295 Vitamin D – How Much? [24 Nov 2014]

How much vitamin D should we be taking? We have a good idea what blood levels are optimum for health. Dr William Grant of the Vitamin D Council states that 75 nmol/L is “the minimum [vitamin D] concentration associated with optimal health”. The Vitamin D Society, a Canadian non-profit organization, recommends Canadians maintain levels between 100 and 150. But what supplementation do we need to achieve this? Pure North S’Energy Foundation of Calgary carried out a study, published this month, to answer just that.

Over 17,000 healthy adult volunteers of varying BMI (Body Mass Index) were supplemented with different levels of vitamin D for a year, and had their serum D levels measured before and after. On average, 5,000 IU daily achieved a level of about 100 nmol/L; 10,000 about 140; and 20,000 about 150. Note the diminishing returns on increased dosage. Results varied considerably according to the person’s BMI. People of normal weight required about 2,500 IU to reach 100 nmol/L and 10,000 to reach 150. Overweight people required 3,000 and 14,000 respectively; obese people 12,000 and somewhere over 20,000; while underweight people needed only 2,000 and 8,000.

Remember, these figures are for healthy people; people with MS or fighting cancer would want to achieve a higher blood level and would likely need to take a higher dosage to achieve it. A Rosetown woman with MS told me that she was taking 50,000 units for a prolonged period just to keep her vitamin D level in the low end of normal.

Keep in mind that these are all averages and individual results vary considerably so it is important to check your baseline vitamin D levels before beginning (or increasing) supplementation and to have your blood levels monitored regularly.

No adverse side effects were observed in this study, despite supplementation at more than 20,000 IU per day. No cases were reported of hypercalcemia, a concern of critics of high dose D supplementation. This is consistent with other studies which showed no adverse effects with supplementation of up to 50,000 IU.

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

294 Curcumin – Nature's Painkiller [17 Nov 2014]

Curcumin is a natural phenol found in turmeric root which gives this Indian spice, used in curry dishes, its bright yellow color. Curcumin is used in herbal medicine primarily to relieve pain and inflammation. In India’s traditional Ayurvedic medicine, curcumin has a long history in the treatment of asthma, allergies, sinusitis, liver disorders, rheumatism and wound healing. Curcumin is now being scientifically explored for several other potential purposes – besides its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin has demonstrated antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective and antiarthritic benefits.

Like most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), curcumin inhibits the COX2 enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain in the body; but it does so more completely and more safely than NSAIDs. The problem with curcumin though is that it is very poorly absorbed. One method used to enhance absorption is the addition of piperine, an extract of black pepper. Another method, used in Europe, attaches the curcumin extract to a phospholipid and adds turmeric essential oils to create a special extract called BCM-95. BCM-95 is up to 10X better absorbed than regular curcumin, and is significantly better than the combination with piperine.

Curcumin is very safe, even at high doses. One possible caution is that it may suppress iron metabolism so anyone using curcumin long term should monitor his blood iron levels. Interactions with other medications are rare with BCM-95.

The BCM-95 extract is available in Canada in two formulas. A full strength 750 mg capsule of BCM-95 is effective for all types of inflammation and also offers long term pain relief. The other formula has 450mg of BCM-95 plus 100mg of Boswellia serrata extract (better known as Frankincense) – another herb with proven joint-pain relieving properties – and is more effective for immediate pain relief. Customers who have used these formulas tell me they are amazed at how quickly they have experienced relief from pain and swelling.

See www.europharmausa.com for more information.

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

293 Chew Your Food [10 Nov 2014]

Remember your mother telling you to chew your food? She was right, but probably didn’t know all the reasons for doing so.

We learned in school about amylase – the enzyme in our saliva that starts the digestion of starch. Chew an unsalted cracker for a few minutes and it will start to taste sweet as the starch breaks down into sugars (salt masks the sweet taste so it’s harder to notice with salted crackers).

Thoroughly chewing your vegetables mechanically breaks down the cell walls making the nutrients inside available for your digestive processes to work on. So you get more nutrients from the same amount of food.

