Category: Health Concerns

Prostate Cancer, PSA, and Biopsies – A Critical Look

By Nurse Mark

Cancer is a terrifying word. It generates mental images of pain and suffering and disfigurement and disability. It seems almost everyone knows of someone who has died a hideous death from cancer. We instinctively recoil from cancer as we might from a venomous reptile or insect. We react with revulsion. The “ick factor.”

For this reason the word “cancer” can be used by doctors to justify almost anything – no matter how risky, unproven, or nonsensical, if something is presented as being necessary to “fight this thing” or “catch it early” most people will meekly agree in order to purge themselves of the “ick factor” that the thought of cancer brings.

Prostate cancer is especially troublesome for men, because it hits us “where it hurts” – like a “kick in the…” – well, you know what I mean… It conjures up visions of emasculation, incontinence, and unpleasant medical and surgical procedures performed on our most sensitive parts.

But is prostate cancer really all that it is made up to be? Is it really a dread disease that strikes down virile men in their prime, killing all it touches? Or is that the “marketing angle” used to sell expensive tests, surgeries, drugs, and treatments?

Let’s look at the whole issue a little more deeply.

Normal Prostate AnatomyWhat the heck is this prostate thing anyway?

In men the prostate is a walnut-sized lump of tissue that surrounds the urethra – the tube that carries urine out of the bladder – just below the urinary bladder. It normally weighs around 11 grams (just over 1/3 of an ounce) but can range from 7 to 11 grams and be considered normal. Its main purpose is to produce a fluid that aids in reproduction, transporting and protecting the sperm during the reproductive act.

Women have a similar organ, and female paraurethral glands called Skene’s glands were officially renamed the female prostate by the Federative International Committee on Anatomical Terminology in 2002. But that is a whole different story, since the female prostate doesn’t seem to encounter the same troubles as the male prostate does…

So what’s the big deal about it?

For men, there are a couple of potential problems with the prostate.

First, and most commonly, like ears and noses the prostate just doesn’t seem to know when to stop growing. In older men this leads to a condition known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (or BPH) and can cause problems with urination since while it grows in size outwardly it also tends to tighten down on the urethra as it gets larger – with predictable results. Difficulty starting urination and difficulty emptying the bladder fully lead to a condition known as Urinary Frequency. This usually results in multiple trips to the bathroom through the day and more significantly through the night.Normal and Enlarged Prostate

It is believed that this unnecessary growth of the prostate begins at around age 30 and that by age 50 at least 50% of men will have evidence of BPH. This number increases to include 75% of men who reach the age of 80, and some 40% to 50% of those men will experience symptoms from this otherwise benign growth.

The second and more serious problem occurs when some of those ever-increasing numbers of prostate cells become cancerous.

Most prostate cancers are what considered “indolent” (that’s right – indolent means lazy, lethargic or idle) and more men than you might imagine actually have cancerous cells in their prostate but never, ever know it. One autopsy study of men who died of other causes found prostate cancer in 30% of men in their 50s, and in 80% of men in their 70s. It seems that any man who lives long enough will have prostate cancer eventually.

A few of those cancers however are of a more aggressive nature and can grow quickly, escaping the confines of the prostate gland and affecting other areas of the body in a process known as metastasis. These prostate cancers tend not to be without symptoms however, and are usually easy for an observant doctor to detect – a simple Digital Rectal Exam (the “dreaded DRE”) where the doctor inserts a finger into the rectum and simply feels the surface of the prostate gland will quickly reveal any lumps or bumps or hardness that could indicate a cancer.

Well, how can a fellow know?

Good question – since most men go through life with nary an untoward symptom from their prostate.

Even though they may actually have an “enlarged” prostate, or even a cancerous prostate, chances are very good that most men will never know it and will go on to die from some other cause – things like a heart attack or stroke, an infection like pneumonia, an accident, old age, or even (as the joke goes) “shot by a jealous husband” are a far more likely end for most men.

When they do occur, symptoms of BPH that might send a man to his doctor include urinary hesitancy, frequent urination, urinary tract infections, urinary retention, or insomnia caused by frequent awakening to urinate through the night.

Cancer in the prostate, as mentioned, is often quite asymptomatic (without symptoms or complaints) for most men since it is usually “indolent” – slow growing and not aggressive. When the cancer is an aggressive kind the symptoms will often be fairly obvious: as in BPH they include frequent urination, nocturia (increased urination at night), and difficulty starting and maintaining a steady stream of urine.

Because the cancerous cells are abnormal additional symptoms can include hematuria (blood in the urine), and dysuria (painful urination). Problems with sexual function and performance like difficulty achieving an erection or painful ejaculation can occur. And, should the cancer escape the prostate other areas of the body can be affected – the bone is a common site for these metastasis, with bone pain and weakness being common symptoms.

But my doctor – can he know?

Digital Rectal Exam of the Prostate GlandSure – if you help. Your doctor will do a number of things – but the most important thing will be to sit and talk with you. He (or she) will start out by just talking – asking about your family history, any symptoms you may be experiencing, your recent and past medical history, and so on. He will do a physical examination with DRE, and may order some lab tests – more on that in a moment.

For most men that’s as far as it needs to go – if you are not having any symptoms and the doctor doesn’t find anything on physical exam that rings his alarm bells then you can relax until next year’s annual physical exam when he should be doing the same thing all over again for you.

Well, what about the PSA test – isn’t that the best way to know?

Maybe, and no. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the PSA test and it’s promoted use as a “screening tool” for prostate cancer. While the drug companies, laboratories, and urologists continue to support PSA testing as a universal screening tool for all men, most of the rest of conventional medicine is quietly turning away from the test except in specific circumstances.

Even the discoverer of PSA, researcher Richard J Ablin – whose father died of prostate cancer – concluded in a 2010 OpEd article in The New York Times:

“I never dreamed that my discovery four decades ago would lead to such a profit-driven public health disaster. The medical community must confront reality and stop the inappropriate use of P.S.A. screening. Doing so would save billions of dollars and rescue millions of men from unnecessary, debilitating treatments.”

He says in his letter:

“American men have a 16 percent lifetime chance of receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer, but only a 3 percent chance of dying from it. That’s because the majority of prostate cancers grow slowly. In other words, men lucky enough to reach old age are much more likely to die with prostate cancer than to die of it.”

And he continued:

“Even then, the [PSA] test is hardly more effective than a coin toss. As I’ve been trying to make clear for many years now, P.S.A. testing can’t detect prostate cancer and, more important, it can’t distinguish between the two types of prostate cancer — the one that will kill you and the one that won’t.”

More and more conventional medical governing bodies are moving away from PSA testing:

The American College of Preventive Medicine conducted a study that found:

“…no convincing evidence that early screening, detection, and treatment improves mortality. Limitations of prostate cancer screening include potential adverse health effects associated with false-positive and negative results, and treatment side effects.”

They issued a statement to say that

“there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine population screening with DRE or PSA.”

The American College of Physicians has taken a similar cautionary stance:

“…PSA is not just a blood test. It can open the door to more testing and treatment that a man may not want or that may harm him. Because chances of being harmed are greater than chances of benefiting, each man should have the opportunity to decide for himself whether to be screened.”

The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Physicians together concluded that based on recent research:

“…it is uncertain whether the benefits associated with PSA testing for prostate cancer screening are worth the harms associated with screening and subsequent unnecessary treatment.”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says in their recommendation against the use of PSA testing:

“…many men are harmed as a result of prostate cancer screening and few, if any, benefit.”

Even The American Urological Association – whose members obviously stand to profit handsomely from all things associated with the prostate – has issued a guideline that makes the following statements:

  • PSA screening in men under age 40 years is not recommended.
  • Routine screening in men between ages 40 to 54 years at average risk is not recommended.
  • For men ages 55 to 69 years, the decision to undergo PSA screening involves weighing the benefits of preventing prostate cancer mortality in 1 man for every 1,000 men screened over a decade against the known potential harms associated with screening and treatment. For this reason, shared decision-making is recommended for men age 55 to 69 years that are considering PSA screening, and proceeding based on patients’ values and preferences.
  • To reduce the harms of screening, a routine screening interval of two years or more may be preferred over annual screening in those men who have participated in shared decision-making and decided on screening. As compared to annual screening, it is expected that screening intervals of two years preserve the majority of the benefits and reduce over diagnosis and false positives.
  • Routine PSA screening is not recommended in men over age 70 or any man with less than a 10-15 year life expectancy.

Now, to be fair, there a number of medical experts (besides the drug and laboratory industry) that are still actively, even enthusiastically promoting universal PSA screening for men – the British Journal of Urology published a “consensus statement” created by a group of self-described “leading prostate cancer experts from around the world” who met at the 2013 Prostate Cancer World Congress in Melbourne, Australia and presented their recommendations for PSA testing.

Here are some highlights of their statement called The Melbourne Consensus Statement on Prostate Cancer Testing:

First, the authors emphasize that:

“For men aged 50–69, level 1 evidence demonstrates that PSA testing reduces prostate cancer-specific mortality and the incidence of metastatic prostate cancer.”

BUT they go on to say…

“…the degree of over-diagnosis and over-treatment reduces considerably with longer follow-up.
While routine population-based screening is not recommended, healthy, well-informed men in this age group should be fully counseled about the positive and negative aspects of PSA testing to reduce their risk of metastases and death. This should be part of a shared decision-making process.”

AND…

“Although screening is essential to diagnose high-risk cases within the window of curability, it is clear that many men with low-risk prostate cancer do not need aggressive treatment.
While it is accepted that active surveillance does not address the issue of over-diagnosis, it does provide a vehicle to avoid excessive intervention.”

AND…

“PSA testing should not be considered on its own, but rather as part of a multivariable approach to early prostate cancer detection. PSA is a weak predictor of current risk and additional variables such as digital rectal examination, prostate volume, family history, ethnicity, risk prediction models, and new tools such as the phi test, can help to better risk stratify men.”

AND FINALLY…

“…a man in his 70s who has had a stable PSA at or below the median for a number of years previously is at low risk of developing a threatening prostate cancer and regular PSA screening should be discouraged.”

In other words: With regular PSA testing a very narrowly defined group of men in a narrow age range might have an aggressive, treatable cancer detected but routine screening of all men is not recommended. They recognize that PSA testing frequently leads to over-diagnosis and over-treatment and that for many men there is no need for aggressive treatment. And finally, they admit that PSA testing “is a weak predictor of current risk” and should be considered only one part of an overall approach to men’s prostate health.

But I did get tested, and my PSA is going up. The doctor said stuff like “PSA Velocity” and scared the heck out of me!

PSA Velocity is a fancy way of saying how quickly (or not) a PSA level has increased over a given amount of time. It’s a fiddly, complicated mathematical exercise that looks really impressive to laypeople, but is being discredited by many authorities

In an article in the National Cancer Institute Cancer Bulletin we can find the following statement:

“A rapid increase in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels is not grounds for automatically recommending a prostate biopsy, according to a study published online February 24, 2011, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.”

The study looked at over 5500 men to determine if using the “PSA Velocity” calculations could help doctors detect more prostate cancers. Here is what they found:

“Adding PSA velocity to the model would have identified 115 additional cancers (although not necessarily fatal cancers) but also resulted in 433 “unnecessary biopsies” that would have shown no cancer.”

In other words, they might have found a few more cancers, but they would have had to do a lot of unnecessary biopsies to do it.

The researchers at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York conclude:

“We found no evidence to support the recommendation that men with high PSA velocity should be biopsied in the absence of other indications; this measure should not be included in practice guidelines.”

Well, my urologist says that the biopsy is “No Big Deal” and I shouldn’t worry about it…

Again, conventional medical authorities are turning against that old party line, and so they should – because evidence of the dangers of prostate biopsies just keeps piling up.

A recent Bloomberg.com news article went into great detail on the risks, starting out with this statement:

“Doctors are changing their approach to prostate biopsies as evidence mounts that the danger of complications from the procedure may outweigh its usefulness identifying some cancers.

An increasing incidence of potentially lethal, difficult- to-treat bloodstream infections tied to prostate biopsies has become so serious that urologists are reassessing when, how and even if they do the procedure.”

Prostate BiopsyThe problem is in the geographical location of the prostate in the body. It lives just under the bladder, and is most easily accessible to a doctor by way of the rectum – which is why the Digital Rectal Exam or DRE is such a convenient tool for your doctor.

Biopsies of the prostate are performed by stabbing a special needle into the prostate gland in a half-dozen or more places to pull out bits of tissue for the pathologist to inspect for cancerous cells

The most common way to get at the prostate for these needle pokes is, like the finger exam, up the rectum.

Since the lower bowel and rectum are a region of our body that is rich in bacteria and almost impossible to “sterilize” or even thoroughly clean, you can imagine the risks!

Just one errant bacterium dragged from the rectum into the prostate or bloodstream as the needle penetrates can result in potentially life-threatening sepsis or even septicemia (aka “blood poisoning”). Since we have been using antibiotics with such wild abandon over the past few decades and have created “superbugs”, many of those bacteria are now antibiotic resistant and virtually untreatable.

