It’s the most misunderstood nutrient of all. Most people take too much of it in their foods and supplements, and this can lead to heart disease, diabetes, restless leg syndrome, PMS, osteoporosis, dementia, and arthritis. And the list goes on.

The nutrient I’m talking about is calcium, and the food source is dairy. There’s been a huge controversy for decades about the effects of both dairy and high calcium intake on our health. In fact, I was a pioneer in this area.

I’ve written about calcium and dairy for 22 years, and I still get more questions concerning them than any other. I warned people more than 20 years ago that a high-calcium diet could lead to heart disease and arthritis in my first book, The Nutrition Detective. And when I was asked to write for this newsletter in 1993, my first article was called “The Calcium Controversy.” Both received a great deal of attention and helped raise awareness of the need for less calcium and more magnesium in our diets and supplements.

Since then, I’ve continued to bring you the latest research on the pros and cons of eating dairy. I’ve also shared with you information on the amounts of calcium you need and how much is too much. You can read more about all of this in my past newsletter articles, and they’re now available in an inexpensive e-book available on my website, www.womenshealthletter.com called The Calcium Hoax.

Now there’s even more specific and startling news. This news has received very little attention. No wonder. It challenges the entire dairy industry in this country and examines the genetics of dairy. This new information explains how milk can be either beneficial or harmful depending on the genetics of various herds of dairy cows. You can’t get more specific than this!

This may sound farfetched, but it’s not. And it’s more than a theory. It has already been backed up by many dozens of scientific papers. If you include dairy products in your diet, this information will help you decide how much and which kinds to eat.

This subject originated in New Zealand where two university professors discovered, quite by accident, that some people who ate dairy products came down with serious illnesses while others didn’t. Their research had nothing to do with organic vs non-organic dairy products. Or rGBH-free vs dairy, which contains traces of this hormone. Or even raw vs pasteurized milk, yoghurt, or cheese.
In fact, you probably haven’t heard about this subject before. It has to do with the type of proteins in milk.

All milk contains casein-based proteins, but not all of these proteins are the same. Some can contribute to disease. These professors from New Zealand uncovered an important difference in two milk proteins. They either contain A1 beta-casein or A2 beta-casein. A1 is the bad guy, and A2 is the good guy.
Now comes the exciting part. Whether or not the milk you drink contains A1 or A2 is determined by the genetics of the various herds of dairy cows. Medicine is rapidly moving into the area of genetics, and where once we saw only questions, genetics now offers us solutions.

Here’s why the differences between A1 and A2 milk are important. As A1 milk is digested, a tiny protein fragment called beta-casomorphin-7, or BCM7, is formed. BCM7 is the culprit that makes A1 milk into a disease-promoting substance. This peptide, not found in A2 milk, is actually a narcotic that is associated with various illnesses, including heart disease and type-1 diabetes. It’s also one reason why numerous people are addicted to cheese, milk, and other dairy products.

Discovering A1 and A2 milk

Where did this correlation between milk and diseases begin, and how was it discovered? It began back in the early 1990s when Bob Elliott, a New Zealand professor of child health, found a connection between A1 and A2 milk and illness.

He was studying Samoan children who lived either in Samoa or New Zealand. Dr. Elliott noticed that the children who lived in New Zealand drank more milk than the children in Samoa – and the milk they drank contained the A1 protein. Samoan children drank milk containing the A2 protein. These children had 10 times less type-1 diabetes than the children in New Zealand.

Elliott looked further. He consulted with colleagues who were experts in cows and milk-protein biochemistry. Afterward, Elliott concluded that the amount of A1 milk they drank multiplied by its A1 content determined a child’s risk for getting type-1 diabetes.

He wasn’t alone.

Another professor from New Zealand, Dr. Corran McLachlan, reviewed Elliott’s work and found a correlation between type-1 diabetes, heart disease, and A1 milk consumption. McLachlan noticed that countries with high amounts of heart disease in older people had a high incidence of type-1 diabetes in young people. The common factor was the consumption of A1 milk and exposure to its BCM7 peptide.

