nutritional cures

7/27/2019 Nutritional Cures

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Special Volume

By Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

Dr. Wrights

Nutritional Cures


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Dr. Wrights Nutritional Cures, SpecialB

Dr. Wrights Nutritional CuresSpecial Volume

Its important when diagnosing and treating yourself that you know exactly what to lookfor. What are the signs that show you are likely to develop certain diseasesand what arethe natural options available? You need to learn how to read your body like a bookandthen figure out how to heal it. And, of course, always consult your physician before mak-ing any changes to your current treatment program.

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1: Reading Your Body Like a Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Chapter 2: Healing Your Incurable Hurts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Chapter 3: Repairing Your Heart and Arteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Chapter 4: 100% Success with Arthritis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Chapter 5: New Secrets Every Woman Needs to Know . . . . . . . . . .28

Chapter 6: New Secrets of Potency,

Vitality, and Prostate Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

There is more information available on many of the conditions and teratments mentioned in this

report. Please call reader servcies to order back issues of Nutrition & Healing; tel. (978)514-7851.

Copyright 2001 by Agora South, L.L.C., 819 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201. All rights reserved. No part of this report may bereproduced by any means or for any reason without the consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is obtained from sourcesbelieved to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Additional orders and inquiries can be directed to Nutrition & Healing, Reader Services Department, 819 N. Charles St., Baltimore,MD 21201; tel. (978)514-7851, fax (410)230-1273.

All material in this publication is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No actionshould be taken based solely on the contents of this publication; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on anymatter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this publication are believed to be accurate andsound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, but readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume therisk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The material in this report has not been approved by the Foodand Drug Administration. The products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

JWSV-0107


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Dr. Wrights Nutritional Cures, Special Volume2

As we get older, our stomachs stop produc-ing adequate levels of hydrochloric acid andpepsin. By taking supplements of these elements,you can often correct this simple digestive prob-lem. Youll feel and look a whole lot better!

Is your face generally red all over? Is itmost noticeable on your forehead and cheeks?Maybe you even suffer from medium to largeacne-type bumps. Your dermatologist hasprobably diagnosed it as acne rosacea and putyou on some type of prescribed medication.But did you know this, too, almost always sig-nals low stomach acidity? Taking supplemen-tal hydrochloric acid and pepsin will not onlyhelp aid your digestion but also, in all likeli-hood, help combat your acne rosacea.

Heres what you can do. Take one capsule(5, 7-1/2, or 10 grains) of either betainehydrochloride-pepsin or glutamic-acidhydrochloride-pepsin just before meals. Ifthere are no problems, then graduallyincrease the dosage over several days to therecommended amount (40 to 90 grains permeal). This kind of treatment should alwaysbe carefully monitored by a physician. Also,

hydrochloric acid should never be used incombination with aspirin, Butazolidin, Inodicin,Motrin, or any other anti-inflammatory med-ications. These medications can cause stom-ach bleeding and ulcers, so using hydrochlo-ric acid with them increases the risk.

PSORIASIS

If you have psoriasis, you know all toowell what those silvery scales or red, raisedpatches on your hands, arms, and face lookand feel like. The elements nickel and bro-mide in very small quantities can help curethis chronic skin problem.

SKIN TAGS

As we get older, many people develop seem-ingly harmless skin tags under the arms,behind the neck, and in the groin area. But

theyre definitely not something to ignoreandare more than just a cosmetic problem

Even though skin tags are thought to be viralin origin, these skin growths can be a distantwarning sign for Type II (maturity-onset) dia-

betes. You should definitely ask your doctor fora glucose-insulin tolerance test. (This test is usedto determine insulin resistance. The ordinaryglucose-tolerance test will not find insulin resist-ance, which is a precursor to Type II diabetes.)Even if diabetes doesnt run in your family, skintags sometimes indicate a higher risk for you!

DRY SKIN

Do you apply a moisturizer after shaving ortaking a shower? Cosmetic companies have

made millions of dollars marketing their spe-cial creams to women and men who sufferfrom dry skin. But dry skin points to a nutri-tional deficiency of essential fatty acids. If youincrease fish, nuts, and salad oils in your diet,your dry skin wont come back even in theharshest of winters!

FOREHEAD WRINKLES

Most of us have them. Wrinkles are a part

of getting older, right? But if your wrinklesrun vertically on your forehead and areaccompanied by abdominal pain, theres agood chance you have a duodenal ulcer. I rec-ommend taking a test for Helicobacter pylori. Ifthe test turns out positive, try a natural sub-stance called mastic. Use 500 milligrams threetimes daily for four to six weeks.

VARICOSE VEINS

Most women accept varicose veins as apart of motherhood and growing older. And,yes, they do run in certain families. But sodoes a higher requirement for flavonoids,which strengthen veins and prevent varicoseveins in the first place!

Flavonoids are found in citrus fruits, blue-berries, and all other red, blue, and purple


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Dr. Wrights Nutritional Cures, Special Volume

fruits and vegetables, as well as a long list ofbotanical supplements, including hawthorne,bilberry, ginkgo, horse chestnut, pycnogenols,and many others. Vitamin E and magnesiumare helpful too. A diet high in fiber decreasesthe pressure inside the abdomen, allowing the

blood to return from the legs to the heartmore easily with less back pressure.

EASY BRUISING

Lets set the record straight. Easy bruisingdoesnt mean youre a weakling. It actuallypoints to a potentially serious nutritionaldeficiency that can lead to uncontrolledinternal bleeding.

Easy bruising is often due to a vitamin K

deficiency or a lack of flavonoids (which helpkeep small blood vessels strong) in your diet.Try supplementing with vitamin K (5 to 10milligrams daily). (You may have a bit of diffi-culty finding an adequate-dose vitamin K sup-plement, but keep trying.) If insufficient vita-min K is the problem, you should see a differ-ence after six to eight weeks. If vitamin K isntsufficiently helpful, use a suppelement of oneof the sources of flavonoids listed above.

Also, many practitioners are aware thatdigestive enzymes (pancreatin, bromelain,papain, etc.) are useful for accelerating thehealing process of trauma wounds (like cutsand bruises) and suppressing inflammation in asafe, natural fashion, but it is important self-help information worth repeating.

Pancreatin (usually from a beef, pork, orlamb source), bromelain (from pineapple),

papain (from papaya), and other plantsource digestive enzymes are all effective clin-ically. Three or four tablets or capsules shouldbe taken three or four times daily on an emptystomach, and one should avoid food for atleast an hour (if possible) before and after.Taking the enzymes (and raising blood levels)before unavoidable trauma, as well as after,

makes the treatment even more effective. Ifinjury is unforeseen, the use of enzymes shouldbe started as soon as reasonably possible afterthe injury and continued until the injury iscompletely healed.

Enzymes are nontoxic and are safe for evensmall children, although smaller doses are neces-sary to do the job. For children too small toswallow capsules or tablets, chewableenzymes (which usually are pineapple- orpapaya-flavored and taste good) are very useful.If this is a procedure youve not tried before,youll be pleasantly surprised at the improvedoutcome: Swelling goes down more rapidly,theres less pain, and injuries are back to nor-mal much more quickly. These enzymes are

available at any health-food store, as well asthrough online vitamin distributors.

EARLOBE CREASES

Do you have diagonal creases across yourearlobes? If so, it might mean youre at higherrisk of developing cardiovascular disease. Ifyoure eating right, getting regular exercise,and taking vitamin E, its probably nothing toworry about. But you may want to have yourcholesterol, triglyceride, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein levels checked.

CLUE #2:

Your mouth is talking to you!

In a routine exam, your doctor usuallylooks into your mouth at your throat. And,yes, dentists look closely at your teeth andgums. But who takes notice of your tongue?

