Category: Health Concerns

Dr. Myatt’s Super-Shake


Why You Should be Drinking My “Super Shake”

Ever wish that something which tasted like a yummy treat was also good for you? Have I got great news for you! I have found myself giving individual patients the recipe for what I call my “Super Shake” so frequently in the past few weeks that I realized it’s high time for me to encourage everybody to drink this incredibly tasty, amazingly healthy “milkshake.” Before I discuss the recipe and what the individual ingredients will do for you, let’s take a look at the overall health benefits of The Myatt Super Shake.

What My “Super Shake” Will Do for You

Taken at least once, and better yet twice per day, this tasty treat provides a basket full of health benefits. I’ll describe the “whys” and “wherefores” of individual ingredients below so you can see how my Super Shake works it’s “magic,” but first let’s look at all the good this amazing recipe accomplishes. I believe you’ll see why I recommend it so often in my practice.

  • If you are overweight, the Super Shake will help you lose.
  • If you are underweight, the Super Shake will help you gain.
  • The Super Shake helps preserve and build better muscle tone.
  • The Super Shake strengthens the immune system.
  • The Super Shake helps normalize blood sugar levels, so it improves both diabetes and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
  • Ingredients in The Super Shake help lower cholesterol levels.
  • Whey and gelatin in the Super Shake strengthen ligaments, tendons, and bones.
  • Antioxidants and protein contained in my Super Shake help renew, rejuvenate and heal skin.
  • EZ Fiber and L-glutamine help normalize bowel function and correct constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome.
  • The Super Shake is high in flavonoids, especially the kind useful for preventing or halting eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and

    • retinopathy.

  • These same flavonoids plus other ingredients work together to prevent and reverse varicose veins, atherosclerosis, neuropathy and neuralgia (nerve disease and nerve pain).
  • Whey and L-glutamine help protect normal cells during radiation and chemotherapy.
  • My Super Shake is so easily assimilated and so healthy that it is THE beverage of choice when recovering from illness or surgery. Whey is known to speed wound healing.

Best of all, this is a truly delicious drink, not a “choke-it-down” health concoction. Sound too good to be true? Here’s the recipe and an individual breakdown of the numerous benefits of each of the ingredients.

Dr. Myatt’s Super Shake Recipe

1 scoop vanilla whey protein (with both whey protein concentrate and isolate)
1 Tablespoon EZ Fiber
1 TBS. flax oil
1 scoop Red Alert
1 TBS. frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon L-glutamine
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup water (1 cup for a soft-serve ice cream consistency, 2 cups for a milkshake)

Add 1 cup ice (crushed is best) to the bottom of an electric blender. Add water. Add blueberries and all dry ingredients. Blend until smooth. This will be the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. If you want it to be a “shake,” add an additional cup of water AFTER the first ingredients are well-blended. Drink or eat and Enjoy! You’re going to love this and so will your body!

Featured Supplements: What’s in the “Super Shake” that Makes it So Great? Let’s take a look at the individual ingredients and see why this Shake is a “Miracle Food.”

Whey Protein: When processed correctly (to retain whole protein concentrate and at low temperatures to preserve immune factors), whey supplies a biologically superior protein with natural immune factors, including lactoferrin and immunoglobulins. Milk-derived whey protein has been shown to:

  • boost immune function
  • improve liver function
  • bind and safely remove heavy metals
  • speeds wound healing
  • aid muscle growth. (Body builders have long known about the muscle-building benefits of whey).
  • promote healing of bones, skin, and muscle
  • heal cartilage and strengthen joints, tendons and cardiac muscle.

In cancer medicine it has been found that whey offers “considerable protection to the host” over that of other types of protein including soy, especially during chemotherapy and radiation. At low concentrations, whey inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. Whey also protects cellular glutathione (a body-produced antioxidant) in normal cells during radiation. This effect is not seen with other proteins.

Because the milk-sugar portion is removed, whey is suitable for people who are lactose intolerant. The Super Shake made with whey provides a high quality protein, high nutrient, low carb meal replacement or between-meal snack.

NOTE: NOT ALL WHEY PROTEINS ARE CREATED EQUAL! Many whey powders contain the “isolate” form only, but many of the immune benefits of whey are found in the Whole Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). Our Wellness Club brand of whey is specially processed to preserve all of these important nutritive factors.

Flax Seed Oil: You’ve heard me wax eloquent numerous times about the importance and benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids (Flax and fish oil are the primary sources). The American diet is grossly deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids (Which are Essential Fatty Acids, or EFA’s). Deficiencies of Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to subtle body-wide inflammation which in turn is associated with over 60 known diseases including heart disease, stroke, arthritis, allergies, asthma, cancer, overweight and obesity, autoimmune disease, neurological disease, psoriasis, eczema, high blood pressure to name only a few. Daily supplementation of Omega-3 fatty acids, derived primarily from flax and/or fish oil (salmon is a rich source) are one of the healthiest things a person can do to prevent these many EFA-deficiency associated diseases. The essential fats are SO important that the Government officially recommended in 2003 that Americans get more Omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.

L-Glutamine: This amino acid is a major component of muscle tissue. It is also a major source of energy for cells of the GI tract. It stimulates the production of Growth Hormone (GH) and decreases sugar and alcohol cravings.

Athletes use Glutamine to help build muscle (anabolic), but it can also be used by non-athletes, even the frail elderly, to help prevent muscle tissue breakdown. It is useful for rejuvenating the lining of the GI tract and can therefore assist in healing after GI surgery and in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Glutamine stimulates the immune system and should be used when recovering from any surgery or illness. In weight loss, it is useful for reducing alcohol and sugar cravings. Because it crosses the blood-brain barrier and acts as a ready supply of energy for the brain, it is also used in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD).

EZ Fiber A delicious mild berry flavor fiber complex of Brans, Gums, Mucilage, Cellulose, Hemicellulose and Pectins. Each level teaspoon provides 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of carbs. (Zero grams effective carbs). Mixes easily, does NOT go “gummy” and tastes great.  Fiber is known to:

  • Bind intestinal toxins and soften and bulk stools
  • Lower cholesterol
  • Helps correct constipation and diarrhea 
  • Helps remove heavy metals and toxins 
  • Clears out excess bowel mucous and alleviates gas 
  • Deodorizes and cleans the digestive tract 
  • Helps heal and soothe the G.I. tract

Blueberry: (and its cousin bilberry which can be taken in capsule form if preferred) is an herb which acts as a potent antioxidant and serves to strengthen and stabilize veins. It is used for: Atherosclerosis, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy and neuralgia, retinopathy, varicose veins, and macular degeneration. Bilberry has a special affinity for the eyes and veins. It also improves skin tone because of its antioxidant and capillary-strengthening properties.

BOTTOM LINE on My Super-Shakes: Why not have at least one, and better yet two, of these wonderful health-enhancing drinks per day for one month and give yourself the opportunity to experience a great number of health benefits in one tasty glass? And DO drop me a line and tell me of your experiences. I get “fan mail” for the Shakes on a daily basis and I’d like to hear yours!

HealthBeat News

The Ten Most Dangerous Foods: Part II

For those of you who have been waiting for the other shoe to drop, here are the “other five” of my top ten list of most unhealthful foods. If you did not get the first half of this list, please refresh your memory by clicking here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/HealthbeatV8I7.htm

6.) Margarine: no matter what it’s made from, margarine is largely “trans fat.” (Remember, trans fat is “Franken-fat,” the really bad stuff). Even good oils are converted into “trans” when they are made into margarine. There isn’t much “trans fat” in nature; the body is not well equipped to deal with this strange substance. Corn oil margarine has an Omega Ratio of 88.5, but even “good” margarine made with soy margarine has an OR of 12.9 (not to mention an unknown amount of “trans,” which all margarines have.

SUBSTITUTE: Butter, with an Omega Ratio of 1.5, is an absolute health food. I’m not sure how it got a “bad rap,” but it is totally undeserved. Use butter for a bread spread and for low-heat sautéing. DO NOT use margarine of any kind!

7.) Vegetable Oils: Some oils are bad, some are really bad. Corn oil and peanut oil take the prize for having such an unnatural Omega Ratio (82.9 & infinite, respectively), that the body simply does not have the capacity to use it properly. These high Omega-6 oils create inflammation in the body, predisposing to cancer, heart disease and over 60 other disease processes. Other unhealthy vegetable oils include: soy, sunflower, safflower, cotton seed and sesame. Olive oil is neutral, not healthful. Why use this when you can use flax seed oil with a positive health benefit?

SUBSTITUTE: For salad dressings and no-heat uses: Flax oil (Omega ratio: 0.23) is a health food, so is walnut oil (OR: 5.0) and canola oil (OR: 2.18). Be SURE to use organically processed canola (the label will brag about this). Most commercial canola oils are chemically processed and contain too many chemical residues to make them safe.

8.) White Sugar: This pseudo-food contains NOTHING but simple, “empty” calories. It has no fats, hence no Omega Ratio. (That’s the best news about white sugar). White sugar rapidly elevates blood sugar and taxes the pancreas tremendously. Can you say “hypoglycemia, Syndrome X and diabetes”? The calories in sugar have no food value but are stored rapidly as fat. White sugar requires B complex vitamins for its utilization, creating a B vitamin deficiency. Why does this matter? Low B-6, B12 and folate are major causes of depression, heart disease, ovarian cancer (and probably other cancers), and birth defects.

