term effects of

“The Benefits of Thermography, Clot RetractionTesting and Live Blood Analysis in the

maintenance of health”by Jennie Burke

Australian Biologics Testing Services,135 Macquarie Street, Sydney. 2000

drugs that prevent our fever responses. Weknow that old age often brings with it poorcirculation and problems that may manifest invery cold extremities.

So, what has been developed is a systemwhere we can take a very rapid series oftemperature measurements - using a fine tem-perature probe, from the head, neck, chest,upper and lower abdomen and the back, wecan measure every tooth, and we can measurevarious points on each breast. What turnsthermography into a test of function, is that wecan then create a stress in the patient, and thenremeasure each point to see how the body hasadjusted or regulated to that stress. The stressinduced, is to lower the body temperature byhaving the patient remain seated following thefirst series of measurements for 10 minuteswithout any upper clothing on the body atpoints shown in Figure 1.

These are the points routinely measured.

We know that the body protects the head atall costs, so we know that the initial readingstaken from the head should become slightlywarmer following the “stress”. We know thatdropping the body’s temperature should alsogive us slightly colder readings for all otherreadings of the body except for the thyroidwhich as a metabolically very active organwill give us a slight increase in heat followingcooling. So the normal thermogram as pic-tured here is the optimum response. See Fig-ure 2.

The upper part of the graph represent thenumerical input of temperatures. These aredrawn in graphical form in the middle repre-senting different parts of the body.

The most important of these are:The middle row: 1) Head, 2) Neck, 3)

Chest, 4) Upper Abdomen, 5) Lower Abdo-men, 6) Back

The bottom row: 7&8) Upper Jaw, 9&10)Lower Jaw, 11&12) The right and Left Mamma

In the normal thermogram you will see thatthe readings of the head are above the base linewith the second reading in in red followingstress (shown in figure 1 as gray) gettinghotter. All readings following are below thebase line with the second reading colder thanthe first. The perfect readings for the teethwould follow a sine wave with the front teethhotter than the back teeth, and as with the headmeasurements, also growing colder with stress.The readings of the breast follow a descending

pattern. All reactions should be in a rangebetween 0.4∞C and 1.0∞. We know that hotreadings are inflammatory signs whereas coldreadings are degenerative signs.

So, if we examine the thermogram of abreast cancer patient, who has no abnormali-ties found in routine pathology testing, shouldwe then expect to see a normal graph with theone area of abnormality being in the breast ? InFigure 3 we have an example of a thermo-gram from a patient diagnosed with breastcancer.

The circles are reactions we have notedthat are particularly abnormal. Some of theseabnormal readings are where the first readingand the second reading are identical - wherethe body did not react or recognise a stress.This is called a fixed point and may indicate afocal point in the body.

Note several fixed points in the teeth, in thehead (the frontal and mastoid sinuses), thelymphatics L1 and L2 which drain from thehead, and in the lower abdomen the point thatreads the right ovary. You will also see the hotspot in the left breast shown in Figure 3 in theright-hand bottom part. We get a crossovereffect with the tumour in the breats and theopposite ovary. In the head region, we havecircled the very cold readings of OsE 1 and 2.These are the readings of the ethmoidal si-nuses, and in patients with malignancies usu-ally give very low temperatures. We knowthat the paranasal sinuses with their mucousmembrane serve the immune system and areoften abnormal in cancer patients.

If you examine the readings of the neck,chest, upper and lower abdomen and back,you will see that most readings show a reac-tion of more than 1.0∞ change. This over-reaction is called hyperegulation and in thisfirst thermogram is especially evident in theupper and lower abdomen, showing that thedigestive system is especially poor.

Our laboratory has produced many suchthermograms, not shown here to save space.In one the tumour is showing in the right breastwith two hot readings.

There are also very hot readings for bothovaries which may indicate some activity inthe left breast as well. Again, many of thedental readings are abnormal. Having nowexamined many thermograms, it is quite obvi-ous that the majority of people do not havehealthy teeth.

Once again, the very cold readings of the


Figure 1

Figure 2


Fig

ure

3


Figure 4 "Normal Clot"

Figure 5: An Abnormal Clot

Figure 6

Figure 7ethmoidal sinuses show a lowered immunesystem, with quite hot readings of most othersinuses. We also have hot readings for thetonsils and most lymphatics as well as the hotreadings on the right of the neck region repre-senting the thyroid and thymus readings. Withbreast cancer, we of course expect abnormalreadings for the chest region, however, onceagain, we also see abnormalities in the ab-dominal readings

To heal any patient, surely it is necessary toknow where their body function is imperfectand to work with them until all areas of thebody function perfectly. At the very least, thisshould be goal we strive for.

The Clot Reaction TestAnother test we carry out for many patients

is the Clot Retraction Test. This simple testallows us to record the level of oxidation forthe patient and offers us insights into theorgans or systems of the body that is generat-ing this oxidation. The test is performed byswift examination of the clotting processes ofthe blood.

Variations between normal coagulation pat-terns and coagulation patterns of a cancerpatient will be shown.

This test can be used to monitor a patientfollowing treatment for cancer. Figure 4 is anexample of what a normal blood clot lookslike. Figure 5 shows an abnormal blood clot.

In some patients these tests may indicatethe likelihood of a recurrence. e.g. photos

from a patient treated in 91 but with a diagno-sis of a recurrence in ’98. At no stage did thispatient appear to be in full remission. Figure6.

Also discussed will be results of a patientdiagnosed with left breast cancer. Unfortu-nately when we performed the CRT, we foundthat an extremely high level of oxidation com-ing from the right side of the body. We thencarried out a thermography, which sadly con-firmed that there was also cancerous activityin the right breast. Thermogram is shown inFigure 7.

