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Category: Diabetes

  • Are You Missing This Important Mineral?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Magnesium.

     

    You know the stuff; that really lightweight metal that you had fun with in high school chemistry class. There was always the class clown who would put a match to a piece of it, and it would burn with an incredibly bright, white light. Invariably, someone would panic and try to douse the flame with water – which would only make it burn more ferociously…

    Magnesium is one of the most common minerals on our planet Earth – the fourth most common element in fact after iron, oxygen and silicon.

    Yet many people are deficient in this important, precious (for health) mineral.

    How can this be?

     

    Our ancestors rarely suffered from magnesium deficiencies – they got plenty in their diets. That is unfortunately not the case today.

    Can you say “monoculture“?

     

    Modern, “industrial” agriculture methods have depleted our topsoil of this and many other minerals, leaving our crops and thus our diets deficient. Even the USDA admits that less than a third of Americans don’t get even the minimal USDA recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 240 to 420 millgrams per day.

    Why is magnesium so important to our health?

     

    Magnesium is involved in energy processes, nerve function, enzyme activation, and protein formation.

    Magnesium is essential to the basic chemistry of life – nucleic acid. Over 300 enzymes require magnesium to function, including all enzymes that utilize or synthesizing ATP (adenosine triphosphate – the most basic energy source for our cells), and enzymes used to synthesize DNA and RNA. ATP is found in cells in the form of ATP and a magnesium ion bound together in a chelate.

    So what – if I’m a little low?

     

    Since magnesium is important to so many vital physical processes in our bodies it’s easy to see how a deficiency can have so many, wide ranging, and serious effects.

    Magnesium deficiency is associated with:

    fatigue glaucoma depression
    high blood pressure diabetes hearing loss
    fibromyalgia kidney stones osteoporosis
    asthma gallbladder stones cancer
    stroke migraine insomnia
    heart disease (arrhythmia, CHF, angina, acute MI) pregnancy complications (toxemia, premature delivery) premenstrual syndrome
     

    And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

     

    Without magnesium our bones cannot utilize calcium properly, leading to osteoporosis. This also why a magnesium deficiency can lead to kidney and gall stone formation and can result in vascular calcification (AKA “hardening of the arteries”).

    Magnesium is Mother Nature’s “calcium channel blocker.” Calcium Channel Blockers are drugs used to control high blood pressure. The drugs have a multitude of nasty side effects. Magnesium doesn’t, and it lowers high blood pressure very nicely.

    Magnesium is a “calming” mineral. It reduces muscle cramps and spasms and is used in emergency medicine to treat life-threatening heart arrhythmias.

    Magnesium deficiencies are associated with metabolic syndrome and Type II Diabetes.

    Small doses of magnesium were found to be as effective as drugs in treating depressed elderly Type II Diabetics, and has been speculated to be useful in the treatment of other depression as well.

    But what if I take too much?

     

    Like anything, it is possible to get too much magnesium. Difficult, but possible. Excess magnesium in the blood is quickly and effectively filtered out by the kidneys, so it’s hard to overdose on magnesium from dietary sources alone.

    Overdose is possible with misuse of supplements, particularly in people with poor renal function and occasionally people using high doses of magnesium salts as a cathartic can get themselves into trouble, causing hypermagnesemia even if they don’t have renal dysfunction – they just overwhelm their kidneys ability to cope with the overload.

    For most people however, excess magnesium in the system is going to be quickly eliminated in the urine.

    Where can I get some?

     

    Diet is the best way to get your magnesium. Unfortunately, as we discussed earlier, our soils are depleted and our crops are lacking. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are good sources of magnesium.

    Like almonds? They provide up to 20% of the RDA of magnesium (80mg) per one ounce serving. Spinach runs a close second, providing 78mg per half cup. Cashews are number 3 with 74mg per one ounce serving – who knew that eating healthy could be so great!

    But remember, the RDA is 240 to 420 millgrams per day – and you really should be getting twice that much for optimal health!

    Supplementation provides a more certain source for magnesium.

     

    Multiple vitamin / mineral formulas should ideally contain goodly amounts of magnesium. For example, Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi provides 500mg per day. For those who need more, Magnesium Glycinate is available in 100mg capsules to allow optimal fine-tuning of daily intake. And for those who are concerned with osteoporosis and bone health, CalMag Amino contains 200mg of magnesium in the optimal ratio with calcium along with several other essential bone health nutrients including Vitamin D, boron, and Vitamin K.

    Ever get a charley-horse or other muscle cramps?

