Even if you don’t spend a lot of time outdoors, you’ve probably heard of Lyme disease by now. Once thought of solely as a tick-borne illness that hikers and campers in heavily wooded areas were most susceptible to, Lyme has been spreading throughout the country and may be diagnosed even in people who have no evidence of a tick bite.

Typically, Lyme disease is the result of infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, which ticks can carry and transfer. But in some patients diagnosed with Lyme, the bacteria will not show up in a blood test. In fact, some doctors even diagnose Lyme disease based on symptoms alone, which include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, headaches, trouble sleeping, neurological trouble, and even cardiovascular and musculoskeletal issues. As you can imagine, this is a controversial practice, but many doctors are at a loss, and patients just want a diagnosis. When that happens, Lyme (if that’s really what’s going on) can be tricky to cure.

The typical treatment for Lyme disease is a strong course of multiple antibiotics. And when there’s clear evidence of a B. burgdorferi infection, an antibiotic treatment makes sense. However, the lingering effects of Lyme combined with the effects of a powerful antibiotic can leave you feeling just about as bad as you did when you were first diagnosed. And for some patients, it takes multiple courses of antibiotics to clear out the infection. Some researchers believe this is because the antibiotics chosen to treat it aren’t penetrating the cells effectively.

That was the case for Jacqueline, who came to see me two years ago. After receiving a Lyme diagnosis, her doctor treated her with six courses of antibiotics over three years. While she no longer tested positive for Lyme, she had a complex aftermath of symptoms. While the worst symptom was her unstable blood sugar, her digestion, her nerves, and her energy were all suffering. She told me, “I have constant anxiety, no energy, and if I don’t take laxatives and diuretics, I’m bloated and swollen. The doctors have already told me that there’s nothing wrong with me. But this is really hard to believe because I feel miserable and have constant acid indigestion. And, I have to eat almost every hour or else I feel faint.”

I was sorry to hear about Jacqueline’s symptoms, but I wasn’t surprised either. Six courses of antibiotics to wipe out a bad infection can definitely do a number on your body. Fortunately, we were able to restore Jacqueline’s health one issue at a time. Let me tell you how we did it, and what you should be on the lookout for as well, if you ever find yourself on the road to recovery from Lyme.

First, of course, you’ll need to kill the infection. Jacqueline did that with antibiotics, and that’s likely the treatment they’ll give you as well. However, if possible, you’ll want to support the immune system as you take those antibiotics. A product like MycoPhyto will be able to help. Your immune system is likely exhausted from trying to fight the infection on its own. Then, once you’re done with the antibiotics and the infection is gone, you’ll need to help yourself heal by supporting your digestion with a good probiotic and a good digestive, such as Integrative Digestive Formula. In addition, this is a good time to begin calming inflammation throughout the body.

It’s important to note that these natural therapies take time to work. You need to give each treatment at least six months before deciding if it’s working for you. In fact, while Jacqueline now feels back to her old self, the process of correcting everything that had gone wrong in her body took two years. On the flip side, her dear friend Annie, diagnosed at the same time as Jacqueline, still has her symptoms. That’s because she’s done very little. You have to take action to eradicate Lyme. And it takes time to heal damage after a disease, so be prepared to invest some time in the process. Once you start to feel better, you can begin to wean yourself off of some of the supplementation or at least reduce your dosages. However, most people who’ve had Lyme will need to stay on an anti-inflammatory, a good probiotic, a digestive, and an adaptogen.

Let’s start with inflammation. A key component of reducing inflammation in people who are recovering from Lyme is controlling cytokine production. Cytokines are naturally inflammatory chemicals that the body produces at elevated levels in people with chronic Lyme disease. To lower them, you can try 1,000 mg of curcumin twice daily, Design for Health’s 900 mg n-acetylcysteine capsules (two capsules twice daily for three months followed by one capsule twice daily for three months), and two resveratrol twice daily. I recommend Advanced Resveratrol Formula, as it’s the best, cleanest, and most authentic resveratrol option on the market. Drinking green tea and taking Reduloxin, another natural anti-inflammatory, can help reduce cytokine production as well.

