I really don’t like the word diet and diets in general. Diets are commonly equated with deprivation, plus they usually entail a routine that you begin, but intend to quit eventually. And most people quit sooner rather than later. In fact, two out of five people who start a diet give up within the first seven days. Only 5-20% make it a whole month. What’s even worse is that a diet doesn’t usually involve sustainable lifestyle changes. And if there’s an underlying issue that’s causing the diet not to work, the dieter usually just gives up rather than digging deeper to find out what’s really going on. That’s what almost happened to Jackie. Fortunately, Jackie was able to make lifestyle changes and lose weight, be more energetic, and feel great. But it didn’t start with a diet – it started with one simple supplement.

Jackie was 56 years old when she came to see me. Her weight had been creeping up a few pounds each year for the past 10 years. She complained of fatigue and was often unable to exercise. When she did exercise, she felt even more tired, and exercise would be off the table again for days until she got her strength back. She had seen two internists, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, and a naturopath. She had tried a variety of unsuccessful diets, exercise, mind/body tapes, yoga, meditation, and life coaching.

Some of these strategies worked – for a while. Jackie would lose a few pounds, but the minute she deviated from the plan, the pounds and her disappointment would come right back. She said she felt like she was on a roller coaster that wouldn’t stop. Jackie knew that most of her attempts were failing because she just couldn’t stick with them. But she thought that if she could just get her energy levels back up, she would have more mental toughness.

I agreed. First, we focused on Jackie’s eating habits and her supplements because I didn’t think she was getting enough basic energy. She had been taking B vitamins and a few well-prescribed adaptogenic herbs, but they didn’t seem to be doing enough. She needed something else to give her a boost over her mental hurdles.

About three years ago, my friend and colleague, Dr. Nan Fuchs, introduced me to Alginol, a potent, uniquely harvested and processed brown algae. I didn’t have much experience with brown algae, but I trusted Dr. Nan’s advice. So I gave it a try with a few of my patients. Jackie was the very first person I prescribed it to. I had her take one daily every morning. After three days, Jackie called to get my approval to take it twice a day.

Two weeks later, Jackie reported that she was waking up ready to get out of bed in the morning. She began exercising modestly, walking 45 minutes a day and doing yoga once a week. She felt much better. Her appetite had regulated itself, and her food choices were naturally healthier. After only a month, she had lost 10 pounds. She reported to me that this was the easiest weight had ever come off of her. She didn’t feel like she was ”dieting.” She just felt like herself – about 10 years ago.

After three months, I ran Jackie’s blood work. She’d lost an additional 13 pounds, and her thyroid function, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar had all improved.
I rarely see this type of response from a single supplement. However, I’m not the only one getting great results with brown algae. Brown algae contains a polyphenol called Ecklonia cava that numerous studies have shown to be beneficial. One 2011 study found that supplementing with an extract made from Ecklonia cava helped overweight participants see significant improvements in their BMIs, body fat ratios, waist circumferences, waist/hip ratios, total cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, HDL cholesterol levels, and atherogenic indexes compared to the control group. The group that received a high-dose of the polyphenols even showed major decreases in their blood pressure and serum glucose levels.

A component of Ecklonia cava, called dieckol, has additional benefits, as it’s involved in the inflammation pathway and can help reduce inflammation naturally. Its ability to help calm neuroinflammation means it can help reduce neuronal cell death and may help slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
Another study has confirmed that dieckol suppresses lipid accumulation in zebrafish and mice, which is consistent with what Jackie experienced. Early research is even investigating whether dieckol may have effects on breast cancer, and a study published in Marine Drugs found that it may affect breast-cancer cell movement, as it inhibits migration-related genes.

I’m fascinated with these studies. Jackie was thrilled with her results from Alginol, and so was another one of my patients. He certainly had some heath issues that Alginol improved. But Alginol had an interesting bonus that bolstered his vanity as well. Here’s what happened to Jason.

Jason had been a highly functioning attorney, but when he came to see me, he was 52, and his health had been affecting his work for almost a year. Ten months before our visit, he had fainted at work. He was taken to the ER, and he soon learned that he was diabetic with a blood sugar of 400 upon his arrival at the ER. When I saw him, he’d been taking 30 units of injectable insulin every day for eight months. He changed his lifestyle significantly so he didn’t have to take any more than that.

