I'm not an advocate of surgery except for life-threatening conditions or as a last resort. But I've stumbled upon a variation of a common weight loss surgery that has a remarkable side effect. As a result, it may be worth considering for diabetics who can't lose weight.

This surgery not only results in weight loss. It actually causes diabetes to disappear! If you or anyone you know has type-2 diabetes, is moderately-to-morbidly obese, and hasn't been able to lose weight or get their blood sugar under control, this information could be life changing.

The surgery I'm talking about is a form of bypass surgery. But it's not the usual gastric banding surgery you've heard about that allows you to eat only a few spoonfuls of food. Instead of reducing the size of your stomach, it re-routes food so that it bypasses the duodenum. Now, in case you've forgotten, or didn't know, the duodenum is the upper part of your small intestine that connects the rest of your small intestine to your stomach.

Not many people are aware of what the duodenum does. It breaks down the fats and sugars in your food so their nutrients—and calories – can then be absorbed. Instead of having your food travel along the entire length of the small intestines, this surgery reduces the amount of calories your body can utilize. In other words, some of the calories in your foods "don't count" because they're not absorbed.

But Dr. Francesco Rubino, the surgeon who led a recent study on this duodenal exclusion surgery, believes that the duodenum does much more. He thinks it releases signals that lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that your body produces insulin, but your cells don't respond to it. The result is high blood sugar, otherwise known as diabetes.

It looks like this signal is overly sensitive in some people. This includes diabetics. When your duodenum inappropriately triggers this signal, it plays havoc with blood sugar and insulin levels.

In the past, we all thought that the pancreas played the major role in blood sugar regulation. Now it looks like the duodenum plays a primary role. If Dr. Rubino's theory is right, and both animal and human studies indicate he is, bypassing the duodenum could stop this overly sensitive insulin resistance signal.

Duodenal exclusion surgery is very new. But researchers have already published favorable animal and human studies in esteemed medical journals. The results of these studies are so impressive that many countries around the world are now conducting clinical trials. I don't know of any studies underway in this country, however. But it's something we need to look out for. Here's what we know so far:

Surgeons who performed this surgery on obese diabetics noticed that 98% of them not only lost weight, they had no diabetes a few weeks after their operations.

Two of the patients in Dr. Rubino's original study were able to stop their diabetes medications completely.

The diabetes disappeared too quickly to be caused by weight loss alone.

Weight loss and glucose control had nothing to do with dietary restriction. These results were independent of the amount of food the participants ate.

Duodenal bypass surgery worked better than dietary restrictions to control diabetes.

Doctors have performed duodenal exclusion surgeries on diabetics in Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic, and India. All of them have seen similar results. They haven't published the studies yet, but I expect they will shortly.

This surgery has significant implications, since the current treatments available for obesity rarely result in getting diabetes in remission. Dr. Rubino is working diligently to make this surgery more available. He has asked the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) to recommend duodenal exclusion surgery for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. They haven't made a decision yet. Instead, this eminent group of doctors advocates a healthy diet along with exercise for weight and blood sugar control. We know this often isn't enough. Especially if diabetes is triggered by a sensitive signal in the duodenum. Unfortunately, it's an all-too-common response from the powers-that-be in conventional medicine.

I realize that the AACE is being cautious. After all, only a handful of people have tried the surgery. But the results were so amazing, along with a remarkable lack of side effects, that researchers have already begun human clinical trials using this technique in other countries. There seems to be no downside in making this procedure available.

In four or five years, we may see this surgery in the mainstream. Meanwhile, if you're interested in more information on duodenal exclusion, speak with your doctor or a bariatric surgeon and show them this article. They can contact Dr. Rubino, the pioneer for this procedure, at [email protected]. Please don't contact Dr. Rubino yourself. He's a busy doctor who needs to use his time making this surgery available to you.

Rubino, F., et al. "The mechanism of diabetes control after gastrointestinal bypass surgery reveals a role of the proximal small intestine in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes," Annals of Surgery, November 2006.

