Peripheral neuropathy is a painful and debilitating sign of nerve damage. Sharp, stabbing foot pain can keep you from sleeping or walking. Burning, numbness, or tingling in your hands and feet interfere with your quality of life and ability to function. These symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are especially prevalent in diabetics. But there are other common causes. And in today's toxic world, almost everyone at any age is at risk for this painful condition.

There are numerous causes of nerve damage. You might have a negative reaction to chemicals. These can include anything from heavy metal toxicity to chemotherapy drugs and even statins. Trauma, viral or bacterial infections, and nutrient deficiencies can also trigger the pain. In fact, there are so many possible causes that it's often impossible to identify and treat the cause.

That's why traditional medicine treats peripheral neuropathy with pharmaceutical drugs. Doctors will throw everything from antidepressants and anticonvulsants to pain medications, including addictive opiates, hoping to find something that works. These medications can have terrible side effects, though. And many of them interact poorly with other drugs.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, I recommend you try some less toxic therapies first. They're safe. They're readily available. And they just could be the answer you've been looking for.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is one of the most well researched nutrients used to reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. However, until recently, the studies have used intravenous ALA. There was no way to know whether or not oral ALA would be as effective. Now I have good news for you. A recent study found oral ALA works.

Researchers gave a group of diabetic patients different amounts of oral ALA. They gave them either 600, 1,200, or 1,800 mg per day. After five weeks, all patients taking ALA had significant improvement, especially in the area of stabbing and burning pain. And here's even better news. The researchers found that 600 mg taken once a day worked as well as the higher amounts. You can find ALA in all health food stores.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC): The best natural source of ALC is red meat. But you can't get enough of it from your diet to reduce the effects of peripheral neuropathy. Here's why. A hamburger patty has about 95 mg of ALC. But the latest study said it took 1,000 mg of ALC three times a day to alleviate pain in a group of people with peripheral neuropathy. The good news is this dosage actually helped regenerate nerve fibers and was able to reduce the symptoms of neuropathy.

Some chemotherapy drugs, such as oxaliplatin and cisplatin, are highly toxic to the nervous system. The result is often painful neuropathy. ALC protects the nerves from this toxicity. Several studies showed that it significantly reduced chemotherapy-induced neuropathy without interfering with the cancer-preventing effects of chemotherapy drugs.

If 1,000 mg of ALC three times a day is sufficient to treat peripheral neuropathy, consider taking half that amount if you're on chemotherapy and have no symptoms yet. Again, you can find it in health food stores.

Capsaicin is made from hot chili peppers. Many have used it in topical creams to reduce pain from arthritis and neuralgia. It's available in all drug stores as an over-the-counter topical pain ointment. It works by stimulating nerve cells associated with pain, which, in turn, release a pain-relieving chemical called substance P.

Most neuropathy studies using topical capsaicin have been conducted on diabetics. In several of them, patients applied a cream with 0.075% capsaicin to the affected areas four times a day for one to two months. Significant improvement — a 50% reduction in pain — began on the fourth week. So be patient and don't look for immediate improvement. It often works.

Applying capsaicin to your skin over painful areas is helpful. But this improvement is often temporary. A small study measured levels of substance P in diabetics who rubbed the cream on only one foot for eight weeks. Substance P levels increased during the first four weeks of treatment, but then declined. But try it yourself. It's inexpensive and easy to find. You may get best results using it for one month, and then taking a week off.

Magnetic Insoles: Magnets are probably the least researched natural therapy for peripheral neuropathy. Still, many people swear by them. So let's look at the science behind them. In a single, good study of 375 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, patients were randomly given either magnetic or non-magnetic insoles to wear in their shoes daily for four months. During the third and fourth months, there were statistically significant reductions in pain, numbness, and tingling in the group that used magnetic insoles.

Other information suggests that magnetic insoles usually work quickly — within a week or two — if they're going to reduce pain. So if you decide to try magnetic therapy, ask if you can return the insoles within 30 days for a refund if they don't work for you, or be willing to pay the price for the experiment. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of NIH (National Institutes of Health) agrees that some studies found magnets useful in reducing pain in various areas of the body. But there isn't enough data to justify their use. In other words, give it a try, but "buyer beware."

