Dr. Joseph Prendergast and l-arginine

In response to a discussion started by Track Your Plaque Member, Rich, on the Member Forum, I tracked down Dr. Joseph Prendergast, who had posted a video on his unique experiences, both personal and professional, with l-arginine.

Dr. Prendergast describes some of this in a brief webcast. Here, I quote Rich:

“This 90-second video by a Palo Alto physician (internal/endocrine, diabetes specialist) will totally blow your mind.

http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com/2007/08/16-12-years.html

You will see in the link below that he reversed his personal atherosclerotic disease, diagnosed in abdominal aorta at age 37—completely reversed. He's now much older."

http://www.endocrinemetabolic.com/about/press/larginine.pdf



I contacted Dr. Prendergast to find out more.

Dr. Joseph Predergast is founder of the Endocrine Metabolic Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, focused on providing care for people with diabetes. In addition to the website, he provides Blogs and newsletters, though most of his conversation is about diabetes issues. Dr. Predergast’s website is located at http://www.endocrinemetabolic.com.

I asked Dr. Prendergast several questions about his l-arginine experience. His brief answers are below.



1) What dose of l-arginine have you employed in your patients and why this dose?

The dose is 3 - 6 grams as suggested by the Stanford Cardiovascular Research Department Chairman John Cooke. http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/John_Cooke/

2) I gather that you have preference for specific preparations of l-arginine. Can you say why some preparations seem superior to others in your experience?

I started with pharmaceutical l-arginine from the pharmacy. I gradually began to add components that would augment the power of the l-arginine and have gone through 12–15 different products. I have completely reversed my own very severe atherosclerosis discovered at age 37 and there has been less than 0.05% cardiovascular disease in my endocrine practice in almost 17 years. Both my exams were evaluated with CT technology. I am now using ProArgi9 Plus that includes several anti-aging components and will likely never switch. http://www.synergyworldwide.com/synergycorp/home.aspx

3) Are you employing any other unique practices in your patients to reduce cardiovascular events?

Withdrawing as many prescription drugs as possible.




Interesting. Of course, I also advocate l-arginine as a facilitator of atherosclerotic plaque regression, though I am not as ebullient about its use as Dr. Prendergast.

Instead, I see l-arginine as a method that yields forced normalization of “endothelial dysfunction,” the abnormal constriction and other effects that develop when abnormal lipoproteins and unhealthy food by-products are present in the circulation. Endothelial dysfunction is an inevitable accompaniment of plaque.

However, unlike Dr. Predergast’s experience, despite our use of doses higher than he uses, I have never seen plaque regression just using l-arginine alone. Nonetheless, it’s good to hear that others are seeing at least some positive effects.

By the way, we have also had some positive posts on our Forum about the ProArgi9 product he uses.

Comments (21) -

  • DietKing2

    9/7/2007 5:58:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis,
    Thanks for putting up this information and for bringing this doctor into full view for me--I'm always seeking out better and newer ways to prevent any kind of heart problems from manifesting themselves in the first place!

    This information/news is very exciting and encouraging!

    Thank you again!
    Adam

  • Warren

    9/9/2007 5:08:00 AM |

    Dr. Davis,

    The product Dr. Prendergast endorses is made by a company he works for and is also sold by his clinic, and lists at $97 for a 30-gram supply.  So following Track Your Plaque principles, this would cost almost $200 a month.  Do you think the claimed improvements in this l-arginine product really justify this huge expense?

  • Warren

    9/9/2007 6:55:00 AM |

    I'd like to correct my earlier comment - the product has 30 "servings" that deliver 5 grams of l-arginine each.  In Track Your Plaque, you recommend 5 to 6 grams twice daily, so this would last 15 days.

  • Dr. Davis

    9/9/2007 1:37:00 PM |

    Hi, Warren-

    As often happens, it is difficult to separate marketing from fact.

    I am personally skeptical that this product offers any specific advantage unless they produce specific data to prove it. I hope my questions to Dr. Prendergast do NOT come across as an endorsement. It was simply providing some information from an interesting perspective, in this case dug up by a Track Your Plaque Member.

    For these reasons, one of the tools we're working on is the Track Your Plaque Marketplace, a place on the Track Your Plaque website that will allow both us and you to post your comments, experiences--both good and bad, and sort of WIKI-like collective experience and wisdom. We're also trying to arrange the possibility of free samples for trying some of the products.

    As always, we are not selling the products, but directing people to the places they are available.

  • Rich

    9/10/2007 1:39:00 AM |

    Hi Dr. Davis and Warren:

    FYI, Dr. Cooke of Stanford told me earier this year that he has "backed away" from the arginine endorsements and he wishes to revise his 2002 book on the subject.

    I made another comment in the Advanced Discussion board today about Dr. Prendergast, if anyone is interested.

  • Rich

    9/15/2007 2:21:00 AM |

    Apologies for all the comments:

    I looked at the ingredients in the expensive arginine product that Dr. Prendergast endorses. It has a few extra good things -- that don't justify the price -- but are useful:

    Arginine 5g
    Citrulline - "Proprietary" - I estimate 0.5g
    D3 powder - 2500 IU (may not absorb per Dr. Davis's recommendations on oil-solubility)
    Ribose - "Proprietary" - I estimate 1g -- not enough to do anything
    K2 - 20 mcg (not enough)
    B6, B12, Folic -- small amounts
    Grape stuff - "Proprietary" - maybe 50 mg or so of polyphenols

  • Anonymous

    9/19/2007 3:29:00 AM |

    I'm baffled. After reading your book and researching
    the net on l arginine I sent away for Now Sports l-arginine powder (100% pure free form).
    I just received  it today and on the suggested usage table it states "Do not use if you have established
    coronary artery disease".
    Why would they say that ?
    Love your blog
    Gene Mc

  • Dr. Davis

    9/19/2007 12:08:00 PM |

    Hi, Gene--

    The only reason I know of was a study that suggested heightened risk of death if l-arginine is taken after a heart attack.

    In my view, the study was flawed since it is alone in show this effect, the numbers were small, and the majority of the deaths in the group taking arginine had stopped taking it months earlier when the deaths occurred.

  • Jim

    3/14/2008 3:27:00 PM |

    Hello all, I'm a new blogger here. Let's start off with a bang! The comments about ProArgin9 are fairly amusing, it's basically a hugely-overpriced elemental l-arginine powder with a couple added nutrients one could easily improve upon for a much cheaper price.  Don't believe the ads on this one, the hype is almost as bad as the statin ads.

  • Jim

    3/14/2008 3:37:00 PM |

    This is new blogger "Jim" again. A few additional comments of mine on arginine supplementation in general... The point isn't that arginine in itself will cure all that ails you (in fact, users looking for quick dramatic results with arginine for problems such as male ED will be disappointed), but that it is one fairly inexpensive strategy that can, importantly, improve the arginine:ADMA ratio favorably, which is important for optimal nitric oxide production. If you're not familiar with ADMA, look at some of the clinical studies on this risk factor, and you'll be better able to appreciate some of the logic behind supplemental arginine.

  • Dietrick

    10/12/2008 9:53:00 AM |

    My wife and I have used L-Arginine for years and now work with several scientist to actually measure the effect we felt using it, and have developed our own mix.

    Dr. Allen and Dr. Pendergast are making missleading claims. Dr. Allen is not even a real doctor and neither of them ever provided ANY data to support their missleading claims.