Once you’ve gotten cytokine production under control, you can begin reducing inflammation from other sources as well. Diet and sleep are typically the biggest factors in this process. We don’t have to talk much about diet – you know what to do here. Keep your sugar intake minimal, eat healthy fats, choose organic when possible, and stay away from processed junk. Everything on your plate should look like food. If it doesn’t, it’s a lot more likely to promote inflammation than to soothe it.
However, while your diet is important, healthy and sufficient sleep is probably the most critical to your recovery. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sleep gives the body the healthy “yin” it needs to quell inflammation.

Unfortunately, Lyme disease affects sleep, making it hard to fall asleep and/or stay asleep. The infection cannibalizes our naturally occurring sleep hormones, and the inflammatory cytokines we talked about decrease the output of sleep-inducing hormones to the sleep centers of our brains.

Because of these issues, many patients come to me taking prescription medications such as Ambien or Klonopin. Jacqueline was no different. She was taking Ambien to sleep, but was worried because she was experiencing a significant decrease in her memory and attention span. And even with the Ambien, she was still sleeping in only three-hour stretches. She also didn’t want to be reliant on the Ambien for sleep, especially since it wasn’t even good sleep.

It took some time, but we were eventually able to wean her off of it. We started off with a 3 mg capsule of time-released melatonin. Within a few nights, she was sleeping considerably better. She could fall asleep quickly and sleep for at least six hours on her own. Eventually, she was able to work her way up to eight hours. Many people with Lyme need higher doses of melatonin to sleep. I have many patients, especially perimenopausal women, who I give 10 mg of melatonin at 8:00 pm.

As I was able to do with Jacqueline, my preference is always to help patients replace prescription sleep aids with an herbal preparation, melatonin, a CBD (short for cannabidiol) capsule or liquid, or some combination of these options. Jacqueline was right – many prescription sleep medications can ultimately impair cognition and memory – so it’s important to replace them as soon as you can. TCM also holds that the sleep you get before midnight is the most restorative, so you want to use natural remedies as needed to help you get to bed on the earlier side.

Getting your diet and your sleep back on track are essential to helping you feel better, but you also need to recover your natural strength and immune system. After Lyme, your immune system is exhausted from fighting such a vicious infection and from the stripping effects of the antibiotics. A good, well-rounded adaptogen will help your body recover its ability to deal with emotional and biological stressors. Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines have both used adaptogens for centuries, particularly ashwagandha, which is excellent for strengthening adrenal and immune function and bolstering the nervous system. Use one dose twice a day for at least six months.

You can find ashwagandha in the adaptogenic formula Advanced Stress Relief, which is what Jacqueline used. Because she had been suffering for so long, I had her take twice the recommended dose at first (she took two capsules twice a day). This formula, which also contains Rhodiola, was tremendously helpful in reducing her anxiety and boosting her energy levels.

I wasn’t surprised that Jacqueline had been fatigued, given her sleep issues. But Lyme disease can also significantly deplete your adrenal function. Adaptogens, such as ashwagandha, are often enough to help your adrenal function recover, but if you still need an extra boost, you can try a supplement specifically designed to boost this hormone, such as Advanced Adrenal Factor. Many of my Lyme patients swear by Advanced Adrenal Factor. They use two tablets every morning and another one around noon.

Speaking of hormones, you may need to have your thyroid function tested as well. Lyme really does affect all your systems! While a good multivitamin such as Healthy Resolve can provide you with the trace minerals necessary to help regulate your thyroid, you may need extra assistance in the form of a supplement like Thyroplex for Women, which you can find online.

Finally, we need to discuss digestion. While Lyme is obviously the root cause of your woes, the antibiotics needed to treat the disease might be more to blame for ongoing digestive problems. If I can convince you to take only one supplement, make it one that supports your digestion, such as Integrative Digestive Formula (IDF). You see, if you don’t have good digestion, the nutrients and micronutrients you’re being so careful to consume may never make it to the rest of your body to do the healing, restorative work you desperately need.

