Gloria, a patient of mine, was a college professor and brain function was at the top of her list of health concerns. She depended on remaining sharp to conduct research, teach, and write books. Gloria had already noticed a very slight decline in her memory. And she wanted to take aggressive measures to prevent it from worsening.

Gloria’s doctor recommended hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Gloria was interested in hormones because she had heard they could help preserve her memory. So she decided to take her doctor’s advice.

This was 20 years ago. At the time, I understood her reasoning. But I was concerned about the hormones’ side effects. We just didn’t know enough about their safety. And I was concerned they would cause more problems than they would solve.

Time, and numerous large scientific studies, proved me right. Now we know that HRT increases a woman’s risk for breast and other cancers, heart attacks, stroke, and gallbladder disease.

Twenty years ago, the most popular and available form of HRT consisted of two drugs. They were estrogens made from horse urine (like Premarin), and progestins (synthetic progesterone). Bioidentical hormones (just like those produced in our bodies) were in their infancy and difficult to find. And they were untested.

But Gloria was determined to protect her brain at any cost. She began traditional HRT, taking care to have her doctor closely monitor her. And they didn’t give her heart disease, breast cancer, or a stroke. In fact, she didn’t think she had any side effects at all from her hormone therapy.

But two years ago, she noticed her memory had deteriorated further. She began to have difficulty remembering both recent and past events. Gloria didn’t understand how this could have happened. After all, she’d been taking brain-protective HRT for nearly two decades.

Two recent studies published in the prestigious journal, Neurology, may explain this. The studies were part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study and included more than 1,400 participants between the ages of 71 and 89. They found that hormone therapy actually caused some women’s brains to shrink!

As we age, our brains shrink a little. This is a normal phenomenon, which explains “senior moments” and other signs of mild age-related cognitive decline. But these two studies found that estrogens made from horse urine caused a greater amount of brain shrinkage than normal in postmenopausal women. The affected areas of their brains were the hippocampus and the frontal lobe.

The frontal lobe is the area of your brain that governs thinking — including making judgments and planning. Imagine trying to write a book — or even a grocery list — without having the ability to plan. The hippocampus, on the other hand, is where memories are stored and retrieved. And that’s not all. A reduced volume in brain tissues in the hippocampus is a known risk factor for dementia.
These two studies found that hormones didn’t affect brain size and shrinkage equally in all women. It was more pronounced in women over the age of 65 who had memory problems before taking HRT, like Gloria. It looks like taking hormones after experiencing even a slight loss of cognition can accelerate brain shrinkage — and loss of memory.

But that’s not all

Marian Diamond, PhD, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and a pioneer in brain function for decades, found that excessive estrogen thins the cortex — the largest part of the brain. The cerebral cortex is responsible for reasoning, movement, emotions, perception, recognition, speech, and much more.

How much estrogen is excessive? No one knows. But don’t wait until you have symptoms of a declining memory before stopping traditional HRT. Brain shrinkage or thinning may have already begun by then. For most women, there are other, safer options for menopausal symptoms and they won’t rob you of your ability to think and remember.

What more can you do?

Unfortunately, you can’t reverse the damaging effects of hormones. But there are many ways to improve your memory. Here are some of the best and safest solutions for the aging brain.

Sleep — You can improve your memory by sleeping well and deeply. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that sufficient sleep helps your memory in two ways. It both consolidates and helps us recover memories.

The quality of your sleep is even more important than its length. This is because prolonged sleep deprivation affects the hippocampus — your brain’s memory storage bin. One animal study found that even mild sleep restriction interferes with the formation of brain cells in the hippocampus. There are a number of methods you can use to sleep better, like dimming the lights in your home an hour before going to bed. Melatonin (1-3 mg) or herbs like valerian root, chamomile, and skullcap can help you sleep more soundly.

Vitamin D — For the first time, researchers have found an association between low levels of vitamin D and cognitive impairment. British and American researchers examined data from 2,000 adults 65 years or older. Study participants with the lowest levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to have memory problems as those with optimal levels of this nutrient.

