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Sorry for the long title, but this one has some interesting implications.  First, a bit on neurotransmitters.  Glutamate is excitatory and stimulates the neuron to fire.  Too much and you can ultimately burn out the neuron (this is one of the concerns with neuroexcitotoxins like MSG and aspartame).  GABA is inhibitory and counteracts the effects of glutamate.  Many antiseizure medications act by mimicking GABA.  With this background, one of the long-time findings is that aluminum can increase risk of Alzheimers.  Well, we know that aluminum knocks out zinc in the body, much like those perpetual motion ball thingees.  In this article, we see that synapses that release glutamate, which, in too high levels can damage a neuron, also release zinc at the same time to protect against overactive glutamate.  It's funny how we develop a theory or assumption, and years or even decades later we begin to elucidate exactly why the theory works.

 

 

Regular readers of the Updates will know that I feel that mitochondrial dysfunction is the root of all chronic disease evil.  Remember that, in the process of generating energy for our bodies to function in the form of ATP, free radicals are produced that have the potential to cause severe damage to all types of tissues that they come in contact with.  The body and Mother Nature have hundreds of compounds that help us quench these free radicals and prevent damage.  But, with todays' lifestyles of poor protective compounds from foods, pro inflammatory diets and toxin/heavy metal exposure every time we turn around, the likelihood that the mitochondria cannot keep up is high.  These free radicals can damage the DNA of the mitochondria and, since the mitochondria don't have very good repair mechanims, the mitochondria can no longer function and dies.  This process, occurring over time, can kill of the mitochondria and the energy that the cell needs to survive.

 

 

Many people are unaware of this, but with a stroke or heart attack, the area that is initially deprived of oxygen is actually SMALLER than the area that ultimately dies off.  This is because when a cell is starved for oxygen and that oxygen gets rapidly brought back, the cell is not prepared and mitochondrial damage occurs that can result in further cell death.  So, patients in the middle of a heart attack or stroke are frequently given drugs like TPA in the hospital to dissolve out the clot that is blocking blood flow.  We know have much evidence in support of compounds like magnesium, CoQ10 and now vitamin C that can protect from repurfusion injury.  While I do not know personally, I do not believe that giving high doses of these compounds by IV prior to repurfusion is being done on a regular basis.  I'm just not sure if I would be in a position to convey my desire for these compounds prior to repurfusion should I ever end up in this situation.  I would be a nice thing to have tatooed to my forearm, though...

 

 

I continue to rant on about how much research there is supporting Vit D and how much we've become deathly afraid of the sun.  Estimates range that as high as a whopping 75% of the population are Vit D deficient.  Given that it has been shown to protect against colon, prostate and breast cancer, atherosclerosis, certain forms of depression (specifically seasonal affective disorder), increase insulin sensitivity, strenghten bones, and probably many other things I can recall now, this is a major concern.  Even more of a concern is how much Vit D we consider "adequate."  Normal sunlight exposure produces about 10,000 IU per day.  There is a wonderful review (Read More  full text also available) that debunks the "upper safety threshold" of 2,000 IU--suggesting that daily intakes up around 4,000 IU are probably what should be recommended.  Contrast that with the current recommendations of a paltry 400 IU--almost 10 times below!!

 

 

Doesn't this appear to fly in the face of what "they" tell us?  If you read the above article, and if you realized that osteoporosis is a disease of lifestyle that will not be fixed with only one or two approaches, than the above article should come as no surprise.  Osteoporosis prevention/treatment needs to consist of a plant based diet (to achieve an alkaline balance rather than acid balance), supplements to include adequate vit D (see above!) and calcium (along with a good bone support formula to contain micronutrients such as molybdenum, strontium, magnesium...) and weight bearing exercise.  Regular readers will of course, not be surprised that I left out dairy.  Which is ironic, because that would probably be the first thing most people would list as was to prevent osteoporosis.  Remember that the literature is weak, and any studies showing a positive effect have usually not adjusted for Vit D intake, and that dairy, as we know it today, is fraught with many negative health consequences.

 

 

Sometimes I get sick of hearing myself rant and rave about insulin resistance and how detrimental it is to our health, so I can imagine how my patients feel!  But this study says it all.  Recall that telomeres shortened as our cells age.  They are essentially our cells' hourglass on life; shorter=less life.  Insulin resistance shortens telomeres.  Period.  Can anyone explain to me why I have to keep explaining insulin resistance to seemingly everyone in my office and in the community that I have contact with?  Why is this condition so incredibly ignored?  It is the singlemost devasting physiological imbalance occurring in Westernized countries and it is virtually ignored!!  (Oops...I'm ranting again...)

 

 

While it is wonderful to see this avenue of research, the sad thing to see is that our diets, both of ourselves and especially our children, are so deficient in essential fatty acids that we actually have to supplement.  We should be getting these fatty acids in our diets with no need for supplementation.

 

 

While this new pyramid is better than the last, the author of this editorial hits the nail on the head when they say that the US Dep't of Agricultural has a direct conflict of interest in developing these guidelines and that they inappropriately promote dairy consumption and still do not specifically demonize refined carbs and red meat consumption that is at the root of much evil in America.  So, while most of the American public views the food pyramid as an unbiased guideline for a healthy lifestyle--we need to remember it for what it truly is--a guideline put out by persons who's main goal is to keep us buying their products.

 

 

In this study, the authors found that, if a patient has elevated CRP levels, than the AHA-type diet may actually result in elevated cholesterol levels.  This really reminds us that a "one size fits all" approach is not always the best way to go.  It also illustrates the point that many of us make--avoiding one class of macronutrients is not always a good idea.  It is very possible that a high-omega 3 fatty acid diet with high fiber would produce drastically different results.  Interestingly, however, there was a 13.5% increase in apolipoprotein levels which the authors threw into the "negative" category.  This would indicate a much better quality HDL cholesterol with this type of diet.