Last month, I introduced you to nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule found in every cell in your body that reduces inflammation and increases circulation. Getting enough nitric oxide is essential for anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, poor circulation, a compromised immune system, reduced libido, and neurological problems — all signs of aging.

As we get older, we need more NO than ever to prevent age-related health problems. Unfortunately, this is just when our bodies produce less and less of it. That’s why I suggested that one solution is to take a supplement that makes NO.

Once again, not all supplements are alike. I told you about the most effective nitric oxide-boosting supplement I have ever found called Neo40. You can read about it in last month’s newsletter or call Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395) for more information.

To make Neo40 work optimally, your diet needs to include foods that increase the production of NO as well. There are dozens of foods that stimulate NO production. Some are much more effective than others. So this month, I want to tell you about some of the best NO-boosting foods that you would be wise to include regularly in your diet. And I even include some recipe suggestions.

Dietary nitrate and nitrite make NO in your body, and the best source is in dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale. An added benefit is that they’re also high in vitamin C and other chemicals that help make NO. Stock up on fresh and frozen spinach and add it to soups and salads. Turn ordinary lentil soup into a tasty Mediterranean dish by adding a handful of fresh spinach and some lemon juice to the soup you’re heating, five or 10 minutes before serving. And disguise it by adding some leafy greens to your morning smoothie.

Lettuce and Chinese cabbage are also high in natural nitrate. Add crunchy Chinese cabbage to salads or lightly cooked with a dash of tamari (wheat-free soy sauce). Wrap a little hummus or leftover stir-fried chicken and vegetables in a large lettuce leaf. A sprinkle of ground nuts are a nice addition to this dish.

Surprisingly, celery is also high in NO-generating abilities. Include it as a mid-day snack with your favorite healthful dip or nut butter.

You may have heard the news about the cyclists who drank beet juice and found that they had increased stamina and endurance. That’s because beets are extremely high in L-arginine, which boosts NO levels. It may not be practical to drink two large glasses of beet juice every day like they did. But you can add cold beets to your salads with a little feta cheese and walnuts. Or roast them with other root vegetables like turnips and yams. And beet soup (borscht) — either hot or cold — is a delicious way to raise NO levels. My mother used to mix cold borscht with sour cream and serve it with a hot potato in the center of each bowl. The contrast of cold and hot added to my enjoyment of this family favorite. These days I’d use yogurt instead and top it with walnuts.

Speaking of walnuts, a study conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine found that a diet including walnuts significantly improved endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in type-2 diabetics after just two months. What this means is that NO production occurs in the endothelium (the lining of blood vessels), and walnuts helped blood vessels to relax and open up (dilate). This is how NO regulates blood pressure and protects against heart disease and stroke. I add a handful of walnuts to my cereal or smoothie most mornings. And on days when I don’t, I often snack on walnuts. Other nuts like peanuts and almonds help make NO as well, but walnuts, high in beneficial omega-3 fats, are my favorites.

Make sure all nuts are raw (except peanuts, which we all know are legumes, not nuts) and feel free to grind them before adding them to cooked vegetables or yogurt for easier digestion.

For the most part, particular vegetables produce the most NO — but not all vegetables and not many fruits do. Watermelon is an exception. It is the richest source of L-citrulline, an amino acid that is converted into L-arginine, which we know is used to help make NO.

Watermelon extract was used in a study with hypertensive adults. The researchers found it dilated blood vessels effectively without any of the possible side effects experienced with L-arginine supplements (nausea, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal discomfort). I’m suggesting you use watermelon as a tasty dessert or snack, especially in hot summer months. Or make a small glass of refreshing watermelon juice. Remember that watermelon is high in sugar, so don’t overeat it.

For more benefits of NO, get a copy of the best book on the subject, The Nitric Oxide (NO) Solution by Nathan S Bryan, PhD — a world expert on NO — and Janet Zand, OMD (Neogenis, 2010).

Arturo Figueroa, Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Penelope M. Perkins-Veazie, and Bahram H. Arjmandi. “Effects of Watermelon Supplementation on Aortic Blood Pressure and Wave Reflection in Individuals With Prehypertension: A Pilot Study.” American Journal of Hypertension, 2010.

Yingying Ma, MD, RVT, Valentine Yanchou Njike, MD, MPH, John Millet, BA, Suparna Dutta, MD, MPH, Kim Doughty, BS, Judith A. Treu, MS, RD and David L. Katz, MD, MPH. “Effects of Walnut Consumption on Endothelial Function in Type-2 Diabetics: A Randomized, Controlled, Cross-Over Trial.”

