Vitamin D: A HIGHLY Important Nutrient

Vitamin D has become one of the most researched vitamins in the last few years....and with very good reason.

I urge you to read the full research articles below and understand how important Vitamin D3 is.

Basics:

• Vitamin D2 is crap. Don't use it.
• Vitamin D3 is the one you need - it is also called cholecalciferol.
• Vitamin D3 deficiency is rampant - even if you live in a sunny area.

Low Vitamin D can cause:

• Diabetes Type 1
• Breast Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Autoimmune Disease
• Skin Problems like Psoriasis
• Osteoporosis
• Fractures
• Heart Disease
• Weak Immune Function

Get Tested:
Ask your doctor to check your serum 25 (OH) Vitamin D levels. If they are less than around 80, you may want to consider adding Vitamin D3.

In the 1000's of patients we see at our teaching clinic, there have been only about 9 people with normal values. That's scary.

Get Liquid Vitamin D3 with 2000 IU per drop. An inexpensive effective way to optimize your health.

Research Articles Supporting Vitamin D:
Vitamin D and Bone Health across the Life Cycle

Vitamin D3 versus Vitamin D2

Vitamin D and Colon Carcinomas

Vitamin D3 and the Immune System

Vitamin D and Muscle Pain

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

Vitamin D and Peridontal Disease

Vitamin D Physiology

Vitamin D's Importance

Vitamin D in Australia

Digestive Health = Healthy Overall

Patient after patient comes into the clinic with:

• Arthritis
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Chronic Pain
• Autoimmune disease
• Stressed
• Skin rashes
  

Many doctors will give antidepressants for the depressed person, laxatives for the constipated ones, pain killers for the chronic pain patients, anxiolytics for the stressed folks and steroids for the arthritis, skin rashes and autoimmune disease folks.

Patient walks out, pops the pill and the symptoms go away. Great.

The problem still exists folks. And you know what else? It's gets worse until you address it and repair it.

Addressing many illnesses/disesases/symptoms must begin in one spot:
Digestive health

An excellent doctor will back up even further and say:
Spritual Health

However, one must have properly functioning digestion even if it requires supplements before they can have proper spiritual health - in my eyes. That is a huge discussion...

Faulty digestion stems from a few causes with the main culprits of:

• antibiotic use
• stress
• diet consisting of sugar, refined carbs
• im hesitant to say parasites...but I will.
• Im hesitant because if the person's digestion was functioning well to begin with, the parasites would have a difficult time getting past the highly acidic stomach environment. Many folks have weak stomach acid leading to a parasite infection.

In order to properly gain a functioning digestive system, one must accomplish a few things first:

• chew foods very well as this makes it easier for digestive acids and enzymes to digest the food - and your saliva is step 1 in digestion
• eat more variety of foods - if you eat the same foods over and over again, you are likely to become intolerant to those foods. So buy more variety, learn more recipes.
• avoid dairy products - so many people are intolerant to these foods so in my mind, just give them up altogether. If one eats them seldomly, than that may be fine, but overall dairy is a monster causing illnesses and disease all over the world. Did cavemen suck on cow udders? I don't think so.
• eat complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, sweet potatoe with skin
• avoid drinking too much fluids during meals as they dilute stomach acids and enyzmes
• eat meals in a peaceful setting - not behind the wheel driving or during a business meeting as stress stops stomach acid from being secreted, bile from being released and pancreatic enzymes from being released.

Healing the gut to restore proper digestion with the above steps is quite effective. However, many people need a bit of supplemental support in order to reverse harmful bacteria and restore intestinal wall health.

Depending on what is going on internally in your intestines, the need for supplementation changes.

Some people don't have intestinal inflammation but they do have:

• belching after meals
• gas and bloating
• low appetite
• bad breath
• reflux
• anatacids don't seem to help

What may help are digestive acids and enzymes. If the acids and enzymes for some reason are not being produced by your digestive organs, the above symptoms may be present. Some people may benefit by taking a digestive supplement such as PanZyme or UltraGest. The difference between the two is PanZyme has some pancreatic enzyme support while UltraGest just has three different types of acid to stimulate digestion.

