Last month I talked about how a chance encounter with a Chinese herbalist who introduced me to various types of ginseng changed the direction of my life. But there’s more to the story that I didn’t have the time to share with you.

It all began when I was in my 20s, and I met this Chinese herbalist. Some friends of mine had been impressed with the energy they got from taking ginseng root, and I was eager to learn about it. It turned out that herbalist Peter Tsou was just as eager to teach me. You can just imagine how exciting it was for me to understand about the mysterious world of Chinese medicine from someone who learned about herbs since he was a child from his father and grandfather.

A few days after my initial visit to his store, Peter began to teach me about the healing properties of Chinese medicinal herbs, beginning with ginseng. But there was more to the subject than ginseng, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. So I studied Eastern herbs with Peter, and I learned about Western herbs on my own. Then I shared what I had learned with everyone I knew. Eventually, under Peter’s direction, I started a small herb-tea mail order business, The Herb Lady. It gave me the freedom and opportunity to learn more about the fascinating world of herbs.

Eventually, my interest in herbs expanded to include foods, and my studies continued, leading to a PhD in nutrition. That, in turn, led to a nutritional counseling practice, The Nutrition Detective, that lasted 30 years and terminated after I took over as editor of Women’s Health Letter. The Nutrition Detective also was the title of my first book (Tarcher, 1985).

It all began when I met my friend, Peter, who offered to teach me about Chinese herbs. And his teaching started with ginseng. But there was so much more.

Popular herbs for a popular problem

One thing I learned was that having energy in the daytime was related to getting enough restful sleep at night. My most popular herb blend was a combination of Passion Flower (Passiflora Incarnata), Scullcap (Scuttellaria barbata), and Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis). I called it Tranquili-Tea.
Through the years, I’ve learned about and used a variety of calming herbs that have helped me – and my patients – get a deep, uninterrupted night’s sleep. Some work better than others. Just because herbs are “natural” doesn’t mean that they’re either safe or effective. Valerian, for example, may cause morning drowsiness and fatigue just like sleeping pills. And if you tend to get migraines or cluster headaches, valerian could make them worse.

Better choices

There are two ways you can get a good night’s sleep. You can knock yourself out with strong herbs or drugs, or you can use small amounts of good quality nutrients that allow your body to gently relax and help balance your body’s circadian rhythm. Here are some of my favorites for the latter.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Insomnia caused by anxiety is a major reason why some people can’t sleep. A study published in the Medical Journal of Nutrition Metabolism (December 2011) was the first to discover that regular use of Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) relieves stress. In this two-week study, 95% of moderately stressed volunteers responded positively to Lemon balm.

But it does more than reduce anxiety. Lemon balm has been used to improve cognitive performance and increase a feeling of calmness as well. This is why you may find it in some formulas designed to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Melatonin

In the August 2014 issue of this newsletter, I explained how light affects melatonin production. Melatonin, as you may remember, is a hormone that regulates your inner clock, and your inner clock affects your sleep patterns. But instead of regulating hormone production by exposing yourself to bright light in the morning and dim light at night, many people are opting to take melatonin supplements.

The problem is you need different amounts of melatonin for various conditions. And the amount recommended to help you sleep is much lower than the amount of melatonin suggested for other conditions.

Many sleep formulas contain 3-10 mg of melatonin. That can be more than you need for a refreshing night’s sleep. High dosages can actually reduce your body’s natural production of melatonin and other hormones.

If you wake up feeling groggy or with a headache, taking a higher-than-necessary dose of melatonin could explain why. And let’s not forget aging. As we age, our bodies produce less melatonin. Low levels are commonly seen in people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. No wonder we’re having trouble sleeping. Some people can benefit from taking smaller doses of melatonin. You can try 1-2 mg per night. A sublingual (under the tongue) spray can provide this amount.

Passion Flower extract

Another wonderful herb that can help with insomnia is Passion Flower. In a really good study, researchers followed 41 participants between the ages of 18 and 35. They divided them into two groups that took either Passion Flower extract or a placebo for one week. After the first week, the researchers took the participants off all treatment for another week. Then, for the third week, they switched up the treatments. The researchers found that those taking the Passion Flower had significantly improved sleep compared to the placebo. So if you struggle with insomnia, Passion Flower extract might be able to help calm your nerves and give you a great night’s sleep. Take 110 mg daily.

Honokiol

Chances are you haven’t heard of Honokiol. It’s the active ingredient in Magnolia tree bark (Magnolia officinalis). Traditional Chinese herbalists have used the whole raw bark for thousands of years for a wide variety of conditions including inflammation, anxiety, and other chronic problems – like helping you sleep.

