439 Iron Toxicity [25 Sept 2017]

Do you know what your iron levels are? If not, you should. And not just because of anemia. While iron deficiency can be a problem – mostly for children and pregnant or menstruating women – excess iron is actually more common and much more dangerous.

High GGT, a test for free iron, is the “single measure most predictive of early mortality” by the life insurance industry. GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase) is a liver enzyme that indicates free iron levels and predicts risk of sudden cardiac death. A more common test is serum ferratin which measures iron stores.

High iron levels increase your risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis (including gout). Some iron is necessary for energy production in the mitochondria [see #302 January 2015] but too much means trouble. Excess iron combines with hydrogen peroxide in the mitochondria to form hydroxyl free radicals which cause severe damage to the mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is the root of most chronic degenerative diseases.

According to Gerry Koenig, Director of the Iron Disorders Institute, the ideal range of serum ferratin for adult men and post-menopausal women is 30 – 60 ng/ml. The ideal GGT is less than 16U/L for men and less than 9U/L for women; levels above 25 (men) and 18 (women) significantly increase your risk for chronic disease. The medically accepted “normal” ranges for both tests are much too high for chronic disease prevention.

If you find your iron is too high, take steps to reduce it. Eat less red meat and take vitamin C and alcohol away from iron-rich foods (both of which increase iron absorption). Avoid iron supplements and choose iron-free multivitamins. Foods and supplements which increase glutathione [#318 May 2015] will lower GGT. Curcumin chelates iron and will prevent its absorption in the gut. A detox program could help pull iron out of stores and assist your liver to excrete it.

Regularly donating blood is an excellent way to manage iron stores. If for some reason you are unable to donate to Canadian Blood Services, talk to your doctor about other options. Perhaps the medieval doctors were on to something with their blood-letting and leeches (but most of the time did far more harm than good).

Source: Serum Ferratin and GGT - Two Potent Indicators You Need to Know, mercola.com

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

435 Activated Charcoal [28 August 2017]

Activated charcoal has a long history of medicinal use. Charcoal is almost pure carbon, resulting from the burning of wood, bone, coal or other organic material such as coconut shells in the absence of oxygen. Activated carbon has been treated to increase the surface area of the carbon, maximizing its absorption.

Carbon is commonly used in water filters to remove impurities and toxins including metals. Charcoal is also used internally as a supplement and externally as a poultice. There is an entire book on the topic “The Complete Handbook of Medicinal Charcoal and Its Applications” available from charcoalremedies.com.
Some of the uses of activated charcoal are:

• Taken as an emergency poison treatment [call the poison control centre before using as it does not work on all poisons]
• Taken in large doses between meals as a body cleanse and detox program
• Used in the treatment of Candida albicans infections to slow growth of intestinal yeast and to absorb the toxins released during the die-off stage (Herxheimer reaction)
• Used with chronic kidney disease to reduce the load of waste products to filter
• Quickly reduces acid indigestion by neutralizing stomach acid
• Counters food poisoning so is useful when travelling to prevent diarrhea
• Reduces flatulence by absorbing intestinal gas
• Charcoal is one of the ingredients in Colic Calm gripe water for babies
• Taken both internally and externally (in warm water soak) to relieve gout
• Used topically for spider & insect bites, severe acne, diabetic ulcers

Some cautions are necessary in taking activated charcoal. Take the charcoal two hours away from medications as it will reduce their efficacy. Do not use for long periods of time as it also reduces absorption of nutrients from your food and supplements. Drink extra water when using charcoal as it absorbs water from the intestines and can cause constipation.

I sell activated charcoal in capsule form and can get it in bulk powder. The powder is mixed in a glass of water – it looks awful but has no taste.

Source: Mercola.com "Is activated Charcoal Beneficial?" 10 July 2017

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

230 Agave Syrup [19 August 2013]

Agave syrup (also called “agave nectar”) is marketed as a healthy natural sweetener. I have some for sale in my store. But just what is agave syrup and how healthy is it?

The syrup is made from the agave plant which grows in Mexico and southwestern USA (and from which Tequila is made). The best quality syrup is made from the leaf sap which is processed at a low temperature using enzymes and chemicals. Most syrup, however, is synthesized from the starch in the root with a similar process that converts cornstarch to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Agave syrup comes in two main grades: light syrup which is more highly filtered and has a mild flavor, and the darker colored amber syrup which has a stronger flavor. Agave syrup has become quite popular as a sweetener because of its flavor, sweetness, and perceived health benefits. A strong selling point is its low glycemic index, which is a measure of its effect on blood glucose levels.

