FEBRUARY 11, 2019 BORON

Boron is a trace mineral that in found in most plants. Specifically not many individuals take separate boron. I have used it to prevent bone loss in post menopausal females and to decrease sex hormone binding protein which will thus then increase testosterone

Boron is found in most fruits and vegetables . It does not appear in meat or meat products. There is no required RDA amount I suggest 3- 6 mg

The root vegetables are rich in boron. I ask patients to eat more cauliflower

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 9-10, 2019 PERSPIRATION

Perspiration is a common body’s response to regulating temperature. If it exceeds the normal there must be other causes which need to be studied. The most common example would be an overactive thyroid , menopausal symptoms, a prolonged fever or some kind of stress or psychological factor.

In Chinese medicine, sweating is caused by a deficiency of qi or yin There are different remedies used for each deficiency. For example peony for yin deficiency and astragalus for qi deficiency

In homeopathy lycopodium is used for excess perspiration as well as calcareous, mercurius ands sulfur. A constitution should be done with these patients

I have seen cypress oil and lavender used for excess sweating.

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUIARY 7, 2019 BENEFITS OF WALNUTS

Walnuts are part of the tree nut family. This food family includes Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios. They are delicious snacks which can be eaten throughout the day. There are many medicinal benefits to eating walnuts.

Most U.S. adults have yet to discover the benefits of walnuts. A recent study has determined that only 5.5% of all adults (ages 19-50) consume tree nuts of any kind! This small percentage of people actually do a pretty good job of integrating tree nuts (including walnuts) into their diet, and average about 1.25 ounces of tree nuts per day. But the other 94.5% of us report no consumption of tree nuts whatsoever. In a recent look at the nutritional differences between tree nut eaters and non-eaters, researchers have reported some pretty notable findings: on a daily average, tree nut eaters take in 5 grams more fiber, 260 milligrams more potassium, 73 more milligrams of calcium, 95 more milligrams of magnesium, 3.7 milligrams more vitamin E, and 157 milligrams less sodium.

Besides the above, - walnuts provide healthy fats and fiber One cup of walnuts provides 12 grams of protein. This could be your source for omega 3 if you do not eat fish. There are many health benefits:

Eating walnuts may help control type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk of the disease, as the nut may help control your weight. Walnuts might have more direct effects on blood sugar control as well.

Walnuts are an excellent source of antioxidants that can help fight oxidative damage in your body, including damage due to “bad” LDL cholesterol, which promotes atherosclerosis.

In addition to grabbing those almonds, grab some WALNUTS

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 6, 2019 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND ZINC DEFICIENCY

A new study published has linked high blood pressure and zinc deficiency. When I think of a zinc deficiency I usually think of a thyroid condition. For instance, individuals with certain conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease commonly have a zinc deficiency and high blood pressure. Scientists are still unclear whether zinc levels are a cause or an effect of elevated blood pressure

Zinc use in the body was carefully studied in this paper.

Understanding the mechanisms of ZnD-induced BP dysregulation may have important therapeutic impact on hypertension.

The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology December 2018

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 TREPONEMA

Christopher's Columbus crew from 1451-1506 contracted a disease... The French call it "The disease of Naples"

John Gunbeck wrote, "...a disease so cruel, so distressing, so appalling that until now nothing so horrifying, nothing more terrible or disgusting has ever been known to earth."

In 1503, Girolamo Fracastro named the disease after a fictitious shepherd who cursed the God Apollo and was afflicted with a new disease by the angered god ...

Al Capone died of this disease...

Leo Tolstoy had this disease as a teenager, but treated it with arsenic...

There are rumors that Henry VIII, Vincent Van Gogh and Adolf Hitler suffered from this disease...

New York City has reported an increase in the number of cases of this disease... is this due to the use of PREP or Truvada with many not using condoms

THE DISEASE IS CALLED SYPHILIS.

