Dr. Soram's Integrative Medicine
Practical Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Well, like the Tin Man, your body, too, can “rust” and get stiff if you don’t use it. This can manifest not only in your joints and muscles, but also in your internal organs. After several decades of misuse or neglect, your body may begin to manifest signs of illness or even start to shut down.
Surveys are showing that Americans are overwhelmed and uncertain and as a result, stress levels are on the rise. In one survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, nearly half of the 1,791 adults polled admitted to an increase in their stress levels over the past year. Additionally, more than half reported feelings of fatigue and lying awake at night due to stress and 60 percent reported feeling irritable and angry.
Another study by the American Psychological Association cited the current recession as the main stressor for eight of 10 Americans. The key to managing your stress levels while being flooded by constant reminders of a shaky economy and how it could impact your family is by applying positive psychology techniques.
Among the top symptoms experienced by those suffering from the 1 billion colds a year include:
For the 37 million Americans affected by sinusitis, which occurs when the lining of your sinus cavities (which are in the facial bones around your nose) become inflamed, each year, primary symptoms include..
In fact, a study sponsored by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborns and found that the samples contained an average of 200 chemicals … chemicals linked to cancer, brain damage, birth defects and more.
“This is conclusive evidence that babies are being exposed to hundreds of industrial chemicals throughout pregnancy,” said Sonya Lunder, an EWG scientist, told the Associated Press. “The placenta isn’t a magic shield.”
The implications of all these chemical exposures are completely unknown, and while it’s likely impossible to eliminate all exposures (most people already have countless environmental chemicals circulating in their bloodstream), it’s a wise idea to minimize your exposure as much as possible during pregnancy and if you’re planning to become pregnant.
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The finding came from a study of the umbilical cord blood from New York City children, in which researchers found a change in a gene (called ACSL3) associated with prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Most commonly, PAHs are released into the air when fossil fuels, gasoline and garbage are burned, and as such perhaps the most common route of exposure to these chemicals is by breathing contaminated air. PAHs exist in cigarette smoke, wood smoke, vehicle exhaust, diesel exhaust and asphalt roads, as well as in the air of industrial coking, coal-tar and asphalt production facilities, along with trash-incinerating facilities.
Because of this, air in urban areas may have PAH levels 10 times higher than those in rural areas.
While exposure to PAHs has previously been linked to cancer, childhood asthma, cataracts, kidney and liver damage and other diseases, the new study found the chemicals result in epigenetic changes that may disrupt the normal functioning of genes by altering their expression.
Top Symptoms of Athlete’s Foot
If you have one or several of the symptoms below, you could have athlete’s foot:
Not all skin irritations on your feet are athlete’s foot, however. Eczema, psoriasis or even a reaction to dyes or adhesives in your shoes can cause similar symptoms.
If you disagree with one or more portions of the following article, no matter which side you’re on to start, it’s likely we have done our job opening up this topic for conversations at your next Doctor’s appointment and for us to chat.
With that we hope you agree?
More than 3 percent of U.S. adults are vegetarians, according to a study, “Vegetarianism in America,” by Vegetarian Times. Another 10 percent of adults say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet, while over 5 percent say they are “definitely interested” in following a vegetarian diet in the future.
Vegetarians and vegans may live up to 10 years longer than meat-eaters, according to some experts. Others dispel this as a myth.
Repeat after us: All fat is not my enemy — and many fats are actually my friend.
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And while heart disease is a widely known illness — and the leading cause of death in the United States — there are actually several different “types of heart disease” that fall under the classification of heart disease.
Heart disease, often referred to as cardiovascular disease, is defined as any condition that affects your heart. It is the number one worldwide killer of both men and women and takes approximately 2,500 American lives each day.
Probably the number one disease feared most by my patients over age 50 is Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is now the third leading cause of death in the United States following heart disease and cancer.
There are approximately 5.2 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and it has been estimated that as many as 45 million of the 318 million Americans now living can develop Alzheimer’s disease during their lifetime if no prevention is instituted.