Supplements which decrease gut inflammation, provide nutrients for intestinal health, create a healthy home for healthy bacteria and provide healthy bacteria are what many people need.

Many naturopathic physicians use these products in order to restore gut health:

• BioInflammatory Powder: this decreases inflammation in the gut. Inflammation in the gut destroys the intestinal borders and causes food intolerances.
• Intestinal Repair Complex: this provides nutrients specific to intestinal health. Stopping inflammation is key but providing nutrients to restore health is vital as well.
  
• Synbiotic Intensive Acidophilus: this provides billions of healthy bacteria which will knock out the harmful bacteria. Harmful bacteria cause gas, bloating, nausea, head fog et al.
• Fish Oil: this decreases inflammation and increases cell membrane stability. Carlsons fish oil or Nordic Naturals is available everywhere and is high quailty.
  
• Vitamin D: this also decreases inflammation, enhances immune function and does so many other things researchers are still determining them all.
• UltraFiber Plus: this creates a healthy environment for the healthy bacteria to live in, binds the toxic gasses that harmful bacteria release and allow for healthy bowel movements.

While that is admittedly a ton of supplements, one does not have to be on all of them for that long. The BioInflammatory Powder is used for a couple months along side the Intestinal Repair Complex. The Synbiotic sachets are used for 1 week or two only. The fish oil is long term and the vitamin D is used during the winter and fall months. Ultra Fiber Plus is used during the harmful bacteria die off time and during the times when bowel movements are not achieved daily.

Once the intestinal health is improved, one can reduce those supplements and add in daily supplements which continue to support intestinal health. A favorite of mine and one I use every morning is Intestinal RejuvenX.

I use Intestinal RejuvenX in a smoothie every morning. Ever since I began using it, my digestion has improved significantly. The other bonus of this product is that it has 28 grams of protein per serving so blood sugar is balanced.

Remember, while you may be tempted to improve your adrenal glands with licorice root, increase your energy with caffeine, relieve your depression with 5-HTP, lose weight with hoodia, decrease you pain with Advil - it is not the long term solution.

Improving your digestive health is.

If you read this and begin to implement it, I believe you'll improve in some degree.

In health,
Ben

Mercury Amalgams and Hashimotos Thyroiditis: Direct Link

The American Dental Association denies harm done by mercury amalgams.

ADA, read this peer reviewed research found on MedLine:

CONCLUSION: Removal of mercury-containing dental amalgam in patients with mercury hypersensitivity may contribute to successful treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis.

Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2006 Aug 5;27(Suppl1) [Epub ahead of print]
Removal of dental amalgam decreases anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, and General Faculty Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic. ister@lf1.cuni.cz.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of dental amalgam removal on the levels of anti- thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies was studied in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) with and without mercury allergy.

METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with AT were tested by an optimized lymphocyte proliferation test, MELISA(R) for allergy (hypersensitivity) to inorganic mercury. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 12) with no hypersensitivity to mercury and Group II (n = 27) with hypersensitivity to mercury. Amalgam fillings were removed from the oral cavities of 15 patients with hyperensitivity to mercury (Group IIA) and left in place in the remaining 12 patients (Group IIB). The laboratory markers of AT, anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies were determined in all groups at the beginning of the study and six months later.

RESULTS: Compared to levels at the beginning of the study, only patients with mercury hypersensitivity who underwent amalgam replacement (Group IIA) showed a significant decrease in the levels of both anti-Tg (p=0.001) and anti-TPO (p=0.0007) autoantibodies. The levels of autoantibodies in patients with or without mercury hypersensitivity (Group I and Group IIB) who did not replace amalgam did not change.

CONCLUSION: Removal of mercury-containing dental amalgam in patients with mercury hypersensitivity may contribute to successful treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis.

PMID: 16804512

Rheumatoid Arthritis or Arthritis in General: Don't Treat the Symptoms!!

Patient after patient with Rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis or or syndromeXblah arthritis all have one thing in common:

They hurt. They are in pain. They typically only go one direction: worse.

The meds they are on may help temporarily relieve pain and stiffness. Then after that they are put on more severe drugs - such as methotrexate which is horrific.

Steroids are far from the answer and may cause a severe joint problem called avascular necrosis - even after one dose. This is documented.

