Sunlight Boosts Nitric Oxide Production, Lowers Risk of Heart disease, Stroke

Sunbathers

Skin exposure to sunshine boosts nitric oxide production and that is a good thing. And researchers have found that the  nitric oxide levels were independent of vitamin D levels. Sunlight triggers healthy metabolism that can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

But many people are worried that they will get melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, if they should get sun exposure without a sun screen. Sun exposure reduces the risk of many conditions and studies show the benefits of sun exposure outweighs the risks. In regards to dying from skin cancer, studies show your risk is 80 times lower on average than your risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke. So it makes sense to work at  lowering your risk for heart attacks and strokes, with getting some sun exposure. 

A recent study by Dr. Weller et al, has some very important conclusions. We need sun exposure as well as good vitamin D blood levels, from sun and from dietary sources to be well. 

Dr. Weller ,lead researcher is quoted as saying:

"We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer. The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight."

I recommend, unless you conciously fit in time for sun exposure that can be proven to give you a vitamin D level above 120 nmol/l, than get as much sun as possible and take a good quality supplement of Vitamin D3, followed with regular blood tests to verify you are getting enough.

There is more here on how to normalize borderline or high blood pressure, the importance of vitamin D, the real incidence of melanoma and the dangerous effects of fructose on the body.

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

1247
UVA lowers blood pressure and vasodilates the systemic arterial vasculature by mobilisation of cutaneous nitric oxide stores

D Liu,¹ BO Fernandez,³ NN Lang,² JM Gallagher,⁴ DE Newby,² M Feelisch³ and RB Weller^1,5 1Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,²Cardiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, ³Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, ⁴Leithmount Surgery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom and ⁵Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) correlates with latitude and rises in winter. Population vitamin D levels inversely correlate with CVD, but oral supplementation does not alter CVD rates. Skin contains large stores of nitrite(NO₂) and nitrate(NO₃). Nitrate is biologically inert, but can be photo-reduced to active NO₂ and nitric oxide (NO). The dermal vasculature enables rapid systemic dispersal of NO₂ and NO.We hypothesised that ultraviolet A (UVA) mobilises NO bioactivity from skin to circulation to exert beneficial cardiovascular effects. Vit’ D is a marker for sunlight exposure. 24 healthy volunteers were sham (temp’ control) irradiated then actively irradiated with 20 J/cm² UVA. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) fell and heart rate rose during active but not sham irrad’n (3.50±0.73 mmHg vs 2.80±0.98). The MAP fall was sustained for 50 mins in the active group only. Temperature rise was the same in both groups. Circulatory nitrite rose (0.50±0.04 μM to 0.72±0.04 μM p<0.001) and nitrate fell (11.79± 0.64 μM to 8.99±0.40 μM (p<0.001)) during active, but not sham irradiation. There was no change in circulating vitamin D levels. 12 volunteers had forearm blood flow (FBF) measured by venous plethysmography while 8 μmol/min of the NOS antagonist L-NMMA was infused to the brachial artery. FBF rose during active but not sham irradiation (23.7±6.5 % over baseline vs no change p<.0002). Physiological levels of UVA irradiation cause systemic vasodilation and lower BP in a vitamin D and NOS independent manner. Deaths from CVD and stroke are 60 to 100 times higher than from skin cancers in northern Europe. This study provides a mechanistic explanation for the inverse correlation between sunlight exposure and CVD mortality. Sunlight has beneficial effects independently of vitamin D synthesis.

Omega-3 from fish and flax backed to prevent broken hips: Study

Eating GAPS diet and protocol naturally heals the bowel and improves digestion. It naturally increases the blood levels of omega 3 which are asssociated with less inflammation and better health. And it naturally lowers the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio to a more normal, healthy ratio. The closer the ratio is to 2:1 the better. The average Canadian's ratio is a disturbing 10:1.

Here is an interesting article showing that blood levels of omega 3's with less omega 6's ( from grain and seed oils) is associated with less incidence of fractured hips in post menopausal women.

Omega-3 from fish and flax backed to prevent broken hips: Study


Consuming high levels of omega-3 fatty acidsmay reduce the risk for hip fractures in postmenopausal women, research suggests.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Omega-3-from-fish-and-flax-backed-to-prevent-broken-hips-Study


When I recommend GAPS diet for so many different conditions, it is hard to believe it could really remedy all these health problems. GAPS really reduces inflammation, and less inflammation means less disease.