    L-Arginen ONLY works well in the right dosis, attached to a slow carb and mixed with equal amounts of L-Licine and some other ingredients, those I will list on my web site.
    When taken in the right dosis, at the right time, the right way intake of L-Arginine DOES work well. There can be no doubt about it. BUT Synergy World Wide and other companies who got their stuff from Dr. Allen or made something of their own trying to clone hers, failed to do any DOUBLE BLIND STUDIES, not even a small one!
    And the price of $97 is a HUGE RIP OFF.
    At best the stuff ONLY cost about 12 bucks per kilo to make. To sell it in these low dosis and with sucralose  or what ever artificial dioxin based sweetener is criminal!
    DO NOT BUY IT FROM DR. ALLEN OR SYNERGY, if you do you waste your money.
    I and am NOT selling it in the US. I only sell it in Europe. At least for now, untill we have done our own double blind and can verify.

  • Realta

    9/12/2009 9:47:47 AM |

    Hi I am fascinated by this article. I have a friend who recently had a test done by synergy doctor selling proargi9 and guess what it said her blood pressure was normal (she's 58) her heart was perfcet but her arteries were those of 80 yr old female. So she was put on very high and very costly doses of proargi9. Also on the subject of arginine. My daughter took some (not proargi9) arginine in june and ended up in hospital after passing out. Her blood pressure had dropped severely.
    She was also put on drip for dehydration.
    I believe that arginine is banned in canada - any comments??

  • Tommy

    9/14/2009 7:06:40 AM |

    I am a 42 year old male who has been taking a mixture of Pro-Argi9 plus, Mistica and Core Greens for over 6 weeks.
    The reason I started on this is because I am a care-giver for my mother.  She is 75 years old and has suffered a stroke in 2004, followed by a triple by-pass surgery in 2006, has type 2 diabeties and anemia, osteoporsis, arthitis, and had both hip restructuring and replacement surgery as well as a broken wrist in  2008.  I wanted to enable her to recover easier, and I wouldn't give her any more "medicine" to take without trying it myself.  The difference for both of us has been amazing.  Not only has my mother's rehabilitation been quicker than before, she is also benefiting from eyesight improvement and her blood pressure is "perfect" as quoted from her personal physician.
    The effects on myself have been almost as drastict.  I have more energy and feeling better and healthier than when I was 20.
    I have also seen some great results in others including personal friends who have started taking the above on my recommendation.
    I researched the net pretty well before I started and don't take my mother's health lightly.  If you are able to show certified medical data to back up your statements, then I am happy to stop taking it and will let others know the same.

    With regards to the price, the products produced by Synergy Worldwide are the only ones available with the stated ingredients etc that I have been able to source.  I have seen the tablet and capsule forms and believe me, on a cost per recommendended doseage, the Synergy product is far more economical.  
    In any circumstances, with the amount of money I've seen women spend on dying their hair with caustic chemicals, or men put over the bar or into their "wheels", the cost of 30 scoops at Synergy's recommended dosage, equates to $25.00 per week, less than the cost of a week's worth of cappacinos. Very well worth it for my health.

    Regards
    Tom

  • Dusty

    5/24/2010 4:44:39 PM |

    After reviewing the article from Dr. Prendergast I decided to try His Proargi9 Plus having been diagnose with Atherosclerosis about two years ago. I am on no medication but I get angina after long walks.

    I started with one scope per day and increase to two scopes per day. I noticed after 5min I would start feeling angina it would go away after a few minutes. Is this normal? with this product.

  • Anonymous

    5/26/2010 11:56:19 PM |

    I would really like to try l-arginine but wonder if there are any contra-indications if a person is taking plavix???  I am also taking lipitor.  I had a triple by-pass 7 years ago and a stent last November. I am 63 years old and lead a healthy lifestyle (regular exercise & healthy diet & meditation).  My doctors don't know anything about this alternative and cannot advise me much.  Is it safe for me to take this????  Also, Herbal life makes a product (Niteworks).  Do you have an opinion on this product??
    Kristin Ann

  • Peter

    6/3/2010 8:29:24 AM |

    Hi guys,
    I've taken ProArgi9plus for 4 months and feel heaps better. My angina has gone and my thrombisis pain is nearly gone as well.
    I have 2 friends. One has had 4 major heart attacks and a 6 bypass op. The other one has had 5 bypass and 3 heart attacks since plus 5 stents. They wanted to do more bypass ops but he said no.
    Both have spoken to Dr Prendergast and taken as per his instructions. Both have changed dramatically over a period of time. Both look like they did years ago and seem to have their lives back. As for the price... I think it's cheaper then a funeral. I don't fancy looking up through the dirt any time soon.

    Peter
    PS If you 'd like to speak to the guy who had 6 bypass I know he's happily talk to anyone as he feels so good.

  • Peter

    6/3/2010 8:37:07 AM |

    Hi Guys,
    Just to start I have to say I sell ProArgi9.
    The reason I do is because I have 2 friends who both should be dead. One in Western Australia has had 4 major heart attacks and then a 6 bypass op. Ended up in an electric wheelchair. Could hardly walk anymore.
    The other guy is from Sydney Australia and had 5 bypass 8 years ago, several heart attacks since and 4 stents. Finally told him he needed 4 more bypasses.
    Both went on the arginine on high dose after talking to Dr Prendergast. Both are now in amazing health. The Sydney guy has just spent 2 weeks traveling across the US learning more about clinical hypnotherapy.

    The WA guy just a couple of months ago traveled around Aus. I've know the WA guy for 30 years and the other one for approx 20 years so I knew them when they were healthy and also when they were sick.

    Hope this info helps in your decision making.
    Peter

    PS if you'd like to talk to one of them I think I could arrange it.

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 9:13:58 PM |

    Dr. Joseph Predergast is founder of the Endocrine Metabolic Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, focused on providing care for people with diabetes.

  • HealthNut2

    3/14/2011 6:57:28 AM |

    Has anyone compared before and after CT Scans after using an L-Arginine/L-Citruline protocol?

  • Donna

    3/19/2011 7:19:34 AM |

    I have been on ProArgi-9 Plus since Dec 30th 2010 and have had some amazing health benefits from it. I am doing 4 scoops a day.
    I had suffered from dizzy feeling for the last 2 years where I felt like I was going to fall out of my chair. That feeling stopped the first day of taking ProArgi-9. I also have not had any hot flashes or restless leg symptoms since taking it.
    I have vascular diease. I have a stint in my left cartoid, my right cartoid is closed. And I have had a balloon angioplasty on my aorta 3times. I am 54 years old female.
    I plan on taking ProArgi-9 for the rest of my life. After all what is your health worth? I will find a way to pay for it. I am worth it. Smile

  • Anonymous

    3/28/2011 3:36:41 AM |

    Further to my comments of my two friends who got better on ProArginine. One has proof from to 2 angio-grams one year apart.

    He makes enormous amounts of ADMA (been tested) and had to take between 30 to 40 grams of pure arginine a day. Thats up to 8 scoops a day. He had 4 stents blocked and had been told he had to have the bypasses or die within a month or two.

    One year later his cardiologist said he may feel well but he still needed the opperation. He had another angio-gram. His blocked stents were totally clear. He can run and play with his grandchildren again for the first time in years.

    My oppinion derived from testing over 200 people using the BPro machine (which is 99.1% as accurate as an angiogram)is that the synthetic versions I.e. cheap arginines do not work anywhere as well as plant derived products.
    Also people taking arginine hcl mostly didn't improve. Some did Smile

    Argine hcl is arginine attached to hydrochloric acid. Many people don't react well to this. Those that do need to take a higher dose to get the same effects as those taking a pure arginine.

    BTW Before using and recommending arginine to my clients I contacted quite a few companies and none of them would tell me how they sourced their arginine and if it was synthetic, soy based or or what. Synergy was the only one who did so. Theirs comes from organically grown tapioca or sugar cane.

    I would never use or recommend soy based products as 90% of the worlds soy is now genetically modified and how do you know if what is being used is GM safe or not.

