MAY 14, 2019 LECTINS

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT LECTINS? If not be prepared to see the word in the news. It will as popular as microbiome or gluten free !! Lectins are not new- these are proteins that can be found in most living organisms. They were discovered in the 1880’s.

Most lectins are inactive with no activity. Lectins strongly and specifically bind to sugars ( carbohydrates) If you do not have enzymes to digest lectins they can pass into the digestive tract undisturbed and can disrupt digestion nd affect intestinal permeability. This is NOT good. They have also known to enter the circulation and travel to distant organs. It has been implicated in some inflammatory conditions as rheumatoid arthritis.

Can you avoid lectins ? This would be difficult as these proteins are [present in stable food as grains, beans, tomatoes, nuts and even milk

You have not heard the last of LECTINS

Until tomorrow…

MAY 13, 2019 MEDITERRANEAN DIET

There are published studies that adhering to the Medierranean diet is one of the factors that lead to better cognitive function.

Another recent study published in December 2018 included 279 senior greater than 65 years ago that adhered to the same diet. Cognitive function was measured and the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment. The study was done in Milan and the researchers observed that the subjects consumed more than 3 glasses of wine.

Pasta was not mentioned in the Mediterranean diet whereas its emphasis was on olive oil vegetables including avocados, nuts and seafood Carbohydrates are only obtained through the use of fruits

Until tomorrow…

MAY 11-12, 2019 VITAMIN K

There are no bad things to say about Vitamin K. I feel it is overlooked and only recently The daily recommended intake is 120 ug for men and 90 ug for women. Not many people know there are two Vitamin K2: K1 and K2

Like D, E and A, Vitamin K is fat soluble. The body has a limited ability to store Vitamin K and the amounts are rapidly depleted.

You can get your vitamin K from eating greens like Kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard, mustard and turnip greens. For example 1/2 cup of cooked kale has 531 ug of Vitamin K and a 1/2 cup of cooked collards has 418 ug of Vitamin K These are the amount of Vitamin K1

Vitamin K2 has been studied in bone, cancer and arthritis. We know about Vitamin K bone building reputation K2 draws calcium into the bone matrix and inhibit bone resorption with administered with Vitamin D This is excellent to improve and treat osteoporosis Vitamin K2 has a name It is called menaquinone (NM) and found in foods as fermented foods like Natto, hard cheeses and soft cheeses. Small amounts are in sauerkraut and salmon

In Japan, Vitamin K is the standard treatment for osteoporosis. In this country there are conventional medication with side effects. Maybe we can use Vitamin K and Vitamin D as the standard of care since there are great results.

Until tomorrow…

MAY 10, 2019 OLIVE OIL ENRICHED DARK CHOCOLATE

I didn’t believe it but I finally had the chance to taste olive oil enriched bar of dark chocolate ! It was delicious. Last year a small randomized trial was published suggesting that this olive oil enriched dark chocolate bar may improve endothelial function.

The dark chocolate bar contains as much polyphenols as in two glasses of wine or one cup of green tea. There are Dutch and Swedish cohort studies using olive oil with dried apples and olive oil with chocolate as done in The Spain study above. Both of these studies were small

Although it was a small study I was impressed with this unique idea. This should be the beginning of long list of ideas of adding olive oil to certain other foods, There are many ideas to come

Until tomorrow….

MAY 9, 2019 BACTERIA AND BONE

The importance of the gut microbiome for bone metabolism is now a hot topic , The species Lactobacillus reuteri has been reported to increase bone mineral density. This has been done in mice but the role in human skeleton is not understood yet

A small study was conducted with 70 females. The use of L reuteri reduced total bone loss compared to placebo

More needs to be researched and studied

Until tomorrow…

MAY 8, 2019 MEDICINAL PLANTS IN ANXIETY

The use of herbal drugs/ botanical plants in the treatment of anxiety have been used and as old as the history of mankind. Anxiety is one of the most common reasons why people search for alterative therapies. It is estimated that 43 % of patients suffering from anxiety seek alternative treatments

Many of these botanicals are used in Europe as mainstay treatments as Valerian offcinalis, Rosemarius officinalis, Hypericum perforatum, H. lupulus, Rassiflora incarnata and many more The common names for these botanical plants - you might know as valerian, passion flower, kava kava , St Johns wort, Rosemary, Lemon Balm and Hops.

Hops I belive is the least common one discussed. The active ingredients are humulone, myrcene and volatile oils. Hops has been used for anxiety, difficulty falling asleep, and mood disturbances. In Germany it is approved to treat anxiety. It has been researched and studied as an antioxidant, an antibacterial agent , as well as anticancer agent

until tomorrow…

MAY 7, 2019 EXAM YOUR TESTICLES

It is important for men to get up close and personal with their testicles. This is especially important for men ages 20-30. Men at this age are at an increased risk for testicular cancer. It is a rare cancer for men over the age 50. White Caucasian are more at risk. There are other risk factors including family history, fertility issues and if the patient developed orchitis secondary to mumps ( rare)

Yet it is important for men--yes you who are reading this  examine your testicle. Men, both straight and gay spend a lot of time talking about their testicles. You refer them as your nuts, balls, or nads. Very rarely does a man discuss his nads with their partner, whether man or woman.
If you have a lump in your testicle, a pulling sensation or some fluid , you need to be seen by your physician.

Testicular Cancer is very curable.If you have cancer and have it removed, you can still have children. You do not get testicular cancer from cycling ( of note: Lance Armstrong)

THIS IS THE MAJOR POINT:   MEN NEED TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THEIR TESTICLES.

Until tomorrow

MAY 6, 2019 INTEGRATIVE MIGRAINE TREATMENTS

An estimated 59 million people in the United States spend a collective $30.2 billion dollars on complementary and integrative medicine annually. There is no disease that I do not treat with integrative or alternative modalities

Migraines are no exception The use of yoga has been studied. Yoga practice has been associated with improvements in migraine, including in one study in which 3 weekly sessions of yoga for 12 weeks led to greater reductions in headache severity, frequency, and impact when combined with medication, compared with mediation alone.

A small number of studies suggest that several combinations of these and other compounds, including vitamin B6 and folic acid, may improve the number of migraine days, certain symptoms, and quality of life, although results are mixed

I have used Feverfew, Jamaican Dogwood and Butterbur has herbal remedies for migraines. I also utilize homeopathy DROX 19Migronol drops in some patients. The nutraceutical company Designs for Health has a product I frequently use that is also called Migronol. This product contain vitamins, and minerals.

There is accumulating evidence that acupuncture improves migraine outcomes. For example, patients who were treated with acupuncture reported reduced headache intensity, which correlated with increased N-acetylaspartate/creatine in the bilateral thalamus on magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Until tomorrow…