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Microplastics

by nina
October 21st, 2024

Microplastics: How They Get There, Health Risks & How to Minimize Exposure

Your yogurt containers are probably made of polypropylene (PP), or #5 plastic, which does not contain BPA, an estrogenic chemical that we know to be harmful. The #7 plastic is the one that may contain BPA. So the yogurt containers may be safe to reuse, although a recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives indicates all types of plastics used in food containers, beverage cans, plastic bottles, and wrappers can release estrogenic activators if reused repeatedly, and we know that such chemicals can be harmful. It may well be that the amounts released are too small to cause problems, but if you want absolutely certain safety, store food in glass containers only. If you do reuse plastic containers, follow the Environmental Working Group’s advice, and only use #1, 2, 4, or 5, although one study shows that higher temperatures can cause the release of the heavy metal antimony from #1, PET. And since heat intensifies the release chemicals, never microwave with any type of plastic container and don’t put hot food in it. Regarding the plastic bags, I doubt that they pose a problem, since there is no liquid in bulk items to leach anything out like there is with most leftovers. But to play it super safe, you could avoid storing grains, beans, nuts, or flour in the bags.

As noted, many #7 plastic containers contain BPA, and although the BPA is being phased out, you should not use any #7 container unless you are sure it is BPA-free. The most frightening thing is that some baby bottles, toys, and sippy cups contain BPA, to which to fetuses and children are more vulnerable than adults.

Also, BPA lurks in other places, including the lining of some metal water bottles and in food and beverage cans at possibly harmful levels, according to a study by EWG. I hate to break this news, because canned foods are an excellent way to preserve the solar energy and vitamins from a summer’s harvest.

While the food industry denies that BPA can reach hazardous levels in food, the jury is still out. Evidence of the dangers have prompted the EPA and the National Institutes of Health to conduct further research on the substance. Households that consume a lot of canned food and beverages, especially of they have children, may want to consider cutting back until we get the results of that study.

So, although reuse is usually preferable to recycling, in the case of plastic food and beverage containers, recycling is a better choice. Besides, the plastic industry is desperate for more of the stuff. While U.S. capacity for PET (plastic bottles) recycling alone is estimated at almost 1.9 billion pounds, only 20 percent of the PET even gets collected here, and of that, only about 642 million pounds make it to U.S. companies. The other 800 million pounds is, like so many of our jobs, outsourced to foreign factories.

In recent years, concerns about the safety of bottled water  have surged, especially with growing evidence of micro plastics and nano plastics contaminating our water supply. These tiny plastic particles, invisible to the naked eye, have raised alarm bells among health experts and environmentalists alike, and there’s no doubt that bottled water microplastics have become a significant concern due to their potential health risks.

In fact, research shows high levels of microplastics in bottled water. For instance, Columbia University and Rutgers University researchers found approximately 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in a typical liter of bottled water.

Another study conducted by Orb Media tested 259 bottles from 11 different brands and found that 93 percent of the samples contained micro plastic contamination. The study identified an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water.

These plastic nanoparticles, often less than five millimeters in size, can infiltrate your drinking water through various means.

Let’s explore what microplastics are, how they end up in bottled water, their health risks and how you can minimize exposure.

What Are Microplastics?

Microplastics are plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, originating from various sources such as the breakdown of larger plastic debris, industrial processes and personal care products. Nanoplastics are even smaller, measuring less than 100 nanometers.

Both types of plastic particles are pervasive in the environment, making their way into oceans, rivers and even the air we breathe. 

Recent studies show that bottled water can contain both micro plastics andeven smaller nano plastics, which pose unique challenges due to their minute size.

How Do Microplastics Get Into Bottled Water?

Microplastics can enter bottled water at multiple stages of the production process:

1. Source water contamination

Natural water sources, including springs and aquifers, can be contaminated due to environmental pollution. These particles are difficult to remove through conventional water treatment plants. 

2. Bottling process

During the bottling process, microplastics can leach into the water from the plastic bottles and caps themselves. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other polymers used in bottle manufacturing degrade over time, especially when exposed to sunlight and heat.

3. Production process

During the bottling process, microplastics are found in the machinery and filtration systems used. For example, polyamide particles, a type of nylon, are found to contaminate bottled water through plastic filters used for purification.

4. Packaging and storage

Microplastics can also enter  bottled water during storage and transportation. Improper handling and exposure to fluctuating temperatures can exacerbate the release of microplastics from the bottle into the water.

Health Risks of Bottled Water Microplastics

The ingestion of microplastics and nanoplastics through bottled water poses several potential health risks:

1. Toxic chemical exposure

Microplastics can act as carriers for toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A BPA, phalates and other harmful substances. These chemicals can disrupt endocrine functions  and lead to various health issues such as develpment malformations, interference with reproduction, great risk of cancer, and immune and nervous system function disturbances.

2. Inflammatory responses

Microplastics can cause inflammation in the body, potentially leading to conditions such as gastrointestinal inflammation and other related diseases.

3. Cellular damage

Nanoplastics, due to their extremely small size, can penetrate cellular membranes, contributing to  oxidative stress and cellular damage, interfering with normal cellular functions and may contribute to chronic diseases.

4. Bioaccumulation

5. Organ and tissue damage

Microplastics are toxic and cause damage to tissues and organs when they accumulate in significant quantities.

6. Further exposure to pollutants

Microplastics transport other pollutants, including heavy metals and organic toxins, potentially introducing them into the human body when ingested.

How to Minimize Exposure

While it may be challenging to avoid microplastics entirely, there are several steps you can take to minimize your exposure:

1. Choose glass or stainless steel

Choose water stored in glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic bottles. These materials are less likely to leach harmful particles into the water.

For instance, studies have shown that glass bottles tend to have lower levels of microplastic contamination compared to plastic bottles​.

2. Use water filters  Invest in high-quality water filters that are capable of removing microplastics and helping remove tap water toxicity. Look for a filter with a pore size small enough to capture even the tiniest particles.

3. Avoid single-use plastics

Reduce your consumption of single-use plastics, which cause pollution and the breakdown into microplastics. Use reusable water bottles and other sustainable alternatives.

4. Stay informed

Keep abreast of the latest research on microplastics and water safety. Awareness is key to making informed choices about the water you consume.

Conclusion

The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in bottled water is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. While the full extent of their health impacts is still being studied, it is clear that reducing exposure to these contaminants is essential.

By making conscious choices about the water you drink and the containers you use, you can protect yourself and contribute to a healthier environment.

Stay informed, choose wisely and advocate for cleaner, safer water for all.


Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Your Favorite Sparkling Water?

Here’s What to Know

Many brands have PFAS levels of more than 1 part per trillion, exceeding the Environmental Working Group’s recommendation.

 Another day, another potential toxin in one of your favorite products to worry about. This time, it’s PFAS in sparkling water. 

PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals designed to withstand water, oil, grease, and heat, which may sound ideal for food packaging. Until you learn that these chemicals take at least a century to break down in the human body, and much longer in our environment, and like many man-made substances approved for extensive use, they’re much less safe than we thought. 

FOOD & WINE / LA CROIX BEVERAGES INC. / THE COCA-COLA COMPANY / POLAR BEVERAGES

Linked to cancer, autoimmune disease, thyroid problems, and more health issues, PFAS’ toxicity is worrying, and still being studied. And unfortunately, PFAS are prevalent throughout our environment, from the seafood to water.

How to Mitigate Your Exposure to ‘Forever Chemicals”

Bottled and canned water is often considered a healthier or safer option, thanks to purification and processing. But that may not necessarily be the case. In 2020,Consumer Reports ran a study to determine PFAS levels in 47 bottled waters, including 35 non carbonated and 12 carbonated samples. Many of the carbonated waters had PFAS in them.  

Perrier Natural Sparkling Mineral Water, La Croix Natural Sparkling Water, Canada Dry Lemon Lime Sparkling Seltzer Water, Poland Spring Zesty Lime Sparkling Water, Bubly Blackberry Sparkling Water, Polar Natural Seltzer Water, and Topo Chico Natural Mineral Water all had PFAS levels higher than 1 part per trillion.The Environmental Working Group (EWG)  recommends only drinking water with less than 1 ppt of PFAS. Meaning, yes, sparkling water can be potentially problematic. 

San Pellegrino sparkling water has PFAS, but at levels that are considered safe. As of July 2023, Yahoo reported that San Pellegrino’s PFAS levels are 0.31 parts per trillion (ppt), while levels below 1 ppt are considered safe. Other sparkling waters with low PFAS levels include:

  • Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Water: No detectable levels
  • Spindrift: 0.19 ppt
  • Dasani: 0.37 ppt
  • Schweppes: 0.58 pp

Luckily for seltzer drinkers, improvements can be made. After pledging to create a healthier product following the Consumer Reports study, Topo Chico halved the amount of PFAS in its sparkling water, from 9.7 parts per trillion to 3.9 parts per trillion by 2021. Still, that’s higher than the suggested intake, but it’s a start. 

Seltzers are commonly believed to be healthier than sugar-packed sodas, but recent research is bringing down their cred. For many, sparkling water is a great way to hydrate and drink the water necessary for overall health. For others, sparkling water can cause gut issues including bloating and reflux. If sparkling water triggers IBS or other digestive symptoms, it may be time to cut back on the bubble habit. Seltzers with sweeteners or additives, like artificial flavors, can also be detrimental to gut health, equivalent to, say, a Diet Coke. Something to smile about: Seltzer is healthier than soda any day.

This April, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the first-ever legally enforceable drinking water standard, in order to protect Americans from PFAS-contaminated water. And while that infrastructure project is in the works, there are a few ways you can remove PFAS from your water at home. 

First, you can test your tap water with a home test kit or through a local environmental agency. If PFAS are found, you can try removing them at home. Unfortunately, boiling water to sanitize it doesn’t work with forever chemicals, but Consumer Reports tested several faucet filters and a refrigerator filter to extricate PFAS from your water. From there, you can also make sparkling water at home with a counter top machine.

You can’t control what’s in your bottled water, but purifying and carbonating your water at home may be the safest and healthiest option for sparkling water lovers. 

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The Top 12 Berberine Benefits

by nina
October 21st, 2024

1. Aids Weight Loss

If you have extra pounds to shed, berberine may help. While there’s no substitute for having a healthy diet and getting exercise, berberine may actually rev up your metabolism.

Berberine not only boosts metabolism but also increases weight loss. Obese individuals who took berberine three times a day for 12 weeks lost weight — about five pounds each. While that’s not a huge amount of weight, it was also accompanied by a reduction in their body mass index (BMI).

Consuming berberine can shrink fat cells — for good — even when your diet works against you. If you have a healthier diet, you may have even better results!

2. Supports Normal Blood Sugar Levels

Berberine may promote normal blood sugar levels in the body. Maintaining a steady blood glucose level is best for good health, stable energy, and a healthy weight. This is not just true for the millions of Americans who experience Type 2 diabetes, but for all people.

Taking berberine three times a day for three months may help balance blood sugar. And berberine has low toxicity and few if any side effects.

3. Boosts Your Immune System

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have long used berberine to help infections, particularly gastrointestinal ones.

This herb can deter harmful organisms in your body because of its natural antibacterial properties. That means berberine can boost your immune system. 

Researchers found that the compound stopped certain harmful bacteria from creating a biofilm, a sticky substance that protects them. It takes up to 24 hours for bacteria to produce biofilms, so taking berberine every day can help your immune system ward off these harmful organisms.

4. Helps Canker Sores & Oral Health

Historically, Native Americans used goldenseal — which contains berberine compounds — to help with irritation inside the mouth and nose.

Today, people still use berberine for oral health, including for canker sores, which can make it uncomfortable to eat or drink.

Applying berberine gel may relieve both the discomfort and the redness of these sores. The gel even helped reduce the size of the canker sore when taken four times per day.

5. Counters Free Radicals With Antioxidant Properties

Berberine has antioxidant properties, which means that it helps reduce the damage free radicals cause to your cells.

When free radicals damage your cells, it leads to aging and disease. The process is similar to what happens to a freshly-cut apple after it gets exposed to air: The oxygen makes it turn brown.

Berberine activates an enzyme inside cells called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK slows down the production of free fatty acids — a type of free radical — thus slowing down oxidative stress in your body.

6. Soothes Inflammation

Berberine has anti-inflammatory properties, which means it reduces redness and swelling throughout the body.

Gut conditions like colitis and Crohn’s disease cause a lot of inflammation. In autoimmune diseases like these, your body attacks its own cells. Berberine may lower your body’s release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This reduces redness and swelling and boosts the immune system.

7. Balances Cholesterol & Helps Heart Health

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of berberine can boost heart health.

Berberine promotes normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are fats that your body makes from the foods you eat.

Keeping your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check reduces your risk of heart disease. Researchers were so impressed with berberine’s powers, they hailed it as a breakthrough herbal medicine.

Berberine may also reduce high blood pressure. 

8. Soothes PCOS

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is an uncomfortable condition that affects many women. In people with PCOS, hormone imbalances lead to ovarian cysts.