     

    Magnesium absorbs quickly through the skin and relieves muscle cramps fast. Try massaging in a few sprays of Magnesium Oil – Dr. Myatt uses this herself for muscle cramps after exercise and she swears by it. It’s not really oil – it is a very thick brine (like a salt solution) that feels oily going on but absorbs in to the skin quickly. It doesn’t stain like oil, but it does sometimes leave a light powdery residue on the skin that is easily wiped or washed away. This stuff is like a “miracle cure” for kids who are prone to night-time muscle cramps, “growing pains,” and charley-horses!

     

    Magnesium – who knew that “science class” stuff would turn out to be so important!

     

    References:

    National Institutes for Health Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet on Magnesium: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ – includes numerous additional references.

    Eby Ga, 3rd; Eby, KL (2010). “Magnesium for treatment-resistant depression: a review and hypothesis”. Medical hypotheses 74 (4): 649–660.

    Barragán-Rodríguez, L; Rodríguez-Morán, M; Guerrero-Romero, F (2008). “Efficacy and safety of oral magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression in the elderly with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, equivalent trial”. Magnesium research : official organ of the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium 21 (4): 218–23.

    Jee SH, Miller ER III, Guallar E et al. (2002). “The effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials”. Am J Hypertens 15 (8): 691–696.

    Guerrero-Romero F, Rodriguez-Moran M (2002). “Low serum magnesium levels and metabolic syndrome”. Acta Diabetol 39 (4): 209–213.

    Zipes DP, Camm AJ, Borggrefe M et al. (2012). “ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (writing committee to develop Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death): developed in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Rhythm Society”. Circulation 114 (10): e385–e484.

    James MF (2010). “Magnesium in obstetrics”. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 24 (3): 327–337.

    Hashimoto T, Hara A, Ohkubo T et al. (2010). “Serum magnesium, ambulatory blood pressure, and carotid artery alteration: the Ohasama study”. Am J Hypertens 23 (12): 1292–1298.

    Massy ZA, Drüeke TB (2012). “Magnesium and outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease: focus on vascular calcification, atherosclerosis, and survival”. Clin Kidney J 5 (Suppl 1): i52–i61.

    Turgut F, Kanbay M, Metin MR et al. (2008). “Magnesium supplementation helps to improve carotid intima media thickness in patients on hemodialysis”. Int Urol Nephrol 40 (4): 1075–1082.

    “Lack Energy? Maybe It’s Your Magnesium Level”. United States Department of Agriculture.

    Euser, A. G.; Cipolla, M. J. (2009). “Magnesium Sulfate for the Treatment of Eclampsia: A Brief Review”. Stroke 40 (4): 1169–1175.

  • The "Swiss Army Knife" Of Supplements

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Wouldn’t it be great if there were one supplement that could serve a variety of health-improving functions?

    What about a supplement that could:

    • lower and stabilize LDL (bad) cholesterol
    • help in weight loss
    • lower and stabilize high blood sugar
    • reverse metabolic syndrome and diabetes
    • reduce inflammation
    • exert powerful broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal effects
    • have antiarrhythmic effects on the heart
    • be useful in treating congestive heart failure
    • treat fatty liver disease
    • treat a wide variety of cancers
    • treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
    • protect the kidneys of diabetics
    • helps prevent formation of cataracts in diabetics
    • help to protect the brain during and after a stroke
    • even mimic the beneficial effects of exercise in the body

    What one substance could do all these things?

    Berberine!

    Long overshadowed by other, more commercially popular herbs Berberine has become the subject of a number of recent research studies that are proving it to be one of the more versatile and popular natural supplements.

    What is berberine?

    Berberine is an alkaloid that is found in such plants as Oregon grape, barberry, tree turmeric, goldenseal, Phellodendron amurense, Chinese goldthread, prickly poppy, Californian poppy and others. Berberine is usually found in the roots, rhizomes, stems, and bark of these plants.

    Why the sudden interest in Berberine?

    Dr. Myatt and some other naturopathic practitioners have successfully used this herb in their practices for a long time – perhaps Big Pharma is just now taking notice and wondering if they can muscle in with a synthetic version but needs to fund the research that will justify their efforts.

    Let’s look at the details of Berberine’s “magic” and the research that is being done:

    Berberine and cholesterol:

    Big Pharma, smarting from the failures of it’s dangerous statin drugs, is suddenly very interested in Berberine and is investigating it as if it is a drug to be patented and marketed. Here is just one of a number of studies:

    This study was published in Phytomedicine in July of 2012 and is titled “Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats.”