Rubino, R. "Bariatric surgery: effects on glucose homeostasis," Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, July 2006.

Eight Proven Ways to Control Chronic Pain Without Drugs That Few Doctors Recommend

If you have chronic pain, chances are you're taking medications. And if you're reading this, chances are you'd rather find another method — one without side effects or prohibitive costs. While there are plenty of alternatives to drug therapy, not all are backed by good science. I'm not about to recommend any pain-relievers touted as the latest and greatest — based on anecdotes. My mantra is, Show me the science!

So let's take a look at some proven solutions to pain reduction published in reputable medical journals. Real research has found all of them to be both safe and effective.

Your doctor probably hasn't suggested them. They're not taught in medical schools, nor has conventional medicine tried to integrate them into its treatments. But if one of them works for you – even a little – it could mean reducing, or eliminating, your pain pills.

If you've used any of these therapies and they didn't work, don't give up. They work slower than drugs. Remember, no treatment works for everyone. Try one that has been tested and found to work for your type of pain. Here are some of the most successful, and available, methods of reducing chronic pain.

Biological medicine

Biological medicine uses dietary supplements to treat chronic pain. Several nutrients have passed the research test. They include using a topical cream with cayenne pepper for arthritis. Read my article on this subject in the September 2007 issue online.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are medications that reduce inflammation and pain. One of them, Vioxx, contributes to heart disease and its manufacturer, Merck, recalled it as a result. What can you take instead of NSAIDs? The most frequently tested supplement found effective for arthritis, low back, and nerve pain was the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

But don't rush out and buy them. You can get better results with just one of these nutrients. Glucosamine sulfate is 95% absorbed, while chondroitin sulfate is only 5% absorbed. To save money and see results, take glucosamine alone (1,500 mg three times a day).

Anti-inflammatory supplements will reduce pain caused by inflammation. They include devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), curcumin, Boswellia serrata, and white willow bark. All have significant anti-inflammatory activity.

If you hear about a supplement said to lower pain, ask to see the studies. If all you can get are testimonials, save your money — unless they offer a 100% money back guarantee (then it might be worth trying).

Energy medicine

Energy medicine works with the electromagnetic fields that surround our bodies. They include expensive devices, many without FDA approval. Here are some lower-cost methods proven to be effective.

Therapeutic touch (TT) is based on the theory that a practitioner's healing energies can affect the patient's health. TT uses no physical contact. The practitioner moves his or her hands above the body to correct energy imbalances. The treatment's ability to relieve tension headaches is its most successful use. This may sound flaky, but I've used this technique successfully for decades.

Qi Gong and T'ai Chi are two forms of traditional energy medicine commonly practiced throughout China. When I visited this fascinating country, I saw groups of factory workers doing Qi Gong early in the morning before starting work. Its health benefits are both preventive and therapeutic.

Qi Gong combines slow movements with specific breathing and meditation. It enhances the flow of energy, or Qi, throughout the body. In four good studies, Qi Gong reduced chronic pain. Look for someone in your area who teaches either of these forms of movement and try it for a few months.

Spinal manipulation is a popular therapy for low back pain because it works. Chiropractors and osteopaths (medical doctors who also use manipulation) are the medical professionals who use it. Don't expect your physician to refer you to a chiropractor or condone your seeing one.

They're frequently at odds with one another. This is unfortunate. Each has his place in our health care. I began going to chiropractors when I was nine years old. I currently work with osteopaths. My chronic back pain is negligible because of these doctors — and exercise.

Massage therapy can be either therapeutic or simply relaxing. Either can reduce pain. Therapeutic massage targets specific areas to stop pain signals or to increase serotonin production. Low serotonin increases the production of a pain neurotransmitter called substance P. Even a relaxing massage can help you sleep better, because deep sleep also reduces substance P.

