Author: Dr. Mercola

How to Grow Dandelion Greens

(Dr. Mercola) Dandelion greens are nutritious, delicious and versatile. They can be added to salads, soups and stews or sautéed and served as a side dish. What you may have only thought of as a pesky weed in your yard is actually a flowering herb with significant health benefits.

The dandelion plant belongs to the largest plant family — the Asteraceae or sunflower family — which includes more than 22,000 species, such as daisies and thistles. The dandelion alone has more than 100 different species, all of which are beneficial to your health.1 In fact, every part of the dandelion can be used, from the roots to the leaves and flowers.

You probably know how difficult they are to eradicate from your yard. When you mow them each week, the plant accommodates and grows a shorter stalk.2 Dandelions have become masters of survival, which is likely what makes them such successful weeds. However, while you may not want them growing in your yard, there are benefits to growing your own patch of dandelions and harvesting the greens for your table.

History of the Dandelion Herb

The dandelion has been embraced across cultures and centuries, but has now been branded suburban enemy No 1. An estimated 80 million pounds of chemicals are poured on yards across the U.S. to eradicate the little flowering herbs, but year after year these hardy plants return. Before the invention of lawns, however, gardeners used to weed out the grass to make room for more dandelions.

The name of the plant originated from the French who called it “dent de lion” or tooth of the lion, as the jagged edges of the leaves are suggestive of a lion’s tooth.3 Although it is native to Europe and Asia, it has been carried around the world and is probably one of the most recognizable plants worldwide. It is believed the European settlers found the plant so useful they purposefully brought the dandelion with them to the New World.

The official botanical name for the dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. The pollen from the dandelion doesn’t cause allergic reactions as the grains are too large. However, the sap from the plant may cause a common contact dermatitis resulting in swelling and itching.4

The plant is known to grow just about anywhere, but loves direct sunlight. As the flower matures it forms a familiar white puff of seeds that can float as far as 100 miles in the wind before settling into the soil and seeding yet another plot of land.5 Some outdoorsmen claim the dandelion helps them predict the weather. After the flower has gone to seed, if rain is coming the head reportedly will cover the seeds to protect the seed ball until the threat of rain has passed.6

Related: Five Common Weeds to Cultivate for Health and Nutrition

Plant Your Dandelion Crop in the Spring

If you are planting your own dandelion crop, it is probably best to plant them furthest from your neighbor’s yard and remove the heads before they seed. You can grow a full crop in your backyard using an inexpensive hot house that allows sun in and keeps the seeds from spreading. Even with such precautions, seed can still leave the hothouse on your clothing or on the sole of you shoes, so you’ll still want to remove the heads before the seed ball forms.

When you are starting a crop, the first seeds can be sown outside approximately four to six weeks before the last frost.7 Once they have sprouted, which takes seven to 10 days,8 you’ll want to thin them so they are 6 to 8 inches apart, allowing for full growth of the greens and plenty of room for the tap root. You can choose from a variety of different dandelion plants to meet your particular needs. The Clio produces upright greens that are easy to harvest and the Ameliore is a French strain with broader leaves and a milder flavor.9

The root of the dandelion routinely goes 18 inches deep into the soil and is an excellent way of keeping the soil from compacting.10 The root is sturdy and often has little hairy rootlets that may remain in the ground when you harvest your plants and regrow a new plant.11Although the plants are incredibly resilient to poor conditions, the quality of nutrition you receive from the greens will depend on the quality of the soil the herb grows in.

Dandelions thrive in full sun, but will grow in partial shade. Use soil that drains well and compost the soil in the fall to encourage a strong spring crop. You can harvest the leaves and flowers throughout the summer months. The roots are best harvested during frost-free fall months.12 Before harvesting the leaves, cover the plants with a dark opaque cloth so the leaves blanch, reducing the bitterness of the greens.13

The blossoms should be harvested when they are young and tender, just as they have bloomed. Putting them in a bowl of cold water will prevent them from closing before you eat them.14

Dandelions will grow problem free. You won’t have to treat for pests or change planting location unless they are planted in full shade. Dandelions may also be grown in container gardens, which makes covering them to blanch the leaves, or cutting the flower when they go to seed, much easier than if they are planted in your herb garden. Containers can also be set up high to reduce the potential for back pain as you are bending to care for the plants and prevent them from seeding your lawn or your neighbor’s yard.

Related: Dandelions

Dandelions Have Significant Health Benefits

Small birds eat the seeds of the dandelion; pigs, goats and rabbits eat the flowers and the nectar is food for the honey bee.15 But, beyond a food source for wildlife, the dandelion holds an amazing amount of health benefits for you as well. There are uses in your kitchen from the root to the flower, and health benefits to each part of the plant as well. Some studies have demonstrated the greens help produce antibodies to cancer.16

Dandelion greens are high in calcium, iron and potassium.17 They are also rich in vitamins C, A, K,18 thiamine and riboflavin,19 and surprisingly rank ahead of both broccoli and spinach in nutritional value. A full cup of chopped greens is a low 24 calories, packing more nutrition in a serving than some of the vegetables you routinely grow in your garden each year.

The vitamins and minerals provided in your dandelion greens help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, support your immune system and the development of strong bones and teeth. Practitioners of folk medicine have been using dandelion root and leaves for centuries to prevent and treat several health conditions. The root of the plant increases the flow of bile that may help reduce gallstones, liver congestion and inflammation and jaundice.20

The plant has a second name, “pis-en-lit,” (wet the bed) — a name that refers to the diuretic effect of its greens.21 When eaten before bed, they may require you make several trips to the bathroom during the night. Some find the leaves to have a mild laxative effect that aids in movement through your digestive tract.22 Traditionally, the root of the dandelion has been used in the treatment of rheumatism, as it has mild anti-inflammatory effects.

Time of harvest affects the properties of the root. Fall harvest has the greatest health benefits and produces an opaque extract with higher levels of inulin and levulin, starch-like substances that may help balance your blood sugar.23 Spring and summer harvest of the root produces a less bitter product, but with less potent health benefits.

The herb has been used by Native Americans to help heartburn and upset stomach and the Chinese have used it to improve breast milk flow and reduce inflammation in the breast during lactation.24 The Europeans used dandelion greens to help relieve fever, boils, diarrhea and diabetes. As a precautionary note, dandelions may make the side effects of lithium worse, and may increase your risk of bleeding if you are taking a blood thinner.25

Related: 80% Raw Food Diet

Dandelions Propagate Profusely

Dandelions growing in the center of your yard can be harvested and eaten as long as your yard is chemical free and your neighbors don’t spray. Even if your neighbors use chemical pellets to treat the yard, the chemicals migrate to the edges of your yard, so don’t harvest and eat the dandelions within 10 feet of your neighbor’s yard.

You may end up with dandelions in your own yard in places where you don’t want them growing. There are several ways to remove them without resorting to chemicals. Even the pellets you sprinkle across your lawn to control weeds contribute to the damage done to wildlife in your area and groundwater pollution that affects the quality of drinking water. Over 5 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually across the world.26 These chemicals affect both plant life and the birds and wildlife that feed on the vegetation.

In most instances the chemicals are fat soluble. This means there is significant biomagnification as the chemicals remain in the insect and animal bodies and accumulate up the food chain. A conservative estimate is that 672 million birds are exposed to pesticides in the U.S. annually and 10 percent of those, or 67 million, are killed outright from ingesting the chemicals.27 The extent of the damage done long term to the bird population is difficult to estimate.

Birds exposed to chemicals also suffer “sublethal” effects that include thinning egg shells that break under the weight of the incubating adult, hormone disruption, impaired immune systems and a lack of appetite.28 Each of these consequences severely impairs the ability of the bird to reproduce, migrate and survive.

Related: Repel Mosquitoes by Cultivating Marigolds

Birds may be particularly vulnerable as they can both mistake the pesticide pellets for seed and eat insects that are also laden with chemicals, doubling the load of pesticides they ingest.

Children are also more vulnerable than adults as they absorb more chemicals for their size relative to adults and are more vulnerable to the effects of the toxins in their bodies. A report by Environmental and Human Health Inc. found children exposed to pesticides had a higher incidence of childhood leukemia, soft tissue sarcomas and brain cancers.29

Related: Diatomaceous Earth – Mother Nature’s Secret Weapon: What Is It, How to Use It, Where to Find It

Some assume these chemicals are safe for use as they are sold over-the-counter, but while the Environmental Protection Agency classifies four of the more common lawn chemicals as having insufficient data to assess the impact on the development of cancer in humans, all are associated with the sixth most common form of cancer in the U.S., non-Hodgkin lymphoma.30

These chemicals don’t disappear after a couple of days either. They are incorporated into the leaves of the grass eaten by insects and your pet dog. They seep into the groundwater in your neighborhood, which affects the water that eventually reaches your tap. Residue is tracked indoors on the bottom of your shoes where it accumulates in the dust in your home.

