By Dr Myron Wentz
29 December 2008
There is no chronic degenerative disease more epidemic today than type 2 diabetes. And yet it is among the most easily prevented of all diseases. That’s because the explosion of diabetes we see today is largely the result of two trends: rapidly increasing obesity and a dramatic drop in daily physical exercise. Those trends can be reversed and the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and their complications greatly reduced.
The reason I can say that with confidence is the result of an important study by the Diabetes Prevention Program, a major clinical trial performed by the National Institutes of Health. All 3,234 study participants in the study were overweight and had impaired glucose tolerance, recognized risk factors for diabetes.
One-third of the subjects took metformin, the most frequently-prescribed diabetes drug, twice a day, one-third received a placebo twice a day in place of the drug, and one-third received training in diet, exercise, and behavior modification.
The goals of the lifestyle intervention training were to:
1. Achieve and maintain a weight loss of 7 percent with healthy eating and increased physical activity, and
2. Maintain physical activity at least 150 minutes a week with moderate exercise, such as walking or biking.
Not what you would consider a radical change in lifestyle.
The results, however, were radical. While metformin was found to somewhat reduce the risk of diabetes in persons at high risk, lifestyle intervention was far more effective. Overall, healthy diet and exercise—without any drugs—reduced the likelihood of diabetes by nearly two-thirds. Of course there also were no negative drug side effects from eating right and exercising, only additional benefits that can last a lifetime.
These striking results tell us that millions of high-risk people can use diet, exercise, and behavior modification to avoid developing type 2 diabetes. Through nothing more than awareness of risk factors, and individual preventive action, families all around the world can be spared the burden of diabetes and its debilitating complications.
In October 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes nearly doubled in the last 10 years. The human and economic cost of diabetes, in the U.S. and around the world, is rapidly becoming the most important of all public health problems. The good news is that diabetes, along with most other chronic degenerative diseases, can be prevented through modest lifestyle changes. Knowing the risk factors and learning how to reduce them can restore active and healthy lives to millions.
Further reading:
Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metmormin. N. Engl. J. Med. 346(6):393-403. 2002.
Molitch, M.E., et al. The Diabetes Prevention Program and Its Global Implications. J. Am Soc Nephrol. 14:S103-07. 2003.
Kirtland, K. et al. State-specific incidence of diabetes among adults—participating states, 1995—1997 and 2005—2007. MMWR 57:1169-72. 2008.
By Jackie Khor
22 December 2008
Adequate nutrient intakes are required for the immune system to function efficiently. A good multivitamin can enhance the immune system by supporting the body’s natural defenses on both a structural and cellular level.
A recent article published in the British Journal of Nutrition summarizes the roles of select vitamins and trace elements in immune function.
Adequate intakes of micronutrients are required for the immune system to function efficiently. Micronutrient deficiency suppresses immunity by affecting antibody responses, leading to imbalances in the immune system. This situation increases susceptibility to infections, which increases disease and death risk. In addition, infections aggravate micronutrient deficiencies by reducing nutrient intake, increasing losses, and interfering with utilization by altering metabolic pathways. Inadequate intakes of micronutrients are common in people with eating disorders, smokers (active and passive), individuals with chronic alcohol abuse, certain diseases, during pregnancy and lactation, and in the elderly.
Micronutrients contribute to the body’s natural defenses on three levels by supporting physical barriers (skin/mucosa), cellular immunity, and antibody production. Vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral zinc assist in enhancing the skin barrier function. Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc, copper and selenium work synergistically to support the protective activities of the immune cells. Finally, all these micronutrients, with the exception of vitamin C and iron, are essential for the production of antibodies.
Overall, inadequate intake and status of these vitamins and minerals may lead to a suppressed immune system, which increases the risk of infections and aggravates malnutrition. Therefore, supplementation with a multivitamin that includes these micronutrients can support the body’s natural defense system by enhancing all three levels of immunity.
To Your Success
Jackie Khor
“Enabling people to achieve their Vision”
Mob: +61 413 342 967
Tel: +61 7 3890 1167
Safe And Healthy Weight Loss
http://www.makemoneyhomebiz.net
Work At Home Business On The Net
http://www.resultmakemoney.com/home-business-4.html
Nutritionals You Can Trust
http://www.besttruehealth.com
A Home Business Opportunity
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Inner and Outer Beauty
http://beautifulskincare.weebly.com
By Roger Mason
22 December 2008
When you get your blood checked with an annual physical, you’ve noticed you get back a report on about 20 some blood parameters- glucose, bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. One of those readings is “uric acid”. In the report I have the reference range is 3.3-7.9, which means an average of about 5.6 (add high and low and divide by 2). You should be LOW range here. This means 5.0 and preferably lower than that.
If you eat very little animal protein in your diet, you surely have a very low uric acid level. If you eat a lot of animal protein you probably have a very high level. If you are on the Atkins , Paleolithic, South Beach, Mercola, or “ketogenic” diet you have a pathological level.