Jason told me that since his diagnosis, he had been very tired, especially in the morning. His memory was also not what it had been. He was having trouble remembering people’s names – even people he had known for some time – and his work was suffering. As an attorney, he needed mental agility, and his just wasn’t there. To add insult to injury, Jason had also lost a good bit of hair. He’d been using topical Minoxidil (Rogaine) for the past six months, but it didn’t seem to be doing much good.

Jason had already seen two other doctors who had prescribed a few good supplements. I encouraged him to keep taking them. Jason didn’t want to be taking a bunch more pills, so he asked me if we could start by adding just one more thing. So I decided to give him Alginol. He started with two every morning.

After a week, he emailed me and said perhaps it was just the power of suggestion, but he had noticed a small increase in his energy. He even asked if he could take three. I encouraged him to stick with the two in the morning and then add another at lunch.

After three weeks, Jason told me he was feeling like his old self. His energy had improved to the point that he felt able to exercise again, and his memory was coming back. He was very excited, and as you would expect, he kept taking the Alginol.

Three months later, Jason emailed me that his hair had stopped falling out. Could this be the Alginol? I didn’t know – I hadn’t read any reports of this. I began researching Ecklonia cava and hair loss and discovered that scientists in Korea have been doing research demonstrating the efficacy of topical Ecklonia cava to prevent hair loss and actually stimulate regrowth.

When Jason told his dermatologist that his hair had stopped falling out and might even be growing back, his dermatologist suggested that perhaps the Rogaine had just finally begun to work. Jason wasn’t so sure. And the Rogaine’s alcohol content was making his hair very dry. He decided to take a break from the Rogaine, let his hair recover, and see what happened.

Sure enough, after three more months, Jason was still feeling energetic, his memory was improved, and, as the icing on the cake, his hair was looking better than it had in well over a year.

Jason was thrilled, as you might expect. And I was excited to see all the benefits that Alginol had. Because Ecklonia cava also has antioxidant properties, it can help shield hair from the damage free radicals can cause. Brown seaweed, and Alginol specifically, is especially effective at mopping up these free radicals compared to other compounds. In fact, it can be a hundred times more effective at scavenging them than many other antioxidants, including green tea polyphenols.

Ecklonia cava also protects hair because it inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), an enzyme that breaks down hair follicles. Researchers performed a study recently to determine if Ecklonia cava really did have a hair growth promotion effect. It found that Ecklonia cava increased both the growth phase of the hair follicle and the growth potentiation of the hair cells. Not only that, it reduced the activity of an enzyme that produces dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT has a significant effect on hair loss.

Most pharmaceutical products for hair loss work by attacking DHT. Ecklonia cava, on the other hand, disrupts the process of converting testosterone into DHT. This means there aren’t any of the nasty side effects that can come with a direct attack. It intercepts the entire “war” and it lowers levels of DHT.

If you aren’t having issues with hair loss, but are still concerned about your appearance (don’t worry, that includes pretty much all of us!), Ecklonia cava can still benefit you. Many skin issues are linked to free radical damage, so Ecklonia cava can fight them off and help you avoid premature wrinkling. It also increases the activity of the enzyme elastase. And remember how Ecklonia cava inhibited our hair’s enemy, MMP-9? Its relative, MMP-1, promotes the breakdown of collagen. We want to keep our collagen to have youthful-looking, firm skim! Fortunately, Ecklonia cava inhibits MMP-1 as well.

Alginol is remarkable and different than a conventional medication. Its natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties helped reverse Jackie and Jason’s symptoms by dealing with the root causes – the inflammation and the natural pathways that were causing their problems. Jackie didn’t need an unsustainable diet; she needed to regulate her appetite so she would want to eat the right things. Jason didn’t need one more thing attacking his body; he needed his hair to grow back naturally.

Neither Jackie nor Jason wanted to add more pills to their regimens. But they agreed to give just one more thing a try. And once they experienced the effects of Alginol, they asked me if they could take more! That’s how much it changed their lives.

Inflammation and free radicals wreak havoc on our health. Alginol can help you fight back. And it’s made from a completely natural product – brown seaweed – with no serious adverse side effects reported. Whether you’re struggling with fatigue or you simply want to keep your hair, Alginol may be able to help. You can order Alginol from Advanced Bionutritionals by calling 800-791-3395. Be sure to give them special offer code WHB315.

Why Your Cholesterol Formula Isn’t Working

Have you ever taken a supplement to lower your cholesterol only to find out that it doesn’t work? If so, you might be taking the wrong type of supplement. That’s because there are different ways to treat cholesterol. And the formula you need to take might be one you haven’t considered yet.

