This is quite a long email about the benefits of low dose lithium.

Lithium is cited here to help gout, immune problems, alcoholism, depression, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s disease, brain cell death, herpes, Grave’s disease, anorexia, cluster headaches.

 

The information below is from:
http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/

 

You can go there and sign up for a snailmail newsletter and access to the entire site of searchable past articles.

 

LITHIUM The misunderstood mineral, Part 1:

 

Think young into your 90s with this anti-aging secret for your brain

By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

 

The biggest problem with lithium treatment is people’s perception of it. Since its most well known use is for bi-polar disorder, lithium sometimes encounters the same stigma as mental illness itself.

 

I’ve been taking a lithium supplement every day for several years. When I tell people about it, they sometimes get funny looks on their faces and start eyeing the corners of the room for straight jackets. These reactions don’t surprise me, since, as I said, lithium is usually associated with mental illness. But I’ve never suffered from a mental disorder (although certain mainstream medical doctors and possibly a federal agency or two might disagree).

 

Treating manic-depressive (bi-polar) illness is lithium’s most widely known use–but it isn’t an anti-psychotic drug, as many people believe. In fact, lithium isn’t a drug at all. It’s actually a mineral-part of the same family of minerals that includes sodium and potassium.

 

You might remember reading several editions of Health e-Tips a few months ago that discussed various benefits of lithium. In addition to the benefits mentioned in the e-Tips, like controlling gout and relieving rashes caused by sebhorric dermatitis, lithium also has some great brain-boosting effects. In fact, I’ve reviewed both recent lithium research and the research spanning the past few decades, and I’m convinced that lithium is an anti-aging nutrient for human brains. And there are also some very strong reasons to believe that lithium therapy will slow the progression of serious degenerative mental problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, senile dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.

 

So there are obviously quite a few “pros” to using lithium, but you’re probably wondering about the “cons.” In the 1930s and ’40s, lithium chloride was sold in stores as a salt substitute. But (as frequently happens) some people used way too much and suffered toxic overdoses, so it fell out of common use. Fortunately, lithium toxicity is entirely preventable, and it’s also easily treatable if it ever does occur -but more about that later. Right now, let’s get into some of the specifics on just how you (and your brain) can benefit from lithium.

 

Taking (grey) matters into your own hands

 

Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous fictional detective, had an amusing quirk in his incessant concern for his “little grey cells.” I thought of Hercule several years ago when I saw the following headline in an issue of the Lancet: “Lithium-induced increase in human brain grey matter.”

 

That may not sound like an earth-shattering piece of news, but it actually was quite a major discovery. To that point, medical experts believed that once our brains matured, it was all downhill from then on. Decades of autopsies, x-rays, and, more recently, brain scans have repeatedly shown that brains shrink measurably with aging. But according to their report in the Lancet, Wayne State University (Detroit) researchers found that lithium has the ability to both protect and renew brain cells.1 Eight of 10 individuals who took lithium showed an average 3 percent increase in brain grey matter in just four weeks.

 

Lithium may help to generate entirely new cells too: Another group of researchers recently reported that lithium also enhances nerve cell DNA replication. 2 DNA replication is a first step in the formation of a new cell of any type.

 

The Wayne State study used high-dose lithium, but I’m certainly not using that amount myself, nor do I recommend it. Prescription quantities of lithium just aren’t necessary for “everyday” brain cell protection and re-growth. Studies done years ago have shown that very low amounts of lithium can also measurably influence brain function for the better.

Protect yourself from brain damage you didn’t even know you had.

 

Aside from boosting brain mass, recent research also shows that lithium can help protect your brain from the “beating” it gets in the course of everyday life. Your brain cells are constantly at risk of damage from exposure to toxins of all sorts-even ones produced by your own body. Toxic molecules are formed naturally during the course of normal brain metabolism.3-7 Since these “normal” toxic molecules (sometimes called “excitotoxins”) are produced every day of your life, eventually they start to wear down or erode away brain mass.

 

Another well-known cause of brain cell injury is overactivated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Lithium can inhibit this overactivity.8 And lithium also increases production of a major brain protective protein called “bcl-2” in both human and animal brain cells.9

 

So it appears that lithium can protect against normal brain erosion and shrinkage that would otherwise occur over the course of our lives. But lithium also protects the brain from other less “normal” problems too, like damage caused by prescription medications and strokes.

 

When a clot or other obstruction occurs in a blood vessel serving the brain, it causes a reduction of blood flow to that area. If it’s bad enough, the lack of blood flow will cause a stroke and death of brain cells. (This type of stroke is known as an ischemic stroke.) Research in experimental animals with deliberately induced ischemic strokes has shown that lithium reduces the areas of cell death.10,11

 

In one of these studies, researchers blocked a brain artery in rats. Some were pre-treated with lithium for 16 days, the rest weren’t. The researchers reported that the lithium-treated rats experienced 56 percent less cell death and significantly fewer neurologic deficits than the control rats.12

 

And sometimes medications designed to treat other problems end up having a negative impact on the brain. For example, anti-convulsant medications cause abnormal levels of brain cell death. But lithium significantly protects against this type of cell death-so much so that this effect has been called “robust” (a term scientists use to mean “It really works!”).13

 

In fact, based on its general neuroprotective effect, researchers have recently suggested that “the use of lithium as a neurotrophic/ neuroprotective agent should be considered in the long term treatment of mood disorders, irrespective of the ‘primary’ treatment modality being used for the condition.

 

“14 Translation: Lithium should be used along with any patent medicine being used for depression, anxiety, or any other “mood-altering” reason, since it will protect brain cells against their unwanted toxic effects. The researchers didn’t say so, but I will: Any list of “mood altering substances” should include alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, “uppers,” “downers,” and-for those who do inhale-marijuana. Harmless as some of them might seem, these substances can cause brain damage with medium to long-term abuse.

 

Keeping your brain’s lines of communication open -and healthy.

 

Scientists determine how healthy brain cells are by measuring levels of a molecule called N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA). A decrease in NAA is thought to reflect decreased nerve cell viability, decreased function, or even nerve cell loss.15 In a study of 19 research volunteers given four weeks of lithium, 14 experienced a significant increase in NAA, one had no change, and four had a small decrease.16

 

Now, what about the interaction between those new, protected, healthy brain cells? Communication between brain cells and networks of brain cells is called “signaling.” And lithium is actually necessary for at least two signal-carrying pathways.17 Researchers have also reported that lithium may help to repair abnormally functioning signaling pathways in critical areas of the brain.18

 

Lithium and Alzheimer’s: New hope for a “hopeless” situation.

 

As you know, there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and there’s very little available for patients (and families) that can offer even partial relief from the turmoil it causes. So when new treatments are developed or discovered, it’s usually big news -a ray of hope for people stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation. One of these newly developed patent medications, called Memantine,(tm) was recently approved in Europe. Even though it’s not officially “approved” in this country (yet), thousands of people are already importing Memantine to the U.S. via various Internet sources. But why go through all the trouble (not to mention risk) of getting and using this new patent formula?

 

Apparently, it “works” by protecting brain cells against damage caused by a major excitotoxin, glutamate. But protecting against glutamate-induced nerve cell damage is also one of the well-known actions of lithium. So if it’s true that this newly approved patent medication slows the progress of Alzheimer’s disease in this way, then lithium should slow Alzheimer’s disease progression, too. Of course, lithium treatment, which isn’t patentable and doesn’t have nearly the profit potential of patented Alzheimers medications, hasn’t made any headlines. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a promising option for patients struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

There are many other research findings that also strongly suggest that lithium will protect against potential Alzheimer’s disease and slow the progression of existing cases. Researchers have reported that lithium inhibits beta-amyloid secretion, and also prevents damage caused by beta-amyloid protein once it’s been formed.20-23 Beta-amyloid peptide is a signature protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease: the more beta-amyloid protein, the worse the Alzheimer’s becomes.

 

Overactivation of a brain cell protein called tau protein also contributes to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, as does the formation of neurofibrillary tangles Lithium inhibits both of these nerve-cell damaging problems.24,25

 

And you’ve likely read that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease usually have excess aluminum accumulation in brain cells. While it’s not yet known whether this excess aluminum is a cause, an effect, or just coincidental, most health-conscious individuals take precautions to avoid ingesting aluminum. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely avoid all aluminum, since it’s naturally present in nearly all foods. But lithium can help protect your brain against aluminum by helping to “chelate” it so that it can be more easily removed from the body.25

 

Although Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia aren’t technically the same, they do share many of the same degenerative features so there’s every reason to expect that lithium will help prevent or slow the progression of senile dementia too.

 

A younger, healthier brain with just one small dose a day

 

As I mentioned earlier, some of these studies used rather high doses of lithium. And in some instances, as in the case of manic depression, doses as high as 90 to 180 milligrams of elemental lithium from 900 to 1800 milligrams of lithium carbo-nate are necessary. Quantities of lithium in that range must be monitored closely to guard against overdose and toxicity.

 

But you really don’t need large amounts to improve your “every-day” brain function. Studies have repeatedly shown that substantially lower amounts of lithium can significantly improve brain function (as reflected in behavior).