Based on clinical outcomes, optimal vitamin D3 levels are between 90 and 100 ng/ml — not 30 ng/ml, as most doctors believe. Get a simple vitamin D blood test — then increase your intake of vitamin D3 to 5,000 IU per day if you’re low. I’ll guarantee you’re not getting enough. (I’ll explain why in the next article.) This simple step could help save your memory.

Glutathione — My favorite nutrient for good brain function is glutathione, an amino acid. I wrote about it in length in the January 2008 issue. This is a “must read” article for anyone who wants to reverse age-related memory problems. You can read it on my website. The only oral glutathione that gets into the brain and works is Lipoceutical Glutathione (800-791-3395). Glutathione tablets and capsules can’t get through the blood/brain barrier. I take this supplement every day.

I also get intravenous glutathione from my doctor for a stronger boost. These IVs have restored my aging memory by decades. To find a doctor that uses nutrient IVs, call the American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) at 949-309-3520 or visit their website at acam.org.

There are some nutrients, such as alpha lipoic acid (ALA), that help the body manufacture glutathione. But they’re not as effective. The people I’ve tried them on found that the slight improvements in their memory were not worth the expense.

So if you’re looking for ways to improve your memory, remember to first do no harm. Then, try something for three to six months. Give it time to work, whether it’s establishing better sleeping habits or taking a nutrient. Synthetic hormones are not the answer.

Coker, L.H., et al. ”Postmenopausal hormone therapy and subclinical cerebrovascular disease: The WHIMS-MRI study,” Neurology, January 13, 2009.

Medical News Today, January 23, 2009.

Meerlo, P., et al. “New neurons in the adult brain: The role of sleep and consequences of sleep loss,” Sleep Med Rev, October 8, 2008.

Nature, October 2004.

Quincy, C., DO. “Flash,” August 29, 2005.

Resnich, S.M., et al. “Postmenopausal hormone therapy and regional brain volumes: The WHIMS-MRI Study,” Neurology, January 13, 2009.

Finally — An Accurate Vitamin D Test You Can Do at Home Without a Doctor’s Prescription

It seems like every week we hear new information on the importance of vitamin D. This hormone plays a critical role in your health. It guards against cancer and memory problems and it protects you from osteoporosis, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. And much, much more. In fact, your body uses vitamin D both to treat disease and to stay well.

You’d think that spending time outdoors would provide you with enough of this “sunshine vitamin,” but researchers have found that this just isn’t true. Even if you spend time outside every day. Between using sunscreen and the low levels of ultra violet rays available in all but a few summer months, we’re finding that most people lack sufficient vitamin D.

Insurance companies used to pay for vitamin D tests. Now, many are not. But I’m going to help you get around this obstacle. That’s because there may be no more important nutrient for you to take than vitamin D. And you have to know how much to take.

How much vitamin D is enough? Probably not what your doctor is telling you — around 30 ng/ml. From the most recent clinical studies, 30 ng/ml is much too low. Vitamin D expert John Cannell, MD, founder of the non-profit organization Vitamin D Council, says it should be between 50 and 80 ng/ml in both children and adults all year round. Others say from 80-100 ng/ml. This is just about impossible to attain without supplementation.

The only way to know whether or not you have enough vitamin D is to get a blood test. This means a trip to your doctor to get a prescription for the test, and a trip to a lab to draw your blood. And, in addition to this inconvenience, some doctors order the wrong test!

The only accurate blood test is called 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, or 25(OH)D for short. A number of doctors order the wrong test: 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D. This measures a hormone that fluctuates greatly depending on your calcium intake. If you get a test through your doctor, make sure you get the right one.

Hopefully, you have insurance that will pay for this test, because it can be expensive — between $100 and $200. But if you don’t, or if you find that it’s difficult to get to a doctor, or if your doctor won’t order this particular test, I’ve found a solution for you.

