OK…one more thing to think about that may increase your risk for cancer. Periodontal disease! When was your last dental appt? If you look at it as a preventative screening for cancer, you may decide to go more often or at the recommended twice per year.

The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study examined rates of cancer in >65,000 women (average age, 68 and 85% white) who were asked about periodontal disease at baseline and followed for a mean of 8 years. Statistically significant excess risks were noted for cancer of the breast (13%), lung (31%), esophagus (>200%), gallbladder (73%) and for melanoma (23%). Results were similar regardless of smoking status.

Some studies have shown the bacteria associated with periodontitis in tumors and distal tissues such as lymph nodes, especially the high excess risk of esophageal cancer, is consistent with tracking these periodontal pathogens found in the gut.

Periodontal disease is also indicative of a pro-inflammatory state that may contribute to adverse reproductive outcomes in women such as preterm labor. Whether treating periodontal disease will lower the increased risk for malignancy is unknown. Flossing and using a water pick after brushing can’t hurt, as well as a check up at least once a year.

Reference: Nwizu NN et al. Periodontal disease and incident cancer risk among postmenopausal women: Results from the Women’s Health Initiative observational cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017 Aug. 26:1255.

The following is a summary by Dr. Rhonda Patrick, renowned expert in nutrition, metabolism and aging. She has a Ph.D. in Biomedical science and answers the questions about time-restricted eating and fasting and it’s benefits. Her transcripts were posted on a podcast in May 2017 after being interviewed by Tim Ferriss.

. Some people prefer a more extreme type of restricted eating which is a 16:8 intermittent fasting. This means fasting for 16 hours and only eating within a specific 8 hour window. A common example is eating from noon-8 PM, so you skip breakfast.

The duration of the time windows are important because they have to do with our circadian rhythm. There are metabolic changes throughout the day. In other words, when healthy adults eat meals that have the same macronutrient and calorie content at breakfast, lunch and dinner, the postprandial glucose (the amount of glucose in the blood after a meal) is lowest after breakfast and highest after dinner even though the meals are 100% identical. Besides these metabolic changes, we know that metabolic genes are more active during the day and less active at night. The reason is because humans are diurnal beings which means most of our activities are during the day, including feeding, exercising and working, while resting at night.

Our circadian rhythm is regulated by light (by the presence of an internal clock in the brain) as well as timing of our food intake which is influenced by peripheral tissues such as the liver that influence metabolism. These clocks regulate thousands of genes which are expressed based on what time it is. Even the bacteria in our gut (microbiome) has its own circadian rhythm with the species of bacteria changing according to the time of day. Unfortunately due to changing work schedules and artificial lighting, peoples’ eating times have occurred later in the day which can have negative consequences. Eating late “resets” our internal clocks and causes an imbalance of metabolism.

Research has shown some amazing results if you limit your eating between 9-12 hours per day, which means fasting for 12-15 hours.  These benefits include:

1. Decreased breast cancer risk and reduction in recurrence by as much as 36%

2. Decreased fat mass and increase in lean muscle mass

3. Improved glucose intolerance and lipid levels

4. Reduced inflammation, especially if fasting after 5 PM with a reduction in the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP).

5. Increased weight loss and prevention of obesity

6. Improved sleep

7. Favorable improvements in gene expression and reduced cancer risk

Dr. Rhonda Patrick feels that the most important thing is to mitigate chronic systemic inflammation. And I couldn’t agree more. It is one of the most important predictors of successful longevity that increases in importance with age.

So if you decide to eat within a 9-hour window and fast for 15 hours, you may also find that it enhances your endurance and athletic performance. This is because it takes 10-12 hours for glycogen stores to be depleted. Fatty acids are then pulled from adipose tissue (fat) which are transported to the liver and converted into ketone bodies. These ketones are transported to a variety of tissues such as muscle and used for energy.

As you can see, there are many benefits in time-restricted eating. Many people also prefer to do a 24-hour fast to “reset” their metabolism. That can also be helpful even one or two times per week. Drinking water, tea or broth for 24 hours is easy to do without setting a timer of when to eat and not to eat. Any prolonged fasting more than 3 days should be supervised or approved by a physician.