    Hope this helps anyone trying to decide what to do.

    Get yourself a high grade pure arginine that is plany based.

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Real men don't eat carbs

Real men don't eat carbs

Real men don't eat carbs. At least they don't eat them without eventually paying the price.

How do carbohydrates, especially those contained in "healthy whole grains," impair maleness? Several ways:

--Consume carbohydrates, especially the exceptional glucose-increasing amylopectin A from wheat, and visceral fat grows. Visceral fat increases estrogen levels; estrogen, in effect, opposes the masculinizing effects of testosterone. Overweight males typically have low testosterone and high estrogen, a cause for depression, emotionality, weight gain, and low libido.

--Sugar-provoking carbohydrates like wheat cause visceral fat to accumulate which, in turn, triggers prolactin to be released. Increased prolactin in a male causes growth of breasts: "man boobs,""man cans," "moobs," etc. This is why male breast reduction surgery is booming at double-digit growth rates. In cities like LA, you can see billboards advertising male breast reduction surgery.

--Carbohydrates increase visceral fat that sets the stage for postprandial abnormalities, i.e., markedly increased and persistent lipoproteins, like chylomicron remnants and VLDL particles, that impair endothelial function literally within minutes to hours of ingestion. Impaired endothelial function underlies erectile dysfunction. This is why Internet spammers so enthusiastically send you offers for discounted Viagra.

--Carbohydrates increase blood sugar which provokes the process of glycation, glucose modification of proteins, that also contributes to endothelial dysfunction followed by erectile dysfunction.

Real men therefore avoid carbs.
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CT scans and radiation exposure

CT scans and radiation exposure



The NY Times ran an article called

With Rise in Radiation Exposure, Experts Urge Caution on Tests at

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/health/19cons.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1182254102-vQpytpx6W/Z9gvAaNPDZvA



“This is an absolutely sentinel event, a wake-up call,” said Dr. Fred A. Mettler Jr., principal investigator for the study, by the National Council on Radiation Protection. “Medical exposure now dwarfs that of all other sources.”


Where do CT heart scans fall?

Let's first take a look at exposure measured for different sorts of tests:



Typical effective radiation dose values

Computed tomography Milliseverts (mSv)

Head CT 1 – 2 mSv
Pelvis CT 3 – 4 mSv
Chest CT 5 – 7 mSv
Abdomen CT 5 – 7 mSv
Abdomen/pelvis CT 8 – 11 mSv
Coronary CT angiography 5 – 12 mSv

Non-CT Milliseverts (mSv)

Hand radiograph Less than 0.1 mSv
Chest radiograph Less than 0.1 mSv
Mammogram 0.3 – 0.6 mSv
Barium enema exam 3 – 6 mSv
Coronary angiogram 5 – 10 mSv
Sestamibi myocardial perfusion (per injection) 6 – 9 mSv
Thallium myocardial perfusion (per injection) 26 – 35 mSv

Source: Cynthia H. McCullough, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN


If you have a heart scan on an EBT device, then your exposure is 0.5-0.6 mSv, roughly the same as a mammogram or several standard chest x-rays.

A heart scan on a 16- or 64-slice multidetector device, your exposure is around 1.0-2.0 mSv, about the same as 2-3 mammograms, though dose can vary with this technology depending on how it is performed (gated to the EKG, device settings, etc.)

CT coronary angiography presents a different story. This is where radiation really escalates and puts the radiation exposure issue in the spotlight. As Dr. Cynthia McCullough's chart shows above, the radiation exposure with CT coronary angiograms is 5-12 mSv, the equivalent of 100 chest x-rays or 20 mammograms. Now that's a problem.

The exposure is about the same for a pelvic or abdominal CT. The problem is that some centers are using CT coronary angiograms as screening procedures and even advocating their use annually. This is where the alarm needs to be sounded. These tests, as wonderful as the information and image quality can be, are not screening tests. Just like a pelvic CT, they are diagnostic tests done for legimate medical questions. They are not screening tests to be applied broadly and used year after year.

Always be mindful of your radiation exposure, as the NY Times article rightly advises. However, don't be so frightened that you are kept from obtaining truly useful information from, for instance, a CT heart scan (not angiography) at a modest radiation cost.



Detail on radiation exposure with CT coronary angiograms on multidetector devices can be found at Hausleiter J, Meyer T, Hadamitzyky M et al. Radiation Dose Estimates From Cardiac Multislice Computed Tomography in Daily Practice: Impact of Different Scanning Protocols on Effective Dose Estimates. Circulation 2006;113:1305-1310, one of several studies on this issue.

Comments (8) -

  • Anonymous

    6/20/2007 1:13:00 AM |

    I had a calcium score scan on a 64-slice machine at the Morristown Hospital in New Jersey. No contrast was injected. The technician did three separate scans that included the lung, even thought I didn't for a lung scan. I wonder why three scans were taken. Does it mean that I had three times the radiation?

  • Dr. Davis

    6/20/2007 1:22:00 AM |

    Hi,
    Of course I can't comment specifically on what was done, but it is common practice to perform 1) a "scout" film for the technologist to identify the location of important "landmarks" like the sternum and the top and bottom of the heart to minimize the window of exposure, and 2) lung imaging as a routine part of  heart imaging, not necessarily an additional scan.

    If an additional and unrequested lung scan was performed, you may want to call and ask why this policy is in operation.

  • Anonymous

    6/21/2007 4:35:00 AM |

    What do you feel about yearly nuclear stress tests for people with CAD?  The radiation exposure seems high and the ability of a stress test to pick subtle changes in flow is low.  In the absence of symptoms it would appear that the common practice of nuclear stress tests for people with CAD is a questionable practice.

  • Dr. Davis

    6/21/2007 12:14:00 PM |

    I agree. The radiation is excessive. I tend to follow that route only when nothing else is possible. An alternative for stress testing is stress echocardiogram in its various forms, none of which involve radiation. They still suffer the other pitfalls of stress testing, of course, but do not involve radiation.

  • Mike

    12/20/2008 11:40:00 AM |

    I just launched a webiste that may answer some of your questions.  www.xrayrisk.com. It allows you to calculate your cancer risk based on studies you have had and answers some faq on radiation exposure and cancer.

  • Anonymous

    12/6/2009 12:52:26 AM |

    There are several ways to estimate your cancer risk - the best site for background information is probably the Image Gently campaign.

    The American College of Radiology has similar information pages for patients and the general public.

    To track your exposure, as Mike said there's the xrayrisk website.
    There's also a program for the iphone called Radiation Passport that tracks all of your radiation exposure and gives you the associated risk of developing cancer from your radiation exposure.

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 6:33:12 PM |

    CT coronary angiography presents a different story. This is where radiation really escalates and puts the radiation exposure issue in the spotlight. As Dr. Cynthia McCullough's chart shows above, the radiation exposure with CT coronary angiograms is 5-12 mSv, the equivalent of 100 chest x-rays or 20 mammograms. Now that's a problem.

  • Medical CT

    11/29/2010 4:34:03 AM |

    The CT scanner was originally designed to take pictures of the brain. Now it is much more advanced and is used for taking pictures of virtually any part of the body.

    The scanner is particularly good at testing for bleeding in the brain, for aneurysms (when the wall of an artery swells up), brain tumours and brain damage. It can also find tumours and abscesses throughout the body and is used to assess types of lung disease.

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Spontaneous combustion, vampires, and goitrogens

Spontaneous combustion, vampires, and goitrogens

What do the following have in common:

Lima beans
Flaxseed
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Soy
Millet
Sorghum?

