Berberine, Natural Antibiotics, Curcumin for Prostate

I’ve spoken of berberine before, but additional studies have come to light, showing its promise in improving health in other areas. First, let me review (For those of you that subscribe to Whitaker’s Health & Healing, this you already know). Berberine is an alkaloid plant that has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for years. In a clinical trial published in Metabolism, people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into groups and assigned to take the pharmacological drug Metformin or berberine. Berberine was every bit as effective as metformin, with NO side effects. In addition, berberine did something diabetes drugs did not. Berberine lowered triglycerides by 35.9%, LDL cholesterol by 21%, and total cholesterol by 18%, compared to minimal declines in cholesterol and an increase in triglycerides in the other group. Also, recent research suggests that berberine has a role in cancer prevention and treatment-it inhibits the growth of cancer cells, curbs the development of blood vessels that feed tumors, and helps prevent metastasis. There are also studies that demonstrate  that berberine improves bone density and preserves cartilage, protects against acute brain damage and neurodegenerative disorders, and may play a role in warding off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Whitaker predicts that berberine will be the next big thing in anti-aging medicine. For more details, read Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing, February 2012.

I recently had a minor cold that morphed into a sinus infection. I was going to get some antibiotics, and mentioned this to a homeopathic doctor  who I provide services for. He instead suggested the nutritional supplements liquid silver and lomantium dissectum var. multifida, known by the label LDM-100. I am more than pleased to say that within 5 days, the infection was gone (I try to avoid taking antibiotics whenever I can).

An article in a previous Health & Healing, January 2012, lauded the protective effects of curcumin on prostate cancer. As I’ve said many times, curcumin helped cure my ulcerative colitis, and is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Curcumin also interfere’s with the spread of cancer cells by regulating the body’s inflammatory responses, and promoting tumor cell death (apoptosis). For those at risk or diagnosed with prostate cancer, Dr. Whitaker recommends 4-8 grams daily.

Here’s a few “Did You Knows?” 1). Smelling peppermint oil every two hours was shown to reduce appetite and calorie intake. 2). Ginger root extract, 2 g/day, reduces inflammation in the colon, which protects against colon cancer. 3). Cherries are high in sleep-inducing melatonin-they may help with sleep. 4). Overweight women who lose considerable weight have significant increases in vitamin D. And, my favorite; taking a single step uses about 200 muscles.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com 

A Sharper Mental Edge?

I came across an article in today’s Wall Street Journal regarding a purported brain enhancer called citicoline-it’s popping up in beverages and dietary supplements. Citicoline is an organic molecule found naturally in the body, with greater amounts in the brain. Citicoline is supposed to speed up formation of brain cell membranes and may boost neurotransmitter function (serotonin, dopamine. etc). Results have been mixed, although citicoline shows promise for people who have had mini-strokes in the past. A large trial is currently underway, and results will be announced in May. A Cochrane Collaboration review has looked at 14 studies (through 2010) and concluded citicoline “has a positive effect on memory and behavior, at least in the medium term.”It might be worth a try….

Stay well, JohnR Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com

Bad Fat Into Good Fat? Way Cool!

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have discovered a new hormone produced in response to exercise that may be turning people’s white fat brown, and in the process decreasing the likelihood that they will develop diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other health problems. The study, published 1/11/12 in the journal Nature, provides new insights on how the body responds to exercise at the cellular level. Scientists have believed for years that muscle cells communicate with other cells during and after exercise; in particular, fat cells. But the how and what they say have been mysteries, until, in the new study, they looked at a particular substance, PGC1-alpha, which is produced in large quantities during and after exercise. Bruce Spiegelman, professor of cell biology and medicine and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, led the study. He says that “It seems clear that PGC1-a stimulates many of the recognized health benefits of exercise.” Mice that are bred to produce large amounts of PGC1-a in their muscles are more resistant to age-related obesity and diabetes, much like humans who exercise. One thing that PGC1-a does is pump up the expression of a protein, Fndc5, which breaks apart into different pieces, one of which is a hormone called irisin, which enters the bloodstream and surfs to fat cells. There, it begins turning regular fat, especially the deep, visceral fat around organs-into brown fat. Brown fat is the “good” fat-it is metabolically active, using oxygen and energy. End result, they burn calories. White fat, or “bad’ fat, just sits there, causing metabolic problems. In essence, irisin appears to be one of the more important missing links in our understanding of how exercise conveys health benefits. What is not known at this point is how much or what types of exercise produce the greatest natural irisin increases in healthy people. Until then, some exercise is better than none. A follow-up on yesterday’s blog on the brain: A new study from The Archives of Neurology suggests that for some people, a daily walk or jog could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or change the course of the disease if it begins. In this study, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis recruited 201 adults, ages 45-88, who were part of continuing study at the university’s Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Some had a family history of Alzheimer’s, but none, as the study began, had the disease. All performed well on tests of memory and thinking. At the beginning of the experiment, all volunteers had their brains scanned using positron emission tomography (PET scan), to look for signs of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. People with a lot of plaque have more memory loss. Next they tested them for APOE, a gene involved in cholesterol metabolism. Everyone carries the APOE gene, but those who have a particular version of the gene known as e4 are at 15 times the risk of developing Alzheimer’s as those who don’t. In this study, 56 of the volunteer’s turned out to be positive for APOE-e4. All participants were asked to fill out detailed questionnaires about their exercise habits during the past 10 years. For the group as a whole, exercise provided marginal benefits-the ones who reported walking or jogging often, had fewer amyloid plaques than those who almost never did, but the difference was insignificant. However, when the scientists examined the results for the people with the e4 gene variant, the situation changed. Those that exercised had plaque accumulation similar to those who were e4 negative. Bottom line; activity levels enable those with the genetic predisposition to get Alzheimer’s to ‘turn off’ that gene, and stand a greater chance of aging normally. For a more complete account of these two studies, read Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times-Phys ED column.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com

