There are actually three forms of the disease. In addition to ADD, ADHD is simply ADD with hyperactivity. A "residual" type affects older persons. In this article about Dr. Smith's diagnosis of his own ADD, he uses "ADD" to refer to all three types.

Experts agree that ADD is multicausal. That is, in any one case there are usually several factors that contribute to the disease. These are: nutritional deficiencies, food allergies, chemical sensitivities, and toxic exposures (from food, air, water, chemicals, and drugs).    Read More

The general strategy for addressing allergies is to 1.) identify and eliminate the offensive substance (allergen), 2.) strengthen the immune system with immunopotentiating nutritional supplements, 3.) use natural medicines to reduce the symptoms.

Removing the allergen is almost impossible in airborne allergies. Air filters for indoors areas (bedroom, etc.) can be effective.

Food allergies may cause "allergic arthritis," eczema and other skin rashes, gas, bloating, and cramps. Reactions to foods are often delayed, sometimes for several days, so it is impossible to associate a specific food with the reaction to that food. Food allergy testing can be done to identify offending foods, which are then removed from the diet. Food allergic reactions may also enhance other types of allergic reactions, e.g., sinus allergies or allergic arthritis.    Read More

The heart’s normal sinus rhythm originates within the pacemaker cells of the sinoatrial node, located at the upper end of the right atrium.

The term arrhythmia refers to any disturbance of the normal rhythm of the heart.

Irregular heartbeats are not uncommon, and vary widely in severity. If brief (lasting less than one or two minutes) and infrequent (less than once a month) they are of little concern. Frequent, recurrent or severe episodes of arrhythmia should be worked up by a cardiologist.

The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation. Premature ventricular contractions are the second most common type. Without an EKG and training in cardiology, it is impossible to accurately diagnose an arrhythmia. Since virtually all types are caused, triggered, or exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies, the first measure should be to restore heart health by using the spectrum of nutrients listed below.

Arrhythmias can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, environmental or other toxins, food allergies, atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, cardiac structural defects, and genetic abnormalities.    Read More

Listed below are the "independent markers" that predict risk for heart and cardiovascular disease. Each "independent marker" presents a separate risk. In other words, each marker--without any help from the others--can cause a heart attack. It follows that each must therefore be identified and treated separately. We physicians can no longer feel our job is complete once we have normalized cholesterol. We must go on to measure and treat elevated homocysteine, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, etc.--i.e., all of the independent risk factors.

The good news is that every single one of these markers can be reversed using nutritional medicine. Reversing abnormal levels of these markers results in a corresponding reduction in riskof heart attack and stroke.

For information about how to treat each abnormal marker naturally, follow the corresponding links:

Autism is growing at near epidemic rates.    Read More

The prostate is a small, doughnut shaped, walnut sized gland that surrounds the urethra just below the bladder. It secretes a thin, milky fluid that lubricates the urethra and increases sperm motility.

The medical condition known as benign (non-malignant) prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) describes an enlarged prostate gland. Since the urethra (the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the outside) goes directly through (and is surrounded by) the prostate, swelling of the gland causes symptoms of urinary obstruction: increased urinary frequency, urgent urination, nighttime urination (nocturia), and decreased speed of flow of urination.

Affecting over 50% of men at some time in their life, and 60% of men between the ages of 40 and 60, BPH is an extremely common condition. Frequency of occurrence increases with age. Men with BPH are four times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with normal prostates.

Please note: Do not make assumptions about your prostate condition. Do not attempt to diagnose yourself. Only a physician has the necessary training and experience to diagnose prostate disease.    Read More

People with blepharospasm have normal vision. Visual disturbance is due solely to the forced closure of the eyelids.

Blepharospasm affects the eye muscles and usually begins gradually with excessive blinking and/or eye irritation. In the early stages it may only occur with specific precipitating stressors, such as bright lights, fatigue, and emotional tension. It is almost always present in both eyes.

As the condition progresses, it occurs frequently during the day. The spasms disappear in sleep, and some people find that after a good night's sleep, spasms do not appear for several hours after waking.

If blepharospasm causes any type of impairment, it is because muscle contractions interfere with normal function. Cognition, strength, sensory function, vision, and hearing are not affected.    Read More

As we age, our bodies lose the ability to effectively manage carbohydrates. A malfunctioning of the body's blood glucose control mechanisms can cause a multiplicity of health problems including:

• Insulin resistance (i.e., a fasting blood sugar level above 98)
• Carbohydrate cravings. Supplementation with L-glutamine has been shown to reduce cravings for sugar and alcohol.
• Hypoglycemia (which is usually a sign of Lowered Adrenal Reserve)
• The inability to clear sugar from the bloodstream due to insulin receptor insensitivity (or "insulin resistance") in the liver is known asSyndrome X or The Metabolic Syndrome
• Elevated triglycerides
• Elevated cholesterol
• Lowered HDL (the protective "good" cholesterol)
• Type II diabetes.

Because of the complexity of blood sugar control problems and the likelihood that other disorders will accompany them (the most common are atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease), it is important to design a nutritional medicine program that addresses all of the variables. "One-size-fits-all" solutions (whether with drugs or supplements) will fail.    Read More

Overstimulation of estrogen receptors by toxic estrogenic compounds disrupts the DNA based messages that control breast cell growth. If this overstimulation continues for several years, the risk of cancer goes up.

The most common exogenous estrogenic compounds come from two sources: 1.) pesticides such as DDT and PCB and other estrogenic environmental chemicals, and 2.) unnatural hormones such as Premarin and Provera.

Until recently, medical scientists failed to recognize a third--and unexpected--source of toxic, carcinogenic estrogenic compounds: the human liver!

It has been discovered that we have the potential to make our own cancer causing chemicals in our livers, from where they are sent back out to the target organ: breast, ovary, uterus, cervix, prostate.

How could this be? Normally, our livers grab used up estrogen from the bloodstream and convert it into an innocuous compound called 2-hydroxyestrone, which is promptly removed from the body. Aging, stress, illness, and genetic factors prompt the liver to change the way it metabolizes estrogen. Whereas most liver estrogen metabolite would be the harmless 2-hydroxyestrone, the liver shifts gears and starts manufacturing a highly toxic and carcinogenic compound known as 16-alphahydroxyestrone, a compound whose carcinogenicity has been compared with that of the highly cancer forming chemicals used in lab experiments to create breast cancers in rodents. In other words, it's nasty, and we are making it for ourselves. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer were found to have dramatic elevations of 16-alphahydroxyestrogen. Women who have high levels of the 16 estrogen metabolite are at much greater risk of sex hormone related cancers--breast, ovary, uterus, and cervix. Men with elevated 16-alphahydroxyestrone levels are more likely to get prostate cancer, which is also caused by estrogenic overstimulation.