To your Health.

Dr. Barbara

More On How Low Cholesterol May Be Bad for Your Health

A surprising percentage of my patients with mental health symptoms have low total cholesterol. Low cholesterol, which is a level below 4.14 mmol/l or 160 mg/dl may lead to numerous health problems as I have written about in this blog entry. If you have low cholesterol or if you have any mental health symptoms, that article is worth reading again. 

Here is another article on the subject, posted by R. L. Coffield which describes the observation of the link between low cholesterol and poor health and early death. Of course, he starts by stating the obvious, we hear so much to the contrary, who wouldn't be confused.


Health conscious people may be feeling increasingly confused over the litany of contradictory claims made by the medical profession, pharmaceutical companies and a host of independent scientists. Lately, it seems there is a growing chorus of researchers espousing that low cholesterol levels may, indeed, actually be detrimental to one’s health.

Low Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease
Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con (not to be confused with Colpo's book of the same title) is just one of many medical professionals speaking out about the scientifically unverifiable link between cholesterol and heart disease. Dr. Malcolm is a vocal member of a growing number of professionals who believe that “A falling cholesterol level is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.” He cites statistics showing that when cholesterol levels in Japan rose, “…life expectancy increased, and death from all forms of cardiovascular disease fell dramatically.”

Become informed. Read the whole article.
http://suite101.com/article/low-cholesterol-may-be-bad-for-your-health-a68808

There is also mention, that health and longevity are linked to diets lower in simple carbohydrates. 

To your health.
Dr. B

Dr. Osborne lists 8 Simple Steps to Staying Sick…

Over at Gluten Free Society, Dr. Osborne has important observations about lifestyle  issues. I agree these lifestyle factors need to be modified too. The bolded letters are mine.

He writes......Going on a gluten free diet often times leads to great improvements in health. However; if we focus only on gluten free and ignore other lifestyle factors, our improvements will plateau and our health will decline. The following is a list of lifestyle factors that are often ignored and lead to major health problems if you ignore them…

1.Eat processed foods – processed foods are high in calories and low in nutrient density. This combination will accelerate the aging process and put you in a state of nutritional deficiency.

2.Eat processed “gluten free” food items – These products are designed to replace all of the things people miss on a gluten free diet – Bread, pasta, cereal, cake, crackers, donuts, cookies, etc. Most of them are not TRUE gluten free and cause multiple health problems. As a general rule they are not healthy. “Gluten Free” on the package does not make it so. Don’t get lost in the marketing hype. Remember why you went gluten free? To regain your health.

3.Eat genetically modified food – from kidney to liver damage, these foods are dangerous and have not gone through enough study to be widely recommended as safe. In addition, some scientists believe that Mandellian  genetically modified grains have increased celiac disease. Eat at your own risk!

4.Ignore exercise – the body is designed to move. Not exercising reduces oxygen and lymph flow to your tissues leading to a reduction in immune function and an acceleration of joint aging. Maintaining muscle as we age is one thing everyone in the scientific community agrees on when it comes to prolonging human life.

5.Go to bed late – Rest is a critical component to hormone regulation and the healing process. Most Americans burn the midnight oil then wake up early to go to work. Inadequate sleep increases ones risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.

6.Avoid Sunshine – contrary to popular belief, sunshine does not cause skin cancer (sun burns do). Daily sunshine is an important component to health. Sunlight helps us make important hormones and vitamin D. Lack of sunshine has been shown to cause 19 different types of cancer. Additionally, scientists have discovered new non vitamin D hormone like substances made by the skin that help fight cancer.

7.Drink or bathe in unfiltered water – We are now finding prescription medications in our drinking water. Add this to all of the other chemicals and you have a wonderful cocktail of artificial estrogens and antidepressants every time you go to shower or take a drink of water.

Whole house water filters will become more popular over the next ten years because of this ever growing problem.

Go to the link to read number 8. It may surprise you, if you haven't been reading my blog. 

The bottom line is that it takes more than eating foods without gluten to heal the whole bowel, re-establish good bacteria and heal your whole body and extend your healthy life.

To your health

Dr. Barbara

 

Would the Real Olive Oil Please Stand Up?

