The nutritionally depleted wasteland we call the Standard American Diet is causing widespread nutritional deficiencies, along with an epidemic of anxiety and depression. The solution is simple, and it’s NOT more Prozac. Instead, simply eating a diet high in fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, and low in processed foods and added sugar, can help you feel dramatically better. To make this easier, low cost nutritional and herbal support can also give people their lives back, without the toxicity of psychiatric medications.

Here are the key ones, which I take myself each day to turbocharge energy and optimize health, while also leaving me being a calm, happy soul:

1. B vitamins and folate. These are critical for proper brain function. Research has shown that supplementing with vitamin B1 improved mood, likely by increasing a brain neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. It also decreases anxiety. A side benefit? Improving memory at the same time. Vitamin B1 deficiency was also shown to worsen learning disorders in young children, and increase aggressive behavior to the point where some had to enter a mental hospital. This problem resolved with vitamin B1 supplementation. Vitamin B2 has been associated with decreasing risk of postpartum depression, while also decreasing migraine frequency by an astounding 69 percent! B12 and folic acid have also been shown to be helpful for depression. Ignore the RDAs, which I call Ridiculous Dietary Allowances, and instead take a 50 mg B complex each day. Make sure that some of folic acid is in a form called 5MTHF.
2. Magnesium is critical in hundreds of reactions in the body, and deficiency is present in the majority of Americans. Low magnesium will put you on a hair trigger for anxiety, as well as for pain. Take 200 mg a day.
3. NAC, which our bodies use to make the critical antioxidant called glutathione, has been shown to be helpful in a wide array of psychological problems. For day-to-day supplementation, I recommend 250 mg.
4. Vitamin D* deficiency is associated with many autoimmune problems as well as with depression. As this is the “sunshine vitamin,” the insane advice to avoid sunshine has triggered an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. Take 1000 units daily. To make this simple and low-cost, all of the above can be found for about $.60 a day in a single drink called the Energy Revitalization System by Enzymatic Therapy. Another key cause of depression and anxiety is deficiency of omega-3 fish oils. Unfortunately, it takes seven large capsules a day of most forms to get the proper therapeutic effect. A simpler low-cost solution? A special form of pure omega-3’s that have been vectorized (which is another way of saying that they remain bioidentical) can be found in a product called Vectomega by Terry Naturally. One a day replaces seven fish oil pills.
5. Got depression? Repeated studies have shown that a special highly absorbed form of curcumin called CuraMed (also by Terry Naturally) 750 mg 2x day was more effective than antidepressants in head on studies. In addition, instead of the side effects of the medications, curcumin is associated with side benefits, including less pain, optimizing immunity to decrease cancer risk, and likely lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
6. For anxiety, it is not necessary to be addicted to Xanax. A special herbal called AnxioCalm, two twice a day, was shown to be as effective at restoring calm as the Valium family medications after six weeks of use. With no addiction or side effects.

This simple regimen can leave you feeling fantastic, at lowcost. Give it six weeks to see the full effect. It can also safely be combined with mood medications. It’s easy to feel calm and happy—naturally!

*Editor’s Note: We strongly recommend you visit GrassrootsHealth.net to learn more about Vitamin D, its importance, how to determine what dosage is right for you, and most of all, why it is so darn important you have sufficient levels of Vitamin D. Did you know serum levels greater than 40 ng/ml are associated with > 65% lower risk of cancer?¹ Or that serum levels of 40-60 ng/ml may provide a significant reduction in breast cancer risk? Or lower risk for type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and much, much more.

GrassrootsHealth is a nonprofit public health research organization dedicated to moving public health messages regarding vitamin D from research into practice. It has a panel of 48 senior vitamin D researchers from around the world contributing to its operations. GrassrootsHealth is currently running the D*action field trial to solve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic worldwide. Under the D*action umbrella, there are also targeted programs for breast cancer prevention and a ‘Protect Our Children NOW!’ program to stop vitamin D deficiency where it starts, in utero.