Evidence suggests that berberine improves PCOS by promoting healthy blood sugar levels. 

Women with PCOS and infertility who took berberine for three months ended up with better-balanced hormone levels. On top of that, berberine helped balance their blood sugar and even improved pregnancy outcomes. That’s promising.

9. Helps Anxiety & Depression

This herb has a positive effect on mood. Not only does it lift your spirits, it may also help you feel calmer, happier, and less withdrawn. 

Berberine stimulates the production of brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This is likely responsible for its antidepressant-like effects.

10. Boosts Memory & Learning

As we age, our memory and learning abilities can change, but taking supplements like berberine may promote normal brain aging processes.

Berberine can help boost memory and recall skills. Some evidence also suggests it can protect the brain from neurodegenerative conditions. One of the ways that berberine helps your nervous system stay healthy is by promoting healthy, normal levels of inflammation.

11. Provides Liver Protection

It’s not just for your heart, gut, and brain. Berberine may also protect your liver.

By promoting normal fat levels in the blood, berberine keeps fat from accumulating in the liver. It appears to help people with both alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, known causes of fat buildup in the liver.

Berberine seems to influence genes that control liver metabolism, helping it function more effectively.

12. Supports Gut Health

From minor concerns to leaky gut, your gastrointestinal health has a significant impact on your overall wellness. In fact, your gut microbiota has a tremendous influence on how you feel mentally and physically.

Although a probiotic can quickly improve the health of your gut, you may also want to consider berberine. People have used this compound for centuries to help digestive issues.

For instance, berberine can soothe diarrhea by fighting certain stomach infections caused by E. coli. When people took 150 mg of berberine HCL three times per day, it helped reduce their diarrhea.

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Reduce Inflammation

by nina
January 15th, 2024

Ways to reduce Chronic Inflammation

And manage Chronic Pain

 

What is inflammation?

Acute inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs/bacteria.  We can see, feel and measure it as local heat, redness, swelling and pain.  This is the body’s way of getting more nourishment and immune activity to heal areas of infection or injury.

Chronic inflammation has a destructive potential, which we see when the immune system targets our own tissues in autoimmune dis-eases such as Type 1 diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia and lupus. (to name a few)

Whole body inflammation refers to a chronic, imperceptible, low-level condition.  It is the foundation for all dis-ease.  It can even contribute to psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety.

**The single most important thing one can do to counter chronic inflammation is to stop eating refined, processed, sugar laden food.

Ways to Reduce Inflammation

 

  1. Choose an anti-inflammatory diet-Organic if at all possible
  • Eat mostly vegetables daily—and low sugar fruits such as berries, apples, avocados, kiwi and grapefruit.
  • Consume abundant Bioflavonoids—Found in citrus, veggies, green tea, and cacao (raw chocolate), red wine, legumes, parsley and onions.
  • Bone broths are excellent
  1. Anti-inflammatory herbs and spices-Anti bacterial, fungal, microbial
  • Ginger-Shares properties with over the counter NSAID’s. It can inhibit genes that encode the molecules involved in chronic inflammation.
  • Boswellia-Ayurvedic medicine that can switch off key cell signalers known at cytokines, reducing inflammation.
  • Turmeric/Curcumin-Is a mild COX-2 inhibitor (like prescription strength drugs) but with only positive side effects.
  • Use quality Himalayan Sea Salt
  1. Use a bio-available multi vitamin/mineral complex
  • Folate, B complex, Vit C, D, A and E are powerful antioxidants which counter the effects of free radical damage. (Good Health or Life Extension)
  • Add Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) to your regiment. If vegetarian, algal sources are effective.  Use a tested product (free of mercury and other heavy metals) such as Krill Oil from Good Health.
  • Nuts and seeds such as walnuts (soaked is best) and freshly ground flaxseed are good sources of Omega 3’s.
  1. Upgrade your cooking oils. Do not use corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, canola or any other highly processed vegetable oil.
  • Use either coconut or avocado oil for cooking. Olive oil should be used for dressing foods.
  • Avoid Canola, safflower, peanut, soy etc. (refined oils high in Omega 6 which contributes to inflammation.)
  • Use real butter, not margarine or spreads. Cultured butter from Organic Valley is a good choice.
  1. Eat raw food–Enzymes reduce inflammation
  • Include raw fruits at breakfast (berries, apples etc)
  • Even in the winter eat seasonal, raw food such as sunflower sprouts, raw beet salads (greens of all kinds), broccoli, kale, cabbage and squash are all available.
  • Smoothies with green food, berries and milk substitute (not soy)
  1. Reduce or eliminate sugar!
  • The best way to reduce unhealthy sugars in the diet is to consume fewer processed foods and drinks in general, and refined carbs and sugars in particular. Fuel your energy demands with a slower-burning balance of proteins, healthy fats and whole-food carbs.
  • Change and sprout the grain you eat. Quinoa is a seed.  Sourdough bread is fermented and easier to digest.  Reduce grains in general as they are inflammatory.
  • Sugar destroys your immune system. Complex carbohydrates are considered healthy.  Real, whole foods.
  1. Move your Body and drink filtered water-Start hydrated daily!
  • Regular exercise has been proven to help control inflammation and insulin, thereby avoiding metabolic syndrome.
  • H2O is the very best way to hydrate. Avoid plastic bottles.  Mother said 8 glasses a day, she was right.
  • Exercise is excellent and recovery is important. Give your body time to heal and recover.  Reduce stress and self nurture.

Managing Chronic Pain

 

  • Recent studies show that taking ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) increases heart attack risk by 48% and Aleve increases risk by 53% when taken for as little as one to seven days.
  • Kidney impairment increases by 32%.
  • More than one in 10 Americans suffer from chronic pain, which increases with age.
  • The current opioid epidemic arises from inappropriate prescribing of drugs that work well for acute pain but not for managing ongoing chronic pain.
  • Acute and chronic pain, require different approaches.
  • Pain is the body alerting us that something is wrong. The challenge is both addressing the underlying cause of the pain and turning off the pain signal.
  • Pain such as sciatic nerve pain involves inflammation and pressure on the main nerve supplying eh back portions of the leg. It affects up to 43% of people and is associated with lower-back pain.
  • Treating pain with meds can result in high rates of addiction, side effects and even death.
  • As we live longer, chronic pain increasingly develops. It involves both peripheral inflammation at the site of an old injury and central stimulus in the brain.  In order to treat it, we need to intervene in the brain and peripheral sites.

Additional Effective Supplements and Modalities for Managing Chronic Pain:

  • Curcumin
  • Malic Acid (especially for fibromyalgia)
  • Willow Bark
  • Quercitin
  • CBD Oil
  • Sam-e
  • Skullcap
  • Magnesium
  • ComfortMax by Life Extension
  • Essential oils: https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/essential-oils-to-relieve-pain/

Treatment Modalities:

  • Accupunture
  • Tens 7000 Unit
  • Foam Roller (Find a good PT?)

 

Bonus Recipes: Greens with Glazed Garbanzo Beans

  • 10 ounces mustard greens (can substitute kale or any green of choice)
  • 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tea Bragg’s amino acids
  • 1/4 tea raw honey (optional)
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Remove any large stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.  In a deep pot or wok, sauté the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth until mostly faded to pink, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper and another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.

Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the liquid in the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas over the greens and drizzle the sauce over all.

Raw Kale Avocado Salad

 

1 bunch kale

1 ripe avocado

1 lemon (juice)

Sea salt

Olive oil to taste.

Massage kale with oil, add smashed cado, lemon juice and enjoy…Easy!

 

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Prevent Cognitive Decline

by nina
January 15th, 2024

Things that contribute to Alzheimer’s and Dementia,

and Things that help prevent these conditions.

 What are risk factors?

  • Risk factors are aspects of your lifestyle, environment and genetic background that increase the likelihood of getting a disease.
  • Risk factors on their own are not causes of a disease. Rather, risk factors represent an increased chance, but not a certainty, that dementia will develop.
  • Similarly, having little or no exposure to risk factors does not necessarily protect a person from developing dementia.

There are some risk factors that can be changed, and some that cannot.

Are there risk factors for dementia that you can control?

Some risk factors are modifiable, meaning that they can be changed. It has been estimated that around 40% of dementia cases may be the result of twelve key modifiable risk factors.

High blood pressure People who have consistent high blood pressure (hypertension) in mid-life (ages 45 to 65) are more likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal blood pressure.

High blood pressure can increase the risk of developing dementia, particularly vascular dementia, because of its effect on the heart, the arteries, and blood circulation.

Smoking The evidence is strong and consistent that smokers are at a higher risk of developing dementia vs. non-smokers or ex-smokers.

The WHO details the evidence behind smoking tobacco as a risk factor for dementia. It is known that smoking increases the risk of vascular problems, including strokes or smaller bleeds in the brain, which are also risk factors for dementia. In addition, toxins in cigarette smoke cause inflammation and stress to cells, which have both been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s never too late to quit! Smokers who quit can reduce their risk of developing dementia.

Diabetes People with type 2 diabetes in mid-life (ages 45 to 65) are at an increased risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Obesity – in mid-life (ages 45 to 65) increases the risk of developing dementia. Obesity also increases the risk of developing other risk factors such as type 2 diabetes.

Lack of physical activity Physical inactivity in later life (ages 65 and up) increases the risk of developing dementia.

Poor diet- unhealthy diet, high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, can increase the risk of developing many illnesses, including dementia and cardiovascular disease. (We know this!)

High alcohol consumption Drinking excessively (more than 12 drinks per week), can increase your risk of developing dementia.

Low levels of cognitive engagement Cognitive engagement are thought to support the development of a “cognitive reserve”. This is the idea that people who actively use their brains throughout their lives may be more protected against brain cell damage caused by dementia.

Depression People who experience depression in mid- or later life have a higher risk of developing dementia. However, the relationship between depression and dementia is still unclear.

Many researchers believe that depression is a risk factor for dementia, whereas others believe it may be an early symptom of the disease, or both.

Traumatic brain injury People who experience severe or repeated head injuries are at increased risk of developing dementia. Brain injuries may trigger a process that might eventually lead to dementia.

This particularly affects athletes in boxing, soccer, hockey, and football, which often have repeated head injuries.

Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury. Falling is especially dangerous for older adults.

Hearing loss Mild levels of hearing loss increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Though it is still unclear how exactly it affects cognitive decline, hearing loss can lead to social isolation, loss of independence, and problems with everyday activities.

Social isolation social isolation can increase the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, depression, and dementia.

Staying socially active may reduce the risk of dementia. Social interaction may also help slow down the progression of the disease.

Air pollution the relationship between air pollution and dementia is still unclear. However, it’s estimated that those living close to busy roads have a higher risk of dementia because they may be exposed to higher levels of air pollution from vehicle emissions.

It’s never too soon, or too late, to make changes that will maintain or improve your brain health. Learn more about managing some of these risk factors.

Are there risk factors for dementia that I cannot control?

Age Dementia is not a normal part of aging. However, age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia. The older you become, the higher the risk:

  • One in 20 over age 65 has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
  • After 65, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles approximately every five years, with one in four over 85 having Alzheimer’s disease.

While rare, dementia can affect people under 65. This is known as young-onset dementia.

Gender- Women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than men. While the reasons for this are still unclear, some of the potential contributors include women generally living longer on average than men and changes in estrogen levels over many women’s lifetimes.

For types of dementia other than Alzheimer’s disease, men and women have the same risk. There is not much data yet available on non-binary people and dementia, though some research is in progress.

Genetics We don’t yet fully understand the role of genes in the development of dementia. We do know that most cases of Alzheimer’s disease are sporadic, meaning they do not run in families. Only rare instances of Alzheimer’s disease are inherited or familial, accounting for two to five percent of all cases.

Scientists have found over 70 genes that may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Three of these genes directly cause Alzheimer’s disease: PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP.

If a person has an alteration in any of these genes, they will almost certainly develop familial Alzheimer’s disease, often well before the age of 65. If a parent has any of these changed genes, their children have a 50% chance of inheriting the disease.

The other genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease increase the risk, but don’t guarantee that Alzheimer’s disease will develop. Some other forms of dementia also have familial forms, such as some forms of frontotemporal dementia.

Other risk factors

  • Other medical conditions that can increase your chances of developing dementia include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and HIV.
  • Down syndrome and some other developmental disabilities may also increase your risk of developing dementia.

Now that you know what the risk factors are, find out more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and brain.

Aluminum

Current research provides no convincing evidence that exposure to trace elements of aluminum is connected to the development of dementia.

Aluminum has been studied for over 40 years as a substance that might be linked to dementia. However, there have been many conflicting findings.

  • Some studies show increased levels of trace elements of aluminum in the brains of people with dementia, while others do not.
  • Studies have not found an increased incidence of dementia in people with occupational exposure to aluminum.
  • Tea is one of the few plants whose leaves accumulate larger trace element amounts of aluminum that can seep into the brewed beverage. However, there is no evidence that dementia is more prevalent in cultures that typically drink large amounts of tea.
  • Unfortunately, earlier animal studies focused on one animal that is particularly susceptible to aluminum poisoning, which has led to incorrect conclusions about the general effects of aluminum on the body.

