We all know by now that antioxidants, found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs, are protective nutrients. But not all of them are alike or equal in strength, and different antioxidants benefit different parts of the body. For instance, some nutrients nourish the eyes, while others support the heart. This is why our diet and supplements need to come from a variety of sources.

You’ve no doubt heard the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, this is more than an adage; it’s based on good science. Eating apples daily can improve your heart by reducing your bad cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure. It can even help you retain your muscles as you age. Eating an apple every day could be the smartest addition you can make to your diet. What’s more, apples are easily available. They’re in every grocery store in the country. This is good news for a variety of reasons.

I’ve talked before about HDL and LDL cholesterol. Just think of them as being “healthy” (HDL) or “lousy” (LDL). You want more HDL and less LDL, because LDL helps make the plaque that clogs arteries. The antioxidants from apples are significantly better at lowering LDL cholesterol than many other popular nutrients you may have heard of, including curcumin and green tea.

As you may know, not all cholesterol is alike. When LDL cholesterol reacts with free radicals from pollution, pesticides, and cigarette smoke, it becomes oxidized cholesterol, which is even more dangerous. So you don’t want a lot of ordinary LDL, but you especially don’t want a lot of oxidized LDL. It can cause inflammation, which can lead to a heart attack. Inflammation often leads to a buildup of plaque in the arteries. This, in turn, can lead to atherosclerosis and heart attacks.

Building aging muscles

Your heart is not the only muscle that benefits from eating apples. The muscles in your arms and legs do, as well. This is because of a little-known molecule that actually reduces muscle atrophy. It’s ursolic acid, a chemical found in apples.

If you are sedentary, or just losing muscle as a consequence of aging, you want to know about ursolic acid. It can make the difference between building muscles with exercise or remaining flabby and frustrated at the lack of results. I’m not talking here about appearances. Having weaker muscles means you’re not able to walk, exercise, and carry groceries as easily. They also increase your risk for falls.

A mouse study conducted at the University of Iowa found that ursolic acid increased the size and strength of muscles in older mice. In another study, researchers gave ursolic acid to mice that fasted. They found that it protected the mice against muscle atrophy. When they gave ursolic acid to non-fasting mice for five weeks, their muscles grew.

Ursolic acid appears to be a promising body recomposition agent. Animal studies found it is able to both increase muscle mass and decrease fat. While there are no human studies to date, information from animal studies indicate that it makes sense to supplement your diet with ursolic acid. You can find it in its natural form — apples — or in supplement form on the Internet.

There are several forms of apples to choose from: the whole fruit, apple polyphenol supplements (powerful antioxidants), apple juice, and concentrated apple peel. Each works just a little differently. In one comparative human study, some participants ate an apple a day for four weeks, while others took 194 mg of apple polyphenols or a placebo. Polyphenol supplements did help reduce LDL to some degree, but the whole apples lowered their oxidized LDL by a stunning 40%.

Lowering blood pressure

A Canadian study from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College compared apple peels to whole apples and a number of other fruits. They found that apple peel extract had six times as many polyphenols as whole apples, and it was more effective at lowering blood pressure than blueberries and green tea.

Dried apples are a little-eaten food that many people overlook. A study from Florida State University found that the longer study participants ate dried apples, the more they were able to lower their total cholesterol and improve their heart health. Scientists lowered LDL cholesterol by 16% in just three months. After six-and-a-half months, their LDL dropped 24%. Dried apples make an excellent snack you can easily integrate into your diet.

One problem with using whole or dried apples is their high sugar content. Another problem is that fresh apples aren’t always fresh. They’ve been stored. All commercial apples are cold-stored in warehouses – some for many months. But a study on apples found that the phenolics and antioxidant activity decreases after the first three months. This means that many commercial apples have little or no polyphenols.

You can avoid this problem by taking a concentrate made from apple peel. Several studies have shown that the most beneficial nutrients for the heart are in the apple peel – not in the flesh of the fruit. The peels contain polyphenols and other natural protective chemicals. This is why you should never peel your apples. In my opinion, a whole food has the advantage of containing co-factors that may not yet be recognized.

After reviewing the many different forms of apples that are available, I find that the most powerful one you can take to support your heart is found in concentrated apple peel. You can find this in AppleBoost, a supplement made from the peels of organic apples. You can order it from Advanced Bionutritionals by calling 800-791-3395. (Don’t forget to use offer code WHA314 when ordering.) You may want to increase your apple intake with dried apples, and take AppleBoost on the days when you don’t eat the fruit.

