Posts Tagged potassium

… and skin spots

Breast cancer

Ulcer on leg – diabetes

Motivation to change

Potassium – increased blood pressure

Vitamin D

Menopause – hormonal balance …

1. Gluten sensitivity – in depth discussion
   
2. Vitamin D
   
3. Liver issues, Hepatitis C
   
4. NuSera
5. Cataracts
   
6. Flu vaccine
   
7. Potassium Iodine
   
8. Pneumonia
9. Thyroid

Argument: If I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, then I don’t need to add vitamins and minerals.
Answer: The argument that the nutritional needs of the body can be thoroughly met through diet is probably a valid one, as long as certain assumptions hold true. The main assumption is that the diet is made up almost entirely of fresh fruit and vegetables from local and trusted growers who understand crop rotation and proper soil fertilization. A fruit’s nutrition is highest at the height of its ripeness when the fruit is just about to fall from the tree, bush or vine. This makes great evolutionary sense as the purpose of the fruit is to propagate the species of the plant. The survival of the seed is most probable when the fruit contains the nutrition necessary to allow the seedling to develop. In addition, the sweetness and nutrition content of the fruit increase the likelihood that the fruit will be eaten by animals that scour the grasses for food. This helps both the animal and the plant as the animal gets food and the plant’s seed gets spread to different areas as it passes through the stool of the animal onto fertile ground elsewhere. The problem is that most conventional fruit is picked unripe and then ripened on the way to the store through artificial processes using ethylene. This makes for a fruit or vegetable that contains suboptimal levels of nutrients. A study performed at Oregon State University found that green blackberries contain only 74 mg/100 grams of anthocyanins (a plant compound/antioxidant known to protect the body from heart disease and cancer) compared to 317 mg/100 grams for vine ripened blackberries. (J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Sep 22;52(19):5907-13.) Research in Spain demonstrated that cherries picked prematurely contained one-half the level of vitamin C as cherries picked ripe (J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Apr 6;53(7):2741-5.)

In addition, due to the over farming of lands there is not enough nutrition in the soil to make for highly nutritive foods. For example, each time a watermelon is picked from the land some of the nutrition goes with it, after all, a fundamental law of physics is you cannot make something from nothing. Over time the soil gets depleted and the nutrition in the fruits and vegetables suffer. To make matters worse, the growers use a process of selective breeding to increase pith and water (the pith is the fibrous material such as the netting around the pulp of the orange and the white fluff just under the skin). This makes for big, attractive and heavy fruit with less vitamin and mineral content. These plant breeders lovingly refer to this process as the “dilution effect”. An example of this effect is with a very popular breed of broccoli called “Marathon” which is big and green and according to the USDA contains half the calcium and magnesium of other more nutritious hybrids of broccoli. All of this results in more weight and less nutrition.

In a 2004 study, scientists discovered that the nutrition content for 6 nutrients have declined significantly in fruits and vegetables since 1950. These nutrients include calcium, riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, potassium and protein. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6):669-82) This study from the University of Texas evaluated the nutrient content over time of 43 garden crops. This study takes into account the effect of many different factors including ethylene ripening, the dilution effect, the use of commercial fertilizer, over farming, etc.
So is it possible to find nutrient dense fruits and vegetables? I believe so. Studies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables have more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when compared to conventional produce. (J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62; J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1237-41) Even if you regularly use organic produce, you will need to eat larger quantities of these fruits and vegetables to meet the vitamin, mineral and antioxidant needs of the body. I believe that people who meet these produce requirements are the exception rather than the rule.

One final argument on this subject doesn’t have to do with the nutrient content of the food as much as it has to do with nutrient needs of the body. Today’s body has to deal with an onslaught of toxic attack that we did not evolve on. Cleaning product, pollutions, stress and out gassing of carpets and paint all cause a withdrawal from the antioxidant and nutrient reserves of the body. We cannot assume that the nutrient needs of yesteryear apply to today! In other words, you need more nutrition today just to meet the minimum needs! Research has found that the great majority of the population does not meet the pitiful RDA requirements for one or more nutrients.