Quackery you say?

Tell that to the thousands of arthritis sufferers or autoimmune sufferers who have taken steroids for inflammation and now suffer from avascular necrosis.

Like my wife.

Like two patients I currently treat at the clinic.

So what the hell is one supposed to do then for rheumatoid arthritis or other arthritis conditions.

One thing.

Find what is causing the inflammation.

Is it food? Is it overeating? Is it heavy metal toxicities? Is it a nutrient imbalance? Is it leaky gut or intestinal permeability? Is it stress?

I ran into this website today while searching for a physician to study under for a week or so. Dr Goldberg authored the following paragraph:

"What is the single most important dietetic factor in causing Rheumatic Disease?
There are multiple dietary factors that may be responsible, and they will differ greatly from person to person. If I had to pick one single factor, it would be the usage of refined carbohydrates and overeating. An excess of even natural carbohydrates can be a potent contributing factor in some people. Food allergies are also a contributing factor in many patients. Some patients have eaten so much in the way of refined carbohydrate or excess carbohydrate overall over a number of years that they have thrown off their insulin/glucagon balance leading to an imbalance of eicosanoids with resulting lowered immunity and increased inflammatory responses."

An attempt to translate what Dr Golberg said so beautifully:

• Sugar is inflammatory -> thus sugar causes inflammation.
• Inflammation may cause intestinal permeability -> intestinal permeability may develop numerous food allergens.
• Daily intake of food allergens cause further long term inflammation
• Long term inflammation may initiate autoimmune disease as the immune system is hyperactive.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.
• Remove food allergens.
• Restore intestinal health.
• These reduce inflammation.
• Reduced inflammation leads to a quiet immune system.
• Quiet immune system leads to dormancy of autoimmune disease.

Simple isn't it? The concept is. Changing your lifestyle is not. However, if you were committed to it and followed through with it, your life may change significantly.

I am not familiar with Dr Goldberg nor do I know how effective of a physician he actually is. However, I do find his website useful and he may prove useful to some patients.

See what you think:

The Goldberg Clinic: Chronic Disease Reversal

Another physician who I do know about and do confide in is Dr Bill Rea, MD of the Environmental Health Center in Dallas Texas. I will be studying under his guidance in late March.

Read about Dr Bill Rea's clinic:

The Environmental Health Center: A patient description

Nose Bleeds?

Frequent nose bleeds are a nuisance.

Many folks end up going to the doc and getting silver nitrate stuck up their nose in order to cauterize the vessels. I've had it done and it hurts.

While this may be a solution, is it really treating the cause of the nosebleeds?

In my opinion, no it is not.

Vitamin K deficiency is a common cause of frequent nose bleeds.

Eat more broccoli and other dark leafy greens in order to get sufficient vitamin K into you. If you know you do not eat enough dark leafy greens and get frequent nose bleeds, then vitamin K deficiency may be the reason.

There are numerous other reasons for frequent nose bleeds, such as environmental irritants, poor vessel wall strength, inflammation, high blood pressure and ...uh...picking your nose.

An ayurvedic physician once gave me a potent broccoli supplement in a capsule form and within a couple days, my frequent nose bleeds were no longer an issue.

Consider it.

Question Your Doctor

What?

That's right.

As a future physician myself, I see physicians day in and day out make suggestions that may be useful for the patient and actually may not be at all.

While physicians aim to be thorough and helpful in providing proper suggestions and treatments, they are, after all, humans.

Physicians also tend to get stuck in ruts. Meaning that after a few years of practicing, they begin to prescribe usual things and recommend similar treatments. Are these treatments and prescriptions right for you?

Ask.

For example, I and my wife went to 13 different orthopedists before we found one we trusted. We trusted him because he was current on resesarch, did not know the answer to all my questions, did not pretend to know everything, was not cocky, was young (this may be pro or con depending on the situation) and knew not to go full force and get everything done in one surgery. He also knew that what the other surgeons wanted to do was wrong as the procedure was not appropriate for a 30 year old; it was appropriate for a 50 year old or even 60 year old.