Aluminum in cookware and other products

It would be difficult to significantly reduce exposure to aluminum simply by avoiding the use of aluminum products such as pots and pans, foil and beverage cans.

That’s because the use of aluminum in these products only contributes to a very small percentage of the average person’s intake of aluminum. It’s important to remember that aluminum is an element found naturally in the environment and our bodies at levels that are normal and not harmful.

Aluminum in the environment

Aluminum has a non-metallic form that makes up eight per cent of the earth’s surface. In small amounts, aluminum is referred to as “trace elements”, and occur naturally in the foods we eat, in our drinking water and are even added to the water treatment process in some municipalities.

Trace elements of aluminum may also be found in:

  • Many processed foods
  • Cosmetics and personal hygiene products, such as deodorants and nasal sprays
  • Some drugs to make them more effective or less irritating.
  • The air we breathe from dry soil, cigarette smoke, pesticide sprays and aluminum-based paint.

Aluminum in our bodies

Aluminum is also found naturally in our bodies, but its role is not fully understood. Very little of the aluminum taken in by a healthy individual is absorbed; most of it is flushed out by the kidneys.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep… According to New York Times Best Selling Author, Lisa Genova. sleep (including naps) allows our brains to rest and restore. Loss of sleep can lead to an increase of amyloid and tau in cerebral fluid. Studies show clearly that lack of sufficient, good sleep is likely a contributing factor in developing dementia/Alzheimer’s.

“Sleep helps save memories in two steps. First, the unique pattern of neural activity that occurred in your brain when you were experiencing, learning and even rehearsing something while awake is reactivated during sleep. This neural replay is thought to facilitate the linking of these connections, cementing them into a single memory,” says Genova.  Sleep helps consolidate memories, and insufficient sleep interferes with consolidation.

Sleep appears to be helpful for all muscle memory skills.

There is also power in napping. Naps help you retain what you have already learned, and they seem to help make room for what you’re going to learn. 20-minute naps are plenty and seem to be ideal. A key to napping is rest 7-8 hours after you awake in the morning. So, if you rise at 7, 2 or 3 would be a good nap time. When you go beyond this 8-hour window it tends to mess up your circadian rhythms and can cause drowsiness and disorientation.

I have been a “power” napper most of my adult life. I’ll discuss my method at this class…

Studies are showing that sleep is critical for reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Deep sleep is like a power cleanse for your brain.

If you operate on less-than-optimal sleep, it’s like your brain is on an amyloid hangover. The glial cells won’t have enough time to clean your brain.  Sleeping less than seven to nine hours a night poses a real risk to your health and your memories.

Women and Dementia: Understanding sex/gender differences in the brain. brainXchange, 2018. This webinar discusses understandings of sex and gender, sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease, how the higher number of women with Alzheimer’s may be due to both, and a discussion of the role of estrogen in the health of brain regions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the Canadian Consortium of Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA).

The most known supplements that are used in prevention of dementia are:

  • Vitamin E
  • Gingko biloba- Ginkgo has a long history of use in treating blood disorders and memory issues. It is best known today as way to potentially keep your memory sharp. Laboratory studies have shown that ginkgo improves blood circulation by opening blood vessels and making blood less sticky. It is also an antioxidant.
  • Turmeric
  • Omega-3s
  • Vit D3 with K
  • B Complex
  • Bacopa- Bacopa monnieri (often called brahmi) is a botanical frequently used in Ayurvedic medicine. The main indications for using Bacopa in Ayurvedic medicine are memory improvement, insomnia, epilepsy, and as an anxiolytic.
  • Phosphatidylserine- Phosphatidylserine is a fatty substance that protects nerve cells in your brain and enables them to communicate with each other. The nutritional supplement phosphatidylserine promotes cognitive function and memory, especially as you age to better support how your cells communicate and enhance your glucose metabolism.
  • Luteolin-Luteolin has potent anti-inflammatory actions, inhibiting important mediators of inflammation, that are also involved in pain, such as cytokines and enzymes.
  • Acetyl L-Carnitine- Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), the short-chain ester of carnitine, is a common dietary supplement, claimed to improve energy levels and muscle strength.
  • Lion’s Mane

The MIND diet, a nutrition plan developed for the prevention of dementia, was developed over a more than 20-year study of thousands of individuals.

Experts have developed a diet that brings many of these brain-healthy foods together. The MIND diet – which stands for Mediterranean/DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay – combines elements of the popular Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.

This diet incorporates fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, whole grains and healthy fats, such as olive oil, all of which have been shown to decrease inflammation, prevent cell damage, and slow down the effects of brain aging.

Best Foods for Preventing Dementia (no mystery here…)

  1. Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

Studies have found that foods with higher levels of carotenoids – the pigments that give fruits and veggies their orange and red color – are associated with better brain health and a lower risk of dementia. Food that are rich in carotenoids include carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, papaya, apricots, and leafy greens such as spinach and kale.

  1. Berries

Berries are a great source of antioxidants and flavonoids, both of which are known to prevent cell damage and can stop the progression of brain damage from free radicals. Foods such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries all pack this nutritional punch – plus they have the added benefit of being naturally lower in sugar than many other fruits.

  1. Fish

Seafood, in particular fatty fish such as tuna and salmon, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with good brain health and a reduced risk of cognitive decline. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is especially helpful in this regard, but our bodies cannot produce it on their own, so we have to rely on diet. Experts say two to three servings of fish a week is enough to provide your brain with all the benefits of this nutrient.

  1. Nuts, Seeds and Legumes

Nuts, seeds and legumes contain antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as other nutrients such as vitamin E, B vitamins, choline, magnesium and zinc. All of these are shown to promote brain health and reduce age-related cognitive decline. Foods such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts, soybeans, lentils, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are all good choices to add to your diet if you’re looking to score these benefits.

  1. Whole Grains

Whole grains are rich in fiber, B vitamins and other nutrients and can reduce inflammation in the brain, supporting memory and warding off dementia. Whole grains such as quinoa, barley, brown rice and oats are great choices and can be healthier alternatives to more processed grains, such as white flour.

Foods to Avoid

Foods that are known to contribute to inflammation should be limited if you are seeking to prevent cognitive decline and dementia. Some of the main culprits include:

  • Red meat
  • Desserts, sweets and sugary beverages
  • Refined grains
  • Processed, fried and fast foods.
  • Alcohol (consume in moderation)
  • Sugar

 

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Good Sources of Good Fats

by nina
March 26th, 2023

Good Sources of Good Fat: 4-5 Servings daily

  • Ex V coconut oil
  • Ex V olive oil, avocado, macadamia, walnut or almond oil. Should not be used for high-heat. For cooking use ghee ,butter or coc oil.
  • MCT oil-medium chain triglyceride oil from coconut-NuMedica
  • Organic coc milk (1/4) cup-Native forest
  • Avocado
  • Fatty fish: sardines, mackerel, herring, black cod, and wild salmon
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Olives
  • Grass-fed butter, clarified butter, ghee (if allergic to dairy use ghee)

Best Fat-containing Foods:

  • Animal Protein: grass fed beef, bison, lamb or venison
  • Poultry: Organic chicken, duck, turkey, eggs
  • Seafood: Sustainable and low in mercury: Tilapia, trout (freshwater), wild salmon (canned or fresh), anchovies, sole, calamari, sardines, herring
  • Shellfish: clams, crab, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp
  • Dairy: Clarified grass fed butter, ghee and grass fed butter
  • Nondairy Milks: almond, cashew, coconut, hemp
  • Nuts: almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts macadamias, pecans
  • Seeds: chia, black sesame, flax hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, walnuts
  • Nut and Seed Butter: almond, cashew, hazelnut,
  • Saturated Plant Fats: Coconut milk, Ex V organic coconut butter and oil, palm oil (Nutiva or Spectrum only)
  • Sesame oil-can be used for higher heat (expeller-pressed only)

 

*Divide protein up to 30 to 40 grams and a meal. Protein powders: a few good choices are: Raab Whey protein, Raw Organic Green Food by Garden of Eden, Hemp or chia protein based powders.

 

Most of your diet should be: whole plant foods, vegetables, nuts and seeds, sustainably raised animal products, and limit fish.

 

Fiber is your friend: When you increase fiber, you decrease spike effect of cabs in your blood sugar.

 

 

Excellent fiber foods are:

 

  • …
  • …
  • Fiber: 6.7 grams per half, raw. …
  • Fiber: 5.5 grams per medium fruit, raw. …
  • Bran Flakes. Fiber: 7 grams per cup, raw. …
  • Whole-Wheat Pasta. Fiber: 6.3 grams per cup, cooked. …
  • Pearled barley. Fiber: 6 grams per cup, cooked. …
  • Fiber: 4 grams per cup, cooked.
  • Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and kale

 

Good Fat Recipe     Avocado/Orange Salad

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

 
  • 1 cup packed cilantro
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of minced garlic

Salad

  • 2 large oranges
  • 8 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup slivered red onion (optional)
  • ½ cup Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
  • Puree cilantro, oil, lime juice, orange juice, salt, pepper and garlic in a blender until smooth. Slice both ends off oranges. With a sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith; discard. Working over a salad bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membrane; discard the membrane. Add greens, avocado, onion and vinaigrette; toss to coat. (Refrigerate the extra dressing for up to 2 days.)
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High Fiber reduces Inflammation

by nina
March 26th, 2023

High Fiber Eases Inflammation. Soluble and Insoluble…what are they, why should we care, and how do we get it?

Plagued with achy joints? Your remedy may be found on your plate…

New research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases journal discovered that those that eat a higher fiber diet are less likely to experience osteoarthritic knee pain.

The Framingham study spanned over 34 years and included just over 1,200 people with an average age of 54.

  • The group that ate the highest amount of fiber ate an average of 26 grams
  • The group that ate the lowest amount of fiber ate an average of 14 grams

The researchers found that the more fiber people ate, the less knee pain they reported, and the less likely they were to be diagnosed with knee arthritis. In fact, those that ate the most fiber had 61% less risk of osteoarthritis knee pain compared to those who ate the least fiber.

No One Gets Enough Fiber

The group that ate the highest amount of fiber was still under the recommended daily allowance for dietary fiber. Fiber only occurs in fruits vegetables and grains. Ii is part of the cellular wall of these foods. High fiber diets may reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. They draw fluid from the body to add bulk to the stool.

Fiber supports healthy cholesterol, feeds our microbiome, stabilizes blood sugar levels, escorts toxic bile to the toilet and keeps the bowels running smoothly.

It safeguards your colon, liver and gallbladder, supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and, as the study above showed, it can also reduce knee pain from arthritis! It may not surprise you that Americans only eat about half the fiber they should in order to harvest the health benefits of a high-fiber diet. The average American only gets 10-20g of dietary fiber per day. According to experts, if you can achieve a fiber intake of 50 grams per day or more, you will experience a healthy difference.

Ayurveda’s takes on Joint Ailments

Thousands of years ago, Ayurveda made the connection between joint health and colon health, in that many joint ailments actually originate in the colon. Toxins and undigested food can irritate and compromise the integrity of the intestinal wall. These irritants can lead to lymph and liver congestion, which can lead to an accumulation of toxic irritants in the joints.

A high-fiber diet ensures the health and integrity of the intestinal lining, and also ensures that the unwanted toxins attach to the bile (which acts like a toxin-eating Pac-Man) It is important to be eating fiber at all times of year to ensure the health of the colon. There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber is often called “roughage,” as it generally does not break down in the digestive tract. It is found in fresh fruits, veggies, tubers and legumes.

Insoluble fiber’s job is to provide bulk in the intestines, while helping to balance the pH levels in the intestines. It promotes regular bowel movements, and helps to prevent constipation. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, and doesn’t ferment with bacteria in the colon. It is believed to help prevent diverticulosis and hemorrhoids, while sweeping out carcinogens and toxins from the system. Nuts, seeds, potatoes, fruit with skin, and green vegetables are excellent sources, as mentioned above.

The job of soluble fiber is much the same, however it creates a gel in the system binding with fatty acids. Studies show that it prolongs stomach emptying to allow for better absorption of nutrients. Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol and helps to regulate blood sugar levels for individuals with diabetes. It is present in beans, legumes, oats, barley, berries, flax seeds, and some vegetables like okra. It does ferment in the stomach, which can lead to bloating and gas. Increase these foods gradually, and drink plenty of water.

Soluble fibers are the fibers that break down and become slimy and soft during the digestive process. Many foods have a little of both types of fiber, but there is a seasonal emphasis that we can follow.

In the spring and summer, there is an abundance of insoluble fiber with the harvest of leafy greens and fibrous fruits, veggies and tubers. In the fall and winter, there is a shift to a harvest of soluble fibers with more grains, beans and seeds that are readily available.

Where has all the Fiber Gone?

According to a new study out of John Hopkins, every day, massive amounts of fiber are thrown away.

Instead of eating the fiber-rich foods on our plates, we are throwing our uneaten food fiber into landfills. The amount of fiber we throw away annually, if eaten, would provide the amount of fiber we would need to meet our daily fiber requirements.

