Diabetes - A 21st Century Scourge: Nutrients for Weight Loss in Diabetics

Every excess pound above your ideal body weight makes developing diabetes or pre­diabetes extremely easy and reversing the condition exceedingly difficult. There are several imperatives regarding diabetes and weight loss. One, movement equals improvement. In order to reduce inflammation and burn off glycogen released when stress hormones are present you must exercise moderately (when able) otherwise weight management will not happen. Second, your meal plan must meet the demands of reversing diabetes. Finally, taking the right supplements in adequate amounts will help you on your way.

Keep in mind that there is no magic bullet out there to get you where you need to go. Depending solely on supplements is a sure way to not meet your goals. Be sure to think of these recommendations as Sherpas helping you up the mountain of diabetes reversal.

The goal here is to nourish the body in such a way as to trigger your body’s natural ability to reduce fat storage and induce fat cell destruction. Supplement recommendations will be divided into sections: Fat burning, appetite suppressants, increased satiety and energy production.

Thermogenic (fat burning):

●      Green tea (or green tea extracts): used for thousands of years for a range of health benefits green tea and its extracts profoundly increases thermogenic activity in the body. This helps your body increase fat burning over a sustained period of time with no side effects (unless you are extremely sensitive to caffeine). 3-­4 cups of green tea daily and/or 100 milligrams of green tea extract is recommended.

●      Fucoxanthin: a component of fucoidan it is derived from edible seaweed. Asian cultures have used and consumed seaweed full of fucoxanthin for thousands of years and have experienced wonderful health benefits as a result. In recent years it has been gaining more and more interest for its thermogenic powers with new human studies supporting this claim. It is also noted for its ability decrease the body’s ability to store abdominal and liver fat. 5 milligrams three times daily is recommended.

Appetite Suppressants:

●      L-­tryptophan and 5­-hydroxytryptophan (5­-HTP): these amino acids help to control carbohydrate and sugar cravings by helping the body produce more serotonin which naturally deters these cravings. 50­-100 milligrams one to three times daily or 100-­300 milligrams before bed. Serotonin Max may be a good place to start. *Special note: if you are taking a SSRI antidepressants or triptans for migraines please consult with your physician before taking these supplements.

●      N­-acetyl L-­tyrosine: a naturally occurring amino acid that helps the body increase

dopamine and norepinephrine which decreases appetite and improves mood. 500-­2,000 milligrams daily taken on an empty stomach usually does the trick. Avoid taking in the late afternoon as it may interfere with sleep.

Increase Satiety:

●      Fiber: fiber does so many wonderful things for the body like help control sugar levels through various mechanisms but the focus here will be on feeling full. Both soluble and insoluble fiber play a significant role in this process.  It is recommended that most people consume at least 30 grams per day (most only get about 14 grams per day). A high quality fiber supplement split up over the course of the day (10 grams 3x daily) will assist with feeling full, reduce cravings and moderate blood sugar levels.

Increase Energy:

●       Acetyl L-­carnitine: supports, protects and regenerates mitochondria and mitochondrial functions. It is also able to cross the blood­-brain barrier to support and energize brain cells and increase the number of neurotransmitters in the brain. Increased energetic output and mitochondrial function (where energy is produced) helps to reduce weight through desiring to move and then doing so!

*Before beginning any supplement regime it is best that you consult your primary healthcare practitioner or doctor.

The Story of Cholesterol: A Supplemental on Supplementals

In the last article (which was supposed to be the last article in this series) we covered the miraculous and beneficial effects of CoQ10 on heart health and energy. If you or a loved one ever had a heart attack CoQ10 supplementation is a must. 

As far as supplements go the story is a bit more involved than just CoQ10 as wonderful as it is. There are a few other supplements that can greatly improve cardiovascular health and increase energy in the process. The news gets even better when you consider that, along with CoQ10, anyone can benefit from a boost of energy and vitality when the following supplements are added to a healthy lifestyle. Just as before in the previous article it is necessary to point out that nothing written here should be construed as medical advice and that any supplemental regimen should be discussed with your trusted (and open minded) healthcare professional. With that caveat established let's take a look at some of the other supplements that you may or may not be familiar with.

D Ribose

We are energetic beings and our bodies need plenty of energy. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is how our body gets things done energetically speaking. One of the main constituents of ATP is D-ribose. No D-ribose means there can be no way to produce ATP. Without ATP there can be no energy. D-ribose is generated by the body mostly on the as-needed basis and there is no way to store it. This is an important factor to consider because when tissues are under stress they cannot produce D-ribose and thus the body is robbed of energy. The combination of poor heart function leading to oxygen deprivation and the inability to produce energy can leave you feeling quite poor in deed.

