Volume 13 • Issue 5 May 2010

> ACHS in Action: Classes Starting May 17

> Iridology Now IIPA Sanctioned

> Mediterranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session in Greece

> Vitamin B6 in the Regulatory Arena

> Cooking with Nettles

> Apricot Kernels for Cancer Prevention?

> Full-text Downloads and Web Extras

Inside this issue ...

the ACHS ReporterWelcome to the ACHS Reporter, your resource for holistic health and college news. Our goal is to provide our students with an interactive and engaging “launchpad” for their own complementary alternative medicine studies and practice. Inside these pages, you will find ACHS college news, industry updates, holistic health tips and recipes, career-building information, continuing education opportunities, and much more.

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[ 2 ] © 2010 American College of Healthcare Sciences

Be Part of the SolutionA C H S I N A C T I O N !

ACHS is Now the Only U.S. Accredited School Approved as an IIPA Sanctioned Program

The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has been approved

as a sanctioned school by the Interna-tional Iridology Practitioners Associa-tion (IIPA), making ACHS the only U.S. accredited school approved by IIPA with a sanctioned program. ACHS is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, a U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accredi-tation recognized accrediting agency.

“We’re very proud our Certificate in Iri-dology Consulting program has been ap-

proved by IIPA,” says ACHS President Dorene Petersen. “IIPA maintains the utmost integrity, professionalism, and certification and standards, and provides a wonderful opportunity for iridology professionals to learn from, and exchange information worldwide. IIPA’s sanctioning of our Certificate program gives ACHS students even more confidence in their training and professional goals,

and provides a strong connection to an outside organization with almost 30 years’ experience in the field.”

About NAT 203: Historical Modalities: Iridology OnlineCan we tell the constitution or health issues from the iris of the eye? This course leads students through the theories of iridology, from historical to modern day, including the modern controversies and conflicting information from the fields of identification. Learn the basis of this modality and decide for yourself.

Nat 203 covers the techniques and theory of iridology, analyzing the iris of the eye in relation to the body's health. In this course, students study a range of topics designed to take them through the fundamentals of iridology including the techniques and theory of iris analysis, and learn how to examine the iris of the eye in relation to the body's health. Nat 203 grants credit towards several Diplomas and for the Associates of Applied Science in Complementary Alterna-tive Medicine (CAM).

To enroll in Nat 203 staring May 17, you can call (800) 487-8839 to speak with an ACHS Admissions Advisor today, or email admissions@achs.edu.

H o l i s t i c H e a l t h C l a s s e s S t a r t i n g M a y 1 7 ! W h a t a r e y o u w a i t i n g f o r ?

May classes are starting soon! Limited spaces are still available, but don't wait to enroll. Call your ACHS Ad-missions Advisor today at (800) 487-8839 or email admissions@achs.edu and be sure to ask about our accel-erated 8-week summer classes, which offer a great opportunity to get ahead for fall.

To see the complete roster of May classes, including PSY101: Introduction to Psychology, go to www.achs.edu and click on College Calendar: http://www.achs.edu/services/calendar.aspx?id=9

© 2010 American College of Healthcare Sciences [ 3 ]

Mediterranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session in Greece

“This is not your ordinary cooking school in a formal kitchen,” says instructor Susan

Belsinger, acclaimed chef and author. “It is a cooking school like none other in that it is a vacation, hands-on cooking class, local ex-ploration of the remote island of Syros, and an herbal and eating experience all rolled into one. Each day we gather around the table to cook in the household kitchen, using fresh vegetables and fruits that we choose from the market in Ermoupoli combined with grains, legumes, beans, nuts, local cheeses, yogurt and bread as well as foods that are indispensable to this cuisine like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, herbs, and olive oil. We also take breaks for down time, whether it is to cool off with an afternoon swim in the Aegean or read or write in your room or on the veranda.”

Mediterranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session in Greece, June 26-July 2, 2010 of-fers a unique combination of expert instruc-tion and relaxation. Participants stay in the Abela Villa on the island of Syros, receive 3-4 hours of daily hands-on culinary and meal preparation instruction, and three meals a day prepared with fresh, local ingredients.

“Participants at our Mediterranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session,” says ACHS Pres-ident Dorene Petersen, “not only get some much needed relaxation in a beautiful Greek island setting, but they also get to learn and experience well-researched holistic nutrition

guidelines for how to start improving optimal health and wellness. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have many health bene-fits, including lowered risk of death from heart disease and cancer, and is focused on simple ingredients people can use to cook with ev-eryday, like fresh fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, whole grains, and olive oil, a healthy fat.”

