Archive for the ‘Alternative Medicine’ Category

Stay Hydrated This Spring

Friday, May 11th, 2012

Keeping hydrated is one of the most important things you can do to ensure good health. Your body, and the bodies of all mammals, is nearly two-thirds water, and this life-giving liquid is crucial for almost all biochemical reactions. While a camel roaming the desert may be able to survive up to three weeks without water, you, on the other hand, would be hard pressed to last a week.

I firmly believe that getting plenty of pure, clean water (at least eight to 10, eight-ounce glasses per day) is a must. However, water isn’t the focus of this particular story. There are a handful of other beverages out there that not only satisfy thirst but also confer multiple health benefits.

Tea-ing Off
Hot, iced, green, black, chai, jasmine: It’s tea time around the world. In America alone, more than 127 million people drink tea daily, and for good reason. Next to water, tea is one of the healthiest beverages on the planet.

Green Tea. Known for its therapeutic polyphenols, which have proven protective against cancer, heart disease, and even cavities, this health-enhancing tea was recently shown in lab tests to block the HIV virus from attaching to healthy immune system cells. This is just one more example of how green tea continues to prove useful in the medical arena.

Black Tea. Black tea accounts for nearly 80 percent of all tea consumption worldwide, and here in the US, a whopping 90 percent of the tea we drink is black. Not a bad choice, considering this type of tea has been shown to reduce risk of skin cancer, lower LDL cholesterol, and protect against heart attack and cardiovascular disease.

White Tea. Less well known than its black and green counterparts, white tea boasts its own health benefits—along with a sweeter, milder taste. Because it is processed from younger buds and leaves, white tea contains lower levels of caffeine. Even more important, when green, black, white, and oolong teas were tested for their ability to hinder pre-cancerous mutations in cells, white tea came out on top.

Another bonus? The caffeine and polyphenols in tea are thermogenic agents, meaning they help boost weight loss by revving up the rate at which your body burns fat.

Ale for What Ails You
While wine has cornered the market in recent years, both in sales and purported health benefits, beer is starting to make a comeback—Americans drink more than 220 million barrels per year. They just may be on to something because beer is a boon for a multitude of health conditions.

One is osteoporosis. Everyone knows that calcium plays a role in building strong bones, but silicon is also important. This mineral promotes greater bone mineral density by allowing other bone-boosting minerals to be absorbed into bone tissue. And guess what a primary dietary source of silicon is? That’s right, beer. Furthermore, it’s an exceptionally bioavailable form of silicon.

Beer is also a great source of B complex vitamins and is linked to lower levels of homocysteine and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. So enjoy an occasional cold one this summer, but don’t forget that the positive effects of alcohol end after one or two daily drinks. Cheers!

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism

Friday, April 13th, 2012

The rising prevalence of autism in America is alarming, to say the least. Forty years ago, autism affected 1 in 10,000—today it’s 1 in 88. I believe that the many vaccinations foisted upon our children are largely to blame.

Regardless of the underlying cause, recent research reveals that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offers new hope for the behavioral, social, language, and emotional problems these children and their families face.

Study findings presented at a meeting of the US Autism and Asperger Association revealed that children with autism who were treated with 40 one-hour sessions of HBOT had marked improvements in cognitive awareness, speech, motivation, communication, and overall health. This has certainly been our experience with the scores of kids who have received HBOT at the Whitaker Wellness Hyperbaric Center. For information on treatment at the clinic, call (800) 488-1500.

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Posted in Alternative Medicine, Autism, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Innovative Therapies | No Comments »

A Healthy Lifetime of Intimacy

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

No doubt about it, sexual desire and function slow down as we get older. What doesn’t change, however, is our lifelong need for intimacy. For many people, that includes satisfying sexual relations. It’s important for men and women to understand the challenges they and their partners face during this time of transition—and to be aware of therapies that enhance libido and performance in both sexes.

Good Health = Good Sex
You can’t expect to have topnotch sexual function if you have poor overall health. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled diabetes, and other disorders involving impaired circulation are commonly linked with sexual dysfunction. That’s because optimal blood flow is required to produce erections in men and clitoral engorgement in women. Other conditions that can affect interest in sex and the ability to act on that interest include anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, and neurological problems. Once these health issues are tackled, desire and function often return.

