Resources:
www.HealthJourney.com
www.BrainSync.com
www.PathofLight.com
Belleruth, Naparstek, “Meditation for Relaxation & Wellness”
Burne, Rhonda, “The Secret”
Hay, Louise L, “You Can Heal Your Life”
Karlsson, Fridrik, “Peace of Mind”
Pert, Candace, “Molecules of Emotion”
Lipton, Bruce PhD, “The Biology of Belief”
Tolle, Eckhart, “A New Earth”

CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D INCREASE DIET-INDUCED WEIGHT LOSS: A study has concluded that greater intakes of dairy calcium and higher blood levels of vitamin D produce a substantially greater weight loss than the loss experienced by those with lower calcium and vitamin D intakes. (Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in supplements and in a few foods such as cod liver oil, sockeye salmon, mushrooms, mackerel and tuna fish.) The six-month study used techniques that ruled out the influence of other factors such as age, sex, body mass index, total fat intake and diet type. Blood levels of vitamin D and dairy calcium intake were found to be separate factors affecting increased weight loss; that is, each nutrient had its own specific effect. This study was released September 1, 2010 but will not be published until a future issue of the print version of the journal, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. However, the full-text version is now available online, with subscription or payment of an access fee, at http://bit.ly/coMR3d.

FISH OILS FIGHT INFLAMMATION AND DIABETES: Finally, a study has identified the mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids appear to effectively fight chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and diabetes. The study found that there is a key receptor in obese body fat and that omega-3 oils – specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – activate this receptor, which results in broad anti-inflammatory effects and improved systemic insulin sensitivity. (There is a strong connection between obesity and diabetes.) The effect of fish oil was powerful, according to the researchers, and, “The omega-3 fatty acids switch on the receptor, killing the inflammatory response.” The study team warned that more study is required to determine how much fish oil constitutes a safe and effective dose. Researchers suggested that the study could eventually lead to a natural dietary remedy for the more than 23 million Americans who suffer from diabetes. This study was published in the Friday, September 3, 2010 issue of the journal, Cell. The full-text version is now available online without fee at http://bit.ly/9TQ09d.

KIDNEY PROBLEMS LINKED TO VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY: A study has found that kidney dysfunction is associated with a low blood level of vitamin C. Also, low blood levels of vitamin C may cause damage, from greater oxidative stress, among kidney disease patients. It was noted that diabetic patients had consistently reduced levels of vitamin C. Lower blood levels of vitamin C have previously been linked to a greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease. People with higher levels of vitamin C have been found to have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and to have a greater life expectancy. (Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in humans and acts as an antioxidant, protecting the body against oxidative stress. Most species can synthesize vitamin C but humans cannot.) A brief summary of this study was released September 3, 2010 by the journal, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation but the study will not be published in the print journal until a future issue. The full-text version is currently available online, for subscribers and those who pay the article access fee, at http://bit.ly/bPgeer.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Most people think you should never kiss a baby if you have a cold. But in fact, a quick kiss on the lips probably won’t spread a cold or the flu, even to a baby. Of course, you should cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze because this brings forth virus-laden fluids from deep in your airways. But the saliva in your mouth harbors very little cold virus material. So it’s very difficult to pass colds and flu through kisses, even extended kisses. The best way to protect your friends and your baby from catching your cold is so simple that most people scoff at it: the best protection is simply washing your hands.

IRON DEFICIENCY LINKED TO CHRONIC HEART FAILURE: A study has found that iron deficiency is a factor among chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, in poor quality of life, intolerance of exercise and diminished heart function. Researchers showed that, although typically associated with anemia, low iron levels negatively even affect a third of CHF patients who are not considered anemic. (Iron is important for growth, survival and a number of bodily processes. An excess of iron is as risky as a deficiency. Iron levels should be closely controlled because too much of this insoluble mineral can be toxic. However, deficiencies are considered to be relatively common.) Cardiologists, suggested the study team, should become aware of the possible importance of iron deficiency in heart patients. Correction of iron deficiency in CHF patients may lead to important clinical benefits. A key message of the study is that iron deficiency is often present without anemia. (Iron in meat is more easily absorbed than iron in vegetables but this mineral is also found in lentils, beans, poultry, fish, leafy vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, blackstrap molasses, fortified bread, and fortified breakfast cereals.) This study was presented September 5, 2010 at the European Society of Cardiology’s Congress 2010 in Stockholm. Details have not yet been published.

MORE BABIES SHOULD BE GIVEN IRON SUPPLEMENTS: A study has shown that giving iron supplements to children with marginally low birth weights (2000-2500 grams) dramatically reduces the risk of developing iron deficiency and anemia, and as a result, lowers the risk of poor brain and neurological development in infants. (Birth weight and infant nutrition are important risk factors for death risk in adulthood. Infants with low birth weight are at risk of developing nutrient deficiencies during their first year of life, including iron deficiency. Iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin for the blood, and also for the development of the brain. Iron deficiency in infants has been shown to be associated with poor neurological development.) The study found no risks from the administration of iron drops to babies but also found that failure to give iron drops often resulted in anemia and iron deficiency. These findings could have a significant effect on nutritional recommendations for children with marginally low birth weights. The research was released September 6, 2010 and will be published in the October 2010 issue of the journal Pediatrics. In the meantime, full details are available, to journal subscribers and those who pay the article access fee, online at: http://bit.ly/9tcCes.

LOW LEVELS OF VITAMIN D LINKED TO DOUBLE THE RISK OF SCHIZOPHRENIA: Babies with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk – in fact, double the risk – of developing schizophrenia later in life. That’s the conclusion of a new study of 424 individuals that showed a link between vitamin D (25 hydroxyvitamin D3) sufficiency and healthy brain growth. (Vitamin D is produced by the effect of sunshine on the skin and, although linked to bone health, researchers have previously found that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be born in winter, when sunlight is rare.) “Improving vitamin D levels in pregnant women and newborn babies could reduce the risk of later schizophrenia,” said one of the researchers. It’s important to note that a link between schizophrenia was found with both insufficient and excess levels of vitamin D. The team described as “urgent,” the need for further study to assess best levels of vitamin D. This study was published September 7, 2010 in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The full text of the study is available online now at http://bit.ly/aIcjQp for journal subscribers and those who pay the article access fee.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Contrary to common belief, even skim milk is not fat-free: five percent of skim milk’s calories come from fat. A full 34 percent of the calories contained in partly skimmed, or “two percent,” milk come from fat. It’s called two percent because the fat content makes up two percent of the total weight. Whole milk is 48 percent fat by calories – lean hamburger runs about 64 percent.

POOR DENTAL HYGIENE LINKED TO HEART DISEASE: A study suggests that without proper brushing of teeth and regular flossing, bacteria from plaque can escape into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots and generally wreak havoc on the body. Researchers stressed that people need to maintain good dental hygiene to help ward off blood clots and heart disease in general. The study showed that, once in the bloodstream, Streptococcus bacteria make blood platelets bind together and completely encase the bacteria, protecting the bacteria from the body’s immune system and from antibacterial drugs. This creates small clots, growths on the heart valves, or inflammation of the blood vessels. This study was released September 9, 2010 at the autumn meeting of the Society for General Microbiology in Nottingham, UK. However, it has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal and is not yet available online.

VITAMIN B SUPPLEMENTS COULD HALT ALZHEIMER’S PROGRESSION: A study has found that supplementing the diet with large doses of vitamin B could cut, by a third to a half, the brain shrinkage that is common in elderly people with early signs of the disease and could slow, or even halt, the memory-robbing disease’s progression. The researchers stressed the need for further study to confirm these results but described the study outcome as “striking” and “dramatic.” Over a two-year period, half of the168 volunteers, all of whom were over the age of 70 and had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), were given high daily doses of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12, higher doses than normally found in supplements or diet. “Participants were randomly assigned to two groups of equal size, one treated with folic acid (0.8 mg/d), vitamin B12 (0.5 mg/d) and vitamin B6 (20 mg/d), the other with placebo.” On average, compared to the group that received only placebo pills with no active ingredients, B-taking volunteers exhibited an average 30 percent lower degree of brain shrinkage, which is associated with atrophy; but in some cases, the reduced amount of atrophy was lower by as much as fifty percent. The study was released September 8, 2010 by the online journal Public Library of Science ONE and can be accessed free online at: http://bit.ly/btsJCl.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Your body may make better use of supplemental vitamin D if you take it with your largest meal, boosting its uptake over a two- to three-month period, by as much as 56 percent, according to a study at the Cleveland Clinic, detailed in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Vitamin D is loosely linked with a decreased risk of autoimmune disorders. If you’re considering taking vitamin D supplements, talk to your natural health practitioner about dosages.

