http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1190863/index.htm

Here are a few ways and examples of how one can determine if a supplement is good or not.

The source from where the vitamins and minerals are derived is listed in parenthesis right next to the particular ingredient in the table of contents.  Ideally, a recognizable food name NOT a chemical name should be seen.  With cheaper brands of vitamin C, for example, “(ascorbic acid)” appears next to its quantity, not a natural food source like Acerola berries or Rose Hips. Although ascorbic acid is the isolated chemical component of vitamin C it is never found in nature this way.   If ascorbic acid is listed as its source the other naturally occurring components should also be seen elsewhere in the formula.  They are rutin, asperitin and bioflavonoids.  Additionally, ‘Time-released’ or ‘Sustain-released’ vitamin C is best because it slows its, otherwise, fast absorption.  This prevents burdening the kidneys with excess quantities at one time which results in the vitamin C being pushed into the bladder as a form of waste in the urine.

Well-formulated vitamin, mineral and herb tablets should include other naturally occurring components, as well, so assimilation is optimal and there is little stress to the digestive tract.  An example of a good ‘multi’ (daily food supplement, or one-a-day type tablet) is one with LOW quantities of the B-complex vitamins and in varied quantities.  Poor ‘multis’ include high and equal quantities of the B-complex vitamins to try to convince potential buyers that it is a ‘stress-tab’ (the B vitamins were known at one time to reduce stress – not so, now!) in addition to being a good all-around daily supplement.  The portions for B1, B2 and the like should NOT be the same, because in food they are varied.

Another example is vitamin A.  Good-quality vitamin A supplements are derived from (as seen in the contents chart in parenthesis) beta-carotene or fish oil.

Read more about nutrition at http://www.drsaracino.com/chiropractic-neurology-health-articles.html section of www.DrSaracino.com.  I welcome your comments.

Read the complete article at: http://www.drsaracino.com/PDFs/INFO/CNRBvol1-issue3November06DoesLBPResolve.pdf

Is there a solution; a way to avoid filling your body with HCAs? Don’t grill  your meat (or don’t eat meat at all, since research suggests grilling vegetables  does not generate HCAs). The trouble with that “solution” is that we’ve been
cooking dinner over open fires for two million years. Taking pleasure in  grilling meat over a fire is so deeply ingrained in our blood that most people  aren’t about to change.

That said, researchers studying the production of heterocyclic amines during  the cooking process have discovered a number of “tricks” that may reduce the  risks posed while barbequing, either by interfering with the creation of HCAs or  inactivating them once they’re formed. For example, precooking a hamburger patty  for two minutes in a microwave before barbequing reduces heterocyclic amines by  a whopping 90 percent, according to research. Adding vitamin antioxidants to the meat or marinating it  in antioxidant-rich spices before cooking appears to work almost as well. When it comes to marinades, there are also important things to know. First,  not just any marinade seems to work – old-style tomato-based barbecue sauces  actually increase heterocyclic amine production, while marinades like teriyaki  sauce reduce heterocyclic amines produced during cooking by half. Those packets  of store-bought powder marinades that you add oil and vinegar to also seem to be  surprisingly effective.

There is also another approach to reducing the harm caused by heterocyclic  amines. A number of foods have been identified that neutralize heterocyclic  amines in the intestine and prevent them from causing DNA damage. For example,
several studies suggest that the Lactobacilli strains in yogurt do  this, so serving yogurt on or with meat meals provides additional protection  because it actually reduces the harmful effects of these chemicals. The bottom line for anyone who wants to cook meat, whether chicken, beef,  pork or anything else on the grill is simple – make sure to marinate all meats  before cooking. When cooking ground beef, knead in herbs and/or vitamin E. Stick  with skinless chicken if cooking poultry. Always accompany barbecued meat with a  yogurt dish and a little alcohol, preferably stout ale; and use a yogurt salad  dressing or even something as simple as frozen yogurt for dessert. And, remember  that you can cook vegetables on the grill without the danger of  heterocyclic amine formation – and increase the nutritional content of your meal  at the same time.

Read more at… http://www.drsaracino.com/PDFs/INFO/CNRBvol6-issue1Feb11DiscLesions.pdf

Yes, for large amounts of perspiration, wicking-materials are better because they get the perspiration away from the skin, to the outside of the fabric.  This prevents the skin from becoming saturated on the surface which decreases its surface-area and ability to cool.  The higher the skin surface-area the better heat loss and more comfortable workout when the body is particularly hot.  However, when sweating profusely in cold environments, like running outdoors in the Winter, wicking is only good if there is ANOTHER layer of clothing worn atop.  This will prevent the cold air from chilling the body, because polyester transmits cold more than cotton.  Wearing fewer items allows for less friction of the arms as they rub onto the trunk and legs as they rub onto each other and weight from the additional piece of clothing.

At the same time, contrarily, wicking is NOT preferred!  How so?

Cotton and other natural fibers are more beneficial when sweating is not profuse and training outside in cool not cold weather.  The sweat is absorbed like a sponge into the fabric and conveys the cooling effect of evaporation to the skin whose surface-area is expanded for better ventilation.  This keeps the athlete cooler and more comfortable when it is not so cold.  If it is very cold outside an additional outer layer of clothing is necessary to retain heat.  Most times, cotton usage does not require an additional layer.  Because it is a natural material cotton softens and moves with the body better than polyester which when damp chafes the skin.