Get Rid of Your Lawn Dandelions Naturally

There are several ways to keep your lawn clear of dandelions without resorting to toxic chemicals. Dandelions thrive in direct sunlight so when the grass grows 3 to 4 inches tall it helps to reduce the growth of the plant. The plant won’t flower until all the leaves have formed and only if there is sufficient sunlight and moisture.31 In the short time-lapsed video above you can watch one dandelion go from flower to seed ball in two days.

Related: How to Test and Amend Soil

You can kill the plant, and therefore not worry about the tap root producing another plant, by spraying a mixture of white vinegar, water and salt directly on the plant. This will kill the surrounding plants as well, so use a direct spray and be careful where you aim it.

Your third option is to pull the plants from the ground, being careful to pull up the tap root from the end as any root you leave will produce another plant. Work in your yard when the ground is moist, such as after a deep watering or a long slow rain. Mother Earth News recommends three different weeders designed specifically for dandelions to help you remain chemical free.32

Each of the weeding options allow you to work standing up to reduce strain on your lower back and knees. The prices range between $20 and $30. Using a combination of all three strategies — length of grass, spraying individual plants with vinegar and salt and pulling individual plants — may help you keep a lawn free of dandelions and even address other types of weeds. Remember to address the plant before it goes to seed, as once the seeds begin to spread, all control is lost.

Use the Leaves, Roots and Flowers in Recipes at Home

In this short video, a chef from the Martha Steward test kitchen demonstrates making a chick pea and dandelion salad using fresh from the garden vegetables. Using the greens in a salad is just one way to use the plant — there are many more:33,34

Related: Three Easy Mushroom Varieties To Grow at Home
Roots can be dried, ground and brewed like coffee Dandelion wine made from the flowers Flowers fried in butter
Dry the roots, roast a 300 degrees F and grind; add to hot chocolate Mix greens in potato salad or egg salad Sautéed like spinach and added to eggs, served as a side dish or in a quiche
Cold pickling in a salt brine; heat may destroy the delicate leaves Kimchi made with dandelion greens Flowers mixed with apple peel or orange zest and made into jam
Roots chopped fine and stir fried Dandelion pumpkin seed pesto Dandelion blossom cookies
Recommended Reading:

How to Help Heal Mental Disorders With Nutrition

(Dr. Mercola) Can you use specific nutrients to improve your mental health? Yes, you can. William Walsh, Ph.D., president of the nonprofit Walsh Research Institute in Naperville, Illinois, and author of “Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain,” specializes in nutrient-based psychiatry and nutritional medicine.

He and I are both  fellows of the American College of Nutrition. He’s designed nutritional programs for Olympic athletes, NBA players and major league baseball players. More importantly, he’s spent a great deal of his career seeking to improve mental health through nutrition.

“I started off in the hard science. I was an experimentalist,” Walsh says. “I worked, in the beginning, in the nuclear field … with places like Los Alamos, the Institute for Atomic Research and University of Michigan Research Institute. I wound up at Argonne National Laboratory. While working as a scientist there, I started a volunteer project at the local prison, Stateville Penitentiary.

I eventually got really interested in why people were violent …  [W]hen we started the ex-offender program, I got to meet the families that had produced a criminal. I found some wonderful families, caring and capable families, that have other children who turned out just fine …

I began to realize we didn’t understand why people had bad behavior. We then asked the question, ‘Could it be something related to their brain chemistry or the body chemistry?’… I started doing lab studies of their blood, their urine and hair. I found out that they were very, very different from the rest of the population. That’s how I got started.”

Biochemistry and the Criminal Brain

Walsh received valuable direction after meeting Dr. Carl Pfeiffer, who was doing work on heavy metals and schizophrenia. As it turns out, levels of metals, including copper, zinc and manganese, were all abnormal in criminals compared to the general population.

Walsh discovered four biochemical types of violent people. One of these was the sociopaths, all of whom had severe zinc deficiency, pyrrole disorder, low blood spermine and undermethylation. In all, it’s an unusual combination of bad biochemistry. A collaborative investigation with Pfeiffer resulted in nutrient therapies for each of the behavior types.

Pyrrole disorder is a stress condition commonly found in brain disorders. A urine test developed by niacin expert Abram Hoffer and Pfeiffer is the gold standard test for this genetic condition, which involves altered  biochemistry in your bone marrow and spleen.

People who have pyrrole disorder may produce five to 10 times more pyrroles than normal — a byproduct of natural reactions, like the formation of hemoglobin. While harmless in and of itself, pyrroles bind to and draw out anything that is an aldehyde, such as B-6. It also sharply depletes zinc.

As a result, people with pyrroles disorder have exceptionally low levels of B-6, and zinc which can have serious effects on brain function, affecting their memory and ability to read, for example. B-6 deficiency is quite common among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well.

Related: Increase your IQ with the Right Foods, Herbs, Vitamins

The Earlier the Treatment the Better the Results

“Eventually, [Pfeiffer] and I jointly evaluated 500 patients, mostly violent adults and violent children. We got our best results with the kids, young people with the same kind of chemistry, who were mostly very violent,” Walsh says.

“I have to say we didn’t really succeed in finding a way to help the adult criminals. They would get better for six to eight months, and then I’d find out they were back in prison. That had a lot to do with the fact that they were abusing alcohol and illegal drugs … At about 1990, we decided to focus on children …

It’s been very successful. If we can get a child before their lives are ruined, before they pass puberty perhaps, our success rate [is] very high … The doctors report a striking improvement in behavior. Most of these kids, of course, [are] on drugs, everything from Ritalin to powerful antipsychotic  medications. Usually when we’re finished and [have] balanced their chemistry, they can wean off the medication. They usually are fine without it …”

Nutrients Involved in Synthesis or Functioning of Neurotransmitters Dictate Mental Function

Later on, Walsh expanded to also include children with autism and ADHD. Fond of numbers, Walsh began amassing enormous databases. At present, he has one of the world’s largest chemistry database for autism, depression and behavior disorders.

“When you look at these millions of chemical analyses of blood, urine and tissues, it’s obvious that there are very great differences,” he says. “I found that for mental disorders, about six or seven chemical imbalances dominate mental function. There are hundreds and hundreds of important nutrients in the body, but in the brain, there are about six or seven that [seem] to dominate everything. Eventually, I found out why …

[T]hese are the nutrient factors that are either involved in synthesis of a neurotransmitter or the functioning of a neurotransmitter. They include methylation — undermethylation or overmethylation. In our database, 70 percent of all humans in the United States have normal, typical methylation; 22 percent are undermethylated … 8 percent are overmethylated.

About 70 percent of all people who have a mental disorder have one of these methylation disorders. The symptoms are completely different, and the treatment they need is completely different. We also found that most people [who have mental disorders] are depleted or deficient in zinc. That’s the most common [deficiency] we see … Virtually everyone with a mental disorder seems to need zinc and improve on it.”

Copper Overload Linked to Autism, Schizophrenia and Postpartum Depression

Copper is another important trace metal, as it plays a distinct role in the synthesis of norepinephrine, a major neurotransmitter. Divalent copper (Cu2+) is a dramatic factor in the ratio of dopamine and norepinephrine.

Related: Autism, Gut Health, Obesity, the MMR Vaccine, and Andrew Wakefield

Animal studies have shown that when animals are starved of copper until they only have 25 percent of the normal amount of copper in their blood, the ratio between norepinephrine and dopamine is changed by more than a factor of three. Most of us have the ability to homeostatically control copper. However, some do not have that ability.

“It all has to do with an enzyme called metallothionein that is genetically expressed. Some people don’t have that system working,” Walsh explains. “These persons have copper overload, which we find virtually in every autistic patient, most patients with schizophrenia and almost everyone with postpartum depression.

That’s a recipe for very high norepinephrine — which means anxiety and depression — and low dopamine (a feel-good neurotransmitter), which is a hallmark of ADHD … a nasty combination.