One proven way to lower cholesterol focuses on sterols and resolving and improving lipid status. Sterols and stanols occur naturally in many healthy foods such as salmon, walnuts, and oatmeal. Consuming them can help you lower cholesterol. These substances act like cholesterol and compete with cholesterol to get absorbed by the body. The body can take in only so much cholesterol or cholesterol-like substances, so when it absorbs sterols and stanols, it has less room for actual cholesterol.

Your body does need some cholesterol to make bile, so it will start taking cholesterol out of general circulation to produce it. This lowers your overall cholesterol levels over time. If you consume sterols and stanols consistently, this process can help you keep your cholesterol at a healthy level. In fact, if you take plant sterols and stanols in prescribed doses (1.5 gm to 2.4 gm per day) while also eating a diet low in saturated fats from animals, research has shown that you can actually reduce your cholesterol by up to 10% in as little as three weeks.

However, a diet or supplement high in sterols and stanols is really only beneficial for people who have high blood levels of cholesterol and low levels of sterols and stanols. If you don’t, this method won’t really have any effect on you. If you want to try it, you can either make the foods I mentioned previously a regular part of your diet or try a supplement, such as our Advanced Cholesterol Formula. This formula is safe and you actually can take it with statins or fibrates to enhance their effects. However, there is one exception. If you are taking Ezetrol (Ezetimide), you don’t need to try to increase your sterol or stanol consumption. This drug works by stopping cholesterol absorption in the small intestines – just like sterols and stanols do. So you won’t receive any additional benefits.

Advanced Cholesterol Formula is often beneficial for people who do not get enough sterols or stanols in their diets or who have deficiencies despite adequate consumption (this is typically a genetic problem). Those who don’t have deficiencies, but still have high cholesterol may need to attack the problem on another front.

Those fronts are what I like to call the “evil twins” – sugar and fat. Both can have a significant impact on our cholesterol levels. To combat high cholesterol from the evil twins, try the new Mediterranean Cholesterol Formula. This formula helps lower sugar and fat levels using berberine, artichoke, and olive leaf ingredients. As an added bonus, artichoke and olive leaf also contribute to improved liver function and offer antioxidant benefits.

Several studies with rats have found that berberine, a plant-based supplement, can help lower total cholesterol when the rodents eat a high-fat, high-sugar diet. And, as I’m sure you know, fat and sugar are frequently found together in some of the unhealthy foods we consume. So it’s unique to have a substance that attacks both. In one study, the rats not only had reductions in their cholesterol levels after receiving berberine, they also lost weight and saw reductions in their triglyceride and insulin levels.

Artichoke is actually beneficial in raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. This, of course, significantly changes the LDL/HDL ratio and promotes health. Olive leaf extract is rich in polyphenols that can improve vascular function.

Another study indicates that olive leaf extract is particularly beneficial for women, since our estrogen levels drop as we age. Estrogen can help modulate our lipid metabolism, and drops make this more difficult. This study, published in Journal of Medicinal Food, focused on ovariectomized rats, which experience similar drops in estrogen levels to those women experience as they age. Rats who received olive leaf extract for 10 weeks showed lower blood serum levels of triglycerides and cholesterol compared to the control groups. This suggests that the extract helped the rats improve and regulate their serum lipids despite the absence of estrogen.

Both Advanced Cholesterol Formula and Mediterranean Cholesterol Formula attack issues that can lead to high cholesterol. And since they focus on different aspects, you can actually take both. For example, if you have a sterol/stanol deficiency and high normal blood sugar with elevated lipids, you’ll likely benefit from both formulas. If you’ve tried one and haven’t seen much change in your cholesterol, it may be time to give the other a try. You simply may not be struggling with the issue it’s trying to correct. Regardless, try to make sure you’re eating a healthy diet. Just because we have a formula to help combat issues that result from a high-fat, high-sugar diet doesn’t give you license to overdo it! You can order both formulas from Advanced Bionutritonals by calling 800-791-3395.

Nutrition Detective

Why Nutrients Work Better When Taken Together

One of my favorite types of research studies are reports on the synergy between various vitamins, antioxidants, and other natural elements. I love hearing that science continues to confirm what many of us have known all along – that the combination of nutrients in our foods exists for a reason. We maximize their benefits when we consume them in natural forms. Scientists love to pull things apart and tinker with their elements, but they usually find that the interactions they find just tell them to put it all back together.