Without causing a dependency like so many drugs, Honokiol reduces anxiety and depression by adjusting the electrical activity in the brain. This has a gentle relaxation effect that makes it easier to get to sleep. Honokiol is a powerful herb. A study published in the Journal of Pharmacy (1999) showed that it was as effective as benzodiazepines like Valium in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. But while valium may cause morning fatigue, irritability, headaches, and vertigo, it’s addictive. Honokiol is not.

Just 0.5 mg of honokiol will gently regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and prepare it for a restful night’s sleep. This is the amount included in Pure Sleep from Advanced Bionutritionals.

Pure Sleep is a complex formula of traditional Chinese herbs, Western herbs, minerals, amino acids, and B vitamins. It is unlike any formula I’ve ever seen – or used. It addresses the causes of insomnia, anxiety, and sleeplessness – not just its symptoms. And all of its nutrients work synergistically to support the organs and systems that improve sleep quality. I’m amazed at the results I’m hearing from the people who have taken this formula. If you have any sleep problems, whether temporary or chronic, give this supplement a try.

You can order Pure Sleep by calling 800-791-3395. Be sure to give them special offer code WHB314 when ordering.

“Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm) and Sleep and Anxiety,” Med J Nutrition Metab. 2011 December;4(3):211-218.

How Dangerous Is Your Multivitamin?

You can count on it like clockwork. Every year another study appears that claims vitamin and mineral supplements are a waste of money and should be avoided. Not only are they unnecessary, we’re told they are dangerous. Should we be paying more attention to these studies, or could they possibly be biased?

Last month, I talked about the importance of taking just enough of the right drugs. This month, I want to talk about the safety of your vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

Just where do the negative studies on supplements come from, anyway? Not from the supplement companies. Pharmaceutical companies fund most of the negative studies. And there are good reasons why they would like you to stop taking over-the-counter supplements. These giant corporations would love to be the sole supplier of your nutrients. In fact, they would like nothing better than to see supplements treated as drugs, and sold at a higher cost than present vitamins and minerals.

Recently, a group of researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (OSU) took on the pharmaceutical companies. They argued in the Annals of Internal Medicine that this “danger” from taking multivitamin/minerals is poppycock. Most of us would benefit from taking additional nutrients because our diets are less than perfect. Our meals often contain processed foods that are high in calories, sugar, and sodium, and low in essential nutrients.

What about those of us who eat a nutritious diet? There’s a problem getting sufficient nutrients from your food. You can become deficient simply by eating foods grown in depleted soil and from unavoidable contaminants in our air and water. Taking a daily multivitamin/mineral helps you to fill in some of these nutritional gaps.

Dr. Balz Frei, director of the Linus Pauling Institute, and a biochemist in the OSU College of Science points out, “There’s strong evidence that a multivitamin/mineral supplement supports normal functioning of the body and helps improve overall health, and may even help lower chronic disease risk.”

Of course, taking a multivitamin/mineral is no replacement for a nutritious diet. That’s why we need both. In today’s toxic world, we need all the help we can get. Especially subpopulations, such as seniors and people with chronic illnesses.

What about the studies that claim there is increased mortality from such nutrients as supplemental vitamins A and E, and resveratrol? Recent studies have found that they’re not accurate. Besides, mortality is not the only issue. Feeling good and functioning well is even more important.

These studies don’t reflect our nutrient needs. Few have even been tested on people with health problems. Many of them have been tested on a captive audience: healthy doctors and nurses. The negative studies have been based on taking miniscule amounts or massive doses of nutrients. The higher quantities are much higher amounts than you will find in supplements, even if you’re taking several formulas. The lower amounts are often not high enough to be beneficial.

Most people in our country don’t meet all of the guidelines for dietary intake of nutrients. For instance, if you read this newsletter regularly, you know that almost everyone both here and abroad lacks sufficient vitamin D. In addition, 50% or more of adults don’t get enough calcium or magnesium, either. Put these deficiencies together and it’s no wonder that we have an osteoporosis epidemic.

You need to be taking supplemental nutrients if you have chronic health problems, and you also need additional nutrients if you’re an older adult. This is a time in your life when you need more support from nutrients and you are less able to absorb them. Still, there’s no reason to take massive amounts of supplements either, or take them without a break. Just like fasting, there can be benefits in stopping many of your supplements for a day or a week every few months, perhaps when you go on vacation.