We find the sociopaths innately have low copper levels. People who have undermethylation tend to have low normal copper levels … The good news for mental disorders is that there are more than 100 really important biochemicals in the body, but only a few dominate mental disorders.

If we had to do lab testing for 100 of them, it would be really difficult. If we had to adjust the levels of these and normalize 100 different factors, it would make life very difficult. But we found that by just focusing on maybe seven or eight nutrient factors, we could help 95 percent of the patients we see with nutrient therapy.”

How to Measure Your Zinc and Copper Status

Zinc experts typically agree that plasma zinc provides the most accurate measurement. The taste test has some minor value but is among the least reliable. To accurately measure copper, serum copper is the way to go, and most labs throughout the world provide good copper assays.

Walsh recommends doing a ceruloplasmin test at the same time, because then you can determine how much free radical copper you have, which gives you a good indication of your level of oxidative stress. A high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) test would also be useful as a marker of inflammation.

“By the way, oxidative stress runs through every single mental disorder we see, without exception,” Walsh says. “Every one of them seems to have extraordinary oxidative stress — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, a violent child or an autistic child.”

Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle strongly promotes oxidative stress, with processed foods, processed vegetable oils, excessive net carbs and excessive protein being some of the most potent factors. This kind of diet causes a reduction in ketones and a radical increase in reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals.

Exposure to non-native electromagnetic fields, glyphosate and other pesticides, fluoride-contaminated water and other toxic exposures only add to the problem. Typically, copper and ceruloplasmin levels tend to go hand in hand, being either high or low together. The ideal level for copper, with respect to mental health, is somewhere between 75 and 100 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) in serum. The ideal amount of ceruloplasmin has to do with whatever your level of copper is.

Ideally, the percentage of copper in your ceruloplasmin should be around 85 to 90 percent. “It’s really great to do both simultaneously because then you have a really good picture of not only the copper situation, but also the level of oxidative stress,” Walsh says.

Related: Homemade Calcium and Magnesium

The Importance of Methylation in Mental Health

Walsh was among the first people to alert the world to the importance of methylation in mental health, especially autism. The No. 1 causes of undermethylation are single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or mutations in the enzymes for the one-carbon cycle (the methylation cycle).

“The No. 1 factor is the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), which is one of the enzymes. That’s the rate-limiting step for that whole cycle, for most people,” Walsh explains. “Genetic testing services such as 23andMe can provide this kind of information.

However, most human beings have enormous numbers of SNPs. They’ve already found 10 million snips (or mutations) in the human genome. Every human being has thousands of these SNPs. A really high percentage of people have even the more serious MTHFR SNPs — the C677T, the A1298C that people are always talking about.

The thing that is often mistaken by nutritional scientists is that if a person has the homozygous, the double copies of the C677T, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re undermethylated. It certainly doesn’t mean that they will benefit if you give them methylfolate. That’s one of the problems that we’re finding.

The reason is epigenetics. You have to consider the epigenetics and the methylation at the same time. There are three nutrient factors that affect epigenetics more than anything else: folates, methionine and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). These have a really powerful impact on epigenetics.”

How Folates Affect Epigenetics

Folates are serotonin reuptake promoters. However, even if an individual is undermethylated and has a problem related to low serotonin activity, such as depression or anxiety, folates should not be given, Walsh warns. The reason? If you give folate, their methylation will improve and the patient will actually get worse.

Related: Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium

The reason for this worsening is because, epigenetically, folates act as deacetylase inhibitors and sharply lower serotonin activity. Most autistic individuals will not have a serotonin problem and will thrive on methyl folate. However, an estimated 10 percent of autistic children and adults do have a serotonin issue and will severely regress if given methyl folate.

“We’ve had thousands of patients who were undermethylated depressives. I’ve seen more than 3,000 cases of clinical depression. I’ve got this huge database. The largest phenotype … is undermethylation.

But if you gave them any form of folate, they would get worse. Their methylation would improve, they would get worse, because it has a dramatic impact on serotonin reuptake. In contrast, methionine and SAMe are natural serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

They do essentially the same thing that Prozac and Paxil do. Folates have the opposite effect. Folates are wonderful if you want to knock dopamine level down in schizophrenics or people who have high anxiety — overmethylated people. It’s counterintuitive because folates are excellent methylating agents..”

To reiterate, some undermethylated people are intolerant to folates, and some overmethylated people thrive on folates even though folates improve methylation. As you can see, there are epigenetic complexities involved here, making self-diagnosis and self-treatment highly inadvisable.

It could be quite risky to take these bits and pieces of information and try to apply them on your own. There are simply too many variables. So, the bottom line here is to make sure you’re being treated by a knowledgeable professional.

Heavy Metals and the Autistic Brain

Walsh has tested 6,500 autistic patients. As a group, they have much higher toxic metal levels than their siblings or the general population. Walsh believes their toxic burden is likely due to an inborn predisposition that makes them more likely to accumulate toxins and/or vulnerable to the effects of toxins.

“Thousands of these parents, maybe more than half, told a very sad story of how they had a child who was developing normally, was beginning to speak and was singing and charming their grandparents. Then maybe the child got sick.

They took him to a pediatrician and the pediatrician — I’ve heard this story hundreds of times — said, ‘Oh, you’re behind on your shots. You’re behind on your vaccinations.’ They took a sick child and gave them multiple vaccinations, at that time, with thimerosal and mercury.

Hundreds of these families said that within a day or two, their child changed forever. Lost all speech, the personality changed, they became sick. They became intolerant to served foods. They were just very troubled little human beings.

When they went to specialists, eventually they wound up with the diagnosis of autism and were told that it was incurable and that there was no hope really for recovery. We’ve seen a lot of human misery just talking with these families. It’s just a shocking and terrible thing.”

Walsh suspects autistic children have an insufficiency of natural antioxidants such as glutathione and metallothionein, rendering them more vulnerable to the effects of environmental exposures, including vaccines and poor diet. It’s worth noting that 1 in 3 children diagnosed with autism does not have true autism caused by epigenetic variations.

Many of these children have a good chance of recovery, whereas classic Kanner autism is a permanent, life-long epigenetic condition (named after Leo Kanner, who discovered autism in the 1940s1), although some measure of improvement can be made even in these cases.

Related: How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

On Thimerosal

Walsh has also investigated the thimerosal issue, looking for evidence of mercury toxicity in the brains of autistic children. In fact, he was the first person to actually measure mercury in autistic brains.

He was able to receive brain tissue samples from Johns Hopkins, and using the Argonne facility called the Advanced Photon Source, he did over 1 million chemical analyses on brain tissue from autistic and non-autistic children. Every autistic child analyzed had received thimerosal-containing vaccinations.

However, no mercury could be found in the brain tissue. One explanation for this is that the tests were done years after the vaccinations. The half-life of mercury in the human body is 42 days. The half-life of ethyl or methyl mercury in the brain is 70 days.

“I think what it amounts to is that mercury is a terrible poison. It’s a terrible insult,” he says. “I think these vulnerable kids should never be exposed to it. However, it doesn’t stay in the body and it doesn’t do continuing damage. I think after a year or so, it has left the body, even though there are tens of thousands of families who are trying therapies that will take the mercury out of their child’s brain when it’s no longer there.”

Metallothionein Promotion Nutrient Therapy for Autism

The fact that autistic children tend to have extraordinary copper and zinc imbalances means their metallothionein protein is not functioning. Metallothionein is required for homeostatic control of copper and zinc. Walsh has developed a metallothionein promotion nutrient therapy: a formulation of 22 nutrients known to enhance genetic expression and function of metallothionein. This protocol has been used on more than 2,000 autistic patients, with measurable improvements in outcome.

“The most important antioxidants in the brain are somewhat different than the rest of the body. I call them the three musketeers. It’s glutathione, metallothionein and selenium. It’s specific to the brain,” he explains.

Technically, selenium is not an antioxidant per se, but it does increase glutathione levels and enhances the function of metallothionein and, in the brain, glutathione and metallothionein work together. Glutathione is your first line of defense. The problem is, autistic children typically have a poor diet (it’s hard to get them to eat anything) and with the oxidative overload, they quickly run out of glutathione. When you run low on glutathione in your brain, your metallothionein level increases.

“Metallothionein doesn’t work unless you have oxidized glutathione. It’s a hand in glove situation. It’s the backup system for glutathione in the brain, and we know that without selenium, that whole system doesn’t work well,” Walsh explains.

