Coping With Cancer – New Website

Just to let you know there is a really useful new website from the publishers of Coping With Cancer magazine. Go to www.copingmag.com for a good resource website on all things to do with different kinds of cancer and, in particular, coping after it. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but please let others know if it might help. I always think knowledge takes the mystery away from this horrid condition and helps people cope better.

Dental & Gum Health: Some Recommendations

I noticed a new product the other day for gum disease and it made me think about dental health in general.

First, the new herbal/essential oil mouthwash is called Peri-Gum, developed by a US naturopath originally for his son who was suffering from advanced gum disease. In recent trials, it showed that gum disease scores dropped 20% and plaque levels 16%. It’s had some excellent write-ups – see here: http://www.peri-gum.com/Testimonials.htm  and a 29ml bottle will last about 3 months. 

The other products I like for killing nasties in the mouth eg bacteria or yeast, is Higher Nature Grapefruit Seed Extract or Biocare’s Oxypro. It’s a good idea to pop your toothbrush in some water overnight with a few drops of either of these added. So often a chronic mouth problem is down to constantly re-infecting yourself with nasties that grow happily on your brush.

Mouth health is really important as periodontal disease has been linked to many other conditions in the body, including heart disease. As well as oral hygiene, it’s important to make sure that your levels of oral health nutrients are good. For example, we know that Vitamin C deficiency is the cause of scorbutic gingivitis, that Vitamin D deficiency is linked to softening bone (of the jaw etc), Riboflavin deficiency is most often the cause of cracks at the corners of the mouth, that Calcium deficiency/malabsorption leads to bone density loss (and softening of teeth) and, finally, that having a Zinc deficiency means you’re unlikely to solve a chronic gum infection. No brainer, then, that if you want to look after your oral health, you need to make sure you have the right nutrients in your diet and/or supplement programme. CoQ10 is also important for bleeding gums, and protects the heart.

Vitamin K2 is also said to be a wonder for reducing oral health problems such as cavities, excess plaque and soft teeth. K2 is known to help metabolise calcium properly and should be a part of any diet or supplement with a hope of preventing osteoporosis. Thorne Research do a liquid version which is absorbable and can be swished around the mouth.

Day to day, remember to use the Aloe Dent range of toothpastes and mouthwashes, which is rich in CoQ10 and some of the essential oils also found in the Peri-Gum. Aloe Dent also make a vegan dental floss which is made purely from vegetable waxes.

For those of you who hate needles and the local anaesthetic at the dentist, there is something else you should know about. With thanks to John Scott at Foods Matter (www.foodsmatter.com) who wrote about this in the really useful FM forums, you can now get your dentist to use a cryogenic mouthpiece called GumEase G100, ‘which is made from soft, latex-free biocompatible PVC and filled with a saline solution. After being chilled in a temperature-controlled freezer to minus 7 degrees C, the device is placed around the gums, where it feels very comfortable and produces surprisingly powerful pain relief. Up to three devices can be applied in succession, for 4 minutes each, until the required amount of anesthesia is achieved. In tests, the average patient experienced 100% pain relief in 2 to 3 minutes, and this lasted for up to twenty minutes.

The device is suitable for use with most procedures, including fillings, crowns, extractions and root canals, as well as brace application and adjustment.

As this is a disposable item, so far as the dentist is concerned, the patient can take their gumEase devices home with them and, after re-freezing them in a household freezer, can apply them post-operatively if any pain occurs after their procedure.

Most dentists are still unaware of the existence of the gumEase, so you will need to speak with your practitioner well in advance of your appointment to check whether this type of anesthesia is routinely offered to patients and, if not, suggest that the dentist obtain a supply to try them. As the device could save dentists both time and money, s/he will probably be grateful for the suggestion!’

Supplies of the GumEase can be obtained in the UK from George Harrell at gharrell@cryodevices.com (£69.77, including shipping, for 10).

Interestingly, John also writes that ‘patients who have migraine and tension-type headaches who have tried this device have reported that, in addition to delivering effective dental anesthesia, the device has also provided relief from their headaches. In fact, such has been the success of the device in this respect that a trial is about to begin to test this new application.’

You should be able to get all the stuff I’ve mentioned, except the GumEase, from either Nutricentre or Goodness Direct. Click here for a link to these companies: http://www.purehealthclinic.co.uk/html/links.html

Study Shows Probiotics Reduce Cold & Flu Symptoms in Children

 Just in time for the start of term, a new study published in the respected journal Pediatrics, has found that daily probiotic supplementation may reduce ‘cold and flu’ symptoms in children by 50%.