While many doctors believe that massage will do little to relieve pain, our local hospital, Palm Drive, makes it available to patients. The therapists who work there have been trained in therapeutic massage. If a small hospital in northern California can recognize that massage can reduce pain, yours can too.

Hypnosis. In a recent analysis of 18 studies, people treated with hypnosis had a better pain-reducing response than 75% of people who received standard care (medications) or no treatment.

Another review of 19 studies found that hypnosis was more effective than drugs for headaches or physical therapy for the pain from fibromyalgia. The effects lasted for several months.

Biofeedback. Sometimes the solution to pain is mind over matter. If you think you can't control your pain, you haven't used biofeedback. Biofeedback teaches you to use your mind to control your body using an instrument that measures skin temperature, heart rate, respiration, or perspiration. This helps you become more aware of physiological responses to pain you thought were automatic. You can change these responses once you're aware of them. Biofeedback is effective for PMS, migraines, muscle pain and spasms, IBS, carpal tunnel, and other pain.

You can find a certified practitioner by contacting the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (www.bcia.org, or 866-908-8713). If you notice an improvement within a few sessions, you may want to get a small biofeedback device to use by yourself at home. While mainstream doctors may scoff at biofeedback, insurance companies take it seriously. Many reimburse you when it's used for headaches and neuromuscular pain.

Acupuncture. An acupuncturist friend witnessed brain surgery in China where acupuncture was the only anesthesia. The patient was talking cheerfully with the surgeon and experienced no pain whatsoever.

Researchers have studied acupuncture, fully accepted throughout the world, in more clinical trials than any other complementary therapy. Still, it's not fully accepted here. One reason is that few clinical trials examined its use for chronic pain.

A recent study found that acupuncture treatment was more effective in reducing low back pain than the combination of drugs, physical therapy, and exercise. Two other studies found that acupuncture reduced knee pain from osteoarthritis and chronic neck pain. It was, however, slow to work, taking six months in each of these cases. If you're patient, acupuncture could be an extremely effective solution to your chronic pain.

Finding non-drug pain relief is possible. All you have to do is try one of these treatments. They have science behind them and work in many cases.

In the past, I've talked at length about several other methods that can reduce pain. They include specific herbs used to prevent or treat migraines and other headaches, reducing the size of your shoe heels for knee pain, and an exceptionally effective method for eliminating pain called prolotherapy when it's caused by loose ligaments. All of these articles, along with references, are available on my website.

Berman, B.M., et al. "Effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunctive therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee," Ann Intern Med, 2004.

Haake, M. Arch Intern Med, 2007.

Morone, N.E. and C.M. Greco. "Mind-body interventions for chronic pain in older adults: a structured review," Pain Med, May-June 2007. Tan, G., PhD, ABPP, et al. "Efficacy of selected complementary and alternative medicine interventions for chronic pain," Journ of Rehab Research and Development, vol 44, no 2, 2007.

How You Know a Product Really Detoxifies

There are dozens of products that claim they rid your body of toxins. Some of them do very little. How can you know that a detox product works? Not by the way you feel when you're taking them. Or by the claims that are made about them. All claims need to be backed up with studies.

Some people who take detoxification products don't feel anything. Often, they interpret this as thinking that nothing is happening. They've heard about uncomfortable signs of detoxification called a healing crisis. But this crisis does not necessarily mean a product is working. In fact, some of the most effective detoxifying products are the most gentle.

I've talked before about two products that pull heavy metals out of the body: Modified citrus pectin (MCP) and PectaSol Chelation Complex (MCP with added alginate from seaweed). These products are so gentle that many people wonder whether or not they're working. They are. There's been good science behind their chelating abilities for decades. Now there's a clinical report of five case histories from Amitabha Medical Clinic in Sebastopol, California, that proves their effectiveness.

This report found an average of 74% reduction in heavy metals in patients. The heavy metal levels were determined by urine tests done through a reputable lab. In all cases, MCP alone or with added alginate was both well tolerated and resulted in dramatic improvements in the patients' health.