The 2:16 Estrogen Ratio

The 2:16 Estrogen Ratio is simple saliva or urine test you can do at home that will help you determine your risk of several cancers. These are the cancers closely associated with disruption of the sex steroid hormone system: breast, ovarian, uterine, and prostate.

To understand the value of this test it is necessary to know a little about how your body breaks down estrogen. The liver uses two main pathways for metabolizing estrogen. The first pathway produces a harmless metabolite, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1). The second pathway generate a very toxic and carcinogenic estrogen breakdown product known as 16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16 alpha-OHE1). This metabolite can damage chromosomes, overstimulate estrogen receptors, and is carcinogenic.

So, for a lower risk of these cancers, we want more of the good 2-hydroxyestrone and less of the bad 16 alphahydroxyestrone. The 2:16 ratio is a way to determine risk, based on the ratio of good to bad estrogens. A high ratio (more of the good and/or less of the bad) indicates protection from sex steroid related cancers. A low ratio indicates there is a predominance of the carcinogenic estrogen, so the risk of cancer is increased.

I recommend this test to all of my patients over age 50.

Preventing and Reversing a Low (Bad) 2:16 Ratio

Diet and lifestyle have profound effects on these estrogen hepatic hydroxylation pathways, which means that you can change the way your body breaks down estrogen, shifting the ratio to a higher level (more of the good "2" compound and less of the bad "16"). Here's how to do it:

• vigorous exercise
• healthy thyroid hormone balance
• estrogen use (natural, of course)
• consumption of at least two servings of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage--see lists in Renewal) and/or...
• Indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) with Diindolemethane (DIM) (the active ingredients in cruciferous vegetables that reverses liver 16-alphahyroxyestrone production)
• flaxseed oil (an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and lignans)
• soy isoflavones
• Marine Fish Oil
• avoid alcohol consumption
• non-sedentary lifestyle
• low-carbohydrate diet
• low-fat diet
• decreas body mass (lose weight)
• eat only organic foods (pesticides on conventionally grown produce are bad estrogens)

Optimum levels of Vitamin D have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Green tea extract has been shown to prevent breast cancer. The polyphenols in green tea provide potent protection against a broad array of cancer types, including that of the breast. Numerous studies have shown that green tea polyphenols thwart cancer development by blocking the proliferation and spread of tumor cells, by inhibiting the growth of tumor-nurturing blood vessels, and by reducing the metastasis (spread) of cancer cells. Green tea polyphenols can also deactivate enzymes that cancers need for growth. The green tea polyphenol most strongly associated with cancer prevention is epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG. Even after cancer has been diagnosed, green tea has the potential to halt its progression and even reverse it.    Read More

• Inflammation Control
• Vitamin E
• Borage oil
• Flaxseed oil
• DHEA

  What is C-Reactive Protein?

  C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker, a protein produced in response to injury. Chronically elevated levels of CRP are idicative of a state of systemic inflammation that can cause to contribute to a broad spectrum of diseases.

  C-reactive protein is an especially important marker for heart disease. Elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein significantly increase the risk or heart attack or stroke. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that men whose CRP was in the top 25% had three times the incidence of heart attack and twice the frequency of stroke.

  CRP is actually a much better predictor of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol. Together, their ability to predict risk is much higher than either alone.

  From statistical studies physicians have known that an elevated C-reactive protein, a marker for increased inflammation in the body, was closely associated with increased risk of heart attack or stroke. But the mechanism was not clear. Recent research has changed all that.

  How does C-reactive protein contribute to heart and cardiovascular disease? Endothelial damage (damage to the inner lining of the artery) is one of the first steps in the arterial hardening process known as atherogenesis. Researchers at the University of California, Davis Medical Center have now shown that C-reactive protein induces the endothelial damage that leads to plaque formation.

  Scientists now recognize that excess CRP reflects an underlying elevation in pro-inflammatory cytokines.

  Anyone who is at increased risk of heart disease should have C-reactive protein tested. And testing to determine cardiovascular risk should include a CRP. CRP testing is inexpensive and highly accurate

  With proper nutritional supplementation, an elevated C-reactive protein can be reversed, thus halting the inflammatory damage it causes.

  When ordering, ask for the "high sensitivity" CRP. The optimal level for hs-CRP is as low as possible. Above 2.0, the risk of future stroke or heart attack is significantly higher, and risk correlates positively with degree of elevation--that is, the higher the level the greater the risk.    Read More

Cholesterol is not a fat. It is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by all animals, including humans.

The body synthesizes 75% of its cholesterol in the liver, deriving the remainder from diet.

In the human body cholesterol functions as the precursor of major steroid hormones such as cortisol, DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen.

Cholesterol is found in cell membranes, and as a free radical scavenger, functions there to protect membranes from oxidation.

Cholesterol is needed for many bodily functions. It serves to insulate nerve fibers, maintain cell walls, produce vitamin D and other hormones and digestive juices.

Foods that lower cholesterol

Soy protein supplements reduce serum lipids. In a 2005 American Heart Association presentation, Deborah Bujnowski, a Tulane University dietician, presented findings of a metaanalysis of 43 studies. Soy protein reduced cholesterol a modest but significant 5.16 mg/dL, LDL cholesterol 6.83 mg/dL, and triglycerides 4.69 mg/dL.

Nutritional medicines that lower cholesterol

Policosanol is a natural cholesterol lowering agent derived from sugar cane that outperforms the statin drugs in every way. In head-to-head trials it works better than statins to lower cholesterol. It also raises “good” HDL-C levels, which statins won’t do, and costs significantly less. It has a side effect profile comparable to the placebo.

Flaxseed oil lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, that in their oxidized state, cause plaque to build-up by damaging the inner endothelial lining of arteries). Flaxseed oil also lowers triglycerides. A recent report from the medical journal Arteriosclerosis found that flaxseed could reduce cholesterol-related artery disease by 46 percent.

In a number of studies, green tea has been shown to produce significant reductions in cholesterol. For example, in a recent study reported at the World Organization of Family Doctors, Dr. Theresa Bautista presented a study in which hypercholesterolemic patients who weren't regular tea drinkers were given a cup of Chinese green tea after three meals a day for two weeks. Average cholesterol dropped from 235 mg./dL at baseline to 187 mg./dL at the end of the study. Green tea also lowered average blood pressure from 130/87 to 117/81 after two weeks.    Read More

A mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs).

See also: flu.

Over 200 different types of viruses can cause a cold.

The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms may also occur.