You should! The tongue is a very importanthealth indicator in the body, and you shouldlearn how to read the changes to it and otherparts of the mouth.

PALE TONGUE

A healthy tongue looks rosy red. Does yourtongue look pale in the mirror? It might meanthat youre anemic and need more iron in your


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diet. Liver from organically raised animals is thebest source. Also, be careful to look for hiddengastrointestinal bleeding as a cause of anemia.

CRACKED LIPS

If you have persistent cracks at the cornersof your mouth and no amount of moisturizergets rid of them, look to your diet once again!Your body is probably lacking riboflavin, vita-min B2, and other B vitamins.

CLUE #3:

The eyes have it.

DARK CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES

Those dark circles (called allergic shin-ers) and horizontal creases on the lower eye-

lids (called Dennies lines) are often observedin children diagnosed as hyperactive and areindicative of allergies. Adults get those dark cir-cles, too, but often from fatigue or emotionalupset (other causes include pregnancy, hormonetreatment, and sometimes allergy). Allergy elim-ination and desensitization are recommended.

CLOUDY EYES/CATARACTS

If you have cloudy patches in the lenses of

your eyes and have been diagnosed withcataracts, you may be suffering from abnor-mal sugar-insulin metabolism. You shouldimmediately eliminate all refined sugar fromyour diet. Heres how it works: The lenses ofour eyes respond to high blood-sugar levels byhelping to remove some of the excess.Unfortunately, the lenses have nowhere tostore this excess sugar, so, over time, it literal-ly condenses into cataracts.

Theres also a possibility that lactose incows milk and other dairy products mighthave contributed to your condition. There issome evidence that vitamins B2, A, and C,along with zinc and selenium, can slow downthe vision loss. Theres also one excitingstudy showing that bilberry can stop andeven reverse cataracts if its taken when theproblem is at a very early stage.

MACULAR DEGENERATION

Mineral loss, or lack of mineral absorptioncan also adversely affect eyesight, in the form ofmacular degeneration. With the stabilization ofdigestive functioning, other vitamin and mineralsupplements are important to the improvement

of damage associated with macular degenera-tion. Zinc and selenium (taken intravenously)are the two most important minerals, followedby vitamin E and taurine. Herbals such as bil-berry and Gingko contain flavonoids and othersubstances important to the retina.

CLUE #4:

Its time to start pointing fingers

Like your skin and hair, your nails replen-ish themselves regularly. Because of this,theyre often very visual outward signs ofwhats going on inside your body.

CRACKED NAILS

Maybe youve always felt that your nailsjust dont grow. Theyre thin and weak.They bend, chip, and crack easily. Like mostproblems with your hair and skin, thispoints to a problem in your stomach involv-

ing low acid and pepsin production. Again,not enough protein and nutrients are beingdigested and absorbed into your body; as aresult, the fingernails cant grow properly.Weak fingernails can also indicate an intoler-ance for refined sugars and in more seriouscases point to a weak thyroid.

WHITE SPOTS ON FINGERNAILS

White spots on the fingernails almostalways point to a zinc deficiency in the body.The problem is that zinc isnt found in largequantities in many foods. Youll probablyneed to supplement with zinc capsules. Forsome people, white spots can mean low levelsof pancreatic enzymes or gluten-gliadin intol-erance, both of which contribute to zinc mal-absorption.


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other digestive functions from happening.Improving the stomachs digestive functionwith the digestive replacement therapy ofbetaine hydrochloride-pepsin or glutamic-acidhydrochloride-pepsin will help improve manyhealth problems by improving the available

supply of essential nutrients.

If hydrochloric acid treatment is recom-mended for you, start with one capsule (5, 71/2 or 10 grains) of either betaine hydrochlo-ride-pepsin or glutamic-acid hydrochloride-pepsin taken just before the meal. After two orthree days, if there are no problems, add twocapsules before meals, then three capsulesanother two or three days later. The dose isgradually increased in this stepwise fashion

until the recommended amount (40 to 90 grainsper meal) is reached.

It should be noted, however, that treatmentwith hydrochloric acid can be dangerous andshould only be used when testing indicates aneed. If this is the case, the treatment processshould be carefully monitored by a physician.Though problems occur rarely, they can bebad ones. Hydrochloric acid should neverbeused at the same time as Aspirin, Butazolidin,Inodicin, Motrin or any other anti-inflamma-tory medications. These medications themselvescan cause stomach bleeding and ulcers, so usinghydrochloric acid with them increases the risk.

Sugar consumption

Although many physicians and almost allfood companies and their advertisers haverecognized that restoring fiber to a refined-food diet (or better still, not removing it in

the first place) is good for your health, get-ting rid of refined sugar is not yet recognizedas an equally important goal.

Refined carbohydrates and refined sugarhave no place in an optimum diet. In the1960s, Professor Emannuel Cheraskin pio-neered research demonstrating that as little asone teaspoonful of sugar could interfere with

the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteriafor four to five hours before they recover. Ifone had, say, a sugary snack in the morningfor breakfast, a soft drink for lunch, and some-thing else with still more sugar in the evening,the white cells would be significantly impaired

all day. This is one of the reasons so many of usget colds and other infections so often.

The available evidence also suggests thatfructose is at least as toxic to the human bodyas are sucrose and other refined sugars. So Irecommend that the intake of soft drinks andother foods that contain high-fructose cornsyrup be eliminated or kept at a minimum.However, there is no evidence that eating fruitis harmful. To the contrary, most research indi-

cates that eating fruit can help prevent heart dis-ease, cancer, and other diseases.

Our bodies biochemical systems are stillbest adapted to whole, unprocessed foods likethose eaten by primitive man.

Try to eat foods as similar as possible tothose consumed by our earliest ancestors. To dothis, we need to concern ourselves with not onlywhich foods we eat but also the soil in which

they are grown and the way in which we pre-pare them. Avoid refined sugar and white flour.Eat whole foodsfruits, vegetables, andgrainsas fresh as possible. Eating blackberries,blueberries, strawberries, plums, squash, pump-kin, tomatoes, grapes, and any other fruit orvegetable with a purple, blue, black, red,orange, or yellow hue is a major step in prevent-ing serious illnesses like heart disease and cancer.(These foods contain flavonoids andcarotenoids, which interfere with cancer growthand development.)

Vitamin C deficiency

You have a genetic defect. We all have it.Its called hypoascorbemia and refers to thelow levels of ascorbate we have in our blood.Ascorbate is vitamin C, plain and simple. Lackof vitamin C has been known for years to lead


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to scurvy. But it goes far beyond that. Inhumans, vitamin C has been shown to protectagainst some cancer-causing substances.

Vitamin C is synthesized internally by allspecies of animals, with the sole exceptions ofprimates, guinea pigs, an obscure bat foundonly in India, and humans. The human needfor vitamin C is an inborn error of metabo-lism; a fortunately survivable genetic disease,and not just a nutritional problem.

In the human liver, the first three enzymesrequired for vitamin C synthesis are pres-entonly the fourth enzyme is missing. Ifhumans could produce more vitamin C whenexposed to hazardous substances, as most

animals do, its very probable that some can-cers could be prevented. Vitamin C could bea valuable defense against viral illness andan aid in speeding the recoveries of the ill.We need to take vitamin C supplements tomake up for this genetic problem.

Perhaps you take vitamin C already. But todetermine the amount of supplemental vitaminC your body requires, you should try the ind-ividualized approach, using feedback from

your own body. Slowly increase the amount ofsupplemental vitamin C each day until youexperience excess gas is noted or loose bowels.At that point, your body is very likely unableto absorb that quantity, so cut back to thelargest amount tolerable without producingthe side effects. Most adults find their toler-ance to be between 3 and 6 grams per day.

