What Doctors Don't Tell You - AU-NZ (February-March 2020)

Helping you make better health choices ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | AUSTRALIA/NZ
facebook.com/wddtyaunz








Reversing autism

Reignite your child's

brain with holistic

nutrition




Lower your

blood pressure

without drugs

Foods and supplements

that heal hypertension










Reverse your






failing eyesight









Pioneering treatments




for macular degeneration











PLUS Why women need to include resistance training in
their workouts. By master trainer, Andrew Griffin (p.62)
INC
AUST/NZ $7.95 GST

AND • Keeping SAD at bay • Calm your gallbladder through diet • Simple exercises to

keep moving • 15 simple moves to keep you supple • Keep your home safe from aluminum

• Bio-identical hormones: How safe and how necessary? • Walk your dog and live longer



Welcome

Lynne McTaggart and Bryan Hubbard
Published under exclusive license
in Australia and New Zealand by: Editors




Nuclear Media
PO Box 230
Double Bay NSW 1360
Australia
+612 9363 1464

Editors
Lynne McTaggart & For your eyes only
Bryan Hubbard
ManagingEditor
JoannaEvans
Design udyDench,whoplayed“M,”headof theBritish Chief among them is eating your greens (and your
TTM&R:07923361303 SecretServiceinsevenJamesBondmovies,broke oranges, yellows and reds). All the carotenoids—but
andLukeShaddock Jheartsrecentlywhenshespokeopenlyabouther especially the super antioxidants zeaxanthin, lutein and
ProductionEditor failingeyesight. meso-zeaxanthin—have been shown to protect the eyes
EmilieCroisier DameJudy,age84,isavictimofage-relatedmacular from free-radical damage and damaging blue light.
Production degeneration(AMD),whichcausesslowandsteady Foods like spinach and kale are rich in lutein and
RickGreer deteriorationofcellsinthemacula,thepigmentedpartofthe zeaxanthin, and research shows that getting at least 5.8 mg
MasterTrainer eyeinthecenteroftheretinawherevisionismostfocused. of these special antioxidants a day can decrease your risk of
AndrewGriffin Theconditioncreatesalittlecloudrightinthefieldof AMD by a whopping 43 percent. 1
Contributors visionandcausesstraightlinestoappearwavy,makingit But it’s essential that you get adequate amounts of all
DrRobVerkerk difficulttoread,write,driveorevenwalk. three to maintain a healthy macula, particularly as levels of
DrRohiniSathish
CharlotteWatts DameJudyhasacceptedherconditionstoicallyassimply all three can tend to diminish as you age.
CateMontana apoorgeneticrollofthedice,sincehermothersuffered One study showed the three carotenoids can increase
CelesteMcGovern fromit,too. the density of pigment inside the macula, which helps to
JaneTurney Shesaysthatshenowrequiresscriptsin22-pointtype improve many aspects of eyesight, including the ability to
Internationallicensing andthatshefindsitdifficulttowatch discern bright color and fine detail, and
BruceSawford films,afavoritepastime,insteadrelyingon ❝ AnAMDdiagnosis deal with glare or brightness.
+44(0)1280860185 friendstodescribewhatishappening. Since it is difficult to get all of these
Advertising Shealsohadtoleanonfriendslike isnotapassportto nutrients from food, the best solution
NatalieDowns MaggieSmithtohelphergetaroundin blindness,butrather is supplements. British naturopath Dr
ndowns@nuclear.com.au
IndiawhentheywerefilmingTheBest awake-upcallto Harald Gaier recommends daily dosages of
Printsubscriptions ExoticMarigoldHotel. 15 mg lutein, 10 mg meso-zeaxanthin and
(Australiaonly) cleanupyourdiet
CRMAustralia AMDisalwaysreferredtoas“age- ❞ 2 mg zeaxanthin for optimal eye health.
(02)8227-6486 related”becauseitismorecommoninpeopleover50.It’s Another overlooked supplement is zinc. Our panel
subscriptions@nuclear.com.au thenumberonecauseofirreversibleblindness,affecting11 member Dr Melvyn Werbach has long recommended zinc
subscribe.wddty.com.au millionpeopleintheUSand600,000intheUK,andpredicted as the single most important supplement for AMD patients,
toriseto30millionsufferersintheUSaloneby2030. largely because the retina contains a higher concentration
LIABILITY STATEMENT But,asourcoverstory makesclear,AMDhasnothing of zinc than any other part of the body.
Whileeverycareistakeninprepar-
ingthismaterial,thepublishers todowithage,andeverythingtodowithenvironmental If you are low in zinc—and most people are, who aren’t
cannotacceptanyresponsibility factorsandnutrition. supplementing—you are likely to have a reduced activity
foranydamageorharmcausedby
anytreatment,adviceorinforma- Onemajorbutlittle-knownculpritisbluelight.Research of catalase, an enzyme in the tissues of the macula that
tioncontainedinthispublication.
Youshouldconsultaqualified fromHarvardhasshownthatbluelight—fromsunlight; is essential to sight. Below-par activity of this enzyme is
practitionerbeforeundertaking fluorescentbulbs;andmoderncomputers,smartphones associated with AMD.
anytreatment.
andtablets—isparticularlydangerousfortheretina In one study of some 150 patients, those given zinc for
©WDDTYNewsLtd2020
Nopartofthispublicationmaybe becauseitpenetratesmoredeeplyintotheeyesthan one or two years kept significantly more visual acuity than
reproducedwithoutpermission.
ordinaryultravioletlight,causingdamagetotherodand those given a placebo. 2
Thismagazineispublishedunder conecellsresponsibleforsight. As the various case studies in our cover story make clear,
licensefromWDDTYNewsLimited
acompanyincorporatedand Andincreasingly,evidencepointstonotoldageper a diagnosis of AMD is not a passport to blindness, but
registeredintheUK.Allrightsinthe
licensedmaterialbelongtoWDDTY se,buttoyearsofahighlyprocesseddietandnutritional rather a wake-up call to clean up your food, supplements
Newsandmaynotbereproduced deficiencies,whichoftenbecomemarkedasweage. and surroundings.
whetherinwholeorinpartwithout
itspriorwrittenconsent.Thename Smokingandevenchemical-ladenhouseholdcleansers Now if only someone would let Dame Judy in on this
‘WhatDoctorsDon’tTellYou’isthe
propertyofWDDTYNewsLimited. havealsobeenlinkedtoAMD. secret intelligence.
ThegoodnewsisthatifyouhaveAMDorhaveafamily
REFERENCES
historyofit,youcanreverseorimprovetheconditionwitha 1 JAMA,1994;272;1413–20
numberoflifestylechanges. 2 ArchOphthalmol,1988;106:192–8


FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 3





CONTENTS





FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
36







Reversing autism

How one woman overcame
her son’s autism with a holistic,
nutritionally focused approach
44






Bioidentical


hormones: how


safe and how

necessary?

Sort out science from myth
and good hormones from

bad in our Special Report
62







Why Women

need to include


resistance training

in their workouts.

Advice from master trainer,
Andrew Griffin
68






Reverse your


failing eyesight

Cate Montana investigates the
natural treatments that are
working for macular degeneration







6 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

NEWS 34 64

10 The price is always right Calm your gallbladder





The US spends more on through diet
News pharmaceuticals than any other Juliet Sullivan has devised a diet
New therapies for cancers are not country—and those prices keep rising to keep your digestion running
being researched; walnuts can smoothly, even after surgery
ease the pains of ulcerative colitis. HEALTHY LIVING
Healthy lifestyle trumps genetic risk of ALTERNATIVES
dementia; vitamin D helps diabetics

control sugar levels 50 74
23 Simple exercises to keep ❝ Drinking


unsalted


trauma’
Drug news moving ‘How I beat emotional tomato juice
has been
Antibiotics raise bowel cancer risk; Charlotte Watts shares her simple tips Matthew Donnachie’s abusive found to
Ritalin changes children’s brain for making physical activity part of your childhood was slowly killing him, until
structure daily life he discovered a transformational significantly
method of breathing reduce
NEWS FOCUS 54 high blood

24 15 simple moves to keep 80 pressure ❞

See page 60



Fluoride in our water you supple The truth about . . .

With new studies suggesting health Getting back to basics with natural, aluminum
dangers, is it time to stop putting primal movement patterns can do Find out why you should avoid
fluoride in tap water? wonders for body and mind, says aluminum in cookware and cosmetics,
Charlotte Watts
28 FAMILY HEALTH and where else it could be hiding






Why your doctor REGULARS
doesn’t know about diet 58

The food we eat is the single most 9
important factor in determining our Keeping SAD at bay
health and longevity—yet doctors Readers’ letters
have only basic knowledge about Solve seasonal affective disorder with Your views are
nutrition these tried-and-tested treatments 31 important to us.
Please contact us at:
EVERY PICTURE 60 WHAT DOCTORS
DON’T TELL YOU
PO BOX 230
32 Lower your The politics of health DOUBLE BAY NSW 1360
AUSTRALIA
Break free from Google for a more
balanced search, says Rob Verkerk
TELEPHONE:
Discover effective 82
Walking blood pressure +612 9363 1464
EMAIL:
the dog without drugs INFO@WDDTY.COM.AU

Owning a WEB:
FACEBOOK.COM/
pet is good diet and lifestyle The last word WDDTYAUNZ
for you, changes to keep Despite zero deaths from vitamins and
especially if blood pressure in minerals, regulators are clamping Subscriptions(AUSonly):
it’s a dog check naturally down (02) 8227 6486







FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 7

L PANEL






Dr. Jean of Wales’ Foundation of Advanced Longevity Organic Chocolate.
Monro, for Integrated Medicine, he Currently he is director
medical Health, Dr. Gaier is has published of Soil Association
Editorial the Breakspear Hospital, author of numerous 11 books. Certification, executive
director of
scientific papers and
chairman of Carbon
Panel is an internationally The Encyclopedia of Dr. Sarah Gold Ltd, a carbon

What Doctors recognized specialist in Homeopa thy. Myhill has worked in sequestration business
Don't Tell You is environmental medicine, the UK National Health based on the use
including such conditions Dr. Michel Service and private of biochar as a soil
supported by some as chronic fatigue Odent, a practice since 1981. improver,

of the world's syndrome, Lyme disease French- For 17 years she was and a trustee
leading pioneers and multiple chemical trained surgeon and theHonorary Secretary of the Slow
in nutritional, sensitivity. She is Fellow obstetrician, is the of the British Society for Food Trust
environmental of the American Academy foremost pioneer of the Ecological Medicine, a UK. He is

and alternative of Environmental natural birth movement, medical society interested also the author of four
Medicine and a Board emphasizing home and in the environmental books, including The
medicine. Each is Certified US examiner. waterbirth.Founder causes of disease and Little Food Book.
an authority in his of the Primal Health non-drug treatments. She

or her field; many Dr. Damien Research Centre in the is a frequent lecturer and Sally Bunday is
have broken new Downing, UK, he has written some has written several books founder of the The
ground and inspired whose practice 50 scientific papers and including Sustainable Hyperactive Children’s
specializes
11 books, now in 21
Medicine (ChelseaGreen, Support Group, the first
new practices in
in allergy, environment languages. 2018) and Diagnosisand organization to draw
medicine. and nutrition, is current Treatment of Chronic attention to the role
president of the British Dr. Melvyn Fatigue Syndrome and of diet and nutrition,
Society for Ecological Werbach, Myalgic particularly the effect
Medicine and on trained Encephalitis of food additives
the editorial board as a psychiatrist, is an and essential fatty
of Orthomolecular expert in nutritional acid deficiencies, in
Medicine News Service. and botanical childhood behavior
Chief Medical Advisor influencesonillnessand (ChelseaGreen,2018). problems. The
of cancer charity Yes to mentalillness.Hehasheld registered charity
Life (www.yestolife.org. afacultyappointmentin Janet Balaskas, who has helped thousands
uk), he is also the author psychiatryattheUCLA named and inspired the of families of children
of numerous books, Schoolof Medicine, Active Birth Movement with attention deficit/
including The Vitamin served as president of in the 1970s, helped hyperactivity issues since
Cure for Allergies. the Biofeedback Society to revolutionize many it started more than 30
of California in 1977, maternity practices years ago.
Dr. Harald and authored numerous around the world. Janet is
Gaier, books, including the founder and director
arguably the award-winning of the Active Birth Centre
the UK’s Nutritional Influences on in North London and
most knowledgeable Mental Illness. the author of nine books
practitioner of the including
major alternative Dr. Jonathan Active Birth,
medical disciplines, is Wright, Preparing for
registered in the UK as an medical Birth with
osteopath, homeopath, director of the Tahoma Yoga and Easy
acupuncturist, Clinic in Renton, Exercises for Pregnancy.
naturopath and medical Washington, pioneered
herbalist. Former nutritional medicine in Craig Samsis co-founder
director of medical the US. A boardmember of Whole Earth Foods,
research at The Hale of the American a leading organic
Clinic and the Diagnostic Preventive Medical food company, and
Clinic and a committee Association (APMA) and founder and President
member of the Prince the International College of Green & Blacks






8 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

Unsure about many new findings, and your All vaccines carry a risk in
antioxidants magazine keeps us abreast themselves as is stated on the
Over the last 30 years, I have of them. manufacturers’ information

HAVE collected and read many books In today’s world, where drug sheets. The MMR vaccine
and articles on nutritional companies control most things, manufacturers’ information
medicine and concluded that we need more people to support sheets specify that the live vaccines
most authors agree on reasonably those of us who believe in should not be given to anyone
safe upper limits for maintenance alternative methods of health. with a compromised immune
and therapeutic dosages of Lorna Tarn, via email system and give a specific warning
vitamins, minerals and other if there is a family or personal
supplements. We need more balanced history of neurological problems,
However, when it comes to debate on vaccines or if the child has had a seizure of
taking dietary antioxidants, I I feel that we need some balanced any kind.
can’t find any references for safe and measured debate about I really think that if single
intake levels and have even read the immunisation program vaccines were to be reintroduced
that too many antioxidants can amid stories in the media about by the UK National Health
have the opposite effect, causing outbreaks of deadly diseases Service (as they once were
oxidation instead. due to poor take-up of the available), there would be a
Antioxidants including immunization program and much bigger uptake and it would
grapeseed extract, pycogenol, threats to make it compulsory for put an end to all these untruths
rutin, hesperdin, quercetin, all children. being published online and in
green tea extract, ginkgo, I believe that many so-called the media, whether they be from
bilberry, milk thistle, turmeric ‘antivaxx’ parents are actually just antivaxxers or the science police.
and various carotenoids (lutein, ‘anti’ the MMR vaccine, believing P.S., via email
zeaxathin, lycopene, alpha that it is brutal and unnatural to
and beta carotene) add to the introduce three diseases at the Surgery side-effects
antioxidant action of vitamins Re: your podcast ‘Silent strokes
C and E, coenzyme Q10, alpha for surgery folks,’ about surgery
lipoic acid, selenium, zinc, copper, ❝ Thank you for increasing the risks of strokes and
manganese and N-acetyl cysteine. keeping us up to cognitive decline in older people,
Advice varies from taking as I can attest to this.
many of these as possible to get date with all the After I received general
the widest variety (at the doses new research anesthesia for back surgery in
recommended on the bottles) to ❞ 2011, I required pain medication,
only selecting two or three. and the combination of the meds
I have also read that the body’s same time into a small child’s and the surgery gave me atrial
own natural antioxidants— immature immune system. fibrillation (abnormal heart
superoxide dismutase, catalase Measles does sometimes have rhythm), which caused me to end
and glutathione peroxidase—are very serious consequences in a up in intensive care.
not very effectively absorbed as small number of children, and it is When I was discharged,
oral supplements and are better a good idea to vaccinate children I suffered from nausea and
made up in the body by these against it. But are the scare stories vomiting and discovered I had a
other dietary antioxidants and that have been circulating in the hospital-acquired infection. I also
amino acids. press actually truthful? It is one noticed a cognitive decline after I
There is an oxidative stress test thing for many children to have left the hospital.
(bloodandurine)todetermine contractedmeaslesandanother ThecardiacspecialistwhoIsaw
yourfreeradicallevelsagainst toknowhowmanyhavesuffered toldmethat,“Olderpeoplewho
GET IN TOUCH: Share your views on yourbody’sownantioxidant seriousside-effectsorhavedied havegeneralanesthesiaalmost
What Doctors Don’t Tell You AU/NZ levels.Iwonder,isitacaseofthe fromit.Wearenevergiventhat alwayshaveatrialfibrillationafter
via email or Facebook.
morethebetterwithantioxidants, information. surgery.”Notverycomforting.
Address: What Doctors Don’t Tell You, orareweriskingdoingmore Mumpsisanotherdisease ThemoreIspeaktopeoplewho
PO Box 230, Double Bay NSW 1360 harmthangood? thatcan,inasmallnumberof havehadsurgery,themoreIhear
Australia
Marc,Wirral,UK children,havebadconsequences, howmanyofthemhavememory
Email: info@wddty.com.au
althoughitismoredangerousfor problemsandcognitivedecline
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Uptodateon adultmen(Ibelieveitcancause followingtheirsurgery.
wddtyaunz
alternatives sterility).Rubellaisarelatively IamnowdoingeverythingI
Thankyouforkeepingusupto milddiseaseinchildrenbutcan cantoavoidtheneedforsurgery
datewithallthenewresearch causebirthdefectsifawoman requiringgeneralanesthesiaagain.
that’scomingout.Thereareso catchesitduringpregnancy. J.N.,viaemail


FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 9

UPFRONT



Newtherapies Musicaseffectiveas


forcancersnot powerfulsedatives


beingresearched beforeanop



The most common—and deadliest—cancers are
not being researched by independent scientists, Patients are usually given a sedative such as a benzodiazepine
which is blocking the introduction of innovative and before undergoing a medical procedure—but listening to music
non-chemo therapies into mainstream treatment. could be just as effective.
Nonprofit research funding is not being Music had the same anxiety-reducing effects as standard sedative
allocated to the research of these cancers—and medication—but the drug can also cause side-effects like breathing
it could be because some consider the cancers problems, hostility and agitation, say researchers from the University
“embarrassing” or they have been stigmatized. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Only breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma and The researchers gave 157 patients the choice of having 1 to 2
children’s cancers are getting the lion's share mg of the sedative midazolam or listening on headphones to a
of independent funding, say researchers at piece of ambient music while having a nerve block injection.
Northwestern University. The music—“Weightless” by Marconi Union—was specifically
The ‘forgotten’ cancers include colon, composed to reduce stress and anxiety in collaboration with
endometrial, liver and bile duct, cervical, ovarian, sound therapists.
pancreatic and lung cancers, and they lack support The researchers evaluated the patients' stress levels
because they are embarrassing or have been before and after the two options and found similar levels
stigmatized. of anxiety in both groups.
“Shame and discomfort with talking about our Music is being offered as a preoperative procedure
bowels and ‘private parts’ may be reducing funding in the school’s surgical center, often before outpatient
for diseases like colon or endometrial cancers,” surgery, said Veena Graff, one of the researchers.
said Suncel Kamath, one of the researchers. “Our research shows there are drug-free
His team researched 119 major nonprofit alternatives to help calm a patient,” she said.
organizations that between them made $5.98 The study was the first to test the effectiveness
billion in contributions to cancer research in of music against an intravenous sedative.
2015 and 2016—but the money wasn’t reaching RegAnesthPainMed,2019;44:796–9
research for these forgotten cancers, even though
they are often the deadliest and most common.
Independent research is vital because it can look
at alternative therapies to chemotherapy.
Most medical research is paid for by the drug
company whose drug is being tested, and so
innovative therapies aren’t being tested for their
effectiveness—and without research validation,
they aren’t being accepted into mainstream
treatment.
JNatlComprCancNetw,2019;17:849–54





Walnuts can ease

the pains of ulcerative colitis



Eating walnuts every day for several weeks before the The researchers aren’t sure
could help protect against protective effects start to kick why walnuts in particular
ulcerative colitis, a form of in, say researchers. have a protective effect,
inflammatory bowel disease, A research team from the but they contain an array
and even alleviate some of its University of Connecticut of natural compounds
worst symptoms. tested laboratory mice that and phytochemicals that
The nut protects the colon had colitis-like symptoms, earlier research has shown
during an ulcerative colitis and those fed the nut for two to be protective against
episode and speeds up repair weeks suffered less damage inflammation and colon
afterward—but you may have to the colon.Their colons also cancer.
to eat up to 25 nuts a day healed more quickly. Nutrients, 2019; 11: 1118



10 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

UPFRONT







Curcumin is


good for bone



cancer, too




Curcumin, the main ingredient in turmeric, is
a natural cancer killer—and the list of cancers
it can combat keeps on growing. The latest is
bone cancer; the spice could be particularly
effective against osteosarcoma, the second
most lethal cancer among children.
It stops the cancer from growing and
promotes healthy bone cells, say researchers
who believe it’s a real alternative to
chemotherapy, especially for small children.
Researchers have been searching for a
gentler way to treat the disease, especially
after surgery, when children are recovering
from bone damage while still getting high
doses of chemo.
Now a research team from Washington
State University believes it has found the
answer in curcumin, which has antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory and bone-building
qualities. In laboratory tests, they discovered
the spice inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth
by 96 percent, while at the same time
promoting healthy cells.
One problem has been getting the curcumin
to the right place in the body. Taken orally, it
isn’t readily absorbed, and it’s metabolized
and eliminated too quickly before it can be
effective. The Washington researchers got
around the problem by encasing the spice
a
n
f
i i f t molecules,
l
t
l
which helps it
survive its journey
y
through
the gut.
ACSApplMaterInterfaces,
2019; 11:17184

HEALTH FACT
A daily one-hour walk

outdoors can greatly

reduce symptoms of
seasonal affective disorder,

like low mood, tiredness
and poor concentration













FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 11

UPFRONT
UP FR O




Migraine could One billion people around the world suffer from migraine, making it the third most prevalent illness—
but nobody really knows what causes it.
Weather patterns, bad sleep, hormonal changes, stress, medications and some foods and drinks
be triggered by have all been identified as possible triggers for an attack, but coffee—at least not the first two cups—
isn’t one of them, researchers believe.
third cup of However, three or more cups a day can increase the risk of
a migraine attack, say researchers at the Beth Israel
coffee Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who
tracked the lifestyle and diets of 98 migraine
sufferers for six weeks and noted what
they had consumed just before a
migraine came on.
Even though all the usual
suspects like alcohol, stress,
menstrual cycles and poor
sleep were monitored, only
coffee—specifically three
or more cups a day—
seemed to be linked to
the onset of an attack.
Those who drank one
or two cups of coffee a
day didn’t seem to suffer
an attack afterwards.
Only people who weren’t
accustomed to drinking coffee
were likely to suffer an attack
after drinking just one cup.
Am J Med, 2019; 132: 984–91



















Badsleepmoretodo


winethancoffee




Not sleeping well? It’s more likely down to the glass of wine you had before
o
going to bed than a late-night cup of coffee.
Despite the belief that caffeine keeps us awake, researchers say they
r
couldn’t find any evidence that drinking coffee in the evening is the
culprit. Instead, smoking and wine were more likely to cause aa
sleepless night.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School tracked the
lifestyle and sleeping habits of 785 people for a total of 5,164
days. In particular, they were looking at alcohol and caffeine
consumption and smoking within four hours before bedtime.
People who smoked or drank wine before going to bed were
t
more likely to suffer interrupted sleep, but coffee didn’t have the
same effect.
Of the three, smoking had the most dramatic impact, with
smokers losing around 42 minutes of sleep.
Up to 70 million Americans regularly suffer a disturbed sleeep.
Sleep,2019;pii:zsz136


12 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

UPFRONT
























A sling’s the only thing after a shoulder fracture



What happens after you fracture your shoulder fracture. Half had surgery, “As there is no difference in the
shoulder? You put your arm in a sling, and the other half had nothing more patients’ ability to carry out daily
of course—and it seems that’s all you than keeping their arm in a sling. chores, their level of pain or quality
need to do. Just using a sling can heal At the end of three weeks, there of life with or without surgery, then
a fracture as effectively as surgery. was no difference in the two groups. treatment with only a sling should
Wearing a sling for three weeks is Both had healed equally well and be preferred as the patients avoid
just as good for a displaced fracture continued to improve over the pain and complications related to
of the shoulder as surgery that uses following year. the surgery.”
plates or metal screws to join the Describing the results as “thought- She accepts it will be difficult to
bones back together again. provoking,” researcher Inger change clinical practice, especially
The two approaches were tested Mechlenburg said: “Those who as it means going from more to less,
by researchers at Aarhus University underwent surgery don’t have better but it’s still a result that healthcare
in Denmark on 88 patients, all over shoulder function or less pain than services need to acknowledge.
age 60, who had suffered a displaced those who didn’t. PLOS Med, 2019; 16: e1002855










AIR POLLUTION Psychiatric problems such as a national pollution register in

depression, schizophrenia and
Denmark, and then set those against
COULD CAUSE bipolar disorder probably aren’t ‘all two big population data sets,
including 151 million US residents
in your head’—but they may very
and 1.4 million people in Denmark.
well be in the environment.
DEPRESSION The quality of the air you breathe For the Danish data, they were
may be a trigger for so-called
also able to assess exposure to air
AND BIPOLAR psychiatric problems, and the age pollution in a person’s first 10 years.
you start breathing polluted air could They found a direct link between
also be a factor.
air quality and a risk of psychiatric
Bipolar disorder, major depression disorders. “Living in polluted areas,
and schizophrenia may all be caused especially early on in life, is predictive
by poor air quality—and the chances of mental disorders,” said researcher
of schizophrenia, in particular, Atif Khan.
appear to double if you’re exposed They suspect that pollution is
to polluted air during your first causing inflammation in the
10 years. brain, and this is triggering the
Although genetics and life disorders—as earlier animal studies
experiences may play a part in have predicted.
psychiatric problems, environmental In those studies, researchers
factors could be the third element of discovered that small particulate
a complex interplay, say researchers matter, or fine dust, was traveling
from the University of Chicago, who to the brain after being inhaled.
explored the effects of air pollution in Animals exposed to high levels of
the US and Denmark. pollution showed signs of cognitive
They used Environmental impairment and depression-like
Protection Agency measurements behavior.
to assess air quality in the US and PLoS Biol, 2019; 7: e3000353




FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 13

ONT
O






More than



3 million suffer



a ‘silent stroke’



after surgery Men who
regularly ate


Around 7 percent of older people will suffer a
‘silent stroke’ after surgery, and this doubles their meat and eggs
risk of cognitive decline—possibly leading to were 28%
dementia or Alzheimer’s—within a year.
Although it’s known that 0.5 percent of people less likely to
over 65 suffer a stroke that is immediately
recognized after surgery, many more will have a suffer from
‘silent,’ or covert, stroke that is never diagnosed.
Researchers at McMaster University estimate it dementia
affects around 7 percent—or one in 14—of older
people who have nonemergency and noncardiac
surgery. With 50 million people over the age of
65 worldwide having elective (nonemergency)
surgery every year, around 3.5 million could be
suffering a silent stroke.
This type of stroke doubles the risk of cognitive
decline and can also cause delirium or a TIA
(transient ischemic attack) during the 12 months
after surgery.

The researchers used MRI scans to assess the
health of 1,114 patients from around the world nine
days after they had undergone elective surgery.
The procedure can damage the veins and arteries
in the brain, so increasing the risk of a stroke, the
researchers found.
Lancet, 2019; 394: 1022–9
Eggs and meat reduce



dementia risk




Eating plenty of eggs and meat could amount of eggs and meat the men ate
reduce your chances of developing and their risk of dementia; in other words,
dementia. The two foods are rich in the more they ate, the lower their risk.
phosphatidylcholines, compounds that The findings are noteworthy, as
help maintain brain health, and people dementia has become so prevalent,
who regularly eat them are 28 percent affecting more than 50 million people
less likely to suffer from dementia, around the world, even as meat and eggs
researchers from the University of East have been branded unhealthy.
Finland estimate. Choline is an essential nutrient
They tracked the diets and health of that’s needed to make acetylcholine,
2,500 men, who were between 42 and a neurotransmitter. The latest findings
60 years old at the start of the study, for 22 echo those of earlier studies that
years, and during that time, 337 of them have found choline plays a key role in
developed dementia. The researchers preventing cognitive decline.
foundaninversecorrelationbetweenthe Am J Clin Nutr, 2019; pii: nqz148


14 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

LYME DISEASE



STARTS WITH A


MOUSE, NOT THE TICK




Debilitating Lyme disease is caused by
a tick bite, as everyone knows—but
now researchers have discovered how
Lloyd’s the tick gets to be a carrier in the first
place, opening the door to new ways of
refuses to insure against preventing the disease from spreading.
It all starts with the white-footed mouse
5G health claims (Peromyscus leucopus), not the tick. The
mouse, which lives in forests and wetlands,
harbors the bacteria that cause Lyme

Lloyd’s of London,theworld’s holdtheschoolresponsiblefor thelevelsofelectromagnetic disease, and it’s the ticks that feed off the
largest insurerandreinsurer,is healthproblemsstudentsmight radiationthatwillbegenerated mouse which pass it on to people.
refusing to handleanyhealth sufferifitislaterconfirmed bythenewhigh-powered5G Scientists from the University of
claims relatingtothenewhigh- thatwirelesstechnologyislater networkandthedamagethis California at Irvine have sequenced the
powered 5G mobilenetwork. foundtoberesponsible. couldcausetohumanhealth. genome of the white-footed mouse,
Although there’snever Lloyd'sdecisionmayhave The5GAppeal,endorsed and this gives them the roadmap to start
been definitiveproofthat beeninfluencedbyitsin-house byover240scientists,fears developing preventative programs, such as
mobile networkscausehealth riskassessmentteam,which, 5Gcouldincreasetheriskof an environmentally safe vaccination.
problems, industrywatchers in2010,likenedwireless cancers,affectfertilityandcause Most approaches have concentrated on
believe Lloyd’sistakinga networkstoasbestos,abuilding neurologicaldisorders. somehow controlling the movement of the
p
precautionaryapproachand materialthatcauseslung TheUSNationalToxicology tick, “but they have been difficult to put in
staying out ofthemarketincase diseaseandcancer.Although Programhasdiscovered practice,” said Alaan Barbour, one of the
a link is discovered. thelinkwasestablishedas statisticallysignificantincreases researchers.
In a waiver toitsinsurance earlyasthe1920s,theasbestos inratesofbrainandheart The researchers also
policies, Lloyd’sispassingthe industrywasslowtoreactand cancersinanimalsexposedto want to understannd
onus on to schoolsthatinstall spentyearsdenyingacausal lowlevelsofEMF,farbelow why the mouse
Wi-Fi or have cellphonemasts connection. thosethatwillbegeneratedby doesn’t get sick
placed in schoolbuildings.It Similarly,thefirstwarning the5Gnetwork. from the bacteria it
recommendspolicyholders shotshavebeenfiredabout scientists4wiredtech.com carries, which couuld
provide clues about
d
It’sfats, key processes of diabetes, the glucose levels are nonetheless how people could
combat the infection.
still seeing the disease progress.
new hypothesis holds that cells
In addition to Lyyme
not glucose, are driving an inflammatory University of Kentucky set out to bacteria, the mice
Researchers from the
e
response to some fats, and not to
claimsnew glucose (also called blood sugar). demonstrate that the immune also carry a form of viral
o
encephalitis and illnesses like
If true, it would explain
cells of diabetics would produce
diabetes why some diabetics who are energy by burning glucose—but malaria and Rocky Mountain
spotted fever.
discovered instead that defects
successfully controlling their
theory in the mitochondria, the ‘power The research te eam is making the white-
houses’ of our cells, were causing footed mouse genome sequence publicly
We’ve got it wrong about type 2 available so other researchers can work
a reaction to raised levels of fats.
diabetes, the lifestyle disease. with it, too.
Research is still ongoing,
According to a new theory, The incidence of Lyme disease increased
but if further investigations
it’s got nothing to do with 17 percent in the US from 2016 to 2017,
support the initial
blood sugar and insulin with 42,743 cases being reported. The US
discoveries, the way
resistance—as the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
diabetes is treated will
view maintains—but (CDC) says that cases have tripled since the
fundamentally change.
instead it’s a disease of our late 1990s, partly due to the urbanization
Instead of controlling
cells and the way they react of rural areas and forests, and fears the
sugars in our diet, we will
to some fats, a new theory actual increase is far greater, as most cases
instead be watching out for
suggests. are never diagnosed or reported.
certain fats.
Although both camps agree SciAdv,2019;5:eaaw6441
CellMetab,2019;30:447–61
that inflammation is one of the
FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 15

