The information I'm about to share with you is controversial, even to some doctors of integrative medicine. Others, however, have told me that if this theory is accurate — and they think it is — it will change the way they practice medicine forever.

You've no doubt heard about Sick Building Syndrome — a group of symptoms associated with exposure to chemicals and microorganisms found in contaminated buildings. The symptoms may be mild or severe like chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Often, they are relieved when people leave the building. Sometimes they remain and get worse.

These symptoms can be caused by a number of contaminants in buildings. The contaminants can include bacteria, molds, pollen, and even viruses. The toxic substances from some species of molds and fungi including Stachybotrys, Aspergillus, and other organisms that grow in water-damaged buildings, are insidious. They're extremely toxic and almost impossible to eradicate from buildings and people.

Why only some get sick

Some people get extremely sick from exposure to toxic molds, while others don't. Why? Because, as I've explained before in articles about detoxification, our bodies have natural defense mechanisms that clear them out. In some people, this doesn't work as well as in others.

Another reason is genetics. If you have a genetic defect, exposure to these toxic molds will make you sick. Your symptoms will never go away, and you will never feel better, unless you take specific steps to address it.

Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker, a Maryland physician and molecular biologist, found this genetic connection when he treated several patients exposed to toxin-forming algae. They had terrible diarrhea, headaches, and memory loss. What was puzzling was that their lab tests were normal and they didn't respond to traditional treatments.

Dr. Shoemaker stumbled upon part of the solution when he gave his patients a cholesterol-lowering drug to stop their diarrhea. This medication reduced their other symptoms as well. Next, he treated patients exposed to toxic molds from their homes or office buildings. This same medication helped their symptoms. Dr. Shoemaker had discovered part of the solution, but it took a lot of research to discover why.

Failure to clear

The reason why many of us don't get sick with exposure to various toxins is that your liver normally removes many harmful substances like biotoxins from your blood. Or they are attacked and broken down by a healthy immune system, then excreted.

But 24% of the population lacks a "toxin-removal" gene that makes antibodies against molds. It's called HLA-DR. These genes tell your body to make antibodies to fight neurotoxins. Without them, your body doesn't recognize these toxins as being foreign invaders. If you lack the genes needed to clear biotoxins, and you're exposed to harmful molds and fungi, you'll get sick and stay sick.

There are no routine lab tests that measure biotoxins. But you can measure their effects. Ken Hudnell, PhD, a neurotoxicologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found he could measure the effects of biotoxins on the brain with a visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) test. The VCS showed specific deficits only in people exposed to biotoxins.

This test measures the contrast between dark and light bars. Biotoxins affect your ability to see a particular group of these bars accurately. If you have unexplained symptoms, a positive VCS test, and think you have been exposed to biotoxins, you may be unable to clear these toxins. VCS scores correlate with the severity of symptoms and can be used to monitor your progress.

You can get more information on this test, and even get a free preliminary screening with registration, at Dr. Shoemaker's website (www.chronicneurotoxins.com). His treatment protocol and three more VCS tests (to monitor your treatment) are available from him. His protocol is also available in his book, Mold Warriors (Gateway Press, 2005).

Getting rid of your mold sensitivity

I wish I could tell you it's simple to clear your body of the fungal toxins that are causing your illness. It's not. But what I can tell you is that it's possible. You'll need a doctor to work with you and prescribe the tests and solutions you need.

Treatment begins with a medication, cholestyramine (CMS), which is used to lower cholesterol. But CMS, also known as Questran, does much more. It stops diarrhea and binds to cholesterol and bile. This is important, because while toxins temporarily attach themselves to fat cell receptors, they also leave the receptors and travel into bile. Once biotoxins are in your bile, CMS binds to them and removes them from your body. Be aware that in some people CMS causes bloating, constipation, and reflux.

Illness from toxic molds requires more treatment than CMS, which only clears some of the toxic buildup. Neurotoxins frequently cause inflammation, damage hormone pathways, and affect the immune system. All of the damage from exposure to neurotoxins needs to be evaluated and treated. This is why your doctor needs this doctor's complex and detailed protocol. It may not be the only way to treat biotoxins, but it's one that has had years of success.

Getting rid of household mold sensitivity

If you live or work in a building with toxic mold, you can't simply be treated and continue to live or work there. Many remediation companies say that they can remove molds from "sick" buildings. But after working with more than 2,000 toxic mold patients, Dr. Shoemaker hasn't found that they work well enough for many people. Even if the mold can be killed, their spores may live on for years on paper, in clothing, and in heating or air-conditioning vents.