A prominent German physiologist by the name of Heinz-Gerd Zimmer established a connection between heart function and D-ribose. He found that people who had hearts deprived of nutrients and oxygen sometimes due to blockages fared better when given D-ribose.  Zimmer also found that the administration of D-ribose had restorative powers for energy and helped bring about normal diastolic heart function. In a 1992 clinical study D-ribose was also shown to have increased the ability to do exercise in patients that had severe coronary artery disease.

Magnesium

One of the main culprits of poor cardiovascular health is actually the inability to properly absorb calcium which is found in plentiful amounts in most western diets. When calcium is ill-absorbed it remains in the blood stream longer where it has a greater chance to interact with free radicals increasing the rate of calcification that often occurs in arteries and other blood vessels. At this point blockages are sure to happen given enough time. This is where magnesium comes in to help. Magnesium, along with vitamin D, helps to convert calcium into a more absorbable form before it calcifies keeping blood vessels clear. If that was not important, or impressive, enough magnesium is also great at keeping platelets from aggregating (sticking together) and forming blood clots while it also acts as a vascular dilator reducing blood pressure. It should be noted that people suffering from renal insufficiencies should not supplement with magnesium without medical guidance.

B Vitamin Complex (especially B5)

B vitamins in and of themselves provides the body with massive, sustained energy over a significant amount of time and that is simply awesome. For the sake of this article, however, we will cover vitamin B5 specifically in a slightly different light. Many people are unaware of the vital role B5 (also known as pantothenic acid) plays in limiting inflammation and oxidation of cholesterol. No less than 28 clinical studies have shown that vitamin B5 produced positive results regarding triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL levels. A literature review was conducted by Dr. Mark Houston and published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases helped establish pantothenic acid’s importance in cardiovascular health. The literature demonstrated after only four months of B5 supplementation total cholesterol was reduced by 15%, LDL cholesterol by 20% and triglycerides by 32.9% while increasing HDL by 8.4%. He also noted that studies of longer duration showed continued improvement in participants over the initial four month successes. Reduce inflammation and you reduce cholesterol…period!

We long to live lives enriched by the fragrance of energy and productivity radiating from every pore. Sometimes, however, devastating health conditions such a heart attack can rob us of that ability leaving one disturbed and down trodden. The beauty of nature and life is that even if we find ourselves in this lowered state of affairs we do not have to dwell there. An out is often provided if we look carefully and thoughtfully at our circumstances. There are, of course, many more supplements that could be considered but this is a healthy start (pun intended). Proper supplementation of the right nutrients can be the difference between slumming in the doldrums and soaring with the eagles after an adverse cardiovascular event. This article should serve as a great catalyst for conversation between you and your trusted healthcare provider.

Sources for this article include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)

The Story of Cholesterol: Energy, CoQ10 and Statins

We have reached the point where the discussion turns to the practical side of things. Once the thinking is done we must put into practice what we have learned. Right off the top the need for a disclaimer is paramount: Nothing in this article should be construed as advice on dietary or supplemental modalities. You should consult your physician or a trusted health care provider for your specific needs. In the interest of stimulating a great conversation between you and your health care provider the words that follow should be your guide.

The miracle of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

One of the main issues surrounding statin drugs is how it inhibits the production of a key enzyme known as CoQ10. Devastating adverse health effects have been associated with CoQ10 deficiencies and has been recognized by some parts of the medical community in the U.S. and more widely in Europe and the Far East. Many people are familiar with the term “CoQ10” but do not have a firm grasp of what it is and how vital it is to our hearts so let’s discuss it.  

CoQ10 is a powerful vitamin-like substance produced by virtually every cell in the body. It has many functions that prove to be vitally important to the body. One of those functions is converting our food into fuel for our cells to use. When we eat good, wholesome foods and CoQ10 is present in the cells in adequate supplies our energy levels rise. The science of the process in which CoQ10 does its work is actually intriguing but we will skip the detailed lesson and just say without it we would have a hard time getting much of anything done. Because the heart is such a dense muscle that is always active it is one of the top CoQ10 producers in the body and rightfully so. Beating on average 2.5 billion times during a person’s life the heart requires a wealth of energy. Statins interfere with the production of some enzymes including CoQ10 robbing the heart of significant amounts of energy. To add insult to injury as we age we tend to produce less and less of this powerful enzyme naturally setting us up for exponential energy lose and poor cardiovascular production.