Recently, I received a call from Jason. Jason had recovered from Lyme and the only remaining symptom he complained of was acid indigestion. He began taking two capsules twice daily of IDF and phoned me two weeks later. He was thrilled! His acid indigestion was gone and his bloated stomach was beginning to disappear.

Compromised digestion can also make your blood sugar unstable, which was one of Jacqueline’s issues. As you may recall, she had to eat almost every hour or else she felt faint. She was reliant on laxatives and diuretics as well to avoid the bloated, swollen feeling that can accompany poor digestion. After just a few weeks of taking two IDF capsules twice a day (double the recommended dose), Jacqueline felt much better. Since she was actually digesting and using her food efficiently, she no longer needed to eat every hour.

Of course, when we’re talking about digestion, especially after a course (or six) of antibiotics, you know I have to mention probiotics. Remember that antibiotics don’t discriminate – they will wipe out your friendly, beneficial gut bacteria along with the infection. So you’ll want to begin repopulating your digestive system with the good guys as soon as possible. Use a product that has strains with scientific backing and contains at least 10 billion live cultures, such as Advanced Probiotic Formula. It contains 15 billion viable microorganisms per capsule. Just make sure you take your probiotic at least an hour away from the antibiotic, if you’re still taking one, so they’re not immediately wiped out.

I know this seems like a lot of supplements. And it is. But I know Jacqueline would tell you it’s worth it. After a few months of following her personal regimen of IDF, Advanced Stress Relief, and melatonin, she felt like a new person. She was no longer bloated or anxious, and she even had enough energy to start exercising again. She’s maintained a healthy Mediterranean diet, low in grain and high in vegetables and easily digested protein. Now that her digestive function has recovered, she’s actually able to benefit from all the great nutrients this diet provides. Her mood is buoyant, and she’s been able to return to work.

Lyme disease can be brutal. And unless you handle it properly, so can the recovery process. But you can put your body back together one system at a time. Remember that your immune system, your hormones, and your digestive system all work together and are dependent on good foundational habits, including a healthy diet and sleep. If even one of these isn’t healthy, your whole body will suffer. So give your body what it needs to recover and begin syncing up the systems again.

Once you’ve been feeling better for a while, you can take the “training wheels” off by cutting back on one supplement at a time. Check in with your body and see if you’re still feeling good. Then try another one. However, after Lyme, I recommend that you stick with the recommended doses of your anti-inflammatory supplement (Reduloxin), adaptogen, multivitamin, and probiotic. Once you’re feeling better, you shouldn’t need more than the recommended amount any longer, but these supplements all help promote good health no matter how small Lyme disease starts to look in the rearview mirror. You can order many of the supplements we used to treat Lyme by calling 800-791-3395.

Centuries-Old Supplement Improves Memory and Has Anti-Anxiety and Antidepressant Effects

Some days, the expressions “rat race” and “running like a mouse on a wheel” can feel just a little too apt. It’s easy to let the fast pace and hectic nature of modern life get the best of us. Feeling like we’re always running to catch up but never quite getting there can often lead to stress, anxiety, and depression, which in turn can affect memory and emotional behavior.

If that sounds like you, then you’re just like the mice in the study I’m about to tell you about. Don’t be insulted by the comparison – this is actually good news! For a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers were investigating the effects of the adaptogenic plant Rhodiola Rosea.

I just told you how Rhodiola and other adaptogens can help with Lyme disease. But there’s so much more. These natural substances have been used for centuries in a variety of traditional forms of medicine to help patients react more positively to chemical, biological, and physical stress. Now conventional science is starting to catch up and recognize their benefits. For this study, the researchers were specifically investigating glycoside salidroside, one of the main bioactive compounds in Rhodiola.