Toxicity from good quality supplements is rare, but anyone can have a sensitivity to an ingredient and have a negative reaction. This is why I suggest you watch for signs of toxicity. These can include nausea, headaches, and diarrhea. Most dietary supplements are safe for the majority of people to take according to directions. But some people are ultra-sensitive and may have a reaction. Begin by taking the smallest amount of a supplement that will give you the results you’re looking for.

If you’re taking any prescription drugs and don’t know if there are any contraindications between them and herbal supplements, ask your pharmacist to check for possible interactions.

A number of subscribers have asked me to evaluate their supplement program. It’s impossible for anyone to do this without detailed information on your diet and health history. I no longer do individual nutritional counseling. All of my working time and energies are being used to research and write this newsletter.
I have noticed a number of people who take supplements with similar ingredients. Unless there’s a reason for increasing the amount of a specific nutrient – such as taking more vitamin D than your multi contains – I suggest you begin slowly and build a high-quality supplement regime. Start with a well- absorbed multivitamin/mineral like Healthy Resolve plus an additional 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3, available from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395).

“The value of vitamin, mineral supplements: the debate is far from over,” Science Daily, 4 June 2014.

How Is Chocolate Good for Your Heart and Which Kind Is Best?

If you like chocolate, I’ve got good news for you. You may have heard that when eaten in moderation, chocolate is not only a safe treat, it benefits your heart. Other cultures have known of its many benefits for centuries, but until recently no one has known why. We’re just beginning to understand why chocolate is considered to be so healthful. It has to do with inflammation and the balance of bacteria in your gut.

A recent study presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is just now helping us understand the role bacteria play in our heart health. Some of the polyphenols found in chocolate are antioxidants that have a positive effect on the heart. For example, these bacteria raise HDL and lower LDL, which are predictors of heart disease. Our digestive tract contains massive amounts of all kinds of bacteria. The balance of “good” to “bad” bacteria is key to understanding just what you can do to get maximum heart protection from eating chocolate.

Maria Moore, one of the researchers, explains, “The good microbes, such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, feast on chocolate. When you eat dark chocolate, they grow and ferment it, producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory.”

The bad bacteria, like Clostridia and some species of E. coli, on the other hand, promote inflammation in heart tissues. They can lead to gas, bloating, diarrhea,
and constipation. So one way to remedy this situation is to take supplemental probiotics. It increases your ratio of good to bad bacteria.

Make sure that at least some of the probiotics you take are high in Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus bacteria. One probiotic supplement that’s high in Lactobacillus is Culturelle. You can find it in health food stores and through Klaire Labs (888-488-2488). Advanced Probiotic Formula has a number of strains of Bifidobacterium. You can get it from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395). Consider alternating these two probiotic formulas for maximum heart protection.

When your body absorbs these anti-inflammatory compounds, they reduce inflammation in your heart tissues. So feel free to have a little chocolate each day. Studies tell us that one or two ounces of dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa appears to be the most protective.

Dark chocolate has much higher levels of flavonoids than milk chocolate. In addition, the milk proteins in milk chocolate reduce the absorption of beneficial flavonoids. So if you’re a milk chocolate lover, or if you like the lighter forms of dark chocolate, just know that you may not be getting all of chocolate’s benefits.

It’s not clear yet whether or not the anti-inflammatory flavonols in dark chocolate are completely responsible for its beneficial qualities. One study published in The FASEB Journal in the Netherlands found that chocolate that’s higher in flavonols was no better than chocolate lower in flavonols for benefitting the heart. Other studies favored chocolate higher in these antioxidants.

To be on the safe side, I recommend eating a little dark chocolate high in flavonols every day, and including a probiotic in your supplement regime. If you’re going to eat chocolate, make it the dark variety. That chocolate is your medicine. And if you’re going to take a probiotic, you might as well take one high in the species of beneficial bacteria that support good heart function.

American Chemical Society, “Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbes.” ScienceDaily. 18 March 2014.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Why You Might Not See the Same Results From Some Treatments That Studies Say You Will

The problem with many scientific studies is that they may not apply to women. That’s because 80% of all human, animal, and even cell studies don’t use female subjects. And this is significant because gender differences play an important role in research. And it could explain why some treatments don’t work for you.

In fact, in a study of over 600 articles that included animal or cell research from five major journals, only 17% of the animal studies that specified the sex examined were of females and a mere 3% were of both sexes. In the cell studies, 76% did not specify the gender. Of those that did, only 21% used female cells and 7% used both. This is a significant issue when it comes to drawing conclusions from the research.