 

The amounts of lithium I recommend for brain anti-aging range from 10 to 20 milligrams (from lithium aspartate or lithium orotate) daily. I’ve actually been recommending these amounts since the 1970s. At first I was exceptionally cautious and asked all of my patients taking lithium to have regular “lithium level” blood tests and thyroid function tests. After a year or so, I quit asking for the lithium level blood tests, since 100 percent of them came back very low. Another year after that, I stopped requesting routine thyroid function tests, too, only doing one when I was suspicious of a potential problem. In the 30 years since, I’ve rarely found one.

 

Protect your brain starting today–no prescription necessary

 

High-dose lithium is available only by prescription. But low-dose lithium (capsules or tablets containing 5 milligrams of lithium from lithium aspartate or lithium orotate) is available from a few natural food stores and compounding pharmacies,he Tahoma Clinic Dispensary (see page 8).

 

If you’re interested in keeping your brain as young as possible for as long as possible, you should definitely consider lithium therapy. Review this information with your physician…but make sure he is skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine! (If yours isn’t, see “Resources” on page 8 for a list of organizations that can help you find one near you who is.)

 

A sneak peek at even more lithium secrets:

Next month, I’ll review lithium’s many other effects-from preventing anorexia to relieving cluster headaches, to lowering blood sugar (and that’s just to name a few!). I think you’ll be surprised at just how versatile this misunderstood mineral can be.

In the meantime, if you’d like to read the Health e-Tips on lithium (or to sign up to begin receiving these free e-mail updates), visit the Nutrition & Healing website at www.wrightnewsletter.com. JVW

Citations available upon request and on the Nutrition & Healing website: www.wrightnewsletter.com

A better sense of direction in just 24 hours:

 

“Spatial memory” is the scientific-lingo term for what most of us call “sense of direction.” If you’ve ever “lost” your car in a crowded parking lot, you know just how handy a good “spatial memory” can be. Now it looks like it might be possible to improve your sense of direction in as little as 24 hours.

When researchers study this concept they usually use animals in mazes. The experiments generally involve examining what effects various things have on the animals’ ability to remember how to navigate their way through the maze. In one such study, researchers observed the navigating ability of lithium treated and untreated rats for four months. They found that lithium improved the rats’ spatial memory with as little as 24 hours of exposure.19

 

Using lithium safely:

 

Over a decade ago, a woman visited the Tahoma Clinic on the advice of her psychiatrist. She was severely bipolar, requiring a maximum dose of lithium carbonate to keep her symptoms under control. Despite close monitoring of serum lithium levels to maintain a safe range, she was starting to show many signs of lithium toxicity, including hypertension, tremor, nausea, and protein in her urine. She and her psychiatrist had tried other medications, but none provided the control of her bipolar symptoms that lithium did. So she came to the Tahoma Clinic to see if there were any natural options for her.

 

Fortunately, there was a simple solution. Without changing her lithium dose, the clinic doctor treating her asked the woman to start taking 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil along with 800 IU of vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) three times a day. One month later, the woman’s blood pressure had normalized, her tremors and nausea were gone, and there was no further protein in the urine. And best of all, her bipolar symptoms remained under control. At that point, she was able to cut the flaxseed oil to 1 tablespoon daily along with 400 IU of vitamin E. Several years later, her lithium toxicity hasn’t returned.

 

To be on the safe side, I always recommend that anyone taking lithium also take a teaspoonful or two of flaxseed oil (or other essential fatty acid) along with 400 IU of vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols) each day.

 

The misunderstood mineral, Part 2:

 

Lithium fights crime and some of your most nagging health concerns

 

By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

 

Turns out it’s not only the strict use of the death penalty lowering crime rates in some areas of Texas. And while I’m sure “Dubya” would be quick to take credit, it’s not stricter laws or changes in sentencing guidelines either. Using 10 years of data accumulated from 27 Texas counties, researchers found that the incidence of homicide, rape, burglary, and suicide, as well as other crimes and drug use, were significantly lower in counties whose drinking water supplies contained 70-170 micrograms of lithium per liter than those with little or no lithium in their water.

 

The researchers wrote: “These results suggest that lithium at low dosage levels has a generally beneficial effect on human behavior…increasing the human lithium intakes by supplementation, or the lithiation [adding lithium] of drinking water is suggested as a possible means of crime, suicide, and drug-dependency reduction at the individual and community level.”

And that’s not to mention all of the lithium health benefits we went over last month: It may be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease, senile dementia, and possibly Parkinson’s disease. Lithium not only protects brain cells against normal wear and tear, but also offers additional protection against a whole variety of toxic molecules, including patent medications. It can also promote brain cell regeneration and increase brain cell mass. In essence, the research suggests that lithium is a brain anti-aging nutrient.

All of these results are every bit as good as (if not better than) the data that led to dumping toxic waste (fluoride) into so many public water supplies. So why haven’t public health and safety “authorities” been pushing for further intensive research on water-borne lithium and criminal behavior?

 

I’m certainly not in favor of the government adding anything to pure drinking water. But if it insists on forcibly mass-medicating us through our water supply (a thoroughly un-American concept I’m 100 percent against no matter what the added substance is), why haven’t they considered adding something that might actually do some real good for people’s health and safety? Isn’t the possibility of reducing homicide, suicide, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, mental hospital admissions, and drug addiction related arrests just as important as the possibly of preventing tooth decay?

 

Call me pessimistic, but I suspect lithium is still being ignored because no huge, politically connected industry has enormous quantities of lithium-containing waste lying around. (In the 1940s, that’s exactly how water fluoridation began, by using up huge quantities of fluoride-containing toxic waste generated by the politically connected aluminum industry.)

 

But if there’s one thing we all know about the U.S. government, it’s that we shouldn’t wait for the people running it to do anything to help us, especially when we can help ourselves. So today let’s go over a few more of lithium’s benefits and I’ll tell you how you can help yourself to this valuable mineral right now.

 

Lithium tackles another addiction:

 

In 30 years of nutritionally oriented practice, I’ve been told by many alcoholics and their relatives that low-dose lithium can be very helpful for both alcoholism and associated mood disorders. For “practicing” alcoholics, I recommend a trial of lithium orotate, 10 milligrams three times daily (along with diet advice, niacin, glutamine, and other supplements). I ask recovering alcoholics to try 5 milligrams, three times daily (occasionally more). The majority of these patients report improved mood and decreased desire for alcohol after about six weeks using lithium therapy.

 

According to one review article in the British Journal of Addiction, “both controlled and uncontrolled experiments show that symptoms of both alcoholism and affective disturbance are reduced in patients treated with lithium.”2 (All of the studies reviewed used high dose prescription lithium.)

 

I also often recommend direct blood relatives of alcoholics (parents, children, or siblings) consider a trial of lithium orotate, 5 milligrams two or three times daily, even if they have never noticed a mood problem. I explain that this is a “personal clinical trial,” and a safe one, that they can discontinue in six to eight weeks if they don’t feel a difference. I also ask that the individual discuss this personal clinical trial with their husband, wife, or other close household member, since I’ve found that the individual doesn’t always notice subtle (or even not-so-subtle) mood changes in himself. But immediate family members notice-particularly when the changes are for the better! I haven’t kept a count of exactly how many individuals have tried this approach over the last 30 years, but it’s probably somewhere in the vicinity of 300 to 400-maybe more. And the majority report positive changes: less depression and irritability for women, and less irritability and “temper” for men.

 

Can lithium help solve your health mysteries?

 

So far, you’ve read about how lithium can help combat mental illness, mood disorders, and chemical dependency. All of these benefits, in turn, help communities become safer places overall by reducing rates of violent crime. And, yes, increased safety does benefit you and me. But right now, let’s discuss some ways that you might be able to put lithium to work in your own life with some surprising applications for a few rather “mysterious” conditions.

By “mysterious,” I don’t mean brand-new, mutated viruses like the recent outbreak of SARS. No, the conditions I’ll go over today have been around for quite a while. But the mystery lies in the fact they each of them is still considered “incurable.” Let’s start with one of the most painful.

 

Fibromyalgia relief: This “last resort” could rank No. 1

 

This condition primarily strikes women and causes debilitating pain and stiffness. Lithium can help alleviate these symptoms without the problems associated with conventional fibromyalgia treatments, which include tranquilizer, antidepressant, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (which only temporarily mask the pain and sleeplessness that often occur).

 

One study examined three women suffering from fibromyalgia, none of whom had responded to conventional treatment. When researchers added lithium to the women’s current treatment, all three noticed a marked reduction in their symptoms.3

 

The authors of the study didn’t explain why they didn’t have the women discontinue their ineffective conventional treatments, but I’ve got a pretty good idea that their motives might have had something to do with the fact that the conventional treatments, as useless as they were for these women, are the “standard” protocol.

 

But I digress.

 

The gout-eliminating combination that tastes as good as it feels

 

You might remember reading the Health e-Tip on lithium and gout several months ago (2/3/03, subject line: “Help! My big toe is on fire!”). As the e-Tip mentioned, gout occurs when the body can’t process and eliminate excess uric acid. The result is a painful burning or stabbing sensation usually in the ball joint of the foot.

 

Although there are no published studies on this topic, over the years I’ve found the combination of low-dose lithium (10-15 milligrams twice daily) and vitamin C (2 grams twice daily) can be very effective in preventing recurrent attacks of gout. Vitamin C significantly reduces serum uric acid levels. Lithium makes uric acid more soluble so it doesn’t crystallize into painful “needles.” These two actions combine to significantly reduce gout attacks. If you have gout, I also recommend that you drink 32 oz. of cherry juice at the first sign of an attack. Just please make sure it’s real cherry juice–no sugar added. Although no one is sure why or how it works, studies have shown that cherry juice usually eliminates the pain of acute gout.

