Dear Health-Conscious Friend,

I just found out that my best friend (the one I've know for about 23 years) is pregnant... I'm so excited for her. There's no feeling in the world like a having a baby... But on hearing this information I'm worried for her... And I know that if you know someone who's pregnant, you're definitely going to want to forward this to her.

Keep reading to see what Chrisitine O'Brien has uncovered...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. I know a lot of men are concerned about going bald... It isn't very often that we see or hear about a woman going bald. However, one of our female readers wrote in to ask Dr Wright what to do about her thinning hair...

 
Urgent warning for pregnant women
Christine O'Brien
Contiributor, Nutrition & Healing

A recent study, published in medical journal Thorax, found that children whose mothers took paracetamol (or acetaminophen) during pregnancy were more likely to have asthma symptoms at age five.

This builds on previous research that showed a connection between both prenatal and postnatal paracetamol use and asthma. But this is the first to show a direct link between asthma and the body's ability to detoxify foreign substances.

In the study, 34% of mothers reported having used paracetamol during pregnancy and 27% of children exhibited wheezing, which is related to asthma. They were also more likely to visit the emergency room for respiratory problems and to develop allergy symptoms. And the risks increased with increasing days of prenatal paracetamol use.

Pretty scary stuff, right? And it's even scarier once you throw in the fact that most women take paracetamol during pregnancy... as it's the only "safe" drug to use.

The researchers concluded that the results of the study mean women should exercise caution in using paracetamol while pregnant.

It used to be that people thought you could pop a couple of paracetamol tablets without having to think about any risks to your health.

More and more, we're finding that's simply not the case. But, of course, mainstream does their best to ignore the numerous studies that have uncovered the dangers of taking these "harmless" painkillers.

Yeah, well, their safety is being questioned, and it's getting harder and harder to ignore.

Stop your hair from thinning

Q: I am a 32-year-old female and have been losing my hair for the past few years, but now it is very sparse. I have read your advice about taking omega-3s and I do take fish oil capsules. I'm wondering if there is anything else can I do?

Dr. Wright: Taking omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil is a very good first step towards slowing hair loss. The next thing I would urge you to do is check with you doctor right away to see if hair loss is one of the side effects of any medications you may be taking. Many blood thinners and medications to treat arthritis, depression, gout, heart problems and high blood pressure are known to cause hair loss.

If that isn't the case, there are two other natural approaches you can try. The first is to increase your iron intake.

A three-year study of hair loss in women conducted in the late 1990s identified iron deficiency as the cause of hair loss in 72% of pre-menopausal women. But you don't need to be anaemic to start losing your hair from lack of iron: Even deficiencies that don't qualify for an "anaemic" diagnosis can contribute to this problem.

Fortunately, increasing your iron intake is relatively simple to do through your diet. Dried fruits, fish, meat, legumes and dark leafy greens have high iron content. But if you find that eating more of these foods doesn't help, you might need to take an iron supplement - although if you do so, you should seek the assistance of your physician.

Another way to combat hair loss is to supplement with MSM (methylsulfonyl methane), an important component of proteins found throughout the body, like the ones in your hair, nails, skin and tendons. Since MSM is a sulphur- containing supplement, be sure to take a small amount of another nutrient called molybdenum along with it. Molybdenum helps your body metabolise sulphur. (In case of difficulty in obtaining supplement, please contact Health Works on 011 325 5168.)

<!--Session data-->