Later, a team of Australian scientists conducted a study where they gave rabbits a diet high in either A1 or A2 milk. Their results, published in the journal Atherosclerosis (September 2003), concluded, “Beta-casein A1 is atherogenic compared with Beta-casein A2.” This means that A1 milk contributes to heart disease and A2 milk doesn’t.

Another factor that has been linked to A1 milk is intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut” syndrome. A2 dairy appears to be easier to digest than A1 milk, and thus safer. I’m not saying that A1 milk is solely responsible for intestinal permeability, but it looks like it’s a major factor in its development.

If you have been diagnosed with leaky gut, or with irritable bowel or Crohn’s disease, you may want to avoid all A1 dairy products. See if this simple dietary change helps. I suspect it will in many cases. It’s likely that you’ll also benefit from taking a supplement like Integrative Digestive Formula (800-791-3395) to give your body some of the co-factors that can help repair your leaky gut.

The BCM7 peptide in A1 that we know contributes to health problems has also been associated with autism. Studies conducted in the US, UK, and Norway discovered this. Some parents of autistic children have seen them improve when they stopped eating dairy.

This makes sense. When you can’t completely digest the proteins in dairy, your intestinal lining becomes more permeable. This allows proteins to pass through the intestines and get into the bloodstream causing inflammation and contributing to various illnesses.

How it all began

Elliott and McLachlan believe that all cows originally produced A2 milk. Then, thousands of years ago, for reasons that are yet unknown, some cattle in parts of Europe mutated. Instead of producing A2 milk, their dairy products contained the A1 protein. Meanwhile, cows in other parts of the world, places like Africa, Asia, and parts of southern Europe, continued to produce A2 milk.

Now, many herds of dairy cows around the world contain both A1 and A2 proteins in their milk. And even a little A1 could be harmful. But some herds in Asia, Africa, and parts of southern Europe still produce A2 milk. Eventually, A2 products may be widely available here. Until then, I have some suggestions.

A simple solution

The A1/A2 subject is based on the digestibility of milk proteins. A1 milk and dairy products are more difficult to digest, and release a pro-inflammatory peptide that has been shown to contribute to a number of illnesses. But what can you do if you want to avoid A1 dairy products?

It’s simple. Cow’s milk originating in this country contains the A1 protein – unless it specifically says it doesn’t. Goat milk products contain only the A2 protein. They’re safe. Some sheep’s milk products contain the A2 protein. When in doubt, do without. But sheep’s cheese is more likely to be safer to eat than cheese made from cow’s milk, especially if it’s been imported from New Zealand or Australia.

You can find milk, yoghurt, and both hard and soft cheeses made from goat’s milk in gourmet groceries and many health food stores. Goat milk products don’t have a strong goat taste or smell. One of my favorite brands is Redwood Hill Farm. They make a variety of goat’s milk yoghurts, kefir, and cheeses that are certified grade A and delicious.

In the meantime, eliminate all sources of A1 dairy for a month or two and let me know how you feel. Researchers are just beginning to explore this issue. For more information on the dangers of A1 dairy, pick up a copy of Devil in the Milk by Keither Woodford (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007). You’ll get an in-depth look at the politics of dairy and the science behind this discovery.

Is a Digestive Bug
Causing Your Rosacea?

I’ve written about rosacea before, but recently I came across new information on this chronic condition. Rosacea is erroneously called “adult acne.” It causes the cheeks, chin, and forehead to redden. In some people, rosacea just gives cheeks a healthy glow. Far more people, however, suffer from a permanent red flush accompanied by tiny unsightly blood vessels and pimples. Rosacea often starts when people are in their 30s and 40s. And it tends to worsen over time.

Although its origin is unknown, there may be a connection between rosacea, digestion, and helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). H. pylori is a bacterium that can cause peptic ulcers and esophageal cancer.

Recently, researchers have used probiotics to treat rosacea successfully. You can take them orally or apply them directly to your skin. I recommend you do both. Current scientific studies strongly suggest that we all take oral probiotics daily. I agree. And since we need many hundreds of different probiotic strains, I think it’s wise to rotate your oral probiotics.