There is one definite precaution for individ-uals who have formed calcium-oxalate kidney

stones or who come from families that havehad them. These individuals should limit sup-plemental vitamin C to 1 gram daily. There isa remote possibility that more vitamin C willincrease the production of oxalate.Fortunately, it is easy to test for this possibilityand the risk is very small.

Remember, vitamin C has many important

functions in the body. It is an effective anti-oxidant free-radical scavenger and immunesystem stimulant. In both these capacities, itcan even slow the aging process. We are incharge of correcting this genetic disease with-in our own bodies!

Overcoming some of todaysmost common ailments...

without a lot of doctor visitsand prescription drugs

After considering that the above possibili-ties could be the roots of your health prob-lem(s)diet, allergies, digestionthere aresome other simple steps you can take toimprove on your conditions. Steps that dontrequire doctors visits or expensive medica-tions. Many times, feeling better is as simpleas taking a few natural supplements. Readon to learn the secrets for overcoming someof todays most common ailments.

Aging and memory

I am 76 this year, and my wife thinksIm losing it, Vincent P. said. I was just

passing it off, but now I think shes right.Last week, I drove off and left the boat atthe launch for the second time in a month,with the dog in it too! Had to drive all theway back to get the boat and the dog

After an examination and interview,Vincents description of his symptomsformed a fairly typical pattern. He describeda stretch of heartburn that subsided aftertreatment with antacids, as well as increasing

gasboth of these symptoms indicate pro-gressive stomach failure.

As expected, Vincents tests disclosedweak digestive functioning and low levels ofamino acids and DHEA. With the help of theappropriate amino acids, vitamin B12 injec-tions (along with other B vitamins), DHEAsupplementation, and digestive correction,


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Vincents memory was much improved with-in eight months.

Herbal supplements that can improveconcentration and memory, such as Gingkobiloba, are gaining more and more mediaattention and popularity. One such herb,

Bacopa, was shown to significantly reduceanxiety and improve mental performance inan uncontrolled trial involving 35 patientswho underwent treatment for one month.(The daily dose was equivalent to 12 gramsof dried herb.) Bacopa also significantlyimproved IQ scores in 10- to 13-year-oldchildren with average intelligence over atreatment period of nine months.

In addition to promoting mental function,Bacopa has the ability to raise the generalresistance of the body to stress and toimprove visual and motor perception.

Anxiety

For some of us, caffeine can be a hiddensource of anxiety. Caffeine-induced anxiety, orcaffeinism, occurs most often in individualsfrom families with blood-sugar problems.(Eliminating your intake of refined sugar is

likely to reduce your anxiety.) Vitamin andmineral supplements can also be sources ofrelief. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3,taken in the right quantity is likely to helpanyone with anxiety and, to some degree,depression (especially for individuals whosefamily has a history of blood-sugar problems).B-complex vitamins help settle anxiety ontheir own, but it is important to back-upthe extra niacinamide. Calcium, in citrate or

lactate form, and magnesium, as aspartate, cit-rate, or glycinate, are also known to settlethe nerves. And, finally, herbal remedies foranxiety include kava, Panax ginseng, ashwa-ganda, valerian, and Siberian ginseng.

Bladder and urinary tract infections

My wife recently had a urinary-tractinfection. I had just read your article on D-

mannose and quickly ordered some. Althoughthe physician estimated my wife had the infec-tion for many months, it took only a couple ofdays on the D-mannose until she felt better.

Ninety percent or more of all urinary-tract infections are caused by the common

intestinal bacterium E. coli. D-mannose liter-ally makes it impossible for this particularbacterium to stick to the bladder or therest of the urinary tract, so infections arejust rinsed away with normal urination.Even better, D-mannose is harmless andtastes good. It can be obtained fromBio-TechPharmacal,(800)345-1199, as well as theTahoma Clinic Dispensary,(253)850-5661.

Chronic fatigueKathy C. looked tired. Her walk was just

a little slower than most others in their thir-ties. Even sitting down seemed to take a lit-tle extra effort.

I just dont have any energy, she said.As long as Im careful and dont do any-thing extra, I can get by OK. But if I try todo just a little more, theres just nothingthere. It used to be that if Id get out and

exercise, Id feel better, but now I feel worsethe next day.

Kathy had been diagnosed with chronicfatigue syndrome by her physician. In addi-tion, she underwent an adrenal-function test.An adrenal-function test measures how theadrenal glands respond to stress of any kind,physical or mental. If our adrenal glands areoverstressed, stress reduction is a necessarypart of recovery. But even though its neces-sary, its often not sufficient to do the job.Adrenal glands are stress-response glandsand should make considerably more of eachsteroid hormone when stressed. It wouldntbe normal for our hearts to beat at the samerate or even a little slower after exercisethan before, and it isnt normal for adrenalglands to make the same amount of hor-


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mone after stress as before. When they makeless, weakness becomes a serious problem.They go all out just to keep you walkingaround. When theyre called on to do moreexercise, working hardthey just cant do it.

Kathy began taking a number of supple-ments to combat her weak adrenal glands,beginning with cortisol, DHEA, and salt.Extra salt is important in the production of ahormone called aldosterone. The main func-tion of aldosterone is to regulate minerals likepotassium and sodium, and it is a major factorin enabling our bodies to retain salt. If ourbodies couldnt retain salt, wed die. If werenot eating much salt, the normal range foraldosterone is high. So, if we eat plenty of

salt, our adrenal glands dont need to makealdosterone, and that saves them some work.

Extra salt, cortisol, and DHEA help to restthe adrenal glands so they have more energyto repair themselves. But, we can help therepairs go even faster with the right diet,nutrients, herbs, and other supplements.

People with weak adrenal glands shouldnever follow a low-carbohydrate diet. Weak

adrenal glands are among the causes of lowblood-sugar levels, and a low-carbohydratediet is meant to control blood sugar. Perhapsthe most surprising nutritional recommenda-tion given for strengthening adrenal glandfunctioning is incorporating six or more piecesof licorice (with no added artificial color orsugar) into your diet daily. Licorice containssubstances that slow the livers breakdown ofsteroid hormones.

In addition to these dietary modifications,vitamins A, E, and the entire B complex arethought to help the functioning of the adrenalglands. Other supplements found to be helpfulin treating weak adrenal glands are Adren-Plus and an adrenal glandular. Adren-Plus isa combination of botanicals that have beenshown to improve adrenal health. Adrenal glan-

dulars are whole, dehydrated, animal adrenalcortex. Adren-Plus is available through theTahoma Clinic Dispensaryat 515 WestHarrison, Ste. 150, Kent, Washington 98032.Phone(253)850-5661, fax(253)854-3685. Ortheir online store at www.tahoma-clinic.com

Two months after Kathy began treatmentfor her weak adrenal glands she returned toshare her results. My old energys back! shesaid. Ive been chomping at the bit to doeverything Ive not been able to do.

Depression

Aided mightily by the media, many havethe impression that St. Johns Wort is themajor alternative treatment for depression.

Although there is no doubt that St. JohnsWort is often effective, it is actually one of thelast natural treatments to try. A basic principleof nutritional and natural medicine is toalways use the relevant essential nutrients firstbefore turning to or adding other naturaltreatments, whether herbal or of any othertype. The reason is simple: Since every essen-tial nutrient has dozens of purposes in ourbodies, if we have a need for an essential

nutrient for one purpose we happen to knowabout, the chances are nearly 100 percent thatwe also have a need for that essential nutrientfor other purposes we may or may not knowabout. In a large number of cases, depressionis a neurotransmitter deficiency treatable bysupplying relatively large quantities of theessential amino acids needed by each depressedindividual, along with any supporting nutrientsor metabolites. We should always explore the

use of essential amino acids, especially trypto-phan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, combinedwith other essential nutrients for depressionbefore turning to or adding St. Johns Wort.