They are all classified as goitrogens, or foods that have been shown to trigger goiter, or thyroid gland enlargement. Most of them do this either by blocking iodine uptake in the thyroid gland or by blocking the enzyme, thyroid peroxidase. This effect can lead to reduction in thyroid hormone output by the thyroid gland, which then triggers increased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by the pituitary; increased TSH acts as a growth factor on the thyroid, thus goiter.

Add to this list of goitrogens the flavonoid, quercertin, found in abundance in red wine, grapes, apples, capers, tomatoes, cherries, raspberries, teas, and onions. Most of us obtain around 30 mg per day from our diet. Quercetin, often touted as a healthy flavonoid alongside resveratrol (e.g., Yang JY et al 2008), has been shown to be associated with reduced risk for heart disease and cancer. Many people even take quercetin as a nutritional supplement.

Quercetin has also been identified as a goitrogen (Giuliani C et al 2008).

What to make of all this?

Most of these observations have been made in in vitro ("test tube") preparations or in mice. Rabbits who consume a cabbage-only diet can develop goiter.

How about humans? The few trials conducted in humans have shown little or no effect. In most instances, the adverse effects of goitrogens have been eliminated with supplemental iodine. In other words, goitrogens seem to exert their ill thyroid effects when iodine deficiency is present. Restore iodine . . . no more goitrogens (with rare exceptions).

Should we as humans adopt a diet that avoids apples, grapes, tomatoes, red wine, tea, onions, soy etc. on the small chance that we will develop goiter?

I believe that we should avoid these common food-sourced goitrogens with as much enthusiasm as we should be worried about spontaneous combustion of humans or the appearance of vampires on our front porches. We are as likely to suffer low thyroid activity from quercetin or other "goitrogens" as we are to experience the "mitochondrial explosions" that are purported to set innocent people afire.

Comments (17) -

  • Lena

    5/27/2009 12:12:26 AM |

    The advice given by thyroid docs, at least the kind that understand more about it than average and are willing to prescribe Armour, etc, is that you should reduce goitrogen intake while you are first starting treatment for hypothyroidism and/or iodine deficiency, then they're OK to have more of in your diet. The goitrogenic effect of most of them is minimised or negated by cooking anyway. Mine did advise that soy could be a bit more problematic and you should avoid consuming any within four hours of taking your thyroid medication, if you swallow the medication instead of taking it sublingually.

  • maxthedog

    5/27/2009 6:19:28 PM |

    Very interesting!  I was hoping you would follow up your iodine/goiter posts with something about goitrogens.  I'd like to read up on the human trials, if there's anything more than abstracts available.  Any urls handy?  Also, just wanted to say I really appreciate your blog, and thank you.

  • flit

    5/28/2009 2:34:37 AM |

    I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis and my endocrinologist (who is fantastic; she titrates my dose to my symptoms, and has me on Armor) has suggested that I want to take the following two precautions around goitrogens:

    a) Don't eat the "biggies" such as soy within four hours of taking my thyroid medication.

    b) Eat them moderately and fairly steadily; a serious pig-out on raw broccoli or edamame after weeks without may cause a swing, but a normal diet that includes them is no big deal.  This means that I actively want to include these things in my diet (which is good, because I both like them and they are good for me.)  If I keep the amount steady then we can just balance my dose against any goitrogenic effect they might have.

  • pooti

    5/28/2009 12:59:23 PM |

    My understanding of the cruciferous vegetable family is that their goitrogenic effect is negated or at least minimized by cooking or fermentation.

  • Anonymous

    5/28/2009 6:22:31 PM |

    Hi Dr Davis,

    FYI - in case you are not aware, the home testing kit shopping area is not working.  At least I've tried ordering with two different computers with out luck.

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/29/2009 1:24:18 AM |

    Flit--

    Thanks for your comments.

    I like option "b", the most practical and logical.

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/29/2009 1:26:01 AM |

    Anon--

    I believe that the lab test area should be working now.

    We are in the process of transferring all files over to a new website and servers. There may therefore be momentary glitches that shouldn't last more than a few minutes while the programmers make the switch.

    On the bright side, the new website will be more user-friendly.

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/29/2009 1:27:39 AM |

    Max--

    The easiest way is to just go to PubMed.gov and enter the relevant search terms.

    You will find oodles of studies, many in mice or in vitro preparations, a few in humans. You can specify which--mouse vs. human, for instance, in your choice of search terms.

  • kris

    5/29/2009 12:59:49 PM |

    The researchers claim that the findings provide little evidence that "in euthyroid, iodine-replete individuals, soy foods, or isoflavones adversely affect thyroid function."
    The researchers also stated that "there remains a theoretical concern based on in vitro and animal data that in individuals with compromised thyroid function and/or whose iodine intake is marginal soy foods may increase risk of developing clinical hypothyroidism. Therefore, it is important for soy food consumers to make sure their intake of iodine is adequate." They also claim that "some evidence suggests that soy foods, by inhibiting absorption, may increase the dose of thyroid hormone required by hypothyroid patients."

    This study is suggesting that soy is safe -- unless you have a thyroid condition, or iodine deficiency. It also suggests that soy foods can inhibit absorption of thyroid medication.
    The study doesn't address the fact that it's estimated that as much as one-fourth of the U.S. population is now iodine deficient, and that the number is on the rise. At the same time, many millions of Americans also have undiagnosed autoimmune thyroid disease. At minimum, if you accept the premise of this study, that means that more than 75 million Americans with iodine deficiency may be at risk of thyroid problems from soy consumption. If you include the up to 60 million Americans who have a diagnosed or undiagnosed thyroid condition, almost half of all Americans could be at risk of soy-related thyroid problems.

    It's also troubling to note that the author of this study -- and several other recent studies claiming soy is not a danger to the thyroid, is Mark Messina, PhD. Messina, though not a medical doctor, also goes by the name "Dr. Soy." Messina had been in charge of grant funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he oversaw a $3 million grant for soy studies. Soon after he left NIH, he was hired to serve on the scientific advisory boards of both the United Soybean Board, and international soy agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland. He still serves on both scientific advisory boards as a paid advisor. In addition to his work on these advisory boards, Messina is a consultant to the United Soybean Board and editor of its soy-related newsletter, and serves as a paid speaker and consultant to promote the positive benefits of soy for the United Soybean Board's "Soy Connection.". Messina has also published a number of books promoting soy. The "Political Friendster" website, which tracks corporate influence, has documented the close relationship between Messina and the various corporate players in the soy industry.

    the full 5 page article can be read at.
    http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm?nl=1

  • Anonymous

    5/30/2009 1:51:56 AM |

    Help, I am so confused!

    I have a goiter and nodules diagnosed via an ultrasound screen. I have an appt with my MD to take the next step to do lab etc. I am hoping the goiter is caused by iodine deficiency and not Hashimotos. I have been reading about supplementing with iodine but some folks say take lots (12+ mgs) others say taking more will exacerbate a hypothyroid condition. I have been taking kelp capsules 4 daily supplying 1600 mcg. I have been tempted to up the dose but don't want to mess things up. Should I wait until test results come back, then if it is negative for Hashi's go ahead and do mega doses? or should I not be afraid to supplement?

    Thanks for this blog, and thanks for all the intelligent comments through-out. I have learned so much.

    Laura in Arizona

  • Anonymous

    6/2/2009 12:49:52 PM |

    Hi again Dr Davis,

    I was the one that wrote earlier about having troubles ordering testing kits.  The system still is having trouble - at least with my computers, at home and work.  Thought you might want to know.  
    The error occurs after pressing the submit order button.  

    Below is a cut and paste of what the error says.  Hope this helps!    

