OSTEOPOROSIS


Prevent or Reverse the “Bone Thinning Disease”

Osteoporosis means, literally, “porous bone.” It is a bone-thinning disease that affects an estimated 28 million Americans. Osteoporosis is called a “silent” disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of weakened bones. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain.

In elderly women, complications from hip fracture that result in death are far more common than death from breast cancer, yet few people realize the potential seriousness of this condition. Although osteoporosis is more common in post-menopausal women, it also occurs in younger women, men, and in all age groups. White and Asian women are at greatest risk because their bones tend to be less dense to begin with.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

There are a number of factors that can be involved in the development of osteoporosis. These include:

  • Lack of vitamins and minerals. Osteoporosis is caused by a demineralization of bone. Although calcium is one of the major bone minerals, there are a number or other minerals found in normal bone. These include boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, strontium and zinc. Vitamins B6, K, D, C and folic acid are also needed for normal bone mineralization. A deficiency of any of these can accelerate bone loss.
  • Gastric acid or digestive enzyme deficiency. Hydrochloric acid (gastric acid) and digestive enzymes are necessary for the assimilation of minerals, yet more than half of the general population over age 60 is deficient in one or both of these digestive functions. A gastric acid self-test is indicated for anyone with osteoporosis regardless of age.
  • Lack of physical activity. Exercise that stresses bone causes an uptake of minerals. Conversely, immobility leads to a demineralization of bone. Exercise alone has been shown to increase bone mineral density.
  • Dietary factors. Certain dietary factors can hasten the loss of minerals from bone. These factors include diet high in sugar and starch, excess phosphorus in the diet (as found in soda pop, processed foods, and meat), excess alcohol consumption, and possibly excess caffeine consumption (more than two cups per day).
  • Cigarette smoking.
  • Certain drugs, especially adrenal steroids (cortisone and prednisone).
  • Heavy metal toxicity. Certain heavy metals, which may be introduced into the body through cigarette smoke, drinking water, and a number of other sources, can trigger demineralization of bone by displacing the normal bone minerals. A hair mineral analysis is accurate for evaluating toxic mineral levels. Because there is substantial evidence that fluoride found in drinking water and toothpaste contributes to destruction of bone, use of pure (non fluoridated) water and alternative toothpaste is highly advisable.
  • Stress. Perhaps because perceived stress changes digestive and assimilative abilities, although the exact mechanism is unclear. Stress also increases adrenal steroid hormone output, see factor # 6 above.
  • Sex hormone imbalance. Alterations or decline in sex hormones, including estrogens, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA are significant factors in bone demineralization in both men and women.
    A female hormone profile or male hormone profile should be performed to evaluate potential sex hormone deficiencies and imbalances, especially in those over age 40.
  • Food allergies. When a person is allergic or intolerant to a food, they are unable to digest it completely. Incompletely digested food plus  possible antibodies created by food reactions damage the villi of the duodenum (the finger-like projections of the intestine that are vital for the absorption of nutrients). This reduces the amount of nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream.

    Which nutrients are most effected? Calcium, iron, iodine, all B complex vitamins, vitamin C, most water-soluble vitamins, and most of the trace minerals such as zinc, boron, manganese and magnesium— many of the same vitamins and minerals necessary for bone health.

  • Other factors. These include genetic predisposition and various disease states.

What About The New Drugs for Osteoporosis?

A new class of drugs, the bisphosphonates, cause a bone-rebuilding response that is 5% greater than placebo in most women who use them. For some, this is enough of an effect to help prevent fracture. For others, the drugs alone are insufficient to prevent consequences of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates have side-effects that can be problematic, including GERD (heartburn), diarrhea and immune suppression (one side effect that is rarely mentioned). Their best use appears to be in cases of cancer, to prevent bone destruction.

Read “The Ugly Truth About Bone-Building Drugs” here

Obviously, osteoporosis is not caused by a bisphosphonate deficiency! There are, however, ways to reverse osteoporosis. This is because bone is a living, growing tissue, not a static material as some people wrongly believe. I recommend consultation with myself or another holistic physician for evaluation and recommendations for preventing or reversing osteoporosis. When the potential causes (as listed above) are carefully evaluated and discovered, osteoporosis can be halted and even reversed through non-drug methods.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Eat a nutritious diet. Emphasize soy products, nonfat yogurt and milk, and green leafy vegetables.
  • Avoid soda pop (“pop is slop”) and use alcohol and coffee in moderation if at all.
  • Exercise regularly, especially weight-bearing exercise. Walking and running are some of the best exercises for increasing bone strength.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal doses (not minimal doses) of B complex vitamins, C, D, K, calcium, magnesium, vanadium, zinc, and boron are particularly important for strong bones. A “once per day” vitamin supplement does not supply anything close to an optimal daily dose of the necessary bone nutrients.
  • Cal-Mag Amino: Post-menopausal females take 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals in addition to the 1,000:500 mg from Maxi Multi. (Target: 1200-1500 mg/day calcium, 500-800 mg/day magnesium for post-menopausal women. Men and peri-menopausal females get sufficient calcium/magnesium/boron from Maxi Multi).
  • Strontium: 1 capsule, 1-2 times per day with or between meals (take separately from calcium).  One capsule per day is advised for prevention, 2 caps per day for those at high risk of osteoporosis or in already-established cases of osteoporosis. NOTE: Maxi Multi does not contain strontium. There is evidence that strontium should be taken away from calcium and magnesium for best absorption.
  • Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases calcium absorption. Deficiencies of Vitamin D are associated with cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatic pains, and dental disease. Please learn more in our Vitamin D Special Report. Daily adult dose range: 800-2,000 IU. Doses as high as 10,000 IU may be needed to normalize vitamin D levels. Vitamin D testing is easy and convenient and inexpensive – find Vitamin D tests here.
  • Vitamin K2: a blood clotting factor, it is also important in bone formation. Major deficiency associations include osteoporosis. The optimal adult dose range is 45 to 65 mcg. Vitamin K2 helps to direct calcium to the bone and out of blood vessel wall plaques.

Additional Support

  • Follow the recommendations for menopause if you are a peri-or post-menopausal female, or for male menopause if you are a male.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment

If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is best to consult an alternative medicine physician who can order a hormone profile test, evaluate risk factors, and get you on a precise program for bone-remineralization.  Osteoporosis is a reversible condition when treated correctly. Natural hormone replacement therapy is safe and effective for aiding bone loss but must be conducted with a physician’s guidance.

PARASITES


Natural Solutions To Deal With Parasitic Infections

Symptoms of acute parasite infection are usually obvious, but “sub-acute” (low grade infection) of parasites can cause or contribute to many health problems and the diagnosis is often missed in conventional medicine (for reasons which I describe below). Symptoms of sub-acute parasitic infection can include:

  • chronic GI symptoms (IBS, diarrhea, intestinal cramps, constipation)
  • chronic digestive complaints (belching, heartburn, malabsorption)
  • headaches
  • weight loss (unintended)
  • autoimmune disease
  • multiple food intolerances
  • chronic fatigue
  • fever, chills (especially if no other cause is found)

Parasites are, in the broadest sense, any organism that lives on or in another organism and detracts from the health and vigor of the host. An organism that lives on or in another organism but does NOT detract from the health and vigor of the host is referred to as a commensal. If the organisms benefit from their relationship with each other, they are known as symbiots and their relationship is called symbiosis.

Obviously, many relationships between organisms and humans can be considered parasitic: virus/human, bacteria/human, worm/human, even human/human! Medically speaking, the term parasite is most commonly understood to mean the relationship between a human host and a protozoa or worm. These relationships are almost always destructive to the host. In addition, certain bacteria, fungi, protozoa and amoebas have dual relationships with the host and can be either parasitic or commensal.

Because of their parasitic potential, parasite/commensals will be considered in addition to true parasite. Some examples of each include:

True Parasites

Protozoan: E. histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Plasmodium (4 species), Leshmania, Toxoplasmosis, Cryptosporidia

Worms: Enterobiasis (pinworm), Trichuriasis (whipworm), Ascariasis, Necator americanus (hookworm), Strongyloidiasis (threadworm), Trichinella, Wucheria bancroftii

Parasite/Commensals

Protozoan: Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis

Amoeba: Endolimax nana, E. histolytica, E. coli, Iodamoeba butschlie

Fungi: Candida albicans, candida spp.

Bacteria: Klebsiella pneumonia

Symptoms of Acute Parasitic Infection

History and symptoms have largely been regarded as the guiding factors for diagnosis of parasites. These symptoms vary according to the species of organism, what part of the body is infected, and the severity of the infestation.

Systemic symptoms of fever, chills, skin lesions, hemolytic anemia or jaundice, especially following out-of-country travel, often suggest the diagnosis. Overt GI symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, flatulence, epigastric pain, intermittent nausea and malodorous stools may indicate intestinal infection.

Holistic Consideration of Parasites

When history and/or symptoms are overt, a diagnosis of parasites may be readily suspected. Sub-acute infections resulting in low-grade GI symptoms are encountered routinely in general family practice but are frequently unrecognized as such. This problem of under-diagnosis is likely due to several factors:

  1. Lack of history of exposure. It is not necessary to travel out of the country to acquire a parasite. Many organisms present themselves in food. A history of world travel used to be a major factor guiding physicians to diagnosis. Today, however, it must be appreciated that any non-exotic parasite can be acquired locally.
  2. Sub-acute nature of symptoms: Acute parasitic infections, with attendant severity of GI or systemic symptoms, is often easier to diagnose than sub-acute infection. Sub-acute infection can be either caused by a true parasite or by a parasite/commensal and can trigger a variety of local complaints that are not typically thought of in conjunction with parasite, but should be.
  3. Inadequacy of laboratory evaluation. The first “weak link” in the diagnostic chain, especially in sub-acute infections, is often the physician. The second weak link can be the medical lab, the method of collection, or both.

Many medical labs are equipped to identify overt parasitism, especially when the specimen yield is high. When the percent yield is low, the organism is often missed. Further, exotic species are more often recognized than non-exotic species and parasitic/commensal organisms, which may be overlooked or under-reported. For example: Candida albicans, is rarely reported on a conventional stool assay because it is considered a commensal and therefore not thought of as infectious. However, an overgrowth of this organism is known to behave in parasitic fashion to the host.

What To Do If You Suspect Parasites

First, don’t “play doctor” unless you ARE one! See a physician about your complaint and get a “work-up” by conventional medical standards. This will probably include blood and perhaps urine analysis and physical diagnosis. IF nothing can be identified to explain your complaint AND you have symptoms on the list above, then it is time to have some additional testing performed by an alternative medicine physician to evaluate for a sub-acute parasitic infection. You need a physician consult for this.

Based on your symptoms, the appropriate tests FROM THE RIGHT LAB will be ordered. (Remember, many labs miss the diagnosis when the number of parasites present in the sample are small). I use laboratories that specialize in looking for low-grade parasitic infections, so if something is there, they will find it. Also, increasing the number of specimens has been proven to dramatically increase the likelihood of finding an offending organism. This is because parasites in the GI tract “shed” only periodically and are often missed by a single stool sample.

The most common tests needed to discover parasites include the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis, Candida testing and a Gastric Acid Self-Test. Again, knowing which tests to order is a matter of clinical judgment that few laymen are prepared to make.

If you believe, based on your chronic symptoms and from what you have just learned, that you may have parasites as a cause of your problems, please give me a call for consultation. I can help you learn if parasites are a cause of your “undiagnosed” complaint.

