THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ARE
PRESENTLY AVAILABLE IN THIS ARCHIVE:
NEWSLETTER: APRIL 2010
NUTRIENTS FOR THE HEART: PART TWO
In March we discussed the nutrients Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), L-Carnitine, Taurine, D-Ribose and the mineral Magnesium as being very important to the proper function of the heart. This article can be viewed in archive #23 on this website. This month we look at two nutrients that are often seen as being a negative factor to the health of the heart, cholesterol and triglyceride fat.
CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES:
The best known fat is cholesterol which has the very important function of keeping the membranes of our cells functioning properly. This function is so important that every cell in your body has the ability to synthesize cholesterol. The liver, intestines, adrenal glands and sex glands also make cholesterol as necessary. All steroid hormones are made from cholesterol. Vitamin D is, in part, synthesized from cholesterol. Bile acids, secreted into the small intestine from the gall bladder, are made from cholesterol and play a vital role in the digestion of fats consumed in the diet. Finally, cholesterol is secreted by glands in the skin to protect the skin from dehydration.
Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal products. When you see non-animal products being touted as “cholesterol free” this is simply marketers trying to make you believe buying their product provides a heath advantage. Dietary cholesterol provides only a small percentage of the total cholesterol found in the body. The liver produces 70 to 80 percent of your body’s cholesterol. It should be noted, however, that eating a diet high in triglyceride fat tends to elevate the livers production of cholesterol. This also occurs with the consumption of a lot of hydrogenated fats and oils.
Triglycerides are an example of a fat largely made up of saturated fatty acids. This fat is a chemical combination of three fatty acids held together by a liquid alcohol called glycerol. Triglycerides are the major form of dietary and body fat. While limiting consumption of dietary cholesterol my only produce mild reduction in total cholesterol levels, reducing triglyceride dense foods such as meats and dairy products can help to significantly reduce triglyceride levels in the body and lower the livers production of cholesterol. Therefore, reducing consumption of triglycerides is an important consideration in reducing the potential for cardiovascular disease.
The primary problem with cholesterol is that the so-called bad LDL and VLDL (low and very low density lipo protein) cholesterol can oxidize and create free radical activity causing damage to the walls of the arterial system. One way to guard against such oxidation is to insure that you are consuming a large variety of anti-oxidant nutrients on a daily basis. HDL, (high density lipo protein) the so-called good cholesterol, helps to remove LDL cholesterol by collecting it and returning it to the liver. Aerobic and resistive exercise is the best way to raise HDL levels.
You can lower LDL cholesterol levels in the body by moving bile through the colon and out the stool. Bile is basically a cholesterol waste product and failure to remove it can result in excess cholesterol circulating in the arterial system, which may end up as deposits in the arteries. Consuming thirty to forty grams of water soluble fiber per day will insure the elimination of cholesterol waste. Oat bran, rice bran, apple pectin, flax fiber and psyllium are all examples of fibers that will facilitate this process.
ALTERNATIVES TO SATINS:
Many people are using prescription Statin drugs such as lovastatin, Lipitor and Mevacor to lower cholesterol levels. Statins lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA Reductase that catalyzes the production of cholesterol in the liver. Such drugs have a very modest effect on raising HDL levels and do not lower triglycerides. The mechanism by which Statin drugs lower cholesterol also inhibits the biosynthesis of CoQ10 in the liver. As discussed last month, CoQ10 is absolutely necessary for proper function of the heart. Some doctors have observed a marked increase in heart failure, among those using Statin drugs. It even has a name, “Statin Cardiomyopathy.” Anyone using Statins should take a CoQ10 supplement.
Muscle pain and muscle wasting, cognitive impairment, blurred vision, nerve damage and liver damage are some of the side effects that have been reported with the use of Satin drugs. These side effects markedly increase as dosage levels of Statins are increased.
RED YEAST RICE EXTRACT:
A standardized extract of Red Yeast Rice, contains the compound Monacolin-K that has been found to lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA Reductase just as Statins but without the side effects associated with Statins. In addition to lowering cholesterol, Red Yeast Rice Extracts have been found to also lower triglycerides and raise HDL levels. Red yeast rice is made by fermenting polished rice with various yeasts. It is a common seasoning agent in Asian countries. In 2006 an analysis was done of 93 randomized controlled trials involving over 10,000 Chinese patients with elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. It was found that supplementation with Red Yeast Rice Extract significantly lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels while raising HDL levels compared to placebo controls.