    Our previous studies demonstrated that berberine, an alkaloid originally isolated from traditional Chinese herbs, prevented fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo. […] But more interestingly, the treatment …500 mg berberine orally three times a day for twelve weeks… significantly reduced blood lipid levels (23% decrease of triglyceride and 12.2% decrease of cholesterol levels) in human subjects. […] Tests of hematological, cardiovascular, liver, and kidney function following berberine treatment showed no detrimental side effects to this natural compound. Collectively, this study demonstrates that berberine is a potent lipid-lowering compound with a moderate weight loss effect, and may have a possible potential role in osteoporosis treatment/prevention. (1)

    Weight Loss and berberine:

    It is worth noting that the study quoted above also showed that berberine exhibited “a moderate weight loss effect” – something else that Big Pharma would like to be able to put into a pill! (A pill that doesn’t cause heart attacks or diarrhea, that it…)

    Berberine and Blood sugar and Diabetes:

    Given the health disasters encountered with recent diabetes drug offerings, it is no surprise that Big Pharma would love to figure out how to synthesize something with berberine’s safety and effectiveness. Here is one study (slightly edited for clarity)

    “Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus” was published in Metabolism in May of 2008:

    Berberine has been shown to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. This pilot study was to determine the efficacy and safety of berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

    In study A, 36 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to treatment with berberine or metformin (0.5 g 3 times a day) in a 3-month trial. The hypoglycemic effect of berberine was similar to that of metformin.

    Significant decreases in hemoglobin A1c (from 9.5%+/-0.5% to 7.5%+/-0.4%, P<.01), fasting blood glucose (from 10.6 to 6.9), postprandial blood glucose (from 19.8 to 11.1), and plasma triglycerides (from 1.13 to 0.89) were observed in the berberine group.

    In study B, 48 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated supplemented with berberine in a 3-month trial.

    Berberine acted by lowering fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose from 1 week to the end of the trial. Hemoglobin A1c decreased from 8.1 to 7.3. Fasting plasma insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index were reduced by 28.1% and 44.7%, respectively. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased significantly as well. Functional liver or kidney damages were not observed for all patients.

    In conclusion, this pilot study indicates that berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with beneficial effects on lipid metabolism.

    In summary, that berberine is a potent oral hypoglycemic agent with modest effect on lipid metabolism. It is safe and the cost of treatment by berberine is very low. It may serve as a new drug candidate in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.(2)

    Berberine and Metabolic Syndrome:

    Wouldn’t Big Pharma just love to come up with a drug that could stave off the damaging effects of this latest health epidemic! It seems however that Mother Nature has beaten them to it…

    A study titled “Berberine reduces insulin resistance through protein kinase C-dependent up-regulation of insulin receptor expression” published in Metabolism. 2009 Jan states:

    Natural product berberine (BBR) has been reported to have hypoglycemic and insulin-sensitizing activities; however, its mechanism remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism of BBR against insulin resistance. […] Our results suggest that BBR is a unique natural medicine against insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.(3)

    Berberine to reduce inflammation?

    “The anti-inflammatory potential of berberine in vitro and in vivo.” was published in The Cancer Letter in 2004 and states in part:

    Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammation […] (4)

    And Berberine as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial? The drug companies wish they could offer something as safe and effective as this supplement…

    A paper titled “Effect of berberine on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation” published in 2009 in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents says:

    berberine at a concentration of 15-30mug/mL was shown to inhibit bacterial metabolism. Data from this study also indicated that modest concentrations of berberine (30-45mug/mL) were sufficient to exhibit an antibacterial effect and to inhibit biofilm formation significantly (5)

    So, it’s effective against bacteria… but how about viruses? It turns out that maybe Big Pharma is barking up the wrong tree with their “flu vaccines”…

    An article titled “Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)” [Note: goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is another name for berberine] published in International Immunopharmacology, November 2011 states:

    We found strong effectiveness at high concentrations, although upon dilution extracts were somewhat less effective than purified berberine. Taken together, our results suggest that berberine may indeed be useful for the treatment of infections with influenza A. (6)

    What about the cardiovascular actions of berberine? Well, here is a paper that is oddly enough titled “Cardiovascular actions of berberine” that was published in the fall 2001 issue of Cardiovascular Drug Review that says, in part:

    The cardiovascular effects of berberine suggest its possible clinical usefulness in the treatment of arrhythmias and/or heart failure. (7)

