Alpha Lipoic acid & Type 2 Diabetes

Alpha Lipoic acid & Type 2 Diabetes

 

Alpha Lipoic acid (ALA) has long been known to be effective as an antioxidant, and there has been some very interesting research with it pertaining to the type 2 diabetic patient. Much of the research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Lipoic acid's ability to protect the diabetic patient from the ravenges of high glucose levels. This is due to the fact that high levels of glucose produce high levels of oxidative stress which can damage tissues.

 

 

Alpha Lipoic acid is unique in that it can quench both fat soluble and water soluble oxidative ions. Most other antioxidants work on one or the other, but not both. Over the years we have recommended Lipoic acid for those who only want to take one antioxidant. Lipoic acid covers both fats or lipids as well as the water soluble O2 radicals.

 

 

In the latest study on Lipoic acid, as published in Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, patients were evaluated for glucose status and oxidative  markers. These included fasting glucose, Hgb A1c, and other markers. The patients were given randomly assigned doses of ALA ranging fro 300 mg/day to 1200 mg/day. The researchers observed beneficial results on glucose levels as well as oxidative stress levels in a dose dependant progression. Only slight side effects were observed in the higher doses.

 

 

So, if you are a type 2 diabetic or have been told you are insulin resistant, pre-diabetic state, you can benefit form taking ALA. One thing to note if you decide to take ALA, if you take it for a prolonged time you will want to also take biotin as the ALA will interfere with your ability to absorb and utilize biotin, which is a very necessary nutrient for the hair, skin and nails.

 

 

Something else to be aware of with Lipoic acid is the different forms. The most common form you will encounter is the alpha form. There is also the R or reduced form. Research has demonstrated that the R form is more beneficial for the neuropathies due to diabetes. Clinically we have seen some very good results with helping the neuopathies with the R Lipoic acid. The alpha form has been effective in the management of glucose and HgbA1c levels. 

Gut Microbes & Health

Gut microbes, or more commonly known as probiotics, are a very diverse group of microorganisms that reside in our intestines. It is estimated that between 10 to 14 trillion organisms reside there. Until recently it was mostly a realm of the alternative medicine world, and did not get any respect form mainstream medicine.

We in the alternative medicine camp have advocated strong support for the probiotic content for many years. Emerging science has proven that we were correct in our quest to keep the gut healthy via probiotics or friendly bacteria. Recently there has been much interest in the gut microbes and their link to our immune systems. Research shows that approximately 70% of our immune function resides in our gut via these remarkable creatures that coexist within us.

One of the emerging problems that our gut has in keeping a good quantity of these beneficial bacteria is the over use of antibiotics and the increasing use of antibiotics in the food supply. And, then there is the hygiene hypothesis. In the hygiene hypothesis researchers are led to believe that we are too clean. Lets explore both of these.

It is common knowledge that there is a problem with overuse of antibiotics and the growing number of resistant pathogenic bacteria. Americans, as well as other countries, are running to the doctor and demanding antibiotics at the first sign of even the common cold. Once the patient takes the antibiotic they fail to reestablish the beneficial bacteria in the gut. This leaves them more prone to further infections due to an improper functioning immune system. It is imperative to reestablish good or friendly bacteria back in the gut to have a properly immune function. Also, these good bacteria aid us in our digestive process as well. Without them there are many foods that we cannot properly digest, so we don't get the 'good' out of what we eat.

Next we have the overuse of antibiotics in the food supply. It is common practice to feed animals antibiotics to encourage faster growth and keep down infections due to overcrowding. This is why it is important to buy meats that are marked "grown without antibiotics". These antibiotics, even in trace amounts, can destroy our 'good' bacteria and adversely effect our immune system.

Now we come to the hygiene hypothesis. what is meant here is that we are to paranoid about cleanliness, use too many hand sanitizers, etc., and therefore do not get any beneficial microbes that we normally would. Now, for sure, we are not advocating not ever washing hands, etc. That would be folly that would not be beneficial. Lots of 'bad' or pathogenic organisms can be passed into our bodies without proper cleaning in the kitchen when preparing meats, etc. This is a normal pathway for beneficial bacteria to enter our bodies, via foods that we eat.

As I stated there is increased activity in this area and much research is emerging that point to the many benefits of proper microbes content in our guts. This is why alternative practitioners have advocated taking a probiotic formula, one with diverse content, to maintain proper immune function and overall health for many years. Now it is coming to the mainstream and hopefully more will take advantage of this new knowledge and increase their health one step at a time.

Juice anyone? Really?

By now everyone has probably seen the latest trouble that Tropicana has gotten into with their orange juice. It didn't surprise any of us here at Doctor's Nutrition since we have been on the 'all natural only' band wagon for more years than I like to think about. Seems that it is not 'fresh' after all. And after they alter it with so much heat, it doesn't taste like orange juice, but they put in an flavoring agent so that it tastes like OJ again. Whew, makes you dizzy just trying to keep up.

We, it seems that the OJ thing is just the latest 'bad press' Tropicana has had to deal with. Recently the Center in the Science for Public Interest (CSPI) just put out info that Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast contains 0 % cherry or berry juice. Oh, but is does have some neat dyes to make it look pretty, like Red 40. Red 40 dye has been linked to things like hyperactivity, ADD, ADHD, etc. Just what we want to feed the kids for sure.

The CSPI folks didn't want to leave out anyone, so they let the cat out of the bag about Betty Crocker and General Mills also. Seems that in the Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix is actually carrot free! It does have "carrot flavored pieces" though. Those 'pieces' are made of corn syrup, flour, corn cereal, partially hydrogenated cottonseed or soybean oil (think bad fats here) as well as Yellow 6 and Red 40. Most likely all  from genetically modified organisms (GMO).

We have to ask, why do these large food companies ( I use the term loosely, not sure you could call it food) do such? PROFITS! It is cheaper to put in artificial ingredients than use 'real food'.

Interesting side bar here, California is proposing an amendment to the ballot next year requiring food companies to have to put on the label any and all GMO ingredients. An executive of a seed company owned by Monsanto once said, "putting the GMO on the label would be like putting a skull and cross bones on the label". I think he was right, who would really want the stuff once you know what is in it?

Don't think it is just juices and cake mixes either. If you read labels you will find dyes and other unwanted items in everything in a can or box. And all these unwanted items are considered OK by the FDA. An item of interest here is the fact that these ingredients have been found to be 'safe' individually, but have never been looked at when combined with each other. No telling what is happening when all the chemicals get mixed together in your body. You can bet it will not lead to great health.

Moral of the story? Read those labels.
Dr. Jim

Latest on vitamin D

By now, we all should be used to the negative news on various vitamins. Think back just a short time and we can remember the flack about vitamin E. Granted it was an ill conceived statistical nightmare once you got to the guts of the 'research', but it  made great evening news. Now we have a similar blurb about vitamin D.

The headline "Vitamin D doesn't prevent heart attack or cancer, study says". Sounds ominous. Let's get in and look around.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the research states that seniors who are taking vitamin D for bone health, do not decrease their chance of dying of cancer or vascular disease. Wow, doesn't look good for vitamin D, does it. Let's look a little deeper.

In the study group were all over 70 years of age and had bone fractures. They divided the participants into four groups. One group took calcium 1,000mg per day. Another group took vitamin D 800 i.u. per day. The third group took both calcium and vitamin D (that is the group I would have wanted to be in), and yet another group took a placebo pill.

The people in the study took the pills for two to five years and were followed for another three years. So far, so good.

The data showed that the people took vitamin D, 32 out of 100 died, with 33 out of 100 died. Not statistically different. And from this they extrapolated that D did not prevent heart attack or cancer? Wow. What a reach.

There is some very good supporting research that has indicated that vitamin D can and does have beneficial effects in both cardiac and cancer areas. I am of the opinion that if we are going to make broad statements like this about a nutrient, which can cause a lot of concern in the public, we need to have good data to back it up. The public in confused enough already due to 'disinformation' or at best, misleading information. At Doctor's Nutrition we always try to sift through the data and try to find some truth. That you can count on.
Dr. Jim

Are there "brands" of Natural Medicine?

"Brands" seems like a weird question, doesn't it? Well, I get asked that question, or a reasonable facsimile, almost on a daily basis. So, is there different "brands" of natural medicine?