End Notes:

1. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations ≥40 ng/ml Are Associated with >65% Lower Cancer Risk: Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trial and Prospective Cohort Study

The post The Food—Mood Connection appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common enlargement of the prostate gland as a man ages. Though the prostate continues to grow during most of a man’s life, the enlargement doesn’t usually cause symptoms before age 40, but more than half of men in their sixties, and as many as 90 percent in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of BPH. These symptoms stem from obstruction of the urethra and gradual loss of bladder function, which results in incomplete emptying of the bladder. Imagine the prostate as a donut shaped gland, and as the prostate swells up and enlarges, the internal diameter of the donut hole gets smaller, squeezing the urethra. The symptoms of BPH vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as:

• a hesitant, interrupted or weak stream
• urgency and leaking or dribbling
• more frequent urination, especially at night

The size of the prostate does not always determine how severe the obstruction or the symptoms will be. Some men with greatly enlarged glands have little obstruction and few symptoms while others, whose glands are less enlarged, have more blockage and greater problems.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages and is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over age 75. Prostate cancer is rarely found in men younger than 40. Men who are at higher risk include those who are older than 60, have a family history of prostate cancer, abuse alcohol, eat a diet high in fat (especially animal fat), have been exposed to cadmium, and are African-American. The symptoms listed below can occur with prostate cancer, usually at a late stage (although they may also be caused by BPH):

• Delayed or slowed start of urinary stream
• Dribbling or leakage of urine, most often after urinating
• Slow urinary stream
• Straining when urinating, or not being able to empty out the bladder
• Blood in urine or semen

Nutraceuticals for prostate health

There are a several nutraceuticals with research that support their use in promoting healthy prostate function. Five of these include beta-sitosterol, zinc, selenium, vitamin D and boron.

Beta-sitosterol
Beta-sitosterol, a natural plant sterol commonly found in some foods, has shown in research to effectively treat symptoms of BPH. For example, in a 6-month, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in the British Journal of Urology² 177 patients with BPH were treated using 130 mg beta-sitosterol daily, or placebo. Results showed significant (P < 0.01)a improvements over placebo in those treated with beta-sitosterol, as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Scoreb (IPSS) and the quality-of-life index. There were also significant improvements in peak urinary flow rate and bladder emptying. A similar 3-month study³ in a Japan using 180 mg of beta-sitosterol daily also found significant (p < 0.05) improvements in BPH symptoms.

In a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-center study in the Lancet,⁴ 200 patients with BPH were treated with 60 mg beta-sitosterol daily or placebo. Results showed significant improvements in the modified Boyarsky score (a measurement of BPH symptoms) as well as a significant decrease in IPSS. Furthermore, there were improvements in peak urine flow bladder emptying, which remained unchanged in the placebo group (p < 0.01). In an 18-month follow-up study,⁵ 38 patients of the patients who continued beta-sitosterol treatment had stable values for all outcome variables. Of the former placebo group, 27 patients who started beta-sitosterol after the double-blind trial improved to the same extent as the treated group for all outcome variables.

Perhaps most significantly, a review⁶ and a meta-analysis⁷ examined the results of several randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials in which beta-sitosterol was used in treating BPH in 519 men. As with the aforementioned studies, these also demonstrated significant improvements in BPH symptoms. It should be noted that one of the studies⁸ reviewed in the meta-analysis found that beta-sitosterol decreased the number of times each night that men with BPH had to get up to urinate.

Zinc
Zinc plays important roles in the immune response, neurological function, and reproduction.⁹ This mineral’s importance to prostate health is easily demonstrated by the fact that the prostate has a higher concentration of zinc than any other organ of the body.¹⁰ Furthermore, there are higher concentrations of zinc in seminal fluid (much of which is secreted by the prostate) than in other body fluids.¹¹ This means that each time a man ejaculates he loses some zinc which—needs to be replaced. In addition, zinc levels have been found to decrease in the prostate tissue and prostatic fluid in men with prostatic carcinoma.^12,13

Selenium
Epidemiologic studies¹⁴ have shown that: 1) higher levels of the mineral selenium may slow prostate cancer tumor progression, 2) selenium seems to accumulate in the prostate, and 3) selenium protects against DNA damage and increases apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.

Other research¹⁵ reported that selenium levels were significantly lower in those with prostate cancer. Furthermore, in a case-control study,¹⁶ 181 men with advanced prostate cancer and 181 matched controls were examined. The results were that individuals whose average dietary intake of selenium was 159 mcg/day had a 65 percent lower risk of advanced prostate cancer compared to those with an average intake of 86 mcg/day. Other research¹⁷ has found that the risk of developing prostate cancer was 50 percent less in men with higher serum selenium levels compared to those with the lowest intake. Similarly, a case-control study¹⁸ found that men with the lowest selenium intake were four to five times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with the highest selenium intake.