SUBSTITUTE: “brown sugar” and honey are NOT acceptable substitutes. Their nutritional content is only minutely better than refined white sugar. Try stevia (an herb) or artificial sweeteners, especially saccharine and Splenda.

9.) White flour: With an Omega ratio of 17.7 and no redeeming nutritional value except empty calories, white flour teams with white sugar as the top “white trash” foods. All of the B complex vitamin deficiencies occurring with white sugar also happen with white flour. Now think a minute: why is it white? Because it has been BLEACHED. No fiber, no nutrients (except carbohydrate calories), a huge tax on the pancreas, PLUS bleach. What a bargain!

SUBSTITUTE: whole grain flour (which usually has a lot of refined flour), or skip flour products altogether. Soy flour products make the most tastefully and healthfully acceptable products.

10.) Non-Dairy Creamer: Made from “pseudo-edible oils” (see # 7 above), creamers have a lot of trans fats. Why do I call the “Franken-fats”? “Trans” is the REALLY BAD kind of fat; Franken-fats are from Trans-silvania, get it?

SUBSTITUTE: want cream in your coffee? Use cream! Or half-and-half! With an Omega Ratio of 1.55 and no trans fats, the “real deal” is much more healthful than these “Franken-fakes.”

HealthBeat News

Heart Attack and Stroke: What are Your Real Risks?

Your Risk Factors

Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death for adults who make it past the teen years. Heart disease includes problems with the heart muscle itself (weakness of pumping action, irregular rhythm, and “congestion” due to fluid retention). A leading cause of heart disease and stroke is atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. (See page 37-38 in your Holistic health Handbook for a complete discussion of Atherosclerosis).

For years, conventional medicine has focused on total cholesterol levels almost exclusively to tell us who is at risk for such disease, but cholesterol levels alone provide only a very limited answer to this question. A significant number of people suffer from cardiovascular disease who have never had a total cholesterol level above the “normal” range. (Desirable range is below 200). Clearly, other factors besides cholesterol play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

In spite of the fact that this information is well-known, I find that many doctors, including cardiologists, fail to give patients a comprehensive work-up to determine true risks. Just recently I talked with a patient who has had multiple angioplasty surgeries for blocked coronary arteries. The problem reoccurs within a matter of weeks. Her cholesterol is 150, which is low normal. Obviously, high cholesterol isn’t her problem. In spite of these facts, her doctors are encouraging her to go for a another worthless (in her case) angioplasty, and no doctor before me has mentioned to her that her high triglycerides and high red blood cell count are also risks, even though the results of her tests are plainly abnormal. Further, no one has performed a high speed C-RP (see below in this article), yet this number represent a bigger risk factor for heart disease than cholesterol.

Bottom line? Don’t expect that your doctor, even if he/she is a cardiologist, is doing a thorough job or evaluating you for cardiovascular risk. Putting someone on a cholesterol-lowering drug seems to be a popular treatment today, even for people in whom such treatment is not indicated. In the mean time, we are overlooking other easily tested-for and easily treated risk factors.

Are we playing the fiddle while Rome is on fire? See below for the complete details and tests to evaluate your heart health.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors: “The Rest of the Story”

Don’t let medical complacency and insurance/HMO cost-cutting put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. The following tests are each independent risk factors for cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease. They are standard medical tests, well-proven, inexpensive. For a true look medical evaluation of your risks, these factors should be looked at as part of a comprehensive evaluation for cardiac/stroke risk.

Blood Test

“Standard Range”

Optimal Range

What to do if elevated:

Cholesterol:

Total cholesterol

under 200

160-200

Ketogenic diet*, niacin*,
Red Rice Yeast*, green tea*

HDL

above 35

the higher the better

Exercise, niacin*, garlic*,
Vit. C & E*, Red Rice Yeast*

Chol:HDL ratio

see cholesterol and HDL recommendations, above

LDL

up to 129

below 100

Niacin*, vitamin E*

Homocysteine

up to 15 mm/l

below 7 mm/l

Vitamin B6*, B12* and folic acid* (Maxi Multi *covers this)

Triglycerides

up to 200 mg/dl

below 100 mg/dl

Ketogenic diet*, niacin*,
Red Rice Yeast*, garlic*

high-speed C-RP

up to 4.9 mg/L

under 1.3 mg/L

aspirin (low dose-81mg/day); vitamin E,* Red Rice Yeast*

Fibrinogen

up to 460 mg/dl

under 300 mg/dl

Bromelain*, fish oil,*
vitamin C*, niacin*, garlic*

* Please refer to your Holistic Health Handbookfor more information on asterisked items
or visit Dr.Myatt’s Wellness Club website Pharmacy

Minimum work-up for CardioVascular Risk (more than the conventional work-up) for people with no personal history of heart or blood vessel disease and no other known risk factors (see facing page for other risks):
I.) Lipid profile (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and cholesterol :HDL ratio)
II.) hs-C-RP
[NOTE: I do not routinely perform a homocysteine test in people with no other risk factors because this risk is reliably and predicatabley lowered by simply taking adequate doses of vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid, as in Maxi Multi or B complex. Other standard multiples often do not contain sufficient doses of these B vitamins to lower homocysteine].
Additional work-up for someone with a history of heart disease, stroke, or who has other risk factors:
III.) Fibrinogen
IV.) “Other risks” as listed below.

Maxi Multi * Vitamins

For those of you who take Maxi Multi as your vitamin/mineral supplement (for health’s sake, I wish this included everybody!), please note that this formula contains the recommended, optimal doses of B complex vitamins & vitamin C & E. You do not need additional supplementation of these nutrients (unless you have a specific complaint to address) if you are taking this formula. “I’ve got you covered”! AND, I make changes to the formula to constantly reflect new findings in medicine, so your multiple will always be up-to-the-minute when it comes to formulation. * See page 105-106 in your Holistic Health Handbook.

C-Reactive Protein: First reported in the medical journals and reported to YOU from ME in 1998, this risk factor for heart disease and stroke risk is just now being reported by many other conventional and holistic medical journals and newsletters. C-Reactive Protein (C-RP) is a protein found in the blood. It is indicative of inflammation. A growing body of evidence shows that it is not just cholesterol that clogs arteries and cuts off blood flow to the heart and brain. Low-level inflammation in the body appears to be an even greater risk factor (see chart below).

This low level of inflammation is so small that it doesn’t cause pain. (Ordinarily, inflammation makes itself known by pain, swelling, or redness of an area). Older C-RP tests are used to monitor certain autoimmune diseases, but the test is not sensitive enough to detect the small elevations of C-RP that lead to heart disease and stroke. Instead, the “new” test is highly sensitive (hence, the “hs”-C-RP designation).

As you can see from the chart at right, elevations of C-RP are more predictive of heart attack and stroke than any other blood risk factor commonly evaluated for. Because of this, it may be more important to look at hs-C-RP than cholesterol.

The test is inexpensive ($20-30) and my prediction is that it will become a routine part of cardiac risk testing, performed right along with the cholesterol profile, within the next several years. But don’t wait until your insurance pays for the test. Ask your doctor to order it next time you have a cholesterol check.

Blood Test

Amount of Increased risk above normal if elevated:

C-Reactive Protein
(high sensitivity)

4.4

Cholesterol:HDL ratio

3.4

Total Cholesterol

2.4

LDL Cholesterol

2.4

Source:New England Journal of Medicine, 342:841, 2000, based on studies conducted by Dr. Paul Ridker at Bringham and Women’s Hospital.

“Other” Risk factors (The ones your doctor didn’t tell you about)

Any factor that increases blood viscosity (thickness) can put additional stress on the vascular system and trigger a myocardial infarction (“MI”; an “attack” of the heart due to decreased blood flow) or stroke. I frequently see one or several of these factors elevated on a patient’s medical records, with the doctor’s note at the bottom of the page saying “all normal.” The patient often never hears about those lab values and risks that are indicative of increase blood viscosity, and therefore, an opportunity is lost to correct a risk factor. Additional risk factors that are easily identified through routine lab work include :
1.) Elevated RBC (red blood cell) count
2.) Elevated platelet count
3.) Elevated serum iron or ferritin (storage iron)
4.) Elevated fasting blood sugar

Lifestyle factors that influence blood viscosity:
1.) Overweight & obesity (associated with increased cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and C-RP).
2.) Dehydration. Yes, a simple lack of water causes the blood to thicken, increasing risk. Drink water!
3.) Smoking: this is SO risky for the circulation that I refer readers to page 26 in the Holistic Health Handbook for a full disclosure.
4.) Dietary fats (especially animal fats)

“Action Steps” to take to alleviate these risks:

For high RBC and/or platelet count: be generous – donate blood! Phlebotomy (having blood drawn) is an easy way to decrease platelet and RBC count. You doctor can help you know how often to give blood based on your repeat Complete Blood Counts (“CBC,” a standard test that tells numbers of red and white cells, platelets, and how much iron the RBC’s contain. It is a very inexpensive and routine blood test and should probably be used more often than it is).