So have that cup of tea. It can be green or black because they both have huge benefits in terms of health. One of teas most common heath claims is in the role of weight loss. But the molecular mechanisms of how tea exerts its effects on metabolism have been unknown. Researchers at UCLA have now demonstrated that tea, in particular black tea, promotes weight loss through altering the gut microbiome. Black tea, when given to mice, altered energy metabolism in the liver by changing bacteria within the gut.

The results of the study suggest that black and green tea can actually induce the growth of good bacteria within the gut. This is defined as a prebiotic, which we now know contributes to good health and prevention of many diseases.

Read more about the study and the differences between black and green tea…

Tea Aids Weight Loss through Microbiome Alteration | GEN: “

“You can’t separate the mind from the body,” said Prof Sir Robert Lechler, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He adds…”there is a real mechanistic connection between the mind, the nervous system and the immune system.”

About 60% of people referred to cardiologists with chest pain do not have a heart problem but suffer from anxiety. Thats astounding!! We are finding a very strong connection between inflammation and depressive symptoms. More research is showing that treating inflammation helps treat depression. Symptoms of an overactive immune system can stem from obesity, eating a poor diet filled with sugar and food allergies, poor digestion, lack of sleep, chronic emotional stress and certain medications, like Interferon. It may be a matter of the immune system failing to switch off after an illness or trauma. But inflammation is also a common symptom associated with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraine headaches or an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis. Chronic pain affects over 100 million people, nearly 1/3 of our population. More Americans suffer from chronic pain than cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer combined!.

Read this article to find out more of what you can do to help your symptoms. See your doctor or integrative practitioner to find other causes and ways to treat chronic pain and depression.

Reference: Ivker, R. Cannabis for Chronic Pain. Touchstone, Simon& Schuster, 2017. p. 4.

Depression is a physical illness which could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, scientists suggest: 

We have seen a lot of smoke in the air from nearby fires in Utah and Montana which seems to effect some people more than others. Why is it that some people are more sensitive to smoke and other pollutants who have sinus problems or asthma than others with the same chronic problems? It seems that just like our gut, our airway, including our sinuses, are associated with a community of microbes, some that may be very beneficial.  Some of these bacteria produce compounds that have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. While others, can lead to harmful respiratory infections.

A study in Milan Italy was done to look at . This might give us an early indication of problems before disease develops. There is more research to be done, but it makes sense that the particulates we inhale would effect our airway microbiome and the manifestations of that could be different for everyone.

Air pollution changes what bugs colonise our airways | New Scientist: “”

Nutrition used to be something we viewed as just eating food that we thought was healthy and preferably tasted good. It was simple…all calories are the same, eat less and exercise and you will lose weight. Wrong, wrong and wrong!  Then it was low fat, high carb, then high fat, low carb, Atkins, Paleo and now, Ketogenic.

What this tells us is that nutrition is not so easy and we still don’t have a full understanding of this ever changing science.

What we also know is that we have an obesity problem in this country. And no…it’s not necessarily due to a lack of will power or laziness. The biochemistry that influences weight loss and weight gain is very complex. Besides food choices and exercise, it also involves genetics, stress levels, hormones, sleep, physiology, our microbiome (“How Gut Bacteria Determines Weight Gain” at Wellcast.org) and our environment. Whew!!  A lot more then what we may have read in health class.

This article reviews 5 myths about food and health. It seems we’ve come a long way, but still have so much more to learn.

Fat, fructose and calories: 5 nutrition ‘facts’ we used to believe – The Washington Post: “”

About 60% of packaged foods and drinks found in U.S. grocery stores contain added sugar according to researchers at the University of North Carolina.