 

85 percent cluster headache relief in just two weeks

 

Cluster headaches are another one of those inexplicable conditions that my patients tell me always seem to come on at exactly the wrong time. In fact, they might actually be one of the most “myst-erious” of the conditions I’ve listed so far since, like fibromyalgia, the cause isn’t known. They tend to attack relentlessly for weeks to months and then often go into remission for months or even years. But lithium (in relatively high doses) can significantly reduce both the severity and frequency.

 

One study examined lithium’s effects on 19 men with cluster headaches. Eight had rapid improve- ment-an average 85 percent reduction-in their “headache index” in just two weeks. Four individuals had both cluster headaches and psychiatric symptoms; these four had almost complete elimination of their headaches. The remaining seven had only a slight benefit.5

 

Another research group tried lithium therapy (again, relatively high quantities) for 14 individuals with cluster headaches. Five indiv-iduals had complete disappearance of their headaches, four had significant improvement, and four had no change.6

There’s no guarantee that lithium will cure your cluster headaches, but there is a good chance that it might help. With so few other options available, it’s at least worth a try.

 

Simple relief from those annoyingly persistent problems

 

Along the same lines as these mysterious conditions are a few other conditions that lithium can benefit. But these are less on the mysterious side and more in the vein of annoyingly persistent. Even so, lithium can still help in a number of ways.

 

One research group reported that lithium inhibits the reproduction of several viruses, including herpes simplex viruses (HSV 1, HSV 2), adenovirus (the “common cold” virus), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (associated with mononucleosis and many cases of chronic fatigue), and the measles virus.7

 

Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of lithium carbonate (doses ranging from 150-900 milligrams daily) demonstrated “a consistent reduction in the number of herpes episodes per month, the average duration of each episode, the total number of infection days per month, and the maximum symptom severity. In contrast, treatment with placebo resulted in an increase in three of the four severity measures.”8

 

In addition to lithium, selenium, lysine, and other nutrients can also help suppress the reproduction of herpes simplex (and other viruses) and speed the recovery process should an active infection occur. I tend to think it’s better-and safer-to follow this approach (using small quantities of several effective nutr-ients rather than a larger quantity of just one), so nearly 10 years ago I worked with Bio-Tech Pharmacal to create a useful anti-herpes formula. We combined low-dose lithium with selenium, lysine, vitamin C, olive leaf extract, and other nutrients into two formulas, one (called HPX) for prevention of herpes simplex, and the other (called HPX2) for treatment of outbreaks. Those who have used it tell me it does the job, cutting down or eliminating recurrent herpes infections and/or helping them heal more quickly when they do occur. HPX and HPX2 are both available through natural food stores, compounding pharmacies and the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.

 

A quick end to a Grave disease

 

Hyperthyroidism can be persistent and difficult to treat. It comes on either very suddenly or very gradually-so gradually, you might not even notice that something is really wrong until the symptoms become severe. Graves’ disease is one of the common names for hyperthyroidism. In this condition, the immune system disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland, causing it to become enlarged and to secrete too much hormone.

 

Mainstream treatments completely shut down the production of thyroid hormone using dangerous patent medicines. But lithium can get to the root of the problem much more safely.

 

In 1972, Mayo Clinic researchers published the first clinical investigation of lithium treatment for Graves’ disease.9 Using high-dose lithium for 10 individuals, they reported that thyroid hormone levels fell by 20-30 percent within five days.

 

Twenty-six years later, in a review of more than 10 successful trials of lithium therapy for Graves’ disease, the authors wrote: “a small number of studies have documented its [lithium’s] use in the treatment of patients with Graves’ disease… it’s efficacy and utility as an altern-ative anti-thyroid [treatment] are not widely recognized…”10 They also note lithium’s rapid effect: “Lithium normalizes [thyroid hormone] levels in one to two weeks…” But they also caution that “toxicity precludes its use as a first-line or long-term therapeutic agent.” If they’d just added flaxseed oil and vitamin E to their treatment, they would have basically eliminated the risk of toxicity. (See the box on page 5 for details.)

 

Lithium’s benefits: Ripe for the picking

 

Perhaps the budding evidence about lithium and brain protection will spark even more interest in researching this mineral. Maybe researchers will accumulate enough evidence to prove that lithium can slow or even reverse brain aging. And perhaps researchers will conclude that putting very low dose lithium into drinking water to reduce violent crime is even more important than adding fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

 

But I won’t hold my breath. Lithium isn’t patentable, so I doubt that patent-medicine companies will even consider funneling huge amounts of research dollars into it. And if the patent-medicine companies aren’t interested in it, it isn’t likely to be “approved” for these or other uses any time soon. But remember, “approval” does not ensure safety or effectiveness; it just means that procedures have been followed, forms have been filled out, and money-lots and lots of money-has changed hands.

 

Now for the good news: Just because lithium won’t be formulated into the next wonder drug and isn’t likely to be making the headlines of your local news, that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all of its benefits-from brain anti-aging to headache relief–right now. Low-dose lithium supplements are available in some natural food stores or from the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.

 

If you decide to give lithium a try, as with any new treatment or preventive measure (even an all-natural one), it’s always a good idea to consult with a physician skilled and knowledgeable in natural medicine as part of your decision. See the Resources section on page 8 for a list of sources that can help you find one in your area. JVW

 

Citations available upon request and on the Nutrition & Healing website: www.wrightnewsletter.com

 

A light at the end of the anorexia tunnel

 

Eating disorders remain a mystery to many people because those who battle with them keep their struggle a secret for as long as they possibly can. By the time someone recognizes the problem, it’s often very difficult to help the victim. Lithium may offer a bit more hope to these people and their families. Although zinc is a usually successful mainstay of anorexia treatment, lithium can help in regaining much-needed weight. Two adult women suffering from anorexia for many years were given (high dose) lithium; in just six weeks, one gained 26 pounds and the other 20 pounds. Although neither woman was cured of anorexia, they both experienced significant improvements.4

 

High, low, very small: Which lithium dose is which?

 

Mainstream uses of lithium usually call for 300-milligram lithium carbonate capsules, which contain approximately 30 milligrams of elemental lithium per capsule. A typical daily recommendation is one or two capsules, three times daily for a total of 90 to 180 milligrams of elemental lithium. It’s much more likely that you could experience toxic effects with these amounts, so if you need this much, you should work closely with a physician who can monitor your levels.

 

But most of the uses for lithium covered in this issue and in last month’s issue don’t require such high amounts. Low-dose lithium is available in supplement form in natural food stores. The most commonly available forms include lithium orotate and lithium aspartate, each containing 5 milligrams of elemental lithium per tablet.

 

Even at a quantity of two low-dose tablets three times daily (for a total 30 milligrams of elemental lithium), patients’ serum lithium usually stay in the “non-detectable” or “below therapeutic.” range, which means that they’re very safe. In my 30 years of practice, I’ve never had a patient report symptoms of lithium excess. But just to be on the safe side, I always recommend taking extra quantities of essential fatty acids to prevent any possibility of lithium toxicity (see the box titled “Using Lithium Safely” on page 4 of last month’s Nutrition & Healing issue for more information).

 

Some of the research I wrote about this month didn’t use either higher dose prescription lithium or lower dose supplemental lithium, but examined the effects of “very small dose” lithium present naturally in some drinking water. But even these very small doses produced some amazing effects in lowered crime rates and other general benefits.

 

Build a better internal defense with just two doses a day

 

Keeping a normal white blood cell count is one of the very basic necessities for good health. Your body uses white blood cells to fight off viruses, bacteria, and all sorts of potentially harmful foreign invaders. If your levels fall for some reason, you’re much more prone to illness. Chemotherapy and radiation are probably the most well-known offenders causing low white cell counts, but levels can fall for any number of reasons. This is where lithium comes in: Researchers have found that it can increase white cell numbers again in people whose levels fell due to radiation and/or chemotherapy (and even if the person continues those treatments).

 

Lithium achieves these effects by stimulating the stem cells in bone marrow, which then turn into platelets and white blood cells. I’ve observed that low dose lithium (5-10 milligrams twice daily) will also usually raise a low count to normal even if radiation and chemotherapy aren’t the culprits.

 

Misunderstood mineral shields your brain and wipes out mild depression

If you haven’t thought much about lithium since we covered it last August and September, it’s still worth considering. Despite the stigma associated with it, this mineral is one of the most effective natural brain boosters available. And I can personally vouch for its effects, since I take a small amount every day. Now the results of another recent study have proven its ability to protect against brain damage caused by strokes.

 

The study in experimental animals has shown that low-dose lithium protects brain cells against the effects of lack of blood flow, which occurs in humans during ischemic strokes.1 Two groups of animals (in this case, gerbils) had their carotid arteries cut off for five minutes. One group had five days of pre-treatment with low-dose lithium, the other had no lithium pre-treatment.

 

Twenty-four hours later, the lithium pre-treated group showed significantly less brain cell death than the non-treated group. The number of remaining brain cells after five minutes of no blood flow was 470 in the lithium pre-treated group and 370 in the lithium-free group. While the lithium pre-treated group definitely suffered brain cell loss, the loss was much less than that suffered by the lithium-free group.