The "common cold" is very common: There are over one billion colds in the United States each year. You and your children will probably have more colds than any other type of illness. It's the most common reason that children miss school and that parents miss work.

There is no cure--other than prevention--for the common cold. One can, however, decrease the probability of contracting one, if exposed. And if you do get a cold, nutritional medicines can strengthen the immune system, which then limits its severity and duration.

How to Treat a Cold

What should I do if I catch a cold?

Get plenty of rest. Drink warm fluids such as warm broth, vegetable juices and herbal teas. Try not to infect others. Take these anti-cold nutritional supplements:

• Immune Plex - an excellent all-purpose combination of state-of-the-art antivirals and immunopotentiating herbs and nutrients. Take 4-6 capsules 3-4 times a day.
• Echinacea - an antiviral, antiinflammatory herb that has been long recognized for its immune enhancing and antiviral properties. Echinacea is a powerful immune system stimulant with antiviral and antibacterial actions. Take 30 drops every 1-2 hours at earliest onset of symptoms. After four days decrease to 30 drops three or four times a day.
• Astragalus - a traditional Chinese herb that has been shown in modern research studies to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flus. Among its many immunopotentiating properties, astragalus enhances macrophage numbers and aggressiveness. One macrophage can eat 100 viruses. Take 3-4 capsules three times daily.
• Vitamin C - everyone knows vitamin C helps colds and flus. Extensive research has documented an array of immune enhancing, antioxidant, and antiviral effects. Vitamin C shortens the duration of colds and the flu. Take the most effective form, Ester-C, 4-10 grams (4000-10,000 mg.) daily until the flu is gone.
• Garlic - a broad-spectrum antibiotic and immune booster. Oft referred to as Russian penicillin (because the Russian people use it as an antibiotic to treat infections of all sorts) garlic also fends off all kinds of disease-causing microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Besides killing “bad bugs,” garlic increases the body’s natural resistance to infection by reinforcing the immune system. During a cold or flu take 4-6 capsules 3 times daily.
• Zinc - should be taken at the first signs of a cold or flu. A zinc-rich environment has been shown to discourage the growth of cold and flu viruses. Several studies shown that zinc supplementation cuts the duration of acute viral infections in half. Raising the level of zinc in the body has been shown to strengthen immune responses and inhibit infections. Take 100 mg. a day for the first week of a cold or flu.

More About the Common Cold

Children usually get colds from other children. New strains are introduced into a school or day care, and quickly travel through the class.

Colds can occur year-round, but are more frequent in the winter. In areas where there is no winter, colds are most common during the rainy season.

When someone has a cold, their runny nose is teeming with cold viruses. Sneezing, nose-blowing, and nose-wiping spread the virus. You can catch a cold by inhaling the virus if you are sitting close to someone who sneezes, or by touching your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the virus.

Most colds can be prevented by following some simple rules. Colds are contracted two ways: by direct hand to face contact or by droplet transmission via air contaminated by viruses. To prevent hand to face transmission, wash your hands frequently, and always before eating or touching your face. Preventing air droplet transmission is more difficult, and requires avoiding air contaminated with virus. This is often impossible. If you know a person has a cold, keep your distance.

People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. However, this period is sometimes difficult to identify, as contagion develops before symptoms appear. A person with a cold should be considered contagious for up to ten days or as long as they have symptoms.

Preventing a Cold

The following essential nutrients are necessary for optimum immune health. I recommend taking each of these supplements both preventively and during a cold or flu:

• Flaxseed oil - an essential nutrient that is indispensable for healthy immune cells; daily flaxseed oil supplementation is recommended for all people to improve general health as well as immune health. One tablespoon (or six caps) a day for general immune health. Increase to two tablespoons a day from earliest symptoms and during viral infections.
• Ester-C - vitamin C is an antiviral and immune strengthening essential nutrient. One of its many mechanisms is to enhance the aggressiveness of immune cells. Daily intake of 2000-4000 mg. will improve viral resistance. Increase to 6000-10,000 daily at earliest sign of cold or flu symptoms.
• Zinc - has been shown to shorten viral infections and enhance immunity. Ongoing daily doses of 30 mg. of zinc (as aspartate, citrate, or picolinate because they are more readily absorbed) will keep the immune system happy and healthy. Increase to 100 mg. a day for the first week of a cold or flu.

    Read More

Cystitis in women is usually due to a bacterial infection that originates in the vagina and has ascended through the urethra to the bladder.

Irritation, e.g., from intercourse, is a common initiating factor. Individuals who are prone to recurrent bladder infections should bathe the genital area with warm soapy water before and after sex.    Read More

A depressive disorder is a "whole-body" illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive disorder is not a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness, nor is it a condition that can simply be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.    Read More

Here are all the reasons to exercise every day of your life.    Read More

Fibrinogen plays a central role in the chemical cascade that results in blood clotting. Fibrinogen is a large plasma protein molecule that is normally soluble in the blood. When the clotting cascade is activated, fibrinogen is converted to a solid form called fibrin. Fibrin forms the sticky weblike matrix that traps red blood cells to form a clot.

An elevated fibrinogen level is 2-3 times as accurate as elevated cholesterol at predicting heart attack risk. Normal fibrinogen levels are below 250. 250-300 can be considered borderline. Above 300 is elevated.

How to lower fibrinogen levels

• Bromelain, a pineapple-derived anti-inflammatory enzyme, has been shown to normalize elevated fibrinogen. Take 2-4 capsules twice daily.
• Flaxseed oil inhibits excessive platelet aggregation and excessive thromboxane activity, while also lowering fibrinogen levels. Thromboxanes, a family of compounds formed in blood platelets, control the tendency of platelets to stick together and initiate blood clotting. Fibrinogen contributes to the protein infrastructure of blood clots. Persons at risk for coronary heart disease and stroke, produce the kind of thromboxane that contributes to platelet clumping and excessive amounts of fibrinogen. Researchers report that alpha-linolenic acid in flaxseed is an effective agent for markedly lowering biosynthesis of unfavorable thromboxanes and fibrinogen.
• The spice turmeric inhibits the formation of fibrinogen, and thus lowers blood levels. Turmeric can reduce fibrinogen levels, thereby inhibiting blood clotting. In one study by scientists in Spain, researchers selected eight subjects with elevated fibrinogen levels and treated them with 20 mg of Curcuma longa (turmeric) extract per day. After only 15 days, previously elevated levels of fibrinogen plummeted in all eight subjects.    Read More

Patients with F/M often complain of "pain all over."

A diagnosis of F/M is based on a patient's report of widespread pain of more than three months' duration and identification of 11 of 18 possible tender points.