    Server Error in '/' Application.
    Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {17B9BE57-09EA-11D5-897B-0010B5759DED} failed due to the following error: 80040154.
    Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

    Exception Details: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {17B9BE57-09EA-11D5-897B-0010B5759DED} failed due to the following error: 80040154.

    Source Error:

    Line 146:
    Line 147:    Public Function ProcessCC(ByVal PaymentObject As PaymentObjCC) As ArrayList
    Line 148:        Dim pfpro As New PFPro
    Line 149:        Dim Response As String
    Line 150:        Dim pCtlx As Integer


    Source File: E:inetpubwwwrootTYPTYP_MainApp_CodePayflowProPFProProcessor.vb    Line: 148

    Stack Trace:

    [COMException (0x80040154): Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {17B9BE57-09EA-11D5-897B-0010B5759DED} failed due to the following error: 80040154.]
       PayFlowPro.PFPro..ctor() +13
       PFProProcessor.ProcessCC(PaymentObjCC PaymentObject) in E:inetpubwwwrootTYPTYP_MainApp_CodePayflowProPFProProcessor.vb:148
       Checkout.CompleteOrderCC() in E:inetpubwwwrootTYPTYP_MainproductsCheckout.aspx.vb:970
       Checkout.btnSubmitOrder_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in E:inetpubwwwrootTYPTYP_MainproductsCheckout.aspx.vb:1113
       System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e) +111
       System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +110
       System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +10
       System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) +13
       System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +36
       System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +1565


    Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.3082; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.3082

  • Anonymous

    1/8/2010 6:28:02 PM |

    What a great resource!

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 3:41:19 PM |

    How about humans? The few trials conducted in humans have shown little or no effect. In most instances, the adverse effects of goitrogens have been eliminated with supplemental iodine. In other words, goitrogens seem to exert their ill thyroid effects when iodine deficiency is present. Restore iodine . . . no more goitrogens (with rare exceptions).

  • Lena

    1/21/2011 6:06:50 PM |

    ABOUT THE QUESRCETIN has also been identified as a goitrogen (Giuliani C et al 2008).

    WOW, this is the most detailed information I have seen so far  online about the Resveratrol and flavonoids being goitrogenic,

    I have been searching and searching, as I just had read briefly of an experiment with rats that showed Resveratrol (red wine + grape seeds extract) was causing the thyroid gland to enlarge
    I really appreciate you posting this info

    I have hypothyroidism, I take small doses of Armour and it really works great for me, and was taking Resveratrol too, (which by the way, it seemed to help me a lot, especially with giving strength and gloss to my hair)
    So when i heard about this experiment i was shocked. Then I found out that even all kind of fruits are goitrogenic (as you point out) and tea and greens and garlic and onion and potatoes and beans, but above all, fruit and grapes.

    Is so hopeless, I in fact, by fear, suspended the resveratrol, and now, and is funny, as now I am experiencing some minor hair loss, I am sure due to that I stopped taking this amazing supplement which was helping my hair to grow strongly

    So I am so confused, my doctor as most of doctors, do not have a clue, as there is no enough info about all this and also no willingness to look into this research as well

    He told me to stop taking it
    But as you point out, then we should also stop eating then, as it seems that for one reason or another ,, all food is goitrogenic, soy, brassica greens, all greens, and veggies and fruit and also chickens and animals that seems are fed with goitrogenic grass and seeds
    So what choice do we have?
    ALSO I found this experiment on same PubMed which seems contradictory, I am not a doctor but it seems that it helps to add iodide (which is in iodine)  to the thyroid???

    IS there any MD on this site who might throw some light on this???

    or anyone here who has read more on this quercetin or Resveratrol? or knows about where to find more info about real evidence that flavonoids really work that way in humans????
    (by the way thank you for posting the Giuliani experiment, was that on humans or rats?)

    Does anyone knows of a good medical website or any that provides more information about this confusing subject?
    Please, help, let me know,
    Thank you
    Nella

  • Lena

    1/21/2011 6:09:52 PM |

    OOPS
    about the QUERCETIN

    here is that experiment URL
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20151827

  • Generic Viagra

    2/15/2011 6:19:53 PM |

    Spontaneous human Combustion is something that has always captured all my attention. Thank you for the interesting post, it's been a real pleasure reading it.

  • Dan

    6/14/2011 2:29:03 PM |

    very nice psot Kamagra

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Statin drug revolt

Statin drug revolt

I sense a growing revolt against the intrusion of statin drugs into our lives.

No doubt, the statin drug industry is, at least from an economic perspective, a huge success: $27 billion annual revenues at last accounting. The latest big plug for more and more statins was the JUPITER trial that showed reduced cardiovascular events on Crestor in people with "normal" LDL cholesterol levels and increased c-reactive protein.

It seems that not one day passes that doesn't include some news story about the "benefits" of statin drugs: reduction in heart attack, stroke, colon cancer, osteoporosis, heart failure, etc.

Ironically, the overwhelming economic success of the statin drug industry also seems to be encouraging a grassroots revolt.





More and more people are coming to the office, more people commenting on the web over how they want to avoid statin drugs, stop a drug they are already taking, or at least reduce the dose of an ongoing drug.

My day-to-day experience with coronary plaque control and reversal is that, while statin drugs are helpful tools, they are not necessary tools for full benefit of a prevention program. "Need" for statin drugs can differ by the patterns measured, though not the usual patterns suggested by the drug industry. For instance, using C-reactive protein, a la JUPITER, as justification for statin prescription is, in my view, totally absurd and makes no sense whatsoever, since inflammatory responses can be effective reduced with plenty of other strategies besides statin drugs. Conventional LDL, likewise, is a fictitious number that often bear little or no resemblance to the true and genuine measured value (apoprotein B or LDL particle number).

So here are a number of strategies that can help reduce or eliminate the "need" for a statin drug:

--Elimination of wheat and cornstarch--This is no namby-pamby dietary strategy, as low-fat diets were. This is a powerful, enormously effective strategy, particularly if LDL is in the small category. Small LDL drops like a stone when these foods are eliminated. This means no breads, pasta, breakfast cereals, pretzels, crackers, chips, tacos, wraps, etc.
--Non-wheat fibers--Especially raw nuts, ground flaxseed, and oat bran.
--Vitamin D restoration
--Fish oil
--Weight loss
--Niacin

There are additional strategies that focus on specific subsets of LDL cholesterol (e.g., Lp(a) masquerading as LDL). But the above list can reduce LDL cholesterol substantially, reducing the apparent "need" for a statin drug.

You will notice that there are few money makers in the above list, compared to the billions of dollars reaped by the statin drug industry. There is therefore little incentive to allow a pretty sales rep to go to your doctor and pitch the use of over-the-counter vitamin D or make changes in diet.

Statin drugs in my view need to be shoved back into their more limited role as drugs to be used on occasion when necessary (e.g., heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with LDL cholesterol values of 250 mg/dl in a person with measurable coronary plaque). These should never have achieved the "celebrity" status they enjoy, complete with gushing endorsements by TV personalities, daily news stories, and back-to-back TV commercials.

Join the revolt!

Comments (28) -

  • Anne

    12/17/2008 12:46:00 PM |

    Please make mention of the continued prescribing of Zetia and Vytorin. Is there ever a reason to use these?

  • Sean

    12/17/2008 2:40:00 PM |

    It seems like you're ignoring or discrediting some of the more paramount statin trials -- such as 4S, PROVE-IT, HPS, and AFCAPS/TexCAPS, just to name a few.  

    I've only followed your website for about a month, so I'm still getting a feel for your philosophy of practice, but are your fish oil/vitamin D/niacin first-line recommendations (and a statin as a second-line agent) founded on clinical data, or only personal experience?

    The benefit of statins isn't limited to LDL alone -- the pleiotropic effects are actually quite impressive, particularly in type II diabetes.

