499 The Starch Diet [26 Nov 2018]

Years ago I learned that to get a balanced view we need to read widely, especially in the field of natural health. Writers focus on one nutrient or diet and make it sound like the most important or only logical choice. Only by reading many different authors can we begin to see the whole picture. That’s what I have tried to bring to you over the past 10 years writing these articles.

A case in point is Dr. John McDougall’s 2013 book The Starch Solution (read the first chapter here). McDougall advocates a diet rich in starchy foods like grains, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes, along with plenty of vegetables and fruit, while eliminating meat, dairy, processed foods and most oils. This is in sharp contrast to the currently popular low-carb high-fat paleo and keto diets.

McDougall observed that when people from other countries with a traditional starch based diet who were trim and healthy moved to the USA and adopted an American diet, they became obese and developed western diseases. The immigrant grandparents remained slim and healthy; their children were overweight and unhealthy; and the grandchildren obese and sick – the opposite of what we would expect. He believed the difference was the increased meat and dairy in their diets.

Over four decades Dr. McDougall developed his diet and helped thousands of patients regain their health. McDougall claims that a diet rich in starch:
• Allowed humans to move beyond the tropics and to develop our large brains;
• fuelled the rise of civilization and fed the Greek and Roman armies;
• Healthy populations around the world get most of their calories from starch;
• will let you lose excess weight almost effortlessly;
• will improve your blood pressure and cholesterol;
• will prevent diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis;
• will make you feel, function, and live better;
• will help save the planet (beef produces 14X more greenhouse gases than potatoes per calorie); and
• will significantly reduce your grocery budget.

I believe that minimally processed starchy foods are part of a healthy diet but I’m not sure I’d take it to the extreme that McDougall does eliminating all animal products. His diet does provide a welcome balance to the high-fat keto diets but I’d like to see some good research supporting his health claims.

Next week – The Last Post. I’m retiring this column after #500.

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

444 Pain & Inflammation Protocol [30 Oct 2017]

A webinar by Philip Rouchotas ND of Bolton Naturopathic Clinic in Ontario described his treatment protocol for pain and inflammation. He also explained in some detail the rationale and science behind each item. Most of his patients with pain and inflammation have an autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies which attacks its own tissues. And a common factor in most autoimmune disease is a hyperpermeable intestinal wall, also known as a “leaky gut”.

Here is a summary of his protocol:
• Eliminate dietary proteins that promote leaky gut and the autoimmune response. Gluten and gliadins from grains and casein from dairy are the most common culprits. Human studies show significant improvements with elimination diets for many autoimmune diseases. Because of the inconvenience, Dr. Rouchotas doesn’t recommend everyone eliminate grains and dairy, but anyone with an autoimmune disease is advised to do a trial even with negative allergy tests. He describes it as “the single most effective intervention for autoimmune disease I know”.
• Vitamin D acts as an immunomodulator, reducing the autoimmune process by increasing production of regulatory T cells (Tregs), while at the same time improving the immune system’s ability to fight infections [see #363 March 2016]
• Probiotics help restore a healthy gut microbiome, reducing the production of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which cross the leaky gut inducing an autoimmune reaction
• Fish oil (at least 2,000 mg/day of EPA+DHA) replaces some of the arachidonic acid in the (COX) and (LOX) pathways, reducing production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. A meta-analysis found that fish oil reduced joint pain, morning stiffness, and need for NSAIDS.
• Curcumin and Boswellia are the only herbals known to block both the COX and LOX pathways, thus providing double anti-inflammatory protection (Tylenol blocks only COX)
• Egg shell membrane (500mg /day) is another natural anti-inflammatory which has shown significant improvement in joint pain and stiffness after 1 or 2 months
• Glucosamine [see #63 March 2011] and chondroitin (1500 and 1200 mg/day) help rebuild cartilage in osteoarthritic joints [see #63 May 2010]
• Enzymes like bromelain and serrapeptase [see #442] taken between meals reduce inflammation

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

409 Choline – an essential nutrient [27 Feb 2017]

Choline is an essential vitamin-like nutrient. Our bodies can synthesize small amounts of choline but we must get most from our diet. It was discovered in 1862 but was only recognized as an essential nutrient in 1998. I have previously written about lecithin [#94 Dec 2010], phosphatidylcholine [#247 Dec 2013], and phosphatidylserine [#248 Dec 2013].

Choline serves many functions in the body:
• Essential for synthesis of cell membranes and DNA
• Plays role in cell communication
• Transports triglycerides out of the liver
• Along with folate is essential for fetal development of the brain and nervous system
• Essential for children’s growth and development
• Precursor to neurotransmitter acetylcholine, necessary for nerve and muscle function
• Assists in reduction of homocysteine which is associated with heart disease
• Component of lecithin, phosphatidylcholine, and betaine

A deficiency of choline can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; muscle damage and pain; neural tube birth defects; brain dysfunctions like learning disabilities, memory loss, and inability to focus or concentrate; lack of energy or fatigue; and increased homocysteine levels (and therefore increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and bone fractures).

