Illness Is Optional Health Blog

According to the research, damage was present in greater than half of those who reported myopathy (muscle pain).

Dr. Ray’s Notes:
Muscle pain and weakness is a common side effect of statin medications and should be taken seriously. Although severe muscle damage is rare, it appears that a mild-moderate muscle injury is much more common and can persist for years after stopping the statin medication. To decrease the risk of muscle damage associated with statins, I recommend that those who take statin medication take 100 mg of Ubiquinol twice daily. Ubiquinol is an activated form of coenzyme Q10 and may be better absorbed and utilized. It is also recommended that those who take statins also supplement with a potent multi-vitamin and fish oil.

In a recent double-blind study of 24 patients diagnosed with dry eye syndrome, researchers gave one group an antioxidant blend while the other received placebo. After 12 weeks of supplementation, the group receiving the antioxidant blend showed significant improvements in stability of tears and significant decreases in symptoms such as itching, burning and the sensation of a foreign body in the eyes.
(Eur J Opthalmol, 2009 May-June; 19(3): 337-42.)

Dr. Ray’s Notes:
I have a number of patients who suffer with this condition and any relief that we can provide to them is welcome. The current conventional treatment includes lubricating drops and a topical immunosuppressant called cyclosporine, which is being used to force the eye to produce tears. From a nutritional perspective we want to significantly increase the lubricating ability of the tears while trying to maintain the moisture. This study used an antioxidant blend called Oxyviane™ which unfortunately is not available here in the states. I feel, however, that we can achieve similar benefits by using other antioxidants and essential fatty acids. See my protocol for Dry Eye under our “Health Issues” section.

According to the results of this study, the subjects who had the highest fruit and vegetable intake were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer and 16% less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
(Am J Clin Nutr, 2009; 89(5): 1441-52.)

Dr. Ray’s Notes:
We briefly discussed the link between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer in our radio program last week, this study seems to confirm our findings and the findings of numerous studies to date. The data is nearly indisputable that fruit and vegetable intake is extremely important in the prevention of cancer. The question that we have yet to answer is just how much is enough to provide optimal benefits. A book called “The Enzyme Factor”, written by Dr. Shinya – the father of the colonoscopy – hypothesizes that these raw foods contain a “mother enzyme” that is responsible for health and vitality of our cells. Having performed thousands of colonoscopies he found that he could determine the relative health of the person simply by seeing the health of the patient’s colon. He then determined that the health of the colon was almost entirely related to the amount of fruits, vegetables and live food in the diet. In a nut shell, EAT TONS OF RAW HEALTHY FOODS!

Researchers recently determined that limb length was the most important determinant of energy expenditure during activity! This means if you are “vertically challenged” then you will burn fewer calories than a taller acquaintance who works just as hard on the treadmill. I wonder if this explains why the six foot tall models can stay so skinny?

Take heart, your efforts are in vain, this simply means that the “vertically challenged” will need to challenge themselves a little more when they hit the treadmill or stair climber! Move faster, work longer, try interval training, add ankle weights, whatever you do just pump up the volume. (Journal Experimental Biology, 210; 484-494,2007)

esearchers at Arizona State University studied 20 overweight subjects and followed them through a weight loss program. As the subjects lost weight, those people who were supplementing with 500 mg vitamin C daily enjoyed stable vitamin C levels while the other subjects levels dropped steadily. As vitamin C levels dropped so did the ability of the subjects body to burn fat through a process called oxidation.

It has been noted in previous research that subjects with higher blood vitamin C levels burn 30% more calories when they exercise than subjects with lower vitamin C levels. This connection may have to do with vitamin C’s role in the production of l-carnitine, an import fat burning nutrient. When supplementing with vitamin C, I prefer to use food sources of vitamin C such as amla, acerola cherry powder, etc. As a supplement, I use a daily dose of food source vitamin C from a manufacturer called The Synergy Company.

(J Am Coll Nutr Johnston 24 (3): 158.)

It was discovered that folic acid deficiency was significantly correlated with risk of fall. In fact for every one point drop in blood levels of folic acid there was a 19% increase in risk of fall. Other factors that were correlated to falls was vitamin D deficiency and depression.
(Ann Nutr Metab, 2009; 54(1): 59-66)

Dr. Ray’s Notes:

Is folic acid deficiency to blame for many falls in the elderly? Well, even with this research I could not be sure. Is it possible that people with low folic acid have some other dietary or lifestyle situation that is correlated with the risk? Yes, it is possible.
But…

Why take the risk? Folic acid is inexpensive, free from side effects and beneficial on many levels. Simply make sure that you are getting at least 800 mcg of folic acid in your diet and/or supplements. Every one of the multi-vitamins that I recommend contain at least 800 mcg of folic acid to meet these requirements. These Mutli-vitamins are listed in the Virtual Pharmacist Section of our website.

Nattokinase is an enzyme that helps to digest fibrinogen which works to normalize the clotting process and prevent unnecessary and potentially harmful blockages. Best of all, it appears to achieve this benefit without increasing the risk of hemorrhage (inappropriate bruising or bleeding).

