December 2008 PDF
Dementia’s secret ingredient
When it comes to forgetfulness, we men get a bad rap. Birthdays, anniversaries, garbage days––you name it, we’ll forget it.
But in this battle of the sexes, there is some new information emerging that you need to know about. It turns out abnormal levels of a hormone commonly associated with women may be causing mental decline, such as forgetfulness, dementia and even Alzheimer’s in men as we age.
A team of researchers has uncovered what I consider a very troubling link between estrogen and dementia. What’s particularly dangerous about this connection is that foods and environmental triggers men encounter every day seem to be conspiring to load our bodies with estrogen––and this excess estrogen is literally attacking our brains.
The good news is that you don’t need to wait for a dementia diagnosis to discover that your body is saturated with estrogen. I’m going to ask you five simple questions that will tell you whether you’re at risk for high estrogen levels. Then, I’m going to provide you with a four-step detox plan you can use to get estrogen out of your body and protect your brain from its onslaught.
As a doctor, there are few worse chores than diagnosing a patient with dementia. That one word–– and all it implies for a person’s independence, relationships and emotional stability––can truly change someone’s life forever.
In fact, dementia has been changing a lot of lives in America––far too many. Statistics show that 42 Americans per hour fall victim to dementia. I’ve seen many mainstream docs chalk up the explosion in dementia cases––which is occurring in several nations, by the way––to aging populations and better diagnostic techniques.
But a team of Dutch researchers suspected there were more factors at play, and they stumbled across something that I think will permanently change how we look at dementia cases in men.
These scientists discovered that high levels of estrogen in men were associated with a greater risk of cognitive decline, dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease. Men, I know what you’re thinking by now ––what is estrogen doing in my body? And how fast can I get rid of it?
Relax––men produce estrogen naturally when a fat-cell enzyme called “aromatase” breaks down testosterone. But when aromatase activity kicks into high gear, you can find yourself making far more estrogen than your body can handle ––and this estrogen can break down your brain’s nerve cells.
There are some simple warning signs that your aromatase activity may be too high. Answer these five questions to see if you’re at risk for producing too much estrogen:
Question 1: Are you significantly overweight?
Aromatase lives in your fat cells, so the more fat you’re carrying, the more aromatase is at work in your body producing estrogen.
All of that extra fat also harms your liver, which hosts enzymes that break down estrogen and other toxins. This is why alcoholics may develop enlarged breasts––they simply can’t get rid of the estrogen their bodies produce. But liver damage isn’t limited to alcoholics. Many overweight people get fatty deposits on their livers that interfere with normal function and prevent proper estrogen detox. Your doctor can usually pick up this problem on routine liver enzyme blood tests or by an ultrasound or CAT scan.
Question 2: Has your sex drive plummeted?
Aromatase essentially converts to estrogen. So if aromatase activity has been over-stimulated in your body––and if your liver is not functioning well enough to eliminate excess estrogen––you can expect your libido to suffer. If you’re overweight and have low sex drive, there is a very strong chance your body is loaded up with estrogen.
Question 3: Is there too much stress in your life?
When you encounter physical or emotional stress, your adrenal glands flood your system with cortisol, which spikes your blood sugar and insulin levels. If stress is constant in your life, your cortisol levels are going to be chronically elevated. Elevated cortisol levels stimulate aromatase activity and the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
Question 4: Are you getting enough zinc?
Probably not. Most Americans aren’t getting enough zinc in their diets. Zinc supports your hormones and regulates aromatase activity. If your diet is heavy on cheap, processed carbs and low on fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, you might not have the zinc you need to help keep estrogen production in check.
Question 5: Do you have a sluggish thyroid?
Higher levels of estrogen can result in hypothyroidism or aggravate an existing thyroid condition. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, poor sleep, dry skin, constipation, hair loss, weakness and difficulty losing weight. If you think you might have hypothyroidism, ask your doctor to check your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level. If your level is above 3.0, it means your thyroid has slowed down.
Maybe you came through my quiz with flying colors––but you’re still not out of the woods. The problem is, most of us are regularly exposed to a class of man-made chemicals known as “xenoestrogens,” which can elevate our estrogen levels. Plastic bottles, carpet fibers, Teflon coatings, pesticides and herbicides, and commercial, hormone-treated meats are all known to contain xenoestrogens.
I’m extremely concerned about what a growing body of science has said about xenoestrogens. These hormonally active agents latch on to estrogen receptor sites in your body, making it hard for your body to regulate its estrogen levels and properly detox. Xenoestrogens have been linked to breast cancer, reproductive ailments, and a variety of other illnesses. The worst part is that they’re practically unregulated by the government, which has seen fit to let manufacturers police themselves.