    Can berberine really treat fatty liver disease? The Chinese are very interested, and published the following article in 2011: “Research on therapeutic effect and hemorrheology change of berberine in new diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes combining nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” in which the authors conclude:

    Berberine can obviously improve the conditions of new diagnostic T2DM [type II diabetes] patients with non alcoholic liver lesions, effectively reduce hemorrheology indicators, and has good application prospect. (8)

    Am I going to make claims that berberine can treat a wide variety of cancers? No, I’ll let the researchers do that…

    The article “The natural alkaloid berberine targets multiple pathways to induce cell death in cultured human colon cancer cells” in the European Journal of Pharmacology, August 2012 says:

    The results of the current study demonstrated that berberine has the ability to cause cell cycle arrest, induce apoptosis and inhibit inflammation in colon cancer cells. The magnitude of the effects observed suggests that berberine may be worth considering for further studies of its potential applications for improving health, either as a preventative or a potential treatment. (9)

    The journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology in July 2006  published an article titled “Inhibitory effect of berberine on the invasion of human lung cancer cells via decreased productions of urokinase-plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-2” that reported:

    These findings suggest that berberine possesses an anti-metastatic effect in non-small lung cancer cell and may, therefore, be helpful in clinical treatment. (10)

    “Berberine-induced growth inhibition of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines” was the article in Journal of Obstetrical and Gynaecology Res. in March of 2012 that said:

    Berberine treatment can inhibit proliferation through a cell cycle arrest in OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3 cells. Thus, berberine may be a novel anticancer drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer. (11)

    And another: “Berberine suppresses the TPA-induced MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions through the inhibition of PKC-α in breast cancer cells” was published in the Journal of Surgical Res. July 2012 edition and states:

    The TPA-induced PKC-α phosphorylation is suppressed and then the MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions are also inhibited by berberine. Therefore, we suggest that berberine may be used as a candidate drug for the inhibition of metastasis of human breast cancer. (12)

    Sounds like there is some good evidence of anti-cancer effects in those studies…

    Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) responds well to berberine too – as is shown in this January 2012 article in the European Journal of Endocrinology titled “A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome”

    Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs that has been used as an insulin sensitizer. BBR may have a potential therapeutic value for PCOS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BBR in comparison to metformin (MET) on the metabolic features of women with PCOS. […] Intake of BBR improved some of the metabolic and hormonal derangements in a group of treated Chinese women with PCOS. Main effects could be related to the changes in body composition in obesity and dyslipidemia. (13)

    Can berberine really protect the kidneys of diabetics from diabetes-induced damage? An awful lot of lab rats seem to think so – there are a number of studies that have been done that show a powerful protective, even healing effect on the kidneys of lab rats that have been damaged by diabetes. One such study was published in the June 2012 issue of Phytomedicine titled “Ameliorative effect of berberine on renal damage in rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin” and says:

    The results revealed that berberine significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in diabetic rats. The histological examinations revealed amelioration of diabetes-induced glomerular pathological changes following treatment with berberine. In addition, the protein expressions of nephrin and podocin were significantly increased. It seems likely that in rats berberine exerts an ameliorative effect on renal damage in diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin. The possible mechanisms for the renoprotective effects of berberine may be related to inhibition of glycosylation and improvement of antioxidation that in turn upregulate the expressions of renal nephrin and podocin. (14)

    Berberine really protects against the brain damage of a stroke? These researchers think so, and they presented their findings in the December 2008 issue of the Neuroscience Letter in the article titled: “Neuroprotective effects of berberine on stroke models in vitro and in vivo”:

    We found that berberine improved neurological outcome and reduced ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced cerebral infarction 48h after MCAO. The protective effect of berberine was confirmed in in vitro study. Berberine protected PC12 cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced injury. The results showed that berberine inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and subsequent release of pro-apoptotic factor cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factors (AIFs) evoked by OGD. Findings of this study suggest that berberine protects against ischemic brain injury by decreasing the intracellular ROS level and subsequently inhibiting mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. (15)

    There is evidence that berberine can help to prevent the formation of cataracts in diabetics. A 2002 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry revealed that berberine is an aldose reductase inhibitor.

    …berberines and palmatines may be useful as lead compounds and new agents for aldose reductase inhibition. (16)

    Aldose reductase plays a role in diabetic cataract formation, and inhibition helps prevent cataract formation.