I take selenium every day. It’s a trace mineral, so you don’t need much, up to about 200 mcg per day, and you definitely need to be mindful not to overdose. As noted by Walsh, of all the trace metals, selenium has the narrowest division between deficiency and overload, so you need to be careful when supplementing.

Zinc also needs to be normalized, as it is the No. 1 factor for enabling metallothionein to function and support glutathione. According to Walsh, for mental and physical health, you need a plasma zinc level between 90 and 130 mcg/dL. Many mental patients have a genetic weakness in zinc normalization; they’re born with zinc deficiency, and need far higher amounts than typical to maintain a healthy zinc level.

Related: Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Changing the Face of Psychiatry

Walsh is convinced the use of psychiatric medication will eventually fade away as we learn more about normalizing brain function through nutritional interventions. “These powerful drugs … they do not normalize the brain. They cause an abnormal condition,” he warns. “They might correct depression or anxiety, but you wind up with something that’s not normal.”

The Walsh Research Institute is a public charity with no financial interests, and they are slowly but surely helping to change mainstream psychiatry. Walsh has given talks at the highest levels, including the Surgeon General’s office, the U.S. Senate and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He’s also spoken at American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meetings several times.

“The last time I went there, they finally listened to me … I was there about two and a half years ago. I gave an invited talk on depression. I basically explained to them they’re doing depression wrong. They actually listened to me. I showed them our huge chemistry database and explained that depression is a name given to at least five completely different disorders, each involving different symptoms and each involving different neurotransmitters that are malfunctioning.

Then I described each one of these biotypes and actually showed them that if they would simply do some inexpensive blood and urine testing, they could identify which people would be good candidates for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or which ones would do better on benzodiazepine, but even more importantly, how they can correct it with nutrients.”

There were 17,000 psychiatrists at this meeting from all over the world, and Walsh was 1 of 4 speakers at a well-attended session. Afterward, there was tremendous demand for more information, which gives hope. Walsh also offers a training program for doctors. In the U.S., 45 psychiatrists went through the program last year. In all, 500 physicians and psychiatrists in 32 countries have taken his program so far.

Why SSRIs Induce Violence

One major problem with SSRI antidepressants is the risk of self-harm and aggression as a side effect. Overmethylated, low-folate depressors are intolerant so SSRIs, and evidence suggests this genetic intolerance may have been a factor in many school shootings. Walsh, who has studied this phenomenon, notes 42 of the 50 major school shootings in the U.S. since 1990 were done by teens or young adults taking an SSRI.

“I discussed this … before the APA … I tried to explain to them that they … can do a blood test; they can find out which children or which adults are more likely to become violent if they get an SSRI. I’ve written about this several times; published it in magazines …

If you buy Prozac or Paxil, the insert inside warns that some people … are prone to suicidal or homicidal behavior. We now know which ones they are!”

More Information

To learn more, visit www.WalshInstitute.org. There you can also purchase Walsh’s book, “Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain.” Questions and information requests can be sent to Dana@WalshInstitute.org, or you can call (630) 506-5066.

“Our website has a resources section that recommends quality labs, compounding pharmacies and a list of doctors who we’ve trained, who are now able to do this kind of therapy,” Walsh says.

Heartburn Drugs Increase Mortality — How to Safely Address Indigestion

(Dr. Mercola) If you suffer from frequent heartburn, chances are you’ve been prescribed a proton pump inhibitor(PPIs) such as Prilosec, Prevacid or Nexium to inhibit acid production. This, despite the fact they were never intended to treat heartburn in the first place.

PPI drugs were originally designed to treat a very limited range of severe problems,1 including bleeding ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a rare condition in which tumors in the pancreas cause your stomach to produce excess acid) and severe acid reflux concomitant with esophageal damage. But that hasn’t stopped them from becoming the go-to solution for everyday indigestion.

Research clearly shows PPIs are outrageously overprescribed and misused, and do far more harm than good.2,3,4,5,6,7 There are many alternative treatment strategies that can help ease this painful problem without the serious side effects associated with PPIs, which include kidney disease, pneumonia, osteoporosis, hip fractures, dementia and an increased risk for heart disease,8 heart attacks9 and premature death.10

The long-term answer to heartburn and acid indigestion is to restore your natural gastric balance and function. The most important step is to eat real food, as processed foods and sugars are a surefire way to exacerbate acid reflux. Reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, either from traditionally fermented foods or a high-quality probiotic supplement, is also important. Aside from that, there are a number of natural substances that can help address the root of the problem.

What Causes Heartburn?

Digestion of food begins in your mouth as the food is broken into smaller pieces and mixed with saliva before traveling down your esophagus and into your stomach. Once in your stomach, the food mixes with hydrochloric acid, which is required to break the food down into even smaller pieces from which your small intestines can extract nutrients.11

Heartburn, also referred to as acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease, is characterized by a burning sensation originating behind your breastbone, sometimes traveling up into your throat. In some cases, this burning pain can be severe enough to be mistaken for a heart attack.

When food passes through your esophagus into your stomach, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) closes, preventing food or acid from moving back up. The painful effect associated with heartburn occurs when the LES relaxes inappropriately, allowing acid from your stomach to reflux backward into your esophagus and burn tissue that cannot withstand the low pH of the acid.

While the conventional rationale states that this reflux is caused by excessive amounts of acid in your stomach, that’s actually an extremely rare situation, typically occurring only if you have the rare disease known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Instead, the vast majority of acid reflux cases are related to one or more of the following:

•Insufficient amounts of stomach acid.12

•Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) imbalance. One of the explanations for why suppressing stomach acid is so ineffective — and there are over 16,000 articles in the medical literature attesting to this — is that when you decrease the amount of acid in your stomach, you suppress your body’s ability to kill the helicobacter bacteria.

While H. pylori can be part of your normal healthy microbiome, it can cause problems, including symptoms of acid reflux, if there’s an overgrowth of it. This typically occurs as a result of a poor diet. Taking a betaine hydrochloric supplement (available in health food stores without prescription) will not only improve digestion but will also help kill the helicobacter, thereby normalizing your symptoms.

•Hiatal hernia.13 If you have a hiatal hernia, physical therapy on the area may work, and many chiropractors are skilled in this adjustment.

•Food allergies can also be a contributing factor to acid reflux, so eliminate common culprits such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.

Related: Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

Is It Acid Reflux or Gallbladder Disease?

Acid reflux can also imitate symptoms of gallbladder disease.14 Your gallbladder is located beneath your liver on the right side of your abdomen. Pain stemming from your gallbladder is typically felt just under your lower ribs on the right side, and/or in the pit of your stomach. Depending on the severity of your problem, the pain can radiate into your upper back on the right side, your chest or even your shoulder.

While heartburn will typically occur right after a meal and tends to get worse if you lie down, gallbladder pain usually sets in several hours after eating and gets worse on the in-breath. For proper diagnosis, your doctor may need to do an ultrasound on your gallbladder or other tests.

Important Considerations If You’ve Had Your Gallbladder Removed

Over 700,000 people have their gallbladder removed every year in the United States. If you happen to be one of them, it is important to realize that your gallbladder stores bile, which helps you digest and emulsify the fat you eat. If you’ve had your gallbladder removed, it’s really important to take ox bile, lipase or pancreatin — digestive enzymes that digest fat — anytime you eat a meal containing fats.15,16

Your gallbladder holds and excretes bile produced in your liver, and this bile contains the necessary enzymes to digest fats. Common signs and symptoms that your body is not digesting fats well include diarrhea, loose stools, light-colored or pale stools, bloating, nausea and indigestion after a meal.

Certain fatty foods (such as steaks or salmon) tend to be more problematic than others, but for proper digestion and absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, you really need to take a lipase or ox bile supplement with each meal. To learn more, see “Five Important Tips If You’ve Had Your Gallbladder Removed.”

Simple Test to Evaluate Your Stomach Acid Level

A simple test can be used to determine if your stomach acid level is low, and this knowledge will help you develop a plan to reduce your chronic pain. This simple test is a rough indicator of how much acid your stomach produces:

1.Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of cold water and drink it first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking anything. The combination of baking soda and hydrochloric acid in your stomach creates carbon dioxide gas, causing you to belch.17

2.Time yourself for up to five minutes for how long it takes you to form enough gas in your stomach to belch. Belching in two to three minutes is normal; earlier and repeated belching indicates an excess of acid. If you don’t belch after five minutes, you likely don’t produce enough acid.