Check out this article and images to see what foods you may be eating and how much sugar it contains…

Entertainment | Fast Company: “”

We have all probably had some type of muscle cramps at one point in our lives.  I’m talking about those involuntary contractions or spasms of the muscles in our legs or feet that happen most often at night or while we rest. It seems to be much more common in the elderly. As many as 70% of older people have experienced nocturnal leg cramps. Even though we don’t know the direct cause of these cramps, there are risk factors associated with these symptoms. These include dehydration, electrolyte/mineral imbalance, diabetes, and pregnancy. Here are several treatment options that have worked for my patients:

1. Magnesium- magnesium deficiency does not need to be severe to cause cramping. Majority of magnesium blood levels will be normal. We often run a red blood cell magnesium level in our office and will find low or low-normal levels in patients that benefit from magnesium. Presumed cause of magnesium deficiency is excessive exercise. Chronic stress will also deplete magnesium levels. A study involving 14 trained swimmers whom experienced muscle cramps was done. They received only 65 mg of magnesium, from either magnesium ascorbate or magnesium aspartate on 3 consecutive days, just before starting their swim workouts. Muscle cramps were reduced by 86% in the magnesium ascorbate group and by 44% in the magnesium aspartate group. Both treatments reduced the severity of symptoms. I recommend starting with 300 mg daily of magnesium citrate (in the evening) and increase up to bowel tolerance. Too much magnesium can cause loose stools, so stay at a dose right below the dose that causes problems. Common medical conditions associated with magnesium deficiency are diabetes, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure.

2. Potassium- low potassium levels (again, not seen on blood tests) can also cause leg cramps. Hypokalemia can occur in people using potassium-depleting diuretics (commonly used to treat high blood pressure), or in those with diarrhea or certain disease states. Another common cause of low potassium can be the result of an inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. One option is to use 2g/day of potassium magnesium aspartate (this preparation contains 50% magnesium aspartate and 50% potassium aspartate). This formulation is best because aspartate enhances the intracellular uptake of potassium and magnesium.

3. Calcium- this is another important mineral that I find helps my patients…especially those who avoid dairy. Doses of 500 mg twice daily of a calcium citrate works well.

4. Vitamin E- several studies have shown improvement in leg cramps after using Vitamin E 300-800 IU daily.

5. Vitamin C and Hesperidin (a citrus flavonoid)- 200 mg of each compound was used 4 times daily in a study of postmenopausal women in which resolution of symptoms were seen in 2-12 weeks.

6. B12 and B-complex- This is where I recommend checking a B12 and B6 level in my patients with leg cramps. It is a very easy and reliable test and can determine if deficiencies are the cause of cramps. It can also relieve fatigue, cognitive decline and migraines. Many elderly have vitamin B-deficiencies and don’t know it. These vitamins can be depleted due to age, chronic stress and in vegetarians.

7. Taurine- this amino acid is a common cause of muscle cramps for those with cirrhosis of the liver. Three to six grams daily along with whey protein showed significant improvement with these patients. Also, L-Carnitine at a dose of 300 mg three-to-four times a day also decreased muscle cramps by up to 63% in patients with cirrhosis in one study.

8. Intravenous Nutrient Therapy- intravenous nutrients of magnesium, B-vitamins and Vitamin C almost immediately relieves muscles cramps. We use this therapy followed by daily oral nutrient supplements with excellent results.

9. Stretching- calf stretching and massage before you hit the pillow at night can be very helpful.

Hope this helps some of the mystery behind muscle cramps.

References: Gaby, A. Nutrition Medicine, 2nd edition, chapter 163.

Jenna, C, Radu, G. Magnesium in preventing muscular cramps in swimmers. Magnes Res 1993; 6:73.

Ayres S Jr, Mihan R. Nocturnal leg cramps (Systremma): a progress report on response to vitamin E. South Med J 1974;67:1308-1312.

Horoschak A. Nocturnal leg cramps, easy bruisability and epistaxisin menopausal patients: treated with hesperidia and ascorbic acid. Del State Med J 1959;31:19-22.

This is a good article describing how a few changes in your diet can make a significant difference in your physical, mental and emotional state. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it may be worth 1-2 weeks of food changes to improve fatigue, sugar cravings, weight loss, mental clarity, and help with clearer skin and better sleep.

Read on…

What Happened When I Gave Up Gluten, Sugar, Dairy, And Coffee: “