11 Ways Immigration Reform Would Boost The Economy
11 Ways Immigration Reform Would Boost The Economy ' }); }); }(jQuery)); Posted: 05/22/2013 1:26 pm EDT
Hotel worker Ludivina Ordonez wears a United States flag over her shoulders during a May Day march Wednesday, May 1, 2013, in San Diego. Hundreds of people marched to Chicano Park Wednesday to show support for workers rights and immigration reform. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Immigration is one step closer to becoming a reality after a Senate panel approved the bipartisan "gang of eight" immigration bill on Tuesday. But critics are still standing in the way, arguing comprehensive immigration reform would cost too much or amount to amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
Here are 11 things those people probably don't want you to know:
Reform Would Help Curb The Deficit
Immigration reform would <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-08/business/38371503_1_previous-immigration-bills-immigration-reform-immigration-laws" target="_blank">reduce the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion</a> over the next 10 years, according to an April analysis by the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank.
Expelling Immigrants Is Expensive
Expelling the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States would cost $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100449802" target="_blank">according to CNBC</a>. That's because it costs the government more than $8,000 to deport each person.
Reform Would Help Fix The Social Security Problem
Immigration reform would help bolster Social Security because more legal workers would mean more people contributing payroll taxes to its trust fund, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130508/us-immigration/?utm_hp_ref=arts&ir=arts" target="_blank">according to an analysis from the Social Security administration</a>. Undocumented workers <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/immigration-reform-social-security_n_3103500.html" target="_blank">already contribute $15 billion per year</a> to Social Security.
Immigrants Start Successful Businesses
More than <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/31/worried-about-the-economy-then-pass-immigration-reform/" target="_blank">a quarter of technology and engineering firms</a> started between 1995 and 2005 had a foreign-born owner, according to the Washington Post. One <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/american-companies-founded-by-immigrants_n_3116172.html#slide=2357880" target="_blank">of the founders of Yahoo!</a>, Jerry Yang, is an immigrant from Taiwan.
Reform Would Save $410 Billion Over The Next 10 Years
The immigration reform bill proposed by the "gang of eight" senators would save <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/immigration-reform-save-billions_n_3280145.html?utm_hp_ref=business" target="_blank"> $410 billion over the next decade</a>, according to an analysis from Gordon Gray, the director of fiscal policy at the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. The savings would come largely from a boost in GDP resulting from undocumented immigrants gaining citizenship and in turn likely making more money.
High-Tech Companies Say Reform Would Boost Their Bottom Line
Companies like Microsoft and Google have said that immigration reform would help them by <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/01/29/facebook-microsoft-back-senate.html" target="_blank">allowing for more H1B visas</a>, a special kind of visa geared toward highly-skilled immigrants. The tech giants say they can't find enough qualified people in the U.S. to fill their staffing needs.
Reform Would Boost The Wages Of Native-Born Workers
U.S.-born workers see between a 0.1 and 0.6 percent boost in wages on average with an increase in immigration, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/immigration-reform-workers_n_2583576.html" target="_blank">according to a January report from the Hamilton Project</a>, an economic policy initiative of the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. That's because immigrant workers bring skills with them that complement those of native-born workers, leading to new jobs.
Immigrants Are Entrepreneurial
Immigrants are <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/13/economic-case-commonsense-immigration-reform" target="_blank">more than twice as likely</a> than native-born Americans to start new businesses, according to a White House report on immigration reform.
Reform Would Boost GDP By More Than $1 Trillion Over 10 Years
Immigration reform <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100449802" target="_blank">would boost GDP by $1.5 trillion</a> -- or about 1 percent -- over 10 years, according to an estimate from UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda cited by CNBC.
Immigrants Create Jobs
Businesses owned by immigrants <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/13/economic-case-commonsense-immigration-reform" target="_blank">created 4.7 million jobs</a> in the U.S. in 2007, according to a White House report on immigration reform.
Reform Would Bring In More Money Than It Costs In Benefits
Though many critics of immigration reform argue against the cost of providing increased public benefits, analysts say higher spending is not a likely consequence. A Congressional Budget Analysis of George W. Bush's 2007 immigration reform proposal found that it would cost the government $23 billion in more public services, but bring in $48 billion in revenue, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/31/worried-about-the-economy-then-pass-immigration-reform/" target="_blank">according to the Washington Post</a>.
Earlier on HuffPost:
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Samsung buys 10 percent stake in rival phone maker Pantech
Hang around these pages long enough and you're bound to come across Pantech, the South Korean purveyor of everything from giant 1080p handsets down to... giant 720p handsets. Samsung has noticed this rising star too and, so says Yonhap News, has now made a $50 million investment in the smaller company in return for a 10 percent stake. Implicit in that is that the Korean government has allowed Samsung's ever-expanding influence to infiltrate a potential rival, since Pantech is now the No. 3 phone maker in that country and only Qualcomm and a state-run bank possess larger stakes than Samsung's. As a result, the acquisition could have an anti-competitive aura to it -- but then, Pantech has actually been struggling of late, not least with large debts, and it has relied on big backers to bail it out.
Kudos to Apple's finance lawyers, who are the Cirque Du Soleil of legal contortionism. On the eve of live testimony from CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer and Phillip Bullock, head of Apple's tax operations, a scathing congressional investigation of Apple's tax dodging strategy reveals how the computer giant avoided $13.8 billion in taxes through a clever labyrinth of offshore tax havens, shell corporations, and paper shuffling.
Study identifies new approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions
Monday, May 20, 2013
Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.
The findings of the research study, published online today in the journalEMBO Molecular Medicine could have therapeutic applications for MS as well as cerebral palsy and leukodystrophies, all disorders associated with loss of white matter, which is the brain tissue that carries information between nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
The target, a protein referred to as mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO), had been previously identified but not linked to MS, an autoimmune disease that strips the protective fatty coating off nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. The mitrochronical TSPO is located on the outer surface of mitochondria, cellular structures that supply energy to the cells. Damage to the fatty coating, or myelin, slows the transmission of the nerve signals that enable body movement as well as sensory and cognitive functioning.
The scientists identified mitochondrial TSPO as a potential therapeutic target when mice that had symptoms of MS improved after being treated with the anti-anxiety drug etifoxine, which interacts with mitochondrial TSPO. When etifoxine, a drug clinically available in Europe, was administered to the MS mice before they had clinical signs of disease, the severity of the disease was reduced when compared to the untreated lab animals. When treated at the peak of disease severity, the animals' MS symptoms improved.