Since there is no specific diagnostic test for fibromyalgia, other diagnoses must be ruled out before the F/M can be diagnosed. These include the following:

• Drug-induced myopathy, or musculoskeletal pain caused by drug medications. Common examples of drugs that can cause F/M-like symptoms include: statins, colchicine, corticosteroids, and anti-malarial drugs.
• Autoimmune, rheumatologic disorders, and connective tissue disorders. These include: spondyloarthropathy (inflammed spine, diagnosable with lab tests), dermatomyositis and polymyositis (unlike F/M these cause proximal muscle weakness), systemic lupus erythematosus (lab tests for SLE antibodies are positive), rheumatoid arthritis (lab tests available), and polymyalgia rheumatica (blood tests are nonspecific).
• Hypothyroidism can cause widespread musculoskeletal pain, especially when antimicrosomal antibodies are present.    Read More

How to Treat the Flu

What should I do if I catch the flu?

Go to bed and get plenty of rest. Drink warm fluids such as warm broth, vegetable juices and herbal teas. Try not to infect others. Take these anti-flu nutritional supplements:

• Immune Plex - an excellent all-purpose combination of state-of-the-art antivirals and immunopotentiating herbs and nutrients. Take 4-6 capsules 3-4 times a day.
• Echinacea - an antiviral, antiinflammatory herb that has been long recognized for its immune enhancing and antiviral properties. Take 30 drops every 1-2 hours at earliest onset of symptoms. After four days decrease to 30 drops three or four times a day.
• Astragalus - a traditional Chinese herb that has been shown in modern research studies to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flus. Among its many immunopotentiating properties, astragalus enhances macrophage numbers and aggressiveness. One macrophage can eat 100 viruses. Take 3-4 capsules three times daily.
• Vitamin C - everyone knows vitamin C helps colds and flus. Extensive research has documented an array of immune enhancing, antioxidant, and antiviral effects. Vitamin C shortens the duration of colds and the flu. Take the most effective form, Ester-C, 4-10 grams (4000-10,000 mg.) daily until the flu is gone.
• Garlic - a broad-spectrum antibiotic and immune booster. Oft referred to as Russian penicillin (because the Russian people use it as an antibiotic to treat infections of all sorts) garlic also fends off all kinds of disease-causing microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Besides killing “bad bugs,” garlic increases the body’s natural resistance to infection by reinforcing the immune system. During a cold or flu take 4-6 capsules 3 times daily.
• Zinc - should be taken at the first signs of a cold or flu. A zinc-rich environment has been shown to discourage the growth of cold and flu viruses. Several studies shown that zinc supplementation cuts the duration of acute viral infections in half. Raising the level of zinc in the body has been shown to strengthen immune responses and inhibit infections. Take 100 mg. a day for the first week of a cold or flu.

About the Flu

Symptoms of the flu

Flu symptoms include any or all of the following:

• high fever
• headache
• tiredness
• weakness
• dry cough
• sore throat
• nasal congestion
• runny nose
• body or muscle aches

What is the ‘flu”?

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by the influenza virus. It must be considered a dangerous disease. Every year in the U.S., 30-60 million people get the flu, 100,000 are hospitalized for it, and 36,000 die of it.

Who is at risk?

People at greatest risk fall into the following categories: seniors over 65 years of age, children 6 months to 23 months, pregnant women, and anyone else with a chronic medical condition.

How do I catch the flu?

Airborne spread of the virus can be caused by sneezing, coughing, even speaking. The virus particles are then breathed in by an uninfected person, thus spreading the disease. A single sneeze can propel 5000 virus laden droplets at 100 miles per hour up to a distance of 12 feet!

Another method of transmission is hand to mouth. Here the victim touches a doorknob, handle, or other contaminated surface, and then touches his face, mouth, or nose before washing the contaminated hand. Handshaking, telephones, and faucet handles (even on the sink you used to wash your hands!) can be contaminated. Many a flu has been contracted because the patient has eaten food with contaminated hands. To avoid the flu, wash hands frequently, and always before eating!

Is the flu a serious illness?

Sometimes. Most people recover in two weeks. For every one thousand people who catch the flu, one person dies from it. Potentially life-threatening complications do occur, including pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of a chronic condition.

Emergency signs that require immediate medical attention include:

• high or prolonged fever
• rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
• bluish skin color
• dehydration or not drinking enough liquids

How does the flu virus work?

Influenza viruses are highly contagious.

Viruses are the smallest type of living organism. Our immune systems defend against viruses by making antibodies--large protein molecules-that latch onto and inactivate them.

Our bodies contain antibodies to every cold and flu virus that we have ever had. that’s why we can’t get the same virus cold or flu twice. But these crafty little critters have a way around our immunity: they mutate to become new strains that our antibodies don’t recognize, so we are vulnerable.

A strong and healthy immune system helps protect against the flu and may help us ward it off. Should we contract the flu anyway, a strong immune system will help shorten the duration and reduce the severity.

If I get the flu, how long am I contagious?

The flu is contagious from one day before symptoms appear and continues to be contagious as long as any symptoms are present.

Flu Prevention

What can I do to prevent the flu?

The flu vaccine has been shown to prevent certain strains of the flu, but it is not readily available this year, and has many other drawbacks as well.

In order to prevent the flu, it is crucial to have a strong immune system. Your food choices have a powerful effect on whether you are vulnerable to the flu. And many herbs and other food extracts can power up your immune system so if you are exposed, it can fight off the infection.

Flu prevention also requires that you avoid exposure.

How do I avoid exposure to the flu?

To answer this question, you need to understand how the flu is spread. Droplet transmission happens when you breathe air contaminated by the coughing and sneezing of a person infected with the flu virus. Direct or hand-to-hand transmission occurs when you touch a doorknob or other public surface contaminated with flu virus. If you wash your contaminated hand before rubbing your eye or touching your face or eating, you will remove the virus. If you don’t wash, you’ll transmit it into your body, and 24-48 hours later you’ll wish you’d simply washed your hands.

You don’t have to do a surgical scrub to get the virus off. A simple, thorough washing should take no more than about 20 seconds. Use plenty of soap and warm water, and make sure you rub all surfaces of both hands.

Some simple tips will help you avoid contaminating yourself. Always wash your hands before eating. When opening doors in public places, use a tissue or your shirt sleeve. When exiting from a bathroom, use your paper towel to open the door. Once you have touched any public surface, consider your hand contaminated--it is!

