HealthBeat News

Category: Health Questions

  • Out-Of-Control Blood Sugar?

    Out-Of-Control Blood Sugar?

     

    Isn’t this dangerous? What to do?

     

    By Dr. Myatt

     

    The availability of inexpensive electronic gizmos for the testing of blood sugar (often called “diabetic meters” or “glucose meters” and sold cheaply by giant chain stores like Wal-Mart, Walgrens, CVS and others) has give a lot of otherwise healthy people something more to worry about.

    You see, we tend to be enamored of “tests” and “numbers” and we want to be able to satisfy ourselves by means of these tests and numbers that all is well with our health.

    The problem comes in the interpretation of those tests and numbers – we must be careful when we go looking for “absolute” levels or numbers for our human bodies rarely oblige us by being exactly normal and average and according to the “numbers” – whether it is blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, or in the case of the writer of the following question, blood sugar.

    Judith wrote:

    my glucose level goes from 74 to 90’s to 76 to 120 within days… I eat NO sugars or breads, or starches (grains, potatoes) no high glycemic fruits or vegetables, exercise almost daily, eat loads of organic vegetables, raw and lightly cooked, use only extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin coconut oil….. my hormones test is in balance… my cbc is within normal range… what can be causing this fluctuation?????

    Here is my answer to Judith:

    This is a normal range of fluctuation based on eating. Blood sugars will ALWAYS go up after meals and that is normal.

    Your levels are still quite low. I see nothing abnormal here.

    In fact, this is a normal fluctuation all within one day.

    Two additional things.

    First, did you know that 58% of all protein is gluconeogenic, meaning that it can be converted to glucose? So even protein (which we MUST have) gets made into a small amount of glucose.

    Secondly, if you are worried about your sugar levels, have an A-1C test performed. This is a blood test that tells what your average glucose levels have been for the preceding 4 to 12 weeks. It is now the “gold standard” for measuring blood sugar levels in diabetics.

    Again, blood glucose will always fluctuate based on eating, even without carbs. Your levels look great.

    You are worrying about a “non issue”!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

  • Do Niacin And Statins Together Increase Stroke Risk?

    Do Niacin And Statins Together Increase Stroke Risk?

     

    Nurse Mark answers your questions:

     

    It seems that a recently released study done by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has lots of folks worried. It further seems that the press has reported the results of the study in exactly the way that some in Big Pharma wanted them to – that is, to give the impression that statins are good and niacin is bad – even dangerous.

    Nurse Mark

    Recently saw an article on increase in strokes with statins and niacin.  I do take no flush niacin and am on a statin.  Does Dr. Myatt feel that is no longer a good thing to do?  Thank you, Ann

    Strangely enough, that is not what the study actually reports – that is just the spin that has been put on it.

    Here is the “short course” or “Cliff-Notes” regarding the study:

    The idea was to see if using niacin to raise HDL could reduce the rate of heart attacks and other adverse events.

    Researchers recruited some 3400 subjects for the study – all of whom had previous and severe cardiovascular disease. According to the National Institutes for Health:

    “The average age of the participants was 64 years. Pre-existing medical conditions included coronary artery disease (92 percent); metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of risk factors for heart disease (81 percent); high blood pressure (71 percent); and diabetes (34 percent). More than half of participants reported having a heart attack prior to entering the study.”

    These were all very advanced, medically-at-high-risk people!

    Half the subjects got high-dose Niaspan – a prescription form of time-release niacin. The other half got a placebo.

    All the subjects got Zocor – a cholesterol-lowering drug. (Yes, Zocor – the drug that the FDA has finally admitted causes dangerous problems when taken in larger doses – and they are now reluctantly recommending that doctors not prescribe the high doses previously considered acceptable.)

    A smaller group of subjects also got yet another cholesterol-lowering drug, Zetia, on top of the Zocor. (While Zetia is not a “statin” drug it has a long list of similar and just-as-devastating side effects.)

    A goal of the study appeared to be to drive the participants LDL cholesterol to crazy, dangerously low levels.

    About 2 1/2 years into the study the researchers found that even though the Niaspan was doing what niacin is supposed to do – that is, raising HDL levels and lowering triglycerides – they decided that the rates of cardiovascular events in the Niaspan and non-Niaspan groups were not much different.