SORGHUM FOUND TO BE ANTIOXIDANT-RICH — EVEN RICHER THAN BLUEBERRIES: A study has concluded that sorghum bran contains greater antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory power than known antioxidant-rich superstars, such as blueberries and pomegranates. Researchers tested four varieties of sorghum and found that the two with the highest tannin composition – the black and sumac sorghum varieties – contain a whopping 23 to 62 mg of polyphenolic compounds per gram compared to antioxidant-rich blueberries, which contain 5 mg per gram, or pomegranate juice, which contains 2 to 3.5 mg per gram. Many fruits also contain antioxidants but sorghum bran, suggested the researchers, may prove to be the very richest and cheapest source. High-antioxidant berries and fruits are among the most expensive. Low tannin sorghum is commonly fed to animals or used to make ethanol to fuel cars. Only recently, has high-tannin sorghum bran been added to a few food items; the study team hopes to interest manufacturers in adding the low-cost, high-tannin extract to foods and beverages in order to prevent disease “rather than promote it.” In addition to antioxidants, sorghum also contains fiber. This study was published in the August 2010 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food. The full-text version of this study is available online at http://bit.ly/cQPqCd with journal subscription or article access fee payment.

DIET-INDUCED OBESITY ACCELERATES LEUKEMIA: A study has found that obesity resulting from diet accelerates – and theoretically, at least, may even trigger – the progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Obesity has long been associated with an increased incidence of many cancers, including leukemia; but it has not been clear whether the higher risk was caused by obesity or by some other risk such as lifestyle or genetics. The researchers suggest that obesity may trigger leukemia and that “some hormone or factor in overweight individuals, perhaps produced by the fat tissue itself, may signal leukemia cells to grow and divide.” Not all obesity is caused by diet; weight gain can also be caused by genetics, aging, pregnancy, lack of sleep, some medicines and certain health conditions. This study is important due to the prevalence of obesity in society. Also, leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer at a time when childhood obesity is at an all-time high. This just-released study will be published in the October 5, 2010 issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research. It is now available online at http://bit.ly/cIvDkG with a journal subscription or payment of an article access fee.

SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTS MAY DECREASE RISK OF BLADDER CANCER: A study has found that a higher intake of selenium may lower the risk of bladder cancer. Researchers analyzed several previous studies and examined selenium content in toenails and blood and compared these measurements with the incidence of bladder cancer. Although there was a general protective effect for selenium levels, women benefited most in terms of bladder cancer risk. (Selenium is found in plant foods grown in selenium-rich soils, in the meat of animals that grazed on selenium-rich soils, and in selenium supplements. It is an essential micronutrient that is incorporated into about 25 proteins, called selenoproteins, which prevent cellular damage caused by the by-products of oxygen metabolism.) Further study is required to confirm these results and to determine the optimum dose of selenium to provide a protective effect against bladder cancer. This study was released August 31 and published in the September 2010 issue of the journal, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The full-text version is now available online with a journal subscription or payment of an article access fee at http://bit.ly/cImcWJ.

DID YOU KNOW…?
An “abnormal” body weight prior to a cancer diagnosis is linked to a greater risk of later dying from the cancer; and correcting improper weight after diagnosis might not have any effect on risk because, says one researcher, “at that point, it may be too late.” A study of postmenopausal women found that a greater cancer mortality risk was strongly associated with pre-diagnosis weights that were either “underweight,” or “obese.” Underweight patients had an 89 percent greater mortality risk and obese patients, a 45 percent greater mortality risk, relative to normal-weighted individuals. Also, aside from overall weight, women with a high waist-to-hip ratio before diagnosis had a 30-40 percent higher risk of death. The mechanism behind these links is unknown. The study was reported in the September 2010 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, an American Association for Cancer Research journal.

ANTIBIOTIC USE ALTERS INTESTINAL FLORA: A study has found that repeated use of antibiotics causes increasing and persistent changes in the composition of the gut’s beneficial bacteria colony. A previous study by the same scientist had shown that friendly bacteria in the gut bounce back fairly quickly after a single, short-term round of Cipro, an antibiotic often used for intestinal, urinary and systemic infections. But this longer study found that as few as two rounds of Cipro six months apart is sufficient to produce subtle, long term effects such as the replacement of an entire species of bacteria with a closely related species; or the complete elimination of some species. The problem with this subtle effect is that an eradicated bacteria species may have performing an important function such as fighting a particular pathogen with the toxin it produces; with those particular bacteria missing, the pathogen could multiply unchecked until, years later, it has invaded the patient’s system. The second administration of antibiotics appeared to have a greater impact than the first, although the effect varied between test subjects. This study was released September 13, 2010 and will appear in a future issue of the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Details have not yet been made available.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Pregnant women who eat a lot of fish containing significant levels of mercury can cause developmental delays and brain damage in their newborns. Especially high in mercury are shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Canned light tuna (vs. other tuna), shrimp, salmon, pollock and catfish generally have lower amounts of mercury but still should be eaten only in moderation while pregnancy. Baking, broiling, grilling and poaching are the healthiest ways to cook fish.

WATERCRESS MAY “TURN OFF” BREAST CANCER: A study has found that a compound in watercress may have the power to suppress breast cancer cell development. Normally, as cancer cells develop, they send out signals that cause new blood vessels to grow into the tumor and these nourish the rapidly growing cancer cells with oxygen and nutrients. But a watercress compound – called phenylethyl isothiocyanate – appears to turn off the tumor signal within the body, effectively starving the breast cancer cells. The amount of watercress consumed by test subjects was 80gm, which is about a cereal bowl full. (This leaf vegetable is known for its tangy, peppery flavor and is a member of the Brassica or cruciferous family, which includes cabbage and broccoli. Previously, watercress has been linked to a lower risk of lung cancer and of low thyroid levels.) The study leader suggested more research is needed on the relation between what we eat and cancer. This study was presented at a September 14, 2010 press conference and will be published in the current issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.

MOST COMMON EXERCISE IS…PREPARING A MEAL: A study has found that the most common “moderate” physical activity regularly pursued by Americans is – brace yourself – preparing meals, and eating and drinking. The five-year study of over 80,000 people found that five percent of respondents engaged in vigorous activity such as running; but the study also found that over 95 percent of subjects cited their most active exercise as eating and drinking. Eighty percent of the subjects reported their main activity was watching television or a movie. Other “light exercise” reported was washing and grooming. Recent studies have shown a strong connection between reported trends of sharply reduced levels of physical activity on the one hand and lowered life spans, reduced years of healthy living and greater obesity rates on the other hand. Obesity rates in the U.S. have soared from 14 percent in 1993 to 27 percent in 2008. The relation between sedentary activity and obesity rates is undeniable, according to the researchers. Perhaps, nothing underscores that more than learning that preparing and consuming meals counts as the most common form of exercise, say researchers. This just-released study will be published in the October 2010 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The full-text version is available online at: http://bit.ly/9OlOfn with a journal subscription or payment of an article access fee.

POOR DIET AND INADEQUATE EXERCISE MAY UNDERLIE CHILDHOOD ASTHMA: A study of 18,000 children aged four to 12 suggests that unbalanced nutrition and lack of exercise may be the major risks of developing childhood asthma, even in those of a healthy weight. These findings challenge the long-held idea that obesity itself is a risk factor for asthma. Instead, despite the fact that obese individuals showed a greater risk of asthma, the study implicated these patients’ metabolic dysfunction in the risk of asthma, such as triglyceride levels and glucose metabolism – and not their obesity itself. The conditions known as dyslipidemia (high triglyceride levels) and hyperinsulinemia (acanthosis nigricans or AN) are very common in both obesity and metabolic syndrome and as a result, suggests the study, obesity has been linked with asthma risk when in fact, these conditions themselves are the most likely risk factor. Metabolic factors, suggests the study, may be the actual cause of the airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity that leads to asthma. In fact, it is the childhood experience of poor nutrition and lack of exercise that may lead to later asthma, according to the research. This study was released September 16, 2010 and will be published in a future issue of the journal, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Details are not yet available to the public.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Floating an egg in plain – not salted – water will let you judge the size of the air-cell at the large end of the egg, which indicates the egg’s age. A fresh egg will settle to the bottom of the container of water and rest horizontally because the air cell is still small. But the larger air cell of a one-week-old egg will cause the large end of the egg to rise up slightly. Eggs that are two to three weeks old will settle to the bottom of the container vertically, large end up. And a very old egg will just float right on the surface. Don’t ever eat eggs that float.