    Could you possibly elaborate on your reasoning for only using a statin when necessary, despite clinical data that strongly supports their use?

  • Anonymous

    12/17/2008 4:36:00 PM |

    Dr., I am so grateful for your blog. I stumbled across it a few days ago. Although I am really young, I have family history of heart disease at really young age- 20s. So I am reading your blog voraciously and taking notes.
    Your no-wheat recommendation doe seem very hard to follow. what do you suggest we use instead of wheat? How about other grains like millet or Bajra? How about brown rice?

    Thanks.
    P

  • Scott Miller

    12/17/2008 4:47:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis, I still think you're missing vit. K2 from your program, which is a key regulator of calcium, and showing to reverse coronary calcium.  The current issue of Life Extension magazine has a cover story on K2, claiming it reduces all-cause mortality by 26% based on a large study (Rottingham, I think).

    I've been taking and recommend K2 for years. I recently had several arteries imaged, including the carotid artery, and there was no detectable plaque. Note that the first 40 years of my life I lived on wheat-filled processed/junk foods, so I'm sure I had detectable, worrisome plaque -- but 7 years later my blood pressure is at an athletic level, and the plaque is gone.  K2, I'm sure, played a big role in this, along with the other tactics you've listed.

    More on K2 and arterial calcification reversal:
    http://tinyurl.com/5rzoh4

  • Anonymous

    12/17/2008 6:05:00 PM |

    Dr. D.,

    I know you don't often reply to posts to your blog anymore, but if you find the time I was wondering what your opinion was for statin use for someone WITH heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia but WITHOUT any measurable coronary plaque?? I have FHC but a heart scan on my 37th birthday revealed a heart scan score of 0,0,0. I did have a small pixel of calcium show up around the aorta. Not one to rest on my good fortunes, I have since found an Internist that specializes in lipid disorders and we have since done NMR testing, added fish oil (2.4g EPA/DHA), vitamin D3 (3,0000IU) and niacin (1g) and went from Vytorin 80/10 from my previous physician to Crestor 10mg & Zetia 10mg. I plan on adding 100mcg of K2 (MK-7) in the hopes of arresting/reversing the calcium dot around the aorta.

    For the record, I have been on statins for the most part since they were first introduced in 1987/88.

    Thanking you in advance.

    Keep up the good work.

  • Jenny

    12/17/2008 6:56:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis,

    Since you cite weight loss as an effective strategy, I'm curious if you have any unique ideas for promoting weight loss among those of us who stall out on low carb diets.

    It is an unfortunate, but very common finding that many of us can eat very clean low carb diets without losing any weight, even with calorie restriction.  I have run into this myself and know others who have too.

    Do you have any tricks and tips you've found helpful for your compliant patients who stall?

    If so, could you discuss them in a future blog post. The online low carb forums are filled with people who stall out.  This may be partly due to changes in thyroid hormone levels that many of us cannot get our doctors to treat as they are considered within the normal ranges.

    Whatever it is, it is one of the big frustrations real people, as opposed to those who star in diet books, run into with the low carb diet after an initial burst of encouraging weight loss.

  • steve

    12/17/2008 7:49:00 PM |

    excellent points.  are peanuts in the nut category you recommend?
    is zero sat fat recommended as in your book( i know new revision out in 2009)

  • e4e

    12/17/2008 8:02:00 PM |

    Thanks for this advice. JUPITER (and the reporting on it) was really flawed.

    I wrote about it and there are links to some other good analyses too.

    http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2008/11/more-statin-misreporting.html

    Regards,
    Tony

  • renegadediabetic

    12/17/2008 9:32:00 PM |

    I revolted when my doctor prescribed Lipitor after I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  After researching side effects, I knew I didn't want to take it.  Then I discovered what a scam this whole cholesterol business is.  By cutting carbs and increasng fat, I lowered my cholesterol to the point that it was no longer an issue.  Now I'm armed for battle if the issue ever comes up again.  Thanks for all you do in keeping us informed of the facts.

  • JPB

    12/18/2008 4:13:00 PM |

    I hope that you are right!  Unfortunately a lot more people are going to be dismissed from their doctors' practices for refusing these drugs unless the truth about lipids and statins becomes more widely known.  The dogma is almost impenetrable!

  • Anonymous

    12/18/2008 7:33:00 PM |

    hmm, I posted a comment yesterday and it seems to have disappeared. Dr. Davis, what is your take on consuming grains other than wheat like millet or quinoa?

  • Ed

    12/18/2008 11:07:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis: I've been on 5 to 10mg of Crestor for several years and your article has encouraged me to discuss a reduction with my doctor. (I purchased almost a 1 year supply of Made in the U.S. Crestor for about $1/pill in Argentinian pharmacies. It paid for my airfare. Here I pay $3/pill. I consulted you via mail after I had a scary 346 (97 percentile) on a heart scan in July of '07. I'm fit and had always followed a "good" diet so the scan results were surprising. After looking at my numbers you accurately predicted that I probably had high Lp(a). I've been following your recommendations (nuts,oat bran, flaxseed, fish oil, niacin, very low wheat, etc.) to get it lower.

  • Dr. William Davis

    12/18/2008 11:15:00 PM |

    Scott Miller--

    My March 2008 Life Extension Magazine article on vitamin K2 can be found at:
    http://search.lef.org/cgi-src-bin/MsmGo.exe?grab_id=0&page_id=776&query=k2%20davis&hiword=DAVI%20DAVID%20DAVIE%20DAVIES%20DAVIN%20DAVIO%20DAVISON%20DAVISS%20DAVIT%20davis%20k2%20.

    There are also extensive discussions on K2 on the www.trackyourplaque.com website.

  • Scott Miller

    12/19/2008 4:20:00 AM |

    Very nice LEF article, Dr. D.

    So why not list it among your other essentials in your program?  You're clearly very knowledgeable on K2's benefits, and used properly, there appears to be no downside/toxicity to using it.

    BTW, I know you frequent TheHeart.org forum.  Perhaps you've seen some of the posts I've made recently in the most busy threads, in defence of natural supplements.  Dr. Hackam, in particular, is truly a lacky of Big Pharma propoganda, and gives zero credit to vitamins, writing: "I will stick with what works and try to get my patients off their addictions to these drugs (yes vitamins are drugs; because they are taken in pharmacological rather than physiologic doses by most people)."

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2008 7:21:00 AM |

    As a nutritionist myself it is difficult to understand this demonization of even whole grain wheat. What is wrong with that?

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2008 4:49:00 PM |

    Responding to the nutritionist who wrote on December 19, 2008 questioning the "demonization" of whole grain wheat take a look at today's article in the NY Times about diabetics and diet.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/health/19diet.html

    This study found that a diet high in whole grains (and thus high in glycemic load) caused a decrease in HDL-C.  In contrast, a purportedly lower glycemic load diet, which excluded whole grains but included beans, peas and lentils, was found to reduce blood glucose levels in diabetics and increase HDL-C.  Perhaps this is reason to reconsider the traditional advice regarding eating whole grains???

    -Russ

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2008 7:52:00 PM |

    Nutritionist, his entire blog is about what's wrong with wheat.

  • moblogs

    12/19/2008 7:57:00 PM |

    I think it was only a matter of time before people started going 'hey wait a minute - statin companies are raking in billions but heart morality is still the same or worse?'.

    If statins were the wonder drug(tm), in about 30yrs of use you'd have thought heart disease was something relegated to history books.