Amazing as this may seem, a simple rule applies to all viral infections: if you are not exposed to someone who has the flu, you will not get it! This leads to another flu prevention strategy: avoid exposure! If you know someone is ill, keep your distance. If they are coughing or sneezing, leave the room. The main problem with this strategy is that people are contagious during the incubation period. This means that in the first 1-2 days after a person has contracted the disease, but before the symptoms have appeared, they are contagious. But there is no way to tell they are infected, so the warning signals are not yet in place.

If I can’t avoid exposure, is there a way to keep from getting the flu?

Yes, by strengthening your immune system. A sluggish immune system will be slow in identifying the flu virus, and sluggish in its responses. The virus counts on this to get established as an infection. The first 12-24 hours after exposure are critical. This is when the virus multiplies wildly, trying to “get ahead” of the immune response. A healthy immune system will identify the virus, initiate a counter attack (it has many ways of doing this), and fend it off within a few hours. At the very least, if the infection is not completely stoppable, a potent immune system can slow it down a whole lot in that initial few hours, so that the infection that does happen will be milder, and shorter.

A weak, tired, stressed out immune system will have the opposite effect. This includes people with weak immune systems: old, very young, chronically ill, or just chronically undernourished individuals are much more vulnerable to the flu. During its incubation period (the first 24-48 hours) the virus can multiply relatively unchecked, getting a huge “head start” on the immune system. This makes for a more severe infection, and one that lasts longer.

So a powerful strategy for enhanced protection from influenza viruses is the use of nutritional immunopotentiators. Nutritional science, coupled with cell biology, has generated an array of natural food-derived products that can rejuvenate immune health. I have listed below the ones that I recommend. Each of these products has a specific mechanism of action, so think of each as a tool that has a unique usefulness, either as protection from, or as treatment for, the flu:

• Immune Plex - an excellent all-purpose combination of state-of-the-art antivirals, immunopotentiating herbs and nutrients. A typical dose would be 2-3 capsules twice a day every day to strengthen the immune system. Increase dose to 4-6 capsules 3-4 times a day in case of infection.
• Echinacea - an antiviral herb that has its greatest usefulness as a preventative and in the first few days of a cold or flu. Use 30 drops every 1-2 hours in earliest stages of colds or flus.
• Astragalus - a Chinese herb that strengthens the immune system in a great variety of ways. Used prior to infection it enhances protection from viral infections. Used during an infection, it helps the immune system get the upper hand. Studies in China have proven that premedicating with astragalus reduces the severity and duration of common viral illnesses. Take 1-3 capsules twice daily to strengthen immunity. Increase to 2-3 capsules 3 times a day in case of infection.
• Colostrum - contains immune factors that regulate and potentiate immune activity. Functioning like software, it “reprograms” the immune system to function optimally. Colostrum’s greatest usefulness is in strengthening the immune system prior to infection.

The following essential nutrients are necessary for optimum immune health. I recommend taking each of these supplements both preventively and during a cold or flu:

• Flaxseed oil - an essential nutrient that is indispensable for healthy immune cells; daily flaxseed oil supplementation is recommended for all people to improve general health as well as immune health. One tablespoon (or six caps) a day for general immune health. Increase to two tablespoons a day from earliest symptoms and during viral infections.
• Ester-C - vitamin C is an antiviral and immune strengthening essential nutrient. One of its many mechanisms is to enhance the aggressiveness of immune cells. Daily intake of 2000-4000 mg. will improve viral resistance. Increase to 6000-10,000 daily at earliest sign of cold or flu symptoms.
• Zinc - has been shown to shorten viral infections and enhance immunity. Ongoing daily doses of 30 mg. of zinc (as aspartate, citrate, or picolinate because they are more readily absorbed) will keep the immune system happy and healthy. Increase to 100 mg. a day for the first week of a cold or flu.

What about the flu shot? Is it safe? Is it effective? Do I need one? Will I be okay if I don’t get it?

By now everyone knows there is a shortage of flu vaccine. But even if you could get a flu shot, would you want it? A growing number of physicians are counseling their patients not to get the “flu shot,” because it contains mercury and aluminum. Both are neurotoxins. Mercury is also toxic to the immune system. Aluminum has been associated with major increase in risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Also, the flu shot is not 100% effective. Each year experts put their collective heads together and select (from hundreds) the three strains they think are most likely to become widespread that year. Their guess is not always accurate.

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The following is the table of contents and first chapter from the book. If you are interested in this subject and want to learn more (or you want to read the rest of the book), please contact me at drsmith@renewalresearch.com.

Contents

Introduction

Part One A Revolution in Diagnosing and Preventing Heart and Cardiovascular Disease

Chapter 1 An Epidemic of Heart Disease

Chapter 2 How To Use This Book

Chapter 3 Atherosclerosis: The Most Common Disease

Chapter 4 Beyond Cholesterol: Introducing The New Heart Disease Markers

Chapter 5 Atherogenesis: How Coronary Artery Disease Happens

Part Two The New Heart Markers: What They Mean and How Reverse Them

Chapter 6 Blood Lipids: Cholesterol and LDL, Triglycerides, Lipoproteins, HDL, VLDL

Chapter 7 C-Reactive Protein: The Fire Alarm Molecule

Chapter 8 Homocysteine: Ping Pong Balls From Hell

Chapter 9 Fibrinogen: Clotting Protein Gone Berserk Chapter 10 Blood Sugar, Insulin Resistance, and

Syndrome “X”

Chapter 11 LDL Density: A Few Extra Nanometers Can Kill You

Chapter 12 Hypothyroidism, Chlamydia, Iron Overload

References

Index

An Epidemic of Heart Disease

At age 50, Hal felt great. His cholesterol was low, he exercised every day, he didn’t drink or smoke, his blood pressure was normal, he maintained a healthy weight, ate a low fat diet, managed stress effectively, and got regular checkups.

While mowing his backyard one sunny Saturday afternoon, Hal experienced sudden chest pain. He collapsed. His wife, Muriel, delivering some lemonade and cookies, found him slumped on the ground next to his mower, dead of a massive myocardial infarction. A blood sample taken prior to his death revealed Hal’s untreated C-reactive protein had been 9.3 (normal is 1.0 or less).

Mary was a 55 year old Chicago real estate broker who owned her own firm. She’d read all the health magazines and knew a lot about how to take care of herself. Thanks to a statin drug, her cholesterol was normal. Because she exercised every day and ate a vegetarian diet, her blood pressure was normal. She wouldn’t dream of smoking.

One morning, while driving to her office, she passed out at the wheel and crashed into a tree. The autopsy showed she had suffered a massive stroke. Unbeknownst to her or her doctor Mary’s unmeasured and untreated fibrinogen level had been 500 for several years.

