Pets and Supplements

We all love our pets and want them to be healthy.  Supplements and Homeopathic Remedies can be the answer.

Probiotic with Prebiotic? Strengtia

Lectins may be an added source of problems if you have an Auto Immune Disease.

What a great article showing the link between Lectins and our health!  Not all foods that are thought to be healthy are good for everyone.  If you have an Auto-Immune condition, avoiding these foods may give you some relief. The link from Functional Medicine University is at the bottom with related resources if you would like more information.

Are You Overlooking This Hidden Source of Joint Pain, Gut Woes and Thyroid Problems?

Lectins can be a common and hidden source of health problems and weight gain, even if you eat an otherwise healthy diet. Lectins have been linked to autoimmune reactions and inflammation, and many are toxic to your cells and nerves. Certain types of lectins may increase your blood viscosity, interfere with gene expression and disrupt your endocrine function.

If you are dealing with an autoimmune disease, you will need to be especially careful with lectins, and you may benefit from a lectin-restricted diet. That said, it is nearly impossible to avoid lectins 100 percent of the time. I do not recommend a lectin-free diet simply because you'd miss out on antioxidants and other nutrients in lectin-containing foods, including many otherwise nutritious vegetables. A better approach is to consume lectins occasionally and pay attention to how they affect you.

If you consistently experience bloating, gas and joint pain after eating beans, for example, your body may be reacting to the lectins. How you prepare lectin-containing foods makes a big difference in your body's ability to handle them, and using a pressure cooker is by far the best approach. If you've been eating a whole-food diet yet find yourself struggling with unexplained weight gain and/or stubborn health problems, it might be time to limit the lectins.

What Are Lectins?

Lectins are sugar-binding plant proteins that attach to your cell membranes. They are a form of protein found in all kinds of plants and animal foods, which some consider to be a low-level toxin. Lectins provide a built-in defense mechanism that triggers a negative reaction in predators, aiding in their survival. About plant lectins, Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof.com, states:

“There are countless varieties of lectins in nature … Plants evolved to reproduce. They actually have no interest in being a food source for you, or even for insects or fungi. Since they are not good at running away, plants developed natural pesticides and repellents to protect themselves and their seeds from hungry animals.”

Precision Nutrition shares some additional information regarding lectins:

“Lectins are abundant in raw legumes and grains, and most commonly found in the part of the seed that becomes the leaves when the plant sprouts, also known as the cotyledon, but also on the seed coat. They're also found in dairy products and certain vegetables.

Lectins in plants are a defense against microorganisms, pests and insects. They may also have evolved as a way for seeds to remain intact as they passed through animals' digestive systems, for later dispersal. Lectins are resistant to human digestion and they enter the blood unchanged.”

According to Healthline, “The ‘stickiness' of lectins makes them prone to attaching to your intestinal wall. This is the main reason why excessive lectin intake causes digestive distress.” High levels of lectins are found in beans, grains and legumes, as well as dairy and vegetables within the nightshade family. Many other foods contain lectins, at lower and less potentially toxic amounts.

How Lectins Can Harm Your Health

Because they resist digestion, lectins act as "antinutrients," which means they have a detrimental effect on your gut microbiome by shifting the balance of your bacterial flora. One of the worst culprits is wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which is found in wheat and other seeds in the grass family. I consider Dr. Steven Gundry, author of the book "The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in ‘Healthy' Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain," to be one of the best sources of information regarding how lectins can harm your health.

He suggests some plant lectins can contribute to leaky gut by binding to receptor sites on your intestinal mucosal cells, thereby interfering with the absorption of nutrients across your intestinal wall. Compared to WGA, gluten is a minor problem, says Gundry. That's because WGA has been shown to be one of the most efficient ways to induce heart disease in experimental animals. Due to their negative autoimmune and inflammatory effects, lectins are particularly toxic to anyone dealing with an autoimmune disorder.