Hearing loss

Evidence is accumulating that, like maculardegeneration, age-related hearing loss is relat-ed to suboptimal digestion and assimilation. In


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where friction would normally develop. Thenumerous bursae in the body reduce frictionand enhance the mobility of joints and ten-dons. When a bursa becomes inflamed, it iscalled bursitis. The most common type of bur-sitis occurs in the shoulder around the deltoid

muscle. Conventional treatment for bursitisincludes rest, physical therapy, anti-inflamma-tory drugs, and in some cases injection of cor-tisone-type drugs into the bursa.

Unfortunately, its still not as well knownas it should be that bursitis can usually beeliminated by daily vitamin B12 injections. In1957, a physician discovered that vitamin B12was an effective treatment for bursitis. Fortypatients were given injections of vitamin B12

(intramuscularly, not into the bursa). Thedosage was as follows: 1,000 microgramsdaily for seven to 10 days and then three timesa week for two to three weeks. The frequencyof injections was adjusted according to thedegree of improvement. Symptom reliefoccurred in nearly all of the patients.Reduction of pain and other symptomsoccurred rapidly, and complete relief wasoften seen within several days. No one knows

exactly how vitamin B12 works to relievesymptoms of bursitis, but it should be notedthat effective treatment usually depends onfrequent dosing.

Vitamin B12 injections are downright cheapcompared to most other prescription items atthe drugstore, especially if you give them toyourself. And, fortunately, problems caused byvitamin B12 injections are exceptionally rare.Eventually, daily injections can be tapered off

to once weekly. If symptoms start to return,the injections should be stepped up again.

Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatorydisease of the colon, where leukotrienes arethought to play an important role in sustain-ing the inflammation. A group of Indian and

German scientists conducted a study to testthe effects of Boswellia in treating ulcerativecolitis. For the study, 34 patients were given350 milligrams of Boswellia resin three times aday while eight other patients were given thedrug sulfasalazine (1 gram, three times a day).

Symptoms like abdominal pains, loose stools,mucus, and blood improved in both groups,and about 80 percent of the patients receivingBoswellia went into remission.

Toxicity studies show that boswellic acidshave very low acute toxicity and cause noadverse effects after chronic administration.The dosage of Boswellia should be 200 to 400milligrams of extract three times a day. Theextract should be standardized to have a

Boswellic-acid content of about 60 percent.

Emphysema

Erwin J.s story is a good example of howempysema can be treated when nutritional defi-ciencies are taken into account, and when obvi-ous symptoms are not ignored. Erwin lookedblue. Not bright blue, but more a dull, mottledblue with red tones, darker around the lips andcheeks, a little lighter on the rest of his face. The

skin of his hands was more red with blue mot-tling; it was lighter on his fingers, where yellow-brown-orange cigarette stains also appeared. Hewas obviously working hard for each breath. Hehad been smoking for 54 years and was diag-nosed with bronchial obstructive disease andemphysema.

The first step in treating Erwin was to havehim tested for allergies. Allergies increasebronchial secretions and congestion and possi-

bly constrict the bronchial tubes. He was alsoprescribed a number of vitamin and mineralsupplements, beginning with 200 milligrams ofmagnesium citrate twice daily. Magnesium pro-motes healthy lung functioning in two ways.First, it acts as a bronchodilator, preventing thebronchial passages from going into spasm.Second, it plays a key role in the production ofenergy, which is needed by chest-wall muscles and


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Secret #1:

How to drop your cholesterollevel as much as 134 points with-out drugs or deprivation

David MacElroys story

The doctor I saw for my check up wantsme to take a cholesterol-lowering drug,David MacElroy began, and his wife wontlet him! Wendy MacElroy finished. He final-ly took a step to check on and protect hishealth, and I wont let him take thatthatpoison as a result.

David admitted that hed been a junk foodeater all his life. His father and grandfatherdied from heart attacks at ages 56 and 61.With Davids cholesterol level at 322 and hisHDL or good cholesterol at 34, he was defi-

nitely at high risk.

Determining the proper diet

David was told to follow a low-fat diet (noteveryone benefits from low-fat, see box below)and the idea of good fat and bad fat wasexplained to him. Generally speaking, the badfats, the ones we want to reduce, are the saturat-ed ones, and the good fats are the unsaturatedones. The fat content in beef and pork is all sat-

urated, so limiting them in your diet is wise. Thefats in chicken and turkey are mostly saturatedtoo. Fish, on the other hand, contains a goodunsaturated fat.

As for margarine, butter, milk, other dairyproducts, and eggs: Margarine is worse for usthan butter. It does contain unsaturated fats,but some of them are trans fatty acids,

The high-fat/low-fat debate: choosing which diet is best for youMost people do better following a diet thats low in saturated fats and high in whole grains

and vegetables (refer to the diet recommended for David), but this is not for everyone. The twobasic approaches to a cholesterol-lowering diet are opting for either high complex carbohy-drates, or high-protein, low-carbohydrate foods. Before choosing whats best for you, you needto find out a bit more about your insulin response to sugar and carbohydrates (yes, sugar andcarbohydrates, even though the subject is cholesterol regulation).

Insulin is one of the hormones that regulate blood sugar. Some people (especially if theyhave Type 2 diabetes or even have a genetic family tendencytoward Type 2 diabetes) havehigh insulin levels that go up much more rapidly in response to sugar and carbohydrateintake. In this case, the insulin is not used properly by the cell membranes, so the insulincant take the sugar from the blood into the cells as its supposed to. Then, their bodies keepmaking more and more insulin to try to force the sugar from the blood into the cells. Theexcess insulin causes other problems, including high blood pressure and cholesterol abnor-malities. Its possible that many people with weight problems have them due to this excessinsulin response to sugar and carbohydrates. A glucose-insulin tolerance test can tell youhow much insulin your body makes in response to a standard amount of sugar. Then youcan make an informed choice about your diet.

Chapter 3:

New Secrets for Repairing Your Heartand Arteries


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which are probably worse than saturated fatitself. If you must use one, butter is betterbut mostly avoid it. Milk, ice cream, andcheese should be avoided tooeven low-fatversions. There are, however, some very good,nondairy substitutes in the grocery store. After

your cholesterol is under control, a littlecheese will be OK.

Eggs should be eaten! They contain phos-pholipids, which offset any possible adverseeffects of egg cholesterol and have a uniquefunction in keeping brain-cell membraneshealthy. Eggs and soy are the only dietarysources of phospholipids. If we eliminateeggs, we eliminate the only dietary source ofnutrients that are crucial to brain cells!

Patients should also include plenty of thefollowing in their diets as good cholesterol-lowering foods: soy protein, garlic, onions, oatbran, carrots, and alfalfa sprouts.

Supplement, supplement, supplement!

There are so many vitamins, minerals, andbotanicals known to lower serum cholesterolthat drugs are virtually never a necessity. Theresinositol hexaniacinate, lecithin, pantethine, L-

carnatine, beta-sitosterol, fish oil and fish-oilconcentrates, phosphatidyl choline, choline itself(usually with inositol and methionine), vitaminC, calcium, vanadium, magnesium, chromium,and vitamin E, which have all been found toraise levels of HDL cholesterol, the good cho-lesterol. Then there are the botanicals, includingguggulipid, garlic oil, red yeast rice, ginger,pectin, curcumin, fenugreek powder, reishimushrooms, silymarin, turmeric, garcinia, and

artichokes.