In the study, 326 children aged between 3 and 5 were randomly assigned to one of three groups, and received twice daily for six months the single L. acidophilus, a combination of L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, or a placebo.

Results showed reductions in the incidence of fever, coughing and runny noses, a reduction in the use of antibiotics and fewer missed school days in children taking either of the probiotic interventions.  The duration of symptoms was reduced compared to placebo groups, with a 32% and 48% decrease observed in the single strain and combination groups, respectively.

 

The authors, led by Gregory Leyer and his co-workers from Tongji University (Shanghai), the University of Texas at Houston, and Sprim USA (Frisco) commented, “daily probiotic supplementation during the winter months was a safe effective way to reduce episodes of fever, rhinorrhea, and cough, the cumulative duration of those symptoms, the incidence of antibiotic prescriptions, and the number of missed school days attributable to illness”.

Study comment: the use of a probiotic supplement for reducing respiratory illness in children may be particularly relevant to recent concerns about the safety of over the counter and prescription cough and cold medicines for this age group.  The probiotic supplement used in this study was well tolerated and given in a twice daily dose of ten billion CFUs of either L acidophilus NCFM or a 50:50 mixture of L acidophilus NCFM and B lactis BI-07.

Source:
Pediatrics 2009, Volume 124: e172-e179
Leyer, Mubasher, Reifer & Ouwehand.  “Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children” Nutri News Aug 09

Ed’s Comment: there are many different probiotics on the market, unfortunately many of them a complete waste of money as they are manufactured or stored wrongly, are too weak to do any real good, can’t get through the stomach acid or simply are dead before you buy them. That’s why I will only use specific ones. If you need help with what to give your child, please ask.

And on the back-to-school theme, here is a copy of the Purehealth Guide to Packed Lunches:

Celery – So Good For You

In Chinese Traditional Medicine, celery is used as a cure for high blood pressure. It is now known that celery contains phytochemical compounds called phthalides, which not only give flavour but have also been shown to lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that celery extract can lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the formation of the arterial plaques that can result in cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidant celery compounds called coumarins are the focus of much current scientific research due to their potential as anti-cancer substances. Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C, which has anticarcinogenic properties through its role as an antioxidant, and is rich in folate, a vitamin required to make DNA and to prevent pre-cancerous changes to it. NPN August 09

“ASPIRIN COULD BE BAD FOR YOU”

A study at Edinburgh Uni has found that daily use of aspirin almost doubled the risk of dangerous internal bleeding of the stomach or brain, while having no beneficial effect on preventing heart attacks or strokes.  There is pressure for ‘blanket prescribing’ of aspirin for all people who are middle-aged or above. The findings support 6 other trials which suggest that aspirin’s side-effects mean there is no net benefit for healthy people taking it.  These findings were presented in Barcelona at the European Soc. of Cardiology, attended by over 30,000 heart specialists.  Study jointly led by Prof. Gerry Fowkes. D. Mail 31.8.09

Ed’s Note: The vast majority of people taking aspirin daily are doing it to keep their blood thinner and prevent clotting as a preventative measure against heart disease and stroke. Never stop what you’re taking and talk to your GP, but I will say it again, there are several alternatives you could consider, without the side effects: Vitamin E, ginkgo and fish oils are all good blood thinners. Vitamin E Complex and good quality fish oils both also have a raft of other cardiovascular health benefits.

Lower Miscarriage Risk with Multivitamins

Use of a multivitamin in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 57% suggests a new study of 4,725 women. In this prospective study, women were assessed for use of prenatal or multivitamin formulas in early pregnancy.
Even after controlling for variables like age, education and smoking, it was found that women who reported using either a prenatal vitamin supplement or a multivitamin in early pregnancy had a reduced risk of miscarriage. While this study suggests a positive effect of vitamin supplementation on miscarriage incidence, the finding may also be related to healthier behaviours in vitamin users commented the study authors.

My comment: This is an important finding as it means that we should be focusing on making sure levels of all nutrients, and not just folic acid, are high enough both before we even think about trying to conceive as well as during and after pregnancy.

One of the key indicators of higher miscarriage risk I have come across is when levels of antagonistic copper and zinc are imbalanced. Copper rises as we approach the birth. If it rises too early, we are more at risk of miscarriage. One of the reasons this could happen is because the levels of zinc are too low, allowing copper to start at a higher level earlier on and therefore rise earlier than it should.