It’s a bit like making a wolf head of security at a hen farm. Mark my words: we’ve all been made part of a nasty human experiment that is bound to have serious outcomes.
Staying away from xenoestrogens is a tough task––they’re literally everywhere. Eating organic fruits and vegetables that have not been treated by herbicides or pesticides, and purchasing locally-raised beef that you know hasn’t been treated with hormones, are good first steps. Also store and microwave food in glass or ceramic dishes, instead of plastic.
I’ll bet by now you’re feeling like I hit you with a load of buckshot. I hope, at the very least, I have you thinking more seriously about your body’s estrogen levels and how to bring them under control. The good news is, there are some fairly simple things you can do to rid your body of excess estrogen.
Use my four-step estrogen detox plan to get your levels back under control and keep your brain safe from attack.
Step 1: Purge your fridge and cabinets
Your food choices can make you overweight––resulting in stimulated estrogen production––and may expose you to xenoestrogens. It’s time to take a second look at your fridge and cupboards, and eliminate the processed carbs and trans fats that may be enjoying too prominent a role.
Fill your refrigerator with organic meats from grass-fed animals, a medley of fruits and vegetables (your crisper should resemble a box of Crayola crayons—aim for the 64-color box), and healthy fish. Incorporate more sulphur-containing foods to support your liver’s detoxification system. These include cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips and cabbage. Many of these vegetables also contain Diindolylmethane (DIM), a chemical that helps break down active estrogen into a form that promotes a more favorable balance between testosterone and estrogen.
Step 2: Drop a pants size (or two)
Making some smart food changes can help you decrease estrogen levels and could stimulate weight loss––after all, you’ll be cutting out the over-processed junk foods that leave spare tires around our waists. Depending on your situation, you may also need to work with a doctor or nutritionist to develop a more aggressive weight-loss plan. Remember, the more you weigh, the more estrogen you are likely producing. Being overweight may also signal insulin resistance, which can lead to a variety of health problems, such as diabetes. If your waist measures 40 inches or more, chances are better than 50 percent that you have insulin resistance.
Step 3: Follow this supplement regimen
Your body can’t naturally break down estrogen unless your liver is functioning well. For liver support, depend on this tripod of antioxidants: alpha lipoic acid (100 to 300 mg daily), milk thistle (I like the widely available Thisilyn product from Nature’s Way), and selenium (200 mcg per day, or get it from just a small handful of Brazil nuts). Add some N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (100 to 300 mg per day) for even more detox support —especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a fatty liver, also known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
As I mentioned, most people aren’t getting the zinc they need to regulate aromatase activity. For most people, 30 mg a day is enough zinc.
Finally, try an herbal support called epilobium. A powerful anti-inflammatory, it inhibits the aroma- tase conversion of testosterone into estrogen.
As an added bonus, it also provides prostate support. I recommend a product called Prolobium, which you can buy on the Internet at www.epilobium.com.
Step 4: Use exercise to reduce cortisol
As you know, cortisol, the body’s “stress juice,” stimulates estrogen production. The good news is that exercise burns cortisol and helps you manage stress.
I recommend combining strength training––which also can help reduce falls––with aerobic exercise. Consider working with a trainer at the outset, so you can learn how to properly exercise and avoid injuries that typically occur when people overdo it.
Give your lungs some exercise, too. Take 10 deep breaths a few times a day, which will help you manage stress and produce less cortisol.
Important: You can enjoy significant benefits from the above program. You may have your estrogen blood level checked–– estradiol is the form of estrogen commonly measured.
A balance between estrogen and testosterone is key for supporting good health. Normal male estradiol range is usually 13-42 picograms/nanogram.
10 holiday foods that can wreck your health
‘Tis the season for holiday baking. Country kitchens everywhere are filling with the smells of apple pies, gingerbread cookies, and just about every other treat you can imagine. Where I’m from, baking is more than country tradition––it’s practically our favorite pastime.
But this is also a good time of year to consider what exactly we’re putting in those sweet holiday treats. Now, I know telling people to eat well during the holidays is like telling Superman to try taking the bus. It’s just not going to happen.
But there are some things you can do to make the holiday season a healthier one. I’ve compiled a list of the 10 worst foods and ingredients that you should look to avoid this year. If you can eliminate any one––though hopefully all––of them from your diet, you could be on the road to a healthier new year.