You dont need to take ALL of these dif-ferent supplements, of course; the point is,there are so many to try that taking drugs ishardly ever necessary.

Davids program:

David began taking vitamin E, the mixed

tocopherol type, 400 IU daily; inositolhexaniacinate, 600 milligrams twice daily;vitamin C, 2 grams twice daily; anda high-potency multiple vitamin-mineral with at

least 200 micrograms of chromium and 300

to 400 milligrams of magnesium. (You may

need to get a separate multiple mineral ifyou cant find a vitamin-mineral combina-tion.) And last, lecithin. Remember thosephospholipids for brain cells? Besides eggs,soy lecithin is the only other diet source, andas a bonus, lecithin lowers serum choles-terol. Take two 19-grain capsules twice daily.

After six months, Davids total cholesterollevel was down to 237 and his HDL choles-terol level had risen to 41. At the end of one

year, his numbers were 188 and 46 and hisrisk of following his father and grandfatherto an early cardiac death was substantiallyreduced!

This exact combination of supplements andthis diet plan may not work for you. But thereare many different combinations you can try. Itsbest to check with your doctor.

Secret #2:

How to drop your blood pressure by20, 30, or even 40 pointsnaturally

Chances are you or a loved one has highblood pressure. One in five people in theUnited States has it, which means that 50 mil-lion people are faced with the possibility of alifetime of drugs and their side effects. Buthigh blood pressure (hypertension) can bebeaten. Even if drugs cant be avoided entirely,by taking the right natural measures we canuse substantially less.

While many doctors recommend reducingsalt intake, following a low-fat/low-proteindiet, and exercising, there are important con-cerns about these recommendations of whichmany arent aware. Too many ultimatelyresort to prescription drugs. There are manytypes of blood-pressure medicationscalcium


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channel blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors,and beta blockers are the most common types.

Fortunately, there are natural options. Theright combination of nutrients, herbs, and dietmodifications that is right for you can lower

your blood pressure once and for all.What works for someone else may not

work for you

In many cases, the old saying you arewhat you eat holds true. It might do somegood in some cases to cut out a few of theeggs, cream sauces, and slices of pizza. Insome cases, a diet containing more fruits,vegetables, and whole, natural starchesrather than a lot of protein could be yourbest bet. However, the key words here arein some cases and could.

Decades ago, public-health researchersobserved that women and men who hadbeen strictly vegetarian all their lives hadlower blood-pressure readings in their 60sand 70s than did men and women who ateconsiderable animal protein. (Strictly vege-

tarian women had the best bone density too,but thats a topic for another time.) A vege-tarian diet provides a better potassium-to-sodium ratio. Having more potassium andless sodium helps regulate blood pressure.But a vegetarian diet isnt the best choice for

everyone and, in fact, could cause moreharm than good for some.

People with high blood pressure who havepersonal or family histories of Type-2 (adult-onset) diabetes usually have insulin resist-ance/hyperinsulinemia. The term insulinresistancerefers to the impaired use ofinsulin by cell membranes. Hyperinsulinemiaoccurs when the pancreas overproducesinsulin in an attempt to overcome insulinresistance. (Insulin resistance/ hyperinsuline-mia is easily diagnosed via a glucose-insulintolerance test.)

Hyperinsulinemia is a known cause ofhigh blood pressure. To bring insulin over-production under control, the most necessarydietary changes are total elimination of sugarand refined carbohydrates and a sharp

When insulin is the lastthing you need: Nutrients that helpType-2 diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels

There are so many nutrients shown to be helpful in Type-2 diabetes that taking them allindividually would be a real chore. Youll find several multiple formulas designed specifi-cally to aid in blood-sugar control at the natural-food stores. Dr. Wright favors one that hehelped to formulate; its called Glucobalance*. This capsule contains chromium, one of themore important nutrients for blood-sugar control. Chromium helps to restore the cell-mem-brane response to insulin. There are also two more nutrients you should take individually, asthere isnt enough in the Glucobalance. The first is niacin. With chromium, niacin forms part

of a molecule called the glucose-tolerance factor, which is the molecule in the cell membranethat helps insulin do its job. Both chromium and niacin will get your cells to pay attentionto the insulin again, so your insulin and blood-sugar levels should go down. Its important todo initial and follow-up testing with your doctor to monitor your progress. Finally, youshould also take 1 tablespoon of flaxseed daily or, if you prefer capsules, take five of the1000-milligram-size daily. Flaxseed also helps your cells use insulin.

*Glucobalance is available from the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary at 515 West Harrison,Suite 150, Kent, WA 98032, ph.(253)850-5661; fax(253)854-3685.


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reduction in overall carbohydrate intake. Itsespecially important to eliminate such starchesas potatoes, beans, pasta, and grains. You canalso take natural supplements to help regulateyour insulin. (See box on page 16.) Obviously,this diet pattern is notvegetarian, but, as it

helps bring hyperinsulinism under control,blood pressure is also better regulated.

Food allergy may be the culprit

For a minority of individuals with hyper-tension, elimination or desensitization offood allergies can help lower blood-pressurelevels, though no one has been able to suc-cessfully explain the connection. If theres apersonal or family history of allergy, its

worth investigating. The most notable indi-vidual case of allergy-aggravated hyperten-sion Ive worked with involved a gentlemanwho was undergoing maximum antihyperten-sive drug therapy but still had blood-pressurereadings ranging from a minimum 180/120to a maximum 220/150. Once he discoveredand eliminated all food allergies, his bloodpressure dropped to a level ranging from160/100 minimum to 180/120 maximum.

Biofeedback and exerciseold news, butunderrated and underused

Biofeedback is another valuable and fre-quently effective non drug tool for loweringblood pressure. Its not so much a treatmentas it is a training program. Using externalinstruments, a reading is obtained of yourbodys reactions to stress. Through practice,you learn to recognize the physiologicalresponses you have that might be causing

unhealthy reactions and teach yourself how tocontrol those responses. Biofeedback centersare found in all major and most midsize cities.Check your local Yellow Pages for listings.

Exercise also can significantly lower highblood pressure. Even light exercise can makea big difference. The amount thats healthyvaries from person to person. CAUTION: If

you have more than a little high blood pres-sure, its best to check with a doctor or otherknowledgeable individual before starting astrenuous exercise program. If youre con-cerned about blood pressure and wonderwhat your level might be, youll be pleased

to know that there are many places to haveit measured for free, including drugstores,fire stations (when the firemen arent fightingfires), health fairs, and senior centers.Home blood-pressure-monitoring equipmentis quite accurate, and most places that sell itwill teach you how to use it as well. A read-ing of 140/90 is still generally consideredthe upper limit for safe blood pressure. Ifyour level is consistently higher, its definitely

time to do something.Nutrients: which to cut back on

and which to increase

Sodium. Youve probably heard that cut-ting WAY back on salt intake is an importantstep in lowering high blood pressure.However, researchers are finding that sodiumrestriction isnt best for everyone. Its wisestfor each person with high blood pressure to

determine individually through trial anderror whether or not salt restriction makes adifference. (Hint: More often than not, itdoes.)

Potassium. Sometimes, it reduces bloodpressure; sometimes, it doesnt. Since a high-er potassium level does reduce the risk of astroke, its always wisest to take extra potas-sium if you have high blood pressure, even ifit doesnt lower your actual blood-pressure

numbers.Calcium and magnesium. For some indi-

viduals, about 1 gram (1,000 milligrams) ofcalcium daily can reduce blood pressure byfive to 10 points. For others, calcium makesvery little difference. It appears to workmore often for those with insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia. If you do supplement with


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calcium, its important to balance it with mag-nesium. Magnesium by itself can lower yourblood-pressure level, since it helps relax mus-cles, including those of the smaller blood ves-sels, thus helping to dilate them and improveblood flow. Supplementing with 300-400 mil-

ligrams daily is usually sufficient.