One reason it’s so important to examine both sexes is that males and females metabolize drugs differently. Hormonal differences can affect outcomes as well. And females may also manifest and experience illnesses differently. So it’s likely that we may benefit differently from treatments.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is looking to change this bias. They’re developing a policy that will mandate that all animal and cell studies they fund study and identify both sexes. The editors of the five major journals that these study results were pulled from are making a change as well. They will now require authors of the studies they publish to identify the sex of the animals and the cells they use in their research. And if they don’t use both sexes in their studies, they’ll be asked to justify why.

These changes to the pre-clinical change of research should have significant effects on translating the results appropriately to women in the clinical stage and human studies. Ultimately, this should lead to improved treatments for female patients. While not every journal is imposing these requirements, many researchers who recognize the importance of studying both sexes are hoping that will eventually be the case.

This is one more reason why you should subscribe to Women’s Health Letter. These new changes will allow us to bring you even better information — information that is specific to you as women — that will help you live a long, healthy life.

Surgery, August 28, 2014.

This Pain Killer Can Kill More Than Your Pain –
It Can Kill You

You may think that over-the-counter pain relievers are safe to take. After all, if they weren’t, you’d need a prescription for them or at least be warned about them, wouldn’t you? Not necessarily. A study from the University of Florida found that postmenopausal women who took Aleve at least twice a week had a 10% increase in stroke, heart attacks, and death. Naproxen is the active ingredient in Aleve and some other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

If you have chronic pain and are taking NSAIDs, first look to see what’s causing your inflammation. Concentrate on treating its cause.

A patient of mine had severe hip pain after having knee surgery. She felt worse after going for physical therapy. Her surgeon said that her pain came from bursitis and he prescribed Aleve, but that didn’t make sense to me. Pain after exercise and stretching says “inflammation.” Not surprisingly, she got worse rather than better.

I sent her to a chiropractor (who diagnosed her with a pinched nerve) and gave her Reduloxin – an anti-inflammatory herbal formula available from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395). This formula combined with chiropractic adjustments, rest and icing her hip reduced her pain. It can be that simple.

LETTERS

Q: I like sugar a lot. In fact, I crave it and eat sweets several times every day. What’s the harm in doing this? I rarely get sick, and I’m not overweight. – M.F., Spokane, WA

A: There are a number of reasons why you should avoid eating that much sugar.

A recent study conducted at the University of Otago (New Zealand) found that sugar contributes to heart disease. This study reviewed the findings of all international studies between 1965 and 2013 and compared the effects of sugar on blood pressure and cholesterol. They found that sugar contributed to an increased risk for heart disease whether or not a person is overweight.

This was a surprising finding, since a lot of the research in this meta-analysis was funded by the food industry.

When the researchers broke down the studies into smaller groups, and excluded the studies funded by the sugar industry, they found larger detrimental effects of sugar on cardiovascular disease.

There are other reasons to limit your sugar intake. Sugar feeds cancer cells and upsets the balance of helpful to harmful bacteria. If you crave sugar, you most likely have an imbalance of bacteria. You would benefit from increasing the beneficial bacteria in your diet and supplements. This means eating fermented foods, such as miso soup and sauerkraut, and taking a good probiotic, such as Advanced Probiotic Formula (800-791-3395).

You don’t have to stop eating all foods with sugar, but limit them to one serving three or four times a week.

Q: I don’t have much of an appetite, and I don’t like to force myself to eat when I’m not hungry. A friend of mine who is overweight keeps telling me that a poor appetite isn’t good for my health, but I think she’s just rationalizing. A poor appetite isn’t going to kill me, is it? – Q.D., Los Altos, CA

A: Actually, a recent study published in the journal Appetite found that seniors who had fair or poor appetites had higher risks of dying than people with good appetites. So your disinterest in food could, in fact, be lethal.

It’s not your poor appetite that’s likely to cause health problems. It’s a poor diet. The people in this study ate foods low in calories, protein, and nutrients. The less you eat, the more you need to supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. And since we know that seniors need more protein than juniors, I suggest you have a protein drink each day to sip in between meals. I make a smoothie many days with Advanced Protein Powder. The protein comes from whey, which is easy to digest. Since you’re not eating a lot, I suggest you add a tablespoon or two of Advanced Greens Formula to increase your antioxidants and vitamins.

It’s also possible that you have a zinc deficiency, for zinc stimulates your taste receptors. Often, 30 mg daily of zinc acetate is sufficient to increase your appetite, but some people need as much as 90 mg. An easy way to determine how much to take is to get zinc acetate lozenges. Begin with two lozenges a day of Advanced Zinc Lozenges and increase them until they taste metallic. You can order these three supplements from Advanced Bionutritionals by calling 800-791-3395.