Like many people, I had soft teeth and lots of cavities as a child. No matter what I ate, or how often I brushed my teeth, my heart sank whenever I went to the dentist. Invariably, he gave me the disappointing news, "you have more cavities." That meant more trips to the dentist and more fillings. But cavities were the least of my problems. Decades later I discovered that some of my fillings were poisoning me.
For decades, dentists used fillings made from amalgam — cement comprised of 50% mercury, with silver, tin, and a little copper and zinc. At that time, dentists considered amalgams to be stable. They weren't. Small amounts of mercury slowly leak out of fillings over time and common habits accelerate its release.
Your body excretes whatever mercury it can through your liver, kidneys, and skin. There it can cause a variety of unexplained health problems from headaches, poor memory and concentration to neurological and autoimmune diseases. It can also cause digestive problems and low immunity. Mercury also can leak from amalgams directly into gum tissues, causing periodontal (gum) disease.
If you still have silver fillings, most likely they're leaking. Purely by chance, I discovered that one of mine was. After it was removed, a 20-year-old heart problem disappeared completely. I'll tell you about this in a minute. First, I want to explain how some common everyday habits accelerate the release of mercury years — even decades — after the filling has been put in. Change some of these habits and watch your health improve.
(1) Don't breathe deeply at the dentist's office when they expose you to amalgams, such as when they're removing an old filling. Your brain is close to your nasal passages. Studies show that mercury vapors settle in mucous membranes in the upper nasal cavity. Deep breathing can cause mercury to migrate from your nose to your brain. After your appointment, flush your nasal cavities with a saline solution and blow out any traces of mercury.
(2) Don't let gold touch silver. When a gold crown or filling touches an amalgam filling, these two metals create a mild electrical current that erodes amalgams and releases even more mercury. Replace all amalgams that touch gold crowns or fillings. (See box below for details).
(3) Use a soft toothbrush. I used to brush my teeth vigorously with a rather hard toothbrush. Then I discovered that this encourages small mercury droplets to move out of the amalgam filling and on to its surface where your body can reabsorb them. Instead, use a soft brush, and be sure to floss or use a proxy brush in between teeth to clean them thoroughly.
(4) Don't grind your teeth. Grinding your teeth in your sleep can have the same effect. If you're a grinder and have any amalgam fillings, talk with your dentist about getting a night guard to prevent leakage.
(5) Don't drink hot beverages. The hotter they are, the more likely mercury droplets will move onto the surface of amalgam fillings where they can evaporate. It's easy to inhale this vapor into the lungs or nasal cavity, where it eventually migrates to the blood and brain. Rinse your mouth with lukewarm, rather than hot water for the same reason. One laboratory test showed that rinsing with hot water caused a tenfold increase in the amount of mercury that leaked.
(6) Don't chew gum. Chewing anything releases mercury vapors from amalgam fillings. You can't avoid chewing your food, but you can avoid chewing gum. Researchers measured mercury vapors before and after chewing gum in people with amalgam fillings. Chewing greatly increased the amount of vapors. The more fillings, the more mercury the chewing released.
(7) Avoid acidic foods. Your stomach acid won't dissolve mercury. But eating an orange or having some fruit salad with grapefruit will. So will eating anything in brine, such as pickles. Weak solutions of acids or sodium chloride (salt) cause mercury in fillings to break down and release. Instead, drink citrus juices through a straw. And rinse your mouth well with lukewarm water after eating tomatoes, pickles, or other acidic foods.
If you can follow these simple steps, it will greatly reduce the amount of mercury your fillings release until you can have them removed. Once they're out, you need to remove the mercury that's trapped in your body using chelation therapy — a substance that binds to mercury so your body can excrete it. There are a number of oral chelation products on the market. Some, like EDTA or DMPS, are effective when they're given intravenously. But I recommend you don't use them for oral chelation. There are better, safer, and cheaper solutions.