The Brain & the Gut

I came across two interesting articles this week concerning our “two brains”, the one in your head and the one in your gut. A report in the Wall Street Journal (1/17/12), details the importance of the gut to overall health. The gut, consisting of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, has its own nervous system (called the enteric nervous system), and can operate independently from the brain. It can control organs including the pancreas and gall bladder via nervous connections. The gut also contains many of the same neurotransmitters found in the brain, and also manufactures its own hormones-these can interact with other organs such as the heart and lungs. The brain, spinal cord, and gut are filled with nerve cells; the small intestine alone contains 100 million neurons, roughly the same amount as in the spinal cord. The vagus nerve stretches from the brain to the stomach, and is the main conduit between the two.I think most of us know that when our gut feels bad, such as with indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, or worse; we feel bad. However, the ailments go beyond digestion. Disruptions in intestinal flora affect mood, depression, and may be indicated in epileptic issues. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in the brain, is manufactured in the gut. Low levels of serotonin in the brain are known to affect mood and sleep. Serotonin also helps push food through the digestive tract, is necessary for repairing liver cells, and plays a role in normal heart development and bone-mass accumulation. The gut may also shed some light on Parkinson’s disease; some of the damage to the brain neurons that make the neurotransmitter dopamine also occur n the gut neurons. So, what can you do to keep your gut healthy? A diet rich in citrus fruit, fiber-rich foods like beans, leafy greens and yellow vegetables. The onion family is also     beneficial to gut health; onions, leeks, and garlic contain anti-cancer, antibiotic, antiseptic properties. Several spices are also helpful; turmeric powder, rosemary, peppermint, and oregano are some of the best. There are also simple exercises that can help; deep breathing, the prone cobra position (yoga), supine bridge (lying on your back with knees bent-lift your tush into the air), and the wood chop (self-explanatory). If you take care of your gut, you’ll be much better off, both physically and mentally.

A column written by Gretchen Reynolds,in the New York Times (9/28/11) reaffirms the benefits of exercise on the other brain (in your head).  Earlier studies, of which I’ve blogged about, have shown that exercise sparks neurogenesis-the creation of new brain cells. This particular study, at the University of South Carolina, looked at whether exercise helped existing brain cells, akin to what exercise does to strengthen skeletal muscle. Like muscle, many parts of the brain get a workout during physical exercise. “The brain has to work hard to keep the muscles moving, and all of the body systems in sync”, says J. Mark Davis, a professor of exercise science at the Arnold School of Public Health at the university. To see if exercise helped existing brain cells, researchers exercised mice for eight weeks-a sedentary group was kept in the same cages as the runners, so that with the exception of the treadmill sessions, both groups shared the same environment and routine. At the end of two months, scientists found markers of renewed redevelopment in the brain cells in all of the exercising mice-the sedentary group did not show this effect. And, although this study was done with mice, and mouse brains are not human brains, there is reason to believe that there is a similar effect in humans, since both mice and humans show muscle cell re-genesis with exercise. Revitalized brain cells could reduce mental fatigue and sharpen your thinking. There is also hope that this finding and others could lead to treatment for neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Best part, the physical stimulus to get your brain cells into shape is a 30-minute jog, or the equivalent.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com