Don't use magnets if you have a pacemaker or other medical device, or if you get any medication through a patch on your skin (magnets dilate blood vessels which can affect your dosage). And always discuss a new therapy with your doctor or other health care practitioner, even those that are natural. Side effects are rare, but always possible.

Eat healthy foods

Dozens of studies point to insufficient vitamin E, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, and other nutrients as contributing to neuropathy. Eliminate sugar and other refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice) from your diet and replace them with whole foods. You may need a strong multivitamin/mineral with essential fatty acids, such as Vitality Plus (800-728-2288) before your pain subsides.

If you're diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, don't think drugs are your only choice. You now have several ways to fight the pain without any side effects. And if you don't have peripheral neuropathy, but are at high risk for it, you can take steps now to make sure you never have to experience the pain.

Fuchs, N.K., PhD. Modified Citrus Pectin, Basic Health, 2003.

Head, K.A., ND. "Peripheral neuropathy: pathogenic mechanisms and alternative therapies," Altern Med Rve, December 2006.

Ghirardi, O., et al. "Acetyl-L-Carnitine prevents and reverts experimental chronic neurotoxicity induced by oxaliplatin, without altering its antitumor properties," Anticancer Research, July-August 2005.

Sima, A.A., et al. "Acetyl-L-carnitine improves pain, nerve regeneration, and vibratory perception in patients with chronic diabetic neuropathy: an analysis of two randomized placebo-controlled trials," Diabetes Care, January 2005.

Ziegler, D., et all. "Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy: the SYDNEY 2 trial," Diabetes Care, November 2006.

Vitamin D Deficiency Now Linked to More Serious Diseases

I've talked before about the importance of getting enough vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis, colds, and the flu. But this hormone we call the "sunshine vitamin" does much more. Recent studies indicate that vitamin D is protective against sunburn and neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. It can also prevent memory losses as we age. Let's look at some of the latest research on this important vitamin/hormone. They may give you a few more reasons to increase your vitamin D, either through exposure to the sun, in supplements, or both.

Sunburn: Summer is just weeks away. Soon you'll hear the yearly mantra "don't forget your sunscreen," warning for you to use it whenever you go outdoors, or risk sunburn and skin cancer. But wearing sunscreen may not be as smart as you once thought. It can result in a vitamin D deficiency, especially in people who don't go outdoors every day or who wear a lot of clothing.

Worried about getting skin cancer? Don't be. Skin cancers occur when we get sunburned, not because we go out in the sun. Unless you're exposed to bright sunlight on a hot summer's day for hours at a time — enough to burn — you may not need sunscreen at all. I use it when I'm kayaking or out in the garden for hours on end. But not when I'm weeding or harvesting vegetables for an hour or two. That's when my body is converting sunlight to much-needed vitamin D.

Getting sufficient vitamin D actually protects your skin from sun damage. Researchers have found that people who take 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day are not likely to burn. In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (January 2007) supports this theory that vitamin D3 actually protects against sunburn and skin cancers. So get out in the sun. It can protect you from sun damage, as long as you don't burn.

Parkinson's disease is on the rise. Experts expect the number of people with it to double by the year 2030. They blame this rise on aging populations. But Parkinson's may be another disease linked to a vitamin D deficiency. That's what some researchers think.

Drs. Harold and Jonathan Newmark, a father and son team, believe that a vitamin D deficiency could be the major cause of Parkinson's disease. The reason this disease affects so many older people could simply be that they stay indoors too much and don't get enough sun.

This makes sense. We know from previous studies that vitamin D helps normalize brain function. Its protective effects on nerve growth factors in the brain make it an ideal nutrient to use for either the prevention or treatment of Parkinson's. The Newmarks tested this theory on one of their Parkinson's patients who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day. His Parkinson's improved.

This treatment on a single Parkinson's patient is just the first tiny step forward in the exploration of an effective treatment. But since low amounts of vitamin D appear to be present in neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and loss of memory, it's a safe theory for us to test.