    Additionally, the researchers noted a tiny increase in strokes in the Niaspan group – there were 28 strokes [1.6%] in the Niaspan group versus 12 [0.7%] in the placebo group.

    Based on these findings, that increasing HDL levels did not somehow magically prevent cardiac events in this high-risk group of patients and that there was a statistically tiny increase in risk of stroke (and the FDA admits that “it is unclear what role, if any, niacin contributed to this imbalance in ischemic stroke.”) the researchers stopped the study early.

    According to Dr. Susan B. Shurin, acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute the Niaspan did exactly what it was supposed to do – it raised HDL and lowered LDL. She says that the study was stopped early because the question that the study was designed to address had been answered – that is, that simply raising HDL cholesterol levels in high-risk cardiac patients did not significantly lower the risk of additional cardiac events. She goes on to say that “we do not believe that there are significant risks to continuing to take the niacin, but you should have a conversation with your doctor.”

    Here at The Wellness Club we are aware of a number of studied that do show a benefit to raising HDL levels – but we agree that simply raising HDL levels in high-risk cardiovascular patients, without correcting other risk factors, is not going to be a “magic bullet cure” that the researchers were looking for. One such study is included at the end of this article.

    We also agree with the FDA statement “it is unclear what role, if any, niacin contributed to this imbalance in ischemic stroke.” It is very unclear what role Niacin might have played in the tiny increase in strokes in this study – remember, the participants were all chosen because they were at high-risk for just this kind of thing!

    So, here is the short-course part:

    This study proved what it was designed to prove – that simply raising HDL does not prevent cardiovascular events in advanced cardiovascular disease patients.

    This study did not prove anything else.

    Actually, this study DID prove other things – just not medical things. It proved that the Big Pharma wars of domination and profit continue unchecked – moments after the press release detailing the study findings was released Big Pharma giant Abbott saw it’s stock prices and thus it’s profits, fall. It also proved that the spin-meisters in Big Pharma are hard at work telling the press what to report and how to report it. Much of the study is reported out of context or not reported at all.

    For those who are interested in the facts regarding this story, here is the press release that started this whole affair: http://public.nhlbi.nih.gov/newsroom/home/GetPressRelease.aspx?id=2792

    And here is a statement from the FDA about the study: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm256841.htm

    And finally, here is a video of Dr. Susan B. Shurin explaining why the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute halted the study early: http://www.youtube.com/nhlbi#p/a/u/0/SgkIvuRBMJA

    Niacin, and it’s prescription sister Niaspan (a “slow release” niacin) are great substances with many beneficial effects. We do not see any reason to stop using niacin. Given the well-known dangers of statin drugs (that we have written about often!) we do recommend discussing statin use with your doctor – ask him if niacin alone might do the trick.

    Learn More about Niacin

    Here is just one of many research articles describing the benefits, effectiveness and safety of niacin when used for treating high cholesterol:

     

    Multiple-dose efficacy and safety of an extended-release form of niacin in the management of hyperlipidemia.

    Goldberg A, Alagona P Jr, Capuzzi DM, Guyton J, Morgan JM, Rodgers J, Sachson R, Samuel P.

    Source: Lipid Research Clinic, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

    Abstract:

    This multicenter trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of escalating doses of Niaspan (niacin extended-release tablets) and placebo (administered once-a-day at bedtime) in patients with primary hyperlipidemia on the percent change from baseline in levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. Extended-release niacin was initiated at a dose of 375 mg/day, raised to 500 mg/day, and further increased in 500-mg increments at 4-week intervals to a maximum of 3,000 mg/day. A total of 131 patients (n = 87, extended-release niacin; n = 44, placebo) were treated for 25 weeks with study medication after a 6-week diet lead-in/drug washout phase and 2-week baseline LDL cholesterol stability phase. Significant decreases from baseline in levels of LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B became apparent with the 500-mg/day dose and were consistent at all subsequent doses (p < or =0. 05), reaching 21% and 20%, respectively, at the 3,000-mg/day dose. Significant increases from baseline in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol became apparent with the 500-mg/day dose and were consistent at all subsequent doses (p < or = 0.05), reaching 30% at the 3,000-mg dose. Significant decreases from baseline in triglycerides and lipoprotein(a) occurred at the 1,000-mg dose and were apparent at all subsequent doses (p < or =0.05), reaching 44% and 26%, respectively, at the 3,000-mg dose. The most common adverse events were flushing and gastrointestinal disturbance. Transaminase increases were relatively small, and the proportion of patients who developed liver function abnormalities on extended-release niacin was not significantly different from placebo. Thus, extended-release niacin was generally well tolerated and demonstrated a dose-related ability to alter favorably most elements of the lipid profile.