That cylindrical container of Crisco has been a fixture in many a baker’s cupboard over the years— and more’s the pity. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats and oils confuse the human body, promote inflammation, throw off cholesterol balance, and distort communication among cells. They also kill an estimated 20,000 people per year, mainly from heart disease. Scientists (who were ridiculed at the time) were pointing out these dangers as early as the 1970s.
Many doctors up until a few years ago actually proclaimed the health benefits of these fats — which was not unlike the medical profession’s support of cigarettes through the 1950s. Suffice it to say that we now know better.
Nondairy creamer is a true Frankenfood, if ever there was one. In an effort to duplicate the rich, fatty flavor of real cream, this con artist of a food product is made with hydrogenated soy or cottonseed oil. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is added for sweetness, and it plays a nasty trick on the body. HFCS burdens your liver, ignites inflammation, and throws your cholesterol balance out of whack.
Nondairy creamer also contains sodium casseinate for flavor and texture. This protein is used to make adhesives, binders, plastics, and fabrics. Appetizing, isn’t it? Not surprisingly, it’s been linked to a variety of health problems, such as migraines and autism.
Fake eggs offer less fat and cholesterol—which at first sounds like a good thing. But your body needs the type of cholesterol found in eggs for everything from building muscle to supporting brain function. Egg yolks are also a valuable source of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, folate, and vitamins A and D in a highly usable form. It’s hard to duplicate such natural perfection.
Powdered eggs contain oxidized cholesterol—the form that readily accumulates in artery walls. Do yourself and your health a favor and skip these sham foods.
Nearly 90 percent of the soy crops grown in our country are genetically modified. Eating these altered foods is like playing Russian roulette, as we still don’t know the full extent of the problems they may cause. We already suspect that GM foods may lead to allergies, inflammation, cancer and disturbance of normal gut bacteria.
Soy itself is a potential endocrine disruptor, especially in the processed soy-protein-isolate form that is commonly found in processed foods and soy baby formula. Endocrine disruptors behave like hormones in the body, telling cells how to behave. They interfere with natural processes, and we’re just beginning to understand the consequences. If you really want soy, stick with small amounts of the fermented variety in the forms of tempeh and miso. But stay away from processed foods and tofu, soy milk, powders, and soy-loaded meat substitutes.
Commercial cooking oils often have been heat sterilized, incinerating their natural antioxidant protection. Corn, soy, canola, and sunflower oils are all subjected to this health-destroying insult.
When heated and eaten, these industrial oils become free-radical factories in your body, promoting oxidative stress and inflammation that can result in heart disease. That’s still another reason to remove them from your diet.
Most of these colorful dyes are made from coal tar, believe it or not. They simply are not meant to be eaten.
There is a clear association between food dyes and attention and hyperactivity problems in children. Furthermore, artificial food dyes are usually found in highly processed, sugary junk foods of little nutritional value.
Be vigilant when you shop, because these dyes are everywhere.
Aunt Jemima’s blueberry waffles aren’t getting that blue color from blueberries. No, sir—that’s a nice mix of Red 40 and Blue 2. It gives new meaning to that old saying “What you see isn’t always what you get.”
It’s amazing what garbage food producers will add to their products to keep them from spoiling.
Believe me, we’d be better off letting these foods rot once they’ve been tinkered with.
BHA and BHT are added to oil-containing foods to prevent rancidity. Their primary purpose is to boost profits for the food industry—not enhance the nutritional value of foods.
BHA has been listed by California as a cancer-causing agent. The World Health Organization also considers it to be a possible carcinogen. As for BHT, numerous studies suggest it also may cause cancer.
Longhand for monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a known excitotoxin that may damage some people’s brains.
MSG masquerades under a variety of other names deliberately used to avoid scaring off consumers. And here they are: hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, textured protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, and calcium caseinate. MSG is also present in thousands of processed foods. Stick with a natural whole-food diet to avoid the whole mess.
Added to bread as a “dough strengthener,” potassium bromate allows higher rising in an apparent attempt to puff up commercial bread.
Remember taking a whole slice of store-bought bread and squeezing it up into a little ball? You could use it to plug leaky pipes. In fact, that’s a better use than eating it.
Potassium bromate is considered a possible cancer-causing agent by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Its use has been banned in Europe, Canada and most other countries since the 1990s.
In this country, the FDA has recommended that bakers voluntarily stop using it.
Good luck, but don’t hold your breath. Avoid it by staying away from those feather-light loaves that pack the shelves of your local supermarket chain.