Exact treatments will differ depending on the organism and location. There are some basic recommendations that apply to all parasitic infections, however.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Parasites “sap” nutrients from the body and weaken the immune system. Especially important nutrients include vitamin A and B12, but any nutrient can be deficient based on the nutritional patterns of the parasite.
  • Fiber Formula: (helps transport killed organisms out of the body): 6 caps, 2 times per day between meals.
  • Chlorophyll: (water soluable; intestinal detoxifier): 1 cap, 2 times per day with meals.
  • Immune Support: 1 cap, 2 times per day with meals
  • SupremaDophilus: 1 cap before bed. Helps replace “friendly” gut bacteria.
  • Parasite Tincture: as directed by physician.
  • Berberine has been shown to have anti-protazoan effects

Additional Support

  • Colloidal Silver: 1-1/2 tsp. two times per day (for 140 pound body weight; adjust up or down as needed). Use 5ppm silver for 14 days.

    NOTE: Sub-acute parasitic infections are usually better treated by alternative medicine than by conventional drugs. The reason is that anti-parasitic medicines are toxic to the host as well as the parasite, and low-grade infections must be treated for a much longer duration of time to be sure that all organisms are killed.

Pau ‘d’ Arco


(Tabebuia spp.) [a.k.a. Lapacho]

Actions: Anti-tumor; anti-Candidal; antibiotic; immune stimulant; anti-inflammatory; tonic.

Uses: Candidiasis; fungus; immune stimulation; infections; cancer.

Potassium Iodide

Potassium Iodide (KI) Can Shield You From Thyroid Cancer

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A RADIATION EMERGENCY?

With over 100 active commercial nuclear reactors in the United States, we live in constant threat of a nuclear emergency every day. A terrorist attack on any one of these facilities, or the release of a “dirty bomb” is also a possibility in today’s “highly charged” world. In fact, in an emergency, if you live within 200 miles of a nuclear reactor, you have a high risk of being exposed to significant doses of radioactive isotopes. In the event of a nuclear accident or attack radioactive materials can be released into the atmosphere, a high percentage of which is radioactive iodine. When a radioactive iodine cloud passes through a populated area, the radiation is concentrated into the thyroid gland of those exposed. The result is irreparable damage to the thyroid, which can lead to cancer. The 1986 Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine is a tragic example as is the Fukushima tragedy in Japan.

Even reactors in other countries can have adverse effects on people in the United States as prevailing winds can quickly spread the radioactive particulate matter from nuclear disasters.

The best protection against thyroid damage and thyroid cancer induced by radioactive iodine exposure is Potassium Iodide. This simple compound protects the thyroid by saturating all of the iodine binding sites in the gland, leaving no room for the binding of radioactive iodine. Potassium Iodide is a low-cost way to protect yourself and your family against the long-term consequences of exposure to radiation. When used correctly, potassium iodide tablets can prevent or reduce the amount of radioactive iodine taken up by the thyroid gland. Even the government and the military stocks up on potassium iodide in case of nuclear disaster.

The body can’t distinguish between radioactive and the benign version of iodine, which is necessary for thyroid function. Taking 130 mg of potassium iodide, the dosage widely recommended for the blocking of radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear disaster, can quickly and completely protect the thyroid gland, which is one of the organs most commonly damaged by radioactive fallout.

It is important to remember that the precise dose of Potassium Iodide, whether it is 130mg or 125mg or 150mg (for a full-sized adult) is less critical than just simply offering the thyroid a good dose that will allow it to ignore the radioactive iodine that a person may have been exposed to.

Many Americans are cronically “undernourished” with iodine – iodine deficiency is common in North America. The FDA and CDC and other government agencies acknowledge this implicitly by recommending the use of Potassium Iodide in a radiation emergency since a thyroid gland that is not iodine deficient will not be prone to take up radioactive iodine.

Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club offers a selection of supplements that contain potassium iodide.

Tablets are scored for easy breakage in the case of any need for exact or reduced dosages as recommended for children and pets.

How much do you need? The FDA recommends that you have one 130mg dose per person available for immediate use and up to 14 additional 130mg doses available for continuing use if needed.

Here is what the FDA recommends:

 What doses of potassium iodide (KI) should be taken for specific exposure levels?

Exposures greater than 5 cGy:
Birth through 1 mo.  – 16 mg.
1 mo. through 3 yrs.  – 32 mg.
3 yrs through 18 yrs.  – 65 mg. (Adolescents>150 pounds should take adult dose.)

Exposures greater than 10 cGy:
18 yrs through 40 yrs. – 130 mg

Exposures greater than 500 cGy:
Adults over 40 yrs – 130 mg.

7.  How long should potassium iodide (KI) be taken?

Since KI protects for approximately 24 hours, it should be dosed daily until the risk no longer exists.  Priority with regard to evacuation and sheltering should be given to pregnant females and neonates because of the potential for KI to suppress thyroid function in the fetus and neonate.  Unless other protective measures are not available, we do not recommend repeat dosing in pregnant females and neonates.

Remember that during an emergency, you may not be able to get to your home, thus it is recommended to have potassium iodide tablets stored in several places as well. Since the shelf life of this product is virtually unlimited, you should have to purchase your supply only once. Have this on hand for your family, and remember the children, pets, grandchildren, too!

Iodine for Radiation Protection

Iodoral – The Most Trusted Brand Of Natural Iodine

Iodoral (Iodine) For Healthy Thyroid FunctionIodoral® iodine tablets contain both iodine and iodide as the potassium salt. The preparation is absorbed into colloidal silica to prevent gastric irritation and specially coated with a thin film of pharmaceutical glaze to eliminate unpleasant taste.

Recommended Dose for daily use: 12.5 mg tablets – 1-2 tablets, 1-2 times per day as determined by iodine testing. A retest is suggested after 3 months. Best taken in the morning and afternoon to avoid nighttime stimulation.

Once whole body iodine sufficiency is achieved, Iodoral® maintenance dose is typically 1-4 tablets daily. People with thyroid disorders should work closely with their holistic physician or other health care professional.

NOTE: People with known iodine sensitivity should NOT use this product!

To make it easy to be prepared for a Radiation Emergency Dr. Myatt has Iodoral available:


Product # 309 Iodoral -90 tablets per bottle; 12.5mg iodine/iodide per tablet. $29.95


A More Convenient Product Is Also Available For Your Preparedness Kit:

Potassium Iodide Emergency Packs

Inexpensive protection – Click here to learn More.


Also Valuable for your Radiation Protection kit:

Modifilan (Laminaria japonica)

Thyroid and Immune Stimulant, Detoxification and Energizing Aid from the Sea

ModifilanThis “herb” (a variety of seaweed) might be the most important natural health discovery of the decade!

Modifilan was reportedly developed in Russia by scientists at the State Rehabilitation Institute, where victims of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe underwent treatment.

Hand-harvested from far Northern Pacific waters, Laminaria kelp has numerous health properties that set it apart from other species of seaweed.

Beneficial substances found in Modifilan include:

  • Organic iodine: Organic iodine feeds the thyroid gland, promoting normal metabolism and glandular function.
  • Fucoidan: a polysaccharide that promotes cancer cell death (apoptosis) and stimulates the immune system in animal studies. (1-4)
  • Laminarin: a polysaccharide that improves gut health in animal studies.(5)
  • Fucoxanthin: a natural pigment in the carotenoid family, is a potent antioxidant.(6-11)
  • Alginate: a natural polysaccharide that binds water and chelates radioactive toxins such as iodine-131 and strontium-90.(12-14)

Modifilan may be useful for:

  • Boosting the immune system with anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. (1-4, 15-21)
  • Helping lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. (22-23)
  • Detoxifying the body from heavy metals, radioactive elements, free radicals and toxins.(12-14)
  • Aiding weight loss by improving thyroid, metabolism and GI-tract function.(24-25)
  • Helping smokers detoxify from heavy metals including strontium and cadmium.(12-14)

It takes 40 pounds or raw seaweed (conscientiously harvested to protect habitat) to make one pound of Modifilan.

Put some “pep in your step,” stimulate weight loss and energy while improving your immune system. This specially processed Laminaria is truly a unique gift from the sea.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment: Many of the “anti-cancer” and immune claims for Modifilan and other seaweed products have not yet been substantiated in humans. However, Modifilan is an excellent source of organic iodine and should be considered by anyone with low thyroid function.

Suggested dose:

For general health maintenance, 4-6 capsules per day.
For heavy metal chelation: 12 capsules per day.
For cancer: as directed by your physician (usually 6-12 capsules per day in divided doses).

#844 Modifilan (90 Caps) $29.97

Enter Quantity Desired and Click “Add To Cart” Button

References:

Potassium Iodide:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) final Guidance on Potassium Iodide as a Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation Emergencies.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) FAQ page on Potassium Iodide

Modifilan:

