New Research Finds This Nutrient Is Even More Valuable Than We Thought

It's time to bring you up to date on an important protective nutrient I've talked about before. In the past, good sound scientific studies found that it stops malignant tumors from growing, it reduces blood pressure, and it prevents blood clots.

You'd think that was enough. But several new studies show it does much more. So much so that it's beginning to get attention in the mainstream press.

Recent research has found that this antioxidant can protect you from getting type-2 diabetes. It can also stop blood vessel damage caused by high blood sugar if you're already diabetic. And it even kills pancreatic cancer cells. I think you'll agree with me that anything that can slow down or stop the progression of pancreatic cancer is one powerful chemical.

We're finding out that this nutrient has so many benefits that I'm going to make a prediction. I predict that some drug company will patent its active ingredient and make it synthetically, turning it into a prescription drug. Of course, this means it will be more expensive than the plant-based form. I see no reason for you to take a pharmaceutical drug when good, sound scientific studies have shown the natural plant-based form works. And it has.

The nutrient I'm talking about is resveratrol, best known as the antioxidant in red grape skins. It's also found in raspberries, peanuts, and red wine.

Stops type-2 diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control recognizes type-2 diabetes as an epidemic that's spreading across all age groups. When I was growing up, insulin resistance just affected older, obese people. Now, we're seeing a lot of it in children and adolescents as well. It's often the result of a poor diet and excess weight, so diet and exercise are an important part of its treatment plan. And now we're finding resveratrol is as well.

A group of scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai gave the equivalent of 15 mg a day to insulin-resistant mice. These mice became more sensitive to insulin.

Researchers found resveratrol to be a "valuable new strategy for treating both insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes." Insulin resistance means that your body is less sensitive to insulin, leading to high amounts of blood sugar spilling into the bloodstream. This can lead to type-2 diabetes.

Stops damage from diabetes

One of the most serious aspects of diabetes is its side effects, including heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness. If you're diabetic, you know how vital it is to avoid these complications.

Here's what happens. High levels of glucose in the bloodstream damage the microscopic power plants inside cells that produce energy. When these power plants — the mitochondria — are damaged, they make dangerous free radicals. Free radicals, as you may remember, cause numerous problems including heart disease and accelerated aging.

A study conducted at The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in England found that resveratrol can block the damaging effects of glucose. Dr. Matt Whiteman, who headed this study, discovered that resveratrol also protected against this damage, and was able to repair it.

Stops pancreatic cancer

But diabetes isn't the only disease resveratrol can fight. One of its most exciting characteristics is its ability to prevent and treat cancer.

As I've mentioned, resveratrol is a very powerful antioxidant. And some doctors believe that antioxidants interfere with the effectiveness of various cancer treatments. But resveratrol proves them wrong.

Recently, for the very first time, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that resveratrol can get right into cancer cells' source of energy and damage them.

That, alone, is fantastic! But resveratrol does much more.

These researchers, headed by Paul Okunieff, MD, chief of Radiation Oncology, gave resveratrol to patients with pancreatic cancer before they had radiation treatment. The combination of this particular antioxidant and radiation caused their cancer cells to commit suicide. This programmed cell death is called apoptosis.

Your doctor may have told you to avoid antioxidants while you're getting radiation or chemotherapy. Some doctors still believe that antioxidants like resveratrol protect malignant tumors and interfere with these therapies. Not so, says Okunieff. He found that resveratrol not only gets into malignant cells and damages them, it protects healthy cells from radiation's damage. "Resveratrol seems to have a therapeutic gain by making tumor cells more sensitive to radiation and making normal tissue less sensitive."

Although resveratrol is found in several foods, you can't get protective amounts from your diet. So you need to look for a strong supplement that has at least 100 mg of trans-resveratrol.

The one I use, and the most powerful resveratrol product I've seen, is Advanced Resveratrol Formula from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-728-2288). It provides 110 mg per day — more than any other product I know of.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101764.php Moss, Ralph. "Does resveratrol enhance the effects of radiation therapy?" www.cancerdecisions.com.

