I can’t remember a time when my mother was pain-free. Her hands were constantly swollen from chronic inflammation. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease where her immune system attacked joints and other tissues. Nothing she did – other than take over-the-counter pain medications daily – gave her any relief, and aspirin and Tylenol didn’t help much.

Mother used traditional drugs for this and other conditions throughout her life, but they gave her uncomfortable side effects like digestive problems. Instead, she tried everything from chiropractic and heat treatments to diathermy and gold injections, but nothing worked. If only she had known to increase her diet with healthful fats, mother’s pain may have been greatly lessened – or even prevented.

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of fish oil for the heart, diabetes, and brain function. But not a lot has been said about its effects on arthritis. Yet the studies are there.

A recent Swedish study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases found that the women who had the highest consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) had a 52% lower risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis. PUFAs are present in walnuts, ground flax seeds, soybeans, and grass-fed beef. But they are highest in oily fish like salmon and mackerel.

Now, you may have heard before that eating oily fish reduces inflammation and its pain, but not everyone wants to eat salmon every week. And some people, like me, don’t care for mackerel at all. Well, I have good news for you. Eating more than one serving of any fish – fatty or lean – was found to reduce the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis by nearly 30%.

But to get the full protection of PUFAs, you need to eat at least one portion of fish every week for a minimum of ten years. If you haven’t been eating fish regularly, day one starts now.

While the emphasis in the media has been on the benefits of eating oily fish, the Swedish study found that women who ate either a minimum of one serving of fatty fish – or four servings of lean fish a week – had a lower risk of ever getting rheumatoid arthritis. The bottom line is that eating all fish is protective. It’s just a matter of getting enough of its healthful fats over a long enough period of time.

I’m aware that not everyone is going to eat this much fish on a regular basis. And some people, like vegetarians and vegans, eat no fish at all. Fortunately, PUFAs are high in some nuts, seeds, and other foods. Of all nuts, walnuts are highest in omega-3s. If you enjoy them, take a small handful for a snack, or add them to your breakfast cereal, salads, and desserts.

Flax seeds are particularly high in omega-3 fats, but there’s a problem with them that most people overlook. If you examine flax seeds carefully, you’ll understand what I’m saying. Flax seeds are protected by a hard shell, which keeps the oil from going rancid. Before you can utilize the oil, you need to break open the shell by grinding it. However, if you grind up a few days’ worth of flax seed, or buy its pre-ground powder, the oils become rancid. So don’t buy flax that has been ground. Just grind the amount you plan to use immediately in a seed or coffee grinder, or get flax oil in supplement form where it’s protected from the air and remains stable.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may want to rely on the omega-3 fatty acids found in supplements. Instead of taking fish oils alone, you may get added benefits if you take both fish-based and plant-based omega-3 fats like those found in Complete Daily Oils You can order it by calling 800-791-3395. (Don’t forget to use offer code WH1214 when ordering). It includes fish oils, rice bran oil, and organic flax seed oil – all known for their stability and omega-3 content.
I personally like to rely on one or two capsules of a supplement high in omega-3 fats, and add foods high in this essential oil whenever I can. For best absorption, I make sure I take any oil-based supplements with a meal or snack that contains some dietary fats.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264712.php.

Whiteman, Honor. “Eating oily fish could cut your risk of rheumatoid arthritis.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 13 August 2013. Web.

You Don’t Have to Suffer From Severe COPD – Even If You Once Smoked

My father died of lung cancer when he was 54. He had smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years. My mother was luckier. She also smoked, but she stopped cold after my father died, and never picked up a cigarette again. However, 40 years later, she realized she hadn’t gotten away with anything. That’s when she was diagnosed with emphysema, a progressive disease that can lead to COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

My mother’s lung problems were related to her smoking decades ago, along with a lack of consistent exercise throughout her life. Her lung disease contributed to a great deal of discomfort, fear, and eventually to her death.

COPD is not limited to smokers. Although I never smoked cigarettes, I was heading toward smoking-related problems. The first sign was low-level fatigue and difficulty keeping up with friends on a gentle weekend hike. Then came multiple bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia every winter beginning in childhood occurring for decades.

While I didn’t smoke, I had been exposed to second-hand and third-hand smoke. You know what second-hand smoke is: smoke in the air coming from someone in the vicinity who is smoking. Third-hand smoke is not as well recognized. It is the smoke that clings to carpets, drapes, and clothing. It’s what I smell when I hug a friend of mine who smokes. It clings to his clothes even after he’s washed them.

Chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, along with emphysema and asthma, can be a sign of impending COPD. Although I had shunned cigarettes after my father died, I was heading in the same direction as he. This is frightening because with COPD you become short of breath or unable to breathe deeply and easily.