“Plus,” Petersen adds, “ACHS’s Mediter-ranean Holistic Cuisine Summer Session is a seven-day learning vacation, so participants are immersed in the island of Syros and learn how to identify and harvest wild, edible plants, and to use them in delicious Mediter-ranean menus. Participants start using the health tools they are learning about while on vacation, which makes the transition back to everyday cooking easier and more appeal-ing.”

For more information about educational credit, pricing information, and to book your next adventure, call ACHS at (503) 244-0726 and ask to speak with an ACHS Admissions Advisor, or send an email to admissions@achs.edu.

To read more about this learning vacation and instructors Susan Belsinger and Dorene Petersen, visit Study Abroad on the ACHS website:http://www.achs.edu/course-desc.aspx?pid=114&id=61

Mediterranean Diet in the News

Results from an ongoing study indicate that, "eating a Mediterranean diet may help keep your brain healthy as you age."

The study included 4,000 adults aged 65 or older. Participants were given tests to evaluate their cognitive skills every three years over a 15-year period and "those who scored highest in following a Mediterranean diet were least likely to suffer cognitive decline."

April 27, 2010: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_98088.html

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Vitamin B6 in the Regulatory Arena

Who gets to control the money gained from selling a product? Supplement and drug industries at odds.

On April 6, 2010, there was an alert released by the Alliance for Natural

Health that stated “A natural form of the vitamin, pyridoxamine, was recently yanked off the market by the FDA. Why?”

The “why” seems to be about who gets to control the money gained from selling a product, which puts the supplement industry at odds with the drug industry. This fight over pyridoxamine is an example of this struggle

that has the FDA in the middle.Let’s clarify this issue. According to the Linus Pauling Institute: “There

are three traditionally considered forms of vitamin B6: pyridoxal (PL), pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxamine (PM). The phosphate ester derivative pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is the principal coenzyme form and has the most importance in human metabolism1.”

Pyridoxine is the natural form of the B6 vitamin and PLP is the active form. The FDA has been reviewing the status of the pyridoxamine form of the vitamin since 2005. A petition, submitted on behalf of BioStratum, Inc., requesting the removal of dietary supplements containing the drug pyridoxamine was first submitted to the FDA on July 29, 2005. BioStratum is the manufacturer of Pyridorin, a form of pyridoxamine dihydrochloride that was submitted as the subject of an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application filed with the FDA in 1999 as a potential therapeutic agent to slow or prevent the progression of diabetic neuropathy. It was granted fast-track status in 2002. A phase II trial was started that was expected to lead to the approval of this

1 http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB6/

drug by 2005 or 2006. This current action by the FDA may reflect the completion of these studies and the impending approval of the drug.

BioStratum claims that after they released the data from their phase II trials, supplement manufactures began marketing pyridoxamine as a dietary supplement, and that pryridoxamine was never marketed as a dietary supplement before the compound was part of the Pyridorin IND filing. They further state that existing dietary ingredients must be chemically altered by sophisticated multi-step synthetic processes to produce pyridoxamine. This is why they petitioned the FDA to list pyridoxamine as a drug and not as a dietary supplement.

One of the supplement companies selling 100-mg pyridoxamine directed consumers to a website that made specific health claims that “pyridoxamine may be useful in treating diabetic retinopathy.” This is clearly in violation of FDA regulations that say that dietary supplements can only make structure function claims, not health claims.

Another problem is that pyridoxamine can have potential side effects, and as part of an investigational drug study, its use should be monitored by a physician. When BioStratum analyzed the 100-mg product from the supplement company, it found that some of the capsules contained up to 140mg of pyridoxamine, and also contained up to 8.3% impurities. (Drugs and supplements manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) would never be allowed to have this level of contamination.) This could further exacerbate side effects.

To read and comment on the full-text article, visit our blog, ACHS News, at: http://achsnews.blogspot.com/2010/04/vitamin-b6-in-regulatory-arena.html

by Dr. Arianna Staruch, ACHS Academic Dean

Black cohosh, Actaea racemosa

© 2010 American College of Healthcare Sciences [ 5 ]

Who gets to control the money gained from selling a product? Supplement and drug industries at odds.

Don't Fear the Nettlesby Scott Stuart, ACHS Instructor

If you ever played in the woods as a kid you probably got stung by nettles.

It itched and burned for a few hours and then faded away. That’s because nettles have stinging hairs like tiny hypodermic needles. The toxic juice in the nettle hairs is a combination of acid and antigenic protein under pressure. When the needle penetrates the skin the tip breaks and the juice is injected.