More accurate testing involves taking a stool sample to determine whether you might have an enzyme and/or hydrochloric acid deficiency.18 It could also identify bacterial or fungal imbalances that might contribute to your condition. If you aren’t making enough stomach acid you can take a betaine HCL with pepsin supplement. Start with one or two tablets and work your way up to around five or seven with each large meal, but make sure you don’t have any burning in your stomach. If you do, you’re taking too much.

The Problem With PPIs

PPIs inhibit the proton pump that produces hydrochloric acid. However, excess stomach acid is rarely the primary trigger of heartburn and indigestion. On the contrary, heartburn is typically indicative of insufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid. If your acid levels are low, PPIs will exacerbate the problem by decreasing acid further.

And, since hydrochloric acid (and pepsin) are necessary to break down protein in your intestinal tract, reducing acid can alter your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Without adequate protein breakdown, you also increase your risk of dysbiosis,19 an imbalance in gut microbiome between harmful and friendly bacteria.

As these undigested protein molecules ferment in your intestines, they become food for pathogens such as H. pylori, C. difficile and Candida. An overgrowth of these bacteria may also lead to leaky gut and associated health problems. A recent study20 confirmed this risk. Compared to those not taking PPIs, participants who did had a 1.7 to 3.7 times increased risk of developing C. difficile or Campylobacter infection.

Although both of these bacteria trigger abdominal pain and diarrhea, C. difficile tends to be the more serious of the two. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 29,000 Americans die from C. difficile infection each year.21 A meta-analysis22 looking at studies published between 1990 and 2010 also found a significant link between C. difficile infection and PPI use.

PPIs Associated With Increased Risk of Dementia

Research has linked PPIs to a number of other devastating health effects as well, including dementia. Disturbingly, cognitive changes can occur even with short-term use. In one study,23 PPIs were found to cause statistically and clinically significant impairments in the participants’ executive functions, visual memory and planning function after just one week of use.

According to research24,25,26 published in JAMA Neurology, seniors over the age of 75 who use PPIs on a regular basis had a 44 percent increased risk of dementia compared with non-users. Men were at greater risk, raising their dementia risk on average by 52 percent, compared to 42 percent for women.

One characteristic of dementia is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain that provoke inflammation and ultimately kill brain cells. There is now strong scientific evidence that PPIs not only increase production of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, but slow your body’s ability to eliminate them as well.27,28,29 Two other studies concluded those taking PPIs were at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.30,31

Related: How to Improve Brain Health and Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s

PPIs Raise Your Risk of Heart Attack and Premature Death

Research has also linked long-term PPI use to an increased risk for heart disease32 and heart attacks — even if you have no prior history of cardiovascular disease.33,34 In one study,35 patients with GERD who took PPIs had a 16 percent increased risk of heart attack, and a two-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

The reason for this effect is thought to be due to the drug reducing nitric oxide (NO) in your blood vessel walls. NO relaxes your blood vessels, so by reducing the amount of NO, PPIs may raise your risk of a heart attack. Recent research also found PPI users were nearly 20 percent more likely to die from any cause compared to nonusers over the course of six years, and the longer the use, the greater the risk.36,37,38,39 As reported by Reuters:40

“The most likely explanation for the increased mortality risk is the side effects associated with PPIs … In terms of the mechanisms that could be involved … laboratory experiments have shown that lysosomes — tiny organs within cells that act like garbage disposals to get rid of waste — don’t function well in people taking PPIs. Other research has shown that PPIs may shorten the protective chromosome ends known as telomeres, in effect speeding up cell aging.”

Other Health Hazards Associated With PPI Use

Studies have also linked PPIs to the development of chronic kidney disease,41 increased risk of bone fractures42,43 and vitamin B12 deficiency, which in turn may lead to anemia, nerve damage, psychiatric problems and dementia. Researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital think they’ve discovered one of the reasons why PPIs can have such devastating effects on your brain, kidneys and other systems.

When different cells were grown in culture and exposed to PPIs, cells that line blood vessels demonstrated significant change.44 PPIs are taken orally and affect the proton pump in more than just your stomach walls. Blood vessels also produce small amounts of acid to break down and eliminate damaged protein molecules. When acid levels drop, microscopic debris begins to build up on the arterial walls, resulting in problems where many blood vessels are found, such as your brain, heart and kidneys.

Lead author Dr. John Cooke, chair of cardiovascular disease research at Houston Methodist Research Institute, noted:45 “I’m perplexed that the pharmaceutical industry didn’t run across this first. This is something that should have been apparent a long time ago and should have been investigated.”

How to Properly Wean Yourself Off PPIs

If you’re currently taking a PPI, do NOT quit cold turkey. Doing so can result in severe rebound effects known as rebound acid hypersecretion. It’s important to spend time detoxifying and eliminating the drug from your system. To do that, you need to gradually wean yourself off the drug.

Once you’re down to the lowest dose, start substituting with an over-the-counter H2 blocker, like Cimetidine, Zantac, Ranitidine or Tagamet. Once you’ve been taking the H2 blocker for a couple of weeks, you may start weaning yourself off these drugs as well, while introducing the alternative options to reduce your heartburn outlined below.

How to Heal GERD and Avoid Heartburn

One simple strategy to address a hydrochloric acid deficiency is to swap out processed table salt for an unprocessed version like Himalayan salt. By consuming enough of the raw material, you will encourage your body to make sufficient amounts of stomach acid naturally. Research46 has also shown that sauerkraut or cabbage juice is among the strongest stimulants for your body to produce stomach acid.

It will also provide you with valuable bacteria to help balance and nourish your gut. Having a few teaspoons of fermented cabbage juice from sauerkraut before your meal will do wonders to improve your digestion. Fresh, raw cabbage juice can also be very useful to heal resistant ulcers. To restore your natural gastric balance and function, also be sure to eat lots of vegetables and other high-quality, ideally organic, unprocessed foods.

Reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, either from traditionally fermented foods or a high-quality probiotic supplement is also important, as this will not only help balance your bowel flora, but can also help eliminate helicobacter bacteria naturally. Probiotics and fermented foods, especially fermented vegetables, also aid in proper digestion and assimilation of your food.

Also, beware of lectin-rich foods such as grains and legumes, as lectins are potent enzyme inhibitors.47,48 By inhibiting digestive enzymes, your digestive system will not function properly and foods will not be broken down, thereby producing or exacerbating heartburn.

Among the most problematic lectin-containing foods are wheat and other seeds of the grass family, any dairy that has A1 casein protein, beans, soy and other legumes, peanuts and members of the nightshade family such as eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. Grains and legumes such as black beans, soybeans, lima beans, kidney beans and lentils contain the highest amounts of lectin.

It is also crucial to avoid eating processed foods as much as possible. Be sure to concentrate on eating real foods as that is one of the most powerful strategies you have to activate biological homeostasis in your gut.

Related: Probiotics, Bacteria, and Our Health

Effective Alternatives to Treat Heartburn, GERD, and Indigestion

Other helpful strategies to get your heartburn under control include the following suggestions, drawn from a variety of sources.49,50,51,52,53

Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

Acid reflux typically results from having too little acid in your stomach. You can easily improve the acid content of your stomach by taking 1 tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water.

Betaine hydrochloric acid with pepsin

Another option is to take a betaine hydrochloric supplement with pepsin.54,55 Typically, you only need a betaine supplement with meals containing protein.

You’ll want to take as many as you need to get the slightest burning sensation and then decrease by one capsule. This will improve digestion and help kill the H. pylori bacteria. As a general dosing guideline, an effective adult dose is typically five to seven capsules containing 650 milligrams (mg) of betaine with pepsin.

The only time a pepsin-free betaine supplement is recommended is when you’re sensitive to pepsin. That’s rare, however, and without pepsin the betaine will not work well, because if your stomach does not produce enough hydrochloric acid, it also will not make sufficient amounts of pepsin (the enzyme that breaks down proteins).

According to Dr. Jonathan Wright, betaine is contraindicated if you’re taking any kind of anti-inflammatory medication, such as corticosteroids, aspirin, Indocin, ibuprofen or other NSAIDs.56

The reason for this is because these drugs can damage your gastrointestinal lining. Taking a hydrochloric acid supplement can aggravate the area, raising your risk of gastric bleeding or an ulcer.57 Digestive bitters may be a safer choice in this case.