The most a remediation company can do is to bring down the level of neurotoxins to "an acceptable level." Remediation may be helpful if you have mold in your home or office and are not yet sick. However, there's no acceptable level for someone who is sick from exposure to toxic molds.

Your next step

If you believe you have a chronic illness that may be due to exposure to toxic molds, first get the VCS test. If it's positive, begin by taking cholestyramine. Then have your doctor order the recommended tests that fit your profile, outlined in Mold Warriors (Shoemaker, Gateway Press, 2005), and put you on Dr. Shoemaker's protocol. This includes a specific diet that may be necessary to reduce inflammation.

For more information, read Desperation Medicine (Gateway Press, 2001) by Dr. Shoemaker. This book is a primer on chronic neurotoxin illnesses. Additional support for you and your doctor, as well as a list of doctors that use this protocol, is available at www.chronicneurotoxins.com or through Dr. Shoemaker's office (410-957-1550).

A simple solution to consider

Neurotoxins in your intestines can also be removed with the PectaSol Chelation Complex I've talked about in the past (800-728-2288). This formula, which combines modified citrus pectin with modified alginate (from seaweed), binds to these toxins as well as to heavy metals. Heavy metals interact with neurotoxins and increase their adverse effects. Most importantly, this chelation therapy doesn't stimulate bile secretion, which can cause aggravated symptoms.

To remove neurotoxins with this method, use the PectaSol Chelation Complex as directed for three months. Then add PectaSol Detox Complete, a formula that helps remove toxins through the liver, bile, intestines, and urine (800-308-5518). It also helps secrete these toxins and heavy metals from your tissues, including the brain, where they've been trapped.

Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences: Damp Indoor Spaces and Health (August 2004).

Shoemaker, Ritchie C., MD, et al. Mold Warriors, Gateway Press, 2005.

This Caffeniated Beverage Reduces Anxiety and Lowers Blood Pressure

When my mother was in her early 90s, she was so tired some mornings that she could hardly move. She had eliminated caffeine years before, so she avoided coffee and other caffeinated drinks. But I suggested she begin her day with a cup of a popular beverage that has a little caffeine.

She soon felt "herself" again. Mother had high blood pressure and insomnia, yet this drink didn't raise her blood pressure one bit. Nor did it keep her awake at night. In fact, it helped her relax more and sleep a bit better. The drink I suggested was green tea.

Green tea contains much less caffeine than coffee — 15 mg a cup compared with 80-100 mg in coffee. More importantly, it contains high levels of an amino acid called l-theanine, and l-theanine counteracts some of the negative effects of caffeine.

Caffeine is a double-edged sword. It has beneficial qualities, like helping burn fat faster, and boosting both mental and physical performance. But it also increases anxiety and can contribute to high blood pressure in people with hypertension. A number of people find they can't drink caffeinated drinks after noon because it keeps them from getting a good night's sleep. But green tea seems to be the exception to this rule, unless you're exceptionally sensitive. It can give you the positive qualities of caffeine — like mental alertness — along with the benefits of l-theanine.

L-theanine's actions

L-theanine increases the production of dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals associated with alertness, pleasure, and a good mood. Around half an hour after drinking a cup of green tea, you may notice that you feel calmer. This is because the l-theanine increases alpha waves — the very same relaxing brain waves that are produced during meditation.

At the same time, its mild stimulating effect can wake you up. Green tea is a perfect beverage for a pick-me-up afternoon break. It can restore your mental alertness and calm you down from the day's pressures at the same time.

Studies found that l-theanine significantly reduces blood pressure in hypertensive animals. The more they were given, the more their blood pressure dropped. How can this be possible if tea also contains caffeine? In addition to its ability to make relaxing alpha waves, l-theanine seems to cancel out some of the jittery effects of caffeine.

The amount of l-theanine in a cup of green tea varies from 15-30 mg. Here's why. The tea plant converts this amino acid into antioxidants when tea leaves are exposed to sunlight. So the longer the leaves remain on the tea plant, the lower the theanine levels. This explains why young, more expensive green teas will contain higher amounts of l-theanine than less expensive varieties.

If you don't like green tea, or if you want to take higher levels of l-theanine than you can get in a drink, there are always supplements. Try taking 200 mg from one to three times a day. It could make you feel more relaxed and alert than the tea itself.