Now, thanks to Dr. Cannell’s arrangement with an excellent laboratory, you can order an accurate vitamin D test over the phone and you can do it in the comfort of your home. All you need to do is call ZRT Laboratory (866-600-1636) and ask them to send you a vitamin D test kit. It costs only $65 when you mention the Vitamin D Council.

After you receive the kit, you (or if you prefer, someone in the medical field like a nurse or nurse practitioner) draw a few drops of blood from a finger stick or heel stick. Put the blood on the blotter enclosed in the test kit and send it to ZRT in their envelope. It’s that simple. ZRT will send you the results of your test quickly.

If your levels are low — and they will be in most people — you’ll need to take supplemental vitamin D. How much? It depends on many factors, including your age, weight, skin color, and how much sunblock you use. I can tell you that we seniors need more than our junior counterparts. And if you’re heavy, you need more than if you’re thin.

I take 5,000 IU per day. That’s the amount my body needs to maintain high enough levels. You may want to take this amount for two to three months and then retest. This dose is not toxic, and you could even need more, says Cannell. Some doctors of integrative medicine I know are giving their patients with low vitamin D as much as 50,000 IU a day for a short time. I don’t suggest you do this unless your doctor is supervising you. But it gives you an idea of how safe it is to supplement with this nutrient.

You can find vitamin D3 supplements (the best form) in most health food stores. If you have difficulty locating a high-potency supplement, 5,000 IU capsules are available through this newsletter by calling 800-791-3395.

It’s impossible to list all the conditions here that depend on getting enough vitamin D. But you can read about many of them on my website and in the first article in this issue. Finally, there’s a way to know whether or not you have enough of this inexpensive supplement that can make the difference between good and poor health. And you can do it with or without a prescription from your doctor.

How to Be Successful on a Gluten-Free Diet

hen my doctor told me I had a gluten intolerance and had to avoid all traces of
wheat, rye, and barley, I said, “Oh no, not me!”

I told Elaine Weil, my nurse-practitioner, friend, and colleague that I’d go on a gluten-free diet for a few months to see how it affected my health. Maybe I’d even do it for as long as a year. But not forever.

Elaine was smart. She kept her mouth shut and let me go through my resistance. I tend to jump into things headfirst and do them 100% — kicking and screaming all the way. So I began by watching my resistance, reading every label of every food and condiment in my kitchen, and getting rid of anything with gluten: wheat, rye, and barley. Still, a few things slipped by me at first.

For instance, brewer’s yeast, also known as nutritional yeast, can be safe or not. It all depends on its source. If it’s a by-product of beer, it’s made from barley and is a no-no. The kind I ate, sprinkled on veggies, gave me severe stomach rumblings and had me running to the bathroom for hours. That was enough to convince me to be more careful.

If you have a gluten sensitivity, you need to avoid gluten products. Begin by doing the best you can, knowing it may not be perfect at first. But aim for perfection. It’s worth any inconvenience. The longer you’re gluten free, the easier it becomes.

At first, this change can feel overwhelming. But now I can tell you from first-hand experience that it’s possible. Here are some of the foods you can, and shouldn’t, eat with some tips and resources to make your journey easier.

With a magnifying glass in hand, begin by reading all the labels of foods in your refrigerator and cupboards. Give any containing gluten away. If you live with someone who eats gluten, take a shelf in your cupboard and refrigerator and make it a Gluten-Free Zone. Replace gluten foods with gluten-free foods.

Gluten-free foods are now everywhere. Last year, manufacturers introduced 987 new gluten-free foods. Two years ago, they launched 1,300 new gluten-free products. Expect to see even more new products this year and next.

Many health food stores and supermarkets already have a gluten-free section. Amy’s Kitchen has more than 50 gluten-free items in their line of organic frozen foods and canned soups, beans, and sauces. If your local market sells any of Amy’s foods, they can order any that are gluten free for you.