"Etifoxine has a novel protective effect against the loss of the sheath that insulates the nerve fibers that transmit the signals from brain cells," said Wenbin Deng, principal investigator of the study and associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at UC Davis.
"Our discovery of etifoxine's effects on an MS animal model suggests that mitochondrial TSPO represents a potential therapeutic target for MS drug development," said Deng.
"Drugs designed to more precisely bind to mitochondrial TSPO may help repair the myelin sheath of MS patients and thereby even help restore the transmission of signals in the central nervous system that enable normal motor, sensory and cognitive functions," he said.
Deng added that better treatments for MS and other demyelinating diseases are needed, especially since current FDA-approved therapies do not repair the damage of immune attacks on the myelin sheath.
The UC Davis research team hopes to further investigate the therapeutic applications of mitochondrial TSPO in drug development for MS and other autoimmune diseases. To identify more efficacious and safer drug candidates, they plan to pursue research grants that will enable them to test a variety of pharmacological compounds that bind to mitochondrial TSPO and other molecular targets in experimental models of MS and other myelin diseases.
The journalpaper is entitled, "A TSPO ligand is protective in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis."
###
University of California - Davis Health System: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Thanks to University of California - Davis Health System for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
Here's one place where the president didn't have a dramatic week: in his approval ratings. According to two polls ? the Gallup daily tracking poll, and a CNN/ORC International poll released Sunday ? Obama's approval rating has more or less remained steady as potential scandal upon potential scandal blew up the news cycle.?
RELATED: Obama's Second Term Isn't Dead Yet
First, here's CNN's poll, conducted over May 17-18. According to their survey, Obama's approval rating is at 53 percent. While that's a two percent rise since early April, the difference is within the margin of error of the survey, so we'll say that the president's approval rating here remained steady. Forty-five percent of Americans, meanwhile, disapprove of the job the president's doing.?
RELATED: What Are the Solutions to This Week's Scandals?
Gallup's results are similar. Right now, the president is registering a 50 percent approval rating, with a slight increase over the course of Scandal Week that's within the survey's margin of error. Here's Gallup's tracking polls, graphed, since the end of April 2013:?
RELATED: Obama's Scandal Pivot: Dare Congress to Actually Pass Laws
RELATED: Republicans Want to Slow Down the Scandals
But that doesn't mean Americans aren't paying attention to the administration's troubles this week. While a separate Gallup poll this week found that American attention to the Benghazi and IRS stories this week was actually below average for other news stories they've tracked, most Americans (54 percent for IRS and 53 percent for Benghazi) were following the stories either "very" or "somewhat" closely, and most (74 percent and 69 percent, respectively) believe both stories warrant further investigation. In the CNN poll, majorities of respondents believing the IRS and Benghazi stories (55 percent) are important to the nation, while 53 percent would say the same about the AP phone records story.
RELATED: Which House Committee is Investigating Which D.C. 'Scandal': A Scorecard
One further note: according to CNN's results, it looks like Americans are are at least a little less likely to buy that the Benghazi and IRS stories represent the exposure of a conspiracy on the part of the White House: While a majority (53 percent) of Americans are dissatisfied with the president's handling of the Benghazi attacks and the ensuing political aftermath, 50 percent believe that the administration's inaccurate statements after the attack represented what they believed had happened at the time. Forty-four percent believe the administration intentionally misled the American public. Similarly, 55 percent of Americans believed the IRS acted on its own to target "Tea Party" and "Patriot" groups for extra scrutiny, while 37 percent thought the agency was acting under the White House's orders.?
CLEVELAND (AP) ? Justin Masterson struck out a season-high 11 in seven shutout innings and Michael Brantley homered and drove in four runs off Felix Hernandez as the Cleveland Indians toppled yet another former Cy Young Award winner on Sunday with a 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Brantley hit a three-run homer in the second inning off Hernandez (5-3), who failed to go at least six innings for the first time this season.
Staked to an early lead, Masterson (7-2) was dominant for the second straight start. He allowed three singles, easily outdueled Hernandez and ran his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 19. He shut out the New York Yankees 1-0 on four hits in his previous outing.
The Indians improved to 7-1 against Cy Young recipients, knocking off Hernandez, R.A. Dickey, David Price, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Bartolo Colon and Justin Verlander.
The AL Central-leading Indians have won 17 of 21 and are a baseball-best 20-7 since April 20.
Following walkoff wins in the first two games of the series, Cleveland took the drama out of this one early, building a 5-0 lead after two innings against Hernandez.
The 2010 Cy Young winner, who left his previous start after six innings with back stiffness, came in with the league's lowest ERA (1.53) but it rose to 2.07 after he gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings. Hernandez struck out eight, including the final three batters, but he was wasn't on his game ? and neither were the Mariners.
Seattle was only charged with one error, but the Mariners made several mental mistakes that helped the Indians.
Not that Masterson needed any.
The big right-hander overpowered the Mariners, who couldn't catch up to his 97 mph fastball and only had two runners reach second base against him. The Indians were hoping Masterson could develop into their ace, and so far this season he's been the dependable front-of-the-rotation starter they desperately needed.
Pitching with a six-run lead, he got stronger as the game progressed, striking out five of the last six and seven in the last three innings.
Brantley's three-run homer with two outs in the second gave the Indians a 5-0 lead over Hernandez.
The right-hander, who needed 35 pitches to get through the first, retired the first two hitters on groundouts before Michael Bourn singled and went to third on Jason Kipnis' base hit to center. Brantley then drove an 0-1 pitch into the Indians' bullpen in center for just his second homer.
It was a stunning development against Hernandez, who came in having allowed just four earned runs in 44 innings over his past six starts.
A fundamental gaffe by Hernandez allowed the Indians to add a run in the fourth. With Mike Aviles at second after a double, Drew Stubbs topped a ball into the dirt that catcher Jesus Montero fielded in front of the plate and threw to first for the out. Aviles never slowed coming around third and scored easily because Montero got caught up the line and Hernandez failed to cover home.
The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first off Hernandez, who didn't get much help from his defense.
Bourn led off with a single that he alertly turned into a double when right fielder Michael Morse casually charged the slow roller into right-center. One out later, Brantley hit an RBI single and took second when Morse overthrew his cutoff man while trying to get the speedy Bourn at home.
