Last month I wrote about brain aging and how to prevent it and arising from that a reader told me a cute story I think worth sharing. Dubya's dad, George Bush Sr., while President was visiting an old folks home. The Great Man with full press retinue in tow, speaking ever so s-l-o-w-l-y engaged various of the old folk in conversation. After some chat with one old lady the President of those there United States asked "And do you know who I am......?". The old lady regarded him sympathetically for a moment and then said helpfully, "No dear, I'm so sorry. But if you ask that nice young lady over there in the white coat I'm sure she'll be able to help you .........". The Press Corps cracked up and the President managed to maintain a strained grin. Just goes to show you don't want to go around asking questions to which you think you know the answer.
But here are some good questions from readers on a number of subjects that often crop up & may be useful for others:
Q. I have been told or read somewhere that eating too much fruit is dangerous because it contains sugar. I eat a lot of fruit every day. Do I have to worry about getting diabetes or anything?
A. No, no, no! I haven't heard this old gem in quite a while. I don't know who told you or where you read this but I wouldn't entrust my health to them if I were you. Fruit sugar, fructose, is not the type of sugar that can lead to the onset of diabetes. You should beware of all the processed foods that contain sucrose. The best thing you can do (in conjunction with exercising & avoiding drugs) is to eat fresh fruit & vegetables. Don't overdo the dried fruit though. The nutrients , fibre and enzymes in fruit will only enhance your health and quality of life. It's easy to digest & there are even people who live solely on fruit (e.g. Ross Horne who wrote The New Health Revolution and Improving on Pritiken, if you're interested in reading something serious on the subject). However, a high fructose diet can both enhance the negative effects of copper deficiency and also cause extra glycation of proteins. I think you would be well advised to take a small supplement of copper (say 2mg daily) to avoid any such problems. By the way, those of you that want to find a sweetener that isn't bad for you should try Stevia. It's a South American herb 300 times sweeter than sugar that is actually good for you. The most effective form is as a liquid extract with a dropper.
Q. Can I take a fibre supplement at the same time as I take vitamins? I take a number of vitamins three times a day and am concerned that if I take fibre at the same time the vitamins may leech out of my system.
A. The "leech" idea is wrong. Dietary fibre mainly affects the absorption of those nutrients ingested with it, although it has other effects on the digestive environment. It cannot directly extract anything from your body. What may happen is that fibre will absorb some of the essential fats & minerals and even some of the oil soluble vitamins. But then so does the fibre content of any food that you eat, to some extent. Different types of fibre have different effects. My advise is not to worry about it unduly and take your supplements as convenient, but if you can take the fibre 15 - 30 minutes before a meal & the other supplements after it could make a marginal difference. On fibre generally, you can hardly get enough of it, particularly the water soluble kind. 25 gm a day is the recommendation and that's an awful lot of fruit & veg to get through if you don't supplement. You get about 15gm in a good varied diet normally. Junk food addicts do about half that.
Q. I am currently using stinging nettle leaf extract for prostate symptoms and am currently considering switching to stinging nettle root extract. Can you tell me what the leaf extract is used for, as well as what the root extract's intended use is?
A. I'm afraid you've got it the wrong way round. Nettle root extract and nettle leaf extracts are used for different purposes. Nettle root extract aids with reducing the binding of DHT (testosterone) to prostate cells. Nettle leaf extract aids with reducing TNFa (Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha), which is involved with the development of arthritis, joint pain, and other age-related degenerative processes. Nettle root (120mg p/day) helps to alleviate the symptoms of prostate enlargement, not nettle leaf. As noted in an earlier article, the other herbal extracts that are also very effective in treating BPH are saw palmetto (160mg p/day) and pygeum (50mg p/day).
Q. I read of various kinds of Vitamin C some of which are said to be better than others. Ascorbyl palmitate for example and esterified vitamin C or Ester C. It is all a little confusing. Can you shed some light?
A. Ascorbyl palmitate is an oil soluble vitamin C prepared from ascorbic acid with palmitic acid and is referred to as an esterified vitamin C. Since this form of vitamin C is fat soluble it is stored in the lipid cell membrane until the body is ready to put it to use, therefore extending its availability to the cells unlike the water soluble form where anything the body does not use is excreted. Consequently it is the most effective and cost efficient form to use in a multivitamin. Ester C is an expensive and patented form of esterified vitamin C. However it is far cheaper & has the same effect if you use ascorbyl palmitate. Even if you use regular vitamin C or mineral ascorbates, which is cheaper still, it has the same eventual effect in the end. It just means you have to take larger doses more often.
Q. I suffer from periodontal disease. I'm tired of the frequent unpleasant trips to the dentist. Is there any nutrient therapy that can reverse the progression of periodontal disease?
A. Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease of the gums caused by bacterial infection. Bleeding gums and bad breath are obvious symptoms. If it becomes serious, it can lead to discomfort, pain, tooth and bone loss. It is one of the most common afflictions and normally increases with age. For many people, brushing and flossing cannot adequately control the disease. These people have to make frequent trips to the dentist for professional teeth cleaning, including invasive, highly uncomfortable experiences such as root planing. While a good diet and plentiful vitamin and mineral intake is necessary for the health of your gums, there is little evidence that conventional vitamin intake can prevent or reverse the progression of periodontal disease. There is one nutrient however, which has been shown to be highly effective and that is Coenzyme-Q10 (CoQ10). Scientists report a significant deficiency of CoQ10 in people suffering from periodontal disease and showing that CoQ10 therapy on it's own is extremely effective in curing & preventing the disease. For preventative purposes a dose of 60 - 200mg p/day is appropriate and 100 - 400mg as a cure. Sufferers can also use a hydrogen peroxide spray combined with other potent natural anti-microbials. CoQ10 is major good news for everybody, gum health is the least of it's many benefits. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants available and is a potent force against heart disease and aging.
Q. Over the years I've read about the dangers of excessive dietary iron. I understand that iron overload generates high free radical activity associated with many diseases and is especially dangerous in the presence of vitamin C. If that is so, why do so many multi-nutrient formulas contain iron with high doses of vitamin C?
A. It is very true that excessive dietary iron can be dangerous, in large part because iron compounds tend to accumulate in the body. The dangers of iron are especially high in the brain. A recent study showed that serious psychiatric disorders were caused by iron overload and which were cured over a 22-week period with chelation treatment to remove the iron from the body. Iron should not be included in any multi-nutrient formula intended for daily, long-term use. Nor should supplemental iron ever be taken, except in cases of a clear-cut iron deficiency, as assessed by lab testing, such as in menstruating women. Any multi-nutrient manufacturer who still includes iron in their formulations simply has not been keeping up to date with recent scientific findings on the subject.
Q. There seem to be different forms of Growth Hormone out there. I have just begun a program to build up lean body mass. Can you point out the differences?
A. There is only one kind of real Growth Hormone (GH), a synthetic form, which can only be obtained via a doctor. It has to be injected and is expensive costing $12,000 to $20,000 p.a. This synthetic GH will help build and maintain body mass and burn body fat faster if one engages in weight resistance exercise as well as improve skin tone & elevate mood. Keep in mind that the older a person is the less GH they have to release, so the injectable synthetic form works best with older people. The other kind of Growth Hormone most people hear about, that can have all of the above effects, is actually a growth hormone releasing product, mostly amino acids, that can be bought over the counter and is a whole load cheaper. These help your body release it's own GH but are a bit more work than just being injected to get the desired effect. Regardless of which you use some sort of weight resistance exercise is needed to build muscle.
" CoQ10 is major good news for everybody, gum health is the least of it's many benefits. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants available and is a potent force against heart disease and aging."