What does that mean? It means you may well get a very painful form of arthritis called gout. It means you are at much higher risk for arthritis of all kinds and inflammation. Your chances of getting diabetes and high blood pressure skyrocket. Most of all, it means you are at high risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack, and early death. Heart and artery disease is the biggest killer of all by far. High uric acid is a very accurate marker of illness and early death.
There is a very interesting study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (vol. 283, 2000). At the Einstein College of Medicine in NY 5,926 people from 25 to 74 years of age were studied for their blood uric acid levels. They followed these people for almost 17 years. The doctors reviewed the results and said, “Increased serum uric acid levels had a positive relationship to cardio-vascular mortality in men and women, and in black and white persons.” They further said, “Our data suggest that increased serum uric acid levels are independently and significantly associated with risk of cardiovascular mortality.” That’s pretty clear.
You can eat small amounts (i.e. 10%) of lean meat, poultry, and eggs (no one should eat dairy) in your diet, stay healthy, and live a long time, without high cholesterol, high triglycerides or high uric acid levels. It is still a bad idea. However, you can’t eat large amounts of animal foods regularly like most all Americans do. You will almost never see a vegetarian or a seafood eater with high uric acid levels. This pathology is purely a result of being a carnivore.
This column has warned you repeatedly about any high protein diets. We eat twice the protein we need (which is almost all animal protein), twice the calories we need, and eight times the fat we need. Here’s your proof straight from a purely medical journal. JAMA is certainly not promoting natural health, much less vegetarianism. This is purely an allopathic journal for medical doctors.
The next time you go for your annual check up be sure to look at the uric acid result and compare it to the reference range. Ideally you should be in the lowest quarter to be safe. Low uric acid helps you to live as long as possible, and not be concerned about heart and artery disease- the largest killer by far in the Western nations. If you aren’t, then cut down on the meat you eat. Eat seafood in moderation (i.e. 10%) instead of red meat. Eat more beans, more green and yellow vegetables, more fruit, more salad, and more whole grains especially.
It is the not just the purines in the meat, poultry and eggs that break down into uric acid as com- monly thought. Only about 15% of uric acid comes from purine metabolim. It is animal protein per se from meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy regardless of the purine content.
When you get your uric acid level checked be sure to get your total cholesterol, triclyerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine as well checked as well. These are the five most important markers of cardiovascular health.
Being overweight is also a big factor in uric acid conditions. Men are ten times more likely to suffer from gout for some reason. Diet and lifestyle.are the only way to keep your uric acid levels low. Uric acid levels are a valuable and accurate health marker. Keep your level in the lowest range. Omit, or at least limit the animal foods you eat.
Other health information is available at
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http:// beautifulskincare.weebly.com
Adequate nutrient intakes are required for the immune system to function efficiently. A good multivitamin can enhance the immune system by supporting the body’s natural defenses on both a structural and cellular level.
A recent article published in the British Journal of Nutrition summarizes the roles of select vitamins and trace elements in immune function.
Adequate intakes of micronutrients are required for the immune system to function efficiently. Micronutrient deficiency suppresses immunity by affecting antibody responses, leading to imbalances in the immune system. This situation increases susceptibility to infections, which increases disease and death risk. In addition, infections aggravate micronutrient deficiencies by reducing nutrient intake, increasing losses, and interfering with utilization by altering metabolic pathways. Inadequate intakes of micronutrients are common in people with eating disorders, smokers (active and passive), individuals with chronic alcohol abuse, certain diseases, during pregnancy and lactation, and in the elderly.
Micronutrients contribute to the body’s natural defenses on three levels by supporting physical barriers (skin/mucosa), cellular immunity, and antibody production. Vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral zinc assist in enhancing the skin barrier function. Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc, copper and selenium work synergistically to support the protective activities of the immune cells. Finally, all these micronutrients, with the exception of vitamin C and iron, are essential for the production of antibodies.
Overall, inadequate intake and status of these vitamins and minerals may lead to a suppressed immune system, which increases the risk of infections and aggravates malnutrition. Therefore, supplementation with a multivitamin that includes these micronutrients can support the body’s natural defense system by enhancing all three levels of immunity.
To Your Success
Jackie Khor
“Enabling people to achieve their Vision”
Mob: +61 413 342 967
Tel: +61 7 3890 1167
Safe And Healthy Weight Loss
http://www.makemoneyhomebiz.net
Work At Home Business On The Net
http://www.resultmakemoney.com/home-business-4.html
Nutritionals You Can Trust
http://www.besttruehealth.com
A Home Business Opportunity
http://findhomebusiness.weebly.com
Inner and Outer Beauty
http://beautifulskincare.weebly.com
Colin Campbell has written a very unique and enlightening book called The China Study.
Campbell used to promote the consumption of meat, poultry, and eggs as the cornerstone of health. More and more he saw this was 180 degrees opposite of reality. Campbell compared the diet, lifestyle and health statistics of Chinese people with Americans.
