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In this issue:
Meow,
Recent Questions From Our Members
Our fair members are nothing if not noisy. We tend to hear from folks with
questions on their minds, and we do our best to answer the offbeat as well as
the arcane. Here are a couple of recurring questions of late:
Q: I am allergic to sulfa drugs and I just
recently ordered the Co-op’s
Arthro-3 which
contains MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). Is MSM similar to a sulfa drug?
A:
MSM is
organic sulfur whereas sulfa drugs are synthetic sulfites. People allergic to
sulfa drugs are generally allergic to sulfites. MSM is safe for use in people
with sulfa drug allergies. Organic sulfur is a major component of connective
tissue, while sulfa drugs are composed of inorganic sulfur.
*****
Q: I understand that
SAM-e is
available in two salt forms, tosylate and butane disulphanate. Which is the form
that Our Health Co-op uses?
A: Our
SAM-e form
is sulfate-p-toluenesulfonate or tosylate form.
What’s the difference?
According to our science gurus – not much. There seems to be a marketing
claim that the butane disulfonate form is more stable, but nobody seems to cite
any stability data to prove this. We searched through all the literature and
weren't able to find anything conclusive that the butane disulfonate form is
more stable.
The tosylate form is the most common form of SAM-e on the market.
We also get a few questions about why we offer our
SAM-e in
blister packs. Simple enough. The individual blister packs protect each tablets
from oxidizing and becoming less active. And each SAM-e tablet is enteric coated
so it can get through the stomach and to the intestine where it can be
processed.
Fast Fact: SAM-e is ultimately converted to homocysteine, which
can be toxic if not converted by B vitamins. That is why we tell our members who
take SAM-e to remember to also take B vitamins, like our
Sublingual B Trio
and B-50 Complex,
which was designed to support healthy homocysteine levels!
*****
Q: Hi Guido! I am interested in ordering
Conjugated Linoleic
Acid (CLA) but I'm concerned about the note on the product page that CLA
can increase vitamin A (retinol) storage in the liver and breast. Should I be
concerned?
A: It is normal to have high levels of vitamin A
in liver tissue, and these increased levels seen with CLA are not likely to be
toxic. High levels of vitamin A in breast tissue are also common since vitamin A
is fat soluble and breast tissue has a high fatty content.
Preliminary animal studies have shown that increased vitamin A may be one of
the ways in which CLA may add some protection from cancer cell proliferation.
Health in the News
Kat's Notes: Update on the Wedding and More!
Okay, nosey ones. Here’s the scoop.
Stephen
and Kelly got married as planned on August 27th, at a little, lovely chapel on
Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel’s premises.
Kelly insisted on an out-of-town wedding, for fear of a hurricane disrupting
the festivities so late in August. How prescient she turned out to be when
Katrina blew a shore two days before the wedding.
Stephen’s and Kelly’s friends and family made some heroic efforts to get to
the wedding, with planes out of West Palm Beach cancelled on the Thursday and
Friday before the wedding. Even Teri barely got into town on time, arriving with
mother of the groom just hours before the wedding.
Nonetheless, all found their places before the bride and groom made it to the
front of the chapel. Stephen admitted to a case of nerves, and Kelly teared up
during their vows, but they were in fine form when they took their first twirl
on the dance floor.
Wally, Stephen’s best man, showed his thespian background when it was time to
make his big toast.
Enough on the Hallmark moments, I had to ask Stephen whether he lost a bundle
at the crap tables (that would be the dice tables for those of you who not in
the know). Stephen’s reply was a flat, “That’s not up for discussion!” Pffsst!
On to the honeymoon. Kelly had never been to California. The happy couple
landed in San Francisco, rented a convertible, and found the resident sea lions
at Fisherman’s Wharf every bit as charming as the Chamber of Commerce likes to
advertise.
Then it was time to head south on Highway 1. You’d think they had never been
outside Florida at all, with all the touristy picture-taking they did. After
meandering along the infamous 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, they spotted a
whole colony of elephant seals just before Morro Bay. Awww.
Then, there was this unhappy moment when Stephen and another motorist crashed
into each other where there were no stop signs on either side of a blind
intersection. No worries, the newlyweds were without a scratch, but the
convertible was crumpled.
No rental cars, shuttles, or buses within 30 miles! Before Kelly had to get
out and thumb, the attending policeman offered to give our out-of-luck couple a
ride. While that sounds simple, if you’ve ever seen how Kelly packs, you know
that it’s no small feat to have gotten everything into the police car!
Finally, in a new rental car, Stephen and Kelly continued on to Santa Monica,
where Stephen grew up. The end of the trip included watching sunsets from the
Santa Monica pier as well as from the 40th floor of the Hyatt in San Diego,
along with a trip to the San Diego Zoo (Kelly liked feeding the giraffes).
Yes, folks, this trip had a very happy ending.
For our nosey ones, you can poke around
Kelly’s web
site to see pictures or send a note to Stephen at
stephen@ourhealthcoop.com or
to Kelly at crowningkelly@aol.com.
More Good News!
Yes, it’s true.
Teri
got the surprise of her life on her birthday. However, we’re out of room, so
stay tuned for Teri’s good news in our next edition!
Time to scat now!
Still purringly yours,
Guido
Guido Housemouser
Chief Kat and Community Manager
Our Health Co-op
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