Celiac disease causes a 12 times increased risk of autoimmune disease ( Dr. Farrell, NEJM, 2002). This can cause a considerable amount of pain and suffering. But there is hope in reducing many of the symptoms by using diet. I especially like the GAPS diet, sometimes called the "Real Gluten Free diet" or S.C.D.. It promotes a reduction in inflammation on many fronts: healing the bowel and increasing nutrient absorption, especially vitamin D, reducing bad organisms in the bowel,  bringing omega 6 (O6) to omega 3 (O3) ratios more in line with the best ratio of O6 to O3 being  2-4 to 1 ( for anti-inflammation).

When thinking of healthy oils, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is part of the solution. So I look for high quality EVOO to supplement my use of butter and coconut oil.

I have been concerned with fake olive oil for some time. When one doesn't get pure olive oil, one doesn't get the healing benefits one thought one was buying. 

This is an excerpt of the best article I've read on EVOO and the problem of fake olive oil. It is written by Eileen over at Phoenix Helix, Healing Autoimmune Disease through Diet ..and more!

When Labels Lie

When you start eating for your health, you begin to watch labels closely. But what happens when the labels aren't telling the truth?Olive oil fraud has become so rampant that an entire book has been written about it. Why has it become such a problem? Because extra virgin olive oil is big business. Touted for its health benefits in both mainstream America and the healing diets featured on this website, US consumers can’t get enough of it. And therein lies the problem. There isn't enough to go around, yet suppliers don’t want to miss a potential profit. Although standards exist for what “extra virgin” is supposed to mean, there are no teeth behind those standards, so producers can slip other oil into the bottle, slap on the coveted label, and sell fake oil quite easily to unsuspecting consumers.

First, it might help to know what extra virgin is supposed to mean. This is the highest quality and most expensive olive oil classification. The oil is mechanically pressed from the olives, without any heat or chemistry applied. In order to claim this label, the oil is supposed to meet both a chemistry standard and a sensory one, established by the International Olive Council and the USDA. The oil should have zero defects and greater than zero fruitiness. However, neither the IOC nor the USDA enforce these standards, so basically, it’s an honor game. Oh, the world would be a wonderful place if everyone was honorable.

When a dishonorable company doesn't have enough oil to meet this standard and wants to commit a little fraud, what do they do? The most common deception is to mix it with a lower standard olive oil, but some producers take it even further and mix in a variety of neutral-tasting refined oils, such as soy and canola. If you're on a healing diet, you're meant to avoid both of those oils, so it’s upsetting to realize you might be consuming them unknowingly.

Testing for Truth in Labeling:

In September 2012, Consumer Reports published its results from testing 23 olive oils from Italy, Spain and California, and only 9 passed the test as actually being extra virgin olive oil, as claimed on the label. Two that failed? Bertolli and Goya. Two that passed? McEvoy Ranch and Trader Joe’s California Estate.

As it turns out, the brand I like to use in one of the 9 brands that passed Consumer Reports testing...Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. But I've recently discovered I can buy organic EVOO from     a single estate from Greece from the owner, right here where I live. It has a heavenly taste. 

Read Eileen's entire article for some marvelous tips on how to find pure EVOO, the full list of the brands that passed the Consumer Reports testing, and she debunks some common myths about EVOO. 

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara

On Antibiotics: Immediately Start a course of probiotics, such as HMF Antibiotic Care.

Good health depends on good bacteria in the bowel, sometimes called the microbiota. They do so many healing jobs for us from making a long list of vitamins that we ultimately absorb (and balance our hormones), digest the food and transfers the nutrients to the cells that line the bowel called enterocytes keeping them healthy, control hormones that regulate obesity, compete and inhibit pathological bacteria, stimulate the immune system to kill pathological organisms,  inhibits pathological microorganisms by making an acid environment around 4.2 pH, decrease inflammation, digest and detoxify toxins that we ingest. So many jobs.

So what do you do when you take an antibiotic that rapidly kills those good bacteria which then leaves only those organisms that are resistant to the antibiotics, without competition, so the colonies of bad bacteria grow rapidly and take over? Resulting in inflammation of both the bowel and subsequently the whole body. And C. Difficile overgrowth which causes 2000 deaths a year in the province of Ontario alone. And similar numbers of deaths a year in the province of Quebec.