Although no studies, to my knowledge, have been performed on the deleterious effects of artificial fabrics in close contact with the skin, but I suspect, particularly when sweating, natural materials are safer should be used as much as possible for sport, work and play.

Read more on my exercise recommendations at www.DrSaracino.com’s “Health Information” page.  I welcome your comments.

Heat exhaustion is characterized by involuntary, rapid and short breathing (which is often seen by others better than experienced on our own, so heed the observations of others), change in skin color to pale, persistent perspiration after the body cools, light-headedness, mild headache, reduced sense-of-balance, diminished coordination and strength.

Moving to a cool place, hydrate (drink) room-temperature electrolyte-rich fluids (fruit juice diluted with water is best [1/3 fruit juice and 2/3 water]), and rest are remedies that should be administered immediately.  If the breath, skin color and perspiration do not return to normal within 10 minutes, professional help should be sought, namely, a hospital or physician’s care.  If one is at a pool or beach, the authorities should be well-equipped to assist.

Water alone is not as beneficial as an electrolyte-replenishment drink such as Gatorade or the formula mentioned above.  In fact, too much water can CAUSE dehydration by saturating the blood and preventing the necessary blood nutrients and sugars (electrolytes) from being absorbed.  Cold water is particularly irritating to the digestive tract, because it constricts the vessels that need to be dilated for absorption.  This inhibits the absorption of the proper nutrients at a time when their absorption is critical. 

The article I had published in LILIPOH magazine on the benefits of drinking water and another one on the benefits of electrolytes are seen as a home page icon and listed on the Health Information page at www.DrSaracino.com, respectively.  I stand ready to answer your questions.

When it is prohibitively and the vehicles have dark-colored interiors, the direct and reflected off-the-dash sunlight causes perspiration.  Conversely, the constant flow-of-air from the open top causes rapid evaporation of the perspiration which chills, pounds and dehydrates the scalp, ear canals and skin over-lying the neck.  This predisposes us to headache, earache and neck stiffness and spasm, respectively.

Sun roofs are more damaging to the drivers’ RIGHT ear and neck areas because the flow of air is greater above the console over the right ear.  Passengers in the front seat are effected on the LEFT side.  These one-sided reactions often build-up slowly then shock us with pain and stiffness when we lift objects overhead, turn the head rapidly or sleep with the head turned.

The best way to travel in an open convertible or sun roof car is to wear close-fitting garments on the head and neck and COVER the effected ear! Happy motoring.

Read more of my full-length articles on spinal and general health at the ”Health Information” link at www.DrSaracino.com.

For Good Health,

Dr. Mark Saracino

Although neck pain is more commonly experienced after a car accident, low back pain hurts more!  The low back being nestled in the seat and supported by the back rest, is, as most think, less often hurt after an impact, but the contrary is true for its suffering.  Here’s how.

Most commonly, one is stopped then struck on the rear behind by another vehicle during an accident.  Driver and passengers in the stopped vehicle usually do not see or hear the approaching vehicle until impact.  Being able to see ahead, the striking vehicle’s passengers can prepare for impact and brace themselves.  The trunk moves backward into the back rest of the seat, then forward onto the shoulder harness which braises the chest wall and twists the trunk.  The shoulder harness causes more irritation than the seat belt, because the pelvis is better stabilized on its bottom being firmly planted onto the seat cushion.

The muscles that rotate the trunk become injured which initiated a reflex making the muscles that extend and hold the trunk erect to become excessively tight, too.  The resulting muscle spasm effects the middle back through pelvis because the muscles that hold us erectly start in the rib cage and run down to the top of the hip bone right below the belt.  This instinctual reaction, known as muscle spasm, prevents the trunk from moving as it should and it compresses the low back spinal nerves sometimes causing pain which radiates into the legs.  The backward movement of the trunk from the impact rapidly stretches the muscles in the FRONT of the low back, the abdominal and psoas muscles. This prevents us from standing erectly after getting out of the car or sitting for periods of time.  The shoulders compensate for the forward bending while standing by pulling backward which adds even more muscle tightness and pain.

The low back muscles, front and back, are quite large so they drain more energy from the body than neck muscle spasm.  The excessive muscle tightness takes large amounts of nutrients from the blood which decreases the nutrient and energy supply to the organs.  All of us know how draining pain is, additionally, this produces sluggish digestion, fatigue and restless sleep.  Adhesions are excess repair fibers that form in really tight muscles as early as two days after the onset of spasm!  Treating oneself with bed rest and pain killers only compounds the deleterious effects of the spasm and its resulting adhesion formation, because each are left unabated. When lots of adhesions form in muscles from waiting too long to receive therapy after an accident, it becomes more difficult to reduce the spasm, thereafter.  Careful manipulation, massage and physical therapy, which I render, should be started immediately after a car accident.

Do not try stretching on your own or have it rendered by a therapist, because it will irritate the spasm.  Soft-tissue (massage) and physical therapy work best in the initial phase of therapy.  Chiropractic neurologists are well-qualified to treat such conditions not only because of the nerve involvement, but because we have substantial training and experience in massage, physical and manipulative therapies.

Read more at www.DrSaracino.com “Health Information” under “Low Back Pain”