UPFRONT
UP FR O





Dark chocolate keeps



depression away



Chocolate helps prevent depression—but it must be dark. Normal milk
chocolate doesn’t seem to have any positive effects, certainly not when
it comes to mental wellbeing.
Those who eat the most chocolate every day—and that is up to 16
oz (454 g), or a whole small bar—were also the least likely to suffer
clinical depression as diagnosed by a health practitioner.
Their chances of developing depression were 57 percent lower
than others who ate little or no dark chocolate, say researchers from
University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology. They surveyed
more than 13,000 people, and just 1.4 percent of them reported
eating dark chocolate regularly.
But of these, only 1.5 percent of the dark chocolate eaters
reported suffering from depressive symptoms, compared with
7.6 percent of the non-chocolate eaters.
Those eating the most dark chocolate every day—between
3.6 oz (104 g) and 16 oz (450 g)—also were the least likely to
suffer from depression.
Everyone knows that chocolate produces a ‘feel-good’
effect, and this is because of its psychoactive ingredients, but
it also contains phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator that
helps maintain a good mood, and flavonoids, which lower
inflammation, another contributory factor for depression.
Depress Anxiety, 2019 Jul 29




Vitamin D helps diabetics


control sugar levels



Taking vitamin D supplements can slow the progress of type 2
diabetes—and possibly even reverse prediabetes, the precursor
of the disease.
High doses of the supplement—up to 10 times the
recommended daily allowance—help the body regain its
pr
to
ty
e,
ocess
gl
ci
ucos
pa
ca
capacity to process glucose, or blood sugar. Diabetics
have become insulin resista nt, and, as a result, can’t
break down glucose proper ly.
g the supplement for
But after taking
six months , glucose metabolism
started t to improve, say researchers
from L aval University in Quebec. It
had a positive effect even among
etics whose vitamin D levels
diabe
were normal.
Th e researchers tested glucose
abolism in a group of people
meta
with diabetes or prediabetes before
after they were given the
and a
supp
plements. After six months, tests
show
wed that the supplements had
nificantly improved the ability of
sign
insu
ulin to break down glucose.
Eur J Endocrinol, 2019; pii: EJE-19-0156.R2


16 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

UPFRONT






Healthy gut blocks MS and Parkinson’s


A healthy gut could be an insurance policy in the nervous system and produces MS-like
against multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic symptoms, but only the mice with a bacteria-
central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as free gut became infected.
Parkinson’s. When those mice were then fed ‘good’
Microbes in the gut produce compounds bacteria, they too started to produce
that prime our immune cells to destroy harmful an immune response that reversed
viruses in the brain and nervous system. Viral their symptoms of paralysis and other
infections in the brain and spinal cord are thought neurological damage.
to be a catalyst for MS. “Signals from microbes are
These microbes could protect against essential to quickly clear viruses in
other CNS diseases as well, such as paralysis, the central nervous system and prevent
Parkinson’s disease and stroke. damage from MS-like diseases. Our results
A poor diet and antibiotics compromise our gut emphasize the importance of maintaining
bacteria, known as the microbiome, which makes a diverse community of bacteria in
people more susceptible to these diseases. the gut,” said June Round, one of the
Researchers from the University of Utah researchers.
School of Medicine tested the idea on a group of After a course of antibiotics, it’s
laboratory mice, some with healthy gut microbes important to top up the good bacteria with
and others with guts that were bacteria-free. probiotics and a healthy diet, she added.
Both sets were given a dose of mouse hepatitis Elife, 2019 Jul 16; 8. pii: e47117. doi: 10.7554/eLife.47117
virus, which infects cells







Feverfew compound killing leukemia


Feverfew—the common garden plant that combats migraine and arthritic pain—also
contains a compound that kills leukemia, usually considered a chronic and incurable cancer.
Scientists have isolated the compound, parthenolide, to kill chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL) cells in the laboratory.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK say they discovered a method
of isolating the compound and modifying it to enhance its cancer-fighting qualities.
Parthenolide increases the number of unstable molecules in cancer cells until they reach the
point where they self-destruct.
Feverfew is sold in health food stores as a remedy to reduce fever and
inflammation, but its anticancer abilities have been hit or miss, the researchers
say. Their research makes feverfew more “drug-like” in the way it can
target CLL cells, they claim.
This isn’t new; other researchers reported similar findings
in 2005. Researchers from the University of Rochester
Medical School discovered that 18 hours of exposure to
parthenolide could kill off leukemia cells while leaving
alone the surrounding healthy cells. In other words, it
doesn’t appear to have toxic side-effects.
Parthenolide was more effective than the standard
leukemia drug, cytarabine, the Rochester researchers
also discovered. That drug was only “modestly toxic” to
the cancer cells, but “highly toxic” to healthy cells, and so it
was doing more harm than good.
MedChemComm,2019;10:1379–90


HEALTH FACT
The immune-boosting herb

Andrographis can reduce the severity
of cold symptoms





FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 17

Vitamin A helps



protect against


skin cancer



Eating a diet rich in vitamin A—or taking it in
supplements—protects you against skin cancer.
People who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, or take
supplements, have a 17 percent reduced risk of developing
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the second most
common form of skin cancer.
Researchers from Brown University analyzed the
health and diets of around 123,000 people, nearly
4,000 of whom developed the skin cancer. Those
who had the highest levels of vitamin A were 17
percent less likely to develop the cancer than those
with the lowest levels of the vitamin.
The most effective source for getting vitamin A was fruits
and vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy green
vegetables and fruits such as apricots and cantaloupe.
Animal sources of the vitamin include liver and some fish,
but the researchers warn that an over-reliance on eating organ
meat can increase the risk of liver toxicity, osteoporosis and
hip fracture.
JAMA Dermatol, 2019 Jul 31




Inflammation the common Is arthritis a bacterial

link between arthritis and infection from a


heart disease ‘bad gut’?


Osteoarthritis and heart disease have one common factor—inflammation. Is there a link between a ‘bad’ gut and arthritis? Researchers have
So it’s not surprising that people who have arthritis are also more likely to noticed that bacteria from the gut can infect an artificial knee and
develop cardiovascular disease and die from it. hip—but aren’t sure whether they also attack the actual joints to
The risk isn’t enormous; researchers estimate that people suffering cause the usual arthritic symptoms in the first place.
from arthritis of the knee, for example, for up to 11 years, are 16 Making sure someone’s gut microbiome—the
percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than environment of good and bad bacteria—is healthy
people who don’t have the joint condition. before surgery could reduce the risk of infection
In other words, for every 100,000 people who have of the artificial joints, say researchers from
had arthritis for that length of time, 40 more will die Cornell University.
from heart disease. Postoperative infection is rare and
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden affects only 1 percent of patients—but as
noticed the connection when they tracked one million Americans opt for knee or hip
469,000 people for 11 years. In that time, around replacement surgery every year, that still
16,000 developed arthritis, and when they died, means around 10,000 get infected by
the researchers looked at the cause of death. ‘bad’ bacteria.
Cardiovascular disease was cited more often in Preparing the patient with a course of
people who also had arthritis, although the effect probiotics before surgery could reduce the
wasn’t immediate. Heart disease was generally risk of infection, the researchers say.
diagnosed only between nine and 11 years after But they left unanswered the bigger
arthritis had started. question: do ‘bad’ gut bacteria infect the joints
Although inflammation was the common factor, and and cause all the disabilities of arthritis? If that’s
the most likely reason for the connection, the researchers say the case, instead of being a disease of wear and tear,
that arthritis makes people less able to be active, and this, too, could be as every sufferer is told, osteoarthritis and its many derivatives
contributing to the start of heart disease. could actually be caused by bacterial infections.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2019; 27: 848–54 Clin Orthop Relat Res, 2019 Jun 17




18 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

RYETHE






Red wine “HEALTHIEST
GLUTEN”


reduces If you can tolerate gluten,




anxiety rye is one of the healthiest
sources of it to eat, especially
for helping maintain ‘good’
gut bacteria.
and baking rye bread, is rich in
Rye sourdough, used for


lactic acid bacteria that help
depression the gut microbiome—the

‘universe’ of bacteria
in the intestines—and
control insulin metabolism,
reducing the risk for
diabetes.
It also triggers a positive
chain reaction that lowers
the amount of oxygen
the heart muscles need,
which may reduce the
There’s a reason people like to unwind with a glass of
risk of stroke, according
red wine after a stressful day—and it could be because
to researchers from the
of one of the drink’s key compounds, resveratrol.
University of Eastern Finland.
Resveratrol blocks stress signals in the brain, and it
Although the health
could also help other neurological disorders such as
benefits of rye have been
depression and anxiety.
known for a long time,
It’s in the skin and seeds of grapes, which are the
scientists haven’t researched
basis of wine, as well as other berries, so people who
the biological processes that
instead choose to eat the fruit may get the same
happen when we eat it.
calming benefits.
The Finnish researchers
Resveratrol works by blocking an enzyme that is
have started to put that right
associated with stress signaling in the brain—and it
with tests on laboratory
could be an effective alternative to drugs for treating
mice. From their results,
depression and anxiety as well, say researchers at the
they found that rye has
University of Buffalo.
bioactive compounds, or
Only around one-third of people suffering from
phytochemicals, that work
depression are helped by antidepressants, and that
as antioxidants, and their
could be because the drugs are targeting the wrong
health benefits are amplified
biological process.
by gut bacteria.
Most antidepressants focus on serotonin, whereas
103
obiome,
Microbiome 2019;7:103
7:
Micr
2019;
the more likely culprit is corticosterone, which regulates
the body’s response to stress. Too much stress can
trigger high amounts of the hormone circulating in the
brain, and this could eventually cause depression or
other disorders, says lead researcher Xiaoxing Yin.
Resveratrol targets corticosterone, and so it could
be more effective to combat depression and anxiety.
To test the theory, Yin and his team fed resveratrol
to laboratory mice whose corticosterone levels had
been raised; the compound blocked the biological
processes, suggesting that this could also ease feelings
of depression or anxiety in people.
Neuropharmacology, 2019; 153: 20–31





FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 19

UP
FR
O
UPFRONT
HIGH-RADIATION CT SCANS

IN PREGNANCY QUADRUPLE

IN 20 YEARS



Pregnant women today are getting four
times the number of powerful imaging
scans a mother-to-be was getting 20 years
ago—exposing her and the growing fetus to
dangerous levels of radiation.
The biggest increase is in CT (computed
tomography) scans, which use high doses of
ionizing radiation to create a detailed image
of the growing baby.
The use of CT has quadrupled in the US and
doubled in Canada over the last 20 years,
researchers at the University of California at
San Francisco have discovered.
Instead of relying on traditional ultrasound,
doctors are turning to CT, also called medical
imaging, to detect serious medical conditions.
“Imaging can be helpful, but it can be
over-used. Always, but especially if you’re
pregnant, you should ask whether it is really
medically necessary to have any imaging
test that involves ionizing radiation,” said
researcher Rebecca Smith-Bindman.
A CT scan releases far higher levels of
radiation than a standard x-ray, and nobody
knows what damage this could do to the
growing fetus.
The researchers tracked 3.5 million
pregnancies in six health systems in the US
and the Canadian state of Ontario between
1996 and 2016. In that time, 5.3 percent
of the women in the US and 3.6 percent in
Ontario had a CT scan.
JAMA Netw Open, 2019; 2: e197249
























HEALTH FACT
Taking a garlic


supplement may
reduce your


likelihood of

coming down with the flu





20 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

UPFRONT




T
Three Three CT scans
k
more kick-start
c
Healthy countries s cancer


CT (
computed tomography) is
c
phase out suppo
osed to be a safe screening
lifestyle dental techn vered that the radiation from just
ology—but researchers have
discov
amalgam m cancero scans can prime cells to become
three
trumps fillings DNA radiolo e CT radiation doesn’t damage
ous.
Becaus
DNA, radiologists have been told the
technology is safe—but instead the scans
Three more European countries are
genetic phasing out the use of amalgam— alter healthy cells and make them “cancer-
capable,” which means they make cancer
which is 50 percent mercury—in dental
practices. Ireland, Finland and Slovakia more likely to develop.
Radiation from just three CT scans is
riskof have announced a timetable that will see enough to increase the risk, say researchers

amalgam banned over the next few years.
from the University of Cambridge, and
They join Sweden and Norway in creates mutations in cells—known as p53
dementia banning amalgam, which has been linked mutations—that make them more likely to
to neurological and kidney problems.
become cancerous.
The researchers have examined the effects
Dentists in all 27 member states of
the European Union are forbidden from of CT scans on cells in the esophagus—which
Lifestyle can trump genetics—even when
using the material in pregnant and connects the throat to the stomach—of
it comes to having an inherited biological laboratory mice. A radiation dose equivalent
makeup that doubles the risk of dementia. breastfeeding women and in children to three scans started the spread of p53
A healthy lifestyle—including a good under the age of 15. mutant cells until they overwhelmed the
diet and not smoking—reduces the risk of Under the 2018 ruling, the member
healthy cells, in what the researchers called
dementia by around 30 percent in people states have also been asked to submit
the body’s “Game of Clones.”
who have a genetic predisposition to develop plans for the phased withdrawal of But taking an antioxidant before having
the condition. amalgamfromalldentalpractices.Ireland, a scan seems to block any damage it may
Healthy living has an even bigger Finland and Slovakia have been among the cause. An over-the-counter antioxidant—the
protective effect in people who don’t have
first to respond. researchers used N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)—
the ‘bad genes,’ which suggests the problem
The ruling follows pressure from lobby gives healthy cells the extra boost they need
is avoidable for most people who live well,
groups such as the Campaign for Mercury- to ward off the mutations.
say researchers from the University of Exeter
Free Dentistry, which is now turning its CellStemCell,2019;pii:S1934-5909(19)30275-9
in the UK.
focus to North America.
They tracked the health of more than
Although the American Dental
196,000 people with an average age of 64,
who weren’t showing any signs of dementia. Association still supports the use of
Of these, 20 percent had a higher risk of amalgam, claiming it doesn’t have any
developing the condition because of their health risks, the campaign is confident the
genetic profile—and 1.13 percent of those US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
who followed a healthy lifestyle eventually may soon shift its position.
suffered from dementia compared to 1.78 CampaignpresidentCharlesBrownsaid:
percent who had an unhealthy diet and “Wecongratulatethesecountriesontaking
didn’t exercise, suggesting lifestyle did have
thisimportantsteptoprotectourplanet
an impact on genes.
andpatientsfromthisoutdatedmercury
Just 0.5 percent of people with both a low
product.NowtheheatisontheFDAand
genetic risk and good lifestyle developed
HealthCanadatogetoffthedime.”
dementia.
Regulators are concerned about any
Ahealthylifestyle includesphysicalactivity,
moderate alcohol drinking, a healthy diet backlash to an outright ban. A sudden
and not smoking, the researchers say. announcement that amalgam is unsafe
JAMA,2019;322:430–7 could trigger millions of demands for
the removal of dental fillings, and there
is also the worry that people may sue
the authorities if they link neurological
problems to their fillings.


FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 21



UPFRONT








brains of the boys, but not the men, while there by 7 percent, and folate linkked to a 20 percent
was no difference seen in the brain structures of reduced risk of stroke.
the boys given a placebo. The only problem is that the studies
w
Radiology, 2019; 182528 the researchers analyzed were limited
to randomized controlled trials, many off
Blood pressure meds cause which came up with partial results, had
dangerous gut problem drug company funding or were designed
w
A common blood pressure drug can cause without an adequate understanding
h
h
Doctors prescribe opioids even diverticulosis, a bowel problem that affects nutrition. Plenty of indepenndent studies have
reported benefits of taking vitamins.
many elderly people.
to small children
Calcium-channel blockers are Ann Intern Med, 2019; 171: 190–8
Doctors are prescribing opioids—the powerful
antihypertensives—they keep high blood
and highly addictive painkillers—to young pressure under control—that also raise the risk Antibiotics raisebbowel
children. Around 60 percent of children who
of diverticulosis, a bowel problem that causes cancer risk
have their tonsils removed are being given the
el
small bulges or pouches in the intestine. Antibiotics increase the risk of bowel, ,
k
el
l
l
drugs, a new study has discovered.
Left untreated, diverticulosis can lead to or colon, cancer. Nearly 72 percent t t t
The children are being given an average of
diverticulitis, when the pouches become of people with the cancer ad tak
48 doses of opioids after a tonsillectomy, say
inflamed. the drug within 10 years b fore th
researchers at the University of Michigan, who
The problem affects around 65 percent of were diagnosed, a new study has
reviewed case records of 15,793 children who
people over 85. It can be life-threatening and discovered.
had the operation in a private clinic.
e
may need emergency treatment if the pouches The drugs can double the risk for
Some 60 percent of these children, who
burst or become infected. bowel cancer, although this varied
were between one and 18 years old, were given
Calcium-channel blockers are the only according to the length of time the
opioids. The painkillers are thought to reduce
antihypertensives linked to diverticulosis, say drugs were taken and their potency.
complications after surgery, but the researchers
e
researchers from Imperial College London. Other cancers of the digestive
say there is no evidence the drugs are any more
They also tested ACE inhibitors and beta system were also more likely after
protective than standard NSAIDs (nonsteroidal
blockers by analyzing gene variants in around taking antibiotics, but,paraadoxically,
anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen.
750,000 people. the risk of rectal cancer was s
Constipation was more likely to occur among
The researchers aren’t sure why the drugs reduced.This could be because the
children taking opioids, the researchers found,
should cause diverticulosis but suspect they rectum is at the end of the d digestive
and in one case, the child became addicted.
could be affecting the ability of muscles in the system, and the pattern of risk
On average, each child was given an eight-day
intestine to push food through the gut. seems to follow the way foo od travels
prescription, equivalent to 48 doses—far more
Genetic variant testing is a relatively new through the gut.
than they should need, the researchers say. This
science that allows researchers to assess the The cancer risk is increased because
overprescribing could put the health of family
benefits and side-effects of drugs without antibiotics cause dysbiosis, a disturbance of
and friends at risk if they take the unused pills.
having to launch expensive, lengthy trials the gut microbiome, the bo ody’s
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 Aug 8
involving thousands of patients. universe of bacteria, say
Circulation, 2019; 140: 270–9 researchers from Johns
Ritalin changes children’s Hopkins University School
brain structure Why cheaper isn’t better when of Medicine.
ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactive disorder) it comes to vitamins Using a database of 11.3
drugs such as Ritalin alter the structure of
Buy high-quality vitamins—the inexpensive million patient histories,
children’s brains. They change the distribution
brands probably won’t do a thing for your the researchers found near rly
of white matter in the brain, which affects their
health, new research suggests. 29,000 cases of colorectal
ability to learn—paradoxically, the very thing
The popular brands won’t help you live cancer diagnosed between 1989 and 2012
the drug is supposed to improve.
longer, and they don’t protect against heart and compared their histories of antibiotic
Profound changes to the brain were
disease, say researchers from Johns Hopkins use against 137,000 health hy people.
seen within four months of taking ADHD
School of Medicine, who took a second look at Penicillin seemed to carry the greatest
medication—and the researchers who made
277 clinical trials of popular vitamins, minerals cancer risk.
the discovery have urged doctors to prescribe
and nutritional supplements. Although doctors have been told to
the drugs only when absolutely necessary.
They certainly won’t do you any harm, but reduce antibiotic prescribin ng to slow the
Researchers from the University of
with 52 percent of Americans taking at least rise of antibiotic-resistant ‘s superbugs,’ the
Amsterdam carried out MRI scans on the
one vitamin a day and spending a total of $31 fact that the drugs also raise the risk of colon
brains of 50 boys and 48 men who had been
billion a year in the process, it might be hoped cancer is another good reason why alternatives
diagnosed with ADHD. Half the participants had
they’d do some good as well. need to be found, the resea archers say.
been prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) and
Only omega-3 and folate supplements had People are taking an ave erage of 10
the rest were instead given a placebo.
o
a
any health benefits, the researchers found, antibiotics each year, which h adds up to a
After four months of taking the drug, the
with omega-3s reducing the risk of a heart global annual total of 70 billion doses.
researchers saw significant changes in the
attack by 8 percent and coronary heart disease Gut,2019;pii:gutjnl-2019-318593
FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 23

NewsFocus









Fluorideinour say,possiblycausinghypothyroidismor
Hashimoto’sdisease.
Anotherpossibilityisthatfluoride
that’snotexcretedcouldbeabsorbed
water:toomuch bythebody’shardandsofttissues,such

asthebonesandotherorgans.People
withhighlevelsoffluorideintheirblood
fortoolong? aremorelikelytodevelopbone disease,
earlierstudieshavefound.


Intelligencereports
It’sbeentheeffectsoffluorideon
We’rebombardedwithfluoridedentalproducts—sowithnew intelligenceandlearningthatare
studiessuggesting health dangers, is it time to stop putting it in mosttroublingtomanyopponentsof
fluoridation,whopointto54studies
our tap water? showingthathighlevelscausea

reductioninIQinpeople,and60animal
studiesthatfoundfluorideimpairs
memoryandlearningabilities.
Butanewstudyhasdiscovered
somethingevenmoreworrying—
pregnantwomencanpassonfluorideto
thegrowingfetus,suggestingitcrosses
theplacenta.Womenwhodrankthe
mostfluoridatedwaterduringpregnancy
hadchildrenwho,bytheageoffour,had
lowerIQs. Therewasroughlyafour-
pointdropinIQscoreforevery1mgof
fluorideinaliterofthemother’surine. 2
ResearchersfromYorkUniversityin
Torontoanalyzeddatafrom512mothers
ddingfluoridetothewatersupply Fluorosisisontherisebecausemost andtheirchildren,141ofwhomlivedin
hasbeenhailedasoneofthetop toothpastesalreadycontainfluoride— anareawithfluoridatedwater,tracking
Atenmostimportantpublichealth aningredienttheylackedwhenwater theirlevelsoffluoridewhilepregnant
measuresofthetwentiethcentury—but fluoridationwasintroduced.These andtestingtheIQsoftheirchildrenwhen
hasthepractice,introducedinthe1940s days,onesmallstripoftoothpasteon theyreachedtheageofthreeorfour.
topreventtoothdecayinchildren,now atoothbrushhasbetween 0.75 and 1.5 Notsurprisingly,thewomenin
passeditssell-bydate? mgoffluoride. fluoridatedareashadmuchhigherlevels
Twonewstudiessuggestithas,with ofthemineralintheirurine—butthey
oneconcludingthere’snosuchthing Badprocessing alsohadmorechildrenwhoseIQscore
asasafedoseoffluoridetothegrowing Buteventhislowerlevelcouldstillbe wasbelowthe107averageforthegroup.
body,andanotherunderliningwhat toohigh,sayresearchersfromIcahn Forevery1mgoffluorideinthe
fluoride’sopponentshaveclaimedfor SchoolofMedicineatMountSinai mother’surine,boys’averagescorewas
years:thechemicalisaneurotoxinthat inNewYork—especiallyashealth 4.49pointslower,whereasgirlsdidn’t
affectsachild’sIQandabilitytolearn— officialshaven’tfactoredinthegrowing appeartobeaffectedbyfluoride.This
evenwhenit’sthemotherwhodrank immunesystem’sabilitytoexcrete differencehascausedcriticstodismiss
fluoridatedwaterwhilepregnant. fluoride.Anadultexcretesaround60 thestudyas‘badscience,’although
Advocatesoffluoridationhaveargued percentofthemineral,butforachild, onepossibilityisthatthesexesdevelop
thatthepoisonisinthedose.Atthe thisdropstojust45percent. differently,andanotheristhatthe
recommendedconcentrationof1part Childrenretainaround55percentof mother’sIQscorehasmoreinfluence
permillion(equivalentto1milligram thefluoridetheytakeinfromtapwater thanfluorideon their child’s intelligence.
perliterofwater),it’ssafe,theyargue. andtoothpasteintheirliverandkidneys.
Thisisdespitethefactthat,in2015,the Among1,742adolescentstheytracked, Notsobad
USDepartmentofHealthandHuman allhadhighfluoridelevels,eventhough TheCanadianstudymightindeed
Servicesreducedthatsafethresholdto mostlivedinareasthatfluoridated havebeenignoredandclassifiedas‘bad
0.7mg,becausedentistswerereporting publicwaterwellbelowthe0.7mgsafe science’wereitnotforthemanyother
ariseincasesofdentalfluorosis,a level,withsomeaslowas0.4mg. 1 studiesthathavealsocometothesame
discolorationoftooth enamel caused by Compromisedkidneyscouldreduce conclusion.Forexample,researchers
excessfluoride. thyroid gland function, the researchers from the Affiliated HospitalofGuizhou


24 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

NEWS FOCUS



















Opponents of


fluoridation


point to studies


showing that



high levels of


fluoride cause


a reduction in


IQ and impair


learning and


memory
































































FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 25

NEWS FOCUS





Water fluoridation Cochrane, the research body Fluoride facts
considered an impartial arbiter of
is an intervention scientific data, found evidence that • Small children often swallow 50 percent of

of its time, but with fluoridation reduces dental decay—there the toothpaste on their brush, ingesting up to
was a 35 percent reduction in decayed
increased awareness, and missing teeth in children who lived 1.5 mg of fluoride
that time has passed in fluoridated areas—but the reviewers • All toothpastes with fluoride are supposed to
were concerned that the 20 studies they carry a poison warning in the US
analyzed were old, with small numbers of • Almost all the fluoride in our body is in our
6
children and high risk of bias.
MedicalUniversityinChinatook Researchers at Notre Dame University- teeth and bones
anotherlookat26studies,involving Louaize in Lebanon also aren’t sure. • Despite the myth, fluoride doesn’t help
7,258children,andconcludedthathigh Water fluoridation can be essential in protect bones affected by osteoporosis; in
fluorideexposureinwaterwasstrongly poor communities, but the fact that fact, it increases the chances of fracture
linkedtolowerintelligencelevels. 3 modern toothpastes and mouth rinses
OtherChineseresearcherscarriedout contain fluoride should be enough to • Fluoride was introduced into public water
asimilarexerciseandcametothesame prevent tooth decay today, they say. 7 supplies in 1945 with the promise that dental
conclusions.Theyreviewed27studies It’s not as if we’re going to run out decay in children would halve. It did—
thathadcomparedIQscoresacross of fluoride. It’s a form of fluorine, the although the rate had already started to drop
regionswithdifferentfluoridationlevels thirteenth most abundant element in the in 1930
andnotedthattherewasaconsistent earth’s crust, and it occurs naturally in • By 2004, fluorosis—a discoloring of the
differenceinthescoresofchildrenliving water and soil. Every time we drink tea or
inareaswiththehighestandlowest eat seafood that includes edible bones or teeth from excessive fluoride ingestion—was
fluoridelevels. 4 shells, we’re ingesting fluoride—and, of affecting 41 percent of American adolescents
ResearchersfromtheUniversity course, we’re doing it every day when we • Almost all research into the effectiveness of
ofKentintheUKwentfurther, brush our teeth with most toothpastes. fluoride in water was done before 1980
concludingthat“fluoridehasthe It’s not a nutrient—although it was
potentialtocausemajoradversehuman heralded as such by dentists in the • Just 10 percent of the world’s population has
healthproblems”—andhasonlya 1950s—andsothere’snorecommended fluoridated water
“modest”impactondentalhealth.The dailyallowance(RDA)forfluoride;
fluoridationofpublicwatershouldbe insteadthere’san“adequateintake”that products. A single strip of toothpaste
reconsidered,theysay. 5 variesdependingonwhetheryou’rean contains up to 1.5 mg of fluoride, and
adultorachild,manorwoman. mouth rinses have 0.25 mg.
Notsomodest Theadequatedailydoseforachildis Even when public water is fluoridated
Theirlastpoint—thatfluoridehasonly 0.7mg,butFluorideActionNetwork,an to the new, lower level of 0.7 ppm,
amodestimpactinpreventingtooth anti-fluoridationgroup,argueschildren dental fluorosis, a disease caused by
decay—isstillhotlydebatedbythepro- getfarmorethanthateverydaywhen an overabundance of fluoride, affects
andanti-fluoridecamps. theybrushtheirteethoruseotherdental around 12 percent of children, and
that figure will be higher in areas
Thetopfluoridenations Countrieswiththemosttoothdecay where fluoride levels are higher, say the
Cochrane researchers.
COUNTRY % FLUORIDATED COUNTRY AVERAGE* FLUORIDE STATUS
Water fluoridation may indeed have
Hong Kong 100 Norway 1.7 None
been one of the top 10 most important
Singapore 100 Japan 1.7 None health measures in the twentieth century,
Brunei 95 New Zealand 1.4 63% coverage especially in an age before the affluence

Australia 80 Iceland 1.4 None we enjoy today, but with increased
Chile 70 Greece 1.35 None wealth, awareness of a healthier, low-
sugar diet, and the abundance of fluoride
Malaysia 75 Finland 1.2 None
toothpastes, it’s an intervention of its
Irish Republic 73 USA 1.19 64% coverage time, and that time has passed.
Israel 70 Italy 1.1 None Bryan Hubbard
United States 64 Ireland 1.1 73% coverage

Guyana 62 Australia 1 80% coverage REFERENCES
Source: British Fluoridation Society, 2012 *Averagenumberofdecayed,missingorfilledteethin12-year-old 1 EnvironInt,2019;105012
children.Source:WorldHealthOrganizationDMFTindex 2 JAMAPediatr,2019Aug19
3 PublicHealth,2018;154:87–97
No cause-and-effect between fluoride and tooth decay: Three countries—the US, Ireland and 4 EnvironHealthPerspect,2012;120:1362–8
Australia—rank among the top 10 for both water fluoridation (left) and tooth decay (right). All in 5 ScientificWorldJournal,2014;293019
6 CochraneDatabaseSystRev,2015;(6):
all, there appears to be no correlation between whether a nation fluoridates its water and citizens’
CD010856
dental health. Other factors such as diet and lifestyle are more likely to be involved. 7 PrevNutrFoodSci,2018;23:171–80

26 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ



NewsFocus







refinedflourandconcentratedsugars
inourdiet,whileeatingmorefruits,
Whyyourdoctor cruciferousvegetableslikebroccoliand

cauliflower,andchlorophyllfromgreen
vegetablessuchasspinach,couldreduce
doesn’tknow therateofbreast,colorectalandprostate

cancersby70percent,andthatoflung
3
cancerbyasmuch as 50 percent.
aboutdiet School’sout