Vitamin D
Epidemiological studies¹⁹ show correlations between the risk factors for prostate cancer and conditions that can result in decreased vitamin D levels. Furthermore, the active metabolite of vitamin D inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells. Other research²⁰ with prostate cells further support the idea that increasing vitamin D levels may be useful in preventing prostate cancer. In addition, a study²¹ of Finnish men found that low serum vitamin D levels were associated with earlier and more aggressive prostate cancer development.

Boron
Research²² has found that groundwater boron levels correlated with a decrease in prostate cancer incidence and mortality, and that a common form of boron in-vitro improves the anti-proliferative effectiveness of chemo-preventative agents. Furthermore, analyzed data²³ from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) compared boron intake of 95 prostate cancer cases with that of 8,720 male controls. After controlling for age, race, education, smoking, body mass index, dietary caloric intake, and alcohol consumption, increased dietary boron intake was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer with a dose-response pattern.

Conclusion
There is no single magic bullet for guaranteeing a healthy prostate. However, the use of one or more of the nutraceuticals discussed in this article may help support healthy prostate function.

Endnotes:

a. A “P” value of 0.05 or less is considered statistically significant. The lower the number, the more significant.

b. The International Prostate Symptom Score is an eight question (seven symptom questions + one quality of life question) written screening tool used to screen for, rapidly diagnose, track the symptoms of, and suggest management of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

References

1. Huggins C, Scott WM, Heinen JH. Chemical composition of human semen and of the secretions of the prostate and seminal vesicles. Am J Physiol. 1942;136: 467-473.
2. Klippel KF, Hiltl DM, Schipp B. A multicentric, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol (phytosterol) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. German BPH-Phyto Study group. Br J Urol 1997;80(3):427-32.
3. Kobayashi Y, Sugaya Y, Tokue A. Clinical effects of beta-sitosterol (phytosterol) on benign prostatic hyperplasia: preliminary study. Article in Japanese Hinyokika Kiyo 1998;44(12):865-8.
4. Berges RR, Windeler J, Trampisch HJ, Senge T. Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Beta-sitosterol Study Group. Lancet 1995;345(8964):1529-32.
5. Berges RR, Kassen A, Senge T. Treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia with beta-sitosterol: an 18-month followup. BJU Int 2000;85(7):842-6.
6. Wilt TJ, MacDonald R, Ishani A.Beta-sitosterol for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review. BJU Int 1999;83(9):976-83.
7. Wilt T, Ishani A, MacDonald R, Stark G, Mulrow CD, Lau J. Beta-sitosterols for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1999;(3) Art. No.: CD001043; DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD001043.
8. ibid.
9. Cousins RJ. Zinc. In: Bowman BA, Russell RM, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 9th ed, Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: ILSI Press; 2006:445-57.
10. Bedwal RS, Bahuguna A. Zinc, copper and selenium in reproduction.Experientia 1994;50(7):626-40.
11. Kavanagh JP. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, citrate and chloride content of human prostatic and seminal fluid. J Reprod Fertil 1985;75(1):35-41.
12. Zaichick VYe, Sviridova TV, Zaichick SV. Zinc in the human prostate gland: normal, hyperplastic and cancerous. Int Urol Nephrol 1997;29:565-74.
13. Zaichick VY, Sviridova TV, Zaichick SV. Zinc concentration in human prostatic fluid: normal, chronic prostatitis, adenoma and cancer. Int Urol Nephrol 1996;28:687-94.
14. Taylor PR, Parnes HL, Lippman SM. Science peels the onion of selenium effects on prostate carcinogenesis. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:645-7.
15. Brinkman M, Reulen RC, Kellen E, Buntinx F, Zeegers MP. Are men with low selenium levels at increased risk of prostate cancer? Eur J Cancer 2006;42(15):2463-471.
16. Yoshizawa K, Willett WC, Morris SJ, et al. Study of prediagnostic selenium level in toenails and the risk of advanced prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90(16):1219-24.
17. Nomura AM, Lee J, Stemmermann GN, Combs GF, Jr. Serum selenium and subsequent risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(9):883-7.
18. Brooks JD, Metter EJ, Chan DW, et al. Plasma selenium level before diagnosis and the risk of prostate cancer development. J Urol 2001;166(6):2034-2038.
19. Blutt SE, Weigel NL. Vitamin D and prostate cancer. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1999;221(2):89-98.
20. Young MV, Schwartz GG, Wang L, et al. The prostate 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1{alpha}-hydroxylase is not influenced by parathyroid hormone and calcium: implications for prostate cancer chemoprevention by vitamin D. Carcinogenesis 2004;25(6):967-71.
21. Ahonen MH, Tenkanen L, Teppo L, Hakama M, Tuohimaa P. Prostate cancer risk and prediagnostic serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. (Finland). Cancer Causes Control. 2000;11(9):847-52.
22. Barranco WT, Hudak PF, Eckhert CD. Evaluation of ecological and in vitro effects of boron on prostate cancer risk (United States). Cancer Causes Control 2007;18(1):71-7.
23. Cui Y, Winton MI, Zhang ZF, et al. Dietary boron intake and prostate cancer risk. Oncol Rep 2004;11(4):887-92.