But my urologist says he’ll use a different procedure that avoids the rectum – that will be safer, right?

Your urologist is talking about using a trans-perineal approach and may even boast that it will allow him to access more of the prostate gland and take even more biopsy samples.

It is also a much bigger money-maker for your urologist – here is what that Bloomberg article had to say about it:

“The perineum, the skin between the bottom of the scrotum and the anus, is a safer entry point because it can be cleaned with antiseptic, unlike the rectum, said Lindsay Grayson, Austin Hospital’s head of infectious diseases.

The lower risk of infections means urologists can take more core samples of the prostate, especially of the part of the gland that’s difficult to reach from the rectum, Frydenberg said.

On the downside, the procedure takes at least twice as long to perform, requires heavier patient sedation, six people in an operating theater, and equipment costing about $100,000, he said.”

And still not without risk…

Though the transperineal approach may carry less risk of infection, it still exposes men to the same risk as the rectal approach – the risk of spreading an indolent cancer from inside the confines of the prostate where it was sleeping peacefully to the blood and other areas of the body as those cells are dragged out through the surrounding tissues.

In an article in Medical News Today titled Prostate Biopsy Spreads Prostate Cancer Cells, the Diagnostic Center For Disease in Sarasota Florida discussed the phenomenon called “tracking” that occurs:

“A more important issue that is often not discussed between physician and patient involves the possibility of “needle tracking”, the very real possibility of spreading cancer cells beyond the prostate when a biopsy is performed. An extensive review of the literature confirms that once a needle penetrates the capsule of an organ, a phenomenon called “needle tracking” takes place. When the needle is withdrawn from the targeted organ, the chance of spreading cancer cells (when encountered) establishes itself, and every puncture of the prostate adds to this risk.

Despite the significance of this risk to the patient, physicians generally fail to acknowledge a process that allows cells to lie dormant or incubate for up to 10 years or more regardless of the treatment rendered. In a 2 billion dollar prostate biopsy industry, the phenomenon of “needle tracking” takes place approximately 20-30 percent of the time.”

This same article also discusses some of the other risks of prostate biopsy:

“…all men suffer the potential risk for bleeding, scarring, infection or sepsis and needless intrusion that has reportedly resulted in impotency and/or incontinence in some patients.”

But, my PSA is up and my doctor says he’s worried…

There are more reasons than just prostate cancer that might account for a rising PSA – and most of those reasons are quite benign.

Once again let’s see what the discoverer of PSA, Richard J Ablin, has to say:

“Even then, the test is hardly more effective than a coin toss. As I’ve been trying to make clear for many years now, P.S.A. testing can’t detect prostate cancer and, more important, it can’t distinguish between the two types of prostate cancer — the one that will kill you and the one that won’t.

Instead, the test simply reveals how much of the prostate antigen a man has in his blood. Infections, over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen, and benign swelling of the prostate can all elevate a man’s P.S.A. levels, but none of these factors signals cancer.”

PSA naturally rises as a man ages and the prostate continues growing, but that’s not all:

  • A urinary tract infection or prostatitis can elevate PSA.
  • A healthy activity like a vigorous bicycle (or horseback) ride can elevate PSA.
  • PSA can also be falsely and transiently elevated from something as innocent as having sex with your wife within a day or two of the test.
  • Even the DRE that the doctor performed can cause an elevation of the PSA.

Yes that’s right; an unscrupulous doctor could conceivably perform a “vigorous” or “thorough” DRE “prostate exam” knowing that an elevated PSA would be the result and then use that PSA result to sell his patient a completely unnecessary biopsy procedure!

So, it looks like the PSA is a Bust and shouldn’t ever be used?

Not at all! There are some specific situations where the PSA is a useful tool for the wise doctor to have at his disposal. The following are some of those men who may be wise to follow their PSA:

  • Men with a family history of aggressive prostate cancer, early onset prostate cancer, or death from prostate cancer.
  • Men, especially younger men, (under age 50 or so) who have symptoms of prostate enlargement or disease or unusual findings on DRE.
  • Men of African ethnicity, who tend to develop more aggressive prostate cancers, earlier in life.
  • Men who have been treated for prostate cancer or who has had a prostatectomy performed.

And those biopsies – are there any alternatives?

There may be times when you and your doctor just really need to know – because of symptoms, an unusual finding on DRE, or a rapidly rising PSA over several tests… but biopsy may not be the only option.

Recently, an imaging technology called a “3.0 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Spectroscopy” scan (MRI -S) is being used to predict and confirm the presence of prostate cancer. This technology is claimed to be the most sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for prostate evaluation in the world, and is said to be able to replace less accurate scanning procedures like the PET scan, CAT scan and Prostascint scans. This is certainly something to discuss with your urologist.

Ultrasound, while not as accurate, may also be employed and is frequently used to guide needle biopsy procedures, either by itself or in combination with MRI imaging.

So, what’s the bottom line?

  • Most men as they age will have an increase in the size of their prostate. This is normal.
  • Most men as they age will have increased PSA levels. This is normal.
  • Most men, if they live long enough, will have cancer in their prostate.
  • Most prostate cancers are very slow growing and cause no problems.
  • Most men with prostate cancer will never know it and will die from something else.
  • PSA testing by itself cannot detect cancer.
  • PSA testing is unreliable in many cases and often leads to unnecessary biopsies and treatments.
  • Prostate biopsy procedures are risky for many reasons.
  • Treatments for prostate cancer can cause more harm than good in many cases.

It is clear that for every aggressive prostate cancer found, treated, and “life saved”, there are many more lives made into a misery of impotence and incontinence through aggressive and unnecessary diagnostics and treatments.

We must do better.

References and Resources:

Epidemiology of BPH: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1950546-overview#aw2aab6b5

Latent carcinoma of prostate at autopsy in seven areas. Collaborative study organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyons, France: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.2910200506/abstract

Richard J Ablin – The Great Prostate Mistake: Published: March 9, 2010 New York Times – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10Ablin.html?_r=0

Screening for prostate cancer in U.S. men ACPM position statement on preventive practice.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18201648

Screening for Prostate Cancer: A Guidance Statement From the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1676184

The USPSTF recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer.: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/prostatecancerscreening.htm

AUA RELEASES NEW CLINICAL GUIDELINE ON PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING – http://www.auanet.org/advnews/press_releases/article.cfm?articleNo=290

PSA Screening Does More Harm Than Good, Says New Analysis: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811846

The Melbourne Consensus Statement on Prostate Cancer Testing: http://www.bjuinternational.com/bjui-blog/the-melbourne-consensus-statement-on-prostate-cancer-testing/

PSA Velocity Does Not Improve Prostate Cancer Detection: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2011/psa-velocity2011

An empirical evaluation of guidelines on prostate-specific antigen velocity in prostate cancer detection.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21350221

Prostate Cancer Test Causing Sepsis Spurs Biopsy Concerns. Bloomberg, Apr 24, 2013: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-24/prostate-cancer-test-causing-sepsis-spurs-biopsy-concerns.html

The Impact of Repeat Biopsies on Infectious Complications in Men with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24018237

Diagnostic Center For Disease: Prostate Biopsy Spreads Prostate Cancer Cells – http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/97872.php

Mortality Results from a Randomized Prostate-Cancer Screening Trial: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0810696

Screening and Prostate-Cancer Mortality in a Randomized European Study: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0810084

Harvard School of Public Health – Men with prostate cancer more likely to die from other causes: http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130&a=146954&l=en&newsdep=130

Accurate Use of Prostate-specific Antigen in Determining Risk of Prostate Cancer: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718972_1

ECC 2013 Press Release: Organised Screening for Prostate Cancer using the Prostate-Specific Antigen Test, Does more Harm than Good – Prostate cancer screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is widely used in France despite a lack of evidence showing that it reduces cancer deaths.: http://www.esmo.org/Conferences/European-Cancer-Congress-2013/News/ECC-2013-Press-Release-Organised-Screening-for-Prostate-Cancer-using-the-Prostate-Specific-Antigen-Test-Does-more-Harm-than-Good

 

Hyaluronan / Hyaluronic Acid


“Joint Juice”

Hyaluronic Acid, or Hyaluronan, is a major component of the lubricating fluid in our joints.

It has long been known that deterioration of hyaluronic acid in the fluid in joints can begin in people as young as 28 years old. As we age it is common for joints to become deficient in the hyaluronon molecule, causing a loss of “lubricity” of the fluid and resulting in the aches and pains in the joints that many of us just write off as “just getting older.”

So, what is hyaluronic acid (HA) anyway?

HA is the molecule that holds all the moisture in your body in place. HA is present in the fluid that coats your muscle sheaths, in your connective tissues, in your eyes, your skin and hair and in the fluid that keeps your joints, tendons and ligaments elastic. It provides the “slipperiness.”

Supplementing with HA has been shown to dramatically improve aches, pains, and ability to perform athletic exercise.

PlayAgain HyaluronanThere is only one HA supplement available that meets Dr. Myatt’s standards – it is a high molecular weight liquid form of HA that is easily and quickly absorbed through the tissues of the mouth and esophogus (throat).

Why is this important? It is important because low molecular weight HA does not tend to find it’s way to the areas where it is needed – the joints and connective tissues. HA in tablet or capsule form must be absorbed from the gut – reducing availability even further.

That HA supplement is a product called PlayAgain.

Nurse Mark has been using PlayAgain and here is what he found:

“I am a 58 year old runner. My normal daily routine is to run several miles each morning. I do not run on pavement – I run along the cattle trails of the state lands (pastureland) behind our home. Over the past year or so I have noticed increasing discomfort in my hips following my runs. Like most people, I attributed it to “getting older” and controlled it with Bromelain, a natural antiinflammatory.

Recently while at a medical conference we met with the makers of PlayAgain Hyaluronic Acid. They asked me to trial their product and report my findings.

I used PlayAgain as directed – 3 tablespoons each morning for 10 days as a loading dose. I began to notice a reduction in hip discomfort on the 3rd to 4th day, and a significant increase in joint comfort and flexibility by the 10th day.

On the 10th day I ran out of PlayAgain, and was unable to replenish my supply for a week. By the end of that week without PlayAgain I was noticing a very definite return of my hip joint symptoms of discomfort and stiffness.

I have now resumed using PlayAgain (repeating the loading dose) and I am once again able to report decreased discomfort and stiffness and increased comfort on my daily runs.”

Because PlayAgain is temperature sensitive (The HA molecule can be damaged by excessively high temperatures and by freezing) we are not stocking this product at this time. We feel that it is better for our patients and customers to obtain PlayAgain directly from the manufacturer to ensure freshness and careful handling to preserve quality.

The manufacturer suggests an initial order of 2 bottles. One bottle will be for your loading dose, the other bottle will maintain you for the rest of the first month. We suggest a first order of 3 bottles so that you don’t risk running out as Nurse Mark did.

Can Wellness Club Members get their discount on PlayAgain?

No – and there are no beter prices to be found anywhere than the prices on the manufacturers website – we have looked!

We have been able to negotiate with the PlayAgain people to obtain free shipping for our Wellness Club customers – simply click this link to go to the PlayAgain secure order page and at checkout use the code: ” FREESHIP ‘ (all caps, exactly as written, without the quotes) to save on shipping costs.

 

 

PreNatal Vitamins – A Review

You’re pregnant – Congratulations!

You have been careful to do everything just right and your hard work and attention to detail has paid off. Now you need to be sure that you are just as careful during this pre-natal period as you were in your pre-pregnancy period so that you can have an uneventful pregnancy and a happy, healthy baby.

The old saying “you are eating now for two” has a lot of truth to it (though it’s not an excuse to go overboard!) and it holds true for all essential nutrients. If your diet is lacking in any nutrient, that can be reflected in the development and health of your baby-to-be.

Let’s look at some of the nutrients that are essential for baby’s healthy development in the womb.

The Big Three:

Folic Acid / Folate

Folic acid is one of the best known of the prenatal essentials, since it is needed for proper development of brain and spinal cord. Neural Tube Defects such as Spina Bifida can result from folic acid deficiency. Low folate status has also been linked to recurrent pregnancy loss, low birth weight and a variety of age-related high risk complications of pregnancy.

One of the B Vitamins, folic acid is a synthetic form of folate found in many nutritional supplements. Synthetic folic acid is metabolized in the body into the useable form, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Approximately 10% of the general population lack the enzymes needed to receive any benefit from folic acid and another 40% of the population may convert only a limited amount of folic acid into 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and cannot fully process supplemental folic acid at higher doses or even RDA levels The remaining 50% of the population do metabolize folic acid more efficiently, but obtaining folate in its 5-methyltetrahydrofolate form avoids any concerns about effective metabolization. Conventional medicine recommends a daily intake of 400 to 800 micrograms (mcg) daily.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium and vitamin D are vital especially during the third trimester, when baby’s bones are growing and strengthening. Conventional medicine recommends 250 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily.

The usual recommendation is to obtain calcium through diet – from “fortified foods” and milk and dairy products. Unfortunately, milk and many dairy products contain casein which can be very problematic for many people. Further, calcium taken without an appropriate amount of magnesium to balance it will have only very minor bone-building effects. Magnesium must be a part of any formula that contains calcium.