For high iron: this one is tricky, because it depends on whether or not your body is using iron correctly. However, iron excess is far more common than iron deficiency in adults (women of menstrual age excepted). Be sure your supplements DO NOT contain iron unless you are told to take iron by a doctor. Your Maxi Multi does NOT contain iron for this very reason.

To offset the effects of dietary fats: Fat in the diet (animal fat and vegetable Omega-6 fats; see page 16 in your Holistic Health Handbook) makes red blood cells stick together for hours after a meal is eaten. Vitamin C & E, taken with meals, “erases” this “sticky” effect and RBC’s behave as if no fats were eaten. That is why I recommend Maxi Multi (with optimal vitamin C & E doses), be taken with each meal instead of just once or twice per day!

Herbs & Blood Viscosity: Nature’s Blood-Thinning Remedies

Conventional medical blood thinning is accomplished by coumadin compounds, which prevent platelet aggregation. This therapy is reserved for people with severe cardiac arrhythmias and other serious problems, because the blood-thinning effects of therapy can have serious consequences. (Coumadin is used as rat poison. The rats eat it, and bleed to death internally). There are some circumstances where this type of blood thinning may be advisable, but treatment must be carefully and frequently monitored by blood testing. Furthermore, coumadin therapy only prevents platelet aggregation. According to conventional medical sources (the Merck manual, 17th edition), only 1/3 of all causative agents of abnormal blood clotting are prevented by the administration of this drug. Bottom line: coumadin is useful in very limited circumstances and must be carefully monitored. So what is the “average Joe or Jane” (without a history of serious blood viscosity problems) supposed to do to help keep the blood flowing smoothly? Mother nature has given us a number of healthful choices.

There are many herbs that act to normalize blood viscosity at different points. A combination of these herbs can actually have a broader “coverage” of clotting risk factors than coumadin alone. The difference is that the herbs are safer than coumadin, can be taken without medical supervision, and can be used in a preventive fashion. The only caution (and this is minor), is to tell your doctor that you are using these herbs IF you are on or going to begin coumadin therapy OR if you are scheduled for surgery. (Blood tests can and should be conducted before surgery to see how viscous your blood is anyway, so blood-thinning herbs aren’t “risky” as some conventional medical sources have portrayed).

Blood Viscosity-Aiding Herbs: The Short Course

1.) Garlic: decreases platelet aggregation, increases HDL cholesterol, decreases triglycerides and decreases fibrin.
2.) Ginkgo: prevents blood platelets from aggregating.
3.) Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory, so may lower C-RP. Turmeric also has other blood viscosity-normalizing effects that are beyond the scope of this article. (Please refer to page 89 in your Holistic Health Handbook for more information).
4.) Bromelain: Anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrinolytic. This herbal substance from pineapple is a well-researched, unsung hero. It has a broad range of utility. Everyone should have this on hand whether you take it daily or only on an “as needed” basis. (see pages 19, 89, 114, 122 in your Handbook for info.)
5.) Bilberry: decreases platelet aggregation in a manner similar to ginkgo. Also has potent antioxidant effects and strengthens blood vessel integrity, making it useful for varicose veins, capillary fragility and venous insufficiency.
6.) Grape seed Extract: potent antioxidant, decreases platelet aggregation.
7.) Green Tea:inhibits oxidation of LDL and prevents platelet aggregation.

Other proven anti-clotting herbs include: ginger, gugulipid.

Nutritional Factors Influencing Blood Viscosity

Be SURE to get the following nutrients for their helpfulness in maintaining normal blood flow and minimizing stroke/heart attack risk:
I.) Vitamin C & E (with every meal; included in Maxi Multi or take separately.
II.) B6, B12 and folic acid: daily. Included in Maxi Multior take separately as Multi B Complex.
III.) Omega-3 fats: (found in fish and flax seed). Unlike other fats which cause red cells to “clump,” Omega-3 fats have an anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting action. (see page 16 in your Holistic Health Handbook or click here to learn more about Omega-3 Fatty acids). Best sources: eat fish (especially salmon) twice a week and take 2 teaspoons of flax seed meal daily (see page 119 in your Holistic Health Handbook).

Maxi Greens

Wellness Club brand formula Maxi Greenscontains Bilberry, green tea, grape seed extract and bromelain, plus many other “green foods” and herbs, offering broad-spectrum coverage for blood viscosity. (Maxi Greens has many other health benefits besides this. Please see page 109-110 in your Holistic Health Handbook for complete information.

Heart-Healthy Nutrients

CoQ10

CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and oxygenator made by the body. It is universally deficient in people with heart disease, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias and cancer. The correlation between heart disease and CoQ10 is now so well known that even conventional cardiologists often recommend it to their patients. Further, cholesterol-lowering drugs deplete CoQ10. Although it is not known to specifically impact blood viscosity, it’s role in oxygenation of heart and muscle tissue is vitally important. ANYONE with ANY cardiac risk should be taking supplemental CoQ10. Supplemental CoQ10 is also necessary for anyone on a cholesterol-lowering drug.
Please refer to page 111 in your Holistic Health Handbook for more information about this nutrient.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral which plays a key role in energy production. It is found in high concentrations in the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. It is also a crucial component of bone.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, magnesium is the most common nutrient deficiency in the American diet. That’s unfortunate, because without sufficient magnesium, the heart fails to beat correctly. in fact, magnesium is rightly known as “Nature’s calcium channel blocker.” Deficiencies of this mineral can lead to heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, cardiomyopathy and acute MI (heart attack). [NOTE: magnesium is used IV in emergency cardiac medicine in many European countries, but not here].
Like CoQ10, magnesium supplementation is extremely safe and vitally important for heart health. (Maxi Multi contains a generous 500mg per day). See page 14 in your Handbook.

An “Action Plan” for Protecting Your Heart and Circulation

For those with no elevated risk
1.) Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day supplies optimal, “heart-protective” doses of Vitamins C & E, B complex (including target doses of B6, B12, and folic acid), and magnesium.

For those with one or more elevated risk factors of already-established disease:
1.) Maxi Multi: as above.
2.) CoQ10: 100-400mg daily (see page 111 & 117) in your Holistic Health Handbook).
3.) Specific herbs or nutrients as indicated:
I.) For normalizing blood viscosity: Bromelain and/or Maxi Greens and/or any of the herbs listed in this article.
II.) For decreasing cholesterol: Niacin or Red Rice Yeast or both (they can be taken together if needed for resistant cases).
III.) For high blood pressure: additional magnesium to total 800-1,000mg daily.

What I take for heart and cardiovascular health :

1.) Maxi Multi   2.) Maxi Greens   3.) CoQ10

Here’s to Your Healthy Heart!

Dr. Myatt

Health Concerns and Diseases

ADD/ADHD
Age Spots
Allergies
Alzheimer’s
Anemia
Angina
Anxiety
Arrhythmia
Arthritis
Asthma
Atherosclerosis
Attention Deficit
Autoimmune Disorders
Back Pain
BPH (Prostate)
Blood Pressure (High)
Bronchitis
Bruises
Cachexia
Cancer
Cancer Prevention
Candidiasis
Cataracts
Cellulite
Cholesterol (High)
Chronic Fatigue
Colds and Flu
Constipation
Dementia
Dental Health
Depression
Detoxification
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Erectile Dysfunction
Eye Health
Fatigue
Food Allergy
GERD (Reflux disease)
Glaucoma
Hair Loss
Heartburn
Heart Disease
Heart Failure (CHF)
Hepatitis C
Hiatal Hernia High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Hyperactivity Disorder
Hypertension
Hypoglycemia
Hypothyroid
Immune Function
Impotence
Indigestion
Infection
Insomnia
Irritable Bowel (IBS)
Low Blood Sugar
Low Thyroid
Lymphoma
Macular Degeneration
Male Pattern Baldness
Melanoma
Memory Loss
Menopause
Menopause, Female
Menopause, Male
Migraine
Mood Disorder
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Overweight/Obesity
Parasites
Phlebitis
Pneumonia
Prostate Cancer
Prostate Enlargement
Psoriasis
Retinopathy
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Senility
Sinusitis
Sinus Infection
Skin Health
Stroke
Thrombophlebitis
Urinary Incontinence
Varicose Veins
Weight Gain
Weight Loss (Excess)

Health Concerns by Category & Nutrients

Bone and Joint Health
 Bromelain
Cal-Mag Amino
Essential Fatty Acids
Glucosamine Sulfate
Grape Seed Extract
Hormones
Ipriflavone
Mega Soy
MSM
Turmeric

Cancer Adjuvants
 Bromelain
Calcium D-glucarate
CoQ10
Essential Fatty Acids
Immune Support
Indoloplex
Larch arabinogalactin
Lycopene
Melatonin
Mega Soy
Maxi Greens
Modified Citrus Pectin
Prostate Support
Turmeric
Vitamin C