But how healthy is it? It has more calories than table sugar but is sweeter so you can use less. It is highly processed so has few trace nutrients, unlike raw honey. But the biggest problem with agave is the amount of fructose it contains, from 60-90 % (compare with high fructose corn syrup at 55%). It is the fructose content that creates the low glycemic index often touted as a benefit. I have written before about the dangers of fructose [#55 22 March 2012]. It increases uric acid which causes gout; it contributes more to insulin resistance and obesity than other sugars; and it has a toxic effect on the liver [“Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome” Elliott et al, 2002, JAClinNutr].

Dr Joseph Mercola recommends people in good health consume less than 25g of fructose per day (about 1 tablespoon of the syrup). He also advises those with gout, diabetes or insulin resistance to avoid it completely. From what I’ve read, I tend to agree with Mercola, and suggest that agave syrup be used sparingly by healthy people only.

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

114 Gout [15 May 2011]

Gout is an extremely painful type of arthritis that commonly occurs in the big toe but also in feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists. Gout is caused by the formation of needle-like uric acid crystals in the joint fluid which causes pain and inflammation. Uric acid is a byproduct of breakdown of a group of chemicals called purines, found in organ meats and certain fish (herring, sardines, anchovies). At normal levels uric acid is a beneficial antioxidant, but in higher quantities it can cause gout. Recent research found that the sugar fructose, either alone or in sucrose (table sugar) and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), increases uric acid levels, thus aggravating gout. Kidney disease, Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, and being male are risk factors in gout.

Here are some tips to relieve or prevent gout:
• avoid purine-rich foods – reduce organ and red meats (and their gravy), certain fish (see above) and shellfish; avoid brewer’s yeast
• eliminate fructose – soft drinks, processed foods, fruit juices, excess fruit
• minimize or eliminate alcohol consumption
• drink plenty of pure water (10-12 8oz glasses a day)
• normalize high blood sugar and insulin levels, both of which increase inflammation (see my columns on the Ideal Protein diet to learn how to reduce blood sugar without increasing insulin levels)
• drink milk or eat yogurt at least once a day
• eat sour or black cherries (or juice (1oz) – the juice concentrate has less sugar than the whole fruit
• other items that may help include vitamin C, vitamin B5, vitamin E, alfalfa tablets, celery seed, celery juice, lemons, blueberries, strawberries
• herbs and spices such as turmeric & nutmeg and Omega 3 EFAs may reduce inflammation; herbs such as devil’s claw and yucca may also provide relief
• there are effective homeopathic remedies for gout

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

055 sugar is even worse than we thought [22 March 2010]

We’ve always known that sugar, as a source of empty calories, is not good for us. Some suspected that, in large amounts, it contributed to diabetes and heart disease. New research is showing that sugar, especially fructose, is worse than we thought.

Dr. Richard Johnson MD, a kidney disease researcher at the University of Colorado, published a book in 2008 called “The Sugar Fix – the High Fructose Fallout that is making you Fat and Sick”. The book is based on years of his research on the effects of fructose on the metabolic system in animals and humans.

Johnson originally focused his research on uric acid which he found was a significant factor in obesity, high blood pressure as well as kidney disease. At low levels uric acid is actually an important antioxidant, but at high concentrations it causes problems. The most well-known is gout – that painful arthritis that attacks the big toes. We knew that meats with a high purine amino acid content raises uric acid. What Johnson discovered to his surprise is that the simple sugar fructose is a strong promoter of uric acid.

Fructose is metabolized differently in the body. Laboratory animals fed a high fructose diet developed obesity, insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes), fatty liver, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, kidney disease and vascular disease, while animals given the same calories as either dextrose or glucose did not.

Johnson noted a rise in these conditions in Americans over the past 20 years which coincides with the increase of added sugars in the typical American diet. One quarter of Americans now consume 180 lbs a year in added sugars. Is it a coincidence that one in four Americans are diabetic or pre-diabetic?

The most common sources of fructose are High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and sucrose. Even though HFCS is 55% fructose and sucrose is 50%, they are metabolized differently; an animal study found that HFCS increased fatty liver more than sucrose. HFCS is a very cheap food additive and is increasingly common in many processed foods. One of the highest sources of HFCS is soft drinks (keep in mind the sugar free “diet” pops with artificial sweeteners are no healthier). Fruit is not a significant source of fructose in the diet, but fruit juice can be.

A human trial with a high fructose diet caused an increase in hypertension. In a recent controlled clinical trial Johnson found that a low fructose diet significantly improved weight loss and blood pressure in overweight people.

Johnson found that the best way to benefit from a low fructose diet is to first eliminate it completely for two weeks. This allows your body to “reboot” after which you can tolerate small amounts. He suggests limiting fructose to 25g a day. To accomplish this you will need to eat mostly unprocessed foods and read labels carefully. It won’t be easy – a lab study found that, at least for rats, sugar was more addictive than cocaine – but your improved weight and health will make it worthwhile.

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