For example, food wasted each day in 2012 contained about 1.8 billion grams of dietary fiber. That same year, American women under-consumed dietary fiber by 8.9 grams per day.

The daily amount of wasted dietary fiber was equivalent to the amount needed to fill this shortfall for as many as 206.6 million adult women, according to the study. 

To help remedy this problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have a goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.

Soluble Fiber–Soluble fiber is soluble in water. It becomes slimy and lubricating in the gut when it mixes with water in the digestive system. Think of psyllium or Metamucil.

Food Sources

Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas and some fruits and veggies.

Function

  • Binds with fatty acids and bile in the gut, which are generally attached to bad cholesterol and toxins earmarked for the toilet.
  • Becomes gel-like in the gut and slows the absorptions of fats and sugars into the blood stream.

Benefits

  • Supports healthy good and bad cholesterol and LDL levels, thereby supporting heart health.
  • Regulates or slows the blood sugar release from the gut for healthy blood sugar levels.

Risks

  • Too much soluble fiber can dehydrate the gut. Have you ever added water to psyllium in a glass? Being a soluble fiber, it will attract water and expand quickly in the glass. If too much soluble fiber is taken, it may pull water away from the gut wall, drying it out.
  • The expansive effect of soluble fiber can also overly distend the gut. This could cause chronic constipation, a distended bowel, and sluggish absorption of certain nutrients such as sugars and fats into the blood stream.

Insoluble Fiber–Insoluble fiber does not mix with water and generally moves through the gut intact, acting as bulk and scrubbing the intestinal wall. Think of vegetable roughage.

Food Sources–Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran, fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

Function

  • Insoluble fiber tends to speed up the passage of food through the stomach and intestines, adding needed bulk to the stool.
  • It is also in charge of maintaining the proper pH of the gut, which regulates the balance of good bacteria in the gut.

Benefits

  • Promotes regular bowel movement and prevents occasional constipation
  • Removes toxic waste through the colon in less time.
  • Scrubs the villi of the intestines.
  • Helps keep an optimal pH in the intestines to prevent microbes from producing toxic substances.

Risks

  • Too much insoluble fiber can irritate the gut as excess roughage can inflame a sensitive digestive system.

While most nutritionists give soluble fibers most of the credit for cardiovascular support, blood sugar regulation and healthy cholesterol, much of these benefits would not exist without the aid of insoluble fibers.

Insoluble fibers in the form of cellulose escort the toxins into the toilet. If only soluble fibers existed, toxins might be bound to soluble fibers in the gut with no way out, lingering in the gut and eventually being re-absorbed back into the bloodstream and liver.

Experts at the National Academy of Sciences are recommending that these two terms, soluble and insoluble, be phased out with regard to fiber, as their benefits are so intertwined that their exact roles in the gut are still unclear.

How much daily?

Today, the general consensus is that we should eat about 25-30 grams of fiber a day in a ratio of 3:1 insoluble fiber to soluble fiber. This suggestion is the same for every day of the year. Nature has a nutritional cycle that takes one year to complete, so getting all your nutritional needs met each and every day in a daily nutritional allowance is quite impossible from nature’s perspective.

Nature’s Prescription

It should be clearly understood that most whole foods carry a balance of soluble and insoluble fibers. That said, each food seems to have an emphasized amount of either soluble or insoluble fiber, helping fulfill the function of that kind of fiber in the diet.

In the spring and summer, we harvest mostly fruits and vegetables, which clearly emphasize a higher content of insoluble fiber, which is abundant in fruits and veggies.

In the fall and winter, the harvest is mostly nuts, seeds and grains, which emphasize a higher soluble fiber content.

It seems that nature may have intended us to eat a soluble fiber-rich diet of lubricating and moisturizing nuts, seeds and grains in the winter, and a higher insoluble fiber diet of cellulose-rich fruits and veggies in the summer. Why?

The Indisputable Logic of Nature

In the summer, the digestive strength weakens in an attempt to not overheat the body, and survive a long hot summer. To balance the weaker summer digestion, the foods harvested in this season are cooked on the vine by the hot summer sun. Being pre-cooked in this way, they do not require excessive digestive heat.

Insoluble fibers in the form of fruits and veggies are cooling in nature and provide intestinal bulk and the proper pH to keep a somewhat weaker digestive process moving through the summer months. Since it is the insoluble fiber that moves the waste out of the intestines, a diet low in insoluble fiber will allow toxins to linger in the gut and be re-absorbed to the liver, where they will slow bile flow. Toxins (also known as internal heat) will build up in the liver.

In the fall and winter, as the heavier, warmer, and denser foods are harvested, the digestive fire and body heat are increased to boost digestive strength and provide needed winter warmth. It is much the same as turning the heat on in the house in the winter!

Foods high in soluble fiber are emphasized this time of year to lubricate and during a long, cold and dry fall and winter.

**Eat more raw Fiber Foods for Spring/Summer:

**Eat more Cooked Fiber Foods for Fall/Winter: Think vegetables, lentils, peas, beans, grains, (in moderation), nuts, seeds, fruits etc. **Refer to Seasonal Eating Handout.

Reference list of high fiber foods: Avocado, figs, Asian pears, Artichoke, Berries, Coconut, Peas, Okra, Brussels sprouts, Lima beans, Lentils, Nuts, Flax and Chia seeds, Quinoa

 

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Oregano Oil’s Many Benefits!

by nina
September 22nd, 2021

Oregano oil to the rescue!

Oregano has been used all the way back in ancient Grecian times as a highly effective medicinal herb. The Greeks used it for wounds, insect bites, snakebites, digestive and respiratory infections–and for good reason–oregano oil is the ultimate natural antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal!

Oregano essential oil has been proven scientifically to kill bacteria, viruses, fungal infections, and parasites, including giardia, an amoebic infection. Oregano oil has actually been scientifically proven to be effective against even antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Oregano oil is also incredibly effective against food poisoning, stomach flu, candida infections, ringworm, eczema, sinus infections, nail fungus, acne, skin infections, insect bites, warts, allergies, and more. However, oregano oil is very strong and can be irritating, so it must be diluted in a carrier oil when using on the skin.

When taken internally, it is best to purchase and take as a prepared capsule, so you get the proper strength and dosage.

The active ingredients in oregano oil include phenols, carvacrol (60-80%) and thymol (5%) which provide its antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-viral and antioxidant components. Other ingredients include terpenes, pinene and terinene which contribute to the antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties.

All in all, over 800 studies have been conducted on oregano oil and its amazing healing abilities.

Carvacrol is scientifically proven to be highly effective in killing off dangerous staphylococcus, norovirus, E.coli, listeria, campylobacter, and salmonella—all organisms that can cause violent food poisoning. Even better than an antibiotic (which only kills of bacteria), carvacrol is a highly effective antiviral as well. Carvacrol is also an anti-inflammatory aid, and can be used to calm down redness and swelling due to injuries or allergic reactions and insect bites. Studies show carvacrol works against candida overgrowth in the mouth or digestive tract, helps kill cancer cells, and even helps to lower blood sugar.

Oregano essential oil is one of the most potent, versatile natural medicines. Keep it on hand at all times, and you are sure to enjoy its powerful and effective healing properties.  

Oregano Oil Benefits for Infections, Fungus, Common Cold

 

Oregano oil has proven to be a powerful, plant-derived essential oil that may rival antibiotics when it comes to treating or preventing various infections. In fact, it contains properties that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.

In addition, oregano essential oil is unlikely to cause many of the harmful side effects that are commonly attributed to high use of antibiotics — such as increased risk for antibiotic resistance, poor gut health due to destroying beneficial probiotic bacteria, reduced vitamin absorption and leaky gut syndrome due to damage of the gastrointestinal tract’s lining.

Meanwhile, oregano oil benefits extend beyond just controlling infections. What else is oregano essential oil used to treat?

Common examples of conditions that oregano oil can help manage include:

  • Athlete’s foot or toenail fungus
  • Common colds
  • Gingivitis
  • Earaches or toothaches
  • Digestive problems, such as heartburn and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

What Is Oregano Oil?

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is an herb that is a member of the mint family (Labiatae). It has been considered a precious plant commodity for over 2,500 years in folk medicines that originated across the globe.

It has a very long use in traditional medicine for treating colds, indigestion and upset stomachs.

Found in the Mediterranean, throughout many parts of Europe, and in South and Central Asia, medicinal grade oregano is distilled to extract the essential oil from the herb, which is where a high concentration of the herb’s active constituents are found. It takes over 1,000 pounds of wild oregano to produce just one pound of oregano essential oil, in fact.

The oil’s active ingredients are preserved in alcohol and used in essential oil form both topically (on the skin) and internally.

When made into a medicinal supplement or essential oil, oregano is often called “oil of oregano.” As mentioned above, oregano oil is a considered a natural alternative to prescription antibiotics.

Oil of oregano contains two powerful compounds called carvacrol and thymol, both of which have been shown in studies to have strong antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Oregano’s oil is primarily made of carvacrol, while studies show that the plant’s leaves contain a variety of antioxidant compounds, such as phenols, triterpenes, rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid.

 

Oregano Oil Benefits

The predominant healing compound found in oregano oil, carvacrol, has widespread uses ranging from treating allergies to protecting the skin.

The Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Messina in Italy reports that:

Carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol, has emerged for its wide spectrum activity extended to food spoilage or pathogenic fungi, yeast and bacteria as well as human, animal and plant pathogenic microorganisms including drug-resistant and biofilm forming microorganisms.

Carcavol found in oregano essential oil is so potent that it has been been the focus of over 800 studies referenced in PubMed, the world’s No. 1 database for scientific evidence-based literature. To give you a sense of how multi-functional and impressive carvacrol is, it has been shown in studies to help reverse or reduce some of these common health problems:

  • Bacterial infections, Indigestion, Candida, Tumors, Allergies, Inflammation
  • Fungal infections, Parasites, Viruses

Here’s a look at the top health benefits of oregano oil:

1. Natural Alternative to Antibiotics

Broad-spectrum antibiotics can be dangerous because they don’t only kill bacteria that are responsible for infections, but they also kill good bacteria that we need for optimal health.

Overuse of antibiotics, and prescribing broad-spectrum drugs when they aren’t needed, can cause a range of problems. It can make the drugs less effective against the bacteria they are intended to treat by fostering the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections, and it can wipe out the body’s good bacteria (flora) which help digest food, produce vitamins and protect from infections, among other functions.

Unfortunately, broad-spectrum antibiotics are very commonly prescribed, often for conditions in which they have no use, such as viral infections. In one study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, researchers from the University of Utah and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 60 percent of the time when physicians prescribe antibiotics they choose broad-spectrum types.

Essentially, taking oregano oil is a “broad-spectrum approach” to protecting your health.

Its active ingredients help fight multiple types of harmful pathogens, including bacteria, yeast and fungi. As a study in the Journal of Medicinal Food journal stated in 2013, oregano oils “represent an inexpensive source of natural antibacterial substances that exhibited potential for use in pathogenic systems.”

2. Fights Infections and Bacterial Overgrowth

.Here are some highlights of the ways oregano oil benefits these conditions:

  • In 2011, the Journal of Medicinal Food published a study that evaluated the antibacterial activity of oregano oil against five different types of bad bacteria. After evaluating the antibacterial characteristics of oil of oregano, it showed significant antibacterial properties against all five species. The highest activity was observed against E. Coli, which suggests that oregano oil could potentially be routinely used to promote gastrointestinal health and prevent deadly food poisoning.
  • A 2013 study published in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture” concluded that extracts and essential oil from Portuguese origin are strong candidates to replace synthetic chemicals used by the industry.” Researchers from the study found that after studying the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of oregano, it
  • Inhibited the growth of seven tested strains of bacteria that other plant extracts could not.
  • One study involving mice that was published in the journal Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia also found impressive results. In addition to fighting bacteria like listeria and E. coli, researchers also found evidence that oregano oil may have the ability to help fight pathogenic fungi.
  • Other evidence shows that oregano oil’s active compounds (such as thymol and carvacrol) can help fight toothaches and earaches caused by bacterial infections. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases concluded, “Essential oils or their components placed in the ear canal can provide effective treatment of acute otitis media.”

3. Helps Reduce Side Effects From Medications/Drugs

In recent years, many studies have found that one of the most promising oregano oil benefits is helping reduce side effects from medications/drugs. These studies give hope to people who want to find a way to manage the horrible suffering that accompanies drugs and medical interventions, such as chemotherapy or use of drugs for chronic conditions like arthritis.

A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine showed that phenols in oil of oregano can help protect against methotrexate toxicity in mice.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a drug commonly used to treat a wide array of issues from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis, but it’s also well-known to have dangerous side effects. After evaluating oil of oregano’s ability to keep these factors at bay, researchers believe it’s due to oregano’s antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Oregano was shown to work better than drugs that are ineffective at providing full protection against MTX’s adverse effects.