One woman had been depressed and anxious for more than 10 years. She lived in an old house where she had been exposed to fumes from paint, plumbing, and other potential toxins. She had her mercury amalgams removed years prior by her dentist with no improvement. After two months on PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC), her mercury level dropped by 83%, her lead level went down by 100%, and her symptoms disappeared.

Inflammation, adrenal exhaustion, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome all improved in these five patients in two months to one year. That's right. It took as much as a year chelating mercury, lead, and other heavy metals to help resolve their health problems. So don't give up. If you suspect heavy metal toxicity, give this detoxification process a fair trial. Stock up on PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC) and don't give up. It's gentle, and it really works.

I used PCC for a full year and now take a maintenance dose of one capsule twice a day – because there's always some exposure to heavy metals in car exhaust, water, and air. You can order by calling 800-728-2288.

Eliaz, I., E. Weil, and B. Wilk. "Integrative medicine and the role of modified citrus pectin/alginates in heavy metal chelation and detoxification - five case reports." Forsch Komplementarmed. 2007; 14 (6): 358-364.

Some Mice — and People — Are Immune to Cancer (In time, you could be, too)

I recently stumbled across an amazing discovery. Researchers had injected a colony of mice with a particularly virulent form of cancer for one of their experiments. As expected, the cancer grew in all of the mice. All but one, that is. He didn't get the cancer.

So they injected him again. Still no cancer.

No matter how many times they injected cancer cells into this mouse, he stayed cancer-free. How can this be? Turns out the mouse was immune to cancer. He had a particular subset of white blood cells called neutrophil granulocytes that gave him an immune system capable of searching out and killing cancer cells.

The researchers used this mouse to father a colony of mice. And lo and behold — all of them were resistant to cancer!

Next, they gave a transfusion of their granulocytes to a number of mice with cancer. Their tumors disappeared within a few weeks. What's even more impressive is that this single transfusion gave the mice permanent immunity to cancer.

The original researchers, headed by Dr. Zheng Cui at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, are now finding these same granulocytes in people. As with mice, they're only present in a very few people.

Dr. Cui is learning more about them. For instance, they're not equally effective throughout the year. These granulocytes are strongest during the sunny months. This may be due to fluctuating melatonin and vitamin D3 levels, which are highest in the summer and lowest in the winter.

They're also affected by stress. In fact, stress can wipe them out.

The FDA has given approval for a study where researchers will give these granulocytes from cancer-resistant people to cancer patients. All Dr. Cui is waiting for is the necessary funding. I'll let you know as soon as there's more information.

Meanwhile, although we may not have all of the information yet, you may want to take supplemental vitamin D3. The doctors I confer with have found that even their patients who spend a great deal of time in the sun are low in this cancer-fighting vitamin/hormone.

I've written about the cancer-fighting properties of both melatonin and vitamin D3 in the past. Read those articles on my website and consider boosting your intake of these nutrients. Since most people are very low in this vitamin, I suggest — and take — 5,000 IU a day. You can get Vitamin D3 in any health food store, or find 5,000 IU tablets at Advanced Bionutritionals (800-728-2288).

"Z. Cui, I. Molnar, M.C. Willingham, G.J. Pomper, J.R. Stehle, and M. Blanks. "From a newly discovered innate anticancer immune response in mice to a new treatment for human cancers," http://www.sens.org/sens3/abs/Cui.htm.

Health Detective

4 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer

I recently had a colonoscopy. The same day a friend's husband had his colon resectioned to remove a large tumor. Avoiding a colonoscopy could have been the biggest mistake of his life. Hopefully, he'll be all right. I am.

If you haven't had a colonoscopy in recent years, you need to have one. You also need to make sure you get the most accurate results possible. And there are several things you can do to make sure your doctor gives you the accurate results.