He came up with some stunning and very empirical insights. American men have a 50% chance of getting cancer and women a 40% chance. Heart disease will kill 1 in 3 Americans. One dollar out of every seven in our economy goes for health care. We are the sickliest nation on earth. We spend well over $4,000 a year apiece on heath care!!!! We eat 16% protein when we only need 8%. Nearly all of this is animal protein. The Chinese eat ONE TENTH the animal protein we do. The more animal protein you eat the sicker you get. Not so with vegetable protein. Genetics only causes less than 3% of cancer. The Chinese eat three times the fiber we do. They eat more calories (they do far more physical work, too) than we do, but have far less BMIs because they eat plant foods. The average cholesterol level is 127 (70 to 170) for them, but about 240 for us.(Other studies show the average cholesterol more like around 150.) American men have SEVENTEEN times the CHD death rate than Chinese men. They eat twice the iron we do. Girls reach puberty at an average of 17 (15 to 19), while American girls now reach puberty at 11. Early puberty causes shorter lifespan and higher disease rates. Chinese women have far lower estradiol and estrone levels, but higher estriol (the “safe” estrogen). Men also have lower estradiol and estrone levels.
The Chinese, especially in the rural areas, are simply far, far more healthy than Americans. The urban Chinese on the other hand are more and more adopting the Western diet of animal foods, sugar, and refined foods. Their health is failing very much as a result of this change. Affluence clearly destroys health and America is the most affluent of all nations.
One very important point he makes is that animal protein is harmful in itself. We concentrate on the fat and cholesterol in animal foods, while ignoring the protein content. Low fat dairy products are still full of cancer promoting casein. Casein is unique to dairy products. The consumption of animal protein per se is connected with cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Animal protein raises uric acid levels and causes kidney disease.
He lists eight important principles:
1) Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
2) Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health, and should not replace healthy food to supply the nutrients you need.
3) There are virtually no nutrients in animal based food that are not better provided by plants.
4) Genes do not determine disease on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good or bad, are expressed.
5) Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.
6) The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages (after diagnosis).
7) Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board.
Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.
This is a unique book and a lot of time and effort went into it. This is well worth reading and will certainly motivate you to eat better.
Click here: The China Study Book
By Dr Ladd McNamara, M.D.
11 December 2008
I was concerned several years ago as the American Heart Association, backed by the pharmaceutical companies, continued to make and revise recommendations regarding how low doctors should reduce their patients’ LDL cholesterol levels. At first LDL cholesterol levels were “normal” if they were 130 or below, then the standard was 100 or below, and finally, 70 or below became what we now consider medically “acceptable.” With each recommendation the number of people who instantly had the made-up disease of “high cholesterol” increased, and more and more patients were prescribed statin drugs to lower their LDL cholesterol levels. Statin drugs are the top-selling drugs in the world, bringing in more money for Big Pharma than any other class of drugs. It was this con of convincing the public that high cholesterol was the cause of atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke that caused me to write the first edition of my book, The Cholesterol Conspiracy, in 2004. It has since been updated (2006) and is in its Second Edition; however, after the latest news from the American Heart Association conference in New Orleans on Nov. 8th, 2008 it appears that I will need to update my book again.
My contention has always been that it is NOT high cholesterol that is the main cause of plaque formation, heart disease, and stroke, but rather it is the OXIDATION of LDL cholesterol and the INFLAMMATION of the arterial lining (called the endothelium) that is the culprit to the number one cause of death for both men and women. As I discuss in my book, more than half of people who die of heart disease have NORMAL LDL cholesterol levels, …thus it is NOT high cholesterol that is killing them, but the CONDITION of the LDL cholesterol and the inflammation of the endothelium that leads to the deadly disease. Likewise, there are cases of people with high cholesterol levels who show no signs of arterial plaque due to their high intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the essential fatty acids that reduce the oxidation to LDL cholesterol and inflammation to the endothelium. What’s more, antioxidants reduce endothelial inflammation an LDL oxidation better than any drug, …and without the side effects.
The recent study reported at the American Heart Association in New Orleans, known as JUPITER, proved my case: if you reduce oxidation and inflammation you can reduce the risk of death from heart disease and stroke! However, unlike the JUPITER study, which proposed the way to do it is with statin drugs, I believe the best course to reduce LDL oxidation and arterial inflammation is with nutritional supplements.
If you were to believe the JUPITER study and what is being suggested by the doctors who spoke at the American Heart Association conference on Nov. 8, 2008 in New Orleans you would have to believe that “EVERYONE,” young and old, sick and healthy, those with high cholesterol and those with normal cholesterol levels ALL should be on the “life-saving, miracle drugs of this or any other generation” …the statin drugs!