By evaluating various markers in the sciatic nerve in mice, it was observed for the first time that carvacrol decreased the pro-inflammatory response in mice being treated by MTX. Being a relatively new concept in the research world, it’s likely that there will be more studies testing these results because “groundbreaking” doesn’t even begin to describe the significance of this potential oregano health benefit.

Similarly, research conducted in the Netherlands showed that oregano essential oil can also “prevent bacterial overgrowth and colonization in the large intestine during oral iron therapy.” Used to treat iron deficiency anemia, oral iron therapy is known to cause a series of gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and vomiting.

It’s believed that carvacrol targets the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and increases membrane permeability, thereby causing depletion of harmful bacteria. In addition to its antimicrobial properties, carvacrol also interferences with certain pathways for bacterial iron handling, which helps lower side effects of iron therapy.

 

4. Helps Treat Athlete’s Foot

One study found that a combination of heat, salt and use of essential oils (including oregano) had inhibitory effects against mycelia of T. rubrum and conidia of T. mentagrophytes, bacterial strains that commonly cause the fungal infection known as athlete’s foot.

The researchers concluded that thermotherapy combined with essential oils and salt would be promising to treat tinea pedis in a foot bath. After testing the fungicidal activity of 11 essential oils against the bacteria known to cause athlete’s foot, oregano oil was found to be the most powerful (followed by thyme, cinnamon bark, lemongrass and clove).

5. Helps Treat Digestive Issues (Including SIBO and Heartburn)

Several of the active compounds found in Origanum vulgare can help aid digestion by relaxing the muscles of the GI tract and also helping balance the ratio of good-to-bad bacteria in the gut.

Thymol, one of oregano’s active compounds, is a similar compound to menthol, which is found in peppermint oil. Like menthol, thymol may help relax the soft tissue of the throat and stomach, which can help to decrease GERD, heartburn and discomfort after eating.

Because it helps balance bacteria and fights yeast overgrowth, oregano essential oil is also a popular natural treatment for candida and SIBO. SIBO is a common digestive problem that causes gas, bloating and intolerances to many carbohydrate-containing foods.

Origanum vulgare hinders bacterial replication and can be used similarly to antibiotic medications, such as rifaximin (Xifaxan), for treating infections that affect digestive health and nutrient absorption.

A 2014 study published in Global Advances in Health & Medicine found evidence that use of herbal antimicrobials is just as effective as the antibiotic usually given for the treatment of SIBO. When 104 patients diagnosed with SIBO (via lactulose breath test) were treated either with rifaximin (1,200 milligrams) or herbal antimicrobials over the course of four weeks, the results showed that 46 percent of the patients treated with herbal antimicrobials experienced symptom improvements compared to only 34 percent treated with the antibiotic rifaximin.

Additionally, 14 of the 44 patients who still had SIBO after a course of rifaximin were then treated with herbal antimicrobials. Fifty-seven percent responded positively to the herbal treatment even after failing to feel better from the antibiotics.

6. Can Help Treat Parasites

One study found that when adults whose stools tested positive for enteric parasites (including Blastocystis hominis, which causes digestive distress) supplemented with 600 milligrams of oregano for six weeks, many experienced significant improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers reported a complete disappearance of Entamoeba hartmanni (four cases), Endolimax nana (one case) and Blastocystis hominis in eight cases. Gastrointestinal symptoms improved in seven of the 11 patients who tested positive for Blastocystis hominis, which tends to cause symptoms like nausea, gas, bloating and abdominal pain.

7. Helpful for Managing Inflammatory Conditions (such as IBD or Rheumatism)

Oregano retains its strong antioxidant capacity in both fresh and dry form. Due to its high concentration of antioxidants, oregano essential oil has been shown to help reduce oxidative damage and help in preventing mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and aging due its free radical scavenging activities.

Free radicals are believed to be a contributing factor to common chronic conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and drug toxicity.

One study found that combined treatment with thyme and oregano essential oils helped reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thereby may help attenuate colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease) in mice.

8. May Help Improve Cholesterol Levels

Research published in the Journal of International Medical Research suggests that adding oregano oil supplementation can improve cholesterol levels.

For the study, 48 patients with mild hyperlipidemia were given lifestyle and low-fat dietary advice. Thirty-two of the patients (study group) were prescribed 25 milliliters of oregano distillate to be taken after each meal for three months, and the remaining 16 patients were the control group.

After the three-month study period, those in the study group showed significantly greater increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and significantly greater decreases in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared to the control group.

How to Use

Oregano oil can be used topically, diffused or taken internally (only if it’s 100 percent therapeutic grade oil). Ideally, you purchase 100 percent pure, unfiltered, Certified USDA Organic oregano oil.

It’s also available as oregano oil soft gels or capsules to take internally.

Before using oregano essential oil on your skin, always mix it with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or jojoba oil. This helps reduce the risk for irritation and adverse reactions by diluting the oil.

To use it topically, mix three drops of undiluted oregano oil with a small amount of your carrier oil, and then apply topically by rubbing into the skin over the affected area.

Oregano oil uses:

  • Natural Antibiotic: Dilute it with a carrier oil, and apply it topically to the soles of your feet or take it internally for 10 days at a time and then cycle off.
  • Battle Candida and Fungal Overgrowth: For toenail fungus, you can make a homemade antifungal powder that can be applied to your skin. Combine the ingredients with about 3 drops of oregano oil, stir and then sprinkle the powder onto your feet. For internal use, take 2 to 4 drops twice daily for up to 10 days.
  • Fight Pneumonia and Bronchitis: For external infections, apply 2 to 3 diluted drops to the affected area. To prevent internal bacterial overgrowth, ingest 2 to 4 drops twice daily for up to 10 days.
  • Fight MRSA and Staph Infection: Add 3 drops of oregano oil to a capsule or to the food or beverage of your choice along with a carrier oil. Take it twice daily for up to 10 days.
  • Fight Intestinal Worms and Parasites: Take oregano oil internally for up to 10 days.
  • Help Remove Warts: Make sure to dilute it with another oil or mix it with clay.
  • Cleanse Mold From the Home: Add 5 to 7 drops to a homemade cleaning solution along with tea tree oil and lavender.

How much oregano essential oil to take internally:

  • Your oil of oregano dosage will depend on the condition you’re treating. In capsule form, oral supplementation of emulsified oregano is typically around 600 milligrams daily. (Either taken in one or two doses.)
  • A traditional use of oregano leaves is making digestive-aid tea. You can buy pre-made oregano tea or make your own by steeping 15 grams of oregano leaves in 250 milliliters of water for at least five–10 minutes (or longer to make a stronger herbal infusion, up to 24 hours).
  • Because oregano oil might interfere with other medications, always ask your doctor if it’s safe to take internally depending on your specific situation.

**If side effects such as nausea, dizziness or an allergic reaction are ever experienced, stop using oregano oil right away, and consider seeing a doctor.

**Use capsules, not the oil, as it is hot and will burn your mouth.

 

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Autoimmune conditions, Clove oil, and Pycnogenol

by nina
September 7th, 2021

Autoimmune conditions– how to help heal them and support your Immune System.

The many benefits of Cloves–very high in antioxidants.

What is Pyncogenol?

 

More that 80 diseases can be classified as autoimmune. Some of the most well known conditions include:

  • Graves disease   Celiac Disease
  • Hashimoto’s thyroiditis     Crohn’s disease
  • Type 1 diabetes   Ulcerative colitis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis   Multiple sclerosis

 

Autoimmune illness means that your immune system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign invaders. So your immune system forms antibodies that literally attack your own tissues, causing inflammation, pain and other damaging symptoms.

When you approach autoimmune conditions from a holistic, comprehensive view, you realize that is that ALL autoimmune disease is connected. It is a single immune system problem with many manifestations. All conditions listed above have the same cause…your immune system turning against you. Below are 3 ways to that you can treat autoimmune disease.

  1. Control your symptoms
  2. Identify and eliminate immune system triggers
  3. Restore your immune systems health

 

Step #1 Control your symptoms

 

Treatments may involve natural therapies as well as short tem meds (such as steroids, but they have side effects)

 

  • Curcumin—The active ingredient in turmeric, is the top choice for lowering inflammation

 

  • Fish oil/krill oil, white willow bark, proteolytic enzymes (serrapeptase) and boswellia all have natural anti-inflammatory properties. (to name a few)

 

  • For thyroid issues: Natural supplements such as Armour Thyroid, Bio-identical hormones, and DHEA can be used.

 

  • Nascent Iodine supports a healthy thyroid and benefits the immune system in many other ways.

 

Step #2 Identify and eliminate immune system triggers

 

Reducing your exposure to toxins both in your food and your home is paramount for healing autoimmunity. Eat organic. Use biodegradable products for all home cleaning/laundry etc. Don’t burn scented candles. Get rid of Teflon cookware. Use only natural pesticides and fertilizers.

Get tested for food and environmental allergies if needed.

 

Step #3 Restore your immune systems health

 

Balancing Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes can help restore health. When we are born, Th2 lymphocytes are overactive and Th1 lymphocytes are suppressed. Nature provides a powerful immune strengthening substance called colostrum in mother’s milk.

Colostrum contains transfer factors, molecules which boost a newborn’s Th1 immunity, while quieting down the blood based antibody response involving Th2. This makes the newborn less vulnerable to cellular viruses, and lowers his risk of having an antibody response to his mother’s blood.

A supplement exists that mimics colostrum’s powerful immune-balancing effects with transfer factors derived from animal sources. Examples are: Wellness Transfer Factor, Researched Nutritionals Transfer Factors , 4Life Transfer Factor Plus.

White peony extracts, called peony glucosides, can also balance Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes.

Transfer factors help switch off inflammatory messengers in the immune system (called cytokines) The herb paeoniflorin acts in the same way and also reduces pain.

Vitamin D3, fish/krill oil can help rebalance the system.

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet, reducing stress, exercising, and acupuncture are all helpful to create homeostasis in the immune system.

Reduce or eliminate sugar.

 

What Is Clove Oil?

Indigenous to Indonesia and Madagascar, clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) can be found in nature as the unopened pink flower buds of the tropical evergreen tree. Picked by hand in late summer and again in winter, the buds are dried until they turn brown. The buds are then left whole, ground into a spice or are steam-distilled to produce clove essential oil.

The island of Zanzibar (part of Tanzania) is the world’s biggest producer of cloves. Other top producers include Indonesia and Madagascar. Unlike most other spices, clove can be grown throughout the entire year, which has given native tribes that use it a distinct advantage over other cultures because the health benefits can be enjoyed more readily.

Cloves can be anywhere from a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch in length. They generally are composed of 14 percent to 20 percent essential oil. The main chemical component of the oil is eugenol, which is also responsible for clove oil’s strong fragrance. In addition to its common medicinal uses (especially for oral health), eugenol is also commonly included in mouthwashes and perfumes, and it’s also employed in the creation of vanillin.

 

9 Benefits of Clove

 

The health benefits of clove oil are vast and include supporting the health of your liver, skin and mouth. Here are some of most common medicinal clove oil uses today:

  1. Skin Health and Acne

Scientific research demonstrates clove oil’s ability to effectively kill off both the planktonic cells and biofilms of a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus or S. aureus. What does this have to do with skin health and, more specifically, acne? S. aureus is one of several strains of bacteria that have been scientifically linked with the pathogenesis of acne.

As a natural remedy to eliminate acne, take 3 drops clove oil and mix with 2 teaspoons raw honey. Mix together and wash your face as usual.

  1. Fights Candida

One of the most powerful clove oil uses is fighting candida — which is something that I have spoken of at length — and something that continues to plague Americans because of their high-sugar, acidic diets.

Published in the journal Oral Microbiology & Immunology, a study was conducted to see how clove fared against other antifungal treatments and observed that it was as effective as nystatin, a drug commonly prescribed to manage yeast infections of the mouth (thrush), which has a slew of ugly side effects.

Also, in addition to eliminating candida, clove essential oil is effective at killing intestinal parasites. I personally recommend it as an effective treatment for a short-term parasite cleanse.



To do a candida or parasite cleanse, you can take clove oil internally for two weeks. Also, consume large amounts of probiotic-rich foods and/or take a probiotic supplement and make sure to eliminate processed sugar and grains.

  1. Toothache Relief

One of the most well-known clove oil uses, as a remedy for toothaches, was first documented in 1640 in the French “Practice of Physic,” although there is reason to believe that the Chinese were applying this homeopathic remedy for over 2,000 years.

Today, clove is widely accepted as a reliable solution for dry socket and for relieving the pain and discomfort associated with various dental disorders. The Journal of Dentistry, for instance, published a study in 2006 proving that clove essential oil had the same numbing effect as benzocaine, a topical agent commonly used before needle insertion.

Additionally, research has suggested that clove oil has even more far-reaching effects. The Indian Department of Public Health Dentistry recently conducted a study that evaluated clove’s ability to slow tooth decalcification, or dental erosion, compared to eugenol, eugenyl-acetate, fluoride and a control group. Not only did clove oil lead the pack by significantly decreasing decalcification, it was observed that it actually remineralized teeth. Clove oil and will help you steer clear of the dangers of fluoride products!

