Selenium is an essential mineral and a powerful antioxidant. Your body needs it to:
Men should be especially concerned about getting enough selenium. It’s the prostate’s best defense against cancer.
Two studies – one an eight-year clinical trial – found that supplementing with selenium led to a 50 percent drop in the risk of (more…)
The biggest breakthrough in anti-aging medicine in our lifetime involves telomere biology.
Each time your cells divide, they copy your DNA to make the new cell. But the telomeres – the sections of DNA at both ends of a chromosome – get shorter with every copy. And the shorter your telomeres are, the “older” the cell acts.
Once the telomeres get to their shortest length, your cells can no longer divide, and damaged or diseased cells aren’t replaced. This causes a chain reaction that weakens your tissues and organs. And that can only lead to disease… and, ultimately, death.
Fortunately, there are some ways to start to slow down the rate at which your telomeres are shortening right now…
1. Lower your homocysteine levels. According to a report in the journal Atherosclerosis,high levels of this amino acid can shorten your telomeres as much as 3 times faster.
I help my patients lower their homocysteine levels by having them supplement daily with the following:
You can find these supplements at your local health food store. If you don’t want to take them all separately, you can use the same formula I give my patients.
2. Take vitamin C. This inexpensive supplement is a powerful antioxidant. And recent studies – including one reported in the journal Life Sciences - show it can slow telomere shortening by over 50 percent. I recommend 2,000 mg per day to my patients.
3. Take SOD. Besides protecting your cells from the damage of toxins and stress, SOD (superoxide dismutase) has been shown to slow the rate of telomere shortening. I recommend 500 mg a day. You can find it at your local health food store. Or you can check out my formula, which contains SOD as well as other potent cell protectors.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure. He is also a nutritional expert, a fitness expert, and is certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Find Dr. Sears's practical solutions and get immediate access to more than 500 of his articles by visiting www.alsearsmd.com.
For more expert recommendations on how to feel better and live longer, check out ETR's FREE natural health newsletter.]
By Don Hauptman
Here’s another compilation of errors, all spotted during my routine reading of various print publications:
Note that the above are most likely not simple typos but rather what I call “errors of ignorance” – mistakes that neither the writers nor their editors caught.
[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]
Feel a cold coming on? You may want to stay away from the pharmacy.
Over-the-counter drugs only relieve symptoms. They don’t get rid of the viral infection causing them.
Instead of relying on over-the-counter drugs, keep yourself from getting sick in the first place. A lot of people think there is nothing you can do to stave off the common cold. But in my practice, we’ve proven that’s not true. You can, for example:
• Take vitamin C. You should take 500 mg a day of this potent antioxidant consistently. If you feel a cold coming on, increase that to 1,000 mg. This old standby really is one of your body’s best immune defenses – if you take enough. The recommended daily allowance of 60 mg a day will do nothing.
• Use Echinacea, an herb that Native Americans have been using for centuries. While it’s a strong immune booster, it’s best not to take it regularly. Drink one to two cups of Echinacea tea a day during cold and flu season. You can also take Echinacea capsules, 500 mg a day – but I prefer the tea.
• Try Goldenseal, another Native American plant. This is a strong bacterial fighter, including the bacteria that cause strep throat. You can find powdered Goldenseal in capsule form at most health food stores. Gargle a solution of Goldenseal and water at the first sign of a sore throat. Use 100 mg three times a day.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure. He is also a nutritional expert, a fitness expert, and is certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Find Dr. Sears's practical solutions and get immediate access to more than 500 of his articles by visiting www.alsearsmd.com.
For more expert recommendations on how to feel better and live longer, check out ETR's FREE natural health newsletter.]
You’ve read and heard about many reports on the “risks” of taking vitamin E. But in a recent issue of his newsletter Health Confidential for Men, Dr. Sears sets the record straight. “There’s not enough space here for me to show you all the studies proving vitamin E is safe and has significant protective benefits,” he writes, “But here are just a few of the proven benefits.” He then lists the following:
1. Vitamin E prevents heart disease.
2. Vitamin E prevents death from all causes – especially heart disease.
3. Vitamin E slows down Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Vitamin E reduces the risk of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration.