(1) Have your procedure done by a gastroenterologist. Studies show that an internist or family doctor is more likely to miss cancers.

(2) Have it done in a hospital. There's a two to three times greater risk of missing a suspicious growth if your doctor does the procedure in his office.

(3) Get an early appointment. Doctors are more alert – and accurate – in the morning than in the afternoon.

(4) Take it slow. Doctors can take from three to 15 minutes to withdraw the wand and look for polyps. Seven minutes is standard. Make sure your doctor takes at least seven minutes. Mine did.

There are times when we can just follow our doctor's recommendations for tests, and times to be more proactive. When it comes to a colonoscopy, you're more likely to get accurate results when you ask your doctor to meet these four conditions. Doing so will greatly reduce your risk of getting colon cancer.

One quick note: I brought one of my Health Secrets books to my colonoscopy for my doctor. My procedure was the second one of the morning, and he had people lined up for the whole day. Still, Dr. Allan Hill found time between my procedure and the next person's to look through my book. I know this because on my discharge paper he had written: "See '456 Health Secrets', #335 and #397." Those secrets were about eating a Mediterranean diet and getting plenty of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables – two things I do on a daily basis. Now, Dr. Hill's a doctor I can talk to!

Ask Dr. Nan

Q: Is Applied Kinesiology a good way to discover what food allergies I have? — J., e-mail

A: I took the doctor’s course in Applied Kinesiology many years ago from Dr. David Walther. Dr. Walther learned it directly from Dr. George Goodheart, the doctor who originated this technique. When you do it properly, it can be an effective way to test foods for sensitivities. The problem is, most people never do it properly.

To do it correctly, you have to put the food you’re testing in your mouth and test a single muscle – not a group of muscles – for strength or weakness. A weak muscle indicates you’re sensitive to that food.

Unfortunately, most doctors don’t isolate a single muscle. Or test the food in your mouth. Both are necessary for an accurate test. I suspect you’re talking with a chiropractor, and that he or she is doing what I call the arm-pulldown-test, not Applied Kinesiology. This is a quick and easy test, but it’s not at all accurate or what I learned. Applied Kinesiology is more difficult to perform (though not substantially). And it’s more accurate.

The best way to test a food is one used by many allergists. You avoid the food in question completely for two weeks and then eat it by itself. If your pulse races at all, or if you get a negative reaction, you should avoid it for three to six months and re-test. The avoidance test takes time and patience. But it costs nothing and it works – often better than the often-used skin prick test.

Q: I have trouble digesting fats. When I eat them, I get bloated and gassy. What can I do besides stop eating them? — C.J.S., e-mail

A: The solution isn’t to go on a fat-free diet. Your body needs a variety of fats for different purposes — for brain function, good immunity, vision, and a host of other reasons.

But before your body can use them, it has to break them down and digest them. Enzymes (called lipases) and bile acids break them down. You may not be getting enough of them.

Fortunately, you can find digestive enzymes in health food stores. Some brands use pancreatin (an animal product), while others are vegetarian enzymes. Both work, as long as the label says “lipase.” However, I don’t recommend papaya enzymes. They are usually comparatively low in lipase.

Bile acids are another story. Your liver makes them from cholesterol and stores them in your gallbladder. Then it releases them when you need to digest fatty foods. A congested liver, a toxic liver, aging, and having your gallbladder removed are some reasons for low bile acid production.

If you have no gallbladder — the receptacle that holds bile until your body needs it — you need to lower your intake of fats. Otherwise, you have several choices. Detoxify your liver (I’ve talked about this many times in past articles, which are available on my website) or take a digestive enzyme with bile acids (also available in health food stores) after eating any fatty foods.

If you decide to take enzymes to help digest your foods, I have a suggestion. Try a bottle of Integrative Digestive Formula (IDF). It helps repair the digestive system while providing enzymes. I’m amazed at how well I’ve been able to digest foods that previously were completely off-limits (800-728-2288).