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2008 8:23:00 PM |

    Anonymous Nutritionist:

    As previously stated, Doctor Davis no longer replies to questions on his blog (very rarely at least..). Do a search of his blog and read up if you are wondering why he is in favor of wheat elimination. Many patients that have been referred to him by other Physicians have been practicing the consumption of whole wheat products because they were told this is "heart healthy". Many of these same patients turn out to have terrible lipid profiles when tested by advanced lipoprotein testing (like the NMR test)....specifically small particle LDL. Once wheat consumption is reduced or eliminated, these abnormalities usually vanish. Dr. Davis believes that small  particle LDL is one of the biggest causes of CAD. Let's face it, many of the products that are sold to the average consumer that claim to be whole wheat and/or whole grain are high glycemic because they still are HIGHLY refined. The Paleo Diet Dr. says that a natural wheat berry is hard enough to break a tooth. Obviously the stuff that the food manufactures sell us is HIGHLY refined to be palatable to us. I've checked glycemic food databases and whole wheat bread is usually just as highly gylcemic (index & load) as a piece of white bread. Cornstarch is another culprit that Dr. Davis feels people should avoid if they want to improve their lipid profiles. I've often thought to myself that eating a sandwich...even with (mass produced) whole wheat bread, is probably no different to the pancreas then eating a sandwich made between layers of equivalent weight sugar cubes bonded together (actually most breads have a worse GI then sucrose!!). Nobody would eat a sandwich made of sugar cubes, but likewise..few people would think there is anything unhealthy about eating a sandwich on whole wheat bread..   Frown

    Just my 2 cents worth..

  • Michael

    12/19/2008 10:04:00 PM |

    Dr Davis,
    Just a quick comment to say that in a way I'm heartened by the comments on this thread and on recent posts by people who "don't get it". It means that neophytes are now reading the blog and are a demonstration of the influence you appear to be gathering.
    More power to you and, though I know it's testing on your patience as you're a busy man, please look on such posts as "what's wrong with grains anyway?" and its like, as a sign that the message is at last getting out as it so thoroughly deserves (even those that are trying to counter your ideas -- another sign that you are having an effect).

  • Anonymous

    12/19/2008 10:57:00 PM |

    Wheat increases inflammation.

    Jeanne

  • Dr. William Davis

    12/20/2008 12:49:00 AM |

    Thanks for the assistance, everyone!

  • Shreela

    12/20/2008 4:08:00 AM |

    My hubby and I hadn't been to a GP in a long time, and he noticed a change in one of his back moles. So I took advantage of his concern about that to finally get him to go in. We both knew his BP was too high, but since it was only a little too high, he ignored it.

    The GP chemically burned off the back mole, started him on BP meds, and prescribed him some kind of statin.

    On our follow up, I asked him why he prescribed a statin when our lipid labs hadn't even come in yet. GP answered it was his age, combined with his BP problems. I replied that they were medicating him for his BP, and we'd wait until the lipid tests came back before going on statins.

    The GP didn't even argue, which made me think there wasn't a very good reason to start statins, except for the big pharma push on them.

    Both our lipids came back within normal limits.

  • Anne

    12/20/2008 9:04:00 AM |

    Nutritionist,

    Wheat, whether whole grain or not, contains substances such as lectins and phytates which are essentially poisons used by the plant to protect itself from 'predators'...ie from being destroyed by being eaten or by the digestive process if they are eaten. This is the same for all grains, not just wheat, which is why they are not good for people.

    Anne

  • Kuntsa

    12/22/2008 2:11:00 AM |

    I'm curious how the American cholesterol measurements (taken as mg/dL) are converted to more conventional mmol/l measurements?  Does the analysis assume certain lipoprofile which is used to convert the result to mg/dL?

    http://www.globalrph.com/conv_si.htm gives factor 0.0259, but 10 mmol/l sounds awful high (they are recommending statins if your cholesterol is above 4 mmol/l here in Finland).

  • Anne

    12/22/2008 9:13:00 AM |

    To convert total cholesterol, LDL or HDL from nmol/L to mg/dl multiply by 38.67 - or divide by 38.67 to convert the other way round. And to convert triglycerides, multiply by 88.57 to convert nmol/L to mg/dl or divide by 88.57 to go the other way.

    Anne

  • Sanael

    2/9/2009 9:13:00 AM |

    Dr., I liked the article, from your permission I will publish it at myself in a blog.

  • simvastatin side effects

    5/9/2011 2:29:00 AM |

    The used of statin worldwide is a very overwhelming success in drug industry. We can read this on different blogs where in more people are commenting on this drug.

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Psssst . . . There's sugar in there

Psssst . . . There's sugar in there

You non-diabetics who check your postprandial blood sugars already know: There are hidden sources of sugar in so many foods.

By now, everybody should know that foods like breakfast cereals, breads, bagels, pretzels, and crackers cause blood sugar to skyrocket after you eat them. But sometimes you eat something you thought was safe only to find you're showing blood sugars of 120, 130, 150+ mg/dl.

Where can you find such "stealth" sources of sugars that can screw up your postprandial blood sugars, small LDL, inflammation, blood pressure, and cause you to grow visceral fat? Here's a few:

Balsamic vinaigrette
Many commercially-prepared balsamic vinaigrettes, especially the "light" varieties, have 3 or more grams carbohydrates per tablespoon. Generous use of a sugar-added vinaigrette can therefore provide 12+ grams carbs. (Some, like Emeril's and Wish Bone, also contain high-fructose corn syrup.)

Hamburgers
I learned this lesson the hard way by taking my blood sugar after having a hamburger, turkey burger, or vegetarian burger (without bun): blood sugar would go way up. The effect is due to bread crumbs added to the meat or soy.

Tomato soup
If it were just tomatoes, it would still be somewhat high in sugars. But commercially-prepared tomato soup often contains added high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and wheat flour, bringing sugar totals to 12 to 20+ grams per half-cup. A typical 2-cup bowl of tomato soup can have upwards of 80 grams of sugar.

Granola
Sure, granola contains a lot of fiber. But most granolas come packed with sugars in various forms. One cup of Kellogg's Low-fat Granola with Raisins contains an incredible 72 grams (net) carbohydrates, of which 25 grams are sugar.


Given modern appetites and serving sizes, you can see that it is very easy to get carried away and, before you know it, get exposed to extraordinary amounts of sugar and carbohydrates eating foods you thought were healthy.

And don't be fooled by claims of "natural" sugar. Sugar is sugar--Just check your blood sugar and you'll see. So raw cane sugar, beet sugar, and brown sugar have the same impact as white table sugar. Honey, maple syrup, and agave? They're worse (due to fructose).

Comments (13) -

  • Benpercent

    3/1/2010 10:04:29 PM |

    Regarding the hamburgers: Was the blood sugar increase due to some sort of recipe used or did you purchase the ground beef not knowing bread was added to it? A strange place to find it I'd say! I'll probably switch to grinding my own now.

  • Steve Cooksey

    3/1/2010 10:32:17 PM |

    Doctor Davis... YOU ROCK!!

    I'm a T1.5... who lost 78lbs, I have normal blood sugar ...for non-diabetics.

    NO meds, NO insulin... Keep Spreading the word... to ALL.

    Love your blog ...

    Steve

  • Anna

    3/2/2010 12:10:43 AM |

    I can pretty much count on higher BG readings when I eat at group meal gatherings away from home, unless I bring and eat only my own food.  I don't normally eat much processed convenience food, so I forget that boxed heat & serve breakfast sausage links can be full of sugar.  I also now know to steer clear of table grapes and fruit trays (I used to make sure to have fruit with the bacon or sausage and eggs for breakfast to deflect the comments from others, but now I don't bother with the fruit  because it's always too high-sugar.  