Nick Swisher then hit a grounder that went through first baseman Justin Smoak's legs, giving Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
NOTES: Cleveland's starters are 13-4 in the past 21 games. ... White Sox RHP Jake Peavy is the only former Cy Young winner to beat the Indians this season. ... Masterson is the fifth starter to record double-digit strikeouts against the Mariners in 2013. ... The Indians will try to complete the four-game sweep on Monday as the teams conclude their wrap-around series with a matinee. ... Smoak has reached safely in 13 consecutive games. ... The Indians are 9-1 against the AL West. ... The Mariners failed to homer for the first time in 10 games.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 20 people were killed by a series of car bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Monday and 11 others were killed by attacks in the southern city of Basra, police and medics said.
Scores of people have been killed in attacks over the past week as tensions between minority Sunni Muslims and Shi'ites who now lead Iraq have reached their highest level since U.S. troops pulled out in December 2011.
Eight car bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killed at least 20 people on Monday, police and medics said.
Two car bombs hit Basra, a predominantly Shi'ite southern city 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The first struck the Hananiya neighborhood, near a busy market and restaurants, and the second was detonated inside a bus terminal in Saad Square, police and medics said. Eleven people were killed.
More than 700 people were killed in April by a U.N. count, the highest figure in almost five years. Relations are coming under more strain by the day from the increasingly sectarian conflict in neighboring Syria.
Minority Sunnis, embittered by Shi'ite dominance since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces in 2003, have also been staging street protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki since December.
(Reporting by Aref Mohammed; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
It's (Mostly) Official: Yahoo Buying Tumblr Youth Serum for $1.1B
Cash! The WSJ says "the Yahoo board has approved a deal" to make this happen, and it's hard to imagine Tumblr turning this down. One of the most unpopular companies in the world will soon own one of the most popular in history, and we'll all find out if you really can buy cool.
>>>we want to turn to the
severe weather
very likely across the nation's midsection. roughly 35 million people potentially at risk. the
weather channel
's mike bettis is chasing the storms today. he was on hand saturday when a big twister touched down in
kansas
. he's there live with more. mike, good morning.
>> reporter: lester
, good morning to you. it was quite a scene that unfolded yesterday here in
tornado alley
, as a barrage of twisters touched down. we happened to be chasing yesterday afternoon with the
weather channel
's tornado expert dr.
greg forbes
, and trust me when i tell you our view was up close and in person.
>>oh, it's right over us, but we can still see, it's in contact with the ground farther off to the northeast.
>>this is a one of a kind view. absolutely amazing. we're probably about, i'd say, half a mile or less from it. very close to you. the top of the storm --
>>wow.
>>-- very close to --
>>look right up there --
>>oh, yeah, the top -- the top of the tornado is less than a half mile -- from us. it's almost right overhead.
>> reporter: oh, it was an amazing view. believe it or not, as that tornado dissipated, we literally turned around, and less than 300 yards from us, another tornado racing across the wheat field in
kansas
. that one did very little damage, as most of the tornados did yesterday. three in all, from the same individual supercell thunderstorm. we can report that they did knock down
power lines
, did damage one home, have to report that the okay pant occupants made it out okay. an amazing view in
kansas
. the tornado threat ramp the up again today, and today could be one of the most violent tornado days we've had all day long in the u.s., and major
metropolitan areas
could be impacted.
lester
, we know from the
twin cities
, minneapolis, minnesota, all the way down to dallas, texas, we need to be on alert. of course, we'll be on top of it for you throughout the afternoon.
lester
, back to you.
>>incredible mans you shared with us, mike. i know you guys know what you're doing, but i'm compelled to say be careful out there, all right?
Paul McCartney's 'Out There!' Tour Heads To North America
Woody Harrelson
Harrelson has been vegan for nearly three decades, <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-vegetarian-celebrities-2012/">according to PETA</a>. He had his "aha" moment when he was trying to make it as an actor in New York: "I was on a bus and some girl sees me blowing my nose, I had acne all over my face, which I'd had for years and years. And she's like: 'Hey, you're lactose intolerant. If you quit dairy, all these symptoms you got will be gone in three days.' I was like 24. And I was like, No way. But three days later: gone." <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-vegetarian-celebrities-2012/">He was named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2012</a> alongside Jessica Chastain.
Jessica Chastain
Chastain is another actress who practices a vegan diet. "I used to think about dieting," <a href="http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health-wellness-articles/vegan-vanity-0812#slide-1">she said recently</a>, "but I'm vegan now, so it's not really a problem." She was named <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-vegetarian-celebrities-2012/">PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2012</a> alongside Woody Harrelson.
Russell Brand
PETA has crowned comedian Russell Brand <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/Winners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2011</a> alongside actress Kristen Wiig. Brand, who has been vegetarian since he was 14 years old, said, "You shouldn't eat animals, it's mean to them," PETA wrote. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2028407/Husband-Russell-Brands-veggie-challenge-hard-chew-Katy-Perry.html" target="_hplink">According to the Daily Mail</a> he said: "Even as a junkie I stayed true to vegetarianism." He added, "I shall have heroin, but I shan't have a hamburger." According to the report, Brand's ex-wife, singer Katy Perry, gave up eating meat to keep him happy.
Kristen Wiig
"Bridesmaids" actress Kristen Wiig has been named <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/Winners.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's 2011 Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity</a> alongside comedian Russell Brand. According to PETA, Wiig stays healthy by eating a lot of tofu and soy.
Bill Clinton
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has opted for a vegan diet to improve his health since having quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and stent surgery in 2010, <a href="http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/diet-nutrition/story/2011-08-23/Bill-Clinton-declares-vegan-victory/50111212/1" target="_hplink">according <em>USA Today</em></a>. Clinton does not eat beef, chicken or dairy. A big move for someone known for their love of burgers and junk food. <em>USA Today</em> reported Clinton said he lost 24 pounds last year in time for his daughter Chelsea's wedding.
Natalie Portman
Actress Natalie Portman <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-portman/jonathan-safran-foers-iea_b_334407.html" target="_hplink">wrote for The Huffington Post in 2009</a>: "Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals changed me from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist." In 2011, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WomensHealth/natalie-portman-drops-vegan-diet-pregnancy/story?id=13349964" target="_hplink">ABC News reported</a> she returned to her vegetarian diet while pregnant with her first child. "I actually went back to being vegetarian when I became pregnant, just because I felt like I wanted that stuff," Portman told the radio's Q100 "Bert Show." "I was listening to my body to have eggs and dairy," ABC reported. In 2007, the star launched her own vegan shoe line, <a href="http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?catId=8&pageId=2790" target="_hplink">according to VegNews.com.</a> Portman was voted <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2002</a> alongside actor Tobey Maguire.