1.) Funahashi H, Imai T, Mase T, et al. Seaweed prevents breast cancer? Jpn J Cancer Res. 2001;92(5):483-487.
2.) Furusawa E, Furusawa S. Anticancer potential of Viva-Natural, a dietary seaweed extract, on Lewis lung carcinoma in comparison with chemical immunomodulators and on cyclosporine-accelerated AKR leukemia. Oncology. 1989;46(5):343-348.
3.) Itoh H, Noda H, Amano H, et al. Antitumor activity and immunological properties of marine algal polysaccharides, especially fucoidan, prepared from Sargassum thunbergii of Phaeophyceae. Anticancer Res. 1993;13(6A):2045-2052.
4.) Go H, Hwang HJ, Nam TJ. A glycoprotein from Laminaria japonica induces apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Toxicol In Vitro. 2010 Sep;24(6):1546-53. Epub 2010 Jul 6.
5.) Lynch MB, Sweeney T, Callan JJ, O’Sullivan JT, O’Doherty JV. The effect of dietary Laminaria-derived laminarin and fucoidan on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilisation, intestinal microflora and volatile fatty acid concentration in pigs. J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Feb;90(3):430-7.
6.) Park PJ, Kim EK, Lee SJ, Park SY, Kang DS, Jung BM, Kim KS, Je JY, Ahn CB. Protective effects against H2O2-induced damage by enzymatic hydrolysates of an edible brown seaweed, sea tangle (Laminaria japonica). J Med Food. 2009 Feb;12(1):159-66.
7.) Wang J, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Li Z. Antioxidant activity of sulfated polysaccharide fractions extracted from Laminaria japonica. Int J Biol Macromol. 2008 Mar 1;42(2):127-32. Epub 2007 Oct 9.
8.) Wang J, Wang F, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Shi X, Li P. Synthesized different derivatives of low molecular fucoidan extracted from Laminaria japonica and their potential antioxidant activity in vitro. Int J Biol Macromol. 2009 Jun 1;44(5):379-84. Epub 2009 Feb 13.
9.) Wang J, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Song H, Li P. Potential antioxidant and anticoagulant capacity of low molecular weight fucoidan fractions extracted from Laminaria japonica. Int J Biol Macromol. 2010 Jan 1;46(1):6-12. Epub 2009 Oct 31.
10.) Yan X, Chuda Y, Suzuki M, Nagata T. Fucoxanthin as the major antioxidant in Hijikia fusiformis, a common edible seaweed. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1999;63:605–7.
11.) Sachindra NM, Sato E, Maeda H, et al. Radical scavenging and singlet oxygen quenching activity of marine carotenoid fucoxanthin and its metabolites. J Agric Food Chem 2007;55:8516–22.
12.) Davis TA, Volesky B, Mucci A. A review of the biochemistry of heavy metal biosorption by brown algae. Water Res. 2003 Nov;37(18):4311-30.
13.) Sutton, A., Harrison, G. E., Carr, T. E., and Barltrop, D. Reduction in the absorption of dietary strontium in children by an alginate derivative. Br. J.Radiol. 44[523], 567. 1971.
14.) Sutton, A., Harrison, B. E., Carr, T. E., and Barltrop, D. Reduction in the absorption of dietary strontium in children by an alginate derivative. Int.J.Radiat.Biol.Relat Stud.Phys.Chem.Med. 19[1], 79-85. 1971
15.) [No authors listed][Production of cytokines by murine bone marrow dendritic cells in vitro mediated by sulfated polysaccharides obtained from sea brown algae].Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol. 2010 Sep-Oct;(5):34-9. [Article in Russian]
16.) Damonte EB, Matulewicz MC, Cerezo AS. Sulfated seaweed polysaccharides as antiviral agents. Curr Med Chem. 2004 Sep;11(18):2399-419.
17.) Gerasimenko NI, Chaĭkina EL, Busarova NG, Anisimov MM. [Antimicrobic and hemolytic activity of low-molecular metabolits of brown seaweed Laminaria cichorioides Miyabe].Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol. 2010 Jul-Aug;46(4):467-71. [Article in Russian]
18.) Ishikawa C, Tafuku S, Kadekaru T, Sawada S, Tomita M, Okudaira T, Nakazato T, Toda T, Uchihara JN, Taira N, Ohshiro K, Yasumoto T, Ohta T, Mori N. Anti-adult T-cell leukemia effects of brown algae fucoxanthin and its deacetylated product, fucoxanthinol. Int J Cancer. 2008 Dec 1;123(11):2702-12.
19.) Kim KN, Heo SJ, Kang SM, Ahn G, Jeon YJ. Fucoxanthin induces apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells through a ROS-mediated Bcl-xL pathway. Toxicol In Vitro. 2010 Sep;24(6):1648-54. Epub 2010 Jun 8.
20.) Makarenkova ID, Deriabin PG, L’vov DK, Zviagintseva TN, Besednova NN. [Antiviral activity of sulfated polysaccharide from the brown algae Laminaria japonica against avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in the cultured cells]. Vopr Virusol. 2010 Jan-Feb;55(1):41-5. [Article in Russian].
21.) Yamamoto K, Ishikawa C, Katano H, Yasumoto T, Mori N. Fucoxanthin and its deacetylated product, fucoxanthinol, induce apoptosis of primary effusion lymphomas. Cancer Lett. 2010 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
22.) Bu T, Liu M, Zheng L, Guo Y, Lin X. α-Glucosidase inhibition and the in vivo hypoglycemic effect of butyl-isobutyl-phthalate derived from the Laminaria japonica rhizoid. Phytother Res. 2010 Nov;24(11):1588-91. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3139.
23.) Woo MN, Jeon SM, Kim HJ, Lee MK, Shin SK, Shin YC, Park YB, Choi MS. Fucoxanthin supplementation improves plasma and hepatic lipid metabolism and blood glucose concentration in high-fat fed C57BL/6N mice. Chem Biol Interact. 2010 Aug 5;186(3):316-22. Epub 2010 May 16.
24.) Woo MN, Jeon SM, Shin YC, Lee MK, Kang MA, Choi MS. Anti-obese property of fucoxanthin is partly mediated by altering lipid-regulating enzymes and uncoupling proteins of visceral adipose tissue in mice. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Dec;53(12):1603-11.
25.) You JS, Sung MJ, Chang KJ. Evaluation of 8-week body weight control program including sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) supplementation in Korean female college students. Nutr Res Pract. 2009 Winter;3(4):307-14. Epub 2009 Dec 31.

PROSTATE CANCER (also see CANCER)


Natural Support Strategies for the most common male cancer in the U.S.

Prostate carcinoma is the most common male cancer in the U.S. It accounts for an estimated 32% of all newly diagnosed cancers. (Other forms of prostate cancer, such as sarcoma, are rare). The incidence of disease increases with each decade of life over age 50. Prostate cancer rates have risen 108% since 1950, believed due in part to earlier detection. Death rates from the disease have increased 23% in spite of widespread use of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

There is great debate in the medical community regarding the value of conventional treatment. Prostate cancer is, in most cases, slow-growing. Increased survival rates reported in some studies may be due to earlier detection, not treatment. Many newly diagnosed and early stage cancers in older men would never progress to morbidity or mortality. Considering the risk of impotence (50-60% with surgery), incontinence (from surgery or radiation) and other treatment side-effects, the value of conventional therapy must be questioned in all cases of cancer in older men.

Prostate carcinoma is a hormone-dependent cancer. Therefore, in addition to general immune enhancing and anti-cancer therapies, hormonal manipulation has a role to play in treatment of this disease. Herbal and nutritional treatment for cancer can be considered an adjuvant therapy in all cases of prostate carcinoma and the sole therapy in many cases. Even when conventional treatment is deemed advisable, non-traditional uses of conventional hormone-suppressive drugs (called “Androgen Deprivation Therapy” or ADT), may be safer and more advantageous than standard therapy alone. This is because, in it’s early stages, prostate cancer is highly controllable with hormone-blocking therapy.

Laboratory Evaluation of Prostate Cancer

In additional to generalized immune testing and basic cancer workup (chemistry screen, CBC, TFT’s, etc.), several tests specific to prostate disease allow the clinician to track progression non-invasively and with greater accuracy. These tests include prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), free PSA, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), and prolactin.

PSA is now used as the preferred screening test for both benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer. Because PSA may be elevated in both benign and cancerous prostate disease, the test is not specific for prostate cancer. Values in the “indeterminate” range (4-12) present a special diagnostic dilemma. It is further estimated that 25% of men with prostate cancer will have PSA’s less than 4. Taken together, the PSA test poses a significant number of both false-negative and false-positive results. The PSA is an accurate measure of cancer cell activity once the diagnosis has been established.

Free-PSA is a more recent marker that has not yet been universally embraced by conventional medicine. Current research suggests that the free-PSA is a useful “next step” for evaluating elevated PSA’s. In men with PSA’s ranging from 4.1-10, higher levels of free-PSA (18.9 median value) correlated with benign disease while lower levels of free-PSA (10.1 median) correlated with cancer. It is estimated that 95% of “indeterminate” PSA reading could be clarified non-invasively with the additional use of the free-PSA test.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) was the prostate cancer screening test that preceded use of the PSA. An elevated PAP in a patient with known prostate cancer is indicative of lymphatic spread of the disease.

Prolactin hormone is an additional growth factor to the prostate gland, and rising prolactin levels correlate with progression in advanced prostate cancer cases. Prolactin receptors are found on prostate cancer cells, and it is postulated that these receptors may facilitate the entry of testosterone into the cell. Even with hormone ablation therapy, detectable androgen remains in the blood from adrenal sources. Blocking prolactin secretion may therefore be another method for slowing progression of the disease. It is recommended that prolactin levels be kept below 3 in all patients with hormone-responsive cancers.

Specific Goals of Prostate Cancer Therapy

Testosterone, prolactin, cortisol, insulin, glucose and arachidonic acid-derived prostaglandins (especially PGE2) act as growth factors for prostate cancer. Decreasing circulating levels of these hormones and blocking inflammatory pathways should be undertaken in addition to non-specific cancer therapies such as immune enhancement.

DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS

Low saturated fat diets decrease the body’s endogenous and exogenous hormone production. Conversely, diets high in saturated fats decrease NK cell activity and increase arachidonic acid, an inflammatory precursor. Rates of breast, colon, prostate, uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers are significantly higher in countries with high saturated fat intakes. Saturated fats promote inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis while omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.

A ketogenic (very low carbohydrate) diet such as The Super Fast Diet decreases the availability of glucose and insulin. Insulin is a growth factor for cancer and the primary metabolic pathway of cancer cells is anaerobic glycolysis, meaning that cancer cells thrive with a high glucose diet. In animal studies, even s slight change toward metabolic acidosis resulted in tumor regression. A low carbohydrate diet which induces ketosis (metabolic acidosis) may duplicate this effect. Overweight patients can afford to lose weight on such a diet, to further reduce their own hormone production. (Fat cells manufacture estrogen, a growth-promoting hormone).

Foods of Special Benefit

Garlic, lemon peel (the peel contains limonene), fish, flax seed, soy and soy products, fresh vegetables (especially non-starchy, dark leafy greens), blueberries and other berries (high in flavonoids and low in sugars), grains (whole grain only, to reduce insulin response and increase fiber content).

Grains should be used sparingly. In patients with more than twenty pounds to lose, they do not need to be used at all until desired weight is achieved.

DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS

  • A ketogenic diet such as The Super Fast Diet should be followed to lower insulin and glucose levels.
  • Achieve and maintain an optimal body weight and BMI. (BMI 18-22).
  • Exercise regularly to improve prostate circulation. Walking and running are the best for prostate circulation because they use the major leg muscles. Cycling restricts blood flow to the prostate and testicles and should not be used as the primary form of exercise for men.

PRIMARY SUPPORT

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of vitamin A, carotenes, C, D and selenium appear particularly important.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids:
    Flax seed meal, 2 teaspoons per day with food
    OR
    Max EPA (Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals (target dose: 3-6 caps per day). (Or eat fish 3 times per week and use 2 teaspoons of ground flax seed per day added to food).
  • Vitamin D: 1,000-5,000IU per day based on blood test results
  • Bromelain: 1-2 caps, 3-4 times per day between meals.
  • Melatonin: 10-40mg before bed.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

(NOTE: These therapies should be undertaken with the guidance of a physician who can order laboratory tests to determine hormone levels and immune function, monitor the effectiveness of treatment, assess possible toxicity and prescribe drugs when advisable). Please strongly consider obtaining a consultation with Dr. Myatt.

To Decrease testosterone

  • Saw palmetto: Serenoa repens, S. serrulata (Palmaceae)
    Saw palmetto blocks the conversion of testosterone to
    dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and there is evidence that DHT may be five times as potent as testosterone in stimulating prostate cancer cell growth.
  • Chaste berry: Vitex agnus-castus, V. negundo (Verbenaceae)-
    Vitex spp. decreases testosterone production in vivo and inhibits prolactin synthesis and release in animal models. As the name “chaste tree” implies, this herb was traditionally used by monks to reduce libido.
  • Rx: Casodex, Flutamide, Lupron, Zoladex

To Decrease prolactin

  • Vitex spp.- Chaste tree
  • Vegetarian diet
  • Rx: Bromocriptine, Pergolide, Dostinex

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): 1,000 I.U., 2-3 times per day with meals.
Vitamin D3 induces prostate cancer cell death (apoptosis) by apparent translocation of the cancer cell androgen receptor. This makes the cell less susceptible to testosterone-induced cell-growth stimulation. D3 encourages cancer cells to become more normal (induces differentiation), inhibits a cancer cell from developing it’s own blood supply (inhibits angiogenesis) and shows antitumor activity. Because vitamin D has the potential to cause toxicity, doses over 1,000 I.U. should be monitored by a physician. Increased blood calcium levels can result from toxicity. In clinical practice, D3 appears to benefit metastatic bone disease in higher doses, perhaps because this vitamin is needed for normal calcification of bone matrix.
Food sources of vitamin D include cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring), butter, egg yolks and dark green leafy vegetables. Sunlight acting on the skin will also create vitamin D. In areas of decreased sunlight, increases of breast and colon cancer have been observed.

DR. MYATT’S COMMENTS

Prostate cancer, especially early and mid-stage cancers in older patients, respond favorably to natural remedies. Whether as an adjuvant to conventional therapy or as the sole therapy, such treatment strategies should be considered.

