Ten years ago, I wrote about a substance that can stop cancer in its tracks. One way it does this is by blocking the formation of blood vessels that feed cancer cells. When malignant cells aren’t able to get enough food, they starve to death. This stops tumors from forming and spreading.

The substance I talked about at that time is a specific form of modified citrus pectin (MCP). It comes from the skin of citrus fruits. If all this pectin could do were to keep cancer from spreading, it would be one of the most valuable substances anyone could take. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. MCP also binds to heavy metals and pharmaceutical drugs, lowering the body’s toxic load. And, as you probably know, high levels of heavy metals suppress the immune system. A strong immune system is key to preventing and fighting cancer.

But perhaps MCP’s greatest benefit is that it attaches to, and removes excessive amounts of a little-known protein called Galectin-3. It’s the dangerous amounts of Galectin-3 that explains how MCP is able to stop cancer, heart disease, and other inflammatory conditions at very early stages.

What are galectins?

Galectins are proteins that live on the surface of cells. They help cells connect to and communicate with one another. Normal cells have a few galectins. But cancerous cells have many, and this becomes a problem. The more galectins, the easier it is for cancer cells to attach themselves to other cells and invade neighboring tissues. In addition, excessive amounts of the most studied galectin, Galectin-3, makes cancer more aggressive. MCP is the only natural substance that researchers have proven to get into the blood and bind to Galectin-3 molecules.

But that’s not all.

Recently, researchers linked Galectin-3 to cardiac fibrosis. This is a condition where scar tissue replaces heart muscle. Left untreated, it can lead to heart failure. In a groundbreaking study that measured the levels of Galectin-3 in participants in the Framingham Heart Study, researchers found that there was an increased risk of heart failure in people with the highest galectin levels. In fact, Galectin-3 is an independent predictor of death in patients with moderate to advanced chronic heart failure. This is why it’s so important to use MCP at the earliest stage of heart disease, and not wait for it to progress.

Researchers also have linked Galectin-3 to inflammation. In fact, they’ve identified it as a culprit molecule that initiates the inflammation process. What’s more, it’s easy to detect at a very early stage – much earlier than an inflammation marker like CRP (C-reactive protein). If you can identify high levels of Galectin-3 at an early stage, you can block it with MCP.

If you have any signs of inflammation, I strongly suggest that you include MCP in your supplement program. This includes all diseases that end in “itis” like arthritis, colitis, and periodentitis, as well as diabetes. In fact, just about all chronic illnesses involve inflammation.

In a study published in the journal Arthritis Rheumatism (Feb 2011), researchers found that Galectin-3 plays a role in the development and progression of joint inflammation in arthritis. Modern medicine has an answer: steroids. My solution is MCP. But not just any pectin. There’s only one that researchers have used in their scientific studies. It has the proper molecular size and weight to get into your bloodstream. It is PectaSol®.

I’ve told you a lot about PectaSol. It begins as any ordinary pectin with molecules that are too large to pass through the intestinal walls. However, scientists can modify it and change it into smaller molecules with a specific molecular weight. When they do, this modified pectin can get into your bloodstream and tissues where it can block Galectin-3. Since PectaSol is the only form of pectin researchers have found to get into the bloodstream, the rest are unproven and unlikely to work. So PectaSol is the only one I trust.

I have checked several products that are called modified citrus pectin that simply won’t work. I can tell by their taste that some of them have been cut with a sugar. So don’t be fooled into taking a useless supplement.

Reduce inflammation

As we get older, our Galectin-3 levels naturally increase. This occurs more in women than in men. These increased levels can cause an increased risk of death from all causes. You can see why it’s so important to keep your Galectin-3 levels low. Even slight increases could be an early warning sign of a subclinical disease.

The bottom line is that Galectin-3 is an indicator of inflammation, and PectaSol reduces inflammation by lowering the amounts of this galectin. It’s the first proven natural blocker of Galectin-3. But don’t rely only on PectaSol as your sole means of reducing inflammation.