5. Vitamin E has benefits for diabetics.
6. Vitamin E lowers the rates of prostate, breast, colon, and cervical cancers.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure. ETRhealthconcerns He is also a nutritional expert, a fitness expert and board certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Find Dr. Sears' practical solutions and get immediate access to more than 500 of his articles by visiting www.alsearsmd.com.
For more expert recommendations on how to feel better and live longer, check out ETR's FREE natural health newsletter.]
Some people think Senator Kennedy’s cellphone caused it.
He was diagnosed last year with a malignant “glioma,” a kind of brain cancer specifically considered a risk for cellphone users.
Should you be worried?
The truth is, cellphones have not been around long enough to give us the kind of long-term studies we really need to know for sure.
And the research is conflicting. Some studies show no increased risk. So I’m not ready to tell my readers and patients that cellphones definitely cause cancer. The FDA says, “The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones.” But they then add, “There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe.”
Some of the most up-to-date research suggests that there is some cause for concern. Here’s what I know:
• Researchers in Israel found last year that people who used cellphones heavily experienced a 58 percent increase in “parotid tumors” – a cancer of the saliva gland near the ear.
• Another study last year, this one out of Sweden, concluded that cellphone users are 10 times more likely to develop benign cancers of the ear and brain.
• Several animal studies have found that the kind of radiation cellphones use can damage DNA in brain cells. Damaged DNA is one of the things that can turn healthy cells into cancer cells.
Cellphones use microwaves called “radio frequency radiation” (RF) to transmit signals. Their antennae emit most of the RF, and since you’re holding the phone right next to your ear most of the time, a lot of it penetrates the brain – as much as 60 percent, according to some studies.
Depending on the size of your head and the amount of radiation coming from the specific type of phone you use, you may be literally “cooking” your brain. RF energy can potentially cause the temperature of your brain tissue to rise slightly.
To protect yourself from any potential risk from cellphone RF, here are a few guidelines:
• Keep cellphone calls short.
• Go with a “hands-free” headset or a speakerphone. These keep the cellphone from direct contact with your head.
• Don’t carry your cellphone in your chest or hip pocket. Even when in “standby” mode, cellphones continue to emit radiation, exposing whichever part of your body is closest.
• When using a hands-free headset, let the wire extend fully between your head and the phone. This distributes RF in small amounts along the length of your body rather than concentrating it in any one location.
• Look for a phone with “voice-activated” features. These enable you to place calls and perform other commands without having to hold the phone close to your head.
• Use a standard “land line” whenever possible.
• Find out the level of RF emissions for your cellphone. If the level is high, replace the phone.
Cellphones come with emissions ratings known as “SARs” (specific absorption rates). These range from 0.5 to 1.6 W/kg (watts of power absorbed per kilogram of body tissue). Avoid any cellphone that falls within range of that upper limit.
The FDA provides SAR ratings for most kinds of cellphones and other wireless devices online. You’ll need to locate your cellphone’s FCC ID number, which is usually located somewhere on the case of the phone or in the battery compartment.