ANXIETY MEDS RAISE MORTALITY RISK: A 12-year study of 14,000 patients has found that patients who take medications to treat insomnia and anxiety, even on an irregular schedule, have a 36 percent greater risk of dying than those who do not. This is considered a small but significant increase in risk. What causes this higher risk of mortality among those taking drugs to treat insomnia and anxiety is not clear but researchers pointed out that these prescriptions affect reaction time, alertness and coordination, making patients subject to falls and accidents. Also, patients on these meds are more prone to breathing problems during sleep; and some drugs of this type increase the risk of suicidal behaviors. The team leader suggested that non-drug cognitive behavioral therapies have been shown to be effective against both insomnia and anxiety and that this type of therapy should be suggested to patients. Also, according to the head researcher, “These medications aren’t candy, and taking them is far from harmless.” This study was published in the September 2010 issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and is available online now in its full-text format at: http://bit.ly/964IPZ.

SPECIAL DIET PREVENTS KIDNEY STONES: A study has found that the DASH diet, a diet designed to combat high blood pressure and also known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, also helps prevent kidney stones. This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, dairy products, and whole grains, and low in sweetened beverages and red and processed meats. Despite similar fluid intakes, the study observed a greater output of urine among those on the DASH diet, which may stem partly from the fact that DASH foods have higher water content. More important, DASH subjects’ urine held higher concentrations of citrate, an important inhibitor of calcium kidney stones. Researchers suggested that two foods prominent in the DASH diet have potent kidney stone-fighting properties: low-fat dairy products and plant foods. This just-released study will be published in the October 2010 issue of the journal, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. It is now available online at http://bit.ly/aZu1yY with subscription to the journal or payment of an article access fee.

VIRUS MAY BE BEHIND OBESITY EPIDEMIC: A study has found that a gene in a specific virus can turn adult stem cells into fat cells. The study shows that many cases of obesity can be blamed on a specific virus named “human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36)”. This does not mean that obesity is always the result of a particular virus; but it does suggest that many cases of obesity may stem from infection by this virus. Another aspect of the study suggests that the weight gain effect can continue up to six months after the virus has left the body. The researchers stated that it is possible that other viruses may have a similar effect. Obesity may even be considered, suggests the study team, a complex disease involving many different viruses. Research is needed, says the study team, to determine why some people with the virus develop obesity while others with the same virus do not. Ninety-seven million adult Americans are obese. Obesity increases the risk of many illnesses, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and osteoarthritis. This study was presented today at the 234th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. It has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal.

STRESS BEFORE CANCER THERAPY LEADS TO RECURRENCE: A study has concluded that any form of stress during the one or two days prior to treatment for cancer – even the physical stress caused by intense exercise – activates a stress-sensitive protein known as the Hsp27 protein. This protein in turn protects cancer cells, allowing them to survive the treatment, thus sabotaging therapy and leading to a recurrence of the cancer. Although breast cancer cells were the subject of the study, the researchers said this proves that all types of adenocarcinoma cells – cancer cells that originate in a gland – appear to have found a way to adapt and resist treatment by using this stress-related protein. In the face of stress, the protein is activated by the presence of what is called “heat shock factor-1” and blocks the process that kills cancer cells even after their DNA has been damaged by radiation or chemotherapy. Stress includes physical exercise and even UV radiation from sunlight. This study was released September 21, 2010 by the journal Molecular Cancer Research. Full details are now available online at http://bit.ly/ctzTPU with journal subscription or payment of an article access fee.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Environmental pollutants trapped in fat cells could be released back into circulation when people shed a lot of weight. A study found strong correlation between weight loss and blood levels of six persistent organic pollutants. There is no proof that weight loss leads directly to the release of pollutants from fat cells into the blood but the evidence of the study is consistent with that mechanism, reported the researchers. The study was published in the September 7, 2010 issue of the Journal of Obesity.

MULTIVITAMIN USE MAY PREVENT HEART ATTACKS IN WOMEN: A study of 31,671 women has found that, compared to taking no supplements at all, regular daily use of multivitamins over a minimum ten-year period reduced the incidence of myocardial infarction (heart attack), at least among those women who had no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the start of the study. There was no similar benefit for women who had a history of CVD. But among those with no CVD history, supplements other than multivitamins had little effect on heart attack risk; multivitamins alone reduced heart attack risk by 27 percent; and multivitamins taken with other supplements lowered heart attack risk by 30 percent. Multivitamins were estimated generally to contain close to the recommended allowances for vitamins A, C, D, and E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid. The relationship is not necessarily one of cause-and-effect and further study is needed on the exact contents of multivitamins, the required duration of use, and the reason that supplements had no heart benefit for women with CVD. This study was released September 22, 2010 and will be published in a future issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It can be read online in the meantime at http://bit.ly/a1wmNr with journal subscription or payment of an article access fee.

HIGHER CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D LEVELS INCREASE WEIGHT LOST THROUGH DIETING: A study has determined that the weight lost on identical weight-loss diets is greater among those with higher intakes of dairy calcium; and separately, among those with higher blood levels of vitamin D. Regardless of the specific diet, those with the highest calcium intake dropped an average of 12 pounds in two years. However, those with the lowest intake of dairy calcium lost only seven pounds on average in the same period. Aside from calcium, individuals who had the highest levels of vitamin D lost the most weight when dieting; and vitamin D levels increased as weight dropped. It did not matter whether the diet was low-fat, low-carb or Mediterranean. This confirms previous research finding that obese people have lower levels of vitamin D. Although the study assessed dairy calcium only, calcium is also available from supplements and other foods. Vitamin D increases calcium absorption and is found in supplements, fatty fish and eggs. It is also manufactured by the body from direct sun exposure. This study was published in the September 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and is now available online at http://bit.ly/aC1RNA for journal subscribers and those who pay an article access fee.

MONTHLY HORMONAL CYCLES LINKED TO ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE: A new study on rats has confirmed a previously suspected, biological link between an individual’s current estrogen level and her ability to pay attention, focus and learn. Women have high estrogen levels when they are ovulating and prior research has shown that these are the times when they have trouble focusing and learning. Until now, it was not known whether the increase in fogginess and the increase in the level of this hormone constituted a cause-and-effect link. But researchers used rats to study how estrogen affects their “latent inhibition,” which is a form of memory formation, which is essential learning. They found that rodents with low estrogen levels learned to associate a stimulus with a specific sound tone far faster than those with high estrogen levels, showing that, even in a different species, estrogen itself has a direct effect on the brain by inhibiting cognitive ability. Further study may explain how it does this. This study was released ahead of print publication in a future issue of the journal Brain and Cognition. It is available at the journal’s site with the payment of a fee.

U.S. CHILDREN DRINK TOO LITTLE WATER, STUDY: A study of 3,978 children aged 2 to 19 years of age has found that a large proportion of American kids drink less water than is recommended as the minimum daily amount. Sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for much of their fluid intake. Also, the researchers concluded that children who do consume the most water each day are less likely to consume sugary drinks and high-calorie foods. Only 15 to 60 percent of boys, and 10 to 54 percent of girls, depending on age, drink the minimum amount of water recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Dehydration can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, dry mouth and even impaired cognition and mental performance. The study looked at water intake from all sources, including water itself, water in moist foods, moisture in all beverages, such as milk and juice. As children aged, their water consumption increased while their intake of nutritive beverages such as milk and fruit juice decreased. This just-released study will be published in the October 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is available at http://bit.ly/cIOrCT with journal subscription or access fee.