CardioVascular Health
 Bromelain
CoQ10
Essential Fatty Acids
Forskolin (Coleus forskohlii)
Garlic
Grape Seed Extract
Hawthorn Plus+
L-Carnitine
Magnesium
Max EPA
Niacin
Oral ChelatoRx
Red Rice Yeast
Turmeric

Detoxification
 Charcoal Caps
 Chlorella
EnteraKlenze
Fiber Formula
Green Tea
Indolplex
Maxi Fiber
Maxi Greens
Maxi Multi
Milk Thistle Plus+
MSM
SuperPro 96
SupremaDophilus
Turmeric
Whey Protein

Digestive Health
 Betain HCL
Bromelain
Charcoal Caps
DGL (licorice)
EnteraKlenze
Essential Fatty Acids
Fiber Formula
Gastric Complex
3A Magnesia
L-Glutamine
Maxi Fiber
Mentharil
Similase
SupremaDophilus
Vitamin C

Hormones
 DHEA
7-Keto-DHEA
HerBalance with Pregnenelone
L-5-HTP
Mega Soy
Melatonin
Ostaderm
Progonol
Saw Palmetto
Thyroid Cytotropin
Vitex
 
Immune System Health
 B.A.M.
Bromelain
Vitamin C
Echinacea / Goldenseal
Echinacea Royale
Energy Rehab
Essential Fatty Acids
Immune Boost
Immune Support
Korean (Panax) Ginseng
Siberian Ginseng
Whey Protein
 

Liver and Urinary Tract
 Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Cranberry
Milk Thistle Plus+
SAMe
Turmeric
Whey Protein

Medicine Cabinet
 B.A.M.
Bromelain
Charcoal Caps
Immune Boost
Inspirol
Throat Mist
Vitamin C

Memory Enhancement
 Acetyl-L-Carnitine
B Complex Vitamins
B12/Folate
Essential Fatty Acids
Huperizine
Ginkgo Biloba
CoQ10
Phosphatidyl Serine
St. John’s Wort
Vinpocetin

Men’s Health
 Korean (Panax) Ginseng
Lycopene
Mega Soy
Prostate Support
Saw Palmetto
St. John’s Wort
Vitex

Mood Enhancement
 Acetyl-L-Carnitine
B Complex Vitamins
L-5-HTP
Lithium Orotate
St. John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort Plus+
Syncholamine

Neurological Health
 Acetyl-L-Carnitine
B Complex Vitamins
Essential Fatty Acids
Ginkgo Biloba
Phosphatidyl Serine

Skin & Hair Health
 Essential Fatty Acids
Crudeolum Shampoo
Crudeolum Cream Rinse
Rejuvenex Cream

Vision Health
 Beta Carotene
Bilberry Plus+
Eye Drops from Hell
Grape Seed Extract
Lutein Plus+
Maxi Greens

Weight Management
Chitosan
Citrimax (HCA)
CLA
CoQ10
Essential Fatty Acids
Forskolin (Coleus forskohlii)
Fiber Formula
Green Tea
Maxi Fiber
L-5-HTP
St. John’s Wort
Ultrachrome
Super Pro ’96
Whey Protein

Women’s Health
 Black Cohosh Plus+
DHEA
Korean (Panax) Ginseng
HerBalance with Pregnenelone
Mega Soy
Melatonin
Ostaderm
Progonol

 

 

 

 

Osteoarthritis (OA)


Natural Support For Healthy Bones

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a common occurrence in people over age fifty. Weight-bearing joints are most often affected. Early symptoms include pain and stiffness that are worse in the morning or after inactivity. With progression of the disease, movement causes aggravation of symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of factors, including wear and tear of cartilage, free radical damage to joint material, lack of nutrients, dietary imbalances and dehydration. Drugs used to treat arthritis, NSAIDS, provide temporary symptom relief of symptoms but accelerate the underlying disease process. They should be used only for short periods of time while corrective measures are being initiated.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Eat cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut) in preference to chicken, beef or pork; eat plenty of green vegetables.
  • Avoid known food allergens. The nightshade family of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potato) are specific allergens for many people with arthritis. Consider an elimination/challenge diet to evaluate.
  • Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Excess weight puts extra wear and tear on joints.
  • Exercise regularly. Studies have shown a decrease of painful symptoms and an increase in mobility in people who exercise regularly. See BACK PAIN for specific low back exercises.
  • Drink 48 ounces of pure water daily.
  • Do not smoke. Smoking generates high levels of free radicals.

Primary Support

  • BASIC Program (Multivitamin/mineral supplement with extra antioxidants such as Maxi Multi or Once Daily My Packs).
  • Glucosamine sulfate: (750mg, pharmaceutical grade): 2 Caps, 2 times per day for 6 weeks, then 1 cap, 2 times per day after that.

Additional Support

  • Turmeric: 1 cap, 2-3 times per day between meals.
  • For acute symptoms (While waiting for Glucosamine Sulfate to take effect): Bromelain: 2 Caps, 3 times per day between meals.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment If self-help measures fail to give improvement in three months, please consult myself or another holistic physician. This is one condition that can be greatly helped and even cured through natural medicine.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis means, literally, porous bone. It is a bone-thinning disease that affects 200 million people worldwide. It is often referred to as a silent disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of the disease. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain.

In elderly women, complications from hip fracture that result in death is far more common than death from breast cancer, yet few people realize the seriousness of the disease. Although Osteoporosis is more common in postmenopausal women, it also occurs in men and in all age groups. White and Asian women are at greatest risk because their bones tend to be less dense to begin with.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

There are a number of factors that appear to be involved in the development of osteoporosis. These include:

  1. Lack of minerals. Osteoporosis is caused by a demineralization of bone. Although calcium is one of the major bone minerals, there are a number or other minerals found in normal bone. These include magnesium, boron, and zinc. A deficiency of any of these can accelerate bone loss.
  2. Gastric acid or digestive enzyme deficiency. Hydrochloric acid (gastric acid) and digestive enzymes are necessary for the assimilation of minerals, yet more than half of the general population over age 60 is deficient in one or both of these digestive functions.
  3. Lack of physical activity. Exercise that stresses bone causes an uptake of minerals. Conversely, immobility leads to a demineralization of bone. Exercise alone has been shown to increase bone mineral mass.
  4. Dietary factors. Certain dietary factors can hasten the loss of minerals from bone. These factors include high sugar/high starch diets, excess phosphorus in the diet (as found in soda pop, processed foods, and meat), excess alcohol consumption, excess caffeine consumption (more than two cups per day).
  5. Cigarette smoking.
  6. Certain drugs, especially adrenal steroids.
  7. Heavy metal toxicity. Certain heavy metals, which may be introduced into the body through cigarette smoke, drinking water, and a number of other sources, can trigger demineralization of bone by displacing the normal bone minerals.
  8. Stress. Perhaps because perceived stress changes digestive and assimilative abilities, although the exact mechanism is unclear.
  9. Other factors. These include genetic predisposition, various disease states, hormonal imbalances.

What About Menopause and Osteoporosis?

A decrease in hormone production as seen in menopause is associated with an accelerated rate of demineralization in both women and men. Although estrogen replacement therapy can slow the rate of bone loss, it is not highly effective at reversing the condition once it is established. There are, however, ways to reverse osteoporosis. This is because bone is a living, growing tissue, not static material as some people wrongly believe. Consult your holistic physician for evaluation and recommendations for preventing or reversing osteoporosis.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Eat a nutritious diet. Emphasize soy products, nonfat yogurt and milk, and green leafy vegetables.
  • Avoid soda pop and high coffee consumption.
  • Exercise regularly, especially weight-bearing exercise. Walking is one of the very best.

Primary Support

  • BASIC Program (Multivitamin/mineral supplement with extra antioxidants). Maxi Multi or Once Daily Mypacks are good multivitamins for Osteoporosis prevention and reversal. Dose: Maxi Multi 3 Caps, 3 times per day with meals or Mypacks: one packet per day with a meal.

Additional Support

  • Follow recommendations for MENOPAUSE (see Women’s Health ) if you are peri- or post-menopausal.
  • Support any organ system that scored high on the self-health appraisal questionnaire. (see the Holistic Health Handbook)
  • Cal-Mag Amino:  for additional bone minerals if intake is insufficient from BASIC supplementation. Total calcium intake should be 1200-1500mg per day for postmenopausal women.

Dr. Myatts Comment: Osteoporosis is a preventable and reversible condition when treated correctly.

HEART DISEASE


(Arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, CHF)

Heart disease is largely caused by diet, lifestyle, and nutrient imbalances. Certain viruses and inflammation can also damage the heart. Fortunately, heart disease is often reversible, even if you have already had surgery and are on medications. Heart disease is serious. It is best to work with an holistic physician who can help you discover the cause of the problem and make specific recommendations for correction. Never stop taking heart medication without the guidance of a physician!

DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Follow the Ten Rules of Good Health
  • Practice stress reduction techniques and anger management. People with “hot tempers” are at higher risk for cardiac events.
  • Do NOT SMOKE! Smoking is one of the most damaging habits to the heart and cardiovascular system.
  • Maintain a normal body weight.
  • Exercise regularly. Be sure to consult your doctor if you are over 30, highly deconditioned, or have already-established heart disease. He/she can tell you how much exercise is safe for you to begin with.