Mike Tyson
Boxing champion and vegan Mike Tyson <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/transcript/mike-tyson-039i-live-boring-life-i039ve-learned-love039?page=2" target="_hplink">spoke with Fox News</a> about switching to an animal product-free diet earlier this year. In the interview, Tyson says he became a vegan two years ago after his wife was trying out different weight-loss diets and says he "feels awesome" even though he "forgets to eat sometimes." "(I feel) incredible. I wish I was born this way. When you find out about the processed stuff you have been eating. I wonder why I was crazy all those years." He adds, "All that garbage I was eating running around, the drugs didn't help either."
Pamela Anderson
Baywatch star and PETA activist Pamela Anderson let viewers know how she feels about non-vegetarians on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2011. <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2011/02/28/pamela-anderson-bangs-the-vegan-gavel-on-meat-eaters/" target="_hplink">Ecorazzi.com reports</a> that Anderson said, "I don't think I'd be a very good juror. You know, if you're not vegetarian -- guilty!" Anderson <a href="https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3205" target="_hplink">appeared on a PETA campaign</a> in 2010 showing "All Animals Have the Same Parts" and encouraging people to ditch meat.
Tobey Maguire
A vegetarian since 1992 and vegan since 2009, some reports suggest Tobey Maguire doesn't allow leather in his house, even making guests remove any leather clothing before they come through the front door, <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/Vegan+Stars/articles/Ip8hg8soxDe/Tobey+Maguire" target="_hplink">according to Zimbio.com.</a> <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">The actor was PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2002</a> alongside actress Natalie Portman.
Kristen Bell
Actress and animal activist Kristen Bell has been a vegetarian for more than 17 years, <a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/editors_picks/896" target="_hplink">according to <em>Vegetarian Times</em>.</a> She told the site in 2010: "I had a lot of quirks as a child. One was that I didn't like to eat meat: I didn't like to chew it, didn't like the taste or smell of it, and just wasn't having any of it. I was in the minority of kids who actually loved fruits and vegetables." She added, "When I was little, I loved my dogs so much. Part of my becoming a vegetarian was that I would look at my burger, then look at my dogs, and I wasn't able to see a difference." Bell was crowned <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2006</a> by PETA alongside singer Prince.
Chris Martin
PETA labeled Coldplay frontman Chris Martin <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2005</a>. <a href="http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/paltrow-and-martin-give-apple-a-vegan-feast" target="_hplink">Contact Music</a> writes that he and his wife Gwyneth Paltrow made "international headlines when they gave their daughter, Apple, a vegan birthday cake from Moby's New York eatery, <a href="https://www.teany.com/story" target="_hplink">Teany</a>."
Lauren Bush
Model and niece of Former President George W. Bush, Lauren Bush was also labeled one of the <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">World's Sexiest Vegetarians in 2003 by PETA</a>. In 2007, Bush launched <a href="http://www.feedprojects.com/" target="_hplink">FEED Projects</a> in conjunction <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/farryn-weiner/lauren-bush-feed-bags_b_852678.html" target="_hplink">with the UN World Food Program </a>. "I'm a vegetarian, so sometimes food isn't always my friend, but sometimes it's amazing. It's hit or miss. For me, (travel is) all about walking around, exploring and taking photos," she said.
Milo Ventimiglia
Named by<a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink"> PETA as 2009's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity</a> alongside musician Kellie Pickler, Milo Ventimiglia has been a vegetarian since he was "in the womb." In 2009, the Heroes actor <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P9qda1IH3Y" target="_hplink">appeared on the Bonnie Hunt Show </a>and talked about how he was raised vegetarian. "I was a vegetarian in the womb, I was doing it before it was a trend," he joked. "My parents have been vegetarian for 40 years. They raised my sisters and I vegetarian, we had a dog - he was vegetarian." He added that even when he branched out as a teenager to other foods it just "didn't sit well" with him.
Daryl Hannah
Activist and strict vegan Daryl Hannah <a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/editors_picks/914" target="_hplink">told <em>Vegetarian Times</em></a> in 2010 she converted to vegetarianism at age 11 after bonding with a calf. "I noticed this truck full of calves and bonded with one in particular, who kept kissing me. After about an hour the truck driver came out of the restaurant. I asked him what the calf's name was, and he said, "Veal, tomorrow morning by 7 o'clock." That was it: I could no longer disassociate the creature from what was on my plate," she said in the interview.
Ellen DeGeneres
Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres has been vegan since 2008. She launched her new website in 2011 to help people who want to stop eating meat and animal products: <a href="http://vegan.ellen.warnerbros.com/" target="_hplink">Going Vegan with Ellen</a>. Last year, DeGeneres was<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSA2j4oiDA" target="_hplink"> interviewed by Katie Couric</a> about becoming vegan: "I used to love cheeseburgers and steak, I just did what most people do, I had a disconnect. I decided it's more important to taste a cheeseburger and have a steak or have a turkey sandwich and it's easier and I put it out of my mind ... I read Skinny Bitch first and then I forced myself to watch a documentary called 'Earthlings' and it is inside footage of factory farms and dairy farms and you just see that and you go, "I can't participate in that, I can't be a part of something that is suffering and it's 50 billion animals a year that are killed," and I think we all fool ourselves that there is some happy cow and it's a quick death ... and it's a very disturbing reality ... I do it because I love animals and I saw the reality and I just couldn't do it anymore."
Kevin Eubanks
Musician Kevin Eubanks was voted the <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">World's Sexiest Vegetarian in 2007</a>, alongside Carrie Underwood by PETA. At the time, he <a href="http://veggietestimonial.peta.org/psa.aspx?CID=c8d89b22-add4-4385-badc-7e49b1c53efe" target="_hplink">released a vegetarian testimonial</a> dressed as a strawberry in which he says: "none of that cholesterol or animal fat for me, oh no. I want to enjoy every moment I can, I don't want my organs getting messed up with all that stuff."