The researchers were particularly interested in determining whether glycoside salidroside could improve memory and emotional behavior in mice who participated in exercises designed to generate fear, depression, and anxiety. The researchers found that just one dose of the glycoside salidroside enhanced the mice’s memories and had anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects. The researchers are now interested in investigating this compound further to treat cognition and mood disorders.

I know this study was conducted in mice. But we have centuries of tradition pointing to Rhodiola’s efficacy in humans. And I’ve seen great responses time and again when I put my patients on a Rhodiola combination. One such case was with Alicia, who was 42, but told me she felt older than her 85-year-old grandmother. She was anxious most of the day and had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Both her short-term and her long-term memory were suffering – in fact, she was wondering if she was starting to experience dementia even though she was only in her early 40s.

I didn’t think Alicia had dementia. But I did think her stress levels had affected her sleep and gotten her into a vicious cycle that was now harming her memory and mood. So I turned to Advanced Stress Relief (800-791-3395), which uses Rhodiola as a key ingredient. I had her take two capsules at 3:00 pm and two more an hour before she went to bed.

A month later, Alicia felt like a new person. She could sleep again, and her energy, mood, and memory had improved dramatically. If you can relate to Alicia, then Advanced Stress Relief may be able to help you too. It contains not just Rhodiola, but several other natural herbs and plants selected to lower your stress response, boost your immune system, and calm your mind. There’s no need to feel like you’re losing the rat race any longer!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26967223.

How to Cure and Prevent Ulcers With the Same Nutrient

Once you resolve a health challenge, wouldn't it be great if the treatment you used could also offer you protection from the issue in the future? Well, if you're suffering from a peptic ulcer, there's a vitamin that can not only provide relief, but also offer protection to your gastric tissues.

In a recent study, researchers wanted to determine how well rats would respond to a natural ulcer remedy compared to the drug omeprazole (this is the family of over-the-counter medications that includes Prilosec). So they divided the rats into four groups. Two groups served as controls and received placebos, one group received omeprazole, and one group received a tocotrienols complex. Tocotrienols are a cousin of vitamin E and are known for their ability to ease gastrointestinal issues and simultaneously support healthy levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

The rats received daily treatments for 28 days before three of the four groups were exposed to a water-immersion restraint stress that induced ulcers. The researchers wanted to see how well the tocotrienols enhanced growth factors. These are substances required for growing tissue. When you're healing from an ulcer, growth factors make a big difference in how well the gastric tissues are repaired and how protected they are from future issues.

While the rats in the stressed control group experienced a decrease in the growth factors needed to repair the ulcers, those in the tocotrienols group increased their levels. In fact, their growth factor levels matched those of the control group that got to skip the stress sessions. While the mice in the omeprazole group did experience relief from their ulcers, their growth factors didn't increase.

So if you're suffering from a peptic ulcer and want to heal it while increasing the chances that you won't get one again in the future, try tocotrienols. I recommend Delta-Fraction Tocotrienols soft gels. You'll get the added bonus of supporting your cholesterol and triglycerides while you're at it — yet another benefit the drug companies aren't going to offer.

http://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/vitamins-minerals/tocotrienol-regulates-gastric-growth-factors-better-omeprazole-animal-study?topic=519&eid=380840267&bid=1972751.

Nutrition Detective

Could Daily Lithium Slow the Progression of Alzheimer’s?

Do you want to lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease? New research indicates that it may be easier than we thought. All you may have to do is drink more water – as long as it’s the right kind.

A recent study found an interesting connection between levels of a particular metal in tap water and mortality rates due to Alzheimer’s disease in a number of counties in Texas. But contrary to what you might think, having this metal in the water may actually be a good thing.