Prescription Drugs Can Interfere With Performance
Problem is, some of the medications used to treat these diseases make things even worse. For example, psychotropic drugs are notorious for causing significant sexual dysfunction. Studies suggest that up to 60 percent of the men and women taking Prozac and related SSRI antidepressants have difficulty achieving orgasm. Also problematic are some blood pressure–lowering drugs (especially beta blockers), stimulants, narcotics, antihistamines, sleeping pills, and peptic ulcer and heart meds—more than 130 prescription drugs in all!

Recently, I heard from a subscriber whose husband had been taking a number of drugs that robbed him of his sex drive. It was very frustrating for both of them. He finally got so fed up with feeling lousy on all of his medications that he replaced them with CoQ10, L-arginine, and other nutritional supplements. Now his libido is back and their sex life is “fantastic.”

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Harvard researchers have found that men who eat a good diet, exercise regularly, and maintain their optimal weight are able to delay age-associated erectile dysfunction by about 10 years! Among the bad habits that contribute to sexual problems are drinking too much alcohol, overeating (obesity), and smoking. As you can see, anything you can do to improve your overall health will also improve your sexual function.

HRT to the Rescue
A hallmark of getting older—and what many experts believe to be an underlying cause of aging—is declining levels of hormones. As a woman’s production of estrogen gears down and her monthly cycles cease, the vagina loses elasticity and becomes drier, which makes intercourse difficult and uncomfortable. No wonder some women lose interest in sex! Men, you’re not off the hook either. As testosterone levels fall, erections take longer and are less firm, and libido may take a hit as well.

Fortunately, there’s a solution: hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen can be a lifesaver for women during and after menopause. It relieves hot flashes, improves vaginal tone and dryness, and lifts mood, which often translates into better sexual function. Suffice it to say that bioidentical hormones—exactly like those produced in your body—can be a godsend at this time of life. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy requires a prescription and must be ordered from a compounding pharmacy. To locate such a pharmacy, contact the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) at (800) 927-4227 or iacprx.org.

Testosterone for Men…
I have one thing to say to men who are having sexual difficulties: Give supplemental testosterone a try. Although men don’t experience a defining “event” such as menopause, testosterone production tapers off throughout adulthood. This decline is linked not only with sexual problems but also with increased risk of obesity, loss of muscle and bone mass, heart disease, diabetes, and even death. Supplemental testosterone is an amazing libido lifter. If lack of interest is your problem, I can almost guarantee it will work. But sexual desire isn’t the main problem for most men—it’s erectile dysfunction (ED). And testosterone can also improve function. Given its many benefits, I recommend it as a first-line therapy for this condition.

…and Women
Women who want a libido booster should also talk to their doctors about testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone of desire for women as well as men. A small amount of weak testosterone cream, applied to the skin daily, is the best therapy I know for restoring female sexual desire.

Nonprescription Options
Nonprescription options are also available. One of my favorites for men is the amino acid L-arginine, which is the direct precursor to nitric oxide, a vasodilator that relaxes the arteries and improves blood flow to the penis. For women, I suggest trying DHEA, a hormone that converts into testosterone in the body. Although results aren’t as predictable as with the drugs, supplemental arginine and DHEA have been shown to improve sexual function in several clinical trials—and they don’t require a prescription.

I recognize that sexual problems are a sensitive topic, and there’s no single solution that works for everyone. The good news is, you do have several options. I sincerely hope that these suggestions will help you and your partner enjoy a lifetime of intimacy.

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Miraculous Alpha Lipoic Acid

Friday, March 9th, 2012

The term “miracle drug” has been loosely applied to everything from aspirin and penicillin to statins and COX-2 inhibitors. But I want to tell you about a nutritional supplement that truly is miraculous: alpha lipoic acid (also called lipoic acid or ALA).

Lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant that, unlike most antioxidants, is both water- and fat-soluble, making it active in virtually every cell in the body. In addition to neutralizing harmful free radicals, lipoic acid regenerates and increases levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, and glutathione.

But that’s not all. Lipoic acid is also a mitochondrial powerhouse. It not only protects your energy-producing factories from free radical damage, it also helps “prep” the fuel burned in the mitochondria and increases the amount of energy generated. Furthermore, it has a unique ability to neutralize toxins, chelate heavy metals, and protect against DNA damage. These multiple actions make lipoic acid a valuable ally against diabetes, liver damage, cancer, and a host of other diseases — it even slows down aging.

