Week of: Monday March 18, 2019

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

DIET: Alarming levels of heavy metals found in nearly HALF of all fruit juices tested For many, cadmium, arsenic and lead might bring to mind the contents of test tubes brandished by mad scientists and comic-book villains – not the contents of a child’s sippy cup.  However, researchers at Consumer Reports say they recently detected potentially harmful quantities of these toxic heavy metals in a variety of popular fruit juices. Appallingly, almost half of the juices tested contained enough of the heavy metals to potentially harm children – even when given in amounts as low as 4 ounces a day! Despite growing public awareness of its high sugar content, fruit juice remains a popular beverage for children and adults.  In one study, a whopping 80 percent of parents of children three years and younger acknowledged giving children fruit juice at least “sometimes” – and three quarters of the children who drank fruit juice did so at least once a day. The varieties included apple, pear, grape and “fruit blends.”  24 national, store and private-label brands were evaluated, among them Apple and Eve, Capri Sun, Dollar General, Juicy Juice, Mott’s, Whole Foods, Minute Maid, Ocean Spray, Rite Aid, Trader Joe’s and Welch’s. Health tip: eating sulfur-rich garlic and onions, along with cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale helps to replenish glutathione, the body’s premier antioxidant and neutralizer of toxins.

IN THE NEWS: New reports link zinc deficiency to high blood pressure  If your zinc levels are lower than normal, new reports show you’re at risk for high blood pressure. A recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology found that too little zinc could cause your kidneys to reabsorb salt, causing high blood pressure. And, here’s an important point: low levels of zinc are common across many chronic diseases.  And, it’s already been known to make high blood pressure reading worse.  However, it wasn’t until this study that we knew that zinc deficiency on its own can have a a (negative) impact on your blood pressure reading. It’s estimated that 15-20% of the world’s population isn’t getting enough zinc in their diet. That’s right, a zinc deficiency is a worldwide problem – especially in infants, pregnant women, lactating women and older adults.  You may also be at risk if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, alcoholic, on diuretics, have stomach disorders or you’re an endurance athlete. Zinc improves eye health and can help to  enhance your immune system, aid in nutrient absorption and promote heart health. Foods high in zinc include: Seeds-Lamb-Grass-fed beef-Cocoa powder-Legumes-Shellfish-Dairy products-Nuts-Whole grains-Eggs

CHIROPRACTIC: The Study: X-ray vision: the accuracy and repeatability of a technology that allows clinicians to see spinal X-rays superimposed on a person's back.   Facts: a. The authors noted that we have always looked at the x-rays and the patient separately. b. The method being discussed projects x-rays of the spine onto the patient’s back.  c. The image is aligned on the spine using anatomical landmarks. d. “vertebral levels were identified and validated against spinous process locations obtained by ultrasound.” e. They repeated the process in 1-5 days. f. “The technology employed in this project is an optical see-through head-mounted-device (OST-HMD) that provides the user with a mixed/augmented view of reality.” g. The device utilizes a battery powered goggle system. h. “With this data, virtual objects can then be superimposed into the scene and therefore appear to co-exist with real objects while remaining in place regardless of the user’s movements or direction of gaze.” i. The device already has some medical applications and has also been used to superimpose CT images on a phantom. j. In the present study, the authors used the technology “to superimpose a virtual object (a person’s own lumbar anteroposterior X-ray) onto the surface of their back.” k. “Should the accuracy and repeatability of this system be acceptable, the use of OST-HMDs would be valuable for many clinicians (anesthesiologists, orthopods, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc.) toward visualizing X-rays on their own patients while freeing their hands for procedures such as surgery, injections, and palpation.”  l. The authors felt there were some ways accuracy could be improved, including compensating for the projection errors that occur with radiography. m. “The projection system created on-target projections with respect to individual vertebral levels 73% of the time...” n. The authors felt this technology “has potential to place radiological evaluation within the patient context.”

FUNNY BONE: Let minnow what you think.@@You have cat to be kitten me right now.@@If you understand English, press 1. If you do not understand English, press 2. Recording on an Australian tax help line@@I was at the customer-service desk, returning a pair of jeans that was too tight. “Was anything wrong with them?” the clerk asked. “Yes,” I said. “They hurt my feelings.”@@Never trust math teachers who use graph paper. They’re always plotting something.@@I had my credit card stolen the other day but I didn’t bother to report it because the thief spends less than my wife.@@That awkward moment when you leave a store without buying anything and all you can think is “act natural, you’re innocent”.@@Wife: “Our new neighbor always kisses his wife when he leaves for work. Why don’t you do that?” Husband: “How can I? I don’t even know her.”@@The attorney tells the accused, “I have some good news and some bad news.” “What’s the bad news?” asks the accused. “The bad news is, your blood is all over the crime scene, and the DNA tests prove you did it.” “What’s the good news?” “Your cholesterol is 130.”@@Q: How do you stay warm in an empty room? A: Go stand in the corner—it’s always 90 degrees.@@Did you hear about the statistician who drowned crossing a river? It was three feet deep, on average.