Another reason is to convert nitrates from vegetables to nitrites which are in turn converted in the body to nitric oxide (NO) which works to dilate arteries and lower blood pressure. The conversion to nitrites in the mouth occurs when a certain bacteria which lives on our tongue and in our saliva is mixed with the nitrates in our plant food. Frequent use of antibacterial mouthwash, by the way, interferes with this process, lowering arterial NO levels and raising blood pressure. (See my recent columns #281 on August 18 and #288 October 6 for more on the importance of our microbiome, and #180 & 181 on Nitric Oxide in September 2012.)

Chewing raw cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) mixes two compounds – glucoraphanin and an enzyme myrosinase – to form sulforaphane, a powerful antioxidant with anticancer and antimicrobial properties. I wrote about the health benefits of eating raw broccoli in #184 (24 Sept 2012); this is another benefit.

Juicing your vegetables or making smoothies mimics the action of chewing, but does it much more thoroughly. It’s still important to chew your juice to mix in the saliva. Someone once advised “Chew your drinks (to mix in saliva) and drink your foods (by chewing them until they are liquid)”.

Source: Why You Should Chew Your Food Well (And Stop Using Mouthwash) by Dr. Joel Kahn, www.mindbodygreen.com, 29 October 2014.

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

292 The Blue Dot Tour [3 Nov 2014]

My brother and I went to hear Dr. David Suzuki last month when he was in Saskatoon with his Blue Dot Tour. The tour is named for the appearance of planet Earth from space – a pale blue dot in the vast cosmos. Seeing the Earth from this perspective has made us realize that this planet is our only home and that all living things on it – people, animals and plants – are in a sense our family.

We live in one of the most beautiful countries on Earth with abundant fresh water, natural spaces and wildlife. But we are falling behind in protecting these resources, which make up a large part of our identity as Canadians. Much more than that, the environment is what sustains our very life – the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat. To ensure a healthier and more secure future, we must balance environmental protection and economic development.

Suzuki claims that more than 20,000 Canadians die prematurely every year due to environmental pollution. More than 110 countries recognize their citizens’ right to live in a healthy environment, but not Canada. One of the goals of the Blue Dot Tour is to work towards including this right – to fresh air, clean water and healthy food – in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Some of my relatives have no respect for Suzuki and consider him a hypocrite because he travels by jet and owns a large home. But he is not opposed to resource development or wealth, just development at the expense of air, water, and soil quality. To me the hypocrites are the industry leaders who lobby for the right to pollute the air, water and food, but still expect to breathe clean air, drink pure water and eat wholesome food. If environmentalists shouldn’t drive a car, then owners of polluting industries shouldn’t eat, drink or breathe!

Visit bluedot.ca for more information on this tour and join the movement. I did and you can too.

P.S. I’m pleased that Ascenta Health, my distributer of NutraSea fish oil supplements, is a major sponsor of the Blue Dot Tour.

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

291 Massage and Blood Pressure [27 Oct 2014]

Most people are aware of the benefits of massage therapy for soft tissue pain and stress management. Massage can also provide cardiovascular benefits, particularly for the management of mild hypertension. High blood pressure is a significant risk factor in cardiovascular disease and is known as the “Silent Killer”.

A study published in 2000 by J. Bodywork & Movement Therapies compared the effects of massage therapy and progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure. Massage was more effective at lowering blood pressure, especially diastolic. Both groups reported less anxiety but only the massage group experienced reduced depression.

A 2013 randomized control trial compared whole body Swedish massage with resting, one hour weekly for 4 weeks, on Malaysian women with hypertension. Both massage and resting improved blood pressure and heart rate, but the massage reduced it more (but the difference was not statistically significant), and for a longer time – up to 4 weeks (which was significant).

Another 2013 clinical trial compared neck & shoulder massage (10-15 minutes 3 times a week for 10 sessions) and rest in 50 pre-hypertensive women in Iran. Massage reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly more than just rest, and the effects lasted at least 3 days after the treatment.

