If you have a loved one with multiple sclerosis[1], (as I do), you’ll love what this next post is about. It features the inspiring story of Dr. Terry Wahls[2], who reversed her multiple sclerosis after seven years of deterioration — simply by changing her diet. That she did it within 8 months and went on to complete an 18 mile bicycle tour is nothing short of miraculous. No drug has ever been able to claim the same results. Coming across her story late last year was the best Christmas present ever.
Dr. Wahls is a professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa, where she teaches, and does rounds in a traumatic brain injury clinic. This conventional medical doctor had the courage to step outside the medical paradigm and persisted until she found a way to literally get out of her chair. Initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2000, she went the conventional route and was taking chemotherapy drugs and other immune suppressants in an attempt to slow the disease.
By 2003, Dr Wahls transitioned to ‘Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis’ (the more advanced form), and had to begin using a tilt-recline wheelchair because of weakness in her back muscles. In MS, the immune system becomes sensitized to and attacks proteins in the myelin sheath that protects the axons of the central nervous system.[3]
Like anyone with a degenerative condition, she wanted to forestall further deterioration as long as possible. Because of her medical training, Dr. Wahls knew that research in animal models of disease is often 20 or 30 years ahead of clinical practice. She stayed up late each night to scour through peer-reviewed research on www.PubMed.gov and read the latest articles on multiple sclerosis research.
She knew that most of the studies were testing drugs which would take years for FDA approval so turned instead to the research on vitamins and supplements important to mitochondrial and brain health. As she continued to research late into the nights, she came across studies showing that over time, the brains of MS patients tended to shrink. This spiked her curiosity and led her to research other diseases that share similar brain shrinkage, namely Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
One thing that was common to all these degenerative conditions was poorly functioning mitochondria. Mitochondria are like little ‘batteries’ in your cells that manage the energy supply to the cell. If you forget to feed them the correct foods or nutrients, your cells wither and die. Muscles shrink, brain volume drops. All the other cells in the body are also compromised.
Getting Better but not Quite There
In doing her research, Dr, Wahls discovered that three nutrients in particular are essential for proper mitochondrial function: 1) animal-based omega-3 fats; 2) Creatine (a compound that is involved in the production of energy in the body); and 3) Coenzyme Q10 – preferably in the ‘reduced’, best-absorbed version known as Ubiquinol. After taking these supplements, her decline slowed somewhat but she was still in a state of declining health.
The Big Change – Getting Nutrients from food
By the fall of 2007, Wahls had an important ‘aha’ moment. She wondered what would happen if she changed her diet so that she was getting these important brain nutrients not from supplements, but from the foods she was eating. Dr. Wahls wanted to eat all the foods that helped to make myelin – notably B1 (Thiamine), B9 (Folate) and B12 (Cobalamin). For her mitochondria to thrive at their peak efficiency she needed B vitamins, sulphur and antioxidants.
To accomplish all of this, she adapted a standard hunter-gatherer diet (basically eating what a caveman would eat) included roots, seeds, nuts, oily fish, grass-fed meats, organ meats and natural iodine from sea weeds. Iodine is good for many things including myelin repair. She also ate 9 cups of non-starchy vegetables and berries each day (3 cups each of greens, sulphur-containing vegetables, and colourful vegetables).
In case you are wondering, sulphurous vegetables include kale, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, onions, chives, leeks, mushrooms, asparagus, etc. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes or grains such as rice were not eaten unless her 9 cups of other vegetables were eaten first. Tips on eating ‘the Wahls way’ can be found on her website: http://www.terrywahls.com/eating-the-wahls-way?EID=18923451&CID=3395727 You can also purchase Wahl’s book, Minding my Mitochondria, to find not only research but recipe and menu suggestions.
She called this way of eating ‘Intensive Directed Nutrition’ and it is easy to see why. She soon found she had more energy and felt better. Within 3 months she was able to get out of her wheelchair and walk down the halls at work using one cane. Later, by adding exercise and other therapies she progressively got better.
Why Cruciferous Vegetables and Sulphur?
Sulphur is responsible for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the human body. Together with antioxidants, sulphur helps the mitochondria to survive. By weight, sulphur is one of the most abundant minerals in the body – the average person contains about 140 grams of it at any one time. Sulphurous vegetables also help with creation of a potent antioxidant – glutathione – which could help prevent further damage to neurotransmitters. Sulfur is also necessary for the synthesis of Taurine, an amino acid needed for proper functioning of the muscles and central nervous system.
Foods to Avoid
The diet of the typical North American is so poor in nutrients that they do not have the building blocks to feed the mitochondria or to make/repair myelin, a protective covering on nerves that becomes destroyed over time in people with multiple sclerosis.
It is very important to remove from the diet all refined or pre-packaged foods and Omega 6 oils and fats. You find Omega 6 fatty acids in corn fed meat, corn oil, safflower and vegetable oils, soybean oil, margarines and fried foods. That does not mean that one must remove all fats and oils from the diet however. ‘Healthy fats’ such as fish oils, flax seed oils and extra-virgin coconut and olive oils are encouraged.