 

Obviously, it’s best to prevent a stroke before it happens. (For a few tips about stroke prevention, see the July 2002 issue of Nutrition & Healing.) But just in case, and especially if you have a family history of stroke, please consider using low-dose lithium to protect your brain cells-not only against brain cell death from stroke, but against dementia and many, many other causes of brain cell deterioration.

 

The treatment turning lives around

 

In addition to the new research boosting lithium’s reputation, the first-hand accounts continue to trickle in too. Every few months, someone calls the Tahoma Clinic or writes to me to report that his or her life has turned around thanks to low-dose lithium. It happened again just last week.

 

I’d seen Lynn T. just once for an initial consultation. We’d gone over her health history, done a physical exam, and I suggested some tests for her to consider. Although she reported no problem herself, she had a family history of alcoholism on both sides. Before she left, I explained the research concerning alcoholism and lithium, and told her how, over the years, I’d found that low-dose lithium often helps relatives of alcoholics, particularly in mood and attitude. Although she didn’t think she had a problem, she said she’d like to try it, so I recommended 15 milligrams daily, along with a small amount of flaxseed oil and vitamin E, to prevent even the remote possibility of adverse effects.

 

Lynn said she “couldn’t believe it, but it’s like I’m almost a different person.” Before, she’d been shy and withdrawn, but within three weeks she found herself starting conversations with people she didn’t know at all. She decided she must have been mildly depressed for much of her life, because after just three weeks of the lithium she was more optimistic and cheerful. She told me she was “just enjoying life more.”

 

Only a small percentage of relatives of alcoholics-as well as alcoholics and recovering alcoholics-experience these kinds of dramatic changes. But most people who try it report that low dose lithium helps at least a little. If you have alcoholism in your family, it can’t hurt to try.

 

For further details about low-dose lithium and brain function, as well as about the safety of low-dose lithium, see Nutrition & Healing for August and September 2003.

Knee Surgery

Study says common surgical procedure could be useless

From William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

You might want to think twice before getting that knee surgery. According to a new study, the use of arthroscopy to treat arthritis in the knee may do nothing to improve the condition. In fact, the study of 178 men and women who’d undergone the surgery showed that the patients fared no better than other sufferers who were treated only with physical therapy and medication.

 

Study author Brian Feagan of the University of Western Ontario says his research shows “definitive evidence” that arthroscopy is ineffective. “If it isn’t effective, patients should not be undergoing it,” he says.

 

Amen to that. But good luck trying to convince the current healthcare system that a procedure that’s not only common, but uncommonly lucrative, should be pulled off the table based on a relatively small sample group of 178 patients.

 

The issue here is not only that the surgery is ineffective — it’s that ALL surgeries, no matter how seemingly “minor” come with a risk factor. And this procedure is no different. While complications from arthroscopy are uncommon, they can happen – and one of those complications is the formation of potentially lethal blood clots.

 

Nicholas DiNubile, a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, says that patient demand makes the banning of the procedure difficult. “You have this baby boomer population driving a lot of this. They really think that they can turn the clocks back and surgery can fix everything,” he said.

 

Of course, the surgeons aren’t discouraging the practice, either. That’s how they make their money! You should hardly be surprised that doctors these days like to start slicing people open and poking around inside of them as a first rather than last resort. Orthopedic surgeons are especially likely to “pop the hood” of their patients as if they’re just going in to do a tune up.

 

If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, I’m hoping you’ll take this study to heart (or joint, as the case may be) and look for an alternative before you let them put you under the knife.

This is the second study that I have read about that compared the outcomes of real arthroscopic surgery to a sham procedure where there was not a difference in outcomes. Nick

 

And thanks to my son Aaron (http://www.binauralairwaves.com) for creating a blog site:http://integrativeenergetics.blogspot.com

Go with the flow

by Dr. Jonathan Wright

Q: I’ve been having trouble urinating. My urologist says it’s most likely caused by prostate enlargement, but since I don’t have any other symptoms yet, he prescribed a drug just to help me with urination. I’d prefer a natural approach, though, if there is one.

 

Dr. Wright: The medication your urologist likely prescribed is called isosorbide dinatrate, which is a synthetic formulation that works by improving the production of nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes vascular and other smooth muscles. But there’s no need to use a space alien molecule when there’s a natural substance that does the exact same thing. It’s an amino acid called L-arginine.

 

I’ve written about L-arginine many times over the past few years. Admittedly, one of its more “attention- getting” benefits is that it improves erectile dysfunction (ED). But it’s also useful for all sorts of vascular diseases since it dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.

 

There are two types of L-arginine — “time release” and “regular.” Time-release is preferable for urinary problems because, although it has a lower peak, it lasts longer. For men having difficulty urinating, I generally recommend taking 3 g of L-arginine daily in addition to other nutrients and botanicals that help improve prostate health (such as zinc, essential fatty acids, and lycopene).

 

You can find regular L-arginine at most natural food stores. And you can get it at: emersonecologics.com

 

 

Eating late makes esophageal reflux worse

Thirty patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms were randomly assigned to consume a standard meal either six hours or two hours prior to going to bed. The next night they consumed the same meal at the alternate time. The meal contained 900 kcal and consisted of a McDonald’s Big Mac, French fries, and 600 ml of a carbonated soft drink. Acid exposure was measured for 48 hours using a Bravo wireless pH system. The mean amount of supine acid reflux was significantly greater after the late evening meal than after the earlier evening meal (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in total symptom score between the two days.

 

Comment by Dr. Alan Gaby: The results of this study indicate that, if you have GERD and plan to eat a large junk-food meal, you probably should eat it far away from bedtime. It is noteworthy that the researchers considered a large hamburger, fried potatoes, and a glass of sugar-water infused with carbon dioxide a “standard meal.” Maybe if patients with GERD raised their standards, they wouldn’t have GERD anymore. Nevertheless, it seems logical that reflux would be less likely to occur if dinner were given ample time to enter the small intestine prior to lying down for the night.

 

Piesman M, et al. Nocturnal reflux episodes following the administration of a standardized meal. Does timing matter? Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102:2128-2134.

 

Cut your risk of kidney stones down to (almost) nothing—no prescription required by Dr. Jonathan Wright

 

I’m no longer amazed by the advice given today by “mainstream” medical doctors on preventing the most common type of kidney stones (the calcium oxalate variety)––but I am still disappointed. Some doctors say to cut back on dietary and supplemental calcium, even more counsel their patients to reduce calcium and salt and to drink lots more water. A few even give prescriptions for diuretics. None of this is necessary (or helpful for that matter). Yet the mainstream seems to be turning a blind eye to methods clearly proven to help.

 

In 1974, two Harvard researchers found that magnesium oxide (300 milligrams daily) and vitamin B6 (10 milligrams daily) could reduce the risk of recurrent calcium oxalate stones by 92.3 percent.1 Their research was published in the Journal of Urology.

Harvard? Journal of Urology? What more could a urologist ask for when it comes to research? I gave copies of the article to individuals I worked with to give to their urologists, but nothing changed. The recommendations for low calcium diets just kept on coming.

 

In 1991, the British Journal of Urology published another prevention study. During a five-year investigation, researchers determined that the use of 10 grams (less than 1 tablespoon) of rice bran twice daily after meals reduced new calcium oxalate kidney stone formation by 83.4 percent.2 To this day, not one person I’ve asked has been told by his or her urologist about this harmless treatment.

 

As I said earlier, this just doesn’t surprise me anymore. After all, it took the physicians at the British Admiralty over 150 years to implement one of the earliest successful scientific experiments concerning the beneficial effects of nutrition on illness—the prevention of scurvy with citrus fruit. And it took 19th century medicine more than 50 years to eliminate “childbirth fever” by simply having physicians wash their hands. Modern medicine still hasn’t learned that good nutrition can prevent nearly 100 percent of toxemia of pregnancy. I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

But back to kidney stones: The same amounts of magnesium and vitamin B6 found effective in preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones back in 1974 can be found in many high-quality multiple vitamin-mineral formulations today. To get enough magnesium and vitamin B6 from a “muliple,” be sure to take the four to six capsules daily that are usually called for by the labels of these products. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of rice bran twice daily, and your chances of a calcium oxalate kidney stone recurrence are close to zero.

 

Orange Juice Consumption May Reduce Risk of Kidney Stone Formation

 

KIDNEY STONES, NEPHROLITHIASIS – Orange Juice, Lemonade, Calcium Oxalate, Uric Acid

“Comparative Value of Orange Juice versus Lemonade in Reducing Stone-Forming Risk,” Odvina CV, Clin J Am Soc of Nephrology, August 2006; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.

E-Mail: clarita.odvina@utsouthwestern.edu

 

In a randomized, crossover study involving 9 healthy subjects and 4 stone formers, the author suggests that “short-term orange juice consumption could result in biochemical modification of stone risk factors.” While on a constant metabolic diet, the subjects were randomized to receive distilled water, orange juice or lemonade daily for 1 week, in a crossover design. After each intervention, urinary samples were collected for acid-base parameters and stone risk analysis. While urinary calcium levels did not significantly differ between interventions, urinary oxalate was higher, and uric acid was lower during the orange juice intervention, compared to the lemonade and distilled water interventions. Additionally, calculated supersaturation of calcium oxalate was lower in the orange juice phase, compared to the distilled water phase. Despite the fact that lemonade and orange juice had comparable citrate content, orange juice demonstrated greater alkalinizing and citraturic effects than lemonade. Thus, this study suggests that the consumption of orange juice may exert a protective effect against kidney stone formation. These results warrant further studies.

