Wednesday May 28 / 2008

Wednesday May 28th / 2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.


12:12: The ban on the retail display of tobacco products based on the Smoke Free Ontario Act starts this Saturday! The City of Hamilton has its ear to the ground for this!
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Medical Officer of Health, City of Hamilton.

12:20: Toronto-based generic drug manufacturer Apotex Inc. has been awarded the world's first tender to produce and ship cheap, generic AIDS drugs to a developing country. The company was awarded the bid to sells its Apo-TriAvir pill to Rwanda, under a 2003 World Trade Organization agreement to supply AIDS-stricken nations with affordable life-saving treatments.
Guest: Eli Betito

12:35: New study results show women who have HER2-positive breast cancer and who no longer respond to Herceptin® may have another weapon in the fight to control their disease. The study looks at Tykerb™ in combination with Herceptin – the current gold standard in HER2 -positive breast cancer treatment.
Guest: Dr. Kathy Pritchard, Senior Scientist and Medical Oncologist at Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre.

12:45: Rexall Radio Health Matters segment.
Guest: Irene.

Cherries !

Discover the power of CHERRIES !

Cherries have traditionally been recommended and used for gout prevention, and the medical studies have shown that uric acid drops after eating Bing Cherries. (Journal of Nutrition June 2003). Elevated uric acid triggers the excruciating pain of a gout attack, so this finding supports the potential usefulness of cherries against gout. Another study at the University of Texas health Science found that tart Montmorency cherries contain significant amounts of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the brain’s pineal gland that helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythms, to help regulate sleep and wake patterns. In addition research has shown that melatonin may slow the aging process. This hormone also has a strong antioxidant properties that help reduce inflammation and support the immune system. Maintaining a high antioxidant levels lowers a person’s risk for disease, stimulates the immune system which also protects the nervous system. Antioxidant strength is measured in Oxygen Radical Absorbance (ORAC) units. The higher the ORAC score, the better a food is at helping our bodies fight disease. Nutritionists estimate that we should consume 3,000 to 5,000 units a day to reach an antioxidant capacity in the blood that would have health benefits. Tart cherries are one of the riches sources of flavonoids called anthocyanins, the plant pigment responsible for the rich red colour of cherries. Anthocyanins appear to have the greatest antioxidant capacity of all the flavonoids and have been linked to a variety of health benefits, from protecting against heart disease and cancer to keeping the mind sharp. Tart cherries are rich inphenolic compounds such as the potent antioxidants egallic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, and quercitin. Scientific studies have shown that egallic acid is a potent anticancer and antiatherosclerotic compound, and that p-coumaric, along with other phenols, enhances cancer cell death. Michigan State University found that tart cherries contained high concentrations of anthocyanins 1 and 2, which help block enzymes in the body known as COX-1 and COX -2 the same process whereby medications like aspirin and ibuprofen inhibit pain. We now have a growing body of scientific evidence that supports the remarkable health benefits of tart cherries!


Rexall #0202 Blog Reporter Nadine Janacek