Cancer, including prostate cancer, behaves differently depending on the age of the patient, the extent of the disease, the patient’s basic level of health, hormone status, etc., etc. For this reason, cancer patients should seek qualified holistic medical help when designing a natural (adjuvant or primary) treatment protocol.

PHYSICIAN NOTE #1:
Digestive enzymes (multi enzymes), whether from animal sources (pancreatin, etc.) or botanical (bromelain, papain), have been shown to increase survival time, inhibit metastasis, and stimulate immune cells. Enzymes induce differentiation and inhibit angiogenesis, possibly through antifibrinolytic mechanisms. It has also been postulated that enzymes may help unmask tumor cells and make them more accessible to the immune system.

PHYSICIAN NOTE #2:
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It regulates circadian rhythms and plays a role in sleep regulation. It is also a more potent antioxidant than glutathione or vitamin E. In vitro, melatonin demonstrates anti-estrogen activity and immune stimulation. Recent research shows that melatonin inhibits cell proliferation profoundly in vivo but only weakly in vitro. It is synergistic with IL-2 and increases the effectiveness of IL-2 treatment. Dosages used are much higher in cancer treatment than for insomnia or longevity protocols.

Prostate Cancer: Case Studies

The following case studies are meant to highlight for the reader or physician the effects of diet, hormone deprivation therapy, and adjuvant therapy on prostate cancer. Information about new prostate cancer blood tests, as well as new ways to interpret older tests, are also given. Anyone with a diagnosis of cancer should be working with a knowledgeable physician. Cancer can often be controlled through non-invasive measures but regular blood tests are important to verify the success of treatment. The interpretation of such tests is best done in conjunction with a physician. I am available for consultation.

Case # 1:

An otherwise healthy 65 year old male was found on routine physical exam to have a PSA of 19.7. Digital rectal exam (DRE) was unremarkable; Gleason score 2 + 3 on biopsy. Other relevant data: weight 208 pounds, height 5’11″, blood sugar 110, cholesterol 211, triglyceride 244.

The patient had originally declined conventional treatment offered him at the time of diagnosis. He began a self-prescribed regimen of CoQ10, vitamin A,C,E, N-acetyl cystein and MGN3 (mushroom preparation). In four months, his PSA was 14.0, other vitals remained relatively unchanged.

At this point, the patient consulted me. I performed a PAP which was 1.1, normal. I put the patient on a ketogenic diet, substituted Maxi Muli formula for his separate vitamins, added Maxi Greens and vitamin D3. One month later, his PSA was 10.2, weight 189, blood sugar 83, cholesterol 167 and triglycerides 43.

Dr. Myatt’s comments

PSA is an accurate marker of prostate cancer activity after the diagnosis of cancer has been established. Any significant decreases of PSA represent a slowing of the disease process, so this number can be used in early and mid-stage prostate cancer to assess efficacy of treatment. The patient’s initial decrease of PSA was due entirely to his supplement regimen since no diet changes were made at that time.

After beginning The Super Fast Diet, the patient had a further decline in PSA, accompanied by significant improvements in blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides. After two months and four months, the patient’s PSA’s remain at 10.2. A continuing decline is desirable, but this “holding pattern” is still good.

The ketogenic diet made the most dramatic improvement in this case. Not only did it result in further control of the cancer, but the patient is now at lower risk for cardiac and other weight-related problems as well. It is important to remember that a disease such as prostate cancer rarely appears in isolation. Overall improvement of the patient’s health is necessary to gain control of the disease and minimize risk of other diseases. What good is it to save a person from prostate cancer only to have them die of a heart attack?

Case # 2:

An obese (250 pounds+) 56 year old male with a history of asthma was found on routine physical exam to have a PSA of 4.4 and a free PSA of 5.9, suggesting cancer. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. During the first four weeks after diagnosis, the patient’s PSA rose from 4.4 to 6.2, a rapid increase suggesting a possibly aggressive cancer. The PAP was within normal limits, indicating no lymphatic or extra-capsular spread.

The patient was advised to follow a The Super Fast Diet (a ketogenic diet), which would be expected to benefit both the cancer and asthma. (Obesity is associated with an increased likelihood of asthma and contributes a large hormone burden to the body because fat cells manufacture estrogen. Estrogen is a growth factor for hormone-related cancers including prostate cancer). The patient has thus far failed to follow a ketogenic diet. Hormone deprivation therapy was initiated, and this dropped the PSA to less the 0.1 in one month, indicating current control of the disease. Since cancer cells eventually “escape” hormone suppression, this treatment will not be expected to work indefinitely. During this time, the patient will be encouraged to lose weight, preferably on a ketogenic diet. I will continue to encourage him to either have surgery or become more dedicated to a non-surgical cancer control program. Prostate cancer is one form of cancer that is highly amenable to diet and lifestyle modification if the individual is willing to make some modest positive changes.

This article is developed from the lecture notes for a lecture presented by Dr. Myatt in May of 2000 at the 2000 Pacific Northwest Herbal Symposium. A transcript of the original, fully annotated notes may be found at the link below:

Botanical and Nutritional Considerations in the
Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Dana Myatt, N.M.D.


References

Lab Evaluation and Incidence

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Low Carbohydrate Diet

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Foods of Special Benefit

Garlic

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6.) Kandil O.M., et al.: Garlic and the immune system in humans: its effect on natural killer cells. Fed Proc 46:441, 1987.
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9.) Kroning, F.: Garlic as an inhibitor for spontaneous tumors in predisposed mice. Acta Unio Inter Contra Cancrum 20(3):855, 1964.

Super Foods

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7.) Demark-Wahnefried W, Price DT, Polascik TJ, et al. Pilot study of dietary fat restriction and flaxseed supplementation in men with prostate cancer before surgery: exploring the effects on hormonal levels, prostate-specific antigen, and histopathologic features. Urology2001;58:47–52.
8.) Davis JN, Singh B, Bhuiyan M, Sarkar FH. Genistein-induced upregulation of p21WAF1, downregulation of cyclin B, and induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Nutr Cancer 1998;32:123–31.
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Body Weight (BMI) and Prostate Cancer

1.) Talamini R, La Vecchia C, Decarli A, et al. Nutrition, social factors and prostatic cancer in a Northern Italian population. Br J Cancer 1986;53:817–21.
2.) Andersson S-O, Wolk A, Bergstrom R, et al. Body size and prostate cancer: a 20-year follow-up study among 135,006 Swedish construction workers. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89:385–9.

Exercise and Prostate Cancer

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8.) Chang SC, Ziegler RG, Dunn B, Stolzenberg-Solomon R, Lacey JV Jr, Huang WY, Schatzkin A, Reding D, Hoover RN, Hartge P, Leitzmann MF. Association of energy intake and energy balance with postmenopausal breast cancer in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006 Feb;15(2):334-41.

Multiple Vitamins and Cancer / Prostate Cancer

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Antioxidants (General) and Prostate Cancer

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Vitamin A , Carotenes and Prostate Cancer

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Vitamin C and Cancer / Prostate cancer

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Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer

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Selenium and Cancer / Prostate Cancer

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6.) Medina D. Mechanisms of selenium inhibition of tumorigenesis. Adv Exp Med Biol 1986;206:465–72.
7.) Willett WC, Polk BF, Morris JS, et al. Prediagnostic serum Selenium and risk of cancer. Lancet 1983;42:130–4.
8.) Beisel WR. Single nutrients and immunity. Am J Clin Nutr 1982;35:417–68.
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Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer

1.) Ritch CR, Wan RL, Stephens LB, Taxy JB, Huo D, Gong EM, Zagaja GP, Brendler CB. Dietary fatty acids correlate with prostate cancer biopsy grade and volume in Jamaican men. J Urol. 2007 Jan;177(1):97-101; discussion 101.
2.) Hedelin M, Chang ET, Wiklund F, Bellocco R, Klint A, Adolfsson J, Shahedi K, Xu J, Adami HO, Grönberg H, Bälter KA. Association of frequent consumption of fatty fish with prostate cancer risk is modified by COX-2 polymorphism. Int J Cancer. 2007 Jan 15;120(2):398-405.
3.) Kobayashi N, Barnard RJ, Henning SM, Elashoff D, Reddy ST, Cohen P, Leung P, Hong-Gonzalez J, Freedland SJ, Said J, Gui D, Seeram NP, Popoviciu LM, Bagga D, Heber D, Glaspy JA, Aronson WJ.Effect of altering dietary omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratios on prostate cancer membrane composition, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin E2. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Aug 1;12(15):4662-70.
4.) Pilot study to explore effects of low-fat, flaxseed-supplemented diet on proliferation of benign prostatic epithelium and prostate-specific antigen. Urology. 2004 May;63(5):900-4.
5.) Augustsson K, Michaud DS, Rimm EB, Leitzmann MF, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Giovannucci E. A prospective study of intake of fish and marine fatty acids and prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2003 Jan;12(1):64-7.
6.) Dietary fat and cancer.Am J Med. 2002 Dec 30;113 Suppl 9B:63S-70S
7.) Pilot study of dietary fat restriction and flaxseed supplementation in men with prostate cancer before surgery: exploring the effects on hormonal levels, prostate-specific antigen, and histopathologic features. Urology. 2001 Jul;58(1):47-52.
8.) Comparison of fatty acid profiles in the serum of patients with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Clinical Biochemistry, Vol. 32, August 1999, pp. 405-09.

Bromelain (anasas comosus) and Cancer

1.)Kalra N, Bhui K, Roy P, Srivastava S, George J, Prasad S, Shukla Y.Regulation of p53, nuclear factor kappaB and cyclooxygenase-2 expression by bromelain through targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in mouse skin.Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2008 Jan 1;226(1):30-7. Epub 2007 Aug 23.
2.) Báez R, Lopes MT, Salas CE, Hernández M. In vivo antitumoral activity of stem pineapple (Ananas comosus) bromelain. Planta Med. 2007 Oct;73(13):1377-83. Epub 2007 Sep 24.
3.) Beuth J, Braun JM. Modulation of murine tumor growth and colonization by bromelaine, an extract of the pineapple plant (Ananas comosum L.).In Vivo. 2005 Mar-Apr;19(2):483-5.
4.) Wallace JM. Nutritional and botanical modulation of the inflammatory cascade–eicosanoids, cyclooxygenases, and lipoxygenases–as an adjunct in cancer therapy. Integr Cancer Ther. 2002 Mar;1(1):7-37; discussion 37.
5.) Maurer HR.Bromelain: biochemistry, pharmacology and medical use. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2001 Aug;58(9):1234-45.
6.) Desser L, Holomanova D, Zavadova E, Pavelka K, Mohr T, Herbacek I. Oral therapy with proteolytic enzymes decreases excessive TGF-beta levels in human blood. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2001 Jul;47 Suppl:S10-5.
7.) Hubarieva HO, Kindzel’s’kyĭ LP, Ponomar’ova OV, Udatova TV, Shpil’ova SI, Smolanka II, Korovin SI, Ivankin VS. Systemic enzymotherapy as a method of prophylaxis of postradiation complications in oncological patients] Lik Sprava. 2000 Oct-Dec;(7-8):94-100.
8.) Zavadova E, Desser L, Mohr T. Stimulation of reactive oxygen species production and cytotoxicity in human neutrophils in vitro and after oral administration of a polyenzyme preparation. Cancer Biother. 1995 Summer;10(2):147-52.
9.) Taussig SJ, Batkin S. Bromelain, the enzyme complex of pineapple (Ananas comosus) and its clinical application. An update. J Ethnopharmacol. 1988 Feb-Mar;22(2):191-203.
10.) Batkin S, Taussig SJ, Szekerezes J. Antimetastatic effect of bromelain with or without its proteolytic and anticoagulant activity. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 1988;114(5):507-8.