What’s your IAQ IQ?

(From http://www.wrightnewsletter.com/etips/freecopy.html)

 

IAQ is an acronym for “indoor air quality.” And you can easily evaluate your IAQ IQ by answering these two questions:

 

1) Is indoor air more polluted than outdoor air?

 

2) Do air fresheners have any effect on indoor pollution?

 

If you answered yes to both questions, congratulations – your IAQ IQ is right up there with the best of them.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

 

And according to Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D. – an environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington – the contents of many air freshener brands may actually INCREASE indoor pollution.

 

———————————————————–
Less than the very minimum
———————————————————–

 

Dr. Steinemann became interested in air fresheners and other household products after hearing numerous reports from people who believed these items made them feel sick.

 

When she conducted a chemical analysis of three best- selling air fresheners and three laundry products, she says, “I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found.” To avoid legal issues, Dr. Steinemann didn’t reveal any brand names of the products tested.

 

STUDY RESULTS:

 

• In six products, Dr. Steinemann found nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• 10 of the VOCs are regulated as either toxic or hazardous
  Three are classified as carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, which have no safe exposure level according to the EPA
• One of the VOCs was methyl chloride, linked to nervous system, liver, and kidney damage in animals
• Each of the six products contained at least one of the 10 toxic or hazardous VOCs

None of the product labels listed any of these VOCs. No surprise there because U.S. laws don’t require manufacturers of household products to list contents.

 

Reacting to this study, one toxicologist told the Baltimore Sun: “At the very minimum, we should have a right to know what is in these products.”

 

———————————————————–
Gradual accumulation
———————————————————–

 

So what’s the real danger in getting an occasional whiff of laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener?

 

In the e-Alert “Something in the Air” (2/14/05), I told you about a UK study in which researchers monitored VOC levels for one year in 170 homes where mothers spent their days at home with children.

 

STUDY RESULTS:

• In homes where air fresheners were used daily, mothers averaged nearly 10 percent more frequent headaches than mothers in homes where air fresheners were used once a week or less
• In the “daily” homes, mothers had more than 25 percent higher risk of depression compared to mothers in the “once a week” homes
• In the “daily” homes, infants were 32 percent more likely to suffer from diarrhea
• Infants in the “daily” homes had a significantly higher rate of earaches than infants in “once a week” homes

Researchers noted that the daily use of air fresheners and other aerosol products created a gradual accumulation of VOCs.

 

Dr. Steinemann suggests that consumers avoid air fresheners and choose fragrance-free products. But beware – some manufacturers simply use a masking fragrance to neutralize the aroma of scented products.
If you want to freshen the indoor air I suggest using essential oils and diffuser available at Young Living Essential Oils https://www.youngliving.org/nicksoloway 

 

Folate reduces Colon Cancer risk in women

News of any little way to lower our cancer risk is always welcome.

 

News of how to lower it by two-thirds? Well, that’s VERY welcome.

 

It turns out a certain vitamin—one long-time e-Tips readers already know can prevent damage caused by heart attacks and boost brain power.

 

Men, this vitamin is good for you, too, but you’re definitely going to want to forward this to the women in your life.

 

Because a group of researchers at South Korea’s National Cancer Center have found that eating a diet rich in folate can lower a woman’s risk of colon cancer by a whopping two- thirds. The same effect wasn’t seen in men.

 

The reason for folate’s cancer-protective power? Well, it’s one of the nutrients that’s key in repairing DNA. Researchers think that a lack of folate makes genetic mutations. And that damaged DNA can go cancerous.

 

So how much folate do you need for this big cancer- preventing boost? Women getting at least 300 micrograms a day saw the best benefit—a 64% lower risk of colon cancer. Women consuming more than 270 micrograms a day slashed their risk in half.

 

Besides supplements, you can get your daily folate in veggies and fruits like spinach, green beans, peppers, and citrus fruits.

Hot flashes

In a study reported in Dr. Weil’s Self Healing, hot flash frequency was reduced by 50% and the intensity of the hot flashes was reduced by 57% by adding 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed into cereal, yogurt or juice twice a day, for 6 weeks.

 

Kidney stones

If you had or know of someone who has had a kidney stone it may have been one of the most painful experiences in life.

From the Townsend Letter with Dr. Alan Gaby giving the commentary:

Lemonade prevents kidney stone recurrences
Eleven patients with recurrent kidney stones associated with hypocitraturia (low urinary citrate excretion) who had been on long-term lemonade therapy were evaluated after a mean treatment period of 3.7 years. Lemonade therapy consisted of 120 ml per day of concentrated lemon juice (containing 5.9 g of citric acid) mixed with two liters of water and consumed throughout the day. Ten of the 11 patients drinking lemonade had an increase in urinary citrate levels, and the mean level increased from 350 mg per day at baseline to 733 mg per day (p < 0.05). The mean stone formation rate decreased from 1.00 per person per year at baseline to 0.13 per person per year during lemonade therapy. This 87% decrease failed to achieve statistical significance, presumably because of the small sample size.

 

Comment: Many recurrent stone formers have hypocitraturia. Oral administration of potassium citrate increases the amount of citrate in the urine and has been shown to reduce the stone recurrence rate substantially. Potassium citrate is therefore considered first-line therapy by most urologists for patients with hypocitraturic recurrent nephrolithiasis. However, potassium citrate can cause gastrointestinal side effects, which preclude its use in some cases. Lemons have a high concentration of citrate, about five times as much as oranges. In a previous study, ingestion of two liters of lemonade per day more than doubled urinary citrate excretion in a group of recurrent stone formers and increased the level to normal in seven of 12 patients. The results of the new study suggest that lemonade is a reasonable alternative to potassium citrate in patients with hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis.

 

Kang DE, et al. Long-term lemonade based dietary manipulation in patients with hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis. J Urol. 2007;177:1358-1362.

BEET JUICE and High Blood Pressure

A UK study – published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension – says beetroot juice significantly lowers high blood pressure.

The study was conducted by the famous Queen Mary’s William Harvey Research Institute and headed up by Professor Amrita Ahluwalia. It’s the same institute that discovered that aspirin prevents heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers gave beetroot juice to healthy volunteers. They compared their blood pressure responses and the biochemical changes in their circulation.

And what they found was very good news indeed for people with hypertension. Not only does beetroot juice lower blood pressure… it does it quickly.

Professor Ahluwalia found that patients lowered their blood pressure within three hours of drinking their daily dose! And the effects last for 24 hours.

And the best thing is that the root works best for those who need it most.

Researchers found that “the higher the blood pressure, the greater the decrease.”

That’s good news for a lot of people. Just like the US, one in three adults in the UK suffer from hypertension. And the Blood Pressure Association says over 30 percent of sufferers don’t even know they have it. That’s too bad: it results in over 350 “preventable” strokes or heart attacks every day.

Researchers also tested a second group of patients with daily nitrate tablets. They too were able to lower their blood pressure. It’s possible that the high nitrate content in beetroot is one of the reasons why it’s so effective in lowering blood pressure. And why the research group believe it’s about to become the “next super food.”

“Beeting” Out the Competition
Beetroot is rich in antioxidants. It contains iron, boron, and folic acid. It also contains betanene, which is why it has such a violent color. Betanene is a super antioxidant: it’s more potent than polyphenols. Polyphenols are believed to be reason that diets rich in leafy vegetables lower blood pressure.

Research member Professor Ben Benjamin says that beetroot absorbs and stores super high levels of nitrate. These are found in soil and our bodies use them in its battle against blood pressure.

“When nitrate is present in saliva, bacteria on the tongue converts it into nitrite,” he says. “When the nitrite is swallowed, it’s converted into nitric oxide.”

And that is a chemical produced by our blood vessels to help them relax and lower blood pressure.

“Increasing the levels of nitrate with beetroot juice increases this effect,” he says.
The study also found beetroot juice works like aspirin. It prevents blood clots and protects the lining of blood vessels.

True Stories of Success
“Currently, treatment for high blood pressure involves a cocktail of aspirin, statins, beta blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors,” says Professor Benjamin. “People don’t like taking all the tablets. They don’t feel well and the treatment is lifelong.”
But he says beetroot is a healthy and safe alternative to all that.

And people are already putting it to the test.

Sixty-year-old David Kelsall, from Stoke-on-Trent, England, was amazed by the results.
“I discovered my blood pressure was high when my doctor was testing for something else,” he says. “It was not life-threatening but I was anxious to do something about it.”
He was considering drugs when he read the reports about beetroot juice.

“I drank three bottles of it a week,” he says. “Less than four weeks [later], my blood pressure had already leveled out. Now, a few months later, it is under control and normal. I am still drinking the juice, and I’m going to continue doing so. It may not help everyone, but it’s helped me.”

Getting Beetroot into Your Diet
Beetroot has a medium glycemic index score of 64… but this doesn’t need to be a problem. That’s because you only need to have a very small amount of beetroot juice to lower your blood pressure.

“We found that only a small amount of juice is needed – just 250ml – to have this effect,” says Professor Ahluwalia.