All of the above tests are of course usefulin all human conditions - not just as tests forcancer patients. Very few of us today appear tobe at optimum health which is really in contra-diction to the view put forward by the public-ity machines of orthodox medicine. Most of ushave some digestive problems - who amongstus has never taken an antibiotic and hencealtered the bacterial flora of our gut ? Howmany of us have the perfect diet and theperfect coping mechanisms for stress ?

We live in an imperfect world. Our ways ofcoping in this world improve with knowledge,and knowledge about the function of our bod-ies can only be of benefit in maintaininghealth. So, in order to provide some balance in

the views we have about health and dis-ease,our laboratory will continue to offer peopleaccess to tests which provide keys to themaintenance of optimal health.

For the skeptics of these radically newtechniques of non-invasive diagnosis we agreethat urgent large scale experiments to validatethese diagnostic methods are needed. In themeantime we have to rely on clinical evidencefrom individual health practitioners, beforeacceptance by mainstream medicine is thenorm.

Only a small proportion of available serv-ices by The Australian Biologics Testing Serv-ices are presented here. If professional practi-tioners are interested they can obtain an out-line of these services (Clot Retraction Test,Live Blood Analysis, Hair Analysis, Cyto-toxic Food Sensitivities, Scratch Test, Ther-mography, Biocompatiblity) by contactingAustralian Biologics,

Suite 401, BMA House135 Macquarie Street, SYDNEY, 2000Ph: 02 9247 5322, Fx: 02 9247 5453Email: [email protected] site: http://www.australianbiologics.com


SUMMARYLong chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are

major components of nerve cell and retinalmembranes. There may be a common biologi-cal basis to the disorders dyslexia, attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder and dyspraxiaas these conditions are frequently co-morbidand appear to share a common genetic predis-position. The common biological basis maybe related to fatty acid metabolism as disor-dered fatty acid metabolism, clinical featuresof essential fatty acid deficiency or improve-ments following supplementation with cer-tain long chain polyunsaturated fatty acidshave been indicated in the research described.Further support for a phospholipid membranedefect associated with dyslexia has been givenby brain scans which reveal chemical differ-ences in the brains of dyslexics.

Notes on essential fatty acid metabolism* There are two essential fatty acids, lino-

leic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.

* They are in two different series, n-6 andn-3, sometimes called omega-6 andomega-3.

* They must be present in the diet and arejust as important as any vitamin ormineral.

* Linoleic acid (LA) is the head of the n-6series.

* alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the head ofthe n-3 series.

* LA and ALA are converted by a series ofchemical reactions called elongationsand desaturations to long chain polyun-saturated fats, LCPs.

* The important long of the n-6 series arearachidonic acid and adrenic acid.

* The important long of the n-3 series areeicosapentaenoic acid anddocosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

INTRODUCTIONEfficient reading and writing require sen-

sory input from vision, hearing or touch, cen-tral processing in the brain and effective mo-

Dyslexia, attention deficit disorder,dyspraxia: do fatty acid supplements help?

B. JACQUELINE STORDY BSC NUTRITION, PHD

Dr Jackie Stordy, worked at the University of Surrey for 32 years, first as SeniorLecturer in nutrition then as Director of the Nutrition Degrees until December 1996when she retired. She has done research in many areas including infant nutrition andregularly appears on radio and television to discuss nutrition issues. Her discovery in1995 in relation to fatty acids and dyslexia lead to invitations to speak on the topic inmany different countries around the world. She is now co-ordinating research intofatty acids and learning disorders at Efamol Ltd.

tor action determined by motor nerves takingmessages to the muscles of the hand. The cellsthat are specialist receptors, modified nervecells, and the sensory and motor nerve cellsthemselves are largely made up of lipid (fattysubstances). The brain is 60 per cent lipid androughly half of this lipid is long chain polyun-saturated fatty acids. The long chain fattyacids, docosahexaenoic acid, adrenic acid andarachidonic acid are the major long chain fattyacid constituents of the brain. They are ineffect the building blocks of phospholipidmembranes around and within nerve cellsdetermining the physical characteristics andthe chemistry of the membranes which controlthe efficiency of transmission of signals fromone nerve cell to another. Docosahexaenoicacid is also a major constituents of membranesin the cone and rod cells of the retina.

The importance of adequate supplies oflong chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in earlylife for brain and visual development is wellestablished. Premature infants who are notgiven milk containing LCPs have delayeddevelopment of visual acuity, they also have alower IQ at age eight years. Human milkprovides the LCPs ready formed but manyformulas based on cows’ milk do not. It wasthis research on the role of LCPs in visual andbrain development that initiated my own re-search into the possibility of a link betweenLCPs and dyslexia. I noticed in one largefamily with many dyslexics in three genera-tions, those who had been breast fed longestwere least affected by their dyslexia and ingeneral their problems had become apparentlater in childhood. The variation in duration ofbreast feeding in this family varied from noneat all to two and a half years. Even prolongedbreast feeding however did not protect com-pletely from developing dyslexia.

PREGNANCYIn my first study I investigated consump-

tion of long chain fatty acids during preg-nancy of two groups of mothers. One grouphad dyslexic sons, the other group includedmothers of nondyslexic classmates. The moth-ers were given a comprehensive questionnairedesigned to establish the amounts of essentialfatty acids they consumed, particularly the

ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids. The studyshowed that the mothers of dyslexic childrenwere significantly more likely to have con-sumed a diet with a low amount of n-3 fattyacids during pregnancy. This study collecteddata on diet roughly 10 years retrospectivelyand there is considerable doubt about thereliability of such data but the results sug-gested that there may be a link between certainfatty acids and dyslexia.