NAC, or N-acetyl-cysteine, is a sulfur-containing amino acid that binds to mercury and helps remove it. It's an effective oral chelator, but a bit tricky to use. Some of it can oxidize and become insoluble, causing kidney stones. Taking three times as much vitamin C as NAC can prevent this from happening. Most doctors of integrative medicine who use NAC also add other chelators and detoxifiers, such as alpha lipoic acid, glutathione, and glycine. Work with someone familiar with oral mercury detoxification and NAC if you decide to use it.
MCP, or Modified Citrus Pectin, is safe enough for anyone to use. When it's combined with sodium alginate, from seaweed, it becomes a strong chelator of all heavy metals — including mercury. I've been using PectaSol Chelation Complex, a combination of PCC and sodium alginate, for more than a year. I can feel the difference.
PectaSol Chelation Complex is the only modified citrus pectin product that has been shown in human studies to chelate heavy metals. Begin by taking three capsules twice a day on an empty stomach. After a few months (depending on how long you've been exposed to mercury), take one capsule twice a day. Because there's still mercury and other heavy metals in the environment that I can't escape, I make this maintenance dose part of my daily supplement regime. You should too. You can order PectaSol Chelation Complex by calling 800-728-2288.
Fuchs, N.K., PhD. Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP), Basic Health Publications, 2003.
Stortebecker, P., MD, PhD. Mercury Poisoning From Dental Amalgam, Bio-Probe Inc, 1986.
Products and Trends
Every spring I go to the Natural Products Expo West. It's a huge trade show in Southern California with more than 3,000 booths featuring healthy products. This is where buyers for health food stores shop for new items. I go to look for new and exciting products you might otherwise miss, and get an overview of the current year's trends.
This year there was no one particular outstanding trend. But I did see some clever advertising techniques. Some are legit. Others are simply shrewd advertising.
"Natural" implies a product is good, and everything's "natural." For instance, I saw natural cigarettes made with organic ingredients. This doesn't make smoking either healthy or safe. There were booths featuring natural white rice and natural refined wheat products. And there must have been hundreds of booths offering products made with natural sugar. Whether it's natural or not — or even organic — sugar and refined carbs contribute to inflammation, diabetes, and a host of other health problems. Don't buy a product just because it says "natural" on the label.
Nutraceuticals: herbs, vitamins, minerals, or essential fats, are here to stay. These are nutrients that are added to a product to boost its health benefits. Like green tea extract in an energy bar. Or probiotics in cookies. Odwalla, a juice company bought by Coca Cola, now adds omega-3 DHA fats in some of its drinks because DHA supports brain health and function. Some nutraceuticals may enhance a product's nutritional value if the product contains a high enough amount. Others have tiny amounts of a nutraceutical that merely fools you into thinking that the product is worth a higher price. Read all labels closely. Does a product contain enough of a nutraceutical to make a difference in your diet? If so, give it a try. If not, pass.
Antioxidants continue to be over-used and exploited. From all the hype, you'd think that all you need are more antioxidants and every little health problem you have will disappear. Not true! In fact, antioxidants can harm you. In my article "Antioxidants — More Is Not Always better" (November 2003), I explain how high amounts of antioxidants can have a harmful pro-oxidizing effect — the opposite from the effect you expect and want. Please read this article on my website (see details on page 7).
Manufacturers are adding antioxidants to water, tea, juices, supplements, skin care products, and even chewing gum. Make sure that any claims that sound good are backed with scientific studies. If you're looking for a product with additional antioxidants, make sure that it contains enough to do the job. Bottom line: We need a variety of antioxidants. Most people simply need to eat some fruit every day and take a few good vitamins.
Water is cheap. Products that are mostly water are big business. I saw bottles and boxes of teas, juices, sodas, smoothies, soups, and ... water. Water with detoxifying herbs — but not enough to do anything. Flavored water. Water with sayings on their labels like "I am healthy" and "I am loved." Little boxes of water with straws for kids. Many are overpriced, and there's no way to know whether or not they contain fluoride, chlorine, or any contaminants. Bottom line: add a little pomegranate or cherry juice concentrate, or fresh mint, to your filtered tap water and save your money. Buy tea bags rather than bottles of pre-made tea. Use products that are mostly water for convenience only, not every day.