The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (2008, March 20). Grape Skin Compound Fights The Complications Of Diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 31, 2008.

When You Get the Flu, Here's How to Avoid Pneumonia and Other Respiratory Illnesses

It finally happened. A virus caught me after six years of escaping all colds and flu. The flu itself was mild and only lasted three days. But it left me with a cough that just wouldn't go away.

All my life, coughs and mild lung congestion progressed to bronchitis and pneumonia. So at the first sign of the flu, I took everything I've told you about including MycoPhyto Complex for my immune system and Usnea for my lungs. But after a week of coughing, I decided to see my doctor. Not a traditional doctor, but an osteopath. Am I glad I did! She was able to treat my flu without drugs – and the results were fantastic!

You might be surprised to read that an osteopath helped my flu. After all, aren't they just glorified chiropractors? Not by a long shot. Osteopathy has a long history of treating the flu effectively. In fact, during the worst flu pandemic to ever strike globally in 1918, osteopathy greatly outperformed conventional medicine in this country.

Just what is an osteopath?

An osteopathic physician is a licensed medical doctor who treats the whole person by gently manipulating the body, primarily through the musculoskeletal system. This allows the bones, joints, and other structures to move without restriction. The result is that the body is better able to heal itself.

A doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) may be a surgeon, primary care internist, or someone who specializes in this system of manipulation known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). The osteopath I saw limits her practice to manipulations. They worked beautifully for me. OMT prevented my cough from progressing to pneumonia.

When I walked into her office, my doctor could tell by the sound of my coughs that I was heading toward pneumonia. I only knew it was impossible for me to take a deep breath without coughing uncontrollably. When I left 30 minutes later, she could find no sign of pneumonia and I could breathe more deeply. Her treatment turned me around in the half hour I was in her office!

Osteopathy and the flu

The flu itself is most dangerous when it turns into pneumonia or another upper respiratory illness. These can wear you down, lower your immunity, and even lead to death. It can allow other infectious agents — like bacteria — to get a foothold and progress to pneumonia, bronchitis, and even asthma.

It's a fact that tens of thousands of people in this country die each year from complications of the flu. How many depends on whom you ask. What's not disputed is that the majority of the fatalities are seniors over the age of 60. Let's look back in history and compare the results of patients who saw conventional allopathic doctors vs. osteopaths.

In the worldwide bird flu pandemic of 1918-1919, 1% of the world's population — nearly 30 million people — died! More than 500,000 people in the U.S. alone succumbed. Osteopathy saved more lives than conventional medicine. Only 0.25% of osteopathic patients died. Once the patients of conventional doctors progressed to pneumonia, their mortality soared to from 33% to 78%! In fact, the death rate of osteopathic patients was one-fortieth that of people treated by conventional doctors.

There were no antivirals or antibiotic medications at that time. Traditional doctors knew only to give their patients cough syrup and aspirin. Osteopathic patients may have been given these same treatments — along with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). The movement my doctor used to allow me to breathe more easily is called the lymphatic pump. It was the reason so many people survived the bird flu. This movement freed up restrictions in my lungs and helped me avoid pneumonia.

There are many doctors and scientists who predict another deadly worldwide flu pandemic. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has already drafted a plan to respond to one, should it come. Maybe we'll have a bird flu pandemic in our lifetime like the one in 1918-1919, and maybe not. That's not the issue. Both flu pandemics and yearly viruses can be helped by the right kind of doctor: an osteopath. One thing you can count on: Every year many thousands of people will get one variety of the flu or another. Some of them will die from its complications. This is why I suggest you make an appointment to see an osteopath at the first sign of the flu and ask them to include the lymphatic pump. It could shorten your flu's duration and prevent it from progressing to pneumonia. It can even save your life!