Apples happen to be my favorite fruit. They always have been. But I don’t eat them every day. If you’re using them for their medicinal properties, I suggest you take AppleBoost daily and eat apples when you can. If you want to strengthen your heart and you also need to lose weight,
you may want to take an ursolic supplement as well.

Will This Flu Treatment Keep You Healthy Throughout This Winter?

Earlier this year, the Cochrane Collaboration, known for its unbiased information, published an updated review of 46 trials and more than 24,000 people on the use of Tamiflu. But instead of clarifying this issue, it just added to the confusion.

There’s a debate among health professionals about the pros and cons of getting a flu shot. Your decision may depend on whom you ask – and whether their information is based on old or new information. But few have questioned the use of Tamiflu in conjunction with the flu shot. Most doctors will recommend it without reservation. But should you take it?

First, some good news: Tamiflu did reduce the symptoms of influenza. Now some bad news: It shortened symptoms by only half a day!

But that’s not all. Tamiflu can have side effects, including nausea and vomiting. It also can cause headaches and psychiatric disturbances. And it won’t necessarily prevent person-to-person spread of the virus. Or reduce serious complications, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or ear infections.

When you have an infection, your body makes antibodies to fight it. This is not necessarily the case with Tamiflu. This review has found small benefits on symptom relief, but as the editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal, Dr. Fiona Godlee, has said about Tamiflu, “The evidence (is) of small benefit and (there is an) increased risk of harm.”

The original publications on Tamiflu did not fully report all of these effects. So what can you do instead? Break out the vitamin C, and take 1,000 mg two or three times a day. Stock up on a medicinal mushroom blend like MycoPhyto Complex – the formula that’s kept me healthy year after year (800-791-3395).

Get some extra sleep. And keep reading for more help in fighting the flu.
Tamiflu’s benefits might outweigh its risks, or it could cause serious side effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, coughs, and fatigue — the same symptoms you might get from the flu.

This Root Can Prevent the Flu, But Make Sure You Take the Right Kind

My journey into the field of health and nutrition began more than 30 years ago when I met Peter Tsou, a third-generation herbalist from China. At the time, he offered to teach me about Chinese medicinal herbs. I, of course, was very excited about the opportunity and gratefully accepted his offer.

Each week, he appeared at my house with a gift of oranges and stories about hunting for wild ginseng in remote areas of China. And the various properties of ginseng’s different species. Peter taught me that there were numerous types of ginseng, each with their own properties.

I learned about American ginseng (Panax Quincquefolius), which is cultivated here and exported to China. It’s the most popular variety in that country. They take it for energy and general good health. Then there was Korean ginseng (Panax Ginseng), which supports the immune system. Many people believe it has anti-cancer properties.

For stress, the recommended ginseng is Eleutherococcus Senticosus, known as Siberian ginseng. Actually, it’s not a true ginseng at all, but rather an adaptogenic root shown in studies to boost physical performance and reduce stress.

The only species I had heard about before meeting Peter were Korean and American ginsengs. Both are white roots. It was Peter who told me about a red ginseng root extract he said could prevent the influenza A virus infection. This is a respiratory disease that leads to pneumonia and viral death in three to five million babies and seniors worldwide every year.

But that’s not all.

Korean red ginseng extract keeps a respiratory virus called RSV (for respiratory syncytial virus) from spreading. RSV infects the lungs and nasal passages. Many people believe that red ginseng is the most effective variety for the mind and body. It’s also considered to offer greater protection from cancer than any other variety.

Since then, I have read numerous studies on ginseng. Sang-Moo Kang conducted some of them. Dr. Kang is a scientist in Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences. Kang had been developing vaccines against the flu and RSV. He joined forces with a university and research institutes in South Korea to see if ginseng could be used to protect against and fight these viruses. His studies concluded that Korean red ginseng extract did, indeed, have antiviral activity against RSV.

So, just what is red ginseng? It is ordinary Korean white ginseng that’s been steamed and air-dried. The steaming causes a change in color and activity. Decades ago, when Peter taught me about Korean red ginseng, he gave me a steamer so I could make my own red ginseng. I was able to see and taste the difference among the various ginseng species.

While many people take ginseng by itself – often for increased energy or libido — it is used throughout Asia as one of a number of herbs in herbal formulas. After getting my PhD in nutrition, I opened a nutrition practice and was able to see some of the effects my patients experienced after they took different herbs like ginseng.

All varieties of this root are powerful, so I recommend taking any of them with caution. I remember hearing about a young man who ate large quantities of ginseng every day. He insisted that it gave him more energy than anything else. He stopped taking these large amounts only when he died.