Anything inflammatory and processed must be removed – so no sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, allergens, dairy (including raw dairy), grains, or legumes, including soy beans. Dairy, grains and legumes, especially, are implicated in auto-immune reactions for people with MS.[4] Small amounts of high-antioxidant raw cacao beans, and raw honey are allowed occasionally. Those who cannot manage going grain-free are encouraged to try going gluten-free first, but faster results are expected when the guidelines are strictly followed.
MS and Eggs
Organic, free-range, antibiotic-free eggs (if tolerated), are recommended because they contain choline – which together with inositol – is critical for myelin sheath repair. Synergistically they work to create natural lecithin in the body. Making it this way means that one does not have to rely on soy-derived lecithin.
Generally, people with autoimmune diseases should not have egg whites due to a problematic protein in the egg white called ‘lysozyme’. Usually it is harmless, but it can bind with some proteins and inhibit trypsin and prevent it from doing its job to digest protein. Some of its compounds can pass through the gut wall and aggravate damaged guts. Avidin, another substance found in egg whites, binds to a B vitamin called Biotin, which is responsible for fatty acid synthesis and blood sugar regulation. Even when well-cooked, Avidin continued to inhibit Biotin absorption by about 30 percent.
So how do you know if you are sensitive to egg whites? One way to find out is to eliminate eggs at first and add them back after a few weeks. They may be eaten if there is no reaction to them. The same thing can be tried with tomatoes and eggplants, which cause joint pain in some people. If you find you cannot get your choline from egg yolks, food sources of choline include beef liver (highest source), chicken and turkey, scallops and shrimp, salmon, collard greens, Swiss chard and cauliflower.[5] You will also find choline in sesame and flax seeds. Inositol is found in high amounts in legumes (not allowed in this diet), however you can find it in high amounts in grapefruits, oranges, mandarin oranges, cantaloupe, rutabaga, blackberries, artichokes, okra, kiwi fruit, and nectarines.
How else can you Rebuild Myelin and prevent its Destruction? The term ‘balanced diet’ is the key. The myelin sheath is composed of about 75 percent fats and cholesterol and the rest is protein[6]. The first building block needed to make myelin is Omega 3 fatty acid, which you get from pure fish oils, wild fish and grass fed meats. The 3 cups of greens daily provide B vitamins and folate, which you need for your brain to keep it from shrinking. (Indeed, many people on this diet report marked clear-thinking and removal of the ‘brain fog’ they had earlier).
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) helps to get energy into the muscles but it also helps with myelin repair. Organ meats – which traditional societies have always eaten – are recommended once a week to get natural cobalamin or B12 into the body. Organic liver is very good for that. Natural iodine from sea vegetables not only helps with myelin repair but would also aids the liver and brain to clear out mercury and other heavy metals from the body.
Bone broths are also recommended daily because they are full of minerals and help to heal any loose ‘tight junctions’ in the gut, which might be contributing to auto-immune reactions generally. Another way to rebuild lost myelin is to submit the muscles to the ‘stress’ of daily exercise – more on this later.
The Use of Fats and Oils with Multiple Sclerosis Unlike others who suggest drastically reducing saturated fats in an MS diet, Wahls is saying that healthy fats - from cod liver and salmon fish and oils, walnuts, chia seeds, ghee from a grass-fed, pastured animal, extra virgin olive and coconut oils … and even lard… are fine. Ghee, or clarified butter, by the way, has had the milk proteins poured off. Keep in mind that you need trace amounts of copper to activate these healthy fats so that they can go to work repairing the myelin. Food sources of copper include dried oregano and thyme, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.
Cod liver oil is high in vitamin D. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 found that Vitamin D significantly reduced the risk of demyelination. Wahls believes that Vitamin D should be over 50 ng/ml but under 100 ng/ml to obtain the best benefits – lowered risk for autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. How do you know how much you need to get there? Take a test every 1- 3 months and take 4000 IU vitamin D3 daily, or more if needed. At levels over 150 there is an increased risk of excessive calcium in the blood, hallucinations, psychosis, and kidney damage.
For some unknown reason, the concentration of oleic acid (a type of healthy saturated omega 9 oil found in olive oil and avocados), is lower in the myelin of people with MS. Oleic acid promotes the production of antioxidants in the body and slows the development of heart disease. In other myelin-destroying diseases, oleic acid is used to formulate ‘Lorenzo’s oil’, which helps patients with adrenoleukodystrophy.