    At restaurants I ask for dressing on the side if I use dressing at all.  I dip my fork in the dressing before spearing a bite - that provides enough flavor without all the dressing.  Most of the time I avoid the dressings because they are made with soybean or canola oil anyway.  I ask for Olive Oil and Vinegar - not vinaigrette, which is often sweetened.  

    At home I always make salad dressing or simply toss with EVOO and a good vinegar, freshly ground SS & BP.  It's been years since I bought salad dressing.  Homemade is a breeze to make (even Ranch style) and economical, too.

    Frozen yogurt is far worse than full fat high quality ice cream.  Frozen yogurt almost always has more sugar and no fat or eggs to slow the absorption of the sugar.  Homemade ice cream is the best because you can control the sweetness level and use more cream and egg yolks (commercial is too sweet-tasting for me anymore, BG notwithstanding).  

    OJ - like a glass of pure sugar - absorbs into the blood stream nearly instantly.  I have a valencia orange tree in my garden but I don't dare drink the juice straight.  I put a tiny splash of freshly squeezed OJ or drop a squeezed orange wedge in a tall glass of Gerolsteiner sparkling mineral water (good source of magnesium).

    BBQ sauce & catsup - loaded with sugars - watch out for honey mustard sauce, too.

  • Anonymous

    3/2/2010 12:48:34 AM |

    Here is a link to a recent study that says vitamin D has no real link to heart health. Perhaps you can comment on this.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6205AQ20100301

    Michael

  • zach

    3/2/2010 1:23:16 AM |

    I looked at the back of my vinegar and it has 5 grams of carbs per tablespoon, 2 of which are sugars. But the only ingredients listed are red wine vinegar and grape musts.

  • David

    3/2/2010 4:24:59 AM |

    Michael,

    That article isn't talking about a new study per se, but rather a review of several select studies. In other words, it's not really providing any new information. It's a (biased) interpretation of a sampling of the existing data.

    I found this quote from the article to be pretty funny:

    "Now, if there are specific instances of vitamin D or calcium deficiency, then that's a separate issue that should be discussed with a personal physician."

    Uh, except it's hardly a separate issue since nearly everyone is deficient in vitamin D.

    David

  • Anonymous

    3/2/2010 9:03:07 AM |

    grape musts? That should have given you a clue. Grapes are very high in sugar. It always comes down to the same thing: Always read the labels. Carefully. Never trust anything that is processed. Not even if you buy it in Health Food shops.

  • Peter

    3/2/2010 1:17:18 PM |

    You don't need to test your blood sugar.  You can figure whatever your favorite carbs are, those are the ones that are spiking your blood sugar the most.  

    Mostly this is because you ingest those in greater quantities since you like them, but partly because you choose those because the blood sugar rushes feel good.

  • David

    3/2/2010 4:50:50 PM |

    "You don't need to test your blood sugar. You can figure whatever your favorite carbs are, those are the ones that are spiking your blood sugar the most."

    No. This is not a reliable way to go about things, as it isn't always true. It's never good to simply trust your feelings. Being objective with a glucometer isn't difficult or expensive. There's nothing to lose.

  • caphuff

    3/2/2010 5:46:18 PM |

    re hamburgers, also watch out for worcestershire sauce! Just discovered (much to my dismay) that the brand I had been using contains molasses and high fructose corn syrup. Yech!

  • Nigel Kinbrum

    3/3/2010 10:23:18 AM |

    Michael said...
    "Here is a link to a recent study that says vitamin D has no real link to heart health. Perhaps you can comment on this.
    Calcium, vitamin D pills don't help heart: study"
    The RDA for Vitamin D is set for bone health. Therefore, an RDA dose of Vitamin D makes no difference to anything except bone health. It takes a dose about ten times the RDA to be effective elsewhere.

    If you give people one tenth the correct dose of a medication, would you be surprised that the medication is ineffective?

    Nige.

  • Kathy

    3/3/2010 11:13:22 AM |

    so easy to make homemade tomato soup, still a little high in carb's but nowhere near store boguht, handy if you absolutely must have a bowl of tomato soup.  Use tomato paste, water and some heavy cream and salt to taste.  you don't need the cream, but it tastes better.  One of the fastest "homemade' soups.  Keep in mind that tomatoes do have carbs, about 4 per 2 tbsp of paste.  You can add splenda to sweeten a little

  • renegadediabetic

    3/4/2010 2:26:14 PM |

    It's infuriating that sugar and starch show up in places you would least expect them.  You have to read labels very carefully.  I've been burned by failing to read labels.  Even better, eat real food prepared from scratch.

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Top 5 Tips to Get Ready for Tough Mudder

Top 5 Tips to Get Ready for Tough Mudder


When it comes to mud runs, Tough Mudder is a big deal.  This event covers ten to twelve miles of muddy running interspersed with challenging obstacles.  Using the word “challenging” when describing the obstacles along the course is an understatement.  Obstacles include getting an electrical shock, running through ice-cold water, jumping over fire, climbing over walls, and things you’ve seen when watching American Ninja Warrior.  Plus these obstacles are all done on a rugged, muddy terrain.  So, maybe the word dirty-insane-challenging would be a better fit to describe the Tough Mudder.

Don’t let this description lead you to think that this is an impossible feat.   The Tough Mudder website states that 1.3 million people have completed this event since it’s inauguration.  If Tough Mudder is on your bucket list, know that if they can do it so can you.  Here are 5 tips to get you ready to tackle the Tough Mudder.

1) Train: This tip seems obvious, but it’s not.  Many people are standing at the start line hoping for the best.  This strategy puts you at high risk for injury and not completing the event.  You need to train anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for the Tough Mudder.  Use this guideline if you have a regular workout routine established.  If you’re new to exercise or have been on a workout hiatus you may need 4 to 6 months to get ready.  Carve out time in your schedule to train 3 to 5 days a week to prepare for this event.  If you need some guidance, join a training program to provide a road map to Tough Mudder success.

2) Run:  Tough Mudder is like a half-marathon on steroids.  Running is critical component when you find that you’re traveling up to a mile between obstacles.  Incorporate running intervals, hills, and fartleks into your training program.  Start your training off with a new pair of running or minimalist shoes so that by the time your Tough Mudder comes around your shoes are ready to get trashed.

3) Simulate Obstacles:  To feel confident at the start line of Tough Mudder, you need to practice skills that can help you with the obstacles.  This will reduce your risk of obtaining any injuries during the event.  Utilizing stairs, fences, playgrounds, rock climbing walls, football fields, lakes, and beaches are great places to start when looking to simulate obstacles.  Check out the Tough Mudder website to see a list obstacles.  Use your imagination to find ways to incorporate obstacle training in your workouts.   

4) Simulate Terrain: Running covered in mud with wet shoes is much different from running on the treadmill.  Running in the grass, on the sand and through the water is much different from running on asphalt.  Get ready to be a little uncomfortable.  Your shoes will begin to slide around on your feet and your clothes will cling to your body.  Get ready to work a little harder.  Your stride will be affected by the changes in terrain.  Practice running on the grass, in the water, and in the sand.  Make sure you get wet and run with soaked shoes and clothes. You’ll realize what shoes and clothes to wear on race day to be the most comfortable and effective.

5) Team: Teamwork is what Tough Mudder is about.  Teamwork is what keeps drawing people back to the Tough Mudder venue.  From the start to the finish, it’s about getting everyone across the finish line.  If you’re struggling to get over a wall, a hand is there to help pull you up.  When fatigue is setting in, another person is there to bring up your spirits.  You’re not alone out there.  At other races you find you’re left in the dust.  At Tough Mudder you are overcoming challenges with your muddy buddies. Get together with friends or a training group to form a team bond that will keep you accountable with your training and support you to the finish line.

Want personalized training???  Schedule a virtual appointment with Amber.

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