I recommend, on the same day or ASAP, 3-4 hours after a dose of antibiotic, taking a probiotic supplement that has been researched and proven to be effective to replace healthy bacteria, called HMF Antibiotic Care. It really works. There is no other probiotic as safe, effective as this is. It is developed by Dr. Nigel Plummer and  the whole line of HMF probiotics are the only human derived probiotic available. 

Why are probiotics that are human derived important? Because they prefer human environments, establish easily and start to grow in the gut and remain there except for natural attrition. So every dose grows the healthy colonies. And there is a lot of surface area they have to cover. What about corroborating research?

The Cambridge Probiotic/Antibiotic Clinical Trial revealed that Genestra’s proprietary HMF blend offers proven post-antibiotic replenishment and care by promoting a healthy microflora. The trial was published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.
“Genestra’s human-derived probiotic strains more easily survive the rigours of the intestinal environment and are more efficient at colonizing the intestinal lining - ultimately yielding greater benefits,” said Dr. Plummer.

Other Lactobacillus acidophilus organisms are grown on dairy mediums because they prefer dairy over humans. So with these one has to use much higher doses, and hope they don't die in their unnatural-to-them environment and more frequent doses to replace what "got up and left". With regular probiotics, it is unlikely to re-establish as much of the gut lining as human derived probiotics leaving more pathological organisms and inflammation. 

We have research from the Mayo clinic  in 2010, that shows the healthier your bowel lining is, the healthier and longer life you will have.

After starting any course of antibiotics, don't wait for diarrhea! Keep your bowel healthy by starting, immediately a course of probiotics, preferably human derived such as HMF Antibiotic Care. Buy it at your health practitioners office or a health food store.

To Your Health

Dr. Barbara

  

Not Feeling Better on a Gluten Free Diet- Casein in Cow's milk Mimics Gluten

So you are trying to improve your health and are following popular gluten free advice and you still have signs and symptoms of inflammation. These could be chronic sinusitis, blocked ears, cough, diarrhea, or any other sign of inflammation. This can happen if you haven't eliminated cow's milk and milk products and prepared foods that contain casein. Even some red wines have casein. 

You may want to eliminate all forms of casein from your diet, even if you are breastfeeding. Recent research shows that the allergy producing casein goes through breast milk to the infant, in milk drinking mothers. 

You'll want to know more so you can decide if you want to eliminate dairy. The safest dairy products are those prepared the GAPS way, fermented, but not everyone can tolerate this even.

Here Dr. Osborne talks about the implications of that research: Do also go to the link Cow dairy and see an interview with Dr. Ford, who discusses the different variety of milks, A1 vs A2.

The Gluten Free Warrior’s Comment:

Cow dairy is one of the most common allergens in the U.S. Babies are no exception to this rule. Milk is often viewed as an essential staple food for kids. We have been told over and over again that we need dairy for calcium, and although dairy does contain calcium, there are many other foods rich in calcium as well.

Today’s modern dairy comes from genetically tampered with cows. The casein in the dairy from these cows is resistant to digestion and has been linked to autoimmune disease. The casein from these cows for many causes the same types of symptoms we see gluten cause. This same type of casein is one of the most common dairy based protein allergies known.

In my clinical experience, I have never seen a baby be allergic to mother’s milk. The typical scenario is that the mother is consuming foods that the baby is reactive to. Once the mother changes her diet, the baby’s symptoms tend to dissipate. The study above demonstrates that on of the most allergenic dairy proteins (casein) passes into mother’s milk. The take away message is that if the baby is having allergy symptoms while breastfeeding, mom should look at her diet and make adjustments.
Common symptoms of allergy reaction in infants are:
Hives
Eczema
Colic
Chronic diaper rash
Coughing
Wheezing
Sneezing fits after meals
Chronic facial rubbing (can indicate itchy eyes)
Chronic gas

Bottom line – if you suspect that your baby is allergic to your breast milk, don’t stop breast feeding. Instead look at your diet for foods that could be a problem for the baby. The most common food problems are gluten, dairy, sugar, beans or legumes, shellfish, and cruciferous vegetables. For more information on how gluten can affect children go here <<<

Read more here:http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/casein-does-cows-milk-mimic-gluten/?inf_contact_key=390e5bdf7c57b523c296fe551487a1a787430d78893739422c1f54160e0bcf95



To Your Health

Dr. Barbara