PRIMARY SUPPORT

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. This daily “multiple” contains high potency antioxidants. Optimal (not minimal) doses of antioxidants (ACES), magnesium, B complex vitamins, and bioflavonoids are particularly important for the heart. Take additional B complex vitamins if your multiple does not contain optimal doses. B vitamins, (especially B6, B12, and folic acid) lower homocysteine levels, an independent risk for heart disease that many researchers feel is more important than cholesterol levels.
  • Max EPA (fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals to prevent or reverse inflammation. Take higher doses as directed if your hs-CRP tests are elevated. Flax oil is also beneficial but requires a biochemical conversion in the body, which is deficient in many people, so fish oil is more certain.
  • CoQ10: 50-300mg per day. This powerful antioxidant, produced by the body, diminishes with age. It is especially valuable for all types of heart disease. CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS deplete CoQ10. (Amounts will depend on the severity of the disease. Lower doses may be used for health maintenance; higher doses in cases of arrhythmia, angina, and atherosclerosis).
  • Magnesium: 2 taps, 3 times per day with meals (Target dose: 500-1500mg per day. Maxi Multi contains 500mg).
  • Grape Seed Extract: 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals. (Target dose: 150-300mg daily). Proanthocyanidins in grape seed extract act as a potent antioxidants and ACE inhibitors. They also help prevent platelet aggregation (blood cells sticking together) and protect blood vessels from damage.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

For High Blood Pressure

For Atherosclerosis

For Arrhythmia

  • Low dose aspirin (81mg): 1 tab per day.
  • L-carnitine: 500-1,000mg, 3 times per day with meals.

For Congestive Heart Failure

CoQ10 and it’s use in CHF (Congestive Heart Failure):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19966871
“… Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is essential for electron transport within the mitochondria and hence for ATP generation and cellular energy production. We recently demonstrated that plasma levels of CoQ10 are an independent predictor of survival in a cohort of 236 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) followed for a median of 2.69 years. This is consistent with previous studies which have shown myocardial CoQ10 depletion in CHF, and correlated with the severity of the underlying disorder. Several intervention studies have been undertaken with CoQ10 in CHF, including randomized controlled trials with mostly positive outcomes in relation to improvement in plasma levels of CoQ10. A meta-analysis showed that CoQ10 resulted in an improvement in ejection fraction of 3.7% (95%CI 1.59-5.77) and the mean increase in cardiac output was 0.28 L/minute (95%CI 0.03-0.53). In a subgroup analysis, studies with patients not taking ACE inhibitors found a 6.7% increase in ejection fraction. The ongoing Q-SYMBIO trial will address whether CoQ10 supplementation improves survival in CHF patients. CoQ10 depletion may also be a contributory factor for why statin intervention has not improved outcomes in CHF. There is an emerging evidence base in support of CoQ10 as an adjunctive therapy in CHF.”

http://faculty.washington.edu/ely/coenzq10.html
“…The majority of the clinical studies concerned the treatment of heart disease and were remarkably consistent in their conclusions: that treatment with CoQ10 significantly improved heart muscle function while producing no adverse effects or drug interactions. …”

Dr. Myatt’s Conclusion:
CoQ10 is beneficial for nearly every type of Heart Disease (angina, arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction (1-18)

Maxi Marine O3 (Fish Oil) and it’s use in CHF (Congestive Heart Failure):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8733172
“…Fish oil may decrease cardiac afterload by an antivasopressor action and by reducing blood viscosity, may reduce arrhythmic risk despite supporting the heart’s beta-adrenergic responsiveness, may decrease fibrotic cardiac remodeling by impeding the action of angiotensin II and, in patients with coronary disease, may reduce the risk of atherothrombotic ischemic complications. Since the measures recommended here are nutritional and carry little if any toxic risk, there is no reason why their joint application should not be studied as a comprehensive nutritional therapy for congestive heart failure. …”

References

1.) Adarsh K, Kaur H, Mohan V. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in isolated diastolic heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Biofactors. 2008;32(1-4):145-9.
2.) Berman M, Erman A, Ben-Gal T, Dvir D, Georghiou GP, Stamler A, Vered Y, Vidne BA, Aravot D. Coenzyme Q10 in patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting cardiac transplantation: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Cardiol. 2004 May;27(5):295-9.
3.) Hodgson JM, Watts GF, Playford DA, Burke V, Croft KD. Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002 Nov;56(11):1137-42.
4.) Kumar A, Kaur H, Devi P, Mohan V. Role of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in Cardiac disease, Hypertension and Meniere- like syndrome. Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jul 25. [Epub ahead of print]
5.) Langsjoen PH, Folkers K, Lyson K, Muratsu K, Lyson T, Langsjoen P. Pronounced increase of survival of patients with cardiomyopathy when treated with coenzyme Q10 and conventional therapy. Int J Tissue React. 1990;12(3):163-8.
6.) Langsjoen PH, Folkers K, Lyson K, Muratsu K, Lyson T, Langsjoen P. Effective and safe therapy with coenzyme Q10 for cardiomyopathy. Klin Wochenschr. 1988 Jul 1;66(13):583-90.
7.) Langsjoen P, Langsjoen A, Willis R, and Folkers K. The Aging Heart: Reversal of Diastolic Dysfunction Through the Use of Oral CoQ10 in the Elderly. Anti-Aging Medical Therapeutics. Klatz RM and Goldman R (eds.). Health Quest Publications. 1997;113-120.
8.) Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen A, Willis R, Folkers K. Treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with coenzyme Q10. Mol Aspects Med. 1997;18(S):s145-s151.
9.) Langsjoen PH, Vadhanavikit S, Folkers K. Response of patients in classes III and IV of cardiomyopathy to therapy in a blind and crossover trial with coenzyme Q10. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Jun;82(12):4240-4.
10.) Mabuchi H, Higashikata T, Kawashiri M, Katsuda S, Mizuno M, Nohara A, Inazu A, Koizumi J, Kobayashi J. Reduction of serum ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 levels by atorvastatin in hypercholesterolemic patients. Journal of Atheroscler Thromb. 2005;12(2):111-9.
11.) Molyneux SL, Florkowski CM, George PM, Pilbrow AP, Frampton CM, Lever M, Richards AM. Coenzyme Q10: an independent predictor of mortality in chronic heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Oct 28;52(18):1435-41.
12.) Mortensen SA. Overview on coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive therapy in chronic heart failure. Rationale, design and end-points of “Q-symbio”–a multinational trial. Biofactors. 2003;18(1-4):79-89.
13.) Mortensen S.A., Vadhanavikit S., Muratsu K., Folkers K. (1990) Coenzyme Q10: Clinical benefits with biochemical correlates suggesting a scientific breakthrough in the management of chronic heart failure. In: Int. J. Tissue React., Vol. 12 (3), pp 155-162.
14.) Rosenfeldt F, Hilton D, Pepe S, Krum H. Systematic review of effect of coenzyme Q10 in physical exercise, hypertension, and heart failure. Biofactors. 2003;18(1-4):91-100.
15.) Silver MA, Langsjoen PH, Szabo S, Patil H, Zelinger A. Effect of atorvastatin on left ventricular diastolic function and ability of coenzyme Q10 to reverse that dysfunction. Am J Cardiol. 2004 Nov 15;94(10):1306-10.
16.) Singh RB; Wander GS et al Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther, 12(4):347-53 1998 Sep.
17.) Singh RB; Wander GS et al Cardiovasc Drugs Ther, 12(4):347-53 1998 Sep.
18.) Weant KA, Smith KM. The role of coenzyme Q10 in heart failure. Ann Pharmacother. 2005;39(9):1522-6.

HealthBeat News

HealthBeat Update: Memory-Boosting Supplements: Improving mental function

Alpha-Lipoic Acid is a neurological antioxidant that chelates free iron from the forebrain, thereby protecting against free radical damage. It also improves mitochondrial function (mitochondria are the energy-producing units of cells). It works especially well in conjunction with CoQ10 and acetyl-L-carnitine to improve energy production. Because of its utility for preventing brain aging and preserving neurological function, plus its use in cataract prevention, diabetes, congestive heart failure and neurological diseases, it can correctly be classified as an important anti-aging/ life-extending nutrient.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine, a derivative of the amino acid L-Carnitine, is a vitamin-like compound that transports fatty acids (“fuel”) into the body cells. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the brain. The acetyl form of L-Carnitine (ALC) has been shown to be substantially more active than L-Carnitine in brain cells.

ALC has been the subject of numerous studies. It bears a close similarity to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which led researchers to study its use in age-related memory changes. ALC has been proven to offer significant benefit to patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and also for people with memory impairment and age-onset depression.

L-Carnitine and its more active form, A-LC have also been shown to be effective as part of weight (fat) loss programs, enhancing the body’s fat-burning ability. This effect proves true even when no deficiency of carnitine is present, meaning that all overweight people will benefit.

Suggest Dose of Each: Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 500mg (1 cap) per day; Alpha Lipoic Acid: 200mg (2 caps) per day.