Most Interesting at Expo West
There were hundreds of products to choose from, but the following products caught my eye and worked when my testers and I used them. It could take a while before they're in health food stores, so order them direct.
The Doctor's Chocolate has sugar and it's not certified organic. So why is it worth mentioning? Well, it's packed with 125 mg of a patented form of l-theanine, a nutraceutical found in more than 50 studies to reduce stress. Eat one candy for a calming mid-day snack, or before bedtime if you have trouble getting to sleep.
The night before an eight-hour drive back from Expo West I had difficulty getting to sleep. I ate a Doctor's Chocolate and the next thing I knew it was morning! Friends have had similar experiences. Each dark chocolate drop with raspberry center contains only 20 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 3 grams of carbs. What's more, half of the sweetener used is xylitol, a no-calorie sweetener that's safe for diabetics. The chocolate is very high quality and unprocessed — they don't use any harsh alkali to make it. It's usually $29.95 for 35 pieces, or $49.95 for 65 pieces plus shipping. But not for you. Call them at 800-361-8746 and mention Dr. Nan and this newsletter. You'll get $5 off the small bag, and $10 off the large one.
Soap Nuts are the pure dried fruit from the Chinese Soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi). They contain saponin, which cleans clothes beautifully without added detergents or chemicals. I tried them and they work.
For cold-water washes, put three to four soap nuts in the included cotton bag, for warm or hot water you just need two. Then toss the bag in your washing machine. You can re-use the soap nuts three to five times with cold water, or one to two times with hot water. After you're done with them, put them in your garden or potted plants where they become compost.
A sample bag with five soap nuts is just $2.49; a box that cleans 16-20 loads of wash is $9.95. The larger, economy box is $18.99 and it cleans 36-50 loads. You can also use soap nuts to make a concentrated cleaner for windows, kitchens, and bathrooms. You can get Soap Nuts from Maggie's Pure Land. Call them at 888-762-7688 and mention Dr. Nan for a 20% discount, or order through their website, www.maggiespureland.com and enter NAN where it asks for a coupon code for the same discount.
This Delicious Fruit Contains a Hormone That Can Help Keep You Young
Every summer I wait eagerly for my favorite fruit to come into season. That's when you can find me shopping at the local produce stand nearly every day. Running out of this fruit is not an option. Its season is too short for that.
When I was a child, I used to eat it solely because it's so delicious. Now I have other reasons: it's packed with nutrients and anti-inflammatory substances. What's even better — and extremely unusual — is that one of its antioxidants is a hormone that can help us all stay young and vital.
As I mentioned earlier, antioxidants are currently all the rage. You may have heard about berries from the rainforest or far-off countries that contain a huge amount of anti-oxidants. Those foods with the highest amount of antioxidants are said to be the most beneficial. And supplements are marketed now on the basis of their high antioxidant count.
This is misleading
The amount of antioxidants in a food or supplement is not as important as which ones they contain. And my favorite fruit, which I've written about in the past, contains the anti-aging hormone melatonin. That's right. The same hormone that prevents jet lag and helps you get a good night's sleep is in just a few fruits. Of all the fruits tested, only my favorite one — cherries — contains significant amounts of melatonin.
How melatonin keeps us young
You may be familiar with melatonin's role as the hormone that helps regulate your sleep patterns. But it's far more than that. You see, as we get older, our bodies produce less melatonin. That's why so many seniors have insomnia. And since sleep regenerates our mind and body, getting a good night's sleep is part of any anti-aging program.
But melatonin also regulates and regenerates your thymus gland, which controls your immunity. Low melatonin can be a sign of an impaired immune system. There's nothing more important to looking and feeling good than a strong immune system, and cherries can support your immunity.
Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant, as well. In fact, it's twice as effective in neutralizing some toxic free radicals as vitamin E. It not only destroys free radicals, studies indicate it protects cells from damage by working with other antioxidants and boosting their effectiveness.
Boosting your daily supply of melatonin is just one way cherries help you look and feel good at any age. They have other beneficial qualities, as well.