Calcium also tends to contain an unwanted substance, lead. This includes natural sources of calcium, like milk and dairy, leafy green vegetables as well as almost all calcium supplements.

While the lead that may be present in supplements is undesirable, this must be balanced with the need for calcium for fetal development. Some forms of calcium supplements such as calcium citrate and calcium malate are better absorbed and tend to have lower levels of lead. And, according to The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group of Australia, “Lead is released from the bone through resorption (the recycling of calcium and other minerals including lead from the bone to the bloodstream) during pregnancy, and there is strong evidence that calcium supplements reduce blood lead during this crucial period, in turn reducing lead levels in the newborn child.”

Vitamin D and calcium work hand-in-hand for bone creation and health, and vitamin D is perhaps best obtained in the form that Mother Nature intended – that is, from sunlight on skin. Our skin can produce approximately 10,000 IU of Vitamin D in response to as little as 30 minutes of unprotected summer sun exposure – but obviously this is neither practical nor even possible for many people and so vitamin D deficiency is very common. Supplementation becomes essential, but should be done carefully at higher doses. Vitamin D testing is available inexpensively and can remove the element of guesswork.

Recent research is suggesting that very high doses of vitamin D, once thought to possibly cause birth defects, are not only safe, but even beneficial. Neonatologist Carol L. Wagner, of the Medical University of South Carolina reports that in her study women who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily in their second and third trimesters not only showed no evidence of harm, they had half the rate of pregnancy-related complications like gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, as women who took 400 IU of vitamin D every day and they were also less likely to give birth prematurely.

Learn more about Vitamin D here.

Iron

Iron is almost universally recommended for prenatal vitamins by conventional medicine in doses of around 30 to 60 mg daily

During pregnancy, more iron is needed to supply the growing baby and placenta, and iron supports normal brain development in the fetus. In the third trimester baby builds up iron stores for the first six months of life. Iron deficiency can lead to maternal anemia, premature delivery, low birth weight, and an increased risk of perinatal infant mortality.

However necessary iron is, it is neither benign nor free of problems and side effects. The most common form of supplemental iron, iron sulfate or ferrous fumarate, is about as absorbable as swallowing nails, and frequently causes either diarrhea or (more often) constipation and nausea – not something that is desirable for a mom in the first trimester especially! Iron-containing supplements can also be highly toxic to children.

A more bioavailable form of iron called heme iron is not only better absorbed but also causes far less side effects. One clinical study demonstrated that heme iron increased serum iron levels 23 times better than ferrous fumarate on a milligram-per-milligram basis.

Excessive iron levels, while not common during pregnancy, can be problematic and iron supplementation should be guided by the information obtained with regular, routine lab studies – especially serum ferritin. Thus, it may be wise to use a separate iron supplement instead of a prenatal containing iron as this allows fine-tuning instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all dose of this important nutrient.

Important Supplement Interaction Note: Calcium, taken at the same time or within an hour or two of taking iron can interfere with the absorption of iron – another very good reason to not include iron in a multiple vitamin that contains calcium!

Those are the “Big Three” of supplements almost universally recommended by conventional medicine.

Many conventional doctors are now recognizing the value of Omega 3 fatty acids to both mother and baby-to-be.

Omega 3 fatty acids, in the form of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) each have unique benefits. EPA is important to the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response and DHA supports development of the brain, eyes, and central nervous system.

While many people think that flaxseed and flaxseed oil contain omega-3s. That is true, but flaxseed contains a short chain omega-3, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is different from the longer-chain EPA and DHA. It was once thought that we could convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but current research shows that this conversion rarely occurs and only very inefficiently when it does happen.

Fish oil is the most reliable source of EPA and DHA but because of concerns with contamination of fish by mercury and other pollutants it is important to choose a fish oil supplement that is highly purified and certified free of contaminants. Further, these oils are easily damaged by heat, so low-temperature processing such as molecular distillation is essential to prevent oxidation.

Liquid oils may be preferred by those who dislike swallowing capsules, but can be hard to tolerate due to their taste and many are artificially flavored and colored in an attempt to make them more palatable. Capsules can likewise cause “fishy burps” for some, especially if their digestion is poor. Some premium quality fish oil supplements are supplied in enteric coated capsules which avoid the “fishy burps” problem by passing through the stomach intact before dissolving in the small intestine for absorption.

Other conventional recommendations for inclusion in a prenatal vitamin usually include:

Vitamin A. Most sources recommend between 4000 and 5000 IU per day, and warn about the potential for “large doses” to be teratogenic (causing birth defects). The World Health says that “During pregnancy, a daily supplement should not exceed 10,000 IU.”

All vitamin A is not the same however. Retinyl palmitate which preformed vitamin A is the most common form and comes from animal sources. Beta carotene, a provitamin, is derived from vegetable sources – carrots being a good example. Retinyl palmitate is the form that is acknowledged to be a possible teratogen in very high doses. Beta carotene has never been associated with any teratogenic risk.

Vitamin C is usually included in prenatal vitamins since it is necessary for collagen synthesis which is important to your baby’s normal development of connective tissues. The RDA for pregnant women as stated by the USDA is a comically low 85 mg per day – just about enough to prevent scurvy. Having a low intake of vitamin C may be associated with complications in pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, anemia and having a small baby.

Unlike most other animals, humans do not make vitamin C – we have lost that ability and must obtain it from diet or supplements. It is very important to remember this when reading research that details ill effects caused by high doses of vitamin C given to lab rats. Vitamin C is water soluble and is not retained to any degree in the body – any excess is quickly flushed out in the urine.

In the experience of Dr. Frederick R. Klenner who published his findings in the Journal of Applied Nutrition in 1971, doses of from 4 grams to 15 grams per day of vitamin C given to pregnant women conferred significant benefits to both baby and mother.

In Dr. Kenners words: “Observations made on over 300 consecutive obstetrical cases using supplemental ascorbic acid, by mouth, convinced me that failure to use this agent in sufficient amounts in pregnancy borders on malpractice.”

There are anecdotal reports on the internet and other places of vitamin C being used as an abortificant. This may be related to the lab rat studies mentioned above. The dosages usually quoted for this purpose are in the region of from 6 to 12 grams per day for 5 to 10 days, and most sources are very specific that only pure ascorbic acid may be used because any bioflavonoids will “work to prevent miscarriage.”

Finally, for vitamin C, there is a recent study showing that vitamin C has a protective effect on the lungs of all babies, and especially those born to mothers who smoke:

“Vitamin C is a simple, safe and inexpensive treatment that may decrease the impact of smoking during pregnancy on childhood respiratory health,” said lead author Cynthia McEvoy, associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. “Though the lung function of all babies born to smokers in our study was improved by supplemental vitamin C,” she said, “our preliminary data suggest that vitamin C appeared to help those babies at the greatest risk of harm during their development from their mother’s smoking in pregnancy.”

The B vitamins group includes folate – which is widely recognized as necessary to prevent Neural Tube Defects in baby. This group also includes a number of other related vitamins with a wide variety of positive effects on both mother and baby.

Vitamin B-6 is well-known to be useful in combatting nausea during pregnancy (though the reason for this is not yet known), and vitamin B-12 is strongly linked to neural (brain and nervous system) development in baby. Inadequate B-12 levels may also contribute to pre-term delivery.

Vitamin E is best known for its importance to fertility, but it is also important during pregnancy. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006: “In summary, our results suggest that α-tocopherol is positively associated with fetal growth. It is plausible that circulating concentrations of α-tocopherol could be associated with some increase in fetal growth by greater blood flow and nutrient supply to the fetus.”

Maternal vitamin E deficiency may be associated with pre-eclampsia and pregnancy induced hypertension.

Vitamin K – most commonly known as “clotting factor” – is not normally considered to be essential for baby’s development by conventional medicine. However, developing teeth and bones contain two proteins that need vitamin K to function: matrix gla protein is necessary to keep growing cartilage from calcifying prematurely and bone gla protein is important for tooth mineralisation.

Vitamin K deficiencies can cause severe developmental defects as was demonstrated by an unfortunate baby born to a mother who had been on warfarin therapy during pregnancy. The warfarin drug essentially creates a vitamin K deficient state and the child was born with facial and spinal deformity and calcifications and was quadriplegic by 20 months. Clearly, adequate to generous vitamin K status during pregnancy is critical for normal fetal development. There are 2 natural forms of vitamin K: K1- phytonadione and K2 menaquinone. K1 is converted in the body to K2 and for this reason Dr. Myatt prefers the K2 form for supplementation.

Biotin deficiencies have been linked in rat studies to limb and palate defects – but there has been little research in humans except for studies that show biotin deficiencies are common during pregnancy.

The minerals: Iodine, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper and others.

Conventional medicine thinks little about minerals other than iron in pregnancy, however these trace minerals are all highly important to your growing baby as they participate in many enzyme and transcription factors that are critical to the correct functioning of developing DNA and RNA. With actions closely inter-related, deficiencies in one mineral can also affect the function and availability of other minerals.

Copper deficiencies can result in skin, neuronal and hair abnormalities and possibly to breathing problems such as persistent respiratory distress syndrome and to an increased risk of aortic aneurysm in early life because of reduced elasticity of these structures.

Zinc is essential to hundreds of enzymes and proteins and deficiencies can cause birth defects and post-natal problems for baby. Zinc is vital to immunity and deficiency can result in permanently compromised immunity for baby. Deficiency can also cause complications of labor including premature rupture of membranes and an increased risk of pre-term delivery.

Maternal iodine requirements increase during pregnancy, mostly due to increased thyroid activity. Iodine deficiency can lead to cretinism.

Selenium is essential to the enzyme glutathione peroxidase and to the function of glutathione – a vital antioxidant in our bodies and also important for metabolic and biochemical processes such as DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, and enzyme activation. It is also thought that selenium and iodine work together to prevent cretinism.

What’s important in a prenatal multivitamin?

Cost?
Price can be an important factor in the decision to purchase and take a multivitamin. Bargain prices are attractive, but these may come with suboptimal potency, substandard quality, inappropriate forms of ingredients, poor bio-availability or unwanted contaminants. A half-price vitamin is no bargain if one has to take twice as much of it to achieve the same effect!

Quality?
 The world of vitamins, minerals, and supplements is still “the wild west” – largely unregulated, with few consequences for those sellers who put more effort into their sales copy than their quality control. Wild claims and glowing “patient testimonials” are often a tip-off to this sort of seller. A conscientious formulator or seller will also be able to provide a very important document, the Certificate of Analysis or CofA for a product to attest to its purity and potency.

Number of pills per day?
There is no such thing as an optimal dose “one-a-day” vitamin. It is simply not possible to put meaningful doses of vitamins, minerals and nutrients into a single pill or capsule of any reasonable size. Those multivitamins that claim to do so end up having “pixie dust” doses of ingredients in them. Read the product label, and be sure that you are receiving meaningful, optimal doses of nutrients. Experience has shown us that optimal doses cannot be achieved in less than 6 to 9 capsules of a reasonable size. These should be taken divided into three times per day since many vitamins are water-soluble and do not remain in the body for long.

Chewable? Liquid? Tablet? Capsule?
Let’s face it – taking pills is no fun. Even less if they are large. Candy-like chewable or “gummy” formulations have become popular, as have liquid preparations since they are easier to swallow. Unfortunately, many vitamins and most minerals taste terrible, and so it takes a lot of flavoring, sweetening, and coloring to make them palatable. Do you really want to be eating artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, artificial food colorings, and preservatives when you are carrying your new baby-to-? Tablets have a different problem, in that they often don’t dissolve well especially if digestion is weak and almost any nurse can tell stories of seeing vitamin tablets passed out into a bedpan looking virtually unchanged. Capsules tend to dissolve more easily.

One pill with everything in it?
As we have seen, there are good reasons to keep some nutrients separate from others. For example, calcium interferes with the absorption of iron and prenatal formulations that contain both these minerals make little sense. On the other hand, some nutrients are synergistic – calcium should always be accompanied by magnesium and copper should always accompany zinc to avoid deficiencies. A well-designed multiple accounts for these factors, providing maximum benefit with a minimum of separate products.

A good formulation would include plant enzymes to ensure absorption of nutrients since many people have deficient digestion. Also, a formula must be hypoallergenic, ultra-pure and suitable for even highly sensitive individuals. Some potential problems to look for are artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, corn, gluten, casein, soy, yeast, lactose, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and fillers. Some fillers and flow agents may be needed to allow a product to be packed into capsules, but these should be natural, functional, and the minimum possible consistent with good manufacturing practice.

What should a good formulation look like?

Opinions vary wildly. Much of conventional medicine is vitamin-phobic and will recommend that vitamins are best obtained “from a healthy diet.” Others are fond of mega-doses of vitamins or minerals for a variety of usually unproven reasons. The internet is full of theories, advice, conjecture and fantasy from scientists, laypeople and salespeople. Who to believe?