The post Naturally Improving Prostate Health appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

In point of fact, many common foods have as great or greater an impact upon numerous medical conditions as do the vitamins and herbs that have been singled out. Examples of this will be given shortly. In considering these examples, the reader should be aware they are not exhaustive. They are being offered as evidence for a number of points worth pondering. First, what is revealed by the current focus upon the medical interactions of popular supplements? Second, if quite a number of foods pose the threat of similar interactions, does a lack of focus on or concern with dietary factors suggest that the diet of the average American is highly restricted in terms of food choices? Third, is it the case that many conditions for which drugs are readily prescribed for chronic use in this culture might be better treated by simple changes in the diet and/or the use, as first choice, of vitamins, herbs and other supplements which have negligible side effects?

Vitamin D One More Time
TotalHealth magazine over the past few years has been vigilant in examining controversial attacks on vitamin supplements and it is disappointing to many of us that wrong-headed analyses continue to be picked up and presented uncritically by both professional journals and the popular press. USA Today (January 23, 2014) is a good example of this as it states unambiguously that studies and reviews of vitamin D have found no “significant benefits for heart health, cancer prevention or even bone health in healthy people.” The journal article that prompted these comments, large meta-analysis just published in the British medical journal Lancet is blunt in its assessment of vitamin D:¹ “Available evidence does not lend support to vitamin D supplementation and it is very unlikely that the results of a future single randomized clinical trial will materially alter the results from current meta-analyses.”

The response from a number of primary vitamin D researchers to this and other recent meta-analyses has been withering. This includes the remarks of Dr. Michael Hollick, the scientist responsible for identifying the major circulating form of vitamin D in serum —25-hydroxyvitamin D3—which is the form of vitamin D measured medically to assess vitamin D status. Dr. Hollick terms the recent papers flawed and “silly.” Dr. Hollick’s views are reported by Dr. Mercola on his website which provides an elaborate critique of the recent vitamin D papers. Another researcher who roundly dismisses the recent studies is Dr. Cedric Garland of the University of California at San Diego Moore’s Cancer Center. His comments cover both the Lancet paper already mentioned and another recent meta-analysis:

This meta-analysis is nothing new and is already obsolete since it is mainly based on old papers that used too little vitamin D to expect any effect. A New Zealand study saying we should only supplement people with vitamin D deficiency and evidence of bone loss is equally wrong. Virtually everyone in New Zealand, and most adults in the U.S., are vitamin D deficient by modern criteria, being below 32 ng/ml.

The reality is that we now know that they are deficient with regard to extra-skeletal effects of 25(OH)D if their serum level is below 40 ng/ml. These papers should be disregarded as obsolete work. We are moving into a new era of using vitamin D3 in doses no less that 4,000 IU/day for people aged 9 years and older… Studies using less than 4,000 IU/day are on the verge of obsolescence.

In other words, the studies culled and used as the basis of the recent meta-analyses of vitamin D were themselves inadequate because designed around totally inadequate vitamin D daily dosages. Moreover, one does not need to look far for at least one very major review that disagrees with the conclusions of the negative meta-analyses in the most fundamental way. A Cochrane review published just this year on vitamin D and mortality gives an answer that seems more than sufficient to warrant another look at vitamin D, at least in its D3 form:²

Vitamin D3 seemed to decrease mortality in elderly people living independently or in institutional care. Vitamin D2, alfacalcidol and calcitriol had no statistically significant beneficial effects on mortality.