  • Beat The Bacteria That Cause Tooth Decay

    You are infected with Streptococcus Mutans! – How you can beat this tooth-destroying bug.

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    James wrote recently to ask us if we could prescribe him an antibiotic or some treatment to deal with strep (streptococcus) mutans – an all-too-common bacteria that is found in the mouth and that contributes to dental decay and other problems.

    James texted us to ask:

    Can u prescribe me anti biotics for STREP MUTANS
    I’ve tried every wholistic treatment i can find
    and they have all failed
    I’m hoping to knock it out then keep it at bay with continued remedies
    thanx
    James

     

    What is Streptococcus Mutans?

    S mutans is a bacteria that is common in the human oral cavity (the mouth) and it has been detected in children even before they have teeth for it to attack. It is widely recognized as being the main cause of dental caries (cavities). Since the conditions in the human mouth vary widely and tend to be generally quite harsh and toxic to most organisms (though not to us fortunately!) S mutans is a very tough and resilient bacteria – not much bothers it.

    Antibiotics tend to not be useful against it, in part because oral S mutans is not a “systemic” infection and in part because any antibiotic powerful enough to deal a blow to this tough bug would also cause widespread  and serious side effects and problems in other areas of our bodies – and as we know all too well, the overuse, misuse, and inappropriate use of powerful antibiotics is producing deadly and untreatable “superbugs” at an alarming rate.

    S mutans has also been proven to cause bacterial endocarditis – a potentially fatal infection. In this circumstance, powerful antibiotics such as erythromycin, lincomycin, penicillin, methicillin, vancomycin, and tetracycline were found to be the most active, depending upon the exact serotype and strain of S mutans – there are some 82 strains in 7 serotypes that were identified in one research work on antibiotic sensitivity!

    Attempts have been made to develop a “vaccine” against it, but these have been unsuccessful – perhaps fortunately, for some research has suggested that S mutans itself may paradoxically produce certain antibodies that inhibit the formation of dental cavities! Also, as we will see, S mutans is but one of many bacteria living in a delicate balance in our mouths – and we know what happens when we upset the balance of nature…

    It simply laughs at mouthwashes and “antibacterial rinses”. While brushing and flossing are effective at removing food particles following a meal and at scraping away some of the plaque, Streptococcus mutans is a bacteria – it will come back out of hiding after such oral hygiene and it will continue to thrive, producing it’s tooth-damaging effects 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

    Even so, this bacterial tough-guy is not without chinks in it’s armor – weaknesses that we can exploit as we seek to minimize it’s destruction.

    There are some 25 species of Streptococci that are known to inhabit the mouths of healthy people – these bacteria normally live in a delicate balance, each different species (or “tribe” to put it into a different context) living in different areas of the mouth and serving to keep other, competing species at bay and resisting external attacks. If this balance is upset then one species may gain the upper hand and begin to dominate – to the detriment of our oral health.

    When Streptococcus mutans gains the upper hand and becomes more prevalent that it should be, dental caries (cavities) are the result. It may also cause other problems, and has even been linked to Sjorgens Syndrome – an auto-immune condition characterized by extreme dry mouth and lack of saliva production.

    The main health-damaging effect of S mutans that we are concerned with right now is it’s ability to create both a sticky plaque that coats teeth and to produce an acid that combines with that plaque to demineralize tooth enamel and cause teeth to decay.

    How does Streptococcus mutans do it’s “Dirty Work”?

    Streptococcus mutans is a very specialized organism that is actually equipped with receptors that allow it to adhere (stick) to the slick surface of our teeth – no small feat!

    Once stuck to the teeth S mutans then digests the sugar Sucrose and creates a sticky polysacchride coating that we call plaque. Sucrose is the only sugar that S mutans can use to produce plaque, and even if that was all it did that would be bad enough. “But wait – There’s More!”

    S mutans likes other sugars too. Glucose, fructose, and lactose (and others – these are just the main ones that we think of as being “healthy sugars”) are all digested by this hard-working bacteria which then excretes the end product lactic acid.

    The combination of this sticky plaque and the lactic acid is what causes tooth decay.