Since Red Yeast Rice extracts can interfere with CoQ10 production just like Satins, users should supplement with CoQ10. Red Yeast Extract with CoQ10 in a single formula is available at Milk ‘N Honey.
Cautionary note: When Statins or Red Yeast Rice products are consumed in conjunction with Grapefruit juice, the blood concentration of their active ingredients is increased by up to 15-fold. Such increases are dangerous. Don’t drink grapefruit juice when taking these products.
POLICOSANOL:
Another natural substance shown to lower cholesterol is Policosanol, a lipid alcohol derived from sugar cane wax. A number of studies show this substance to effectively lower total cholesterol, raise HDL levels and guard against LDL oxidation. This product is well tolerated and has no significant side effects. Policosanol is available at Milk ‘N Honey.
PANTETHINE:
Pantethine is the active form of vitamin B5 which is pantothenic acid. This nutrient is involved in making co-enzyme A (CoA) which is involved in the transport, synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids in the mitochondria of the cells where the ATP energy molecule is made. A number of studies have demonstrated Pantethine supplementation to produce significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL levels, LDL to HDL ratios and triglycerides levels.
PLANT STEROLS:
Plant sterols are substances that occur naturally in small amounts in many grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Sterols look a lot like cholesterol. When they travel through your digestive tract, they can compete with and prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream. In a 2005 study, the sterol Beta-Sitosterol was shown to reduce LDL levels by up to 27%. Beta-Sitosterol is available at Milk ‘N Honey as a supplement.
NIACIN:
Niacin (vitamin B3) is a well documented agent for the lowering of both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This substance will bring down LDL and raise HDL. The down side of supplementing with Niacin is that it dilates the blood vessels close to the skin and causes an uncomfortable flush (redness and prickly feeling). A form of Niacin called inositol hexaniacinate does not cause flushing but is not as effective as straight Niacin in its action on cholesterol and triglycerides.
NEWSLETTER: JULY 2010
WHY YOU NEED TO EXERCISE
The cells of our body contain millions of little energy producing factories called mitochondria. These mitochondria are lung like organelles that mix oxygen with nutrients to provide the energy we need for human activity. At moderate rates of activity, a sufficient amount of energy can be generated from the utilization of glucose and oxygen so that an individual is constantly working in their aerobic training zone. Your aerobic training zone is the level at which you can work and exercise without the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid accumulation is what gives you that burning sensation in the muscles during intense exercise.
Lactic acid buildup is what normally occurs in the muscles as a result of there not being enough oxygen supplied to the mitochondria of muscle cells. Therefore, the most important reason for exercise is to increase the oxygen utilization capacity of the body and therefore reduce the rate at which lactic acid accumulates.
Aerobic exercise, (exercise that allows for the uptake of more oxygen than when resting), will multiply the number of mitochondria in the cells one to two times over that of an unfit person. The size of the mitochondria can increase up to 40% and the enzymes that are involved in energy production can be increased anywhere from ten to one-hundred percent.
Aerobic exercise provides for a greater oxygen supply to the tissues of the body and therefore allows for a more efficient burning of fuel. This results in a more complete breakdown of sugars and fats. Better fuel efficiency will result in more energy and less fatigue. This is the primary purpose for maintaining a consistent exercise program.
While exercise will not burn a lot of fat calories during the time you are exercising, such exercise will raise your basic metabolic rate and keep it elevated for hours after you have finished exercising. The result is an increase in the rate at which calories are burned over a period of hours after you completed your exercise. This can help to reduce weight through more efficient metabolism. For example, walking one hour per day with no increase in daily calorie intake could result in the lose of thirty pounds in one year.
Exercise will increase the rate at which fat is burned while at the same time increasing the synthesis of protein and therefore limiting the loss of muscle mass while on a low calorie diet to lose weight. Exercise will also increase the burning of brown fat which is felt to be a primary factor in weight management. Brown fat is a metabolically active fat that is found close to the skeleton and is responsible for the production of body heat. Overweight individuals are often found to poorly utilize brown fat.
Additional benefits of regular aerobic exercise includes a decrease in the resting pulse rate and blood pressure, an increase in hemoglobin and therefore better oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, increase in HDL cholesterol, (the good guys), and a decrease in LDL cholesterol, (the bad guys), and an increase in the number of capillaries carrying blood throughout the body.