Creation of New Neurons and Synapses plus More Energy
With properly functioning mitochondria, Dr. Wahls hoped that her body would also get maximum energy from glucose, a key factor in reducing or eliminating the fatigue so common with MS. With more energy you can exercise and do more. She also wanted her diet to be high in antioxidant capacity because that would not only increase protection of her neurons but also increase production of neurotrophic factors – a family of proteins responsible for the growth and maturation of new neurons and synapses.[7]
Antioxidants from spices such as turmeric were also added because of the wealth of animal and human studies showing that its curcumin component helps to prevent oxidative damage.[8] Just how curcumin might work to prevent demyelinization remains unclear, but researchers at Vanderbilt University believe it may be interrupting the production of IL-12, a protein that plays a key role in the destruction of the myelin by signaling for the development of neural antigen-specific Th1 cells, immune cells that then launch an attack on the myelin sheath.[9]
A Synergistic Approach: Hitting MS with many things at once With her intensive daily nutrition foundation in place, Dr Wahls continued to do research into additional supplements that might help to feed the mitochondria. Supplements, she points out, can be helpful, but a nutrient-intense diet must always come first. There is wisdom in this — brightly coloured vegetables and berries may contain beneficial cofactors and compounds not included in supplements which scientists may not discover or name for years, even though they work.
This is what is referred to in research as ‘efficacy’. It works because it works, and waiting for ‘evidence-based research’ to prove they work is not always helpful since experience tells you there is little risk in eating vegetables and fruits, together with a myriad of benefits. Today Dr. Wahls uses 200 mg B complex, 200 mg of Coenzyme Q 10, 1 g of Alpha Lipoic Acid, 600 mg of Acetyl L Carnitine, 120 mg of Gingko, 2 g of N Acetyl Cysteine, 2 g of Taurine, 2 g of Glutathione, 200 mg of Resveratrol, and enough Lithium Orotate to yield 13 mg of elemental lithium, on a daily basis.
Putting it all together By December 2007 she had combined intensive directed nutrition with a program of progressive exercise, electro-stimulation of muscles[10], and daily exercise. Daily exercise, even for those who cannot walk, is excellent because any ‘stress’ to the muscle causes the body to produce new myelin and development of new neurological pathways. Exercise also leads to decreased production of inflammatory proteins. Various animal experiments have shown that exercise increases ‘neurotrophins’, a family of proteins induce the survival, development and function of neurons.
The results stunned her physician, her family, and even herself. Within a year, she was able to walk through the hospital without a cane and even complete an 18-mile bicycle tour. Instead of becoming dependent on others, Wahls regained the ability to commute to work on her bicycle, and to do her rounds on foot without the need for canes or a wheelchair.
Up from the Chair and Helping Others Grateful to have her energy back, Dr. Wahls has spent the last three years researching, lecturing and speaking about her journey to wellness and shares how others may help themselves with intensive directed nutrition. Dr Wahls now has enough energy left over to start writing up research grants again. She has brought together an interdisciplinary team to conduct clinical trials using intensive, directed nutrition and neuromuscular electrical stimulation to combat advanced Parkinson’s disease and both secondary and primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
This time she is conducting a randomized intervention clinical trial on Nutrition and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. You can read about it here: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01381354?term=wahls+sclerosis&rank=1
To help raise awareness and funds for her research and her non-profit foundation, Dr Wahls has recorded many of her public lectures. Fifty percent of the profits from the sales of the lecture DVDs and audio CDs are used to support clinical nutrition in the area of nutrition, massage, exercise, and neuromuscular stimulation. These resources are available on Dr. Wahl’s website: http://www.mindingmymitochondria.com/
In the meantime, here are a few words from Dr. Wahls:
“There is a lot we can do to restore our health without needing a physician. Here are ten suggestions for how you can help spread the word.
1. Talk about Minding My Mitochondria on Facebook and Twitter.
2. Tell your friends that you have read this fabulous book that is changing your life.
3. Tell your co-workers the reason you have so much more energy is due to Minding My Mitochondria.
4. Tell your family that Minding My Mitochondria is changing your life and could change theirs too.
5. Write a review for Amazon. It is easy. Just a paragraph, written from the heart, will be fine.
6. Write a review for your local paper. Or a letter to the editor.
7. Buy the book for a friend or a member of your family whose health you’d like to see improve.
8. Interview Dr. Wahls for your local newsletter, club, or paper.
9. Follow the suggestions Dr. Wahls makes in Minding My Mitochondria. As you become a healthier, more vibrant you, others will ask what your secret is.
10. When others ask what led to your looking 6 months younger than the last time they saw you, tell them why. That your mitochondria are healthy again, thanks to Minding My Mitochondria. Be healthier, more vibrant, more energetic.”
Posted in Uncategorized
A couple of months ago, I came across a thought-provoking news article, written by Karen Garloch of The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina, on how to protect oneself from medical errors: http://m.fayobserver.com/articles?path=/articles/2011/11/07/1130862.
While it was wonderful for me to read the article and educate myself on this topic, I felt very sad as to why it had been written.
Garloch shared the story about Joe and Theresa Graedon, a pharmacologist and medical anthropologist who know a great deal about healthcare and advocacy. Together the couple have written 14 books, and host a radio show and advice column called ‘The People’s Pharmacy’.
So it stood to figure that all would be well when Joe’s 92 year-old mother, Helen, had to go into hospital for surgery. Sadly, a series of medical errors while in hospital led to her death in 1996.