Take a Hike

One of my favorite pastimes is hiking here in Arizona. I can do the deserts in the winter and the mountains in the summer, and all places in between. When I was younger, I used to just hop in the car and tackle any type of hike; moderate, extreme, bushwhacking long, short, medium; never giving much thought to my fitness level. My only concern was to bring enough water. Not so any more, as I found out recently while on a day hike in Sedona with my 14 year-old son Alex. We first bushwacked up a canyon for a couple of hours; no problem. Then I got the bright idea to hike up the east wall of Oak Creek Canyon, What was I thinking? The hike is only a little over a mile in length, but the elevation gain is 1300 feet! I had to stop several times; not for my lack of aerobic strength, but because my haunches (my sitting bones) were on fire. And that was on the way up. Down was no picnic either; my quadriceps (thighs) let me know that they were not happy. Bottom line: the keys to successful hiking are these: Preparing a good aerobic base by taking longer hikes to train your body to use its fat stores (of which I have plenty of); build strength and power by doing shorter hikes on hilly terrain and steep trails (to maintain better alertness and good judgement after extended periods of exertion; and taking the proper nutrition. Fresh fruit such as apples, pears, nectarines, along with honey and fruit juice-these foods don’t require digestion, so their sugars are available for immediate energy. Companies that manufacture specialty sports drinks and energy bars make wild and false claims about energy and hydration. Fruit juice, or honey and water work better (and much cheaper), and they don’t produce the gas and possible bloating that other carbohydrate products create. I mx one tablespoon of honey with 18 ounces of water, and it works great. Note: Shorter hikes (< 1 hour) require only water. I am now better prepared for hikes (I’m supposed to be older and wiser-I have the older part down well), and that’s great, because I love to hike.

I’ve finally got my YouTube account worked out and have posted the video for knee pain help. Check it out. It should be on this website shortly.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com

Strengthen Your Weaker Side To Prevent Falls & Improve Balance

Everyone know’s if they are right- or left-handed. Many older people are unsure if they are right-or left-legged. The way I approach it is this: If I were to roll you a ball, which leg would you kick it with? Or, which leg do you step up with first when climbing stairs? We all have a stronger and more dominant side- an arm, hip and leg that is stronger than the other side. The main muscle(s) responsible are the gluteus medius (and surrounding muscles in the hip)-when the difference is very pronounced, it can cause a side-to-side gait, which is very unstable, and can lead to falls and muscle strains. For me personally, my weak side is my left. When I stand on my left leg, it only takes a few seconds to start wobbling, but I’ve gotten better. How? I really focus on strengthening my weak side with several different exercises. One of my favorites is the tennis ball toss. When I have a partner, I stand four giant steps from my partner and toss the ball to each other while standing on one leg, then the other. If I’m alone, I stand four feet from a wall and toss the ball against it, catching it about waist-high. Another is the straight dead-lift, which strengthens the gluteus and hamstring muscles. To do this exercise, stand up straight, with feet a little wider than shoulders. Legs are straight, but knees are not locked. Place your hands n your thighs (gently), and slowly run  your hands down the front of your legs until you reach your knees, shins, or ankles; wherever you feel a tension in the back of the legs. Your back should be flat, your head in line with your back. Slowly return to the starting position. Do four sets of 10 repetitions throughout the day.  I also take the stairs, leading with my weaker leg, and try to brush my teeth, wash my hair, putting my clothes on the opposite side first, and do many of the other daily chores using my non-dominant side. It can be slow progress, and frustrating at times, but I am getting better. I’ve seen these exercises work well with my seniors-give them a try. Presently, I’m having a little difficulty with my YouTube account. When I get it corrected, I’ll shoot off a little video.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com

Yeah……

My son’s Buick commercial was just shown on the football game between LSU and Alabama. I expect it will be shown on the NFL games this weekend and perhaps golf tournaments. We are so stoked! Go Alexander!

Foods for Health, Pain Relief, Tea and Other Natural Remedies

Throughout history, wise doctors have touted the benefits of a healthy diet. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said, let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. In the last 15 years, thousands of studies done in clinical research settings have shown the specific health benefits that individual foods provide, including identifying the various phytochemicals and flavonoids associated with those benefits.

The foods we eat have a profound effect on our health. Think about it-when you ingest something 3-5 times, each and every day, it’s going to have a huge impact on your health. Pain and inflammation are rampant in our society-I see it on  daily basis. There are foods that can help with the pain, and foods that contribute to the pain.