Although ginseng is generally considered to be safe, it has been known to cause side effects in some people. Insomnia is one possibility. If it affects your sleep, take ginseng in the morning. Other possible side effects include nausea, diarrhea, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and nose bleeds. They’re rare, but they have been reported.

If you’re taking any medications, check with your pharmacist before taking any ginseng to make sure there are no adverse interactions. Several drugs can cause problems when you take them with this root. These include warfarin (Coumadin) and antidepressants, such as phenelzine (Nardil).

Are You Taking Too Many Drugs or Just the Wrong Ones?

Janice hasn’t felt well for years, and she doesn’t know why. Her doctor hasn’t found a solution, either. She has a number of health problems including extreme fatigue. And she’s faithfully taking all of the medications her doctor recommended. But they’re not doing their job. In fact, she’s feeling worse. When her yearly physical found her blood pressure to be high, Janice’s doctor prescribed an antihypertensive drug. Her blood pressure went down, but her fatigue got worse.

Although Janice is only in her 40s, her doctor dealt her another blow. He discovered that her fatigue was due in part to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a progressive lung disease caused by smoking. Janice was a smoker in the past, but she hasn’t smoked for years. Like many ex-smokers, she learned that COPD can appear years after a person stops smoking.

When her doctor gave her the news about her COPD, Janice fell into a deep depression. She lost her appetite and was too upset to shop for or prepare foods. So she relied on fast foods. This lasted for months until a good friend convinced her to seek professional help. That resulted in yet another prescription from another doctor.

Janice’s health worsened with each added medication. There were times when she was convinced that one drug cancelled out the effectiveness of another. She was right. The reason a doctor prescribes medications is to help you get or feel better. But some medications designed to benefit one condition make another one worse.

Three out of four seniors in our country alone have multiple chronic illnesses, and more than 20% of them are taking the wrong drugs. And that’s not all. Side effects from taking multiple drugs can lead to dizziness, falling, anorexia, and … fatigue.

Sadly, Janice’s doctor is aware of this, and he’s just as frustrated as Janice. He just doesn’t know what to do about it. David Lee, an assistant professor in the Oregon State University/Oregon Health & Science University College of Pharmacy thinks he has a solution. His suggestion is to simplify Janice’s treatment.

“Drugs tend to focus on one disease at a time, and most physicians treat patients the same way,” Lee said. “As a result, right now we’re probably treating too many conditions with too many medications. There may be times it’s best to just focus on the most serious health problem, rather than use a drug to treat a different condition that could make the more serious health problem even worse.”

Not all drugs have negative interactions with others. However, many do. A study out of Yale University, which studied over 5,000 seniors, found the following chronic conditions made the other worse: hypertension and osteoarthritis; hypertension and diabetes; hypertension and COPD; diabetes and coronary artery disease; and hypertension and depression.

If you have any of these conditions and you’re not getting better, discuss this with your doctor or doctors. Ask if you can stop all but one of your medications while you make some lifestyle changes instead of taking more drugs.

You might eliminate your blood pressure medication and increase your daily exercise and meditation. Fifteen minutes of exercise and five minutes of meditation should be enough to help you feel better. Or you can increase dietary fiber while you eat less sugar and refined grains to avoid the need for anti-diabetic drugs. One of the Yale University study co-authors points out that more than nine million seniors are taking prescription drugs that cause more harm than good.

Janice began by making some of these lifestyle changes. She went on short daily walks, improved her diet by limiting junk foods, and began deep breathing exercises. After a few weeks, with the help of her doctor, she reduced and then eliminated several medications. Her results were dramatic. In spite of her COPD, Janice could breathe more easily and she had more energy.

Your results may differ from hers, but you should notice some positive effects from reducing your medications. Just make sure you make these changes with the help and input of your doctor or nurse practitioner. All drugs have some side effects, and stopping them suddenly can cause side effects as well.

Lorgunpai, Songprod Jonathan, Marianthe Grammas, David S. H. Lee, Gail McAvay, Peter Charpentier, and Mary E. Tinetti. “Potential Therapeutic Competition in Community-Living Older Adults in the U.S.: Use of Medications That May Adversely Affect a Coexisting Condition.” PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (2): e89447 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089447.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

How Stress Makes a High-Fat Diet Even More Fattening

Don’t eat a high-fat, high-calorie meal the day after a stressful event, says a study at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. It increases your insulin levels and slows down your metabolism. This can cause unnecessary weight gain.