Researchers evaluated the tap water of 234 counties in Texas, looking at data on lithium levels and comparing statistics on Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and type-2 diabetes. They found that the counties that had more than the median level of lithium (40 micrograms/liter) had fewer increases in Alzheimer’s disease mortality. They also had a lower incidence of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

Lithium gets into drinking water from igneous rocks and mineral springs. Its therapeutic benefits have been recognized before, as this alkali metal is used as a therapy for bipolar and other mood disorders. However, these treatments involve much higher doses of the metal than what is found in drinking water. The Vichy, France spa had a great reputation and its water is still bottled and sold all around the world. It contains 3.5 mg of lithium per liter, more than most natural waters. This study is interesting in that it indicates that even very low levels could benefit the general population.

This isn’t the first study to find that lithium could lower Alzheimer’s disease risk either. A study from the University of Copenhagen also linked lithium in drinking water to decreased dementia rates. Of course, it’s too soon to make universal recommendations that municipalities add lithium to tap water, but this is certainly an interesting and promising area of research.

Studies show that lithium can reduce symptoms of mild depression and doctors often prescribe it for bi-polar disorder and mood stabilizing. Individuals with diagnosed bi-polar disorder have a lower rate of suicide if they’re using lithium. I’ve used non-prescription lithium in low doses to treat a variety of mental symptoms. So taking it in supplement form is worth considering if you have depression and/or mental illness, including Alzheimer’s. You can find lithium supplements online. Or talk to your doctor about getting the prescription form.

Val Andrew Fajardo, Val Andrei Fajardo, Paul J. LeBlanc, Rebecca E.K. MacPherson. Examining the Relationship between Trace Lithium in Drinking Water and the Rising Rates of Age-Adjusted Alzheimer’s Disease Mortality in Texas. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2017; 61 (1): 425 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-170744.

LETTERS

Q: Can you recommend a regimen to naturally cure HPV? There used to be suppositories online, but I can’t find them in the US unless you have a California license. I’ve found several lists of supplements. – Jan B., via email

Dear Jan,

You’re correct. Wise Woman Herbal used to make very effective vaginal suppositories. They discontinued them last year. Dealing with HPV is a multifactorial project.

This includes, of course, lifestyle, diet, exercise, clean drinking water, and management of stress. I know this sounds too all-encompassing but it can work. Here’s what I use to treat HPV:

With your diet, start by eating plenty of fermented foods, if they’re agreeable with your digestion. These can include kombucha, goat milk kefir or coconut kefir, miso soup, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc.

Then focus on strongly pigmented vegetables. These heavy colored vegetables are naturally high in micronutrients and vitamin C and flavonoids. This includes green leafy vegetables and all the cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower etc. Finally, eat selenium foods, such as two Brazil nuts daily and garlic.

Next focus on anti-viral botanicals. These include andrographis in combination with curcumin, silymarin, Echinacea, olive leaf, and oregano. Also consider the following nutritional supplements: methylated B complex, buffered or ester C with the flavonoids rutin and quercetin, a good digestive (such as Integrative Digestive Formula), and a probiotic (such as Advanced Probiotic Formula). This may appear daunting, but you can start with one thing and increase as you go and feel comfortable.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17177657
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4533180/

Q. I’m 72 and I have pretty bad dark circles under my eyes, they really stand out. In the last year they seem to have gotten worse. I’ve tried several creams, but none are working. I’m wondering could it have to do with my sinuses. I do have a considerable amount of drainage particularly in the morning. I’ve asked my GP on my last physical, but he just shrugged it off and had no comment about it. Do you have any suggestions? – Elizabeth R., Forest, VA

Dear Elizabeth,

Very often dark circles under the eyes, if not responsive to topical creams, are due to something going on inside the body.

In your case, it’s most likely some allergies impacting your sinuses and under eyes. You may want to consider experimenting with products that could begin to minimize the inflammation that you’re experiencing. Two products are worth trying:

(1) Homeopathic Sinusalia by Boiron

(2) Pe Min Kan – an herbal compound specifically for sinus congestion and drainage.

Ideally, get both. Begin with the Sinusalia and use as directed. When you finish Sinusalia, begin the Pe Min Kan. Use it as directed and finish bottle. Both of these are available on Amazon.com. Please let us know how you do.