MS SYMPTOMS EASED BY ‘MINDFULNESS MEDITATION’: A study has determined that learning mindfulness meditation can help Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients with the fatigue, depression and other life challenges that usually accompany the disease. The effect lasted for six months. For the study, 150 MS patients were assigned either to regular medical care alone or to medical care plus weekly classes lasting two and a half hours; the classes included mental and physical exercises aimed at developing nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, or “mindfulness.” Those who went through the mindfulness training were far better able to cope with fatigue and depression; in fact, mindfulness helped reduce depressive symptoms by over 30 percent. Mindfulness is a concept that might be described as “calm awareness of one’s body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself.” This study was the largest of its type and is considered to have been well-conducted. The study was published in the September 28, 2010 issue of the journal, Neurology, and is now available online at http://bit.ly/dgV6cb with journal subscription or payment of an article access fee.

STRONG LINK BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION AND DIABETES: A study has found a strong link between particulate air pollution and adult diabetes; and between pollution and inflammation, which may contribute to insulin resistance, which in turn is linked to diabetes. The study focused on a particular size of fine particulates in air pollution (0.1 to 2.5 nanometers in size), the same size associated with a key component of haze, smoke and motor vehicle exhaust. Researchers adjusted the data to rule out the effects of known diabetes risk factors, including obesity, exercise, geographic latitude, ethnicity and population density. But there was still a very strong correlation between air pollution and the incidence of diabetes. The study team did not point to air pollution as necessarily being a cause of diabetes but it came across as a valid predictor of the disease. Even within counties falling within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits for air pollution exposure, those with the highest levels of exposure were 20 percent more likely to develop diabetes. The team suggested EPA standards may not be adequate to protect people from pollution. Released September 29, this study will be published in the October 2010 issue of Diabetes Care. It is online now at http://bit.ly/dqTEPB without charge.

DID YOU KNOW…?
Tea lovers’ beverage of choice lowers blood pressure. Drinking just a half-cup of green or oolong tea per day reduces a person’s risk of high blood pressure by almost 50 per cent. People who drink at least two and a half cups per day reduce their risk even more. Risk is reduced even if tea drinkers have known risk factors for high blood pressure, such as high sodium intake.

The core stabilizing routine is nothing fancy: most of you will have performed all of these exercises before. The trick is to do them every single day without fail and in the order given. Once you have done this sequence a few times, you will have it memorized — and all you need is a little floor space. The first 7 exercises are done standing, the second 7 on the floor. Here they are:

1) Standing tall, pull the tailbone back and the heart forward, letting your arms and head dangle. If possible, keep the back of the legs straight, and reach for the floor. You can rest your hands on your thighs or shins, or, if your hamstrings are flexible, plop your palms on the floor. Breathe into the stretch for 4-5 breaths then roll up the spine, leaving the head to lift last.

2) Hold lightly onto the edge of a table or chair back and, one leg at a time, press the back of the leg away, pushing away from the back of the heel. Don’t sway to the side. Stay upright, as though you were toning your bottom on the side of the leg pressing back, which is in fact what you are doing. Go for about 15 push-backs on one side, then switch legs. Stay upright on the standing leg and push the working leg straight back.

3) Same idea, but now moving the leg to the side, leading with the baby-toe edge of the foot, one leg at a time. About 15 times on each side. Towards the end of the sequence you should feel a little burn in the working muscles.

4) Standing tall but with the knees slightly flexed, toes pointed straight forward, twist at the waist and punch both hands behind you at just above waist level. Look towards your punch. Repeat on the other side. Left and right counts as “one.” Repeat the 2-sided twist 10 times.

5) Standing tall feet slightly apart, knees slightly bent, push your hips right and lean your upper body over to the left as far as possible without making this a forward bend. It’s strictly a side bend. If possible, add the weight of your arm. So, if your body is side bending to the left, your right arm will reach up and over your right ear, reaching to the left. Repeat 5 times in a row on one side, then 5 times in a row on the other side.

6) Simple hamstring stretch: put one foot at a time up on a chair or table, turn your body square to the up-stretched leg, then reach forward for that foot with both hands. You can rest your hands on the shin too. Breathe a few times, always directing the breath to the area of the leg (usually the back or side) that feels tight. Repeat with the other leg.

7) Standing tall, bend one knee, heel towards the butt, and catch the foot with one or both hands. If not wanting to practice balance, keep the free hand on the table or chair back. If your quads are not tight, you can increase this stretch by pulling the heel into the butt and/or pressing the bend leg hip forward a bit. Repeat on the other leg.

8 ) Now to the floor. The next 2 exercises are crunches, and it’s all downhill from there! First, do NOT heave your chest up to the thighs with crunches. That is BAD for your low back. You are on your back, knees bent and feet at least hip width apart, not far from the buttocks. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor and place your fingertips behind and slightly above your ears. Try to keep your shoulder blades off the floor throughout this exercise. The idea is to tone the abdominal muscles, which means tightening them. This is a horizontal move. By that I mean you slide the bottom of your ribcage towards the hip bones on the exhale. Inhale relax but don’t lie down. Stay up and perform 20 to 80 of these sliding crunches. Towards the end of your sequence you should start to feel a little burn in the abs.

9) Stay in the crunch position and begin bicycling the legs, stretching way out through the heels. The more your feet point to the ceiling, the easier. As you lower your legs to the floor you will feel more strain. Do not strain! You want to challenge, but NOT re-injure yourself! If the bicycling is OK, you can then b ring the elbows to the opposite knees, one at a time. Left and right is one round. Go for 10 to 40 rounds. Then relax.

10) Hug your knees to your chest. Breathe several deep breaths.

11) Place your feet on the floor, at least hip width apart, and lift your hips to make a flat diagonal plane with your front body. Lower, and repeat for a total of 3-4 times.

12) Roll up to sitting and stretch out one leg long in front of you. Bend the other leg, placing that foot on the upper inner thigh of the long leg. Turn towards the long leg and reach for the foot or shin with both hands. Breathe a few times and repeat on the other side.

13) Find a comfortable cross-legged position, sit tall and twist to the right, putting your left hand on the outside of the right knee to help strengthen the twist. Repeat on the other side.

14) Both legs long in front of you on the floor, reach your hand up and, leading with your heart, reach for the feet or shins with both hands. On the inhale expand the ribcage, and on the exhale undulate your chest closer to the knees. Take several breaths here. That’s it! You are saving your low back! Good job!

Is your conventionally trained physician just telling you to take drugs?

Yikes! High triglycerides can usually be spotted even without lab tests because they look like belly fat, or the classic apple shape body. Ladies, if your waist is more than 34 inches, and gentlemen more than 40 inches, you almost certainly have high triglycerides.

The problem with high trigs is it means not only do you have subcutaneous fat around your torso, but you also have unhealthy fat packed around your heart, liver and lungs.  That reduces circulation to these organs and make them work harder.

If you have lab results handy, look at the ratio between the triglycerides and the so-called “good” cholesterol – HDL (high density lipoprotein).  A good ratio would be 4 or less.  For exampe if your triglycerides are 80 and your HDL is 40, then that’s good!  The ratio is 2. On the other hand, if your triglycerides are 300 and your HDL is 30 — that is not good at all: ratio 10.

There are 2 fairly reliable, non-drug, methods for raising the good cholesterol, HDL, which “travels” around the body gathering up cholesterol, bringing it back to the liver for re-use.  These methods are:

1) Avoid all white sugar, which is especially noxious in liquid form.   Don’t consume ANY high fructose corn syrup, Karo syrup, brown sugar (just white sugar stained with molasses) or maltodextrin.

2) Lift weights.   Go to the gymn, or buy some hand weights at a garage sale.   Start with 20 minutes once weekly for the lower body (squats, lunges, leg presses) plus 20 minutes once weekly for the upper body (push-ups, triceps dips, biceps curls, overhead flies lying on back).  When stronger move up to twice weekly for upper and lower musculature.

The other part of the equation is to lower triglycerides.   This type of “fat” is actually a storage form of sugar. Whenever you eat sugar, or highly glycemic food which turns into glucose quickly in the bloodstream, it becomes available for quick energy.  However, if you are sitting around watching TV, or about to go to sleep, this energy is not needed, and will be converted to the storage form, triglycerides, which literally means three (3) glycerine molecules.  With very few exceptions, when a patient has high triglycerides (or a ratio of Trigs:HDL more than 4) I know they are not active enough and eating too many sweets.  This is also called “metabolic syndrome,” which is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.