DARK ADAPTATION IN DYSLEXIAI therefore decided to set up a study to

investigate whether docosahexaenoic acidsupplementation might be beneficial in dys-lexic individuals. I wanted a test which mightquickly be able to demonstrate an effect. DHAis known to be important in the function ofretinal rod cells which are required for visionin dim light. I therefore decided to test whetherthere was any evidence for reduced retinalDHA content in dyslexia as indicated by darkadaptation. Ten adults with dyslexia (4 fe-males and 6 males) and 10 control subjects (6females and 4 males) were recruited(1). Theywere all young adults with age range 18-26years.

Dark adaptation was tested using theFriedmann Visual Field Analyser, set for thedark adaptation function. One eye was oc-cluded, bright light was shone in the other eyeto bleach the retina and the room darkened.Measurements of dark adaptation were madeat one minute intervals by assessing the inten-sity of very brief flashes of light which couldjust be detected. Measurements were contin-ued until no further adaptation was observed.The dyslexics at every time point showedpoorer dark adaptation than the controls. Be-cause dark adaptation can be influenced by anumber of known nutrients including vita-mins A and C, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, thia-min and zinc, all subjects were asked to keepa food diary and the intake of these nutrientswas estimated: there was no difference inintakes between the two groups.

I then went on to test the possibility thatdark adaptation might be influenced by givingDHA(1). For a period of one month fivedyslexics and five controls were given fourcapsules per day of a fish oil which contained


120mg of DHA per capsule with only traces ofvitamins A and D. Dark adaptation was thenre-tested. In four controls DHA had no effectson dark adaptation, although in one subjectadaptation clearly improved. In contrast in thedyslexic subjects DHA consistently and sig-nificantly improved dark adaptation. Interest-ingly the control subject whose dark adapta-tion improved following supplementation wasa fairly strict vegetarian who prior to the studyhad a habitual diet with a low DHA content.

The retinal rod cells are not only importantfor dark adaptation. They are thephotoreceptors of the component of the visualsystem which processes rapid stimuli, themagnocellular (transient) system, and there isanatomical, psychophysical and functionalmagnetic resonance imaging evidence thatthis system is impaired in dyslexia.Magnocellular ganglion cells receive inputfrom all retinal cone cell types and from rodcells and have large receptive fields. They areimportant for motion detection.

Improving the function of the photorecep-tor by DHA supplementation does not neces-sarily indicate central processing deficits willbe helped as well. It is likely, however, thatthis is the case as synapse membranes, thejunctions between nerve cells, contain highconcentrations of DHA. There are also highconcentrations of DHA in growth cones ofnerve cells so that any increase in the numberof connections (dendrites) between nerve cellsputs a high demand on the supply of DHA.

FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTS ANDMOTOR SKILLS

One of the largest studies ever examiningthe health, well-being and development ofchildren from birth to maturity, the BritishBirth Cohort Study, examined predictors ofdyslexia in 17,000 children(2). The strongestpredictor for dyslexia was the failing to catcha ball test. The test involves throwing a ball up,clapping a specified number of times andcatching it. This indicates the close links be-tween dyspraxia, where motor co- ordinationproblems are the core feature, and dyslexia. Itwas with great interest I accepted an invitationfrom a local group affiliated to the DyspraxiaFoundation to test the skills of their childrenbefore and after supplementation with a fattyacid supplement including both n-3 and n-6fatty acids. The test battery we used was theABC Movement Assessment Battery for Chil-dren (Henderson and Sugden 1992). The testconsists of two parts: a check list completedby an adult familiar with the child, in thisstudy a parent, and a series of objective meas-ures of motor skills to assess manual dexterity,ball skills and static and dynamic balance. Thetest is designed to be used to evaluate treat-ment interventions by physiotherapists andoccupational therapists but is just as suitablefor examining the response to nutritional sup-plementation. The parents also completed abehaviour rating, Conner’s Parent RatingScales. The test battery was completed beforeand after 4 months of supplementation withEfalexTM, a patented mixture of tuna oil,evening primrose oil, thyme oil and vitamin E.

The supplement provided 480mg of DHA, 35mg of arachidonic acid, 96mg gamma lino-lenic acid, 80mg vitamin E and 24mg of thymeoil daily. Seventeen families volunteered forthe study and 15 children completed all thetests. There were 11 boys and four girls withage range 5-12 years. At the outset the checklist scores for all the children exceeded the15th percentile indicating a marked degree ofmovement difficulty. A similar degree of dif-ficulty was found with the objective meas-ures. The total impairment score, derived bysumming scores for manual dexterity, ballskills and static and dynamic balance, ex-ceeded the 1st percentile for 14 children andthe remaining child was on the 8th percentile.Following supplementation, overall, therewere statistically significant improvements inscores for manual dexterity, ball skills, staticand dynamic balance, total impairment andcheck list. Only one child failed to improve onthe check list score but three failed to improveon the objective measures. The Conner’s Par-ent Rating Scale scores also improved follow-ing supplementation and the children weresignificantly less anxious. Conner’s RatingScales are frequently used to assess childrenwith attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTS ANDATTENTION DEFICITHYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

The research group at Purdue Universitylead by Dr John Burgess and Dr Laura Stevensinvestigated the clinical and biochemical evi-dence for essential fatty acid deficiency inboys with AD/HD(4.5). They found that suchchildren had clinical signs of deficiency suchas extreme thirst, they also found that they hadlow amounts of the long chain fatty acidsparticularly arachidonic acid, adrenic acid andDHA in the red blood cell membranes. It isthought that red blood cell membranes reflectthe composition of nerve cell membranes.Examination of the fatty acid composition ofthe diets of these children indicated that therewas not just a simple dietary deficiency ofessential fatty acids which could explain theresults. It appears that children with AD/HD areless able to convert the precursor essential fattyacids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, fromtheir food, to the long chain derivatives, arachi-donic acid, adrenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.A further indication that AD/HD may be related toLCP supply was that they found boys with AD/HDwere less likely to have been breast fed and if theyhad been breast fed it was for a shorter duration.Conner’s Parent Rating Scales and Teacher RatingScales were inversely related to the duration ofbreast feeding. That is the longer the child had beenbreast fed the less severe the AD/HD. In a laterstudy(5) they found over the population as a whole,children with higher amounts of n-3 fatty acids intheir blood had better mathematics ability andoverall academic ability. The same children werealso less prone to behaviour problems such astemper tantrums and sleep problems.