These studies (and others) suggest that massage therapy could be a useful tool in managing mild hypertension and pre-hypertension, however some cautions are in order [Massage Therapy – an Approach to Treatments, Fiona Rattray, 1994]. When working with clients with severe hypertension a massage therapist will use certain techniques and avoid others. The goal is to increase peripheral circulation (hands and feet) while avoiding movement of blood towards the trunk. The use of heat and painful techniques are contraindicated. Ideally the client’s blood pressure should be measured before and after the treatment to monitor its effects.

If your doctor is concerned about your blood pressure, ask her/him about massage therapy as a possible management tool. Here is Dr Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic speaking about the benefits of massage.

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

290 Low-Calorie Balanced Diet [20 Oct 2014]

You still hear health professionals promoting a “low-calorie balanced diet” as the best method for weight loss. A healthy balanced diet, where you get the right amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids) is perfect for maintaining your weight. But a low-calorie balanced diet – eating the same foods but less of them – is not only ineffective for weight loss but can be detrimental to your health – and to your objective of losing fat – for several reasons.

First, reducing all three macronutrients by about the same amount will make you protein deficient. As a result you will burn muscle mass as well as fat to make up for the reduction in calories. But proteins are not just found in muscle – bone, skin, organs, enzymes and hormones are all made of protein.

Reducing all foods by the same amount will still provide enough carbs to keep your insulin levels up. And as I have explained many times in these articles, high insulin levels lock in the fat stores, making them unavailable for burning, so any weight you lose will be mostly muscle.

Furthermore, the inability to burn fat for fuel creates a shortfall in calories available to the body to carry out its normal functions, making you feel tired, weak, and hungry. In response, your body will lower your metabolic rate (go into starvation mode) so it can live on the lower caloric supply. Unfortunately this lower metabolism continues after you go off the restricted diet. Now when you return to your normal diet you are getting more calories than your body can use, so guess what happens? The end result of being on a low-calorie balanced diet: muscle lost, a little fat lost, and you gain fat faster than ever. And the failure of the diet will be blamed on your lack of will-power. Sound familiar?

The safest and most effective diet for losing fat weight is a protein-sparing ketogenic diet which conserves muscle while it burns fat. This contains adequate protein (the same amount as in your maintenance balanced diet) and essential fats and oils, and the minimum requirement of carbs (which isn’t very much). Ideally your weight and lean mass should be monitored by a coach trained in the program.

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

289 Bone Broth [14 Oct 2014]

Wait - don’t throw out your Thanksgiving turkey carcass! You can use it to make an easy, inexpensive and nutritious food called bone broth.

Bone broth is a very healthful addition to our diet for many reasons. Bone broth:
• is very easily digested
• is a good source of minerals, especially calcium, magnesium & phosphorus
• is a good source of amino acids, particularly arginine and glycine
• contains collagen, gelatin, glucosamine & chondroitin which reduce joint pain and inflammation
• promotes healthy bones, skin, hair and nails
• calms the stomach and is healing for the digestive tract
• helps heal leaky gut and reduce food allergies
• is a staple of the GAPS diet (see my columns #147, 172-175)
• boosts the immune system

Bone broth is made by simmering bones and vegetables to make a broth or soup stock. You can use bones from beef, poultry and even fish. Place about 2 lbs. of bones per gallon of water in a crock pot or stock pot. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (white vinegar will do) to pull the minerals out of the bones. Add vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, parsley, etc. (since you discard the vegetables after cooking, use the peels, ends and any scrap that isn’t moldy). Bring to a boil and skim off the foamy scum every 20 minutes for 2 hours. Simmer for 24 hours for poultry, 48 hours for beef and 8 hours for fish. For extra flavor add herbs & spices like parsley and garlic for the last half hour. Cool and strain and store broth in the fridge or freezer.

You can now use the broth to make soups, stews, gravy & sauces, and for cooking rice, millet or quinoa. Or simply heat and drink a cupful every day like tea. There is a good reason Grandma fed us chicken soup when we were sick.

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