But instead of suing the hospital, Joe and Theresa began a campaign to change the system and improve patient safety. The following list of 10 things you can do to prevent medical erros made a lot of sense to me. Thank you Helen Graedon.
10 WAYS TO PREVENT MEDICAL ERRORS
Karen Garloch, Health Writer
The Charlotte Observer, N.C.
10-17-11 (reprinted in Life Extension Foundation magazine, 10-27-11)
1. Expect mistakes and have an advocate with you in the hospital.
2. Check every medicine. Make sure the dose is right.
3. Be assertive. “Being nice can get you killed.”
4. When in doubt, “say No.” Demand an explanation.
5. Be vigilant during transitions, from one floor to another, or when shifts change.
6. Alert the nurse or “rapid response team,” if something seems wrong.
7. When discharged from the hospital, get detailed instructions and contact information. Know what symptoms might signal a worsening situation or infection.
8. Hospital doctors may never speak to your primary care physician. Take your records and don’t assume doctors already know what’s in them.
9. Double-check everything. Don’t assume no news is good news or that test results are always correct. Get copies of lab results in a timely fashion. If something seems wrong, request a repeat.
10. Take a friend or family member to doctor’s visits. Nearly every error made in the hospital can also be made in the outpatient setting. A second pair of eyes and ears can be very useful in getting instructions and spotting problems.
PATIENT CHECKLIST
Take a list of your top health concerns/symptoms.
Ask your doctor for a recap to make sure you’ve been heard.
Take notes or record the conversation so you can remember.
Carry a list of all your medicines and supplements.
Find out about the most common and serious side effects your medicines may cause.
Ask the doctor how confident he is about your diagnosis. Find out what else could be causing your symptoms.
Get a second opinion.
Ask health care providers to wash their hands before they examine you.
Keep track of your progress: Keep a diary of relevant measurements such as weight, blood pressure, blood sugar.
Be vigilant when moving from one health care setting to another. Mistakes and oversights are especially common during transitions.
Ask how to get in touch with health care providers. Get phone numbers or email addresses, and learn when to report problems.
—
(c)2011 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
Malnourished Minds:
The Link between Nutrition and Depression
October 29, 2011
Dr. James Greenblatt
Last night at the University of Toronto’s medical sciences auditorium, I attended a lecture entitled, Malnourished Minds: The Link between Nutrition and Depression, presented by Psychiatrist James M. Greenblatt, MD, based on his book, The Breakthrough Depression Solution available through the following on-line book sellers, as well as Dr. Greenblatt’s websites: http://www.comprehensivepsychiatricresources.com and http://www.jamesgreenblattmd.com.
The event was organized through the Canadian Orthomolecular Medicine Society http://www.orthomed.org/csom/csom.html and the International Schizophrenia Foundation http://www.orthomed.org/isf/isfbrochure.html .
Dr Greenblatt is a dually certified child and adult psychiatrist and pioneer in integrative medicine. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Comprehensive Psychiatric Resources (CPR), an integrative medical practice that uses a biologically-based approach to treat mental health disorder such eating disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, ADHD, and depression.
His Integrative Psychiatry approach addresses all of the factors that may incline an individual towards depression – genetics, nutrition deficiencies/excesses, and levels of stress. Where needed, he uses technology (rEEG) to ensure that medications and treatment are targeted towards individual biochemistry. His nutrition-based approach often reduces his patient’s use of medication and minimizes drug side-effects.
By identifying and addressing all the factors that contribute to depression, his experience has been that depression can be successfully treated, and the patient is less likely to relapse. As a young psychology undergraduate, decades ago, I had worked in clinical, classroom and group-home settings with young individuals who were on psychiatric medication for various disorders. How I wish we had this information way back then.
Why is this topic important? Why should we care? By 2020, depression is expected to be the leading cause of disability worldwide, second only to heart disease. And despite the dozens of antidepressants on the market, millions of people who seek treatment for depression fail to find relief from their symptoms. According to Greenblatt, standard treatment for depression successfully eliminates symptoms in only 33% of patients. In about 70% of cases, the symptoms recur.
Depression disrupts the lives of tens of millions of people is North America – women in particular. It is a leading cause of work disability. Each year in Canada, about 12% of the adult population has a diagnosable (i.e., clinically significant) mental disorder, with major depression being the most common. The costs – for medical care, lost work time, and loss of life – range in the region of $40 billion dollar annually, although one can never put a price on life. People who suffer from depression have much higher rates than average for various types of diseases, from heart ailments to alcoholism. Doctors estimate that as many as 8 million women and 4 million men in the United States are treated for clinical depression every year.
But could a simple blood test change all that?
Research has shown that an over-accumulation of homocysteine, (whether due to a deficiency in folate, B12, B6, or zinc), can lead to depression. In this way, testing for levels of homocysteine in the blood could be a very useful form of objective testing. It is about time because depression is one of the many psychiatric disorders that lack objective testing for diagnosis and treatment. Because of this, psychiatry is often referred to as a “measureless medicine.”