One method of determining your aerobic training zone is to subtract your age from 180 which will give you the maximum number of heart beats per minute that is allowable for the average “unfit” person of a particular age. An ideal exercise program would require maintaining at least 70% of your maximum allowable heart rate for 20 minutes, three to four times per week. As your fitness level increases, your allowable maximum heart rate can be re-figured on the basis of 220 minus your age.
Common aerobic exercise includes walking, running, swimming and biking. Resistive exercise should also be included in your exercise program as this form of exercise will do a lot to strengthen muscle and connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments. Such resistive exercise can include everything from push-ups, chin-ups and working out with free weights or weight machines to using stretching equipment, such as xertubes. Using a rebounder will provide both aerobic and muscular exercise at the same time when small hand weights are used while rebounding.
Both aerobic and resistive exercise will enhance bone strength by facilitating calcium utilization. Exercise has also been shown to increase T lymphocyte activity in the body and therefore enhance immune response. Much research has demonstrated the relationship between exercise and stress reduction. Exercise has been shown to affect neurological function by stimulating the production of certain brain chemicals such as endorphins which elevate mood.
In summery, exercise is vital to the health and well being of both body and mind. Our bodies were designed to be active. Even short periods of inactivity result in atrophy of muscle tissue. Strength of both body and brain tissue is directly related to consistent exercise. It is the blood that carries nutrients to all parts of the body. Exercise is an important dynamic in facilitating good blood flow throughout the vascular system. Good blood flow results in a better nutrient feed to the various tissue systems of the body.
NEWSLETTER: AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010
NIACINAMIDE AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Compromised brain function is a health concern for millions around the world. Nearly 18 million people worldwide have some form of dementia which is defined as the progressive deterioration of cognitive and intellectual function. While dementia is primarily associated with the aging process, many millions more of all ages suffer from neurological malfunctions which lead to depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorders and a variety of other aliments. Some diseases associated with malfunction of brain and central nervous system tissue result from specific breakdown of such tissue.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading form of dementia. It is currently the fourth leading cause of death in
Scientists are currently testing over 90 drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Five drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Four of these drugs, Reminyl, Exelon, Aricept and Cognex, act in different ways to delay the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical in the brain that facilitates communication among nerve cells and is important for memory. Alzheimer's disease is associated with inadequate levels of this neurotransmitter. Unfortunately, at least half of the people who take these drugs do not respond to them.
NIACINAMIDE:
Recent research conducted by Dr. Kim Green and a team of researches at the University of California at Irvine used niacinamide in the treatment of mice having been specially bred to get Alzheimer’s. This research produced encouraging results in restoring cognitive function. Niacinamide is a buffered form of vitamin B-3 (niacin). While the niacinamide didn't have any effect on reducing the beta-amyloid already formed, it did cause a 60 percent decrease in tau protein. Tau protein is found in neurons, primarily in the central nervous system. In 2002, a group of
Niacinamide was also found to increase the number of microtubules which carry information inside brain cells. Microtubules are like highways inside cells. Niacinamide appears to make these “highways” wider and more stable. In Alzheimer's disease, these highways break down. Niacinamide appears to prevent this from happening.
The mice in this study, within four months of the beginning of treatment, showed remarkable recovery of cognitive function when being given niacinamide. They performed as though they never had Alzheimer's. Although there haven’t been any completed human studies to date (there are some studies in progress), the results of the animal research are strong enough to suggest niacinamide may provide the same result in humans. Results obtained in animal research have often been demonstrated to cross over to humans. Niacinamide has been used extensively for many purposes for over 60 years, and has a record of being very safe.
Naturopathic doctor Jonathan V. Wright has had success in giving 1,000 milligrams three times a day to patients with Alzheimer’s for a total of 3000 milligrams per day. This dosage is based on the experience of another doctor whose clinical work showed that spreading out the total amount was significantly more effective than using it all at once. This dosage is also the human equivalent of the amount given to the mice who recovered from the symptoms of Alzheimer's in the study mentioned above.
Since niacinamide has been shown to be effective in animal studies, is known to be safe and is relatively inexpensive, it may be prudent to try this nutrient where cognitive decline is in evidence. Be sure to give this nutrient three to four months of usage before determining its efficacy. When trying niacinamide, be sure it is niacinamide you take and not niacin. Niacin in high dosage will cause flushing of the skin and can be hard on the liver.