Another function of this miracle enzyme is blood pressure modification. It has proven itself to be an awesome way to reduce blood pressure without harmful side effects. A meta-analysis of clinical trials conducted in 2007 by F.L. Rosenfeldt et al (Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension…) found overwhelming, across the board evidence that significant reductions in blood pressure took place among test subjects taking the supplement when compared to the control group (who did not take CoQ10 at all). Since 1974 doctors in Japan have prescribed CoQ10 to patients who experience congenital heart failure. Further studies in the U.S. showed a marked increase of heart function and vitality in people suffering from severe (class III and class IV) cardiomyopathy. These were people who were given just a year or two to live because they were that sick until CoQ10 supplementation began.

In addition, CoQ10 is a wonderful antioxidant. Oxidative stress, especially as it relates to LDL cholesterol, is a major cardiovascular concern. Remember that cholesterol in and of itself is not the boogey man but oxidized pattern B LDL cholesterol is. Coenzyme Q10 steps in and helps to prevent oxidation of patter B LDL helping to stop the type of cardiovascular stress that plague so many people. A healthy non-inflammation inducing eating plan along with CoQ10 supplementation can make all the difference in having excellent heart health especially if the person is experiencing poor cardiovascular health at the moment.

Where to find it

Typically CoQ10 tends to be found most prevalently in the organ meat of animals such as the kidneys, liver and heart. This is the most natural way to get it from outside your own body. The problem is enzymes tend to breakdown very readily when exposed to high heat even for short periods of time. The alternative to consuming organ meat (especially if you are vegetarian) has to be in the form of a supplement.

CoQ10 supplements are out there but it is imperative you can trust the source. There is no need to consume anything that is of low quality in the hopes that it will be beneficial. High quality CoQ10 that is readily bioavailable is a must. Seek advice from a knowledgeable source when determining what you might like to use.  

In Conclusion

There is a distinct correlation between CoQ10 deficiency and poor, sometimes fatal, heart function. So much so that the evidence of years of studies should be splattered across the headlines daily warning us about the deficiency and how to overcome it through supplementation. Medically speaking it is a very cheap and efficient way to reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular issues especially in comparison to drugs and surgery that both carry ill side effects while draining personal and institutional coffers worldwide.

Originally this was supposed to be the last article in the series but there are other nutrients that should be discussed that would be of great benefit to cardiovascular health. With that thought in mind one or two additional articles may be necessary for the sake of thoroughness.

Sources: The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)

Multivitamin Use Absurd and Dangerous? I Think Not Part I

Do you remember Christmas as a child with that jolly red nosed Santa who most kids idolized in every sense of the word? Or maybe for you it was the tooth fairy, the great pumpkin or even Peter Cottontail. Any or all of these myths seemed to be real to us and for some the realization that they don't exist was quite the shock. Banished to the realm of make believe our childhood idols went and now some would have us believe another one of our cherished beliefs (that is actually a fact) should be relegated to the same place we put St. Nick and the others.

Recently several studies were analyzed that purport to firmly establish the "fact" that multivitamin supplementation is at best useless and at worst detrimental to your health to the point of causing harm. Harm from vitamins? Let us explore the article and the studies it cites in an effort to keep vitamin supplementation out of the realm of make believe.

The Researchers

Eliseo Guallar and his colleagues recently analyzed three studies and came to a shocking conclusion. They have stated, unequivocally, that multivitamin supplementation has no clear benefit and could prove harmful to your health. The group of researchers went on to say that multivitamins should not be used in the prevention of chronic disease and that "enough is enough" when it comes to the silly people who erroneously use these vitamins (emphasis mine). After you get past the initial shock that vitamin supplementation is harmful or useless and wrestle with the condescending tone of the abstract written by the researchers you are left to ponder things that you have held to be true: that vitamins are good for you. Should vitamins head off to the island of misfit beliefs with the rest of our childhood idols? Intuitively you know the answer but let us spell a few things out for the sake of clarity and sound reasoning.

The conclusion of these researchers has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and is chock full of assumptions. One of these assumptions provided by Guallar et al is that the average western style diet provides adequate nourishment to the masses to the point that vitamin and mineral supplementation is unnecessary. Surely, there are a percentage of westerners who eat pretty healthy by consuming clean, pure water and either natural or organic foods while limiting processed foods but this does not pertain to the vast majority especially in America. In addition, due to soil depletion and over-farming mineral and vitamin levels in fruits, vegetables and grains have been on a decline for decades.