Dr. Myatt has applied over 23 years of clinical experience and a lot of scientific research to the formulation of her Maxi Multi. She believes that it is a perfect multivitamin for pre-conception, pre-natal, and post-natal use. Is it a complete, one product solution? Of course not! As we have seen, there are some nutrients that must be taken separately from a multiple vitamin, like iron and Omega-3 fish oil. These and other nutrients will be needed in different doses at different stages and so should be taken as needed.

With this consideration, her Maxi Multi is the most complete optimal dose multiple vitamin, mineral, and trace nutrient formula available and we always suggest that comparison shoppers use the Maxi Multi ingredient list as a standard that they can compare other formulations to.

Here is the Maxi Multi ingredient list:

Nine (9) Capsules (the recommended daily dose) contain:

Vitamin A (as natural beta-carotene) from D. salina

15,000 IU

Vitamin A (from palmitate)

2500 IU

Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate)

1200 mg

Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol)

800 IU

Vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols)

400 IU

Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone)

150 mcg

Vitamin B-1 (as thiamin hydrochloride)

100 mg

Vitamin B-2 as Riboflavin

60 mg

Niacin (as niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate)

200 mg

Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal-5-phosphate)

100 mg

Folate – 5-methyltetrahydrofolate

800 mcg

Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin)

400 mcg

Biotin

300 mcg

Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate)

400 mg

Calcium (as carbonate, citrate, malate)

1000 mg

Iodine (from kelp)

150 mcg

Magnesium (as mg oxide, aspartate, citrate)

500 mg

Zinc (as zinc monomethionine)

20 mg

Selenium (as l-selenomethionine)

200 mcg

Copper (as copper amino acid chelate)

2 mg

Manganese (as amino acid chelate, gluconate, aspartate)

5 mg

Chromium (as picolinate and polynicotinate )

200 mcg

Molybdenum (as molybdenum amino acid chelate)

150 mcg

Potassium (as aspartate, chloride and succinate)

99 mg

Choline (as choline citrate and bitartrate)

350 mg

Inositol (Inositol, Inositol hexanicotinate)

200 mg

Vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate)

20 mcg

Boron (amino acid chelate)

2 mg

para-aminobenzoic acid

50 mg

Citrus bioflavonoids

100 mg

Lipase (8,000 USP u /g)

27.5 mg

Amylase (1,000,000 FCC u /g)

19 mg

Protease (5,000,000 FCC u /g)

5 mg

Other ingredients:  Gelatin, water (capsule), Arabinogalactan from Western Larch leaf, magnesium stearate and silica.

Dr. Myatt encourages her patients and customers to “comparison shop” to be sure that they are getting exactly what they need, and nothing that they don’t need – and to make sure they are getting the best quality and value for their money. The best way to do that is to compare actualingredients lists – not just advertising claims. The claim “Everything you need in one easy-to-swallow pill” sounds great, but a look at the label shows that claim to be misleading – such a formula is almost certain to be lacking in meaningful doses.

We have compared a few popular pre-natal formulas with Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi for you:

Daily intake of nutrients from recommended daily serving:

Nature’s Way Completia Prenatal:
2 tabs twice daily

Rainbow Light Prenatal:
One tab once daily

Thorne Research Basic Prenatal:
one cap 3 times daily

Vital Nutrients Prenatal: 6 caps daily

Dr. Myatt’s
Maxi Multi Optimal Dose:
3 caps three times daily

Vitamin A (as natural beta-carotene) from D. salina

8000 IU

4000IU

3000 IU

7500 IU
beta carotene, mixed carotenoids, vit. A acetate

15,000 IU

Vitamin A (from palmitate)

2000 IU

2500 IU

Vitamin C

120 mg
calcium ascorbate

100 mg
ascorbic acid

150 mg
ascorbic acid

500 mg

1200 mg
ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate

Vitamin D3

400 IU

400 IU
D2 Ergocalciferol

1000 IU

800 IU

800 IU

Vitamin E

30 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate

30 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate

50 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl

400 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl

400 IU
as mixed tocopherols

Vitamin K

90 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

65 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

100 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

100 mcg
K1

150 mcg
K2: menaquinone

Vitamin B-1

1700 mcg
thiamin mononitrate

10 mg
thiamin mononitrate

4 mg
thiamin hydrochloride

50 mg

100 mg
thiamin hydrochloride

Vitamin B-2 as Riboflavin

2 mg

10 mg

3.6 mg

10 mg

60 mg

Niacin

20 mg
niacinamide

20 mg
niacinamide

30 mg
niacinamide

50 mg
niacinamide

200 mg
niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate

Vitamin B6

2.5 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

15 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

10 mg
pyridoxal-5-phosphate

50 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

100 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal-5-phosphate

Folate

800 mcg
folic acid

800 mcg
folic acid

1000 mcg:
500 mcg as Calcium Folinate and 500 mcg as 5-mthf

400 mcg
L-5-mthf

800 mcg
L-5-mthf

Vitamin B12

8 mcg
cyanocobalamin

25 mcg
cyanocobalamin

200 mcg:
100 mcg as adenosylcobalamin and 100 mcg as methylcobalamin

200 mcg
methylcobalamin

400 mcg
methylcobalamin

Biotin

300 mcg

300 mcg

50 mcg

300 mcg

300 mcg

Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate)

10 mg

15 mg

16 mg

100 mg

400 mg

Calcium (as carbonate, citrate, malate)

720 mg

200 mg

200 mg

400 mg

1000 mg

Iron

45 mg

30 mg

45 mg

30 mg

0

Iodine (from kelp)

150 mcg

150 mcg

150 mcg as Potassium Iodide

225 mcg as Potassium Iodide

150 mcg

Magnesium

300 mg
oxide, citrate

100 mg
oxide

100 mg
citrate, malate

200 mg
malate

500 mg
oxide, aspartate, citrate

Zinc

15 mg
chelate

15 mg
citrate

25 mg
picolinate

25 mg

20 mg
monomethionine

Selenium (as l-selenomethionine)

25 mcg

100 mcg

50 mcg

200 mcg

200 mcg

Copper (as copper amino acid chelate)

2 mg

2 mg

2 mg
picolinate

2 mg
glycinate

2 mg

Manganese

2 mg
chelate

2 mg
citrate

5 mg
picolinate

5 mg
citrate

5 mg
chelate, gluconate, aspartate

Chromium

50 mcg
polynicotinate

120 mcg
nicotinate

100 mcg
picolinate

200 mcg
polynicotinate

200 mcg
picolinate and polynicotinate

Molybdenum (as molybdenum amino acid chelate)

75 mcg

50 mcg
picolinate

50 mcg
citrate

150 mcg

Potassium

50 mg
chelate

10 mg

90 mg
chloride

99 mg
aspartate, chloride and succinate

Choline

4 mg
bitartrate

10 mg

350 mg
choline citrate and bitartrate

Inositol

10 mg

10 mg

200 mg
Inositol, Inositol hexanicotinate

Vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate)

50 mcg

20 mcg

Boron (amino acid chelate)

1 mg

1 mg
picolinate

1 mg

2 mg

para-aminobenzoic acid

2 mg

50 mg

Citrus bioflavonoids

200 mg
raspberry leaf, dandelion root, nettle leaf, peppermint leaf

90 mg
“Gentle Prenatal Blend” Flavonoids

100 mg

DHA

50 mg
from tuna

0

Lipase (8,000 USP u /g)

“Complete Digestive Support“
24 mg, Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase

27.5 mg

Amylase (1,000,000 FCC u /g)

19 mg

Protease (5,000,000 FCC u /g)

5 mg

References and Additional Information:

Fernández-Ballart J.D: Iron Metabolism during Pregnancy. Clinical Drug Investigation, Volume 19, Supplement 1, 2000 , pp. 9-19(11)
On average, about 4.6mg of absorbed iron per day is needed during the second and third trimesters, or about 3.3mg per day more than in the nonpregnant state, to complete a full pregnancy cycle without iron deficit.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/adis/cdi/2000/00000019/a00100s1/art00002

A clinical study demonstrated that HIP increased serum iron levels 23 times greater than ferrous fumarate on a milligram-per-milligram basis.
http://www.proferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/HIP.pdf

The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group
Lead is released from the bone through resorption (the recycling of calcium and other minerals including lead from the bone to the bloodstream) during pregnancy, and there is strong evidence that calcium supplements reduce blood lead during this crucial period, in turn reducing lead levels in the newborn child.
and
Unfortunately calcium interferes with the absorption of iron and should not be consumed in significant quantities (more than one glass of milk or 2 slices of cheese) in conjunction with iron rich meals. Calcium can also interfere with phosphorus absorption.
http://www.lead.org.au/lanv10n2/lanv10n2-11.html

Ministry of Health Canada, Prenatal Nutrition Guidelines for Health Professionals – Iron Contributes to a Healthy Pregnancy, 2009
During pregnancy, women need more iron to support the increased maternal red blood cell mass. This supplies the growing fetus and placenta, and supports normal brain development in the fetus. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the fetus builds iron stores for the first six months of life (Fernández-Ballart, 2000).
and,
There are three main inhibitors of non-heme iron absorption in the diet: polyphenols from tea and coffee, phytate in legumes and some vegetables, unrefined rice and grains, and calcium at levels greater than 300 mg (Hallberg and Huthen, 2000).
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/iron-fer-eng.php

Leif Hallberg: Does calcium interfere with iron absorption? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998
The balance of evidence thus clearly indicates that calcium in amounts present in many meals inhibits the absorption of both heme and nonheme iron.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/1/3.full.pdf

Véronique Azaïs-Braesco and Gérard Pascal: Vitamin A in pregnancy: requirements and safety limits. American Society for Clinical Nutrition 2000
The recommendations of the World Health Organization can be summarized as follows:
During pregnancy, a daily supplement should not exceed 10 000 IU (3000 RE) and a weekly supplement should not exceed 25 000 IU (7500 RE).
and
Today, vitamin A supplementation is the most efficient way of correcting vitamin A deficiency. Its only drawback is the potential risk of teratogenesis. Interesting attempts have been made to replace vitamin A with the provitamin β-carotene, which has never been associated with any teratogenic risk.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/5/1325s.full

Linda Houtkooper, Vanessa A. Farrell: Calcium Supplement Guidelines, University of Arizona
Dolomite, Oyster shell, and Bone Meal are naturally occuring calcium carbonate sources which may contain heavy metals, including lead. Minimizing lead intake is important for pregnant and nursing women, and children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set an upper limit for the amount of lead a calcium supplement can contain (7.5 micrograms per 1000 milligrams of calcium).
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1042.pdf

C Carlier et.al. A randomised controlled trial to test equivalence between retinyl palmitate and beta carotene for vitamin A deficiency. BMJ 1993;307:1106
beta carotene is therapeutically equivalent to retinyl palmitate
http://www.bmj.com/content/307/6912/1106

americanpregnancy.org
Omega-3s have been found to be essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. However, the standard western diet is severely deficient in these critical nutrients. This omega-3 dietary deficiency is compounded by the fact that pregnant women become depleted in omega-3s, when the fetus uses omega-3s for its nervous system development. Omega-3s are also used after birth to make breast milk. With each subsequent pregnancy, mothers are further depleted. Research has confirmed that adding EPA and DHA to the diet of pregnant women has a positive effect on visual and cognitive development of the baby. Studies have also shown that higher consumption of omega-3s may reduce the risk of allergies in infants.
Omega-3 fatty acids have positive effects on the pregnancy itself. Increased intake of EPA and DHA has been shown to prevent pre-term labor and delivery, lower the risk of pre-eclampsia and may increase birth weight. Omega-3 deficiency also increases the mother’s risk for depression. This may explain why postpartum mood disorders may become worse and begin earlier with subsequent pregnancies.
http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/omega3fishoil.html

High Doses of Vitamin D May Cut Pregnancy Risks: Study Shows 4,000 IU a Day of Vitamin D May Reduce Preterm Birth and Other Risks. WebMD Health News, May 4, 2010
Women who take high doses of vitamin D during pregnancy have a greatly reduced risk of complications, including gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and infection, new research suggests. Based on the findings, study researchers are recommending that pregnant women take 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day — at least 10 times the amount recommended by various health groups.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100504/high-doses-of-vitamin-d-may-cut-pregnancy-risk

Cleveland Clinic Prenatal Vitamin Recommendations
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2800/2801.asp?index=9754

Javert CT, Stander HJ (1943). “Plasma Vitamin C and Prothrombin Concentration in Pregnancy and in Threatened, Spontaneous, and Habitual Abortion”. Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics 76: 115–122.
However, in a previous study of 79 women with threatened, previous spontaneous, or habitual abortion, Javert and Stander (1943) had 91% success with 33 patients who received vitamin C together with bioflavonoids and vitamin K (only three abortions), whereas all of the 46 patients who did not receive the vitamins aborted.