Cherries reverse gout
Gout is a condition where uric acid crystals form in joints causing inflammation and pain. Back in 1950, an observant doctor, Ludwig Blau, realized that the day after he ate a bowl of cherries the pain in his foot from gout was gone. The days he didn't eat cherries were days of excruciating pain. Naturally, he included cherries in his daily diet.
Next, he measured the level of uric acid in a few of his patients with arthritic gout, and had them eat a can of cherries a day. Their uric acid levels dropped after eating the cherries. In some cases, the pain disappeared as well. Dr. Blau noticed that his patients had the same results whether the cherries they ate were sweet or tart, red or yellow. Since he knew that all fruits contain high levels of antioxidants, he also tested some of his patients with red seedless grapes, strawberries, and kiwi. Only the cherries caused an increased uric acid excretion.
Fifty years later, researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture measured the uric acid levels in a small group of healthy women. Then the researchers gave the women about half a pound (45 cherries) of Bing sweet cherries to eat. They measured their urate levels again. In all cases, they excreted more uric acid after eating the cherries.
Cherries reduce inflammation
Inflammation is at the foundation of all degenerative diseases from heart disease and stroke to cancer, diabetes, and oral problems. C reactive protein (CRP) is one marker of inflammation that correlates strongly with a high risk for heart disease. Bing sweet cherries reduced CRP by a whopping 25% in a group of healthy men and women who ate them daily for just one month! A month after stopping them, one out of three markers of inflammation remained low. So, eating cherries can reduce inflammation, increase the excretion of uric acid, and provide you with health-restoring melatonin.
What kinds are best?
Sweet cherries and tart (sour) cherries both contain melatonin, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients, although tart cherries contain more. Since the amount of antioxidants in cherries can vary not only from species to species but from tree to tree, cherry extracts will give you a specific amount of any of these beneficial chemicals.
Don't worry about getting an exact amount. You can get your daily ration from half a cup of cherry juice (often a mix of sweet and tart), 45 fresh or frozen cherries, a few tablespoons of cherry extract, or a handful of dried cherries. Today's prescription for staying vital and pain-free supports the old adage: Health is just a bowl of cherries.
Blau, L.W. "Cherry diet control for gout and arthritis," Tex Rep Biol Med, 1950.
Burkhardt, S., et al. "Detection and quantification of the antioxidant melatonin in Montmorency and Balaton tart cherries," Journ of Agruic and Food Chem, 2001.
Cuzzocrea, S., and R.R. Reiter. "Pharmacological action of melatonin in shock, inflammation and ischemia/reperfusion injury," European Journ of Pharm, 2001.
Jacob, R.A., et al. "Consumption of cherries lowers plasma urate in healthy women," J Nutr, June 2003.
Health Detective
Who Is Stronger: Women or Men?
I'm not talking about who can lift more weight, but who can tolerate more pain. The answer is "women" — if we have enough estrogen. A London anesthetist observed that women can endure pain better during the two weeks before menstruation, when estrogen levels rise, than at any other times. This is one reason why women can bear the pain of childbirth. Their estrogen levels are high at this time. After menopause, women who are not on hormone therapy may feel more pain than before.
We also have more pain-related illnesses than men like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraine headaches. And we respond to pain differently than men. We process pain through our emotions, which is one reason why many women with a history of physical or emotional abuse have chronic pain. When we can distract ourselves, or look at our pain differently, we can lessen its intensity.
Men feel more pain when they're anxious, and they look for a plan of action to reduce it. Men have less pain when they're in the presence of attractive women, but our pain is untouched when we're around an attractive man. Even painkillers react differently in women and men. A relative of morphine lessens pain in women and increases it dramatically in men. If you're in pain, remind your doctor of these differences, and ask for a plan that will work for you, not for a man.
Olivier, Suzannah. "Tailor-made drugs," London Times, February 2, 2002.
Disney "Magic Selections" to Offer Healthier Foods
A move to help fight childhood obesity is great news for you, too. Disney Consumer Products signed a contract with the Kroger supermarket chain to stock more than 100 healthy products under the name of Disney Magic Selections. Kroger is the biggest retailer in the country after Wal-Mart, the company that already doubled their selection of organics.
