HealthBeat News

Category: Nutrition and Health

  • Vitamin D – For Successful Dieting?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Vitamin D, once thought to have little more importance than for the prevention of rickets, is proving to be more valuable and even vital to our overall health and well-being with each passing day.

    We have long maintained here at The Wellness Club that Vitamin D is far more than just a “vitamin” – it is actually a mis-named hormone with a wide-ranging variety of effects in our bodies.

    Now it turns out that low Vitamin D levels are strongly associated with overweight and obesity, and that improving Vitamin D deficiency improves dieting success.

    Dr. Shalamar Sibley, a researcher in the University of Minnesota Medical School conducted a clinical study that looked at the relationship between Vitamin D levels and obesity and the success of weight loss efforts and said:

    “What is suggested here is that if you start out with an inadequate vitamin D level, it’s possible that this might inhibit or impede your ability to lose weight on a reduced caloric diet,”

     

    The researchers found that pre-dieting Vitamin D levels predicted weight loss success and that for every increase of 1 ng/mL in level of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (the precursor form of Vitamin D) dieters lost almost a half pound more over the course of their diet. Further, for each 1-ng/mL increase in the active or “hormonal” form of Vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), dieters shed nearly a quarter pound more.

    The researchers also found that higher baseline vitamin D levels gave greater losses of abdominal fat.

    “Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss,” Dr. Sibley said.

     

    So, what’s our take-home message from this?

    Vitamin D deficiency is common in the US population. Overall, 41.6 % of Americans are Vitamin D deficient, and that number skyrockets to 82.1% of African Americans and 69.2% of Hispanics.

    Obesity has become an epidemic in America – more than one in every 3 Americans are obese, and again Blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately affected.

    Vitamin D testing is available and is relatively inexpensive for the valuable information that it provides. Please learn more about a simple at-home Vitamin D test here.

    Vitamin D supplementation is cheap – mere pennies per day – and can be started while awaiting the results of your Vitamin D levels test. Learn more about inexpensive and effective optimal-dose Vitamin D supplements here.

    Can we promise you that taking Vitamin D will help you lose weight?

    Don’t be silly – of course we can’t promise that! You can only lose weight if you consume less energy (calories) than you need, forcing your body to turn to it’s “money in the bank” (fat stores) for energy.

    But it is very clear from this research that Vitamin D deficiency plays a greater role in obesity that we ever suspected, and it is also quite clear that improving levels of Vitamin D leads to greater fat loss over the course of a weight-loss diet.

    Finally, there is every other reason to ensure that your Vitamin D levels are plentiful – since Vitamin D deficiency is linked to many other health conditions, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, kidney disease, and a higher risk of cancer including breast and prostate cancers.

     

    References:

    Causal Relationship between Obesity and Vitamin D Status: Bi-Directional Mendelian Randomization Analysis of Multiple Cohorts. Published: February 05, 2013DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001383
    http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001383

    Vitamin D and weight loss, University of Minnesota, December 18, 2009
    http://www1.umn.edu/news/features/2009/UR_CONTENT_165066.html

  • Sugar Is Poison, No Matter What It’s Called

    Is Sugar Still Sugar If It’s Called Something Else?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Ron is a regular reader in Tennessee and he writes from time to time to ask us about things. Ron is a good fellow and I enjoy his questions as he is obviously thinking hard about how to best stay healthy.

    Ron wrote recently to ask about a health article that he had read elsewhere – in this case, on the website of well-known Dr. Mercola. What he read made him wonder. I am familiar with the article and while there was much good in it there were also some things that raised my eyebrows. Read on to see Ron’s question and my answer to him:

    Hey Doc, as you know I am always studying the medical [literature] and found this :   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/27/can-sugar-be-toxic.aspx?e_cid=20120227_DNL_art_1   what’s your thoughts??   Thanks  Ninja Ron in TN
    ps tell Mark Hello

     

    Hi Ron,

    I like getting your questions!

    We answered questions similar to this for you previously – see our healthbeat article here:

    We have a great deal of respect and admiration for Dr. Mercola – but this is a case of Mercola being “A day late and a dollar short” – since we have written about the dangers of sugar over and over and over – see this article…

    What’s more, Mercola is providing some “misinformation” in his article when he says “Glucose is the form of energy you were designed to run on. Every cell in your body, every bacterium — and in fact, every living thing on the Earth — uses glucose for energy.”