Jane Goodall
Primatologist, philanthropist, conservationist and vegetarian Jane Goodall <a href="http://vegetarian.procon.org/view.source.php?sourceID=010726" target="_hplink">said on Procon.org</a> she switched to a plant-based diet after learning about factory farms in the early 1970s after reading Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. "I thought about the delicious pork chops that I loved, the heavenly smell of frying bacon in the morning. And all the roast chicken, casseroled chicken, fried chicken, and chicken soup that I had enjoyed during my life... When I saw meat on my plate, from that moment on, I should think of pain-fear-death. How horrible. And so it was clear. I would eat no more meat," she says.
Olivia Wilde
Actress Olivia Wilde was <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">crowned 2010's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity</a>, along with fitness guru Bob Harper, by PETA. Wilde, previously vegan, abandoned that diet last year following her divorce from filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, <a href="http://haveuheard.net/2011/09/olivia-wilde-quit-vegan-diet-divorce/" target="_hplink">haveuheard.com reported.</a> The site writes she told <em>Cosmopolitan</em> magazine: "I was hardcore vegan for years. When everything in my life became a little hectic, going through the divorce and everything afterward, I was like, 'I need some goddamn cheese.' And so I had some cheese." On her website <a href="http://wildethings.org/vegan-things" target="_hplink">Wilde Things she says</a>: "I'm a firm believer in the adage 'your dollar is your vote.' Often we forget the power of each of our purchases." She adds: "Sadly it is incredibly difficult to ensure that you are not perpetuating a cycle of cruelty that is only getting worse as demand rises and profits grow."
Kellie Pickler
In 2008, country singer Kellie Pickler <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20236190,00.html" target="_hplink">told People Magazine</a> she stopped eating meat to improve her health but changed her reasoning after discovering animal cruelty videos online. "One night I couldn't sleep and I was up just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos and I just thought it was horrible. It's animal cruelty. A lot of it has to do with knowing what happens to the animals and it really bothered me and so I will not eat meat," she said. Pickler was named <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Celebrity Vegetarian of 2009</a>, alongside actor Milo Ventimiglia, by PETA.
Alec Baldwin
<a href="http://www.zimbio.com/Vegan+Stars/articles/QHaN-JTolFJ/Alec+Baldwin" target="_hplink">According to Zimbio.com,</a> Alec Baldwin said "he chooses an animal-free diet for the animals, for the environment, and for his health." Conflicting reports over the years suggest Baldwin may be an "on and off" vegetarian.
Anthony Kiedis
Red Hot Chilli Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis was <a href="http://www.maxim.com/amg/MUSIC/Articles/An+Interview+with+Anthony+Kiedis+of+The+Red+Hot+Chili+Peppers" target="_hplink">asked by Maxim this year</a> whether he would eat a fatty steak or some tempeh for his last meal, considering he was a vegan. "I'm not a true vegan. I dabble in sustainable fish and dawdle in the consumption of eggs. Steak doesn't speak to me, and tempeh is so-so. I'll savor a solitary apricot that's been kissed by my baby," Kiedis answered. The musician was labeled <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2008 by PETA</a>, alongside singer Leona Lewis. After acquiring the title, Kiedis <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/_article_9984" target="_hplink">told AccessHollywod</a> animal cruelty videos convinced him of his switch to veganism. "Soon after I [went vegan] I saw some documentary footage of what happens in the factory farming of cows ... It sealed the deal," the rocker said.
Leona Lewis
Singer Leona Lewis was labeled <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">Sexiest Vegetarian of 2008 by PETA</a> alongside rocker Anthony Kiedis. In 2010, she <a href="http://redcarpetroxy.com/?p=17073" target="_hplink">told redcarpetroxy.com</a> she had a vegan clothing line in the works. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzvmTRRdnOs" target="_hplink">In the interview, </a>she told the site she looked for alternative materials when buying clothes and accessories. For example, she doesn't buy leather products. The animal activist turned down a $1 million dollar deal in 2008 with Mohamed Al Fayed to open a Harrods sale. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2034820/X-Factors-Leona-Lewis-laugh-spends-time-animals-Essex-rescue-home.html" target="_hplink">According to the Daily Mail</a>, she turned down the deal because the UK department store "continues to stock clothing made from animal fur." <a href="http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/features/voice-animals" target="_hplink">According to <em>Modern Dog</em>, Lewis</a> began the campaign "Animals Matter To Me" asking for public support for the World Society for the Protection of Animals' mission. "I've been a vegetarian since I was twelve," she told the magazine.
Paul McCartney
Vegetarian Paul McCartney urged India last year to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/04/paul-mccartney-urges-india-to-declare-vegetarian-day_n_804047.html" target="_hplink">declare a national Vegetarian Day</a>. The singer sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggesting the day to "celebrate meat-free living and a compassion towards animals," a report said. McCartney's letter says, "it would be a celebration of life."
Carrie Underwood
Last year, <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2007 and 2005</a> Carrie Underwood announced she had rid all animal products from her diet, <a href="http://tasteofcountry.com/carrie-underwood-vegan/" target="_hplink">according to TasteofCountry.com.</a> The site reports she told Australian television show <em>The Circle</em>: "I recently made the switch to vegan because I'm actually kind of lactose intolerant." The singer said she became a vegetarian at age 13 when she realized what happened to animals on her family's farm.
Alicia Silverstone
Hollywood star and vegan Alicia Silverstone bares all in a<a href="http://features.peta.org/AliciaSilverstoneVeganPSA/" target="_hplink"> Veggie PETA testimonial</a>. She writes on their website: "Now when I see a steak, it makes me feel sad and sick because right away, I see my dog or the amazing cows I met at a sanctuary. I've been vegan for 10 years, and it's the single-most important and helpful decision I have ever made." Silverstone -- <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2004</a> -- adds: "I am doing everything I can to reduce animal suffering with simple lifestyle choices like being vegan, never wearing any products made from animals (like wool and leather), and buying only from companies that NEVER test their products or ingredients on animals."
Shania Twain
Country singer Shania Twain was <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's first Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity</a>, crowned in 2001. <a href="http://blog.friendseat.com/vegetarian-meatless-celebrities" target="_hplink">Blog friendseat.com writes</a> Twain kicked meat from her diet after marrying long time vegetarian Mutt Lange in 1993. The blog writes that Twain said she "was never really a fan of meat or a keen meat-eater and her diet does not include meat, fish or eggs."