Syphilis has been called the "Great Imitator" or the " Great Masquerader". There is enormous variation in the symptoms giving rise to the two names above. There are three distinct stages of the disease. The first stage, the chancre stage is the earliest clinical sign of the disease. This is a painless lesion usually on the shaft of the penis, but it doesn't have to be on the shaft. After initial contact, the responsible "bug" Treponema pallidum penetrates the mucous membranes. Within hours the Treponema enters the lymph and blood system to cause a systemic reaction. This is long before any other signs appear. In anywhere from 3 - 90 days, the chancre- the painless ulcer appears. I have seen the chancre occur on the lips and the fingers in addition to the penis shaft. If untreated the chancre will disappear in 4 - 8 weeks leaving a scar. Syphilis can be spread by touching or kissing or having oral, anal or vaginal intercourse a person with an active sore.

The second stage develops in 2 - 12 weeks. I have seen 2 cases where the secondary stage appeared 12 months later. Although this is rare it can occur. Patients will present with headache, sore throat, and mild muscle aches. There is an increase in cases of syphilis

I have three theories. One theory is that gay men have stopped using condoms since they feel that HIV can be treated or 'cured' with the use of PREP or TRUVADA. This medication is only for transmission of HIV. Condoms should always be worn Second theory is that a sector of gay men indulge in promiscuous sexual behavior. Third is that many addictions are more common among homosexual versus heterosexual individuals.

I saw an individual with a trunk body rash. He denied any high risk sexual activity. He actually claimed to not have had sex for one year. I gave him antibiotics. I saw the patient four weeks later. He claimed that I had missed the diagnosis of syphilis. How can I even assume he had syphilis if he had been celibate for one year?

After the secondary stage there is a latent or silent period. There are no symptoms of any infection during this phase. In this early latent stage the individual can transmit the disease to others. In the third stage of syphilis the patient is no longer able to transmit the disease to others (4 years after initial contact). Tertiary syphilis afflicts the cardiovascular and nervous systems (especially the brain).

So where are we today? Is syphilis eliminated? The answer is NO. The incidence of syphilis fell from 72 per 100,000 in 1940 to 20 per 100,000 in 1990. In 2004 the incidence was 2.7 per 100,000 . In the last 3 years there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of syphilis. The best way to prevent infection is to advocate sex education and the use of condoms. The history of syphilis (like HIV) indicates discrimination against those with a differing lifestyle. There is a bias that syphilis only occurs in the urban poor, the uneducated, those with little medical care and those with alternate lifestyles. As a society WE NEED TO MOVE ON from such misconceptions.

Education is the key to understanding.... Condom use needs to be discussed

Until tomorrow...

FEBRUARY 4, 2019 ALLERGIES

The rise in the numbers of people complaining about allergies increases every year The allergy season will start soon It will have multiplied by last year. I could discuss how the Traditional Chinese medicine views allergies. It is assault by various evils, imbalance of fluid leading to dampness or some sort of weakness or deficiency. The external evil is the wind, which does make sense to me. Dampness makes me think of fungal infections (spores from different plants, which also makes sense). I do know the deficiency in Chinese medicine is the Qi, blood.

As previously discussed, allergies can be food or environmental. I spent some time blogging in early March about allergies, especially to yeast. The herbs are used to nourish the body, particularly the immune system. The immune system needs a boosting when you have environmental allergies. You know the symptoms--itchy, watery eyes, rashes, puffy eyes, sore throat (from nasal dripping) and general fatigue. A combination of echinacea and licorice is often used to treat hay fever. If you have high blood pressure, you must be careful using licorice.

Chamomile and yarrow can be given daily as a tea for allergies. They soothe the allergic response.

Stinging Nettles Leaf ( fresh tea is the best) provide immediate relief for hay fever. It acts like the standard conventional antihistamines (except without the drowsiness) The root of this plant is used for prostate issues

. The best is always Vitamin C to decrease the inflammatory response. You can use it through eating more citrus fruits, which contain bioflavinoids. The bioflavinoid is quercetin, which helps decrease the release of histamine. Histamine causes the allergic response. How much Vitamin

Some use essential oils of lemon balm, yarrow and chamomile, which can used in a bath, for a massage and an inhalant.