Art Baker was a healthy 62 year old musician and avid skier from Boulder, Colorado. Art’s cholesterol was normal, he eschewed fatty foods, exercised every day, and didn’t smoke. He kept his stress level and blood pressure low by playing piano every day, and living a laid back lifestyle. At a recent checkup, his internist told him he had no sign of heart or cardiovascular disease and that his general health was “perfect.” A couple of weeks later, one wintry afternoon, Art slumped over his keyboard while composing a new piece, and could not be revived. Art’s cause of death was not elevated cholesterol; it was undiagnosed and untreated metabolic syndrome (also known as Syndrome X). His blood sugar was elevated at 112, his triglycerides were quite high at 350, and his protective HDL was depressed at 27.

At 47 Jake was enjoying the prime of his life. A successful small businessman from San Francisco, he headed up his own consulting firm, and at work he played tough and called all the shots. At home, however, Millie, his wife and sweetheart of 25 years, knew his soft side and exploited it by teasing him mercilessly. He loved to play with his kids and reveled in watching them grow up.

Jake took good care of his health, or at least he though he did. His father had died of a heart attack, and Jake’s cholesterol was modestly elevated. His internist, Dr. Bob Sweeney had given him a statin drug, and, when the cholesterol had reached the normal range, pronounced Jake “healthy as a horse” and “free of heart attack risk.”

About a month after his last visit to Dr. Sweeney, while roughhousing with his 7 year old, Mikey, Jake stopped suddenly and clutched his chest. He turned blue, and collapsed on the oriental rug, dead in less than five minutes. Jake’s untreated homocysteine level was measured at 14.7 (ideal is 6.0 or less).

As a nation, we have been sold on the failed notion that to prevent heart disease all we have to do is control our cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure. Like Hal, Mary, Art, and Jake, though you may be convinced that you are doing all of the right things, you may still be at great risk of a sudden heart attack.

This book contains information that may save your life. It’ll show you how to apply the most recent research findings about heart disease. Recent research has proven beyond any doubt that if one truly wants to prevent the heart attacks and strokes that kill most of us, we need to go beyond the outmoded cholesterol model and look at the new “independent risk markers.”

I will show you how to test for the “independent markers” that actually cause atherosclerosis, and how to design your own personal program that will reverse the disease process.

Along the way, you’ll learn that your doctor is probably not aware of this information that can dramatically reduce your heart attack risk.

If you are perfectly healthy and symptom free, you can use these new markers to literally see into your future: you’ll identify the heart disease risk factors that could eventually cause you to suffer a heart attack or a stroke. Armed with this information, you can take action to reverse the markers and prevent a future health disaster.

If you already suffer from atherosclerotic heart and cardiovascular disease, this book will go far beyond the outdated cholesterol model to show you how to identify the specific causes of your disorder, and how to reverse them, so that your blood vessels can heal.

A system gone awry

The current standard medical approach for “preventing” atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is to correct cholesterol if it’s elevated (using statin drugs), and lower blood pressure (more drugs). If you’re lucky, your physician will take an extra 30 seconds and toss in some gratuitous, halfhearted, hand waving recommendations about the importance of exercise and a low fat diet.

The next step is to sit back and wait for a cardiovascular “event.” No problem: more often than not there’ll be one. About three-fourths of patients subjected to this laissez-faire approach will eventually cooperate by having a heart attack or a stroke. Nothing like a medical emergency to mobilize action, so now the doctors whip out their prescription pads and sharpen their scalpels in a belated attempt to “close the door after the horses have gotten out.”

If the vast array of expensive drugs doesn’t prove effective, or if the atherosclerotic arterial blockage has progressed too far, there’s always balloon angioplasty (stretching open a narrowed artery by inserting a balloon in the narrowed part of the vessel and then blowing it up, stent implantation (a metal expandable tube is placed inside the narrowed artery), or bypass surgery (leg veins are transplanted to the heart to get blood past the blockage).

But shouldn’t they have anticipated the cataclysm and gotten going sooner? Couldn’t the debacle that finally stirs them into dramatic action have been prevented? I think so.

It seems to me that there’s something deeply flawed with a medical delivery system that waits patiently for a disaster, and then hauls out some truly drastic and dangerous therapeutic measures. When driving, you don’t wait until the last minute and then try to swerve away to avoid a crash. You take preventive action from the earliest moment a potential danger becomes apparent. That’s the kind of shift in consciousness I’m advocating with heart disease. From a statistical standpoint we know that most of us are steering toward a cardiovascular accident. Let’s start taking preventive action now, rather than waiting until the last minute and then opting for the drugs and surgery.

Medical scientists now know that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is both preventable and reversible. By taking the blood tests I describe in this book, you can actually see the accident coming. And you’ll know which markers are going to cause it.

By identifying and reversing your specific risk markers, you can literally prevent this killer disease before it happens, and dramatically reduce that 75% risk down to 5% or less.

The leading cause of death

Heart disease is by far the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.More likely than not, unless you take action to find and treat its causes, it will be the cause of your death. No matter who you are, how successful or wealthy you are, no matter what your age or sex or where you live, your chances of dying prematurely of cardiovascular disease are about three in four. You are about three times as likely to succumb to this preventable disease as from all other causes combined!

At this moment, more than 70 million Americans suffer from some form of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Most of the rest are in the process of developing it.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the "silent killer" is a slow, progressive disease that begins early in life and usually goes undetected for decades. Twice every minute, an American suffers a heart attack. Half of these heart attacks, one every minute, is fatal.

Two thirds of these victims had no prior warning, no early symptoms to tell them they might be at risk. For them, the first and only symptom of heart disease was a fatal heart attack.

For those who die of a heart attack or a stroke, powerful biochemical forces have been silently at work, gradually setting the stage by causing the atherosclerotic hardening that precedes the fatal event.

Our understanding of atherosclerosis has now advanced far beyond the simplistic and antiquated notion that cholesterol is at the root of it. We now know that cholesterol, a molecule necessary for life, is just one of several markers for atherosclerosis. Other important molecular participants (villains, all) include homocysteine, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and small dense oxidized LDL particles. These have been shown play an active role in damaging the arterial wall and causing atherosclerotic plaque to form there. We can now test for these and other causes of atherosclerosis, and reverse them.

This book is written for two kinds of people. Some of you already have a heart problem and want to know how to reverse it. Others have no heart disease, but have become aware of the high probability of developing it, and want to keep that from happening.

The Renewal Heart Program first shows you how to identify your personal markers for atherosclerosis. Then, for the markers that are abnormal, you’ll learn how to reverse them.

As you read this book, keep in mind the following two important facts:

Heart and cardiovascular disease can be prevented and reversed naturally, using foods, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, botanical medicines, and (the least expensive and most potent medicine of all) daily exercise.

