April 2008
If your sex life is suffering, chances are the root cause is organic in nature, rather than simply psychological. In fact, over 90 percent of ED cases can be traced back to organic origins. And more often than not, nutrient deficiencies help take the wind out of your sail. The main nutrient you—and your doctor—should be concerned about is zinc.
Zinc is the second-most common mineral in your body, next to iron. It’s a major workhorse, as it supports over 300 reactions, including the synthesizing of proteins and enzymes you need to run your body. Zinc also works as a key antioxidant, protecting your cells from attacks by free radicals and the resulting surges of inflammation.
And because of its extensive range of biological activity, it can cause several deficiency-related symptoms. Were you able to smell or taste that beef stew you had for dinner last night? If not, you may have your first clue to a zinc deficiency. Symptoms can include trouble with your taste buds, difficulty in smelling, and even a cut that’s taking its sweet time to heal. In my practice, I’ve also seen dry skin and brittle nails go hand in hand with a low level of zinc.
But one symptom that most folks wouldn’t expect zinc to be linked to is sexual dysfunction.
Zinc is important for healthy prostate tissue. It’s also a key cofactor in the production of the sex hormone testosterone. The highest concentrations of this mineral are found in the prostate gland and in seminal fluid. And because it’s found in such high concentrations in those places, guess what gets expended every time you experience ejaculation: about 5 mg of zinc. Considering that the RDA for zinc is 15 mg, you can see how if you’re not getting enough in your diet the bill eventually comes due and your oomph gives out.
Remember, the RDA is just a broad guideline (and they tend to run a little low). Your particular need for zinc is as individualized as you are. You may think you’re getting enough but still be coming up short—and I can’t stress enough how critical zinc is for peak sexual functioning.
The natural option
One study was done with men ages 20 to 80 to measure the connection between their zinc levels and their blood-level concentrations of testosterone. Cutting back on zinc by the younger men caused them to have a significant reduction in their serum-testosterone levels after just five months. The older men, who were borderline for zinc deficiency, were given zinc for six months. These men experienced an increase in their serum-testosterone levels.
It’s true that zinc won’t give you the “less-than-30-minute” results promised by the manufacturers of the little blue pill. But there’s a lot of other stuff it won’t give you either, such as an upset stomach, dizziness, and possible loss of vision or hearing—just a few of the many side effects that are listed on that blue drug’s label. And remember, zinc is a major multi-tasker, supporting general good health. You sure can’t claim the same for a drug.
Usually we joke about our wives saying, “Not tonight, honey, I’ve got a headache.” But if you take Viagra, you could be the one saying it this evening. That’s because a headache is one of the more common side effects of this drug—hardly a mood-enhancer.
And if you’ve ever seen an ED-drug commercial, chances are you’ve heard the line at the end: “For an erection lasting longer than four hours, you should seek immediate medical attention.” Some men probably think, “Wow! Four hours? I’ll be a regular Don Juan!” I’m sorry to tell you that the reality is anything but sexy: This would not be an indication of virility but a painful condition called priapism in which blood that has flown into the penis does not flow back out. Severe cases may require surgical correction—certainly not what you signed on for.
Plenty of men have told me that they’ll take their chances with the little blue pill. My question to them is, why? Especially when the solution to your problem could be as tasty as eating oysters on the half shell or a big juicy steak.
Eat your way back to a healthy sex life
Zinc is an essential mineral, which means your body can’t manufacture it so you need to acquire it through your diet. Easier said than done. Again, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of zinc is 15 mg. That might not seem like much, but roughly 75 percent of Americans don’t get enough in their diets.
Processed carbs and fatty junk foods are stripped of their natural vitamins and minerals —including that much-needed zinc. Non-organic foods aren’t much better, because they’re being grown in mineral-depleted soils. You’ve also been barraged with instructions to steer clear of red meat and eggs—both of which are rich in zinc. So, the deficiency odds have been stacked against you.
Zinc is obtained in its most absorbable and usable form from animal sources, as it binds well with proteins. You can get zinc from beef, lamb, eggs and seafood—particularly oysters. How about that! Like most old wives’ tales, the one about eating oysters to boost your love life has more than just a grain of truth to it: Just two of these shellfish will deliver your minimum daily requirement. But if you’re trying to treat ED, you may need more—as much as 50 mg per day for three to six months. Folks under a doctor’s supervision who are testing their levels may use even more until their levels get topped up.