Information and mis-information

Soy sauce and teriyaki sauce usually contain wheat. So do many Oriental-style salad dressings. You can buy a wheat-free tamari (like soy sauce) from San J, and there are some teriyaki sauces that are safe. Tofu usually is seasoned — like many of the pressed tofu products — with soy sauce made from wheat. Avoid them.

Miso and miso soup mixes may or may not contain gluten. Read labels carefully and avoid any made from barley.

Malt in any form usually comes from barley. This includes barley malt syrup, and roasted barley tea (added to some Chinese green teas). Most beer is made from barley, although some gluten-free beers like Redbridge by Anheuser Bush are coming on the market. Ask about other gluten-free beers at large liquor stores.

Maltodextrin is an anti-caking agent and thickener made from wheat, corn, rice, or potatoes. It’s so highly purified that the most sensitive tests have concluded that even maltodextrin made from wheat is safe.

Triticale, spelt, seitan, and kamut are all forms of wheat. Flour, farina, tabouli, and couscous are all wheat. So are flour tortillas. Avoid them.

Oats contain a form of gluten that doesn’t cause inflammation or trigger reactions in most people. However, they often are cross-contaminated either in packaging plants or in fields where they’re grown near other grains. The package of oats must say Gluten Free. Otherwise, you’ll need to avoid this grain.

You can find many gluten-free mixes and cereals, including gluten free oats, from Bob’s Red Mill in many stores. Or call them at 800-349-2173 and ask for their catalog, with pages of gluten-free products. They’ll ship anything you like.

Vinegars are fine with one exception: malt vinegar. Avoid it.

Nutritional supplements may contain gluten in their binders or other ingredients. None of the supplements sold through Advanced Bionutritionals contain gluten. If you’re taking other brands, please check with each manufacturer to make sure they’re safe for you.

Hidden gluten is in some products made with added fiber. Read labels carefully and avoid all with gluten.

Resources to make meals easier

You’re going to have questions, so be prepared. Pick up a few books that will answer most if not all of your questions. Here are the most helpful books I’ve found. They’ve saved me hours searching the Internet.

Last month, I told you about Living Gluten-Free for Dummies (Danna Korn, Wiley Publishing, 2006). I wouldn’t be without it!

Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide by dietician Shelley Case (Case Nutrition Consulting, Inc, 2008, www.glutenfreediet.ca) lists over 3,000 gluten-free foods, their companies, and how to get them. I particularly like the charts in the Gluten-Free Diet By Food Groups section. They show which foods are allowed, which ones to question, and which to avoid.

Kim Koeller and Robert La France have written several books in their Let’s Eat Out! Allergy-Free Passport series. They are small enough to slip in your purse or jacket pocket and are invaluable for anyone who has to avoid allergens — including gluten. These books will help you know what questions to ask and what to look out for in restaurants that specialize in seafood, Mexican, French, Italian, Chinese, Indian, and Thai foods. (R&R Publishing, 2005, www.glutenfreepassport.com). I recommend you get their series of three books that cover all the above types of restaurants.

Warning

Some people are mostly, but not completely, gluten free. From all the scientific articles I’ve read, this is not good enough.

Studies show that even a small amount of gluten eaten occasionally — such as regular soy sauce made with wheat — can trigger the inflammation I talked about in last month’s article on gluten sensitivity.

You may not have overt symptoms, but gluten could still be damaging your intestines. So my advice is to be gluten-free permanently.

I realize that you may not be as strict as I am and switch over to a gluten-free diet with no intention of ever “cheating.” But I urge you to try. At least for a few months. I found it gets easier every day to be gluten free. And I know I’m doing the right thing for my long-term health.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Found: A Solution to Painful Arthritis

It’s maddening, I know. No matter which medications or supplements many people try, they still have debilitating pain, swelling, and stiffness from arthritis. Medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have side effects that can be worse than the pain. In fact, more than 100,000 people in this country alone end up in the hospital each year thanks to symptoms from NSAIDs. Twenty percent of them die from stomach bleeding and ulcers.