Vitamin C. A very recent research lettersent toLancetreconfirmed that vitamin Clowers elevated blood pressure. Although thisstudy used less, you should take a minimum of1 gram twice daily.

Supplement with amino acids

Amino acids are the building blocks fromwhich all proteins are made. In certain cases,

supplementation has led to lower blood pressure.

At least one study devoted to each demon-strated thatL-tryptophanandtaurinecan lowerblood pressure inessential hypertension(highblood pressure with no known cause). Theamount of L-tryptophan used was 3 grams daily.(Despite being an essential-to-life naturalamino acid, L-tryptophan is presently availableonly by prescription.)

Quantities oftaurineused in the study wererelatively large (but safe)6 grams daily.However, when taurine is used in combinationwith other nutrients and botanicals, you needonly 1 to 2 grams daily.

L-argininehas gained considerable notori-ety lately as the precursor to nitric oxide (NO),the blood-vessel-dilating metabolite essential tomale sexual function. However, that sameblood-vessel-dilating ability has been found to

improve heart function in cases of congestiveheart failure, and, I have observed cases inwhich this same blood vessel dilating effect haslowered blood pressure.

The benefits of metabolites:coenzyme Q10and DHA

Metabolitesare molecules made in our bodiesfrom other (precursor) materials. Sometimes,

directly supplying the body with extra quantitiesof certain metabolites can be much more effec-tive than supplying the precursor materials. Thisis definitely the case withcoenzyme Q10, as ourbodies make less and less of this metabolite aswe grow older.

Coenzyme Q10aids in metabolism in everycell in the body. Its found in greatest concentra-tion in the mitochondria, the energy enginesof the cells. Its such an important metabolitethat, despite its relative expense, I recommend asmall amount (30 milligrams) for everyone over60 and more (50 to 150 milligrams daily) foreveryone with high blood pressure.

Another important metabolite that helps

lower blood-pressure levels is docosahexaenoicacid, orDHA(not to be confused with DHEA).This is an omega-3 fatty acid, a metabolite ofthe essential fatty acid called alpha-linolenicacid. A very recent study reported that 4 gramsdaily of DHA lowered blood pressure in hyper-tensive patients by a small but significant degree.Other researchers have reported that DHA low-ered noradrenaline (a close relative of adrena-line) output in medical students during the stressof examinations. (Another effect of taurine isreduced adrenaline levels under stress. Its likelythat taurine and DHA would be a good combi-nation for excitable hypertension sufferers.)

Botanicals can offer a powerful option

Although youll encounter a few foods thatyour doctor will tell you to stay away from ifyou have high blood pressure, there are also cer-tain foods and herbs that can help.

Garlicmay be smelly, but it lowers blood-pressure readings.

A lesser known but still important botani-cal is olive leaf. Only powdered olive leaf incapsule form is presently available in theUnited States, and you should take 500 mil-ligrams four times daily. Like many of theitems noted above, olive leaf can take threeto four months to show an effect.


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Sarpaganda (better known in Westernmedicine as rauwolfia) has been used inIndia for centuries to treat ailments likefevers and snakebites. Early 20th-centurypharmaceutical chemists searching for magic-bullet, single-ingredient, process-patentable,

FDA-approvable drug treatments managed toisolate one of the active ingredients in sarpagan-dareserpine. (A similar achievement of thesame general time period was the isolation ofcocaine from much less harmful whole cocaleaf.) Western physicians started using reser-pine instead of whole natural sarpaganda tocombat high blood pressure. Unfortunately,many of them prescribed excess dosages ofreserpine. These excess dosages caused vari-

ous ailments, including depression and occa-sional suicide.

Sarpaganda, although 100 percent natural, isdefinitely a very effective big gun in hyperten-sion treatment, but one should only use it whenworking with a physician knowledgeable innutritional and botanical medicine.

Herbalists have been telling us for most ofthe 20th century that its really better to usethe whole herb containing the active ingredi-ent(s), for at least two reasons. First, a small-er quantity of an active ingredient is usuallyeffective because of synergistic effects ofother parts of the herband the whole herbusually holds less potential danger than theisolated active ingredients. Second, herbalistshave told us that combining the whole herbwith other selected herbs can further lessenthe quantity of each active ingredient neces-sary to achieve significant results and further

lessen potential danger. For these reasons, Iusually recommend sarpaganda as found inan Ayurvedic combination, Carditone, thatcontains 50 milligrams of sarpaganda percapsule; take one capsule three to four timesdaily. Its only occasionally necessary to usesarpaganda (rauwolfia) by itself in higherquantities. (Have your doctor call the

Tahoma Clinic Dispensary, (253)850-5661, orAyush Herbs, Inc., (425)637-1400.)

An underactive thyroid: an often over-looked culprit

Dr. Alan Gaby has been chiefly responsi-

ble for reminding us that the incidence ofhypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) ishigher in individuals with high blood pres-sure than in those with normal blood pres-sure. Following the lead of Dr. Broda Barnes,he also reminds us that even the most up-to-datethyroid blood tests not infrequently missinstances of subclinical hypothyroidism. Somesigns of an underactive thryroid are low bodytemperature, dry skin, and a slow ankle reflex.

Its best to talk to your doctor if you thinktheres a problem.

If you have high blood pressure, nearly allthe diet and supplementation ideas discussed(with the exception of sarpaganda and thy-roid) are safe to try with or without a doctor.If you dont have high blood pressure but itsin the family, it cant hurt and may help inprevention to follow a few basic suggestions:Perhaps you might trend toward vegetarian-

ism if theres no maturity-onset (Type 2) dia-betes in your family or eliminate sugars andcut down on carbohydrates if there is. Calciumand magnesium are basic for many things,including osteoporosis prevention, so why nottake them to help prevent high blood pressuretoo? And coenzyme Q10is good for any of uspast age 60.

Secret #3:

How women can be saved fromcongestive heart failure

Helens story

Helens heart was so weak that she had tosleep propped up because of the fluid thatwas in her lungs. She had been taking threeprescriptions to help her but still didnt feel


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to proceed normally. In fact, according to onemedical textbook,The Pharmacological Basisof Therapeutics, 10 to 15 percent of the gener-al population has that problem. Among per-sons not in good health, the percentage ismuch higher. If inefficient digestion isnt cor-

rected, then even the best of diets and supple-mentation wont help.

You need to be tested to determine if this isa problem for you.

One way to test this is by radiotelemetryusing the Heidelberg capsule (This test canbe obtained by contacting a doctor-memberofACAM at (800)532-3688. Or AAEM at(316)684-5500.) Other laboratory clues can also

help to diagnose this condition. One is a mineralanalysis of a hair specimen. If six or more min-erals are low, excluding sodium and potassium,stomach acid should be checked.

The remedy, although at present widespreadmedical opinion is to ignore the problem ortreat it with a bland diet, is simple. But it mustbe monitored by a doctor. The treatment ishydrochloric-acid tablets and pepsin capsules.This method should only be used when testing

indicates a need for it. Although problemsrarely occur, they can be bad ones.Hydrochloric acid should never be used withaspirin, Butazolidin, Inodicin, Motrin, or anyother anti-inflammatory medications. Also,hydrochloric acid is usually taken in combina-tion with pepsin. Stomachs that dont produceadequate hydrochloric acid are presumed notto produce enough pepsin either.