Whole wheat, rye, oats and pecans are also good sources, though not as well digested and absorbed due to their phytic-acid content that binds with minerals, inhibiting absorption. Soak these grains over-night to allow for better absorption, as it will reduce that phytic-acid content. Unfermented soy interferes with zinc absorption, so stick with the fermented forms. Miso, tempeh and natto are all good options. Also, minimize or avoid altogether soy milk, tofu, soy protein powders and nutrition bars. Chances are, as you read in the March issue of Health Revelations (go to www.healthrevelations.com to locate it in the archives), any processed food you can name probably has soy in it.
A handful of pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc and provide an easy way to boost your intake. These humble seeds have been studied for their help in reducing an enlarged prostate.
As for beef, avoid the supermarket, corn-fed feedlot product, which is doctored with antibiotics and hormones and loaded with excess fat you plain don’t need. Stick with beef from pasture-fed cows—local ones, if possible. And don’t worry about the hype over fat and cholesterol. Including beef from healthy sources every few days or a few times a month as part of an overall healthy whole-food diet is good nutrition.
Supplemental options for bringing back the zing
Your body is best accustomed to recognizing and utilizing nutrients in unprocessed whole foods. Zinc, like any other nutrient, requires a wide variety of synergistic cofactors that are found in food and will provide you with the optimum uptake. Your body has to spend energy to process isolated nutrients. They are therefore a less efficient form to take. This means you don’t need as much zinc in milligrams from food as you might from a supplement, because its effect is so much greater when it’s consumed in its natural state.
If you do prefer to get your zinc through supplements, I recommend you stick to food-form products. New Chapter (www.newchapter.com), MegaFood (www.megafood.com), and Garden of Life (www. gardenoflife.com) and Standard Process (www.standardprocess.com) all offer supplements combined in a food matrix that your body handles with greater ease than standard, isolated-nutrient products. Each of these websites provides a place to enter your state or zip code for a store near you.
The best-absorbed supplement forms are zinc citrate, glycinate or picolinate, because they pass through your intestinal wall with greater ease. And if you’re taking a calcium supplement, take it by itself so it doesn’t interfere with your absorption of zinc and other minerals—whether you’re getting your source from food or supplements.
While the minimum daily recommendation for zinc is 15 mg, most people shouldn’t take more than 30 mg per day on a long-term basis. You should never take higher amounts (50 mg and above) without consulting your doctor, because, at that point, it can suppress your immune system. Symptoms of toxicity to watch for are dizziness, vomiting and lethargy. Zinc supplements are best taken with food, as they can upset an empty stomach. This is much less likely to happen with the food-form products.
You should always take supplemental zinc with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement, since it doesn’t work alone. Not surprisingly, many other vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also contribute to ED, including deficiencies of B12, niacin (B3), selenium, iron and vitamin E. This is all the more reason to favor a whole-foods diet backed by a comprehensive daily food-form multivitamin.
Going cellular in solving sexual dysfunction
For the most accurate picture of the amount of zinc in your body, your doctor should measure your intracellular zinc levels. The test is usually described as a red blood cell (RBC) zinc. Caution: The standard reference ranges may have you thinking you’re doing OK, but even “low normal” levels, when coupled with a problem like ED, can signal a functional deficiency. You want to aim for medium to medium-high levels—or until things start working again.
Also, those standard ranges are based on the general population. So if 75 percent of the population isn’t getting enough zinc, then “normal” doesn’t necessarily reflect a healthy range, if you catch my drift. This is why it’s important to work with a practitioner who has nutritional experience, enabling him to guide you through these issues. Genova Diagnostics, Metametrix and Spectra Cell are labs staffed with highly trained Ph.D. scientists who can provide your doctor and you assistance in analyzing blood-test results. (You can look these up on www.google.com.)
Drugs that can cause ED
• Antidepressants: SSRI’s (Prozac, Zoloft and especially Paxil)
• Antipsychotics: Clozaril, Risperdal, Zyprexa, Abilify, Seroquel and Geodon
• Blood-pressure drugs: diuretic “water pills” (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide and beta-blockers (Atenolol and Lopressor)
• Antihistamines
• Antiulcer agents: Pepcid and Zantac
• 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors: Finasteride
• Cholesterol-lowering agents: Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor
Did you know…
Like many other health problems, erectile dysfunction can have more than one cause. Most doctors will think of heart disease or depression first. Your doctor may even recognize that your medications could be causing it. Cholesterol-lowering statins like Lipitor, blood-pressure-lowering beta-blockers and diuretics, and SSRI antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft can all be responsible for ED—or make an existing problem worse.