In the next chapter, I’ll explain how to use this book...

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• Heart Heatlh--Preventing Heart Disease
• Atherosclerosis
• Blood Sugar
• Cholesterol
• Fibrinogen
• Homocysteine
• Hypertension
• Hypothyroidism
• Insulin Resistance
• The Metabolic Syndrome
• Elevated Blood Sugar
• Weight Control

Elevated Homocysteine levels are associated with a wide variety of other diseases including:

• depression
• multiple sclerosis
• diabetes
• birth defects
• Alzheimer's disease
• rheumatoid arthritis
• osteoporosis

Homocysteine is located at a junction of several key metabolic pathways in the body. It is an intermediate in the synthesis of cysteine from methionine. A deficiency of vitamin B-12, folic acid, and/or vitamin B-6 can block this pathway, causing buildup of toxic levels of homocysteine. Supplementation of these nutrients facilitates the pathway, reducing homocysteine levels.     Read More

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Of all the problems that can undermine health and accelerate aging, none is more common--or more likely to be overlooked--than an underactive thyroid gland.

Thyroid hormone messages travel to every one of your 75 (or so) trillion cells, and affect all tissues and organs. Because the thyroid's job is regulate metabolism (in other words to tell all of your cells how hard to work), if your thyroid doesn't work right, the rest of your body won't, either.

Hypothyroidism is extremely common. Experts estimate that undetected hypothyroidism has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting between 25 and 40 percent of the nation's population. But most people who have it do not know they have it because they are misdiagnosed by mainstream physicians. The problem is that physicians misinterpret the lab test results, setting the bar for diagnosing the disease at too high a level.

Be careful! Many people have symptoms of a low thyroid but their doctor has told them their test results are "normal." Blood tests for hypothyroidism are often inaccurate. A consultation with a physician versed in natural thyroid hormone replacement therapy will help you determine your true thyroid status. Most people with the disease have what is known as "subclinical" hypothyroidism, a form of the disease in which the usual thyroid test results are normal or close to normal, but the patient has significant symptoms and thyroid disease nonetheless. I have listed the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism below. If you think you might have this disease, please read my chapter on the subject from Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution. The chapter includes directions for an easy test you can do at home to determine whether you are hypothyroid.     Read More

IBS is a problematic diagnosis. Many people who are diagnosed as “IBS” actually have a condition alternative doctors call “dysbiosis.” Dysbiosis means disrupted intestinal flora. This condition is usually accompanied by chronic recurrent intestinal infections.

The IBS patient has unexplained cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, digestive distress, intestinal fullness and the feeling that “things aren’t right in there.” Food intolerances and a very limited diet are often part of the clinical picture.

IBS is what I call a “garbage can diagnosis.” By this I mean it is used when all the usual tests fail to reveal a specific cause for the patient’s symptoms. Having excluded all the other diagnoses, the doctor--unable to admit he doesn’t know why the patient has these symptoms--desperately needs a label. “IBS” to the rescue! Ask any doctor who has used this label what it means in terms of pathophysiology (i.e., causation) and you will draw either a blank stare or some hand-waving description of turmoil involving neurotransmitters, disrupted nervous system function, and psychic imbalance. Though this may sound good, it is meaningless in terms of defining the problem.

“Irritable bowel syndrome” is more a descriptive term than a diagnosis. Okay, so the “bowel” is “irritated.” What’s causing the “irritation”?

In my experience, most people with these kinds of symptoms have diagnosable and treatable infections. However--and this is where mainstream internists and gastroenterologists usually miss the boat--these patients also have a disturbed intestinal ecosystem and a damaged intestinal tract.

Disturbed intestinal ecology, or dysbiosis, occurs when the protective intestinal flora is damaged. The mucosal surface lining a healthy intestinal tract is normally “infected” with over 400 species of microbes, but the predominant forms are the “probiotic” bacteria: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, and E. coli species. These bacteria help us to maintain health in numerous ways, and without them we are in (am I actually saying this?) “deep do-do.” They prevent overgrowth with pathogenic bacteria, reduce inflammation, upregulate antibody production, assist in digestion, play a role in recycling hormones, protect and enhance immune function, and strengthen intestinal mucosal barrier function, to name just a few.

In order to facilitate rapid absorption of nutrients from the food we eat, the surface area of the intestine is large, perhaps the size of two tennis courts if laid out flat.

When our healthy flora is damaged, unwanted (“dysbiotic”) bacteria move in and set up shop in(“colonize”) the mucosa. They use the living space and eat the food that was meant for the good guys. These are often putrefactive and fermentative bacterial forms, so they cause gas and smelly bowel movements. And the body knows they shouldn’t be there, so it speeds up peristalsis (the waves of muscular action that push food along) in an attempt to expel them. This is what causes the loose movements and diarrhea.

An equally important feature of the disturbed gut ecology (i.e., the dysbiosis that is mistaken for IBS) is damage to the immune cells that line the intestinal tract. Because the intestinal contents pose our largest threat from the “outside,” most (80%) of the immune cells (lymphocytes) in our bodies are positioned there to protect us from the toxins, bacteria, viruses allergens and other undesirable chemicals that can be found in the bowel contents.

It is important to realize that the contents of the intestinal tract, are outside our body. The mucus membrane lining the bowel separates those contents from the inside of the body. When this membrane is damaged and dysfunctional, as in dysbiosis, unwanted bugs can grow there and unwanted materials (allergens and toxins) can slip past this membranous barrier and gain entry to the bloodstream, which then takes them everywhere else in the body.

Intestinal inflammation and infection damage the protective flora--the Lactobacillus acidophilus and (more importantly) the Bifidobacterial populations that occupy the mucosal surface of the intestinal tract. The good bugs are replaced by the bad, and the consequences are disastrous.

Once the flora is damaged, it is very easily reinfected with “bad bugs” because the protective good species are not implanted on the mucosal gut surface. When a large percentage of this intestinal membrane has become infected with unwanted, dysbiotic microbes, any or all of the symptoms of “IBS” are likely to appear: nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramps, and ongoing or recurrent food intolerance.

The double whammy of immune damage and chronic inflammation creates an ongoing susceptibility to frequent and recurrent infections or ongoing bad bug dysbiotic infections. And these infections are often mistaken for--or accompany--true IBS.

A compromised mucosal surface allows toxic material and partially digested food molecules to gain entry to the bloodstream and general circulation, so we also often see systemic symptoms. These include systemic immune stress, liver toxic overload, allergic symptoms, autoimmune arthritis, and other symptoms.