If this is you, you may want to consider eliminating lectins or drastically reducing your intake. One manner in which lectins stir up trouble in your body is through molecular mimicry. For example, by mimicking proteins in your thyroid or joint spaces, lectins can trick your body into attacking your thyroid gland and contributing to rheumatoid arthritis. Part of this disease process results in lectins and lipopolysaccharides (also known as endotoxins) penetrating your gut wall, causing a strong immune response.

Should You Avoid Beans and Other Lectin-Rich Foods?

If you are struggling with an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, you may be among those who need to be careful with respect to lectin-containing foods — specifically beans and legumes, grains and nightshade vegetables. Gundry said, “My research and others suggest that lectins cause most heart disease, arthritis, dementia, diabetes and all autoimmune disease.” A lectin-restricted diet may be helpful if you are dealing with:

Are All Lectins Bad for You?

While Gundry declares lectins the greatest danger in the American diet, especially for those with an autoimmune disease, the truth is some lectins, in small amounts, can provide valuable health benefits. Precision Nutrition states: “Lectins are thought to play a role in immune function, cell growth, cell death and body fat regulation.” It seems most problems arise from overconsumption or continued consumption, even in small amounts, of certain lectins your body simply cannot tolerate.

From my perspective, it would be a mistake to assume all lectins are bad for you. One of my favorite foods, avocados, contain the lectin agglutinin (persea Americana agglutinin), but I continue to eat them regularly and would not consider them to be a food to avoid. Avocados are a healthy food, and research indicates the agglutinin found in them is devoid of specificity for carbohydrates — it interacts with proteins and polyamino acids instead.

Although tomatoes, as part of the nightshade family, are often listed among the most problematic lectin-containing foods, the heat of cooking them brings about some positive benefits. The antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes has enhanced bioavailability from heating, making tomatoes healthy in other ways. Bean lectins, however, are accompanied by more potentially toxic or allergenic effects. Beyond their lectin content, beans also are high in net carbs.

For this reason, they are best avoided in the initial transitional stages of a ketogenic diet. As you can see, the choice for or against lectins hinges on the particular food in question and the effects lectins have on the eater. While a good deal of controversy has been stirred, the presence of lectins is by no means a sole determinant of the overall value of a particular food to your diet.

The Most Damaging Lectins to Avoid

Grains and legumes such as black beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans and soybeans contain the highest amounts of lectins. Additional potentially damaging lectin-containing foods are:

Most lectins are proinflammatory, meaning they trigger inflammation and create advanced glycation end products. C-reactive protein is one example of the many lectins you have circulating in your body right now, and it's used as a marker of inflammation. Lectins are also immunotoxic (capable of stimulating a hyperimmune response), neurotoxic and cytotoxic, meaning they're toxic to your nerves and cells and may induce apoptosis (cell death).

Certain lectins can increase your blood viscosity by binding to your red blood cells. This makes your blood cells sticky, resulting in abnormal clotting. Some lectins, such as WGA, have been known to interfere with gene expression and disrupt your endocrine function.

Equally worrisome is the reality lectins promote leptin resistance, thereby increasing your risk of obesity. All of these factors can predispose you to disease. If you have any kind of health problem in which lectins are a suspected contributor, you'd be wise to eliminate the following foods from your diet entirely:

You may have mistakenly believed you're lactose intolerant when the effects could actually be a response to the casein A1 in certain types of milk. The best milk to drink is raw milk from organic, grass fed, casein A2-producing cows. Jersey cows produce either casein A1 or A2, so you'll need to check with the farmer to confirm the type of milk produced. Avoid milk from Holsteins because they produce casein A1.

