OCTOBER 22, 2018 HONEY

There are medicinal benefits of honey. Honey is a thick, sweet liquid made by honeybees. It is low in vitamins and minerals but may be high in some plant compounds. It contains a number of antioxidants, including phenolic compounds like flavonoids. Some studies suggest honey improves heart disease risk factors in people with diabetes. It is a great replacement for those un-healthier sweeteners, It also has a positive effect of the bad cholesterol, called the LDL low density lipoprotein. It can also lower blood pressure. It also increases your own production of melatonin when taken at night

To find out about apitherapy products come to Charles Mraz Apitherapy Course this year in Providence Rhode Island. Check out www.apitherapy.org

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 20-21, 2018 CANNABIS SATIVA

If all the botanicals, Cannabis sativa has caused the most stir among both professional and non professional individuals, There is much research and data that has been published citing the benefits of this herb. There are a growing number of states now legalizing the controlled use of marijuana. It is about time !! I say that as a sober man of nearly 25 years.

There are more than 100 biologically active components of this plant. The two components that have extensive research are THC and CBD. I want to focus on the CBD component. These non psychoactive compounds come from the stalks and the seed of a type of cannabis known as Hemp. There are many hemp products on the market today.

There are cannabinoid receptors throughout the body - this is the endocannabinoid system ( ECS) Cannabinoids act on these receptors and once bound activate CB1 and CB2 After used these left over cannabinoids are destroyed and not used. Books have been written on this subject and research has been conducted

Open your mind …CBD has been used effectively for seizure disorders, anxiety, insomnia and pain syndromes.

Until tomorrow..

OCTOBER 19, 2018 AUTOIMMUNE DSEASES

Is it normal for our bodies to attack itself? This question has been debated for decades. The author, Anthony Williams discussed this at length in his book Medical Medium. It was thought that the infection by Epstein Barr was the culprit.

I feel that autoimmune disease will never be cured with conventional therapies. I feel we have to think out of the box. I think out of the box logically on most diseases. We need to stop treating the symptoms as inflammation but get to the bottom of what is causing the inflammation

I utilize an anti inflammatory dietary lifestyle change with no consumption of gluten, dairy nor soy. I do allergy testing to assist me in the proper diet. I also place the patient on low dose naltrexone ranging from 1 to 4.0 mg. I rarely go to 6 mg on a regular basis. The only side effect noted for LDN are dreams which can interfere with normal sleep as the dose is increased.

Of note the most common autoimmune diseases affect certain tissues. For example , Multiple sclerosis affects the neurological system whereas rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints.

I even use my honeybees to help me !

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 18, 2018 TESTOSTERONE THERAPY

Does every male with low sex drive or decrease in libido need testosterone therapy? Testosterone is produced in both men and women. It does help maintain muscle strength and mass as well as bone density and even cardiac function. Men with lower levels of testosterone are at a risk for cardiac events.

A small study of 470 men who were older than 65 years old who had a low libido were studied. Each of these men had levels less than 275 ng/dL These men were assigned to take either testosterone gel or placebo for one year. The increase in libido was measured by certain questions

It was found that testosterone supplementation improved 10 of the 12 questions . After reading the study I found one interesting point —The increase in testosterone improved sexual activity and desire but NOT erectile dysfunction

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 17, 2018 ARTERIAL CALCIUM

The Multi Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis ( MESA) did a study involving 6,814 men and women ranging from ages 45-84. Each of these patients had no previous cardiovascular risk factors Each of these individuals had a low total cholesterol and a low blood pressure. Also each participant were on no medications and were not smokers These patients were followed for 10.4 years Only 2.4 % of these participants suffered a cardiac event.

So what do you think was a predictor of the incident of heart disease? The single most important predictor was excessive calcium in the coronary arteries resulting in stiffness of these arteries.

In my office I perform an Arterial Stiffness test to determine if the arteries are stiff or non elastic. I measure the large and small arteries. If the arterial stiffness is abnormal. If the arteries are stiff the blood flow will decline. This is clue that some other testing must be done as carotid ultrasounds and a heart calcium score

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 16, 2018 ALERTNESS

Several studies have shown that supplementation with the B vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) alone or with combination with magnesium can lead to significant improvements in alertness, communication and social skills. There even was a change in IQ scores with those who took vitamin B6

Most of the studies used higher than usual doses of both B6 and magnesium The doses of Vitamin B6 were 30 mg /kg of body weight whereas the magnesium dose was 6-15 mg /kg of body weight up to 1000 mg /day

This was an excellent study but there is a limit to the amount of vitamin B6 as greater than 400 mg can be toxic to the body. I feel we need to study the amount of minerals that are deficient in certain diseases as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and autism.

Until tomorrow

OCTOBER 15, 2018 AUTISM AND LEAKY GUT

There is a correlation by studies between autism and Leaky Gut. There are increased levels of zonulin in patients in autism when compared to controls. Also dysbiosis of bacteria and gut permeability is noted in autistic patients.

Biopsies revealed that duodenal specimens of autistic patients revealed tight junction compartments indicating impaired intestinal barriers.

These autistic patients are had intolerance to dietary protein as gliadin, cow’s milk protein and soy There are many other conditions related to leaky gut as metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's , and post menopausal females.

Until tomorrow…

OCTOBER 13-14, 2018 BENEFIT TO MEDITERRANEAN

Age related macular degeneration affects 10 million Americans and is a leading cause of vision loss. There is no good effective treatment I utilize many trace elements and minerals in a patient’s diet to help with this condition. I utilize many of the eye supplements on www.naturaleyecare.com and /or www.visionworksusa.com

The risk can be cut by one third by eating a Mediterranean style diet that is high is fruit, vegetables, fish and lean meats.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away should be stated this way—

for those that ate one apple each day, there was a 15 % decrease in the risk for macular and if you ate 2 apples a day there was a 20 % decrease in developing macular.

I feel it is reasonable that ophthalmologists should prescribe a Mediterranean diet to all their patients with AMD ( age related macular degeneration.)

Until tomorrow…