Frederick R. Klenner, M.D., F.C.C.P. : Observations On the Dose and Administration of Ascorbic Acid When Employed Beyond the Range Of A Vitamin In Human Pathology. Journal of Applied Nutrition Vol. 23, No’s 3 & 4, Winter 1971
Observations made on over 300 consecutive obstetrical cases using supplemental ascorbic acid, by mouth, convinced me that failure to use this agent in sufficient amounts in pregnancy borders on malpractice. The lowest amount of ascorbic acid used was 4 grams and the highest amount 15 grams each day. (Remember the rat-no stress manufactures equivalent “C” up to 4 grams and with stress up to 15.2 grams). Requirements were roughly 4 grams first trimester, 6 grams second trimester and 10 grams third trimester. Approximately 20 percent required 15 grams, each day, during last trimester. Eighty percent of this series received a booster injection of 10 grams, intravenously, on admission to the hospital. Hemoglobin levels were much easier to maintain. Leg cramps were less than three percent and always was associated with “getting out” of Vitamin C tablets. Striae gravidarum was seldom encountered and when it was present there existed an associated problem of too much eating and too little walking. The capacity of the skin to resist the pressure of an expanding uterus will also vary in different individuals. Labor was shorter and less painful. There were no postpartum hemorrhages. The perineum was found to be remarkably elastic and episiotomy was performed electively. Healing was always by first intention and even after 15 and 20 years following the last child the firmness of the perineum is found to be similar to that of a primigravida in those who have continued their daily supplemental vitamin C. No patient required catheterization. No toxic manifestations were demonstrated in this series. There was no cardiac stress even though 22 patients of the series had rheumatic hearts. One patient in particular was carried through two pregnancies without complications. She had been warned by her previous obstetrician that a second pregnancy would terminate with a maternal death. She received no ascorbic acid with her first pregnancy. This lady has been back teaching school for the past 10 years. She still takes 10 grams of ascorbic acid daily. Infants born under massive ascorbic acid therapy were all robust. Not a single case required resuscitation. We experienced no feeding problems. The Fultz quadruplets were in this series. They took milk nourishment on the second day. These babies were started on 50 mg ascorbic acid the first day and, of course, this was increased as time went on. Our only nursery equipment was one hospital bed, an old, used single unit hot plate and an equally old 10 quart kettle. Humidity and ascorbic acid tells this story. They are the only quadruplets that have survived in southeastern United States. Another case of which I am justly proud is one in which we delivered 10 children to one couple. All are healthy and good looking. There were no miscarriages. All are living and well. They are frequently referred to as the vitamin C kids, in fact all of the babies from this series were called “Vitamin C Babies” by the nursing personnel–they were distinctly different.
http://www.doctoryourself.com/klennerpaper.html

HomeSpun – A Women’s Networking Newsletter: Home Abortion Remedy – Vitamin C
I found this recipe in a book called “A Woman’s Book of Choices: Abortion, Menstrual Extraction, RU-486” by Rebecca Chalker and Carol Downer.
The books says to take 6-10 grams of ascorbic acid a day for 5-10 days. It says specifically ascorbic acid. Don’t use vitamin C with bioflaviniods in it, because they work to prevent miscarriage. Read the label and check the ingredients, write down what to look for if you think you won’t remember when you get to the store. Tons of vitamin c products are available, look for the cheap generic brands, they are usually the ones that have pure ascorbic acid. Don’t use anything that has Rose-hips in it, they conntain bio-flaveniods which help to prevent miscarriage.
http://www.sisterzeus.com/Hsp1shlp.htm

American Academy of Pediatrics 4 May 2013
Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers
“Though the lung function of all babies born to smokers in our study was improved by supplemental vitamin C,” she said, “our preliminary data suggest that vitamin C appeared to help those babies at the greatest risk of harm during their development from their mother’s smoking in pregnancy.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/aaop-vcm042613.php
http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS13L1_1165.7

Surén P, et al.: Association between maternal use of folic acid supplements and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children. JAMA. 2013 Feb 13;309(6):570-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.155925.
” Use of prenatal folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in the MoBa cohort. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they do support prenatal folic acid supplementation.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23403681

Molloy AM, et.al.: Effects of folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies during pregnancy on fetal, infant, and child development. Food Nutr Bull. 2008 Jun;29(2 Suppl):S101-11; discussion S112-5.
The role of folic acid in prevention of neural tube defects (NTD) is now established, and several studies suggest that this protection may extend to some other birth defects.In terms of maternal health, clinical vitamin B12 deficiency may be a cause of infertility or recurrent spontaneous abortion. Starting pregnancy with an inadequate vitamin B12 status may increase risk of birth defects such as NTD, and may contribute to preterm delivery, although this needs further evaluation. Furthermore, inadequate vitamin B12 status in the mother may lead to frank deficiency in the infant if sufficient fetal stores of vitamin B12 are not laid down during pregnancy or are not available in breastmilk.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18709885

Theresa O Scholl, et.al.: Vitamin E: maternal concentrations are associated with fetal growth. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 December; 84(6): 1442–1448.
In summary, our results suggest that α-tocopherol is positively associated with fetal growth. It is plausible that circulating concentrations of α-tocopherol could be associated with some increase in fetal growth by greater blood flow and nutrient supply to the fetus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876684/

Howe AM, et.al.: Severe cervical dysplasia and nasal cartilage calcification following prenatal warfarin exposure. Am J Med Genet. 1997 Sep 5;71(4):391-6.
It supports the hypothesis that warfarin interferes with the prenatal growth of the cartilaginous nasal septum by inhibiting the normal formation of a vitamin K-dependent protein that prevents calcification of cartilage. The child also had severe abnormalities of the cervical vertebrae and secondary damage to the spinal cord.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9286443

Harry J McArdle and Cheryl J Ashworth: Micronutrients in fetal growth and development
-Developing teeth and bone contain two vitamin K dependent proteins; matrix gla protein, necessary to maintain growing cartilage in a noncalcified state and bone gla protein which is important for tooth mineralisation. -Maternal vitamin E deficiency may, however, be associated with pre-eclampsia and accumulation of lipid peroxidase products in vitamin E deficient mothers causes vasoconstriction and consequent pregnancy induced hypertension
http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/3/499.full.pdf

Nature’s Way Prenatal
http://www.naturesway.com/products/Vitamins/14903-Completia-Prenatal-Multivitamin.aspx

Vital Nutrients Prenatal
http://www.vitalnutrients.net/Products/Product.aspx?ID=123

Thorne Research Prenatal
http://www.thorne.com/products/womens-health/prd~vmp.jsp

Rainbow Light Prenatal
http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatal-vitamins-prenatal-one-multivitamin.aspx

PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a tragedy because it affects so many young women who desperately want to have babies of their own – and it affects their partners and other family members as well.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a condition in which a woman’s ovaries and, in some cases the adrenal glands, produce more androgens (a type of hormone) than normal.  High levels of these hormones interfere with the development and release of eggs as part of ovulation.  As a result, fluid-filled sacs or cysts can develop on the ovaries.

Because women with PCOS do not release eggs during ovulation, PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility.

How does PCOS affect fertility?

A woman’s ovaries have follicles, which are tiny, fluid-filled sacs that hold the eggs. When an egg is mature, the follicle breaks open to release the egg so it can travel to the uterus for fertilization.

In women with PCOS, immature follicles bunch together to form large cysts or lumps. The eggs mature within the bunched follicles, but the follicles don’t break open to release them.

Normal and PolyCystic Ovaries

Image courtesy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As a result, women with PCOS often have menstrual irregularities, such as amenorrhea (they don’t get menstrual periods) or oligomenorrhea (they only have periods now and then). Because the eggs are not released, most women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

In addition to infertility, women with PCOS may also have:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Hirsutism, or excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, thumbs, or toes
  • Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
  • Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
  • Patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin

Also, women who are obese are more likely to have PCOS.

Although it is hard for women with PCOS to get pregnant, some do get pregnant, naturally or using assistive reproductive technology.  Women with PCOS are at higher risk for miscarriage if they do become pregnant.

Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for associated conditions, such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Metabolic syndrome—sometimes called a precursor to diabetes, this syndrome indicates that the body has trouble regulating its insulin
  • Cardiovascular disease—including heart disease and high blood pressure

What is the treatment for PCOS?

Conventional medicine says here is no cure for PCOS, but holistic doctors like Dr. Myatt believe that many of the symptoms can often be managed, improved greatly, or even eliminated with carefully targeted natural therapies.

It is important to have PCOS diagnosed and treated early to help prevent associated problems.

Conventional medicine will offer medications that may help control the symptoms, such as birth control pills to regulate menstruation, reduce androgen levels, and clear acne. Other medications can reduce cosmetic problems, such as hair growth, and control blood pressure and cholesterol. Many of these medicines have significant, serious, even dangerous side effects.

Naturopathic physicians like Dr. Myatt can offer more natural solutions including metabolic modification diets, hormone testing and balancing, strategies for the reduction of inflammatory factors, and more.

Lifestyle changes such as corrective diet and regular exercise will aid weight loss and help reduce blood sugar levels and regulate insulin levels more effectively.  Weight loss can help lessen many of the health conditions associated with PCOS and can make symptoms be less severe or even disappear.

Surgical treatment may also be offered as an option, but it is not recommended as the first course of treatment.

Recent research has also examined the effects of the anti-diabetes drug metformin on fertility in women with PCOS. Dr. Myatt can help her patients to understand the mechanisms of this option.

Extensive recent human research also shows that myo-Inositol, a part of the B-complex family, helps to support healthy ovulatory activity, ovarian function, and reproductive system function

How is PCOS diagnosed?

Your health care provider will take a medical history and do a pelvic exam to feel for cysts on your ovaries.  He or she may also do a vaginal ultrasound and recommend blood tests to measure hormone levels.

When examining hormone levels, remember that your conventional doctor will almost always order a blood test. (and it is likely that a blood test is the only hormone test your disease insurance will pay for) This blood test, while technically accurate, is only a “snapshot” – an accurate picture of your hormone levels only at the moment the test was performed.

Sex hormones are made and secreted in “waves” over a 24 hour period and a blood test cannot show the averages of those waves or highs and lows.

A more accurate test is an examination of saliva – this will provide a look at hormone levels over the past few hours. It still runs the risk of catching a “peak” or “trough” of a hormone level and thus providing an erroneous result. Dr. Myatt finds this to be a useful test when performed and interpreted correctly and offers it as an economical alternative to more expensive (and more accurate) 24 hour urine testing – find more information here.

The “Gold Standard” of hormone testing is considered to be the 24 hour urine collection. While it may be a bit time-consuming and awkward for someone who is busy and “on-the-go” it will provide the most accurate possible look at overall hormone health as it will show your body’s hormone production over a full 24 hour period.

Dr. Myatt finds that the 24 hour  COMPREHENSIVE PLUS HORMONE PROFILE is the most accurate and useful of the hormone tests when performed and interpreted correctly. Interpretation of the results of this test, which includes and examination not only of the major sex hormones but of their intermediates and metabolites as well, is time consuming and complicated – this may be one reason most conventional doctors are reluctant to perform it. Dr. Myatt spends a great deal of time analysing the results of this test for her patients and she offers Brief Phone Consultations to non-patients.

Other tests may include measuring levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides. Vitamin D levels, and Iodine levels.

Iodine Testing is especially important to PCOS since so many Americans are Iodine deficient and Iodine Deficiency is a major contributor to cystic conditions of all sorts – especially the breasts, ovaries, and thyroid.  Learn more about Iodine testing here – Dr. Myatt offers two accurate Iodine tests.

PC-Spes, Dr. Dana Myatt, and Dr. Myatt’s Prostate Support.


A Letter From Nurse Mark To Those Enquiring About Prostate Support and Matural Prostate Cancer Treatments.

There has been an increase in interest and phone calls to the Wellness Club recently from persons concerned about prostate cancer and interested in Prostate Support and PC Spes.

In response to this I would like to offer the following information, on behalf of Dr. Myatt and Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club.

First and foremost, for those who wish to call for information, or to have questions answered, or to argue that PC-Spes was “done wrong” by the FDA, the State of California, or anyone else, please note that our toll-free number should be reserved for orders only – if you have more specific questions, please either use our Contact Us page to send us a message or call to arrange a personal consultation with Dr. Myatt.

Please do not ask for names of satisfied patients, or for case histories, or for statistics of success. To give out such personal information is highly unethical and we will not do it. If you want “testimonials” there are plenty of other “practicioners” who will be more than happy to dazzle you with endless unsubstantiated, unprovable “success stories”.

Dr. Myatt has treated a large number of cases of prostate cancer over the past two decades – ranging from men with mild elevations of PSA and minor enlargements of the prostate to men who have been told they have a few weeks to live by their conventional doctors. Most of her patients are happily in remission, getting on with their lives, and to our knowledge not involved with any of the various prostate support groups

There are a few, such as the fellow who was given two to four weeks, who have passed away. That man enjoyed well over a year of good life while following Dr. Myatt’s advice, and actually played 36 holes of golf shortly before he died from complications of the conventional treatments prescribed by his “oncologist” who panicked in response to an aberrant lab result. There are a few case studies available on our website that illustrate a number of Dr. Myatt’s techniques. Please feel free to study them.

Please do not write or call until you have been to our website, and read fully and completely the pages discussing Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Prostate Support (which includes a discussion of PC-Spes), and alternative medicine consultations with Dr. Myatt. These pages, and the links within them, will answer most all of your questions.