Aside from the assumption let us to take a look at what really lies at the heart of the matter for the people who take great interest in their health. An analysis of the three studies is appropriate and fundamental so we can understand what the researchers saw and what the newspapers, online publishers and television programs failed to report.

The Studies

Three studies were cited by the researchers and here is where we really have to pay attention which is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because there is a sense among most people in the general public that studies are impartial, truthful and therefore should be taken as gospel. Since the word gospel literally means "good news" some of these studies should be taken as the anti-gospel. Let us review

Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer Study

The first study mentioned in the article is the "Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer". I know it's a mouthful but bear with me. Researchers in this study wanted to establish whether cardiovascular issues and cancer was actually preventable through supplementation. It appears to be a noble endeavor on the surface even with flawed results (an explanation on why it is not noble will present itself a little later). It was acknowledged that the results of this study did not pertain to individuals with nutrient deficiencies or others that would be considered high risk. The article cited above would have you believe the results of this trial pertained to everyone. When you consider that most people are nutrient deficient the article becomes just plain misleading.

At one point in the analysis of the trial the researchers had to admit that the study was actually set up to measure results in a drug trial not a nutrient trial which may skew the data. In addition, it was noted that the difference between examining optimal levels of a nutrient intake and "normal" levels may have established a different result. In other words studying minimum nutrient supplementation may not be in the best interest of the general public. Then the question becomes "Why do the study in this way if the results do not apply to most people"? Great question!

Cognitive Function in Men

This study was a misnomer from the very start. Called "Long Term Multivitamin Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Men: A Randomized Trial"  it looked at a very particular group of men: doctors. The importance of this will become clear in a moment. The intent of this study was to assess cognitive function in men and whether multivitamin supplementation would improve it. The conclusion was that multivitamin supplementation does not improve cognitive function or prevent dementia.

There are three interesting points to consider regarding this study. The first is that physicians were studied and this poses a problem. It has been long established that people who pursue academics have a lowered risk of developing dementia. Secondly, most older physicians generally eat very healthy and are able to afford the best, most nutritious foods. Proper nourishment combined with a high level of education diminishes the likelihood of developing dementia which is a great thing but it makes you wonder why this study was used to attack multivitamin use. There was not much of any chance to see any improvements from multivitamin use because of the group of men that were studied. The third, and perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this study was the fact that actual dementia or any cognitive dysfunction was never tested for. None of the participants were assessed for any level of dementia either before, during or after. How do you purport that something does not work (multivitamins) if you never test for the dysfunction you are looking to improve (cognition)?

Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy

This study set out to assess whether or not high doses of vitamins and minerals help prevent a another occurrence of a second myocardial infarction (heart attack). Two things of import to note for this one.

The first is that the people studied had a high incidence non-adherence. This is a fancy way of saying more than enough people failed to do what was requested of them ultimately affecting the data collected. In addition, the participant dropout rate was also high. It becomes a difficult task to honestly document and extract accurate information to convey to the public when so many people involved in the study fail to comply with the instructions or complete the program. It puzzles me that Eliseo Guallar and his colleagues used this study or any of the previously mentioned ones to attack vitamins and minerals.

The Story of Cholesterol: The Statin Drug Nightmare Part I

We have steadily climbed to the point of discussing a class of drugs known as statins. These very powerful and costly medications has reached the height of pharmaceutical popularity. Essentially a sub-industry within an industry statin drugs account for $31 billion of annual sales alone. It is estimated from sales that a staggering 15 million Americans are currently on these cholesterol lowering drugs. All the while the majority of them are suffering from side effects that range from slightly annoying to absolutely debilitating. These side effects include impaired cognitive function, sexual dysfunction, increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, lethargy and low vitamin D levels (with its associated adverse health effects when vitamin D deficiencies occur).

The history of mankind has been filled with many medical oddities that now look completely absurd to us. As far back as 1500 BC mercury was used for whatever ailed you. During the 19^th century the chief ingredient in cough syrup was heroin. And who can forget bloodletting used by the Greeks and the rest of the world right up to the 19^th century. While all of this might elicit a chuckle or two as we think of how silly “those people” were for believing in that stuff history will chuckle at us when statin drug use is reviewed for the amusement of our more enlightened descendants.