Argument: Doesn’t supplementation just cause expensive urine?
Answer: Whenever I debate the need for supplementation it seems that the first argument is always the same, “All that you are doing with nutritional supplements is making expensive urine.” This argument comes from the point that any excess of water soluble nutrients that you take in will be excreted through the urine. So if you take 1,000 mg of vitamin C and your body only uses 500 mg then you will kick out 500 mg of the vitamin C as “waste”. My answer to this is, better a surplus than a deficiency! When you supplement, you do run the risk of losing some extra nutrients in the urine. This argument can be made for those who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as you will likely see more vitamins and minerals in their urine as well. Does this mean that you should not eat fruits and vegetables? In addition, if you want to talk about expensive urine let’s talk about the urine of people who take medications. You will find a significant amount of these medications in the urine and stool of these patients. So you choose- expensive urine full of vitamins or expensive urine full of medications.

Argument: We eat more food than most other countries, aren’t my nutrition needs being met?
Answer: I agree with the first statement regarding the quantity of food that we eat, however, I disagree with the second part of the statement which refers to the quality of food. Our society has built a food culture that creates a population of overfed and undernourished people. This means that calories are plentiful but nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are deficient. This is the main reason why supplementation is so important. Starvation as it pertains to energy is not a common problem here in the United States, however, cellular starvation is a major problem. This means that the cells have all of the fuel that they require to function; however, the cells may not have the micronutrients necessary to be able to convert the fuel to energy and appropriately distribute that energy to various functions such as the immune and repair systems. This is like a car with a full tank of gas and no spark plugs. Remember, practically every study that has evaluated various vitamin and mineral levels in the blood have correlated higher levels of food nutrients with significantly better health. This means getting nutrients from whole food sources when possible and supporting with supplementation as an insurance policy.

Argument: There are no studies to support the need for supplementation.
Answer: This statement is just plain ridiculous! There is a tremendous amount of research on nutrition and its benefit to health. I have never understood how people make this comment when I am drowning in studies published in peer reviewed journals demonstrating the benefit and safety of nutritional supplementation. Search PubMed or Medline (the same search engine used by your doctor) on omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, coenzyme Q 10, vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. You will be blown away by the results that you get. As far as safety goes, according to the 2005 annual report in the journal Clinical Toxicity, which evaluates the reports from 61 poison control centers in the U.S., out of 53 billion doses of supplemental vitamin supplements there was not even one death reported. Tragically, Tylenol was not so lucky being responsible for numerous adverse events and deaths.
I have dedicated my life to the study of longevity and, more importantly, to the study of vitality. My definite purpose is to design a system of living that allows people like you and me to live long, energetic lives full of LIFE ENERGY! To accomplish this goal, a system is needed that will prevent disease and promote energy production, circulation, repair and rejuvenation throughout our entire lives. It is my belief that this goal can be met with a healthy diet full of fresh, raw, organic, healthy foods. It is also my belief that with each day that science “revolutionizes” our lives and food industries this becomes harder and harder. Although it is possible to live long and healthy lives without supplementation, it is less likely today than ever before and the majority of us need supplements to meet our body’s needs.

Shortly after arriving at the school during my second year, my father was admitted to the hospital with a heart condition called heart failure. At the time I was not familiar with this condition, but my first education came when my father woke up one night with a feeling of drowning as his lungs filled up with fluid. He was quickly transported to the hospital where the able physicians worked to force fluid from his body through the use of water pills and medication designed to lower blood pressure. Although I was grossly ignorant about this condition at the time, I quickly decided that I would declare war on it after my father was handed a patient pamphlet on the condition that told him that he had a 50% chance of dying from the condition in the five years that would follow. I was angered by the near hopeless expectations of conventional medicine and determined to get to the bottom of why my dad had come down with the condition and what I could do to reverse it. This determination led me to investigate natural alternatives to treating heart failure and led me to a book that changed the course of my life and the life of my father as well…I’ll tell you more in a minute.