So, your diet needs adjusting.  Here are some dietary ideas to reduce triglycerides:

Eat less of/ Replace with
Red meat / fish or turkey
Hamburgersand hot dogs/ fish or turkey
Eggs/ egg substitute
High fat dairy products/ low fat dairy
butter/ olive oil
Ice cream, cake, cookies/ fruits
Refined cereals/ whole grains
Fried foods/ fresh veggies; steamed or raw
Coffee and soft drinks/ herbal teas, dilute fruit juice

Plus, do add 2-3 tablespoons of fish oil (or 2000-3000 mg mixed EPA and DHA Omega 3 oils, from fish) to your daily diet.  New research shows that fish oil definitively helps to lower triglycerides.

To help reduce sugar cravings take 200 mcg of chromium picolinate (insulin’s little helper) 3 times daily. You can take all 600 mcg at once if that’s more convenient.  Insulin is the molecule produced in the pancreas that accompanies glucose (sugar) INTO the cell, where it is useful for energy.  Sugar is NOT helpful floating around the bloodstream, where it literally rots out blood vessels, causing all sorts of damage including kidney failure and blindness.

Use SPICES to replace sugar — anise seed, fennel seed and cinnamon are all delicious and naturally sweet.  Use STEVIA as a substitute sweetener.  Avoid Nutrasweet, Splenda, Equal and all those fake sugars — they disrupt brain chemistry and have been linked with seizures and attention deficit.

Walk down any street in America and you’ll see the effects of the “obesity epidemic”. Two-thirds of adults, more than 130 million people, are now considered overweight, and nearly half of these are classified as obese. Those who are overweight by 45 kilograms or more are the fastest-growing group of the overweight in the US.   Accompanying these skyrocketing figures are increases in diabetes, heart problems and deaths.

In print and on the airwaves there are numerous stories about how fast food, large portions, sedentary lifestyles and poverty are playing big parts in weight gain, while government bodies desperately throw together public health programmes to educate people about the dangers their lifestyles bring.

Yet one culprit is rarely mentioned: the broad range of psychiatric drugs that can cause substantial weight gain.  They include drugs marketed as antidepressants (such as amitriptyline, doxepin and imipramine), mood stabilisers (including lithium and valproate) and antipsychotics (including clozapine, olanzapine and chlorpromazine).

After 10 years on lithium, for example, two-thirds of patients put on around 10 kilograms.  And in December 2006, The New York Times published an article based on internal documents from the drug company Eli Lilly which indicated that it had intentionally downplayed the side effects of olanzapine, which it sells as Zyprexa.

The company’s data showed that one-third of patients who have taken the drug for a year gain at least 10 kilograms, and half of these gain at least 30 kilograms.  The mechanisms behind this weight gain appear complex and are certainly poorly understood.  Some psychiatric drugs may impair the central nervous system’s control of energy intake, leading to food cravings, whereas others, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may alter a patient’s metabolic rate.

Worryingly, doctors are increasingly prescribing multiple psychiatric drugs for the same patient at the same time, even though many effects of doing so, including the effect on weight, have not been investigated.  Doctors often fail to warn patients that the drugs they prescribe may increase their appetites.

We don’t know how much these drugs are adding to Americans’ waistlines, but the number of people affected is likely to be high.  Prescriptions in the US for Zyprexa alone run into millions.  In 2004, 32.6 million Americans purchased outpatient prescriptions for antidepressants, stimulants, antipsychotics and tranquillisers, up from 21 million in 1997.  Overall, around 50 million Americans – that’s 1 in 6 of the population – currently take at least one psychotropic drug.

From a crude look at the numbers, it seems that they could potentially be causing a significant – and growing – portion of America’s obesity problem.

It seems surprising then that commentators rarely make the link between psychiatric drugs and the obesity epidemic.  For example, a report broadcast last year by the PBS TV network called Fat: What no one is telling you included a vast array of lifestyle and physiological factors that could be contributing to weight gain.  Psychiatric drugs were not mentioned.

Another factor that the media and governments have failed to publicise is that rising obesity in teenagers and even young children over the past 10 to 15 years coincides with a fivefold increase in prescriptions of antipsychotic drugs in those age groups, and that children taking these drugs are even more likely to gain weight than adults are.  We don’t know how much of this increase in obesity is due to the drugs, but shouldn’t somebody be finding out?

Though drug-induced weight gain is potentially a worldwide problem, it is a particular concern in the US because American culture is so eager to label negative feelings and problems as evidence that a person is mentally ill – and to push drugs as a supposedly quick fix.  Furthermore, doctors often fail to warn patients that the drugs they prescribe may increase their appetites, and people labelled as mentally ill often learn to attribute all their problems – including eating more – to their psychological disorder.

In a curious article last May in the American Journal of Psychiatry (vol 164, p 708), two doctors even proposed that obesity be classified as a mental illness.  One likely consequence of that would be another massive increase in the prescribing of psychotropic drugs, resulting, no doubt, in another upsurge in obesity statistics.

Recent revelations that some antidepressants may work little better than placebo in most cases (see “Mindfields: Talking down antidepressants”) make the potential scale of the side effects more worrying than ever.  Anyone taking psychiatric drugs who is concerned about weight gain and its associated ill effects should be reminded that to stop taking them suddenly – and what is gradual enough for one person may be far too sudden for another – can precipitate serious withdrawal symptoms.  But at the very least, every person considering taking these drugs needs to be able to make a fully informed decision about whether to get their prescription filled.

The government and the media must take the lead in ensuring that drug companies disclose the extent of the weight gain that their drugs cause and in educating the public about the risks.

Paula J. Caplan is a clinical and research psychologist at Harvard University and author of  “They Say You’re Crazy,”

Vitamin deficiencies are common with celiac disease: especially the B vitamins (lack of which cause an easy stress response, and tingling, then numbing of the extremities), and also the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be in short supply.  Bone density can be reduced because celiac disease causes calcium malabsorption.  What is going on in true celiac disease is that part of the gluten molecule (gliadin) destroys the absorptive surface of the small intestine, normally covered in a lush “brush border.”  These myriad tiny finger-like projections, like millions of tiny sea-anemones, become abraded and flattened, thus greatly reducing the surface area for nutrient absorption. 

This is reversible — the body is, in general, naturally self-healing — once the offending substances are removed.  However, untreated, celiac can lead to osteoporosis, profound anemia and seizures.  Celiac disease is particularly prominent among those with Irish heritage.  It is estimated that 3-6% of the Irish population is afflicted with celiac.  Celiac is also more common in families with thyroid disorders and mental illness, particularly schizophrenia.  Although 40% of the US population are thought to carry the celiac HLA DQ2 or DQ8 genes, only 1% ever has a triggering event that leads to activation of these genes and the development of celiac. 

There is a new finger-prick test to screen for celiac which is available in most medical offices.  However, the gold standard to confirm the diagnosis remains small intestine biopsy if the blood test is positive for the tTg and antigliaden IgA markers.  Since the treatment is complete avoidance of gluten, it seems reasonable to me that trying a gluten-free diet for 3-6 months is just as good a confirmatory as a biopsy. 

It can be tricky, however, to completely avoid gluten.  Wheat, spelt, kamut, triticale, barley, millet, amaranth and rye contain gluten. Other words meaning “wheat” are cous-cous, semolina and durum.  Oats don’t contain gluten, but are often contaminated with gluten in the fields or silos.  There are sources of gluten-free oats.  Trace contamination can cause symptoms to come roaring back in sensitive patients.  In families where some folks can eat gluten and others must avoid it completely, it may be impossible to share kitchen utensils.  For example, two separate colanders are essential — one for gluten-containing pasta and another for rice pasta.  Also, the silverware drawer can become contaminated with tiny specks of gluten, which can trigger a reaction in the celiac patients. 

Luckily, most folks do not have celiac disease.  However, wheat sensitivity is extremely common.  Anyone who is fully or half (from one parent only) bloodtype O, or is a non-celiac member of a family with a celiac patient, is advised to consider 12 weeks strictly off wheat, if their health has room for improvement.  Please remember that mental health is equal in importance to physical health.  Wheat sensitivity will often manifest as grumpiness, or desire for binge eating, or mania, or moody PMS.  While avoiding wheat, and certainly all gluten-containing grains, can seem impossible at first glance, there are many foods, and many world-wide cultures, who are not dependent on cheap processed flour. 