The JUPITER (Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention) Study, funded by AstraZeneca, makers of Crestor, was unveiled to the delight and awe of doctors and pharmaceutical companies. The study showed that 20 mg of Crestor cut in half one’s risk of heart attacks and stroke, whether they had high cholesterol or not! In other words, healthy people without elevated cholesterol levels … could now be “saved” by the statin drugs, and like the IRS, the pharmaceutical companies are “here to help.”
Doctors and pharmaceutical representatives got on the stage to proclaim that because statin drugs have been shown (in this study of just under two years) to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in HEALTHY people (those without signs or symptoms of heart disease and normal cholesterol levels) that governments around the world should push the campaign to put every single person on statin drugs.
As has been proposed earlier (documented in my book), they again proposed at this conference that we “drip statin drugs into our water supply” as the best way to get everyone on these “all-important” drugs. They want to take the decision out of our control and force these drugs, which …oh, by the way, have dangerous, even deadly side effects, upon us ….and of course, run up a huge national medical cost.
Statin drugs are already the number one-selling drug in the world with over $18 billion dollars in sales, and now due to this study, they will likely double in sales. USA Today calculated that the ever-increasing prescribing of statin drugs which this study will generate would add $10 billion a year to the U.S. national debt. (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/200 )
BUT, what are the facts of this study; what about the risks of such widespread use of statin drugs, particularly in healthy people? …and, more importantly, what about alternatives to statins? Interestingly enough, one of the authors of this study also appeared as an author on another study released the same week of the announcement of this study, showing that vitamin E and vitamin C did NOTHING to reduce the risk of heart disease; ….in fact vitamin E, they reported, might increase the risk for hemorrhagic stroke. So, in a one-two punch knock out …. Big Pharma apparently established that statin drugs are the ONLY salvation for the number one cause of death.
Now, not only are antioxidants NOT the answer, according to Big Pharma, they are the problem. It must be that we, as human beings, are born deficient of statin drugs, ….some kind of an “inborn error of metabolism,” and that it is not nutrients that we lack today, but drugs! Apparently Big Pharma is not satisfied with treating the sick, they want to provide “therapy” to the healthy, by actively putting more drugs into our drinking water …as if there are not enough drugs swirling around in the water supply already.
Again, I would like to point out that this JUPITER study proves my point made in my book, The Cholesterol Conspiracy , ….that heart disease (atherosclerosis) is not caused by high cholesterol, but rather oxidation of LDL cholesterol and inflammation of the arterial lining. In my book, I make a case (backed up by medical research) that oxidized LDL cholesterol and homocysteine-induced nicking and inflammation of the arteries leads to arterial plaque and inflammation.
C reactive protein (CRP) is an indirect measure of arterial inflammation (or any inflammation). The more oxidation and inflammation of the arteries, NO MATTER WHAT THE LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL (normal or not), the more plaque will build within the arterial lining (known as the endothelium). By reducing oxidation and inflammation (which can be measured directly with lipid peroxides, or indirectly with CRP levels) there is less damage to the LDL cholesterol and the endothelium, and less plaque will form. Less plaque means less heart disease and death.
Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 essential fatty acids have all been shown to decrease CRP, homocysteine, and lipid peroxides levels, and in some cases restore endothelial function ….without any toxic side-effects (unlike statin drugs).
Although I discuss CRP in The Cholesterol Conspiracy, as a review, CRP is a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation. Any condition that leads to inflammation will cause the production and release of CRP. Smoking, genetics, stress, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, high blood pressure colorectal cancer, the aging process, and damaged and an inflamed arterial endothelium will all cause an elevation of C reactive protein. It is an indirect, non-specific measurement of inflammation and oxidation. Statin drugs have been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory effect, and it is the modest anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory effect that is responsible for a reduction in oxidized LDL cholesterol and arterial inflammation. Less oxidized LDL cholesterol and less arterial inflammation, the less plaque that will build up within the arterial endothelium.
However, natural antioxidants, vitamin C, turmeric extract, essential fatty acids (fish oil) do more to reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol and arterial inflammation and lower CRP than cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, AND without the dangerous side-effects of statins (liver, nerve, muscle, and heart damage, ….let alone death). The B complex vitamins and betaine (tri-methly-glycine) lower homocysteine levels, which means less “scratching up” of the endothelium, i.e., less arterial inflammation, and lower CRP levels.
The JUPITER study showed how important it is to lower inflammation of the arteries in order to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, ….as measured by CRP levels, and that people are susceptible to heart attack and stroke even with normal LDL cholesterol levels because oxidation and inflammation. So, let’s look at the facts and my concerns of the JUPITER Study:
Facts of the JUPITER STUDY:
1. Nearly 18,000 men and women with low LDL cholesterol levels (median 108 mg/dL), and C reactive protein levels (CRP) greater than 2.0 mg/L were placed on 20 mg of Crestor or a placebo, and followed for just under 2 years.
2. The group on 20 mg of Crestor decreased their cholesterol levels EVEN FURTHER (to as low as 53 mg/dL), reduced their triglyceride levels, and cut their risk of nonfatal heart attacks by 55%, a 48% reduction in nonfatal strokes, and a 47% reduction in hard cardiac “events” (a composite of nonfatal and fatal heart attack and stroke).