There’s little chance that your doctor will tell you to stop using those drugs. That would be insane, or at the very least, politically incorrect. But no one blinks twice at the “sanity” of writing you a script for Viagra or Levitra to treat what may be just a side effect. That’s just the vicious-cycle scenario of symptom-Rx-side-effect-Rx.
The average primary care doctor prescribes approximately $1 million in drugs per year. How much of that are you getting?
Common sense has checked its hat at the door of mainstream medicine. And I guess a simple nutritional deficiency just isn’t glamorous enough as a diagnosis. You might want to take the pressure off your doctor and tell him you really don’t expect an exotic-disease diagnosis every time you see him. You’re not paying for dinner and a show here—just for some honest-to-goodness medicine.
There are many medical problems associated with nutrient deficiencies. There’s no shame in that. The shame is when mainstream medicine uses its equivalent of a jackhammer to remove a stone from the road.
Let’s face it: Many nutrients are in short supply in the average American diet. (I’ve highlighted zinc at the beginning of this issue.) That’s hardly surprising. Our crops are being grown on nutrient-depleted soils, and then, to add insult to injury, those foods are over-processed and nutrient-stripped. It’s beyond reason how a company can next stir in a few cheap replacements, slap on an “enriched” sticker and actually charge you for this garbage.
The real price tag for you? Your body is starving to death. If you add nutrient-depleting prescription drugs to this grim picture, well, it’s no wonder you feel like a flogged mule.
The point is that something’s missing, and your body is waving a flag. (“Hey, boss—we’re in desperate need of a shipment of quality materials in here!”) The good news is that some deficiencies can be cleared up through just such a shipment of primo materials (via a whole-food-based diet). Other deficiencies require supplements to help pull you through a rough patch. Usually, a combination of a dietary tune-up and a regimen of supplements can pull you out of a nutrient mud hole.
For patients who may require a drug, small, targeted nutritional support can still reduce the dosage requirement and improve overall response and outcome. And in several of these areas where a nutrient deficiency exists, you’ll notice that the remedy is magnesium. It’s the original multi-tasker, involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body. I started to make this the top 10 reasons to take magnesium, but as you’ll see—it’s not the solution in every case. Keep in mind that when you do supplement with magnesium, you should also take calcium citrate in a 2:1 calcium-to-magnesium ratio.
Depression
A third or more of people suffering from depression have low levels of folate, or folic acid, which is important for brain function. The average American diet supplies only 60 percent of the average folate requirement. Low levels may also be the result of inborn genetic variation. Have your doctor check your red-blood-cell levels. Some patients may need up to 5 grams of folate per day, though 400 to 1,000 micrograms would be a more common dose range. The 5-methyltetrahydrofolate form is best utilized in the brain. Folate is found in leafy green vegetables, brewer’s yeast, liver, beans and various nuts.
Vitamin B12 should always be given with a folate supplement, at least 200 micrograms daily, because higher doses of folate can hide a B12 deficiency.
A deficiency of omega-3 can also lead to symptoms of depression. Over 90 percent of the population doesn’t get enough omega-3 fats, so it’s very possible you aren’t either. You can get it in food form by adding fatty fish to your weekly meal plans. Salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are all good sources. (Of vitamin D, too.) Fish-oil supplements can improve mood starting at doses as low as 1,000 mg total EPA and DHA.
Other important nutrients for mood support are vitamin B5, B6, copper, zinc, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin D.
Insomnia
Remember that old wisdom of having a cup of warm milk to ease you into dreamland when you have trouble sleeping? A lack of calcium, as well as magnesium, could be causing your sleep problems. And with 50 percent of us not getting enough calcium and 85 percent of us missing out on magnesium, it’s no wonder the sleeping-pill industry has hit boom times. Magnesium deficiencies are common in people on diuretic “water pills” and laxatives. Alcoholics, diabetics and heart-failure patients are also prone to deficiency.
Supplementing may improve your sleep. Take 500 to 1,000 mgs of both, ideally in a 1-to-1, matched ratio. Citrate forms are well absorbed and widely available.