Diabetics’ Best Friend. I had to limit lipoic acid to just one use, it would be for the treatment of diabetes. This supplement not only improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar, it is also an excellent treatment for deterioration of the arteries, eyes, and especially the nerves that plague so many patients with diabetes.

Bill, a former patient, had such severe diabetic neuropathy that he had constant pain and limited sensation in his limbs, his left leg dragged when he walked, and he was continually dropping things. He started taking lipoic acid after reading about it in this newsletter. Shortly thereafter, the pain subsided, his sensation improved, and his coordination returned.

Incredible as this may seem — especially for a condition that patients are told cannot be treated — it’s an everyday occurrence at the Whitaker Wellness Institute. Used intravenously or as an oral supplement, lipoic acid very effectively reduces pain, numbness, burning, and other unpleasant sensations of neuropathy.

A Lifesaver for Failing Livers. Lipoic acid also shines in the treatment of liver problems. This is most dramatically illustrated by the story of John and Eunice, who were admitted to the hospital in acute liver failure after inadvertently eating Amanita verna, the highly toxic “Destroying Angel” wild mushroom.

Lucky for them, their care was turned over to Burton Berkson, MD, PhD, a medical resident and one of the few doctors in the US at the time who was familiar with the use of lipoic acid for the treatment of liver failure. Although he had been told by the hospital’s chief doctor that nothing could be done for them and that John, who had eaten several mushrooms, would definitely die, Dr. Berkson tracked down some lipoic acid and treated John and Eunice with IV infusions. Within days, they left the hospital completely well. I interviewed them 20 years after this incident, and both were doing just fine.

By using this unconventional treatment, Dr. Berkson ruffled a few feathers. The chief doctor dismissed the role of lipoic acid stating, “They would have come around anyway.” He also refused to allow Dr. Berkson to administer lipoic acid to another couple with the same diagnosis soon thereafter. Dr. Berkson treated them anyway, and it saved their lives. For this good deed, he was rewarded with a furious admonition and labeled a troublemaker.

Rejuvenate Your Liver with Lipoic Acid. We need more troublemakers like Dr. Berkson. Today, he is an internationally recognized clinical expert in the use of lipoic acid, and has helped thousands of patients with liver problems such as hepatitis B and C, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. We use several of his protocols here at Whitaker Wellness, including “triple therapy,” a combination of lipoic acid, silymarin, and selenium that reliably lowers liver enzymes and viral loads and improves symptoms.

A few years ago, I told a teacher at my kids’ school who had hepatitis C and was not responding to conventional treatments about “triple therapy.” Within a couple of weeks of starting on it, he began to feel much better, and his blood workup showed marked improvements. His doctor’s response when he told him what he was doing? “That can’t be true.”

Many More Benefits. This short newsletter can barely scratch the surface of this remarkable supplement. Lipoic acid is also an excellent preventive and adjunct therapy for cardiovascular disease, AIDS and immunosuppression, vision problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Other current areas of research include lipoic acid’s ability to increase energy, decrease appetite, and inhibit inflammation-related bone loss.

For all of these reasons and more, I recommend that everyone over age 45, no matter how healthy they are, include alpha lipoic acid in their daily supplement regimen.

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Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diabetes, Nutritional Supplements, Prevention | No Comments »

Diet and Supplements for High Triglycerides

Monday, March 5th, 2012

You probably know your cholesterol level, but what about your triglycerides? If your level of this blood fat is higher than 150 mg/dL, you may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Very high levels can even lead to pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. Fortunately, lowering triglycerides is relatively easy—and drug-free approaches are the safest, most effective way to go about it.

First, be aware that certain drugs, such as diuretics, estrogen, tamoxifen, glucocorticoids, and beta-blockers, drive up triglycerides, so talk to your doctor if you’re on any of these medications.

Next, reduce your intake of sugar and other refined carbohydrates. These foods cause spikes in blood sugar, and excess blood sugar is converted to triglycerides (which are then stored as fat and contribute to weight gain). You should also cut back on alcohol, engage in regular aerobic exercise, and lose weight—all of which lower triglyceride levels.

Finally, take fish oil (4–8 g) and/or niacin (500–1,500 mg). Both of these supplements have been shown in numerous clinical trials to reduce triglycerides by up to one-third.