Blood Thinning Drugs
Another point of current controversy involves both vitamins/ vitamin-like compounds and various herbs. Many aging individuals are treated with anti-coagulants or “blood thinners” to reduce the risks of stroke and blood clots. One popularly prescribed such drug is Coumadin (warfarin). Drug interactions with any of the anticoagulants are quite common, including with such everyday items as alcohol and aspirin. The usual side effects involve too free bleeding and show up as such things as easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, dark urine and tarry stools. Needless to say, excessive bleeding can be life-threatening under certain conditions. Interactions with anticoagulants are so common that some pharmaceutical experts caution against taking any new drug, including over-the- counter items such as aspirin, without first speaking with a doctor or pharmacist.

Ginkgo biloba extracts, particular examples of which in a number of clinical trials currently are being reaffirmed for cognitive health (but only in the case of certain extracts)3, possibly present a problem for those taking anticoagulant drugs largely because these extracts perform many of the same tasks as those drugs and much more. Ginkgo extracts improve the blood flow through the artery which serves the heart, improve circulation in the brain and more generally throughout the body, increase the clearance of toxins from the system, and protect the body against what is known as platelet-activating factor (PAF). PAF was only discovered in 1972, and since that time scientists have come to realize that it is involved in disturbances ranging from internal blood clots (often leading to heart attacks and strokes) to allergic reactions and asthma.⁴

Problems with excessively “sticky” blood are much more common in the United States than they are in many other countries around the world, such as in Japan. Diet appears to be by far and away the most significant factor in this. A quite large number of foods “thin” the blood. Food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which include many cold-water ocean fish as well as walnuts and a few other items, all tend to increase clotting time. All members of the onion and garlic families act as blood thinners, especially if eaten regularly and in quantity. The same is true of the mo-er (black tree fungus) and reishi mushrooms, both of which can be purchased in markets, which carry specialty mushroom and Asian vegetables. Another natural blood thinner is hawthorn. Hawthorne, which is found primarily as an extract in this country, is the basis for some popular beverages in Asia and often taken as a tea in Europe. Red wine, especially if it is high in the antioxidant resveratrol, may increase coagulation time. The quinine found in tonic water will increase or prolong the actions of Coumadin and may have its own blood thinning effects. Grapefruit is notorious for reducing the clearance of warfarin-like compounds and therefore increasing the risk of hemorrhage.^5,6

A great many herbs, spices and digestive aids can exercise significant anticoagulant effects. These include cayenne pepper, bromelain from eating pineapple fruit and stem, papain from papaya, and likely paprika and most chili peppers. Ginger root, which is eaten in quantity in Indian and Oriental cuisines, can strongly inhibit clotting. So can its relative, tumeric, which is used widely in curries and a source for purified curcumin. Vitamins and vitamin-like compounds, as mentioned above, can lead to similar problems. These compounds include vitamin E, tocotrienols, omega-3 fatty acids, lipoic acid and many more.

Both Chinese and Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine would greatly expand these lists of foods and herbs which can increase clotting time, but, even as things stand, it should be clear that diet likely is the predominant factor by far in determining the activity of several elements in the blood which control clotting time. Of course, there are at least as many dietary factors which can influence blood coagulation in opposition to Coumadin as those which are additive.

Changing the Rate of Drug Clearance
Many drugs (including some protease inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and oral contraceptives) are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) metabolic pathway, which is active in the liver. Grapefruit has already been mentioned as influencing this pathway; it contains the compound naringenin, which is one of the most powerful of common compounds in affecting CYP3A4. The herbal supplements, which presently are the most strongly implicated are goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), and cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa).⁷ Black pepper extracts, similarly, influence cytochrome P450 and other elements involved in drug clearance.

The ability to zero-in on this enzyme system through special research techniques, unfortunately, in many ways is a bit misleading. How much difference does it make in practice whether the clearance of a drug is delayed as opposed to its absorption being greatly enhanced? Black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger and long pepper all either strongly increase absorption of other compounds and/or influence cytochrome P450. Some sources of lecithin, such as eggs, may similarly increase the uptake of certain drugs. Alcohol typically enhances the effects of many drugs, whether by increasing absorption, producing its own additive effects, or delaying clearance.

Quite a remarkable number of items in the diet can interfere with many drugs. Some interfere directly with absorption, as do the tannins and fibers found in many fruits and vegetables. Others do so indirectly by activating overall metabolism, liver and/or kidney functions.