You may need up to 1,600 mgs of magnesium taken as one dose before bedtime. The main side effect you may experience is loose bowels (which means it’s good for constipation). Natural Calms is an easy-to-take powder form of magnesium that some of my patients prefer. You can order it online at their website, www.vites.com.
Anxiety
Supplemental magnesium may also help you relieve anxious feelings. You can take 400 mg up to four times per day. Food-form sources include nuts, whole grains and green vegetables.
Inositol is a B vitamin (B8) that’s manufactured in your body. It helps make up the myelin sheath that covers your nerves. Doses of up to 4 grams, taken three times per day, have been shown to help people suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. A study was done with 28 depressed patients to see if 12 grams daily of inositol would improve symptoms. Results showed a significant improvement compared to placebo. And up to 4 grams at bedtime can also help with sleep.
Constipation
Anyone neck-high in the Standard American Diet is at least waist-high in sodium intake—and short on potassium and magnesium. Potassium helps keep your intestinal tract moving efficiently. Consuming a fiber-rich, unprocessed, whole-food diet usually corrects this imbalance and cures constipation. Supplemental magnesium is a mainstay in my own practice for treating this condition. I recommend 400 to 800 mg (more as needed, though caution is necessary if you have kidney disease) of the citrate form (either capsule or powder), which generally does the trick.
High blood pressure
Over one in four adults has high blood pressure, and at least half of folks over age 65 do. Coenzyme Q10 has good evidence backing it as a way to reduce resistance to blood flow. I recommend 100 mgs per day if you have high blood pressure. It will be about two to four months before improvements take place. The fat-soluble gel caps should be used.
A low level of vitamin D can also be a factor. Vitamin D acts as an angiotensin-receptor inhibitor in the body, similar to the way drugs like lisinopril, captopril and ramipril act. Have your doctor check your 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. Anything below 30 ng/ml should be treated. Low levels can respond to vitamin D3 therapy, usually 1,000 to 2,000 units per day.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
Low levels of vitamin B6 (pyroxidine) have been found in some people suffering from CTS. Several studies have found that a deficiency in vitamin B6 has been linked to people who get this condition. It’s possible that B6 reduces swelling around the carpal tunnel in the wrist—literally the tunnel through which your tendons, blood vessels and nerves travel. Supple-menting with 100 mg of vitamin B6 three times per day has been shown to relieve symptoms. Do not exceed that dose unless you’re working with your doctor, because an overload of B6 can actually damage nerves. While it’s usually safe in amounts up to 500 mg per day, it’s best to seek your doctor’s guidance. And hang in there—it may take about three months or so before you see an improvement.
Fatigue
Feeling like a bus mowed you down? Iron deficiency may very well be the culprit. It’s the most common mineral deficiency, present mainly in pre-menopausal women (due to monthly blood loss) and the elderly (due to inadequate dietary intake). It can cause fatigue even before it has advanced to the anemia stage. The best test to use to check your iron-level status is the blood-ferritin test, which measures your body’s iron stores. (Blood-iron levels are less reliable.) Ideally, you want your ferritin levels to be between 60 and 100. Levels below 30 should be addressed through diet or supplementation. (Choose ferrous gluconate or glycinate.) Ferrous sulfate is commonly prescribed but a poorly absorbed, constipating form of iron that’s best avoided. Ferritin levels above 100 put you at an increased risk of free-radical damage due to your having excess iron. Levels above 200 may signal an inherited iron-overload disease called hemochromatosis, something few doctors are likely to miss. I recommend a liquid tonic, Floradix Iron plus Herbs, or the widely available Solgar Gentle Iron. Both can be purchased from the online site www.vitaminshoppe.com.
Heart failure
You experience chest pain, shortness of breath, and overexertion just from taking a walk for exercise. This is what you live with day in and day out when you suffer from heart failure. To put it bluntly: You’re no longer cooking with gas. Turn it up again with ribose, a substance made from glucose. It helps the energy pathway in your cells replenish itself.
Taking ribose in powder-substance form significantly speeds up this process and can improve those symptoms. The usual dose is 5 to 10 mg per day. By adding 400 mg to 800 mg of magnesium daily, it can help relieve chronic fatigue. Endurance athletes, such as cyclists, distance runners and triathletes, use it as a training aid to speed recovery from long workouts. See www.corvalen.com for ribose with and without magnesium.