A note to all osteopaths

Tell every osteopath you know about this important one-day workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 25, 2008. Dennis J Dowling, DO, FAAO, past president of the American Academy of Osteopathy is presenting a program, "Avoiding Disaster: Osteopathic Approach to the Flu." DOs can learn how to protect and treat their flu patients, and get five hours of CME credit at the same time. For more information, go to www.osteopathic.org. or www.academyofosteopathy.org.

D'Alonzo, G.E., DO. "Influenza epidemic or pandemic? Time to roll up sleeves, vaccinate patients, and hone osteopathic manipulative skills," JAOA, September 2004.

Magoun, H.I., Jr, DO. "More about the use of OMT during influenza epidemics," JAOA, October 2004.

National Center for Infectious Diseases Division of Viral and Reckettsial Disease, National Center for Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, National Immunization Program. Prevention and Control of Influenza. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004;53(RR06):1-40. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu.

Personal communication with Dennis J Dowling, DO, FAAO.

Polozov, I.V., et al. "Progressive ordering with decreasing temperature of the phospholipids of influenza virus," Nature Chemical Biology, March 2, 2008.

Prevent Alzheimer's Disease by Changing Your Shampoo

Back in 1993, the FDA approved a drug called Cognex (tacrine) to treat Alzheimer's disease. Tacrine works by blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine. This is an important brain neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in memory and learning.

Neurotransmitters are substances that allow brain cells to "talk" to one another. As we age, our bodies produce smaller quantities of lots of nutrients — including acetylcholine. We've known for a long time that acetylcholine is low in people with Alzheimer's disease. So if you can keep your acetylcholine levels high, you're going a long way to maintain and even improve your memory.

The year after the FDA approved tacrine, botanist James A. Duke, PhD was so convinced that he had found an answer to Alzheimer's that he actually bet all of his hair that using rosemary shampoo would protect against this dreaded disease as effectively as tactrine.

Does this sound crazy? Let me tell you why it's not.

Dr. Duke is not just an ordinary botanist. He's the botanist who developed the Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is a huge database consisting of scientifically based information about herbs and the chemicals they contain. When he looked for herbs that prevented the breakdown of acetylcholine in this database, Dr. Duke found half a dozen plants that worked. Of them all, rosemary (Rosmarinus officianalis) was the most effective.

Even if rosemary prevented acetylcholine breakdown, why would using a shampoo infused with its oil help preserve memory? Because the aromatic plant chemicals found in rosemary are not only absorbed orally. They're absorbed through the pores in the scalp! Dr. Duke realized that at least some of these phytochemicals would get from the scalp into the bloodstream, and from the bloodstream into the brain.

What's more, he thought that rosemary might work even better than tactrine. While tacrine preserves choline through a single chemical pathway, rosemary contains nearly a dozen different aromatic chemicals that protect against its breakdown.

It's nothing new

Using rosemary to retain cognition isn't something new. People have used this herb to enhance brain and nervous system function at least as far back as the Middle Ages. The ancient Greeks used it to improve their memory. In fact, Greek students wore garlands of rosemary during their examinations to keep their minds sharp. Shakespeare knew all about its effects, as well. Hamlet said to Ophelia, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember."

But using rosemary for memory is more than folklore. Now it looks like rosemary may be just what we need in the 21st century to stave off Alzheimer's disease. What's more, it may not be necessary to take a lot of rosemary supplements. Instead, you may need to use only a different shampoo and drink a few cups of a rosemary herb tea each day. It's safer than using tacrine, which caused liver disease in 25% of Alzheimer's patients. Rosemary has no known side effects.

Follow the pharmaceuticals

Doctors usually base their decisions to use particular drugs on evidence from scientific studies. Researchers frequently conducted these studies on single substances from plants, rather than studying the abilities of the whole plant. After all, the drug companies can't make money by studying plants that they can't patent.

Researchers are testing a number of these single compounds from plants, both synthetic and natural, on Alzheimer's patients. The results of these studies strongly suggest that the herbs can be even more effective — and much safer.

