NY Times article on thyroid related to mood disorders

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/health/for-some-psychiatric-troubles-may-begin-with-the-thyroid.html

I and thousands of other doctors on the vitalistic side of health care have been telling people that their depression and other mood disorders are coming from their thyroid imbalance. 

EVERY cell in your body has a receptor site for thyroid hormone.  Most people have heard that the thyroid controls the body's metabolism.  However,  when the majority of people think about metabolism, they think about weight loss and gain.  They don't understand that when your metabolism slows, so does your nervous system.

Low levels of brain serotonin (the happy hormone) have been implicated, for decades, in depression and mood issues.  If your nervous system conduction slows (slow metabolism), you could have plenty of serotonin in your system, but it won't be able to circulate easily and hence depression sets in.  Here's an analogy:  there might be plenty of water in the hose, but the hose isn't turned on.  Or, what if there's no water in the hose?

About 90% of the serotinin in our system resides in our gut (specifially the small intestine).  When people eat better food, their body can then produce more serotonin, and then their moods elevate.  Tryptophan is the metabolic precursor to serotonin and tryptophan is an amino acid.   Amino acids are derived by food sources of protein.  Many people with mood disorders are simply protein deficient.

In earlier posts, I have talked about iodine and thyroid function.  Guess how iodine finds the thyroid gland.  It attaches itslef to a moelcule of protein and then the protein carries it to the thyroid.

Be very careful all you vegetarians out there!

That's why many people's moods lift after exercise or going for a walk.  Circulation isn't just about blood flow; it's about the flow of every fluid in our body.  The brain has a large amount of water in it (I have read reports of up to 80% of the brain's mass is water).  Water is a conductor for electrcity...right? 

Circulation has a lot to do with why people feel better, in many ways, after a good chiropractic adjustment.  Their posture changes and when your posture is balanced, your body's circulation improves.

Mood imbalance?  Drink water, eat more protein (or just better in general), and take a walk.  Work on reclaiming your health yourself first.  Read, read, and read some more.  Use the internet (not webmd) and look for other articles and holistic physicians in your area.

BPA exposure affects neurological function in children

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/873.abstract

Exposure to Bisphenol A, the controversial chemical used in the manufacturing of certain plastic products, including plastic baby bottles for infants, has been shown to affect behavior and executive function in children three years of age. Executive function is used to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space.

"Gestational urinary BPA concentrations were associated with some neurobehavioral measures at 3 years of age in this cohort. In particular, gestational BPA exposure was associated with higher scores for measures of anxiety, hyperactivity, emotional control, and behavioral inhibition...results suggested that girls in this cohort were more sensitive to gestational BPA exposures than were boys."

Many holistic physicians observe these changes clinically in their practices, so it's nice to see some relevant topics being published in big, peer-reviewed journals that validate those observations.

BPA is everywhere.  This is more proof, that we, as a whole society, need to be more aware of, not only what we are eating, drinking, and breathing, but also what our companies are producing.

The big print giveth...and the fine print taketh away.

Organic Labels: Are you wasting your money?

It's important to realize that there are several different organic labels out there.  Growers and manufacturers of organic products bearing the USDA seal have to meet the strictest standards of any of the currently available organic labels.

• Products labeled "100% Organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients
• Products labeled "Certified Organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients
• The label "Made with Organic Ingredients" can contain anywhere between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients

In order to ensure you're actually getting your money's worth, you need to make sure the food you buy bears the "100% USDA Organic" label.  The problem with the latter two labels is:  up to 30 percent of the ingredients may be conventionally-grown, so you're still could be exposed to pesticide residues and other questionable ingredients. The "Made with Organic Ingredients" is often misused and misleading, just as the "natural" label, as it allows for plenty of conventionally-produced ingredients.  A "100% Organic" product on the other hand cannot be irradiated, and cannot contain preservatives or flavor enhancing chemicals. 

It must also be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity—so it encompasses organic in a holistic way, from start to finish. Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMO), petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, and livestock cannot be given growth hormones.

So, in terms of organic food, there's really only one label that can provide you with any real measure of quality, and that's the "100% USDA Organic" label. 