Asthma
The feeling of an obstructed airway is terrifying—just ask anyone who suffers from asthma. If you are asthmatic, know that magnesium levels are often low in sufferers. Deficiency has been linked to hyperreactivity of the bronchial tubes and to wheezing. Intravenous magnesium can halt acute asthma attacks and is sometimes used for this purpose in the emergency rooms. Getting plenty of magnesium from food can improve lung function and reduce airway reactivity, which is the cause of the wheezing and shortness of breath.
Taking 400 to 800 mg per day of supplemental magnesium may help reduce symptoms and prevent attacks.
Asthma is an inflammatory disease, and omega-3 fats are known to reduce inflammation. I have seen dramatic improvement—along with reduced inhaler need—from adding cod liver oil to the diet, which includes vitamin D (also an anti-inflammatory). Take enough for a total of 2 to 3 grams EPA plus DHA. I use the Carlson’s brand, in liquid lemon-flavored form—one tablespoon daily.
Restless legs
We’re in the midst of an epidemic of the so-called restless legs syndrome (15 percent of adults). A vast war chest of expensive, risky drugs is now being tested for this condition.
Acid-blockers and SSRI antidepressants such as Paxil may both contribute to the problem. And it plagues diabetics. Iron deficiency could also be to blame in some cases, since treating it when it exists usually cures restless legs. If your serum ferritin is below 30, treat with supplemental iron. (See #7 above for recommendations.) Be sure to check your levels again in two to three months. Again, ferritin levels between 60 and 100 are ideal. I also find that supplementing with 400 to 800 mg per day of magnesium often clears up the problem, as does boosting your intake of magnesium-rich foods—nuts, whole, unprocessed grains (such as millet, bulgur, and barley) and green vegetables.
Reliable blood testing can be used to measure deficiencies and determine treatment. Your doctor can check your mineral levels, but they must be intracellular red-blood-cell (RBC) levels. Regular blood levels are not reliable measures of true mineral status.
Rethink this cold-fighting herb—using a dose of accurate information
You’ve probably read a bunch of negative press regarding Echinacea in recent memory. Your doctor may have even told you to save your money, don’t bother with this herb because now there’s “conclusive” scientific proof that it doesn’t work.
Well, as usual, the devil is in the details. And, as it turns out, those details seem to be beyond the scope of most mainstream journalists and overworked doctors.
The Echinacea that has been valued by Native Americans and traditional herbalists is actually the root of Echinacea angustifolia and is taken in high doses (the equivalent of 2 to 3 grams daily). This is what they found works best. Echinacea purpura, however, is used in Germany, where standardized preparations have been subjected to extensive testing.
But preparations seem to be anything but standardized, as they’re available with or without root, flower or stem parts. Also, the method of preparation can also influence the overall effectiveness. There are so many variables to consider when it comes to Echinacea products that the term “Echinacea” seems to include a broad range rather than any specific type.
However, one specific has been uncovered through recent research. A key component of Echinacea are alkylamides, which help account for this plant’s immune-system support. But alkylamide content also varies considerably from product to product. Levels appear to be highest in angustifolia-root preparations. This particular root is scarce and expensive, but the good news is that it can be combined effectively with Echinacea purpura for a similar result.
The problems with recent negative studies center on preparation type (the wrong one), dosing (too low), and test population (healthy young people with excellent immune systems). For example, one widely publicized study actually used an excellent preparation (angustifolia and purpura root) but administered only 750 mgs per day for a new-onset cold. The researchers should have used 2 to 3 grams. Also, their test population was (once again) a group of healthy young people.
On my wish list: I’d like to see studies done using a real-world dose of the right preparation and testing with folks over 50. Immune-system functioning normally deteriorates some as we age, so Echinacea may be of more use in the elderly than in the young.
Unfortunately, this sort of rational approach, based on known science, isn’t discussed. Instead, you’re fed ignorance-driven, simple-minded pronouncements like “Echinacea has been proven ineffective.” In fact, if you review all the evidence stemming from the latest science, proper preparations of Echinacea offer a lot of benefits. It’s effective for treating colds as well as for taking regularly to prevent colds and other respiratory tract infections.