Expect to see more probiotic products in masks, creams, and cleansers. Meanwhile, one doctor has reported that some of her patients are experimenting by using Greek yogurt masks to control breakouts. There are no studies to back this up, but it’s inexpensive, easily available, and can’t do any harm.

Possible causes of rosacea include heat (both internal and external), cold, and wind. Sunlight is the biggest trigger for rosacea, which makes it important for you to use sunscreen whenever you’re outside. And harsh soaps can be irritating. So keeping your skin clean can be a challenge. Instead of using even the mildest exfoliant to remove dirt from your face, use a liquid cleanser (like Système 41’s Gentle Purifying Cleanser 1-800-791-3446) which has no abrasive ingredients. Avoid using alcohol toners on your face, and use only cool water.

Reduce foods that cause heat. This includes all fats (emphasize essential fatty acids in nuts and seeds over oils and fried foods), refined sugar, hot beverages, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and drink plenty of water. Lemon is particularly cooling, so add lemon juice to water and sip it throughout the day. Making these changes may reduce your rosacea symptoms.

Some practitioners of integrative medicine suggest that people with rosacea avoid all dairy as well as foods with trans-fatty acids like margarine, hydrogenated oils, and fried foods. You may want to try this if you’re not getting the results you’re after. It’s possible the A1 protein I discussed earlier could cause this problem. But no studies have confirmed this.

Insufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid (HCl), the acid your stomach produces to break down proteins and utilize numerous nutrients, can cause rosacea. HCl is needed for the absorption of several of the B vitamins, found to be low in rosacea patients. Just taking more vitamin B complex won’t work if you can’t absorb these vitamins due to a lack of HCl. The production of HCl is reduced as you age, when you’re under stress, or when you worry.

The H. pylori/rosacea connection

An encouraging study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (vol 40, 1999) from the University of Erciyes in Turkey, found that rosacea improved after H. pylori was eradicated. Of the 53 rosacea patients, 51 improved greatly after taking antibiotics to eradicate their H. pylori. This bacterial overgrowth may be at least one underlying cause for rosacea, and HCl insufficiency may be partially responsible.

Low HCl levels have been found in people with both gastrointestinal problems and rosacea. The connection between these two may give us a major clue in eradicating both problems. H. pylori has been found in 70-90% of people with gastric or duodenal ulcers. If you have, or suspect you have, an ulcer, you may want to be tested for the presence of H. pylori.

If you have this bacterium, you may want to try a course of antibiotics that
are helpful for eradicating both H. pylori and rosacea. Several studies found that a two-week combination regime using bismuth, metronidazole, tetracycline, and
lansoprazole (or omeprazole) could treat both conditions.

Creating your treatment plan

Begin by reducing heat-producing foods and increase those that cool down your body. Stop using anything on your face that could cause heat or irritation. Use sunscreen.

Since a lack of hydrochloric acid (HCl) can cause rosacea, taking antacids may be the exact opposite of what your body needs. Instead, begin by chewing your food well. Next, consider taking HCl supplements after checking with your doctor. Take pancreatic enzymes (pancreatin 8-10xUSP: 350-500 mg) before all meals.

Avoid using anything on your face that causes stinging, burning, or redness. Don’t use products containing alcohol, witch hazel, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus, or clove oils. Pure lavender spray is soothing to the skin and has a cooling effect. Feel free to use it often. It also has a calming effect.

Miller, Kathryn A. “Pharm. D. Helicobacter Pylori: An Update on Treatment Regimens,” Gastrogram: June 1999. http://www.vh.org/
Providers/Publications/Gastrogram/June99GG.html.

Murray, Michael, ND and Joseph Pizzorno, ND. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1998.

