4/20/2014 STRESS MANAGEMENT TRULY THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO HEALTH AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH DIET LIFESTYLE

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1 DIET AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO BREAST HEALTH Scott Berliner R.Ph. Integrative and Compounding Pharmacist The correct diet for 95% of the population is a low simple-carbohydrate diet, that is also low in processed food and grains as well as animal fat. It should be low in refined sugar and unnatural forms of fructose. Eliminate fruit juices and eat the fruit. Increase good fats like olive oil, flax oil, etc. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Eat good quality protein in adequate amounts. THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO HEALTH STRESS MANAGEMENT TRULY THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION 1. Lifestyle 2. Diet 3. Stress management 4. Toxicity management 5. Medications, vitamins, herbs and supplements In the integrative model we address health in this order LIFESTYLE Our lifestyles may need to be adjusted in instances of disease or in prevention of disease. The mind-body connection is real. Meditation is good for the mind and the body. Studies show that having good love in our lives is health promoting. They also show that bad relationships are deleterious. Studies also support that spirituality is health promoting. Exercise promotes health. TOXICITY MANAGEMENT This has taken on new meaning since industrialization. While technology has advanced, the cost to the environment has been heavy and little has been done to counteract it. Eat as organically as possible. Start with animal products as they have a double toxic whammy. The food the animals is sprayed with pesticides. Then the animals are given antibiotics and growth enhancers that may resemble estrogen. Wash every thing well. You can use 2 tablespoonsful of white vinegar in a sink of water to wash leafy vegetables and scrub the rest. Be conscious that toxicity is every where... Household cleaning products, dry cleaning fluid, tap water, etc. REDUCE YOUR TOXIC BURDEN WHEREVER POSSIBLE 1

2 SUPPLEMENTS FOR BREAST HEALTH The goal in supplementing is to achieve balance. The human body is biodynamic and interacts with the earth. We thrive because we eat and drink. The better we eat and drink the better we thrive. Supplementation is meant to aid in achieving optimal levels of life sustaining nutrients that are not obtained in adequate quantities from the foods and liquids we drink. In breast cancer it is important to remember that the main difference from other cancers is the hormonal connection. THE IMPORTANCE OF IODINE Iodine appears as elemental iodine in the breast and as the potassium iodide salt in the thyroid. There are iodine receptors all over the body There are 1.6 billion people at risk of iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) affect 50 million children. This is the single most preventable cause of mental retardation and brain disorders. THE PHILOSOPHY IODINE FOR NORMAL THYROID HORMONE PRODUCTION The integrative approach includes addressing breast cancer from as many contributory factors as we can identify Hormone balance including the sex steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, anti-inflammatory hormones, etc. Immune system support Removing carcinogenic toxins Aiding the liver in detoxification HORMONE BALANCE DIM - 3,3 Diindolylmethane An extract from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Even low concentrations of DIM have been found to protect against oxidative stress. Another study showed that this supplement induces cell death in prostate cancer as well. Estrogen metabolism probably plays an important role in prostate cancer. There are numerous studies that show the different pathways through which DIM works. DIM is the metabolite of I3C (Indole-3-Carbinol) but some studies indicate DIM is better. DIM helps in maintaining a healthy ratio of the 2- hydroxyestrone ( good estrone ) to the 16- hydroxyestrone ( bad estrone ). 2

3 IODINE - SAFETY Until World War 2 iodine was commonly used as a natural antibiotic. Applied as a disinfectant. Added to water to kill pathogenic organisms. Used as a treatment in both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The MDR for potassium iodide is set at 150mcg but Asian cultures consume more than 100 times this in a day and have lower incidences of breast cancer. In Iceland, where the ingestion of iodine is higher, this same reduction has been seen. IODINE IN BREAST CANCER Consumption of iodized salt has decreased radically. Availability of natural food sources is limited. There is no iodine in sea salt. If we do not consume enough iodine there is a competition in the body for available sources. IODINE SUPPLEMENTATION Because of the need for a specific ratio of iodine to potassium iodide we generally supplement with Lugol s solution or Iodoral. For every 5mg of Iodine we use 7.5mg of Potassium Iodide. Iodoral tablets contain a total of 12.5mg per tablet. Supplementation with iodine is best after testing for deficiency but I have found 75% of the population I have tested to be deficient. Supplementation needs to be done slowly because as iodine is introduced, the bromine, fluorine, and chlorine can cause rashes and other uncomfortable issues as they move from the receptors. I always start with a half tablet but daily doses of up to 50mg of Iodoral are considered safe. Iodine replacement takes place over a 3 month period and then needs to be maintained. WHY IODINE? Iodine used to be added to baked goods to help condition the dough but bromine has replaced this. Bromine is an element that resembles iodine and can displace iodine from the breast. Chlorine is another element that can displace iodine from the breast Fluorine is the third common element found in our daily lives that displaces iodine from the breast receptors. These three elements have been found to contribute to fibrocystic breast disease. Recent research indicates that iodine supplementation can displace these elements and reduce breast cancer risk and in some cases reverse fibrocystic breast disease before it becomes breast cancer. VITAMIN D AND BREAST CANCER Studies have shown that the incidence of many diseases increases with reduced exposure to the sun which in turn affects one s ability to produce vitamin D. The further from the equator a population lives the greater incidence of Breast Cancer, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, and kidney cancer to name a few. The reference range for vitamin D in the blood is from 30 to 100 so any number in between is considered normal. The studies have shown that women with a level over 52 had a 50% risk reduction of breast cancer. Another recent study indicated that starting this in younger women reduced their risk of breast cancer as much as 83%. Every blood testing laboratory performs the test to evaluate the need for supplementation. This test should be ordered automatically but it is not so make sure to request it when you have blood work done. 3