If during treatment you feel bad in any

wayif, for example you experience pain,burning, or additional gasSTOP. In certaincases, Ive treated patients with small, gradu-ally increased quantities of lemon juice orvinegar and found the effects to be similar to(but slightly less than) treatment withhydrochloric acid.

Theres a long list of diseases frequently

associated with low stomach acidity: diabetesmellitus, both underactive and overactivethyroid problems, childhood asthma, eczema,gallbladder disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoidarthritis, chronic hives, lupus erythematosus,weak adrenal glands, chronic hepatitus,

vitiligo, and rosacea, for example.Unfortunately, simply getting older is alsoassociated with an increasing frequency oflow-stomach acidity. In fact, some investiga-tions have found it in more than 50 percentof those over 60.

Hernandos natural arterycleaning program

Hernando began the following natural

artery cleaning program that put him onthe road to recovery.

What supplements to take:

Vitamin C, one gram three times daily.

Vitamin E, 800 units of the mixed toco-pherol type daily.

Inositol hexanicotinate, one gram threetimes daily. (Vitamin E and inositol hexanicoti-nate can improve walking distance for individ-

uals with blood-flow impairment in the legs.)

L-carnitine, 250 milligrams three timesdaily. This has also been shown to increasewalking distance.

Cod-liver oil, one tablespoon daily or theequivalent in capsules. Fish oil makesplatelets more slippery, reducing the risk ofclotting, and as an omega-3 fatty acid sourcereduces inflammation.

A high-potency multiple vitamin-mineral.Its always wisest to add a multiple to backup individual nutients in high amounts.

Chelation (IV treatment) with EDTA (asynthetic amino acid shown to improve cir-culation remarkably in some individuals withatherosclerosis) andmagnesium. Taken intra-venously, these absorb more efficiently.


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Hernandos results:

Hernando decided to take chelation thera-py. He changed his diet, found he neededdigestive aids, took all his supplements, andeven took a small quantity of testosterone.Soon he was back to walking at least twomiles, three times every week, without sittingdown once!

Secret #5:

Putting an end to agonizing chest pain

Johns story

John had been having chest pains forthree years when he came to Tahoma Clinicfor the first time. He had been to a cardiolo-gist who gave him a treadmill electrocardio-gram test and an angiogram. He was toldthat several of his arteries had some blockagebut that it wasnt too severe. He was takingtwo prescriptions, nitroglycerin (he was cur-rently taking six to eight pills every week)and calcium channel blockers. And his doctorhad recommended that he take vitamin E,although he couldnt assure him of its efficacy.

Its usually safer and more effective to startwith natural means first.

Johns wife had already changed their dietat home to whole grains, no chemicals, lessmeat, more fish, and more vegetables. Johnunderwent a physical exam and was checkedfor key minerals, blood levels of homocysteine,and C-reactive protein. John also underwentroutine testing for cholesterol and HDL cho-lesterol levels, triglycerides, kidney function-

ing, and allergies. In addition to diet changesand supplements, chelation therapy is usuallyvery helpful for relieving angina and improv-ing circulation. To make sure chelation therapyis safe, kidney functioning must be monitored.

Recommended supplements:

Vitamin E, 800 IU daily to start.

L-carnitine, 500 milligrams.

Coenzyme Q10, 100 milligrams.

Magnesium(aspartate), 125 milligrams.

All should be taken three times daily. Inaddition, John was advised to obtain a high-potency vitamin-mineral supplement with at

least 50 milligrams of vitamin B6, 800 mil-ligrams of folate, and 500 micrograms of

vitamin B12.

In addition to taking the recommendedmagnesium supplement by mouth, John alsocame to the Tahoma Clinic for a short seriesof intravenous magnesium injections. And,along with the suggested chelation therapy,he also used mineral replacement IVs toreplace any beneficial minerals that may have

been lost during the therapy.A testosterone test was also recommended

for John. Testosterone can be extremely valu-able in strengthening the heart muscle.

Like many individuals, John had inefficientstomach function, with low production ofhydrochloric acid and pepsin. He was advisedto take supplemental hydrochloric acid andpepsin with meals. Without these, his bodywould not have been able to make optimal useof his food and dietary supplements.

The results:

Johns cholesterol and triglyceride testswere both slightly abnormal; his testosteronewas OK. Since his kidney function tests werenormal, he went ahead with chelation therapy.He made sure to stick to his healthy diet, tookthe vitamin E, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10,magnesium (both orally and injected), as well

as a back-up high-potency vitamin-mineral.

Johns angina started to diminish just twoweeks after his program started. By sixweeks, he was down to only two nitrosper week, and after six months, he was offall medications and free of chest pain unlesshe exerted himself maximally. John under-took a gradually increasing exercise program


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Hormone replacement therapynaturally

If youre enduring symptoms of menopausehot flashes, insomnia, depression, confu-sion, anxietyyouve likely been advised totake hormone replacement therapy or youretaking it already. If menopause has come andgone, you may be concerned with preventionof osteoporosis, heart and blood-vessel dis-ease, senility, and even Alzheimers disease.Once again, you may have been advised totake or you may already be taking hormonereplacement therapy.

Unfortunately, usually-prescribed HRTreally is not hormone replacement therapy.The most accurate description of it is pseu-do-hormone replacement therapy. Most ofthe usual prescriptions are for hormones origi-nating in horses, or so-called hormones syn-thesized in test tubes. The only exception inmainstream medical treatment is a partial hor-mone prescription, using a molecule identicalto only one of the three estrogens normallyand naturally found in womens bodies.

The three types of estrogen naturally madeand present in womens bodies betweenmenarche (when a woman begins menstruat-ing) and menopause are called estrone, estra-diol, and estrioltheyre not conjugatedestrogens (found in Premarin), or entirelyunnatural ethinyl estradiol. Similarly, there isonly one progesterone naturally present inwomens bodies. Its called simply progesteronenot medroxyprogesterone or progestin.

In addition to identical-to-natural estrogen,two other sex hormones are frequently veryuseful during and after menopause. They aretestosterone and DHEA, both found naturallyin womens bodies. When levels of these twohormones are abnormally low, sex drive maybe lost and important aspects of tissue rebuild-

ing dont happen quite as well. However, sincethese are both androgenic (male-like) hormones,

its very important to carefully measure theirlevels to see if they are needed as part of anoverall hormone replacement therapy. Follow-up testing should be done to make sure thatprescribed dosages are within the boundariesnaturally occurring in womens bodies.

If DHEA and testosterone are prescribed,they, too, should always be in the identical-to-natural form. Testosterone should be prescribedas testosterone, not methyltestosterone.

Fortunately, no one has synthesized a DHEAsubstitute yet!

A very basic principle of traditional, naturalmedicine states that molecules precisely identicalto those found in our bodies should be givenpreference over non-identical molecules. Afterall, nature and creation have preferred thosemolecules for hundreds of thousands of years,and probably for very good reasons, even if weand 20th or 21st-century science dont under-

stand them all.

Its often pointed out that usually-pre-scribed pseudo-estrogens and even the partialestrogen, estradiol, can raise the risk of cancerafter a number of years. By contrast, prelimi-nary indications are that estriol, one of thethree naturally occurring estrogens in womensbodies, may be anti-carcinogenic when used ina way that mimics the natural pattern. Itslikely not a coincidence that much more estri-

ol is naturally made by womens bodies thanthe other two estrogens, estrone and estradiol.If this werent the case, its very likely thatmany more women would be dying of cancersat much younger ages.

Its true that taking the usually prescribedpseudo-progesterone lowers the risk of cancerthat could be caused by taking various pseu-

Chapter 5:

New Secrets Every Woman Needs to Know


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Jenny began treatment that day, and justminutes after her first treatment, her swellingand tenderness had gone down noticeably.Even some of the lumps were slightly smaller. Irecommended (for her) that we continue thistreatment once or twice weekly until the prob-

lem was reversed enough to switch to an oraltreatment program.