Look for the recommended supplements in your local health food store, online, or by calling (800) 810-6655.

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Help for COPD

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Do you have a cough you just can’t seem to shake? Whether it’s racking spasms that leave you red in the face and gasping for air, an irritating distraction that interferes with sleep or other activities, or just an annoying tickle in the throat that has to be “scratched,” chronic cough significantly impairs quality of life.

Let’s take a look at some unusual, yet treatable—causes for this very common condition.

Control GERD, Eliminate Coughing. Coughing isn’t always initiated in the respiratory system. Another leading trigger is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This condition affects the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, which opens to let food and liquids pass into the stomach and closes to prevent backup of stomach contents. When this muscle becomes lax or weak, stomach acids flow back (reflux) into the esophagus. Although heartburn and indigestion are the signature symptoms of GERD, these strong acids can also cause difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, sore throat, and persistent cough.

I urge you to try a safe, inexpensive supplement called deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL). We use DGL at Whitaker Wellness to treat all types of gastrointestinal problems because it protects and regenerates the mucosal cells in the digestive tract. It is particularly effective for heartburn and GERD—and, in some cases, chronic cough as well. I had a patient whose constant cough and adult-onset asthma completely resolved after she began taking DGL.

Could It Be a Vitamin B12 Deficiency? Another hidden problem that may contribute to chronic cough is sensory neuropathy. Damage to nerves in the larynx can lead to hypersensitivity and increased responsiveness to allergens, reflux, and other irritants. Fortunately, there is a solution: increasing levels of vitamin B12, which is required for optimal neurological function and is a well-documented treatment for neuropathies of all kinds.

If you have an unresolved cough, give vitamin B12 supplements (1,000 mcg daily) a try. There’s an erroneous belief that injections or sublingual tablets are the only way to raise blood levels of this vitamin, but oral B12 works just fine. It’s safe, well tolerated—and just might be the answer to your chronic cough.

Drugs Could Be the Problem. Finally, do not overlook the possibility that chronic cough may be iatrogenic, or inadvertently caused by medical treatment, in this case by drugs. ACE inhibitors, a popular class of medications for heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure, promote a chronic dry cough in one in four patients who take them—and it’s severe enough that a good percentage of them discontinue the drug.

Beta-blockers, also used to treat cardiovascular issues, are problematic as well, though to a much lesser degree. If you’re taking either of these meds, talk to your doctor about replacing them, preferably with side effect–free, nondrug therapies.

Most people with COPD aren’t diagnosed until at least 50 percent of their lung capacity is gone, and this degree of damage makes it an uphill battle. But given the scarcity of conventional treatments, these natural therapies are certainly worth a try.

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Benefits of B Vitamins

Friday, February 17th, 2012

B-complex vitamins are the Rodney Dangerfield of nutritional supplements—they don’t get no respect. All multivitamins contain a smattering of B vitamins, so what else do you need to know? Actually, there’s a lot of new research, especially on folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. Here are 5 reasons why you should be taking these three vitamins—and at dosages higher than what you’re likely taking now.

1. Stay Mentally Sharp
We lose about two percent of our brain volume every decade as we get older. Although this is a normal part of aging, accelerated atrophy is linked with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. British researchers studied annual blood tests and MRI scans of older men and women and found that those with the lowest blood levels of vitamin B12 had a sixfold greater risk of excessive brain volume loss.

2. Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
An elevated level of homocysteine—a toxic amino acid that damages the arteries—is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that supplemental folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, which lower homocysteine, reduce risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.

3. Boost Your Energy
Vitamin B12 is an excellent energy booster. We offer B12 and magnesium injections at the clinic, and they’re so energizing that some patients learn how to self-inject so they can continue them at home. High doses of oral B12 also improves energy, especially in people who have low levels to begin with.

4. Lift Your Mood
Folic acid, B6, and B12 also improve mood. These vitamins play an indirect, but critical role in the formation of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, and deficiencies—as well as high levels of homocysteine—are linked with mood disorders. Although B-complex vitamins are not a stand-alone treatment for depression, they’re an important adjunct.

