INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . .
"To my new patients I always say: I have three goals. First, I want to teach you how to get rid of your symptoms. Next, I want to teach you how to get rid of your medications. Last, I want to teach you how to get rid of me."
.....Dr. Sherry Rogers, M.D.
Here I am, a few weeks late, but the sun has held me hostage for the past few months, keeping me outdoors rather than inside working on my word processor! I wish I could type outside, but my screen is barely visible, so now that fall has arrived I am ready to stay inside long enough to share with you the latest information from my office and the medical literature.
Newsletter Subscriptions: It has become increasingly costly for me to mail out these newsletters. As of January 1999, there will be a $5 subscription charge to cover the cost of printing and mailing. If you are receiving it via the internet, it will remain free of charge. The present quarterly format will be retained. I hope you will continue to enjoy my letter to you, and I would be happy to hear from you regarding any suggestions.
Organic Food Sources: We have also developed an extensive list of sources for organic food in the North Island. Please contact us for a copy.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I have written an article on breast cancer prevention. If you would like a copy call the office or e-mail me.
Breast Cancer: Poisons, Profits and Prevention,
by Liane Clorfene-Casten.
Here is a book that states 70% of breast cancer occurrence relates to the environment. -- ed.
Tamoxifin and Breast Cancer Prevention
This study showed some negative outcomes of using Tamoxifin, including elevated triglycerides; six-year follow ups showed no difference in breast cancer recurrence rate as compared to those on placebo, and increased incidents of vascular events.
.....Lancet, July 11, 1998; 352:80-81,90-101
It is hard not to mention fall retreats in this issue because it is a popular time of year to attend retreats for cleansing, meditation, yoga or spiritual reawakening. Here are a few more suggestions:
* Yellow Point Lodge, Ladysmith ..... 250-245-7422
* Bethlehem Monastery, Nanaimo ..... 250-754-3254
* The Haven, Gabriola Island .......... 250-247-9211
All of these locations provide meals as part of the package, if desired.
Estrogen and Cognitive Function
This study shows that estrogen does not appear to be associated with cognitive performance or decline in older postmenopausal women. This is in conflict with the prevailing opinion that estrogen improves brain function.
.....J Am Geriatric Soc., 1998; 46:816,918-920
CFWB CALL-IN TALK SHOW
November 4, 11:00 am
December 10, 11:00 am
Call in your questions
or send them in by e-mail or regular/snail mail.
St. John's Wort Complex: This product contains 50mgs 5HTP along with St. John's Wort which is the intermediate metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan. Therapeutic use raises serotonin levels. It has been demonstrated in the research to be effective for depression, fibromyalgia, obesity, insomnia, and chronic headaches. 50mgs three times a day is recommended.
Mineral Magic: A combination of colloidal trace minerals in liquid form for those who have difficulty absorbing multivitamin, mineral combination supplements.
Buffered Vitamin C (capsules and powder): Gram doses of Vitamin C can rob the body of essential minerals and affect the acid base balance of the body. This product provides mineral ascorbates which not only buffer the Vitamin C, but add additional nutrients. It contains reduced glutathione, a powerful detoxifying antioxidant, and quercitin which is a powerful bioflavinoid, both of which make this Vitamin C especially effective for the treatment of allergies.
Verilux Full Spectrum Lights: For those of you wanting to avoid SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this winter, I will special order these lights in for you. Regular bulbs, reflector bulbs, tri-lites, fluorescent lamps, and the desktop "Happy Lights" are available.
Thyroid Screening:
I have changed the thyroid tests that I include on my comprehensive screen to TSH, Free T4 and T4. The naturopathic normals for these vary quite dramatically from mainstream medical "normals" which reflects the "average" person and not the "healthy" person! I also recommend testing for the basal metabolic rate (BMR) using core body temperature as many blood tests still come back normal in spite of a low BMR. This is based on the work by Dr. Broda Barnes.