Multiple sclerosis: The association between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis is compelling. There are more people with MS who live in the low altitudes of Switzerland than in the high altitudes where the UV rays are stronger. Almost no cases of MS can be found at the equator, but the further away you go, the more MS you find.

People with MS often have enough vitamin D to keep their bones healthy, but not enough to prevent the disease or reduce its symptoms. One large study found that when researchers gave people vitamin D supplements, they had a 40% lower risk of developing MS. It's also possible that getting enough vitamin D could prevent someone with a genetic predisposition to MS from getting it.

But what about people who already have MS? Four smaller studies concluded that vitamin D lessens its symptoms.

Memory: What does vitamin D have to do with your memory? Possibly, a lot. A group of seniors had their memory evaluated at the University of Wisconsin using a mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Then the researchers measured their levels of vitamin D. There was a significant correlation between having enough vitamin D and getting a good score on the MMSE. The more vitamin D, the better their memory.

Other studies support these findings. One found that nearly 60% of participants had abnormally low levels of vitamin D. These low levels correlated with depression or bipolar disorder, and impaired memory. A vitamin D deficiency may cause more than memory problems; it can lead to mood swings and depression, as well.

What's enough vitamin D?

Dr. John Cannell, whose work and passion revolves around vitamin D, suggests getting a blood test to check your levels. He keeps his 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels between 50-70 ng/ml, year-round. This means taking 2,000 IU in the summer (none if you go out every day for a few hours), and 5,000 IU in the fall and winter months. Someone with a disease that could be due in part to low levels of vitamin D might want to take much more. But only do so under a doctor's direction.

Vitamin D3 is the natural form of this nutrient, and is better absorbed than the synthetic version. It's available in most natural food stores. Or you can order either 1,000 or 5,000 IU from ProThera (888-488-2488).

Don't expect to get enough vitamin D from your diet if you're already deficient. It's hard to get that much from foods. And some of the amounts stated on food labels may not be accurate. Although milk is fortified with vitamin D, it often contains only 20% of the amount listed on the label.

Fish is not necessarily any better. A study to evaluate the amount of vitamin D in different species of fish found that farmed salmon had about one-forth as much vitamin D as wild salmon. In addition, no one knows how baking, frying, or broiling fish affects its levels of vitamin D. If you know you need more, supplements are the quickest solution.

Brown, S.J. "The role of vitamin D in multiple sclerosis," Ann Pharmacotherapy, June 2006.

Dixon, K.M., et al. "In vivo relevance for photoprotection by the vitamin D rapid response pathway," J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, January 11, 2007.

Hayes, C.E., et al. "Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis," University of Wisconsin.

Newmark, H.L. and J. Newmark. "Vitamin D and Parkinson's disease – A hypothesis," Movement Disorders, January 17, 2007.

Reichrath, J., "The challenge resulting from positive and negative effects of sunlight: how much solar UV exposure is appropriate to balance between risks of vitamin D deficiency and skin cancer?" Prog Biopohys Mol Biiol, September 2006.

The Breakfast Food That Protects Your Eyesight

I frequently meet friends for breakfast on weekends. It's our time to slow down and check in with one another. And while I often overhear other people in surrounding tables order egg white omelets, mine are made with good old-fashioned whole eggs. My friends, who are health-conscious, eat eggs, too.

That's because we know that eating them in moderation won't raise our cholesterol levels or contribute to heart disease. Most people don't know this.

But subscribers to Women's Health Letter are way ahead of everyone else. You learned years ago that eggs don't raise your cholesterol or contribute to heart disease. Now you'll be the first to know that eggs are great for your eyes. In fact, they protect your eyes from age-related macular degeneration — a major cause of impaired eyesight in seniors.

So if you want to eat an egg or two a day – or on weekends like I do — go right ahead. Eggs are a healthy source of protein and they're perfectly safe.