It appears that there may be a common biologi-cal basis to dyslexia, AD/HD and dyspraxia as theytend to run in the same families and are often co-morbid. This common biological basis may be

related to fatty acid metabolism as disorderedfatty acid metabolism, clinical features of essentialfatty acid deficiency, or improvements with spe-cific fatty acid supplements have been reported inall of these conditions. There has been muchinterest in the provision of adequate amounts oflong chain polyunsaturated fatty acids for thefoetus, the premature and the full term infant toenable good visual and intellectual development.These studies demonstrate there may be somevalue in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acidsupplements for older children and adults withspecific learning disorders who appear to be lessable to synthesise the amounts required from di-etary precursors. The studies described earlier arepreliminary, they are small and have design faultswhich do not allow firm conclusions to be made.However a substantial amount of anecdotal evi-dence is now accumulating which appears to en-dorse the preliminary studies. It is unlikely everychild with one, or even a combination, of theseconditions will respond to fatty acid supplements.It is not yet clear which features of the conditionsrespond most. Further studies including doubleblind, placebo controlled trials are in progress toverify or otherwise the value of fatty acid supple-ments in dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder and dyspraxia.

The biochemical mechanisms underlying therelationships between academic achievement,learning disorders, behaviour patterns and motorskills require detailed examination. Horrobin et al(6) have suggested that there is an abnormality ofmembrane phospholipid metabolism in both dys-lexia and schizophrenia. These ideas have beensupported by very recent research using phospho-rus-31 MRS brain scans of dyslexics(7). There wasalso recent support for impaired dark adaptation indyslexia and schizophrenia presented at the Dys-lexia conference in Athens(8). At present there isconsistency between the various research studies.It is likely that fatty acid supplements available atpresent are a rather blunt tool but for many theyappear to be of use.REFERENCES

1 . Stordy BJ (1995). Benefit of docosahexaenoicacid supplements to dark adaptation in dyslexia.Lancet 346: 385.

2. Haslum MN (1989), Predictors of dyslexia? IrishJournal of Psychology, 10: 622-30.

3. Henderson SE, Sugden DA. Movement assess-ment battery for children. London: The Psycho-logical Corporation, Harcourt Brace and Com-pany, 1992.

4. Stevens LJ, Zentall SS, Deck JL, Abate ML,Watkins BA, Lipp SR, Burgiss JR(1995). Es-sential fatty acid metabolism in boys with atten-tion- deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Clin Nutr62: 761-8

5. Stevens LJ, Zentall SS, Abate ML, Watkins BA,Kuczek T, Burgess JR. Omega-3 fatty acids inboys with behaviour, learning, and health prob-lems. Physiol & Behav; 59: 915-20.

6. Horrobin DF, Glen AIM, Hudson CJ (1995).Possible relevance of phospholipid abnormali-ties and genetic interactions in psychiatric disor-ders: the relationship between dyslexia andschizophrenia. Medical Hypothesis 45: 605-13.

7. Richardson AJ, Cox IJ, Sargentoni J, Puri BK.Abnormal cerebral phospholipid metabolism indyslexia indicated by phosphorus-31 magneticresonance spectroscopy. NMR in Biomed inpress.

8. MacDonnell LEF, Skinner FK, MacDonald MA,Sutherland J, Glen EMT, Ward PE, Glen AIM.Neuropsychological, visual and essential fattyacid assessment of adults with dyslexic typeproblems, Poster presented to dyslexia confer-ence in Athens 1997.


Designer Cells Produce Insulin

Researchers from New Orleans arehard at work developing a genetically bred cell line that can be

implanted in your body, produces insulin, andis resistant to rejection. Sound like sciencefiction?

This exciting new development in thesearch for better ways to keep diabetes undercontrol was presented at the 59th ScientificSessions of the American Diabetes Associa-tion, held recently in San Diego.

Breeding cells specifically designed toperform a certain function has become almostcommonplace with the great advances in DNAtechnology. For example, science has discov-ered how to insert human DNA into bacteria,thereby creating bacteria that produce humaninsulin. Many diabetics presently take thisgenetically engineered insulin.

Now, science is taking the next step. In ahealthy individual, the beta cells in the pan-creas manufacture insulin. One of the prob-lems of Type II diabetes is that these cells, forwhatever reason, produce less insulin. Thegenetically designed cells that these research-ers are working on will produce insulin them-selves.

The insulin-producing cells are encapsu-lated in a thin loop of tubing that is implantedunder the skin with the expectation that thecells will release insulin in response to a rise inblood sugar levels, just like a normal pancreaswould do. The material of the tubing allowsthe insulin to move out of the tube and into theblood.

In addition, these cells are bred to be resist-ant to cytokines‹substances your body pro-duces as part of the inflammatory reactionwhen it detects a foreign presence. Cytokinesare part of the reason that people who havetransplants have to take anti-rejection drugs.

Without insulin, glucose, the end result ofthe digestion of all arbohydrates, builds up inyour blood (hyperglycemia). Excess bloodglucose is very harmful to your cells over timeand leads to many of the complications ofdiabetes including damage to your eyes (retin-opathy), nerves (neuropathy), and kidneys(nephropathy).