Personally, I always prefer using whole foods or herbs whenever possible. They contain co-factors, such as beneficial antioxidants. Use supplements only if drinking a few cups of green tea per day doesn't give you the results you're looking for or you just plain don't like it. You can, of course, combine green tea with other herb teas, such as peppermint and ginger, to mask its taste.

If you thought that green tea's caffeine would keep you up at night, now you know it probably won't. Besides, you can always drink decaffeinated green tea. It's still high in l-theanine. Just look for good quality teas, such as those from Traditional Medicinals or The Republic of Tea. You can find quality teas in most health food stores and in some supermarkets. 

Huber, Luke G., ND. "Green tea catechins and l-theanine in integrative cancer care," Alternative & Complementary Therapies, December 2003.

Juneja, L.R., et al. "L-theanine – a unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans," Trends in Food Science and Technology, June 1999.

L-theanine: Monograph, Alternative Medicine Review, vol. 10, no. 2, 2005.

Yokogoshi, Hidehiko, et al. "Effect of theanine, r-glutamylethylamide, on brain monoamines and striatal dopamine release in conscious rats," Neurochemical Research, May 1998.

Health on a Shoestring

Powerful, Yet Simple Technique Increases Your Healing Ability

It can boost your immune system, reduce pain from headaches, fibromyalgia, and surgery, and lower anxiety before a surgical procedure. Nurses have been using it for decades to reduce stress in patients. Now hospitals throughout the country are adding it to their healing protocols. In fact, it's already available in my small, local hospital and the Kaiser Permanente near me.

This healing therapy became more widely used after hundreds of sound scientific studies found it works to improve our health. The technique I'm talking about is guided imagery — the art of mentally concentrating on positive images to accelerate healing. If you're not using it as part of your own health program, perhaps you should. It costs almost nothing and it works.

Guided imagery uses your thoughts to affect your body and emotions. It's an excellent adjunct to either traditional or complementary medicine.

I first learned about guided imagery in the 1970s. I had helped co-found one of the first holistic health centers in the country. I heard that Carl Simonton, MD and his wife, Stephanie Matthews-Simonton, a psychologist, were successfully using visualization with terminal cancer patients. I read their books, listened to their tapes, and spoke with Dr. Simonton personally.

Then I began using guided imagery with some of my patients. I noticed that it reduced their headache and muscle pains.

Beyond anecdotes

Now there are literally scores of sound scientific studies that support the effectiveness of guided imagery. In one, a group of patients scheduled for colon surgery were either given standard care or listened to a guided imagery tape three days before their surgery and six days afterward. Those who heard the tapes had significantly less anxiety before their operations and much less pain afterward.

In another, over 100 patients with chronic tension headaches listened to a guided imagery tape every day for a month. They had less pain and more vitality than patients who didn't use this technique.

But guided imagery does much more than reduce pain. It speeds up healing. Patients who used guided imagery before having their gallbladders removed had less inflammation in their incisions than those who had traditional care. They also had less anxiety and lower cortisol levels. From my past articles, you know how serious high cortisol levels are, especially for women (you can re-read these articles on my website). Chronically high cortisol can impair your immune system and memory.

Nearly four-dozen studies conducted between 1966 and 1988 found that guided imagery improved stress, anxiety, and depression. It also reduced pain, blood pressure, and chemotherapy side effects.

How to use guided imagery

Guided imagery uses all your senses: taste, smell, touch, hearing, and feeling. For instance, if you want to lower your blood pressure or reduce anxiety and you're visualizing lying on a beach on a deserted island, don't just stop when you "see" a picture of the beach in your mind. Feel the warmth of the sun, the texture of the sand as it runs through your fingers. Smell the sea breeze and imagine you can lick the salt off of your mouth. Make the scene as real and complete as if you were there. This intense focusing will result in the physiological changes that lower anxiety.

If you have a headache, you can visualize your pain as being a stone. Hold it in your hand. Is it warm, cool, or cold? Is it smooth or textured? Feel its weight. After you've held it for a while, feeling, seeing, and touching it so it seems completely real, throw it away as far as you can. Notice that your pain level has lessened.

It's helpful to use guided imagery tapes designed by knowledgeable health care professionals. You can buy these tapes, or make your own. I like the latter. It allows you to tailor a tape to your specific needs. Martin Rossman, MD, one of the pioneers of guided imagery, has sample scripts you can use in his excellent book, Guided Imagery for Self-Healing (H.J. Kramer, 2000). He also has CDs and other related tools available through his website: www.thehealingmind.org.