This is why I prefer looking to the plant kingdom for solutions to health problems. They have fewer side effects. And they can work as well as drugs. There are numerous natural products that can help. These include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates, and formulas like the one I helped create, Advanced Joint Support (800-791-3395 or www.advancedbionutritionals.com). I particularly like its ability to help rebuild cartilage — which is more than most other supplements can do. It treats the cause of arthritis pain.

But if you’ve tried everything you can think of and are still in pain, I have a suggestion for you. The answer to your arthritis pain and stiffness may come from a potent anti-inflammatory extract of pine bark. An Italian study took 156 patients with arthritis in the knee. The researchers gave half of the patients 100 mg of Pycnogenol^® made from pine bark. They gave the other half a placebo. In this three-month study, patients taking Pycnogenol had more than a 50% reduction of joint pain and stiffness. They also had a 57% improvement in physical function.

You can find Pycnogenol supplements in health food stores and on the Internet. If nothing else has worked for you, this is worth trying. Remember, to give any supplement the best chance to work, take it for three to six months.

Belcaro, G, et al. “Treatment of osteoarthritis with Pycnogenol^®. The SVOS (San Valentino osteo-arthrosis study), evaluation of signs, symptoms, physical performance and vascular aspects,” Phytotherapy Research, volume 22, issue 4.

LETTERS

Q:: I noticed that Ultimate Bone Support contains a hops extract. Does it contain gluten? I asked two medical doctors, and they didn’t know if hops or any other ingredient in this formula contains gluten. — L.S., e-mail

A: Hops is a flower. Gluten is a protein found in several grains: wheat, rye, barley, and some oats that have been cross-contaminated in processing plants. It’s not in any flowers or other parts of plants. It’s very sad that the doctors you spoke to didn’t know this basic information.

I’m also gluten intolerant, so I asked my supplement formulators who carefully check every ingredient in our formulas whether or not any of our supplements
contain gluten. They do not. For more information on gluten, read the articles in this and last month’s issues of this newsletter. And look for additional information in upcoming issues.

Q: I’ve been taking Ultimate Bone Support for a year. Prior to taking it, my bone density scan showed the beginning of osteoporosis. I just had another bone scan and I’m worse! I’m 68 years old and quite active. I’m disappointed. I know my doctor will try to convince me to take Boniva, Fosamax, or Actonel, but I don’t want to take them. What do you suggest? — S.R.B., High Ridge, MO

A: Your results are disappointing, I admit, but there are several reasons Ultimate Bone Support isn’t working for you.

First, make sure you’re not taking your bone support formula at the same time you’re taking calcium and magnesium. These nutrients compete with one another. This is a very common mistake and the #1 reason people don’t get the results they want. Simply take them at different times — at least 30 minutes apart — and you’ll likely see much better results.

While the second cause doesn’t apply to you, I need to mention it. Too many people take a supplement for only a few weeks and decide that it doesn’t work. You need to take most supplements — especially a bone formula — for at least three to four months before you can determine if it’s working for you. You’ve taken Ultimate Bone Support for a year, so you know you’ve given it plenty of time. That means there’s another reason for your lack of improvement.

Third, ask your health practitioner to evaluate you for low HCl production. If you’re not making enough HCl, you may not be absorbing and utilizing any of your supplements including calcium and magnesium — two minerals essential for good bone health.

Fourth, if you’ve addressed each of these factors and need more help, ask your doctor for a prescription to Fortical. This is a natural calcitonin product made from salmon. It comes in a convenient nasal spray and works beautifully to stop osteoporosis when all else fails. A one-month supply costs less than $10 with most Medicare supplement plans. And it’s very easy to use.

Finally, don’t be discouraged. There is an answer, and it just takes a bit of detective work to find out how to strengthen your bones safely. As you can see, one solution — even a good one — often is not enough. You can find more information on these risk factors and many others in the Newsletter Archives on my website (www.womenshealthletter.com).

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118318.php