What doctors will tell you

People with COPD have difficulty getting enough air through their lungs. The solution that’s most often suggested is a steroid inhaler like Flovent. But aerosol steroids contribute to osteoporosis. Doctors know this. That’s why they frequently add Fosamax to their patient’s array of drugs to address this side effect. Unfortunately, Fosamax frequently has its own side effects, including digestive problems and deterioration of the jaw. And, of course, there is a higher risk for respiratory infections.

Doctors have a solution for infections. Many simply give antibiotics to their COPD patients at the first sign of a chest cold. This, as you know, often leads to antibiotic resistance and more infections.

I’m here to tell you that there are other ways to improve your lung health and prevent complications like COPD.

Enhance your lung function

First, improve your diet: Study after study shows that vitamins A and C increase lung function. Eat a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables every day, not just occasionally. Choose red, yellow, orange, and dark green foods – highest in these vitamins.

Don’t rely solely on supplements. Your lungs need all parts of the vitamin A complex, including hundreds of different carotenoids, to make healthy lung tissues. Many of these carotenoids are too fragile to be synthesized into supplements. Get all of the carotenoids in an antioxidant-rich diet, then add antioxidant supplements for extra insurance.

Bioflavonoids like quercetin (found in green tea and red wine) and lycopene (highest in cooked tomatoes) strengthen the lungs. An Israeli study found that just 30 mg of lycopene a day improved lung function enough in asthmatics to allow many of them to exercise without wheezing or coughing. Consider taking supplemental lycopene.

Exercise regularly: You may think that you don’t have enough breath to exercise. But exercise will improve your lung capacity and make it easier for you to breathe. Begin with an extremely limited program if necessary, but begin today. The results you get from persisting will be well worth your efforts. Talk with your doctor about exercise options and get a program designed for your needs and condition.

Here’s one simple program that can work if you have COPD or asthma. Begin by stretching for 5-10 minutes. Then, walk or use a stationary bike for just five minutes, three days a week. When you can, increase your exercise time by one to three minutes a week. Rest after every five minutes of exercising if necessary. Your goal is 20 minutes of exercising three to five days a week. Build up slowly to this amount. There’s no hurry.

You can get more helpful exercise information in Life and Breath by Neil Schachter, MD (Broadway Books, 2003), even if you’re an asthmatic. You may be better off exercising indoors or using elastic bands rather than walking or biking. Find some exercise you can do regularly and do it.

Take protective herbs: I’ve found three nutrients that can strengthen your lungs for better function and boost your immunity to keep you from getting sick. They are the herb Usnea barbata, medicinal mushrooms, and garlic.

Usnea, called “the lungs of the earth” by Native Americans, is used for all lung problems. One good Usnea product I’ve found is a tincture made by HerbPharm. Take one dropperful diluted in water three times a day. If your health food store doesn’t have it in stock, you can order it by calling 800-348-4372 or [email protected].

Medicinal mushrooms boost your immunity, allowing your body to fight off a cold before it starts. I used Usnea to strengthen my lungs. Then I took medicinal mushrooms to keep me well. They have worked for me 100% of the time.

Choose a formula that contains the whole mushroom, not a single fraction that’s been separated out. When you use the whole mushroom, you’re taking a food containing active nutrients, precursors, and co-factors. I prefer formulas with several medicinal mushrooms since each one has a slightly different action. MycoPhyto Complex (800-791-3395), a formula of six mushrooms grown on immune-enhancing herbs, works best for me. I take two to three capsules each day.

A seven-year Chinese study found an association between garlic and lung cancer. People who ate raw garlic at least twice a week had a lower risk of getting lung cancer than those who didn’t eat garlic – regardless of whether or not they smoked. But you don’t have to reek of garlic to get its protection. Kyolic, a supplement found in health food stores, doesn’t cause burping or odors. I like this brand because it has been found to be effective in numerous studies. I suggest you take it daily.

In her final year, my mother struggled for breath and was hooked up to an oxygen tank too heavy to pull around. She was uncomfortable and frightened. The real tragedy is that she never pushed herself to exercise consistently. And like many seniors, there were many days when her diet contained little or no fruits and vegetables.

As much as I’d rather read than exercise, I’m on a regular exercise program that has become part of my daily schedule. I buy bags of pre-washed salad greens for days when I don’t feel like cooking vegetables. And often at night my snack is a piece of fruit rather than the corn chips and cookies I used to reach for. I’m not willing to fight for my next breath if I can avoid it. And I believe that you and I both can do this.

If you have COPD, or think you may be heading for it – or if you ever smoked – do everything that’s necessary to support your lungs. Be sure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants, exercise regularly, and support your immune system.