National Rosacea Society, E-mail address: [email protected] Mailing address: 800 South Northwest Highway, Suite 200, Barrington, Illinois 60010 Telephone: 1-888-NO-BLUSH

Pakodi, F., O.M. Abdel-Salam, A. Debreceni, and G. Mozsik, “Helicobacter pylori. One bacterium and a broad spectrum of human disease! An overview,” First Department of Medicine, Medical University of Pecs, Hungary, Journal of Physiology, Paris, March-April 2000, 94(2)

Zand, Janet, LAc, OMD, et al, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living, Avery Publishing Group, Garden City, NY, 1999.

Slow Down This Source of Aging and Improve Your Overall Health

I’ve been saying this for years: You are not what you eat. You are what you eat, digest, and absorb. Without good digestion, you can’t get the nutrients from your foods and supplements into your blood stream and cells. The key to good health begins with having a healthy, functioning digestive system, and it changes over time as we age.

For most of us, these changes begin as we enter our 50s and 60s. These age-related changes are responsible for how smoothly and effectively our digestive system works. And digestive changes are as susceptible to aging as memory and appearance.

Your digestion doesn’t begin in your stomach. It begins in your mouth. That’s where food is broken down into small enough pieces so that it doesn’t get stuck in your esophagus. So it’s important to have healthy teeth. It’s just as important to chew your food well, since partially digested food particles can ferment in your intestines and cause gas, diarrhea, and heartburn.

Food gets from your mouth to your stomach by traveling down a muscular tube called the esophagus. Food moves through the esophagus with the help of a series of muscle contractions. But over time, your esophagus gets weaker and becomes less able to relax. This causes the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, which connects your esophagus to your stomach, to slow down. The result is that food can back up, making it both painful (heartburn) and more difficult to swallow (a common complaint among many seniors).

When this occurs, more water gets absorbed from food waste. This can cause stools to become hard and dry, which can lead to constipation. It also can cause pain and burning in your chest. There’s no way to avoid this weakening and discomfort, but you may be able to stop the heartburn it causes by eating small meals, limiting high-fat foods, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and avoiding lying down with a full stomach.

Heartburn, also known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), can be annoying or frightening and feel like a heart attack. It’s not. But it is a sign that your stomach is showing signs of aging. You can get relief from heartburn with several supplements, including D-limonene, melatonin, and tryptophan. These supplements work together to reduce the production of stomach acid. You can find all three of these in most health food stores and online.

If you’ve ever had surgery, you know that you can be left with constipation. This is because narcotic pain relievers, which are often given after surgery or for chronic pain, directly slow down the gut and lead to constipation. Often, taking from 200 mg up to 1,000 mg of magnesium oxide a day will soften the stool and relieve constipation. But use it cautiously. Begin by taking 200 mg of magnesium and increase the amount gradually until your stool is comfortably soft. Combine this with daily exercise and drinking plenty of fluids.

Your stomach goes through many changes as it ages. Just like your hair and skin, its lining gets thinner and is more easily damaged. In addition, some common medications, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), prescribed for heart disease, arthritis, and back pain, often irritate the stomach lining. Two of the most common over-the-counter drugs that can irritate the stomach are aspirin and ibuprofen. If you’re taking any of them, be aware that they can cause liver toxicity, peptic ulcers, and bleeding. If you don’t know whether or not any of your medications can be irritating, ask your pharmacist.

Finally, your digestion is greatly affected by stress. Meditation, eating a balanced diet high in fiber, and getting uninterrupted sleep, all contribute to your overall health and reduce signs of aging in your stomach.

Nutrition Detective

Alzheimer’s Reversed for the First Time in Conventional Study

Alzheimer’s disease is a frightening prospect for many people. And it’s especially scary because scientists haven’t yet found a way to cure it. Some researchers focus on one area, such as amyloid beta plaques in the brain, while others focus on another area, such as diet. But according to Dale Bredesen, a professor of neurology at UCLA, there’s a problem with this approach. What’s the problem? They’re all right!

Bredesen explains, “The existing Alzheimer’s drugs affect a single target, but Alzheimer’s disease is more complex. Imagine having a roof with 36 holes in it, and your drug patched one hole very well. The drug may have worked, and a single hole may have been fixed, but you still have 35 other leaks, and so the underlying process may not be affected much.”