Stool Test for Heavy Metal Toxicity Evaluation:
International Lab Associates (ILA) of Toronto has agreed with Biospectron of Sweden to make this stool test available in North America for the first time. Biospectron has long been recognized internationally as the finest laboratory in the world for testing heavy metal exposure. The fecal test measures 26 different elements, including mercury. It is also believed that this test will be instrumental for legal proceedings where damages are being sought based on mercury exposure from dental amalgams. The cost of the test is $390 and is very easy to collect and send.
Estrogen and Cognitive Function
This study shows that estrogen does not appear to be associated with cognitive performance or decline in older postmenopausal women. This is in conflict with the prevailing opinion that estrogen improves brain function.
.....J Am Geriatric Soc. 1998;46:816,918-920
Recent Articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the Medical Association state that people are not dissatisfied with conventional medicine but seek out alternatives which are more congruent with their own values, beliefs and philosophical orientation toward health and life. People are looking for alternatives for the treatments of chronic pain, chronic fatigue, sprains, and muscle strains, addictive problems, arthritis, severe headaches, anxiety, digestive problems and diabetes.
.....New England Journal of Medicine 1993; 328(4):246-252
The truth is people are using alternative medicine and not telling their doctors out of fear.
- ed.
Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitals
In the Journal of the American Medical Association this year an article was published stating that the 4th-6th cause of in-hospital deaths in the US are due to fatal adverse drug reactions. These statistics do not take into consideration deaths that occur at home while patients are self-administering their medications.
.....JAMA 1998; 279(15) : 1200-1205
This is of course an alarming statistic and one you will not hear on many radio shows or on the TV or in the local papers. What you do see are articles on the side effects of a few herbs that do not cause death and are very minor in the face of side effects of many prescription drugs.
- ed.
Saw Palmetto for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
132 men ranging in age up to 75 years were prescribed 320 mg of saw palmetto extract for one year and confirmed that this herb is very effective at increasing mean and maximum urine flow and decreasing residual urine. This study also showed that there was no interference with PSA levels.
.....Phytotherapy Res, 1997; 11:558-63
Vitamin C as Pro-Oxidant?
You might remember some bad press about Vitamin C earlier this year I hope to clear that up for you by referring to Dr. Bland's Functional Medicine Update tape Volume 18, number 6, which further explained the research. Apparently Vitamin C acted as a pro-oxidant AND an anti-oxidant. They just failed to mention that on the TV and the radio. It was felt that the procedure caused the reaction rather than the Vitamin C itself. So rest assured that Vitamin C is all what you thought it was and don't stop taking it based on this poor bit of research.
-ed.
Folate deficiency and gastric and colorectal cancer
There has been many questions about the role Helicobacter pylori plays in the development of gastric cancer. This research explains a possible reason in that H.pylori may interfere with the action of folic acid. Other research indicates that supplemental folic acid may be protective against the recurrence of large bowel adenoma.
.....Med Hypotheses. 1997;49(4):289-292;
.....J Natl Cancer Inst.1998;90(1):57-62
Folic Acid and Heart Disease
Hyperhomocysteimic injury to arteries is now recognized as one of the leading causes of premature heart disease. Taking a folic acid supplement above the RDA levels lowers homocysteine levels and is considered good medicine in heart disease prevention.
.....NEJM 1998;338(15):1042-1050
Other factors that decrease homocysteine are B6, B12 and betaine HC1. These can be easily obtained in a multivitamin, and taking them would dramatically lower the incidence of premature heart disease and lower our health care costs!
- ed.
There has been a lot of press lately about taking herbs along with prescription drugs and pharmacists and MDs are discouraging taking the herbs altogether and sticking with the drugs. This brings up several points: that herbs can be very strong in their effect and do work if prescribed in a professional fashion and that the patient is getting the desired effect. If in taking an herb, a patient gets just as good results or better than the drug, then the herbal therapy is preferred, based on the base premise of medicine, to do no harm (drugs tend to have many side effects). The key is monitoring the condition of the patient. It is advisable to take the herbs as well as the prescription drug under supervision and have the dose of the drug decreased as the herb takes action. This is preferred to discontinuing the herb because it is accentuating the action of the drug.