In fact, once you delve into the world of non-processed food, and begin to regularly enjoy luscious, organic fruits and vegetables as the staples of your diet, all those cookies and crackers and cheese spreads become quickly unappealing.  Check it out!  You might as well live this life as radiantly healthy as possible!
 

Best book for celiac/gluten intolerance:
“Living Gluten Free for Dummies” by Danna Korn — helpful, user friendly, very funny
 
Gluten-free food and cooking supply sources:
Pamelas (415) 952-4546
Miss Roben’s (800) 891-0083
Gluten-Free Pantry (800) 291-8386
Ener-G-Foods Inc (800) 331-5222
Sylvan Border Farm (800) 297-5399
Celiac Disease Foundation (818) 990-2354
Van’s International Foods (waffles) (310) 320-8611
Authentic Foods (800) 797-5090
The Great Valley Mills (800) 688-6455
 
foods unexpectedly containing wheat:
Grape Nuts
Bouillon cubes
lunch meats
cooked sausages (weiners, bologna, hot dogs)
most gravies
candy bars
ice cream (thickenings)
many thickening agents (use kudzu or guar gum)
any alcoholic drink made with grain: beer, gin, non-potato vodka, whiskey
malted milk
ovaltine
many chocolate drinks
synthetic pepper
some yeasts

More resources:
One brand of yeast that DOES NOT contain any gluten is Red Star Active Dry Yeast               (800) 423-5422.
To make a delicious gluten-free sourdough bread, you need to make a good “starter.”  Rice flour has the ability to ferment easily, creating a wonderful base for delicious breads with a slightly sour flavor.  Once made, the sourdough starter can be used over and over again.  Replenish it each time it is used to nourish the yeast and keep the starter alive.  As the starter gets older, the flavor will become tangier.  Therefore, baked products made with “aged” starters will have more sourdough flavor.  The starter serves as the leavening, so no additional yeast is needed.  To make a starter: in a 4-cup glass or stainless steel container, combine 1 cup water (110-115 degrees F) with 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of Red Star Active Dry Yeast and 1 1/2 cups of white rice flour.  The mixture will be thick.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil.  Let stand in a warm place for 1 to 3 days, stirring 2 or 3 times each day.  The starter will “rise and fall” during the fermentation period; it becomes thinner as it stands.  When the starter is developed, it is bubbly and may have a liquid layer on top.  Stir this liquid into the whole starter before using.  The starter can then be used for baking, or placed in the refrigerator to use later.

Adrenaline is the “fight and flight” neurotransmitter and causes numerous physical responses such as narrowed peripheral blood vessels, shunting blood to the internal vessels, such as in the big leg muscles and the heart and away from the digestive organs.  An adrenaline rush might feel like a strong shot of caffeine, or the heart-twanging scare of a near-miss on a busy highway. 

Humans evolved, for many thousands of years, in an environment much less cozy than what many of us enjoy today.  We were built to outwit and kill larger mammals, and to use our brains to choose between running away when we couldn’t win a fight, or intense spurts of fighting.  Early humans had many protracted periods of significant inactivity, relative to today’s standards of business. 

Whereas we once had occasional, horrific stress, we now tend to have chronic, low-grade stress.  Low-grade stress day after day (bad boss, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, insufficient sleep, drugs) will build to a point of exhaustion or dysfunctional anxiety.  This is what is meant by adrenal “burnout.” 

What is actually happening is adrenal atrophy.  The glands literally “wear down” and secrete adrenaline on a hair trigger — with no buffering capacity.  There are varying degrees of burnout, which can be measured. 

I have found most success in my naturopathic medical practice in using saliva tests to measure levels of cortisol during 4 periods of the day.  Cortisol is a type of sugar, and doubles for blood sugar maintenance overnight when typically we are not eating.  Cortisol levels should be highest in the morning, then decrease steadily to a low at the end of the day. 

People in adrenal burnout typically show no decrease in cortisol after breakfast, or display some other abnormal variation.  The specific cortisol pattern can provide insight for therapy. 

Some of my favorite techniques to restore adrenal function are centered around getting enough sleep, which often means avoiding stimulants, avoiding unnecessary stressors (such as white flour and white sugar, mean people and too much time on the computer) and committing to finding fun in life, on a daily basis. 

For nutrient support, Licorice (Glycerrhiza glabra) is specific for restoration of the adrenal glands.  Fringe benefit: licorice is also a potent anti-viral.  I strongly recommend licorice tea, or solid extract (sort of a syrupy goo, which is really tasty if you like the strong taste of licorice) or in capsule form if you don’t care for the taste.  Aim for about 2 grams worth of Licorice daily.  Licorice is also very helpful for gastric stress ulcers, which sometimes plague stressed people, particularly men.  Sorry, the red and black candy sticks don’t count!

If you have high blood pressure, Licorice theoretically can worsen hypertension because it acts as a mild potassium-wasting diuretic.  I have rarely seen this to be true, however you can get a special type of Licorice (deglycerinated glycerrhiza – or DGL) which has the diuretic part stripped out. 

Another wonderful supplement for adrenal stress is Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid.  You can take a high potency B-multi along with an additional separate dose of B-5 each morning.  Aim to get 200-250 mg of B-5 for 6-12 months, while implementing the lifestyle changes.

Heart disease kills six times more women than breast cancer (Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2006 Update. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association; 2005) but only 30% of women (from a 1997 national survey) recognized CVD as a leading cause of death.  The Red Dress Campaign, kicked off in 2005, raised this awareness to 55% although disproportionately more of this increased awareness was in white or well educated folks.  Help spread the word.  Focus on cardiac health.

Until Bernadette Healy, M.D., became medical director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1990, most clinical trials studying heart disease did not include women subjects.  Thanks to her, we are now approaching nearly 20 years of clinical trials with women.  Patterns are emerging, such as:

1) Women tend to develop cardiovascular disease 10-15 years later than men; possibly estrogen is protective, although this is controversial.  By age 60, a woman’s risk for CVD equals a man’s risk.  Certainly ingesting hormones increases clotting risk for some women.  On the other hand, smoking lowers estrogen levels and this is thought by some to play a role in why women smokers are more at risk for CVD than comparable male smoking cohorts.

2) In general women are more vulnerable to toxins. Our lungs, livers, and hearts are smaller.

3) Women’s smaller hearts beat faster, even when asleep.  Women have different cardiovascular disease risk factors and manifestation patterns than men.  For example, women are more likely to have MIs not preceded by angina.  (Canto JG, Shlipak MG, Rogers JF, et al. “Prevalence, Clinical Infarction Presenting Without Chest Pain.” JAMA. 2000;283:3223-3229) Women are more likely than men to die from their first heart attack.  Prevention is therefore particularly urgent for women.

4) Women are less likely to develop atherosclerosis, and are likely to have lower blood pressure.  Thus the cholesterol issue is less pertinent for women and the number 200 probably should not be applied to women.  Over half of women presenting with their first heart attack have so-called normal cholesterol levels.  (Burke AP, Farb A, Malcom GT, et al. “Effect of risk factors on the mechanism of acute thrombosis and sudden coronary death in women.” Circulation. 1998;97:2110-2116) A younger woman with high cholesterol may be more at risk for CVD.  However, after age 65, low cholesterol confers increased mortality risk for all diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

5) Daily aspirin has been definitively proven to not prevent the first MI in women, which it may it men, though it can also kill men from provoking bleeding gastric ulcers.  So, ladies, unless you’ve already had a stroke, clot or MI, aspirin is unlikely to help prevent these killer diseases. Watch for women patients unnecessarily taking a baby aspirin a day because some docs are still not up to speed with this concept. (Ridker PM, Cook NR, Lee IM, et al. “A Randomized Trial of Low-Dose Aspirin in the Primary Care Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women.” N Engl J Med. 2005:352:1293-1304)

6) Conventional risk factors affect men and women differently.  For example, high total cholesterol to HDL ratio is more likely to mean atherosclerosis in men.  Women are less likely to build up plaque; they are more likely to have peripheral artery, as opposed to coronary artery, disease.