Alyssa Milano
Animal activist and actor Alyssa Milano launched a PETA ad in 2008 dressed in an outfit made entirely from green vegetables under the slogan "Let Vegetarianism Grow on You." <a href="http://www.peta2.com/outthere/o-alyssaveggies.asp" target="_hplink">According to Peta2.com, in 2008</a> Milano said: "The world has so much suffering in it already -- choosing to be vegetarian is one thing you can do to reduce the suffering on a daily basis." <a href="http://blog.friendseat.com/vegetarian-meatless-celebrities" target="_hplink">Blog friendseat.com says</a> the actress has a green thumb and loves veggies, even sticking to her vegetarian diet during her pregnancy in which she had cravings for broccoli and pickles.
Anne Hathaway
Actress Anne Hathaway has had an on-again/off-again relationship with a meat-free diet, but according to the most recent reports, she is currently a a vegetarian. <a href="http://www.realbollywood.com/2011/08/anne-hathaway-speaks-vegetarian-diet.html" target="_hplink">Realbollywood.com reported</a> the actress had trouble while in the UK in August 2011. <a href="http://www.metro.co.uk/film/851230-anne-hathaway-theres-nothing-wrong-with-nudity-in-films" target="_hplink">In an interview with <em>Metro</em></a> in December 2010, Hathaway said: "I've actually been a commitment-shy vegetarian since I was about 12. I wasn't all that committed, to be honest, and then when I was in England filming One Day, I don't know what happened but I just didn't want to eat meat any more. But I was still eating fish. And then I was sent a copy of Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals. I read it and that was it for me in terms of being able to eat fish - which is a shame because I really enjoy the taste but I just can't support the way fish are farmed and caught."
Boy George
Singer Boy George, who spent four months behind bars in 2009 for falsely imprisoning a male escort, <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/116487/Why-Boy-George-can-t-wait-to-go-back-to-prison-" target="_hplink">told the <em>Daily Express</em></a> he worked as chef, preparing all-meatless food during his time in jail. "I'm a pretty good cook and made all the vegetarian food," he said.
Brad Pitt
<a href="http://nakedhealth.avvo.com/2011/04/13-celebrity-vegans-and-vegetarians/" target="_hplink">According to Naked Health</a>, actor Brad Pitt has been identified as a vegetarian throughout the years. There are rumors that his partner, actress Angelina Jolie's meat-eating habits have started to upset Pitt. Jolie was reportedly vegan until she said the plant-based diet nearly killed her.
Christina Applegate
Actress and animal activist Christina Applegate <a href="http://www.peta.org/features/christina-applegate-fur-get-me-not.aspx" target="_hplink">told PETA</a> she stopped eating meat when she saw blood on her plate while at a restaurant. I was eating lunch on the Married With Children set, and they served me some kind of meat (I don't even know the names of them all anymore because it's been so long). I looked down and there was blood on my plate, and it was that realization, that I can't eat something that has been alive, I just can't do it," she said in the interview. Applegate was featured in a 2007 PETA Christmas-time campaign reminding shoppers not to buy fur as gifts.
Emmylou Harris
<a href="http://vegetarianstar.com/2009/06/29/emmylou-harris-is-a-sexy-vegetarian-over-50-are-you/" target="_hplink"><em>Vegetarian Star</em> writes</a> <a href="http://features.peta.org/petaprime/sexiest-veg-over-50-2011/Round1.aspx" target="_hplink">PETA's Sexiest Vegetarians Over 50</a> are in good company with vegetarians like Emmylou Harris falling into the category. The 65-year-old runs a dog shelter in Nashville, Tennesee, her hometown and is involved with organizations like<a href="http://www.bestfriends.org/" target="_hplink"> Best Friends Animal Society</a>, according to Vegetarian Star.
Bob Harper
<em>Biggest Loser</em> trainer Bob Harper was crowned <a href="http://features.peta.org/sexiest-Vegetarian-Celebrities-2011/PastWinners.aspx" target="_hplink">2010's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity</a>, along with actress Olivia Wilde, by PETA. Harper is a long time vegetarian-turned-vegan last year, <a href="http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=2220&catId=8" target="_hplink">according to Veg News.</a> He told the site his new diet made him feel "clear headed and strong." The 44-year-old fitness guru added: "Not to mention my genetically high cholesterol dropped more than 100 points. That was all the motivation I needed."
Alan Cumming
The actor has been a vegetarian since early 2010, but made it his New Year?s resolution last year to remove all animal products from his diet in 2012. <a href="https://twitter.com/Alancumming">Cumming tweeted</a>, ?That?s it. I was toying with going the whole hog to veganism and now I see Mike Tyson is the new Vegan posterboy! Sold! Get ye back, seitan!?
Alanis Morissette
The unhealthy feeling Morissette had from gaining weight and eating processed food motivated her to make a major change. <a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Alanis-Morissette-Goes-Vegan-Loses-20-Pounds-2664840">She went vegan and lost 20 pounds</a>!
Anna Paquin
The mom of twins may be surrounded by a lot of blood on the "True Blood" set, but in reality, she's a vegetarian.
Ashley Judd
Judd has been a long time vegetarian, and favors organic vegetables and fruit over meat. She also reportedly skips dairy for health reasons and turns to soy yogurts and milk instead.
Betty White
The 90-year-old actress is an animal activist and has been a vegan for years. "They never lie to you. You know when they tell you something, they mean it. They love you unconditionally," <a href="http://theview.abc.go.com/blog/protect-your-pets-betty-white-way">White told the women of "The View"</a> about animals.
Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen looks amazing at 63, and it might have something to do with his vegetarian diet!
Casey Affleck
Ben Affleck's brother has been a vegan for over 15 years, and even revealed why he changed his lifestyle<a href="http://www.peta.org/tv/videos/peta2-vegetarianism/959533337001.aspx"> in a PETA PSA</a>: "When people ask me why I don't eat meat or any other animal products, I say, 'Because they are unhealthy and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry.'"
Christie Brinkley
"I've been a vegetarian since I was about 12 years old,"<a href="http://www.shape.com/celebrities/exclusive-interview-christie-brinkley-details-eating-plan-makes-her-look-great"> Brinkley told Shape</a>. "When I became a vegetarian I got my mom and dad to become vegetarian, and my brother became a vegetarian."
Diane Keaton
Keaton has been a vegetarian for years, but has never forced her children to try out the diet. ?No, no. I?m not doing that to them,? <a href="http://www.parade.com/">she told Parade Magazine</a>. ?I?m sure, once they grow up, they?ll be going, ?What an eccentric human being, this mother of ours.?