The latest evidence does not support the theory that people who have an autoimmune disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or inflammatory bowel disease) should avoid Echinacea because it’s an immune-system stimulant. Nor is it necessary to stop taking it periodically in order to “give the immune system a rest” if you happen to be taking it over the winter to prevent colds, for example. Echinacea isn’t an immune-system stimulant. It’s actually a toner, which improves immune-cell functioning and the spleen’s ability to survey and control the immune system.
The product I recommend (and use myself) is Echinacea Premium from MediHerb, an Australian company. You can go to www.mediherb.com to order it online or to get information on how to order by phone or fax. It comes in liquid or tablet form, and you can follow the instructions on the bottle. Taken during the winter months, it’s an excellent way—along with a good diet, adequate fluids and sufficient sleep—to help prevent colds and the flu. I’ll tell you that the liquid tincture will give you a bit of a tongue tingle. Don’t be alarmed—it’s the high alkylamide level, which again is very beneficial.
Ed. Note: Sometimes technology can be a runaway horse. In this case, spell check worked a little too well… In the March 2008 Forgotten Cures, “mistake” mushroom should be “maitake,” and “reship” should be “reishi.”
Ward off the third-leading killer
Q.My mother recently suffered a stroke, and I fear it may be something that runs in the family. What can I do to prevent one, and also help her prevent another one from occurring? ––G.P., Chapel Hill, NC
A.You’re right to start thinking in terms of prevention, because a family history of stroke does increase your risk. In most cases, this is due to a shared history of other key risk factors, such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
After heart disease and cancer, stroke is the third leading cause of death. A stroke is the reduction, or cutting off, of blood to part of the brain. (Lack of blood = lack of oxygen.) Full or partial paralysis or loss of sensation in part of the body can result. These changes are almost always irreversible. Over 700,000 strokes occur each year. Half of them occur in people with no prior episodes or symptoms.
Risk is higher in folks with atrial fibrillation and carotid-artery disease. You’re also at higher risk as you age, if you’ve had a stroke, or if you’re African-American.
Warning signs of a stroke include:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of your face, leg or arm—especially on one side of your body
• Difficulty in speaking or understanding speech
• Loss of vision in one or both of your eyes
• Sudden, severe headache (described as “the worst headache of my life”)
• Onset of sudden dizziness or a loss of balance
If you have any of these symptoms, it’s crucial that you get to a hospital emergency room IMMEDIATELY. I can’t emphasize that enough: If you’re having a stroke, there are clot-buster drugs that when given within three hours of symptom onset can quickly reverse symptoms and damage to the brain. This isn’t the time to “wait it out,” go do another load of laundry and decide how you feel after a bit.
In China, doctors use acupuncture with good results immediately after the onset of an ischemic stroke (generally within an hour) to offset symptoms. If you have access to this in your hospital or community, it’s safe and could prove useful.
There’s also evidence that hyperbaric oxygen, used immediately for either treatment of or longer-term recovery from stroke, is useful. Few hospitals have the expensive equipment required, however, and doctors don’t learn about it in medical school. I recommend finding a center locally that offers it. Plug “hyperbaric oxygen” and your state into www.google.com to help you search.
While you can’t help genetics, please know that there are controllable risk factors. High blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity, low HDL-cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels are all within your realm of action. And last but not least are smoking and drinking alcohol to excess—these habits increase your risk substantially.
Here are some fundamental points. The atherosclerotic artery disease that leads to stroke (“brain attack”) is essentially the same process that leads to heart disease. Addressing global cardiac risk is a rational strategy for preventing a stroke occurrence. Pay attention not only to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking and diet but also to how well you’re handling emotional and physical stress.
Have your doctor check your general inflammatory status, which can be measured with a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test. Mood disorders and sleep problems, if any, must be addressed. Interestingly, no strong connection has been found between LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and stroke. There’s a stronger connection between high triglyceride and low HDL levels. And statins have yet to show a clear benefit in the prevention of primary strokes in otherwise healthy people. You’d have to treat about 200 people per year with 80 mg daily of Lipitor in order to prevent just one stroke. Unlike our well-paid friends from the drug industry, I would call this marginal medicine.
Safe preventive measures—with good supporting evidence—include daily vitamin E (400 units with mixed tocopherols) and fish oil (at least 1,000 mg total EPA plus DHA daily).
The text contained herein does not constitute medical advice. Health Revelations advises that you consult your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained within this publication.
Posted in Newsletter.