7) Also, the impact of alcohol consumption worse in women: Alcohol is metabolized more quickly by women, making the immediate impact on heart, brain and liver more severe.  Men have a higher water to fat ratio in their body composition, and this extra water helps men to dilute the effect of alcohol.  Further, women are more likely than men to binge drink, which is the most dangerous way to consume this pickling poison.

From a whole body, naturopathic perspective, we can think of cardiovascular wellness as having both the plumbing and the electricity working well.  In women, the vasculature is less likely to get jammed up with plaque in the coronary vessels, although certainly this happens to women too.  More often, women suffer from peripheral artery disease due to vasospasm and low mineral status.  Not infrequently, patients are chronically dehydrated, and this contributes to preferential distribution of available fluids to the major vessels, at the expense of the periphery.  Plaque (comprised of cholesterol, calcium and bacteria) only adheres to damaged intima, which is why bioflavonoids and avoiding lipid peroxidation are keys to maintaining healthy arterial walls.  We have all seen patients with marginally elevated cholesterol on a statin drug.  Suspect statin side effects with any complaints of muscle fatigue, muscle weakness or muscle cramping.  Statins may also adversely affect the electrical system of the heart.

Women are more likely to have mitral valve prolapse than their male counterparts.  Sometimes this problem is readily fixed with adequate magnesium intake; rarely surgical repair or replacement of the valve is required.  Magnesium and caffeine elimination will also help mild arrythmias, although I recommend electrocautery of ectopic electrical tissue for pronounced tacchycardias such as PSVT and some Atrial fibrillation syndromes.  A pacemaker is generally implanted for chronic and profound bradycardic episodes, and not infrequently directly after the first episode, especially in an elderly patient where the concern is syncope.  You may be able to help your patient avoid a pacemaker by evaluating B vitamin absorption (homocysteine level) and providing nerve nutrients such as lecithin, omega 3 oils, Hypericum, Convallaria and Cactus.

Hypertension (140/90 or more) is possibly the most dangerous of the CVD risk factors, and one of the most difficult to resolve.  It remains a problem of westernized societies; rarely found in rural, agricultural or less developed communities.  Smoking tobacco significantly increases the risk for high blood pressure.  Please quit.  If you have a patient that still smokes, yet continues to seek your services, they are asking for help quitting (even though they may deny that!)  If you have hypertension, enroll in a local meditation class, or learn some other relaxation techniques.  There’s a new tool to improve hypertension via self-awareness called RESPeRATE (www.respearte.com) which is a home biofeedback device, and basically helps you lower blood pressure through breathing exercises.  Daily contrast hydrotherapy (chase your shower or bath with at least one cooler rinse) will also help alleviate circulatory insufficiency.

Find some kind of movement you enjoy: belly dancing, Aikido, ball-room dancing, contact improv, roller-blading, yoga, hula hoops, getting to 10,000 daily steps on your pedometer.  As long as it gets your heart rate up, and you’re having a good time, this is successful exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine last published exercise guidelines in 1995.  These updates are more exact about the types and duration of exercise. They are based on recent scientific findings about the relationship between physical activity and health. The authors point out that an increase above the recommended minimum amount of exercise may provide further health benefits.

A companion guide is also available for adults ages 65 and over and adults 50 to 64 with chronic medical conditions.  These guidelines are similar but add important detail about flexibility, balance and how to stick with a plan.

Currently only about 25% of the US population follows these guidelines, according to the CDC.  Haskell states this percentage could increase to 50% over the next decade with the active support of the community agencies, medical personnel and, especially, employers.

Classifications of CVD:
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD): disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart that may lead to:  

Angina
Myocardial infarction
Congestive heart failure

Cerebrovascular disease: disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain that may lead to:
Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or mini strokes
Strokes

Peripheral vascular disease: disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs that can lead to:
Claudication – obstructed blood flow in arteries,   causing pain
Gangrene – death of tissues in legs due to poor   circulation
Aneurysms - bulges or enlargements in the aorta

Naturopathic protocol considerations:
1) Nattokinase or Lumbrikinase for IMT over 1 mm, for high fibrinogen, for history of or current thrombus.  Proteolytic enzymes not with food are also useful.
2) Hawthorne solid extract to improve lipid digestion and maintain or restore smooth healthy vasculature.  Anecdotally I have not found niacin to be particularly helpful for lipid profile improvement.
3) Rauwolfia serpentina tincture, up to 30 drops twice daily, for hypertension.  Watch for depression.  Anecdotally I have not found arginine to work reliably for HTN.
4) CoQ10 (as much as affordable) and exercise to reduce hypertension.
5) Vit E (not synthetic, mixed tocopherols) for overall cardiovascular health.
6) Vit C & D to promote tissue repair and reduce inflammation (high CRP).
7) To reduce inflammation, avoid white sugar and white flour; increase use of fresh garlic and ginger in the diet; eat less red meat (ideally fresh game only) and avoid fried foods.
8) Take adequate amounts of B6, B12 and folate to optimize homocysteine and reduce stroke risk.
9) Pantothene (B5) to improve systolic (adrenal) hypertension and raise HDL.
10) Magnesium at bedtime to reduce vasospasms, mild arrythmias and diastolic hypertension.
11) If you have high blood pressure, you may need antihypertensive drugs short-term, until the diet and lifestyle changes kick in.  If you are diabetic, avoid beta-blockers which tend to raise blood sugars.  If you are on a calcium channel blocker, magnesium may work just as well. ACE inhibitors often cause a chronic cough.                                                           12) Statin alternatives such as Vit D, red yeast rice or chitin, if warranted.
13) Sodium restriction if the you are salt sensitive.
14) Optimal hydration (avoid diuretics as the kidneys quickly become dependent).
15) Daily movement: know the options in your community.  (see Exercise sidebar)
16)  Avoid fried foods, but not high quality fats.  Fish oils, nuts, flax seed will reduce risk of premature cardiovascular disease.

In closing, evidence is emerging that the long-held “truth” linking saturated fats and high cholesterol levels to cardiovascular disease was based on inaccurate tabulation of data.  For a comprehensive and fascinating discussion of this issue see Volk, MG, “An Examination of the Evidence Supporting the Association of Dietary Cholesterol and Saturated Fats with Serum Cholesterol and Development of Coronary Heart Disease” Alt Med Review: Sept 2007, Vol 12:3; 228-245.  Despite widespread use of statin drugs, cardiovascular mortality in the US has not improved.  In fact, more cases of nerve damage, TIAs, rapid progression to Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue and depression have been reported in the population taking statins (sample reference: Li G, Higdon R, Kukull WA, Peskind E, Van Valen Moore K, Tsuang D, van Belle G, McCormick W, Bowen JD, Teri L, Schellenberg GD, Larson EB. “Statin therapy and risk of dementia in the elderly: a community-based prospective cohort study.” Neurology. 2005 Apr 12;64(7):1319 . 

It is by now well known that statins deplete CoQ10, and thus produce their array of muscle cramping/muscle wasting side effects.  What has yet to be fully appreciated is the additional devastation caused by artificially lowering cholesterol levels.  Statins may be contributing to the widespread disruption of hormone synthesis (including pandemic hypothyroidism), demyelination of nerves (more depression in the elderly, more dementia, more ALS) and weaker immune response (more colds and flus).  Instead of reflexively reducing cholesterol, clinicians would do well to focus on reducing inflammation instead, using natural therapeutics.  This will provide you with a safer and more effective approach to improved cardiovascular health.  Drink a green smoothie, put your face in the sun, and dance for joy today!

Yes, if you:
Smoke
Are regularly exposed to environmental toxins
Drink less than a litre of water daily
Drink soda pop, coffee or alcohol
Eat processed foods such as white flour baked goods and candy
Crave junk food
Are tired, constipated, bloated and lack focus
Have sticky or malodorous bowel movements
Have pasty skin or dark circles under your eyes
Have blood sugar problems
Have unstable emotions
Have unsatisfactory libido or sleep
Are over or under-weight
Use prescription or recreational drugs regularly

If you peruse natural health news, you certainly have read the word “detox” lately.  You may have heard about how “body burden” of unnatural chemicals is higher than ever before. Industrial run-off into our rivers, pharmaceutical pollution flushed down toilets, burning fossil fuels belching into the air, fake food, plastic everywhere — all of this and more comprises an enormous burden for our internal self-cleansing systems.