The incidence of heart failure is increasing dramatically in our society. So, to what can we attribute this rise? The conventional medical establishment attributes this to these main factors: increased survival fromheart attacks, advances in emergency medicine, and the fact that people are living longer, the presupposition being that heart failure is a natural condition that occurs with advancing age. Although, these factors may play a role, I think that they only scratch the surface of the underlined cause of heart failure.

What is heart failure?

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is not able to meet the needs of the organs of the body. There can be many causes of heart failure, however, it all amounts to an inability to circulate enough blood to feed the tissues of the body. This can result in organ failure, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fluid buildup in the lungs and ultimately death.

What really causes heart failure?

My father had had a heart attack many years prior to his heart failure diagnosis, at which time he was also diagnosed with diabetes. However, he had enjoyed many years of heart health and circulation appeared to be normal in the blood vessels of his heart. So, a good question to ask at the onset of any symptoms (which I would later learn in pharmacy school is a cardinal question in medicine) is “why now?” If his heart attack had happened many years prior and his heart circulation was good, why was he just now developing signs of heart failure. Here are 4 factors that I feel are significant causes of our near epidemic incidences of heart failure in our society. This list is by no means exhaustive, however, it should be sufficient for our discussion.

1. Medications. This is medicine’s dark little secret, yes, many medications can increase the risk of heart failure and are likely a significant cause of heart failure. These medications include, but are not limited to, statins and beta blockers. Statin medications are commonly prescribed to heart patients to lower cholesterol. As you will learn shortly, this class of medication inhibits the body’s ability to produce a “miracle nutrient” that ultimately prevents and treats heart failure. Stain medications include: Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, Vytorin and any generic medication that ends in “statin”, such as lovastatin. Beta Blockers are a class of medication often used to treat elevated blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and other heart problems associated with a fast or irregular heart beat. This medication is commonly prescribed to people who have had a heart attack in order to improve the repair of the heart after the attack. Unfortunately, this medication is notorious for leading to congestive heart failure mainly due to its impact on the ability of heart to beat strongly. It has also been noted that this medication can inhibit the body’s ability to make the “miracle nutrient” that we will talk about shortly. Beta blockers include any medication whose generic name ends in “olol”, such as metoprolol. There are many other medications that can play a role in the development of heart failure so look each one of your medications up to determine if this is a potential side effect. The danger comes in medicine’s lack of acceptance that pharmaceuticals such as statins and beta blockers can be a cause heart failure.
2. Uncontrolled Elevated Blood Pressure – Although I am not a great fan of many medications used to treat elevated blood pressure, that does not mean that you do not have to pay attention to blood pressure. There comes a time when getting your blood pressure down is an important factor in maintaining health. When you want to build big muscles, you go to a gym and you lift weights which cause the muscle to grow larger in order to deal with the extra load that it has to work against. When blood pressure is elevated the heart must pump harder in order to circulate the blood to the organs. High blood pressure is like weights to the heart and the heart, being a muscle, responds to the elevated blood pressure by growing larger. You might think that this is a positive thing, however, many people end up with what is called a “boggy heart”. Much like a muscle bound bodybuilder, the muscles look big but they are not very functional. A boggy heart is no different, it looks big and strong but it is too big and bulky to efficiently push blood through the body. For natural alternatives to elevated blood pressure, see our protocol for hypertension. Hypertension should be treated and monitored by a qualified physician, especially if you are showing complications of the elevated blood pressure.
3. Dysfunctional Valves – If your heart’s valves are damaged, then the heart becomes less efficient at circulating blood. Valvular disorders require proper diagnosis and treatment, however, I will say that there has been some fascinating research showing that a deficiency of this “miracle nutrient” can result in valve damage. Supplementing with this nutrient can help to protect the heart and its valves.
4. Mitochondrial Deficiency and Dysfunction – The mitochondria play a critical role in energy production in the organs and cells of the body. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell where the majority of energy is produced for our body. Without this vital structure we could not have survived as a species and if these structures do not work properly many different diseases can settle in and heart failure is one such condition. For many people who are diagnosed with heart failure, they are suffering from a mitochondrial deficiency and dysfunction that is at the heart of their condition. This is especially true when we cannot find a medical reason for the heart failure. There are many things that you can do to improve the mitochondria of your body.