Real whole-grain bread doesn’t need “dough strengthener.” Its fiber content hasn’t been removed, so as to weaken its structure and necessitate “enhancement.”
Sorbitol is a so-called alcohol sugar. It’s simply glucose that has been modified so it’s absorbed more slowly.
Because it has a little over half the calories of regular sugar, this artificial sweetener is found in a variety of processed diet foods: candy, chewing gum, soft drinks, and ice cream.
Many people can not tolerate sorbitol. They experience flatulence, bloating and abdominal cramps, often showing up at the doctor’s office to undergo unpleasant testing. Meanwhile, the cause of their discomfort could be the “sugarless” gum they’re chewing.
Forgotten cures
Let’s face it––none of us are teen-agers any more. But getting older didn’t always mean suffering through muscle atrophy or loose skin where our toned arms used to be. Country folks have a proud tradition of staying strong and active well into old age, and this country doc plans to be no exception.
In fact, there are some simple things you can do to keep your muscle tone while you age. While exercise is a key component in the fight against muscle loss, so is ensuring your body has the nutrients it needs to build muscle.
Taurine is an amino acid that’s exceptionally useful in muscle building and more. It’s considered a nonessential amino acid, which means our bodies can usually make their own supply––but our bodies make less taurine as we age.
Because we need amino acids like taurine to build the protein the feeds and grows our muscles, low taurine levels can force our once-proud muscles to wither on the vine.
This is why taurine has garnered a great deal of attention as a muscle- building, or anabolic, agent, and is commonly used by bodybuilders. Animal studies and anecdotal evidence in humans supports the notion that taurine allows you to exercise more with less fatigue. The end result–– stronger, larger muscles.
But taurine isn’t just for Olympic athletes––it’s good for you too. Improving and maintaining muscle mass and strength boosts your quality of life, makes everyday tasks easier to perform, reduces falls and bone-fracture risk, and improves insulin sensitivity—which cuts the risk of diabetes.
Taurine just might make you feel younger as well. Research has uncovered that the level of taurine in the body is elevated when you exercise. That makes sense, considering that exercise is known to give you a glowing, youthful physical appearance—an antiaging fix if ever there was one.
Taurine also helps muscle cells retain more water, which increases their volume, boosts protein synthesis, and can make you look toned.
The problem with taurine is that the wrong people are catching on to its benefits. It has become a staple in energy drinks like Red Bull, which is loaded with so much sugar and caffeine that you have to be a little nuts to drink it.
There are much healthier ways to get taurine without enduring the jitters and racing heartbeats that come with energy drinks. It’s found in high concentrations in meat and fish, and in lower concentrations in its one plant source: seaweed.
For muscle support, I also recommend you take a taurine supplement, using 2,000 to 3,000 mg daily.
As an additional note, it’s worth pointing out that taurine also can benefit your brain and heart. It supports higher levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA, so it can be a safe and useful tool in the treatment of anxiety––take 500 mg to 2,000 mg twice a day.
Research also has shown that taurine can boost the force of heart muscle contractions, which improves cardiac output. It may help with symptoms of congestive heart failure, such as fatigue and shortness of breath––try 2,000 mg twice a day. As always, you are best off working with an experienced health-care provider.
A prescription for pain
I’ve told you many times before that keeping your muscles strong and healthy is absolutely critical as you age. We need our muscles to help us get around and enjoy the active, independent life-styles we all want––plus, good muscle control is important for preventing the falls that can be so dangerous in our senior years.
That’s why I’m absolutely horrified by the fact that dozens of Americans are suffering muscle damage because their know-it-all, prescription-happy doctors keep shoving drugs down their throats that interact in very dangerous ways.
According to a recent warning from the FDA, if you’re taking a drug to treat high cholesterol and another for an irregular heartbeat, you could be at risk for severe muscle damage.
You’re in particular trouble if your doc has you taking cholesterol- lowering statins (Zocor or Vytorin) along with the heart-rhythm drug amiodarone (Cordarone or Pacerone), especially if you’re taking more than 20 mg a day of the cholesterol drugs.
If you are on this drug combination, call your doctor. If you’ve suffered muscle damage, call your lawyer.
The fact is, docs have known for years that cholesterol and heart-rhythm drugs are dangerous when mixed. The FDA issued an initial warning in 2002––and their latest warning shows that many docs simply ignored it. Since the 2002 warning, according to the FDA’s own numbers, there have been 52 accounts of serious muscle injury in people who are taking both drugs.