The amazing human body has several mechanisms by which to rid itself of non-nutrients which come in daily through our nose and mouth.We process food across the entire mucous membrane from the mouth to the rectum.  The enzymes in our saliva, the all-important stomach acid, the pancreatic enzymes, and the bile from the liver all prepare our food for digestion then absorption into the bloodstream.  Elements of our meals which are deemed unsatisfactory for absorption will be eliminated, via the large intestine.  In case you haven’t heard: pooping at least once daily is crucial to optimal health.  It is unhealthy to allow waste products to linger in the colon. Once in the bloodstream, we have several other methods of screening for “toxins” which is defined as anything our cells can’t use for energy.  As the blood passes through the kidneys, they are “strained” by hundreds of super fine sieves.  Of important job of the kidneys is to remove nitrogen from the blood, which we pee out as ammonia. The lymphatic system, which has a vast network traveling alongside the blood vessels all over the body, also picks up “goop” in the blood and funnels it to the “master” lymph node, called the cisterna chyle, which is located between the heart and the left kidney.  From there, the lymphatic fluid passes into the renal system (kidneys). Last, but not least, the skin is a large and important organ of elimination embedded with sweat glands.  Ideally, strenuous exercise would induce free-flowing and non-odorous perspiration.  Smelly sweat and drenching sweats at rest are signs of elimination difficulties.

Other signs of toxic congestion (and therefore need for “detox”) include constipation, bad breath, irritable skin, fatigue after eating, poor sleep quality and moodiness. A body which eliminates properly will stay healthy.  It’s as simple as that.  I approach “detox” with my patients as an opportunity to change bad dietary habits, and to become enamored of feeling great.  The first order of business is to open the “emunctories” which is an old naturopathic word meaning the portals of elimination.

Start with the skin: I encourage everyone to take up the habit of dry skin brushing every morning.  This is a marvelous “bath” which removes the outer layer of dead skin and not only cleanses but invigorates.  Brush the entire body, fairly firmly, except the face, always towards the heart.  See the sidebar for a more detailed description.

Next, the renal system:  during cleansing it is advisable to drink lots of water.  Pure water is the very best drink.  I don’t agree with the idea of alcohol being “therapeutic”.  It is toxic to the heart, liver and kidneys.  Sure, it will help some folks relax — but there are better ways to relax!  And if you are after the deep pigments of red wine, for example, you can take resveratrol in capsule form or simply eat lots of deeply colored fruits and vegetables.

Do whatever it takes to enjoy the daily poop.  Three times a day, after each meal, is ideal, but many of us just can’t make time for that.  I like using a stool, or “Welles step”, under my feet while at the toilet because it helps simulate a squatting position, which is how we were designed to poop. Cold stewed prunes (just put some prunes and water in a small covered jar and keep in the fridge) or 500 mg of Magnesium at bedtime are simple, non-addictive laxatives.  Avoid cascara sagrada — it is too harsh.  Digestive aides such as fennel seed, ginger root and mint leaves, in teas or whole form, can help improve digestion and elimination.

I advise my patients to avoid cleansing or fasting during cold weather, when we are directing energy towards staying warm..

It’s a good idea to cleanse or fast with at least one “buddy” if possible — so you can cheer each other and help maintain your mutual commitment to optimal health.  I advise against advertising to all your friends and family that you are undertaking a cleansing project because they might not all be supportive.  If they ask, you can tell.  Figure out a good time and how much time you can commit.  Remember, this is not a crash diet.  It’s a chance to open the emunctories, enjoy some deep internal cleansing, and explore the possibility of healthy eating and healthy living every day for the rest of your life.  The most important part of detox is coming off the program.  Your stomach will be smaller and your internal organs more sensitive to “junk.”

Please go slowly in the week after a detox program.  Do not plan or attend a gastronomic extravaganza soon after cleansing.

Three Day Plan
This is an all-fresh fruit cleanse.  Fruits are high in water, fiber and slow-releasing sugars.  They are tasty!  Neither juice nor dried fruit is allowed — too concentrated.  Eat whatever fruits appeal to you, one serving every two hours while awake.  A serving means 1 large or 2 small apples, 6 apricots, 1 medium banana, 1-2 cups berries, cherries or grapes, 2 oranges or nectarines, 1 cup of pineapple, 1 large pear, 2 kiwis, 3 plums or tomatoes, 2 cups of cubed melon.  Mix it up!  Eat only fruit.  For a complete description see “Fruit Flush” by Jay Robb.

Seven Day Plan
This involves 2 days of preparation, 3 days of “fasting” and 2 more days of slowly re-introducing your regular (but hopefully transformed) diet.  During the first 2 days, eat only raw food: mixed salads, fruit, steamed veggies.  Drink plenty of water between fruit or veggie meals.  Avoid juices.  However, during the 3 “fasting” days you will drink diluted juices and broths and tea and plenty of water.  No solid food because the idea is to give the digestive system a rest.  Sip on fluids all day long.  Fresh juices are best.  Green drinks or protein powders are fine.  The last 2 days are like the first 2: raw fruits and veggies only.  I recommend fruit only in the morning and veggies after noon.  For a complete description, see “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” by James and Phyllis Balch.

Fourteen Day Plan
This allows 3 days of preparation with raw food only, and also using a bulking drink (1 T psyllium husk or other fiber such as ground flax seeds, mixed with water) three times daily, ½ hour before eating.  Next follows 5 days of liquid only: broths, fresh juices, tea, water.  You should be able to go to work and do your normal day, you will have good energy, but don’t plan extra activities.  Allow for more rest in your schedule.  If no stool is produced during the liquid-only days, an enema is strongly recommended.  Colonics are fine too if you are squeamish about giving yourself the treatment!  The last 6 days are the most important.  You will SLOWLY re-introduce foods one day at a time.  For a complete description of this plan see “The Fasting Diet” by Dr. Steven Bailey.

Twenty Day Plan
This is a slightly longer but less rigorous cleansing plan.  The rules are simply to eat foods high in beta-carotene (sweet potato, carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, pumpkin, kale, winter squash) and high in Vitamin C (citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage) for 20 days.  Additionally you will drink plenty of water between meals and snacks.  You are allowed to eat anything in moderation except for the following:
Wheat and other gluten-containing grains        
Milk and dairy products        
Eggs, meats or farmed fish        
Sugar        
Artificial sweeteners        
Alcohol        
Caffeine        
Soft drinks        
Foods containing artificial flavorings, colorants or preservatives        
High-fat foods        
Salty foods

The idea is, you will feel so good after this program that you’ll decide to eat this way for the rest of your life!  For a complete description see “The 20-Day Rejuvenation Diet Program” by Dr. Jeffrey Bland.
Detox Super-Tool:

Skin Brushing

Brushing your skin with a long handled dry skin brush (I like Bass or Yerba Prima brushes) each morning before or instead of showering is the finest “bath” your body could ask for.  Nearly 80% of ordinary household dust is shed skin cells from the outermost layer, a completely natural process.  Brush in long firm strokes towards the heart.  I start standing next to a chair or bathtub so I can put one foot up at a time.  Brush firmly under the sole of the foot then up and all around the leg.  Repeat on the other foot and leg.  Then gently brush the hips and buttocks, which should turn a bit pink.  Brush the hands and up the arms.  Stroke the belly in a clockwise direction (to follow the flow of the colon) and up the side ribs.  Brush up under the breasts (and, ladies, be aware of the consistency of your breasts as you do this).  Brush under the chin and down the top ribs, then reach behind with the long handle and scrub the back as thoroughly as possible.  Don’t forget the shoulders.  You may want to get a small soft brush for your face.  This feels absolutely divine and is marvelous for your skin.
Detox Reactions

When you give your body a rest from the daily onslaught of processed food, elimination begins to progress immediately.  This can “stir up” toxins that have been stored in the colon or in fat cells and create a variety of reactions such as depression, headaches and fatigue.  Your skin may break out as toxins are eliminated.  Here are several ideas that can help:

1) drink more water to flush toxins through the kidneys more quickly

2) increase Vit C to up to 10 grams for tissue repair and to hasten the ridding of toxins

3) use bentonite (clay) baths to pull toxins out through the skin.  These baths may be taken twice daily: use ½  cup liquid clay in a tub of warm (not hot) water and soak for 20 minutes

4) eat steamed organic beets, which will turn your stool deep purplish.