The Discovery of the “Miracle Nutrient”

As I began investigating and searching for a natural solution to my father’s ailment I came across a small, paperback book called Coenzyme Q10 – The Miracle Nutrient written by Dr. Emile G. Bliznakov, president and scientific director of the Lupus Research Institute. Aside from the hokey title, I was pleased to see how well referenced and researched the information was. The book covered this critical nutrient in great detail, devoting a significant number of pages to heart failure, a hot area of research for this nutrient called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 for short). There were many interesting findings presented in the book, here are a few highlights:

1. Researchers named CoQ10, “ubiquinone” when it was discovered because it was ubiquitous in the body, literally being found in virtually every cell.
2. When the body reaches a 25% deficiency, disease begins to settle in and when 75% deficiency occurs…you die. That is how important this nutrient is to the body.
3. Organs and cells that are most active have a tendency to require more coQ10 than other, less active, tissues. These highly active organs and cells are most susceptible to failure when the coQ10 levels begin to drop. These include the: heart, liver, immune system and kidneys.
4. People who have heart failure and valve disorders have a deficiency of CoQ10 in those tissues.
5. CoQ10 supplementation was an effective way to increase blood levels and more importantly to reverse heart failure and other conditions.
6. After the age of 50, supplementation may be necessary to maintain optimal levels of CoQ10.
7. Certain medications and condition may cause deficiency and treatment with CoQ10 can reverse this deficiency.

There were many other findings that were reported in the book, those are just a few. This book has since become outdated, the last version was published in 1995. Since then, there have been hundreds of studies published on CoQ10 that have added to our understanding of this powerful nutrient. Much of this research has led to more and more advanced forms of CoQ10 supplements which enhance the absorption and utilization of the fat soluble nutrient.

It was difficult to find CoQ10 supplements in the US at the time I read the book and when you found, it was quite expensive. Regardless, I hunted it down and after giving up food for a few days was able to afford a bottle for my Dad. He was skeptical at first, but after insisting he agreed to take it. He saw nearly immediate improvements. It is now 14 years later and he still takes his CoQ10 every day and both he and my dear mother attribute his survival and heart health to CoQ10 and that little book that still sits on my book shelf to this day.

Tonight I will, unfortunately, be attending a wake of the father of a friend of the family. It wasn’t until after his passing that I was informed that he had suffered with heart failure and ultimately passed due to complications of a failing heart. Although I realize that something always gets us in the end, I can’t help but feel a bit of outrage about someone who was taken before his time by such a condition as heart failure. Although, I can never be sure, I believe that had one of his doctors been familiar with and recommended some of the natural products that can help to improve the mitochondria of the heart, he may be alive today. Below I list some of these recommendations:

What to Do to Normalize a Failing Heart:

