408 Nutrients for Diabetic Neuropathy [21 Feb 2017]

Tingling, numbness or pain in the hands and feet are symptoms that affect 60-70% of people with diabetes. This condition is called diabetic neuropathy and is caused by excess sugar in the blood and cells.

Sugar molecules combine with protein and fat in our cells in a process called glycation. This is the same process that occurs when you toast bread or caramelize onions. The resulting sugar-protein compounds are called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). These AGES attack the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves and the nerves themselves, and also trigger an inflammatory response. The result is numbness, tingling and pain. The peripheral nerves in our hands and feet are the longest and thinnest so are the most affected.

There is much you can do to prevent and even reverse diabetic neuropathy naturally. The most important thing is to control blood sugar levels; avoiding refined carbs. Other helpful lifestyle choices are to keep blood pressure under control, stay active, manage stress, and don’t smoke. Supplements that have shown promise include:

• Benfotiamine, the fat soluble form of B1, has been shown to reduce the production of AGES, improve nerve function and peripheral sensation, and reduce nerve pain
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an antioxidant that inhibits glycation by converting more glucose into energy (which most of us could use!), improves blood flow to nerve cells, and reverses nerve dysfunction caused by high sugar levels (see #89 Nov 2010)
• Acetyl L-Carnitine, an amino acid, improves nerve function relieves diabetic pain and promotes nerve regeneration (see #239 Oct 2013)
• Methylcobalamine, the active form of vitamin B12, helps rebuild the myelin sheath and peripheral nerves and protect them from further damage (see #339 Oct 2015)
• Vitamin B6 promotes the synthesis of neurotransmitters necessary for healthy nerve function
• Omega 3 (fish oil) and GLA (evening primrose oil) are anti-inflammatory and reduce numbness, tingling and pain (see #388 Sept 2016)
• Capsaicin cream applied topically may temporarily relieve pain

Be patient - it often takes several weeks to see improvements as the nerves heal.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

313 Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver [6 April 2015]

Fatty liver disease is a common condition in people who regularly consume alcohol. In the last few decades it has also become common in people who drink little or no alcohol; in these people it is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A fatty liver is defined as one with fatty deposits make up 5% or more of the liver.

In North America up to 20% of adults and 10% of children have this condition, but most do not know it. In many people there are no signs or symptoms and it is only discovered by routine liver function tests.

The cause of NAFLD is uncertain, but it is associated with obesity (especially abdominal fat), insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure. It is of concern because it can progress to inflammation, liver scarring, and more serious liver disease. Certain medications and high consumption of simple carbs, especially fructose, are linked to NAFLD.

There is no standard medical treatment for NAFLD. Dietary changes, exercise and weight loss are typically recommended. Diet recommendations include: avoidance of alcohol, high-fructose corn syrup, and trans-fats; elimination of all processed foods; and increase in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good fats and proteins. Cruciform vegetables (cabbage family) are especially beneficial for the liver. Some practitioners recommend juicing raw vegetables. There are also many supplements which support liver health:

• N-Acetyl Cysteine – precursor to glutathione
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid – a powerful antioxidant
• Vitamins E and C, certain B vitamins, magnesium
• Turmeric – natural anti-inflammatory
• Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion root, artichoke, garlic
• Coffee drinking in moderation is beneficial for the liver

A protein-sparing ketogenic weight loss program deals with many of the associated conditions – obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia – so could be one approach to reversing NAFLD.

Sources:
Mayo Clinic
Canadian Liver Foundation
Wikipedia
Dr Mark Hyman

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. See this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.

302 Mitochondria Nutrients [19 Jan 2015]

Last week I wrote about a book by Lee Know, ND, called “Life – the Epic Story of our Mitochondria”. In it I was impressed by the interrelationship among the many nutrients required for mitochondria to function properly and produce the energy our bodies need for health.

The TCA Cycle which converts glucose and fatty acids to acetyl-coA requires vitamins B1, B2, B3 & B5, minerals iron, sulfur, magnesium & manganese, the amino acid cysteine and alpha lipoic acid (ALA). The Electron Transfer Chain (ETC) which converts the acetyl-coA to ATP energy has CoQ10 (#159 Apr 2012) as one of its essential steps. The ETC also requires vitamins B2 & B12 and minerals iron, sulfur, copper & zinc.

The amino acid L-carnitine (#168 June 2012) is essential for moving long chain fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be burned for energy. Oxygen is essential for efficient production of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation and requires iron in the form of hemoglobin for transport to the cells. Without adequate oxygen ATP is produced anaerobically resulting in the buildup of lactic acid (causing muscle pain including angina) which requires carnitine to clear it.

In addition to its role in the TCA cycle, ALA is necessary for the production of the antioxidant glutathione. Glutathione is the most important antioxidant in the mitochondria (more on this next week). ALA is also essential for regenerating NADH back to NAD+ so the first step in the ETC can be repeated. As I explained in an earlier article on ALA (#89 Nov 2010), only the R(+) isomer of ALA is bioactive.

Creatine holds and donates the phosphorus ion to convert ADP to ATP; when used as a supplement creatine increases endurance in athletes and improves brain and heart function.

A deficiency of any of these nutrients slows the production of ATP energy in the mitochondria causing fatigue and the reduced function of the organ(s) involved. That’s why there is no simple answer to the question “Why do I feel so tired all the time?”