Garvey, C., RN, MPA. “Pulmonary rehabilitation for the elderly client,” Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, 1(2), 2001

Romieu, I. and Ca Trenga. “Diet and obstructive lung diseases,” Epidemiol Rev 2001;23(2).

Schachter, Neil, MD. Life and Breath, Broadway Books, 2003.

Why Acne Drugs Are Sinfully Expensive – And One Treatment That’s Not

Acne is an unsightly skin condition that’s not just a problem for teenagers. It’s caused by clogged, inflamed, and infected oil-secreting glands at the base of hairs. In teenagers, hormones trigger the production of hair, stimulating even more oil glands, which can then become clogged, perpetuating the problem. When their hormones calm down, many teens find their acne calms down, as well. But not always. Acne affects people of all ages, and trying to clear it up can be frustrating.

One problem with acne treatments is that they have irritating side effects. And acne is expensive to treat. The top five acne prescription drugs account for $1 billion in sales in the U.S. alone. The reason they’re so expensive is due to effective marketing and collusion, not their effectiveness.

Prescription drugs for acne can cost as much as $1,700 a year, while an over-the-counter product, which is found in some of these drugs, costs less than $80 a year. But the acne drugs are recommended because 13 out of the 15 experts who drafted the guidelines for their use were paid by the companies that market them. The American Academy of Pediatrics, that endorsed these guidelines, never bothered to tell this to doctors.

The guidelines could have listed the various treatment options and compared their costs, but they didn’t. If they had, they would have known that there are other options. Cheaper options.

Benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial, is the active ingredient in many acne products. It destroys bacteria and dries the skin. Sometimes it dries the skin too much, causing flaking and irritation. The next most common ingredient in acne products is often an antibiotic. It may also have side effects and can lead to antibiotic resistance.

When combined with an antibiotic, benzoyl peroxide is an expensive prescription drug. By itself, it’s an inexpensive over-the-counter medication. However, I don’t recommend either. A better choice would be to use an anti-inflammatory. The best solution would be to use an herbal anti-inflammatory.
A better solution

I’ve found an herbal solution you may have growing in your garden that researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University in England recently found can be more effective than prescription acne creams. It works by killing the bacteria that causes inflammation.

The scientists conducting this study tested three herbal tinctures – myrrh, marigold, and thyme – on Proprionibacterium acnes, the specific bacteria that causes acne.

All of these tinctures worked within five minutes, but thyme was the most effective. It was significantly stronger than either of the other two tinctures. This was the first study to show the effect of thyme on this particular bacterium.
You can find tinctures of thyme on the Internet for around $10/ounce, or make your own. Here’s what these British researchers did. They steeped thyme in alcohol for anywhere from days to weeks. I suggest you let yours sit for two weeks and keep some aside steeping for two to three months. Compare the results to see which works best for you.

You may want to dilute this tincture with a little water for an herbal wash, or add some of it to your favorite face cream. You may even find some over-the-counter acne treatment that already contains thyme. The biggest advantage for thyme over benzoyle peroxide is that it has antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties without the drying, irritating side effects of acne drugs. And it’s affordable.

Medical News Today, September 12, 2013.

Why You Can Do Everything Right and Still Develop Diabetes

You may be eating a healthful diet, but if it’s laced with contaminants — even in small amounts — you may not be doing enough to stay healthy. From toxic chemicals used in plastic bottles to pesticide residues in non-organic foods, each of us reacts differently to various amounts.

It’s frustrating. Even for those of us who make healthy lifestyle choices, pollution can have a very damaging effect. A recent study published in The FASEB Journal examined how what’s in your diet could be harming you.
In this study, researchers evaluated two groups of obese mice. They fed both groups a high-fat, high-sucrose-enriched diet. However, they included in one group’s diet a low-dose cocktail of pollutants. This group consumed these pollutants through their entire lives. While this group did not exhibit toxicity or excess weight gain, the females’ glucose tolerance deteriorated. This suggests their insulin signaling was not working properly. It’s likely that the pollutants affected estrogen activity in their liver.

In contrast, the males did not exhibit glucose tolerance issues. However, they did experience changes in their livers related to cholesterol synthesis and transport. These results indicate that pollutants may indeed be contributing factors to the widespread impact of chronic diseases such as metabolic diseases and diabetes.

The FASEB Journal editor-in-chief Gerald Weissmann, MD says, “This report confirms something we’ve known for a long time: pollution is bad for us. But, what’s equally important, it shows that evaluating food contaminants and pollutants on an individual basis may be too simplistic. We can see that when ‘safe levels’ of contaminants and pollutants act together, they have significant impact on public health.”