1. Ubiquinol – Ubiquinol is a newer, activated form of CoQ10 and may provide even more benefit than the standard CoQ10 (ubiquinone). The activated CoQ10 can go to work immediately to enhance energy production and energize the heart. It also has a tendency to absorb better and enter the mitochondria more readily resulting in high blood levels and improved results. Take 100 mg two to three times daily. (Higher doses may be used. If you are using standard CoQ10 (ubiquinone) then you will need to use higher doses 200 mg two to three times daily.
2. Mitochondrial Energy Optimizer – This formula contains a number of nutrients that are known to support the mitochondria and optimize their energy producing function. Included in the formula are Acetyl-l-carnitine to enhance the utilization of fat for energy, alpha-lipoic acid to protect the cell and the mitochondria from free-radical damage, Rhodiola to stimulate the production of energy in the mitochondria as well as other compounds to protect the cell and enhance energy production. Take 2 capsules twice daily.
3. Taurine – Taurine is an amino acid-like nutrient that helps to regulate and strengthen heart beat. Take 2,000 mg three times daily.
4. Corvalen (D-Ribose) – Ribose is a sugar compound used in the production of energy within the cell. This special sugar can help to increase the production of energy in the mitochondria and improve the strength of the heart. 5 grams twice daily.
5. Magnesium – Magnesium deficiency is common, especially in people with heart failure. Many medications are known to deplete the body’s magnesium and potassium and these medications such as water pills, are used by many with heart failure. We recommend magnesium aspartate 75 mg capsules 2 capsules twice daily.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids – There is no doubt that omega-3 fatty acids can work to protect the heart and enhance circulation. Although, omega-3 fatty acids have not specifically been studied in heart failure, by protecting the circulation and decreasing inflammation, this supplement will no doubt provide benefit. Recommended dosage: Carlson’s Finest Fish Oil 1 Tablespoon daily or Your Prescription for Health Super Omega-3 Fish Oil Capsules 3 Capsules twice daily.
7. Aerobic Exercise – Aerobic exercise has been shown to increase the number and size of mitochondria found in the cells of the heart and throughout the body. This is a crucial component of any comprehensive heart failure treatment plan. The key is to do only a little more than your body is used to at each exercise session. You want to make slow and consistant progress whenever you have been diagnosed with heart failure as it may be quite easy to overwhelm the heart. Talk to your cardiologist about supervised exercise programs that may be offered in your area. Do not underestimate the importance of aerobic exercise in strengthening your heart.

The recommendation was that doctors should now consider preemptively medicating any patient whose blood pressure was creeping up towards the 140/90 cut off point. I remember thinking, “Are these people out of their minds? Now there is such thing as treating a ‘pre-disease’?” I thought. Worst yet, they treat these “pre-diseases” with medications that have not even proven their worth in treating the actual “disease”?

Needless to say, we at Your Prescription for Health did not sit quietly by and allow them to decree fabricated claims of disease prevention. We quickly wrote articles and stood angrily atop of our soap boxes to preach the fallacy of this ridiculous conclusion. Months later, it was determined that this “panel of experts” were actually cronies for the drug companies—having direct ties to the companies that make drugs used to treat hypertension, and now, pre-hypertension. Alas, the word was out and the damage done. Medicine had accepted their phony pre-disease as another medical “fact” that was beyond contestation.

Recently, a controversial article that was published in the reputable Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, issue 3, determined that lowering blood pressure to levels below 140/90 provided no benefit to the risk of heart attack, strokes or funeral rates (death rates per year). In this review, lowering blood pressure to 135/85 compared to 140/90 did nothing to improve the health and longevity of over 22,000 patients in the review.

So, yes, this is a big “I told you so!” It is not our first and it certainly will not be our last! But, I don’t want to end with an “I told you so.” Let’s talk about blood pressure, why it happens and how to fix it.

First, I am going to speak in generalities here. There certainly are extenuating circumstances that could lead to atypical hypertension. These include the use of certain medication and kidney disease. We will not discuss these less common situations in the interest of helping the majority of our readers. This article is for people who have run-of-the-mill hypertension without any definitive cause; this is called “idiopathic hypertension”. People with idiopathic hypertension often ask the doctor, “why is my blood pressure high?” and they receive the dismissive reply, “because you are getting older.”

The number one cause of elevated blood pressure is what we call “metabolic syndrome” or “insulin resistance”. This occurs when we consume more carbohydrates than our body can tolerate. When this happens, insulin steadily increases resulting in a catastrophic series of biochemical events that causes blood vessel constriction and water retention. Here is a quick and easy method to begin correcting this health issue:

1. Regulate the amount of carbohydrate that you consume. People with insulin resistance may want to consider decreasing carbohydrate intake to approximately 20% of their daily caloric intake. So if your daily caloric intake is 2,000 kilocalories; 20% equates to approximately 400 kilocalories or 100 grams of carbohydrates. After the body has normalized, you may be able to increase this to 25-30%.