Dianna Agron
The "Glee" star is a vegetarian and supporter of PETA. <a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/blog/teen-vogue-daily/2010/04/dianna-agron-glee.html">She told Teen Vogue that she credits a healthy diet</a> with giving her the stamina to handle the demands of fame.
Emily Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel's sister has been a vegan for 20 years! "Saying no to meat makes me feel stronger inside; I feel aligned with my morals and ethics," <a href="http://www.lhj.com/style/covers/julie-bowen-emily-deschanel-dana-delaney/?page=2">she told Ladies Home Journal</a>. "I still have to defend myself because people don?t understand it."
Julianna Margulies
"The Good Wife" star is a vegetarian and a gym-gooer, which might explain her incredible body and glowing skin!
Kate Winslet
The gorgeous actress has been a vegetarian for years and recently <a href="http://www.peta.org/features/kate-winslet-exposes-foie-gras-cruelty.aspx">spoke out about foie-gras for PETA</a>. "To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force-fed enormous amounts of grain and fat, which causes their livers to swell to many times the normal size."
Lea Michele
Michele defended by her vegan diet last year, <a href="http://www.allure.com/celebrity-trends/cover-shoot/2011/lea-michele">telling Allure</a>, ?People get confused, like, you know, I just eat grass. I?m half Italian. I can eat some b----es under the table.?
Peter Dinklage
The "Game of Thrones" star is a vegetarian,<a href="http://veggietestimonial.peta.org/psa.aspx?CID=e58a8d78-5fe3-41eb-8177-cf6bbaceb10b"> telling PETA</a>, "I wouldn't hurt a cat or a dog or a chicken or a cow. And I wouldn't ask someone else to hurt them for me. That's why I'm a vegetarian."
Sandra Oh
The vegan actress tried to get her "Grey's Anatomy" co-stars<a href="http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/sandra+oh/default.aspx"> to give up animal products</a> and reportedly Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo attempted to give it a try!
Shannon Elizabeth
The longtime vegetarian has just partnered with the organization Farm Sanctuary as its new spokesperson for the Adopt a Turkey Project. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/18/shannon-elizabeth-turkey_n_2143941.html">Elizabeth tells The Huffington Post</a>, ?Too many people only consider cats and dogs when they think about loving animals ? They don?t realize how every animal out there has feelings, has a heart and soul, has emotions.?
Edward Furlong is back in jail again after his early release from a six month sentence. The “Terminator” star was arrested after an altercation with his former girlfriend and violating the terms of a protective order. Authorities reveal they received a call into the West Hollywood Sheriffs Department from Furlong’s ex-girlfriend’s home in West Hollywood, ...
Research examines new methods for managing digestive health
Research examines new methods for managing digestive healthPublic release date: 18-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Aimee Frank newsroom@gastro.org 407-685-4030 Digestive Disease Week
Studies presented at DDW 2013 highlight benefits of vitamin D, diet changes, acupuncture
Orlando, FL (May 18, 2013) Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) explores new methods for managing digestive health through diet and lifestyle.
Individuals suffering from Crohn's disease are often plagued by reduced muscle strength, fatigue and poor quality of life. These symptoms can remain even when patients are in remission. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study found for the first time that vitamin D supplementation corresponded to significant relief of these symptoms.
"Our findings may have significant implications for these patients," said Tara Raftery, research dietician and PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. "These findings, to our knowledge, are the first to suggest potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength with corresponding benefits for fatigue and quality of life in Crohn's disease. These findings, however, need to be confirmed in larger studies."
The study found that after three months of taking 2000 IU of vitamin D per day, patients' muscle strength, measured by hand-grip, was significantly higher in both dominant and non-dominant hands compared to those taking placebo. Patients also reported significantly less general, physical and mental fatigue and a higher quality of life when levels of vitamin D were 75 nano mole per liter or more.
Diet swap provides clue to level of colorectal cancer risk
Building on growing knowledge about the human microbiome, research from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Pittsburgh, PA; Wageningen University, the Netherlands; and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, features new data on microbiota and colorectal cancer risk. Researchers found a dramatic and rapid shift in gut microbiota after switching the diet in healthy subjects from a traditional Western diet to a Zulu African diet and vice-versa. Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the study's results show changes in gut microbiota that might explain levels of colorectal cancer risk.
"African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the U.S. The reasons for this are not yet understood," said Franck Carbonero, postdoctoral research associate at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Our findings offer insight into this disparity and pave the way for new research."
During the study, researchers fed 20 Zulu Africans 600 grams of meat per day for two weeks and fed 20 African Americans in Pittsburgh a traditional Zulu diet comprised primarily of a corn-based porridge called putu. Comparing stool samples before and after the diet exchange in each case, researchers found dramatic changes in colonic microbiota.
"Our results show that the human colonic microbiota is shaped by diet in a very dynamic manner," said Rex Gaskins, PhD, professor of Immunobiology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Not only that, we observed alterations in the balance of beneficial and detrimental microbial groups, which may explain, in part, the increase in colorectal cancer risk that is conferred by a Western diet."
New needleless acupuncture therapy decreases symptoms of indigestion
A study from Texas Tech University, El Paso, and the University of Mississippi, Oxford, holds promising results for diabetic patients suffering from indigestion symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating and heartburn. The study tested a new method of therapy using a custom-made wireless device to stimulate acupuncture points with electrical waves on the surface of the skin rather than needles.
"Treatment options for this patient group are severely limited," said Richard McCallum, MD, professor and founding chair of the division of gastroenterology, department of medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. "This is a novel approach to symptom relief that overcomes the shortcomings of other therapies."
Because of the limited pharmacological treatment options available, many patients build up a tolerance to prescribed medicine. Additionally, traditional acupuncture requires patients to make repeat appointments and a fear of needles may make it undesirable for many patients. The wireless, needleless device tested in the study was designed by Jiande Chen, PhD, professor at the University of Texas' Medical Branch at Galveston, and allows clinicians to tailor the frequency and amplitude of the electrical waves used to stimulate acupuncture points.
Funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, patients were instructed to spend 240 minutes each day using the device on designated spots on the body. They kept a detailed diary tracking specific gastroparesis symptoms and the number of heartburn episodes per day.
Dr. McCallum worked with fellow Texas Tech professor Irene Sarosiek, MD, senior author of this project, to analyze results of a four-week period of use of the device. Compared to the placebo group, the device significantly improved five out of nine gastroparesis symptoms vomiting was reduced by 39 percent, nausea by 30 percent and bloating by 21 percent. The number of heartburn episodes decreased significantly when patients utilized active stimulation.
