Published July 1, 2011

After decades, Doctors Are Still Getting This Wrong … And It’s Increasing Your Risk of Osteoporosis and Heart Disease

I’ve been writing for years about a popular nutrient that affects your heart and bones. There’s been controversy about how much of it is safe and effective. This has caused a great deal of confusion. Doctors are recommending far too much of it and their patients — primarily women — are paying a huge price for this erroneous information. In many cases, this misinformation is leading to heart disease, muscle cramps, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

Still, doctors and the media insist that they’re right. I’ve worked for more than two decades to correct this misconception and people still don’t “get it.” I’m talking, of course, about the calcium controversy.

Published June 1, 2011

Treat Anxiety With the Power of Valium Without the Side Effects

Vivian came to her first appointment with me with a long list of symptoms. Chronic stress was one of them. Some of her symptoms, such as depression, weight gain, insomnia, and fatigue, looked to me like they could be the result of increased cortisol production. And increased cortisol production comes from stress and anxiety.

Cortisol is an adrenal hormone that converts protein to energy and releases stored sugar. When appropriate amounts are secreted, it can give you energy. But chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol inappropriately. This can eventually lead to adrenal fatigue and other health problems.

Published May 1, 2011

Heart Disease Increases Osteoporosis Risk —
But You Can Protect Yourself From Both

Most of us know that a woman’s risk for osteoporosis increases with age. But you may not know that osteoporosis and heart disease share many of the same risk factors. If you’re at risk for one, chances are you’re at risk for both. In fact, in one of the largest studies of its kind, women with subclinical heart disease had a four times higher risk for bone loss and broken bones than women without heart disease.

Subclinical heart disease means that you don’t yet have any symptoms, but the disease has begun. Before your doctor even tells you that you have high blood pressure, beginning atherosclerosis, or high cholesterol, heart disease has started and it has already started to make your bones brittle.

That’s not all. The reverse is also true. Low bone density is related to an increased risk for heart disease. Researchers recently reviewed 70 studies that investigated this association. Here is some of what they found.