Papaya fruit or papain supplement

Papaya fruit contains papain, an enzyme that helps break down both protein and carbohydrates. It even helps break down gluten, making it particularly valuable for those struggling with gluten sensitivity.58

Pineapple or bromelain supplement

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple, and like papain, it also helps digest proteins. It also has anti-inflammatory activity and helps maintain more regular bowel movements.59

Baking soda

One-half to 1 full teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in an 8-ounce glass of water may ease the burn of acid reflux as it helps neutralize stomach acid. I would not recommend this is a regular solution, but it can sure help in an emergency when you are in excruciating pain.

Aloe juice

The juice of the aloe plant naturally helps reduce inflammation, which may ease symptoms of acid reflux. Drink about one-half cup of aloe vera juice before meals. If you want to avoid its laxative effect, look for a brand that has removed the laxative component.

Ginger root

Ginger has been found to have a gastroprotective effect by suppressing Helicobacter pylori.60 It also tightens your LES, thereby preventing the reflux of stomach acid61 and reduces inflammation.62 According to a 2007 study,63 it’s also far superior to lansoprazole for preventing the formation of ulcers, exhibiting up to eight-fold greater potency over the drug.

Add two or three slices of fresh ginger root to 2 cups of hot water. Let steep for about a half-hour. Drink about 20 minutes or so before your meal.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for addressing any infectious component. Once your vitamin D levels are optimized, you’re also going to optimize your production of about 200 antimicrobial peptides that will help your body eradicate any infection that shouldn’t be there.

Astaxanthin

This exceptionally potent antioxidant was found to reduce symptoms of acid reflux in patients when compared to a placebo, particularly in those with pronounced helicobacter pylori infection.64 Best results were obtained at a daily dose of 40 mg.

Slippery elm

Slippery elm coats and soothes your mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines, and contains antioxidants that can help address inflammatory bowel conditions. It also stimulates nerve endings in your gastrointestinal tract. This helps increase mucus secretion, which protects your gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity. The University of Maryland Medical Center65 makes the following adult dosing recommendations:

•Tea: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 grams (roughly 2 tablespoons) of powdered bark, then steep for three to five minutes. Drink three times per day

•Tincture: 5 milliliters (mL) three times per day

•Capsules: 400 to 500 mg three to four times daily for four to eight weeks. Take with a full glass of water

•Lozenges: Follow dosing instructions on label

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice root

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) may also be helpful, as it helps block inflammatory prostaglandins.66 As noted by Livestrong,67 “Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has been … used to treat a variety of maladies … Its ancient reputation as a folk remedy for gastric problems does have a scientific basis. This is especially true for functional dyspepsia, a condition that frequently overlaps with acid reflux.

Like acid reflux, it presents symptoms of pain in the upper abdomen, discomfort, burning and belching. Iberogast, or STW 5, and GutGard, two products whose primary ingredient is an extract of DGL licorice, have been shown to relieve symptoms of both dyspepsia and acid reflux; however, these products have many other ingredients …

Licorice must be approached cautiously because it contains the active metabolite glycyrrhiza. In large quantities, glycyrrhiza can cause a syndrome called hyperaldosteronism, which affects the adrenal glands and can cause numbness, high blood pressure and muscle weakness.”

DGL supplements contain licorice from which a substantial amount of the glycyrrhiza has been removed, making it safer for use.68 Dr. Andrew Weil recommends chewing two DGL tablets or taking half a teaspoon of DGL powder before or between meals and at bedtime. Once your symptoms are under control, taper down your dose.69

Licorice is contraindicated if you’re on diuretics or stimulant laxatives. Also, beware that licorice may reduce your potassium level, and has estrogenic activity, so women on hormone therapy or who have estrogen-dependent cancers or other reproductive conditions such as endometriosis should avoid it.70

Glutamine

Research71 published in 2009 found that gastrointestinal damage caused by H. pylori can be addressed with the amino acid glutamine, found in many foods, including beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products and some fruits and vegetables. L-glutamine, the biologically active isomer of glutamine, is also widely available as a supplement.

Folate or folic acid (vitamin B9) and other B vitamins

Research72 suggests B vitamins can reduce your risk for acid reflux. Higher folic acid intake was found to reduce acid reflux by approximately 40 percent. Low vitamin B2 and B6 levels were also linked to an increased risk for acid reflux. The best way to raise your folate levels is by eating folate-rich whole foods, such as liver, asparagus, spinach, okra and beans.

Melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and betaine

A dietary supplement containing melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B-6, folic acid, vitamin B-12, methionine and betaine was found to be superior to the drug omeprazole in the treatment of GERD.73 Part of the success is thought to be due to melatonin’s inhibitory activity on NO biosynthesis, which plays an important role in transient LES relaxation, which, as I mentioned earlier, is part of the real underlying problem of heartburn.

Impressively, 100 percent of patients receiving this supplement reported a complete regression of symptoms after 40 days of treatment, compared to just under 66 percent of those taking omeprazole. The authors concluded that “this formulation promotes regression of GERD symptoms with no significant side effects.”
Sources:

Vitamin D3 Versus D2

(Dr. Mercola) It’s something I’ve been encouraging for several years now — making sure you’re getting adequate levels of vitamin D, not only because it’s a crucial nutrient, but because so many people are deficient and don’t realize it. But a new study has emerged dispelling the idea many scientists and health care providers have had for many years, the upshot being that there is a vast difference between vitamin D2, which is plant-based (notably from mushrooms), and vitamin D3, which is derived from animal products.

The two do not, as some have believed, have a similar nutritional value. Health authorities are calling for official recommendations for vitamin D intake to be changed in accordance with the “new” information, which is not actually new, as we’ve related this important distinction for some time. The “groundbreaking” study from the University of Surrey was conducted to determine, between vitamins D2 and D3, which was more effective in raising levels in the body.

The trial was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) — “the largest U.K. public funder of nonmedical bioscience” — and the Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC). Susan Lanham-New, principal investigator of the trial, called the results a “very exciting discovery which will revolutionize how the health and retail sector views vitamin D,” EurekAlert! reported.1

She added, “Vitamin D deficiency is a serious matter, but this will help people make a more informed choice about what they can eat or drink to raise their levels through their diet.” Serious is right: one study shows that more than 40 percent of the American population is deficient in vitamin D,2 and some experts say the problem is serious enough to call it a pandemic.3

Related: Vitamin D – The #1 Vitamin You Need: From Treating Depression to Preventing Cancer

Vitamin D2 and D3: Not Interchangeable

Vitamin D is produced by your body after exposure to the sun, and because winter is the period during which sunshine is least available, vitamin D levels are typically at their lowest during this time.

The 335 South Asian and white European women who participated in the study over two winters were divided into five groups and given either juice containing vitamin D2 or D3, a biscuit with the same or a placebo. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found vitamin D3 to be twice as effective in raising levels in the body in comparison to D2. EurekAlert reported:

“Vitamin D levels in women who received vitamin D3 via juice or a biscuit increased by 75 percent and 74 percent respectively compared to those who were given D2 through the same methods. Those given D2 saw an increase of 33 percent and 34 percent over the course of the 12-week intervention.

The research also found that nutrient levels of both vitamin D2 and D3 rose as a result of both food and acidic beverages such as juice, which were found to be equally as effective. Those who received the placebo experienced a 25 percent reduction in the vitamin over the same period.”4

What’s interesting, as mentioned, is that the information from this latest study is not new news. A similar study back in 2011 is one of several instances where vitamin D3 has been shown to have a much greater significance for your health compared to D2. One study5shows D3 to:

  • Convert to its active form 500 percent faster
  • Be 87 percent better at raising and maintaining vitamin D levels
  • Produce two to three times greater storage of the vitamin than D2

Recommendations for Vitamin D Outdated and Unsafe

Here’s where it gets problematic: Several governments around the world, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health, assert there’s no difference between vitamins D2 and D3 and that interchanging the two makes no difference whatsoever in your body’s levels. However, the latest information from Public Health England reveals that more than 1 in 5 people in the U.K. have low levels of vitamin D, so the intake they now recommend is 10 micrograms per day, all year long, for everyone beginning at age 4.

EurekAlert! notes that daily intake of vitamin D3 — but not vitamin D2 — will allow the population to avoid such health problems as rickets, osteoporosis and a higher risk of developing heart disease, all associated with individuals with insufficient levels of vitamin D in their bodies.