Sowhyisn’tyourdoctortellingyou
this?Whilesomewillgiveyouthe
rudimentaryadvicetoeatmorefruits
Thefoodweeatisthesinglemostimportantfactorin andvegetablesandcutdownonsweets
determiningourhealthandlongevity—andyetdoctors have andprocessedfoods,nonearetaughtthe
biologicalcomplexitiesoffoodanddiet
only the most basic knowledge about nutrition orthewaynutritioncanbeharnessedto

reversedisease.
It’sevenstartedtoworrytheAmerican
HeartAssociation(AHA),anadvocateof
thedrugs-firstapproachtohearttherapy.
Spurredonbyrisingratesofdiabetes,
obesity,highbloodpressureandother
ippocratesmighthave “Thisstudyaffirmsthatpoordietis chronicdiseases,theAHAcommissioned
pronouncedthatfoodshouldbe responsibleformoredeathsthanany anexpertpaneltodiscoverwhythis
Hourmedicine,butit’sadvicethat otherriskfactorintheworld,”saidlead increaseishappening,especiallyas
doctorshavebeenignoringforthepast researcherDrChristopherMurrayfrom doctorshavebeengivingpatientsbasic
100years.Andtheyreallyshouldhave theUniversityofWashington. dietaryadviceforyears.
beenlistening,asunderscoredbyanew Althoughhealthagencieshavefocused Essentially,itcomesdowntothe
researchstudythathasdiscoveredonein theirpublichealthalertsonfastand simplefactthatdoctorsaren’tbeing
fivedeathsaroundtheworldeveryyearis sugaryfoodsasthingstoavoid,the taughtanythingbeyondthosebasics,
thedirectresultofapoordiet. researchersdiscoveredthatnoteating recommendationsthatcouldhavebeen
Addtothatthe40percentofcancers enoughfruitsandvegetableshadafar gleanedinatabloidnewspaper.
andthemanycasesofdiabetesandheart biggerimpactonhealthandlongevity. It’saneducationalgapthatgoesback
diseasecausedbybadeatinghabits,and Othersagree.Takingaone-year decades,sayspanelchairpersonDrKaren
it’sclearthatahealthydietisthesingle snapshotofheartdisease,dietanddeath Asprey.Eventhebarestminimumof25
mostimportantfactorformaintaining intheUS,researchersfromtheTufts hoursofinstructioninnutritionand
healthandpreventingdisease. FriedmanSchoolofNutritionScienceand diet,whichwasrecommendedin1985,
Butdon’tjustblamethedoctor. PolicyinBostonrecorded702,308deaths isbeingmetbyfewerthan30percentof
Medicalschoolsaren’tteaching in2012fromcardiometabolicdiseases, medicalschoolsintheUS. 4
nutrition,andhealthagenciesthatlay whichincludesheartdisease,strokeand Theaverageteachingtimeisjust19
downtheguidelinesforbestpractice diabetes,andmorethan45percentof hours,suggestingthereislittlerecognition
arenotpushingnutritionalapproaches themweredirectlycausedbydiet. that“obesityandcardiovasculardisease
asavalidwaytotreatchronicdisease— Mostofthesedeathswereattributed arelinkedtopoornutritionandpoordiet
eventhoughthereisanabundanceof tonoteatingenoughnuts,seedsand quality,”Aspreyadded.
evidencetodemonstratethatnutrition omega-3fattyacidsfromseafood,and Andnobodyreallycaresifdoctors
playsapivotalroleinpreventingand consumptionoftoomuchsalt(sodium) understandwhatthey’rebeingtaught.
reversingmany health problems. andprocessedmeats. 2 There’snotesting,anddietdoesn’t
Cancer,too,couldbepreventedby appearonanyexaminationpapers,said
Eatingbad eatingahealthydiet.Upto40percentof DrDavidEisenbergattheHarvardTH
Thelatestsuchstudy,whichtracked allcancersarecausedbyapoorlifestyle ChanSchoolofPublicHealth.
dietandhealthin195countriesfor27 and diet, and reducing the amount of “Itisascandalthathealthprofessionals
years,concludedthat11milliondeaths arenotintroducedtothesefactsabove
ayear—roughly5percentofalldeaths andbeyondminimalinformationabout
worldwide—arecausedbypoordiet, The bare minimum 25 hours nutritionaldeficienciesinbiochemistry,
definedaslowintakeofwholegrains,fruits, of instruction in nutrition is andthatthesethingsdonotappear
vegetables,nutsandseeds,andhighlevels ontheirexaminationstobecome a
ofsodiumandtransfatsfromprocessed being met by fewer than 30 practicingphysician.
“fast”foods,bakedgoods,sugarydrinks percent of medical schools “Noraretheyrequiredon
andredandprocessedmeats. 1 board certification,whetherit’sto


28 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

1


Willyoureviewtheuseof

Wouldn’t it be complementarytherapiesthatcould
beusedalongsideconventional
Nice? treatments,especiallytotemper

their adverse effects?
NICE(theNationalInstituteforHealthandCare NICE response:
Excellence)setstheUKguidelinesforthebest,most We will not review
effectivepracticesfordoctorstofollow. alternative medicines
Butthegroupwon’tevenconsideranutritional
approach,despitetheoverwhelmingevidence,as

oneofitssubmissionteam,RufusGreenbaum,has
revealed.Herearesomeofhissuggestionsabout
cancer treatment and care, and NICE’s responses.
2


Iscanceranuclear
3 geneticdiseaseor

amitochondrial
Thereisverygoodevidence metabolic disease? NICE response:

thatadjustingvitaminD We will not review the
levelsof25(OH)Dto100–150 causes of cancer

nmol/Lhelpsprevent
andtreatbreast
cancer NICE response:
We are not covering
vitamin D
4


Thereisverygoodevidence
thatadjustingomega-3

5 andomega-6levelshelps
preventandtreatbreast
Reviewtheeffectofvitamin cancer
C—deliveredintravenously,

orwithliposomalornormal
capsules—topreventor NICE response:
treat breast cancer NICE response: We are not covering

We are not covering omega-3 and omega-6
vitamin C levels





6


Reviewtheeffectofvitamin 7
K2onthepreventionand
treatmentofbreastcancer Reviewtheabilityof

and DCIS[ductalcarcinoma curcumintodestroycancer
in situ] cellsandpromotehealthy

NICE response: cell function
We are not covering
vitamin K2 NICE response:

We are not covering
curcumin





FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 29

NEWS FOCUS




Most doctors said
they lacked the

confidence and

training to advise

patients on nutrition









become an internist, cardiologist,
endocrinologist—you name it.” 5


We know nothing
Doctors don’t disagree. A BBC survey of
UK doctors discovered they knew next
to nothing about the impact that diet
and lifestyle have on health, and what
they are taught about nutrition isn’t
relevant or applicable to the problems
they see in practice.
Around 80 percent of the patients he
treats have problems caused by poor
lifestyle and diet, Dr Rangan Chatterjee
told the BBC. In 2016, he was one of the
signatories to a letter to the UK’s General
Medical Council and Medical Schools
Council that called for the introduction
of teaching of “evidence-based lifestyle
interventions.” 6
It’s the same the world over. In one diabetes and thyroid diseases, among of pharmaceuticals and the treatment
survey, 87 percent of Canadian medical others, NICE has ruled that it would not of symptoms. One benefactor was
students said their undergraduate be considering this information when oil magnate John D Rockefeller, who
programs should dedicate more time to recommending the best approaches to funded new colleges that extolled
nutrition, and most doctors graduating treat the diseases (see page 19). the virtues of the first generations
from American medical schools said “It’s not a conspiracy. I honestly of pharmaceuticals, made from the
they lacked the confidence and training believe they don’t understand about petrochemical offshoots of his core
to advise patients on nutrition. 7 the effectiveness of nutrients,” said Mr product.
Greenbaum, director of the nutritional This limited view of disease and
Sorry, not here company GreenVits. healthcare seems inadequate today.
So, if nutrition is pivotal in disease To illustrate the point, he recalls One doctor, fresh out of medical school,
prevention and cure, why isn’t it being talking about using nutrients to treat related the day she was approached by an
taught? The problem goes deeper than macular degeneration with three leading obese woman who wanted to know how
just the medical schools— it seems to be ophthalmologists. Two of them said she got into that state.
systemic throughout medicine. they knew nothing about nutrition, and “The patient was asking a
NICE (National Institute for Health the third, the most senior of the three, straightforward question, and I think she
and Care Excellence), the UK agency asserted that “vitamins are dangerous.” was expecting a straightforward answer,”
that determines the most effective Going deeper still, the seeds of this she said—but her training hadn’t given
treatments, dismisses out of hand nutritional blindness can be found in her the knowledge to respond. She just
any nutritional therapies.Rufus the groundbreaking Flexner Report of didn’t know.
Greenbaum, who is a “registered 1910, which laid the foundations for the Bryan Hubbard
stakeholder” with NICE, says his teaching of modern “scientific medicine” REFERENCES
submissions on 20 diseases—all of in American medical schools, a blueprint 1 Lancet,2019;393:1958–72
which have suggested therapeutic levels that would spread around the world. 2 JAMA,2017;317:912–24
3 NutrJ,2004;3:19–40
of vitamins—have been rejected. Schools that were teaching 4 Circulation,2018;137;e821–41
Even though there is strong evidence homeopathy, natural medicine and 5 AmericanHeartAssociationNews,published
May3,2018
that nutrition helps with early-stage nutrition were closed and replaced by
6 BBC,March25,2018
breast cancer, macular degeneration, those that embraced the new medicine 7 CMAJ,2018;190:E94

30 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

digital technologies and
many strategies to minimize
its negative effects, such as
blue light-blocking glasses,
bioenergetic devices, radiation-
Rob Verkerk The Politics of Health
proof cases for portable devices
r
Feedomisoneofour and so on.
mosttreasuredrights—one A GOOGLE But as Dave Asprey—
that’stightlyalliedtoprivacy. biohacking guru and founder
Andwhilemanyofusrejoice of the Bulletproof brand—
atlivinginsocietiesthat DETOX announced last September at the
supposedlyrespectboththese Health Optimisation Summit
rights,wewoulddowellto in London, where I was also
ponderjusthowfreeandprivate honored to be a speaker, the
ourlivesreallyare. Break free from Google for a more balanced search, terms “biohacker,” “biohacking”
Focusespeciallyonwhat says Rob Verkerk and related phrases have just
relatestoourfreedomand been downgraded by Google.
privacywhenusingtheinternet theywatchwhatshoppingyou ‘healthoptimizers’—arapidly Think about that. A
andtherapidlyexpanding might do, they see where you live growing group, often young and community that is trying very
“internetofthings”—allthe and look at any information they well educated, who are keen to hard to minimize its burden
interconnecteddevicesbeing can amass about your personal manage their health themselves. on the healthcare system—to
incorporatedintoourdailylives profile, family and friends. They don’t like the idea of engage proactively with concepts
thatsharedigitalinformation They use artificial intelligence eating the way governments that the mainstream has long
andguideusinouractions, to make decisions about what advise and waiting for a chronic called “prevention” but paid little
portendingafutureofdriverless content you should find in your degenerative disease to catch up more than lip service to—is now
carsand“smartcities.” searches and, just as importantly, with them, only to have no option being massively disadvantaged.
Allwellandgoodifyoulike what content should be hidden but to ask their doctor for a pill or Add to that the same treatment
thatkindofthing,butnotif from your view. two when the time comes. for the most popular natural
theinformationisfiltered, This is where it hits really Biohackers know that this kind health website in the world,
biasedordistorted,sowhen close to home, because there is a of reactive healthcare is too little, www.mercola.com (as well as
welinkourselvestothe‘net,we definite anti-natural health bias too late, and that prescription this magazine’s website), or the
seeaviewoftheworldthatis being metered out through these medicines are the third biggest permanent ban on our ability, at
nonrepresentative—selectedfor conspirators. killerinsociety.Instead,they the Alliance for Natural Health
usbasedonourpastsearch International, to use Facebook
histories,assumedinterests, This isn’t the stuff of ads to extend our reach, with no
locality,gender,age,socio- reasons given.
economicstatus,perhaps conspiracy theory. Well, here’s the revelation
evenourethnicity. This is just plain that I’ve been enjoying for the
It’salsoabigconcernifthe last few weeks. It’s called Google
viewwe’regivenisonethat’s old conspiracy, detox. I’m using DuckDuckGo
notreallyintendedforour supported by facts for my internet searches, and
benefit,butratheronethat’s it’s wonderful—privacy, no
designedtolinethepocketsof tracking, no biases, and I’m once
specificbusinessintereststhatlie One common form of bias is prefer to engage proactively with again finding things that are of
behindtheinternet. called “downgrading,” and it’s their health. much greater interest to me.
Thisisn’tthestuffof done with algorithms that can They’re more likely to eat The world appears more
conspiracytheory.Thisisjust change search results from one nutrient-dense foods, take state- balanced. The voices that run
plainoldconspiracy,supported second to the next. of-the-art dietary supplements contrary to the establishment’s
byfacts.Ofcourse,it’snobig You may look up a topic one and engage in regular physical can be heard more clearly.
secretwhothecorporateplayers day and find a particularly useful activity. Try it—life free from the
are.Theyincludethelikesof link near the top of your search. But, equally important manipulation of the dark forces
Alphabet(Google’sparent The next day, after the algorithm to them is connecting with behind the internet seems
company),Microsoft,IBM, has been tweaked, the same link nature and keeping their minds potentially addictive, but at least
OracleandAmazon,andsocial has fallen off the first page—and clear through meditation, it’s one of those few addictions
mediagiantslikeYouTube may be hard to find at all. mindfulness practice or even that are actually good for us.
(ownedbyGoogle),Facebook This causes a huge loss in some “forest bathing” (known as
anditssubsidiary,Instagram. traffic for affected sites.Take shinrin-yoku in Japan). For more information on this
Theydotheirdarndesttotrack one community with which we Oh, and let’s not forget, this topic, see “The Last Word” in our
youreverymoveontheinternet, work closely, ‘biohackers’ and community is highly reliant on Dec/Jan 2020 issue.

Robert Verkerk PhD is the executive and scientific director of the Alliance for Natural Health International,aconsumergroupthataimstoprotectourrighttonaturalhealthcareandnutrition. Formore
information and to get involved, go to www.anh-europe.org, or check out ANH’s Facebook and Twitter pages (www.facebook.com/ANHInternational and www.twitter.com/anhcampaign).

FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 31

EVERY PICTURE...
EV ER Y P



Walking the dog









Owningapetisgoodforyou—but you’re even better off health-wise if it happens to be a dog



wning a pet—and especially a
dog—is good for your blood Taking the lead
Opressure, makes you less likely In a study that compared the health profiles of dog BODY MASS INDEX
to be obese, and reduces your chances owners against people who owned other sorts of pets (kg/m2)
of developing diabetes. Oh yes, and or none at all, man’s best friend appeared to give their
you’ll earn more money, too. owners an advantage in many health metrics.
And while we don’t understand that
Dog owners Pet owners No pet
last one either, it’s certainly true that
(non-dog)
pet owners are healthier and less likely DOG
Number of OWNERS
to suffer heart disease, a new study has participants 429 440 1,023 25
concluded.
Dog owners were the healthiest of Average age 47 44 50
them all. The obvious reason for all PET OWNERS
(NON-DOG)
these health benefits—other than * MET (metabolic equivalent for task) 25.1
earning more money—is that the Often referred to as the ‘volume’ of exercise, MET is a
dog needs walking, and a gentle stroll widely used measure of physical activity that represents
NO PET
around the park or the block several the difference between a person’s actual metabolic rate
times a day appears to be the difference. versus their theoretical metabolic rate at rest. 25.4
Researchers from the University
of Catania in Italy looked at rates of
heart disease among 1,769 people, 42
MET*
percent of whom owned a pet, and,
among these, they also compared the
health of dog owners to those who had (MET-min/week)
a different pet. 1
Among dog owners, 29 percent were NO PET
obese, compared to 32 percent of the 2,805
non-pet owners and 37 percent of the
PET OWNERS
pet owners who didn’t have a dog. Dog (NON-DOG)
owners weighed an average of about 3,217
168 lbs (76 kg) while those who didn’t
have a dog weighed an average of 170
lb (77 kg). DOG PET OWNERS
OWNERS (NON-DOG)
In a score for general health, with 4,833 26.3
14 being the top score, dog owners
averaged 10 and non-dog owners had a DOG
OWNERS
score of nine.
And dog ownership isn’t just good 28.4
for the heart. Lead researcher Dr
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez says that
NO PET
other studies have shown it’s also 32.9
good for mental health and feeling
less isolated socially—which both
also happen to be risk factors for heart HYPERTENSION
attacks. HISTORY

(%)








REFERENCES
1 Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual
Outcomes, 2019; 3: 268–75


32 WDDTY | ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ

UR
T
EVERY PICTURE...
E






WEIGHT DOG OWNERS

(kg) 76
DIABETES DOG OWNERS
PET OWNERS 6.9
(NON-DOG) HISTORY
77
(%) PET OWNERS
NO PET (NON-DOG)
77 7.7



NO PET
10


























WAIST

CIRCUMFERENCE

(cm)


DOG
OWNERS
87


PET OWNERS CENTRAL
(NON-DOG)
88 OBESITY


(%)
NO PET
89

DOG
OWNERS
29.2




NO PET
32



PET OWNERS
(NON-DOG)
37.3





















FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 04 | FEB/MAR 2020 | WDDTY 33

ER
Y
EV
P
EVERY PICTURE...