But did you know that nettle is not only one of the most useful medicinal herbs, it can be eaten as a vegetable, like spinach! This “noxious weed” strengthens and supports the entire body. The fresh leaves may be steamed, sautéed, even added to soups, stews, and sauces. It can be lightly sautéed and layered in lasagna like spinach, or even steamed or blanched and then substituted for basil in pesto, called Pesto d’ Ortica in Italian. Don’t worry—drying or cooking neutralizes nettle’s stinging properties.

For centuries in Europe, nettle has been used as a spring tonic. It can be a helpful remedy for myalgia and osteoarthritis when used both internally and topically.

Traditionally, nettle was used to treat joint pain by actually stinging the

skin around the painful joint. Pain and stiffness will subside for 4 to 8 days! Seems drastic, but it does work.

Nettle is very useful in addressing eczema in children, and can be used as part of the treatment for eczema in adults, especially nervous eczema. The roots of wild nettle have been used successfully to address the early stages of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). And freeze dried nettle leaf can be used as a remedy for hay fever.

Active constituents in nettle leave include high levels of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and beta-carotene. The herb also contains high amounts of the vitamins A, C, D, and B complex, as well as sterols, boron, and silicon compounds. Today nettles can be found growing throughout the world. So the next time you are out for a spring hike in the woods and find nettles, you might try picking just the top few leaves off some plants for some Pesto d’ Ortica, or drying for some tea, or adding to some lasagna….just be sure to wear gloves! May 19th is the beginning of national “Be Nice to Nettles” week. So don’t fear the nettles―make friends with them.

Spring-time Nettle Pesto Recipe 6-cups course chopped nettle leaves (Harvest the top few leaves) 6 mint leaves 1-2 cloves garlic ⅓-cup pine nuts (or try walnuts)½- cup Parmesan ½- cup extra virgin olive oilsalt and pepper to taste

Pick nettle leaves from the stems wearing rubber gloves. Then rinse the nettles in a colander or salad spinner to remove any dirt and insects.

Bring a pan of water to boil and blanch nettles in boiling water for one minute – this will remove the sting. Drain well and squeeze out any excess moisture. You can also steam the nettles. Save the leftover liquid for soup stock or just drink as a tea.

Place all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chopped up. Slowly add the oil while blending until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and season as desired. It can be used right away over pasta, gnocchi, or pour just a little olive oil over the top in a sterilized jar and store in the fridge for up to a month.

About the AuthorScott Stuart, L.Ac., B.S., M.A.O.M., is a long-time ACHS herbal medicine instructor. In addition to his work with the College, Scott practices Oriental Medicine and works with Lake Road Acupuncture & Massage. He can be reached at scottstuart@achs.edu.

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Apricot Kernels for Cancer Prevention? Are apr icot ker nels safe and effective for cancer prevention? T he research says . . .

The kernel in the center of stone fruits like apricots contain a naturally occurring cyanide compound

known as amygdalin. As little as 10 kernels may represent a lethal dose of cyanide. Apricot kernels have been used traditionally in some cultures for gastritis and tumors. In Chinese medicine that have been used for coughing, wheezing, and to moisten the intestines and free the bowels.

There are some animals and in vitro studies using amydalin that have shown some possibility of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving qualities. One study showed amygdalin inhibited tumor promotion by Epstein Bar virus in vitro1. Another showed that amygdalin induces apoptotic cell death in human prostate cancer cells in vitro2. Finally an animal study showed amygdalin exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects3.

Laetrile and amygdalin are sometimes called "vitamin B17." However, Laetrile does not meet the

widely accepted scientific definition of a vitamin, in that it has not been proven to be essential to achieving or maintaining good health.

Taking all of this information into consideration, eating apricot kernels on a daily basis to prevent disease exposes you to cyanide, which could cause organ damage over time. It does not seem that the risks outweigh the benefits.

Laetrile is a chemically modified form of amygdalin, that has found popularity as an alternative treatment for cancer in the 1970s. It became the center of a battle between sellers of Laetrile, who used the freedom of access to alternative cancer treatments to promote access to Laetrile, and the FDA. Supporters once called laetrile "the perfect chemotherapeutic agent," as it was

1 Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Feb;26(2):271-3.2 Biol Pharm Bull. 2006 Aug;29(8):1597-602. 3 Neurol Res. 2007;29 Suppl 1:S59-64.

said to kill cancer cells while being non-toxic to normal cells. However, this is not true as Laetrile can lead to cyanide poisoning, which does impact normal cells. A systematic review of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials found 36 reports, none of which were controlled clinical trials. None of these publications proved the effectiveness of laetrile. Therefore, the claim that Laetrile has beneficial effects for cancer patients is not supported by sound clinical data4.