Researchers are investigating three differ-ent sources from which the specialized cellline could be developed.

Depression Makes Your Diabetes WorseIn most cases, depression precedes the

Here’s the latest information on diabetesresearch: (Part II)

As presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions, 19-22 JuneFrom the Internet at http://www.mediconsult.com

development of diabetes. Researchers fromWashington University and the University ofOregon presented these findings from multi-ple studies regarding depression and Type IIdiabetes.

Although the link between depression anddiabetes is well known, the order of the asso-ciation was thought to be the same as for otherchronic illnesses. Once a chronic illness be-gins to have a negative impact on people’slives, they are more prone to depression. Thisholds true for diabetes, heart disease, multiplesclerosis, or any other disease.

In the course of trying to measure thequality-of-life for a diabetic who is also de-pressed, these research teams discovered thatin as many as 90 percent of cases, depressionbegins first and up to 10 years before thediabetes develops. Reactive depression - de-pression that begins as a reaction to havingdiabetes - actually only accounts for a smallnumber of depressed patients.

Physicians have serious concerns regard-ing the role depression plays in the develop-ment of Type II diabetes and even graverconcerns that depression in many diabetics isundiagnosed and, therefore, untreated.

For a diabetic, being depressed carries ad-ditional risks. Depressed diabetics have poorglucose control and more diabetic complica-tions. The good news is that treating the de-pression improves both the depression and thediabetes.

The researchers urge health-care provid-ers, especially primary-care practitioners, tolook for and treat depression in diabetic pa-tients.

If you have Type II diabetes, you should beaware of your increased risk for depressionand should report any depressive symptomsyou may experience to your health-care pro-vider. Because untreated, depression not onlytakes the joy of your life, it shortens it bymaking your diabetes worse.

High Blood Sugar in Pregnancy = HighRisk for Baby

Researchers from Santa Barbara, Califor-nia, presented findings on the effects Type IIdiabetes may have on your baby - both beforeand after the baby is born - at the AmericanDiabetes Association’s 59th Scientific Ses-sions currently underway in San Diego, Cali-fornia. Dr. Lois Jovanovic presented up-to-date information on exactly how a mother’shigh level of glucose (sugar) in her blood

adversely affects her baby.During pregnancy, the fetus gets its nour-

ishment from its mother’s blood, filtered as itpasses through the placenta and into the fetalcirculation. Glucose passes easily through theplacenta, but insulin can not. So if “mom” hashigh levels of glucose in her blood, it goes intoher baby. In response, the fetus produces highlevels of insulin, the hormone that helps sugarmove out of the blood and into the cells. Somefetuses can burn up the extra glucose by in-creasing their activity in the uterus.

However, if the fetus has continuing highlevels of insulin, called hyperinsulinemia, theinsulin-producing cells in their pancreas be-come enlarged. In addition, hyperinsulinemiatends to make the body’s cells resistant toinsulin’s actions. Together, these conditionscan set the stage for your baby to be born large(macrosomia) and increase the odds that yourchild will develop diabetes sometime in thefuture.

Traditionally, both the mother’s glucoselevel and her weight were thought to contrib-ute equally to the risk. However, this studyindicates that the mother’s glucose level seemsto pose a more serious risk than her obesity.This study reinforces the wisdom of maintain-ing blood-sugar control during pregnancy forthe long-term health of you and your baby.

Diabetes Affects Women’s ReproductiveHealth

Much has been written about the dangersdiabetes poses to a pregnant woman, but re-searchers from the University of Pittsburghcaution that diabetes has encompassing ef-fects on all aspects of a woman’s reproductivehealth.

The study focused on females with Type Idiabetes, a condition in which the body is notproducing the hormone insulin, necessitatinga daily infusion of the hormone either byinjection or pump.

It starts before puberty. Girls diagnosedwith Type I diabetes before the age of 10 mayhave a delayed menarche (first period). Andonce periods have begun, there is an increasedincidence of a wide range of menstrual irregu-larities, including heavier flow, longer peri-ods, and cycle disturbances.

Sometimes this means more frequent peri-ods, but it’s usually longer cycles and fewerperiods.

The study also found an increased rate ofovarian cysts. However, researchers aren’t


sure if this is a result of the diabetes itself orsimply due to the closer medical observationof the women in the study group.

Another effect noted in this study was anincrease in infertility rates, perhaps as a directresult of the disturbed cycles. While someresearchers disagree on the connection be-tween diabetes and infertility, there is agree-ment that once pregnant, diabetic women areat higher risk for having a spontaneous abor-tion (miscarriage), stillbirth, or malformedfetus.

Furthermore, menopause is more likely tooccur earlier in diabetics. Estimates are that 60percent of diabetic women will experiencemenopause before age 47, at an average age of42. For women without diabetes, only 33percent have early menopause, and the aver-age age is close to 50.

With menarche later and menopause ear-lier, the number of fertile years is markedlydecreased for diabetics. In fact, researchersestimate a loss of seven reproductive years,which could also be a contributor to theirfinding of higher infertility.

Both poor glucose control and theautoimmune aspects of Type I diabetes arethought to contribute to these disturbances indiabetic women’s reproductive health. How-ever, further research is required to discoverthe roles each factor might play.

Scientists Discover Link Between Diabetesand PCOS

Researchers from Brigham Women’s Hos-pital in Boston and Parke-Davis presentedresearch findings linking diabetes with poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) at the Ameri-can Diabetes Association’s 59th ScientificSessions, which is underway in San Diego.These researchers believe that women withPCOS are at higher risk for diabetes.