5. Get a Handle on Migraines
Researchers from “Down Under” have discovered that people who have migraines with aura are more likely to have mutations in a gene that leads to elevated levels of homocysteine. When they gave these migraine sufferers high doses of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 for six months, their homocysteine levels fell by 39 percent and their migraine disability scores were cut in half.

How much should you take?
Forget about the RDAs. As an example, the RDA of B12 for adults is just 2.4 mcg per day. Dutch researchers found that normalizing a mild B12 deficiency, however, required between 647 and 1,032 mcg—300–500 times more than the RDA!

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Solutions for 10 Common Health Concerns

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Since I opened the doors of the Whitaker Wellness Institute in 1979, I’ve been fine-tuning my treatment approaches for a variety of common health concerns. And for the last two decades, I’ve shared these protocols with the thousands of patients that came to the clinic. I’ve compiled a simple, at-a-glance list of supplements and other therapies for 10 common health problems. Remember, these recommendations should be added to a potent daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, a healthy diet, and regular exercise.

Doses listed are for daily consumption and should be taken in divided doses with meals unless otherwise noted.

Age-Related Memory Loss

*Acetyl-l-carnitine 1,000–1,500 mg
*Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC) 250 mg
*Choline (alpha-GPC) 250 mg
*Curcumin 1,000–2,000 mg, or curcumin phytosome 500–1,000 mg
*Fish oil 2–4 g Ginkgo biloba 120–160 mg
*Niacinamide 500 mg, 3–6 times per day
*Phosphatidylserine 100–200 mg
*Vinpocetine 10–30 mg

Blood Pressure Support

*Balance3 2–4 tablets (taken at bedtime if drowsiness occurs)
*Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) 200–300 mg
*L-arginine 2,000–6,000 mg (do not use if you are taking nitroglycerin)
*Low Sodium V8 Juice 8–12 ounces
*Reishi mushroom (as directed)

Blood Sugar Support

*Vanadyl sulfate 100 mg
*Alpha lipoic acid 600–1,200 mg (higher dose for extra support)
*Chromium 400 mcg
*Cinnamon 1,000–2,000 mg
*Gymnema sylvestre 400 mg
*Benfotiamine 150–450 mg
*Berberine 1,500 mg
*Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and infrared light therapy (for complications)+

Cardiovascular Health

*CoQ10 200–300 mg
*Fish oil 4–6 g
*B-complex vitamins: B6 75–125 mg, B12 150–2,000 mcg, folic acid 800–6,000 mcg
*L-carnitine 1,000 mg
*Magnesium 500–1,000 mg
*Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP)+

Cholesterol Support

*Flaxseed ¼ cup, freshly ground
*Niacin 500–2,000 mg
*Plant sterols 1,500–2,000 mg
*Red yeast rice 1,200–2,400 mg (take with 100–200 mg of CoQ10)

Digestive Health

*Digestive enzymes (as directed, for gas and bloating)
*Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) 1 chewable tablet before meals (for heartburn/indigestion) *Probiotics (as directed, for overall digestive health)
*Flaxseed ¼ cup, freshly ground (for regularity)

Fatigue/Low Energy

*Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) 3–4.5 mg (requires a prescription)
*Magnesium 500–1,000 mg
*Ribose 10–15 g
*Vitamin D 2,000–5,000 IU

Mood Support

*Dilantin 100–200 mg (requires a prescription)
*Fish oil 4–6 g
*S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) 400–800 mg (between meals)
*5-HTP 50–100 mg (at bedtime)
*St. John’s wort 600–900 mg (check for drug interactions)

Pain

*Univestin (Chinese skullcap/acacia extract) 500 mg
*Curcumin 1,500–2,000 mg, or curcumin phytosome 500–1,000 mg
*Fish oil 4–8 g
*Frequency specific microcurrent (FSM) therapy (also called microcurrent therapy)+
*High-intensity laser therapy+
*DMSO (topical)

Respiratory Health

*Fish oil 4–6 g
*N-acetyl cysteine 300–600 mg
*Quercetin 250–500 mg
*Stinging nettles 200–500 mg
*Magnesium 500–1,000 mg
*Saline nasal spray/neti pot

Weight Loss

*Restrict/eliminate sugars and starches
*Green tea (GreenSelect Phytosome) 300 mg
*Irvingia gabonensis 300 mg
*Saffron extract 180 mg

+ Must be administered in a physician’s office.