    Inhibition of aldose reductase could significantly prevent progression of existing cataracts. (17)

    And finally, surely nothing but grunting, sweating exercise can produce the beneficial effects of exercise in the body, right? Well, that may not be entirely true – it looks like berberine might just be able to have some of those same beneficial effects. In a December 2012 article titled “Clinical Applications for Berberine” Dr. Jacon Schor states:

    Berberine activates AMPK in a manner similar to how exercise stimulates increased strength and weight loss. Thus, any condition that would be favorably impacted by a patient losing weight and/or exercising more may be impacted favorably by oral berberine supplementation. It makes sense to consider using berberine in patients with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, cancer, depression, and other neuropsychiatric diseases. (18)

    So, is berberine “the defining miracle of the 21st century”? Maybe not. But is sure is looking like an effective and safe “Swiss Army Knife” for treating a wide variety of medical conditions. What has been presented here is only a tiny sampling of the research available on this amazing substance!

    Dr. Myatt recognized the value of berberine a very long time ago, and she makes a high potency, pharmaceutical grade berberine available to her patients – and to you. Find Berberine + Ultra here.

     

    References

    1) Hu Y, Ehli EA, Kittelsrud J, Ronan PJ, Munger K, Downey T, Bohlen K, Callahan L, Munson V, Jahnke M, Marshall LL, Nelson K, Huizenga P, Hansen R, Soundy TJ, Davies GE. Lipid-lowering effect of berberine in human subjects and rats. Phytomedicine. 2012 Jul 15;19(10):861-7. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.05.009. Epub 2012 Jun 26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22739410

    2) Jun Yin, Huili Xing, and Jianping Yeb. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Metabolism. 2008 May; 57(5): 712–717. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/

    3) Kong WJ, Zhang H, Song DQ, Xue R, Zhao W, Wei J, Wang YM, Shan N, Zhou ZX, Yang P, You XF, Li ZR, Si SY, Zhao LX, Pan HN, Jiang JD. Berberine reduces insulin resistance through protein kinase C-dependent up-regulation of insulin receptor expression. Metabolism. 2009 Jan;58(1):109-19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059538

    4) Kuo CL, Chi CW, Liu TY. The anti-inflammatory potential of berberine in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett. 2004 Jan 20;203(2):127-37. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14732220

    5) Wang X, Yao X, Zhu Z, Tang T, Dai K, Sadovskaya I, Flahaut S, Jabbouri S. Effect of berberine on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2009 Jul;34(1):60-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19157797

    6) Cecil CE, Davis JM, Cech NB, Laster SM. Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Int Immunopharmacol. 2011 Nov;11(11):1706-14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21683808

    7) Lau CW, Yao XQ, Chen ZY, Ko WH, Huang Y. Cardiovascular actions of berberine. Cardiovasc Drug Rev. 2001 Fall;19(3):234-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11607041

    8.) Xie X, Meng X, Zhou X, Shu X, Kong H. [Research on therapeutic effect and hemorrheology change of berberine in new diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes combining nonalcoholic fatty liver disease]. [Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2011 Nov;36(21):3032-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22308697

    9) Chidambara Murthy KN, Jayaprakasha GK, Patil BS. The natural alkaloid berberine targets multiple pathways to induce cell death in cultured human colon cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol. 2012 Aug 5;688(1-3):14-21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22617025

    10) Peng PL, Hsieh YS, Wang CJ, Hsu JL, Chou FP. Inhibitory effect of berberine on the invasion of human lung cancer cells via decreased productions of urokinase-plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-2. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2006 Jul 1;214(1):8-15. Epub 2006 Jan 4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16387334

    11) Park KS, Kim JB, Lee SJ, Bae J. Berberine-induced growth inhibition of epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2012 Mar;38(3):535-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22381105

    12) Kim S, Han J, Lee SK, Choi MY, Kim J, Lee J, Jung SP, Kim JS, Kim JH, Choe JH, Lee JE, Nam SJ. Berberine suppresses the TPA-induced MMP-1 and MMP-9 expressions through the inhibition of PKC-α in breast cancer cells. J Surg Res. 2012 Jul;176(1):e21-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22381172

    13) Wei W, Zhao H, Wang A, Sui M, Liang K, Deng H, Ma Y, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Guan Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Jan;166(1):99-105 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22019891

    14) Wu D, Wen W, Qi CL, Zhao RX, Lü JH, Zhong CY, Chen YY. Ameliorative effect of berberine on renal damage in rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin. Phytomedicine. 2012 Jun 15;19(8-9):712-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22483555