The price is always right







The US spends more on pharmaceuticals than any other country—and those prices keep

rising,helpedbymulti-million-dollarlobbying campaigns and payments to politicians




henTuringPharmaceuticalsramped Annual inflation of drug prices far
upthepriceofitsdrug,Daraprim,by
W5,000percentovernightin2015,theUS outstripped that of other consumer costs
mediaandCongresswereshocked—butthedrug
industryregardeditasbusinessasusual. Average price rise
Anddefendingtheextraordinarypricehike, Year in goods and Average drug
CEOMartinShkrelididwhatthedrugindustry services (%) price increase (%)
alwaysdoes:hehiredateamoflobbyiststohelp
with“Congressionaloutreach.”Thatway,his 2006 3.3 5.9
decisioncouldbejustifiedanddefended.
WhenitcomestoCongressandpricingpolicy,
thedrugindustrylikestohuntasapack.Itstrade 2007 2.9 6.6
association,thePharmaceuticalResearchand
ManufacturersofAmerica(PhRMA),increased 2008 3.8 8.7
duesby50percentin2016toraiseanextra$100
millionforlobbying.
PhRMA’saverageannualspendisUS$19.9 2009 0.3 8.2
million,usedtoconvinceCongressthatcurrent
pharmaceuticalpricelevelsarejustified,aswouldbe 2010 1.6 7.8
anyhike,evenupto5,000percent,perhaps.
It’snotjustthelobbyfirmsthatbenefit.According 2011
tothecampaigngroupCitizensforResponsibility 3.2 9.7
andEthicsinWashington(CREW),399members
oftheHouseofRepresentativescollectively 2012 2.1 12
receivedatotalofUS$16millionindrugindustry
“donations”duringthe2016election.Inaddition, 2013 1.5 15.4
HillaryClinton’scampaignwashandedUS$2.42
million,andTrump’samiserlyUS$343,000. 1
Butit’smoneywellspent,withtheUSpaying 2014 1.6 16.1
moreforitspharmaceuticalsthananyother
countryintheworldandthosepricesstillrising. 2015 0.1 15.5
Theaveragepricehikeissettoreach6.3percent
in2019—acontinuingtrendthathasseenaverage
drugpricesincreaseby172percentintheUSovera 10-year increase 21.6 172.1
10-yearperiod,whilepricesforgeneralgoodsand
serviceshaveincreasedbyjust21percent.
WhilemostagreethattheUSdrugpricing
systemisbroken,onlythemoneyisdoingthereal
talking.














REFERENCES
1 CREW,ABitterPill:HowBigPharmaLobbies
toKeepPrescriptionDrugPricesHigh.
www.citizensforethics.org


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EVERY PICTURE...
E
UR
T




Drug prices increased roughly eight times faster than

goods and services over 10 years



Rise in drug prices


Rise in goods 172.1%
and services
21.6%



















































That’ll do nicely: How drug prices have been hiked in the US


The only way is up when it comes to drug pricing. Here are a few examples of price rises; in some cases,
they represent increases that have taken place over a couple of years, in others, quite literally overnight.

Drug Type Price hike (%) Time period Supplier


Albuterol Asthma inhaler 4,014 1 year Maylan

Pravastatin Cholesterol-lowering 573 1 year Maylan


EpiPen Allergic reaction 488 7 years Maylan

Nitropress Heart failure 525 OVERNIGHT Valeant

Isuprel Heart blockage 212 OVERNIGHT Valeant


Daraprim Parasitic infections 5,000 OVERNIGHT Turing

Cycloserne Tuberculosis 200 OVERNIGHT Purdue

Vimovo Arthritis pain 600 1 year Horizon








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SP EC IA
SPECIAL REPORT














With my


craniosacral



background,


I knew the brain



can feel its way



back. So, I went


to work














































































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HOW ONE WOMAN HEALED HER SON’S BRAIN



















Reversing












autism




























arenThomasdidn’texpecttobecome stronger consequences.” It was ridiculous, says Karen.
anautismrecoveryexpert.Shewas “They just basically told us that we were bad parents.”
aholistichealthprofessional,a When Jacob was almost 10 years old, a doctor finally
massageandcraniosacraltherapist, made a tentative diagnosis of Asperger syndrome and
happilymarriedandmothertoa autism. “I’d studied the brain, and I’d heard of autism,”
Khappy-go-lucky,vibranttwo-year- says Karen, “but that was back in early 2005, and I
oldson.Thencamethechange. really didn’t know anything about it and neither did
“Thiswasin1998,andthehepatitisB the doctor.”
shotwasarelativelynewthing,”saysKaren. In her quest to find He told her there wasn’t anything he
“Therewasn’talotofresearchoutthere,and could do and that she was going to have to
Ididn’tknowanythingaboutit.Iwasstill solutions to her own research autism on her own. But none of
uncertainbutsaid,‘Goahead.’Itwaspretty the bookstores where she lived in San Luis
quicklyafterwardsthatJacobchanged.” son’s symptoms, Obispo, CA, had books on the subject.
Heregressedandbecameveryintroverted, Finally, she visited a store in Berkeley.
quietandhyperfocusedtothepointwhere Karen Thomas Coincidentally the owner’s son had Asperger’s
PHOTOGRAPHY: Lacey Moranville; www.laceymoranville.com
peoplewouldbetalkingtohimandevensay and autism, and she carried some books
hisnameandhewouldn’thearorrespond. developed a four-step on autism. “I picked up a book and started
Simultaneouslyhebecameextremely reading it right there in the store, and it was
oppositionalandexperiencedprofound program for like I was reading about Jacob,” says Karen.
anxiety,headachesandstomachachesthat “I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is him!’ It
wouldwakehimupscreamingat3a.m. autism recovery makes me cry even now thinking about it.”
Desperatetounderstandwhatwasgoing Eventually a psychiatrist specialising in
onwithherfirstborn,overthenextfiveyearsKaren autism spectrum disorder (ASD) confirmed that
tookJacobtomultiplephysicalandpsychological Jacob had Asperger syndrome and was fairly high
therapistswhosaidthingslike,“You’rejustnotbeing functioning, but with the worst case of oppositional
firmenoughwithyourdiscipline.Youneedtogivehim defiant disorder she had ever seen in her career.


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“Try to parent that!” jokes Karen. “You Today misunderstood. To this day, the root cause
sort of go through this relief now that you of the majority of autism cases has defied
have an answer. And then you have grief. – after 14 years understanding.
And then it’s, ‘Okay, now what do I do?’” For years it was thought to be primarily a
It was a behavioral therapist who kicked genetic disorder passed on by the parents,
her fully into taking action on her own. of intense but today chromosomal testing reveals that
“After several sessions, the woman took approximately 80 percent of children with
me aside and said, ‘You really need to drug research– ASD have a normal genome.
him. If you don’t drug him, you will really A growing number of brain studies
be doing him a disservice and making life show high levels of neuroinflammation
really hard for him.’ Karen’s son and neuronal damage in people with ASD,
“I couldn’t believe it. I said, ‘I am not indicating that something else is going on
going to drug my child!’ With my holistic Jacob is fully besides inheritance and developmental
background working with the brain and mishaps.
my craniosacral background, I knew the recovered and It was this “something else”—getting to
brain can feel its way back if you can just get the root causes of her son’s autism—that
whatever is in its way out of the way. So, I drove Karen.
went to work.” away at college She refused to accept simple answers or
Today—after 14 years of Karen’s intense “We just don’t know.” She also refused to lay
research into the many causes and triggers of the blame solely on Jacob’s fateful HepB shot
autism, developing treatment in 2005. That it played a role in triggering in
protocols and working with her her son’s autism, she has no doubt. But common sense
son on her own— Jacob is fully and years working as an alternative health therapist
recovered and away at college. told her the dynamics at play were much more
“I was so determined to complex than that.
figure out what was going on Diet was the first thing she zeroed in on (see box,
and to help him get better. I’m page 39). Diet had been a large part of the Defeat
just sorry it took so much time Autism Now (DAN) protocol, founded in 1995,
researching, going through which promoted the view that autism is a disorder
all of the trial and error trying characterized by a lowered immune response caused
foods and supplements.— by a combination of certain foods, most importantly
they’re expensive and then gluten from grains and casein from dairy products, as
you have to try them for a well as external toxins (especially from vaccines).
decent length of time, a couple Although the protocol was discontinued in 2011,
of months or so to see if it’s Karen discovered that diet was indeed a vital key—and
going to do anything, and then not just the elimination of gluten and casein.
continuing research, reading Through a process of trial and error, she learned she
countless books. had to also eliminate sugar, processed carbohydrates,
“I spent $150,000 and food dyes, MSG and aspartame.
thousands and thousands of “It was hard changing his diet when we started
hours researching. But it was because kids become very addicted to the opiates that
Karen Thomas with her son,
worth it, because not only have I recovered my son, it are created in the body from eating gluten and casein,”
Jacob, in Maui, Hawaii
has put me in a position to help others.” she says. (Wheat and dairy break down into peptides
called gluten exorphins and casomorphins, which
Know what you’re dealing with mimic opiate drugs, attaching to the same receptor
The prevalence of autism is rapidly escalating, and sites in the brain.)
it’s more common in boys than girls by a ratio of Cutting out refined sugars wasn’t easy either, because
approximately five to one. the Candida in Jacob’s gut created wild cravings for a
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sugar fix. But slowly his gut health improved, and the
(CDC) currently estimates that one out of every 68 cravings died along with the Candida.
children in the US is on the autism spectrum, a figure Karen also put him on a regime of prebiotics and
that’s up 30 percent from 2008 and up more than 200 probiotics. “Gut health is vital,” she says. “The gut
percent since the year 2000. controls the brain and houses 80 percent of the immune
ASD is characterised by a range of deficits in social system, so you have to work with the gut and support
communication and interaction, repetitive patterns of the organs of detoxification and the lymphatic system,
limited behavior and interest, frequent oppositional because these kids have really poor detoxification.”
behavior and emotional dysregulation along with a Like so many parents of children with autism,
wide range of other physical and health issues. Until Karen vividly recalls the first benchmark moment
about15yearsago,itwasregularlymisdiagnosedand of changeasshegotJacob’sdietandguthealth under


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control.“Jacobwasusuallywildandallover Karen vividly for autism is so much worse for boys. Girls
theplace,”shesays.“OnemorningIwasin have protective estrogen in their system
thekitchenpreparingbreakfastandIlooked recalls the first that will shield the brain. Testosterone has
towardthediningroomtableandthere an opposite effect. This is why we often find
Jacobwas,justsittingtherenormally,talking very high testosterone levels in girls with
tohisyoungersister.Itwasstunning.” benchmark autism.”
Even though he was in the process of
Clearingthetoxins moment of detoxification, when he hit puberty the
Heavymetaldetoxwasthenextthing mercury in Jacob’s system combined with
Karentackled.Sheknewshe’dhadmercury the elevated testosterone levels, and all of a
amalgamfillingsdonewhenshewas change as she got sudden he was in total rebellion, refusing to
pregnantandhadnoideawhatelseshe’d go school or cooperate with Karen’s efforts.
beenexposedto. Jacob’s diet under “It was constant battling for a while, and
“Ilearnedthatwhenyou’repregnant, there were times I thought I was just going to
thebodyofthebabyisusedbythemother’s control have a stroke,” she says.
bodyasaconduittodetoxify,soifyouhavea “We had just moved, so I had no support
lotoftoxins,yourbabyisgettingallofthat.” system. My husband worked out of town
ToclearJacob’ssystemof four days a week, so I was basically a single
mercurytoxicity,insteadofusing mom with my little girl and my son. For a
dimercaptosuccinicacid(DMSA,a while it was pretty
pharmaceuticalchelatorusedtotreatlead, traumatic.”
mercuryandarsenicpoisoning),which
hasside-effectssuchasdiarrhea,weight Supporting
loss,feverandflu-likesymptoms,Karenusedazeolite recovery
formula(microporousalkalinealuminosilicate The next critical
minerals)todrawthemercuryoutofhiscells. stage of recovery
“DMSAisn’tsafeforourkids,”shesays.“It’snot for Jacob was
discriminatory,soitpullsoutthegoodminerals dealing with
aswellasthebad,furtherdepletingtheirbodiesof coinfections.
calcium,magnesiumandotherthingstheyneed.It Karen found that
alsoallowsforreabsorptionofthetoxinsoncethey’ve most doctors
beenreleased. working with
“Zeolytetasteslikewater,andyoucansprayitin autistic patients
theirmouthbecauseyou’vegottodothingsthatare either didn’t know
easyforthem.Itdoesn’tallowforanyreabsorptionof about dealing
thetoxin,anditwon’tpulloutthegoodminerals.” with this, or they
Detoxingfrommercury,however,didtemporarily couldn’t identify
jackJacob’sautismsymptomsthroughtheroof. Karen and Jacob and handle the
by Huntington
“Whentestosteroneandmercurycometogetherit’s Lake, California coinfections properly.
likeabombgoingoff,”Karensays.“Itreallyexacerbates “Over 90 percent of children with autism have Lyme
theeffectsofmercury. disease,” she says bluntly. “It mimics the symptoms
“That’soneofthereasonswhytheboy-to-girlratio of autism. It’s really hard to diagnose and is highly



Autismdietbasics “Roughly 60 percent of children and leading to a host of physical the hypothalamus, which in
who cut out these two food and emotional ailments. turn impacts our hormones,
The health of the gut is directly groups improve within a short Food dyes & coloring. The triggering headaches, asthma,
linked to the health of the brain period of time. Their parents dyes used in foods, drugs and anger, memory loss, reduction
and therefore to the symptoms report more positive behavior, cosmetics contain lead, mercury, of growth hormone and more.
of autism. According to Karen improved concentration and arsenic, benzidine and harmful Aspartame. This artificial
Thomas, as much as 80 percent better sleep, among other major chemicals and have been linked sweetener causes excitotoxicity
of the immune system resides improvements.” to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, damage to the brain and raises
in the gut, so if the gut is not Processed carbohydrates & asthma, behavioral problems levels of the neurotransmitter
healthy, then the immune sugar. When it comes to gut and other conditions. phenylalanine, contributing to
system is compromised. It’s a health, these sugars feed the MSG. Monosodium glutamate many mental and behavioral
vicious cycle that, thankfully, overgrowth of Candida (yeast) in or MSG is a flavor enhancer disorders.
can be broken by eliminating our system, which damages the that excites the neurons in
harmful foods from the diet. gut lining, preventing beneficial the brain to death—known
Gluten & dairy. Says Karen, nutrients from being absorbed as an excitotoxin. It affects



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aren
prevalent. So are mold biotoxins, which Ka r He wasn’t even able to turn in bed. We were
affect the gut and the brain, stirring up a being told it was bone marrow infections
dh
chronic inflammatory response.” foundthat and sent to cancer specialists.
Dr Jodie Dashore, PhD (Integrative Eventually we found out he had 11
Medicine), OTD (Neurology), MSc comorbid infections, many of which had
(Neurology), a leading global naturopathic mostdoctors crossed the blood brain barrier, including
practitioner in biotoxin illness, ASD and strep, mycoplasma (mold), Lyme, Babesia,
Lyme disease, agrees that dealing with workingwith intestinal parasites and yeasts.”
coinfections is a huge part of autism After Dashore treated Brian for
recovery. mycoplasma, his two and half years of
“Research shows that infections like autisticpatients severe asthma disappeared. “Once all of
mycoplasma pneumonia and Lyme disease the coinfections were cleared, his autism
can suppress the immunoglobulin part of couldn’thandle went away,” she says.
the immune system—the antibodies the Because his condition was life-
body creates to fight infection—because coinfections threatening, Dashore used a combination
their job is to suppress the host’s defenses of antibiotics along with natural
so they can grow,” says Dashore. “That’s detoxification as needed until the
what they do.” properly infections cleared sufficiently that she
Dashore, who lives and works in New could switch the protocol and
Jersey and is a close friend and consulting associate of rely more heavily on natural
Karen’s, also has a fully recovered autistic son, Brian, products, using antibiotics
who had 10 false-negative tests for Lyme before finally only if necessary until his
being properly diagnosed. immune system got better.
“It was a nightmare,” recalls Dashore. “He was Like Jacob, today Brian
barely verbal, low IQ, in a wheelchair, not growing, is fully independent and
head shaking, with vocal tics. I had to carry him on my away at college, where he
back up and down the stairs and into the bathroom. is a straight A student. Not
surprisingly, he is following