Mainstream gastroenterology is, for the most part, oblivious to these kinds of issues. The medical labs they use do not have the training or expertise to identify the problem, and it is a waste of time and money to do their kind of microbiological testing. The only lab I recommend for this purpose is Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory (1-800-522-4762), and the test to do is their Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA). This test requires no visit to a lab; you can do it at home.

Armed with the information from the CDSA, your alternative doctor can work with you to get your bowels back to functioning properly again. It takes time and work. The basic strategy is to 1.) kill the bad dysbiotic bugs (both natural and drug antimicrobials are used), 2.) repopulate with probiotic microbes (GI Flora and/or Probiotics, and Bifidobacteria), 3.) removal of food allergens (which irritate and inflame the mucosa and encourage the bad bugs), and 4.) STML Error [type: nutritional text: medicines such as Similase digestive enzymes that support the healing of the intestinal mucosa and other aspects of digestive function.     Read More

Astragalus

My first choice for immune support, astragalus is a Chinese herb with thousands of years of use. Astragalus upregulates most aspects of immune system functioning and has been used in a wide variety of medical syndromes where immune system potentiation and heightened sense of well-being are the desired effect.

Astragalus has been used in a variety of immune deficient conditions to: raise white blood cell counts, increase number and phagocytic activity of macrophages and monocytes, increase interferon production, increase natural killer cell numbers and level of activity, increase T-cell activity, maintain liver health, increase the clearing rate of toxins, increase antibody production (IgG and IgA) by B-lymphocytes, dramatically increase the survival time of cancer patients who have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and improve general energy.

Studies in China have proven that premedicating with astragalus reduces the severity and duration of the common cold. Start taking high dose astragalus (4 capsules every 4-6 hours) at the earliest sign of a cold or if you know you have been exposed.

Echinacea

Echinacea is a thoroughly researched herb with a powerful array of scientifically documented properties.

Echinacea is a powerful immune system stimulant with antiviral and antibacterial actions.

The immune-stimulating polysaccharides in echinacea bind to T-lymphocytes, activating them and increasing interferon production. The result is increased natural killer cell activity (natural killer cells target viruses) and increased macrophage activity (macrophages phagocytize, or eat, foreign invaders like bacteria and toxins).

Taken at the earliest stages of a cold, flu, or other infection, echinacea can either abort the infection or decrease its severity and duration.

Prophylactic use of echinacea is not recommended.     Read More

Natural sleep aids reduce the need for drugs which can cause toxic reactions and withdrawal symptoms. These gentler natural sleep agents are safe and effective--and won’t cause hangovers, dependence, or side effects.     Read More

As we get older, our bodies lose the ability to manage high levels of dietary carbohydrate intake. Over forty, most people begin to develop "insulin resistance." Sooner or later this pushes up ones blood sugar level, causing accelerated hardening of the arteries, which results in much greater risk of heart attack and stroke. Here's how insulin resistance works:

Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that helps the body utilize blood glucose (blood sugar) by binding with receptors on cells in the muscles and liver. Once insulin has attached to an insulin receptor, blood sugar can enter the cell, where it is either utilized immediately for energy production or transformed to a storage form known as glycogen.

Insulin resistance occurs when the insulin receptors--for reasons that are not yet clear--become less responsive to the insulin signals, and so the pancreas must secrete larger amounts of insulin to process the same amount of glucose. As a consequence glucose can build up in the bloodstream, resulting in high blood glucose or even type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance is aggravated by obesity and physical inactivity. Exercise and weight loss have been shown to reduce its severity or even cure it.

Individuals who have insulin resistance usually have blood lipid imbalances as well. This is because the body turns excess sugar into fats in an attempt to get rid of it. The result is increased triglyceride (blood fat) levels and a decreased level of HDL (good) cholesterol. Higher triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol increase the risk for heart disease.

Syndrome X is a cluster of risk factors for heart disease associated with insulin resistance. These include: hypertriglyceridemia (high blood lipid), low HDL-cholesterol, hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin), often hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), and hypertension (high blood pressure). Almost all individuals with type 2 diabetes and many with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are insulin resistant.

There are no outward physical signs of insulin resistance. If your fasting glucose level is above 98, you are insulin resistant, and on the path to atherosclerotic disease. (A glucose tolerance test, during which insulin and blood glucose are measured, can provide even more definitive diagnostic information.)

No one knows for sure what causes insulin resistance. Perhaps a gene deficit may cause the propensity for developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Whether or not you are genetically predisposed to this disease, you can prevent and reverse it: exercise and weight control.

High carb diets cause insulin resistance, Syndrome X, and type II diabetes. A low carbohydrate diet is essential. Research indicates that low fat diets aggravate insulin resistance, probably because the caloric shortfall is replaced with carbohydrates. A diet low in saturated fat (less than 5 percent of total calories) and more moderate in total fat content (40% of total calories) is indicated.

Certain nutritional medicines have been shown to improve insulin function and forestall the tissue damage caused by elevated blood sugar levels. The botanical medicines in Glucose Control normalize blood sugar levels and reverse insulin resistance.

Lipoic Acid (300 - 600 mg per day) increases the effectiveness of insulin by reversing insulin resistance. It thus prevents and cures many of the detrimental side effects that occur as a result of Diabetes Mellitus (both Type 1 and Type 2), the worst of which is atherosclerosis. Lipoic Acid improves blood flow to nerve cells, reduces oxidative stress, and improves nerve conduction. Lipoic Acid prevents the diabetic neuropathy that is a common side effect of diabetes. It is a powerful antioxidant and potent scavenger of free radicals. It inhibits the protein cross-linking that is associated with accelerated aging.

Green tea catechins significantly lower blood glucose levels in Type II diabetics. Green tea extract decreases insulin resistance and restores insulin response to normal.

One of the most powerful and essential strategies for reversing insulin resistance is a low glycemic index diet. Glycemic index is a way of measuring how rapidly a given food increases blood sugar. The idea is to avoid foods with a high glycemic index. These include most breads and baked goods, corn, potatoes, rice, most cold cereals, snack and other foods made with refined flour. Low glycemic index foods include: all vegetables except carrots, beans and peas, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, sprouted grains, whole rye bread, whole wheat pita bread, whole wheat tortillas.

Maintaining an appropriate body weight is crucial because obesity can aggravate insulin resistance.

Many alternative physicians now prescribe the drug metformin (500-1000 mg. a day) when nutritional methods fail to control blood sugar. Metformin is believed by many anti-aging specialist (including yours truly) to be an anti-aging drug. Because it stabilizes blood sugar in persons with insulin resistance, it blocks the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which, in turn, prevents heart attacks and strokes. Taken together, these two diseases account for 75% of all premature deaths.    Read More