Homocysteine is a non-protein amino acid that is quickly converted to another amino acid called cysteine. If conversion of homocysteine to cysteine is somehow impaired, homocysteine levels rise and become harmful. Too much homocysteine may increase your risk of stroke, heart disease, free radical activity, and depression.
Several important, mood associated vitamins and minerals (folate, vitamins B12 and B6, and zinc) are responsible for the conversion of homocysteine into the non-harmful cysteine. Therefore, deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to an accumulation of homocysteine.
So elevated homocysteine levels can indicate early stage deficiency of folate or vitamins B6 or B12 before blood levels can detect deficiency! This means that checking homocysteine levels in the body is very important if you wish to maintain health.
Not so strangely, many drugs can cause Folate Deficiency States (and therefore lead to high homocystein, inflammation and Depression). Anti-depression drugs are among them:
Amazingly, the brain knows and the gut, knows how to make its own antidepressants (for example, serotonin), given the right conditions. If that is true, what causes neurotransmitter deficiencies, dysfunction, and depression? Integrative Psychiatry sees these anomalies as linked to many factors:
Taken altogether, genes, poor diet, stress, neurotoxins and inflammation can lead not only to depression, but suppression of the immune system.
Fortunately, Dr. Greenblatt has reintroduced a biological orthomolecular framework for the understanding, treatment and prevention of Mood Disorders. He summarizes his personalized treatment approach as THE ZEEBrA approach, an easy mnemomic that covers each of the critical factors that should be addressed in the diagnosis and treatment of depression. It’s so simple that it’s elegant.
T- Take care of yourself – Getting plenty of sleep, eating right, and choosing activities that help lower stress and promote well-being are important steps to recovering from depression.
H- Hormones – Correcting hormone imbalances can often relieve depression.
E- Exclude – Exclude certain foods from the diet as problems associated with digesting these foods, such as wheat and dairy, can exacerbate depressed moods.
Z – Zinc and Other Minerals – Ensure adequate zinc and mineral levels; insufficient zinc is a frequent culprit in depression.
E – Essential Fatty Acids – Monitoring essential fatty acid and cholesterol levels are important to cardiovascular and mental health as low levels of these substances are often implicated in depression.
E – Exercise – Participating in exercise is known to combat depression on multiple levels.
B – B vitamins and Other Vitamins – Restoring vitamin levels to their optimal range can reduce symptoms of depression.
R – rEEG—This means ‘references EEG, which is a way of measuring brain activity much in the way an EKG might measure the activity level of your heart. If psychiatric medications are needed, rEEG can guide medication selection and eliminate trial-and-error prescribing.
A – Amino Acids and Protein
Let’s look at this again, in more detail:
Depression and THE ZEEBRA
T – Take Care of Yourself
H – Hormones:
E – Exclude:
Ok, here’s the Zeebra, next:
Z – Zinc and other minerals:
E – Essential Fatty Acids:
E – Exercise:
B- B vitamins, Folate, Vitamin D, and C:
r- Referenced –rEEG
Physicians report significantly reduced trial and error medication selection after using rEEG data.
Referenced-EEG is an objective, physiologically-based measure that helps psychiatrists make better prescribing decisions. rEEG measures electrical brain activity similar to the way that an EKG measures electrical activity in your heart. EEGs have been used for many years to help neurologists treat seizures and other neurological disorders. Now they are being used in psychiatry. Research has shown that although patients may have similar symptoms, they often have very different abnormalities in their EEG signal, and so would require a more individualized approach.
A – Amino Acids and Protein
Next week’s post:
The Celiac-Anxiety Connection, and
Foods to Lift your Mood
Posted in Depression
Tagged B12, B6, Depression, Dr. Greenblatt, folate, homocysteine, nutrition, The Breakthrough Depression Solution, zinc
Helen Papaconstantinos, RNCP, ROHP
Could Caffeine be the new health food? One might think so after reading about all the recent studies in the media. Evidence is now suggesting that caffeine – especially that found in coffee – may prevent conditions such as type II diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. Some epidemiological studies even suggest that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to get various types of cancer (liver, colon, oral, and oesophageal), and gout, tooth decay, and gallstones.
Just quickly – caffeine is the most widely consumed behaviourally active substance in the world.[i] It is estimated that approximately 80% of the world’s population uses caffeine on a daily basis, mainly in the form of coffee, tea, sodas and chocolate, but it is also found in some drugs, ‘decaffeinated’ coffee and tea, diet pills, and energy drinks. Around 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine every single day in one form or another. More than half of all American adults consume more than 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day, making it the most popular drug by far.
But why are 90% of Americans consuming caffeinated drinks on a daily basis? And are the current studies truly reflective of what is occurring in the body?