A study published a couple years ago in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research highlighted this. Scientists were investigating ways to boost the human immune system. In particular, they focused on the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene. They found that several compounds helped raise the expression of the CAMP gene, leading to improved immune function. They all worked well on their own. But when they combined them, they worked synergistically. The effect of the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

These compounds were resveratrol, pterostilbene, and vitamin D. Resveratrol and vitamin D you’ve probably heard of. Pterostilbene likely sounds a lot more unusual. But it’s actually a compound found in blueberries! It’s in the same family of compounds as resveratrol, a group called stilbenoids.

This study found that stilbenoids are great at increasing CAMP gene expression. But, said investigator and associate professor Adrian Gombart of Oregon State University, “Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It’s a pretty interesting interaction.”

The CAMP gene is important in the immune system’s ability to fight off bacterial infections. This is particularly significant as our frequent overuse of antibiotics is making them less and less effective. Researchers already knew that vitamin D helps with CAMP expression, so combining it with the stilbenoids once their effects were discovered was a natural next step.

The researchers do caution that these studies were performed in a lab with cell cultures, not in humans with food. They can’t say for sure yet whether the results will transfer to eating a fruit salad while soaking up some sun on the back deck. But it certainly is a good reminder that we can do our bodies so much good by eating whole foods that are full of compounds that work together, live a healthy lifestyle, and optimize our health.

There’s plenty of evidence that red grapes, blueberries, and vitamin D are great for you. And I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t combine them in your everyday life! Just make sure that if you’re getting your vitamin D through sun exposure, you do so safely without overdoing it. Studies like this are why Advanced Bionutritionals developed Advanced Greens Formula, which contains dried whole fruits and veggies. If you can’t get enough of the whole food, then take some Advanced Greens Formula (800-791-3395).

http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/resveratrol_and_blueberries_boost_vitamin_d_immune_function/.

LETTERS

Q: I desperately need help. My symptoms are getting worse all the time, and I don’t know where to turn. I have felt for a very long time that I am full of toxins, maybe Candida albicans? Or maybe it’s something else. When I read your article about the missing link about digestive problems, I think I really fit into that. My long-time doctor here said he can’t help me if I won’t take his advice to take antidepressants/nerve pills. I tried, they don’t work for me. I’ve had sleep problems for so long that I cannot even remember having a good night’s sleep. I get so exhausted from not sleeping, and it leads to fatigue, shakiness, headaches, and depression. This morning my husband asked me to try to describe how I feel when I wake up after three to four hours of sleep. I said it’s a feeling of terror. I have severe symptoms of hypoglycemia, but it doesn’t show up in tests. Not too long ago, I had a CT scan of my gut and they said there was no blockage, but that I was constipated. I’ve taken liquid Mag citrate and that does move me, but my abdomen growls fiercely for a couple of days. I have read about Dr. Olmstead’s program. Can I do this? I read that I need supervision. Would my masseuse be ok? – Ann O., Portsmouth, OH

Dear Ann,

Since you are in Ohio, I wonder if you might be able to get to the Cleveland Clinic for Functional Medicine? All of the doctors there would be able to help you. They would most likely scrutinize your digestion and work out your sleep issue.

In the meantime, Dr. Olmstead’s program should be executed under the care of a health care practitioner and somebody with more experience than a masseuse. The PectaSol Detox Formula would be a gentle detoxification, but I would not start there. Many older patients respond very well to strengthening the digestion. It seems to influence positively not only their digestion, but their energy as well. I suggest starting with Integrative Digestive Formula, which is a comprehensive formula that’s easy to use and effective. You can begin with two capsules twice daily and see how that does. In a month, you can begin Pectasol Detox, but in a small amount to start. Take two before bed. Please let us know how this goes for you.

As for your sleep, I assume you have tried all the obvious lifestyle possibilities? In addition, the obvious supplement is a plain time-release melatonin capsule. I mention time-release because you wake after three to four hours. With melatonin, you may be able to get at least five hours before waking and slowly this would impact your overall energy.

As for the shaking, do you know what your blood sugar is when you wake? Or your potassium level? It would be helpful for you to measure your blood sugar with a glucometer when you wake. If you correlate your shaking with low blood sugar, the solution is simple. Simply eat a healthy snack before bed. If you wake up, take a bite of something. When your digestion is better, these symptoms should lessen. You can order both PectaSol Detox Formula and Integrative Digestive Formula by calling 800-791-3395.