Vonnies Health Spot

GOATS MILK FOR PRODUCING MEDICINE

“For thousands of years, people have domesticated cows and goats to make milk, butter and cheese. And for thousands of years dairy products have been used as folk remedies for practically every human illness. Most have been completely ineffective,” says Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal, published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Dr. Weissmann made this comment in reference to the milestone research going on at the University of Pennsylvania in which researchers are using gene therapy to reduce the time it takes to breed large animals capable of producing therapeutic proteins in their milk, such a insulin or those that fight cancer. Current methods involve cloning, which takes more time and generally costs more.

The researchers in this instance are using goats to produce specific proteins. This is accomplished when the researchers use radiation to kill a portion of a male goat’s sperm cells. Then they use a modified adeno-associated virus (a well-studied and tolerated gene therapy vector) to insert a gene in the remaining cells. Once the new gene takes hold in the sperm cells, a predictable number of female offspring produce the desired protein in their milk.

“Having an easier way to harness nature’s power to produce large quantities of specific proteins in milk could increase the availability of drugs for people who could otherwise not afford these treatments,” says Ina Dobrinski, one of the researchers on the study.

The advance is immediately valuable for pharmaceutical development and biology research, but a similar approach could be used to bolster the food supply by eliminating genetic disorders in animals over several generations. It is also possible that once perfected, this technique could eliminate disease genes in humans over several generations, assuming ethical concerns can be resolved adequately.

Adapted from materials provided by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via www.EurekAlert.org, a service of AAAS.
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Photo credits: (top) Sebastian Knight-iStockphoto.com; (middle) David Watts, Jr.-LuckyOliver.com; (bottom) Emily Watkins-LuckyOliver.com
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
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VONNIES HEALTH SPOT
VOLUME ONE

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTATION DOES HELP PREVENT FRACTURES

Well, it seems the jury is in … again. Taking supplementary calcium does, indeed, increase bone mineral density (BMD) and give people a little added protection against fractures. In recent years experts have been split on the issue of whether supplementary calcium gives any added protection, but a study completed at the University of Western Sydney, in Sydney, Australia, headed up by Benjamin Tang, M.D., and reported in The Lancet, concluded that calcium supplements, whether taken with vitamin D or not, reduce the risk of fractures by 12 percent. In addition, they found that protection doubles when the supplements are taken correctly (see below).

The investigators arrived at these findings by culling through the results of 17 studies, composed of 52,625 people who were over 50 years of age. Most of the study participants took calcium or calcium plus vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium, for an average of 3½ years.

The best way to consume calcium: The National Osteoporosis Foundation, www.nof.org, recommends that you ingest a total of at least 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D, in three doses throughout the day and take with meals for best absorption.

Personally, I drink a glass of milk several times a day and make sure I get about 20 minutes of sunlight on my skin daily for the vitamin D. Then for good measure, I take a supplement of about 600 mg of calcium and a multi with 400 IU of vitamin D. If I can’t make it outdoors for a couple of days, I increase the vitamin D intake through supplementation. I’ve found that calcium supplements cause constipation, but I would rather take a laxative once in awhile than take a chance on having a hip fracture later on in life.

Many people believe that hip fractures in the elderly are caused by falls. In reality just the opposite is true—the fracture occurs first, then the individual falls. This is because the bones have become too fragile to support the weight of the body.

Weight-bearing exercise in addition to supplementation helps to keep bones strong too. Walk 30 minutes a day on most days and lift weights at least twice a week. Researchers make a point that compliance is an important factor. As with any health issue, the primary step is in your hands. You have to pay attention to your own care and be consistent if you expect to prevent future problems.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.