The American Cancer Society reports that available scientific evidence does not support claims that laetrile or amygdalin are effective in treating cancer or any other disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Laetrile as a treatment for cancer in the United States, and banned its sale in 1980.

“Many animal experiments in the 1970s showed a complete lack of tumor killing by Laetrile. Reviews of the medical records of patients whose cancers were claimed to be reduced or cured after Laetrile treatment found insufficient medical evidence to judge Laetrile's efficacy. Finally, in a clinical trial in cancer patients reported in 1982, Laetrile neither caused shrinkage of tumors, nor increased survival time, nor alleviated cancer symptoms, nor enhanced well-being. Several reports in the medical literature document instances in which Laetrile has caused serious, life-threatening toxicity when taken in large doses in the manner prescribed by Laetrile advocates5.”

4 Support Care Cancer. 2007 Jun;15(6):583-95. Epub 2006 Nov 15.5 CA Cancer J Clin.1991 May-Jun;41(3):187-92.6 For more information, see: Helicobacter pylori (H.p.) bacteria are the major causes of gastro-duode-nal disease, and some association with stomach cancer has been suggested. Recently, H.p. eradicating treatment has been practiced using antibiotics and proton-pump inhibitors. However, at the same time, some reports have been made on the side-effects of this treatment; allergic reactions and uneffective resistant bacteria. Fujita K, Hasegawa M, Fujita M, Kobayashi I, Ozasa K, Watanabe Y. [Anti-Heli-cobacter pylori effects of Bainiku-ekisu (concentrate of Japanese apricot juice)] Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi. 2002 Apr;99(4):379-85.7 For more information, see: Tłirnoveanu C, Popescu E, Negulescu I, Georgescu MI, Cighir R, Călăraşu M, Azzola M. [Study of acute poisonings with cyanogenetic substances (apricot seed ker-nels)] Rev Pediatr Obstet Ginecol Pediatr. 1982 Jul-Sep;31(3):249-52.8 For more information, see: Suchard JR, Wallace KL, Gerkin RD. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann Emerg Med. 1998 Dec;32(6):742-4.

The ACHS Reporter is a monthly eNewsletter published by the American College of Healthcare Sciences. Its purpose is to provide holistic health education, career information, and resources for holistic health students, ACHS graduates, and professionals.

The ACHS Reporter is available electronically. For the fastest in-box delivery, sign up for the Reporter at www.achs.edu.

Print editions are available by special request. Send requests and correspondence to the editor.

Managing Editor & Communications Manager: Lauren Shapiro5940 SW Hood Ave,Portland, OR 97239(503) 244-0726 ext 17Email: newsletter@achs.edu

© 2010 American College of Healthcare Sciences. All rights reserved. Educators should contact the editor for inquiries related to reprints and permissions.

Web ExtrasAVA I L A B LE F O R D OW N L OA D

o News and Events The ACHS website, www.achs.edu, includes a News and Events link on the left-hand toolbar. This is your go-to resource for developing College news and articles by ACHS faculty. Read up on new discounts for industry organization members and potential new scholarships to help fund your education!

o Alumni in Action Read stories from ACHS alumni and learn how they have started successful businesses, launched radio programs, and published articles. Go to: http://www.achs.edu/alumni/alumni-spotlight.aspx

o ACHS Reporter ArchiveRefer to our past issues for an online archive of holistic health re-sources per personal and professional use. Access our archive at: http://www.achs.edu/news/news.aspx?id=8

CO N N E C T W I T H AC H S

We have more opportunities than ever to see what’s going on at the College and with your fellow students! Networking

is a great resource for questions, discussions, and to continually keep up-to-date with the most recent ideas and topics in holistic health.

If you are not aware and/or have not heard, ACHS has its own social network.

You’re invited to join MyACHS Connect, a vibrant online com-munity just for ACHS students and graduates. Please visit http://myachs.ning.com and sign up using the same email address that is in your student records, so your membership can be approved without delay. Also be certain to check out the groups available to join on the network.

We also have our ACHS YouTube channel where everyone can view seminars, lectures, and videos that ACHS posts frequently. Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you are alerted with updates.

Please visit http://www.youtube.com/achstv to see what we have been up to!

You may find your next great idea or passion in some of these videos.

© 2010 American College of Healthcare Sciences [ 7 ]