Next week – free radicals and the mitochondrial theory of aging.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

090 A Story of ALA [22 November 2010]

Last week I wrote about Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits. This week I want to tell you the story of how Dr. Burt Berkson, a medical doctor and research scientist, first encountered ALA.

Dr Berkson, as a young resident in a teaching hospital in Cleveland Ohio, was approached by the chief of medicine who said he was “upset” that Berkson had not had any deaths on his service. To remedy the situation, the chief sent him two people who had eaten poisonous mushrooms and were dying of acute liver disease. He was told that a transplant was unavailable and nothing else could save them. Dr Berkson, who had a PhD in microbiology in addition to his medical training, contacted the National Institutes of Health and asked if they knew of anything that might regenerate a liver. Dr. Fred Bartter, head of NIH Internal Medicine, suggested alpha lipoic acid which he had found to reverse diabetic neuropathy and promote organ regeneration. He sent some to Dr Berkson who injected it into the patients by IV. In only 2 weeks both had fully regenerated their livers and were still alive, now in their 80s, 30 years later. Dr Berkson was impressed but his medical chief was not. Berkson was reprimanded for not following orders and using an unapproved drug (and for embarrassing the hospital staff who had told the patients’ families that they would die).

Instead of excitement for the discovery of a possible cure for an incurable condition, Berkson was branded a medical outlaw. There was absolutely no interest in the procedure within the American medical community. Instead, he and Dr Bartter were invited to speak at the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Germany and later, in Europe, published a paper on the recovery of 74 out of 79 patients with terminal liver disease treated with ALA. Dr. Berkson has since published many papers and 4 books including The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough. He operates a busy integrative medicine practice in Las Cruces, New Mexico and is a professor of applied biology at New Mexico State University.

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

089 Alpha Lipoic Acid [15 November 2010]

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a powerful antioxidant unique in that it is both fat and water soluble. ALA was first studied in the 1950s at the University of Texas for its role in glucose metabolism. Without ALA glucose cannot enter the mitochondria of the cells where it can be burned to produce energy. For this reason it has often been promoted as an aid in weight loss, Type 2 diabetes, and in muscle building. ALA is not a vitamin because our bodies produce it in our cells, but in decreasing amounts as we age (one reason children have more energy than adults).

Further research in the 1980s uncovered many more benefits of this compound. It was discovered that ALA has the ability to:
• fight infection and reduce inflammation
• chelate metal toxins including mercury, arsenic, copper and lead
• fight cancer
• protect nerve & brain cells from aging-related degeneration
• reverse peripheral neuropathy from diabetes and other causes
• stimulate stem cell growth
• regenerate the liver and other organs

As an antioxidant, in addition to being a powerful free radical fighter, ALA:
• increases levels of glutathione, our most important cellular antioxidant
• regenerates Vitamin C, Vitamin E and other antioxidants, extending their functional life
• protects cells from radiation damage (ALA was used to reverse liver damage in Chernobyl victims).

ALA is absorbed well from food and dietary supplements. It comes in two forms: R-ALA is the naturally occurring and biologically active form, up to 12X more effective than the mirror image S-ALA which makes up 50% of cheaper ALA formulas.

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

035 Insulin Resistance Syndrome [26 Oct 2009]

When we digest a meal, much of our food is converted into glucose which is absorbed into the blood stream. The pancreas then produces and secretes insulin which facilitates the movement of glucose through the cell walls into the cells of the body. Here the glucose is burned to produce ATP which the cells use for energy.

Insulin Resistance Syndrome is a metabolic disorder in which the cells resist the uptake of glucose. Both insulin and glucose levels build up in the blood stream, triggering the pancreas to produce more and more insulin. Since the glucose can’t get into the cells where it is needed, it is converted in the liver and stored as belly fat. Cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase and HDL (good “cholesterol”) decrease. High blood pressure is also commonly associated with IRS. The high levels of blood insulin may lead to carbohydrate cravings and the lack of glucose in the muscle cells cause low energy or fatigue. Over time IRS can lead to Type 2 diabetes.

Insulin Resistance is often under diagnosed. There is no one test that can directly detect insulin resistance. Instead, a doctor will look at a patient's entire clinical picture and may suspect that the patient has insulin resistance if he has increased glucose levels, increased levels of triglycerides and LDL, and decreased concentrations of HDL. (labtestsonline.org)

What can be done to reverse insulin resistance? A low carb diet, exercise and losing weight are usually suggested. But losing weight is difficult when it seems that your body is turning everything you eat into fat. Several natural products have been found to help with insulin resistance.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) at therapeutic levels of 600mg/day has been found to enhance insulin function and reduce insulin resistance. In Germany, ALA is an approved medical treatment for peripheral neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes, because it quickly clears the bloodstream of excess glucose. Note that people with Type 1 diabetes should use ALA under physician supervision only. Also the R+ isomer of ALA is the active form; cheaper ALA supplements that don’t show R+ on the label are only half as effective.

Cinnamon is also showing promise as an aid to overcoming insulin resistance. Cinnamon seems to work best as a capsule or as a tea. Ginger and fenugreek are other spices found to have blood sugar lowering properties.

Insulin Resistance can lead to very serious health consequences like heart disease and diabetes. Recognizing and dealing with it at this stage is critical.

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.