The commonality between these two dis-eases centers on conditions called insulin re-sistance and impaired glucose tolerance, bothbelieved to be precursors to diabetes. Com-monly found in Type II diabetics, insulinresistance is a state in which the body’s cellscan’t use the insulin the pancreas produces.(In Type I diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t pro-duce insulin.)

PCOS is a cluster of signs and symptomsthat result in impaired fertility for womenbecause they don’t ovulate. Included in thequalities that characterize this syndrome areinsulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance,and obesity: all risk factors for diabetes. Thesewomen also have high levels of androgens(male hormones), which produce such symp-toms of masculinization as facial hair.

Researchers found that the rate of impairedglucose tolerance in women ages 20-44 washigher in women with PCOS (24 percent) thanin any other individual population. The clos-est group was African-American women witha rate of 12 percent, or half the rate of impairedglucose tolerance in the PCOS group.

The studies treated women with PCOSwith a drug (insulin sensitizer) designed totreat Type II diabetes. The insulin levels of thewomen taking the drug declined. Interest-

ingly, as the insulin levels dropped, so did theandrogen levels, and some of these womenresumed ovulation all on their own.

Further research is needed to uncover theexact relationship between PCOS and diabe-tes. Until this association is understood, womenwith PCOS should be aware they’re at anincreased risk for diabetes.

Depression Worsens Quality-of-Life forDiabetics

SAN DIEGO: According to reports pre-sented at the American Diabetes Associa-tion’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions, peoplewith diabetes and depression suffer more thanthose with diabetes alone. They experience aworsened quality-of-life, much higher medi-cal costs, and more diabetes complicationslike heart disease. Depression may occur in 20percent of people with diabetes, but with propertreatment, people can improve their situation.The studies, which involved people with TypeII diabetes, noted that depression has uniqueimportance in diabetics because the studieslink it with poor compliance with diabetestreatment, poor blood sugar control, and anincreased risk for micro- and macrovasculardisease complications.

According to the researchers, effectivelytreating depression makes it easier to controlblood-sugar levels, and lower blood-sugarlevels make it easier to treat depression. Thestudy recommends intensive interdisciplinarytreatment of diabetes and depression.

Type II Diabetes on the Rise amongChildren and Teens

SAN DIEGO: According to four differentreports from the United States, Canada, andJapan presented at the American DiabetesAssociation’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions,Type II diabetes, which normally occurs onlyin adults, is now affecting an increasing numberof children and adolescents. Some of the re-ports emphasized that obesity in children andteens seems to play a major role in earlydevelopment of this disease, because the ma-jority of the children involved in the studieswere obese. Researchers find this trend par-ticularly worrisome since it could portendearlier onset of complications if these youngdiabetics are not properly diagnosed and treatedearly.

Parenting Style Affects Child’s Adherenceto Diabetic Regimen

SAN DIEGO: The University of Miamirecently conducted a study on whetherparenting styles, classified as either warm orstrict, affected regimen compliance of dia-betic children. Parental warmth was describedas support and affection, and parental strict-ness was described as coercive attempts tocontrol behavior. The study found childrenexperienced better blood-sugar control andregimen adherence with warm parenting stylesthan strict parenting styles. The “warm” par-ents used high levels of warmth and inductivecontrol, such as firmness, maturity demands,explanations, and flexibility, rather than coer-cive discipline strategies.

An Aspirin a Day Reduces DiabetesComplications

SAN DIEGO: Something as simple as anaspirin a day can reduce diabetes-related heartdisease, according to a report presented at theAmerican Diabetes Association’s 59th An-nual Scientific Sessions. The American Dia-betes Association (ADA) recommends that ifindividuals wish to reduce the incidence ofcardiovascular disease, then they should takeone enteric-coated aspirin, in doses of 81 to325 milligrams, daily. This can be used as asecondary prevention among people who al-ready have evidence of such illness and forprimary prevention among those with riskfactors for heart disease.

Blood Sugar Levels Checked PainlesslySAN DIEGO: At the American Diabetes

Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions,a report was released stating that an experi-mental device which enables diabetics to checktheir glucose levels painlessly can be as effec-tive as current techniques that require fingerpricks to obtain blood samples. GlucoWatchbiographer is based n a technique called re-verse iontophoresis, which extracts intersti-tial fluid from the skin. This watch-like deviceuses a AAA battery to send a small electricalcurrent to the skin, measuring the glucoselevel in the fluid. The product is currentlyawaiting Food and Drug Administration ap-proval.

Sub-Diabetic Sugar Levels Increase DeathRisk

SAN DIEGO: Long before people developdiabetes, they may develop the potentiallyfatal risks of high blood-sugar levels. Accord-ing to a report released at the American Diabe-tes Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Ses-sions, those with undiagnosed diabetes and/orabnormally high glucose intolerance shouldbe treated to help reduce death from suchdiabetic complications as heart attacks, stroke,and kidney disease. Many of the adults in arandom study tested positive for ImpairedGlucose Tolerance (IGT). IGT is when a pa-tient has neither normal insulin secretion nordiabetes. If IGT is treated, patients can lowertheir risk of heart disease.

Bioengineered Skin Heals Wounds in LessTime

SAN DIEGO: A bioengineered skin tissueproduct has helped heal diabetic foot ulcers inmore people and in about half the time ofstandard care alone, according to a reportreleased at the American Diabetes Associa-tion’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions. Footproblems account for 20 percent of diabetes-related hospital admissions and for more than50,000 amputations per year nationwide. Theskin device, known as Graftskin, enhances butdoes not replace standard care. Standard treat-ment includes removing dead tissue from ul-cers, treating for infections; reducing dailywear and tear on the wounded foot with cus-tomized footwear or crutches; and, if neces-sary, performing vascular surgery to increase


circulation. The Food and Drug Administra-tion approved Graftskin, sold under the brandname Apligraf, for the treatment of venous legulcers, which have not adequately respond toconventional ulcer therapy and lasted longerthan one month.