Dr. Al Sears says beetroot is better at beating blood pressure problems than any drug. Here is one simple recipe that he suggests for getting it into your diet.

To make this recipe simply take:
• two raw organic carrots
• three organic celery sticks
• one-half of an organic cucumber
• one organic beetroot
(1) Chop each of the vegetables up.
(1) Drop ‘em in your juicer.
(3) Blend and drink.
It’s as simple as that!

 

From the Townsend Letter: Fish Oil for Atrial Fibrillation

One hundred seventy-eight patients (mean age, 62 years) with persistent atrial fibrillation for more than 1 month were randomly assigned to a control group or to receive 6 g per day of fish oil, in open-label fashion. At least 1 month (mean, 56 days) after the start of supplementation, patients underwent electrical cardioversion. Fish oil was continued until atrial fibrillation returned or for a maximum of 1 year.

 

Concurrent use of antiarrhythmic drugs (sotalol or amiodarone) was permitted. Mean duration of fish oil use after cardioversion was 186 days. Ninety days after cardioversion, the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower in the fish oil group than in the control group (38.5% vs. 77.5%; p < 0.001). Fish oil significantly reduced recurrence rates both in patients who were and were not using antiarrhythmic drugs.

 

Comment (Alan Gaby, MD): Persistent atrial fibrillation is associated with a high risk of recurrence after electrical cardioversion. The results of the present study demonstrate that starting fish oil supplementation more than 1 month before electrical cardioversion and continuing it afterwards can reduce the recurrence rate of persistent atrial fibrillation.

Green Tea Extract Lowers LDL-Cholesterol Levels

One hundred three healthy postmenopausal women (mean age, 60 years) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, Polyphenon E (a green tea extract, providing 400 or 800 mg per day of epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]; equivalent to about 5 or 10 cups per day of green tea) or placebo for 2 months.

 

The mean serum concentration of LDL cholesterol decreased by 7.7% with 400 mg per day of EGCG, decreased by 6.5% with 800 mg per day of EGCG, and increased by 0.8% in the placebo group (p = 0.02 for the difference in the change between the combined active-treatment groups and placebo).

 

Comment (Alan Gaby,MD: Other studies have shown that supplementation with green tea extract can decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum levels of C-reactive protein, while increasing insulin sensitivity. Each of these effects would be expected to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The results of the present study indicate that green tea can protect the heart and blood vessels by yet another mechanism.

 

Wu AH et al. Effect of 2-month controlled green tea intervention on lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and hormone levels in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Prev Res. 2012;5:393–402.

Kumar S et al. Long-term omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation reduces the recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion. Heart Rhythm. 2012;9:483–491

Green Tea and Colon Cancer

from SecondOpinionNewsletter.com

It’s a lot easier to prevent cancer than fight cancer. This is especially true with colon cancer. Once colon cancer hits, it’s very difficult to treat successfully. Fortunately, you can prevent most cases of colon cancer. In fact, it’s fairly easy to do. All you need to do is drink a lot of my favorite beverage.

 

Green tea is a magical elixir. It’s great for your heart, your brain, and for fighting infections. And it’s a powerful cancer fighter. Now we have research proving that green tea can help prevent colorectal adenomas. Adenomas are a collection of cells that can degenerate into cancer.

 

This study followed 136 patients who had colorectal adenomas previously removed. They also had to be free of polyps one year later. The researchers split the patients into two groups. They gave one group a green tea extract (1.5 g per day). A control group took a placebo. Then the researchers instructed all of the participants not to change their regular liquid green tea consumption.

 

After one year, 31% of the control group developed metachronous adenomas (not good) compared to less than half that (15%) in the green tea extract supplemented group.

 

Furthermore, in those that did relapse, those on the extract got smaller adenomas than the control subjects. The authors concluded “green tea extract is an effective supplement for the chemoprevention of metachronous colorectal adenomas.”

 

Action to take: Drink green tea every day. So should you. While there were not enough details in the study to determine how much green tea the subjects drank on their own, it certainly appears that supplemental green tea extract is a good idea regardless. I do think that green tea extract is worthy of consideration as a daily essential. Colon cancer often begins with polyps. It’s a cancer that is rising in frequency in America. Here’s a step you can take to dramatically lower your risk!

 

I have a great tasting green tea here

Green tea and lung cancer from healthiernews.com

 

It’s about that old wonder, green tea. And if you’re a smoker, you’re going to want to pay special attention to this tidbit.

 

Because protecting your lungs from cancer–especially if you’re a smoker–could be as easy as finding a new favorite beverage.

Researchers in Taiwan found that smokers who did not drink green tea may have a 13-fold increased risk of lung cancer over smokers who drank green tea.

 

Now, what you’re thinking: Sounds good, but how many gallons of tea did they have to gulp down every day?

 

Ready for this? The benefit was seen in smokers who drank at least one cup per day–that’s it.

 

The researchers said a daily cup of green tea may help non- smokers as well–overall, among smokers and non-smokers, non-green tea drinkers had a 5.2-fold increased risk of lung cancer over those who enjoyed a daily cup.

 

Of course, we all know the best course of action is to quit smoking. And maybe that’s on your list of 2010 goals. But we also know that quitting is very difficult. In the meantime, a cup of green tea a day could go a long way to cut your cancer risk.

 

The oxidative stress levels of smokers put a bigger drain on antioxidant levels, and green tea may offset that.

 

You don’t want to drink just any old green tea. The pesticides in tea boxed and bagged on your supermarket shelves aren’t going to do you any good. Look for organically grown green tea to capture the best of its health benefits.

Elderberry and treating the flu

From Wikipedia:

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, elderberry was shown to be effective for treating Influenza B.[4] People using the elderberry extract recovered much faster than those only on a placebo. The study was published in the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine.

A small study published in 2004 showed that 93% of flu patients given extract were completely symptom-free within two days; those taking a placebo recovered in about six days. This current study shows that, indeed, it works for type A flu, reports lead researcher Erling Thom, with the University of Oslo in Norway.[5]

Thom’s findings were presented at the 15th Annual Conference on Antiviral Research.

The study involved 60 patients who had been suffering with flu symptoms for 48 hours or less; 90% were infected with the A strain of the virus, 10% were infected with type B. Half the group took 15 milliliters of extract and the other group took a placebo four times a day for five days.

Patients in the extract group had “pronounced improvements” in flu symptoms after three days: nearly 90% of patients had complete cure within two to three days. Also, the extract group had no drowsiness, the downside of many flu treatments. The placebo group didn’t recover until at least day six; they also took more painkillers and nasal sprays.

It’s likely that antioxidants called flavonoids—which are contained in the extract—stimulate the immune system, writes Thom. Also, other compounds in elderberry, called anthocyanins, have an anti-inflammatory effect; this could explain the effect on aches, pains, and fever.

Elderberry extract could be an “efficient and safe treatment” for flu symptoms in otherwise healthy people and for those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly, Thom adds.

Russell Greenfield, MD, a leading practitioner of integrative medicine and medical director of Carolinas Integrative Health, advocates treating flu with black elderberry, he says in a news release. “It can be given to children and adults, and with no known side effects or negative interactions,” he says.

“But don’t expect grandma’s elderberry jam” to ease flu symptoms like body aches, cough, and fever, he warns. “Extract is the only black elderberry preparation shown effective in clinical studies.”

More on the Flu: Vitamin D and Elderberry

Vitamin D has been in the news a great deal lately. Last year the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) started a study investigating the role of vitamin D in severe seasonal influenza. With the recent outbreaks of swine flu, PHAC confirmed that it would be adapting this study to investigate the role of vitamin D in the protection against swine flu. PHAC will measure vitamin D levels in the blood of H1N1 patients and compare the blood levels with uninfected individuals. The rationale behind this study is based on earlier work in the 1940’s that indicated mice on diets low in vitamin D were more susceptible to experimental swine flu infection than those with adequate vitamin D levels (Young, et al., Vitamin D intake and susceptibility of mice to experimental swine influenza virus infection. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1949 Dec;72(3):695-7.) How vitamin D might protect against influenza infection is not fully understood. However, research suggests that vitamin D may induce the production of antimicrobial substances in the body that may possess neutralizing activity against a variety of infectious agents including influenza virus.

It is interesting information and something to consider as we approach this year’s cold and flu season. Low and deficient vitamin D levels are highly prevalent in people who avoid sun exposure due to health concerns or cultural traditions, use sunscreen, have dark skin, or live in northern latitudes. Recommended optimum blood levels of vitamin D are greater than 50 and as high as 80 ng/ml 25(OH)D.

Nick’s comments: In past emails I have suggested Vitamin D supplementation should be at least 1000-2000IU daily in the form of D3

Using this same line of thought, elderberry flavonoids were shown to bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro in a study published this July 2009. The study established that flavonoids from the elderberry extract bind to H1N1 virions and, when bound, block the ability of the viruses to in fect host cells. The authors also stated that the H1N1 inhibition activities of the elderberry flavonoids compare favorably to the known anti-influenza activities of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu; 0.32 microM) and Amantadine (27 microM). (Phytochemistry. 2009 Jul;70(10):1255-61. Epub 2009 Aug 12.)