One of the many issues that surrounds the use of statin drugs is the yet unproven hypothesis that blood cholesterol is a key contributor to heart disease. You read that correctly: Cholesterol being the chief contributor to heart disease is a yet unproven hypothesis. In fact almost all studies concerning the relationship between heart disease and cholesterol either points to another culprit (e.g. inflammation), exonerates cholesterol or both. During the late ‘80’s a Dr. Russell Smith wrote a two volume review of literature associated with heart disease and diet called Diet, Blood Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease: A Critical Review of the Literature. It took over 600 pages of research for him to state that in the vast majority of studies reviewed there was no difference in the number of deaths between people who reduced their cholesterol and those that did not. This point will become more important as we move along.

In 1991 Dr. Smith teamed up with Dr. Edward Pinckney, the editor of four medical journals, to publish a book called The Cholesterol Conspiracy. In the book they summarized studies conducted with cholesterol lowering drugs and concluded that these drug were effective at lowering cholesterol but not deaths. Of the eight randomized and blinded trials that met their standard for study six had participants where the rate of death among the group being treated with cholesterol lowering drugs was the same or higher than the control group. That’s not very promising but it gets worse. They also looked at sixteen studies looking at reducing cholesterol using a drug and diet approach. What they found was that the death rate from all-causes in the treatment group and control was the same. In addition, the rate of death from coronary heart disease was the same or greater among the treatment group in fifteen of the sixteen trials. Yes, you read that correctly. What the good doctors demonstrated, essentially, is that there was zero benefit to lowering cholesterol when it comes to preventing adverse coronary events including death. Outside of a very narrow group of people (white males at least 48 years old who have already had one heart attack) statins have proven to have no benefit but they have proven to be extremely toxic. Part II of the statin nightmare will address specific issues that statins cause in the body.

Sources include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth

The Cholesterol Conspiracy

One Tiny Gland, One Big Problem - Prostate Health Part 4

Powerful Essential Fatty Acids to Reduce Inflammation and Support the Body

A sure bet about the average western diet is that it is woefully devoid of most of the nutrients we need to sustain a healthy lifestyle. The lack of nutrients deteriorates our body and causes organ and glandular failure including failure of the prostate. Due to the inadequacies of our diets supplementation becomes very important. To follow is a list of important nutrients to supplement your diet with if you want to maintain the condition of your prostate or begin to reverse negative prostate conditions.

• Vitamin C – A major component of the prostate gland Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to boost immune function in the prostate

• Vitamin E – Vitamin E is also an important antioxidant that helps to stabilize prostate tissue

• Zinc – Zinc helps to metabolize (form) new prostate tissue should it become damaged or worn. Zinc also helps to sterilize the prostate

*Vitamin C and E along with Zinc are found in high abundance in healthy prostates. These three nutrients specifically also help to increase the amount of seminal fluid produced by the prostate gland

• Magnesium – a magnesium deficiency in the body leads to organ and glandular failure. The western diet is notably void of magnesium and should be considered as a part of a healthy organ and prostate regimen

• B Vitamins – Not only are B Vitamins awesome sources of energy but they also help to metabolize proteins into amino acids that can be utilized as building blocks to repair or regenerate damaged, worn, or lost tissue

• Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) – Also known as Omega’s (Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, etc.) these fatty acids are found in abundance in healthy prostate glands considering the prostate is a fatty glandular organ. EFA’s have been shown to reduce blood clotting associated with cancer in the prostate to prevent the spreading of the tumor. Again, western diets tend to be void of Omega 3’s in particular (we usually get plenty of the other Omega’s) so supplementation becomes imperative

• Saw Palmetto – Saw Palmetto has been proven to reduce prostate swelling, reduces testosterone conversion (important for healthy prostates), and increase blood flow through the prostate bringing rich oxygen levels to the gland preventing or reducing infections and cancers. Saw palmetto berry has been shown to be 3 times more effective than Proscar (a leading prescription prostate drug)

The fifth and final article relating to prostate health will cover some additional therapies and recommendations to conclude this overarching series.

If you are in the market for a super concentrated, all-natural, purified Omega 3 (EFA) that is derived from three different sea based sources consider Supra Omega 3 (http://thoughtfulhealth.mysiselpro.com/v1/Products/nutritionals/supraomega3.aspx). It has no mercury and is extremely bioavailable for easy absorption.

Powerful Essential Fatty Acids to Reduce Inflammation and Support the Body