The American Institute of Medicine set “adequate daily intake values” for choline at: 425 mg for women, 550 for men, 450-550 for pregnancy, 550 for breastfeeding, and 230 for children. Genetic factors may cause some people to require more. Up to 3,500 mg daily is considered safe.

Food sources include beef liver (470mg per 5oz serving), egg yolks (150mg in 1 large egg), fish, shellfish, beef (especially grass-fed), turkey, chicken breast, dairy products, goat milk, beans and peas (including peanuts), Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach. Soy and sunflower lecithin are also good sources. Choline is available as a supplement, often with inositol, another vitamin-like nutrient. Choline is often included in B complex and multivitamin formulas.

A 2015 study in the USA found 90% of participants had inadequate intakes of choline. Are you getting enough?

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

325 Got Gas? Get Enzymes! [29 June 2015]

My wife Donna asked me today if beans were a comfort food. I replied that they were for me, but not for anyone sitting beside me.

Intestinal gas or flatulence can be more than a social problem. Abdominal gas can cause uncomfortable bloating and can put pressure on the bladder and other organs. Excessive intestinal gas can also be a sign of a more serious health problem like food allergies, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, or irritable bowel syndrome.

There are two main areas of gas formation. Upper intestinal gas is usually the result of swallowing too much air while eating or drinking. It results in belching, and can usually be remedied by eating more slowly and not chewing gum.

Lower intestinal gas is caused by eating foods containing indigestible fiber, sugar alcohols or polysaccharides, which are broken down by bacteria in the intestines:
• Beans and lentils contain polysaccharides
• Dairy foods containing the milk sugar lactose
• Cruciferous vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, broccoli
• Eggplant, bell peppers, asparagus, onion & garlic
• Inulin fiber, often taken as a prebiotic to promote growth of good bacteria
• Fiber and starch in whole grains
• Sugar alcohols like sorbitol & maltitol
• Fructose & fiber in fruit like apples, pears, peaches, plums, mangos

To prevent abdominal gas you can avoid the foods that are causing it, but most of these are good nutritious foods. A better solution is to take digestive enzymes with your meals. Look for a plant enzyme formula with high amounts of cellulase for digesting fiber and Alpha-galactosidase for digesting polysaccharides. If dairy is a problem for you, find a formula that includes lactase. Plant sourced enzymes are not “habit-forming” meaning that taking them will not reduce your body’s own production of enzymes.

Probiotics may also help if the problem is caused by dysbiosis, for example following a treatment of antibiotics.

Sources
Nutrition Action: What Foods Cause Gas?
Mayo Clinic Website
MedicineNet
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
– bloating & distension
– controlling gas

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

267 Lactose Intolerance – a new treatment [12 May 2014]

About 70% of the world’s human population loses the ability, as adults, to produce lactase, the enzyme which breaks down lactose (milk sugar). In cultures such as ours where dairy is a part of the normal diet, this creates a problem. Typical symptoms observed within an hour or two of consuming milk sugar include abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, nausea and diarrhea. There are two strategies to deal with lactose intolerance – dietary avoidance and lactase supplements.

Now there is a third option. Just this year a new product has been approved in Canada for the treatment of lactose intolerance. Sulmedol®, a special form of sulfur, actually restores the ability to digest lactose by reactivating lactase production in the intestine. It was accidentally discovered in 2003 by Dr Airudin Khan at the U. of Western Ontario, London, who was studying homocysteine levels. Sulmedol® works in two ways: by reactivating the genes that control lactase production, and by increasing the production of the amino acid L-Cysteine, an essential component of the lactase enzyme.

The treatment requires taking 2 capsules daily, while avoiding all sources of lactose, for 4 to 12 weeks. Lactose intolerance is tested at 4 weeks and every 2 weeks after that until symptoms have disappeared. The program is continued for another 4 weeks and then stopped. You should then be able to consume dairy symptom-free. Some people may need to repeat the treatment in a few years. The treatment is not effective for true dairy allergies involving the immune system.

In a clinical trial, 90% of 41 adults tested had their lactose tolerance restored after 12 weeks (some sooner). Most remained tolerant for a median of 76 weeks without further treatment. Side effects were minimal – three people experienced some bloating and flatulence during the treatment phase.

Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in the body, after calcium and phosphorus. Other expected benefits from taking the sulfur supplement would be lowered homocysteine levels (implicated in heart disease, osteoporosis and brain dysfunction) and increased glutathione, arguably the most important antioxidant in our cells. Healthy skin hair and nails all require sulfur containing amino acids.

Source: www.sulmedol.com and lecture by Marva Ward, CNP.

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