Melatonin and Cancer

1.) Lissoni P, Barni S, Mandalà, et al. Decreased toxicity and increased efficacy of cancer chemotherapy using the pineal hormone melatonin in metastatic solid tumour patients with poor clinical status. Eur J Cancer 1999;35:1688–92.
2.) Lissoni P, Cazzanga M, Tancini G, et al. Reversal of clinical resistance to LHRH analogue in metastatic prostate cancer by the pineal hormone melatonin: efficacy of LHRH analogue plus melatonin in patients progressing on LHRH analogue alone. Eur Urol 1997;31:178–81.
3.) Lissoni P, Paolorossi F, Tancini G, et al. Is there a role for melatonin in the treatment of neoplastic cachexia? Eur J Cancer 1996;32A:1340–3.
4.) Lissoni P, Paolorossi F, Tancini G, et al. A phase II study of tamoxifen plus melatonin in metastatic solid tumour patients. Br J Cancer 1996;74:1466–8.
5.) Lissoni P, Barni S, Cazzaniga M, Ardizzoia A, Rovelli F, Brivio F, Tancini G.: Efficacy of the concomitant administration of the pineal hormone melatonin in cancer immunotherapy with low-dose IL-2 in patients with advanced solid tumors who had progressed on IL-2 alone. Oncology. 1994 Jul-Aug;51(4):344-7.
6.) Lissoni P, Barni S, Crispino S, et al. Endocrine and immune effects of melatonin therapy in metastatic cancer patients. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 1989;25:789–95.

Saw Palmetto (Actions)

1.) Di Silverio F, Monti S, Sciarra A, et al. Effects of long-term treatment with Serenoa repens (Permixon®) on the concentrations and regional distribution of androgens and epidermal growth factor in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate 1998;37:77–83.
2. Strauch G, Perles P, Vergult G, et al. Comparison of finasteride (Proscar®) and Serenoa repens (Permixon®) in the inhibition of 5-alpha reductase in healthy male volunteers. Eur Urol 1994;26:247–52.

Chaste Berry (Vitex) Actions

1.) Sliutz G, Speiser P, Schultz AM, et al. Agnus castus extracts inhibit prolactin secretion of rat pituitary cells. Horm Metab Res 1993;25:253–5.
2.) Böhnert KJ. The use of Vitex agnus castus for hyperprolactinemia. Quart Rev Nat Med 1997;Spring:19–21.

 

PSA CAPSULES (formerly called Prostate Support)


A PC-SPES-Like Herbal Formula for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Support – now called PSA Capsules – contains a combination of herbs that support the prostate gland and immune system in the presence of prostate cancer. This formula is similar to “PC-SPES” without the undisclosed drugs.

Suggested dose: 1-2 capsules, 3 times per day on an empty stomach.

Dr. Myatt’s comment: It is important to work with a skilled holistic physician when treating any form of cancer.

Each (two) capsules contain:
(Please Note: Due to variances in the processing of these herbs, actual mg amounts may vary slightly)

Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)………..172 mg
Baikal skullcap root (Scutellaria baicalensis)…..146 mg
Rabdosia root (Rabdosia rubescens) …………….120 mg
San-Qi ginseng root (Panax notoginseng)……….112 mg
Ban Lan Gen root (AKA Dyer’s Woad root)
(Isatis indigotica)…………………………………………………94 mg
Mum flower (Dendranthema morifolium) …………..78 mg
Saw Palmetto berry (Serenoa repens)……………….70 mg
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)…………………………70 mg

NOTE: This product is only available to Dr. Myatt’s private practice patients.

The Truth about PC-SPES

The product PC SPES worked well for many men. Unfortunately, it contained a number of undisclosed drugs which not only caused some undesirable side effects such as breast enlargement and tenderness, but also side effects that could be downright dangerous, even lethal. When tested, PC-SPES was found to contain diethylstilbesterol (DES), a synthetic form of the female hormone estrogen. This compound can cause a number of negative side effects, the most significant of which is blood clotting which can lead to cardiovascular events including heart attach and stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

Another compound found in PC-SPES was Warfarin (aka “rat poison”) – a powerful blood thinner presumably included to counter the potential blood clotting effects of the DES. Finally, the drug Indomethacin (Indocid) – a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID)- was found. This drug has the potential to cause severe gastrointestinal side effects such as GI bleeding, ulceration and blood clotting problems.

It is believed that the great success of PC Spes was due to the undisclosed DES (female hormone). As many have noted, men would vary the dose to achieve the best  effect – from one or two to as many as a dozen capsules per day. This exposed men to potentially very dangerous levels of the other undisclosed drugs in addition to high hormone levels.

I am including a link to a very informative paper on this subject, an essay by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

ITM Online

Dr. Myatt’s product Prostate Support is the result of Dr. Myatt’s suspicions about the product PC Spes and her analysis of it which demonstrated the undisclosed drugs. She then formulated a replacement which contained the beneficial herbal components, without the potentially dangerous drugs. The drugs that were hidden in PC Spes are all easily available to a physician if they are needed, and Dr. Myatt felt that it was far safer and more effective to use carefully tailored separate doses of these drugs when necessary to achieve the desired effects.

This allowed Dr. Myatt to develop a very effective herbal formulation, without risking the potentially dangerous, even lethal side effects that could result from the hidden drugs. Her further observation regarding the PC Spes formula was that if the manufacturer was willing to hide drugs in it’s formula, what else was it willing to do? The drug were undisclosed – this means that the doses were also undisclosed and could be changed or even eliminated at any time.

As you will have seen from this website, we at The Wellness Club have no love for the FDA. In this instance, however, we believe that they did the right thing by removing PC Spes from the marketplace.

Dr. Myatt has a great deal of experience in treating prostate cancer. She also has a very personal interest – she has been treating her own father for prostate cancer for the two decades. His conventional physicians wanted to do the  “cut, burn, and poison” treatments when it was first discovered. Instead, Dr. Myatt pioneered a then-unconventional form of hormonal suppression therapy. This proved highly successful and she has used these techniques on hundreds of men since then with the same excellent results. Her techniques are now accepted and commonly used in conventional medicine.

Please visit our web pages where we discuss Cancer , Prostate Cancer , Prostate Enlargement , and Man Health & Fitness where Dr. Myatt discusses male hormones. There is information available on hormone testing on our Medical Tests page.

As I mentioned, my recommendation to any man who is dealing with prostate cancer – at any stage of development or treatment – is to run, not walk, to arrange a consultation with Dr. Myatt! Please see the information regarding her alternative medicine consultations  – a consultation with Dr. Myatt is an excellent investment in good health, and her patients find that the cost of her consultations is more than offset by the improved health and the money saved on both prescription drugs and treatments and on other non-prescription “treatments” of questionable value and safety.

Although different in every man who has it, prostate cancer is almost always a disease that can be managed as a chronic condition (like diabetes). Prostate cancer should certainly not be a death sentence when treated appropriately.

A transcript of the original, fully annotated notes for a lecture on Prostate Cancer presented by Dr. Myatt in May of 2000 at the 2000 Pacific Northwest Herbal Symposium may be found at the link below: Botanical and Nutritional Considerations in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer –
Dana Myatt, N.M.D.

 

Sugar More Addictive Than Cocaine According To New Research!

08/23/07

This Week In HealthBeat News:

  • Yet More Good Reasons To Stop The Pop Habit – Metabolic Syndrome And Addiction
  • This week’s FDA “Warnings”…
  • The FDA Is “At It Again”… Keeping Us Safe From Mother Nature
  • We Get Letters I –  Comments and Questions…
  • We Get Letters II – Readers Ask Medical Questions…
  • Laughter is Good Medicine: Kids Say The Darndest Things – Part 2

Yet More Good Reasons To Stop The Pop Habit

Dr. Myatt has written and warned and ranted about the dangers of Soda Pop consumption over and over and over – most recently in our HealthBeat article Poisonous Pop . Well, the bad news about pop just keeps rolling in… this article from one of the many medical journals that we read each day for you:


A study suggests that middle-aged adults who drink more than 1 soft drink (diet or regular) daily have a higher risk of developing adverse metabolic traits as well as the metabolic syndrome.
Medscape Medical News 2007

For those who are a little hazy about what is “metabolic syndrome”, the article defines it thusly:

Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of three or more of following risk factors: excess waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels, and high fasting glucose levels. [high fasting glucose levels = diabetes]

So, the long and short of this is that Pop drinkers are far more likely to develop “Metabolic Syndrome” and diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Cool, huh? And we let our kids drink this stuff ???

But Wait! There’s More!

This just in from a research paper out of France:

Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward

Yup, you read correctly – according to this study sugar is more addicting than cocaine!

Here is the conclusion of the research (edited slightly for brevity):

Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, … We speculate that the addictive potential of intense sweetness results from an inborn hypersensitivity to sweet tastants. In … humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars and are thus not adapted to high concentrations of sweet tastants. The supranormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a supranormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.

Here’s the short-course, plain English translation: Because our distant (and not-so-distant) ancestors developed without mounds of sugar available to them we don’t handle sugars well, and sugars turn out to be actually more addictive (in the truest sense of addiction) than cocaine. Further, it is not the sugar, but the intense sweetness that is the addictive thing – the researchers used saccharine as a sweetener as well as sucrose (sugar) and the results were the same. Sweet beat out cocaine for the lab rats in the study.

Yikes! It boggles the mind, doesn’t it!

Read the research paper in it’s entirety here: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0000698

Still gonna go out for that six-pack of soda-pop or that mega-slurpee at the convenience store? Why not try some alternatives? Plain ol’ water has been a perennial favorite since the days of Alley Oop the caveman – I’ve heard it called “Adam’s Ale”… but if water just doesn’t cut it for you, how about iced green tea with a little lemon, or if you really need an energy drink, try some Greens First Berry  – 10 Servings of Fruits & Vegetables in One Delicious Drink, with minimal sugar.

This week’s FDA “Warnings”…

Certain Diabetes Drugs to Carry Strengthened Warnings
Manufacturers of certain drugs to treat type 2 diabetes have agreed to add a stronger warning on the risk of heart failure. The information will be included in the form of a “boxed” warning, FDA’s strongest type of warning.
FDA

So… take Big Pharma’s drugs and risk heart failure, or read up on some natural strategies for dealing with Diabetes without drugs and risk improving your health… Tough call, right? Check out our webpage Diabetes – get hip, get healthy, and do it without heart-destroying drugs!

Updated Prescribing Information Approved for Coumadin
FDA has approved updated labeling for the blood-thinning drug Coumadin to explain that genetic makeup may influence how a patient responds to the drug. Manufacturers of warfarin, the generic version of Coumadin, also plan to add similar labeling information.
FDA News

It should come as no surprise that there are some wonderfully effective ways of maintaining healthy blood “viscosity” and normal clotting factors that don’t involve swallowing “rat poison’… you can find plenty of free information with strategies for staying healthy without rat poison – check out our pages on Thrombophlebitis and Heart Health and kick the Warfarin habit before it kicks you!

The FDA Is “At It Again”… Keeping Us Safe From Mother Nature

A recent notice from the FDA warns consumers to not use several red yeast rice products that have been discovered to contain a molecule described as Lovastatin – the molecule synthesized by the Big Drug Companies and marketed to us under a variety of brand names such as Mevacor®, Advicor®, Altocor®,
Altoprev®, and Statosan® (Atos Pharma).