The cholesterol issue

It's true that of all foods, eggs are the highest in cholesterol. But this doesn't mean you should avoid them. Eating foods that contain cholesterol does not cause high blood levels of cholesterol. Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made in your liver. If you have high cholesterol, eat a diet that supports a healthy liver: plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Then make sure you eat plenty of foods high in soluble fiber, such as cholesterol-lowering beans and oat bran.

While eggs contain cholesterol, they also have nutrients that counteract this fat. In a recent study, a group of men and women over 60 with normal cholesterol levels ate either three large eggs every day for a month or a fat-free, cholesterol-free substitute. At the end of the study, all of the participants had healthy levels of cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.

After gorging themselves on eggs for a month, their LDL (bad cholesterol) levels rose a bit. But so did their protective HDL. This cancelled out their slightly elevated LDL. What's more important, the size of their LDL particles became larger. Larger LDL molecules are protective against atherosclerosis.

What you should care about is whether or not a food, like eggs, contributes to heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. And the bottom line is: Eggs don't promote disease. In fact, a study published in Medical Science Monitor found no difference in strokes or coronary heart disease in nearly 10,000 participants whether they ate no eggs at all or more than six eggs a week.

Eggs and macular degeneration

On the other hand, there's evidence that eating eggs is good for your eyes. A recent study concluded that eggs help prevent against age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is great news for all seniors who are worried about losing their eyesight – which is practically everyone I've ever talked to over the age of 50!

This protection comes from two antioxidants that are found in the macular area in the retina — lutein and zeaxanthin. These same nutrients are found in the yolks of eggs — the part that's shunned by so many people who worry unnecessarily about their cholesterol. So much for the health benefits of egg white omelets!

In one study, a number of people over the age of 60 were separated into two groups. One group ate an egg a day while the other group didn't. At the end of five weeks, the people who ate eggs had a significant increase in serum lutein and zeaxanthin. But what's equally exciting — and not at all surprising to me – is that their total cholesterol, along with their HDL and LDL cholesterol, didn't increase at all.

But there's more. In another study, conducted entirely with women, researchers gave some a sugar pill and they gave others six eggs a week. As you might expect, serum zeaxanthin increased in the women who ate eggs and their cholesterol and triglycerides remained stable. What was surprising was the effect of the placebo in this trial. The women who took a daily sugar pill had higher cholesterol and triglycerides than those who ate cholesterol-laden eggs!

If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you've heard me talk about sugar's ability to raise cholesterol and triglycerides. If you haven't read these articles, or you would like to re-read them, you can find them on my website (www.womenshealthletter.com) at no charge. The user name and password to enter my database is in the box on the right.

Which eggs are best?

All eggs are not alike. Some have been enriched with omega-3 fats – the healthy kind you want in your diet. Omega-3 fats are the same kind of fats found in fish. While all eggs are good, those containing more omega-3 fatty acids are better. You won't find them in restaurants, but you will find them in all health food stores and many supermarkets.

Feeding hens extra nutrients, such as flaxseed, enriches these eggs. Some have as much as six times more essential fats as commercial eggs. The extra omega-3 fats can raise healthy HDL and lower unhealthy LDL levels. Eating omega-3 eggs can be an excellent alternative for people who don't eat fish, or who don't eat it often enough.

So forget your egg white omelet and enjoy an egg or two for breakfast. It's an excellent source of protein, and getting enough protein is a major problem for many women. They won't hurt your heart, and they may help you save your eyesight.

Bourre, J.M. and F. Galea. "An important source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and E, carotenoids, iodine and selenium: a new natural multi-enriched egg," J Nutr Health Aging, September-October 2006.

Goodrow, E.F., et al. "Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentration in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations," J Nutr, October 2006.

Greene, C.M., et al. "Maintenance of the LDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio in an elderly population given a dietary cholesterol challenge," Amer Soc for Nutr, September 2005.

Qureshi, A., et al. "Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases," Med Sci Monit, December 2006.

Wenzel, A.J. "A 12-wk egg intervention increases serum zeaxanthin and macular pigment optical density in women," J Nutr, October 2006.