"These exciting initial results have great potential for patients," Dr. McCallum said. "With the customizable features of the device, we can explore fine-tuning the therapy to directly target specific symptoms."
###
Ms. Raftery will present data from the study "Vitamin D supplementation improves muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease in remission," abstract Sa1198, on Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. in West Hall 1A of the Orange County Convention Center.
Dr. Carbonero will present data from the study "Short-term reciprocal diet exchanges impact colonic fermentation and hydrogenotrophic microbiota for native Africans consuming a typical Western diet and African Americans consuming a traditional African diet" abstract Sa1965, on Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. in West Hall 1A of the Orange County Convention Center.
Dr. McCallum will present data from the study "Self-Administered Needleless Acupuncture Therapy to Control Dyspepsia and GERD Symptoms in Patients Diagnosed with Diabetic Gastroparesis," abstract 749, on Monday, May 20, at 3 p.m. in room 102AB of the Orange County Convention Center.
Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 18 to 21, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at http://www.ddw.org.
Follow us on Twitter @DDWMeeting; hashtag #DDW13. Become a fan of DDW on Facebook.
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Research examines new methods for managing digestive healthPublic release date: 18-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Aimee Frank newsroom@gastro.org 407-685-4030 Digestive Disease Week
Studies presented at DDW 2013 highlight benefits of vitamin D, diet changes, acupuncture
Orlando, FL (May 18, 2013) Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) explores new methods for managing digestive health through diet and lifestyle.
Individuals suffering from Crohn's disease are often plagued by reduced muscle strength, fatigue and poor quality of life. These symptoms can remain even when patients are in remission. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study found for the first time that vitamin D supplementation corresponded to significant relief of these symptoms.
"Our findings may have significant implications for these patients," said Tara Raftery, research dietician and PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. "These findings, to our knowledge, are the first to suggest potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength with corresponding benefits for fatigue and quality of life in Crohn's disease. These findings, however, need to be confirmed in larger studies."
The study found that after three months of taking 2000 IU of vitamin D per day, patients' muscle strength, measured by hand-grip, was significantly higher in both dominant and non-dominant hands compared to those taking placebo. Patients also reported significantly less general, physical and mental fatigue and a higher quality of life when levels of vitamin D were 75 nano mole per liter or more.
Diet swap provides clue to level of colorectal cancer risk
Building on growing knowledge about the human microbiome, research from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Pittsburgh, PA; Wageningen University, the Netherlands; and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, features new data on microbiota and colorectal cancer risk. Researchers found a dramatic and rapid shift in gut microbiota after switching the diet in healthy subjects from a traditional Western diet to a Zulu African diet and vice-versa. Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the study's results show changes in gut microbiota that might explain levels of colorectal cancer risk.
"African Americans have the highest colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates of all racial groups in the U.S. The reasons for this are not yet understood," said Franck Carbonero, postdoctoral research associate at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Our findings offer insight into this disparity and pave the way for new research."
During the study, researchers fed 20 Zulu Africans 600 grams of meat per day for two weeks and fed 20 African Americans in Pittsburgh a traditional Zulu diet comprised primarily of a corn-based porridge called putu. Comparing stool samples before and after the diet exchange in each case, researchers found dramatic changes in colonic microbiota.
"Our results show that the human colonic microbiota is shaped by diet in a very dynamic manner," said Rex Gaskins, PhD, professor of Immunobiology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Not only that, we observed alterations in the balance of beneficial and detrimental microbial groups, which may explain, in part, the increase in colorectal cancer risk that is conferred by a Western diet."
New needleless acupuncture therapy decreases symptoms of indigestion
A study from Texas Tech University, El Paso, and the University of Mississippi, Oxford, holds promising results for diabetic patients suffering from indigestion symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloating and heartburn. The study tested a new method of therapy using a custom-made wireless device to stimulate acupuncture points with electrical waves on the surface of the skin rather than needles.
"Treatment options for this patient group are severely limited," said Richard McCallum, MD, professor and founding chair of the division of gastroenterology, department of medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. "This is a novel approach to symptom relief that overcomes the shortcomings of other therapies."
Because of the limited pharmacological treatment options available, many patients build up a tolerance to prescribed medicine. Additionally, traditional acupuncture requires patients to make repeat appointments and a fear of needles may make it undesirable for many patients. The wireless, needleless device tested in the study was designed by Jiande Chen, PhD, professor at the University of Texas' Medical Branch at Galveston, and allows clinicians to tailor the frequency and amplitude of the electrical waves used to stimulate acupuncture points.
Funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, patients were instructed to spend 240 minutes each day using the device on designated spots on the body. They kept a detailed diary tracking specific gastroparesis symptoms and the number of heartburn episodes per day.
Dr. McCallum worked with fellow Texas Tech professor Irene Sarosiek, MD, senior author of this project, to analyze results of a four-week period of use of the device. Compared to the placebo group, the device significantly improved five out of nine gastroparesis symptoms vomiting was reduced by 39 percent, nausea by 30 percent and bloating by 21 percent. The number of heartburn episodes decreased significantly when patients utilized active stimulation.
"These exciting initial results have great potential for patients," Dr. McCallum said. "With the customizable features of the device, we can explore fine-tuning the therapy to directly target specific symptoms."
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Ms. Raftery will present data from the study "Vitamin D supplementation improves muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease in remission," abstract Sa1198, on Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. in West Hall 1A of the Orange County Convention Center.
Dr. Carbonero will present data from the study "Short-term reciprocal diet exchanges impact colonic fermentation and hydrogenotrophic microbiota for native Africans consuming a typical Western diet and African Americans consuming a traditional African diet" abstract Sa1965, on Saturday, May 18, at 8 a.m. in West Hall 1A of the Orange County Convention Center.
Dr. McCallum will present data from the study "Self-Administered Needleless Acupuncture Therapy to Control Dyspepsia and GERD Symptoms in Patients Diagnosed with Diabetic Gastroparesis," abstract 749, on Monday, May 20, at 3 p.m. in room 102AB of the Orange County Convention Center.
Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 18 to 21, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at http://www.ddw.org.
Follow us on Twitter @DDWMeeting; hashtag #DDW13. Become a fan of DDW on Facebook.
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Public release date: 18-May-2013
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