Here is their warning and link for your amusement:

FDA is warning consumers not to buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold online as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol. FDA analysis showed the products contained an ingredient found in the prescription cholesterol drug Mevacor. FDA News

In part, their warning states:

This risk is even more serious because consumers may not know the side effects associated with lovastatin and the fact that it can adversely interact with other medications,” said Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Oooh! Spooky frightening words! No mention of course that the FDA approved drug, which is the same stuff that is in the supplements the FDA would ban, might be just as dangerous (or not)…

The FDA goes on to explain:

These red yeast rice products are a threat to health because the possibility exists that lovastatin can cause severe muscle problems leading to kidney impairment. This risk is greater in patients who take higher doses of lovastatin or who take lovastatin and other medicines that increase the risk of muscle adverse reactions. These medicines include the antidepressant nefazodone, certain antibiotics, drugs used to treat fungal infections and HIV infections, and other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Uh, Guys…? You forgot grapefruit juice – grapefruit juice (and grapefruit) inhibits the metabolism of statins which can increase the levels of the statin, and increase the risk of dose-related adverse effects…

But of course the patented drugs are safe – after all, they are FDA approved, and prescribed for you by a FDA approved doctor, and sold to you at great profit by a FDA approved Pharmacy… Surely that FDA approval removes almost all the risk from these drugs, right?

Folks, I have a news flash for you: Mother Nature holds the patent on Lovastatin! Big Pharma may have figured out how to fully synthesize it in their soulless, sterile laboratories, but Mother Nature was there first!

Here is a bit of history about the “discovery” of Lovastatin taken from the on-line reference resource wikipedia: (edited for brevity – full article available at Wikipedia )

Akira Endo and Masao Kuroda of Tokyo, Japan commenced research… in 1971. The first agent isolated was mevastatin (ML-236B), a molecule produced by Penicillium citrinum. The pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. showed an interest in the Japanese research in 1976, and isolated lovastatin (mevinolin, MK803), the first commercially marketed statin, from the mold Aspergillus terreus.

But mankind has known about the properties of this Miracle of Mother Nature for thousands of years – here is an another excerpt from the on-line resource wikipedia: ( full article available at: Red Rice Yeast )

In addition to its culinary use, red yeast rice is also used in traditional Chinese herbology and traditional Chinese medicine. Its use has been documented as far back as the Tang Dynasty in China in 800 A.D. and taken internally to invigorate the body, aid in digestion, and remove “blood blockages”.

This whole silly thing just makes me want to shake my head – for it is nothing new, and the FDA has tried this several times before with Red Rice Yeast. Each time they try it, their ban crumbles under the weight of logic:

  • If Lovastatin is a unique, synthesized, patented drug, how could Mother Nature have possibly gotten there first with something as lowly as a fungus?
     
  • If Lovastatin is a new and novel thing (and therefore worthy of patent protection,) what were the ancient Chinese doing with it in 800 A.D.?
     
  • If the natural, less potent (but just as effective) substance is so very dangerous that we must be “protected” from it, how can the synthesized, isolated version be so much safer that it is sold without prescription (O.T.C or Over The Counter) in Britain, with Big Pharma agitating for the same here in the US?

To their credit, the FDA has so far resisted Big Pharma’s call – probably because they are wary of the logic that says if Big Pharma’s brands of statins can be sold O.T.C., then why shouldn’t Mother Nature’s brand also be allowed to be sold?

It will be fun to follow this one, and you can be sure that HealthBeat will keep you updated as this comedy – er, story – unfolds.

And here is a parting thought… is there not a lawyer out there somewhere who would take this case? God and God’s Agent, Mother Nature vs. Big Pharma and Big Pharma’s Agent, The FDA in a lawsuit over theft of intellectual property, plagiarism, counterfeiting, and patent infringement?

What a fun trial that might be! After all, what would happen to you or I if we reverse-engineered one of Big Pharma’s creations and sold the result for billions in profits? Would we not find ourselves in court “quicker than two shakes of a lamb’s tail?”

Learn more about Red Yeast Rice at the Wellness Club website!

We Get Letters: Comments and Questions…

Janet writes to comment:

I have just signed up for your newsletter. Thank you again!
I have personally used medicinal herbs and other natural treatments for 30 years; and now know just enough to realize how little I know! ~Janet

Dr. Myatt replies:

Hi Janet:

An ancient Arab proverb goes something like this:

There are four types of men:

The man who doesn’t know, and doesn’t know that he doesn’t know. He is a fool. Avoid him.
The man who doesn’t know, and knows that he doesn’t know. He is a student. Teach him.
The man who knows, and doesn’t know that he knows. He is asleep. Awaken him.
The man who knows, and knows that he knows. He is a teacher. Learn from him.

Knowing how little you know is the beginning of wisdom!

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

And another Janet writes:

Dear Dr. Myatt,
I have a question regarding castor oil packs.  I have read that this is a good treatment for lymphoma….Then, on another website, I read one should not use castor oil packs if there is a malignancy.  Your in put would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You, Janet

To which Dr. Myatt answers:

Hi Janet:

I use castor oil packs (COP) for everything, including every type of cancer. I have been involved in several large (unpublished) studies using castor oil packs and have never seen an adverse outcome, and I have never seen any studies which show that a COP is contraindicated in lymphoma. The only time I wouldn’t use a COP is where I wouldn’t use heat, such as in a “hot” appendix.

Please keep in mind that there are MANY other things that should be done in addition to COP’s for cancer. It is difficult for a layman to sort out what will really help because of all the conflicting stories one hears. As you probably know, “everybody is an expert” when you have cancer. The lady next door, your butcher, baker and candlestick-maker, the gal at the health food store — everybody “knows” a cure for cancer that you should be using! The trouble is, 99% of such advice is wrong.

An holistic physician can make specific recommendations based on the individual, and this is much more productive.

Here is a note (which the patient gave me permission to use ) from a Stage 4 ovarian cancer patient. I don’t know if you’re familiar with “staging,” but stage 4 is as high as it gets, and ovarian cancer is usually a death-sentence. She wrote last week after her check-up with the oncologist:

Hi Dr. Myatt –

Well, I’m home now – been a long day.  He (oncologist) gave me an internal exam as usual to see what’s growin’ – because the last time I was there (3 mo. ago) he felt stuff growing – Well, guess what – he felt NOTHING!! NADA – NIENTE – 0 growths!! – and he can’t figure it out.  So he wants to see me in 3 more months and no scans ordered.  How do you like that!
Bye!
Gail

And a note she sent out to friends the next day:

Hi Everyone – I just had another ‘cancer visit’ with my oncologist.  I was delighted with the results.
On his examination – he could not feel the cancer that was growing the last time I was there even though my cancer marker was elevated a little.  He expected me to be bloated and full of growths, but I wasn’t. He is baffled.  I attribute this as a result of working with Dr. Myatt – a nutritionist in Arizona – and sticking with her diet and and supplements.

So, to all my family and friends – Thank you for your support and prayers and kind and healthy thoughts – they are working for me. Don’t underestimate their power and yours
I love you all soooooooo much
Love and Light
Gail

Janet, Gail is not an exception. We have excellent results in achieving remissions in even our advanced cancer patients. And keep in mind that I have never met any of these people in person — this work has all been done by telephone consultation.

Please, if you need solid holistic medical advice, don’t just try and stumble around with a “do it yourself” program. Cancer is a very “worthy adversary,” and I cannot recommend highly enough that you enlist the help of myself or a trusted holistic doctor to help you with this. My telephone consultation information can be found here: Telephone Consultations

Please do keep in touch no matter what and let me know how this lymphoma case turns out. We’ll be praying for the welfare of this patient.

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

Muscular and joint pain is a very common and vexing problem that interferes with the enjoyment of life’s pleasures for most of us at some time or other. There are some excellent natural solutions to this problem – read on:

Dr. Myatt received this letter recently:

Hi!
I am a friend of a patient of yours and he mentioned that you could probably suggest a vitamin/mineral that might help my muscle soreness. Have been to a Dr. who ruled out Fibromyalgia. I am very active with work, motorcycles and horses. Have any suggestions? Thank You, Tanya N.

Hi Tanya,

Thank you for your question. Muscle soreness can result from many things, and combinations of things. The very best way to sort this out would be to arrange an
alternative medicine consultation
with Dr. Myatt – this will save you time, money, and uncertainty, and provide you with a very definitive plan for better health.

Here are some general suggestions:

An optimal dose multiple vitamin / mineral / micronutrient formula such as Maxi-Multiis a cornerstone for anyone’s good health. Without optimal nutrition, the cells of your body (including your muscles) cannot function properly.

CoEnzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) is an important energy molecule for the mitochondria (the energy units) of our body’s cells. The body produces CoQ10 naturally, but many people are deficient for a number of reasons, including prescription medication use – particularly the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Without adequate energy supplies your muscles cannot function at their best and may feel tired and achy. CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to many processes in the body. They are anti-inflammatory. Deficiencies in Omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to a subtle body-wide inflammatory state. The Standard American Diet is woefully deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids. An excellent source is Max EPA .

Bromelainis nature’s premier anti-Inflammatory herb, useful for all types of infection, injuries, inflammation, sinusitis, cardiovascular disease, rheumatic disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer. It is very effective at reducing swelling and inflammation, thereby reducing pain and discomfort of muscle soreness.

Cox-2 Support is a new product that many of Dr. Myatt’s patients and Wellness Club members have reported excellent results with. This herbal blend was created to help support normal healthy Cox-2 levels. You are no doubt familiar with the Cox-2 inhibitor drugs such as Vioxx and Bextra and others which have earned a reputation for being  dangerous. Cox-2 support was formulated to give similar pain relief by helping the body to produce normal, healthy levels of Cox-2 compounds instead of creating artificially high levels of these compounds in the body by preventing their normal metabolism as the discredited Cox-2 inhibitor drugs are designed to do. It is well worth a try for relieving all kinds of muscular and joint discomfort.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,
Nurse Mark

We Get Letters II – Readers Ask Medical Questions…

Q.) Hello Dr. Myatt,

I would be interested in information regarding high cholesterol (my LDL is 314!!), halting or REVERSING coronary artery disease (several 40% blockages), and osteoporosis (severe—I’m trying strontium now after refusing Forteo), lowering blood pressure in a healthy way (I’m 53, 5′ tall and weigh 100 pounds on a good day!) and fibromyalgia (Yep, that too). The laundry list goes on and on, so at this point just about anything you talk about would be of interest to me or a family member!
Trying to avoid as many pharmaceuticals as possible, but have tried all the ‘naturals’, and I still haven’t found the solution….

Your site is great. I look forward to your newsletters!
Best regards, Eliz

A.) Hi Eliz:

Welcome aboard! As I’m sure you know, I can’t really respond personally to every complaint you have (I don’t have NEARLY enough information). To do so would require a telephone consultation. But there are plenty of highly informative pieces to help answer these questions on our main website ( DoctorMyatt.com ) and on this site.

This should get you going: High Cholesterol .

And be sure to see these HealthBeat articles:

And this whitepaper: (which will be pulled from the site soon and made into a white paper for purchase, so grab this while you can for free) Lower Cholesterol Naturally

See our information about Osteoporosis: and our HealthBeat article Strontium: The Missing Mineral for Osteoporosis Prevention and Reversal:

Fibromyalgia: that’s a “case by case” basis; I recommend a phone consult. And I’ll work on a general information page for this topic and post it to the main website.