    No, we were not designed to run on glucose. Not as a single fuel. Our human bodies are dual-fuel machines, designed to run equally well on either glucose or a super-fuel called ketone bodies. In many ways we actually run better on ketones.

    Ketones are the fuel created when our bodies use fat – either fat from diet or fat from stored fat. This is high-energy, stable-state fuel that many organs of the body actually prefer to glucose. It also burns much more cleanly in our bodies than glucose.

    This statement from the Mercola article is correct: “Dr. Lustig rightfully argues that sugar used to be available to our ancestors only as fruit or honey – and then only for a few months of the year”

    So let’s take it a little further: Do you think that our cave man ancestors could have survived if the only thing their bodies used for fuel was glucose? What if they ran out of honey or fruit or corn or Gatorade or some other carbohydrate – would they just keel over and die? No! Their bodies would shift over into the healthy natural metabolic state of ketosis, use ketones for energy, and they would soldier on, looking for birds eggs and fat grubs and sweet berries and tasty high-protein saber-tooth bunnies to eat.

    The best statement in the Mercola article is “Limiting Sugar is Also Vital for Longevity.”

    We can’t agree more and we have said so over and over and over again – maybe we say it too much and so folks just don’t hear us any more on this subject?

    Ron, there are three food groups that provide energy to the human body. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

    Only two of those food groups are essential for life.

    You know about Essential Amino Acids – you gotta have ’em or the body breaks down it’s own muscle.

    You know about Essential Fatty Acids – without them we can’t make our hormones, maintain our nervous system, and a bunch of other things that keep our machinery functioning.

    But “Essential Carbohydrates”? There ain’t no such thing!

    Even the mighty US Government National Academy of Sciences says so in it’s publications:

    “The lower limit of dietary carbohydrate compatible with life apparently is zero, provided that adequate amounts of protein and fat are consumed.”

     

    There are a very few cells in the body that need tiny amounts of carbohydrates – sugars, AKA glucose – to function and they are supplied very nicely in the absence of any dietary intake of sugars or carbohydrates by your liver.

    The liver, handy organ that it is, will make happily glucose from protein through a process called gluconeogenesis.

    So, you want our thoughts on the Mercola / sugar article?

    There is much about it that is right on: sugar is bad stuff. Drop the sugar, live longer.

    Dr. Myatt has been telling her patients this for years, even when it wasn’t “cool.” She has also been telling her patients for years about the healthy natural metabolic state of ketosis for longevity, health improvement and disease cure.

    Ketosis is something that Dr. Mercola seems to be only now beginning to embrace.

    Dr. Mercola correctly relates the dangers of fructose and then promotes the “moderate” use of honey – but honey is fructose!

    Here, from Wikipedia, is the makeup of honey:

    Typical honey analysis:
    Fructose: 38.2%
    Glucose: 31.3%
    Maltose: 7.1%
    Sucrose: 1.3%
    Water: 17.2%
    Higher sugars: 1.5%
    Ash: 0.2%
    Other/undetermined: 3.2%

     

    Dr. Mercola also suggests that “organic cane sugar” might be used “in moderation” – but “organic cane sugar” is just another term used to describe sucrose… I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he meant less refined “organic cane sugar” which is simply cane sugar that maybe hasn’t had all of it’s vitamins, minerals, and fiber refined out of it and is therefore a little bit less unhealthy than refined sugar.

    Here’s the bottom line Ron: Drop the sugars – all the sugars. Lower the carbohydrates as much as you possibly can. Enter the Ketone Zone – the healthy natural metabolic state of ketosis for longevity and health improvement. Your body will thank you!

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

  • This Is Not So Sweet!

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Wow! I predict that there is going to be some fur fly over this recent pronouncement by the mighty World Health Organization (W.H.O.)

    It seems that the W.H.O. is now recommending that sugar intake from all sources be cut to a mere 5% of daily calorie intake – fully half of their previous recommendation.

    For most people that means a maximum of of just a few teaspoons of sugar each day – perhaps 4 teaspoons for women and 6 for men. And remember, that is sugar from all sources – honey, syrups, fruit juices, food… though the WHO is willing to cut a little slack for whole fresh fruit.