Meanwhile, my Wellness Research team’s tracked down the SAR ratings for some commonly used cellphones:
Make/model |
sar rating |
| Alcatel OT-256 | 0.59 |
| Apple iPhone | 0.974 |
| Blackberry 8100 Pearl | 1.52 |
| Kyocera KX1 (SoHo) | 0.99 |
| LG Prada | 1.29 |
| Nokia 2300 | 1.27 |
| Nokia 2650 | 0.54 |
| Palm Treo 600 | 1.43 |
| Palm Treo 650 CDMA | 1.5 |
| Samsung PM-A840 | 1.29 |
| Samsung SPH-A900 | 0.92 |
| Sanyo M1 | 1.22 |
| Sanyo SCP-5400 | 1.16 |
| Sharp GX20 | 0.7 |
| Sony Ericsson A1228C | 1.34 |
| Sony Ericsson K600i | 0.5 |
| Sprint PM 8912 | 1.27 |
| T-Mobile Dash | 1.34 |
Don’t wait for proof positive that cellphone use can harm you. Using my guidelines, take steps right now to protect yourself.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure. He is also a nutrition expert, a fitness expert, and is board certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Find Dr. Sears's practical solutions and get immediate access to more than 500 of his articles by visiting http://www.alsearsmd.com/ETR/
For more on the latest health breakthroughs - plus healthy recipes, easy exercise routines, and more - check out ETR's free natural health newsletter.]
If you do a lot of traveling for business, you’ve probably already discovered melatonin. It eases jet lag and lets you get some precious sleep in those cramped airplane seats. But nature’s sleep regulator holds another little-known secret: It can reverse the effects of aging.
Melatonin holds not one but nearly half a dozen age-fighters. They can help you look and feel younger longer. And this hormone can protect your cells against deadly diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Today, I’m going to tell you how you can add melatonin safely and easily to your anti-aging program, and why you should.
Boost Your Physique, Energy, and Sexual Performance With This Anti-Aging Supplement
Your body produces melatonin naturally. It’s the main hormone made by your pineal gland. This is a tiny, pea-sized gland at the base of your brain. One of the most important jobs this gland has is regulating your sleep cycle. It works like this: The pineal gland monitors changing light levels throughout the day, and when darkness falls it excretes melatonin to bring on sleep.
For decades, travelers have used melatonin to ease the transition between time zones with great success. But melatonin has other, more important, health-enhancing secrets.
Melatonin is one of the best-studied and most effective anti-aging nutrients available today. Surprised? Don’t be. For one thing, it is one of the only oral supplements that stimulates your body’s release of human growth hormone (HGH). This is the hormone that keeps you young.
In your youth, your body produces lots of HGH. But production slows down as you age. When you reverse this decline, you reverse aging. In fact, studies reported in Grow Young with HGH show that improving HGH levels heightens energy, sexual performance, muscle gain, fat loss, and skin appearance.
And melatonin works well to increase HGH levels even at small oral doses. What’s more, when you double the dose, HGH levels double. No wonder melatonin increases lifespan in study after study.
Bring Your Dying Cells Back to Life
Melatonin is also one of the most potent antioxidants ever discovered. It destroys disease-causing molecules called free radicals at an incredible pace. And it does something most other antioxidants can’t: It stimulates extra antioxidant enzymes that can protect against everything from wrinkles to illness.
One thing that causes aging and the diseases of aging is the death of cells. Your cells depend on their energy powerhouses called mitochondria. If the mitochondria are damaged, you fall victim to conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, even cancer. Protect the mitochondria from damage and you keep millions more cells alive. That means you’ll stay healthy and more youthful.
Melatonin is also quickly gaining a reputation as a cancer killer. In fact, it works so well at blocking tumors that doctors are already using it to treat cancer. And the results are promising. Melatonin enhances the effectiveness of other cancer treatments, reduces side effects of those treatments, and increases survival rates.
Melatonin may do more than just protect your body from aging. Studies show it may actually reverse aging where it matters most: your brain. (After all, what good is a younger looking body if you’re not "all there" to enjoy it?) Studies reported in the journal Neurobiology of Aging have shown that melatonin can reverse aging in the brain tissues of mice. Obviously, that’s not the same thing as reversing brain aging in people. But with all its other benefits, there’s no reason not to try melatonin. And if it helps keep your brain young in the process, so much the better.
Melatonin Helps Stop the Midnight Urge to "Get Up and Go"
Like human growth hormone, natural melatonin levels fall sharply as you age. To give you an idea of how low they get, take a look at this chart:
It’s a drop you can feel. For example, one of the most common complaints I hear from my older patients is that they’re not sleeping as well as they used to. This is often caused by a deficiency of melatonin.