Testimonialsfrom some of which he had d c c c c clot thing.He will not wear
a bad reaction to,” h s s s sh s o es for long and bolts/
AutismMoms says Owen.“I swore un s from class at any
MentoringProgram to myself he wouldn’t t ive n chance.
spend another night
“Since we started
again in a hospital.”
ChamberlineOwen His next step was Karen and Jacob in Dublin, Ireland ar en’s program,we have
noticed
Karen says that most of the contacting Karen.Two were concerned,they could see noticed that he has become so
wo
time she works with moms.But years later,he has dropped out nothing wrong with him,that he calm.It’s truly amazing when
the very first member to join of the program because Pierce you do not have to lock up all
her program was Chamberline is doing so well.“I am glad to behaved like a normal four-year- doors.I can leave him alone in
old who was just slow to speech
Owen from Nigeria,a father report that Pierce no longer a room for five to 10 minutes
desperate to help his son. stims,no hand flap,his sleep and would outgrow it.” without him destroying and
Two-year-old Pierce had time has reduced,and he now A.A.
just gotten home after a two- says words like shoes,chocolate, breaking stuff like before.
week hospital stay treating etc. “My son is six,and he was “His constipation issues have
autoimmune reaction,Candida “Now we can tell him to go do mostly nonverbal and reduced,he’s slowly learning
overgrowth,rheumatoid something or run some limited had major digestive issues his numbers,alphabet,colors,
arthritis and a very severe strep errand,and he does it.He will (constipation) since he was a shapes,etc.He’s not completely
infection. walk to a stranger and hug them baby.He has been hyperactive, verbal,but he can now answer
He was nonverbal,with in greeting,saying‘Hi.’The destructive,noisy,has learning some questions and repeat
no eye contact,antisocial, other day he saw his Barney problems,obsessive-compulsive whatever you say.He has
“stimming”(self-stimulating stuffed doll and said‘Look at disorder,repetitive clapping repetitive speech and even
through repetitive behaviors, Barney!’I was overwhelmed.” and inappropriate noises.
movements or sounds), When two friends,both “He was also recently though it’s not perfectly clear,
and hyperactive,with poor physicians,visited from the UK, diagnosed with both Lyme it’s progress to us.
sleep patterns and severe Owen says they were surprised and strep (PANDAS).He has “We are hoping and praying
gastrointestinal issues. to see the level of interaction Candida and heavy metals.He that we can see more positive
“In the hospital he went Pierce had with their kids.“They has sensory issues especially changes as we continue on with
through all kinds of antibiotics, commented that as far as they when it comes to some types of the program.”



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a premed track and is focused on a career If you’re in autism you’re in autism recovery, you’re talking
helping others recover from autism as he healing biology and that is a process.
has. He even has his own Lyme-dedicated recovery, whether Whether it takes you one year or four years,
informational website called www. everybody’s timeline is different depending
teenlymehub.com. on the nature of their biology.”
The final step in Karen’s work with Jacob it takes you one
included brain support with supplements Global interest
and repair with craniosacral therapy, year or four years, Four years ago, Karen wrote and published a
which balances the bones of the head book on her autism recovery protocol titled
that surround the brain. These bones can Naturally Healing Autism: The Complete
easily get displaced and pushed out of their everybody’s Step-By-Step Resource Handbook for Parents.
normal movement patterns. She also started a web-based program
When that happens, the affected part timeline is called Autism Moms Mentoring Program
of the brain can’t function properly. “For that takes parents of children with autism
example, the occipital bone at the very different through a step-by-step process of recovery.
back of the head, the lower bone where Karen’s four-step program follows the
it connects to the neck, is very easily comprehensive yet holistic approach she
destabilized—in fact it’s easily destabilized tookwithJacob(seebox,page 37). Today,
at birth,” says Karen. boththebookandherprogram are being
“Displaced cranial bones can pinch on used by parentsinove r40 countries.
the vagus nerve, which affects respiration. “If fyou have a
So if you have a child who has asthma it m prehensive 360°
could be that. It also affects digestion and is a pr oach, if you have
really big contributor to anxiety.” pra ctitioner who
If the temporal bones around the ear are u und
derstands the full 360°,
u u
misaligned, she says, speech and balance u canexpect an array
are affected. Misaligned temporal bones im provements,” says
D D
are also associated with anger issues. D D Dash
hore. “Improvements
These kinds of adjustments can be done Karen a allth
heway to recovery. I see
and Jacob
throughout the entire recovery process, which, clien
ntsfrom 49 countries,
camping in the
Karen insists, takes time. High Sierra, a an a d I’mseeing the same
“People ask me how long it will take, and Isay,‘If California gr eeof improvement


Whattodoifyour medicines and dosages gg estedautismtests
r
childhasASD that are appropriate for an • • • • Ur ine test for glyphosate
Ur
rine panel for Lyme
individual with a particuular
nd other coinfections
Both Karen Thomas, founder of condition. an
Naturally Recovering Autism, The same thing is true e of Ur rine mycotoxin panels
and Dr Jodie Dashore cautioned dosages. “I cannot advise a a a a Te st for organic acids
against listing any specific any dosages,” says Das shore, part of a treatment plan. “You • • Co mprehensive stool
erb farm
’t just give a child a life
nutritional supplements to help who runs an organic herb farm, can’t just give a child a life pa rasitology
mitigate symptoms of autism. raising and producing her sentence of autism without • Nasal swabs
Since every child (and adult) own herbal treatments for her understanding that autism • Shoemaker’s protocol
is different, a supplement that patients. “Everybody has their can be a symptom, not a for chronic inflammatory
might work for one person won’t own biological blueprint. diagnosis,” says Dashore. response syndrome (CIRS)
be as effective for another. This “One drop of an herb might “It can be a symptom of diagnosis
is why in her recovery program, give a six-foot, 200-pound something underlying. So you • Mitochondrial swab
Karen teaches parents how to man Herxheimer symptoms— have to test for pathogens, • Methylation profile (normal
muscle test. detoxification die off toxins, pesticides, for anything metabolism of methionine is
Also known as applied symptoms such as fever, chills, that can compromise the critical for cellular methylation
kinesiology or manual muscle hypotension, headache and immune system and the brain.” of DNA, proteins and
testing, this purports to be an anxiety—where I might have The following is a list of neurotransmitters)
alternative health method of an 11-year-old child who’s doing tests Dashore recommends. • GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal
diagnosing structural, muscular, 60 drops three times a day. However, like every other part Microbial Assay Plus)
chemical and mental ailments It’s all about bio-individualized of the process, testing needs to • Blood work for viruses and
as well as determining the nutraceuticals.” be individualized as well. bacteria
proper foods, supplements, Testing, however, is an • Hormone panels




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SPECIAL REPORT
SP EC IA



Thescienceofrecovery


Karen Thomas developed her four-step program
through years of research and trial and error in her
quest to find solutions to her own son’s symptoms.
Every step is supported by scientific evidence
and intended to provide a simple framework for
individualized treatment strategies.


Heal the gut: An elimination diet supplemented
with omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins and
minerals has been shown to relieve autism symptoms
1
(as well as gastrointestinal disorders). A gluten-free
and casein (dairy)-free diet has also been lnked to
2
reduced symptoms of autism. Studies also show an
association of gut dysfunction and gut dysbiosis with
ASD symptoms. 3
Heavy metal detox: Exposure to heavy metals
such as lead and mercury have been linked
“With a to the development of autism by triggering
4
neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity. Immune-
mother’s love, related excitotoxicity—where inflammation in
the brain leads to dangerously high levels of the
excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, triggering
a father’s love, a cascade of events that disrupts brain function—is

5
both directly and indirectly linked to autism.
and a lot of infections and particularly environmental excitotoxins
This inflammation can result from persistent


hard work, it’s such as aluminum and fluoride. Dr Chris Exsley, PhD,
professor of bioinorganic chemistry at Keele University
in Staffordshire, UK, has conducted research
amazing what suggesting that aluminum contributes to autism and

that individuals with autism may be more susceptible
happens” to aluminum toxicity.
“Anything that reduces human exposure to
aluminum should be beneficial,” Exsley says. “And
Dr Jodie Dashore
a significant body of anecdotal information now
suggests that regular drinking of silicon-rich mineral
waters benefits some individuals with autism because
for the kids on the spectrum that I see, subject to vast silicon-rich mineral waters help the body to excrete
cultural differences and vast dietary differences.” aluminum in urine and probably in sweat too.”
“But,” Dashore continues, “all in all, what I see is that Exposure to mercury is also an established risk
with a mother’s love, a father’s love, and a lot of patience, factor for autism. In a review of 91 studies on the
a lot of hard work finding the right practitioner, it’s topic, 74 percent found a connection between
6
amazing what happens.” mercury and ASD. And the baby teeth from children
with autism were found to contain more toxic
lead and less of the essential nutrients zinc and

REFERENCES RESOURCES manganese than teeth from children without autism. 7
1 Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig, 2013; 64: Karen Thomas: www. Clear coinfections: Infection with the Lyme bacteria,
1–12
2 Nutr Neurosci, 2010; 13: 87–100 naturallyrecoveringautism.com borreliosis, has been linked to mental disorders
8
3 Front Nutr. 2018; 5: 40 Dr Jodie A. Dashore: www. including ASD and autism-like symptoms. New
4 Environ Res, 2018; 116: 234–50 bionexushealth.com brain scanning techniques show that, indeed, brain
5 Surg Neurol Int, 2018; 9: 74
9
6 J Trace Elem Med Biol, 2016; 37: Brian Dashore: www. inflammation is related to Lyme disease, as well as
8–24 teenlymehub.com being a tell-tale sign of autism. 10
7 Nat Commun, 2017; 8: 15493
8 Healthcare (Basel), 2018; 6. pii: Exposure to molds and their mycotoxins has also
E104 been found to negatively impact the nervous system
9 J Neuroinflammation, 2018;
15: 346 through immune cell activation and thus contribute
10 Nat Commun, 2014; 5: 5748 to ASD. 11
11 Clin Ther, 2018; 40: 903–17


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Not so













natural
















With the dangers of hormone replacement

therapy confirmed, we investigate the

good, the bad and the ugly of so-called

“bioidentical” alternatives











































































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hechange was hard for Jane Dales.




ABritish expat living in Spain, she was 52 years old when she felt the full force

ofher haywire hormones in menopause. At night she tossed and turned,
hermood took tumultuous swings, and she had frequent hot flashes. Her

outlook had darkened, too. “I had no joy in anything,” Jane recalls. “I am

always a very positive person, but positivity had gone out the window. I was

putting on weight; my skin was getting thin and like crêpe paper.

My hair was falling out in handfuls. I just felt like I wanted to
crawl under a rock and hide. I was totally desperate.”


About 30 million women in the US alone are in that
phase of life, usually somewhere between ages 45 and
55, when the hallmark of their reproductive capacity,
menstruation, gradually winds down and ceases.
Estrogen, the hormone that makes fertility possible,
nurturing not just the breasts and uterus but also the brain,
bones, liver, heart and other tissues, and performing many
functions like fat and glucose metabolism, slowly declines,
as do other hormones like progesterone.
The process can take years and sometimes involves
hormone ups and downs that produce a host of
symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, poor
sleep, decreased libido and weight gain around the
middle. Frequently, it comes at a time of life when other
things are changing too—empty nests, aging parents and
realigning relationships.
Some women sail into menopause and hardly notice
the change. For others like Jane it demands their attention.
Most of the millions of women in perimenopause—the
long phase before “true” menopause when menstruation
has ceased for a full 12 months and beyond—experience
some symptoms.
If they approach their doctor, they may be prescribed
standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—usually
a combination of estrogen and progestogen, chemical
copies of the two most active hormones in their bodies—
which has a long, conflicting history of research findings,
the latest of which support the bad news.


Breast cancer risk
A new large-scale analysis of data from more than
half a million women, published in the prestigious
medical journal The Lancet, has confirmed that taking
pharmaceutical hormones for menopause symptoms
increases breast cancer risk. The higher the dose and the
longer the women took the drugs, the greater the risk.
What’s more, their cancer risk stayed elevated for over a
decade, even after they stopped taking the drugs. 1
This study supports the results from the landmark
2002 Women’s Health Initiative—involving more than
160,000 postmenopausal women—which showed that
conventional HRT with estrogen and progestogens
dramatically increased women’s risk of strokes, dementia
andbreastcancer. 2


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The Women’s Health Initiative was an HRT party-crasher. In the skeleton goes through a number of molecular changes, governed
18 months following its publication, HRT prescriptions in the US by enzymes in various organs, to transform into hormones like
plummeted by half. progesterone and estrogen.
Nonetheless, women in menopause had heard for years that they Chemists making so-called “natural” hormones imitate this
needed to replace estrogen. “There was this medical argument that process, starting with a plant-derived molecule similar to this basic
came from the pharmaceutical industry that women will disintegrate skeleton, then subjecting it to chemical reactions that yield an end
if they don’t get the drugs,” says Christiane Northrup, a retired product with the same molecular structure as what our bodies
obstetrician and gynecologist who has authored a number of best- produce—but there is nothing natural about how they came to exist.
selling books on menopause including The Wisdom of Menopause
(Bantam Books, 2012) and Goddesses Never Age (Hay House, 2015). Drugs masked as supplements
Outside mainstream medicine was a huge smorgasbord Advocates of bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT) say
of hormonal-balancing herbs, supplements and a that most of the ill effects of HRT have been found with
growing industry of “bioidentical hormones” synthetic progestogens like medroxyprogesterone
waiting to fill the gap. acetate, and that “natural” progesterone has a different
risk profile.
HRT vs. BHRT They often cite studies such as a 2008 analysis of
Millions of women first heard about bioidentical postmenopausal women, which found that invasive
hormones from celebrity Suzanne Somers, breast cancer risk was elevated among those
who put “bioidentical” in the spotlight more taking estrogen and progestins but not among
than a decade ago with her series of books those taking estrogen and progesterone. 3
on the subject. “By replacing my hormones However, the late Dr Ellen Grant, who
with bioidentical hormones, I got my life participated in early trials of the Pill and
back,” she raved to Oprah Winfrey in 2009. HRT and became a vociferous critic of
“I got my health back, I got my figure back, I Bioidentical all supplemental hormones, “natural” or
got my happiness back. Everything in my life otherwise, said, “Both progesterone and Pill
is better.” hormones have progestogens produce identical changes in
Bioidentical hormones, while not derived endometrial cells, enzymes and blood vessels.
from human sources but from plants like slipped through “Both relate to widespread systemic effects
soy and yams, are “identical” in molecular such as headaches and mood changes. Any
structure to human hormones. Like the a regulation differences are of degree and individual
correct piece in a puzzle, they are designed loophole, so they sensitivity, but not of kind.”
to fit perfectly into hormone receptors on She drew attention to research linking
human cells. don’t undergo progesterone to cancer and birth defects 4
Non-bioidentical pharmaceutical and showing that progesterone skin gel, once
concoctions don’t match any receptor any of the safety absorbed by the body, can increase levels of
exactly. Their structure has been tweaked so the estrogen estradiol—high levels of which
they can be patented for profit (since natural monitoring have been linked to endometrial cancer. 5
substances cannot be patented). required of drug Alarmingly, their “natural” label means
However, to complicate matters, some that bioidentical progesterone products
modern pharmaceutical products are companies have avoided much of the scrutiny of their
bioidentical, because the pharmaceutical synthetic counterparts.
companies are able to patent bioidentical Critics of bioidentical custom
products that are specially “compounded” compounding pharmacies say that BHRT
to make a unique combination or delivery system, including pills, preparations have slipped through a regulation loophole, so they
patches, creams, suppositories and even surgically implanted pellets don’t undergo any of the monitoring and safety reporting required of
that slowly release hormones. drug companies.
Or take the case of Premarin, derived from horse urine, which “In the USA, it became an unregulated drug manufacturer industry
is actually a bioidentical hormone—for horses. It matches the in disguise, without proper control and making false claims and
receptors for horse estrogen and is a close fit to the human receptor, misleading advertisements” says a 2017 review of the subject. 6
but biologically much stronger. Premarin is “natural” in that it’s from What this means is that these products are being used with virtually
nature, but some would say it is unnatural for a woman to swallow it. no oversight for quality control or side-effect risks.
Champions of bioidentical hormones will often describe the
differences as “natural” versus synthetic, but all the hormones are Fountain of youth or medicalization?
synthetic. Whether they’re an exact hormone copy or not, they’ve Both old mainstream gynecology and new anti-aging medicine see
been created entirely through processing in a lab. hormones as an indispensable “fountain of life”—run dry. “Hormone
Dr Michael Telford, former medical advisor to the company that replacement is no different than giving insulin to a diabetic or thyroid
produces Gestone, a bioidentical hormone created from the fibrous hormone to someone who is hypothyroid,” says retired obstetrician
root sisal, explained to this magazine that the human body produces and gynecologist Barbara Taylor in one of her popular “Menopause
a basic steroid “skeleton” from which it creates all its hormones. This Taylor” videos on YouTube.