Risk of Diabetic Foot Ulcers ReducedSAN DIEGO: At the American Diabetes

Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions,the Manchester Royal Infirmary presented astudy that shows that silicone injected at sitesof abnormal weight bearing is well retainedand significantly reduces localized pressure.Results of this study confirm the efficacy ofsilicone injections under metatarsal heads toprovide soft tissue cushioning, thereby reduc-ing the risk of foot ulceration without adversereactions to the silicone. Confirmation of thesefindings, with federal approval of siliconefluid, could markedly reduce the alarmingyearly increase of diabetic toe, foot, or limbamputations: a problem globally.

NIH Meets Recruitment GoalsSAN DIEGO: A National Institutes of

Health (NIH) clinical study, the Diabetes Pre-vention Program (DPP), which examines waysto prevent or delay the onset of Type II diabe-tes, met its recruitment goals ahead of sched-ule. The participation goals were set to reflectthe increased risk for diabetes in specific eth-nic and racial groups. Diabetes rates are atleast one and one-half to two times higher inethnic minorities than in the non-Hispanicwhite population. A major success of the DPPhas been to recruit nearly 45 percent of studyparticipants from minority populations, and20 percent of them are more than 60 years old.Racial and ethnic minorities are at the highestrisk for developing Type II diabetes, and dia-betes affects older Americans disproportion-ately.

Improved Care for Latino PopulationSAN DIEGO: Since Type II diabetes is

three times more prevalent in Latinos thanwhites, effective diabetic treatment of thispopulation remains a challenge. A pilot com-munity health program developed by theWhittier Institute for Diabetes is showingpromising results. The Institute implementeda diabetes program in local community healthcenters to assess changes in biochemical mark-ers, psychosocial parameters and physiciansatisfaction with the program. Their prelimi-nary results indicate that the program has ahigh compliance with ADA standards of care,positive changes in HbA1c and cholesterollevels, and increased patient and physiciansatisfaction. At the completion of the pilotprogram, the Whittier Institute for Diabeteswill compare cost and health services utiliza-tion to a similar unmanaged group. If success-ful, this model could be replicated in othercommunities with high populations of at-riskgroups.

Children Strongly Affected by ParentalConcerns

SAN DIEGO: At the American Diabetes

Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions,a study was released that documents chil-dren’s reactions to being diagnosed with TypeI diabetes. More than three-quarters of theadolescents surveyed reported that they felttheir parents were being intrusive. The studyalso showed that one-half of the adolescentsworry about low blood sugar and social em-barrassment and/or fear of being alone duringa low blood-sugar reaction. A few adolescentsdescribed their personal experiences with highblood sugar as scary. Adolescents attributedthe majority of parental worries to high bloodsugars and potential complications of diabe-tes. Furthermore, 92 percent of the childrenendorsed some type of conflictual interactionswith their parents, such as parental intrusive-ness, parental worry, blame for blood sugarlevels, attributing moods to blood sugar lev-els, and hiding foods. Not all was conflict,however. The study also stated that 46 percentreported supportive interactions with theirparents, such as understanding out of rangeblood sugar level and reassurance. Autonomyand trust emerged as key elements in parent-child conflicts about diabetes. Researchersrecommend interventions to reduce diabetes-related stress in the parent-child relationshipand to resolve conflicting goals of diabetesmanagement.

Alcohol Reduces Diabetic Mortality inMen

SAN DIEGO: At the American DiabetesAssociation’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions,a study showed that in men with Type IIdiabetes mellitus, moderate alcohol intake,16-30 grams per day reduced the risk of deathfrom ischemic heart disease. Mortality fromall causes was also reduced.

The same effect could not be shown inwomen, and any alcohol intake greater than 30grams per day was linked to increased mortal-ity. The study was conducted over a 15-yearperiod, alcohol consumption was self-reported,and the cause of death was obtained fromdeath certificates.

New Ways to Assess the Quality of Life inDiabetic Children

SAN DIEGO: Using the Diabetes Qualityof life (QOL) questionnaire, a study was con-ducted to develop a questionnaire to assess theQOL of the parent, and the health profession-al’s perception. The study also compared ado-lescent, parent, and health professional QOLperceptions and attempted to establish thevalidity and reliability of the questionnaire asscreening QOL assessment tools. After thecompletion of the study, international QOLquestionnaires were developed for child/ado-lescent, parents and health professionals, whichhas been translated into 14 languages and isused in 17 countries. The new questionnairehas a high completion rate, and it’s brief andeasy to administer and score. The study alsonoted that the inclusion of parents and healthprofessional perspectives completes a com-prehensive assessment in this quality assur-ance approach.

Emphasis on School Personnel’s DiabetesEducation

SAN DIEGO: Current data released at theAmerican Diabetes Association’s 59th An-nual Scientific Sessions by Children’s Hospi-tal of Pittsburgh Diabetes Center demonstratedthat there is a need to provide new diabetesinformation to school personnel, and thecenter’s 5 C Diabetes program design is anextremely efficacious method to provide theeducation. Data also showed that school per-sonnel appear to understand the need for im-mediate treatment of hypoglycemia and rec-ognize that children with diabetes can attendschool on a regular basis. School and ancillaryschool staff personnel should be assessed fortheir knowledge of diabetes and responsibili-ties as outlined in the Americans with Dis-abilities Act. The researchers recommendedthat appropriate programs should be devel-oped to include information on the symptomsof hyperglycemia and the actions of glucagon.