I can darn-near guarantee you that this is just the tip of the iceberg ––and I’ll give you three reasons:
1) With any voluntary reporting procedure, there is going to be a tendency to under-report.
2) If you were a doctor who ignored the FDA’s warnings and prescribed a dangerous drug interaction––and if reporting that interaction was voluntary–– what would you do?
3) Many of the people being prescribed both drugs are older. When an older patient suffers muscle damage, most docs don’t launch a full-scale investigation. They chalk it up to aging.
At the end of the day, we can reasonably expect that hundreds of people––most of them older––have had their quality of life ruined by the medical profession’s arrogance, recklessness, or both.
The FDA’s solution to the problem isn’t likely to make things much better––they’re recommending simply switching patients to another cholesterol drug, such as Lipitor. Of course, some of the side effects for Lipitor (among the literally dozens) include muscle weakness and pain. Sounds like a prescription for injury to me.
So, you might be trading one muscle-damaging drug for another.
What we really need to eliminate is the continued over-prescribing of statin drugs to lower cholesterol. There is a lot of knee-jerk prescribing of statins for patients with high cholesterol.
But high cholesterol is not necessarily a sign of heart disease––or even that you’re at significant risk for heart disease. And now these statins are mixing with other drugs and causing mayhem.
Statins interfere with the liver’s production of cholesterol––and your body needs cholesterol to function. For many people, statins end up causing more problems than they could ever hope to solve.
Before you start statins ––if you truly have a cholesterol issues that needs to be brought under control–– you should take a look at your diet. Make sure you’re eating enough whole grains, vegetables and fruits. They contain nutrients called flavonoids, which help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and quiet inflammation. You can also get flavonoids from tea and red wine.
Your Questions Answered
Q. I’ve been dealing with constipation on and off for years, and finally decided to make some lifestyle changes. I added a lot more fiber to my diet and am eating fruits and vegetables at every meal. But after the first few days, my constipation got worse instead of better! Am I just going to be on laxatives forever? I’m 68 and have high blood pressure, but am otherwise healthy. ––A. Shields, Tacoma, WA
A:The predicament you’re experiencing with consti-pation is a common one, especially in Western industrialized nations. Consti- pation results in over 2.5 million doctor visits each year, affecting over 25 percent of folks over age 65. Here in the United States, we spend over $725 million a year on over-the-counter laxatives.
I do not recommend them. They can lead to physical dependence and are just a symptom Band-Aid that fails to address the underlying problems. Factors contributing to constipation include inadequate fiber, not enough water, and a lack of exercise.
I noticed you didn’t mention anything about an exercise routine. Even a brisk, 20-minute daily walk can make a difference. By moving more, you get everything in your body to work more efficiently—including your digestive system. If you’re eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, you don’t need to drink as much fluid during the day, but you may find that two to three cups of green tea can help move things along. Try decaffeinated tea if the regular stuff gets you too jazzed.
When it comes to fiber, many people looking to remedy their constipation end up getting too much too fast. If your digestive system isn’t accustomed to a steady influx of fiber, suddenly loading up on it can bind you up and make things worse—as you experienced. You’ll need to experiment––try dropping to a lower fiber intake and then steadily increasing it over a couple of weeks.
Patients ask me all the time how much fiber they should be getting in a day. The government recommends 25 grams a day, but that isn’t enough for most folks. I always recommend doubling that number.
In your case, consider adding some nuts and cooked beans to your meal planning, both of which are nutrient- and fiber-rich foods. They’ll help move you toward at least one or two healthy bowel movements a day.
I’ve written a lot about Salba (Salvia hispanica L.)— a marvelous Aztec grain grown in the Peruvian Amazon basin. It’s rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber and can hold up to 18 times its weight in water, which keeps you well hydrated. That, in turn, helps keep stools soft and easier to move through your digestive tract. As with your fiber-rich foods, start low and go slow. I’m not kidding—it’s that effective. Sprinkle it on your morning oatmeal––see how you fare with just half a teaspoon. You can gradually increase it to a tablespoon or more over the next two or three weeks.
If diet changes don’t work, here’s something you can try instead of laxatives––magnesium citrate capsules, anywhere from 400 to 1,200 mg at a time. Take them in the evening, since, in addition to supporting digestion, they can act as an effective calmative and sleep aid. That may not be convenient earlier in the day.
It’s going to take a little trial and error on your part to hit on what works in ridding your body of constipation. But I have faith you can do it without resorting to laxatives ––give it the old college try.
Remember…
A recent change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days could signal an underlying problem you want to know more about. You should tell your doctor immediately.