Problems with Industry-Funded and Correlation Studies:
Many experts point out that the newer research only establishes a correlation between coffee drinking and brain protection.[ii] Huntington Potter, a neurobiologist at the University of South Florida, and Reisa Sperling, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard University, point out that it is entirely possible that ‘regular coffee drinking subjects’ might have other habits in common which might explain the protective effect. Couch potatoes, for example, would be less likely to walk into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Making coffee requires many steps to complete it -including remembering where the pot is kept. In recall studies using people 65 years of age and older, researchers would be less apt to include subjects with early stage Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, simply because there could well be a problem with subjects remembering exactly how much caffeine was consumed daily.
There are so many studies which appear to support caffeine but if you look closely, the scientists will not say that caffeine enhances your health and long-term well-being. They might say that a particular type or part of chocolate, or caffeine is good for you. Most of coffee’s beneficial effects against Type 2 diabetes, for instance, are not due to its caffeine content but something else, since the benefits are greatest in those drinking decaffeinated coffee.[vii] We know that the antioxidants in roast coffee – lipophic antioxidants and chlorogenic acid lactones – are playing protective roles when it comes to protecting nerve cells, but it is unclear by which mechanism this occurs in other organs of the body.[viii]
A much quoted 2009 study from Finland, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that middle aged people who consumed moderate amounts of coffee (3–5 cups per day), were 62-64% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by the time they reached their mid-sixties to seventies, compared with those who drank little coffee or avoided it altogether.[v] Tea was associated only with increased cognitive performance. What was also not reported in the media in this study was that the incidence of hypertension was slightly higher during the follow-up in coffee drinkers compared with non-coffee drinkers, and that the benefits were stronger for men.
Menopausal women taking estrogen, for instance, will not enjoy reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and their risks were increased. These findings was observed by the same Harvard researchers just mentioned – yet the dangers of drinking coffee in this group of women is rarely reported in popular media.[vi]
Some studies point out that coffee consumption does not raise the risk of cardiovascular disease … yet other research has shown that chronic consumption may increase aortic stiffness and aortic pressure[ix], increase cholesterol levels, and increase a chemical in the blood called ‘homocystein’, (a marker for predisposition to heart attack). Unfiltered coffee, especially, can raise blood fats. And because of its stimulating effects, even a small amount of caffeine can be detrimental for people who are sensitive to caffeine.[x]
Then we have the mice experiments. As far back as 2007 studies were showing that caffeine helped to prevent Aβ-amyloid-beta induced cognitive decline.[iii] in instances where mice were injected with very large amounts of caffeine (30 mg per kilogram body weight). By 2009 researchers surmised that caffeine was indeed involved in some type of mechanism that was degrading one of the enzymes for amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. They cautioned, however that it was too early to know if the same protective factor in humans.[iv]
There is much conflicting research around, so above all, please people, be your their own health advocate and investigate further into whether you are reading industry-funded or independently-funded research. Listen to your own body. In parasympathetic-dominant types (nervous) types, or those with mitral valve issues, one cup may be too much.
[i] Fredholm, BB, Battig, K, Holmen,J, Nehlig, A, Zvartau, EE, Actions of Caffeine in the brain with special reference to factors which contribute to its widespread use. Pharmacol Rev 51 1999: 83-133.
[ii] Allison Aubrey, Nervous About Alzheimer’s? Coffee may help. June 28, 2011, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128110552.
[iii] Dall’Igna,O, Fett, Paul, Souza, D, Cunha, R, Caffeine and adenosine A2a receptor antagonists prevent β-amyloid (25-35)-induced cognitive defects in mice. Exp Neurol 203, 2007, 241-245. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001448860600478X
[iv] See: Watson GS, & Craft S (2003). The role of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease: implications for treatment. CNS drugs, 17 (1), 27-45 PMID: 12467491.
[v] Eskelinen,M.H.et al, Midlife coffee and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: a population-based CAIDE study”, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2009. Jan; 16(1):85-91; and Midlife Coffee And Tea Drinking May Protect Against Late-life Dementia”. ScienceDaily. January 15, 2009. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114200005.htm.
[vi] RealAge, ‘Coffee Talk: Some Surprising Health Benefits’, 31 September, 2010, p. 1.
[vii] Pereira, Mark A; Parker, Emily D; Folsom, Aaron R (2006). “Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: an 11-year prospective study of 28 812 postmenopausal women”. Archives of Internal Medicine 166 (12): 1311–6.
[viii] Chu, YF et al. (2009). “Roasted coffees high in lipophilic antioxidants and chlorogenic acid lactones are more neuroprotective than green coffees”. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (57): 9801–9808. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf902095z.
[ix] Mahmud, Azra; Feely, John (2001). “Acute effect of caffeine on arterial stiffness and aortic pressure waveform”. Hypertension (American Heart Association) 38 (2): 227–31. http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/38/2/227. .
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Haas, Elson MD, The New Detox Diet: The Complete guide for lifelong vitality with recipes, menus, and detox plans. Celestial Arts Pub., Berkley, 2004, p. 30.