This Known Cause of Heart Disease Also Causes Depression

If you’re depressed, you’re not alone. Over 150 million people worldwide suffer from depression. And millions more get depressed at various times in their lives without knowing why. The reason — and solution — may be in their diets.

It’s no surprise to hear that the foods we eat affect our moods. In fact, it’s well known that sugar and refined grains are known to cause fluctuations in blood sugar that can result in anxiety and depression. But you may not know that eating certain fats contributes to depression as well. It turns out that fats in your foods can either contribute to depression or have a protective effect. It all depends on the type you eat.

In a recent study, researchers followed more than 12,000 people for six years. None of them were depressed at the start of the study. The researchers evaluated each participant’s diet, lifestyle, and health before, during, and after the study. At the end of the study, there was a 48% increase in depression in people who ate trans-fats and saturated fats.

That’s not all.

These results were dose-dependent. The more trans-fats and saturated fats they ate, the greater the harmful effects.

Conversely, the people who ate more fish, vegetable oils, and olive oil had less depression.

These findings apply not only to depression, but to heart disease as well. So if you stop eating French fries, store-bought cakes and cookies, and other foods high in unhealthful fats, you reap double benefits. You’ll have less depression today and a lower risk for heart disease tomorrow.

When it comes to diet and depression, fats are not the only nutritional culprits. For an in-depth explanation of how the foods you eat affect how you feel, pick up a copy of The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, MA (Penguin Books, 2004). Begin today by throwing out all foods with unhealthful fats. You can find plenty of alternatives in health food stores and many supermarkets. If you find that you can’t overcome the cravings for processed foods, you might want to try Craving Quencher supplement from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395).

Citation: Sanchez-Villegas A, Verberne L, De Irala J, Ru2´z-Canela M, Toledo E, et al. (2011) Dietary Fat Intake and the Risk of Depression: The SUN Project. PLoS ONE 6(1): e16268. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016268.

Five Simple Steps to Reduce Your Exposure to Electronic Pollution

When I first realized I was sensitive to electrical pollution, I quickly felt overwhelmed.

Electronic pollution is everywhere. And it’s going to be even more prevalent
in the future. How could I be part of the 21st century and still protect myself from its negative effects? How many changes did I need to make, and which ones were affordable?

If I was overwhelmed, I knew that many of you would be, too.

This pollution affects all of us, but to different degrees. Not everyone reacts to electronic pollutants to the same degree. But we’re beginning to see more people who are particularly sensitive.

This month’s information is for you if you have any symptom or medical condition that doesn’t respond to other treatments. It’s very possible radio frequency fields (RF) — from cell phones, cell phone towers, televisions, computers, and other electronic devices — could be the cause. Or it could be extremely low-frequency (ELF) emissions from lights, appliances, power lines, and common electrical devices that cause the problem. This includes emissions from anything around you that’s wireless.

Evaluating your home and workplace thoroughly for EMFs can be a daunting and expensive situation. Reducing your toxic load with a few simple steps, however, is not only possible; it could be all you need to do to feel noticeably better.
Here are my recommendations in five easy steps:

Step 1: Become more aware

Begin by taking a careful look around your home. Notice which devices you can turn on or off, and which ones emit electronic pollutants all the time. If your hair dryer or TV is plugged in, they’re still emitting electronic pollution even if you’ve turned them off! So are all cordless devices, such as telephones and cell phones.
Make a list of all of the changes you’re willing and able to make, and cross them off as you reduce your exposure. Add to your list as you learn more about EMFs and recognize sources of pollutants.

Step 2: Unplug

Unplug or turn off anything electronic you can when you’re not using it. This could include your computer and cell phone. Cell phones are handy, but they rarely need to be turned on all the time. I keep mine turned off unless I’m going out and think I may need to use it. Never carry yours in your pockets. Cell phones have been shown to lower the sperm count in men who carry it in their pockets, so we can assume it can affect women negatively, as well.

Step 3: Move away

Move away from electrical devices whenever you can. I used to sit six feet away from my TV — even though it has a large screen. Now I watch my favorite programs from 15 feet away. That’s still close enough to see the screen clearly, and it greatly reduces my exposure to EMFs.

If you have an electric stove and can’t convert to gas, cook at arm’s length rather than flush up against it.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

The Breast Cancer Surgery That Really Reduces Recurrence

If you need to have surgery to remove an invasive breast cancer tumor, you may want your surgeon to save as much of your breast as he or she can. But depending on the type of cancer you have, this may not be a good idea. In fact, a new study suggests narrow margins could be a huge mistake.