Ways to Cut the Lectin Content in High-Lectin Foods

After eliminating the worst offending high-lectin foods from your diet, you can further reduce lectins in your diet with the following tips:

Tips for Reducing Lectins in Beans and Potatoes

If you choose to eat beans, it's imperative you prepare and cook them properly, mainly because eating raw or undercooked beans can have acute, toxic effects. The toxin phytohemagglutinin is common in many varieties of beans, and concentrations are especially high in raw, red kidney beans.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states eating as few as four or five raw beans may cause phytohemagglutinin toxicity, which is often marked by extreme nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The FDA notes several incidents of poisoning with respect to the undercooking of beans using slow cookers and Crockpots. To make beans safer to eat, be sure to:

The lectin content in potatoes, which are a member of the nightshade family, will also be reduced by cooking, although only by 50 to 60 percent. On the positive side, most potatoes contain digestive-resistant starch, which consists of complex starch molecules that resist digestion in your small intestine. These starches slowly ferment in your large intestine, where they act as prebiotics that feed your healthy gut bacteria.

Why You Should Limit, Not Eliminate, Lectins

Some researchers, like Anthony Samsel, believe the lectin damage is related to their glyphosate contamination. Gundry and others make a strong case against lectins due to their potential to wreak havoc on your health. Given the number of lectin-containing foods, however, it would be nearly impossible to eliminate them from your diet entirely. The list of lectins within the vegetable kingdom alone is lengthy, and some lectins do have health benefits.

Many lectin-containing vegetables also contain polyphenols, which are micronutrients with antioxidant activity that play an important role in preventing and reducing the progression of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and neurodegenerative conditions. Polyphenols are also regarded as prebiotic, increasing the ratio of beneficial bacteria in your gut, which is important for disease prevention and weight management.

While you don't want to miss out on the polyphenols, it's well worth your time to experiment and identify lectins that may be problematic for your body. Particularly if you are eating a healthy, whole-food diet but continue to have health problems, it may be time to limit the lectins. Such a change might possibly be the key to improved health and healing.

https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/1279.cfm

Alzheimer's and the early failing of our brain

Functional Medicine University recently published and article on some possible links the the early failing of the human brain and the increase of Alzheimer's Disease and memory decline.  

Part of the reason can be connected to blood pressure medications called channel blockers and also cholesterol lowering drugs like Lipitor.  They have documented research on how these drugs are adding to the early decline in brain function.  

Another link is drawn to heavy metals that can accumulate in our brain and cause the nerves to malfunction.  Aluminum is a major culprit as it is all around us.

Fortunately there is a nutrient that can help to store memory and keep Alzheimer's at bay.  It is called Phosphatidylserine and is available in supplement form on our website from Orthomolecular Products.  In one incident, in just 3 months Phosphatidylserine restored memory to where it had been 12 years prior. 

Organic Green Tea is also beneficial to brain function.

To read the full article with accompanying research you can go here  https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/995.cfm

A Functional Medicine doctor like Dr. Tony Aboudib can help guide you on your journey to restored health and improved mental function.  Give us a call to set up a phone consult today.  231-421-5213.

Pet Therapy

Vitamin D Deficiency May Predict Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Doctors May Be Able to Monitor your Prostate Cancer Rather than Removing the Prostate!  

Article by By Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN from the designforhealth.com blog.

      In a new study published February 22nd in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers found a major link between low levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer. This study showed that low serum vitamin D blood levels in men may predict aggressive prostate cancer identified at the time of surgery. 

The research team stated that

“Vitamin D deficiency may predict aggressive prostate cancer as a biomarker and that a deficiency should be corrected with supplements."

      Previous studies that showed this association were based on labs performed well before treatment. This study provides a more direct correlation because it measured D levels within a few months before the tumor was visually identified as aggressive during surgery.

      This new study was part of a larger ongoing study of 1,760 men in the Chicago area investigating the association between vitamin D and prostate cancer. The recent study consisted of 190 men with an average age of 64 who had a radical prostatectomy to remove their prostate between the years 2009 to 2014. Eighty seven men of this group had aggressive prostate cancer. Those with aggressive cancer had an average vitamin D level of 22.7 ng/ml.