[xii] Mednick, S. C. et al. 2008. Comparing the benefits of caffeine, naps, and placebo on verbal, motor and perceptual memory. Behavioural Brain Research. 193: 79-86. Also see: http://thankyoubrain.blogspot.com/2009/01/caffeine-or-nap-which-helps-memory.html
[xiii] Muñoz, Leda M; Lönnerdal, Bo; Keen, Carl L; Dewey, Kathryn G (September 1988). “Coffee consumption as a factor in iron deficiency anemia among pregnant women and their infants in Costa Rica” (PDF). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48 (3): 645–51.
[xiv] Polyphenols are antioxidants which are protective against cancer, however they act to remove iron from the body. See: Dewey, Kathryn G; Romero-Abal, Maria Eugenia; Quan de Serrano, Julieta; Bulux, Jesus; Peerson, Janet M; Engle, Patrice; Solomons, Noel W (July 1997). “Effects of discontinuing coffee intake on iron status of iron-deficient Guatemalan toddlers: a randomized intervention study”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66 (1): 168–76.
[xv] Murray, Michael, ND,: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Your natural guide to getting well naturally. Three Rivers Press, California, 1994.
[xvi] Cherniske, Stephen, MS, Caffeine Blues: Wake up to the dangers of America’s # 1 drug. Warner Books Inc., New York, 1998, p. 56.
[xvii] Caffeine may cause or exacerbate anxiety, may be associated with depression, and increase the use of anti-anxiety drugs. See: Clementz, G.L. and J.W. Daily, “Psychotropic Effects of Caffeine,” American Family Physician, May 1998; 37(5): 157-72, cited in Chernisky, Op. Cit., p. 119.
[xviii] The Memory Solution, Dr. Julian Whitaker, p. 261.
[xix] “Disease prevention and treatment”, Life Extension Foundation, p. 739.
[xx] Cherniske, Op. Cit., p. 208.
[xxi] Palmer, Sharon (May 2009). “Coffee Buzz – Trends and Possible Perks of America’s Beloved Beverage”. Today’s
Dietitian 11 (5): 26. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/050409p26.shtml;
[xxii] Ulster, Op. Cit.
[xxiii] A booklet, “What you should know about Caffeine” published by the International Food Information Council, Washington, D.C., states that “Caffeine is normally excreted within several hours after consumption”. Many other scientists fiercely oppose this finding saying that it can take up to 12 hours to detoxify a single cup of coffee. Less than 1% is excreted and the remaining 99% must be excreted by the liver. Supporters of the IFIC include Coca Cola, M&M, Nutrasweet, Nestle, and Hersheys.
[xxiv] Cherniske, Op. Cit., p. 53.
[xxv] Ames, Bruce N; Gold, Lois Swirsky (1998). “The causes and prevention of cancer: the role of environment”. Biotherapy 11 (2–3): 205–20.
[xxvi] Pendergrast, Mark (April 2009). “Coffee second only to oil?”. Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/198849799_1.html.
[xxvii] Cherniske, Op. Cit., p.16.
[xxviii] Carper, Jean, “Food your Miracle Medicine” Harper Collins, New York, 1994, p. 277.
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Forgive me. I am a terrible blogger. I am very late with this post. I totally need technical help . Anyways, here is my post…
Further to our last blog on avoiding nitrates and nitrites, (which seem to be in everything from bread to beer, to wine, to whisky), it is a good idea to learn about all the risk factors so that you lower your risk of getting Alzheimer’s. The following list is adapted from Patrick Holford’s book, The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan[i]:
Can Alzheimer’s Disease be Reversed Through Diet?
Dr. Mary T. Newport. MD, is author of a July 2008 article, What if there was a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and No One Knew? [iii]In the article she shares her experiences in reversing the disease in her husband Steve who had been diagnosed with progressive Alzheimer’s more than 5 years earlier. In doing her research, she came across a ‘cross-over’ study published in the March 2004 Journal of Neurobiology, which showed that a single dose of MCTs led to significant improvement on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment-Scale and other tests.[iv] Her husband was not admitted to the study but she wondered whether unrefined coconut oil – which is about 60 per cent MCT – could help. She writes:
“ In Alzheimer’s disease, the neurons in certain areas of the brain are unable to take in glucose4, 5 due to insulin resistance and slowly die off, a process that appears to happen one or more decades before the symptoms become apparent. If these cells had access to ketone bodies, they could potentially stay alive and continue to function. MCT oil is digested differently by the body than other fats. Instead of storing all MCTs as fat, the liver converts them directly to ketone bodies, which are then available for use as energy.”[v]
Dr. Newport found that a dose of 20 grams (about 20 ml or 4 teaspoons) of MCT was the amount used to produce results. To duplicate the dose of MCTs used in the Ketasyn study, about 7 level teaspoonfuls (slightly over 2 Tablespoons) of unrefined, non-hydrogenated coconut oil should be taken daily – more if tolerated. Start with one or teaspoonful and build up gradually to prevent diarrhoea or a sense of feeling full. A recipe for chocolate coconut-oil truffles can be found at the end of this article.
