September 16, 2014

All About Chromium

Chromium is a mineral whose name derives from the Greek word chroma, meaning colored, referring to the red compounds the mineral is found in. The intense red color that defines rubies is, in fact, due to their chromium content. While the dangers of hexavalent chromium became widely known with the film Erin Brockovich, the version found in food (trivalent chromium) is safe and healthy. Trace amounts of chromium are helpful in maintaining normal blood sugar levels in diabetics and people who have hypoglycemia. Chromium Prolongs Life Chromium’s effect on glucose might be a reason for its ability to extend life. Using diabetic rats, […]
September 9, 2014

Higher Potassium Intake: Lower Risk of Stroke

The finding of a reduced risk of stroke and premature mortality among women with a higher intake of potassium was reported in an article published on September 4, 2014 in the AHA journal Stroke. “Previous studies have shown that potassium consumption may lower blood pressure,” commented senior author Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. But whether potassium intake could prevent stroke or death wasn’t clear.” The current investigation utilized data from 90,137 postmenopausal women who had no history of stroke upon enrollment in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Dietary questionnaire responses were analyzed for potassium […]
September 9, 2014

Can’t Lose That Ugly Belly Fat? Put Your Ears To Work

I recently attended an integrative medicine conference.  For those of you who don’t know what integrative medicine is, it’s “integrating” traditional medicine with alternative medicine practices to get the best of both worlds as treatment for your patients. At the conference, I met many interesting healthcare professionals. One of them was a naturopathic doctor from California who specialized in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  In his practice, he used a combination of herbs that have been used by Chinese doctors for centuries in the treatment of various health problems. But, this doctor also was a licensed acupuncturist and made use of the […]
August 26, 2014

Hypoglycemia: How To Manage Low Blood Sugar

I frequently see patients complaining that they can get “spacey”, i.e., unable to concentrate, words a little jumbled, headachy, or a little dizzy and irritable if they haven’t eaten for several hours. These are the basic symptoms caused by blood sugar falling a little low, or hypoglycemia, and it occurs from having gone too long without eating. Low blood sugar is a condition that can be remedied quickly with some orange juice, or raisins, right away, and then making sure you follow that with a more balanced nutritious meal. I’d like to share more detail about this condition with you, […]
August 26, 2014

The Real Spice of Life

The modest ginger root, curcumin, is demonstrating in the lab exactly why traditional healers have used it for thousands of years. Curcumin, an ancient spice in the ginger family, also known as turmeric root, is gaining plenty of attention for its positive impact on a number of ailments. It is shining as an antioxidant, for example, as well as for its beneficial effects in prohibiting tumors, for its anti-inflammatory properties, and even for its ability to retard some of the progress of the virus that causes AIDS. This sounds like a lot of claims for a seemingly unpretentious kitchen spice. But, […]
August 26, 2014

Pomegranate Promising for Inflammatory Conditions

Researchers at England’s University of Huddersfield and the University of Freiburg in Germany report that punicalagin, a polyphenol compound occurring in pomegranate, inhibits damaging neuroinflammation activated by brain’s microglia:  central nervous system immune cells that play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, which could be utilized in the treatment of other types of inflammation, including that which occurs in Parkinson’s disease, were described in an article published on July 28, 2014 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. In a series of experiments, pretreatment with varying concentrations of punicalagin significantly inhibited the production of the inflammatory compounds tumor necrosis factor […]
August 19, 2014

Are We All Pre-Diabetic?

Even if a doctor assures you that your blood sugar is “normal,” alarming evidence documents that you are at significant risk of premature death unless you achieve optimal 24-hour-a-day glucose control. Life Extension® long ago warned of the silent dangers when fasting blood sugar exceeds 85 mg/dL. New scientific studies validate this position. Even more insidious are data showing that blood sugar “spikes”that occur after each meal dramatically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, retinal damage, and cancer. Unless steps are taken to suppress after-meal sugar surges, every large meal you eat can trigger a dangerous metabolic cascade that results in cell damage and accelerated aging. Fortunately, proven methods exist to support optimal […]
August 19, 2014

You Get Food Poisoning More Often Than You Think

With my busy schedule I often find myself eating out more than I should. The convenience is great but the risks could be plentiful. It all comes down to the lack of control. When we are cooking in our own kitchen it’s easy to cautious about food preparation and handling. But in restaurants this process is usually in the hands of someone we don’t know. It’s not uncommon for people to experience food poisoning several times in their lives. The symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. You’ll also feel weak and may even run a fever. It lasts a […]
August 12, 2014

Health Benefits of Folate

Folate is a member of the B complex family. It was first discovered in 1931. The vitamin got its name from the Latin word folium, which means leaf. This is directly attributed to its abundance in leafy green vegetables. Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is essential for the formation of red blood cells and DNA. It’s also crucial for normal fetal development. Folate Prevents Pregnancy Complications and Birth Defects Because the Western diet is high in processed foods, folate deficiencies are relatively common in the U.S. In 1960, it was discovered that folate is needed to prevent neural tube defects in […]
August 12, 2014

Double Your Fruit and Veggie Intake

A new study has revealed that majority of adults’ worldwide need to increase their fruits and vegetables intake in order to get vital nutrition benefits. The research found that the majority of adults worldwide would have to at least double their current consumption of fruits and vegetables to meet the World Health Organization’s minimum recommendation of five servings (400 grams) per day. Additionally, the vast majority of adults worldwide, 60 to 87 percent across 13 geographic diet regions, are falling short of this recommendation and missing out on crucial nutrition and health benefits. The gap between the recommended amount of fruits and […]
August 12, 2014

4 Uncommon Ways To Protect Your Heart

Like many of my patients, you’re thinking more about ways you can prevent, or improve, heart disease. And, you’ve been pretty good about using the most common ways:  Diet, exercise, controlling weight and better managing stress. But, there are also 4 off-the-radar things you can do to protect your heart. Some of these you may already be doing every day and others may surprise you… 4 Uncommon Ways To Protect Your Heart If you’ve read my newsletter articles regularly, you’ve learned a lot about how to protect your heart through the most commonly used methods.  You may have also learned […]
August 5, 2014

Glucose: The Silent Killer

The deadly effects of even slightly elevated glucose are fatally misunderstood. One reason for this calamity is physicians who continue to rely on obsolete blood glucose ranges. These doctors fail to recognize that any excess glucose creates lethal metabolic pathologies that are underlying factors behind multiple age-related diseases. People today thus suffer and die from diabetic-like complications without knowing their blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high! Life Extension® long ago argued that most aging people have elevated blood glucose. Our controversial position has been vindicated as mainstream medicine consistently lowers the upper-level threshold of acceptable (safe) fasting blood glucose. As new evidence accumulates, it has become abundantly clear that maturing individuals need […]