Leaky Gut Sibo
GI Guard
Osteoporosis
Probiotics To Lose Weight
Extended Sleep Reduces Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes
New research demonstrates that extended sleep for two consecutive nights improves insulin sensitivity and decreases risk of diabetes by over 16%.
How’d They Do That?
A team of researchers at the University of Colorado studied the insulin sensitivity patterns of 19 young men to determine the how sleep affects the risk of developing diabetes. Specifically, the study participants slept for 8 hours for 4 nights; the same group was then allowed to sleep for 4.5 hours for 4 nights. Following the 4 nights of sleep deprivation, researchers allowed participants to sleep as long as they wanted for 2 nights; volunteers slept an average of 9 hours and 45 minutes a night for these two nights.
Following the sleep study, researchers determined participants’ insulin sensitivity and predicted risk of diabetes. The study demonstrated that insulin sensitivity, or the body’s ability to function while keeping blood sugar low, decreased by nearly 25% and the risk of diabetes increased by 16%. However, both insulin sensitivity and risk of diabetes returned to normal levels following the two nights of extended sleep.
What Does This Mean For Me?
While sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night is recommended for optimal health, it isn’t always possible. In fact, recent polls indicate that over 40% of the population sleep less than 7 hours per night. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of sleeping as much as you can – when you have the opportunity to do so. It helps to think of sleep in terms of money – the more you sleep, the more money you have in the bank. While a busy workweek might not always provide the opportunity for a solid night’s sleep, “banking” as much sleep on the weekends appears to reduce the risk of diabetes caused by sleeping less than 5 hours each night.
Psychological Factors May Help Predict Mortality Risk
Mortality Risk
After analyzing 65 different variables gathered from nearly 30 years of data, researchers determined that self-assessment of own health and mental processing speed to be stronger predictors of mortality risk; these two variables were stronger predictors than participation in unhealthy behavior and chronic medical conditions.
How’d They Do That?
Assessing data gathered from over 6,000 patients, researchers analyzed cognitive performance of intelligence, verbal and visual memory, and processing speed gathered over a 12 year period.
In addition, researchers also measured participants reported self-assessment of their perceived health, number of prescription medications, sleep habits, hobbies, and social activities.
Ultimately, after analyzing the 65 different variables gathered, researchers found that subjective health and mental processing speed were two of the top predictors of mortality risk. Specifically, better perceived health and slower decreases in mental processing over time were found to be linked to lower risks of early death.
Other findings of the study demonstrated that female participants to be a lower risk of early death than male participants and a clear connection between the years of smoking and an increased risk of early death.
What Does This Mean For Me?
The findings of this study demonstrate that your assessment of your current levels of health are much more accurate than initially thought, especially when predicting risk of early death. Decreases in mental processing speed was also a significant predictor of mortality risk; we know from previous studies that maintaining healthy fitness levels during middle age slows cognitive decline and loss of brain volume later in life. The research findings here confirm that we are in control of our health, both current and future, and our assessment of personal health levels is a very accurate account of our risk of mortality.
Lack of Fitness in Midlife Connected to Decreased Brain Volume 20 Years Later
Fitness
Our brains shrink as we get older. As our brain shrinks, without fitness the risk for cognitive decline and dementia increase. To minimize loss of brain volume, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine conducted a study aimed at determining the modifiable factors associated with brain aging.
How’d They Do That?
To study the effects of exercise and on brain health, researchers had participants (aged 31-49) participate in a treadmill test. Then, 20 years later, the same participants were then administered another treadmill fitness test and MRIs of the brain.
Interestingly, researchers found that participants who demonstrated poor fitness levels, including measures of blood pressure and heart rate, during the initial treadmill test were more likely to demonstrate smaller brain volume in the MRI scans administered 20 years later.
What Does This Mean For Me?
This study demonstrates that the choices you make during your life, especially those related to health and fitness, demonstrate to have significant impacts on your cognitive health later in life. While our society tends to associate good health with a healthy weight or a decrease risk of heart disease, we have yet to accept that our lifestyle choices have significant impacts on the health of our brain and cognitive function.
CRPS Protocol
CRPS
Dr. Smith’s CRPS Protocol.
This protocol has worked on every CRPS patient I have treated. The reason main stream approaches have not worked is they fail to address the lymphedema. There are two key factors in the successful treatment of CRPS. The first is absolutely essential and that is to relieve the lymphatic congestion. The second is to restore glutathione levels, which is best done by addressing methylation issues. However, lymphatic congestion must be addressed first. If detoxification is attempted by the lymphatic congestion is relieved, the condition will get worse.
Treatment Protocol:
- Improve Lymphatic Congestion
- Reduce sources of inflammation
- Increase glutathione levels
Supplements Used:
Improvement of Lymphatic Flow:
- Proteolytic Enzymes Either Enzyme Defense.
- Dosing start with 1 capsule 3 times per day with water and increase dosing gradually to two to three capsules per dose. Away from food. At least 30 minutes before a meal or at least one hour after
- Homeopathics: Heel Body Anew Kit or Lymph Stim.
- Starting with the Fatigue bottle or Lymph Stim, Use one drop in a glass of water two to three times per day. As long as there’s no side effects keep increasing the dosage to get up to about 10 to 15 drops for dose. Typically, if you going to see side effects it will be with the lower doses. If you are getting side effects such as increased itchiness or fatigue, then you just need to lower the dose.