Dr. Myatt is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor – an NMD – licensed in the State of Arizona with full prescribing privileges and a DEA number. Please note: licensing requirements for NMD’s are as stringent and more than the licensing requirements for “regular” MD’s. Dr. Myatt’s biography can be found on her alternative medical consultations page and the Consultations Brochure page that links to it.

Now, about PC-Spes and Prostate Support: When PC-Spes first appeared Dr. Myatt was impressed by it’s apparent good effect on those who were taking it. Then, following reports of side effects resulting from the use of this formula, Dr. Myatt became suspicious that there might be “more than meets the eye.” She had independent testing done, and found that there was indeed more in the formula than was listed on the label.

She then looked at the individual herbs listed in the formula, determined the best ratios of these herbs for maximal effect, and formulated Prostate Support to provide those beneficial herbs in the very most effective ratios, without the undisclosed drugs that were being discovered to be in some lots of PC-Spes.

There has been some suggestion that the only “good” formulation of these herbs must be obtained from the University of Shanghai in China. Dr. Myatt’s Prostate Support does not come from the University of Shanghai. Dr. Myatt’s Prostate Support formula is compounded here in the USA using the highest quality, purest materials available, standardized and combined to Dr. Myatt’s very exacting standards. There is good reason that she has become known amongst supplement manufacturers as “The Dragon Lady!” She is well known for her lack of tolerance for anything but the highest of quality standards!

Please take note that it is Dr. Myatt’s opinion that for most cases of prostate cancer, hormone suppression should be a cornerstone of treatment. There are also a number of other therapies that must be used in conjunction in order to obtain best results. It is her belief that PC-Spes was highly effective because it contained undisclosed drugs that in effect resulted in hormone suppression therapy in those who used it. It is further her belief that someone needing or wishing to use hormone suppression therapy should be doing so knowingly, with knowledge of the doses of drugs involved, and not by using “shot in the dark” amounts such as were found in some lots and then not others of PC-Spes.

Finally, it is Dr. Myatt’s very strong opinion that Prostate Support, PC-Spes, and any of the other “Prostate Formulas” available must NOT be used as a sole treatment for prostate cancer. The herbs found in PC-Spes and in Prostate Support are valuable adjuncts and support for the prostate and the immune system, but by themselves they will not “cure” prostate cancer.

Here is the bottom line from my viewpoint: Gentlemen, Dr. Myatt has been successfully treating prostate cancer for a decade and a half, her patients include her own 83 year old father who remains alive and well after being diagnosed over 20 years ago. She has been treating my own father for over 6 years. She knows what she is doing, and does it well

Any of you who believe that PC-Spes worked solely because of the combination of herbs that it contained and not because it contained undisclosed drugs, please try our Prostate Support – it is the same optimal combination of herbs, with no adulterants or drugs. It is compounded (mixed) to the very highest of western standards for purity and precision. There will be no surprises or changes from lot to lot with this formula.

Please be aware though that Prostate Support is not a “Holy Grail” of prostate cancer treatment – it is but one facet of a complex treatment plan.

Expecting to treat prostate cancer with a single formula such as this would be like trying to give your car a “tune-up” or even an engine overhaul by using a bottle of “gasoline treatment.” That stuff may help keep your engine clean – great for preventive maintenance – but it won’t fix what’s broken!

Prostate cancer is NOT a “do-it-yourself” disease to be experimented with as you might with toenail fungus.

Prostate cancer can be a deadly disease if managed poorly, or a chronic medical condition if managed skillfully – it’s your choice.

Cheers,
Nurse Mark

Fertility Knowledge Center – Naturally


Fertility-Relarted Medical Conditions

PCOS / PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome

Cytokines: A Simplified Look At Messenger Molecules

Nutrition and Diet

The Mediterranean Diet – Is It All It Claims To Be?

Vegetarian And Fertile – Is It Possible?

Gluten and Casein – The Modern Poisons In Your Diet

Fertility Supplements Questions and Answers



Using Flavones to Lower IL-6: Which is better – Luteolin / Diosmin or Maxi Flavone?

Milk Thistle – is it safe?

Green Tea – Causes Inflammation?

“#Myo”>Myo-inositol in the Treatment of PCOS and Non-PCOS Infertility


What’s So Special About Maxi Greens?

PreNatal Supplements – Questions and Answers

PreNatal Vitamins: A Review and Discussion

Neuro Restore

NEURO-RESTORE 

Natural Solutions for Neurotransmitter Disorders

Neurotransmitter Restoration:
Key to Depression, Anxiety and
Other Neurotransmitter-Related Disorders

A deficiency of neurotransmitters (also called “NT’s or “brain hormones”) causes or contributes to a wide variety
of diseases including depression, anxiety, and
overweight / obesity.

Low Levels of Neurotransmitters in the Body Can
Cause or Contribute to the Following Disorders:

  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD / ADHD)
  • Adrenal Fatigue / Burnout
  • Addictions / addiction withdrawal
  • Aggression (inappropriate)
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Anger (inappropriate)
  • Anorexia
  • Anxiety
  • Bulimia
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Cognitive Impairment / Mild Cognitive Impairment
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Dementia
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hormone Dysfunction
  • Hyperactivity
  • Impulsivity
  • Insomnia / Sleep Disorders
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Irritability
  • Menopausal Symptoms
  • Migraine Headaches
  • Mood Disorder (anger, anxiety, depression)
  • Nocturnal Myoclonus
  • Obesity / Overweight / Eating Disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Pain (chronic)
  • Panic Attacks
  • Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
  • Psychosis / Psychotic Disorder
  • Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Tension Headaches
  • Tempero-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)

What Causes Low Neurotransmitters?

I.) Decreased production of neurotransmitters due to:

  • A deficiency of NT precursors (not enough “raw materials” in the body to correctly manufacture NT’s)
  • Inborn errors of metabolism (an individual may have a genetic need for more of the “raw materials” used to build neurotransmitters)
  • Toxic damage to portions of the brain or peripheral nervous system that produce NT’s

II.) Increased need for neurotransmitters due to:

  • Toxic damage to or destruction of the nerve cells the respond to NT input

  • Excess degradation of existing NeuroTransmitters due to reuptake inhibiting drugs or recreational drugs

Diseases Related to Neurotransmitter (NT) Deficiencies

What Causes Low Neurotransmitters?

There is a safe

 There is a safe, easy, natural way to cure mood disorders and reclaim a life of health and happiness without spending a fortune or relying on dangerous (and often ineffective) drugs.


If You or Someone You Love
 Suffers From Depression, Anxiety,
Insomnia, Attention Deficit or Any “Mood Disorder,”
This May Be The Most Important Letter
You’ll Ever Read

From: Dr. Dana Myatt
                                 Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club
                        To:  People Suffering from Mood Disorders

 

                        Dear Friend:

                        There is a “dirty little secret” known in many medical and scientific circles about “mood disorders” (depression, anxiety, etc.) …
                         a secret you will probably never hear from your doctor …and the Big Drug Companies want it that way.

                        This “dirty little secret” is the reason that 72% of people diagnosed with a mood disorder don’t feel better
                        regardless of what “head med” (drug) they take, and why even those who do feel somewhat better
                        with drugs often find that the “improvement” stops working after a while or still doesn’t make them feel
                        really good. If you knew the “dirty little secret” that is known to medicine’s “inner circle,” you would find yourself able to:
                       

                                    * not just feel “better,” but truly goodagain …

                                    * end fatigue, lethargy, anxiety and hopelessness in a few days, sometimes overnight …

                                    * skyrocket your energy levels without stimulants …

                                    * sleep like a baby all night long and wake rested and refreshed….

                                    * say “goodbye” to depression and anxiety without drugs….

                                    * reclaim your happy, energetic self in record time with NO dangerous drug side-effects

 

                        The best part is, you won’t need to take costly “head meds” or stimulants indefinitely
                        (which don’t work well anyway), pay thousands of dollars for often-ineffective counseling,
                        and still spend the rest of your life feeling only “half alive” because of a mood disorder. All you need to
                        know is the “dirty little secret” that has been kept behind closed doors… until now.


3 Lies Your Doctor Probably Told You About Mood Disorders
(and he doesn’t even know they’re lies…)

Lie # 1: Mood disorders are caused by a serotonin deficiency. In some cases, this is true. (Note: did your doctor ever actually TEST your serotonin levels to verify this? Answer: Almost certainly “NO”). Even if serotonin deficiency is your problem, as it is for some people with mood disorders, conventional drugs like Prozac and Zoloft only block the re-uptake of this neurotransmitter, giving your body the false impression that more serotonin is available. Treating “serotonin deficiency” without a test is not only a “shot-in-the-dark,” but the treatment itself is a “patch-job,” instead of a “fix.” Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) do not increase serotonin levels, and the artificial blocking of re-uptake eventually depletes serotonin levels even more.

Lie # 2:  Drugs are the best treatment for mood disorders. Come on. Do you really think depression is caused by a Prozac deficiency? Or that anxiety is caused by a Trazadone deficiency? Changes in brain chemicals (called Neuro-Transmitters) cause the symptoms we collectively call “mood disorders.” These changes in brain chemistry can be identified and corrected by natural means, restoring them to normal levels.
                       
Lie # 3:  There is no way to test Neurotransmitter levels. Actually, NeuroTransmitter Testing has been around for years. Your doctor could test and know exactly what “head hormones” (neurotransmitters) you are low or high in and make specific corrections. But keep reading and you’ll find out why he/she probably doesn’t even know about this test, and if they do, why they can’t (won’t) order it for you…..

___________________________________________________

The Real Cause of Mood Disorders That
Big Drug Companies Hope You Never Find Out

 

                        Doctors know that brain chemicals — called Neuro-Transmitters, or “NT’s” for short—- control everything from mood and sleep to food cravings. Most people have heard of at least one of these Neurotransmitters,  serotonin, but there are other major NT’s including epinephrine (adrenaline),norepinephrine, dopamine,                                     GABA, PEA and histamine. Together, these major Neuro-Transmitters control mood, libido, food cravings, sleep patterns and energy levels to name only a few. When any one of these NT’s are out of balance (as they are in an estimated 85% of the population with mood disorders), the implications can be enormous:

                                   

                             Serotonin:
                                           Too little can cause depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, uncontrolled appetite, migraine headaches, obsessive/compulsive disorders and PMS complaints.

                                           Too much serotonin is rare and is caused by excess drugs or other serotonin-increasing treatments. Serotonin overdose can be life-threatening.

 

                             Epinephrine (adrenaline): too much can causes sleep disturbances, anxiety and ADHD. Too little causes fatigue,  depression, lack of focus and difficulty losing weight.       

                             Norepinephrine (NE): Too much causes anxiousness, stress, hyperactivity and high blood pressure. Too little causes fatigue, lack of focus and difficulty losing weight.

                             Dopamine: responsible for feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Low levels play a role in Parkinson’s  disease and also in addictions and food cravings.  High dopamine is seen in people with autism,  attention disorders and GI disturbances. 

                             GABA

 

                             glutamate is the major excitatory neuro Transmitter in the brain. Excess glutamate is associated with neurological diseases such as Huntington’s disease, parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, ALS, Tourette’s syndrome and Korsakoff syndrome. While excess glutamate alone probably does not cause these diseases, it is felt that high levels of glutamate may be toxic to nerve cells and indicate toxicity elsewhere in the body.                                                  

                       

                        Doctors use various “head meds” (like Prozac or Zoloft) to increase serotonin’s effects. (Notice I said effects; these drugs do not increase actual serotonin levels). Sometimes these drugs help depression, but often not. That is because the other major Neurotransmitters’s — epi, NE, dopamine, GABA and glutamate — are also intimately involved in mood and “feel good” control. “Tinkering” with only one neurotransmitter — serotonin — may not help much if any of the other five major neurotransmitters are out of balance. In many people with anxiety, depression or other mood disorder, serotonin levels are not the only problem or not even the problem at all. Many cases of mood disorder havenothing to do with serotonin but instead involve one or more of the other major neurotransmitters.

So why doesn’t “Big Medicine” and “Big Pharma” want you to know that other neurotransmitter imbalances may be the cause of your depression? Because NT imbalances can be corrected with a few simple diet changes and some inexpensive over-the-counter supplements. Drug companies don’t have drugs to effectively correct other neurotransmitter except serotonin and norepinephrine. Depression medications like prozac, zoloft, XXX and XXXX are BIG BUSINESS, raking in $XXXXX of dollars for major drug companies each year. If even a small percentage of the 19 million depressed Americans discovered how to correct their depression without drugs, Big Pharma income from these drugs could drop precipitously. Or imagine if XXXX million children and adults no longer needed Ritalin and other stimulants! Believe me, the Big Drug Companies will do everything they can to make sure this doesn’t happen — including convincing your doctor and you that your only hope for treating a mood disorder is dangerous drugs. Even more appalling is that these drugs effects only ONE, or at most TWO major neurotransmitters — even if you have never had your neurotransmitters levels tested!