    15) Zhou XQ, Zeng XN, Kong H, Sun XL. Neuroprotective effects of berberine on stroke models in vitro and in vivo. Neurosci Lett. 2008 Dec 5;447(1):31-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18838103

    16) Lee HS. Rat lens aldose reductase inhibitory activities of Coptis japonica root-derived isoquinoline alkaloids. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(24):7013-7016. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12428952

    17) Kawakubo K, Mori A, Sakamoto K, Nakahara T, Ishii K. GP-1447, an inhibitor of aldose reductase, prevents the progression of diabetic cataract in rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2012;35(6):866-872. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22687477

    18) Schor Jacob, Clinical Applications for Berberine, 12/5/2012, Natural Medicine Journal (online) http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?edition=1&section=2&article=384

  • Popular Drug Causes Cancer – And The FDA Knows It!

    Anyone Who Still Believes That “FDA Approval” Means That A Drug Is Safe Or Effective Is Living In A Fantasy World!

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    First, the most important fact about this drug: It was the tenth-best selling drug in the U.S. in 2008, with sales exceeding $2.4 billion. (1)

    With money like that at stake, the rest of facts of this story should not come as any surprise.

    The drug?

    Actos – a diabetes drug manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

    The problem?

    Bladder cancer. And more.

    How big is the problem?

    Huge.

    Initial studies showed a 40% increase in the risk of developing bladder cancer in persons using Actos for more than a year. (2)

    Another newer study shows that people who use this drug for more than two years have an 83% increased risk of developing bladder cancer. (3)

    Let’s put that a little differently: if your doctor has you on Actos for two years or more (and conventional medicine considers diabetes to be a “lifetime” disease – as in “You’ll have to take these drugs for the rest of your life!”) you have a 17% chance of NOT getting bladder cancer.

    I wouldn’t go to Las Vegas with those odds… much less gamble my life.

    Who knew what – and when did they know it?

    From the FDA’s own “Safety Announcement”:

    In preclinical carcinogenicity studies of pioglitazone [Actos], bladder tumors were observed in male rats receiving doses of pioglitazone that produced blood drug levels equivalent to those resulting from a clinical dose. Additionally, results from two, three-year controlled clinical studies of Actos […] demonstrated a higher percentage of bladder cancer cases in patients receiving Actos versus comparators.

    Preclinical means ‘way back before the drug was ever allowed to be given to humans. That’s right – in the earliest days of this drug, researchers (and presumably the FDA) knew that it was causing bladder cancer in rats.

    Then, not one, but two clinical trials showed that the stuff was causing bladder cancer in people too.

    And yet, the FDA approved the drug. For shame!

    So, is that all? (as if bladder cancer isn’t bad enough…)

    In March of 2007 Takeda was forced to admit that Actos was causing a greater incidence of fractures of the upper arms, hands and feet in female diabetics. (4)

    And yet, the FDA allowed continued sales the drug. For shame!

    Also in 2007, Takeda further warned that: (4)

    • “… [Actos] can cause fluid retention when used alone or in combination with other antidiabetic agents, including insulin. Fluid retention may lead to or exacerbate heart failure.”
    • “… patients with a history of previously existing cardiac disease were reported to develop congestive heart failure (CHF) when treated with pioglitazone [Actos]…”
    • “Reports of hepatitis and of hepatic enzyme elevations to three or more times the upper limit of normal (ULN)
      have been received in post marketing experience with pioglitazone. Very rarely, these reports have involved
      hepatic failure with or without fatal outcome, …”
    • “ACTOS may also be associated with hypoglycemia, edema, anemia, weight gain, and/or ovulation in
      premenopausal, anovulatory women.”
    • “In US placebo-controlled ACTOS monotherapy clinical trials, the most common adverse events (Ž5%) were
      upper respiratory tract infection, headache, sinusitis, myalgia, tooth disorder, aggravated diabetes mellitus, and
      pharyngitis.”

    And yet, the FDA continued to allow sales the drug. For shame!

    So, to sum up:

    We have a drug that was known from the very earliest animal trials to cause bladder cancer, and then in human trials it caused broken bones, heart failure, hepatitis and even liver failure, anemia, infections, headaches, sinusitis, muscle pains, tooth problems and sore throats. Not only that, but it sometimes made diabetes, the very problem it was being given for, worse!

    All this in a drug that doesn’t really work very well even when it does work – according to the FDA; “Across the approved doses Actos reduced HbA1c compared to placebo by an average of 1.5%.”