And, as a side benefit, just a couple of milligrams will work wonders for men suffering from prostate trouble. Benign prostatic hyperplasia sufferers find they don’t have to get up and go as often at night when they’re taking melatonin.
Putting Melatonin to Work for You
If you’re over 50, you should think about supplementing with melatonin. There has been no evidence to tarnish its perfect safety record.
I recommend a small anti-aging dose of 0.5 mg at night. For jet lag, take 1 mg for every time zone crossed.
If you have cancer, I recommend a much higher "antioxidant dose" of 20 to 40 mg every night before bed. Of course, be sure to discuss this with your doctor first.
You can find melatonin in most health food stores and vitamin shops. It comes in tablet, liquid, and spray form.
[Ed. Note: It is entirely possible to get a full, restful night's sleep without worrying about scary side effects from sleep aids. Dr. Al Sears - who has been working with sleep disorders for years - has come up with a quick, easy, and natural way for you sleep soundly each night. Sleep better than you have in years.
Sleeping well is one key to staying healthy. In fact, you can improve your health just by making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. Learn how to feel better and live longer right here.]
There’s a new anti-aging discovery you’ll want to know about…
Research – published in Nature – has uncovered a gene that can increase lifespan in laboratory animals by as much as 100 percent. Why should you care about genes in fruit flies, worms, and rats? Well, for starters, we humans carry the same gene. And we are discovering that natural substances found in certain foods have the power to activate it.
Scientists found evidence of this "longevity gene" about 20 years ago. Turns out that if you starve mice, giving them a diet with one-third fewer calories than they would like to eat, their lifespan increases by about 30 percent. Later studies revealed that this effect wasn’t limited to mice: Calorie-restricted diets produced similar results in many life forms, from single-celled organisms to plants and mammals.
Very recently, scientists found an explanation for this mysterious phenomenon: a family of genes called sirtuins ("silent information regulator proteins"). Sirtuins kick in under conditions of severe stress, bringing about an evolutionarily advantageous transformation. They transmit signals to every cell in your body, and the processes that lead to cell death slow to a crawl, buying your body more time to wait out the famine until things improve.
Most people think of genetics as written in stone. You have the genes you inherited, and that’s it. The discovery of sirtuins pointed to another amazing fact: Certain genes can be awakened and called upon to change your body in the course of your lifetime.
You’re probably saying to yourself, "Do I have to starve myself to live longer?" Good point. The problem of how to "wake up" sleeping sirtuin genes had scientists stumped for years. They had to find some other way to flip the aging "off switch."
Benefts of Resveratrol
That’s where certain foods come in… because the natural compound resveratrol has been found to unleash the anti-aging power of sirtuins. Grapes, plums, blueberries, and cranberries contain resveratrol in the highest concentrations. Many other plants produce smaller amounts.
Resveratrol’s power to enhance your life goes beyond anti-aging. Years of research have shown that it combats cancer, ramps up energy levels, limits the inflammation that causes arthritis, and benefits a number of major organs, including the heart, liver, and pancreas. It also has the remarkable capacity to halt cell "malfunctions" that can be lethal, like tumor generation.
As if that weren’t enough, resveratrol acts as a potent antioxidant, binding with "free radicals," the molecules that cause cell damage and lead to death over time.
The list of resveratrol’s many health benefits is long indeed. Let’s start with the heart.
I’ve been studying ways to boost heart health for 30 years, and resveratrol is one of the most powerful substances I have come across.
There are actually two kinds of resveratrol, "cis-resveratrol" and "trans-resveratrol." It’s the second kind that appears to be the most beneficial.
One way it protects your heart is by preventing blood clots, a major cause of heart attack, particularly in older folks. In one study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine, researchers gave healthy male subjects a blood-clotting factor along with high doses of trans-resveratrol. They found that trans-resveratrol prevented their blood platelets from sticking together. Not only does this help your heart – it also prevents strokes.