Ginkgo biloba: Memory enhancement for those over 50 (and those under 50 too!) Ginkgo biloba is one of the most well studied herbs for age related memory changes. Ginkgo is a potent antioxidant. It also increases circulation to small diameter blood vessels (such as those in the brain and extremities.) Studies have verified ginkgo’s efficacy in early-stage Alzheimer’s, multiple infarct dementia (memory changes caused by “mini-strokes”), age related depression, glaucoma, impotence (erectile dysfunction,) MS and vascular insufficiency. It also has anti-allergy effects that make it useful for treatment of chronic respiratory allergies and asthma.

Ginkgo is one of the best-selling natural remedies worldwide. It should be part of the longevity protocol for anyone over the age of 50.

Suggested dose: 1 cap, 2 times per day. (target dose: 240 mg per day of 24% flavoneglycosides)

Phosphatidyle serine (PS): Improved Brain-Cell Function. Phosphatidyle serine (PS) is responsible for normal fluidity and membrane integrity of the brain cells. These functions allow brain cells to communicate efficiently with each other.

The body manufactures PS. Lowered levels of PS are seen in aging in association with impaired mental function and depression in the elderly.

Eleven double-blind studies have verified the effectiveness of PS. Significant improvements were seen in mental performance, behavior, mood, and age-related cognitive decline.

Suggested dose: 1 cap (100 mg PS,) 3 times per day.

B Vitamins, Magnesium and Maxi-Multi: The B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, B12) are all vitally important and work together to regulate energy processes at the cellular level, and by doing so they are vital to the function of nerve and brain cells. Magnesium is a mineral that also plays a big role in energy processes and brain and nerve cell function.

Maxi-Multi is your very best way to be sure you are receiving optimal amounts of these vitamins and minerals, without having to take four or more separate formulas each day. Maxi-Multi provides you with: 1. High potency multiple vitamin / mineral / trace mineral supplement, 2. High potency B complex vitamins, 3. High potency antioxidants (A, carotenes, C, E, selenium, zinc & bioflavinoids) 4. High potency calcium / magnesium (1000 mg / 500 mg). If you only take one nutritional supplement, this should be the one! If you are taking any other “daily vitamin” supplement, do yourself a favor and compare the labels – you’ll see why Maxi-Multi is the way to go. The addition of Plant Enzymes ensures absorption of nutrients. This formula is hypoallergenic and suitable for even highly sensitive individuals.

Ask Dr. Myatt: Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

Q: I am a postmenopausal woman who never took hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I feel I weathered this change of life pretty well. However, I have developed a chronic vaginal itch that my doctor feels is due to a thinning and drying out of the vaginal tissue. He has prescribed premarin vaginal cream (applied intravaginally) starting at twice a week and then just once a week on an on-going basis. I am hoping that there is a more natural way of dealing with this irritating problem. Any suggestions?

A: Natural hormone replacement therapy is one of the best anti-aging measures a person (male or female) can take. Please read more about “The Climacteric” in your Holistic Health handbook, pages 73-76.

Even with only minimal symptoms of hormone deficiency (the vaginal dryness), I still recommend natural hormone replacement therapy (n-HRT). The key word here is “natural.” The hormones used for such are still prescription, but they are custom-tailored to your needs and hormone profile results, not “generic.” Further, they are “bio identical” to your body’s own hormones, meaning that they are the same hormones and given in similar doses to that of a younger female, not synthetic or un-natural hormones, which cause more health problems than they cure. (Premarin is so named because of its origin: Pregnant Mare’s Urine. I kid not! This stuff is natural for a pregnant horse, but not for a postmenopausal human female!)

Natural hormone replacement therapy may include any or all of the three female estrogens, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. Maintenance of cardiovascular health, bone density, protection against breast and other hormones related cancers, maintenance of youthful skin tone, prevention of age-related mood and mental changes are all part of the benefit you can expect from same.

How to go about this? First, you need a complete female hormones profile. I prefer the saliva test method because it gives an “average” look at your hormones instead of blood testing, which gives only a ‘snapshot” look. Please refer to page 135 in your Holistic Health Handbook. The complete profile costs $129 and that’s a bargain for all the information we get.

Secondly, you’ll need to hook up with a physician who is trained in hormone replacement therapy, especially natural hormone replacement therapy. Since I have been doing this my entire career (14 years now), “I” come readily to mind to help you with this. Since you are post-menopausal, the “finishing touches” on your corrective hormones will take only a few “tweaks,” and won’t change significantly over the years.

Let me know if I can help you get on some corrective natural hormones. You will age more gracefully and gently if you decide to go this route, and minimize opportunities for illness to get a foothold. Oh, yes, and it should take care of your vaginal dryness handily!

HealthBeat News

HealthBeat Update: What Are Your New Year’s Health Resolutions?

We all make ’em – those wonderful, hopeful, well-intentioned New-Year’s resolutions. We resolve to work harder, be more productive, be kind to others, pay more attention to our finances, and most importantly, we resolve to take better care of ourselves. Usually this means resolving to exercise, to eat less or even diet, to stop bad habits (C’mon, are you really still smoking? Shame on you, and you know it!), or to do other things that, while they are good for us, we often only manage to follow through on for a short while. Let’s look at it a different way: You could resolve to do or be any number of things in the new year, but what of it if you don’t have your health? Why not look after your health first, by doing some easy and achievable things, such as making sure you are taking the very best multivitamin possible, and making sure that your vitamin and supplement protocol is up to date with the very best and most up-to-date recommendations. Your multivitamin should be the very best you can get – of course we recommend Dr. Myatt’s MaxiMulti – if you take the time to compare labels you will see that no other multivitamin even comes close to offering what MaxiMulti does. It might seem more costly than the deep discount Big-Box-Store sale-of-the-week brand, but if you figure out how much of the other brand you must take (and extras you will need) to equal what is in MaxiMulti, the MaxiMulti becomes a great value indeed! Now, how long has it been since Dr. Myatt updated your chart and tuned up your vitamin and supplement protocol? I’ll bet that some things have changed for you medically over the last year, and I know that there is plenty of new and updated information that Dr. Myatt will be happy to share with you to make this next year healthier than ever. Why not take a moment to call and book a consultation to start the new year off right? Call 1-800-Dr. Myatt (376-9288)

Hot Flashes:“Liver Cleansing” – Worthwhile or Worthless?

Much has been made lately about “liver cleansing”, and “liver flushes.” There are books, websites, and countless herbal concoctions devoted to “cleansing and detoxifying” the liver (and other parts of the body). Well, what of it? Is this for real, or just another way to separate you from your hard-earned money?

Dr. Myatt’s patients often ask about “detoxification,” as if this could be accomplished by a single therapy or supplement. Because the body has multiple organs and organ systems for detoxifying itself, the real question must be “what do you want to detoxify?” Is your target the large intestine, the liver, the skin, the kidneys, or the extracellular fluids? Each of these organs of elimination and detoxification contributes to the body’s overall ability to rid itself of internal waste and externally introduced toxins. Therefore, detoxification techniques may involve one, several, or all organs related to the removal of toxic substances from the body.

We’ll look at this subject over the next few issues of HealthBeat – and for this issue we will examine the role of the liver. This organ converts endogenous and exogenous toxins into excretable metabolites. It is an amazing organ, capable of being insulted, damaged, and then repairing itself quite nicely. It is not invincible though, and we can do some things to help support it in it’s work. Perhaps the most important is to provide plenty of pure water – without water, biotransformation processes grind to a halt, and toxins accumulate.  Water is the single biggest detoxifier of the kidneys, liver, and extracellular fluid. Deficiencies of any vitamin, mineral, or trace mineral can slow or even halt the detoxification pathways. B complex vitamins, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and molybdenum are particularly important in detoxification and are well supplied by Dr. Myatt’s MaxiMulti supplements. Freshly ground Flax seed is an important source of lignans and Omega 3 fatty acids and should be used daily. Dr. Myatt’s MaxiGreens provide a broad spectrum of “greens” and flavonoids including ginkgo biloba, bilberry, green tea, milk thistle, and grape seed and pine bark for their pycnogenols.

More specific to the liver are Milk thistle, dietary sulfur, and indoles (found in cruciferous vegetables.) Milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant and stimulates liver cell regeneration. Sulfur is an important element in many of the detoxification processes of the liver and is easily destroyed by cooking, as are the indoles. MaxiGreens are an excellent source of indoles. Dr. Myatt’s MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) supplies needed fundamental sulfur. Milk Thistle Plus has been carefully formulated by Dr. Myatt to be the best supplement available for liver protection and healing.

So, what is the bottom line? Well, your liver is not like a toilet – you can’t just “flush it” – but you can support and protect it as it does it’s important work for you. “Liver Flushing” as described and promoted by some can be a risky business, and anyone thinking that they need to do this should really consult with Dr. Myatt before starting. Depending on the details of your situation Dr. Myatt will have a number of other specific recommendations for safe and effective detoxification. Book your consultation by calling 1 – 800 – Dr. Myatt (376 – 9288).

Dr. Myatt’s comment: You can’t simply do a “flush” to absolve months or years of bad habits! Improved diet and liver-loving herbs, taken consistently over time, are the healthful way to rejuvenate and “cleanse” your liver and other organs.