Galantamine is an FDA-approved drug doctors use to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The problem is that there are interaction problems between galantamine and more than one hundred different drugs. And this phytochemical can cause side effects from nausea and fainting, to stomach pain. The patented form of galantamine comes from plants with known toxicity. But this same chemical occurs naturally in rosemary, a plant with no known toxicity.

Huperzine A is another drug that doctors give Alzheimer's patients. It's on the market, even though the FDA hasn't approved it. The Huperzine A used in the drug comes from plants that are toxic. Rosemary contains huperzine A, as well.

Drug companies are beginning to use synthetic COX-2 inhibitors (enzymes that reduce inflammation) to prevent Alzheimer's disease. If a synthetic drug can prevent loss of cognition, so can natural substances. Rosemary contains not one, but six known COX-2 inhibitors.

But that's not all.

There's additional evidence of rosemary's effectiveness in protecting memory. Researchers found that the active ingredient in rosemary, called carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain both from stroke and from degeneration in the brain. This includes Alzheimer's when triggered by free radicals.

Now, CA is an interesting chemical. It becomes activated only when there's free radical damage. Otherwise, it lies dormant. Researchers recently discovered this pathway and reported on it for the very first time in The Journal of Neurochemistry and Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Expect to see drugs based on CA in the future. When you do, just remember that rosemary is non-toxic.

Then there was an animal study conducted in Korea in 2001. When researchers gave mice drinking water with ferulic acid, a substance in rosemary that reduces oxidation and inflammation, their memory improved. So why reach for a synthetic drug when you can use the real thing?

Products with rosemary

Since it's safe and inexpensive, I suggest you use more rosemary, both as a tea and externally. You can find shampoos and skin lotions that already contain this aromatic herb, or you can buy essential oils of rosemary in any health food store or over the Internet. Then simply add 4-10 drops of the oil into your favorite skin-care products.

Add fresh rosemary leaves to your herb tea, as well. This Mediterranean plant grows in many areas of the U.S. Plant some and in a year you'll have enough to use in your teas. If the taste of rosemary tea is too strong or not to your liking, use mint instead, or dilute rosemary with mint. Peppermint, spearmint, and lemon balm all contain many of these same phytochemicals, although in smaller quantities.

Don't wait for the latest drug to prevent Alzheimer's disease. You can begin preventing it today by using safe products with many more of these same ingredients.

Duke, J.A., PhD. "Rosemary, the herb of remembrance for Alzheimer's Disease," Alternative & Complementary Therapies, December 2007.

"Neurological protection from rosemary," Stroke/Neuroprotection News, October 31, 2007.

Nutrition Detective

Warning: This Sweetener Can Kill Your Dog

Because many of you have pet dogs that you love very much, I'm passing along critical information about a sweetener that's gaining in popularity. It's safe for people, but it's deadly for dogs.

This sweetener contains no calories, is safe for diabetics, and kills bacteria in the mouth. You'll find it in some candies and many sugar-free chewing gums. It can also be an ingredient in chewable vitamins and throat lozenges. Some people even bake with it.

I'm talking about xylitol.

According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435), xylitol can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar that results in weakness, loss of coordination, and seizures in just half an hour. Two sticks of gum could prove fatal to small dogs. The only way a dog can survive xylitol is for it to get immediate intravenous glucose from a knowledgeable veterinarian. Otherwise, it could die or have irreversible liver damage. If your dog eats smaller quantities, it could take 12 hours for symptoms to occur.

If you use any products containing xylitol, keep them away from your dog. Don't leave them in an open purse where your dog can find them.

www.snopes.com

More News on Light Therapy

Last month, I told you about how you can use light therapy to help you sleep. Since then, the Journal of the American Medical Association has published a new study showing that bright light therapy improved symptoms of dementia in a group of seniors in care facilities.

The researchers followed the participants (most were women) for three-and-a-half years and exposed them to daily doses of bright light and/or 2.5 mg of melatonin. Overhead bright lights were turned on from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The bright light therapy slowed down the progression of cognitive decline by 5%. That's not much, but it's also not all the light therapy did. It also reduced depression by 19% and reduced functional limitations (getting around) by 53%. That's significant!