    What can be done?

    As was mentioned earlier, Streptococcus mutans is a tough bug. Antibiotics are largely ineffective, vaccines useless, and it laughs at our feeble attempts with mouthwashes, toothbrushes, and flossing. Is there no hope at all for our poor, beleaguered teeth?

    Perhaps our best way of dealing with Streptococcus Mutans is to not deal with it at all! As we saw, it is not the bacteria that causes the problem, it is the plaque and the lactic acid that it produces that results in tooth decay. Why not just stop it from making plaque and acid?

    To make plaque, S Mutans needs the sugar Sucrose.

    To make lactic acid, it needs other sugars such as glucose, fructose, and lactose.

    Why not simply starve S mutans into submission? Just take away it’s sugar! (That means starches too – for these are quickly converted into sugars by the saliva in your mouth.)

    No sugars means no plaque and no acids. No Plaque and no acids means no tooth decay. The math is simple.

    Your mom was right when she warned you that all those sugary treats that you loved as a kid would “rot your teeth!” 50 years later I can still hear my mom’s words ringing in my ears, and mom, you were right!

    What else can be done?

    Xylitol, a “tooth-friendly” non-fermentable sugar alcohol is widely known to inhibit S mutans and to alkalinize saliva in the mouth. It also has properties that actually promote the remineralization of tooth enamel. And it is sweet! What’s not to love?

    Xylitol’s beneficial effects are well-known even in conventional medicine and dentistry – there are hundreds of articles in the archives of the conventional medical resource Medscape alone that discuss the benefits of Xylitol and Xylitol gum in preventing dental cavities. Here is an excerpt from just one of those articles – a 39-month study involving 8-year-old children who were given Xylitol gum to chew at school:

    CONCLUSIONS: Long-term use of xylitol-containing chewing-gum can reduce the growth of streptococci mutans in saliva and dental plaque, and lactobacilli-type bacteria in saliva, even if xylitol is used only on school days. The results also suggest that xylitol gum use can have a long-term, delayed growth-retarding effect on these micro-organisms, since reduced bacterial growth was still observed 15 months following the termination of xylitol use. http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/18350853

    Wow – kids love to chew gum, and Xylitol gum can protect their developing teeth! (And it can protect us older folk too…) This is far better than the toxic flouride treatments that are now being shown to be worse than useless!

    What about knocking out the S mutans bug itself?

    As we discussed earlier, S mutans is a tough little bug(ger), requiring some risky “Big Guns” antibiotics to kill it. Still, recent research is showing that while there may not currently be any Big Pharma solutions that are both safe and effective, some natural substances are looking very promising:

    Curcuminoids, the active part of the spice Turmeric, are being shown to have numerous pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-mutagenic, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. These studies are promising enough that even Big Pharma has taken notice of this age-old spice! Will we see your turmeric disappear from your grocers spice rack, only to reappear as a prescription-only item at your local pharmacy? Let’s hope not…

    It is important to remember though that because S mutans lives in the mouth and on the teeth – not “systemically” – turmeric taken internally in capsule form may not be as effective as turmeric spice in foods or a tea made from the purified and potent turmeric found in supplement capsules and allowed to remain in the mouth, in contact with the S mutans bacteria, before being swallowed.

    Licorice root is coming under scientific scrutiny as well. One study found that a compound found in licorice roots, Glycyrrhizol A, had strong antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria like S mutans. Researchers then produced herbal extracts that could kill bacteria such as S. mutans. Subsequent studies on humans showed a reduction of cariogenic (cavity-causing) bacteria in the oral cavity after eating sugar-free lollipops made with these herbal extracts that contain Glycyrrhizol A.

    At this time these experimental “lollipops” are not available – but a product derived from licorice root called Rhizinate 3X is available and has a great soothing effect on the digestive system and “heartburn” or GERD as well as having antimicrobial effects. Since it is chewable (and has a great German Chocolate flavor) we can assume that it will deliver it’s important polyphenol compounds directly to the oral cavity (the mouth) allowing them to work directly on the S mutans bacteria.

    Licorice teas are widely available, but be aware that excessive consumption of licorice can cause elevated blood pressure in some individuals.