4 Incidence rate USA NZL ISR FRA UK ICE AUL SWI ARG ITA NOR CYP AUS BAR HUN BHM CZR POR CHL BRZ SIN JAM SYR EST RUS SA PER VEN MRT QAT SOL COL AZR CAV NAM ANG ETH EGY KYR PNG SOM BAN UZB SWA DRC LAO MOZ HAI MON Latitude THE TEST Sometimes the test ordered is confused with other tests that measure different metabolites of vitamin D. The test needed for proper supplementation is called: 25 hydroxyvitamin D level when this is ordered the actual level of vitamin D3 called Cholecalciferol is measured and this is the correct vitamin D with which to supplement. Mohr SB, Garland CF, Gorham ED, Grant WB, Garland FC. Relationship between low ultraviolet B irradiance and higher breast cancer risk in 107 countries. Breast J May- Jun;14(3): Epub 2008 Apr 17. DOSING OF VITAMIN D Vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore it is possible to get too much of it. Therefore, monitoring upon supplementing is important. The present MDR or daily requirement is set at 400 i.u. We currently think the dose should be 2000i.u. a day and this can be safely used without blood testing. For extremely low levels doctors often order 50,000 i.u. a week till the levels rise and then reduce the daily dose accordingly. All D3 comes from Lanolin which is not expensive; so supplementation of D should be considered by all breast cancer patients after having their levels measured SKIN EXPOSURE FOR VITAMIN D Here in the Northeast we only get strong enough sun to make vitamin D from April to October. If you lay in the sun with half your body exposed, for minutes four days a week you only make half the vitamin D your body requires. Also, most decent sunscreens will prevent even this small amount from being made. For many years parents gave their children cod liver oil to increase their immune response. The answer is in the vitamin A and D that appears in the oil from the liver. CALCIUM D GLUCARATE This natural non-toxic compound is produced in small amounts in mammals including humans. It aids the liver in getting rid of toxic compounds that have been shown to be particularly high in breast and prostate cancer. The substance is called b-glucuronidase. Calcium D glucarate has been shown in studies to favor the body s defense mechanism for eliminating carcinogens and tumor promoters. Cal D glucarate reduces inflammation, suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis (killing of cancerous cells). 4

5 DOSING CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE The dose of calcium-d-glucarate is based on the glucaric acid content. This supplement is not considered a good source of calcium. Generally these capsules come as 500mg/capsule and the dose is 1 to 6 capsules a day in divided doses with food. I usually recommend 2 capsules three times a day with food or at the beginning of meals. This supplement often helps with midrift weight gain as a result of the increases in estrone as we age (happens in both men and women). OTHER SUPPLEMENTS There are many products promoted for cancer of all kinds but I have tried to target some of the currently studied supplements. Remember food is medicine so don t stop eating to buy supplements and be careful of claims that sound too good to be true; because without the science, they probably are too good to be true. Most important of all is to make sure you have good love and support in your life. This is unavailable in stores or pharmacies. BETA GLUCANS Beta glucans are a naturally occurring group of complex sugars called polysaccharides. They are found in the cell walls of bacteria, plants and fungi. Beta glucans have been scientifically proven to improve the body s immune response by activating macrophage immune cells that in turn increase the body s ability to deal with cancer as well as invading pathogens like the Lyme family of invading organisms. There are many different chemical structures found among the beta glucans. The 1,3/1,6 linkages of yeast beta glucans have been found to spark the greatest degree of biological immune enhancement. Asian cultures have traditionally used different mushroom extracts for this same effect. Some studies show that Maitake may have high amounts of beta glucan. DIFFERENT SOURCES OF 1,3/1,6 BETA GLUCAN AHCC Research can be viewed at AHCCRESEARCH.com. This can be found under the name of ImmPower. The studied dose is 6 capsules a day in divided doses for a total of 3 grams a day-some newer studies indicate that 2 a day is beneficial. WGP Whole glucan particle can be found as Immunotix 3-6. The dose is one capsule a day. Maitake D Fraction The suggested dose is 2 capsules twice a day between meals. Protective Breast Formula combines DIM, Calcium D glucarate, Maitake and Green tea in a twice a day capsule. 5