There’s a problem with a “do it yourself” approach to natural health, especially when you have some serious medical concerns. You wind up buying all of the “best-hyped” supplements (and natural manufacturers can be every bit as “hypey” as Big Pharma!), waste a lot of time and money, and you still haven’t done anything specific for your case.

There’s a reason why naturopathic medical doctors spend 4 years in medical school after 4 years of pre-med. That’s because a precise understanding of the patient’s complaints, and targeted recommendations, takes a lot of knowledge and understanding. The “do it yourself” approach to medicine is, for most people, a waste of time and money and can even be dangerous. Get some professional assistance! I’m here if you need me….

P.S. to all HealthBeat News Subscribers: Remember that you’ll find a boat-load of free, no-hype holistic health information at DoctorMyatt.com.

You can also look up past articles from HealthBeat at our new HealthBeat Archives page.

All the links above were taken from our free-to-access websites.

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

Laughter is Good Medicine: Kids Say The Darndest Things – Part 2

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, ‘It’s no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.’

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, ‘I’m not sure.’ ‘Look in your underwear, Grandma,’ he advised. ‘Mine says I’m four to six.’

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, ‘Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.’ The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. ‘That’s interesting,’ she said, ‘How do you make babies?’ ‘It’s simple,’ replied the girl. ‘You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.’

‘Give me a sentence about a public servant,’ said a teacher. The small boy wrote: ‘The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.’ The teacher asked, ‘Do you know what pregnant means?’ Sure,’
said the young boy confidently. ‘It means carrying a child.’

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties. ‘They use him to keep crowds back,’ said one youngster. ‘No,’ said another, ‘he’s just for good luck.’ A third child brought the argument to a close: ‘No, they use the dogs to find the fire hydrant.’

 

 

Are you ready to feel younger and more energetic than you have in years … or maybe even your entire life ?


Detoxify Your Body from the Harmful Effects of
Environmental Pollutants, Intestinal Waste and Parasites,
Drugs, Food Additives and Impure Thoughts
and Increase Your Health, Vitality and Life Expectancy Today!

From: The Desk of Dr. Dana Myatt
To: Sincere Health-Seekers Everywhere

Hidden Toxins are Everywhere,
Including Your Body

The world around us is filled with toxic chemicals. We encounter these chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the cosmetics we apply to our skin, the household cleaners we scrub with, the pesticides and synthetic fertilizers we spray or sprinkle in our gardens and dozens of other sources. Other toxins are actually produced in our bodies, the end-result of cellular metabolism (cell waste products). There is really no escaping exposure to toxins, and in addition to the internally-derived toxins, many of the external toxins also find their way into our bodies.

How do we know that humans absorb any significant amount of these toxins? Since 1976, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started measuring levels of environmental toxins found in people. (The National Adipose Tissue Survey, or NHATS). The study looked at fat samples from people all over the country and measured the level of toxins present. In 1982, for example, they looked for 54 different environmental toxins, and their results were shocking. Five toxic chemicals were found in 100% of the samples and another 9 toxins were identified in 91 percent of all samples. These toxins included nasty chemicals like benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, DDE and dioxins. PCB’s, substances which are highly toxic to the immune system, were found in 83% of all samples. A total of 20 toxic chemicals were identified in 76% of all samples— and remember, these “samples” were fat tissue taken from real people! “Environmental toxins” aren’t just in the world around us, they are in our own bodies.

Toxins Have Been Killing You Slowly For Years

The question isn’t “does your body contain toxic chemicals,” but rather, how many of these chemicals are in your system and what effect do they have on your health?

Toxins in the body are known to cause cancers, neurological diseases, autoimmune conditions, deceased immune function, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities and fibromyalgia. And those are just the diseases that we KNOW are associated with body toxicity! There are many other conditions that appear to be associated, if not outright caused, by the accumulation of toxins in the body. Fatigue, headache, anxiety and depression, skin conditions (acne, eczema), rashes, Attention Deficit Disorder and even heart disease are all related to stored toxins in the body.

Imagine What Can Happen When
These Toxins are Removed

If you suffer from an illness, removing stored toxins in the system will go a long way toward cure. In many cases, detoxification IS the cure, especially when the disease is caused primarily by toxicity.

Even if you feel perfectly well, the presence of toxins in your body decreases your level of health and vitality. A gradual but certain decline in immune function, for example, might not be noticeable at first. But why wait until you have allergies, or catch colds more often, or are diagnosed with cancer? Regular detoxification will not only help prevent disease but will also reveal new levels of energy and stamina you didn’t even know you were missing!

What is Involved in a Detoxification Program?

In order to understand what a “good detoxification program” looks like, you need to know a little bit about how the body processes toxic substances. There are five major organs of detoxification and all five of these must be functioning in top form in order to properly remove toxic substances. These organs include the colon (large intestine), liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. Of these five, the liver and colon are considered the two “major players” in the detoxification process. Toxins that are not removed are stored in fat, bones, soft tissue and individual cells (which means every place in the body)!

SO, a thorough detoxification program must get all five detoxification organs in top form AND must pull toxins out of storage.

Total Body Detoxification
Produces Faster and More Impressive Results
than “Bowel Cleansing” Programs

There are a number of “detoxification programs” on the market. Many are downright silly, but some are pretty good. The problem that I see with all of them is that most only address one detoxification system. As you’ve just learned, there are five detox organs which all work together to process and remove toxins from the body. Why would we think that a great “detox program” would involve only one of the five?

For example, there is a popular “bowel cleansing program” on the market. As far as bowel cleansing goes, this is a good program. But even thoroughly cleaning the bowels does not ensure that the liver’s detox pathways are working correctly, and the liver must process toxic chemicals into non-toxic chemicals long before they reach the bowel. Nor will a “clean colon” pull stored toxins out of fat, bone and soft tissue. A well-functioning colon, accomplished by some form of “colon cleanse,” is certainly part of a good detox program, but it is not the whole of it. If you want to really remove toxins from your body, a Total Body Detoxification program is the only way to go.

Forget Fasting, Coffee Enemas,
and Eating Tofu Burgers—
Real Detoxification is Easier Than You Might Think

I won’t try to fool you: a Total Body Detoxification program requires more work than simply swallowing a couple of supplements and drinking a special tea. After all, if toxins are still coming in at a brisk pace (for example, by way of impure food), then all the cleansing in the world won’t be able to remove poisons faster than they are introduced. A real detoxification program requires attention not only to the eliminative organs, but also to removing sources of incoming toxins.

On the other hand, the body is a remarkably forgiving organism when we give it a break, and a Total Body Detoxification is not as difficult as you might think. Although in extreme cases, extreme measures are sometimes necessary, most people can safely and effectively detoxify without doing strange and difficult things like coffee enemas, fasting, daily hour-long saunas or strenuous exercises. A few special nutritional formulas and supplements, several simple daily health practices, some minor but important diet changes and a positive attitude are all that is necessary to perform a powerful “detoxification program” which will remove much of the toxic waste that has accumulated in your body. As a result, you will find yourself feeling stronger and more energetic. Many little “nagging problems” will disappear, and even if you don’t have any current health complaints, you will be hedging your bet against disease.

Design a “Do It Yourself”
Total Body Detox Program

Don’t be stupid: if you have a serious medical condition, get professional help and guidance for your detoxification program. If you are in otherwise good health and want to undergo a Detox Program for preventive measures, here are my guidelines.

First, remember that you have five organs of elimination, all involved in the detox process. A Total Body Detox program will get each of these five organs in better working condition. Here’s how.

General Diet and Lifestyle:

Diet: Don’t eat junk! No sugar, white flour, soda pop, fruit juice (unless fresh made and even then, there’s more benefit in the fresh fruit). Milk isn’t a health food, but cheese is OK. Plenty of protein and non-starchy vegetables with modest fruit (berries are best). Blueberries, salmon, lemons, “greens” (kale, beet green, etc.), walnuts, garlic and onions, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) and tomatoes (especially tomato paste) are Super Foods. Knock yourself out.

The “phytonutrients” in plants are important all the time, but especially during detoxification where they regulate liver enzymes, improve bowel function and serve as antioxidants. The recommended daily intake is 10-18 servings of veggies per day, preferably organic. I have found this level of intake all but impossible to obtain without supplementation. A green food concentrate such as Greens First, one scoop per day (it tastes great in a Super Shake, mentioned below), provides the nutrient equivalent of 10+ servings of veggies. Although I highly recommend this formula on a daily basis, it is especially important during a Total Body Detox program.

Lifestyle:

I.) Exercise: 30 minutes minimum of exercise that gets you breathing harder than usual, preferably outdoors.

II.) Sunshine: minimum 10 minutes per day of “real” sunlight. The scare stories about sunlight causing cancer are unfounded (unless you are foolish and stay out for hours until you burn).

III.) Sleep: 8 hours per night, especially during Detox but in general, 8 hours is a healthful routine.

Now for the specific organs of detoxification:

For the LUNGS: Daily deep breathing exercises, performed for 10 minutes, twice per day. (This assumes that you have good air to breathe. If you live in a polluted city, these exercises should be performed in a building with a good air purifier, or next best, get to a park or place with a lot of trees and green growing things. Plants purify the air.) Breathing exercises can include aerobic activity (which increases the depth of respiration), singing, blowing up balloons, or deliberate “belly breathing.” (A true deep breath should make the belly expand).

For the Kidneys: Pure H2O (that would be water!), 64 ounces per day or more if you are working outdoors doing sweaty manual labor. The kidneys remove water-soluble toxins. When the urine is dilute (from drinking sufficient water), the toxins are diluted and do not damage the kidneys or bladder on their way out of your system. But with too little water intake, the toxins removed by the kidneys can be sufficiently concentrated so as to damage kidney function. When this happens, the kidneys become less able to remove toxins.

If you own a well, do you have it tested annually? Don’t assume that your well water, which was good last year, remains so over time. An annual water test is highly recommended, even in areas of known water quality. If you live in a city or drink municipal water, don’t (drink the water, that is)! Purified water or spring water is an alternative, or purchase a water filter for your home drinking water.

For the SKIN: Daily skin brushing, using a soft-bristled skin brush (available at most health food stores) or a loofah (but use this only in the shower; it is too coarse to use dry). The skin brush, however, should be used on dry skin. Brush from head to toe, excluding the face. A “tip to toe” skin brushing should take about 5 minutes. Follow with a warm (not hot) shower and use pure soap. (Castile soap is a good one, but Dove and Ivory are acceptable). Saunas and steam baths are also highly skin-detoxifying if you have them available.

Surprising at it may seem, the skin is the largest organ of elimination in the body. Sweat (or perspiration if you’re a female), has the same composition as urine only more dilute. Be assured that if you have skin problems such as acne, eczema, psoriasis or other irritations, you have a condition of internal toxicity that needs to be corrected. When the liver, kidneys and colon are not able to remove toxins efficiently, the skin “picks up the slack,” and those removed toxins cause skin diseases of all types.

For the LIVER: As one of the two MAJOR detox organs, the liver deserves special attention. Here is how to increase the detoxification processes of the liver.

Protein. The liver has a high requirement for protein. With today’s foolish government-blessed “food pyramid” recommending 6-12 servings of carbohydrate foods per day, many people are actually protein deprived. Inadequate protein slows the liver’s detox abilities to a grinding halt. Be sure to get high quality protein every day, beginning with breakfast. Like steak and eggs? Go for it. Eggs in any form, especially farm-raised eggs cooked with yolks still runny, are a liver-lovin’ treat. Beef, fish (especially salmon) and wild game are the healthiest meats. Whey, especially the kind processed with the immune factors intact, is a “Super Food” for the liver. I recommend during a Total Body Detox that you have one Super Shake every day, either as a meal replacement or for a snack.