Begin by eliminating or greatly reducing sugars, since they feed inflammation (and cancer cells). And add anti-inflammatory herbs or spices to your diet or supplement regime like turmeric, ginger, and fish oil. An excellent anti-inflammatory supplement is Reduloxin, which contains a highly absorbable and strong form of turmeric, called Meriva®.

In addition, get rid of trans fats by eating more whole plant-based foods and fewer fats from animal sources. Eat fish two or three times a week and include curries in your diet on a regular basis for extra turmeric.

Getting PectaSol

If you’re already taking PectaSol Detox Formula, formerly called PectaSol Chelation Complex, one of my all-time favorite supplements, you’re getting some of this high-quality form of MCP. Is it enough? That’s hard to tell without testing your levels of Galectin-3. If you have no cancer, heart disease, or other chronic illness, it could be sufficient. Especially if you boost the amounts to four capsules three times a day.

But you may want to get the new FDA-cleared blood test that measures Galectin-3 protein levels for more specific information. A number of labs across the country, including LabCorp, offer this test, and many insurance companies pay for it. Be sure to tell your doctor to use LabCorp’s test code 004110.
Should a test, or your symptoms, indicate that you need more MCP, you may want to take PectaSol-C powder from EcoNugenics (800-308-5518). You can conveniently mix the powder in a little water and easily get the recommended five grams a day. Personally, I’d start with PectaSol Detox Formula, which is known to remove heavy metals through its inclusion of sodium alginate, from seaweed. You can order PectaSol Detox Formula and Reduloxin by calling 800-791-3395.

Arthritis Rheum. 2011 Feb;63(2):445-54. doi: 10.1002/art.30118.

deBoer, R.A., et al, “The fibrosis marker galectin-3 and outcome in the general population,” J Intern Med, 2012; 272; 55-64.

Dirk, J.A. Lok, et al. “Prognostic value of galectin-3, a novel marker of fibrosis, in patients with chronic heart failure: data from the DEAL-HF study,” Clin Res Cardiol, (2010) 99:323–328 DOI 10.1007/s00392-010-0125-y.

Kolatsi-Joannou, M., K.L. Price, P.J. Winyard, and D.A. Long. “Modified Citrus Pectin Reduces Galectin-3 Expression and Disease Severity in Experimental Acute Kidney Injury.” PLoS ONE 2011 April 6(4): e18683. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018683.

NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2012, August 29). “Protein linked to increased risk of heart failure and death in older adults.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 30, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120829171941.htm.

I Warned You About This Sweetener Six Years Ago — Now the News Is Even Worse

It’s 600 times as sweet as ordinary table sugar and has no calories. These are two reasons why you see little packets of this popular artificial sweetener in restaurants all across the country. You can cook with it or bake with it, unlike some other artificial sweeteners that are not stable in heat. In fact, it already sweetens more than 4,500 prepared foods and drinks.

Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? I’m here to tell you that it’s not.

Everyone has been saying this sweetener is harmless – including the FDA. They’re wrong. I don’t care what anyone says. I told you six years ago that this sweetener wasn’t safe, and recent news indicates it’s more dangerous than I originally thought.

When I first took a close look at this sweetener, I discovered animal studies that found it shrinks the thymus gland (the foundation of your immune system) and enlarges the kidneys and liver. I was astonished to read that the FDA knew this. In spite of these findings, they gave it their seal of approval. That’s right! A popular sugar substitute can affect your immunity and liver function – and the agency that’s supposed to protect your health has proclaimed it safe and effective. This sweetener is none other than sucralose. You probably know it as Splenda. It sounds safe because they make it from cane sugar. But when you look at the manufacturing process, you find that they use a chlorinating process. And the resulting sweetener is not as safe as ordinary sugar.

There’s a lot of misinformation about the safety of sucralose. The Canadian Diabetic Association says that an adult can consume 15 mg/kg/day indefinitely without any health problems. The FDA disagrees. They say that just 5 mg/kg is safe. But a more recent study out of Duke University found problems at much lower levels.