Another way it powers your heart involves a miraculous capability called "angio-genesis," a fancy term for blood vessel growth. Trans-resveratrol acts a bit like bypass surgery by creating new blood vessels to deliver more oxygen to your heart when it’s not getting enough.
Finally, trans-resveratrol drives down levels of bad fats called triglycerides. These are the fatty acids that clog your arteries. Scientists have been able to lower triglyceride levels as much as 15 percent in pre-menopausal women by using concentrated grape powder.
Resveratrol is a major weapon in the battle against cancer – in both men and women.
Someday, doctors may turn to resveratrol instead of drugs or surgery as a first-line defense and treatment for prostate cancer. In mice, it’s been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk as much as 87 percent. And in those that had already developed prostate cancer, resveratrol slowed tumor growth by up to 49 percent.
For women, resveratrol may prove just as powerful in the fight against breast cancer. Another study on mice found that it slowed tumor growth and killed off cancer cells and the blood vessels they need to grow.
Resveratrol is truly amazing. It acts just like chemotherapy in mice, but naturally and without any of the horrific side effects. And while it stimulates blood vessel growth to benefit the heart, it kills the blood vessels that feed tumors. When it comes to preventing cancer and heart disease, it’s your guardian angel.
Plants use resveratrol to protect themselves from the harmful effects of too much sun. It may be able to do the same thing for humans. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin looked at resveratrol’s effects on skin tumor development in mice caused by harmful UVB rays. They used it just like a lotion, applying it to the skin twice weekly for 28 weeks. Not only did it prevent skin cancer; it also slowed tumor growth significantly.
Adding icing to the cake, the same study confirmed resveratrol’s power to enhance overall health and vitality: It boosted the immune system, protected the nervous system, and optimized liver, muscle, and fat cell function. It also prevented diabetes and obesity by lowering insulin resistance, the main cause of Type II diabetes.
Resveratrol may also turn out to be what spinach was for Popeye. In one study, it turned mice into Mighty Mice, granting them extraordinary strength and stamina. Once fed resveratrol, they ramped up their aerobic capacity, lengthened their running time, and burned more oxygen. Researchers also noticed that resveratrol enhanced their muscles’ ability to turn fuel into energy.
Resveratrol taps into your body’s natural, life-giving force, unleashing vitality, energy, strength, and stamina. It can literally add years to your life.
The problem is how to get enough of it.
Nearly all the experiments I mentioned used quantities of resveratrol well beyond what you’d be able to get from drinking a lot of wine or eating plums all day. So this is a case where supplements may be a better option. They’re inexpensive and safe. You can find them in health food stores or online. I recommend taking about 20 mg per day.
[Ed Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of PACE: Rediscover Your Native Fitness, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, nutrition, and heart health. Find Dr. Sears' practical solutions and get immediate access to more than 450 of his articles by visiting: www.alsearsmd.com.]
The mineral magnesium is gaining a reputation as a simple and easy way to lower your insulin – exactly what you need to lose fat fast.
If you’re a regular ETR reader, you know that insulin signals your body to make and store fat. Magnesium plays a prime role in keeping both blood sugar and insulin in check.
It’s been estimated that our lean, muscular hunter ancestors got over 1,000 mg of magnesium from their native diet every day. On the average American diet, you’re getting less than 20 percent of that… if you’re lucky.
Restoring your magnesium levels to those of your caveman ancestors will take you a step closer to your real native diet – the kind you were designed to eat. It will also take you a step toward dropping fat and staying lean.