Research is finally finding an association between contaminants and metabolic syndrome. In the past, I’ve suggested dietary changes like eliminating sugars and refined grains and taking a supplement like Metabolic Defense (800-791-3395), which supports a healthy insulin response. In light of this current research, I’m recommending that everyone with metabolic syndrome also take a supplement containing PectaSol modified citrus pectin to remove these contaminants. My personal preference is PectaSol Detox Formula (800-791-3395), a formula with a great deal of science behind it.

Source: Danielle Naville, Claudie Pinteur, Nathalie Vega, Yoan Menade, Michèle Vigier, Alexandre Le Bourdais, Emmanuel Labaronne, Cyrille Debard, Céline Luquain-Costaz, Martine Bégeot, Hubert Vidal, and Brigitte Le Magueresse-Battistoni. Low-dose food contaminants trigger sex-specific, hepatic metabolic changes in the progeny of obese mice. FASEB J September 2013 27:3860-3870,

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Are You at High Risk for a Hip Fracture? Here’s How to Drop Your Risk

I was wondering lately why so many heavy women of all ages had hip replacement surgery. Was the additional load on their hips causing these fractures, or was there another reason?

Then I came across an Australian study published in Clinical Endocrinology that offered an explanation. It found that women who had a fat and obesity gene had an increased risk of breaking their hips by a stunning 82%. The average risk for hip fractures is just 11%. So it looks like the reason for many women’s broken hips is genetic.

If so, does this mean there’s nothing you can do to reduce your risk? Not at all. It does mean that it makes sense to take aggressive steps to reduce your risk. Like taking a supplement such as Ultimate Bone Support (800-791-3395) with strontium and vitamin D, along with additional calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients strengthen bones and make them less brittle. Brittle bones break easily when you fall. To avoid falls, it’s important to exercise, especially if some of the exercises improve your balance.

Even if you have an obesity gene, it doesn’t mean you can’t reduce your risk for a broken hip. Hip fractures are not inevitable. It also doesn’t mean you’re heading toward a hip replacement. But if you do nothing, you may be.

Bich Tran, Nguyen D. Nguyen, Jacqueline R. Center, John A. Eisman, Tuan V. Nguyen. Association between fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and hip fracture susceptibility. Clinical Endocrinology, September 2013 DOI: 10.1111/cen.12335.

LETTERS

Q: I’m 55 years old and don’t know whether or not I need HCl (hydrochloric acid) to digest protein. What tests or labs do you suggest to check this out? — S.C., Aldie, VA

A: I used to suggest various tests. Now I don’t. After being a practicing nutritionist for more than 30 years I have come to this conclusion: If you’re over the age of 50, you need more HCl than your body can make. This means that you’re not breaking down the foods you eat into useable nutrients. You may be eating a diet high in protein, essential fats, and antioxidants and still be deficient in these very nutrients.

It’s simpler, and cheaper, to take digestive supplements for three to six months and see how you feel. You should experience more energy, no bloating, and better elimination.

If you prefer to be tested, speak with your doctor about getting the Heidelberg Stomach Acid Test. It’s the gold standard medical test for low stomach acid.
This test costs around $350 and is not covered by most insurance plans. For the Heidelberg test, you swallow a small capsule containing a radio transmitter that records the pH (acidity/alkalinity) in your stomach while you drink a glass of bicarbonate of soda. A graph, showing your pH levels, will tell you whether or not you have the right pH to digest acidic foods.

A simpler method, and one I use, is to take a 650 mg supplement of Betaine HCl with pepsin with a protein meal. If you feel nothing, you’re probably low in HCl. Take more of this supplement until you feel a slight burning in your stomach. The amount of HCl you need is one less capsule than the amount that caused your discomfort. You can buy HCl tablets at most health food stores and online.
But there’s more to good digestion than stomach acid. You need enough of the right kind of enzymes, as well. So I suggest taking a complete formula like Integrative Digestive Formula from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395). It contains enzymes designed to help warm your digestion and herbs that enhance its repair.

Q: I have a friend who swears by colonics. She says they flush out debris that can clog the intestines. Do you think they’re necessary or desirable for good health? – J.P., Boulder, CO

A: Dietary fiber acts as a scrub brush in the intestines, so if you eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables you probably don’t need colonics. These foods not only keep the colon clean, they feed the good, protective bacteria. One thing to remember is that the colon is the site of thousands of good bacteria that keep pathogenic bacteria in check. Colonics flush them out and upset their balance.

My niece discovered the negative side effect of colonics. Shortly after getting one, she came down with a case of food poisoning. Her colonic had wiped out much of the beneficial bacteria that protect against the bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Fortunately, she knew what to do. She took some probiotics. If you decide to get a colonic – or if you need to flush out your colon before a colonoscopy, be sure to follow it up with a week or two of probiotics like Advanced Probiotic Formula (800-791-3395).