In this three-month animal study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, doses between 1.1 and 11 mg/kg caused weight gain. That’s right. This zero-calorie sweetener caused weight gain, not weight loss as you’d expect. The more Splenda you use, the more likely it is that you’ll gain some of the weight you want to lose.

But that’s not all.

This sweetener also affected the colonies of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract, lowering them by a whopping 50%! Killing off friendly bacteria puts you at risk for nutrient deficiencies (especially vitamin B12), a suppressed immune system, an overgrowth of bad bacteria, and yeast infections. (For more information on the importance of friendly bacteria, just read the probiotics article in this issue — or one of many others I’ve written in the past.)

But even this isn’t the worst news. A recent study found Splenda may cause cancer. When researchers gave laboratory animals various doses of sucralose throughout their lives, the mice that consumed the highest amounts of this artificial sweetener were more likely to develop leukemia than those having the lowest amounts.

By the way, these researchers were the same ones who originally discovered that aspartame causes cancer. They are experts on artificial sweeteners. First, they found an association between aspartame and cancer. So they recommended that people switch from aspartame to sucralose. Then they found evidence that sucralose causes cancer in laboratory mice. Now they’d like everyone to avoid these artificial sweeteners until studies prove them safe.

Based on their findings, these researchers at Duke suspect that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sucralose in humans may be 500 times lower than the FDA recommendations! That’s like saying no amount is really safe. This is what I told you six years ago.

Like many artificial foods and medications that contain sucralose, there have been numerous other symptoms reported over the years including bloating, gas, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, headaches, disorientation, knee pain, and dizziness. That’s right. Your knee pain could come from eating foods containing Splenda! Some of these symptoms may be due to the lowered amounts of friendly bacteria.

Which sugar substitutes are safe? Well, small amounts of pure cane sugar are safer than Splenda! But my favorite sweeteners are agave, xylitol, and stevia. I’ve written about them in past newsletter articles. You may want to go back and reread them. Begin by using them instead of Splenda.

Even honey is a better sweetener. Look for my eye-opening article on the use of honey for diabetics in next month’s newsletter. You’ll see why honey is safer than sucralose!

Abou-Donia, et al. “Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A,” volume 71, issue 21, January 2008, pages 1415-1429.

Rattue, Petra. “Sucralose Causes Cancer Concern.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 25 April 2012. Web.

Women’s Health Letter, January 2003, pg 8.

New Research Increases the Importance of Probiotics

More and more people are recognizing probiotics (friendly bacteria) for their benefits than ever before. They’re helping people treat everything from digestive problems to a compromised immune system. The result is that we’re seeing more probiotic supplements and fermented foods and beverages with added probiotics on the shelves of supermarkets and health food stores.

But not all probiotics are alike in their benefits. Which friendly bacteria you need and take determines their effectiveness. And new research is helping us understand this.

Probiotics and radiation

The lining of your intestines is fragile. It’s only one cell layer thick. When it’s damaged, it’s much harder to absorb valuable nutrients, including proteins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. People who undergo radiation treatments for cancer are at increased risk for this malabsorption, which can result in osteoporosis, loss of muscle, and other nutrient deficiency conditions.

One problem with radiation therapy, in addition to interfering with nutrient absorption, is that it kills healthy cells along with cancer cells. Some of these healthy cells are in the one-cell-thick intestinal lining. Anyone getting radiation treatments for abdominal cancer faces damage to his or her intestines – along with dangerous and uncomfortable diarrhea. If either occurs, they have to discontinue radiation therapy or greatly reduce its use until the intestines heal.

Radiation is extremely harsh on the body. So if you decide to use it, you want to make sure it’s as effective as possible. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recently discovered that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) was one particular probiotic that protects the small intestinal lining.
But it’s not enough to add this probiotic to your daily regime. You need to take it at the right time. These researchers found that it worked only if you take it before exposure to radiation. Once the radiation damages the intestines, this probiotic can’t repair the damaged cells.