I often advise women to have a hair test to check levels of both of these important minerals before they conceive as a safeguard against such a distressing event. I wish that more couples would see me before they begin to start a family, just so we can make sure that nutrient levels are optimal. Optimum levels often equal easier conception and pregnancy, a happier, healthier baby and Mum is less likely to have post natal depression or breast-feeding problems. I have devised and used a really successful pre-conception programme which takes four months to get Mum and Dad into tip-top health. So, if you or someone you know is thinking of starting a family, please get in touch: four months’ preparation is not long, but will pay long-term dividends!

Cutting Edge Cancer Treatment

A recent report in the Daily Mail highlighted cancer treatments available to women who want to avoid mastectomy, but said ‘all too often patients simply aren’t told they exist.’

Traditionally the treatment for a breast cancer tumour of more than 3.5cm was a mastectomy.   Some NHS doctors now prescribe chemotherapy BEFORE surgery to shrink the tumour and reduce the need to remove the whole breast.  Around 75% of patients given this treatment respond to the drugs and need less of their breast removed.  In around a third of cases they need only a lumpectomy. One of the pioneers of this is Prof. Kefah Mokbel of St. George’s Hospital in London, who gives patients 16 weeks of chemotherapy before operating.  For 1 in 5 who have chemo first, their cancer is eradicated without surgery, with survival rates exceeding 92%. 

It’s estimated that if chemo was given before surgery in every hospital around 2,200 mastectomies would be prevented each year in UK.   Women wanting this treatment should ask their specialist where the nearest centre is and ask to be referred.

Thyroid & Adrenals

Many of you were interested in the piece I wrote about thyroid health recently so I thought I’d mention a bit of a trend I’m noticing with patients. There seem to be quite a few people who have an underactive thyroid (either diagnosed with blood test or basal temperature test) who are having great difficulty picking it up despite thyroxine or natural help such as tyrosine. In these cases, I have started to routinely test for adrenal health. The adrenals (glands that control hormone release such as insulin, oestrogen, testosterone, cortisol etc that sit on your kidneys) are intimately related to whatever the thyroid is up to. I am finding often that people have very flat adrenal function (especially if you have been under long-term or acute stress) and that the thyroid won’t pick up until the adrenals do. So, if you’re having problems revving up your thyroid (even if blood levels seem OK but you still feel shattered/cold/constipated/low all the time), then it might be worth contacting me to arrange an adrenal test. This is done with 4 saliva samples from home and costs £70.  Could save you a lot of time and feeling rubbish.

Meditation can help cure insomnia and sleeplessness

Eleven chronic insomniacs tried Kriya Yoga, a form of meditation that reduces levels of arousal, for two months before replacing that with a course of health education, which included better diet, exercise, weight loss and stress management. But, say the researchers, the meditation was far more effective.

(Source: 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, June 8, 2009). WDDTY June 09

Hayfever Tips

I am touching wood massively as I say this, but I seem to be having my best hayfever-free Summer in a long time. The difference is, I think, that I’m taking 3 500mg capsules of Quercetin every day, which is one of Nature’s most powerful anti-histamines, plus I’m using Haymax, an organic balm made from sunflower oil and beeswax that you rub around your nose to trap pollen which sticks to it instead of going into your nose. Simple, but seemingly very effective. On bad days, I’m still sitting next to a HEPA filter to de-pollenate the room. I even went for a picnic and sat on grass the other day – unheard of – normally poor Philip has to freeze in Spring and Autumn before and after the grass season! Meantime, here are some other useful other tips gleaned from Healthy House:

• Keep an eye on the pollen count so that you can monitor when it is safest to do things outside
• Remember that pollen counts can be high in the early morning and overnight and fall as a pollen shower
• Remove your outdoor clothes before going into the main living areas of your house
• If you have a pet make sure that the pet remains away from your main living area and bedroom as they bring in pollens on their coat just as we bring in pollen on our clothes, shoes and in our hair (ha – Benjamin would have none of this I have to say!)
• Make a sanctuary for yourself where there will be minimal exposure to pollens, this can be in the living room and also in your bedroom
• Keep the windows closed or run an air purifier between the window and where you are in the room
• Leave your day clothes outside your bedroom
• When you wash your clothes, make sure you do not dry them outside as they will pick up pollens which will then end up causing you problems in the house
• When travelling in the car keep the windows closed and use air conditioning if you have it
• A car air purifier can help a great deal if you do not have a pollen filter or air conditioning in your car
• When choosing a place to holiday, be aware of likely pollen counts. Staying beside the sea or in the mountains is better than staying inland or in a city as usually the pollen counts are much lower

(Ref: Brostoff & Gamlin – ‘Hayfever The Complete Guide’) Healthy House newsletter June 09