To deal with all of these “leaks,” Bredesen believes a much more comprehensive approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease is necessary. To test this theory, Bredesen and colleagues recruited 10 participants for a study conducted by the UCLA Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Research and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. And of those 10 participants, nine improved after three to six months! Those are tremendous results for people with an “incurable” disease.

The study engaged the participants in a complex 36-point therapeutic program and involved extensive testing to help personalize the approach for each patient. For example, one patient was instructed to remove all simple carbohydrates, gluten, and processed food from her diet. She needed to eat more fruits and vegetables and non-farmed fish, meditate twice a day, and start yoga to reduce her stress levels.

The patient had been sleeping for four or five hours a night; she was instructed to increase to seven to eight hours. She began taking melatonin, methylcobalamin, vitamin D3, fish oil, and coenzyme Q10 as well as restarting the hormone therapy she had discontinued earlier. She fasted for at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, with at least three of those hours being between dinner and bedtime. She began exercising for at least 30 minutes four to six times a week. She even began using an electric flosser and electric toothbrush to improve her oral hygiene.

And she improved! Was this a drastic change to her lifestyle? Yes. But was it worth it to reverse the devastating slide into Alzheimer’s? Absolutely.
Bredesen is quick to caution that the results of this study need to be replicated in further research. But all of these lifestyle changes have numerous benefits. Begin implementing some of these changes today, and you may gratefully remember making the choice to do so for many years to come.

“Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s reversed for first time,” UCLA Health System, October 3, 2014.

LETTERS

Q: My doctor has suggested that I take Prolia for my osteoporosis. Is it safe, or does it have side effects? — J.G., Palm Desert, CA

A: Prolia is a prescription drug that is being used when Fosamax and other osteoporosis medications fail. Unfortunately, these two drugs have some similar side effects. Both have caused severe jaw bone loss, called osteonecrosis (dying bone) of the jaw, and unusual thigh bone fractures. Many dentists refuse to perform procedures on their patients who are taking these drugs. These procedures may include routine care, such as teeth cleaning and scaling.

In addition, if you already have low blood calcium, it could get worse with Prolia. Other common side effects include endocarditis – inflammation of the lining of the heart – and low blood pressure. Serious allergic reactions, such as trouble breathing and swelling of the face or tongue, also can happen. The most common side effects are pain, especially in the back, arms and legs, and muscles.

Bottom line: Prolia can cause some of the same problems it’s designed to solve and some that are different. Personally, I would never take either Fosamax or Prolia. Instead, I take Ultimate Bone Support (800-791-3395) with added calcium and magnesium (taken at a different time of the day). This formula contains strontium, and is in my opinion the safest, most effective product I’ve seen to work for strong, healthy bones.

Q: I have heard that women who get radiation treatment for breast cancer are at an increased risk for heart disease. Is that true? If so, is there anything that can be done to decrease this risk? A family member has been advised to get radiation for her breast cancer, but she doesn’t want to exchange one health problem for another. — M.S., e-mail

A: If your family member has breast cancer in her left breast, it’s true that
she may be at an increased risk for heart disease because the radiation can penetrate her heart. If it’s in her right breast, the exposure to radiation is less of a problem. This risk increases proportionately with the dose of radiation the heart is exposed to during treatment. It’s difficult to deliver enough of a dose of radiation to the left breast while protecting the heart. But there’s a solution to this problem that is simple and effective. New research out of Thomas Jefferson University, published in Practical Radiation Oncology, found that if a woman holds her breath during radiation pulses, this greatly reduces radiation exposure to the heart.

This study followed 81 women for eight years after they had been treated with radiation on their left breasts. The patients who held their breath during treatment had a 90% disease-free survival rate, and a 96% overall survival. So the radiation therapy had a positive effect on their cancer and it didn’t affect their heart. The patients who held their breath during radiation therapy had only a 1.4% rate of heart disease after eight years. It’s amazing that such an easy fix could have such a huge impact. It’s certainly worth trying.