The USDA certified organic label is your best guarantee that the food was produced without:

• Toxic pesticides
• Genetically engineered (GM) ingredients
• Carcinogenic fumigants
• Chemical solvents

This peace of mind is something the "100% Natural" label will NOT give you. Genetically modified  ingredients are of particular concern when it comes to food products like breakfast cereals and granola bars, because, in the US, the vast majority of the most common ingredients in these products—corn, soy, and canola—are genetically modified.  If you are new to this blog, please check earlier posts to find my "soon to be famous" energy bar recipe.  This is a fantastic way to know EXACTLY what you are eating.

To find the freshest, healthiest foods out there, here are a few other guidelines to live by:

1. Frequent farmer's markets.
2. Take part in organic food co-ops in your area.
3. Plant an organic garden.
4. If you must shop in a supermarket, look for locally grown items.

Here is another tip: 

• Just because you buy food at the health food store, does not automatically make it healthy; as these foods can still be loaded with junk sugars and contain ingredients with MSG derivatives.  However, your odds are better of finding better food at these stores (especially if it's in a box, bag, or can), but always, ALWAYS read labels.

pesticides and attention issues in kids

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21507778

CONCLUSION:

Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to organophosphates is negatively associated with cognitive development, particularly perceptual reasoning, with evidence of effects beginning at 12 months and continuing through early childhood.

This should come to no surprise to those who are aware of how toxic our environment actually is.  However, this is an actual peer reviewed article that is verifying how foreign chemicals affect our nervous systems...directly.

Now, upon reading this article, if you are pregnant, DO NOT do any type of detoxification measures to try and clear your body of these toxic chemicals.  The best thing you can do is simply consume as much organic food as possible.

If you are planning on getting pregnant, then yes, a bio-detoxification program would be a great idea.  It can help thyroid function and take strain away from your adrenal glands; all helping to balance hormone function. 

The most important thing, by far, is to have your thyroid checked to be sure it is balanced.  Pregnancy really requires a lot of thyroid function in general.

3 Causes of Irritability

1. Fatigue

If adequate sleep is Beauty, then inadequate and/or poor sleep is surely the Beast. The health consequences of poor sleep aside, restless nights can lead to crankiness the likes of which have rarely been seen. The Solution: Make sure you get not only enough sleep every night; ensure that it's restful sleep with the right mattress, pillow, lighting (lack thereof) and preparation.

2. Stress

Stress manifests in many ways, but irritability is perhaps the most common symptom. Stressed about your job, the screaming kids, the unpaid bills, your lack of motivation to hit the gym, or any number of other life challenges? Irritability can't be far behind. The Solution: Manage stress by discussing it, dealing with it proactively and taking control; anything but avoiding it.

3. Hunger

Irritability that comes on like a wave and doesn't have any other obvious cause (like those above) could be due to hunger. Face facts: People don't eat often enough, and when they do, it's high-glycemic foods that rush into your bloodstream and rush right back out, leaving you tired and hungry. The Solution: Eat small, frequent meals high in complex carbs that fuel your whole day.

I would argue that blood sugar imbalances are wrecking our health as a society.  If you are hypoglycemic, you know that it can stress you emotionally; little things are all of a sudden very big.  If your blood sugar drops at 2 or 3a.m., your body will go into an alarm state and then wake you up.  It is my opinion that most people dianosed as bi-polar are simply severely hypoglycemic.

B vitamin intake is crucial for any sort of blood sugar issue.  Dr. Royal Lee called Cataplex B (thiamin) the "poor man's insulin".  Stay far away from high potency B vitamins; as these are almost always synthetic and can do more harm than good.  Only take low potency B vitamins.  The exception would be vitamins B6 and B12.

Cholesterol screening for 11 year olds...seriously?

I was trying to stay out off the choesterol medication bandwagon, but when I read this I couldn't resist anymore.

http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2011/11/cholesterol-screening-guidelines-now-urge-kid-testing-by-11.html

"One third of children and teenagers in the United States are defined as obese or overweight, with minorities such as African Americans, Mexican American, and American Indian children experiencing disproportionately higher rates of obesity and an increased risk of diabetes and heart attack later in life By fourth grade up to 13 percent of American children already have abnormally elevated cholesterol levels..."

"Bottom line: Parents should support this new and expanded childhood cholesterol screening. The potential benefits include less heart disease and fewer heart attacks for your children when they turn 50."
—Joseph Mosquera, M.D.

I was wondering when this nonsense was going to reach our children.  Would someone please show me some real evidence where it says that high cholesterol is somehow related to heart disease.  (Besides the silly commercials you see on TV)

Here are some little known facts about cholesterol and statin treatment.

• "It's a documented fact that as many adults experience a mortal heart attack with a total cholesterol count under 200 as ever 300" -Medical World News
• "Half of patients who are admitted to hospitals for a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels" -Medical World News
• Framingham Study
• After 30 years of follow-up, researchers reported no increase overall mortality with subjects with high cholesterol for those over 50 years old.
• Falling cholesterol levels found to increase cardiovascular deaths.
• 14% increased death rate for each 1 mg/dl drop in cholesterol level.

These numbers were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Facts are stubborn things..." -John Adams

In 2004 Lipitor had more than 7 million prescriptions written which brought in $7.7 Billion.  Zocor brought in a meager $4.5 Billion.

These side effects to statins were published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs in 2008.

1. ALS or ALS-like syndrome
2. Atrial fibrillation
3. Autoimmune illness (MS, Lupus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis)
4. Cancer
5. Cataracts
6. CoQ10 depletion
7. Diabetes
8. Guilliain Barre (another name for polio)
9. Gynecomastia (Man boobs)
10. Heart Failure (Yepper!)
11. Hepatic dysfunction
12. Hyperkalemia
13. Hypertension
14. Inflammatory myopathies
15. Irritability/aggression
16. Liver pathology
17. Memory loss (over 50% of the dry weight of the cerebral cortex is cholesterol)
18. Myalgia
19. Myositis
20. New difficulty walking
21. Pancreatitis
22. Parkinson's disease
23. Peripheral neuropathy
24. Rhabdomyolysis
25. Renal insufficiency
26. Rippling muscle disease
27. Sexual dysfunction (Cialis anyone?)
28. Sleep difficulties (want some Ambien?) 
29. Tendinopathy
30. Thyroid disorders (Synthroid=70 million prescrptions)
31. Weight gain

Let's look at some things that cholesterol is good for.

• Precursor to Vitamin D production in the skin
• Necessary for fat and mineral absorption
• Integral substance for ALL cells of the body
• Forms the myelin sheath around all nerves
• Important for optimal functioning of serotonin receptors
• Important for optimal immune system functioning
• Necessary for the production of all the adrenal hormones

Here is some food for thought:  The CDC says that heart disease is responsible for over 600,000 deaths per year.  If Lipitor is the best selling drug in the U.S., and it decreases heart disease, why is heart disease still the leading cause of death? 

One in four children in the United States are on chronic medications

The Wall Street Journal reported that a study of prescription patterns in 2009, conducted by IMS Health, showed that 25% of children in the US were on regular medication.

IMS Health is a firm that provides “marketing intelligence” to pharmaceutical companies. The firm’s job is to keep the $800 billion per year global pharmaceutical industry on a continued pattern of growth.  Hopefully these consultants accomplished something quite different this week. Hopefully they provided our citizens with an overdue wake-up call.

One in four children in the U.S. are on chronic  medications.


And this doesn’t even include all the prescriptions we write to treat acute illness, or use of over-the-counter products. It is an astounding number.  We either have the sickest pediatric population in the world, or there is something very wrong with the way therapies are driven in our health care system.

According to IMS Health data, forty-five million children are on asthma medications, twenty-four million are on ADHD medications, almost ten million are on antidepressants with another six and a half million on other antipsychotics.  To some degree, every school shooting that has taken place involved these mood altering drugs.  Soon after the terrible incident at Columbine in Colorado, the pharmaceutical industry lobbied congress to not allow the medical records of the perpatrators of these incidents to be viewed by the public.  Why do you think that is?

A recent study by the AAP predicts that treatment of mood disorders will soon makeup 30-40% of a pediatrician’s office practice. To put this trend in perspective, an earlier study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics revealed that 8% of pediatricians felt they had adequate training in prescribing antidepressants, 16% felt comfortable prescribing them, but 72% actually did. This is just one example of the growing disconnect between rational medical practice and the way we deliver healthcare. 

Furthermore, where do both pediatricians and psychiatrists get most of their information about these psychotropic medications that are now flying off prescription pads? 

You guessed it...The pharmaceutical companies that produce them, through the hundreds of millions of dollars they spend each year on marketing and the clinical studies they fund.

A great place to start rectifying this situation is to look at what we are feeding our children.  Sugar, refined white flour (the same thing as sugar), MSG, artificial colors (most of these are in one bowl cold breakfast cereal)...and the list goes on.  Start reading food labels.

This is a sad, but true situation.  It's time for a change.  Our children ARE our future.