    So, here is a summary of this rather long-winded answer to James’ question:

    • Streptococcus mutans is the primary causal agent and the pathogenic species responsible for dental caries (tooth decay or cavities)
    • Streptococcus mutans is hardy and resistant to antibiotics, vaccines, mouthwashes, toothbrushes, and flossing.
    • Streptococcus mutans metabolizes sucrose to create plaque and glucose, fructose, and lactose to produce lactic acid. These two by-products of sugar metabolism combine to cause dental caries (cavities).
    • A diet low in sugars can result in less production of both plaque and lactic acid by the bacteria.
    • Xylitol, and specifically Xylitol chewing gum has been proven to reduce the growth of S mutans in plaque and saliva, and can have other benefits as well.
    • Curcumins, found in turmeric have been shown to have many beneficial effects, including being antimicrobial in action against S mutans bacteria.
    • Licorice root, containing a polyphenol compound called Glycyrrhizol A is being investigated as a potential antimicrobial (like an antibiotic) against the S mutans bacteria.

     

    Resources:

     

    To make turmeric tea:

    • Bring 4 cups of water in a small pot to a boil.
    • Add 1 tsp. of turmeric spice or the contents of several turmeric capsules and 1 tsp. of ginger powder or the contents of several ginger capsules to the boiling water and allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. This will extract the beneficial polyphenolic compounds from the turmeric and ginger. Ginger also has many health benefits.
    • Remove the pot from the stove and strain the tea into a cup. The particles of turmeric and ginger will be filtered out.
    • To make this tea more palatable you might sweeten with xylitol and add a slice of lemon.

     

    Further Reading:

     

    Growth inhibition of Streptococcus mutans with low xylitol concentrations. Curr Microbiol.  2008; 56(4):382-5 

    Thirty-nine-month xylitol chewing-gum programme in initially 8-year-old school children: a feasibility study focusing on mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. Int Dent J.  2008; 58(1):41-50

    Oral Manifestations of Sjogren’s Syndrome http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/584927

    Antibacterial compounds from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. J Nat Prod.  2006; 69(1):121-4

    Antibiotic Susceptibility of S mutans: Comparison of serotype profiles. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC352679/?page=1

  • Regarding Your “High” Potassium:

    Regarding Your “High” Potassium:

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

    Several times recently patients have contacted me about their “high potassium”. They were concerned because their conventional doctors blamed their supplements.

    I’m going to address this issue yet again in HealthBeat News. Other people may wrongly believe their potassium is high and may double-wrongly believe that it is caused by one of their supplements but as a HealthBeat News reader you will know better.

    Here’s the REAL scoop.

    Lynn had recent blood testing done, and his doctor told him all was well except that his potassium levels were “above the reference range” by a few tenths of a point and that he would have to come back in to the clinic for another blood draw – with all the inconvenience, discomfort, and expense (for the patient – but profit for the doctor of course…) that goes along with yet another office visit and needle-stick and blood-draw.

    Phyllis asked this question:

    “I have taken red yeast rice to reduce cholesterol, 2 capsules a day, not 4. It worked marvelously but my potassium levels spiked way up (5.8).  How much potassium is in red yeast rice?  Perhaps I should only take 1 capsule a day since the drop in my cholesterol was 60 points? Don’t want another issue with high potassium.”

    Phyllis: With good results like that, I suggest you stick with your 4 caps per day of Red Yeast Rice. Of course, I don’t know “how high” your potassium was previously, what other numbers may be “off,” or who’s brand of Red Yeast Rice you are taking. But overall, it sounds like you are doing well with this.

    Lori called and said her potassium was elevated and her doctor told her to stop Maxi Multi’s. She didn’t know for sure how much the elevation was but thought it was “a little.” A daily dose of Maxi Multi’s contains 99mg of potassium.

    Kathy called, very concerned, after her doctor ran her bloodwork and made dire warnings about her potassium being a few tenths of a point over the reference range too…

    Why You Probably Don’t Really Have “High Potassium”

    Do you have any idea what the normal reference range for potassium is, how high is worrisomely high, or what the recommended daily intake is for same? No? I didn’t think so.

    Problem is, your conventional doctor doesn’t seem to know this, either. In fact, your doctor is probably the true “guilty party” in your misplaced belief that your potassium is “too high.”

    How High Is “Too High”?

    The normal reference range for potassium varies from lab to lab, but it is usually about 3.0-5.8. Even numbers a little bit higher than this don’t usually mean anything unless there are other physical findings or lab values that are “off.”