When people ask me about what I do, I explain that there are simply different methods of reaching the same results. I don't call it "brands", just different methods.

It seems od at first, but when Dr. Janine and I first contemplated starting Doctor's Nutrition 16 years ago, we did not want to have another cookie cutter clinic and "do" natural medicine. We wanted to have something that was less stress on us as well as less restrictive on access to us. So, we came up with a different model for our business. No appointments! Due to the nature of anything medical in America appointments are usually required. Also, bring your insurance information, etc. Way too much hassle for someone trying to determine why they are sick. So a new "brand" of natural medicine was started.

When we opened the doors of Doctor's Nutrition there was no appointment needed. If we are in the office, we are available, and there is no charge for that consultation. Simple, huh? We also thought that most in the natural medicine arena were making the cost of getting information too expensive. Recently I had a lady in that had been to another office that does an alternative approach and she told me of the costs. The initial consultation was $500 and the doc in question ordered over $1500 of lab work. Of course the insurance did not pay for any of it, all denied. We don't even bother with insurance, we know they will not pay for anything alternative. Sadly, 6 months later this lady was still having problems. Just not a good outcome.

From the above senerio you can see there needs to be an alternative to the standard medical model. It prevents a lot of folks from ever getting heathcare of any kind. And for those wanting to seek alternatives, it gets very expensive because you are going to pay out of pocket.

Therefore a new "brand" of narutal medicine or alternative was born. We strive to keep it simple and less affordable. We often spend a lot of time explaning diet changes, and we don't make money on grocery sales, but it helps a lot of people make better choices. We feel better too. We like helping others. 

So, there you have it. Doctor's Nutrition provides an alternative to teh alternative approach to medicine delivery in America. We strive to make healthcare affordable, our basic blood work is $69, which includes CBC, CMP, Thyroid and lipids. No consultation cost and no office visit fees. We are basically your guides or advocates. It is your health and you need to be incharge. We can help.
Dr. Jim

Multivitamins? Good or bad?

By now everyone has seen or heard the negatives being attributed to taking a multivitamin, it has been all over the news media recently. With this subject you, the consumer, need to do a little investigative work for yourself.

With just a little digging you will see that this coincides with the FDA wanting to make more regulatory changes regarding supplements. As I always suggest; follow the money.

It is always amazing that the media, which is supposed to be investigative reporting at its best (;), can blindly follow what is junk science at best. If you dig into some of the so called research that is being used to portray your multivitamin in a bad light you find that it is indeed lacking. One of the research articles that is used as evidence relates how they, the authors set it up and they used divide subjects, all of which were young college students. Nothing wrong with that you say. Well, as 'they' say, the devil is in the details. Seems that 'they' gave both groups of subjects a placebo. And, this is probably the most curious of all, the researchers concluded that the multivitamin didn't preclude these folks form risky behavior. Really!

All we ask is do a little digging and reading on your own. An informed person is not as easy to dupe. Stay informed.

Omega 3, is yours safe????

By now everyone has heard the benefits of taking omega 3 fish oils for health, and that is definitely a good thing. However, with everything there can be a down side, even something as good as omega 3 fish oils.

A recent research article published in Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Nov;48(11):3093-7. Epub 2010 Aug 6 provided data that indicates that we need to be aware of something called 'POPs'. That would be Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs.

What are these POPs? Things like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), nasty little compounds, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist compounds. None of which is beneficial to us humans.

One of the most pointed pieces of info in the article was the defining amounts of these compounds in various sources of the omega 3s. Doctor's Nutrition has always been aware of these compounds and have done everything in our power to make sure they are not in our products. The research provided info that one of the highest concentrations of these unwanted compounds was in salmon and tuna oil. Obviously these big fish are higher up the food chain and have more time for concentration of the unwanted pollutants. PCBs ranged from <0.8 to 793 ng g(-1) oil, with salmon- and seal-derived products yielding the highest values.

So where do we get our fish oil? From anchovies, one of the smallest species of fatty fish. Even starting there we make sure it has undergone molecular distillation and is tested to be the lowest possible in all contaminants. We have always discouraged the use of salmon and 'bigger' fish oils. Now you know why!