  1. High Antioxidant Content

Second only to raw sumac bran, ground clove has the astounding ORAC value of 290,283 units! This means that per gram cloves contain 30 times more antioxidants than blueberries, which have a value of 9,621.

In a nutshell, antioxidants are molecules that reverse the damage caused by free radicals, including cell death and cancer. Research has shown that antioxidants slow aging, degeneration and protect the body against bad bacteria and viruses.

Because of its high antioxidant count and eugenol levels, clove is also known as the ultimate “protective” herb and has been used in essential oil blends such as “Thieves” oil.

  1. Digestive Aid and Ulcer Helper

One of the traditional clove oil uses has been for the treatment of common complaints related to the digestive system, including indigestion, motion sickness, bloating and flatulence (accumulation of gas in the digestive tract).

Research also demonstrates that clove oil may be able to help when it comes to ulcer formation in the digestive system. A study using various animal models published in 2011 finds that clove oil has both gastro-protective and anti-ulcer properties. The oil of cloves significantly enhanced gastric mucus production, which protects the lining of the digestive tract and prevents erosion that contributes to gastritis and ulcer formation.

 

  1. Powerful Antibacterial

Clove oil has been shown to inhibit gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as yeast. This is huge, especially since gram-negative bacteria are often resistant to antibiotics and other antibacterial interventions.

To evaluate its effectiveness as an antibacterial agent, researchers from the University of Buenos Aires set out to determine which bacteria are most sensitive to clove’s potency. According to their study, clove has the greatest antimicrobial ability over E. coli and also exerted considerable control over Staph aureus, which causes acne, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes pneumonia.

 

  1. Immune System Booster 

There’s a good reason why clove oil is included in the Four Thieves Oil Blend. With its potent antibacterial and antiviral abilities, clove oil can help boost the immune system to fight off, or even prevent, the common cold and flu. With its potent ability to kill the offenders that make us sick, clove oil is commonly highlighted as a top natural remedy for guarding yourself from illness, especially during cold and flu season.

  1. May Help Lower Blood Pressure and Boost Heart Health

If you’re struggling with high blood pressure, or hypertension, clove oil may be able to help. Animal research published in 2015 in the British Journal of Pharmacology reveals that the eugenol found in clove oil may be able to dilate major arteries in the body while also reducing systemic blood pressure. The study concludes, “Eugenol may be therapeutically useful as an antihypertensive agent.”)

A scientific study also isolated another impressive active compound of cloves called acetyl eugenol. The researchers found acetyl eugenol to be a “potent platelet inhibitor” in human blood cells, which means it prevents the clumping together of platelets in the blood. Platelet aggregation (platelets clumping together) is one of the factors that lead to the formation of a thrombus or blood clot.

This is definitely a significant finding since antiplatelet, or blood thinning, medications are commonly used to treat coronary heart disease and to reduce the risk of heart attack. Clove is known to act as a natural blood thinner, so much so that it’s not recommended to combine clove oil with other conventional blood thinners.

 

  1. Anti-inflammatory and Liver Protective

Although it has been suspected for centuries to treat inflammatory conditions, the Journal of Immunotoxicology just recently published the first-ever study proving that the eugenol in oil of cloves is indeed a powerful anti-inflammatory.

This study demonstrates that low doses of eugenol can protect the liver against disease. It was also observed that eugenol reverses inflammation and cellular oxidation (which speeds the aging process). In addition, researchers noted that taking large doses internally could harm the digestive lining and using it externally can irritate sensitive skin. So, as with all essential oils, it’s important not to overdo it! Clove oil (and all essential oils) are extremely concentrated, so remember that a little truly goes a long way.

 

Pycnogenol—Maritime Pine Bark Benefits

 1.Lowers GlucoseLevels and Diabetic Symptoms

Pine bark extract has been studied with regard to its ability to hel p diabetic patients. A study was conducted by the Guang An Men Hospital of Chinese Medical Science Research Institute with 77 diabetes type II patients to determine if the extract of the French Maritime pine bark provided anti-diabetic effects. Patients were given 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol®, a branded version of pine bark extract, for 12 weeks, with continued anti-diabetic treatment.

The effects of the pine bark extract showed significant lower levels of blood glucose and improved endothelial function when compared to placebo, concluding that supplementation of Pycnogenol for treating conventional diabetes may be beneficial

  1. Helps Prevent Hearing Loss and Balance

Ototoxicity is ear poisoning and can occur when exposed to certain drugs or chemicals, such as cisplatin, that damage the inner ear or the vestibulocochlear nerve. This nerve affects our balance and hearing by sending signals to the brain. This condition can be temporary or permanent — however, some studies have indicated that pine bark extract may help alleviate these symptoms due to its high presence of antioxidants

Thus, this powerful extract works as a natural ear infection remedy while improving balance and preventing hearing loss.

  1. Staves Off Infections

Studies have been conducted to review the effects of pine bark extract on pseudomonas infectious wounds. These wounds occur most frequently in hospitals or in those with weakened immune systems, such as after surgery. However, healthy people are not immune and can also develop mild infections, in particular after being in improperly chlorinated hot tubs or swimming pools.

In one particular study published in Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, researchers investigated the antibacterial activity of pine bark extract essential oil on staph infections, E. coli and pseudomonas infections. The antibacterial activity was assessed indicating that the essential oil of pine bark, specifically the proanthocyanidins, were effective against P. aeruginosa, significantly inhibiting its growth. Additionally, the results showed that the extract has significant “anti-pseudomonas activity,” making it a potential natural remedy and possible preventive measure for infections.

  1. Protects the Skin from Ultraviolet Exposure

Who doesn’t want amazing skin? Pine bark extract may be the perfect treatment since it’s an antioxidant dynamo.

There is a seemingly growing problem with skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the confusion of how to get vitamin D from the sun while avoiding these skin-damaging rays. A review was conducted of French maritime pine bark extract, specifically using the nutritional supplement Pycnogenol. The study provided clear evidence that Pycnogenol does, indeed, offer photo-protection — however, it came out even better than expected, showing that it may be used to reduce hyperpigmentation of human skin while improving the “skin barrier function and extracellular matrix homeostasis.”

  1. Decreases Erectile Dysfunction

If you knew you could resolve your erectile dysfunction and, therefore, naturally remedy impotence issues, wouldn’t you? Erectile dysfunction has increased over the past decade or two, creating a pathway for various medications to land on the shelves of numerous medicine cabinets. But, as you know, going for the natural approach can make a huge difference in overall health.

According to a Japanese study, the combination of Pycnogenolt and L-arginine may produce the results you’re looking for, making the bedroom a much happier place. Forty-seven Japanese men with mild erectile dysfunction were given supplementation L-arginine and French maritime pine bark extract over a period of time. The studies revealed that the sperm concentration greatly increased after about eight to 16 weeks of treatment, to include improved orgasmic function. No side effects were noted, unlike its synthetic counterpart.

  1. Reduces Inflammation As I mentioned, pine bark extract is superior when it comes to antioxidants. These antioxidants scavenge those damaging free radicalsin an effort to eliminate them, ultimately preventing disease.

Studies were conducted in Turkey on subjects who underwent abdominal surgery to determine if the pine bark extract could help reduce the inflammation. They were given Pycnogenol for a period of 10 days. The outcome showed significant healing when compared to those subjects who were not given any drug or remedy, concluding that Pycnogenol may be an effective remedy for healing of surgery-related lesions.

  1. Helps Increase Athletic Performance

Pine bark extract has been studied regarding its relationship to exercise performance, oxidative stress and inflammation to body that has been imposed by exercise. Research indicates that Pycnogenol provides an increase in endurance performance of trained athletes. It does this by improving the time it takes the body to reach a fatigued state through increased serum NAD+ levels. Additionally, athletes have endured less cramping and muscle pain when using the extract. It’s likely that muscle recovery time improved as well due to the high antioxidants pine bark extract contains.

  1. Helps alleviate asthma symptoms

Taking pycnogenol daily, along with asthma medications, seems to decrease asthma symptoms and the need for rescue inhalers in children and adults with asthma.

  1. Helps with allergies.

Some research shows that taking pycnogenol before allergy season begins might reduce symptoms

       10.Mental function. Research suggests that taking pycnogenol improves mental function and memoryin both young adults and the elderly.

        11. Blood clots in deep veins (deep vein thrombosis, DVT). There is some evidence that taking a specific combination product (Flite Tabs) might help to prevent DVTduring long-haul plane flights. The product combines a blend of 150 mg of pycnogenol plus nattokinase. Two capsules are taken 2 hours before the flight and then again 6 hours later. Also, taking pycnogenol 100 mg before a flight, 6 hours after the flight, and the following day appears to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the veins during long flights.

 

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What is the Pegan Diet?

by nina
May 17th, 2021
What is the Pegan Diet?

 

In his new book, functional medicine doctor, Mark Hyman, MD says a Pegan diet—which combines principles of Paleo and Vegan diets—is the best way to eat. We will explore his 13 Pillars of the Pegan Diet.

 

Some say if you live longer, you will spend more time with chronic disease and disability, and in the hospital, increasing the burden on society and our health care system. Not true. A famous Stanford study found that if you kept your ideal weight, exercised, and didn’t smoke, you were likely to live a long, healthy life and die painlessly, quickly, and cheaply.

In fact, simple, daily habits hold the key to unlocking your longevity potential.

 

Tip number 1: Fix your blood sugar 

Most people don’t realize that insulin resistance and pre-diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia, cancer, impotence and more decades before you get diabetes. Hacking your blood sugar and insulin is the best way to live a long healthy life. Eliminate refined sugar and starches or significantly cut down on them. Depending on the individual, you might be able to cut back significantly. Others with pre-diabetes, excess belly fat, and gut challenges can experiment with removing them for a few months. It might be challenging in the beginning, but once you start to reap the benefits, you won’t want to turn back. This means cutting out muffins, bagels, cereals, pasta, candy, and pastries. Focus on non-starchy plant foods, protein, fats, and small amounts of whole grains and starchy vegetables like sweet potato.

 

Tip number 2: Prioritize protein 

As we age, we also lose muscle and gain fat, even if we don’t change our weight. Think marbled ribeye vs. filet mignon. Unless you get enough of the high-quality building blocks of muscle, namely protein, you can’t build muscle, especially as you age. Eat 4 to 6 oz of high quality protein with every meal. Some good ones include grass-fed meat, chicken, wild fatty fish, tempeh, non-GMO and organic tofu, and high quality protein powders.

 

Tip number 3: Build muscle 

As we age, our risk of fractures and falling increase. Loss of muscle is to blame and can lead to lower sex hormones, high insulin, abnormal lipids and more. No matter what age you are, it’s never too late to start. Start lifting weights today. You might need the help of a trainer or a loved one to start.

 

**And I would add Tip number 4: restrict caloric intake

First, it reduces free radical production– highly reactive molecules that impact cellular structure and function. The second is that calorie restriction increases the resistance of cells to stress. Both of these are important in combating the effects of the normal aging process.

In addition, Dr. Simone’s research in prostate cancer and also in breast cancer suggests that restricting calories has many anti-cancer effects in the body – including, in mice, decreasing the likelihood of metastasis.  It lowers inflammation, changes the gut microbiome, may decrease the side effects of systemic therapy and generally seems to slow down cancer.  In effect, caloric restriction gives cancer a “brown-out,” limiting its energy.  “We’re just beginning to understand the promise and the power of caloric restriction,” says medical oncologist and molecular biologist Jonathan Simons, M.D.  “If there were a drug that could do all these things, we’d prescribe it in a heartbeat.”

 

Both the paleo and vegan diets have been in the spotlight in recent years for their independent approaches to food and health. Most of us probably think of them as polar opposites, with paleo focusing on meats our ancestors theoretically ate and veganism opting out of animal products altogether. But a relatively new eating plan aims to show that meat-heavy paleo and veggie-centric veganism can coexist in a single diet.

The pegan diet (as in, paleo + vegan), created by celebrity functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, M.D., purports to offer the best of both worlds. The diet advises filling 75% of your plate with plant-based foods and 25% with lean, sustainably raised meats. According to Dr. Hyman, eating this way can reduce the risk of chronic disease, curb inflammation, and promote general health. Dr. Hyman and I agree in most ways. Below are his guidelines.

 

1.    Stay away from sugar. That means a diet low in anything that causes a spike in our insulin production — sugar, flour, and refined carbohydrates. Think of sugar in all its various forms as an occasional treat, that is, something we eat occasionally and sparingly. I tell people to think of it as a recreational drug. You use it for fun occasionally, but it is not a dietary staple.

2.    Eat mostly plants. As we learned earlier, more than half your plate should be covered with veggies. The deeper the color, the better. The more variety, the healthier. Stick with mostly nonstarchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation (1⁄2 cup a day). Not a ton of potatoes! French fries don’t count even though they are the No. 1 vegetable in America.