    Wow – a whole, whopping 1.5%!

    And yet the FDA still allows the drug to be sold. For shame!

    Why would the sale of this dangerous drug still be allowed by the FDA – the federal agency charged with protecting Americans from harmful food and drugs?

    For the answer to that I suggest you go back to the first, the most important fact about this drug: It was the tenth-best selling drug in the U.S. in 2008, with sales exceeding $2.4 billion. (1)

    So, what’s the solution?

    What can be done – safely – about type II diabetes, “pre-diabetes, ” “metabolic syndrome,” and the other names that conventional medicine gives to this disorder?

    Plenty!

    In fact, Dr. Myatt has a better than 90% success rate at correcting this problem within 90 days or less and she proves it with conventional hemoglobin A1c tests returned to normal, non-diabetic levels. No dangerous drugs, no strange or dangerous diets, just solid healthy success.

    At The Wellness Club we don’t believe that type II diabetes is a “lifetime problem” – we fix it so you can get on with your life – no drugs, and no bladder cancer!

    Learn more about diabetes here and find out about consultations with Dr. Myatt here.

     

    References:

    1. http://drugpatentwatch.com/ultimate/preview/tradename/index.php?query=ACTOS

    2. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm259150.htm

    3. http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3645.pdf%2Bhtml

    4. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/UCM153896.pdf

  • Common Food Ingredient Makes You Stupid?

    Sugar Makes You Stupid!

     

    At least that’s what we’re seeing in the news lately.

     

    What’s the truth?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Alarming headlines have been screaming “Sugar Makes You Stupid” for the last month or so. Opponents of high fructose corn syrup have gleefully taken up and misrepresented a recent study published in The Journal of Physiology.

    On the other side of the argument The Corn Refiners Association is in full defense mode – calling the media interpretation of the study “scare tactics” and telling us that fructose, and especially high fructose corn syrup, are not so bad for us as long as they are used “in moderation.”

    As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between, and to be honest, the The Corn Refiners Association actually has a somewhat better take on the whole issue. They appear to have actually read the study carefully and have gleaned one of the major pearls from the conclusions of the researcher.

    Let me explain:

    The study, titled “‘Metabolic syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in insulin receptor signaling and cognition” was authored by Rahul Agrawal and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla of UCLA. It appears to have been a well-conducted study and a link to the full text of the study can be found at the end of this article. For those who don’t want to struggle through all the scientific mumbo-jumbo (as usual, it will make your eyes glaze over…) they have summarized their work into some bullet points:

    • We provide novel evidence for the effects of metabolic dysfunctions on brain function using the rat model of metabolic syndrome induced by high fructose intake.
    • We describe that the deleterious consequences of unhealthy dietary habits can be partially counteracted by dietary supplementation of n-3 fatty acid.
    • High sugar consumption impaired cognitive abilities and disrupted insulin signalling by engaging molecules associated with energy metabolism and synaptic plasticity; in turn, the presence of docosahexaenoic acid, an n-3 fatty acid, restored metabolic homeostasis.
    • These findings expand the concept of metabolic syndrome affecting the brain and provide the mechanistic evidence of how dietary habits can interact to regulate brain functions, which can further alter lifelong susceptibility to the metabolic disorders.

     

    OK, so even that is a little dense. Let’s translate that to something that people like you and me can understand. I’ll summarize and translate in order:

    • They showed that high fructose sugar intake impaired brain function in rats.
    • They showed that the impaired brain function could be counteracted with Omega-3 fatty acids.
    • They conclude that high sugar consumption impairs brain function by disrupting brain energy metabolism and harming the way that brain cells communicate with each other, and that giving Omega-3 fatty acids (such as found in fish oil) repaired the damage and restored brain function.
    • They conclude that dietary habits, both good and bad, affect brain function for better and for worse and that these habits can have long-lasting effects.

     

    For those who are opposed to high fructose corn syrup, the study does not mention this substance anywhere – the sugar used was described as “fructose” – not “high fructose corn syrup.”

    To say that “Sugar makes you stupid” is not correct in as far as this study is concerned. Can rats be smart or stupid? What it did show is that rats on high-sugar diets learned and remembered how to navigate a maze less well and that giving the rats Omega-3 fatty acids improved their abilities.

    What is the take-home message in all of this?

    Well, The Corn Refiners Association comes closest to getting it right when they say in their rebuttal:

    “This is really a study about omega-3 fatty acids, not about sugars at all.”
    James M. Rippe M.D., cardiologist and founder of Rippe Lifestyle Institute.