An example is St John's Wort. It is felt that in raising serotonin levels that it should not be taken with other antidepressants that have the same action, such as prozac, luvox and other serotonin uptake inhibitors. What I tell my patient is to watch out for too much serotonin (racey feeling, muscle twitching, mental confusion, sweating, flushing, diarrhea, and dizziness). If this occurs, that patient is getting too much serotonin and decreasing that antidepressant drug is the next step. This is all done under the supervision of their M.D. and N.D. On the contrary, St. John's Wort is not an MAO inhibitor and need not be taken with the same precautions as these drugs. It has also been used to treat severe depression as well as mild to moderate cases.
Another example is Ginseng. It is stated by the press that anyone who has high blood pressure shouldn't take ginseng. I find that the effect this herb has on patients, as this herb is an adaptogen, is that it will normalize a health condition rather than cause an imbalance. It is true that not everyone can tolerate this herb or any other herb, but it isn't a specific health condition that determines this; it is the individual's body chemistry that determines this. Unfortunately, the information the public is receiving about drug and herb interactions is not coming from Naturopathic physicians, but pharmacists who are not versed in the science of botanical medicine. The message is let your health care provider know what you are taking, both prescription and herbal, and seek the advice of a Naturopathic physician as MDs are not trained in botanical medicine.
- ed.
Recipe for the Soup Season!
BORSCHT
SAUTE: 4 cups beets 4 cups potatoes 1/4 cup oil ADD TO: 8 cups water 2 cups chopped onion 6 bay leaves 1 tsp dill 3 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic 4 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 carrots, peeled & sliced 1 Tbsp celtic grey salt 2 Tbsp vegetable broth powder
Simmer until cooked. Add fresh chopped parsley before serving. Freezes well.
This is one for the doubting MD:
" . . . ten disciplines that, collectively, are the non-major non-physician contributors to the delivery of medical services include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse-midwives, chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, optometrists, podiatrists, nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists.'
"It is time for interdisciplinary regulation and clinical integration so that a health care work force that includes a diversity of disciplines can be assured of providing a uniform level of care."
.....Cooper, R.A. et al.
Roles of non physician clinicians as
autonomous providers of patient care
JAMA 1998;280:795-802
Health Action Network Society is a nonprofit organization that supports alternative medicine like chiropractors, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, etc. and tries very hard to help us on the political front by keeping us informed on such issues as food irradiation, fluoridation, immunizations, Codex, pesticides in baby food, biotechnology of food, bovine growth hormone, mercury amalgam fillings, MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) and the Health Protection Branch. In supporting them, you are supporting a nonprofit group with your best interests at heart. Membership is $25 per year. Their toll-free number is 1-888-432-4267. They provide information packages on many health issues and with being a member there are some savings. Support alternative medicine and support HANS! They have been around for over 12 years now.
- ed.
To Dream Your Dream: To develop a strong vision, try this exercise. Take a few minutes, and imagine your next step; a dream job, friendship, love relationship, or house - whatever you feel would bring you more of what you want in your life. Close your eyes, and get a good feeling, image, or sense of it. Take five minutes and write or draw everything you can about this image. Especially important: include the qualities the image brings, how it makes you feel.
.....How to Master Change in your Life
by Mary Carroll Moore
Ayurvedic Oil Massage:
This technique is described in Dr. Deepak Chopra's book Boundless Energy, 1995; p81-84. It stimulates circulation, helps remove impurities from the body, and normalizes the hormonal system. It also has a soothing and pacifying effect to counteract fatigue and stress. Starting with your scalp and working down using the palms of your hands and circular motions, massage all areas of your body with warmed sesame oil. This oil has unique balancing and vitalizing effects and doesn't go rancid. Pay close attention to your scalp and feet. Finish with a warm shower or bath using mild soap. You will find that you feel so much better on the days that you start your day this way, you will find yourself doing it spontaneously every day.
* A Modern Prophet Answers Your Key Questions About Life by Harold Klemp.
For those of you looking for some spiritual answers to your questions, this book provides a refreshing approach.
- ed.