It makes sense to take a probiotic formula that contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus every day if you’ve had radiation in the past or if it looks like you may need radiation treatments in the future. And there’s another reason to take a probiotic formula. Probiotics support a healthy immune system. So it’s smart to take a probiotic formula if you have any immune problems at all, like if you tend to get colds and the flu frequently. Or if you have cancer.

There are numerous other reasons to take probiotics. The following are just two of them based on recent scientific studies.

Probiotics and diabetes

It’s hard to believe, but there are around one thousand different species of bacteria in your digestive tract that are nourished in part by your diet. Each of us has our own unique blend of bacteria, and each of us has our own rate of metabolism. So there isn’t any one particular probiotic that will necessarily work for everyone. The amount and composition of microbes in your intestines influences whether or not you’re likely to get diabetes.

Then we need to add into the mix the information that the foods we eat influence our probiotic health. In one study, researchers found a difference in the amount of intestinal bacteria between diabetic and non-diabetic mice. When they gave the diabetic mice additional dietary fibers, their gut bacteria improved, and so did their diabetes. So we know that a high- fat diet can cause an imbalance in our intestinal bacteria that can lead to diabetes or obesity. And we also know that certain probiotics can reverse this progression.

Probiotics and irritable bowel

Sometimes, probiotics are the best solution to a health problem. Unfortunately, we often overlook this simple solution. Take Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), for example. Around 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from this condition, which causes bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. We know from a recent study out of Cedars-Sinai Hospital that too much of the wrong kind of bacteria in the digestive tract contributes to IBS. In fact, these researchers found that 60% of people with diarrhea-predominant IBS had an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.

So what did this study suggest should be used to reduce the bad bacteria? Did they give these patients any probiotics? That would make too much sense. Instead of increasing the colonies of helpful bacteria to keep the pathogenic kind under control, they chose to give them an antibiotic called rifaximin that’s absorbed only in the intestines. This drug specifically kills both the good guys and the bad guys – leaving you with lowered levels of helpful bacteria and setting you up for another bout of IBS.

However, 550 mg of rifaximin taken three times a day, does work quickly to alleviate symptoms of IBS. This is why doctors prescribe it so often. Although clinical trials found that it worked in only 40% of the cases, this is an improvement over other solutions.

Since it’s a prescription drug, it’s also far more expensive than probiotics. Because rifaximin is approved by the FDA for traveler’s diarrhea, but not for IBS, it’s likely you’ll have to pay for it out of pocket if you need to take something immediately to stop your symptoms of IBS.

If you have chronic IBS, you may want to begin by taking probiotics instead. But remember that you need specific beneficial bacteria for your condition. To get more information on which probiotics to take for any condition, have your doctor contact Dr. Stephen Olmstead at Klaire Laboratories (888-488-2488). He’s an exceptionally knowledgeable doctor whose specialty is probiotics. While he is not able to discuss specific protocols with patients, he will speak with medical practitioners.

If this is not an option, start taking Advanced Probiotic Formula (800-791-3395) for a month and then switch over to another formula, like Culturelle (888-488-2488) for another month. Alternate good, potent formulas every month or so. If your symptoms lessen with any particular probiotic, use that one for six months or more. Advanced Probiotic Formula does contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus, so consider using it if you’ve had radiation treatment, or intend to have it in the future.

INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la re. (2012, April 30). “Gut Flora, High-Fat Diets and Metabolic Disorders.” Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244688.php.

Pimentel, Mark, MD, Anthony Lembo, MD, William D. Chey, MD, Salam Zakko, MD, Yehuda Ringel, MD, Jing Yu, PhD, Shadreck M. Mareya, PhD, Audrey L. Shaw, PhD, Enoch Bortey, PhD, and William P. Forbes, PharmD for the TARGET Study Group. “Rifaximin Therapy for Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome without Constipation,” N Engl J Med, 2011; 364:22-32, January 6, 2011.

Washington University School of Medicine (2011, November 16). Probiotic protects intestine from radiation injury. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116143059.htm.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Surgery or Chiropractic? Which Works Best For Sciatica?