Recipe Cornerby Sue Litchfield

Hi every one.In future the Association is hoping toinclude a section featuring a selection ofrecipes and hints and tips that hopefullywill make everyday life a little easier foreverybody. However for this to be a suc-cess we really need to hear from anyonewho may have a great recipe or handyhint.A HINTDid you know that when travelling byplane within Australia special diet mealsmay be ordered when making reserva-tion.ANOTHER HINT

To stop that dry feeling of the skinspray at regular intervals with Evian Min-eral Water Atomizer available from mostgood chemist shops.

Recipes HERBED LAMB

1 cup oil of choice2 tablespoons cracked pepper2 tablespoons chopped fresh Rose-

mary1 tablespoon fresh Thyme1 tablespoon chopped Parsley1 tablespoon chopped Chives4 Lamb BackstrapsCut each backstrap into 3 or 4 pieces

depending on size. Combine all otheringredients in a shallow dish, add thebackstraps, marinate for at least 2 hoursor better still overnight in fridge.

Grill or barbecue till tender. Nice servedwith salad

EASY PORKTo each piece of Butterfly Pork allow

2 teaspoons Pure Maple Syrup1 teaspoon TahmariMarinate for as long as possible, at


1999 MEETING DATES ON SATURDAYS6th MARCH - 5th JUNE - 4th SEPTEMBER - 4th DECEMBER

INTERNATIONAL

CLINICAL NUTRITIONREVIEW

By Editor

Dr Robert Buist, Editor in Chief ofthe ICNR, has indexed the Interna-tional Clinical Nutrition Reviewwhich will be updated in the last issueof each year.

This makes the series of Interna-tional Clinical Nutrition Review a valu-able commodity in one’s private libraryfor anyone who is interested in thescientific basis of clinical nutrition.

Researchers from all corners of theworld review medical and other scien-tific literature and cull out the latestnews on the clinical application of nu-trients in the treatment of disease. Theserial also publishes in-depth-editori-als written by experts on various topicsof concern to clinical nutritionists.

No longer can it be argued that thisnew branch of medicine is without sci-entific foundation.

A “must” for naturopaths and doc-tors with an interest in nutrition, practi-tioners and interested members of thepublic can subscribe to this quarterlypublication by sending $54.00 (NewZealand Subscribers $64) to:

Integrated TherapiesPO Box 370MANLY NSW 2095AustraliaSerious students might also consider

the one year correspondence course inNutritional Medicine. The course is reg-istered with ATMS and the $850 feeincludes all texts, tapes and study guidesas well as subscription to ICNR.

Please write to the above address forbrochure.

THE HYPOGLYCEMIC HEALTH ASSOCIATIONP.O.Box 830, KOGARAH NSW 1485

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONPLEASE PRINT

Surname:

First Name:

Address:

Town/City: Postcode:

Phone: Age:Membership $20.00 paPensioners $15 paLife Membership $200

RENEWAL

NEW MEMBER

Please tick √

Occupation

Do you have hypoglycemia? YES/NO Does a family member have hypoglycemia? YES/NO

least 1 hour. Then barbecue or grill. Servewith tossed salad, potato or rice.

CHRISTMAS CAKE

1 kilo mixed fruit2 tablespoons of glycerine2 cups of fruits juice of choice (I use

orange)1/2 cup Maple Syrup or pear Concen-

trate4 eggs250 grams melted butter or Ghee1 1/2 cups Lowans Soy Flour1 1/2 cups rice flour

1/2 teaspoon of the following: GroundGinger, Cinnamon, Salt, Bi-carbSoda, Vanilla, Lemon Essence.

In mixing bowl thoroughly mix the fruit,glycerine, pear concentrate, maple syrup,all the spices and allow to stand for 2-3hours. Add melted butter, add beateneggs. Mix well.

Add rest of the ingredients. Place inlined 21 cm square tin and bake in slowoven 5 hours or till cooked.

PEACH CAKE

75 grams butter or Ghee1/2 teaspoon Stevia220 gram Goulburn Valley Peach in

Natural Syrup3 eggs2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 cup Soya flour - Lowan's Brand1/2 cup Rice flour2 tablespoons Glycerine1/3 cup of water3 tablespoons Sheeps yoghurt

Cream butter, Stevia, Yoghurt tillcreamy, add undrained fruit. Add beateneggs. Lastly add rest of the ingredients,more water may be needed to give drop-ping consistency.

Place in loaf tin and bake 150∞ fan-forced, 180∞ normal oven for approx. 40minutes.

ANOTHER HINTBy adding 2 tablespoons of glycerine

to a cake mixture the cake will not dry outso much in cooking. Glycerine is also apreservative.

In 1993/94 I worked in the desert on aremote aboriginal community in N.W. Aus-tralia. Part of my assistant art coordinating jobinvolved decanting acrylic water-based paintinto 200ml containers, over 100,000. Tem-peratures in the high 40’s plus nine months ofthe year, no ventilation. Here I developed thefirst stage asthma. After a horse bite to thebreast I had to return to Sydney. I was diag-nosed with post traumatic stress syndromeand acute anxiety disorder. The asthma cleared.

I floundered drastically with my healthover the next two years until I saw an allergist,Dr Baker, and finally found out the full extentof my chemical sensitivities. I was referred toDr Chris Reading, a psychiatrist, who helpedfurther. Eventually he referred me on to DrSamra and finally after all these years I wastold I had reactive hypoglycemia and chronicfatigue. All the mood swings, irritability, anxi-ety, impatience, frustration, chronic tiredness,sudden loss in energy, sugar cravings, see-sawing weight, poor sleep and all the otherclassic hypoglycemic symptoms were ex-plained. I wasn’t crazy, it wasn’t “all in mymind”. Finally I am on the right track. Thankyou.

Continued from page 2: Babs Lamont

the hypoglycemic health association newsletter · the editor, jurriaan plesman, would like to meet...

Documents