Featured Supplements: Support for your liver:
Click on any underlined supplement to order your supply or call 1-800-DR MYATT (376-9288)

MaxiMulti:We talk about this supplement over and over again, because it is a cornerstone to any good health program. MaxiMulti provides not just minimal doses, but optimal doses of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and nutritional co-factors that are absolutely necessary for your body to function at it’s peak. B complex vitamins, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and molybdenum are particularly important in detoxification, and are included in MaxiMulti with digestive enzymes added to ensure absorption. If you are trying to support your liver you must not neglect this valuable and necessary supplement!

MaxiGreensare a complete herbal phytonutrient formula and contain a full spectrum of the most widely-researched flavonoid herbs: ginkgo biloba, bilberry, green tea, milk thistle, and grape seed & pine bark (pycnogenols), plus indole-containing herbs: brocolli and cauliflower, and high chlorophyll / mineral-rich herbs: alfalfa, wheat grass, barley grass, wheat sprout. With gut-healthy probiotics (good gut bacteria) and Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) included in the formula these capsules are easy to assimilate and have bromelain added to ensure absorption. MaxiGreens, taken every day, will provide extra phytonutrients as part of a solid foundation to your healthy lifestyle.

Milk Thistle PlusMilk thistle (silybum marianum) has been the subject of over 100 clinical trials, primarily exploring it’s role in liver disease. It powerfully protects the liver from the effects of environmental toxins (such as carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, iron overload, mushroom poisoning). It is used in Emergency Room medicine in Europe for exposure to liver-toxic agents. Milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant, especially to the liver. It also stimulates liver cell regeneration. It has been proven useful for all types of liver disease, including alcoholic liver sclerosis, hepatitis, protection from environmental toxins, and protection from the liver-toxic effects of many drugs. Milk Thistle Plus additionally contains Tumeric root extract and Artichoke leaf extract to enhance it’s effectiveness. Suggested dose for liver support: 1 capsule three times daily with meals.

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is a source of biologically active sulfur. Sulfur is a mineral that is plentiful in the human body and is found in particularly high concentrations in structural tissues (joints, skin, hair, nails), and serum proteins (transferrin, albumin, and immunoglobulin). Clinical studies have shown MSM to benefit arthritis, immunity, constipation, and circulation. Although sulfur occurs widely in food, it is highly volatile and easily destroyed by even moderate processing or heating. Each capsule contains 1000mg. Suggested dose for liver support: 1000mg three times daily with meals.

Dr. Myatt’s comment: Before you even think of doing some questionable “Cleansing Routine” or “Liver Flush,” make sure you are doing everything you can to support your own body’s detoxification systems. You’ll find more information on this subject on page 56 in my Holistic Health Handbook. If you don’t have a Holistic Health Handbook, you need one – it is a goldmine of valuable information! Click here, and order yours now.

Ask Dr. Myatt: How long will vitamins and herbs keep?

Q: There are numbers and dates on my supplements. Are these important? Should I be worried about my supplements “expiring”?

A: That depends on the product and the form that it is in. Most quality herbal and nutritional supplements have an expiration date on the label, but this date does not reflect the whole story.

Herbal tinctures and fluid extracts, especially if made from potent herbs to begin with, are the longest lasting of any product. Dr. Sharol Tilgner of Wise Woman Herbals, our primary herbal provider, now dates tinctures with a 7 year expiration date. Dr. Tilgner believes that this is a conservative dating process, and I concur. A well-made tincture is potent and useable for up to 20 years from the time it is made. Now, “here’s the rub.” Many herbal products – and I do mean many – are made from dried herbs that have lost their potency BEFORE the tincture is made. These products are weak to begin with. Although they will “keep” for many years, their strength is questionable. The herbal tinctures that we select for Wellness Club are some of the most potent products available. These liquid tincture formulas will be fully potent 10 years from now (conservatively) and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them 20 years hence. Any encapsulated product, whether herbal or nutritional, has a much shorter shelf-life. This is because of a process called “oxidation.” Individual particles in herbs or nutrients are exposed to air. This is true for both gelatin capsules and tablets.

A super potent herb formula in capsule form (remember, many are not potent to begin with) will be potent 2-3 years from the date of manufacture. (On our products, this date is stamped.) In other words, the product will be potent 1 year beyond the expiration date.

Nutritional supplements are a bit trickier, because different vitamins have different shelf-lives. Dr. Jaques at Tyler Encapsulations (one of our major supplement suppliers) offers this:
Vitamin C: up to 5 years
Vitamin B’s: 3 years
Vitamin A: unknown
Vitamin D: indefinitely
Vitamin E: 2 years (except mixed tocopherols, which may last 3-5 years)
Mineral formulas: 10+ years
Enzymes: 2 years

All supplements, whether herbal or nutritional, will last longer if frozen. So… if you stock up, keep unopened products in your freezer or in a cool, dark, moisture-free place to extend shelf life up to 3 times the stamped expiration date.

Remembering Reagan, Avoiding Alzheimer’s


One More for “The Gipper”

Ronald Reagan was one of America’s most memorable Presidents. Even those who disagreed with his politics were attracted to his unflinching optimism, eloquent speech and fierce belief that America was and should always be the “beacon of light in a world of darkness.” For a moving recount of the life and times of this Great American Dreamer, we offer this link to Newsweek Magazine:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5145917/site/newsweek/?GT1=3584

Alzheimer’s Disease: The “Retirement Robber”

We salute a life well lived in public service, in Hollywood and in politics by a man who kept himself fit, optimistic and intimately involved in life. What should have been a golden last decade in the life of Ronald Reagan was instead spent with a swiftly diminishing mental and physical capacity. Alzheimer’s disease robbed he and his wife of 52 years of the noble retirement they deserved.

What Alzheimer’s Is — and Isn’t

Alzheimer’s disease, first described in 1907 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, is a degenerative condition of the brain that results in progressive memory loss. In its most severe stage, afflicted people become unable to care for themselves, lose bowel and bladder control and are often unable to swallow and eat. Death usually ensues from infection, often pneumonia.

There are many causes of memory loss besides Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that an approximately equal number of people over age 60 suffer from senile dementia and Alzheimer’s. (Four million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease at a cost of $90 billion annually). While dementia is most frequently caused by atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s is caused by the deposition of an abnormal protein — beta amyloid — in the brain. These protein deposits are accompanied by “neurofibrillary tangles,” (tangles of tiny filaments in the brain) and a loss of many nerve cells. The two conditions are often difficult to differentiate.

Any memory loss with age COULD be serious, but many causes of decreased memory are due to correctable abnormalities such as low thyroid function, nutrient deficiencies, atherosclerosis and tumors. Some decreased capacity to recall names is not necessarily a sign of anything worrisome. One expert described the difference between benign age-related memory changes and Alzheimer’s like this: aging memory is forgetting where you put the car keys; Alzheimer’s is forgetting how to drive the car. Benign aging memory is forgetting an old high school friend’s name; Alzheimer’s is forgetting your spouse’s name.

When to be Concerned about Memory Loss

Any persistent memory changes in a person of ANY age should be evaluated by a physician. Again, there are many correctable causes of memory loss. Many of these corrections are best made as early as possible. For example, deficiencies of B6, B12 and folic acid are associated with increased levels of homocysteine. Increased homocysteine, in turn, is associated with memory loss. This nutrient-related memory decline is felt to be completely reversible within the first 6-12 months. After that, although further memory decline can often be prevented, the existing memory deficits are most often irreversible. (Another good reason to take your daily Maxi Multi, which contains the optimal target doses of these nutrients).

Again, any memory or personality changes should be thoroughly evaluated by a physician. Don’t wait to see your doctor for memory concerns.

Causes of Alzheimer’s

The major abnormalities seen in Alzheimer’s are beta amyloid plaque deposition, neurofibrillary tangles, and loss of neurons. The cause of this collection of abnormalities is not known, although strong evidence exists to support several mechanisms.

1.) Genetics. There appears to be some genetic predisposition to the disease, with 15-20% of cases running in families.

2.) Free Radical Damage (oxidative stress). Brain lesions in Alzheimer’s patients exhibit typical free-radical damage, including damaged DNA, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and Advanced Glycosylation end products (AGE’s, see # 3 below).

3.) Inflammation. The same inflammatory cascade that is a known risk factor for heart disease appears in Alzheimer’s at the site of beta amyloid desposition. These inflammatory products accelerate the loss of neurons (brain cells). The hs-CRP test that I encourage all patients to have on an annual basis to help predict heart-disease risk is an indication of this type of low-grade inflammation.

4.) Advanced Glycolsylation End products (AGEs). Glycation is a process whereby a protein binds irreversibly to a sugar molecule, producing an abnormal complex that impairs tissue elasticity. Evidence for AGEs as a cause of Alheimer’s relates to the fact that AGEs are found in the neurofibrillary tangles characteristic of the disease. Many researchers feel that AGEs may be a more important cause of Alzheimer’s that beta amyloid.