__________________________________________

Your Secret Weapon for Conquering Mood Disorders

                        Balancing the body’s six major neurotransmitters —  serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA and glutamate — is the secret to feeling good and getting out from under the dark cloud of depression, anxiety, insomnia, attention deficit or any other mood disorder you may suffer from. Other “side-effects” of balanced NT’s (as if being free from depression or anxiety weren’t enough!) include sound sleep, improved libido and energy, normal appetite and better fat-burning. If you are over or under weight, body weight tends to normalize because mood disorders are a common cause of over and under-eating.

                        As you’ll learn, there are simple, natural ways to increase or decrease neurotransmitters. For example, two amino acids (both readily available in any health food) provide the raw materials that the body uses to produce epinephrine and norepinephrine. By supplementing these amino acids, a person who is low in epinephrine (adrenaline) or norepinephrine can improve their neurotransmitters levels without drugs, just by taking these amino acids between meals. By using “precursors” (raw materials that the body uses to make NT’s), the resulting increased NT levels are a true “fix,” not just a “band aid.”

                        Normal neurotransmitter levels are the key to a happy, energetic, symptom-free life. The correction for imbalanced neurotransmitters involves a few simple diet changes and some inexpensive, easily obtainable nutritional supplements. So what is holding you back? Obviously, you need to know which neurotransmitters are out of balance before you can begin an NT-improvement program. As you can see from the list of NT’s above, excesses cause just as many problems as deficiencies. The secret to normal neurotransmitter balance begins with knowing your neurotransmitter levels.
________________________________________
                                   
The Medical Test
That Can Save Your Life

______________________________________

 

Perhaps You’re Wondering,
“Why Didn’t My Doctor Order This Test…?”

Your doctor did not order a NeuroTransmitter test fortwo important reasons:

First, because he or she doesn’t know about it!Big Drug Companies aren’t “pushing” these tests yet because they don’t have drugs to address every neurotransmitter imbalance. Would you want to continue taking a serotonin-effecting drug, for example, if you found out you were low in epinephrine instead? And what about your doctor? The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for most of a doctor’s training, including the medical school curriculums. American medical schools are still marching to the Big Pharma tune. And Big Pharma isn’t ready for you or your doctor to know about simple ways to correct Neurotransmitter imbalances, especially when “head meds” are such Big Business.

Second (and this one may shock you), a doctor can besued by either your insurance company OR the federal government for ordering a “non standard” medical test. You read that right. The Big Drug Companies have such a stronghold on doctors and the government that a doctor can only order those tests that the drug companies “approve of.” Big Pharma isn’t going to let the cat out of the bag about Neurotransmitter Testing until they have drugs to sell you to “correct” any NT imbalance that testing discovers. And while norepinephrine drugs have just recently been introduced (which means we are the “guinea pigs for testing their safety), there are no other “head meds” on the horizon. That means that you’ll be waiting for years— perhaps even a decade or more—before your doctor will know about this test and  order it for you.

As I showed you in the first half of this report, your doctor is telling you some potentially deadly lies-and he doesn’t even know it.

But it isn’t his fault. He simply never learned in medical school or in mainstream journals about the safe, natural miracle-cures that are all around us, but known only to an unorthodox, yet dedicated few. It’s a shame, but the modern medical establishment is so dominated by the pill and scalpel that these un-patentable (read: inexpensive and difficult to regulate) cures get swept under the rug by our Big Pharma-friendly government…

 

________________________________________


Ignorance Isn’t Bliss, It’s Blistered

As we discussed earlier in this report, your doctor is telling you some potentially deadly lies-and he doesn’t even know it.

But it isn’t his fault. He simply never learned in medical school or in mainstream journals about the safe, natural miracle-cures that are all around us, but known only to an unorthodox, yet dedicated few. It’s a shame, but the modern medical establishment is so dominated by the pill and scalpel that these un-patentable (read: inexpensive and difficult to regulate) cures get swept under the rug by our Big Pharma-friendly government…

_________________________

 

3 Reasons Why I Know You’ll Find Your
Neurotransmitter Improvement Program So Valuable

1.) Knowledge is Power. Whether you choose conventional drugs, natural (corrective) remedies or a combination of both, at least you will know exactly what neurotransmitters need to be normalized, instead of just going along with the conventional medical “guess” and treating only serotonin levels.

2.) You’ll know your Options.  Your follow-up report will detail which drugs, supplements, diet and lifestyle changes are available to correct your particular neurotransmitter imbalances.

3.) You’ll discover proven ways to live a healthier, happier life.  When you balance your brain chemistry through corrective measures, you’ll not only feel happier, you’ll be genuinely healthier.

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Lift DEPRESSION Overnight
By Pressing Your “Happy Buttons”

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What Patients Have To Say
About the Neurotransmitter Improvement Program….
(testimonials here)

“You Have Make A Huge Difference…”
“I feel like I have my life back. I really didn’t realize how depressed I was. Things seemed  better after I started taking Zoloft, but it was only after we discovered that I was low in epinephrine and norepinephrine, and made some changes, that I could tell the difference beween ‘just getting by’ and really living. It’s hard for me to find the words to express how greatful I am for this test and your recommendations.” John Abrams, Phoenix, Arizona

“I Have Already Experienced Great Changes In Myself Because Of The Principle #1 Exercise…”
” I started taking the recommended supplements just two days ago and I can already feel a difference. I slept better last night than I have in years. I really do believe with such fast improvement in my sleep that help is on the way…” Katherine K., Poduk MI

“Your NT Program Recommendations Are Easy To Follow…”
“I learned through NT testing that I had three neurotransmitter imbalances (none of which was serotonin, which explains why Prozac wasn’t helping me). But I was afraid that “natural treatments” would involve some strict diet and exercise plan and eating foods I don’t like, like tofu. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dr. Myatt’s recommendations were simple and easy to follow. Even better, I have experienced dramatic results in only two weeks. THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. MYATT!”

“TheNIP Program Has Empowered Me To Take Control Of My Life…”

“NIP Has Truly Changed My Life…”

” TheNT Test and Program Have Accomplished in Three Weeks what Drugs and Counselling Failed to Produce in Three Years…”

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Your Personal Neurotransmitter Improvement Plan (NIP) will be:

Simple — That’s because simple is the thing that works the best.

Fast Results — When you invest in this course, or in anything, you are doing so because you want results sooner rather than later.owever, you have to be open to fast results. This sounds crazy, but if you believe in the saying “anything worth having is worth waiting for” than you are going to live a life waiting. Let’s start getting results right now – fast, immediate – with these 11 Principles.

Real Life — Principles from the real world always work better (or else they would not be principles) than the “should be’s” some people try to get you to believe.

Realistic, A Game Plan — Do you agree that information without a plan that shows you how to use it is worthless information. That means even poor information, if it at least comes with a game plan, will benefit you.

So imagine what superior information, with a specific, easy to follow game plan like the 11 Principles course is worth to you… Not only do you learn each of the 11 Principles, you also see how other people like yourself have used them. And most importantly, you are given an easy to follow game plan to quickly and simply put each Principle into use for yourself.

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Don’t just swallow a pill (and the marketing hype that goes with it) and carry on with business as usual. True neurotransmitter-balancing treatment is worth its weight in gold -and far outweighs the use of tranquilizers, anti-depressants, sleeping pills and other synthetic mood-altering drugs. So stop the drain on your health and feel like yourself again.

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                        Drug-free treatments work like Prozac without dangerous side effects. Prozac and other antidepressants work by boosting your levels of the mood-enhancing chemical serotonin. Yet researchers have now discovered a technique that does the very same thing — without drugs!
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Believe me, this isnot “pop medicine.” Just the opposite. These unpublicized techniques were revealed to our editors by a team of over 250 leading physicians and scientists, then carefully double-checked against the latest research. You won’t find them in the popular press — and unlike the fluff printed there, these things work.

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We are supposed to have freedom of speech in this country, but even many courageous alternative medical doctors don’t dare dare discussnew medicines or testsuntil they are “approved” by conventional medicine.Funny thing is, many of these leading-edge discoveries will in fact become “accepted”—- just as soon as Big Pharma figures out how to make a profit from them.

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Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals within the brain that relay signals between the nerve cells and are required for proper brain and body function. A proper balance of neurotransmitter levels helps achieve optimal health.

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Prescribing drugs based on opinions, theories and guesswork is like driving blindfolded. Without actual testing, you won’t discover your real Neurotransmitter imbalances except by accident.

Even “medicalexperts” find it hard to predict how patients will respond to a Neurotransmitter-effecting drug like Prozac or Zoloft. What’s more…

Testing often proves “expert opinions” dead wrong — and can skyrocket response and profits through the roof!

Simple diet, lifestyle and supplement changes can dramatically improve your neurotransmitter balance and hence, your mood and happiness level. But unless and until you test, you’ll never know what those needed changes are.

 

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Lift depression, Balance Your NT’s and see:

Better Results In Your BUSINESS

Better Results In Your HEALTH

Better Results In Your JOB

Better Results In Your Relationships

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How Much Is The Neurotransmitter Improvement Program?

The total value of the Neurotransmitter Test plus your personalized follow-up report —what I call the Neurotransmitter Improvement Program — is $794. And that would still be an incredible bargain based on the results it can bring you. But because I want to make this program available to as many people as possible before the “window of opportunity” closes, I’m going to make you an incredible offer.

Can you even put a price tag on a healthy, happy life?

How much would you give to wake up tomorrow morning living that dream life you gaze at every day in your head?

However, I want to get this life-changing information into everybody’s hand at a very reasonable price. And since this test is not yet “recognized” by conventional medical insurance (and won’t be until Big Pharma figures out how to get into the act), you’ll be paying out-of-pocket. Instead of the usual $794cost of theNeurotransmitter Test plus a New Patient Consult and follow-up report from me, I have chosen to make the entire program available for the cost of the NT test alone, $297.

Cost of NIP Program including NT test and Personalized Report: $297
Cost of feeling healthy, happy and energetic again: priceless

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Money-Back Guarantee

Perhaps you are concerned about the test results. What if your test results say that all of your neurotransmittrs are completely normal? Personally, I’ve never seen completely normal test results in a person suffering from depression, but I suppose it could happen. Now, a test result is a test result. The lab isn’t going to give us our money back if we don’t like the test results, any more than you’d get your money back for any other medical test result that you didn’t like. (Did you get your money back when you didn’t like hearing that you had high cholesterol? Or high blood sugar?) But I am SO CONFIDENT that if you suffer from depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD or other any other mood disorder that  neurotransmitter imbalances will be discovered which will lead you to a better life, that I will personally make this guarantee:

If your NeuroTransmitter Profile results come back completely normal, I will personally return your money— you won’t even have to ask for it back. Not only that, but you can keep your bonuses. Even in the presence of normal test results (again, I’d be quite surprised), your personal report will contain suggestions for increasing your health and happiness levels.

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P.S. If you recognize the enormous value of this program, please order your Neuro Improvment Program today. I don’t know how long I can continue to offer The Neurotransmitter Test, which requires a “doctor’s order.” You see, I’ll have a lot of people “gunning” for me when they find out what I am offering, and I could be barred at any moment from making this life-changing test and report available. The drug companies won’t like it because hey don’t want you to find out that you may have a neurotransmitter imbalance that is correctable without one of their drugs. Other doctors who use this test won’t like it, because it may deprive them of a new patient visit and numerous follow-up visits. (Remember, the test can only be ordered by a doctor, so ordinarily you’d have to visit a physician who would order the test for you). Even the labs who perform the tests might get a little “testy” when they learn that I am offering this test to people that I haven’t seen in person. But until someone cuts me off, I’ll do my best to make this test available. I believe it’s that important. Because I have no idea how long I can offer it, please don’t delay. If you return to this page and it’s gone from the Internet, it will mean that this service is no longer available to anyone except a private practice patient of mine.
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Three Free Bonuses: Yours to Keep no Matter What

1.) The Body/Mind Connection DVD.

2.) FREE report: 29 simple, natural strategies to lift depression and live a life of joy.

3.)  [JV partner bonus here?]
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REFERENCES:

 

Recommended Reading

Commonsense Rebellion: Taking Back Your Life from Drugs, Shrinks, Corporations, and a World Gone Crazy (Paperback) by Bruce E. Levine, pHD. Continuum Press, 2006.

 

 

                       
                       

 

                       

                       


 

 

 

Neurological Disease


Treating Neurological Disease (M.S., Parkinson’s, ALS)

By Dr. Dana Myatt

Some things seem to go in “waves.” This week, I’ve had a lot of people asking about what to do for neurological conditions. Here’s my best “general” advice. (I can give more “specific” advice when I work with someone personally. Please read on).

You’ll NEVER hear any of this from your conventional medical doctor, for at least two reasons. First, there are no known cures for neurological diseases in conventional medicine. In fact, even our symptomatic treatments are fairly lame. Secondly, when a doctor does have information about a “non standard” (read that: “not conventional medicine”) approach, he or she could lose their medical license by telling you about it. So don’t be disappointed if your conventional medical doctor, no matter how good or well-respected, doesn’t have much hope to offer. That’s conventional medicine.