    Now I’m Going To Spank Your Doctor

    If a modest elevation of potassium is the ONLY “outside-the-range” lab number, then the cause of the elevation is IN VITRO HEMOLYSIS. (Def: “in vitro” = in the test tube and “hemolysis” = breakage of red blood cells)

    That’s right, when blood is drawn, improper drawing technique (like too small a needle), improper mixing and handling, prolonged storage before processing and extremes of temperature can cause  some of the red blood cells to break. Red blood cells contain potassium. This is an extremely well-known and common lab phenomenon — that’s why we have a name for it!

    EVERY DOCTOR IS SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON. It is baby-doc simple. Unfortunately, it appears that many either didn’t learn it, are seeing patients too fast to remember even the simple stuff, or skipped a couple of days of med school when laboratory medicine was being taught. For shame.

    Why Potassium is Important

    Potassium is needed for normal heart, neurological, muscle, kidney and adrenal function as well as acid-base balance and body-water balance.

    Deficiencies can cause muscle weakness, fatigue, weakness in general, heart rhythm disturbances, irritability, mental confusion and problems with nerve and muscle conduction. Low potassium levels are highly associated with elevated blood pressure.

    Why Your Supplements AREN’T Causing High Potassium

    Recommended daily intake of potassium for adults is 1,900mg to 5,600mg. Deficiencies of potassium are common and are caused by low dietary intakes, excessive sweating (up to 3,000mg per day can be lost) and certain drugs that increase excretion.

    By law, nutritional supplements can only contain a maximum of 99mg of potassium per serving. That’s a minuscule amount compared to the recommended daily adult intake! (Hard as it is to believe, “Lite Salt” contains over 610mg potassium per 1/4 tsp.)

    Because of these crazy and unjustified restriction on the potassium content of supplements, I recommend using potassium salt as a form of supplementation for those who need higher doses. You won’t find meaningful doses in supplement form.

    People with normal kidney function CAN HANDLE almost ANY AMOUNT OF EXCESS POTASSIUM.

    Unless you have something wrong with your kidneys, are on a drug that causes potassium to be retained or have some other medical condition, “too much potassium” from diet and supplements is nearly impossible.

    Bottom Line on “High Potassium”

    In the absence of kidney disease, other health problems or interfering drugs, a mild elevation is caused by — Repeat after me — “in vitro hemolysis.”

    If you have another disease that is elevating potassium, your potassium levels will be more than a “little” elevated AND your doctor will find other lab values and physical signs of a medical problem.

    No kidney disease; no problems from the minuscule amounts of potassium you are getting in your supplements. The potassium intake from many common foods is quite a bit higher than your supplements. http://www.pamf.org/patients/pdf/potassium_count.pdf

    Ask (or more to the point, REMIND) Your Doctor

    If your doc is reviewing your lab work, there are other numbers that will be elevated in addition to potassium if you have a kidney or other health problem. Your doc should know in half a heart-beat that if your only lab abnormality is a wee elevation of potassium in the absence of other abnormalities, the problem was a “lab funk” and means nothing.

    SO… if your doc says your potassium is elevated, ask if there are any other indications of health problems. Ask if any medications you are on could cause this. Ask if the elevation is small or more than small. THEN ask if it could be “in vitro hemolysis.”

    He/she might turn a bit red in the face, but it will save YOU from undue worry, mistakenly stopping a valuable supplement, or having a repeat blood test that you don’t need.

  • Radiation Fears Not Subsiding – Despite Gov’t Assurances

    Radiation Fears Not Subsiding – Despite Gov't Assurances

     

    A HealthBeat News Update By Nurse Mark

     

    Recent headlines tell the tale:

     

    Japan encourages voluntary evacuations near stricken nuclear plant

    Japan reactor core may be leaking radioactive material, official says

    Radiation fears mount again in Japan after plant workers hurt

    These are just three of the many headlines from this mornings news feeds. Then there is this marvellous headline:

    China Bans Some Food Imports From Japan

    China – of all places – the country that brings us melamine and lead and who-knows-what-else – has decided that there is enough risk that it will ban some Japanese imports.

    Yesterdays headlines gave us more local warnings:

    More U.S. States See Radiation From Japan – with the western states of Oregon and California joining other states in reporting that radioactive particles have been detected by their scientists.