Chocolate With Calcium? Read the Label Carefully

Functional foods are on the rise – foods with nutrients added to make them "superfoods." The problem is some manufacturers are merely adding insignificantly small quantities of a nutrient. Others use cheap ingredients that are poorly absorbed. Take Adora Calcium Dark Chocolate Disks. Each little chocolate disk contains 500 mg of calcium along with a little vitamin K and vitamin D.

The idea is that you can eat one to three of these chocolates and get your daily supply of calcium. But what kind of calcium is it? Calcium carbonate — the worst absorbed form of all.

If your body eliminated what it couldn't use, that might not be a problem. But it can't. Instead, it stores unabsorbed calcium in joints and arteries. This can contribute to arthritis and heart disease.

There's an added problem with putting calcium in candy. If you eat more than the recommended amount, you could be taking too much calcium.

When you read the label of this candy, you'll see that the second ingredient is sugar (the first is calcium). And if you're savvy enough, you'll see that the vitamin D it contains is vitamin D2 – a synthetically made vitamin that's poorly absorbed. So if a superfood sounds too good to be true, it may be. Read the label carefully.

In a few months, I'll be talking about some interesting products I found at the Natural Products Expo West trade show. One is a chocolate that's combined with a nutraceutical. It reduces anxiety and helps you sleep. It's also low in sugar and contains no calcium. Now, that's worth trying.

Ask Dr. Nan

Q: I have dark circles under my eyes and look tired even when I'm not. I try to cover them up with makeup. Is there something better I can do to get rid of them? — B.W., via e-mail

A: There are a number of reasons why you may have these dark circles. Genetics is one of them. If this is the cause of your dark circles, there may be little you can do. But these circles can also be caused by allergies to dust and molds that are more difficult to identify and resolve. It may be worth using an air purifier for a few months and see if that helps.

Chinese medicine has another explanation. They say that dark circles are caused by "stagnant blood." This means that your blood may not be flowing as freely as it should. Blood congestion can, over time, contribute to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and tumors. Or just poor circulation. An acupuncturist can easily identify stagnant blood by checking your pulses.

There are many Chinese herbal formulas that address this stagnation. So does Padma Basic, a Tibetan formula I've written about in the past. I particularly like Padma Basic because it improves circulation and is an anti-inflammatory – which could help allergic symptoms as well.

From my personal and clinical experience, I can tell you that even if Padma doesn't eliminate your dark circles, it usually improves total health. Try taking two tablets twice a day for six months or more. And make sure you're drinking plenty of water and getting regular exercise, as well.

To order Padma Basic, simply call the folks at Women's Preferred (800-728-2288). They can help you get started today.

Q: I am recovering nicely from breast cancer treatment and don't ever want to go through that again. I know there are no guarantees, but can you suggest one or two things I can do that could be particularly effective in preventing a recurrence? — J.S.S., via e-mail

A: I have a few ideas. A recent study by Italian researchers published in the International Journal of Cancer (July 1, 2006) found that Syndrome X, or Metabolic Syndrome, was a significant predictor of a recurrence of breast cancer. Syndrome X is a cluster of abnormalities that are associated with heart disease and diabetes. Now we can add breast cancer to the list. These abnormalities include high cholesterol (with low HDL), high blood sugar, high triglycerides and blood pressure, and abdominal obesity.

So keep your weight down and lose some of your abdominal fat, if you have it, through diet and exercise. Keep your sugars low, and eliminate all or most refined sugars. Limit your fruit consumption to small portions during the day rather than one large portion. Sugar feeds Syndrome X. It also feeds cancer cells.

Add Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) to your supplements. It's the most important supplement you can take if you've had cancer, are at high risk for it, or have it now. The reason is simple. It prevents cancer cells from clustering and forming tumors. The only MCP I know of that has the correct size and weight to get into the bloodstream and survive long enough to prevent this clustering comes from EcoNugenics (800-308-5518). It's the same MCP found in the PectaSol Chelation Complex. However, plain MCP is less expensive than the complex in the larger doses you'll want (five grams, three times daily).

Pasanisi, P., et al. "Metabolic syndrome as a prognostic factor for breast cancer recurrences," Intl Journ of Cancer, July 1, 2006.