She also needed to cut caffeine out of herdiet entirely. It wasnt enough just to cutback on coffee; she needed to completelyavoid coffee, sodas, tea, chocolate, and evenpainkillers that contain caffeine. I also gener-ally recommend taking vitamin E, extra vita-min B6before menstruation, and primroseor black-currant oil, as well as selenium. Its

wise to include a high-potency vitamin-min-eral combination in this program.

Seven months later, Jenny was backhappy and excited. I can sleep on my front orback, whichever I want, she said. I haventhad any pain in two months now! All thoselumps are a lot smaller, and I think some ofthem are gone. I feel better all over!

Shrink uterine fibroids without surgery

or years of waitingConventional medicine offers only two

treatment options for patients suffering from

uterine fibroids: wait until menopause andtheyll go away, or have them removed sur-gically. Neither option offers much appeal orcomfort. But there has been significant suc-cess with a treatment that consists of a tradi-tional Chinese herbal formula known in

Japanese as Keishi-bukuryo-gan(KBG) andin Madarin as Kuei-chih-fui-ling-wan. Theformula improved 47 out of 110 cases, andnormalized 21 in a study conducted on pre-menopausal women ranging from 27-52years of age. The women were treated withthe equivalent of 22.5 grams per day fortwelve weeks or more. These women hadsymptomatic uterine myomas all less than 10cm in diameter. The authors concluded that

in young women who wished to remain fer-tile, and in women just before menopause,KBG treatment may be a good first choice.Any compounding herbalist can put this for-mula together for you, especially herbalistsfamiliar with traditional Chinese medicine;its also available through the Tahoma ClinicDispensary as Gui formula.

Ive also had some (moderate, not over-whelming) success in treating fibroids with

large doses of sodium iodide taken intra-venously. This requires close monitoring ofthyroid function by your doctor.


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Its not a secret that an adult mans testos-terone levels decline with age. Some declinerapidly, some more slowly. Eventually, nearlyevery man reaches a point where his testos-terone no longer drives his sex life as well ashe might like, and no longer supports a widevariety of non-sexually related organs and tis-sues in an optimal way. Most men understandthis relationship (women too!), but whats notgenerally understood, is that declining testos-terone also shares a large part of the responsi-bility for a variety of other symptoms and dis-eases thought to be part of normal aging. Theseinclude heart disease, prostate disease, muscleand bone weakness, depression, high choles-terol, abdominal weight gain, and loss of men-tal acuity. It is becoming clearer that the risksof these and many other normal symptomsof aging can be significantly lessened by appro-priate replacement of testosterone, as well as by

a variety of other natural means.

The following report explains many ofthese treatments, and for more information onthis subject, you can refer to back issues ofN&H: April 1999, February 2000, June 2000(clinical tip 71) and July 2000 and to my bookMaximize Your Vitality& Potency for Men

over 40.*

Natural vs. syntheticit doesmake a difference

Testosterone is synonymous with masculini-ty. Of the hormones known as androgens,which are considered to be male hormones,testosterone is the big cheese, the boss ofbosses, the alpha male, the big kahuna,

and certainly numero uno. Its the male hor-mone, the chemical that makes men differentnot only from women but also from littleboys. And it is the gradual decline of testos-terone that may be partly responsible for turn-ing strong, vital, healthy, alert men into frag-ile, chronically ill, mentally dull old codgerswho havent had an erection in decades andcouldnt care less if they did. So whats thecure for these unpleasant side effects of aging?Testosterone supplementation.

In 1935, Leopold Ruzicka discovered thatalthough the testes produce testosterone, theyreally contain very little of it. And, instead ofextracting minuscule amounts from testiculartissue, he discovered that it is possible to pro-duce testosterone from a much more abundantsubstancecholesterol. In fact, thats basicallyhow the body does it. The testosterone he pro-

duced from cholesterol in Ruzickas experimentwas identical to that which the body produces;identical to the bodysnaturaltestosterone.

Natural hormones are identical in molecu-lar structure to those the body produces. Eventhough they may be synthesized in a laborato-ry, natural-hormone molecules cannot be dis-tinguished from the inborn hormones, and thebody treats them as such.

But pharmaceutical companies wanted to

improve on nature, and began to manufacturesynthetic testosterone. By altering the naturalmolecule in some way, pharmaceutical compa-ny chemists wanted and attempted to make adrug that was more potent, longer-lasting, eas-ier to administer and, of course,patentable.

* Maximize Your Vitality & Potency for Men over 40 is available at most major book stores. Back issues ofNutrition &

Healingcan be ordered by calling reader services at (978)514-7851.

Chapter 6:

New Secrets of Potency, Vitality, andProstate Health


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(Natural substances are not patentable andtherefore are not money-makers for drug com-panies.) Unfortunately, because drug moleculesare necessarily different from natural molecules,the body treats them differently, which can leadto adverse and even dangerous side effects.

Born from this was a long line of drugs:testosterone propionate, testosterone cypi-onate, testosterone enanthate, testosteroneundecanoate, and a class of drugs known asanabolic steroids, of which methyl-testosteroneis the most notorious example. The synthetictestosterone drugs were based on the naturaltestosterone molecule, but changed slightly.Methyltestosterone was particularly attractivebecause it could be more easily absorbed when

taken by mouth. The others usually requiredinjection for maximum effectiveness.

The widespread use of the synthetic testos-terone-type drugs, particularly methyltestos-terone and related anabolic steroid drugsresulted in an alarming number of cases ofliver disease, including jaundice, hepatitis, andhepatic cancermany of which were fatal.Beginning in the 1950s, the irresponsible useof anabolic steroid drugs by athletes and bodybuilders appeared to confirm the dangers ofso-called testosterone replacement and peo-ple stopped using it.

The renaissance of testosterone treat-mentand how it can help you

Today the interest in testosterone-replace-ment therapy for men has been undergoing awelcome renaissance. This has resulted fromthe confluence of several important trends:

a growing acceptance by the medical com-munity of the reality of a hormonally driv-en male menopause

the ready availability of high-quality, inex-pensivenaturaltestosterone, biochemicallysynthesized from plant sources but molec-ularly identical to that produced by thehuman body

the increasing realization that testosteronereplacement offers important health bene-fits, ranging from relief of menopausalsymptoms like insomnia, mood disorders,and memory loss to restoration of libidoand protection against heart disease,

prostate cancer, and even osteoporosiswith relatively little risk

the development of testosterone deliverysystems, such as creams, gels, patches, andsublingual tablets, that permit the easyand safe administration of physiologicdoses of natural testosterone on a close-to-natural timetable

the recognition by many physicians that

the natural testosterone formulationsavailable today are far better, safer, andmore convenient (even though they wontmake drug companies any money) thanthose used by earlier generations.

How is natural testosterone used?

The current trend in testosterone-replace-ment therapy is the application of naturaltestosterone to the skin (transdermal admin-istration). The first of these methods is the

scrotal patch (sold under the nameTestoderm) made from a vegetable source(Mexican yam or soy). The overall inconven-ience of the scrotal patch, however, has ledto other innovations in testosterone replace-ment. The almost anywhere patch worksin much the same fashion as the scrotalpatch but can be applied anywhere exceptthe scrotum or bony areas. This type ofpatch is sold under the names Androderm

and Testoderm TTS. The use of Androdermresulted in significant improvements infatigue, mood, and sexual function. Anotheroption in testosterone replacement is theadministration of natural testosterone creamsand gels, which are available for as little as$35 to $45 a month, as opposed to amonths worth of patches, which can run as


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