Also see my past email on Colloidal Silver which is an effective treatment for all sorts of infections
http://www.integrative-energetics.com/colloidalsilver.html

Another great remedy for colds and flu in Yin Qiao San or Ilex 15. I have used these in the past at the first sign of getting sick. I usually take double or triple the recommended dose initially. My symptoms usually subside and when they start to come back I repeat the dose. I only have to do this three or four times to be free of all symptoms. Yin Qiao can be purchased at Emerson Ecologics(see link at the top of the page) I have Ilex 15 here.

Elderberry products, Vitamin D, Yin Qiao San and Argentyn 23 (colloidal silver) can be found by using the link below. I suggest buying and having these products on hand so that if you get sick you can “nip it in the bud”

https://wellevate.me/nick-soloway

EFT 

Emotional freedom techniques (EFT)

Over the last seven or so years I’ve been teaching many people EFT. EFT is a very simple technique to do that involves tapping acupuncture points with your fingertips while remembering a negative event or emotion that is occurring in the present or has happened in the past. What happens we have a negative thought or emotion is that we relive a fight or flight response that sets up the physiological response that I outlined above. Tapping the EFT points essentially resets are nervous system to function with the parasympathetic nervous system in charge. The previously disturbing emotion or thought becomes associated with the rest and restore response and soon it does not bother our equanimity. And as a result, the previously negatively charged motion or thought ceases to bother us anymore.

 

The basic EFT recipe is as follows:

First identify a problem that you’d like to work on and try to be as specific as possible. Rate the intensity on a 0 to 10 scale where zero is no intensity and 10 is extreme intensity. And just make a note of what your rating is.

 

When you’re ready to do EFT just hold the problem in your mind. I begin tapping the point on the top my head and work down the body. See the picture below for the points. Tap each point for as long as you say the phrase. You can tap either side of the body or both sides.

 

At each point use the phrase “Even though I have this_______ I deeply and completely accept myself”. In the blank space of this phrase put in the best description of the problem you want to resolve. Once you have completed tapping all the points reassess the intensity of your problem again on a 0 to 10 scale and see how it’s changed. Repeat tapping the points and saying the phrase until the intensity is zero or very close to zero. There is another area that I tap that is not included in this picture and that is on the palm side of the wrist. The easiest way to do this area is just to bang your wrists together.

 

This is a very short description of EFT but here are some resources that will provide you in-depth information about EFT.

 

This link is to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website about EFT. I have used the information that he provides and have printed it out as a small booklet that I have given to many hundreds of people.http://eft.mercola.com/

 

Another great source of information is EFT Universe:http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1396093.

There are quite a few videos to watch of people clearing issues. There is also a tutorial page. One procedure on the tutorial page is called the Personal Peace Procedure. The Personal Peace Procedure consists of sitting down and writing down things that have gotten you upset in the past. It may take you a while to complete this process but it is well worth it. After you have made your list, pick out one of the biggest issues and use EFT to reduce the intensity.

 

EFT can be used with children and it is especially effective. One of the ways to use EFT with kids is at bedtime. Have them tell you anything that bothered them during the day and as they tell you just simply tap on the EFT points as they speak. In a very short time they will feel better about it.

 

Another great source of information is provided by Gary Craig who originated EFT. His website is this: http://www.emofree.com/EFT/?aft=450.

 

Try to use EFT throughout the day to clear your stresses. Use it at the beginning of your day when you know you may be stressed by something. Use it at the end of the day discharge the stress that has occurred. As you use EFT on a daily basis, things that used to bother you in the past will no longer do so. And as I tell everybody that I teach them EFT “the hardest thing about EFT is to remember to do it”.

 

Reflexercise is a body-based stress reduction technique compiled by Scott Musgrave, a Colorado physical therapist. It is really simple to do and takes less than 30 seconds. In order to feel how it works as a test do this first. Pinch the muscle on top of your shoulder and note its thickness and how much pressure it takes to be uncomfortable. Reflexercise can be done lying down sitting or standing. Here are the Reflexercise instructions:

 

Gently curl your toes, don’t do it too hard or you may get a cramp in your foot

Put your arms by your side palms facing forward and spread your fingers gently

Slightly rotate your head

Close your eyes

Gently, but firmly, bite the tip of your tongue

Focus your attention into your heart region and generate a positive feeling

Take in four deep breaths with your focus at your heart region

After the four breaths you can relax the pose.

 

Recheck your tight shoulder muscle and it will probably be significantly looser.

 

It is suggested that Reflexercise be done every hour. If you’re sitting in front of the computer is good way to take a break.

 

For more information on Reflexercise go here: http://www.wellnessandperformance.com?AFFID=85254&n=[networkID]&tsi=[subid]&p=[SubSubid]

TRAUMA RELEASING EXERCISES (TRE)

 

Dr. David Berceli, PhD, is a former priest and has spent a number of years studying how people experience trauma in worn- torn countries, earthquake zones and countries that have experienced genocide. He has developed a system TRE to help people release trauma from their bodies.

 

Humans and animals the three same reactions to a traumatic event: Fight, flee or freeze. The body will then release massive doses of chemicals like adrenalin to assist the body with whatever response it has chosen to go with.

 

However where animals and humans differ is after the traumatic event.

Many animals will shake violently- this may look disturbing but they are actually releasing the trauma and extra chemicals from their bodies. Once they are done they will gone with their lives, trauma forgotten. Humans on the other hand, have lost this ability. Who of you during a traumatic event will put on a brave face, suck it up and resist the shaking that tries to happen? Unfortunately by doing this the traumatic memory is stored in our brains and in our bodies at a cellular level and this causes all types of problems.

 

Dr Berceli’s solution to this is simple: SHAKE IT OUT. And he has developed a few simple exercises to help us do so. The main muscle that he focuses on is the Psoas muscles which is the gravitational center of the body. The first few exercises are all about stretching you hip and leg muscles then you have to lie on your back with your feet together, legs apart and that’s when most of the shaking will take place.

 

Dr Berceli has traveled the world with this technique and has helped solders in Afghanistan and Iraq and has been to places where mass trauma has occurred. Originally TRE was design for PTSD but he found that it could be used as a relief from every day stresses and anxiety. It has been particularly helpful to people with depression.

 

Step 1
Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Roll your feet onto the outer edge of one foot and inner edge of the other foot. Put all your weight equally on both feet. Then role your feet to the other side. Repeat x10 on each side.

Step 2
Stand with one foot forward, put your full weight on that foot, using the foot behind for balance. Rise up on your toes, let your back foot leave the ground. Stand on your toe for a few minutes (you can hold on to something for balance). Repeat x10 on each foot.

Step 3
Stand on one foot, bend the other knee behind you in the air. Put both hands down on the ground, on either side of the foot for balance. Bend and straighten the leg that you are standing on. Repeat x10 on both legs

Step 4
Stretch your feet wide apart. Put your fists on the small of your back. Bend knees, push your pelvis forward and lean your head back and breathe. Repeat x3 times
Straighten up then turn and look as far as you can over your shoulder and breathe(legs still apart, hands still on back). Change and look over the other shoulder. Repeat x3 for each side

Step 5
Legs wide apart bend forwards, stretch your arms out with your fingers touching the floor. Bend one knee and walk your hands to that foot and breathe. Bend other knee and do the same. Repeat x3 for each foot

Step 6 
Shake body out. Stand with your back against the wall, feet apart and bend your knees- you should be able to see your toes. Rest your hands against your sides. 5 minutes

Step 7- The crunch!
Lie on the floor, push the soles of your feet together, legs apart. Left pelvis about 1 inch off the ground and hold. 5 minutes or for as long as you can make it without pain!.
Drop pelvis, with soles of your feet touching lift knees 1-2 inches off the ground for 5 minutes, then 4 inches for 5 minutes and finally 10 inches for 5 minutes. Rest.

 

The trembling varies from person to person. Some people start of furiously trembling while others will barely feel a thing. The more you do it the more the trembling will spread, starting in your legs and hips, moving to your stomach, then chest and head. For you to see any difference you need to commit to doing the exercises every day for ten days.

 

I do TRE on a regular basis…..Most of the time I just do Step 7 because of time constraints and this one causes the most trembling for me. There is more info here: http://traumaprevention.com/

 

HEARTMATH/EMWAVE 2

The heart at rest was once thought to operate much like a metronome, faithfully beating out a regular, steady rhythm. Scientists and physicians now know, however, that this is far from the case. Rather than being monotonously regular, the rhythm of a healthy heart-even under resting conditions—is actually surprisingly irregular, with the time interval between consecutive heartbeats constantly changing. This naturally occurring beat-to-beat variation in heart rate is called heart rate variability (HRV).

 

Heart rate variability is a measure of the beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. This diagram shows three heartbeats recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG). Note that variation in the time interval between consecutive heartbeats, giving a different heart rate (in beats per minute) for each interbeat interval.

 

The normal variability in heart rate is due to the synergistic action of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—the part of the nervous system that regulates most of the body’s internal functions. The sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate, while the parasympathetic (vagus) nerves slow it down. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS are continually interacting to maintain cardiovascular activity in its optimal range and to permit appropriate reactions to changing external and internal conditions. The analysis of HRV therefore serves as a dynamic window into the function and balance of the autonomic nervous system.