    Why do I think that there will be fur flying over this?

    Well, I remember when the last recommendations came out, limiting sugar intake to 10% of caloric intake: Yikes! The Big Agriculture and Big Food industries waged a full-out offensive campaign against the W.H.O., lobbying congress to have millions in U.S. funding withdrawn from them unless they changed their statement. These big industries are so powerful that they won at least a partial victory then and I predict they will prevail again this time. The Big Corporations play rough when their profits are threatened!

    Just what is the size of the problem? Well, just one tablespoon of ketchup can contain a teaspoon of sugar, and a regular sugar-sweetened soda pop can contain as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar. And let’s not forget sweetened breakfast cereals, sugary deserts and confections, candy bars, even medicines! Sugar is in everything!

    Now if you are a regular reader you already know our position on sugar – we regard it as an addictive, toxic, health-damaging substance that really has no place in our diets. If you are a patient of Dr. Myatt you probably don’t even keep the stuff in your house much less eat it.

    For more information about sugar see our previous HealthBeat News Article But I Only Use Organic Natural Sugars!

    And join me – sit back, put your feet up, and watch the fun as the Big Corporate interests engage in a fight that is going to make the Saturday morning TV wrestling shows look like childrens games of patty-cake…

     

    AP News: WHO: Only 5% of calories should be from sugar

    W.H.O.:  WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline

  • Hepatitis: Bane Of The Baby Boomers

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Hepatitis C has been much in the news lately, with some articles even going so far as to call it “a new epidemic” affecting millions of “Baby Boomers” – those of us born between 1945 and 1965.

    Why have Baby Boomers been hit so hard by this disease? Is it because of drug use, or was it the “sexual revolution” of the ’60’s? Maybe it was environmental toxins or harmful diet or alcohol use? Blood transfusions and medical procedures? Compromised immunity?

    Blame has been laid on all of these things and more and the truth is it could be any of these things or it may be none – everyone is different and yet all are the same in that the virus that causes Hep. C can cause devastating damage to the liver and to the quality of life of those infected with it.

    Dr. Myatt has been successfully treating Hepatitis C for many years – she does it the old fashioned way, with detailed case study and carefully planned treatment programs. Dietary changes, nutritional optimization, carefully targeted herbal supplements, and other therapies all come together to offer profound results and relief for Dr. Myatt’s patients.

    In a recent article titled “Nearly 3 Million Americans Living With Hepatitis C” the conventional Big Pharma website WebMD accurately describes the scope of the problem and the concern that the government’s CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has about the potential for both the suffering and expense that this emerging “epidemic” represents. They also hint at a solution – new drugs. But are drugs the only answer?

    Naturopathic and other holistic medical practitioners have long-known that the liver is an amazingly forgiving and resilient organ, able to sustain enormous damage and insults and then heal itself and return to good function when the stress is removed.

    The trick is to remove the offending toxin or other stress and to know what things are supportive and healing to the liver, and also what things are not helpful.

    Dr. Myatt has shared some of her approaches on her page discussing Hepatitis C, and on another page discusses one of the premier herbs for liver support, Milk Thistle.

    Milk thistle (silybum marianum) has been the subject of over 100 clinical trials, primarily exploring it’s role in liver disease. It powerfully protects the liver from the effects of environmental toxins (such as carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, iron overload, mushroom poisoning). It is used in Emergency Room medicine in Europe for exposure to liver-toxic agents. Milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant, especially to the liver. It also stimulates liver cell regeneration. It has been proven useful for all types of liver disease, including alcoholic liver sclerosis, hepatitis, protection from environmental toxins, and protection from the liver-toxic effects of many drugs.

    So, what about those new drugs that WebMD is talking about? They are not the only ones talking about these drugs; there has been much discussion about them as they are fantastically expensive – as much as $1000 per pill and up to $168,000 for a course of treatment. No wonder the government is worried about this disease!

    Even so, when compared to the cost of conventional treatment for the liver damage that Hepatitis C causes, these drugs may be a bargain as they are claiming to provide good “cure” rates and minimal side effects. They will certainly be less expensive than liver transplants and the lifetime of anti-rejection drugs that follow, and can anyone really put a price on the suffering that chronic Hep. C inflicts on it’s victims?