     

    But even that is not really a correct statement, because the study was about sugars – and it showed that high sugar intakes and Omega 3 deficiencies both cause deteriorations in brain function, and it showed that Omega-3 fatty acids protect and restore that function.

    So, what is our bottom line?

    Remove all sugars from your diet to the very greatest extent possible. There is no known requirement for sugar in the human diet – it is NOT essential. Besides the apparent hit that a high-sugar diet can give to the brain, sugars cause a whole host of other problems, from obesity to insulin resistance, to the Advanced Glycation End-products or AGES that are a major factor in the damage to tissues that we see with ageing.

    Be sure that you are receiving generous amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids ARE essential for human life. Some of the top foods for Omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish such as albacore tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel, Atlantic herring, swordfish, and lake trout. Unfortunately, many of these fish should be consumed in moderation because of the contamination by mercury and other pollutants that has affected them.

    An alternative to eating large amounts of possibly-contaminated fish is to use a good-quality Omega-3 supplement.

    When choosing an Omega-3 supplement, be sure to read the label – you are not so much concerned with the total amount of oil in the capsule (often expressed in scientific-sounding terms like “lipid concentrate, xxxx mg”) as you are with the exact amounts of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that are contained. These two numbers will never add up to the total oil contained, so read the label carefully! And be sure that the product has been prepared by molecular distillation and that every batch is verified by an independent third-party lab to be free of PCB’s, heavy metals and pesticides. Cheap fish oils of dubious pedigree are never worth it!

    Please visit our website to learn more about fish oil.

     

    Oh, and by the way: I don’t know about rats, but I do know that a high-sugar meal or snack will promptly put me into a stupor – we call it a “carb-coma” around here and it sure does make me feel stupid.

    And your grandma? She was right: fish (and the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish) really are a “brain food”!

     

    References:

    UCLA Rat Study full text: http://jp.physoc.org/content/590/10/2485.full

    Corn Refiners Association rebuttal: http://sweetsurprise.com/press/response-ucla-rat-study

    HealthBeat News Article “But I Only Use Organic Natural Sugars!” http://healthbeatnews.com/but-i-only-use-organic-natural-sugars/

  • What Remedy For Diabetes?

    What Remedy For Diabetes?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Big Pharma has done such a good job of brainwashing us.

     

    They have been highly successful in establishing the belief that for every malady, for every ill, for every complaint, there is a pill – a magic bullet – that will provide relief.

    We are told that we need only visit our doctor who will, with great wisdom, listen briefly to the complaint, look quickly at the labs or x-rays, and whip out his trusty prescription pad upon which he will scribble the magic formula that will allow the druggist to dispense the appropriate remedy. All will be well we are assured…

    Unfortunately it is rarely ever that easy – but people keep hoping, and since Big Pharma has convinced folks that it works that way for allopathic doctors, many assume that it must also work that way for naturopaths, herbalists, homeopaths, and others.

    Here is an example of this sort of thinking that recently came in via email:

    Dear Dr. Myatt: what remedy have you discovered for advanced diabetes that is aggravated by fall-outs of close relationships, and deaths of friends – for instance?… thank you much, Paul 

     

    Sorry folks – It just isn’t that easy!

    While Dr. Myatt is certainly quite capable of correcting even advanced diabetes, this is not any new “discovery” and it is not by any single remedy or vitamin or herb. Through careful holistic medical practice diabetes can be easily corrected, often in under 90 days (as are many other “difficult” and “chronic” conditions.)

    Here is my answer to Paul:

    Hi Paul,

    Diabetes can be a complicated condition, as you have discovered.

    You did not say what type of diabetes you are seeking advice for:

    Type I diabetes is a condition where the pancreas does not produce enough (or any) insulin – it can be caused by a number of things including auto-immune disorders.

    Type II diabetes is a condition where the body has become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin – this is more often a dietary problem and is usually very quickly corrected.

    Then there is Type 1.5 diabetes which shares features of both Type I and Type II diabetes – this is a condition often not recognized by conventional endocrinologists and other doctors, but it is also correctable with skilled treatment.

    Emotional stress can play a significant part in diabetes for a number of reasons – for an illuminating, even life-changing explanation of this I suggest that you obtain a copy of Dr. Myatt’s inspiring video The Body Mind Connection .

    Please also review Dr. Myatt’s recommendations for diabetes here:

    Please consider arranging a Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt if you would like to explore this subject further.

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark