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Archive for January, 2009

I’ve heard that in a man older than 50, the body begins to produce a toxic hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a by product of testosterone. This hormone causes the prostate to swell up, which, in turn, produces uncomfortable symptoms such as multiple trips to the bathroom at night. I’ve heard that saw palmetto berries suppress DHT and help shrink the prostate. Is this true? I can say that saw palmetto has really worked for me.

answer:
You’ve got it mostly right. Saw palmetto extract has been shown in more than a half-dozen double-blind clinical studies to improve urine flow, decrease frequency of urination, lessen urinary discomfort and aid in more complete emptying of the bladder. It’s arguable, however, whether the prostate actually becomes smaller.

Saw palmetto is so good that I recommend it to my middle-aged and older patients with prostate symptoms. I also prescribe it to help maintain a healthy prostate. I find it works best when combined with certain amino acids, vitamins, herbs, bee pollen and zinc.

Saw palmetto extract reportedly blocks DHT activity, but is DHT really guilty as charged? It seems odd that the prostate enlarges just at the age when a man’s overall male hormone levels drop. Odd, too, that tissue samples of enlarged prostate glands don’t show unusual levels of DHT.

Some researchers believe that estrogen causes an enlarged prostate in older men. Estrogen, which is always present in a man’s body, assumes more influence as male hormone levels decline. To play it safe, I sometimes suggest a man increase his consumption of soybean products such as tofu, soy milk or soy protein powder because the genistein in soy will control estrogen.

Anyhow, DHT is a normal (physiological) form of male hormone, not a “toxic hormone.” It is necessary for normal male development. Unfortunately, it also promotes male-pattern baldness. I have been wondering whether a saw palmetto scalp tonic would actually help grow new hair.

Scientists say there’s no sight as sad as the corpse of a beautiful theory, slain by one ugly fact.

The ugly fact is that a high lysine/low arginine diet promotes atherosclerosis, which is a form of arteriosclerosis. Individuals on a diet high in  animal-protein, with lysine three to four times higher than  arginine, have an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Those who  eat vegetarian diets, with scarcely more lysine than arginine, have a reduced risk of heart disease.

The answer lies in the ratio between insulin and glucagon, two hormones that control blood sugar. Proteins like casein (milk protein), with high lysine levels, cause a high insulin-to-glucagon ratio, at least in people with high cholesterol. Soy protein, with relatively more arginine, causes that ratio to decrease. Lysine and branched-chain amino acids increase serum cholesterol; arginine and glycine reduce it.

Consume a vitamin C on a daily basis is important. Other antioxidants, including vitamin E, carotene and CoQ10, must be taken concurrently with vitamin C to protect arteries.

I’ve heard about osteoporosis and the need for calcium in your diet. Should I worry about this?

answer:
Worry may not be the right word, but you should definitely meet the recommended daily amount of calcium. Your bones actually take in the most calcium during your teen years and early 20s. Calcium is most prevalent in foods like milk, cheese and yogurt. It’s recommended that female teens choose four or more servings per day from the dairy group. If you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, taking a calcium supplement will satisfy the requirement. (Be sure to take calcium supplements at night.)

There’s no evidence to suggest that these foods cause acne. Acne is related more to changing hormones and/or stress than to food choices. A well-balanced diet does, though, fit into the skin-care factor. By eating healthful foods and not skipping meals, you’ll have the energy you need to help ward off excess stress, so it’s best to limit your intake of sugary or greasy foods.

I am 5 feet 1 inch tall, and my husband is 6 feet 1 inch. Our son, age 12, is 4 feet 9 inches, and our daughter, age 9, is 4 feet 11 inches tall. Our doctor says they are both normal for their ages and their genetic background. The boy is the shortest in seventh grade, thus he gets teased a lot. Are there any vitamins that I can give him, or am I just a worried mom?

answer:
Yes, you are a worried mom, and yes, there are some vitamins that can help—but only minimally. A popular concept is that a few shots of human growth hormone (HGH) may get your short youngster into a normal growth cycle. (Until recently, the only approved use for this hormone was for children deficient in HGH. At one point, this hormone was taken off the market due to contamination.)