    Here at The Wellness Club we are not anti-drug at all – we simply feel that there is a time and a place for everything, and we tend to resort to drugs only when they are absolutely necessary. Gentler, more natural treatments are often all that is needed, and when the “big guns” (drugs) must be brought to bear, natural treatments can work synergistically with pharmaceutical treatments boosting their effectiveness and reducing their side effects.

    We will be following these promising new drugs with interest!

    And stay tuned as we present more news, updates and information about Hepatitis C in the coming weeks…

  • Anxiety And Panic Attacks – Is There A Diet Connection?

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    Anxiety and Panic Attacks: What You Need to Know

    Anxiety is a normal human reaction to perceived danger – an example would be the anxious feeling that comes from hearing footsteps behind us when walking down a dark alley or having a tire blow out while driving in freeway traffic. Anxiety in such cases is a good thing – it sharpens our senses and prepares us to meet the challenge.

    Panic is not a good thing as it causes us to revert to more primitive and less effective ways of coping. Instead of decisively getting out of the dark alley we might freeze and be in greater danger. Instead of steering our car swiftly to the side of the road we might over react and lose control of the car. Both freezing in fear and wildly over-reacting are common expressions of panic.

    While it is normal to have occasional appropriate feelings of anxiety and even fleeting (but controlled) feelings of panic, it seems that for many people regular feelings anxiety and even frequent feelings of panic are the “new normal.” More and more people, from children to seniors, are reporting daily anxiety and frequent “panic attacks” – often over nothing at all – and teenage girls seem to be especially affected.

    Anxiety and “panic attacks” are NOT normal in anyone unless they are in a highly stressful situation. People often try to explain it away as being circumstantial with excuses like  “my dog died” or “I got called in to my boss’ office” or “I had a really big exam” but really, ongoing anxiety and panic episodes should be considered abnormal in anyone who has an otherwise good life.

    While everyone is different in how they deal with stress, we find many similarities in people who experience frequent anxiety and panic attacks. Dietary imbalances and deficiencies play a large role in panic attacks, and young women who are attempting to follow vegetarian or vegan diets can be especially hard-hit. Others who follow restrictive diets are at risk too.

    Here’s the Doctor Myatt “short course,” on Anxiety and Panic Attacks. Full references can be found at the end of this article.

    1.) Nutrient deficiencies are common in female adolescent vegetarians. This isn’t just my opinion; it is well-documented. (1-5)

    2.) Nutrient deficiencies can cause mental health disorders including anxiety and panic attacks. (6-9)

    3.) Nutrient deficiencies also cause immune dysfunction.(10)

    Especially problematic are deficiencies of zinc (11-14), EFA’s (Omega-3 fatty acids) (15-19) B12, cholesterol, B vitamins and iron. (20-21)

    Another major problem with many restrictive diets is insufficient protein. Protein breaks down to amino acids; amino acids are the precursors (building blocks) for ALL of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Wow!

    Precipitous drops in blood sugar, as often occur with high-carb, low protein diets, can trigger an adrenal release that causes a “panic attack.” It is a spontaneous “fight or flight” hormone rush in the absence of something fearful.

    Reactive hypoglycemia may lead to a variety of different symptoms including:

    · Blurry vision

    · Panic attack

    · Dizziness

    · Fatigue

    · Light headedness

    · Headaches

    · Heart Palpitations (22-23)

    While it IS possible to get a full scope of nutrients while following a vegetarian and even a vegan diet, it requires a lot of careful planning. I personally find that most vegetarians and vegans are not careful enough with their diet to get adequate nutrients. A supplement is almost always in order, plus making sure that the diet does not induce hypoglycemia.

    My Bottom Line: The first place to look for a cause of any mood disorder, including panic/anxiety attacks, is diet.

     

    References

    1.) Chiplonkar SA, Tupe R. Development of a diet quality index with special reference to micronutrient adequacy for adolescent girls consuming a lacto-vegetarian diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Jun;110(6):926-31.[“…micronutrient intakes were 50% to 70% lower than recommended dietary intakes (in lacto-vegetarian girls)”]

    2.) Gibson RS.Content and bioavailability of trace elements in vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 May;59(5 Suppl):1223S-1232S.