The nice thing about coconut oil is that it can be used for cooking, baking, stirred into scrambled eggs, soups, and used in any situation where you would normally use butter. Make sure that you continue to take Omega 3 oils at the same time, however. Omega 3 fatty acids are still needed.
Why do Coconut Oils and Ketone Bodies work to Prevent Neurodegeneration?
Ketones are an alternate fuel source for your body when it cannot take up glucose – such as when you are fasting, or if you have any degenerative disease associated faulty glucose uptake in the brain or tissues. Taking in ketone bodies could help the brain cells to potentially stay alive.
In animal studies it has been shown that MCTs are also able to liberate Omega 3-fatty acids from the body and shunt them to the parietal area of the brain.[vi] Human studies have shown that those with Multiple Sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases have a similar defect in using glucose but in different areas of the brain or spinal cord. There are implications that MCTs could help treat and prevent other types of insulin-resistance related diseases such as drug-resistant epilepsy, brittle (uncontrolled) type I diabetes, and diabetes type II.
In 2001, a team, headed by Richard Veech, senior scientist in the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that ketones protect neurons from both MPP+, (which induces Parkinsons disease), and the protein fragment Ab1-42,(which accumulates in the brain of Alzheimers patients).
Here is where it get’s really interesting:
Veech’s team found that addition of ketones alone actually increased the number of surviving neurons from the hippocampus, suggesting that ketones may even act as growth factors for neurons in culture. [vii]
Purified Ketone bodies – such as those created by Dr. Richard Veeth’s team, are at least ten times higher than those of MCT or coconut oil, but at the present time, purified ketones would are extremely costly – more than USD 20,000 a year for a child-size dose. At present no pharmaceutical company has wanted to fund research to look into mass produced, affordable ketone bodies.
Here is some good news: ketones from natural coconut oil, last 8 hours in the body, versus 3 hours with prescription food versions which have only one of the medium-chain trigylercides (C:8). Unrefined coconut oil has C:6, C:8, C:10, C:12, five other fatty acids (including some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids), and omega-6. Unrefined coconut oil also contains some phytosterol, one of the natural substances that lowers cholesterol.
Below please find a recipe that may both lower your cholesterol and protect your neuronal cells. And I promise it tastes good.
EASY CHOCOLATE COCONUT-OIL TRUFFLES
Melt ½ cup unrefined coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add enough gluten-free organic cocoa powder to make a paste- around a half cup – and a pinch of sea salt. Add liquid stevia to taste, and a teaspoon of organic vanilla if you like.
Line a mini muffin pan with paper bon-bon liners. Place a walnut half in each cup (chop finely if person has problems chewing or swallowing). Spoon a tablespoon of the warm chocolate mixture over the walnuts. Garnish with more walnuts if liked. Store in freezer.
Note: You can make a simplified version of the recipe above by omitting the cocoa and substituting a half bag of vegan, soy-free and gluten-free chocolate chips to the melted coconut oil. They are less apt to melt out of the fridge.
Note: Never use carob (a legume) sugar, or soy products when making these bon-bons for people with multiple sclerosis. Legumes (soy and carob are legumes) and dairy are contraindicated as they may cause auto-immune reactions.
Makes about 20. Once out of the freezer or fridge these will melt.
[i] Holford, Patrick, Shane Heaton & Deborah Colson. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan: 10 proven ways to stop memory decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Piatkus Books, London, 2011.
[ii] A Universities of Oxford and Oslo team found that volunteers taking these B vitamins for 2 years had 0.76% brain shrinkage, versus 1.08% shrinkage in the control group. The study was published in the September 9, 2008 issue of the journal Neurology. The research team reported an association between decreased levels of vitamin B12 and a decline in brain volume. Reduced brain volume or brain atrophy, has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and is used as a marker for the disease’s progression.
[iii] Newport, M. MD, ‘What if there was a cure for Alzheimer’s and no one knew? A Case Study by Dr. Mary Newport’, July 22, 2008. Available from: http://www.coconutketones.com/WhatIfCure.pdf
[iv] Erickson KI, Raji CA, Lopez OL et al. Physical activity predicts gray matter volume in late adulthood.The Cardiovascular Health Study. Neurology, October 13 2010. Available from: http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2010/10/13/WNL.0b013e3181f88359.abstract?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Erickson&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT
[v] Newport, MD., What if there was a cure for Alzheimer’s and No one Knew? A case study by Dr, Mary Newport. July 22, 2008. Available from: http://www.coconutketones.com/biography.html
[vi] Taha, AY, Henderson, ST, Burnhan, WM. Dietary enrichment with medium chain triglycerides (AC-1203) elevates polyunsaturated fatty acids in the parietal cortex of aged dogs: implications for treating age-related cognitive decline. Neurochem Res. 2009 Sep;34(9):1619-25. Epub 2009 Mar 20. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19301124
[vii] Wan-Ho, Mae, ISIS Report: Where Genes Fail – Dietary Interventions for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s? The Institute of Science in Society, http://www.i-sis.org.uk/wheregenesfail.php, April 25, 2001.
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