When they gave melatonin alone, the participants fell asleep more quickly, but they were moodier and more withdrawn. The answer was to combine light therapy with melatonin. This resulted in a reduction of aggression, better sleep, and a better memory.

The authors of this study suggest that whole-day exposure to bright overhead lights, along with melatonin, could improve symptoms of impaired cognition and sleep quality in people with dementia. One of the best ways to get this exposure is to use the Litebook, which I told you about last month. It's an easy way to get plenty of light, sleep better, and boost your memory. You can read all about it on my website (see page 6 for details). And you can order it by calling 800-728-2288.

Rixt F. Riemersma-van der Lek; Dick F. Swaab; Jos Twisk; Elly M. Hol; Witte J. G. Hoogendijk; Eus J. W. Van Someren. "Effect of Bright Light and Melatonin on Cognitive and Noncognitive Function in Elderly Residents of Group Care Facilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial." JAMA, 2008;299(22):2642-2655.

Ask Dr. Nan

Q: My adult daughter has hemorrhoids. She's not overweight, takes sitz baths, and supplements with vitamin C, fiber, and a formula for varicose veins. She drinks plenty of water and eats a lot of veggies. What else can she do? – M.S., Cleveland, OH

A: It's always frustrating when you're doing the right things and still not getting better. In your daughter's case, a few additional changes may do the trick.

First, I suggest taking one to two probiotics morning and night to make sure there are sufficient friendly bacteria in the intestines. Advanced Probiotic Formula from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-728-2288) is strong enough to do the job, and studies show the strains used adhere well to the intestinal lining. If you have another favorite, use it.

Next, I'd make sure she's taking as much magnesium as her bowels can tolerate. Magnesium relaxes muscles and veins. Plus, stress depletes magnesium, and your daughter's condition is stressful both physically and emotionally. Don't forget stress reduction techniques and daily exercise. Both play an important role in healing the colon.

Q: I have been taking PectaSol religiously for a few weeks, but I'm not happy with the results. You indicated that this chelation would also work on joint pain. It has not eliminated the pain in my right knee. How can I tell if it's helping at all? – P.S.S., e-mail

A: Sometimes, heavy metals toxicity causes joint pain. When they do, PectaSol can reduce or eliminate that pain. If the pain comes from osteoarthritis, inflammation, or other causes, no chelator will affect the pain.

Like many nutrients, PectaSol takes time to work. It could take three to four months or more before you felt a difference in your knees — if, in fact, the problem in your knees is heavy metal toxicity. We know PectaSol is an effective chelator from the numerous studies that show it binds to heavy metals. So if you have heavy metal toxicity, you should eventually notice a positive difference.

That said, you may not "feel" anything when you take PectaSol, just like you may not "feel" anything when you take a drug or supplement to reduce cholesterol. But when you take something to lower cholesterol and it's effective, your cholesterol levels go down.

Similarly, if you test your hair, urine, or blood for heavy metals before taking PectaSol, and then again after three to six months, just like cholesterol tests, you'll see the difference. Even if you feel the same.

Q: Do you think this form of soy isoflavones would give me better results in reducing diabetes factors than soy protein isolate? Would it be better, worse, or the same as soy nuts or edamame? — B.B., e-mail

A: In my opinion, food is always a better option than a part of a food (like soy isoflavones) to reduce the risk for diabetes and osteoporosis. The more natural the better, I say — which is why I choose to eat edamame (green soy beans) over roasted soy nuts. I also don't want to break a crown or bridge on those hard soy nuts. If you're not worried about that, a combination of all three makes sense to me. Because I'm a vegetarian and I eat soy often, I don't take the isoflavones. If you want to eliminate any of those you mentioned, get rid of the soy isoflavone supplements. This also cuts down on the number of supplements to take each day.