Guided imagery is powerful

The images that work for one person may work against another. For instance, the Simontons have tapes for cancer patients that focus on visualizing a strong immune system fighting and killing cancer cells.

A friend of mine who had cancer, writer Anais Nin, was using these tapes. One day, she said to me, "Nan, I can't do this any more. I don't want to give any emphasis to cancer. I don't want to visualize cancer cells at all." I helped Anais create a visualization where she imagined her body healthy, instead.  This shift from a negative to a positive image made all the difference to her.

Originally, guided imagery was used as a solution for patients with chronic pain. It's now gone far beyond pain control and is being taught to nurses, psychotherapists, and other health care providers. It's part of Blue Shield of California's Lifepath program for stress reduction. Insurance companies and hospitals are using it because it's cost-effective.

At Stanford University, guided imagery saved $400 in medical costs to arthritis patients for an investment of $54 in guided imagery sessions. This is a therapy whose time has come. For more information, read Dr. Rossman's book, or contact the Academy for Guided Imagery (www.academyforguidedimagery.com, 800-726-2070).

Eller, L.S., "Guided imagery interventions for symptom management," Annu Rev Nurs Res, 1999.

Holden-Lund, C. "Effects of relaxation with guided imagery on surgical stress and wound healing," Res Nurs Health, August 1988.

Mannix, Lisa K., et al. "Effect of guided imagery on quality of life for patients with chronic tension-type headache," Headache, 1999.

Tusek, D.L., et al. "Guided imagery: a significant advance in the care of patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery," Dis Colon Rectum, February 1997.

Ask Dr. Nan

Q: I am 68 with no health problems. About six weeks ago, I started seeing auras, sometimes accompanied by a headache. I don’t know why I should suddenly get migraines. Are they ever a precursor to a stroke? Are they always food related? – A.R., Milford, PA

A: Yes, migraines can be a risk factor for stroke, especially if they’re accompanied by auras. It’s unusual to begin having migraines after the age of 50. So I would definitely suggest pursuing the cause of your condition with other doctors. You need to know why you suddenly began having them. You also need to know how to stop them — either by avoiding trigger foods or with medications.

Migraines are not always food related. However, you should explore the possibility of newly developed sensitivities to such trigger foods as cheese, coffee, and chocolate. Stress can also cause migraines.

Please consider using natural substances to control your migraines. They often work as well as prescription drugs, but without side effects. You’ll find several helpful articles I’ve written on the subject on my website, free to all newsletter subscribers.

Q: I always thought that tropical oils were high in cholesterol and bad for you. Isn’t this so? — M.S., via e-mail

A: Coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil all contain some saturated fat. However, there are harmful saturated fats and healthy ones. The type of saturated fat found in plant sources is different from the kind found in animal products. It’s a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) instead of a long-chain fatty acid. This means that it burns faster.

Fats burned for energy can’t be stored in fat cells and cause trouble. So tropical oils won’t make you fat. Studies show that they don’t raise cholesterol, either. The head of a company that makes a coconut oil product had his cholesterol checked every few weeks for years (his father-in-law is a doctor). He had no elevated cholesterol, although he used coconut oil every day.

Q: You advise us to not use dairy products. But Dr. Johanna Budwig writes that she had cured many diseases with the German form of cottage cheese and flaxseed oil. Who is right? – A.K., address withheld

A: Once again, both of us are. I stand by my concern about the health risks associated with dairy. At the same time, it’s true that in the 1950s Dr. Budwig, a German biochemist, appeared to cure some people of cancer. She based her program on flaxseed oil, not on cottage cheese. She found that the cancer-fighting substances in unrefined, cold-pressed flaxseed oil need to be taken with the right kinds of protein in order to work. One source for these beneficial proteins was cottage cheese. But it wasn’t just any cottage cheese.

Dr. Budwig used a fermented cottage cheese called quark. She claimed the combination of flax oil and quark helps the body produce normal cells. Her diet also included lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and an absence of refined grains, sugar, and foods with chemicals — the same type of anti-illness diet I’ve advocated for decades.

Interestingly, while there are studies showing the cancer-fighting ability of flaxseed oil, Dr. Budwig’s protocol has never been substantiated by research. And this is no easy diet with a quick fix. Dairy does not reverse cancer. Dr. Budwig’s diet may or may not. All we have are anecdotal reports.