3.    Easy on fruits. This is where there could be a little bit of confusion. Some Paleo champions recommend eating mostly low-sugar fruits like berries, while some vegan advocates recommend all fruit equally. I find that most of my patients feel better when they stick to low-glycemic fruits and enjoy the others as a treat. Stick with berries, kiwis, and watermelon, and watch the grapes, melons, and so on. Think of dried fruit as candy and keep it to a minimum.

4.     Stay away from pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and GMO foods. Also, no chemicals, additives, preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners, or other junk ingredients. If you don’t have that ingredient in your kitchen for cooking, you shouldn’t eat it. Polysorbate 60, red dye 40, and sodium stearoyl lactylate (also known as Twinkie ingredients)

5.     Eat foods containing healthy fats. I’m talking about omega-3 fatty acids and other good fats like those we find in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. And yes, we can even eat saturated fat from fish, whole eggs, and grassfed or sustainably raised meat, grassfed butter or ghee, and organic virgin coconut oil or coconut butter.

6.     Stay away from most vegetable, nut, and seed oils, such as canola, sunflower, corn, grapeseed, and especially soybean oil, which now accounts for about 10 percent of our calories. Small amounts of expeller or cold-pressed nut and seed oils like sesame, macadamia, and walnut oils are fine to use as condiments or for flavoring. Avocado oil is great for higher-temperature cooking.

7.     Avoid or limit dairy. Dairy doesn’t work for most people, so I recommend avoiding it, except for the occasional yogurt, kefir, grassfed butter, ghee, and even cheese if it doesn’t cause any problems for you. Try goat or sheep products instead of cow dairy. And always go organic and grassfed.

8.     Think of meat and animal products as condiments or, as I like to call them, “condi-meat” — not a main course. Vegetables should take center stage, and meat should be the side dish. Servings should be 4 to 6 ounces, tops, per meal. I often make three or four vegetable side dishes.

9.     Eat sustainably raised or harvested low-mercury fish. If you are eating fish, you should choose low-mercury and low-toxin varieties such as sardines, herring, anchovies, and wild-caught salmon (all of which have high omega-3 and low mercury levels). And they should be sustainably harvested or farmed. Check out http://www.cleanfish.com/and http://www.foodthebook.com/to learn more about your fish options.

10.                  Avoid gluten. Most gluten comes from “Frankenwheat,” so look for heirloom varieties of wheat like einkorn. Eat wheat only if you are not gluten-sensitive, and, even then, only occasionally. Dr. Alessio Fasano of Harvard, the world’s top gluten expert, has done research showing that gluten damages the gut — even in nongluten-sensitive people who show no symptoms.

11.                  Eat gluten-free whole grains sparingly. They still raise blood sugar and can trigger autoimmunity. All grains can increase your blood sugar. Stick with small portions (1⁄2 cup per meal) of low-glycemic grains like black rice, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, or amaranth. For type 2 diabetics and those with autoimmune disease or digestive disorders, a grain- and bean-free diet may be key to treating and even reversing your illness. Stick to the 10-Day Detox Diet or even a ketogenic diet for diabetes.

12.                  Eat beans only once in a while. Lentils are best. Stay away from big starchy beans. Beans can be a great source of fiber, protein, and minerals. But they cause digestive problems for some, and the lectins and phytates they contain may impair mineral absorption. If you are diabetic, a high-bean diet can trigger spikes in your blood sugar. Again, moderate amounts (up to 1 cup a day) are OK.

13.                  Get tested to personalize your approach. What works for one person may not work for another. This is called bio-individuality and it is why I recommend that everyone eventually work with a functionally trained nutritionist to personalize his or her diet even further with the right tests.

How It Works

Unlike some diets, peganism doesn’t give rules for exactly what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rather, it provides a general outline of dietary advice based on a number of basic principles.

The top tenets of a pegan diet include choosing foods with a low glycemic load; eating lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds (about three-quarters of your daily intake), choosing grass-fed or sustainably raised meats when you do eat meat; avoiding chemicals, additives, pesticides, and GMOs; getting plenty of healthy fats like omega-3s and unsaturated fat; and eating organically and locally.

Compliant Foods

  • Grass-fed and/or sustainably raised meats
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Eggs
  • Fish

Not surprisingly, meat comprises the “paleo” part of going pegan. The diet emphasizes choosing meats like beef, chicken, and lamb—and other, more unusual ones like ostrich or bison—that have been grass-fed, sustainably raised, and locally sourced. However, it’s important to note that meat makes up only a minority of the food you’ll eat on a pegan diet. Hyman instructs pegans to “eat meat as a side dish or condiment.”

Fruits and Vegetables

And now for the vegan side of things! The majority of calories on a Pegan diet come from plant-based foods like fruits and veggies. Unlike Paleo’s rules about which fruits or vegetable cavemen would have eaten, Peganism doesn’t discriminate. All types of produce are allowed on the diet—though Hyman encourages choosing ones with low glycemic load, like berries or watermelon, when possible. 

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds provide additional fiber, protein, and micronutrients on a Pegan diet. They’re also a source of healthy monounsaturated and omega-3 fats. 

Eggs

Eggs are another suitable protein for pegans. This breakfast food classic helps provide vitamin B12, which may run low in a limited-meat diet.

Fish 

Though fish isn’t the star of a pegan diet, it has its place in this eating plan. Hyman states that low-mercury fish like sardines, herring, and anchovies are acceptable seafood.

Non-Compliant Foods:

  • Dairy products
  • Grains
  • Beans
  • Sweets

Put away the pizza and ice cream—you won’t be eating dairy on a pegan diet. Hyman believes cow’s milk contributes to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

Grains

In line with the paleo philosophy, peganism shuns almost all grains, so wheat, oats, barley, bulgur, and many others won’t appear on a pegan plate. The theory goes that grains increase blood sugar and can cause inflammation. Limited consumption of certain low-glycemic grains is occasionally acceptable on the diet, such as a half-cup of quinoa or black rice.

Beans 

You don’t have to swear off beans entirely on a pegan diet, but Hyman urges caution with them, saying that their starch content can raise blood sugar. Up to one cup of beans (or, preferably, lentils) is permitted per day.

Sweets 

Like many other “clean eating” diets, the pegan diet keeps sweets to a minimum as an occasional treat.

Resources and Tips

You won’t be required to master any particular type of cooking technique or purchase any specific products while on a pegan diet. In fact, because the plan is still relatively new, resources on how to follow it aren’t as widely available as many other trendy eating plans.

However, as interest in the diet has risen, more and more pegan cookbooks (and even a handful of food products, such as pegan protein bars) have hit the market. Your best bet for finding resources on adhering to the pegan diet is probably the internet, where blog posts and websites offer recipes that follow the whole foods, three-quarter-plants, and one-quarter meat rules.

Modifications

Clearly, since meat and vegetables make up the majority of the pegan diet, these foods are non-negotiable if you decide to go pegan. However, you may have to make personal decisions about how much you’re willing to pay for non-GMO, chemical-free produce and grass-fed meats.

Since the pegan diet limits or excludes dairy, beans, and grains, you may also need to be extra mindful about getting enough of certain nutrients these foods provide.

If you remove dairy, like yogurt from your diet, for example, you might have to up your intake of fermented foods like kimchi to get gut-boosting probiotics or add sardines, eggs, and lots of green leafy vegetables such as broccoli to supplement for some of the calcium and vitamin D you get from milk. In some instances where you cannot meet your vitamin needs, you may benefit from supplementing. If you are unsure, consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Pros

  • Full of fruits and vegetables
  • Low glycemic index
  • Focus on sustainability
  • Less restrictive than other diets

Cons

  • Conflicting evidence on nutrition
  • Difficult in social situations
  • Potential nutrient deficiencies
  • Cost

Pros

Full of Fruits and Vegetables

It’s common knowledge that a healthy diet contains plenty of fruits and vegetables—and studies show the majority of Americans are still woefully deficient in this department. A pegan diet will certainly fill any gaps in your five-a-day target, providing much-needed fiber and micronutrients.

Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a system that measures how individual foods raise blood glucose. The pegan diet encourages users to get educated about which foods help stabilize this pattern since a yo-yo of ups and downs in blood sugar can have harmful effects. This can be positive, especially for those with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and other insulin-related conditions.

Focus on Sustainability

The paleo diet often receives criticism for its negative environmental impact. If everyone ate meat at every meal, the planet would face disastrous results of land degradation, air pollution, and water overuse. Peganism mitigates this impact by encouraging the purchase of sustainably raised meat—and scaling back consumption in general.

Less Restrictive Than Other Diets

Let’s face it: It’s tough to commit 100% to paleo or veganism. Because of its middle ground between the two, the pegan diet offers more balance and flexibility. Vegans and paleo eaters may find this a welcome reprieve.

Cons

Conflicting Evidence on Nutrition

Hyman points to a number of studies that back his belief that the food groups of dairy and grains are harmful, contributing to heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes. But in the larger world of nutrition experts, there is no consensus that this is true. In fact, dairy and grains have proven benefits for health.

Though dairy sometimes gets bad press for saturated fat content that could lead to heart disease, a large-scale study from 2016 revealed that dairy fat was not associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. Plus, cow’s milk contains significant amounts of calcium, protein, potassium, and vitamin D—nutrients that are all necessary for general health.

Beans and grains provide plenty of benefits, too. A landmark study from 2016 confirmed that eating whole grains lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Beans are widely accepted as a healthy food because of their fiber, protein, and phytochemical content.

Difficult in Social Situations

Though a pegan diet may be less restrictive than full paleo or veganism, it still comes with major provisos about what you can and cannot eat. If you opt out of eating dairy, grains, and legumes, you may find yourself unable to enjoy many foods offered at social or family gatherings. It may also require you to get creative to prevent boredom or burnout.

Potential Nutrient Deficiencies 

There’s always a risk when going without major groups of food, of becoming deficient in certain key nutrients. Depending on exactly how you follow a pegan diet, it’s possible you might not take in enough vitamin B12, iron, or calcium.

Cost   A pegan diet doesn’t require you to purchase any particular costly products, but following it to the letter by buying high-end meats and farmer’s market veggies could add up.

 

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Vitamin D3, Selenium and More!

by nina
May 8th, 2021

We Need to Know the Truth About Vitamin D, which affects Covid 19 rates and many organs in the body

Bonus Information on the Important Mineral, Selenium-do not under estimate the power of this mineral

A scientific review, published in 2006, concluded that the increase in seasonal flu virus is due to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the winter months. According to a Spanish study published online October 27, 2020, in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

82.2% of COVID-19 patients tested were found to be deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D is Not a Vitamin

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids (steroids) responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and vitamin D2, ergocalciferol.

The major natural source of the vitamin is the synthesis of cholecalciferol in the lower layers of skin epidermis through a chemical reaction that is dependent on sun exposure (specifically UVB radiation.) Cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol can be ingested from the diet and from supplements but there are only a few foods that contain much vitamin D. Flesh of fatty fish like salmon, mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light, and “fortified” milk products.

The skin naturally produces vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) because ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation acts on 7-dehydrocholesterol, after which a thermal reaction occurs. That vitamin D travels through the bloodstream to the liver and kidneys, where it receives a hydroxyl (•OH) radical and becomes 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcidiol). The level of calcidiol measured in blood is one’s “vitamin D level.” Calcidiol then circulates in the blood and can be converted to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), the active metabolite of vitamin D. Calcitriol helps regulate how much calcium the intestines absorb and the calcium concentration in the blood. Calcitriol acts as a key that can unlock vitamin D receptors (VDRs), which nearly every cell in the body has. VDRs are attached to chromosomes and, when activated, can affect the expression of hundreds of genes–making some more responsive and others less responsive including the gut, brain, heart, pancreas, skin, kidneys, and immune system, which all have receptors for 1,25 (OH)vitamin D.

 

Ideally, we want to get our vitamin D from the sun. That is not practical during the winter months, but during the summer I encourage you to give it a try. Lay in the sun with the least amount of clothing on (bikini’s anyone?) for 15-20 minutes during the peak sun hours of 11 am-2 pm. Do not wear sunscreen. Do this at least three days per week. The sun should hit your belly where D is best absorbed.

How much vitamin D do you get during your 20 minutes? There is something called the Fitzpatrick skin types. Skin type I is fair skin that always burns, never tans; type III is darker white skin that burns and tans; type V is brown skin that rarely burns, tans easily. At noon in Miami, someone with Fitzpatrick skin type III would require 6 minutes to synthesize 1000 IU of vitamin D in the summer and 15 minutes in the winter. So you can see, it depends on your skin type and the time of year, hence getting tested for Vit D is crucial to really know.

Here is a link for an at home test if your doctor will not order one for you. Vitamin D Test

Vitamin D and Weight

  • If you weigh more than the average person your age your vitamin d requirements will need to be adjusted upward
  • Vitamin D levels tend to be low in obese individuals as well as in those who are physically inactive, and one researcher even stated that vitamin D deficiency is the primary cause of common obesity and metabolic syndrome
  • Several studies have also confirmed a link between vitamin D deficiency, abdominal obesity and visceral fat, as well as the possibility that increasing your vitamin D levels may improve weight loss

More than 80% of 200 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had vitamin D deficiency. Patients with lower vitamin D levels also had higher blood levels of inflammatory markers. But the researchers found no link between low D levels and how severe the disease was.