Reducing GI Inflammation:
There is generally some G.I. inflammation in most chronically ill patients. A more definitive approach is included in our biofilm protocol, but many patients may not have a severe biofilm, so these steps are designed to reduce bowel inflammation in most patients, but the approach may need to be modified.
- Intestinol – 1 to 2 capsules 2 to 3 times per day with food. This supplement reduces excess bacterial load.
- Ortho Biotic – 1 capsule twice daily. This probiotic is a mixture of typical probiotics plus Saccharomyces, which also has antifungal effects. Thus it serves as a general all-around tool for many bacterial and fungal overgrowth’s.
Vitamin D:
I have not found a single person that was not supplementing with vitamin D, that was not deficient. Our goal is a serum level between 60 and 80 ng/dl. It will typically take a dose of between 5,000 and 10,000 units of vitamin D per day to achieve this level. Most of the benefits of vitamin D do not start until serum levels exceed 50 ng/dL. I have found the easiest and most affordable way to take vitamin D is to use high dose vitamin D capsules. I with 50,000 units per day for the first week and then drop back to 1 to 2 capsules per week for maintenance depending on body size.
- Vitamin D 50,000 units: 1 daily for one week, then 1 per week for women and 2 per week for men.
Goal level: Serum level 60 to 80 ng/dl.
Do not take extra calcium when taking this level of vitamin D.
Anti-Oxidants
There are many choices of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. My favorite is Soul by Rain international. This is a MLM product. It has many advantages over other products I’ve tried. It is a juice made from the seeds of black cumin, black raspberry and chardonnay grapes along with D- ribose sugar that is used by our body’s to make ATP. Being a liquid it is well absorbed and it taste pretty good. It can be applied directly to the skin and has affects through the skin as well. This is particularly advantageous with CRPS. This product is no inexpensive at the recommended dose of two per day. Soul cost $65 per box of 30 packets.
Curcumin is also very effective, but poorly absorbed unless specially treated. Theracumin or Meriva are two compounds that have improved absorption.
The dose of curcumin is 300 mg to 600 mg twice daily.
Mitochondrial Support:
Mitochondria produce energy for our body. Chronic stress can impair mitochondrial function. Cells can contain several thousand mitochondria and their proper function is essential for healing. We have tested numerous products that claim to provide mitochondrial support. Most of the products we tested did not work. However, we found one product, that was well researched and works well clinically. We have also found a few others that do have some activity. However, ATP Fuel has been by far the most effective product we have found. We use this product exclusively unless there is some allergic reaction to the product in which case we have to switch to something else. Typically we see a fairly rapid response to ATP Fuel. Most people see an improvement in their energy and well-being within the first week.
Mitochondrial support : ATP Fuel Dose: Five capsules twice daily on empty stomach for the first month and then five capsules per day for maintenance.
Reduce Galectin – 3
Galectin -3 is associated with numerous chronic illnesses including heart disease and cancer. PectaSol-3 binds Galectin-3 and other toxins. We find it very useful in any patient with chronic toxicity. The other advantage of PectaSol-C is there is rarely any side effects from the supplement. PectaSol-C is a fiber product and can cause loose stools in excess.
PectaSol-C Dosing: 6 capsules daily on an empty stomach. Dose may be increased to three times a day if needed.
Methylation Support:
Most people with CRPS have methylation issues. We use Agape Methyl B12 and Folate to provide active forms of folate and B12.
Dose: 1 tablet per day
HydroxyB12 supports production of active B12 (methyl B12)
Perque Activated B12 Guard: Dose 1 tablets SL per day.
Product Links:
Homeopathics:
Lymph Stim
Fibromyalgia Pain | Melatonin Effective In Treating Fibromyalgia Pain
Fibromyalgia Pain
New findings published in the BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology journal indicate that melatonin significantly reduced symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia pain. This research also found that melatonin appeared to effectively reduce pain associated with fibromyalgia when used alone or when combined with the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil).
How’d They Do That?
Until now, little research demonstrating the effectiveness of melatonin when treating fibroma has been conducted. When conducting this study, researchers divided confirmed fibromyalgia patients into three groups; a group receiving amitriptyline, a group receiving 10 mg of melatonin before going to sleep, and a third group that received both the amitriptyline and melatonin.
After six weeks and when asked to rate pain on a scale of 0 to 10, patients reported that melatonin group and the melatonin/amitriptyline group reported less pain symptoms than the group receiving just amitriptyline. Of particular interest is the finding that the melatonin/amitriptyline group appears to have had the highest amount of decreased pain symptoms.
What Does This Mean For Me?
These findings offer great possibility for the nearly 3 million patients suffering from patients suffering from fibromyalgia each year. With no current known cure, fibromyalgia can last months, years, or even a lifetime. The condition causes muscle tenderness, muscle stiffness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue and affects roughly 8-10 times more women than men.
Considering that sleep disturbances are one of the most common reported symptoms of fibromyalgia, researchers studying the role of the hormone melatonin are testing to see how effective it is in returning the body’s circadian rhythm to normal function. Melatonin has also been associated with improvement in various types of chronic, long-term pain like inflammation. Researchers are hoping to further demonstrate that melatonin increases the effectiveness and function of the body’s natural pain modulating systems.
Although further research is needed, researchers are hopeful that melatonin might be a better, more effective treatment option than what currently exists.