2. Pay attention to the quality of carbohydrate that you consume on a daily basis. A high quality carbohydrate is one with a low glycemic load. For more information on glycemic load, see www.mendosa.com .

3. Exercise at least 5 days a week for at least one-hour. Exercise burns sugar and fat while improving insulin sensitivity. Most people do not exercise often enough, nor do they exercise for long enough. Commit to one-hour a day, if you do this then you will enjoy improved blood pressure and overall health and wellbeing. Your exercise program should include weight training, walking (or light jogging) and stretching.

4. Eat your fruits and veggies. There is no faster way to help normalize the potassium/sodium balance in the body than to cut the amount of refined/prepared foods while filling the void with fruits and vegetables.

5. Supplement to correct deficiencies and improve blood vessel health. Rather than taking herbs for blood pressure, we want to correct deficiencies that may cause elevated blood pressure. These include:

a. Omega-3 fatty acids – Fish oil is the best for improving blood pressure.

b. Magnesium/Potassium aspartate – Be careful if you are on medications for blood pressure as some medications, such as ACE inhibitors, can increase potassium levels to dangerous levels. Standard dose: 2 capsules two to three times daily.

c. Vitamin D3 – This will enhance the absorption of minerals such as potassium and magnesium while providing other benefits to the cardiovascular system. 2,000-4,000 iu daily.

d. HTN Complex – This formula is designed for those who need to more aggressively lower blood pressure. It contains many nutritional and herbal ingredients to improve blood pressure when the above mentioned measures are insufficient. Recommended dose: 2 capsules twice daily.

The fascinating study, performed at Oklahoma State University, evaluated prunes as a tool for helping to prevent osteoporosis. That’s right….prunes!

In the study, the researchers gave 58 women 12 prunes daily and after 3 months tested the blood levels of certain markers of bone repair and growth. Compared to women who did not supplement with the prunes, the prune eaters enjoyed higher blood levels of growth factors and enzymes that are known to indicate improved bone repair.

Now the controversy…in the free report that comes along with the eBook Strong Bones Forever, prunes are listed as an “acidic food”. As a matter of fact, they are listed as having a grade of “D” in the list of acid/base foods. So how can they be good for the bones?

First, it is important to realize that no process of the body exists in a vacuum. What I mean by this, as it pertains to bone health, is you can’t always look at one characteristic of a food and assess its benefit or harm to the body. In the situation with prunes, prunes are a dried fruit which concentrates the sugars and could potentially increase the acidic ash of the food after it is metabolized. So, when you evaluate prunes for its pH impact on the body it may grade a “D”, however, when you look at other compounds you may see something completely different.

So what is so special about prunes? Why might they be a friend to the bones?

Prunes contain a number of compounds that may have a positive impact on the bones. If we consider 12 prunes daily to be one serving then you receive a daily dose of boron (2-3 mg) which plays a very important role in bone density. In addition, there are certain phenolic antioxidants that may short circuit free radicals that may attack the bones. Finally, 12 prunes daily contain a whopping 745 mg of potassium which is one of the body’s first lines of defense against acid buildup.

Overall, the prune may have a slightly acidic effect on the body. This negative effect may be completely negated by other factors. With all that said, I doubt that 12 prunes daily would be sufficient to reverse osteoporosis, although it may be one more step in the right direction.

Remember, osteoporosis is a complex condition that requires a multi-faceted approach in order to make progress in reversing it. Prunes certainly do not do harm, and may in fact provide nutrients that work to improve bone repair. Because of this study I am going to move prunes from a grade of “D” to a grade of “B” on the list. If more research confirms this finding then I may further increase its rating to an “A”. The study was small and only evaluated blood tests, this type of research is far from conclusive but it does give me confidence that prunes are not an enemy to bone development.

For more information about the electronic book, Strong Bones Forever, visit www.strongbonesforever.com where you can purchase and download the book.