Until tomorrow…

FEBRUARY 1-3, 2019 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

While the care of a neurologist and conventional therapies are needed, there are some other tests that need to be done in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) . I am not a MS specialist. The cause of MS is still unknown. It has been postulated that MS is an autoimmune disease. Others feel it is caused by a virus. I do believe that the cause is multi-factorial. I believe that all the hypothesis are viable. I know that if treatment is started early for a newly diagnosed patient, can be quite effective. Other testing that I feel should be done is heavy metal testing, environmental testing, and food allergy testing--especially gluten sensitivities. This was research by Roger MacDougall who was affected by MS and bound to a wheelchair. His condition slowly improved when he eliminated all gluten from his diet.

A different dietary lifestyle must be sought. In 1948, Dr Roy Swank believed that a diet low in animal fat can arrest the progression and symptoms of the disease. I have seen a slower progression in patients whom follow the Swank protocol. Newer dietary lifestyles have been used since 1948 with better results, however these are basically all derived from the Swank protocol. Unfortunately, this compassionate doctor died in 2008. http://www.swankmsdiet.org/

The recommendations of the Swank protocol are as follows:
1. Saturated fat intake no more than 10 grams(1/2 ounce daily)
2. A daily intake of 40-50 grams of polyunsaturated fats (I suggest much lower and margarine, and hydrogenated oils are strictly forbidden)
3. One teaspoon to one tablespoon of cod liver oil daily
4. Normal protein intake (6-10 ounces daily- try leaner protein)
5. Intake of fish 3-4 times a week (no tuna, swordfish or crustaceans)

In addition to serum and provocative 6 hour urine testing, I recommend a IgG RAST serum allergy test. The conventional testing of all scans should be done with the guidance of a neurologist.

In my practice I utilize many supplements. These supplements can be powder, capsule and/or intravenous routes of administration. Good multi-vitamin and mineral formulas are essential.
I use both tumeric (Curcuma longa ) and Gingko biloba in MS patients. There are interesting relavent studies regarding these herbs. Serum levels of Vitamin D should be measured and high supplementation may be needed. I also use many oils as well as alpha lipoic acid. The one medication I use for autoimmune disease is Low Dose Naltrexone ( LDN) starting at 1.0 mg . I usually go up to 4.5 mg

Until tomorrow…

JANAURY 31, 2019 FEVER BLISTERS

It is the painful fever blister known as Herpes I. These fever blisters are agitated by stress, tension, a lowered immune system ( in my case lack of sleep ) and sometimes even a diet rich in sugar and nuts. Nuts contain arginine which is the herpes virus fuel source.

I have learned to prevent outbreaks. I know when they start to happen as I get a sensation in my lower lips The following are steps to prevent the outbreak
1. I start to drink bitter teas to cool of my liver. I will tell you straight out that they do not taste well. These are Oregon Root, Dandelion and Yellow Dock
2. I add some Reishi mushrooms to my diet
3. I take echinacea tincture 1/2 dropperful twice to three times a day
4. I immediately start the two amino acids, lysine and proline in high doses
Lysine 500mg (6-8/day ) and Proline 500mg ( 6-8/day)

I have listened to many other herbalists regarding Licorice ( Glycyhhriza glabra) for the treatment of Herpes simplex I and II.It is the genus of the pea family. There are many medicinal uses for Licorice. I have used it in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease, but in the deglycerized version
In addition to starting some or all of 1-4 above, start applying licorice tincture to the affected area. I have seen others talk about adding lemon balm in the essential oil form. I like the combination of three tinctures St John's Wort, Licorice and calendula. Mix and dab throughout the day. I prefer due to work situation to drink the maximal dose of 1 teaspoon three times a day.

Until tomorrow…