HealthBeat News

Category: Cancer

  • Deficient in Iodine, But Allergic – What to do?

    Our recent article on Iodine stirred plenty of interest – it truly is a forgotten and misunderstood mineral. One of the more prevalent medical myths is that of the “Allergy to Iodine” – a frequently asked question by both doctors and nurses – who should know better. What they are really asking is “are you sensitive to Providone/Povidone-iodine (Betadine) topical (skin) solutions or iodine-containing injectable contrast medias?”

    Marilyn B writes:

    I’ve had low thyroid all my life, but am allergic to iodine (the doctor gave me iodine drops and my jaws locked). I use iodized sea salt. I have just about every disease you mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph… arthritis (everywhere), fibromyalgia, lumps on my thyroid and low thyroid, ovarian cysts (hysterectomy), breast cysts, chronic bronchitis… what can a person who is allergic to iodine do?

    Nurse Mark replies:

    No-one is truly allergic to iodine, any more than one could be allergic to water – iodine is a trace mineral that is essential to life. It is naturally present throughout our bodies. Many people have reactions to other components of things that may contain iodine, and iodine has been unfairly implicated – it is important to be sure that one is not reactive or sensitive to other ingredients or components of preparations or products that also contain iodine.

    It is interesting to note that Marilyn describes using iodized sea salt. Iodine is iodine, and iodized means iodine has been added. Obviously, the problem that Marilyn experienced when given “iodine drops” (and we don’t know what these were nor how they were administered) was not due to the iodine but to some other ingredient or component of the “drops.”

    What can someone like Marilyn do? She can work with an iodine-savvy holistic physician like Dr. Myatt who will help her to correct the iodine deficiency that is causing so many problems. A skilled physician will get to the bottom of the “allergy” so that appropriate forms of iodine supplementation can be used and the deficiency is corrected.

     

  • Sex Hormone Balance: Serious Anti-Aging and Disease Prevention

    In both males and females, a decline or imbalance of the sex hormones is associated with a wide variety of health problems.

    Imbalanced or decreased sex hormones in women can cause:

    • Acne or oily skin
    • Bloating
    • Bone loss
    • Breast disease including cancer
    • Cancer (hormone-related: breast, ovary, uterus)
    • Decreased fertility
    • Depression
    • Endometriosis
    • Excess facial and body hair
    • Heart disease
    • Heavy or painful periods
    • Hot flashes
    • Irregular periods
    • Irritability
    • Loss of muscle mass
    • Loss of scalp hair
    • Low libido
    • Memory lapses
    • Menstrual irregularities
    • Mood swings
    • Nervousness
    • Night sweats
    • Osteoporosis
    • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
    • Poor concentration
    • Sleep disturbances
    • Tender or fibrocystic breasts
    • Urinary incontinence
    • Vaginal dryness
    • Weight gain

    Imbalanced or decreased sex hormones in men can cause:

    • Bone loss
    • Decreased mental clarity
    • Decreased muscle strength
    • Decreased stamina
    • Decreased urine flow
    • Depression
    • Erectile dysfunction
    • Heart disease
    • Hot flashes
    • Increased abdominal fat
    • Increased urge to urinate
    • Irritability
    • Low sex drive
    • Mood swings
    • Night sweats
    • Poor concentration
    • Sleep disturbances

    Youthful hormone balance, achieved with natural (“bio-identical”) hormone replacement therapy is considered a main-stay of anti-aging and longevity medicine.

    Best Test for Sex Hormone Balance

    The sex hormones can be tested in blood, saliva or urine. Urine provides the most accurate results, saliva is next best and blood testing is least accurate. Here’s why:

    The sex hormones are released in “pulsed” doses throughout a 24-hour period. One hour, the output may be high, the next hour it may be low. This is a normal pattern for both sex and adrenal hormone excretion.

    A blood sample gives us only a “photograph” of the hormones present at the time the blood is drawn. It tells us nothing about the 24-hour average of hormones (which is the real number we are concerned with). Blood testing is the least accurate measure of sex and adrenal hormones.

    Saliva, which reflects an “average” of the 24-hour hormone content of the blood, is the next most accurate.

    Because a 24-hour urine test “captures” both the highs and lows of hormone output for an entire 24-hour time period and averages them, this method of hormone testing is in my opinion the “Gold Standard” of hormone testing.

    I currently recommend urine hormone testing for any patient who has concerns of hormone balance (which should be everyone over age 35-40!). Saliva testing is next best but does not appear to be as accurate.

    What’s Your EQ?

    Do you know what your EQ — estrogen quotient — is? You should, because this may be the single most important piece of information for preventing breast and prostate cancer. Here’s why:

    Estriol (E3) is a “good” estrogen and higher levels of estriol are associated with less cancer risk. Estriol appears to block many of the effects of the carcinogenic estrogens, estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and other related “pro-carcinogenic” estrogens. How do you find out if you have enough estriol to protect you from cancer? You calculate your EQ.

    Studies done in the 19060’s and 1970’s showed that women with an EQ above 1.0 had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Many women today have EQ’s of less than 1.0, and breast cancer rates are on the rise. This is no coincidence.

    Although the EQ ratio has been best-studied in women, it appears that a similar ratio may be predictive for prostate cancer in men.

    I now recommend that my patients who have hormone testing done have the EQ performed at the same time. The results, if unfavorable, are easily improved with dietary changes, supplements, iodine therapy or other natural measures. Where cancer is concerned, “prevention” trumps “early detection” every time.

  • IODINE – The "Missing Mineral" for Thyroid, Heart, Immune and Cancer Protection

    Iodine is a non-metallic essential trace element in human nutrition. Currently considered in conventional medicine to be primarily a thyroid nutrient (thyroid hormones T4 and T3 are composed largely of iodine), Iodine is actually found in many organs and tissue in the body including salivary, parotid, submandibular and pituitary glands, pancreas, testis, breasts, prostate, ovary, adrenal gland, stomach, heart, thymus, and lung. (1,2,3).

