My Blog on
Cholesterol is up on my website.
In June the FDA issued a warning on the use
of high dose Simvastatin (a cholesterol lowering drug). Based on a clinical trial, patients on 80mg of Simvastatin had an increased
risk of rhabdomyolysis, a process in which muscle fibers breakdown and increase
the risk for kidney damage.
As a
Naturopathic and Functional Medical Doctor, I practice upstream medicine. This
means, I am looking for the cause of the problem. Blaming cholesterol for heart
disease is like blaming a witness at the scene of the crime. We need to look at
why the body is producing the cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed in the body
for a variety functions, it acts as part of a protective layer around every
cell in your body.
Read more here.
NEWS:
1. Fun
Fact Highlights: Gluten, Chocolate, and Gut-Brain
Gluten: The
Newest Villain (Dr. Hyman)
The
question that remains is: Why are we so sensitive to this “staff of life,” the
staple of our diet?
There
are many reasons …
They
include our lack of genetic adaptation to grasses, and particularly gluten, in
our diet. Wheat was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages, and 30
percent of people of European descent carry the gene for celiac disease (HLA
DQ2 or HLA DQ8), (xii) which increases susceptibility to health problems from
eating gluten.
American
strains of wheat have a much higher gluten content (which is needed to make
light, fluffy Wonder Bread and giant bagels) than those traditionally found in
Europe. This super-gluten was recently introduced into our agricultural food
supply and now has “infected” nearly all wheat strains in America.
To
find out if you are one of the millions of people suffering from an
unidentified gluten sensitivity, just follow this simple procedure.
Testing
for Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease
There
are gluten allergy/celiac disease tests that are available through Labcorp or
Quest Diagnostics. All these tests help identify various forms of allergy or
sensitivity to gluten or wheat. They will look for:
·IgA
anti-gliadin antibodies
·IgG
anti-gliadin antibodies
·IgA
anti-endomysial antibodies
·Tissue
transglutaminase antibody (IgA and IgG in questionable cases)
·Total
IgA antibodies
·HLA
DQ2 and DQ8 genotyping for celiac disease (used occasionally to detect genetic
suspectibility).
·Intestinal
biopsy (rarely needed if gluten antibodies are positive-based on my
interpretation of the recent study)
When
you get these tests, there are a few things to keep in mind.
In
light of the new research on the dangers of gluten sensitivity without full
blown celiac disease, I consider any elevation of antibodies significant and
worthy of a trial of gluten elimination. Many doctors consider elevated
anti-gliadin antibodies in the absence of a positive intestinal biopsy showing
damage to be “false positives.” That means the test looks positive but really
isn’t significant.
Source:
Hyman, M. Gluten-What you don’t know might kill you. www.drhyman.com. September 17, 2011. http://drhyman.com/gluten-what-you-dont-know-might-kill-you-11/
No Gluten?
Find Fun in Chocolate! (Science Daily)
ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2003) — There’s sweet news about hot
cocoa: Researchers at Cornell University
have shown that the popular winter beverage contains more antioxidants per cup
than a similar serving of red wine or tea and may be a healthier choice.
Source:
Hot Cocoa Tops Red Wine And Tea In Antioxidants; May Be Healthier Choice.
Science Daily. Nov 6, 2003. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/11/031106051159.htm
Gut-Brain:
the calming effect of Belly Bugs (PNAS)
An article reports on the gut microbiota
affecting our mood and gut function, specificially certain bacteria strains
alter our neurotransmitter, GABA.
Alterations in central GABA receptor
expression are implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression, which
are highly comorbid with functional bowel disorders. In this work, we show that
chronic treatment with L. rhamnosus (JB-1) induced
region-dependent alterations in GABAB1b mRNA in the brain with
increases in cortical regions (cingulate and prelimbic) and concomitant
reductions in expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and locus coeruleus,
in comparison with control-fed mice. In addition, L. rhamnosus (JB-1)
reduced GABAAα2 mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and
amygdala, but increased GABAAα2 in the hippocampus. Importantly, L.
rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety-
and depression-related behavior.
Source:
Javier A. Bravoa, et al. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates
emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the
vagus nerve. PNAS 2011; published ahead of print August 29, 2011. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/08/26/1102999108.abstract
Find out more news on my blog.