Concerns about the JUPITER STUDY:
1. What are the long-term effects of lowering one’s LDL cholesterol to such low levels? There is already concern about depression, violent behavior, suicide, etc. from lowering one’s LDL cholesterol below 70 (see my book, The Cholesterol Conspiracy). However, what other problems may arise from such low LDL cholesterol, given that the body REQUIRES LDL cholesterol to function properly? Having high LDL cholesterol levels in and of itself is not a problem, it is the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (lipid peroxides) and the inflammation of the endothelium (from homocysteine) that leads to plaque formation.
2. With the study only being 2 years long, AstraZeneca virtually eliminated discovering the long-term effects of such low LDL cholesterol levels AND the long-term effects of statin drugs in this population. However, we do know the long-term of statin drugs, and they are not pretty, ….dangerous and severe side-effects; occasional deadly.
3. Was the study designed to yield the desired results and minimize negative outcomes that would have been revealed had it gone on longer?
4. There was a higher incidence in insulin resistence and type 2 diabetes among those who took Crestor than in the control group. And, this was all happened within 2 years. As mentioned, what other complications would we have seen had the study gone longer than 2 years, …especially since now all people, even those with normal cholesterol levels, are “supposed” to be on statin drugs for the REST OF THEIR LIVES? It would be good to know what people can expect.
4. According to Stanford University cardiologist Dr. Mark Hlatky, about 120 people would have to take Crestor for two years in order to prevent a single heart attack, stroke or death; and how many people would then suffer moderate to severe side-effects over the long-term? Again, as people would be encouraged to be on these drugs for the rest of their lives!
5. Crestor gave clear benefit in the study, but with so few heart attacks and deaths occurred among these low-risk people that treating EVERYONE in the U.S. alone with statin drugs would cost up to $10 billion a year.
6. Big Pharma presents statin drugs as the only choice to reduce CRP levels, when this is not the case.
What We Can Learn From This Study:
1. It is important to lower C Reactive Protein levels as a means to lower inflammation, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
2. This study confirms that it is NOT the lowering of LDL cholesterol that is key to reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, but the reducing of inflammation, as is evident by the lowering of C reactive protein (CRP). Therefore, what about all the studies that show alternative means (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids) for lowering CRP, inflammation, and lipid peroxidation without any adverse effects?
What Can You Do?
1. Know, and lower your high-sensitivy CRP levels (as mentioned in my book):
a. CRP less than 1.0 mg/L = Low Risk for CardioVascular Disease (CVD)
b. CRP of 1.0 – 2.9 mg/L = Moderate Risk for CVD
c. CRP greater than 3.0 = High Risk for CVD
2. Know, and lower your Homocysteine levels:
a. Homocysteine less than 6.5 = Low Risk for CVD
b. Homocysteine 6.6 to 8.0 = Low-Moderate Risk for CVD
c. Homocyseine 8.1 to 10.4 = Moderate-High Risk for CVD
d. Homocysteine greater than 10.4 = High Risk for CVD
3. Know, and lower your Lipid Peroxides
a. This test is not commonly performed by most labs, but can be obtained.
b. Keep Lipid Peroxidation low (according to print out on lab results)
How You Can Lower CRP, Homocysteine, and Lipid Peroxidation to Reduce Heart Attack & Stroke:
1. Statin Drugs: expensive; dangerous and sometimes deadly side-effects.
a. See list of side-effects in The Cholesterol Conspiracy.
OR, …. even BETTER:
2. Lifestyle Changes: inexpensive, non-dangerous, …and it promotes health!
a. Maintain a Healthy Weight
b. Maintain a Low-Glycemic Diet (plenty of vegetables)
c. Exercise
d. Don’t Smoke
e. Reduce Stress
f. Adequate Sleep
g. Drink Plenty of Pure Water
h. Maintain Gum Health (brush, floss, and use Co-Q10)
i. Use Full-Range Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants, and Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: (a few examples of many vitamins and antioxidants are shown below, though I personally recommend a full-range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids):
Vitamin C 2000 mg/day (vitamin C alone reduces CRP similar to statins)
B Complex Vitamins
Fish Oil (4000 mg per day)
Vitamin D (1000 to 5000 IU/day)
Turmeric Extract (400 to 800 mg/day)
Olive Extract (75 to 200 mg/day)
Grape Seed Extract and Resveratrol (200 to 400 mg/day)
Co-Enzyme Q10 (200 to 400 mg/day)
Betaine (TMG) (1800 to 3000 mg/day)
Magnesium (400 mg/day)
Product details are available at http://www.jackiekhor729.weebly.com
References:
Block G, Jensen CD, et al. Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein. Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Oct 10. [Epub ahead of print]
Block G, Jensen C, Dietrich M, et al. Plasma C-reactive protein concentrations in active and passive smokers: influence of antioxidant supplementation. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Apr;23(2):141-7.