 

Scientists and physicians consider HRV to be an important indicator of health and fitness. As a marker of physiological resilience and behavioral flexibility, it reflects our ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands. A simple analogy helps to illustrate this point: just as the shifting stance of a tennis player about to receive a serve may facilitate swift adaptation, in healthy individuals the heart remains similarly responsive and resilient, primed and ready to react when needed.

 

HRV is also a marker of biological aging. Our heart rate variability is greatest when we are young, and as we age the range of variation in our resting heart rate becomes smaller. Although the age-related decline in HRV is a natural process, having abnormally low HRV for one’s age group is associated with increased risk of future health problems and premature mortality. Low HRV is also observed in individuals with a wide range of diseases and disorders. By reducing stress-induced wear and tear on the nervous system and facilitating the body’s natural regenerative processes, regular practice of HeartMath coherence-building techniques can help restore low HRV to healthy values.

 

In general, emotional stress—including emotions such as anger, frustration, and anxiety—gives rise to heart rhythm patterns that appear irregular and erratic: the HRV waveform looks like a series of uneven, jagged peaks (an example is shown in the figure below). Scientists call this an incoherent heart rhythm pattern. Physiologically, this pattern indicates that the signals produced by the two branches of the ANS are out of sync with each other. This can be likened to driving a car with one foot on the gas pedal (the sympathetic nervous system) and the other on the brake (the parasympathetic nervous system) at the same time—this creates a jerky ride, burns more gas, and isn’t great for your car, either! Likewise, the incoherent patterns of physiological activity associated with stressful emotions can cause our body to operate inefficiently, deplete our energy, and produce extra wear and tear on our whole system. This is especially true if stress and negative emotions are prolonged or experienced often.

 

In contrast, positive emotions send a very different signal throughout our body. When we experience uplifting emotions such as appreciation, joy, care, and love; our heart rhythm pattern becomes highly ordered, looking like a smooth, harmonious wave (an example is shown in the figure below). This is called a coherent heart rhythm pattern. When we are generating a coherent heart rhythm, the activity in the two branches of the ANS is synchronized and the body’s systems operate with increased efficiency and harmony. It’s no wonder that positive emotions feel so good – they actually help our body’s systems synchronize and work better.

 

Coherence: A State of Optimal Function

 

The Institute of HeartMath’s research has shown that generating sustained positive emotions facilitates a body-wide shift to a specific, scientifically measurable state. This state is termed psychophysiological coherence, because it is characterized by increased order and harmony in both our psychological (mental and emotional) and physiological (bodily) processes. Psychophysiological coherence is state of optimal function. Research shows that when we activate this state, our physiological systems function more efficiently, we experience greater emotional stability, and we also have increased mental clarity and improved cognitive function. Simply stated, our body and brain work better, we feel better, and we perform better.

 

The Quick Coherence Technique will help you reach the optimal state.

 

Step 1: Heart Focus. Focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the center of your chest. If you prefer, the first couple of times you try it, place your hand over the center of your chest to help keep your attention in the heart area.

 

Step 2: Heart Breathing. Breathe deeply, but normally, and imagine that your breath is coming in and going out through your heart area. Continue breathing with ease until you find a natural inner rhythm that feels good to you.

 

Step 3: Heart Feeling. As you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing, activate a positive feeling. Recall a positive feeling, a time when you felt good inside, and try to re-experience the feeling. One of the easiest ways to generate a positive, heart-based feeling is to remember a special place you’ve been to or the love you feel for a close friend or family member or treasured pet. This is the most important step.

 

You can do the Quick Coherence® Technique anytime, anywhere and no one will know you’re doing it. In less than a minute, it creates positive changes in your heart rhythms, sending powerful signals to the brain that can improve how you’re feeling. Apply this one-minute technique first thing in the morning, before or during phone calls or meetings, in the middle of a difficult conversation, when you feel overwhelmed or pressed for time, or anytime you simply want to practice increasing your coherence. You can also use Quick Coherence whenever you need more coordination, speed and fluidity in your reactions.

 

I use the emWave which allows me to watch my heart rhythms in real time and see how intentionally changing emotions affect them. With a patented, noninvasive heart-rhythm monitor, the emWave is a software/hardware program that collects pulse data through a fingertip or ear sensor and translates the information from your heart rhythms into user-friendly graphics displayed on your computer monitor. You will discover which emotions you can activate to effectively manage stress and boost vitality. Among other features, the emWave package includes the Coherence Coach™, an entertaining software application that teaches the Quick Coherence Technique. The emWave 2 is a portable device it performs similarly to the emWave. It is about the size of a deck of cards and can interface with your computer to monitor HRV and see it in a graphic form.

There are HeartMath sensors and apps for both iPhone and Android devices to moniter your Heart Rate Variability to help you get back to balance and a sense of calm.

 

If you’d like to get more information or to order the HeartMath product that best suits you and your situation click the HeartMath image or you can click this link…

Invest in your health. Go here for more info and to order:

https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=xcGYRQp8As0&offerid=448144.10000224&subid=0&type=4

From Health Info Newsletter September 4, 2012: EFT Workshops, Osteoarthritis, Diabetes, Flax Seed

Health Info Newsletter September 4, 2012: EFT Workshops, Osteoarthritis, Diabetes, Flax Seed

 

You can  order any and all of the products that are mentioned in this email from Emerson Ecologics.
To buy products use the link below:
http://tinyurl.com/wellevate-me-nick-soloway

 

EFT WORKSHOPS
Here’s a reminder about our Helena EFT workshops this fall:
Level 2 – Saturdays – September 8 and 15
Level 3 – Saturdays October 27, November 3, and November 10

For more information contact CJ Puotinen at:
PO Box 5714
Helena MT 59604
914-523-3063
www.taptheworldEFT.com
CJ@taptheworldEFT.com 
taptheworld@aol.com 

KeepThat Runner Running
from Jonathan Wright, MD

 

Q: My husband was devastated when his doctor gave him a diagnosis of severe osteoarthritis in both hips. He’s an avid runner, and can’t imagine having to give it up. Is there anything we can do?

 

Dr. Wright: My first suggestion to all osteoarthritis sufferers is to eliminate nightshade vegetables — such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, paprika, and eggplants — from the diet. I also suggest 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate three times a day — but stay away from chondroitin, since it may increase the risk of prostate cancer. A separate note of caution, in people with diabetes, glucosamine may elevate blood sugar.

 

Along with the glucosamine, I recommend 1,000 milligrams of niacinamide three times daily. Many people report complete relief of their pain and swelling within three or four weeks of taking niacinamide.

 

Also quite effective, yet largely unknown to many, is boron. I advise taking 3 milligrams twice daily. As an added bonus, boron also is a treatment for osteoporosis and aids in cancer prevention.

 

If adjusting the diet and these supplements don’t bring relief, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) may be worth trying. It can be expensive, but some patients — though not all — have been helped by it. I usually recommend 400 milligrams once or twice daily. These supplements are all safe and natural, and I have been recommending them for years to relieve arthritis pain with great success.

Curcumin May Prevent Diabetes

 

Curcumin is a derivative of turmeric, a common spice in South Asia and a standard component of curry powders. It has numerous healthful properties. Consumption of curcumin is associated with a decreased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and it has anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects. A new study shows that it can also help prevent diabetes.

 

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 240 subjects with pre-diabetes, researchers gave either curcumin or placebo capsules for nine months. They assessed the progression of their condition to diabetes and also did other testing. This included changes in beta-cell function (the cells that produce insulin), insulin resistance, C-peptide levels, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. (Chuengsamarn S, et al., Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012 Jul 6. [Epub ahead of print])

 

After nine months, 16.4 percent of the placebo group were diagnosed with diabetes, while none of the curcumin treatment group developed the disease. The curcumin group also had lower insulin resistance, better beta-cell function, and lower C-peptide levels. Curcumin is one of many natural treatments for diabetes and its prevention. These include high-fiber diets and exercise, and supplements of chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, cinnamon, milk thistle (with standardized amounts of silymarin), and coenzyme Q10.

Why you need to eat flaxseed, not just the oil  from…
SecondOpinionNewsletter.com

Flaxseed oil is one of the few oils I recommend you take on a regular basis. But, as you may know, I’m a huge fan of the whole food. And new research gives us ample reason to eat the actual flaxseed. It can significantly reduce your cholesterol.

 

In a recent study, researchers conducted a randomized controlled study on 30 men with high cholesterol. They found that flaxseed lignans significantly reduced their LDL and improved their LDL/HDL ratio.

While that’s impressive enough, the lignans did even more. They also improved their liver enzymes count. This suggests that these plant compounds can and will protect your liver.

In my book, flaxseed is a superfood. Lignans are phytoestrogens, which have significant healing and preventive properties when ingested. They are found in the hull of the flaxseed, not in the oil. So if you’re just taking the oil, you’re missing out.

Men, don’t worry, the estrogen won’t grow breasts on you. In fact, phytoestrogens activate the beta estrogen receptor in your prostate and other organs (like your brain). This can be incredibly beneficial for preventing prostate disease and preserving your brain.

And women? You don’t have to worry either. Phytoestrogens are not likely to stimulate breast cancer. In fact, they seem to actually prevent it. Many of my colleagues use phytoestrogens, especially from soy, to treat breast and other cancers as well.

In addition to eating flaxseed, you can get flax lignans in supplement form at http://www.lignans.net.Their product contains 33 mg per capsule and the dose in this study was 100 mg. So, you’ll need three capsules per day.