Why Look to Dietary Choices Last?
Herbs, of course, do have many powerful effects upon the body and should not be treated as if they are innocuous merely because they are “natural.” However, also missing in American culture at large is an awareness that it is relatively easy to intervene in many common conditions without resorting to prescription drugs. In point of fact, other than a quite narrow range public health messages regarding primarily fats and fiber in the diet, we do not tend to think of diet as having much of an impact upon health at all. There is no reservoir of knowledge in everyday American culture regarding the health uses of foods and herbs, unlike the cultures of Asia and even Europe. Moreover, the U.S. heavily subsidizes the growth and production of many foodstuffs used in “fast foods” (corn, wheat, sugar beets, etc.) while doing nothing to reduce the cost to consumers for fresh fruit and vegetables, i.e., items that are healthful rather than being merely sources of calories.

Indeed, there are entire classes of medications sold extremely widely in the United States for which there appears to be no need in many other cultures. One class which immediately comes to mind is that of the acid reflux / heartburn /antacid medications, whether over-the-counter or prescription. The entire notion that there are health problems stemming from the production of excess stomach acid is surely an odd one given the fact that we typically have no such problems when we are young and produce plenty of stomach acid, yet such problems in this culture are common in middle age and later, i.e., at the point at which the ability to produce stomach acid has already begun to decline markedly. What has really happened is that the muscle that closes off the top of the stomach and prevents its contents from flowing back up the esophagus has weakened. Items that reduce the production of stomach acid at the same time prevent the complete digestion of proteins in the stomach, but, again, do nothing to strengthen the muscle that controls acid reflux. Interestingly enough, acid reflux is virtually unknown in much of Asia where ginger is commonly used as a part of meals. Ginger just happens to strengthen the esophageal sphincter.

In truth, the American diet tends to be extremely narrow in the range of the foods eaten. “Fast foods” such as a burger and fries garnished with a little bit of cold slaw have become increasingly important sources of dinner and supper for the average American, and therefore it is hard to argue that our range of foods consumed daily is large. Some authorities estimate that one half of all meals are eaten outside the home, mostly at fast food restaurants. Aside from the obviously poor nutrition supplied by such choices, it is also the case that most of the otherwise readily available foods that might be used to influence many health conditions are either missing or very badly represented. We grow these foods, we just don’t eat them. Hence the observation by one Tibetan doctor to the effect that we seemed to have only two flavors in this culture, salty and sweet.⁸

This returns us to our starting point. Were the average American consuming a truly varied diet, the American medical profession likely would be more aware of the impact of foods upon health. Likewise, there is the curiously dichotomous thinking of many of those who are medically trained to the effect that herbs are either without any benefit, on the one hand, or likely to be a threat to prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, on the other hand. According to this way of thinking, items are either foods or drugs. Foods support the structure and functions of the body, whereas drugs intervene. As long as herbs could be seen as being without effect, they could be relegated largely to the foods category, i.e., at best innocuous and a waste of money in terms of health benefits. Once it is admitted that herbs might have benefits, they must be treated like drugs and viewed as possessing a host of powerful side effects and drug interactions.

The problem is that even everyday foods can have quite powerful effects upon the body. So why not make use of these food effects as a first line of treatment, herbs as a second line, and drugs only when all else fails?

References

1. Reid IR, Bolland MJ, Grey A. Effects of vitamin D supplements on bone mineral density: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2014 Jan 11;383(9912):146-55.
2. Bjelakovic G, Gluud LL, Nikolova D, Whitfield K, Wetterslev J, Simonetti RG, Bjelakovic M, Gluud C. Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of mortality in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Jan 10;1:CD007470.
3. Lewis JE, Melillo AB, Tiozzo E, Chen L, Leonard S, Howell M, Diaz J, Gonzalez K, Woolger JM, Konefal J, Paterson E, Barnes D. A double-blind, randomized clinical trial of dietary supplementation on cognitive and immune functioning in healthy older adults. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Feb 4;14(1):43.
4. Murray, Michael T. “The Healing Power of Herbs,” 2nd edition (Prima Publishing, Rocklin, California: 1995.)
5. Brinker, Francis. “Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions.” Revised 2nd edition. (Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.)
6. Mindell, Earl and Hopkins, Virginia. “Prescription Alternatives.” (Keats Publishing, 1998.)
7. Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(4):273-82.
8. Yeshi Donden. “Health Through Balance.” Snow Lion Publications, 1986.)

The post Controversial Vitamins? Controversial Herbs? appeared first on Total Health Magazine.