This new study from Britain found that leaving too much tissue significantly affects your risk of recurrence. It could be the difference between getting all the cancer cells and leaving some behind. Any cancer cells left behind may divide and develop another tumor.

Some surgeons want the area surrounding a tumor (called the free margin) to be 1 mm. Others want a margin of 2 mm or more. But this study, published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, found that the most ideal margins depend on whether the cancer is invasive or not.

First, the researchers looked at patients who had small margins (1 mm). In this group, those with non-invasive tumors had significantly more recurrences than women with invasive breast cancer.

Then they looked at those with more radical surgery (2 mm). What they found was astounding. The amount of cancer cells remaining behind decreased from 35.3% to a tiny 2.4% as margins increased. This is good news for any woman with invasive breast cancer. It means that the right type of surgery can reduce your risk for a recurrence dramatically.

This is not the case with non-invasive cancers. Many of these women still had cancer cells present after their surgeries. The incidence of residual disease increased to 57% when their margins were between 0.1 and 0.9 mm. But wider margins didn’t reduce the presence of cancer cells.

Based on this research, you may want to talk with your surgeon before any surgery. Ask him to make sure your margins are at least 2 mm if you have invasive breast cancer. This isn’t as crucial if you have DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), as it won’t necessarily reduce residual cancer cells.

But talking to your surgeon isn’t all you need to do. There’s something else that can reduce your risk of recurrence. It’s a product made from modified citrus pectin of a particular molecular size and weight. Published studies have shown that it stops cancer cells from multiplying. This results in cancer-cell death. You can buy the product, PectaSol-C, from EcoNugenics by calling 800-308-5518.
A recent study on another of their formulas, BreastDefend, an herbal/mushroom/nutrient combination, reduces inflammation and destroys cancer cells. You can’t beat the combination whether you have surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.

Ward, S.T., B.G. Jones, and A.J. Jewkes. International Journal of Clinical Practice. Volume 64, Issue 12, pages 1675-1680, November 2010.

LETTERS

Q: In your article on cancer-proof your body you said to limit sweets because cancer cells thrive on sugar. Then I read somewhere that dried fruits are some of the best choices for a cancer prevention diet. I like dates, figs, and prunes very much, but they’re high in sugar. Can I eat them or not? — A.L. e-mail

A: It’s sad but true: cancer cells love sugars. In fact, sugar is their favorite food. The question is what kinds of sugars are safest and how much should you include in your diet to prevent cancer, as well as heart disease and diabetes? The answer: small quantities of unrefined sugars. With few exceptions, I advise not eating dried fruits. Most people eat too much of them.

The amount of sugars I recommend to have daily is equal to one or two pieces of fresh fruit. Not the ultra-sweet fruits you like so much. And not fruit juices. Fresh or frozen berries are low in sugar and are among the healthiest, since they’re high in antioxidants. One or two cups full would be a good amount.

Avoid high-sugar fruits like bananas and most dried fruits. A few pieces of dried apricots or dried cherries are okay, but don’t eat them by the handful. And if you must have an occasional date or fig, limit it to one.

I suspect that if you gravitate toward very sweet fruits, your diet may be too low in protein. Make sure you eat some high-protein foods at every meal. Don’t give into your urges. Eliminate them.

Q: I have high levels of iron in my blood. I tried to remove some by giving blood at the Red Cross, but every time I got dizzy and passed out. Does PectaSol Chelation Complex remove iron? — B.F., Mansfield, OH

A: No, it doesn’t remove essential minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium. If you have a genetic disorder that causes high iron (hemochromatosis), you should avoid alcohol, shellfish, and any supplements that contain iron. My multi, Women’s Vitality, has no iron.

You also need to have your water tested. Iron in household water — especially if you’re on well water — can cause high amounts of iron in your blood.
Dark green leafy vegetables are high in iron. Interestingly, when you drink black tea along with them you cancel out some of the iron. So if you’re eating iron-rich foods, have some black tea along with them.

But you can’t just make a few dietary changes and think that’s enough. Left untreated, high iron can damage organs and glands. And it can lead to liver failure, heart disease, and more. It’s very important for you to find a way to tolerate blood donations or work with your doctor to find another solution.
PectaSol Chelation Complex won’t bind to essential minerals, but it does bind to pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, and heavy metals.