Boekholdt SM, Meuwese MC, Day NE, et al. Plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid and C-reactive protein, and risk of future coronary artery disease, in apparently healthy men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study. Br J Nutr. 2006 Sep;96(3):516-22.
Chang TY, Chou KJ, Tseng CF, et al. Effects of folic acid and vitamin B complex on serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels in stable hemodialysis patients. Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Aug;23(8):1879-86.
Ullegaddi R, Powers HJ, Gariballa SE. Antioxidant supplementation with or without B-group vitamins after acute ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Mar-Apr;30(2):108-14.
Chen C, Nan B, Lin P, Yao Q. C-reactive protein increases plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression in human endothelial cells. Thromb Res. 2008;122(1):125-33. Epub 2007 Oct 22.
Nan B, Yang H, et al. C-reactive protein decreases expression of thrombomodulin and endothelial protein C receptor in human endothelial cells. Surgery. 2005 Aug;138(2):212-22.
Chun OK, Chung SJ, Claycombe KJ, Song WO. Serum C-reactive protein concentrations are inversely associated with dietary flavonoid intake in U.S. adults. J Nutr. 2008 Apr;138(4):753-60.
Harikumar KB, Aggarwal BB. Resveratrol: a multitargeted agent for age-associated chronic diseases. Cell Cycle. 2008 Apr 15;7(8):1020-35.
Kaur G, Rao LV, Agrawal A, Pendurthi UR. Effect of wine phenolics on cytokine-induced C-reactive protein expression. J Thromb Haemost. 2007 Jun;5(6):1309-17.
Terra X, Montagut G, Bustos M, et al. Grape-seed procyanidins prevent low-grade inflammation by modulating cytokine expression in rats fed a high-fat diet. J Nutr Biochem. 2008 Jul 3. [Epub ahead of print]
By Brenda Rogers (ND) Naturopath
8 December 2008
Your liver will be working overtime over the next few weeks as you drink a little more, eat a little more and stress a little more.
Some of the symptoms of an overworked liver are:
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Tummy upsets particularly nausea
• Skin eruptions like acne and eczema
• Emotional ups and downs, particularly irritability and frustration
So, how can you take care of your liver and avoid the feeling of being completely run down over Christmas?
Temperance
Drink moderately. The liver has to detoxify poisons, including alcohol, so be sensible with your intake.
Balance
If you do have a “big night” out, make the next day really light. Drink fresh vegetable juice (especially carrot), eat lots of fruit and salads, and drink plenty of water.
Protection
Nourish your body. Take liver herbs such as Milk Thistle and make sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants so that your body is well equipped to deal with the extra stress. Vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid and beta-carotene are particularly important.
Wisdom
If you’re stuck in traffic or waiting in queues, rather than getting angry, remind yourself that at this time of year, everything is supposed to take longer and the shops are supposed to be busier! To keep your serenity, give yourself a little extra time to do things, be organised and forgive yourself if you choose the wrong queue.
To Your Health
Jackie Khor
“Enabling people to achieve their Vision”
Safe And Healthy Weight Loss website at
http://www.makemoneyhomebiz.net
Work At Home Business On The Net
http://www.resultmakemoney.com/home-business-4.html
Nutritionals You Can Trust
http://www.besttruehealth.com
A Home Business Opportunity
http://findhomebusiness.weebly.com
By Jackie Khor
12 June 2008
The most important factor in treating arthritis, rheumatism, bursitis, or other inflammatory bone and joint conditions is eating well and taking high grade nutritional supplements. This includes osteoporosis, tooth/gum disease, and other bone conditions. The ideal diet is based on whole grains, beans, green and yellow vegetables, local fruits, soups, salads, Omega 3 essential fatty acids and small portion of meat or seafood (if you’re not a vegetarian). Those of us living in affluent society tend to eat too much on the calories we need, eight times the fat we need, twice the protein we need, and less than half the fibre we need. We are certainly overfed and undernourished.
All of us have unknown food allergies. Food allergy is a major cause of all inflammation, not just joint inflammation. “Leaky gut syndrome” is the best explanation of food allergy. Unfortunately, there is currently no means of accurately diagnosing food allergies no matter what you have heard. Blood tests and results from allergy testing equipments may not paint the whole picture. Moreover the affected person may not be disciplined enough to restrict certain type of food because in practice, it is not that easy to eliminate the allegation from what you eat.
Whole grains are rarely allergenic except for corn and wheat. Beans are rarely allergenic, and that includes soybeans. Most all green and yellow non-tropical vegetables are not allergenic. You should, however, avoid 1) Nightshade vegetables (which contain toxic solanine) including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, and 2) oxalate vegetables such as Swiss chard and spinach. Many people have gotten dramatic relief from arthritis by simply removing Nightshades from their diet (American Medical News, January 25, 1999).
