The FDA changes warnings on Tylenol - but it's still Dangerous to your Health!

FDA advisers have recommended lowering the maximum dose of over-the-counter acetaminophen -- the key ingredient in Tylenol, Excedrin and many other pain-killing medications.
The advisers' vote followed the release of a report last month, which found that severe liver damage and even death can result from a lack of consumer awareness.
Many people take more than the recommended dose of acetaminophen-based pain relievers in the mistaken belief that taking more will be more effective without posing health risks. Consumers may also not know that acetaminophen is present in many over-the-counter products, including remedies for colds, headaches and fevers, making it possible to exceed the recommended acetaminophen dose accidentally.

Comments:

The NUMBER ONE cause of acute liver failure in the United States is from taking acetaminophen (Tylenol type products). So it is high time the FDA took action.
Acetaminophen is found in more than 200 over-the-counter cold and flu remedies and other medications, making it the most widely used painkiller in the United States.
When most people have a cold, headache or other ache or pain, they don’t just take two Tylenol and leave it at that. Many people double or triple-up, taking multiple OTC medications, all of which may contain acetaminophen.
It’s actually very easy to overdose on acetaminophen, and thereby cause serious liver damage or liver failure -- and this is what this new FDA warning stems from.
In fact, you can actually have liver damage just from taking recommended doses of Tylenol (such as eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets daily for a couple of weeks), so hopefully these FDA changes will help to curb some of that.

Sources:
U.S. News & World Report June 30, 2009
Time July 3, 2009
http://www.mercola.com/

If you have any questins, please contact me.

The Milk Myth: What You Really Need is Calcium

A recent study claims that young adults are not drinking enough milk -- at least according to press reports on the matter. But according to the study’s lead author Nicole Larson, the focus on the study was on calcium not milk.
The words "milk" and "calcium" are often used interchangeably in the popular press. But while milk is a calcium source, no standard other than that of the National Dairy Council considers it the best calcium source.
The suggestion that you need to drink three glasses of the secretion of a cow's mammary glands in order to be healthy is a bit outrageous and doesn't fit the human evolutionary profile. In fact, most humans around the world cannot easily digest cow milk.
Yogurt has more calcium than milk and is easier to digest. Collards and other greens also have about as much or more calcium than milk by the cup. Greens, unlike milk, have the added benefit of vitamin K, also necessary for strong bones.
When you measure calcium by cup of food product, milk is high on the list. When you view it by calories, milk is at the bottom. A hundred calories of turnip greens have over three times as much calcium as 100 calories of whole milk.
Sources:
Live Science June 24, 2009
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior July/August 2009; 41(4):254-60
http://www.mercola.com/

Comments:
The thought that you have to drink milk for strong bones is ingrained in our societyas a result of successful PR by the dairy industry. But what most people do not realize is that pasteurized milk has little to do with strong bones, or good health, for that matter.
In fact, pasteurized milk has no important health benefits at all, and is mucous forming.
As stated in the article above, calcium is the issue being investigated, not necessarily the consumption of milk.
Regardless of the milk issue, eating vegetables is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting sufficient amounts of calcium, and is part of a healthy lifestyle.


If you have any questions or comments, contact Dr. Dan Thibodeau at DrDan1221@yahoo.com or at 920-954-1002.