If you have chronic sciatic pain and traditional medical care hasn’t found a solution, you may need a chiropractor. Surgeons and pain management doctors will likely disagree. Most medical doctors I’ve talked with don’t have much use for doctors of chiropractic. That’s too bad, because each has a place in the healing arts. And chiropractic is often affordable where surgery is not.

But which is more effective?

The first randomized study to compare the results of back surgery to spinal manipulation found an answer for at least one form of back and leg pain. Researchers sent a group of patients with chronic sciatica who had failed traditional medical management to a chiropractor for spinal manipulation. Sixty percent benefitted as much as patients who had surgery!

But what about the 40% of sciatica patients who didn’t respond to chiropractic treatments? They had surgery and had as much benefit from it as those who had surgery initially. There was no negative effect caused by this delay in treatment.

In another study, 122 patients randomly received either 21 sessions with a chiropractor or a single surgery called microdiskectomy. All had the same six supervised rehabilitation sessions. The study concluded that chiropractic manipulations were as successful as surgery. Surgery costs around $25,000, while chiropractic fees are around $21,000.

If you feel more comfortable with a medical doctor, but don’t want surgery, look for an osteopath – a medical doctor trained in manipulation. This can give you the best of both worlds.

Whether you choose a chiropractor or osteopath, make sure they have training and experience in treating sciatica. Some chiropractors and osteopaths concentrate their practice on allergy testing, nutrition, or allopathic medicine. They may not be your best choice.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/224957.php.

LETTERS

Q: I’ve been using Système 41 skin care products, and I really like them. But I wonder whether or not there’s a “best way” to use them. — K.F., via email

A: As a matter of fact, there is. The skin on your face is particularly sensitive. And, of course, you want maximum absorption of the nutrients in all skin-care products. So begin by gently cleansing your face with the cleanser to make sure your pores are open. Use warm, not hot, water and pat dry. This will help avoid damaging the skin.

Then apply any treatment, like the eye cream or any medication given to you by your dermatologist. Use your ring finger to apply this treatment because it’s your weakest finger and it won’t pull the delicate skin around your eyes.

After the eye treatment, use the day cream. Then, if you use makeup, apply it last. (At night, apply the night cream last.) Once a week, begin your regime with an exfoliating product like the masque.

If you’re using a different exfoliating product than the one included in Système 41, be careful with how you apply it. Many exfoliating products contain larger particles of nut shells rather than a finer clay, and are too rough for older, thinning skin. They can damage your face and cause permanent redness. There’s a delicate balance between effectiveness and ineffectiveness. That’s why I personally use Système 41, which you can order by calling 800-791-3446. But this order in which skin-care products should be used for maximum benefits applies to all brands.

Academy of Dermatology (AAD) (2012, June 19). “Get the most from your skin care products: Sequence in which you apply skin care products influences their effectiveness.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 20, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120619092927.htm

Q: My husband and I would like you to settle a disagreement. I say that a moderate walk a few times a week is enough to protect your heart, while he says you need to walk at a brisk pace every day. We both agree that walking is beneficial, but how often and at what rate? — D.N., email

A: For real cardiovascular protection, you want to walk briskly every day. That’s the conclusion a group of scientists came to when they followed the health of more than 10,000 people over 10 years. They found that jogging or taking a brisk walk every day had 50% fewer heart attacks and strokes than people who were sedentary or who walked at a slower pace. The more brisk the walk, the greater the protection.

This makes sense, because a brisk walk makes your heart beat faster, which exercises the heart muscle. You want to get some kind of physical activity that makes you warm or breathe more heavily to get your blood pumping. Just 20-30 minutes a day should give your heart and brain the exercise and protection you want.

A brisk walk isn’t your only option. Using an exercise bike or treadmill will also keep your heart healthy. And some kinds of housework and gardening can count toward your daily exercising. Just make sure you give your heart a workout every day for around half an hour. Strolling just won’t give you the same benefits. And little to no exercise is likely to lead to heart problems.

Medical News Today, 10 October 2012