Just eating a fatty diet the day after a disagreement with a friend or family member is enough to add pounds by slowing down your metabolism. The researchers found that “the participants burned fewer calories over the seven hours after the meal when they had a stressor in their life the day before the meal.”

How many calories? Stressed women burned 104 fewer calories than the non-stressed women. That might not sound like much – but it adds up to nearly 11 pounds over the course of a year. Not only that, the stressed women had higher levels of insulin, which can lead to an increase in fat storage.

While you probably know that we have a tendency to choose unhealthier foods when we’re stressed, it isn’t just our choices that contribute to weight gain. This study shows that the stress itself has an impact as well. The study examined 58 women who were given standard meals for the day prior to the study. They were then asked to fast for 12 hours before the study began. They filled out questionnaires to determine any depressive tendencies and their level of physical activity and then were asked about any stressors that occurred the day before.

The women were asked to participate in two study days. Thirty-one of the women reported that they’d experienced a stressor the day before the study at one of the study days, and 21 reported they’d had prior stressors on both study days. Only six women reported no stressors on both study days.

After the questionnaires were completed, the participants were asked to eat a meal of eggs, turkey sausage, biscuits, and gravy in 20 minutes. The calories and fat content of the meal were similar to that of a loaded two-patty hamburger and French fries. On one of the study days, the meal contained saturated fat, and on the other day it contained sunflower oil, which is high in monounsaturated fat.

The researchers thought that the saturated fat would have a more negative impact on the women’s metabolisms, but they found that both meals had similar results. Those who had reported a stressor burned fewer calories and also experienced a spike in insulin for 90 minutes after consumption.

The women who reported both a stressor and a history of depression also experienced a steeper rise in their triglycerides after eating. Higher levels of triglycerides can put you at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Clearly, it’s wise to minimize stress in our lives. But that isn’t always possible. So if you want to literally have your cake and eat it too without weight gain, reach for a low-fat meal or snack the day after exposure to stressors. Then eat your high-fat foods a few days later when you’re no longer as stressed.

“Women’s metabolism slowed by combination of stress and high-fat meals,” The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 16 July 2014.

LETTERS

Q: To block some of the BPA from entering my body from plastic water bottles, I was thinking of purchasing a water-distiller. Would you recommend a certain type? — M.F., Parsippany, NJ

A: I’m glad you understand the importance of avoiding exposure to BPA. It’s an endocrine-disrupter I’ve written about numerous times in the past. Studies have found that it is associated with many health problems. Unfortunately, for many reasons, switching to a water-distiller isn’t the answer.

The first reason is that distilled water contains no minerals and leaves you with mineral deficiencies. Another reason is that BPA is in the lining of canned foods and breaks down in heat. A water bottle sitting in a hot car, or food in a plastic container that’s heated in the microwave, are more likely to be harmful than plastic water bottles.

But there’s another problem. Plastic manufacturers came out with a solution. They cut back on the use of BPA and started to use BPS (bisphenol S) instead. BPS is related to BPA, and both are toxic.

If you want a BPA- or BPS-free water bottle, buy one made of stainless steel or glass. Just don’t fool yourself. You’re exposing yourself to BPA or BPS every day. BPS is in all paper money and credit card receipts. Whenever you touch them, you expose yourself to endocrine disruptors.

Your best solution is to remove these and other toxic chemicals from your tissues with PectaSol Detox Formula (800-791-3395). At the very least, it will help reduce your toxic load of contaminants found in the air, water, and food.

Q: I have been using Ultimate Bone Support. Last week I had another bone scan. It showed very little change. How many tablets should I use per day, and what else should I take? This formula doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe I’m just not taking enough. — D.O., Granville, MI

A: Congratulations! Although you don’t say how long you have been taking Ultimate Bone Support, or how many you’ve been taking, most people keep losing bone as they age. If you are not continuing to lose much bone, you’re doing better than most people. But let’s go over a few points to make sure you’re doing everything you need to do.

Ideally, you want to take two Ultimate Bone Support tablets morning and night on an empty stomach. Why on an empty stomach? Because the strontium this formula contains is cancelled out by calcium and magnesium. This is why you need to take them at different times of the day.

Since you need calcium and magnesium, take 500 mg of each per day with food. To simplify this regimen, take one Ultimate Bone Support tablet when you wake up and another before you go to sleep. Take your minerals with food once or twice a day in the form of a multi, such as Healthy Resolve. You can order both Ultimate Bone Support and Healthy Resolve by calling 800-791-3395.

If you want extra support for your bones, ask your doctor for a prescription for Calcitonin Nasal Spray. It’s made from salmon. I’ve seen excellent results when both are taken.