Obesity Raises the Risk of Birth Defects

Years ago a friend confided to me that her doctor "wouldn't let her" get pregnant unless she lost some weight - a lot of it. She never did lose the weight, or get pregnant, but she did adopt several children.

I didn't ask, and don't know if her doctor was concerned for her, or for the effects on a baby, but new studies are now showing that there is a definite correlation between obesity during pregnancy and birth defects.

With obesity rampant in the U.S., authorities say that now about 1/3 of all women of reproductive age are obese. Pregnancy raises their risk of hypertension and diabetes, among other things. Risks for the baby include pre-term birth and defects such as cleft palate, hydrocephaly, limb reduction, and more.

About 3% of all babies suffer from birth defects, compared to 4% of babies of obese mothers.

While researchers have not yet determined the cause, they speculate that it could be undiagnosed diabetes, or a nutritional deficiency in the mother. (Yes, you definitely can be nutritionally deficient and still overweight.)

Poor Circulation affects your total health

Do you ever think about your circulatory system?

I hadn't thought much about it until I started doing research tonight for my friend at Renu Herbs. She has a new herbal formula that we'll be introducing next week so I wanted to learn more about the subject.

What I learned was that we all need to take steps to keep our blood flowing smoothly throughout our entire bodies. Poor circulation causes everything from heart disease to diabetes to lower leg pain and loss of memory. And a lot of things in between.

A wholesome diet and exercise are important, and quitting smoking is a good idea, too. And of course, natural remedies such as acupuncture, massage, and herbs top the list for prevention and cure.

I found an informative article at Article Alley - and since it's OK to republish those, I'll put it on my pharm-free health site as soon as I can figure out how to download it.

Yours for good health,
Marte

Niacin for high cholesterol, and diabetes, too?

Yesterday I got into a conversation with a woman who does a lot of "doctoring."

She told me that her doctor had decided to take her off statins, and had prescribed Niacin to lower her cholesterol. I didn't mention that many studies show that cholesterol is not an enemy - she wouldn't have listened if I had, because she is really convinced that she needs to lower it.

She went on to say that she didn't know about her cholesterol, but in the short time she'd been taking Niacin, she'd been able to reduce her insulin intake by 52 units a day. The doctor hadn't told her that would happen, and she was happily surprised.

The one thing she didn't like was the Niacin "flush" she got after every mega-dose.

Hmmm... could it be that good old vitamins make more difference than most doctors are willing to admit? But what about those "overdoses"? Is that really good - or not?

This calls for more research - so if you've done it, let the rest of us know...

Yours for good health,

Marte