Foods that can help with pain and inflammation are: turmeric, ginger, bromelain, berries, tart cherries, fish oils, and green tea. Foods that contribute to pain and inflammation are sugar, starch, white flour, soft drinks, margarine, hydrogenated fats and oils, and processed foods. There are some foods that are considered healthy but can cause the opposite effect in others (food intolerance). Dairy, gluten, peanuts, and members of the nightshade family top the list. (Nightshade foods are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tobacco, paprika, cayenne, crushed red pepper).

There are other foods for specific ailments. For nervousness and anxiety; lettuce, chamomile, valerian, and rose petals. Itchiness; witch hazel, jewelweed, and aloe vera. Antibiotics; oregano and garlic work well.  Infections; honey works well as an antibacterial and antifungal. Berries, turmeric, fish oil, and dark green leafy vegetables are effective for cancer fighting.

Tea is an ancient beverage that has been enjoyed for years thanks to its healing benefits. These are: Decreased risk of heart disease. A study published in the journal Circulation showed that drinking at least two cups a day reduced the risk of death from a heart attack by 44%. Lowers blood pressure: researchers say that drinking a half cup of green or oolong tea may reduce blood pressure significantly. Antiseptic properties: drinking tea reduces cavities and periodontal disease. Drinking tea can also prevent bad breath and kill germs in the mouth that contribute to poor oral health. Many viruses, such as the flu and colds are airborne, drinking or gargling with tea may help. Lowers cancer risk: Polyphenols in tea may be responsible for inhibiting factors that promote cancer growth. Tea is especially beneficial in fighting gastrointestinal cancers. Neurological benefits: Recent research suggests that tea may help in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and dementia. I drink 12 ounces daily of a combination of green and peppermint tea. Teas are chock full of flavonoids, antioxidants that are found in many plant-derived foods. A big plus-drinking tea has no known side effects.

I placed a video showing my knee rehab stretches on Facebook and YouTube. I hope to have it on my site within a couple of days.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

Haveithealth.com

Stay well,

MUSINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I’d like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year-I hope all of your goals are reached. I’ve set a few for myself- improve my health, be better disciplined regarding blogging and shooting videos (now that I’ve got a camcorder that works with my iMac), and including a date night each and every week with my wife.

My wife and son have decided to try a pescatarian diet this year, and I’m also going to give it a try. Only fish, along with whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I will eat red meat once per week. Not that I have anything against red meat.  Organic, fresh, grass-fed beef is very good for you-high in omega-3′s and many other nutrients that are hard to come by elsewhere. Human beings are omnivores and are physiologically designed to eat both animal and non-animal foods-we don’t thrive unless we do. But large amounts aren’t necessary-red meat should be a complement to the rest of your diet, not a major component.

I will also eat no dairy except for butter, goat yogurt and a little half & half with coffee. (Butter is one of the most nutrient-rich foods-it contains high amounts of vitamins A, D, E, F, and K. Organic butter from grass-fed cows is high in omega-3′s). This next one will be tough. Raised in Wisconsin and weaned on cheese, that will be hard to give up.

Overall, I do pretty well with my diet now, but I still don’t eat enough vegetables. I’ll keep you posted on our progress and results. What we expect is to shed a few pounds, increase energy, improve blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, and a few others. My biggest concern is that my energy levels are not what I want them nor need them to be. I hope this change in eating helps.

Just as my foot problem got much better, I hurt my opposite legs knee doing some vertical and broad jumps. I fear I may have slightly torn my lateral meniscus and I will do all I can to avoid surgery. I think the injury may be due to my lack of flexibility work. I just don’t stretch enough after workouts. I found that my knee pain is greatly reduced by using the foam roller on my gluts (butt muscles) and my ITB band (the outside of the upper leg from the hip to the knee. The roller hurts like H, but feels so much better after. Maybe it’s like the cure for a headache-hit your thumb with a hammer and you don’t notice your headache. But the roller works. I also do a new stretch for my hip flexors. I’ll shoot a little video of these to better illustrate. These should be done whether you have knee pain or not. The knee cannot make independent decisions; it follows instructions from either the hip or the ankle, so if you take care of strength and flexibility at the ends, the knee will be happy.

Speaking of exercise, can we please discard the notion that aerobic exercise is the healthiest exercise to do? More and more recent studies, many of which I’ve mentioned here, show that aerobic exercise is ineffective for increasing metabolic rate, decreasing body fat, increasing physical work capacity, anaerobic threshold, or heart rate recovery. If it’s not helping with these parameters, why do it? What does work is high (relatively) intensity interval-type training. Working hard for a short period of time with brief rest intervals, for a total of 10 to 20 minutes. Many of my personal workouts lasted 12 to 15 minutes. This type of exercise raises work capacity, heart rate recovery times, increases metabolic rate, and is 10 times more effective for fat-burning. Best of all, it requires only the simplest equipment and space. You can do the workouts in a 10 x 8 space, anywhere. The best equipment is the simplest; jump rope, calisthenics (body weight), resistance bands, or light dumbbells, sand bags, or kettlebells.