    But then we have the reassuring words of Marvin Fertel who is the president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, which is a policy organization for the nuclear energy industry: U.S. nuclear plants safe and will apply lessons from Japan crisis.

    His words strike me as reminiscent of the panic-stricken cries of the character Chip Diller in the 1978 comedy Animal House: "Remain Calm! All Is Well!" he screamed, as the crowd rampaged around him.

     

    I have no doubt that the US Nuclear industry is doing everything it can to ensure that nothing untoward happens to any of it's profit-making machinery – after all, that is just good business. But there is a risk-versus-profit equation that must be adhered to, and funds for safety systems, maintenance, and security are not unlimited.

     

    Here is what Dr. Myatt had to say several days ago to one of our readers who asked:

    Do you really think we will be in danger here?  Peg

    Dr. Myatt's reply:

    Hi Peg:

    Danger from Japan? Possible but unlikely.

    From one of our own reactors — for the same reason Japan is in trouble — far more likely.

    Palo Verde power plant is close enough to Queen Valley [the place in Arizona where Peg lives] to pose a threat in the event of a breach.

    Iodine pills (which last indefinitely): $30-$50
    Safety from nuclear disaster: priceless

    Iodine is also useful in case of serious respiratory or other infection.

    It can also be used to purify water in case of contamination in your water supply.

    Do I think you should have a bottle on hand? You betcha!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    In our last newsletter we mentioned that we had been able to secure some of the last remaining supplies of potassium iodide (Iodoral) for you, our HealthBeat Readers. Your response was great, and our "family-size" 50mg, 90 tablet bottles are completely sold out – sorry if you missed out on those!

    We now have only a couple dozen of the Iodoral 50mg, 30 tablet bottles left – these are an "emergency rescue supply" for one adult since they can supply the government-recommended 125mg initial dose and provide up to 11 additional doses for continued dosing if or as recommended by emergency officials.

    We still have a supply of the Iodoral 12.5mg, 90 tablets – perhaps a couple dozen bottles – so for those wanting these smaller dose tablets for child dosing (see our last newsletter – here:  for dosing information) of for those wanting to supplement daily with iodine (a good idea!) please move quickly – these will likely be sold out soon.

    We have also seen that there is plenty of misinformation about iodine floating around out there right now – with some folks claiming that their iodine product is "all natural" and that others are "synthetic" or "man-made.

    Dr. Myatt answered that question for another reader – here is your inorganic chemistry lesson for today:

    Iodine usually occurs in nature as a sodium or potassium salt.

    When the iodine atom is "free,' it is iodine. When an iodine atom is bound to bound to sodium or potassium instead of a second iodine atom, it is iodide. Both occur in nature.

    Bottom line: iodine and iodide are different forms of the same element. One is not "man made."

    We are cautioning people to be careful with iodine supplementation – too much can be as bad as too little, as too much iodine can suppress thyroid function.

    I recently spoke to and corresponded with Natalija who asked:

    Thank you, Nurse Mark, for your email and phone call! Very much appreciated!!!!

    You mentioned iodine testing. I couldn't find it on your site. Can you pls send me a link or info as to how to go about doing this?

    I am currently giving our 13 and 15 yo daughters Iodoral at a dose of .08 gm per one lb of body weight, as I read on Dr David Brownstein's site.

    So our 13 y.o. gets half a 12.5 tablet (she's only 90 lbs) and our 15 y.o. gets about 3/4 of a tablet. I don't want to overdose them but do want to give them enough. We also have done a few iodine patches.

    Thank you very much!

    Natalija

    Natalija is very right to be cautious – and while we have great respect for Dr. Brownstein and his work with iodine, we urge caution when administering iodine in his recommended doses. It is all too easy to "over-do it" with the high doses that he recommends, and actually suppress thyroid function unless iodine levels are being carefully monitored. Here is what I answered Natalija:

    Hi Natalija,

    You are most welcome – we are happy to help!

    Iodine testing is very important as too much iodine can be as problematic as too little – since too much can suppress thyroid function.

    We are well-familiar with Dr. Brownstein and have chatted with him, consulted with him, attended lectures and conferences with him, and also attended his medical lectures. He is a great fellow and a fine doctor. He does tend to recommend iodine supplementation that is on "the high side" though, and we feel that iodine levels should be closely monitored when using his supplementation dosing schedules.