Special nutrients. The liver’s detoxification pathways require particular nutrients including vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, magnesium, methionine and inositol. Certain herbs also help stimulate liver detoxification, including milk thistle, dandelion and black radish. My favorite formula which contains these important liver detox nutrients and herbs in the correct amounts is Lipotropic Complex. Any detoxification program should include these liver-protecting and stimulating substances.

For the Colon: As the second MAJOR detox organ, the colon also deserves special attention.

Fiber. Soluble and insoluble fiber should be taken daily, not just during detox. The minimum recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 grams (but 40+ is better). The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) contains an average of 10 grams. Some foods that you might think are high in fiber, such as lettuce, actually contain very little fiber. Most people get a lot less fiber than they think, but good colon health depends on adequate fiber intake.

There are a number of fiber formulas available. The best ones include both soluble and insoluble fiber. Read labels and aim for an additional 10 grams of fiber per day from supplemental fiber. (Start by adding 5 grams per day for a few days, then increase to 10. A sudden increase in fiber consumption can cause intestinal discomfort). An easy, inexpensive way to get this amount of both types of fiber is to include 2 TBS. of crude wheat bran (providing 6 grams of insoluble fiber) and 1 ounce of oat bran (providing 4.5 grams of soluble fiber) per day. This can be made into a hot breakfast cereal or get creative and try a muffin recipe that includes both. (And send me the recipe when you develop a good one)! Ground flax seed meal can also be added, as it includes both types of fiber AND important Omega-3 fatty acids.

Activated charcoal. As great as increased fiber is at improving bowel movements and hence the elimination of toxins through the bowel, nothing compares to activated charcoal for it’s ability to adsorb toxins and carry them out of the body. Nothing. During a Total Body Detox program, when the body is releasing toxins at a fast rate, you should consume 10 grams (1 TBS.) of activated charcoal twice per day OR (alternate plan), 20 grams at bedtime. This would require 40 capsules of charcoal per dose. For this reason, I recommend a bulk powdered charcoal/bentonite formula call Enteraklenz (listed below under “Five Proven Formulas”).

Charcoal is messy. It sticks to everything it touches, which is why it is so amazing at removing toxins. The easiest way that I’ve found to take it is to put it in a screw-top jar with some crushed ice and water and shake, then drink with straw. a bit more water can be added when you are done to “rinse” the ice and get the last bit of charcoal. And yes, your teeth and tongue will be black when you finish, but a good tooth-brushing (preferably with baking soda instead of toothpaste which contains toxic fluoride) will take care of this in short order. The inconvenience is well worth the health benefit of this amazing detoxifier!

Five Proven Formulas
That Detoxify and Rejuvenate
The Entire Body

As you have seen, much of a Total Body Detox can be accomplished by diet and lifestyle improvements. Fiber can be easily obtained by eating a combination of wheat and oat bran, thus avoiding expensive supplements. Still, there are several formulas which perform Detox functions above and beyond what can be obtained from food and lifestyle practices alone. I believe that these five supplemental formulas should be a part of any serious Total Body Detox program.

1.) For the Liver: Lipotropic Complex, providing the necessary nutrients and support herbs to enhance liver detoxification pathways. Dose: 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals.

2.) For the Bowel: Entraklenz, a combination of charcoal and bentonite, a highly absorptive clay. Above and beyond the increased fiber, this formula provides a super-high-test toxin binding substance that will tightly bind and carry released toxins out of the bowel via the stools. (NOTE: your stools will be black, so don’t get spooked! It’s the charcoal). Dose: 1 TBS, 2 times per day or 2 TBS, once per day (next best). Continue for 3 weeks.

3.) For Cellular Detox: Chlorella. This particular algae increases removal of cellular waste products plus it binds and removes many heavy (toxic) metals from the system. Dose: 2 caps, 3 times per day with meals.

PLUS:

Multiple vitamin/mineral formula with antioxidants. A High-potency, hypoallergenic multiple vitamin/mineral/trace mineral formula supplying target doses of antioxidant vitamins, B complex vitamins, selenium, magnesium, calcium and molybdenum, all of which are particularly important to detoxification. Make sure that your multiple provides optimal doses of these nutrients. (See optimal dose chart here). Maxi Multi is formulated to contain target levels of all of these nutrients. Please note: if you take separate formulas, expect to take a minimum of 9 capsules per day to obtain therapeutic daily doses. There is no such thing as a “one a day” vitamin formula. Small amounts of these nutrients are called “fairy dust” because they are insufficient to do anything important in the body but they make the supplement label look impressive!

High Omega-3 Fish oil: Dose: 2 caps, 3 times per day with meals OR take 1 TBS. of fish oil with a meal.

What about Laxatives and Parasite Formulas?

Many “bowel cleansing” programs include laxatives and an herbal “parasite formula,” but I don’t generally recommend them as a necessary part of a good Total Body Detox program.

The increased fiber intake plus more veggies and less junk food normalizes bowel function, whether one tends toward diarrhea or constipation. If you are not having at least one generous bowel movement a day after several days, try adding 3A Magnesia to your program. Begin by taking one capsule with dinner. If you do not have a happy B.M. the next morning, take 2 caps the next evening with dinner. Increase by one capsule per day until you have a generous bowel movement in the morning. Again, many people will not need this with the addition of fiber, veggies and Omega-3 oils.

As to parasite formulas, most herbal capsules are not strong enough to eradicate common parasites. The addition of high fiber and charcoal does a number on many such pests anyway. If bowel or systemic symptoms persist after the detox program that lead you to believe you may have intestinal parasites, a simple stool evaluation should be performed so that targeted therapy (as opposed to shotgun therapy), can be initiated.

Still Have Questions?

This is the “beta” draft of my Total Body Detox protocol, so this page may still contain unanswered questions. (I pushed to get the draft done today so my eager-to-detox friends Rene and Allison could get started)! 😉  If you have questions (simple ones!), please email me. If you have complicated questions or a serious medical history that requires supervision during detox, I am available for medical consultations by telephone. Either way, I wish you a health and happiness-producing Total Body Detoxification Program!

P.S. The “Full Monty” Total Body Detox program should last 3-4 weeks, but continue the multi vitamin/mineral formula, Omega-3 fish oil and wheat/oat bran combination indefinitely— they are part of an ongoing healthy lifestyle!

In Health,

Dr. Myatt

 

Turmeric:


Powerful Cancer-fighting Herb
that drug companies are rushing to imitate.

An ever-growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that turmeric — the bright yellow spice herb used in East Indian cooking — has potent anti-cancer properties. According to Bharat Aggarwal, chief of cytokine research at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the research to date shows that turmeric’s anti-cancer “promise is enormous.” This evidence and opinion was reported at the recent Society for Integrative Oncology conference and is also posted on the American Cancer Society’s website (www.cancer.org).

Turmeric, and it’s primary active ingredient curcumin, is the main ingredient in curry and a member of the ginger family. In addition to it’s anti-cancer properties, turmeric is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting herb. Expect to see and read a lot more about this herb in the future, although Wellness Club members have known about the benefits of turmeric for over a decade!

You can learn more about turmeric and find one of the most potent turmeric supplements available on The Wellness Club website by visiting Turmeric: Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Herb.

References

1.) Curcumin inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated signaling pathways in cancer cells. Beevers,Li,Liu,Huang. Int J Cancer. 2006 Mar 20
2.) Antitumor action of curcumin in human papillomavirus associated cells involves downregulation of viral oncogenes, prevention of NFkB and AP-1 translocation, and modulation of apoptosis. Divya CS, Pillai MR. Mol Carcinog. 2006 May;45(5):320-32.
3.) Curcumin mediates ceramide generation via the de novo pathway in colon cancer cells. Moussavi M, Assi K, Gomez-Munoz A, Salh B. Carcinogenesis. 2006 Feb 25; [Epub ahead of print]
4.) Overexpression of p65/RelA potentiates curcumin-induced apoptosis in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Collett GP, Campbell FC. Carcinogenesis. 2006 Feb 23; [Epub ahead of print]
5.) Induction of G2/M arrest and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 activity by curcumin in human bladder cancer T24 cells. Park C, Kim GY, Kim GD, Choi BT, Park YM, Choi YH. Oncol Rep. 2006 May;15(5):1225-31.
6.) Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer. Aggarwal BB, Shishodia S. Biochem Pharmacol. 2006 Feb 23; [Epub ahead of print]
7.) Inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis by curcumin in K-562 cells. Chakraborty S, Ghosh U, Bhattacharyya NP, Bhattacharya RK, Roy M. Mutat Res. 2006 Jan 27; [Epub ahead of print]
8.) Curcumin differentially sensitizes malignant glioma cells to TRAIL/Apo2L-mediated apoptosis through activation of procaspases and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Gao X, Deeb D, Jiang H, Liu YB, Dulchavsky SA, Gautam SC. J Exp Ther Oncol. 2005;5(1):39-48.
9.) Multiple biological activities of curcumin: a short review. Maheshwari RK, Singh AK, Gaddipati J, Srimal RC. Life Sci. 2006 Mar 27;78(18):2081-7. Epub 2006 Jan 18.
10.) Curcumin, an atoxic antioxidant and natural NFkappaB, cyclooxygenase-2, lipooxygenase, and inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor: a shield against acute and chronic diseases. Bengmark S. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):45-51.
11.) Antiproliferation and apoptosis induced by curcumin in human ovarian cancer cells. Shi M, Cai Q, Yao L, Mao Y, Ming Y, Ouyang G. Cell Biol Int. 2006 Mar;30(3):221-6. Epub 2005 Dec 22.
12.) Synergistic inhibitory effects of curcumin and 5-fluorouracil on the growth of the human colon cancer cell line HT-29. Du B, Jiang L, Xia Q, Zhong L. Chemotherapy. 2006;52(1):23-8. Epub 2005 Dec 9.
13.) Curcumin induces human HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cell apoptosis by activating p53 and regulating apoptosis-related protein expression. Song G, Mao YB, Cai QF, Yao LM, Ouyang GL, Bao SD. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2005 Dec;38(12):1791-8. Epub 2005 Nov 9.
14.) Inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis by curcumin in human malignant astrocytoma cell lines. Nagai S, Kurimoto M, Washiyama K, Hirashima Y, Kumanishi T, Endo S. J Neurooncol. 2005 Sep;74(2):105-11.
15.) Curcumin inhibits human colon cancer cell growth by suppressing gene expression of epidermal growth factor receptor through reducing the activity of the transcription factor Egr-1. Chen A, Xu J, Johnson AC. Oncogene. 2006 Jan 12;25(2):278-87.

 

 

Urinary Tract Health


Your Guide to a Healthy “Water Works”

The urinary tract — including the kidneys, bladder and urethra — don’t get as much “press” as other bodily systems. Since the urinary tract is responsible for much of the body’s waste removal, in addition to the role it plays in blood pressure regulation, keeping a healthy urinary tract is important for good health.

Many drugs cause damage to the kidneys, even those used to treat kidney infections! For this reason, I always prefer to use natural remedies as a first line of defense in keeping the urinary tract healthy.

Urinary Tract
 Nutrients and Herbs
Urinary-Tract
Health Concerns

B.A.M.
Bromelain
Cranberry
Echinacea/Goldenseal
Vitamin C Bladder Infection (Cystitis)
Kidney Stones
Prostate Enlargement

Urinary Tract Infection