The major reason my patients have fear of Alzheimer’s disease is there has been no treatment and no cure for it over these last many years. There are currently a few drugs for this condition but I have never seen these drugs be of significant benefit. In fact until recently there was very little objective testing that could determne that was the correct diagnosis for a patient. Now with special contrast MRI’s and certain findings in spinal taps, along with cognitive testing, a definite diagnosis can usually be made.
This is very unlike cancer and heart disease for which we have lots of tools to diagnose, and to treat both these conditions. It is also of note that most patients with cancer or heart disease are on several medicines and are asked to implement lifestyle changes in order to help their disease. So I wonder why the drug companies think they can find one “magic bullet” to reverse Alzheimer’s disease?
Because so many my patients over 50 are complaining of mild memory problems it stirred me to do more research into what could be done to prevent it and maybe even to reverse Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s disease?
I am delighted to tell you that my research led me to a study by Dale Bredeson, MD, from UCLA that has now shown that Alzheimer’s disease can be treated and in fact in the small study that was done it was reversed in nine out of 10 patients on the treatment protocol! These nine patients got so much better that they were able to go back to work.
The amazing thing about his study is that no drugs were used. Instead careful metabolic evaluations were done and the treatments were primarily integrative medicines such as herbs, vitamins, and other nutritional supplements along with lifestyle changes, yoga classes, meditation classes and other natural therapies.
This is obviously extraordinarily exciting to me as an integrative physician for the treatment of a condition which up until now has been almost hopeless.
In his article, Dr. Bredeson himself says “That suggested that a broader-based therapeutic approach, rather than a single drug that aims at a single target, may be feasible and potentially more effective for the treatment of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s”
He went on to say “The current, anecdotal results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected, whether such an approach may be effective in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease, and last, how long improvement can be sustained.”
Dr Bredeson named his protocol for cognitive impairment the “MEND Protocol”– Metabolic Enhancement for Neurodegeneration.
After reading these articles I was extremely excited to begin addressing these issues in my office with patients who were experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or early Alzheimer’s disease.
Because there are so many variables involved in the metabolic evaluation that was done in Bredeson’s studies, it would involve a lot of testing initially and I was going to organize a team of people in my office to help in the evaluations. This would not only be extensive but could be expensive.
In researching the MEND protocol further I discovered a relatively new company called MUSE laboratories.
MUSE laboratories allow me as a physician to collect blood tests and other tests including metabolic and genetic testing, MRIs of the brain, and cognitive testing and send it to MUSE lab for computerized evaluation on the primary metabolic and other imbalances in that given patient.
They then send me back a series of recommendations for not only lifestyle and diet but also nutritional supplements including doses, which as a physican I can implement with my patient.
The patient can also sign up for the MUSE laboratory protocol support system, where for four months they talk to a health coach on a weekly basis, to make sure they are implementing all the changes that have been recommended. That helps me to supervise and direct the treatment without having a whole team dedicated to give weekly support to patients for whom all of will be a very new approach to improving their health.
Dr. Bredeson’s research that has shown Alzheimer’s disease is not just really a single disease but consists of at least three distinct subtypes. These subtypes are directly addressed in the MUSE protocol. You can read more about it in this article.
In summary, Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is no longer the one-way street that it has been for so long. Now with Metabolic Enhancement and evaluation and the use of integrative therapy techniques this condition can actually be reversed! This brings great hope to the patients and families of older people with Cognitive Issues
I’m so excited to share this information with all my readers and patients.
I’m looking forward to implementing the MEND protocol in my own practice immediately.
By way of reminder, I wanted to let you know again about the big online webinar that starts on Today Monday July 25, that I announced in last week’s newsletter.
Every day for a week, new thought leaders in the field of Alzheimer’s will be interviewed about their recommendations and their research findings. This entire webinar is free for you to listen to, or for you to buy and download for listening at your leisure. I’m delighted to say that Dr. Bredeson will be one of the people interviewed, as well as my longtime friend Dharma Khalsa,MD, who will speak on the value of a specific yogic meditation that his research has shownn to be helpful with Alzheimer’s disease.
I look forward to staying in touch with all of you about these very exciting developments in the treatment and reversal of the disease that has long been considered untreatable.
Dr Soram
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Alzheimer’s disease consists of three distinct subtypes, according to UCLA study
Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program
Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease
Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s reversed for first time