What the scientists found influences public health but also retail markets in that many have added vitamin D2 to their products because they were led to believe it was just as viable in the body to increase people’s “D” levels as taking D3. Lead study author and dietitian Laura Tripkovic explained:

“The importance of vitamin D in our bodies is not to be underestimated, but living in the U.K. it is very difficult to get sufficient levels of it from its natural source, the sun, so we know it has to be supplemented through our diet. However, our findings show that vitamin D3 is twice as effective as D2 in raising vitamin D levels in the body, which turns current thinking about the two types of vitamin D on its head.”6

Tripkovic explained that people who eat vitamin D3-rich foods or take supplements are two times more likely to raise their vitamin D profile than when consuming the equivalent in vitamin D2 foods such as mushrooms, D2-fortified bread or taking D2 supplements.

Downsides of Low Vitamin D Versus Benefits of Optimal Levels

Vitamin D is involved in the biology of all cells in your body, including your immune cells. A large number of studies have shown raising your vitamin D level can significantly reduce your risk of cancer and many other chronic diseases.So what happens when someone isn’t getting the amount of vitamin D that they should? Daily Mail7 notes that lack of vitamin D:

  • Can cause your bones to become thin, brittle or misshapen
  • Is linked to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis
  • Is linked to a growing prevalence for children to develop rickets, shown in many cases to cause malformed and/or broken bones
  • Appears to play a role in insulin resistance, high blood pressure and immune function, related to heart disease and cancer

People who are obese, older than age 65 and/or housebound may have lower levels of vitamin D due to their diets, little sun exposure and other factors, and among dark-skinned individuals in the U.S, only 3 percent among thousands have enough vitamin D, which is a 9 percent drop from 20 years ago.8 Beyond cancer prevention, a Swiss study9 from 2013 lists several of the more dramatic benefits of getting the right amount of vitamin D:

  • The development, function and maintenance of healthy bones and regulation of calcium homeostasis throughout life
  • The basis for the prevention and management of osteoporosis, a disease producing brittle bones that are prone to fractures
  • The regulation of neuromuscular function, reducing the risk of falls, a major cause of bone fractures
  • Possibly a central component of musculoskeletal health through vitamin D’s beneficial effects on muscle function and bone stability
  • May show favorable effects in many organs and play a significant role in the maintenance of general health

Related: Foods with Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 for those with Multiple Sclerosis

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Two Crucial Nutrients for Health

According to Pharmacy Times, studies indicate that around 50 percent of adults worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency. Interestingly, in reviewing “potential mechanisms by which vitamin D might influence development of cardiovascular disease (CVD)” — and there’s evidence that there is a link — there’s also a possibility that CVD may cause low vitamin D levels rather than the other way around.10

In 2018, the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriAL (VITAL) will conclude the first part of its review to provide evidence to indicate whether 2,000 IUs per day of vitamin D supplementation, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, has any specific CVD effects. Specifically: “The large study has enrolled about 25,000 healthy, middle-aged American adults. It has also been structured to gauge long-term effects. VITAL is expected to augment the wealth of information that we possess concerning vitamin D supplementation for bone health.”11

You may already be aware that vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids are two of the most important nutrients your body needs, but most people have no idea if they’re deficient in either of them. A test kit is available, however, to quickly and safely analyze your blood levels while at the same time helping to augment consumer-sponsored scientific research.

The testing is performed by an independent research organization comparing these nutrients, and reveals your own vitamin D and omega-3 index (a measure of the omega-3s in your red blood cells) to let you know whether corrective action is needed. For more information about the nonprofit GrassRoots Health initiative and to learn how to get your own test kit, click here.

The Significance of Getting Adequate Sunlight

Another reason vitamin D levels are so important is that hepatic mitochondria and their associated microsomal enzymes metabolize vitamin D, whatever the source, Pharmacy Times noted, adding:

“When patients consume too much vitamin D2 or vitamin D3, this process is completely unregulated and patients’ vitamin D levels will rise proportionally to their intake. On the other hand, cutaneous synthesis from sun exposure allows patients levels to reach a preset point, and after that, additional sun exposure will not increase vitamin D levels.”12

This means the best way to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D is to get regular sensible exposure to direct sunlight on your body each day. Depending on your locale, in the winter when the sun hides behind clouds and temperatures are often so chilly you’re forced to wear long sleeves and galoshes, this may be difficult if not impossible, however.

Related: Sunlight and Vitamin D

Alternatively, adding vitamin D3 supplements to your regimen can help you achieve optimal vitamin D levels. The foods you eat can also make a difference in helping to make or break your health (if not your bones). The best foods for increasing your vitamin D intakevia your diet are animal-based and quite limited:

  • Raw milk
  • Eggs, particularly the yolk from organic, free-range eggs
  • Wild-caught Alaskan salmon and other healthy fish such as mackerel and sardines, preferably from cold waters, and not farmed

Get Your Vitamin D Levels Tested

If you decide your vitamin D3 should be taken in supplement form, it’s your serum level, or how much D3 your blood contains, that determines how much you should take until your levels are optimized to between 50 and 70 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/ml.

Studies done by Grassroots Health13 recommend about 8,000 IUs (the International Unit by which fat-soluble vitamins are measured) daily of vitamin D3 to raise your serum levels above 40 ng/ml. Children may need about 35 IUs per pound of body weight; however, getting your blood tested is the only way to know for sure whether your vitamin D levels are within the optimal range and, consequently, how much oral vitamin D3 you may need. Also be sure the vitamin D you take is correctly balanced with vitamin K-2.

An Atlanta-based Emory University School of Medicine study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology outlined vitamin D’s association with cardiovascular disease prevention.

The upshot is that levels below 20 ng/ml are simply not enough to maintain bone health, let alone provide the other disease-prevention benefits that vitamin D has to offer. As mentioned, optimal levels of vitamin D are between 50 and 70 ng/ml. Medical News Today pinpointed why the latest study and subsequent calls for government entities to increase recommendations are so important:

“Vitamin D deficiency appears to be widespread, and, as more research is conducted, it becomes increasingly clearer that this nutritional deficit is having a significant impact on the health of the country overall. Studies such as this may play a role in improving awareness, and, eventually, reversing the trend.”14

Sugar During Pregnancy Linked to Allergies

(Mercola) Allergies are your body’s reaction to a protein (allergen) and are a sign your immune system is working overtime. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America,1 nasal allergies affect nearly 50 million people in the U.S., and that number is growing. As many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children suffer from allergic diseases, including asthma.

These conditions are the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. and the third chronic disease in children under 18. In 2010, Americans with allergic rhinitis spent nearly $17.5 billion on health care related to the condition, lost more than 6 million work and school days and had nearly 16 million doctor visits.2

During the second encounter with an allergen, your body is ready to react, sending a powerful cocktail of histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandins to protect your body. They trigger a cascade of symptoms associated with allergies, such as sneezing, sore throat, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Histamine may also cause your airways to constrict, triggering an asthma response or hives.

Pollen is one common allergen that triggers this reaction, but other protein molecules may as well, including mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches, and cleaning and personal care products. The activation of this allergic response may be related to your dietary intake and your gut microbiome. Recent research has identified a higher risk of allergies and asthma in children born to mothers who ate high amounts of sugar during their pregnancy.3

Related: Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

Sugar During Pregnancy Increases Your Child’s Risk of Allergies

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London evaluated survey data from nearly 9,000 mother-child pairs in the ongoing Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, tracking the health of families with children born between April 1, 1991, and December 31, 1992.4 Lead author Annabelle Bedard, Ph.D., commented on what triggered the researchers to evaluate the association between sugar and allergies:5

“The dramatic ‘epidemic’ of asthma and allergies in the West in the last 50 years is still largely unexplained — one potential culprit is a change in diet. Intake of free sugar and high fructose corn syrup has increased substantially over this period. We know that the prenatal period may be crucial for determining risk of asthma and allergies in childhood and recent trials have confirmed that maternal diet in pregnancy is important.”

Using self-reported estimates of sugar intake from questionnaires, the researchers calculated the amount of sugar the mothers ate during their pregnancy and compared this against the number of children diagnosed with allergies or asthma by age 7. Sixty-two percent of the children did not have allergic reactions, 22 percent had common allergies and 12 percent had asthma.

As a comparison, 10 percent of children in the U.S. were diagnosed with asthma in 2010, six years prior to this analysis.6 When the children were grouped into those with the lowest sugar intake during pregnancy (less than 34 grams or 7 teaspoons) and those with the greatest (over 82 grams or 16 teaspoons) the researchers discovered that children whose mothers ate the highest amounts had a 38 percent increased risk of allergies and a 73 percent higher risk of becoming allergic to two or more allergens.7

Related: Allergy Free in Five Days (foods, dander, dust, seasonal, etc.)