Regarding fat, fat doesn’t make you fat. Grains and sugars do. People are afraid of eating fat, so they go on low-fat diets. These low-fat diets may help people lose weight (if they can stay on them), but they don’t lose body fat (they end up losing muscle), and many end up sicker and fatter than before. Healthy fats are required for optimal health, and actually boost metabolism. Fats such as those in fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and oils (olive, grapeseed, almond, avocado, and hazelnut), can help balance blood sugar levels, increase immunity, control appetite, and reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone and fat storer. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, need fat in order to be absorbed.

Professionally, my goal for this year is to blog at least twice and post one video per week. If there are any areas you have concerning your health, or any other recommendations you have for my website, please let me know.

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com 

Fitness Trumps Weight Loss, The Best Basic Foods

I’m an exercise junkie, and, although I don’t look like the super-human sprinter Usain Bolt or the swimmer Michael Phelps, I share the same health benefits: fitness appears to trump weight loss when it comes to reducing all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Data from a large longitudinal study show that maintaining and improving physical-fitness levels were associated with lower risks of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas changes (lower) body-mass index were not. Long story short: weight loss may make you look and feel better, it doesn’t help you live longer without an improved fitness level. With all the attention given to weight loss (The Biggest Loser, etc.), bottom line is that if you want to live longer, you have to exercise, period.

Speaking of foods, I came across rankings for the best foods; fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, meats, and butters/spreads.

Fruits were rated by how well they scored in six categories: carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and calories. (Carotenoids are chemicals in foods (fruits and veges) are important antioxidants, and can be converted into essential vitamins. When acting as antioxidants, carotenoids have been shown to reduce the damage caused by other molecules called free radicals. A diet rich in carotenoids helps prevent cell, tissue, and genetic damage, which means that they increase a person’s immunity to infection, reduce the risk of cancer, and protect against heart disease).

I can’t list all fruits, but I will list the top 12. They are, in order; Guava, Watermelon, Kiwi, Papaya, Grapefruit (pink or white), Kumquats, Oranges, Cantaloupe, Lychees, Strawberries, Mango, Raspberries, and Blackberries.

The healthiest veggies were rated for calories, vitamin K, Lutein, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. The top 12 are: Kale, Spinach, Collard greens, Turnip greens, Swiss Chard, Pumpkin (canned), Mustard greens, Sweet potato (with skin), Radicchio, Broccoli, Carrots, and Romaine lettuce.

Beans were rated for fiber, folic acid, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and protein. The top 12 are: Soybeans, Pinto beans, Chickpeas (garbanzos), Lentils, Cranberry beans, Black-eyed peas, Pink beans, Navy beans, Black beans, Small white beans, White beans, and Baby lima beans.

Grains were rated for fiber, magnesium, vitamin B-6, zinc, copper, and iron. The top 12 are: Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat groats, Bulgur, Barley (pearled), Wild rice, Millet, Brown rice, Triticale, Wheat berries, Kamat, and Oats (rolled).

Meats, rated for calories, total fat, and saturated fat. Poultry, top five are: ground chicken breast, ground turkey breast, turkey breast (no skin), chicken breast (no skin), and chicken drumstick. Beef: chuck eye steak, top round (London broil), flank steak, bottom round (rump roast), and eye of round roast. Pork: tenderloin, sirloin, top loin chop (boneless), top loin roast (boneless), and loin chop w/bone. Lamb: shank, loin chop, leg, shoulder-blade chop, and rib roast.

 Spreads and butters, rated for calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. The top five for tubs and squeezes: I can’t believe it’s not butter (fat-free), promise (fat-free), Smart beat, country crock omega plus light, and promise light. For sticks: Earth balance vegan buttery, promise, I can’t believe it’s not butter, blue bonnet light, parkay light, and Mrs. filbert’s. For butter: Land o’lakes light with canola oil, balade light, land o’lakes whipped light, land o’lakes whipped unsalted, and land o’lakes whipped.

You can get all of the foods by contacting Nutrition Action at www.cspinet.org/nah/custserv.htm

I’m still pinching myself for the fact that my son participated in a nationally run Buick commercial. The shoot was yesterday, and all went well. My wife and I are so grateful……

Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.

HaveItHealth.com