Listener Question
Ask Terry Dear Terry: I have been suffering with depression and anxiety for the last 6.5 months. I have lost at least 15 pounds, and despite that I am eating, I cannot regain the weight I lost. Prior to this I was a very happy and content person who always hated to take any medications. I went to see a nutritionist in December and she prescribed me lots of natural food supplements to help me to prepare to taper off medication including P5P complex, evening primrose oil and Krill oil. She also prescribed others when I have completely come off anxiety tablets. When I was purchasing items from a health food shop yesterday I asked about taking P5P. She said it's not good to overload on B6. She asked if I had any blood tests done to inform me what I was lacking. While I had blood work done in September I do not know if they checked for everything. So just wondering what you could advise me please. I am 49.5 years. A.C. from Ireland
New link between diabetes and Alzheimer s disease (3 slides)
High Blood Sugar is Bad for the Brain A 2009 study found that getting diabetes before age 65 corresponded to a 125% increased risk of Alzheimer s disease New study may help explain why: Researchers studied brain samples of people with and without Alzheimer s disease They found that excessive blood sugar damages an enzyme in the brain When this enzyme is inhibited or inactivated by sugar, it can t do its job clearing the brain of abnormal buildup of proteins, which can eventually lead to the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer s disease
Reduce blood sugar with Hintonia In a 2014 study, 178 people with type 2 diabetes/pre-diabetes were divided into 4 groups treatment groups, all received Hintonia latiflora plus their regular diabetes protocol Oral antidiabetics Oral antidiabetics and insulin Insulin only Diet changes only After 8 months, significant improvements occurred HbA1c improved by an average of 10.4% Fasting glucose improved by an average of 23.3% Postprandial glucose improved by an average of 24.9% In 114 participants were taking some kind of medication at study end, 45 participants reduced their dosage and 10 participants no longer needed it. Naturheilpraxis mit Naturmedizin. February 2014.
What to know about Hintonia Extremely safe research going back over 60 years has found it is very well tolerated with no significant adverse effects The sooner it is used the better it works best results were seen in people with mild to moderate increases in blood sugar levels In clinical trials, Hintonia was used safely in combination with insulin and oral antidiabetic medications (but always keep your doctor informed) Dosage: 20 mg polyphenols from Hintonia (copalchi) one to three times daily, along with essential vitamins and minerals
A Quick Look At: Pancreatic Enzymes (1 slide)
Pancreatic Enzymes What are they? Enzymes that break down food (carbohydrates, protein and fat) that also have effects in inflammation and cancer cell formation Clinical evidence: specific enzyme formulations have been shown to work as effectively as prescription medications in reducing pain and inflammation associated with arthritis and exercise, and even the adverse effects associated with breast cancer treatments How to use pancreatic enzymes: With meals for digestive problems: gas, bloating, heartburn, GERD Between meals for arthritis, inflammation, even cancer What to know: enzymes from plant sources are not the same as enzymes from animal sources; look for 250 mg of full strength, undiluted pancreatin (porcine source)
Nutrient of the Day: Ginger Oil (3 slides)
Ginger Oil Ginger is a botanical relative of turmeric and has some of the same benefits: Antioxidant anti-inflammatory anti-cancer Antiviral Antibacterial Antifungal Antiulcer Ginger essential oil is extracted from ginger root Its most powerful compounds are the gingerols and shogaols
Ginger oil benefits Protection against radiation damage (animal model of cancer therapy) up to a 70% reduction in DNA damage to bone marrow cells Normalized glutathione levels to be equal to levels before radiation treatment - versus a 50% decline in glutathione levels in animals who did not get ginger before radiation treatment Fatty liver Ginger oil protected against liver damage associated with fatty liver disease (animal model) including returning elevated markers of liver disease to normal Protection against ulcer formation Ginger oil was associated with a 26% reduction in ulcer formation associated with aspirin (animal model) and stopped a 50% decrease in protective gastric wall mucus triggered by aspirin exposure
When and how to use ginger and turmeric essential oil Look for standardized ginger and turmeric oil: Ginger oil standariized to 25% gingerols and shogaols Turmeric oil standardized to 60% turmerones, including the powerful ar-turmerone Use this combination for cancer or any inflammatory condition
Easy Way to Relieve Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (1 slide)
Does winter make you SAD? For 18 million Americans, fall and winter darkness means depressed mood and increased anxiety The easy way to relieve symptoms of SAD vitamin D! Research studies have consistently shown a link between low vitamin D levels and increased risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder A Clinical study looked at light therapy versus vitamin D as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder Half of participants received light treatments for one month Half of participants received 100,000 IU of vitamin D at the start of the trial Results: All participants receiving vitamin D saw improvement (as measured by a standardized depression scale) while there were no changes in the depression scores of the people receiving light therapy
3 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure without Medication (3 slides)
If your blood pressure levels are creeping up, here are three ways to get it back down without the use of medication: #1: Reduce sugar. Sugar is just as bad for blood pressure as sodium. A recent study found that drinking 2.5 sodas a day, or getting the equivalent amount of fructose from other foods, increased risk of high blood pressure by 30%. Researchers think that fructose might cause the body to absorb sodium more easily; also, fructose increases uric acid levels, which has been shown to lead to high blood pressure
#2: More potassium. A recent study found that high sodium intake increases risk of stoke and heart attack by 20% High sodium intake and low potassium intake increased risk of heart disease by 50% Getting more potassium is as important as getting less sodium in reducing blood pressure levels #3: Nibble some dark chocolate. Researchers found that 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure about 3 points
Serious medicine for high blood pressure. (but don t stop taking medication if your doctor prescribed it) In addition to lifestyle changes, these natural medicines can help bring down high blood pressure levels Olive and hibiscus: lowered systolic pressure by 11 14 points; as effective as a prescription blood pressure lowering medication Grape seed extract: reduced systolic blood pressure by an average 5.6% - the higher the initial reading the greater the reductions Curcumin: reduced blood pressure to normal levels in animal model of high blood pressure
Vitamin D Pumps Up Muscles (1 slide)
Vitamin D for strong muscles Researcher recruited 116 healthy volunteers, ages 20-74 Measured their body mass, body fat, and levels of active and inactive vitamin D People with the highest levels of active vitamin D also had more lean muscle mass and bulk Higher vitamin D levels were also associated with greater muscle strength and power These results support previous studies that found that low vitamin D levels were associated with reduced muscle mass and strength, especially in women
Preserve Brain Function (2 slides)
Keep your brain in peak condition with antioxidants Oxidative stress is associated with progressive loss of brain function as we age Researchers followed over 5,000 people for 10 years and tracked their use of Vitamin C and E supplements Results: those who took supplemental Vitamin C or E had a 23% reduced risk of dementia or Alzheimer s disease
Curcumin a powerful way to protect the brain Did you know? India, where turmeric with curcumin is a standard part of the diet, has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's disease in the world Curcumin is a very strong antioxidant, able to protect cells from oxidative stress and toxins Increased number of healthy brain cells by up to 75% in a study of fluoride toxicity (animal model) Curcumin stimulates the formation of new brain cells Low dose curcumin nearly doubled the number of new neurons (animal model) Curcumin also reduced the average size of beta-amyloid plaques (by 30% (animal model of Alzheimer s disease) Combine with vitamin D, rosemary and sage oil for best brain-preserving effects