We know that zinc and manganese will help bones grow longer and thicker. Give him 15 to 30 mg of zinc and 100 to 200 meg of manganese a day. Consuming at least 500 mg of vitamin C per day also allows some children to grow about a centimeter longer in a year. These are safe to try and have no side effects.

Girls are usually taller than boys from approximately 10 to 12 years of age. Once girls start their menses at approximately 13 years old, they only grow another inch or two. The boys continue to grow until they are approximately 17 years old and are sexually mature. The old adage is  generally true: To see how tall a boy will grow, double his height at age 2. And double a girl’s height at 18 months to see how tall she will grow.

Curiously, some studies done on Eastern Mediterranean men showed that phytic acid, an ingredient in unleavened bread, inhibited growth in males by as much as 3 to 4 inches.

Your worrying over your son’s growth pattern should be enough to hold him together while he is waiting to grow taller. Does your daughter look like her father and your son look like you? Those similarities might help explain the discrepancies in size. She may feel she is too tall when she matures, and he might remain too short for his desire.

I recently got a hair analysis for my 7-year-old daughter to test for mineral deficiencies. She was low in certain minerals such as calcium and magnesium, but what perplexed me was that she was very high in potassium and sodium. I haven’t been able to find a connection. What could this mean?

answer:
Several labs around the country do mineral analysis on hair samples. Allopathic doctors criticize the test, saying that it cannot be accurate enough to test for anything except heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.

The metals that are stored in hair are a reflection of what is floating around in the bloodstream, as well as what is stored in the bones. For example, hyperactive children are low in calcium and magnesium, which suggests that they cannot absorb minerals from dairy products because of a sensitivity, and they are eating a diet low in magnesium. Some children crave chocolate and peanut butter when they are low in magnesium, as these foods contain a fair amount of that mineral. The elevated potassium and sodium levels do not necessarily mean that these elements have been eaten in excess. In fact, it suggests that the adrenal glands are under stress, as potassium and sodium are regulated by the adrenal mineral corticoids, which are several different hormones in the adrenal glands.

The doctor who ordered the test should have a printout that roughly explains the elevations. Be thankful that the toxic minerals are low in the test. You may not have to do anything about her diet. You can elevate her calcium and magnesium with the appropriate supplements. Get another test in approximately six months, and let me know about any changes.

We have an exuberant 6-year-old girl with ADHD. She has a never-ending drive for attention and has trouble working in a group. She wants to read (she is unable to read or even recognize letters) and have friends more than anything. Her self-esteem is slipping. We have encouraged her to develop her talent for sports. Sports build her confidence, yet they do not improve her ability to get along with her peers. The school psychiatrist recommended that she take Ritalin, but I’ve since discovered that wheat is the main cause of her hyperactivity. What can we do to help her improve things like her short-term memory?

answer:
This may be too complicated to answer in a few short paragraphs, but I can get you started. You have found that wheat is a downer for her. You might also notice that other foods can produce neurological symptoms: Milk, soy, corn, eggs, chocolate, shellfish and nuts are some foods to watch. If she had ear infections as an infant, milk may be like a poison to her. If she took antibiotics for the infections, she may be struggling with the yeast infection candidiasis.

Under a nutritionally oriented—or ordiomolecular—physician’s guidance, try Ritalin for a few days as a diagnostic tool. If Ritalin normalizes her symptoms, you know that her difficulties are caused by biochemical problems that can be solved with nutrition. Ritalin may show benefits in as little as an hour.

Vitamin B6 helps with memory. If she cannot remember even small parts of her dreams, she needs about 25 to 50 mg of B6 daily for a week or so. Is she ticklish, goosey or sensitive? These characteristics usually stem from a magnesium deficiency. A lack of magnesium shortens the attention span and slows learning ability. Does she have good and bad days or hours—okay in the morning but a terror in the afternoon? Such behavior is caused by blood-sugar fluctuations. However, sugar is not the only culprit; blood sugar fluctuates when you eat foods that you are sensitive to.

Your daughter’s situation may also respond to homeopathy.

Did she crawl and creep on the floor as an infant? Research indicates that if a baby did not get that kind of stimulation as an infant, reading skills are harder to obtain.