Fruit of all kinds may be allergenic due to the sugar content. Allergy to all simple sugars is due to the epidemic of Candida yeast syndrome which feeds on these sugars. Sugar is sugar. Fruit juice has as much sugar as a Coke. Tropical foods and tropical fruits such as all citrus, mangos, bananas, and avocados can be very allergenic for European people, especially in temperate climates.
Red meat is generally not allergenic, but is full of saturated fat and cholesterol with no fibre whatsoever. A few people are allergic to fish and seafood, but should know this by their reaction to it. Seafood should be limited to 10% of your diet if you include it. They are subject to have heavy metal contamination depending on the areas they come from. Poultry and eggs are two of the top ten allergenic foods known. Milk and dairy products are the most allergenic food known due to the lactose and casein content. All adults of all races are lactose intolerant since they lack the enzyme lactase. Non-dairy milk and melt able cheeses are readily available at chain supermarkets now.
Your basic food should be whole grains such as brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, barley, corn, wheat, and others. Beans and legumes of all kinds are a tasty and nutritious staple. Green and yellow vegetables except for Nightshades and ones high in oxalic acid are good. Local (not tropical) fruits can be eaten in moderation by most people. Never eat refined foods, chemicalized foods, preserved foods, or anything with hydrogenated oils. Your fat intake should only be 10% to 20% of your caloric intake and from vegetable sources basically. Isn’t it ironic that poor people in Third World countries have far less arthritis and bone disease than the people in the richest top ten countries? When these people come to affluent countries, and adopt the Western diet, they suffer from the same rates of disease we do.
Obesity is a critical factor in Western Countries, and is an epidemic in America- the fattest country in the world. Australia is just after America. You are never going to be free from disease, pain and suffering until you normalize your weight. You can do this by MAKING BETTER FOOD CHOICES, yet still eating all you want. You simply cannot go hungry, as the hunger instinct is stronger than our sexual desires by far. Eat whole natural foods, and you can eat all you want and stay slim and healthy all your life. The most powerful healing method known is fasting. You should fast one day from time to time from dinner to dinner on water by simply skipping breakfast and lunch on a given day. You don’t have to eat less food, just better food. Calorie restriction and eating low glycemic food (slow releasing energy) is the most effective and proven way to extend life known to science.
Your bones and joints must get the minerals they need in the biological amounts required to be strong and healthy. Bone and joint health depends on minerals. We are all mineral deficient. Glucosamine is good for the joint cartilage. There are four vitamins proven to be effective in reducing inflammation. Natural mixed vitamin E, and not the cheap single tocopherol. In addition, vitamin D3 unless you are out in the sun a lot. Vitamin D is simply not found in food, except very small amounts in some animal products such as eggs. Vitamin K should already be in your daily vitamin. Take Vitamin C but not the cheap ascorbic acid type. Do not take megadoses of vitamin C. Vitamin C will acidify your normally alkaline bloodstream which could encourage the growth of cancerous cells. In fact megadoses of anything are unhealthy whether it is food, water, oxygen, exercise, sun, fun or vitamins.
Flaxseed oil is a great way to deal with inflammation. Our diets are far too high in omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Flax oil is a good source but unpalatable for children. The alternative is to use deep sea fish oil without mercury contamination which has high Omega-3 source too.
There is a Catch-22 with regard to exercise. You must do low impact exercise like walking or swimming so as not to injure your joints. Low impact exercise is very important here. Heat can be good, so use heat pads if you can.
Diet and lifestyle is the real cure for arthritis or any other condition. Unfortunately, we can’t get all the nutrients we need from out diet nowadays. Thus high rated supplements and hormones are very powerful, but still eat your good, healthy, whole natural food. Arthritis, rheumatism, osteoporosis, and other bone/joint conditions can take a long time to heal. It usually takes decades to develop these problems, so this can’t be undone in a year or two. Also, the bone and cartilage is very slow to regrow. Elderly people often have such advanced conditions and at such poor health, the best they can do is to simply stop the further progression of the deterioration.
More information on health is on Nutritionals You Can Trust
By Ladd McNamara, M.D.
5 December 2008
For some products like Hepasil DTX and Visionex the products are point for dollar (or better). These are the best prices on some of the most incredible products you could ever use, not to mention the half-off pricing for REV 3, … I love this price!
Hepasil DTX is not only for the maintenance of “liver health,” due to the milk thistle and other ingredients, but if you truly understood the benefits of green tea extract, Olivol (olive extract), broccoli extract, turmeric extract, alpha lipoic acid, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and betaine (TMG), then you would truly jump at this product, and at this special price (and use it every day of your life)!
Personally, I take between 6 and 9 tablets of the Hepasil DTX daily, as I want the benefits of the turmeric extract (check out my website about Curcumin, which is the same as turmeric extract, under “In the News” on www.laddmcnamara.com). Turmeric extract is found in the MegaAntioxidants, Body Rox, Procosa II and Hepasil DTX for a GOOD reason.