5.) Aluminum toxicity. Although this potential cause is dismissed by conventional medicine, the evidence is strong in favoring aluminum as a causative factor. First, the senile plaques chracteristic of Alzheimer’s patients have been found to accumulate aluminum. Lab animals injected with aluminum will develop neurofibrillary tangles as seen in Alzheimer’s. One study (McLachlan, et al. 1996) found a 250% increase of Alzheimer’s disease in people drinking municipal water with high aluminum levels for 10 years or more. Finally, one drug used to treat Alzheimer’s (desferrioxamine) shows a significant benefit in slowing progression of the disease. This drug chelates aluminum.

6.) Homocysteine. This metabolic intermediate, clearly recognized as a risk factor for coronary artery disease, non-Alzheimer’s dementia, and stroke, is now felt to be a significant risk for Alzheimer’s disease as well. Elevated homocysteine levels results from deficiencies of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid.

Although other theories of the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease exist, the above-listed causes appear to have the most research and relevance behind them.

Avoiding Alzheimer’s: Prevention Steps to Take NOW

With the exception of genetics, all of the most widely supported causes of Alzheimer’s are amenable to preventive and possibly even corrective measures. This is good news, because it means we are not helpless to prevent such a devastating disease. Here are the most-proven methods for addressing the causes of Alzheimer’s:

1.) Prevent Free Radical Damage to the brain and elsewhere. This is a two-step process. First, avoid or minimize exposure to factors that cause free radicals in the body. These factors include first and second-hand smoke, excessive exposure to X-rays, excessive sun exposure, dietary trans fatty acids, heavy metal toxicity. Secondly, take an abundance of nutritional antioxidants to neutralize free radicals in the body. Common antioxidants inlude: vitamin A, C, E, beta carotene, flavonoids, CoQ10 and acetyl-L-carnitine. The herb Ginkgo biloba is also a potent antioxidant.

2.) Prevent and Reverse Subtle Inflammation. The herb turmeric (curcumin), is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrin substance. It is also a potent antioxidant with liver-protecting properties. Ginkgo is another anti-inflammatory herb (actually mentioned in The Merck Manual of conventional medicine as being helpful for Alzheimer’s). Essential Fatty Acids, such as those found in flax and fish oil, are anti-inflammatory.

3.) Reduce Advanced Glycosylation End products (AGEs). This is best accomplished by means of a lower carbohydrate diet. In the absence of chronic high blood sugar, AGEs form much less, if at all. The Super Fast Diet is an example of a health-restoring diet that minimizes the production of AGEs by lowering average daily blood sugars and insulin levels. Vitamin B1 and B6 decrease AGE formation.

4.) Chelate Toxic metals, especially aluminum. A hair analysis should be employed to evaluate for heavy and toxic metal toxicity. This inexpensive test costs $65. Call 1-800-Dr.Myatt (376-9288) to order a hair mineral analysis kit or see page 135 of the Holistic Health Handbook for more information.  An excess of ANY toxic metal should be chelated with the guidance of a physician. In most cases, this can be accomplished by taking an oral chelating agent (the agent will differ depending on which toxic metal is accumulated). For severe toxicity, IV chelation is sometimes more expeditious.

5.) Lower Homocysteine Levels. This can almost always be easily accomplished by taking optimal doses of B6, B12 and folic acid.

A Simplified Action Plan for Preventing Alzheimer’s

1.) Take Daily Multi Vitamin and Mineral Supplement. This should include vitamins A,C,E, beta carotene, bioflavonoids, B complex vitamins (especially B1, B6, B12, folic acid), and selenium. Maxi Multi contains optimal daily doses of these nutrients.

2.) Max EPA (fish oil): 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals to prevent or reverse inflammation. Take higher doses as directed if your hs-CRP tests are elevated. Flax oil is also beneficial but requires a biochemical conversion in the body which is deficient in many people, so fish oil is more certain.

3.) Extra protection: take any or all of these proven neuro-protective substances:

I.) CoQ10: 50-300mg per day. This powerful antioxidant, produced by the body, diminishes with age. It is especially valuable for all types of heart disease. CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS deplete CoQ10.

II.) Turmeric: 1 capsule, 3 times per day (target dose: 900mg). Potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrin herb, turmeric acts by three different mechanisms to help protect the brain from the presumed causes of Alzheimer’s.

III.) Ginkgo biloba: 1 cap, 2 times per day. [target dose: 240mg of a 24% flavoneglycoside formula]. Ginkgo is a potent antioxidant that also improves cerebral circulation. This herb is mentioned in The Merck Manual of (conventional) Medicine as being helpful for Alzheimer’s!

IV.) Phosphatidyl Serine: 1 cap (100mgPS), 3 times per day. PS increases brain cell communication by improving membrane fluidity.

V.) Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 1 cap (500mg), 3 times per day between meals. A-LC acts as a powerful antioxidant in the brain.

VI.) Alpha-Lipoic Acid: 1 cap, 2-3 times per day. This neurological antioxidant chelates free iron from the forebrain, thereby protecting against free-radical induced brain aging.

VII.) Melatonin: this hormone decreases with age. It is a potent antioxidant and one of the only ones to cross the blood-brain barrier. It should be used in almost all cases of any neurological disease and is an important part of longevity and anti-aging programs.

Alzheimer’s disease is not an inevitable part of aging even though it is common in our country. Don’t let this memory-robbing disease deprive you of YOUR Golden Years!

In Health,

Dr. Dana Myatt

 

HealthBeat News


Taking Good Health to Heart

The heart is an indispensable organ that moves blood through thousands of miles of blood vessels every minute. Without a functioning heart, the body can live little more than five minutes. The heart is a muscle, and, like skeletal muscle, grows stronger when more is demanded of it. Also like skeletal muscles, the heart requires sufficient protein intake to rebuild and regenerate itself. The heart also requires adequate blood flow to bring nutrients and oxygen to itself. When atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing) of the arteries occurs, the heart muscle may not receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients to fully perform these functions.

Atherosclerosis and its complications (coronary heart disease and stroke) account for 20% of all US deaths each year. Overall, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. But, “take heart”! There are many simple measures you can take to avoid being part of this statistic.

Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Eat a nutritious diet that is high in nutrients and fiber. Fruits and vegetables are the primary sources of minerals and phytonutrients (“Plant nutrients”) that protect the heart. They also contain meaningful amounts of fiber.
  • Get regular aerobic exercise (with your doctor’s clearance if you are overweight, over 30 or deconditioned). Exercise improves circulation and heart muscle pumping ability. it also helps the body use excess calories and cholesterol for energy.
  • Maintain a normal body weight. Each excess pound of fat is supplied by miles of blood vessels. This increased demand puts more workload on the heart.
  • Don’t smoke. Smoking accelerates the development of atherosclerosis. It can also cause blood vessels to spasm, mimicking a heart attack.
  • Practice stress reduction techniques and anger management. people with ‘hot tempers” are at higher risk for cardiac events. (Presumably because adrenaline stimulates heart function – a useful pathway if you need to run away from a tiger but over stimulating to the heart if you are sitting in traffic!).
  • Take a high quality multiple vitamin/mineral supplement. (Hint: the nutrient levels your body needs will NOT fit into a “one per day” tablet or capsule. Expect to be taking 6 to 9 caps per day to achieve optimal doses of nutrients). B complex vitamins (All, but especially B6, B12, folic acid), magnesium, potassium, antioxidants (vitamin C, E, and selenium) and bioflavonoids are particularly important to the heart.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. This daily “multiple” contains high potency antioxidants. Optimal (not minimal) doses of antioxidants (ACES), magnesium, B complex vitamins, and bioflavonoids are particularly important for the heart. Take additional B complex vitamins if your multiple does not contain optimal doses. B vitamins, (especially B6, B12, and folic acid) lower homocysteine levels, an independent risk for heart disease that many researchers feel is more important than cholesterol levels.
  • Max EPA (fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals to prevent or reverse inflammation. Take higher doses as directed if your hs-CRP tests are elevated. Flax oil is also beneficial but requires a biochemical conversion in the body, which is deficient in many people, so fish oil is more certain.
  • CoQ10: 50-300mg per day. This powerful antioxidant, produced by the body, diminishes with age. It is especially valuable for all types of heart disease. CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS deplete CoQ10. (Amounts will depend on the severity of the disease. Lower doses may be used for health maintenance; higher doses in cases of arrhythmia, angina, and atherosclerosis).
  • Magnesium: 2 taps, 3 times per day with meals (Target dose: 500-1500mg per day. Maxi Multi contains 500mg).
  • Grape Seed Extract: 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals. (Target dose: 150-300mg daily). Proanthocyanidins in grape seed extract act as a potent antioxidants and ACE inhibitors. They also help prevent platelet aggregation (blood cells sticking together) and protect blood vessels from damage.

Additional Support

For Atherosclerosis:

For High Blood Pressure:

For Arrhythmia:

For Heart Failure (CHF):

Heart disease can be serious. Fortunately, the heart is very responsive to good care and many heart ailments are reversible. If you have a heart problem, it is best to work with an holistic (integrative) physician who can help you discover the cause of any existing heart problems and make specific recommendations. Never stop taking heart medication without the guidance of a physician. Bottom line: Be kind to your heart and it will keep you “ticking.”