      The researchers determined that all men should be assessing and supplementing accordingly to optimize their vitamin D levels. This is smart preventive health care. Since vitamin D is a biomarker for bone health as well as for the severity of many other chronic diseases, it would benefit everyone to have their levels routinely checked.

     Most people should be taking Vitamin D supplements, specifically during the winter months. However, vitamin D supplementation is really required year round. It is rare to have normal vitamin D levels when you work indoors in an office every day, no matter what time of the year it is. It is found that most people need about 4000 IU daily to maintain normal, healthy levels, whereas a daily intake of 8000 - 10,000 IU is usually required to bring low vitamin D levels up to an optimal range. 

Click here to browse through all our Vitamin D suppletments.

The Good Doctor

He is a member of the American College of Nutrition, the Institute for Functional Medicine, the Council of Nutrition, and the Endocrine Society. He is a Diplomate of the Certification Board of Nutrition Specialists, a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, a Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Neurology.  You can look at his other qualifications on his website www.thyroid360.com.

Testing

Most everyone is familiar with blood (serum) testing.  This is probably the most common.  It can be used to test a very broad range of levels from vitamin and mineral deficiencies or toxicity to viruses and bacteria.  We have access to low cost blood testing to minimize the cost of lab work for those who don't have health insurance.

At our clinic we also offer saliva testing and hair analysis.  Saliva Testing has been known to be very accurate.  It is especially useful in testing cortisol (Adrenal) levels because it can be done at home and the samples can be acquired throughout the day.  Blood testing for cortisol would be very difficult as it would require multiple samples during a 24 hour period in a clinic setting.  Hormones and food sensitivities can also be checked with saliva.  

We have access to hair analysis also.  It is used for testing heavy metal toxicity such as mercury, lead, arsenic and others.    Degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis and  Fibromylagia to name a few, can be caused by heavy metal accumulation.  Hair analysis can also test for various essential minerals that may have been displaced by heavy metal toxicity.  

Testing can be the key to properly supporting all of the organs and processes of the body.  In a natural approach to whole body health testing can be the guiding light to turning your health around and can be very reassuring that you are on the right track.

Seeing is Believing

So the next step is to improve the lab levels that are still off.  I plan to continue with the gluten free food choices and increase the exercises.  Each time we run tests we make adjustments to the supplements that I am taking.  We plan to do more extensive food sensitivity testing (we offer a test that can check for 164 different foods sensitivities) to make sure that I understand exactly what to avoid in my diet and to pin-point what continues to cause my auto-immune condition.

I have hope that I will continue to improve and that we will know the answers to a lot of the questions that started this journey to health.  Looking back I see how different things could have been had I taken a different road - to destroy part of my body and rely on prescription drugs for the rest of my life.  Let your body heal itself - God has given us the answers to our health conditions - we just have to listen and learn and understand.

My Goal Continues

My goal in working on this blog is to get the word out that there are natural options available for the various forms of thyroid disease.  Today I heard about at 21 year old young woman that was given Radioactive Iodine for treatment of overactive thyroid. I'm sure I gasped when I heard.  That is so young to spend the rest of your life without a vital organ.  I don't know her specific situation but I do know there are times when more drastic measures cannot be avoided but once Radioactive Iodine or a thyroidecotomy has been done, it cannot be undone.  There are, however, natural thyroid supports that can help you to deal with the symptoms that don't go away and also help to minimize the amount of medication that must be taken.

Give me a call at our office (231-421-5213) and I would be happy to talk with you.  There is no cost for the initial consultation and it just might give you some guidance that will help you control your condition without taking extreme measures. 

It has been almost a year since I was originally tested and I am happy that my symptoms have diminished to the point that I only have a mild occassional recurrence.  I know I am still far from being "cured" but I think I am on the right course and look forward to even more improvement in my thyroid health.  In the next couple of days I plan to get my thyroid levels retested and I will let you know how things are going from a functional analysis standpoint.  

In the next post I will talk about some of the diagnostic testing options that are available at our office. We have access to low cost lab testing locally for those individuals without insurance coverage.