The majority of the research to date has assessed the impact of nattokinase in the diet of Asian cultures. Few studies have been performed on the nattokinase supplements and how they impact fibrinogen levels. Recently, scientists completed a study that was designed to see how nattokinase impacts the levels of fibrinogen as well as a number of other clotting factors. Scientists gave 45 healthy subjects, two capsules of nattokinase standardized to 2000 FU each day for 2 months. At the end of the study, fibrinogen levels dropped by 7-10%, Factor VII dropped by 7-14% and Factor VIII dropped by 17-19%.
(Nutr Res, 2009; 29(3): 190-6)

Dr. Ray’s Notes:

I am glad to see that the researchers are beginning to test the potential of nattokinase. This study used a fairly modest dose of nattokinase in otherwise healthy subjects. I hypothesize that when they start to study people who have elevated fibrinogen along with higher risks of heart disease we will see even more significant drops in fibrinogen. Ultimately I hope to see studies that also evaluate outcomes such as risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. I do recommend nattokinase as a tool for people at high risk of heart attack, stroke and/or those who are diagnosed with high levels of fibrinogen. Nattokinase would make a suitable alternative to aspirin therapy in many people. Time will tell if nattokinase could even replace Plavix and Coumadin in many patient populations. For now, we must wait and see.
If you are currently at high risk of heart attack or stroke, I would recommend using a product that contain 2,000 FU potency units three times daily. We have used the Doctor’s Best Nattokinase in our practice.

In fact, there is an entire science to the manufacture of capsules and tablets. The magnesium stearate is added to the nutritional ingredients to allow the powder to flow through the encapsulating machine more efficiently, this allows for a product with good consistency, which means that each capsule or tablet will have a consistent amount of active ingredient.

If it is inert, why is it in there and what is the big deal?

The problem is that magnesium stearate is a magnesium salt that is bound to a saturated fat called stearic acid. Some supplement companies are throwing a fit about products that contain magnesium stearate, claiming that the stearic acid is doing the body harm. This allows them to sell “Stearate-free” products which gives them, what is called in marketing, a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). In a nutshell, it makes their products stand out from the rest. But let’s explore some of the facts:

1. Stearic acid is found in the diet in much higher quantities than are found in supplements
2. The average capsule contains 10-20 mg of stearic acid compared to 5,000 mg in a bar of chocolate
3. Stearic acid is easily converted by the body into oleic acid which is the monounsaturated fatty acid found in extra virgin olive oil.
4. Encapsulating supplements uses far less magnesium stearate than tablets. Poor quality companies use excess amounts of magnesium stearate in order to increase the speed at which they can manufacture capsules and tablets.
5. Good quality companies (such as professional companies like Pure Encapsulations, Metagenics, Thorne Research, Carlson Labs, Life Extension, etc.) follow strict pharmaceutical standards to assure that they use only the necessary amounts of inert ingredients.
6. The magnesium stearate found in supplements is negligible compared to the amounts found in the diet. If you were to swallow an entire bottle of a particular supplement you would likely get just 1,000-2,000 mg of stearic acid (less than half the amount found in a chocolate bar).

Source:http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/the_facts_on_magnesium_stearate

Vitamin K exists in two main forms, K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is the form found in plant foods, especially green leafy vegetables. This form of vitamin K is considered inactive and requires activation by the body in order to have an impact on the cells. Studies with vitamin K1 have been somewhat disappointing due to poor activation by the body. Vitamin K2 is the activated form of vitamin K found in fermented foods such as natto as well as some dairy sources. Vitamin K2 is involved in a process called carboxylation that is important in the formation of healthy bones as well as the removal of calcium from the arteries. To date, a number of studies have proven the benefits of high dose vitamin K2 (45 mg daily) in the reversal of osteoporosis. These findings are truly exciting.

In a recent study, researchers tested the impact of low dose vitamin K2 on the carboxylation process. Compared to placebo, 1.5 mg of vitamin K2 daily resulted in significant carboxylation of osteocalcin which indicates significant protection from bone loss.

(Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2009; 55(1): 15-21.)

Dr. Ray’s Notes: The clinical research published to date is quite impressive, but I have always wondered if we could get away with lower doses. The majority of the research on vitamin K2 utilized 15 mg of vitamin K2 three times daily. Although this study does suggest that lower doses do enhance carboxylation, until we have data that suggests that low-dose K2 also increases bone density and decreases fracture rate then we must continue to recommend the higher dose for people diagnosed with osteoporosis. For those who are looking to prevent osteoporosis, it appears that lower doses may be sufficient to protect against osteoporosis and calcification of the arteries.

First, I encourage you to read our articles in the “Healthy Skin” section of our website that talk about protecting the skin from sun exposure because I list the most important factors in choosing sunscreen. These factors include choosing a non-oil based product, choosing sunscreen with antioxidants built in and choosing a sunscreen that thoroughly blocks both UVA and UVB radiation. When you choose a sunscreen by SPF alone, you may end up ignoring these other important factors.

So what is SPF?

The SPF number basically is a rating for the length of time that you can spend in the sun compared to if you wore no sun protection. For example an SPF of 25 means that you can hang out in the sun 25 times longer before you will begin to burn compared to if you wore no sunscreen. In fact, an SPF of 25 blocks 96% of the sun’s UVB radiation while an SPF of 50 blocks just 2% more for a total of 98%. You can see how higher is not necessarily significantly better. In addition, the redness is caused by exposure to UVB radiation and thus the SPF only speaks to how well a sunscreen blocks the UVB radiation while ignoring the UVA radiation. It is possible for a sunscreen to have a high SPF while offering little protection from the UVA radiation. A good sunscreen should show protection from both UVA and UVB radiation!