Women who ate high amounts of sugar were also twice as likely to have children who developed allergic asthma.8 Co-author Seif Shaheen, Ph.D., said:9

“We cannot say on the basis of these observations that high intake of sugar by mothers in pregnancy is definitely causing allergy and allergic asthma in their offspring. However, given the extremely high consumption of sugar in the West, we will certainly be investigating this hypothesis further with some urgency.”

Impact of Asthma on Your Community

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames the lining of your lung tissue and narrows the airways. The inflammation in your lung tissue is sensitive to environmental stimuli, also called triggers, which differ from person to person.10 Allergy triggers include dust mites, cockroaches, mold, pet dander and pollen.11

However, you may develop an asthma exacerbation from triggers other than allergic proteins. For instance, strong irritants, such as chemical sprays, perfumes and tobacco smoke or scented products may irritate your lung tissue and narrow your airways. Other triggers include cold weather, exercise, upper respiratory infections, food sensitivities and stress.

In the featured study, researchers found children whose mothers ate high amounts of sugar while pregnant developed asthma triggered by allergens and not by fragrances, cold weather, exercise, infections or food sensitivities. In the past 30 years, the incidence of asthma has increased worldwide. While the condition is generally accepted as costly, some countries do not consider it a health care priority.12

The total cost of treatment and lost work and school to society is difficult to estimate, due in part to different definitions and characterizations of the conditions and different assessments of the socioeconomic impact on society. Although variable from country to country, an average cost per patient in Europe is $1,900, while in the U.S. the cost hovers near $3,100.13

Vitamin D During Pregnancy Helps Reduce Asthma Risk

Low vitamin D levels in children who have asthma may increase the number of severe exacerbations they suffer, including the need for a trip to the hospital.14 A previous study, which followed over 1,000 children for nearly four years, found vitamin D insufficiency was linked to a 50 percent increased risk of a severe asthmatic attack necessitating a visit to the emergency room or hospitalization.

Related: Vitamin D and Sunlight

A more recent study15 published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also links low vitamin D levels in pregnant women to a higher risk of asthma in their children.16 This study supports similar findings from Harvard Medical School,17 in which vitamin D intake in over 1,100 mothers from the Northeastern U.S. was assessed. Children from mothers whose intake was higher during pregnancy had a decreased risk of recurrent wheezing by age 3, whether the vitamin D was from diet or a supplement.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology study evaluated the effect of using an oral supplement of vitamin D-3 during the second and third trimester of pregnancy at nearly 4,000 IUs higher than the recommended daily intake of 400 IUs.18 After birth, researchers took a sample of the cord blood, testing the newborn’s innate immune system response known to provide the baby with long-term protection against environmental pathogens.

The samples from babies whose mothers had taken the higher supplemental dose of 4,400 IUs of vitamin D-3 responded with a healthier innate cytokine response and greater IL-17A production after T lymphocyte stimulation. The researchers believe this would likely lead to improved respiratory health as the child grows, since past research has linked a strong immune response with a reduction in asthma.

The lead researcher, Catherine Hawrylowicz, Ph.D., professor of immune regulation in allergic disease at King’s College London, commented on the importance of the results as it relates to both the health of future children and the importance of investigating further links between vitamin D and immunity:19

“The majority of all asthma cases are diagnosed in early childhood implying that the origin of the disease stems in fetal and early life. Studies to date that have investigated links between vitamin D and immunity in the baby have been observational.

For the first time, we have shown that higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy can effectively alter the immune response of the newborn baby, which could help to protect the child from developing asthma. Future studies should look at the long-term impact on the immunity of the infant.”

Impact of Sugar on Your Body

Sugar is 50 times more potent than total calories in explaining the rising rates of diabetes worldwide, explains Dr. Robert Lustig in this short video. While both glucose and fructose are sweet, they are two different molecules.

Research demonstrates not only the detrimental effect sugar has on your developing baby and their future health, but also on your own health. Despite the American Heart Association’s seal of approval on products that meet or exceed their own recommended daily limit on sugar, there is no nutritional reason to eat foods with added sugar.

In fact, the opposite is true. Diets high in net carbohydrates and added sweeteners may do far more than spike your blood glucose and insulin levels. Sugar will overload and damage your liver. High levels of sugar in your body will also trigger metabolic syndrome, a combination of weight gain, abdominal obesity, rising cholesterol levels and elevated triglycerides.

Eating a diet rich in net carbohydrates and excess sugars has also been linked to hypertension. As your insulin and leptin levels rise in response to sugars, your blood pressure also rises. Your body uses magnesium to fully relax your blood vessels, but your body is unable to store magnesium as you become resistant to insulin from a diet rich in sugar. When your body doesn’t have enough magnesium to relax your blood vessels, your blood pressure also rises.

Eating high amounts of sugar is also linked to brain-related health issues, such as depression, learning disorders, memory problems and food addiction. Sugars trigger the reward center in your brain, leading to cravings that may rival cocaine addiction in some individuals.20 However, not all sugars have identical effects. For instance, fructose may activate your brain to increase your interest in food, while glucose triggers your brain’s satiation signal.

Your Gut Microbiome and Allergies

High sugar intake also affects the growth of bacteria in your gut. In an evaluation of data from market research firm Euromonitor, researchers found people in the U.S. ate more sugar per person than any other country evaluated.21 The average person in the U.S. consumes more than 126 grams of sugar each day, nearly twice the amount consumed by 54 monitored countries and twice the amount recommended by the World Health Organization.

Related: Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More

Researchers have demonstrated that diets rich in sugar will alter your gut microbiome,22,23 likely since your beneficial bacteria thrive on fiber and pathogenic bacteria thrive on sugar. Increasing the amount of sugar to the diet of mice transplanted with human fecal material demonstrated the gut microbiome would change dramatically within 24 hours of adding sugar to their diet.24

Scientists have found infants who go on to develop allergies start with early-life abnormalities in their gut microbiome and microbial function.25 While research continues to find links between healthy gut microbiota and a reduction in allergic response in adults and children, the evidence to date suggests that your gut microbiome is a significant target in the prevention and management of allergic asthma.26

In a recent scientific review, scientists found an association between immune-regulated epigenetic imprinting from mother to child during pregnancy that may support the immune system of the growing child after birth.27

However, if your gut microbiome is altered from high intake of sugar and net carbohydrates, this may alter your body’s ability to support the growing immune system of your child. In yet another study, doctors were able to associate altered intestinal microbiota with the development of asthma and allergies in children, suggesting the mother’s immune system may also play a role.28

Break Free From Sugar

Research supports making a break from processed foods and added sugars in your diet to optimize your health and the health of your children. While sugar is an additive that can be challenging to reduce or eliminate from your diet, the benefits to your overall health, energy level and brain function may become rapidly evident, helping to motivate your efforts.

If you currently eat a lot of sugar, there’s a good chance you’re struggling with sugar addiction. If so, I highly recommend trying an energy psychology technique called Turbo Tapping. It has helped many “soda addicts” kick their sweet habit, and it should work for any type of sweet craving you may have.

As you begin eliminating sugar from your diet, be sure to avoid most processed foods, as added sugar can be found in nearly 74 percent of processed foods under more than 60 different names.29 If you’re already fighting diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or are overweight, you would be wise to limit your total fructose and sugar intake to 15 grams per day until your condition has normalized.

For all others, I recommend limiting your total fructose to 25 grams or less per day. As you move toward limiting your sugar intake, here are several tips to help reduce cravings and help you on your journey to good health:

Exercise: Anyone who exercises intensely on a regular basis will know a significant amount of cardiovascular exercise is one of the best “cures” for food cravings. It always amazes me how my appetite, especially for sweets, dramatically decreases after a good workout. I believe the mechanism is related to the dramatic reduction in insulin levels that occurs after exercise.

Organic, black coffee: Coffee is a potent opioid receptor antagonist, and contains compounds such as cafestol — found plentifully in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee — which can bind to your opioid receptors, occupy them and essentially block your addiction to other opioid-releasing food.30,31 This may profoundly reduce the addictive power of other substances, such as sugar.

Sour taste:  Simply tasting something sour, such as cultured vegetables, helps reduce sweet cravings, too. This is doubly beneficial, as fermented vegetables also promote gut health. You can also try adding lemon or lime juice to your water.

Related: Galactagogues Foods, Herbs, and other Ways to Increase Breast Milk Production