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Specialists like Taylor cite research such as the Danish
study of nearly 700,000 postmenopausal women that found
topical estrogen may significantly lower women’s heart
7
attack risk. How, they ask, could the hormones that bathed
your body for years, nourished your cells and kept your skin “Naturalhormonesnearlykilledme”
and arteries soft, be dangerous? In 2004, Cathy Groves wrote to the British Medical Journal
This philosophy underpins much of anti-aging medicine about her nightmare journey with progesterone cream. She’d
today. But others, like Christiane Northrup, see the had a terrible experience with the Pill, which affected her
menopause industry as “medicalising” the natural aging thyroid, and seeking to find an alternative to get her back
process and failing to respect nature’s design. to normal, she sought out a “natural” cream, following the
Just as doctors used to “treat” menopausal symptoms manufacturer’s instructions to use between 20–30 mg per
with hysterectomies and still flatten out the slightest day, split between morning and evening doses.
aberration in a teenager’s cycle with birth control to “When I first took the cream, beginning in May 2003, I felt
“normalize” them, perhaps 60-year-olds just aren’t meant great. In fact, I had more energy and ability to lose weight than
to have the hormone levels of 30-year-olds coursing I had in about five years. I didn’t need near as much sleep, and
through their veins, as the Women’s Health Initiative and found that I no longer struggled with depression,” she wrote.
Lancet studies suggest. However, two months later, Cathy developed sharp pain in
her legs, followed by a bruised and swollen lump and localized
Miracle or nightmare? soreness in her calf, which continued to worsen.
The experiences of women themselves reflect the conflicts “That ended up being the first of two episodes with venous
in hormone therapy. Jane Dales, for example, started on blood clots in the six months I was on the cream. Little did
custom-compounded BHRT eight months ago, after a I know that progesterone is heavily implicated in clotting
battery of tests to rule out thyroid and adrenal dysfunction. disorders, much as the Pill is. Not one of my doctors ever
“The change is astonishing,” she enthuses. Even her hair made the connection between my blood clots and the
grew back to its former “crowning glory.” progesterone.”
But other women describe BHRT as a “nightmare” Cathy’s resting heart rate was going “through the roof,”
rather than a dream come true. “Everyone raves about bio reaching 120 beats per minute. She also suffered crying spells,
hormones, but I found they made my symptoms much uncontrollable temper and bouts of nausea and vomiting.
worse,” one woman commented on a thread about side- “When I couldn’t stop throwing up and couldn’t eat and it
effects. “It was a horrible and expensive experience for me. had been three weeks—that was when I ran across the first
The doctor kept telling me to tough it out, but she was not in doctor who said, “Well, if there’s one thing I know that makes
my body.” pregnant women sick as dogs, it’s progesterone. I’d look there
One woman started having delusional thoughts and first.” I quit the cream on October 26, 2003.
panic attacks soon after starting bioidentical progesterone From there, it took six months for it to clear her body and for
cream that were so severe she was hospitalized. A 35-year- her to stop being sick.
old prescribed bioidentical progesterone cream stopped “The symptoms during those six months of illness as I
using it after14 days “when I started having panic attacks rebounded from the cream are almost too many to list, but
out of nowhere, crying spells, intrusive thoughts, inability they include: severe nausea and vomiting, gastrointestinal
to concentrate, difficulty sleeping, etc. . . I have been off for problems (marked heartburn, bouts of diarrhea, and bouts
about nine days and still feel the effects.” of constipation), uncontrollable shaking, acne and extremely
Some women describe having to beg doctors toremove oily skin, hirsutism, depression, anxiety, tingling/burning
surgically implanted hormone pellets. “I pluck darkhairs sensations on the back of my arms, neck and head,
sensations on the back of my arms neck and head insomniainsomnia,
from my moustache area daily,” one woman complained hypersensitivity to medications and foods,
about her bioidentical hormone implant. “I can’twaaitfor hot flashes and serious withdrawal
this stuff to wear off.” symptoms.”
Another woman who’d contacted this magazinewent
w
on to develop breast cancer after being told to userubb-on
progesterone to prevent it, and was attempting tosueethe
American medical center that prescribed it to her.


The trouble with hormones
What can explain these disparate results? Gettingthee
dose right is crucial with hormones, and overdosingisa
real risk. Delivery system is important as well, andmany
practitioners using bioidentical hormones adviseagainst
g
taking them as a pill.
“If you swallow steroid hormones you will serioussly
distort their natural metabolism, ” osteopathic physiician
andhealthadvocateJosephMercolawroteonhiswebsite.


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“Only 10–15 percent will eventually reach the target
tissues, and you will need to take an oral dose that is 500
percent higher than you need.” What’s left behind as
metabolites in the liver can cause unwanted side-effectslike
those described by unhappy users. ATRULYNATURALALTERNATIVE
NATURAL
A
TRULY
ALTER
Many women are drawn in by the claims ofgreatersafety
a
h
for hormone creams and gels that are appliedtothe Many women don’t want hormone replacement—
skin—especially since these are not subject toFDAA bioidentical or otherwise—during menopause, but still
approval and marketed simply as “cosmetics.”Butt w ny associated symptoms
want relief from some of its man
es to vaginal dryness.
there are dangers with creams, too, notes Mercola from hot flashe
(see box, page 49). Among t the many herbal
“I have learned that although progesteronecreamm preparation s and supplements on
an enormously useful tool, it needs to be usedveryy offer for tha
at, Pueraria mirifica has
cautiously.” unique estr rogen-like properties.
Over-the-counter products also have wildlyva yin P. mirifica is a
a woody, climbing plant
concentrations. When one laboratory analyzed199 found in Thailand, where it
different topical creams containing progesterone,for has bee n used for its anti-aging
example, it found that the creams contained anything opert es for centuries.
h
from less than 2 mg to 700 mg per ounce. 8 Loca l folk medicine suggests
th at both women and
men can take a small
Getting it right m
l
Balancing hormones is a tricky art. These tiny moleculesact p
piece of the plant’s root,
quivalent to about 5 mg/
as powerful signals to other players in the body,trigggering e eq
cascades of action. “You have to get the right formofthe kg b odyweight, once a day at
hormone, the right dose, the right timing and therright night t o counter wrinkled skin,
delivery system,” explained Jonathan Wright, anearly arken w hite hair and increase
a
pioneer of bioidentical therapy. air
But the problem with this art, says Northrup,isthat owth, alle viate cataracts in the
t
“women are getting the wrong stuff at the wrongdose, and e ey ey eyes, help wit h memory loss, increase
d
they’re not individualizing it.” energy and vigor, provide more reflexive body movements,
Northrup recommends the Dutch 24-hourdriedurine stimulate blood circulation and appetite and alleviate sleep
test for getting the most accurate picture of the state of disorders.
fluctuating hormones. “Some women do beautifully on Many phytoestrogens that mimic human estrogen have been
bioidentical hormones,” she says, “while others have to isolated from the plant’s roots including the particularly potent
quit. Some women do very well on herbal supplements that miroestrol, which activates some estrogen receptors. A number
contain plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) and others find of animal studies have confirmed the estrogenic activity of P.
they don’t work.” mirifica on the reproductive system, and it has been shown to
Northrup says she tried bioidentical estrogen and “it influence reproductive function in both sexes, but particularly
didn’t do a thing for me.” Yet she takes herbal remedies and in females. 1
offers maca root and Pueraria mirifica (see box, right) and In a double-blind randomized controlled study of 71 healthy
has seen it help women “again and again.” postmenopausal women given a placebo or 20 mg, 30 mg
And of course, some women don’t need hormones. or 50 mg of P. mirifica supplement for 24 weeks, the herb
“There are so many ways to keep your brain and your body effectively decreased vaginal dryness. 2
healthy, and we can’t underestimate the lifestyle things,” says Another double-blind randomized controlled trial of
Northrup. These include: postmenopausal women taking P. mirifica supplements with
• Exercise the same dosages and duration showed it improved their bone
• A ‘clean’ unprocessed diet as free of sugars and excess structure and slowed bone deterioration. 3
carbohydrates as possible Toxicity studies showed P. mirifica was safe at these doses,
• Adequate sunshine to make sufficient blood vitamin D but be on the lookout for falsely labeled products, which have
levels for bone health been reported. Vaginal creams with P. mirifica are available
• Adequate sleep as well. REFERENCES
• Meditation to relieve stress 1 Front Med, 2012; 6: 8–21
• Magnesium to promote bone health 2 Menopause, 2007;14:919–24
3 Menopause, 2008;15:530–5
• Addressing underlying issues. Often, a woman’s
hormones are blamed for symptoms like low libido,
for example, when there are many possible causes from
unresolved issues in the relationship to unhealed trauma
or exhaustion




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Other tests unregulated. 5
London-based naturopath Robert Jacobs Concernsabout Beyond the debate over whether short-
agrees that balancing hormones without progesteronecream term effects of hormone creams are too
addressing underlying lifestyle imbalances great or too small is the growing concern
is fruitless. He recommends the Array 3 While some argue that progesterone about how they accumulate.
and 4 tests from Cyrex Labs to indicate creams are too weak to be effective, others Dr Mercola explains that his initial
immunological reactions to food ingredients. contend that they harbor serious long-term interest in the creams began in the early
These can manifest as subtle allergies or risks. But there’s one thing all the critics 1990s, when millions of women began
autoimmune conditions that may mimic or agree on: the dearth of medical evidence to using them due to their popularization in
worsen “hormonal” symptoms, says Jacobs. support menopausal women using them. Dr Lee’s book, What Your Doctor May Not
Another issue is genetic differences in how Bioidentical progesterone cream was
we process hormones. “If you are going to use first developed by Dr John Lee, a general Tell You About Menopause.
But he became “gradually disenchanted
any hormones, you want to make sure the body practitioner, in the 1970s, and marketed with them after I noticed that they typically
is able to handle those hormones properly.” to menopausal women based mainly on worked wonderfully initially but then
He uses the complete hormone and genetics anecdotal claims of “improved wellbeing”
profile tests from Genova Diagnostics to reveal and recording of improved bone density invariably stopped working. This is now
known as ‘dermal fatigue.’”
“where the weak spots are and how the body among his patients. Any hormone applied to your skin
is converting it.” Women with a variation in There was no scientific evidence will be absorbed by the fat tissue and
will be absorbed by t
s,
b
rt
u
thi
their cytochrome p450 pathway, for example, whatsoever to support thi b tt accumulate there. “When one
e
will have compromised liver function when it because they contained only “natural” initially use
es the cream, there
comes to processing hormones. progesterone, the creams never needed aren’t any p
problems as the fat
“The first step is to unblock each of the FDA approval. 1
tores are very low.
st
s
pathways,” says Jacobs. For these women, A number of studies have failed to But t as time goes on,
it’s important that they take something—he find any beneficial effect of the cream accumulates
uses chlorophyllin—to help their liver with progesterone creams and contr
ributes to disruptions
hormones, be they bioidentical, which he compared to placebo in your ad
drenal hormones
doesn’t prescribe, or phytoestrogens from on menopause such as D HEA, cortisol and
plants like red clover, which he does. symptoms, including testostero
testosterone.
h
Sometimes, the process of finding what hot flashes, muscle aches, ❝ Itmaytakeas “I found that many of the
works is trial and error. “At the end of the anxiety and decreased bone long as two years women who were on the cream
day,” says Northrup, “women should heed metabolism. 2 for built-up excess have terribly elevated levels of
their intuitions. You have to go with quality of Researchers have also hormones to wash this hormone,” Mercola said.
life—how do you feel? And if you feel great, warned that saliva tests, out of the body “Progesterone is normally a
make sure you re-evaluate yourself at least sometimes used by ❞ cyclical hormone, and the body
once a year.” practitioners to convince really needs to see a change
But before embarking on any “trials” of patients the creams are working, mask the
bioidentical hormones—even over-the- low levels of progesterone that reach the in the concentration to affect a proper
physiological response.” If it is constantly
counter topicals—it’s important to remember blood. 3 leaking from tissue, this can’t occur.
the risks involved and make sure you’re And studies suggesting that these Once the negative effects begin, Mercola
working with an experienced practitioner. creams actually do affect symptoms leave adds, it may take as long as two years for
The long and short of it is, a woman’s even more cause for concern. Researchers
response to hormones is highly individual from St. Luke’s Hospital in Pennsylvania built-up excess progesterone (or other
hormones) to wash out of the body.
and likely to change over time, and they found 20 mg of progesterone applied daily It all boils down to Dr Grant’s decades-
aren’t “natural” or as harmless as maintained. to the skin had no effect on bone density long assertion that no hormone is a safe
Furthermore, there are no long-term studies but did reduce “vasomotor symptoms” like one unless the body produces it itself. As
of their effects, they are unregulated, and there hot flashes and night sweats. 4 she wrote, “It is the same old hormone
are safer herbal alternatives. Proceed with If this is really the case, as Dr Ellen Grant story—each disciple believes in special
extreme caution. writes, it serves as “alarming evidence” magic formulae for treating a physiological
Reporting by Celeste McGovern, Emilie Croisier that over-the-counter creams may suppress
andLynneMcTaggart the immune system as strongly as steroids, condition and chooses to disregard the
which of course require careful medical evidence of much greater harms from
REFERENCES using exogenous hormones.”
monitoring due to their long-term dangers.
1 Lancet, 2019; pii: S0140-6736(19)31709-X
2 JAMA, 2002; 288: 321–33 A 2005 study reported that an over-
3 Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2008; 107: 103–11 the-counter cream (Pro-Gest), applied
4 Dangerous Properties of Industrial and Consumer Chemicals, CRC REFERENCES
Press, 1994, pp. 581 at a dose of 40 mg twice daily had 1 Med J Aust, 2005; 182: 237–9
5 Percutaneous Absorption of Steroids, Academic Press, 1980, pp. the equivalent effect of 200-mg oral 2 Menopause, 2003; 10: 13–8
262 3 Maturitas, 2002; 41: 1–6
6 Climacteric, 2017; 20: 205–11 progesterone capsules, suggesting again 4 ObstetGynecol, 1999;94: 225–8
7 Eur Heart J, 2008; 29: 2660–8 that the cream was far too powerful to be 5 J Clin Pharmacol, 2005;45:614–9
8 Berek& Novak’s Gynecology, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2019,
pp.544


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AL
TH
HE
HEALTHY LIVING




























You













gotta













move


Making physical activity

part of your daily life

is vital for a healthy

body and mind, says

Charlotte Watts











































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