    We have 2 iodine tests available – a Comprehensive Iodine Test which gives a very complete look at iodine levels and also at bromide levels, and we now offer an economical Iodine Urine Spot Test which is quick, easy, and accurate for spot testing of iodine sufficiency levels. You can find both of these by following this link: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/medicaltests.htm#IODINE

    More information about iodine can be found here: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Iodine.htm

    You might also want to consider using Modifilan, an iodine-containing supplement with some very good health-supportive and detoxification properties, for ongoing supplementation and maintenance for your family: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Modifilan.htm

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

    Modifilan is an excellent adjunct to iodoral tablets  – this is a product developed by Russian scientists for use following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It contains naturally-occurring iodine in small but significant amounts, and it is excellent at detoxifying and chelating contaminant materials from the body – which is the purpose for which it was developed. We still have a limited supply of Modifilan available.

    Lina recently wrote to ask about children's doses of Modifilan:

    Hi there

    I want to know if I can use Modifilan for an eight year old child with autism. He does have a high level of heavy metal in his body. If he can what is the recommended dosage. Please can you send me some info before I buy the product.

    Thank you
    Lina

    And here is Dr. Myatt's answer:

    Hi Lina:

    From our website, the formula for calculating a child's dose:

    Children have smaller dose requirements than adults. The basic formula for determining a child's dose is: age divided by (age + 12). The resulting number equals the portion of an adult dose to give. For example, the correct dose for a 6-year-old would be 6 divided by 18 = one-third of an adult dose.

    Yes, children can use Modifilan. In fact, this was the substance used by both adults and children after the Chernobyl accident to help detoxify.

    Hope this helps!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    Other radioactive releases and emissions are causing concern lately, and one writer asked about the dangers from plutonium and about whether increased intake of iron could help block the absorption of plutonium or MOX (Mixed Oxide – a blend of uranium and plutonium used as reactor fuel) in the same way that iodine blocks the uptake of radioactive iodine.

    News reports are telling us that very minute amounts of these substances may indeed be finding their way into the environment, but my personal, non-radiation-scientist feelings are that the dangers from this should be minimal – these are very small emissions (so far) and these particles may not be able to travel far as they tend to be relatively heavy. My understanding is that they can be absorbed only by ingestion (eating or drinking something that has been physically contaminated) or inhalation (breathing in particles, probably as part of dust or smoke or steam that has been contaminated) or by having these substances enter the body through an open wound. All these means of absorption tend to imply some fairly close proximity to a nuclear disaster – which might give you more immediate things to worry about!

    As to increasing iron intake, the theory sounds fine at first blush – but iron has problems and toxicities of it's own. Iron overload can cause the generation of excessive free radicals and can be quite toxic. Most oral iron preparations are also constipating. I would not recommend supplementing iron for anyone who has not been evaluated by a physician and had some basic blood studies done – a CBC, including storage iron and ferritin at least – and been found to be truly in need of iron supplementation. Children can be especially at risk from iron overload and toxicity, as anyone who has ever worked in an E.R. (as I have) or at a poison control center will tell you.

    Here is some government-issue information about plutonium: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/rp/factsheets/factsheets-htm/fs28plut.htm

    And a recent article by an accupuncturist in Washington state discussing the use of iron to protect from plutonium /  MOX exposure: http://www.fridayharborholistichealth.com/2011/03/can-increased-iron-intake-protect-against-radioactive-plutonium/

    And finally, a description of MOX and it's use as reactor fuel provided by the World Nuclear Association: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf29.html

    Hopefully our Japanese neighbors will be successful in getting their crippled reactors under control, and we'll all be able to breathe easier (pun intended) – but until then, as one customer said as she stocked up on Iodoral "you don't wait until you see smoke before you run out to the store to buy a fire extinguisher!"

    She purchased a bottle of Iodoral for each member of her family, and some extras to keep in the family vehicles, at the office, and at their vacation cottage.

    Is that excessive? Not at all she explained – she hopes she'll never have to use either her Iororal or her fire extinguisher but she would feel terrible to be caught without them in a time of need and she would feel even worse if one of her family was harmed because she had failed to take such simple and inexpensive measures to be prepared.

    Order your Iodoral here: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Iodoral.htm

    Order Modifilan Here: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Modifilan.htm

    Find Iodine testing here: https://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/medicaltests.htm#IODINE

    And here is a website that tracks radiation levels across the United States: http://www.radiationnetwork.com/