June 2008
In This Issue:
Vitamin D - We Have A National Deficiency!
Statin Drugs Lower Testosterone
It is becoming well known that Americans are lacking in vitamin D. What does that look like health-wise? Like a higher incidence of colon cancer and breast cancer, as well as other cancers. It looks like an increased risk of heart attack in men. Like a higher incidence of osteoporosis, depression, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, high blood pressure, and other health problems.
So where do you get vitamin D? Besides in sunshine, it’s in foods like eggs, organ meats (like liver), animal fats, cod liver oil and fish. Notice that these are also sources of fat and cholesterol, which are also essential to our diet. Most Americans get their vitamin D in fortified foods (where vitamin D is chemically added) such as milk or breakfast cereals. Vitamin D3 is preferred while the cheaper vitamin D2 can be toxic. The dairy industry used to use D2 but has quietly shifted to D3 while soy milk still generally uses vitamin D2.
Did you know there is a clear association with people living in the northern half of the country and a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases? People living in the northern regions of the world have vitamin D levels that are well below optimal concentrations for good health, ESPECIALLY during winter months. Population rates for cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary and rectum are DOUBLE in the north versus the southern part of the U.S.
We can make vitamin D in our skin from sunlight if we have sun exposure and adequate amounts of cholesterol. But firstly, we have been seeing many patients with LOW cholesterol – which is associated with low libido, low testosterone, hormone imbalances (because the body can’t make enough hormones without cholesterol), depression, aggressive behavior, more cancer and higher suicide rates. Secondly, wearing sunscreen reduces vitamin D production by 98%. This doesn’t mean lay out for extended periods of time on the beach without sunscreen, but it doesn’t have to be a lot of sun for you to get the vitamin D you need – it can be 5-15 minutes a day, earlier in the day in hot Texas, or in more temperate climates, it’s more effective to be out in the middle of the day.
Want to know more about Vitamin D and the misconceptions that had the Recommended Daily Allowance be so low for so long that we now have this national deficiency? Read January 2008 Scientific American (available online) – Cell Defenses and the Sunshine Vitamin.
Testosterone is protective against heart disease in men. But insulin lowers testosterone and raises estrogen in men. Our carbohydrate-dominant diet has us make too much insulin. And insulin does a lot more than simply lower blood sugar. It raises triglycerides, lowers HDL and messes up our hormones. When you see those ‘love handles’ on men, think estrogen! Beer belly? Think estrogen.
Statin drugs and insulin have that in common. They lower testosterone in men, which actually raises cardiovascular risk. Today the number of men dying each year due to heart disease is rising. Exercising, reducing carbohydrate intake and eating Omega 3 fatty acids will normalize your cholesterol, your hormones and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
In Chinese Medicine there are several food therapies for dealing with the Summer heat. We like to have cool drinks ready to go in the refrigerator. A pitcher of cucumber water or citrus water is easy to make:
Cucumber water
Put a few slices of peeled cucumber in a pitcher of water. Very refreshing!
Citrus water
Use orange slices (instead of the all-too-common lemon) for a nice change.
Watermelon is not only a cooling fruit that replenishes fluids, but an extract of the rind, known as Watermelon Frost, is used in Chinese Herbalism to treat painfully sore throats.