Posted in Alternative Medicine, Chronic Pain, Nutritional Supplements, Prevention | No Comments »

Natural Solutions for Sleep

Monday, January 30th, 2012

It’s normal to experience sleep problems every now and again. Work-related stress, a busy day or week ahead, or concerns about the well-being of friends and family can make for the occasional restless night. But in today’s questionable economic climate, an alarming number of Americans are experiencing insomnia—and they’re flocking to their docs for drugs. Over 50 million prescriptions for sleeping pills were written in 2011. If these drugs were benign, that would be one thing. But sleeping pills are riddled with side effects. In addition to increasing risk of falls, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive impairment, they’re highly addictive.

Go Natural. Fortunately, there are natural remedies that have been used for years to battle insomnia with impeccable safety records and unquestionable efficacy. Here are a few of my favorites.

L-theanine is an amino acid derived from green tea. Renowned for its calming effects, L-theanine works by enhancing alpha-wave activity in the brain, which results in relaxation, and by increasing levels of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that calms the brain down and helps relieve anxiety.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is the most common sleep aid in Europe, and studies suggest that this herb works as well as prescription drugs, without the side effects. Like L-theanine, it helps relieve anxiety by working on GABA pathways, but it also has a mild sedative effect that helps you fall asleep more quickly. In some studies, valerian is used in combination with hops. Although hops is best known as an ingredient in beer, it is an approved therapy in Germany for insomnia and nervousness.

Melatonin has long been one of my top recommendations for sleep. Produced naturally in the pineal gland, melatonin is the hormone that regulates your circadian rhythms, or “body clock.” As darkness falls, melatonin secretion rises, signaling your body that it’s time to sleep. After the age of 40, melatonin levels decline, which is one reason so many older people have trouble falling and staying asleep. In addition to facilitating sleep, melatonin is also useful for jetlag, and it’s a potent antioxidant that protects against disease.

People who consistently get too little sleep tend to run down their immune systems and suffer more illnesses and are more subject to stress and emotional upset. Whatever agents you try to help you sleep, avoid prescription drugs. They are not only potentially harmful and addictive, they also deprive you of an important regenerative stage of sleep.

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Seeing Past Cataracts

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Cataracts Quiz

What are the most effective supplements in treating cataracts?
 
1)       Vitamin C
2)       Vitamin E
3)       Beta carotene
4)       All of the above
 
The answer is 4: All of the above.

It’s easy to take your eyes for granted. After all, most of us have been blessed with the gift of sight since birth. Our eyes don’t require much maintenance, and even if you don’t have 20/20 vision, corrective lenses are an easy fix.

But things do go wrong. My patients are frequently asking for solutions to various eye problems, cataracts in particular. Here is a brief overview of this common condition and natural remedies that can help.

Cataracts Are Not Inevitable
Cataracts, or opacities of the lens of the eye, are another common problem associated with aging. More than half of all Americans in their 80s either have cataracts or have had surgery to replace the clouded lens. I’m not going to knock cataract surgery because people see much, much better afterward. But isn’t prevention a better idea?

Lifestyle Changes make a Huge Difference
Smoking, abdominal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and a whole list of drugs are linked with increased risk of developing cataracts and other vision problems. Nutrition is also important. We’ve known for years that taking a daily supplement containing relatively high doses of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper lowers risk of cataracts and related vision loss, but nutritional research has gone far beyond these basic vitamins and minerals.

A recent study found that older women who had the highest levels of lutein and zeaxanthin were about a third less likely to have cataracts. And in a recent nine year placebo-controlled clinical trial, people who took a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement were much less likely to have developed the most common type of cataracts than those who took a placebo.

Another therapy worth trying is N-acetyl-carnosine. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), caused by the crosslinking of proteins, is another degenerative process that damages the lens. Carnosine is a natural amino acid combo that inhibits AGE formation. Several studies show that when carnosine eye drops are used twice a day in eyes affected by cataracts, improvements are often noted in both vision and lens opacity.

The common thread running throughout is nutrition. Therefore, my number-one recommendation for both treating and staving off cataracts and other vision problems is to improve your diet and take a comprehensive supplement aimed at vision health. It’s never too early to start. Don’t wait until you’re having problems to take action—by then it may be too late.

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Posted in Alternative Medicine, Nutritional Supplements, Prevention, Vision, Wellness | No Comments »

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