Spanish researchers tested how prescription vitamin D could affect people hospitalized with COVID. Of the 50 who received it, only one needed the intensive care unit (ICU), and none died. Among 26 patients who did not receive the vitamin, 13 needed ICU care and two died.

Many functional medicine doctors are testing and prescribing Vitamin D for their patients. Unfortunately, you have to “ask” for a vitamin D test from a Western medicine doctor, and many times insurance won’t cover this test! I’m highly recommending that my clients either ask their doctors, or self-test to get an accurate reading of their levels.

The Cancer Connection

There’s been an ongoing debate over the past number of years as to whether or not vitamin D helps prevent cancer, and to what extent. Now, new research supports that postmenopausal women with higher levels of vitamin D (≥60 ng/ml) have a much lower risk of breast cancer than women with low blood serum levels (<20 ng/ml) of vitamin D. Interesting, the same numbers we are seeing with COVID!

There was a study done by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with help from specialists from Creighton University in Omaha, NE, the Medical University of South Carolina in Columbia, and the nonprofit organization Grassroots Health in Encinitas, CA. The study focused on two randomized clinical studies and a prospective cohort.

Researchers looked at post-menopausal women over the age of 55 who were all cancer-free at the beginning of the trial. The researchers followed the health of these women for four years and monitored for any potential signs of breast cancer.

The two trials contained 3,325 participants between them, and all drew research from a prospective cohort study with an additional 1,713 participants. There were 77 new cases of breast cancer among all the study participants.

Researchers discovered that there was an 82% lower incidence rate of breast cancer in women with 25(OH)D concentrations ≥60 versus those with levels under 20 ng/ml. The daily recommended value of 800 IU’s of Vit D3 is way to small. I recommend at least 5000 IU’s daily.

An earlier study that looked at women in the U.K., found having a vitamin D level above 60 ng/mL resulted in an 83% lower breast cancer risk, which is nearly identical to Grassroots Health’s 2018 analysis.

Cancer cells survive by exploiting cellular differentiation; proliferation; and apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. UVB exposure and vitamin D reduce the risk of about 15-20 endothelial cancers. The evidence is strongest for colorectal and breast cancer. People with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/mL tend to live much longer after a cancer diagnosis.

Optimal Vitamin D levels are in the 60-80 ng/mL range.

Skin Color Impacts Your Vitamin D

The color of your skin has correlations to your vitamin D level, and we’re also seeing racial disparities in COVID-19. As noted in Detroit, Michigan, where African-Americans account for 14% of the population, they accounted for 40% of COVID-19 deaths.

Vitamin D deficiency likely plays a role in this racial disparity, although nutrition, obesity and diabetes rates also contribute to immune dysfunction. It’s important for people with darker skin to realize that the more melanin you have, the more sun exposure you require to make sufficient amounts of vitamin D.

Magnesium Is Necessary to Activate Vitamin D

It has been estimated that over half the population is low in magnesium as well. This is because magnesium is primarily found in leafy green vegetables. A USDA survey showed that the average American only eats 1.5 cups of vegetables a day, and primarily it’s potatoes and bananas!

Magnesium helps to activate vitamin D, as the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D in your liver and kidneys require magnesium. Again, vitamin D is “a fat-soluble steroid” and it has to be converted by the liver to be in the active form the body can use.

Supplementation

Once you have been tested, depending on your results, you then know how much to supplement with. If you don’t want to get the test, but want to take a safe amount, 5000 IU daily during the winter months would be a good place to start.

Those who came into the hospital with COVID and were low (below<20 ng/ml) were put on massive doses of vitamin D for one week (over 100,000IU daily.) You may have been prescribed a vitamin D by your doctor in the past when your test came up low, and the dosage was very high for a short period of time. Remember, this is a fat-soluble hormone, so it stores in the body. If you carry excess fat on your body your need for vitamin D will be higher. Research shows that the higher the body weight, the more vitamin D you need.

While deficiency of vitamin D impacts health negatively, ingestion of extremely high doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, a condition in which the blood’s calcium level is above normal. The highest daily ‘safe’ dose of vitamin D is 10,000 IU, and that should be for a short time.

 

Do You Need Vitamin K With Your D?

This question has been asked many times recently. Most people are taking vitamin D for bone health. Calcitriol helps regulate how much calcium the intestines absorb and the calcium concentration in the blood. Calcitriol acts as a key that can unlock vitamin D receptors, which nearly every cell in the body has.

If you are taking vitamin D for bone health, then yes, it’s important to have “K” on board as well. Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, a protein that promotes the accumulation of calcium in your bones and teeth. Vitamin K also activates matrix GLA protein, which prevents calcium from accumulating in soft tissues, such as the kidneys and blood vessels.

It’s Essential

Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression and weight gain. These studies show that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of disease, so what do you have to lose? Check your levels and get that vitamin D in an optimal range!

Food High in Vitamin D

  • Swiss Cheese, Eggs, Yogurt,
  • Fortified cereal, milk and OJ,
  • beef liver, pork fats and meats, tofu
  • Tuna, salmon, caviar, sardines, mackeral
  • Duck fat
  • Mushrooms
  • Cod liver oil
  • Chlorella and spirulina
  • Healthy fat such as that available in nuts, seeds (such as sunflower, flaxseed) and seed oils like avocado oil, pure ghee, fortified milk, and olives, enhance the absorption of vitamin D.

 

The Benefits of the Super Mineral Selenium

 

We often hear of the benefits of magnesium—and there are many. But minerals tend to be an underestimated necessity for optimal health. In fact, certain minerals are called “essential” for our health, and selenium is one of those.

Selenium is considered a trace mineral; one that doesn’t require large doses to make a difference, and yet it is essential for optimal health.   Selenium pairs up with vitamin E to become an even more powerful antioxidant in the body. It is also vital to the thyroid gland and proper thyroid function. It works alongside vitamin C and iodine to help protect the body’s immune system, and is a powerful antioxidant to help create the master antioxidant called glutathione.

 

  1. Thyroid Health

Selenium works with iodine to protect and maintain proper functioning of the thyroid hormone, which governs metabolism, including fat-burning, in the body. Your body utilizes two primary types of thyroid hormone, T3 and T4. The body must convert T4 into the more usable form of T3 in order to put it to use.

The thyroid gland contains the largest amount of selenium in our bodies and it is essential for the thyroid gland to produce T3. When your body runs low on selenium, it cannot convert T4 into T3, which can lead to a condition of low thyroid or hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is characterized by weight gain, loss of energy, loss of hair, puffiness, poor digestion and sometimes anemia. Supplementing with selenium can help reverse or lessen the effects of hypothyroid symptoms and bring the thyroid back into healthy status.

Another malfunction of the thyroid gland results from Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing a combination of problems including hyperactive thyroid and hypothyroid. This study on 6,000 people found low levels of selenium were associated with an increased risk of Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism.

Increasing selenium will slow down the anti-thyroid activity of the immune system and help it to function more normally. Selenium also helps with thyroid disease such as Graves’ disease.

  1. A Powerful Antioxidant

Antioxidants are those powerful compounds in foods and supplements that fight disease, helping us stay young, protecting our DNA, and fighting free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are those harmful byproducts of normal living that come from excess inflammation, stress, toxins and a poor diet.

Too much oxidative stress can lead to diseases like heart disease, strokes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and early aging. Many foods contain high levels of antioxidants, but foods and supplements with selenium work best to combat oxidative stress and protect the body.

  1. Prevents Cancer

Even in trace amounts, selenium wields amazing power preventing and fighting cancer. There is a strong correlation between levels of selenium in the blood and the risk of certain cancers. This is thought to be because selenium helps with our cells’ ability to repair DNA. When DNA is damaged, normal cells do not reproduce properly, and cancer cells may appear instead.

One article that appeared in a prominent cancer journal stated that “the possible benefits of selenium in humans is supported by extensive literature … indicating that low, non-toxic levels of selenium can protect against cancer.”

This review of multiple studies on selenium found that having higher blood levels of selenium protected well against breast, lung, colon and prostate cancers. Antioxidants are one of the best types of weapons to use against cancer, and since selenium is such a serious antioxidant, it stands to reason that it is an extremely valuable tool to fight cancer.

Most studies, however, show that eating foods high in selenium is more helpful to fight cancer than just taking a selenium supplement. This may be due to the fact that selenium’s effect is magnified when consumed with other disease-fighting nutrients.

  1. Heart Health

A diet rich in selenium may prevent heart disease, as studies show that low selenium levels have been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. In this analysis of 25 observational studies, increasing selenium levels by 50% was corelated with a 24% reduction in heart disease.

Heart disease is associated with high levels of inflammation, which causes plaque to build up in the blood vessels as a result. Selenium lowers inflammation in the body which helps lower the chances of plaque buildup and blood clots that can lead to strokes and heart attacks. Selenium’s powerful antioxidant capability and its ability to lessen oxidative damage also protect against the buildup of plaque in blood vessels which contribute to heart disease and strokes.

C-Reactive Protein or CRP, is an inflammatory marker in the body that usually signals the potential for heart disease. 16 different studies on over 400,000 people with heart disease showed that taking selenium supplements decreased CRP, and therefore significantly reduced heart disease and strokes as well.

Incorporating selenium-rich foods into your diet is a great way to keep levels of oxidative stress and inflammation to a minimum.

  1. Powers up the Immune System

Our immune systems perform a variety of life-preserving functions such as fighting off dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Our immune systems also fight infection and help to heal wounds on the body as well. When the immune system goes awry, it can become overactive and attack the body. This becomes autoimmune disease, which can manifest in various systems.

Selenium’s antioxidant capabilities lower inflammation and protect the immune system by lowering oxidative stress. The immune systems then begins to respond appropriately and enhances immunity to disease, infection, and lessens autoimmune flareups.

A selenium deficiency slows the immune response to fighting infections. Patients who are fighting more serious infections such as influenza A, tuberculosis and hepatitis C can also benefit from selenium supplements.

6.Improves Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory response to allergens and other types of inflammatory agents, including those in the diet and the environment. When bronchial tubes become inflamed, they can constrict or spasm causing coughing, wheezing, and extreme shortness of breath. This can become a life-threatening condition.

Normal medical treatment for asthma is corticosteroids in the form of inhalers to dampen the inflammatory response and to help ease up airways. Steroid treatment has many unpleasant side effects and long term use is not good for health.

Since asthma is associated with high levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, selenium helps to lessen these symptoms and help the asthmatic person breathe more easily.

This study showed that asthmatic patients with higher levels of selenium in the blood had better lung function than those with lower levels. Patients given 200mcg of selenium a day were able to reduce their usage of steroid medications to help with their breathing.

7.Testosterone and Fertility

Selenium has been thought to increase testosterone in males, but a study published in The Journal of Urology looked at the effects of selenium supplementation on testosterone levels in infertile males.

While the selenium supplementation had little effect on testosterone levels, it did increase sperm motility and blood flow, two important components for conception. Selenium is found in the sperm mitochondria and can affect the behavior and proper function of sperm as they move through the vagina to fertilize an ovum.

For women, it’s thought that selenium can help to reduce the chances of miscarriage as well, but more research on this is still needed.

While low selenium levels cause problems with fertility, too high of levels of selenium can affect fertility as well, so it’s important to be sure to get the correct dosage, and don’t overdo it.

How do you know if you need Selenium?

Selenium in food comes from the soil, and food levels depend on where your food is grown. People who are at great risk include those who do not eat many fresh vegetables, or who live in parts of China or Europe where there are low levels in the soil.

People who are undergoing kidney dialysis, or who have serious illnesses such as HIV may also need more selenium. Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the portion of the small intestine that assimilates nutrients are also at risk for selenium deficiency.

Symptoms include:

  • Low thyroid/Hashimoto’s thyroid
    • Weak immune system
    • Infertility
    •Fatigue
    • Brain fog
    • Hair loss

The best way to get selenium is from the food you eat. Foods that carry plentiful amounts of selenium include

  • Brazil nuts (contain high levels of selenium so it only a few),
  • halibut, yellow fin tuna, oysters,
  • sunflower seeds,
  • shiitake mushrooms,
  • chicken, eggs, and sardines.

The current daily recommendation is 55 micrograms per day for adults and children over the age of four. Pregnant and nursing women need about 70 micrograms.

While selenium is an essential mineral, you only need small amounts of it. Intakes of selenium that are too high can be very harmful. Signs of too much selenium include hair and nail loss or brittleness, skin lesions or rashes, nausea, irritability and nervous system issues.

Also be careful with interactions with other medications and supplements including niacin, antacids, chemotherapy, steroids, statins and birth control pills.

These interactions mostly have to do with supplemental selenium not from food.

I use selenium from lifeextension.com

Some of the organs that Vitamin D3 communicates with are:

  • bone marrow,
  • breast,
  • colon,
  • intestines,
  • kidney
  • lung,
  • prostate,
  • retina,
  • skin,
  • stomach
  • uterus
  • liver
  • brain
  • and though it is not an organ…the immune system

 

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