    Iodine is required for normal thyroid hormone production, it’s best-known role. But iodine also plays an important role in immune function, cancer prevention (especially of breast, thyroid and prostate cancer), diabetes prevention and reversal, atrial fibrillation correction, overweight and obesity, "brain fog" (low energy), breast and ovarian cysts, liver detoxification and menopausal symptoms.

    Iodine is also an important anti-microbial and can often relieve skin, lung, GI tract and other infections when antibiotics fail. In fact, from 1900 to 1960’s, every US physician used iodine (as Lugol’s solution) to treat low and high thyroid conditions, infections and many other conditions with excellent results.

    Here’s the "short course" on iodine.

    • Studies show that we may need a LOT more iodine than the current RDI of 150 micrograms, and that many if not most Americans are iodine deficient.
    • Conventional doctors are "iodine-o-phobic" (afraid to recommend higher-than-RDA doses of iodine) because they are not familiar with the vast body of research showing that higher iodine levels are beneficial.
    • Low iodine levels are associated with higher rates of low and high thyroid function; breast and thyroid cancer (and possibly many other types of cancer); ovarian cysts (including polycystic ovaries); fibrocystic breast disease; heart arrhythmias; lung and other infections; fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue to name only a few.
    • Because very high doses of iodine can cause heart palpitations and excess thyroid function (both which resolve upon stopping supplementation), initial testing of iodine levels and monitoring by an holistic physician may be the safest way to take iodine.

    References

    1.) C. Spitzweg, W. Joba, W. Eisenmenger and A. E. Heufelder. "Analysis of Human Sodium Iodide Symporter Gene Expression in Extrathyroidal Tissues and Cloning of Its Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acids from Salivary Gland, Mammary Gland, and Gastric Mucosa." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 83, No. 5 1746-1751. (1)"Iodine in medicine and pharmacy since its discovery-1811-1961," Proc R Soc Med, 1961:54:831-836.
    2.) Dai G, Levy O, Carrasco N. 1996 "Cloning and characterization of the thyroid iodide transporter." Nature. 379:458-460.
    3.) Smanik PA, Ryu K-Y, Theil KS, Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. 1997 "Expression, exon-intron organization, and chromosome mapping of the human sodium iodide symporter." Endocrinology. 138:3555-3558.

  • 7 Simple Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk

     Modern medical science knows a lot about the causes of cancer — more, in fact, than we know about its cure. “Carcinogens,” or factors that cause cancer, abound in the environment. Here are some of the leading causes of cancer that you can easily avoid to protect yourself from this disease: 

    1. Environmental exposure: cancer-causing agents are all around us; some a man-made, some naturally occurring. Evaluate your surroundings for these known cancer-causing substances:
      A      .) Radon: a naturally occurring, odorless gas that comes out of the ground and can infiltrate a house through the basement. If you have a basement in your home, inexpensive tests will tell you if your level is above 4 picocuries per liter (the minimum safe level). Correction is as easy as ensuring adequate ventilation. Radon causes lung cancer.
      B      .) Asbestos: Homes built before 1980 may have asbestos insulation. Either leave it alone or have it removed by a qualified contractor. Asbestos causes lung cancer.
      C.) Workplace hazards      : If you work with chemicals, including construction materials (paints, thinners, etc.), be sure to wear protective masks, gloves and other clothing. If you are unsure of your exposure, find out what chemicals you are handling and take appropriate precautions.

    2. Water. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: water is a common source of carcinogens and other disease-causing contaminants. Check your water report yearly. If you use city-supplied water, ask for a water report that will be provided for free. If you use well water, have your water tested annually. Go to www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html to find a local lab for water testing. This service is inexpensive and well (!) worth the cost!
    3. Don’t smoke! (Or chew). Cigarette smoke is associated with a LONG list of diseases, including bladder, bowel, pancreatic, cervical and uterine cancer— oh yes, and lung cancer. (See page 26 of your Holistic Health Handbook for a complete list of problems caused by exposure to tobacco smoke. Even second-hand smoke increases these risks. Stop smoking and avoid breathing second-hand smoke.
    4. Limit sun exposure. A little sunshine is a good thing because sunlight causes natural production of vitamin D in the body. It also serves to normalize endocrine function. Too much, however, is highly associated with skin cancer, including deadly melanoma. Use a sunscreen of SPF15-30 when you are outdoors for more than 20 minutes in bright light, and use even on cloudy days and burning rays still filter through clouds. Do NOT let yourself burn and don’t aim for a “god/goddess-like” suntan!
    5. Maintain a normal weight. Statistics released April 2003 by the American Cancer Society estimate that at least 90,000 cancer deaths annually are attributable to overweight and obesity.
    6. Take nutritional supplements. Numerous nutrient deficiencies are associated with increased cancer risk, including vitamins A,C,D,E, beta carotene, B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, calcium, zinc, and selenium. Since it is difficult if not impossible to obtain optimal levels of these nutrients from food, be sure to take an optimal-potency multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily. (I recommend our Wellness Club brand, Maxi Multi, because it contains all these essential nutrients in optimal doses. Please refer to your Holistic Health Handbook or visit us online at http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/ for more information.
    7. Eat “Super Foods.” Some foods are especially high in cancer-preventing nutrients. Be sure to include as many servings of these foods daily as you can muster! “Super Foods” include: cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), garlic and onions, soy beans and soy products, flax seed (ground to a “meal”), salmon, shiitake mushrooms, lemon (especially “lemon zest,” the rind), and green tea.