What I Would Immediately Do If I Were Diagnosed With a Neurological Disease

If I found out tomorrow that I had a neurological disease, here are the steps I would take right away:

  1. Have several un-conventional laboratory studies performed, including:
    1. Hair Mineral Analysis: to evaluate for heavy and toxic metal poisoning. This applies to ALL neuro conditions.
    2. Food allergy testing: to rule out immune responses to food allergies as a cause for symptoms. (This is especially important in MS).
    3. Neurotransmitter (NT) Testing: to look at neurotransmitter hormone levels. (This applies to all neuro conditions but is especially important in Parkinson’s, where a dopamine deficiency is often seen).
  2. Holistic dental evaluation, with removal of all dissimilar dental metals. NOTE: VERY FEW holistic dentist really understand this, and NO conventional dentists “get it.” If you have it done incorrectly (as most “holistic dentists are wont to do), it can cause more harm than good. Please don’t have any dental work done until you have talked to me first!). How important do I think this is? I have already had all metal removed from my mouth except for one full-gold crown. It is that important. If I hadn’t already had this done, I would get it done immediately, after I confirmed the skill and knowledge level of the attending dentist.
  3. Diet changes:
    1. Eliminate all food allergies (see above, laboratory testing).
    2. The Myatt Diet: low carbohydrate, high Omega-3 fatty acids. This is THE healthiest way to eat, proven by long-lived populations. This plus elimination of known food allergies relieves all dietary stress on the immune and nervous systems. Look for organic foods, too, since pesticide and herbicide toxicity is associated with neurological disease. Additional fish oil should be supplemented in those not regularly consuming wild Alaskan salmon and grass-fed beef. Ketogenic diets such as The Myatt Diet have proven useful for Parkinson’s, ALS and inoperable brain cancers. The diet switches the brain from using sugar for fuel to using ketones for fuel, and this “metabolic switch” is associated with fewer tremors and better movement.
    3. Discontinue ALL soy products, and milk (cow’s milk / dairy variety),
  4. Nutritional supplements: I’m make sure that I didn’t have a single nutrient deficiency known to cause or exacerbate a neurological disease. Here are the known connection.
    1. Parkinson’s: deficiencies of folic acid, B12, vitamins C, E and D are highly associated. Besides getting out in the sun, I’d be taking daily Maxi Multi’s to have achieve the recommended doses of these vitamins. CoQ10 has also shown to slow progression of the disease, but the dose needs to be higher, 1,200mg per day. Avoid iron, as iron overload can cause Parkinson’s and a number of other diseases. (You should be tested for iron overload with a serum ferritin test).
    2. M.S.: vitamin D deficiency is associated MS. Lower levels of calcium, magnesium, vitamin E and other antioxidant nutrients have been observed in MS patients and appear to slow progression of the disease. Vitamin B1 and niacin have proven to be useful. As with Parkinson’s, I’d get more sunshine and take Maxi Multis to have all of these nutrient bases covered.
    3. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Hi B12, gamma-E tocopherol, zinc, copper, selenium, CoQ10, Alpha-lipoic acid, Acetyl-L-carnitine, creatine, curcumin, DHEA, glutathion, green tea, N-acetylcysteine, grape seed extract (OPC’s), resveratrol (grape skin extract) and vinpocetin. These vitamins, minerals amino acids and trace minerals have all been shown to alter various aspects of the disease.
  5. Schedule a telephone consultation with ME, or someone just like me. A physician who is not limited by conventional medical techniques (but is still trained in them and can prescribe all conventional tests and drugs) will be your best bet for obtaining a full and complete evaluation of the causes of neurological disease. The sooner this is done, the better the chance for a more full and complete recovery.

I hope this provides help and comfort to the numerous health-seekers who contacted me this week about neurological concerns!

References:

  1. Journal of January Neurochemistry 2002;80:101-110
  2. Neurology March 22, 2005;64(6):1047-1051
  3. Journal Clinical Toxicology 2003;41(1):67-70
  4. American Journal Epidemiology March 1, 2003;157(5):409-14
  5. Malosse D, Perron H, Sasco A, Seigneurin JM. Correlation between milk and dairy product consumption and multiple sclerosis prevalence: a worldwide study. Neuroepidemiology 1992;11:304–12.
  6. Swank RL. Multiple sclerosis: fat-oil relationship. Nutrition 1991;7:368–76.
  7. Esparza ML, Saski S, Kesteloot H. Nutrition, latitude, and multiple sclerosis mortality: an ecologic study. Am J Epidemiol 1995;142:733–7.
  8. Dines KC, Powell HC. Mast cell interactions with the nervous system: relationship to mechanisms of disease. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 1997;56:627–40.
  9. Stern EI. The intraspinal injection of vitamin B1 for the relief of intractable pain, and for inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system. Am J Surg 1938;34:495.
  10. Moore MT. Treatment of multiple sclerosis with nicotinic acid and vitamin B1. Arch Int Med 1940;65:18.
  11. Fahn S. A pilot trial of high-dose alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate in early Parkinson’s disease. Ann Neurol 1992;32:S128–32.
  12. Shoulson I. DATATOP: a decade of neuroprotective inquiry. Parkinson Study Group. Deprenyl And Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy Of Parkinsonism. Ann Neurol 1998;44:S160–6.
  13. Fahn S. A pilot trial of high-dose alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate in early Parkinson’s disease. Ann Neurol 1992;32:S128–32.
  14. Dexter DT, Carayon A, Javoy-Agid F, et al. Alterations in the levels of iron, ferritin and other trace metals in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases affecting the basal ganglia. Brain 1991;114:1953–75.
  15. Dexter DT, Carayon A, Javoy-Agid F, et al. Alterations in the levels of iron, ferritin and other trace metals in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases affecting the basal ganglia. Brain 1991;114:1953–75.
  16. Pall HS, Williams AC, Blake DR, et al. Raised cerebrospinal fluid copper concentration in Parkinson’s disease. Lancet 1987;2(8553):238–41.
  17. Nutritional factors in the pathogenesis and therapy of respiratory insufficiency in neuromuscular diseases. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1993;48(4):327–330.
  18. N-acetyl-L-cysteine improves survival and preserves motor performance in an animal model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuroreport. 2000;11(11):2491–2493.
  19. Effects of an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, desmethylselegiline, trientine, and lipoic acid in transgenic ALS mice. Exp Neurol. 2001b;168(2):419–424.
  20. Increases in cortical glutamate concentrations in transgenic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice are attenuated by creatine supplementation. J Neurochem. 2001a;77(2):383–390.
  21. Glutathione peroxidase in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the effects of selenium supplementation. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol . 1998;17(3–4):325–329.
  22. Vitamin E intake and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol . 2005;57(1):104–110.
  23. Coenzyme Q10 as a possible treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Free Radic Res . 2002;36(4):455–460.
  24. Neurodegenerative memory disorders: a potential role of environmental toxins. Neurol Clin . 2005;23(2):485–521.
  25. Nutritional issues and supplements in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2002;5(6):631–643.
  26. Acetyl-L-carnitine and Alzheimer’s disease: pharmacological considerations beyond the cholinergic sphere. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993;695:324–326.
  27. Zinc metabolism in the brain: relevance to human neurodegenerative disorders. Neurobiol Dis. 1997;4(3–4):137–169.
  28. The role of excitotoxicity in neurodegenerative disease: implications for therapy. Pharmacol Ther. 1999;81(3):163–221.
  29. Protection by dietary zinc in ALS mutant G93A SOD transgenic mice. Neurosci Lett . 2005;379(1):42–46.
  30. Therapeutic efficacy of EGb761 ( Gingko biloba extract) in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Mol Neurosci . 2001;17(1):89–96.
  31. High dose vitamin E therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as add-on therapy to riluzole: results of a placebo-controlled double-blind study. J Neural Transm . 2005;112(5):649–660.
  32. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and occupational heavy metal exposure: a case-control study. Neuroepidemiology . 1986;5(1):29–38 .
  33. Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002;99(4):1870–1875.
  34. Neuroprotective effect of green tea extract in experimental ischemia-reperfusion brain injury. Brain Res Bull. 2000;53(6):743–749.
  35. Kinetics of reduction of ferrylmyoglobin by (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and green tea extract. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(10):2998–3003.
  36. Effect of ultrahigh-dose methylcobalamin on compound muscle action potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a double-blind controlled study. Muscle Nerve . 1998;21(12):1775–1778.
  37. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA-sulfate (DHEAS) protect hippocampal neurons against excitatory amino acid-induced neurotoxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998;95(4):1852–1857.
  38. Antioxidants and herbal extracts protect HT-4 neuronal cells against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. Free Radic Res. 2000;32(2):115–124.
  39. Evidence for the stimulatory effect of resveratrol on Ca(2+)- activated K+ current in vascular endothelial cells. Cardiovasc Res 2000;45(4):1035–1045.
  40. Lim GP, Chu T, et al. The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage and amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer transgenic mouse. J Neurosci. 2001;21(21):8370–8377.
  41. Curcumin, a molecule that inhibits the Ca2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum but increases the rate of accumulation of Ca2+. J Biol Chem. 2001;276(50):46905–46911.
  42. Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of acetylcysteine in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Arch Neurol. 1995;52(6):559–564.
  43. Mano Y, Takayanagi T, et al. [Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and mercury—preliminary report]. Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1990;30(11):1275–1277.
  44. Neuroprotection by dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate: role of an NFkappaB-like factor. Neuroreport. 1998;9(4):759–763.
  45. Coenzyme Q10 administration increases brain mitochondrial concentrations and exerts neuroprotective effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . 1998;95(15):8892–8897.
  46. Effects of creatine supplementation on exercise performance and muscular strength in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: preliminary results. J Neurol Sci. 2001;191(1–2):139–144.
  47. Mitochondrial involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurochem Int. 2002;40(6):543–551.
  48. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: toxins and environment. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Other Motor Neuron Disord . 2000;1(4):235–250.
  49. Prolonged pretreatment with alpha-lipoic acid protects cultured neurons against hypoxic, glutamate-, or iron-induced injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 1995;15(4):624–630.
  50. Biochemical characterization of plasma in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: amino acid and protein composition. Amyotoph Lateral Scler Other Motor Neuron Disord . 2005;6(2):104–110.
  51. Clinical pharmacology of the dietary supplement creatine monohydrate. Pharmacol Rev. 2001;53(2):161–176.
  52. Antioxidant therapy in ALS. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Other Motor Neuron Disord. 2000;1(Suppl 4):5–12; discussion 13–15.
  53. An increase of oxidized coenzyme Q-10 occurs in the plasma of sporadic ALS patients. J Neurol Sci . 2005;228(1):49–53.
  54. The slippage of the Ca2+ pump and its control by anions and curcumin in skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. J Biol Chem. 2002;277(16):13900–13906.
  55. Potential for creatine and other therapies targeting cellular energy dysfunction in neurological disorders. Ann Neurol. 2001;49(5):561–574.
  56. A 1-year controlled trial of acetyl-1 -carnitine in early-onset AD. Neurology. 2000;55(6):805–810.
  57. Effect of creatine supplementation on metabolite levels in ALS motor cortices. Exp Neurol. 2001;172(2):377–382.
  58. Vinpocetine-enhanced stimulation of calcium-activated potassium currents in rat pituitary GH3 cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 2001;61(7):877–892.
  59. Alpha lipoic acid inhibits TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation and adhesion molecule expression in human aortic endothelial cells. Faseb J . 2001;15(13): 2423–2432.

 

Modified Citrus Pectin


Natural Anti-Metastatic Support

Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) is derived from pectin, a high molecular-weight polysaccharide present in the cell wall of all plants. Pectin can be pH degraded to produce a modified (smaller) polysaccharide – modified citrus pectin – which has anti-metastatic properties. MCP appears to bind with galactans on cancer cell surfaces, inhibiting aggregation and adherence to normal cells and offering anti-metastatic protection in animal models.

Modified citrus pectin is readily absorbed in the GI tract and is completely non-toxic to humans. Although there are no good studies to verify MCP’s effectiveness in humans, animal studies repeatedly demonstrate MCP’s anti-metastatic capabilities. Because of the lack of toxicity of modified citrus pectin, and because conventional medicine has no drug or treatment to prevent metastasis, I recommend taking either MCP or larch in cases of cancer to help prevent or delay metastasis.

Dose: 2-3 teaspoons, 3 times daily. This may be added to your Super Shake or other beverage.

REFERENCES

1.) Guess BW, Scholz MC,Strum SB,LamRY, Johnson HJ, Jennrich RI. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: a phase II pilot study.Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2003) 6, 301–304. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500679
2.) Nangia-Makker P, Hogan V, Honjo Y, et al. Inhibition of human cancer cell growth and metastasis in nude mice by oral intake of modified citrus pectin. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002;94:1854-1862.
3.) Strum S, Scholz M, McDermed J, et al. Modified citrus pectin slows PSA doubling time: A pilot clinical trial. Presentation: International Conference on Diet and Prevention of Cancer, Tampere, Finland. May 28, 1999 – June 2, 1999.
4.) Yan J, Katz AE. PectaSol-C Modified Citrus Pectin Induces Apoptosis and Inhibition of Proliferation in Human and Mouse Androgen-Dependent and Independent Prostate Cancer Cells. Integr Cancer Ther. 2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20462856