    3.) Hunt JR. Bioavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets.Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):633S-639S.

    4.) Kirby M, Danner E. Nutritional deficiencies in children on restricted diets. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;56(5):1085-103.

    5.) Tupe R, Chiplonkar SA.Diet patterns of lactovegetarian adolescent girls: need for devising recipes with high zinc bioavailability. Nutrition. 2010 Apr;26(4):390-8.

    6.) Islam MR, Ahmed MU, Mitu SA, Islam MS, Rahman GK, Qusar MM, Hasnat A. Comparative analysis of serum zinc, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, and magnesium level and complexity of interelement relations in generalized anxiety disorder patients.Biol Trace Elem Res. 2013 Jul;154(1):21-7.

    7.) Jacka FN, Maes M, Pasco JA, Williams LJ, Berk M. Nutrient intakes and the common mental disorders in women. J Affect Disord. 2012 Dec 1;141(1):79-85.

    8.) Quick VM, McWilliams R, Byrd-Bredbenner C. Case-control study of disturbed eating behaviors and related psychographic characteristics in young adults with and without diet-related chronic health conditions. Eat Behav. 2012 Aug;13(3):207-13.

    9.) Lakhan SE, Vieira KF. Nutritional therapies for mental disorders.Nutr J. 2008 Jan 21;7:2. [“…a lack of certain dietary nutrients contribute to the development of mental disorders. Notably, essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids are often deficient in the general population in America and other developed countries; and are exceptionally deficient in patients suffering from mental disorders. Studies have shown that daily supplements of vital nutrients often effectively reduce patients’ symptoms. Supplements that contain amino acids also reduce symptoms, because they are converted to neurotransmitters that alleviate depression and other mental disorders. Based on emerging scientific evidence, this form of nutritional supplement treatment may be appropriate for controlling major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders…”]

    10.) Singh M. Role of micronutrients for physical growth and mental development. Indian J Pediatr. 2004 Jan;71(1):59-62.

    11.) Cope EC, Levenson CW. Role of zinc in the development and treatment of mood disorders.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Nov;13(6):685-9.

    12.) Foster M, Chu A, Petocz P, Samman S. Effect of vegetarian diets on zinc status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in humans. J Sci Food Agric. 2013 Aug 15;93(10):2362-71.

    13.) Kawade R. Zinc status and its association with the health of adolescents: a review of studies in India. Glob Health Action. 2012;5:7353. Epub 2012 Apr 12.

    14.) Nahar Z, Azad MA, Rahman MA, Rahman MA, Bari W, Islam SN, Islam MS, Hasnat A. Comparative analysis of serum manganese, zinc, calcium, copper and magnesium level in panic disorder patients. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2010 Mar;133(3):284-90.

    15.) Bondi CO, Taha AY, Tock JL, Totah NK, Cheon Y, Torres GE, Rapoport SI, Moghaddam B. Adolescent behavior and dopamine availability are uniquely sensitive to dietary omega-3 fatty acid deficiency.

    16.) Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 1;75(1):38-46.

    17.) Liu JJ, Galfalvy HC, Cooper TB, Oquendo MA, Grunebaum MF, Mann JJ, Sublette ME. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status in major depressive disorder with comorbid anxiety disorders. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;74(7):732-8.

    18.) McNamara RK, Strawn JR. Role of Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Practice. PharmaNutrition. 2013 Apr;1(2):41-49.

    19.) Ross BM, Seguin J, Sieswerda LE. Omega-3 fatty acids as treatments for mental illness: which disorder and which fatty acid? Lipids Health Dis. 2007 Sep 18;6:21.

    20.) Bourre JM.Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 1: micronutrients.J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep-Oct;10(5):377-85.

    21.) Mikawa Y, Mizobuchi S, Egi M, Morita K. Low serum concentrations of vitamin B6 and iron are related to panic attack and hyperventilation attack. Acta Med Okayama. 2013;67(2):99-104.

    22.) Gorman, Jack M., et al. Hypoglycemia and panic attacks. Am J Psychiatry 141 (1984): 101-102.

    23.) Schweizer, Edward, Andrew Winokur, and Karl Rickels. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia and panic attacks. Am J Psychiatry 143.5 (1986): 654-655.