Disney's new line of foods, which include milk, fruit, vegetables, pasta, soup, bread, yogurt, low-sugar juices, and small servings of snacks like ice cream, will contain no trans fats — the fats that can lead to heart disease and obesity. They will also be lower in all fats and sugars than similar foods already on the market. Some will even contain whole grains and be preservative-free. Seems to me they'll be worth trying for "children of all ages" who are still eating refined foods and lots of sugars and fats.
I don't expect all of these products to be either organic or the healthiest choices out there. But they should be "better than" the majority of foods that kids already eat. And with pictures of Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and other recognizable characters on the packages, they're sure to appeal to children.
Wal-Mart and Disney are setting a trend that has worldwide implications. McDonald's has announced a partnership with Scripps Research Institute to look for ways they can help fight childhood diabetes and type-2 diabetes.
While these programs are targeted to children, the foods that will save their health can help save yours as well. So pick up a package of whole grain crackers with Mickey Mouse or Tigger giving their thumbs up and give it to a child in your family or a friend. And while you're at it, pick up one for yourself, as well.
"Disney signs first-time retailer healthy foods deal," Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, September 2006.
www.mcdepk.com/scrippsalliance
Ask Dr. Nan
Q: I took herbal laxatives for 10 years and now suffer from lazy bowel movements. Laxatives are the only way to move my bowels. I have tried many things, but nothing has worked. What can I do to stop being dependent on laxatives? — D.R., e-mail
A: Unfortunately, you're experiencing the all-too-common consequences from laxative abuse. Here's what you need to do. Begin by eating a healthy diet. It need to include whole grains, plenty of vegetables, and absolutely no sugar. Sugar feeds bad bacteria in the intestines. And your intestines want more of the good bacteria (probiotics) instead.
Whenever you increase your transit time — the time it takes for you to eliminate solid wastes — you need to take plenty of probiotics. The laxatives reduce their colonies. And you need to repopulate your colon with probiotics so it can function properly on its own. I suggest you take two of Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics 12 Plus (877-262-7843) twice a day. It's the strongest probiotic I know. And while it's pricey, I think it's well worth the cost. Mention my name for a 15% discount. Once your condition improves, you can switch to a less expensive, yet still potent brand, such as Advanced Bionutritionals Advance Probiotic Formula (800-728-2288).
Finally, stop taking any laxative containing Cascara sagrada. This herb has an abrasive action that irritates the colon. Instead, I suggest you try IDF (Integrative Digestive Formula), a brand new digestive formula that warms the digestion and helps move wastes through the body. You can get it only through this newsletter (800-728-2288). It's working well for people who are constipated, but it does much more. It helps repair the digestive tract — something you seem to need to do.
Q: I'm a postmenopausal woman. I lost my desire for sex and ability to have an orgasm eight years ago during menopause. My mother died of ovarian cancer, so I'm afraid to take hormones. Is there any help for older women? Any information from you would be helpful. — C.B., e-mail
A: Low libido is a difficult condition to treat. But there is help available beyond taking hormones. Look at your situation from another point of view: dopamine production. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects female sexual arousal. So the idea is to increase your dopamine levels. I have two suggestions. You should discuss both of them with, and have them monitored by, a doctor of integrative medicine.
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume also known as velvet bean. Its seed powder contains high amounts of levodopa, which stimulates dopamine production. You may not have heard of this herb, but Ayurvedic medicine has used it to treat Parkinson's disease — another condition that needs more dopamine — for years. Many people use it as an aphrodisiac. Unlike most other aphrodisiacs that work only on men, this herb increases arousal in women as well. You should be able to find it at many health food stores and on the Internet.
If it doesn't work, there's a pharmaceutical drug that might: the antidepressant Wellbutrin. It increases dopamine and has a potential, but rare side effect you may not mind: spontaneous orgasm. Ask your doctor for a trial prescription to see if it works for you.
Quincy, C., DO, personal communication<
www.wikipedia.com