Be respectful when asking your physician for information - don't interrogate, don't put them on the defensive. Be inquisitive without putting them on the spot. Just seek information. Ask, 'Doctor, I appreciate your suggestion however Id like to know if there are any alternatives to xxxxx' or 'Doctor, may I ask why you think this is the best option for me?'

If they seem put off by your questions or intolerant, then this physician may not be for you. After all, the physician was hired by you. You are not stuck to them.

Be careful also when asking someone for a reference as many people say their doctor is the best. They of course want to say their doctor is the best. Why would they say their doctor sucks? If they do, then at least you have good information - do not go to that doctor.

Now to go see patients....and I must say, as a naturopathic physician, we have inquiring patients galore.

I love it.

Weight Loss? How about Eating Better?

The New Year horn has blasted in 2007.

Now the stores and TV's and radios are blasting the latest in weight loss vitamins, schemes, devices, etc. They all know now is the time to harvest those folks who created their wishful lose weight resolutions.

Instead of spending all your money joining a gym you'll never use, or expensive cardboard Jenny Craig foods, or the Thigh Disaster machine, how about you change something for free?

Be Mindful.

That's it.

Go to the store after you've eaten a hearty meal - so you're full. You walk the aisles and this way you avoid all the snacks, trash foods and instant gratification items.

Now that you're on track, you have a shopping list made up from whole food recipes which you've found from the local library or online. Why buy 'em? Find 'em for free. If you are like me though, having a nice book on a shelf is like a trophy.

Be mindful of what you put into your mouth and how you eat it. This will allow you to obtain the weight you naturally are destined to weigh. If your body is clinging to those extra pounds which you are having a helluva time losing, perhaps it is not from eating so dieting won't help anyhow. In fact, it may just compound the problem causing fatigue, irritability and weight gain caused by binges.

When I say be mindful of how you eat it, I mean don't eat while driving, while watching TV or running errands. How can you be mindful about what you put in your mouth if you are being distracted? Have you ever wondered how that bag of chips, 2 things of popcorn and a rack of beer were all missing after a movie marathon? You weren't being mindful. Later you realized it when you were constipated for 4 days, had acne for 1 week and were one irritable person to be around for others.

Eat while at a place suitable for mindful eating: a table, restaurant, picnic bench, nature.

If after a couple months of mindful eating, you find yourself not losing some of those last stubborn pounds, there may be a reason - or two. Don't just avoid eating. That won't do anything except make you more tired, irritable and create binging. Have I said that before? Good. Then you're paying attention! It's important...

Some reasons why the last stubborn pounds just won't shed:

• hypothyroid: you may want to get a blood test if you are tired, losing hair, gaining weight, constipated, tired in the middle of the day.


• toxic: your body retains adipose (fat) in order to protect itself from heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, etc. It doesn't want to lose the fat as then those toxic substances will be free flowing around your body causing severe havoc.


• timing: eat the larger meals in the morning and afternoon. Avoid the larger meals at night as your evening metabolism is idling - not buring calories. Do eat something though in the evening with some protein in it or you'll find yourself waking up all the time due to low blood sugar.


• soda, caffeine? stop them. yes. done. gone. zilch. Ahh pure water and herbal teas...


• refined sugars? stop them. read labels and avoid them.


• processed foods? stop them. make your own. Basically anything that is colored white, consider it to stay on the shelf. Soy may be the only exception here - and of course, garlic, white onions and some others are excellent.


• exercise: try walking more. Park your car at the end of the parking lot so it takes longer to get to the storefront. Bag the elevator and take the stairs. Turn off the bad sitcom and head outside with a friend or neighbor for a jaunt, run, bike and other fun things to do.

Losing weight with pills, devices and programs are bunk and drive-thru ways to get thinner temporarily. You'll find the next time you go to lose weight, it will be harder to do.

Why?

Because you've lost muscle mass due to not eating and not eating well. That is why I keep hammering home the point of conscious mindful eating. That is all you have to do. That is what eating programs are anyhow - they create the menu and bankrupt you for pre-packaged processed foods. The program still works because they created a 'menu'. You do that - and then you create home-cooked fast easy to prepare whole food meals. Add some exercise and strength training to that and you'll be the talk of the block.

Now I gotta get going - my Jenny Craig infomercial is coming on soon...