Turmeric extract is an amazing antioxidant, that among other things “helps maintain immunological health” to such an amazing degree that abnormal cells that develop in your organs every day are hard pressed to get a foot hold and cause a problem. (Again, check out that article on my website for a good understanding of this point.)
Also, in Hepasil DTX you get 45 mg of Olivol (3 tablets), USANA’s patented olive extract … talk about benefits to the heart (especially in combination with the Essentials and BiOmega), AND synergistically working with the turmeric extract for “immunological health.” Again, those abnormal cells that develop due to the DNA being triggered are targeted by many different antioxidants, including olive and turmeric extract.
Alpha lipoic acid is powerful in and of itself in maintaining heart health, as well as working with co-enyzme Q10 for energy production, AND helping out the immune system to target abnormal cells that develop.
What about the betaine (Tri-Methyl-Glycine) in the Hepasil DTX? Not only is it great for athletes who want better athletic performance (along with USANA’s products, such as CoQuinone 30) it also maintains liver health AND heart health …by maintaining a healthy homocysteine levels.
Health homocysteine levels are 6.5 or lower. I take 6 to 9 Hepasil DTX to keep my homocysteine at a healthy level (there is no known toxic doses for any of the ingredients in Hepasil DTX). It works together with the B Complex vitamins in the MegaAntioxidant to help maintain a healthy homocysteine level.
Everyone should take advantage of this sale on Hepasil DTX, ….it is an amazing optimizer. I rank it right up there with Proflavanol-90 and CoQuinone 30, …it is different, but the health benefits are vast and significant. I believe we all can benefit greatly from being on this product continuously. I take it faithfully because I know and understand the benefits of this under-appreciated product.
Visionex is another product that is under-estimated by many. Here’s your chance to get this amazing product for eye health (and again, so much more) at a great price. Take some time to understand its benefits as well.
I shutter when I think of how so many people in USANA do not understand the importance of these incredible optimizers. USANA does not produce a nutritional supplement just “to have it.” There are so many ingredients, so many products that could be produced and sold by USANA, and they choose what they produce wisely. They are very choosey about it. So when USANA makes a particular product available to us it is for a very significant reason.
My advice is that Hepasil DTX should be in your body every day …. it is one of the several products to help optimize your health.
Again, it is great for anyone who cares about:
1) Maintaining heart health (I see this as the greatest benefit of this product)
2) Detoxifying all the nasty toxins in your blood (toxins are produced continually)
3) Maintaining a healthy immune system …. (abnormal cells develop daily)
4) Improving athletic performance and endurance (in combo with CoQ10)
More information or ask me questions on Nutritionals You Can Trust
By Lloyd Fielder, DC
4 December 2008
There used to be an experiment in high school, where they would drop a frog into a pot of extremely hot water to test the frog’s nervous system, and see if the frog was smart enough to jump out. It always did.
Then they would drop the same frog into a pot of room temperature water where it inevitably just stayed and swam, unaware and seemingly unaffected by its surroundings.
Lastly, they placed a burner under the pot and turned it on, slowly increasing the temperature one degree per minute. The frog continued to just swim around without noticing what was happening. The water became hotter and hotter … and the frog eventually died.
Despite the fact that the frog literally was being boiled, it never once tried to escape from certain death. It never even noticed the precarious situation it was in.
This cruel experiment is no longer done. However, it can provide you with excellent information about how you can assess your own health. Because the temperature change was slow, the frog didn’t notice the pain or discomfort of being boiled. The frog died slowly, and never once knew of the urgent need to escape certain death.
Unfortunately, There is a Strong Chance You are Like Those Frogs
Every day we are subjected to stress in the forms of unnatural pollution and toxins, unhealthy diets, emotional and mental pressures of work, family issues, paying the bills … as well as not getting nearly enough exercise, sunlight, or laughter.
Slowly throughout your lifetime, your nervous system has become so accustomed to your unnatural and unhealthy choices that you don’t even realize they are killing you, one degree at a time. By the time you finally realize that something is wrong, the downward spiral has sometimes gone on for decades.
Only the lucky ones get symptoms in the early stage, and many individuals will either ignore the symptoms, or mask them with drugs. Did you know the first sign of heart disease, more than 50 percent of the time, is a heart attack? And that fifty percent of heart attack victims die instantly?
Are You Willing To Play with Those Kinds of Odds?
Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and even tooth decay are all processes that occur over time due to unhealthy lifestyles.
If there was a way to assess where you are currently, and where you are headed, wouldn’t you want to find out if you are “being boiled” before it is too late?
We are like those boiling frogs, sitting in a pot of water that is slowly killing us and we never do anything to stop it. What’s worse is that someone else committed the frogs to their untimely demise, but sadly we continue to do this to ourselves with poor lifestyle choices, day after day after day.
Fortunately, your body has an amazing capacity for self healing. You can in fact turn things around, and start a positive healthy spiral upwards, even in the face of deadly disease.