You can add magnesium to your diet by eating nuts, seeds, dairy products, and dark green, leafy vegetables.
|
Your Best Sources of Magnesium |
||
|
Food Choice |
Milligrams (mg) |
%DV* |
| Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces |
90 |
20 |
| Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce |
80 |
20 |
| Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce |
75 |
20 |
| Spinach, frozen, cooked, 1/2 cup |
75 |
20 |
| Nuts, mixed, dry roasted, 1 ounce |
65 |
15 |
| Yogurt, plain, skim milk, 8 fluid ounces |
45 |
10 |
*The recommended daily value for magnesium is 400 milligrams (mg)
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Contrary to what you may have heard about salt, fewer than 20 percent of people with high blood pressure improve on a low-salt diet. The real problem with salt isn’t salt at all… it’s a lack of potassium.
Your body needs real salt, straight from the earth, and is well-equipped to handle it. But commercial salt producers remove all the good minerals (for sale to industry) and add several harmful chemicals (to bleach the salt white and keep it from caking).
Potassium neutralizes the negative effect of too much sodium. It also lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke. But we just don’t get enough potassium in our diets. The media loves to scare you into thinking that too much salt will cause all sorts of health problems – but the right amount of potassium keeps everything in check.
So where do you find potassium?
Despite what banana growers want you to think, bananas are not the best source. A typical banana gives you just 490 mg of potassium. You’d have to eat 10 bananas to get the 5,000 mg a day I recommend. And when you figure in the glycemic index (GI) of bananas, eating 10 a day would make you put on fat. Instead, try an avocado, which will give you 1,483 mg of potassium with a much lower GI. But your best source of this mineral is nuts. They are quite high in potassium and have a glycemic index of zero.
Learn more about potassium-rich foods, including their actual potassium content.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure and 12 Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Did you know that you can actually live longer by restricting calories? In numerous studies, cutting calories by 40 percent increased the lifespan of laboratory animals (ranging from mice to geese) by as much as 50 percent. And a 15-year study of monkeys found that a restricted-calorie diet lengthened their lives by 30 percent.
When you eat less, you get a number of anti-aging benefits:
Cutting calories is not as hard as you think. You can, for example, substitute a protein shake for your regular morning meal. Protein powders that feature whey protein isolate are the best. You’ll have the sensation of being full without the metabolic stress on your body.
When you bulk up on protein, you throw "metabolic switches" in your body that lessen hunger and start burning fat. This is a genetic throwback to our caveman days when lots of protein meant "times are good." When your body isn’t worried about starvation, it burns off all its fat stores. (Why do you need stored body fat if you are likely to eat well again tomorrow?)
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure,, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
You’ve probably heard that red wine has health benefits. You may even know about research linking those benefits to the powerful antioxidant called resveratrol. One study has found that resveratrol lengthened the lives of mice by 30 percent.
I’ve recently uncovered more evidence that this antioxidant may be the most versatile and powerful anti-aging supplement (with the exception of CoQ10) you can take. The newest round of studies, from the Institute of Genetics, Molecular, and Cellular Biology, found that resveratrol helped mice run twice as far during exercise. It super-charged their muscles, reduced their heart rates, and gave them a boost in endurance comparable to the boost humans achieve through athletic training.
A study of men and women from Finland showed that resveratrol is likely to operate the same way in humans. And one of the lead researchers from a French study, Johan Auwerx, said, "Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training."
What’s more, resveratrol protected mice from gaining weight and developing the symptoms of diabetes and obesity. Other benefits included a heightened sensitivity to insulin (a sensitivity which declines with age). When you reverse this decline in insulin sensitivity, you have not only reduced the effects of aging, you’ve also helped maintain your ideal weight and avoid diabetes.
Aside from red wine, good sources of resveratrol are blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, and red grapes.
You can take resveratrol in supplement form as well, which you can find in most health food stores. I recommend a dose ranging from 20 mg to 50 mg daily.
[Ed. Note: For more of Dr. Sears' anti-aging suggestions, click here for his free report.]
High blood pressure – the "silent killer" – strikes without warning. And at least 20 percent of Americans with this condition don’t even know they have it.
Once patients are diagnosed with high blood pressure, U.S. doctors are the most aggressive in the world at treating it, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They prescribe drugs earlier than doctors in other countries and are the quickest to prescribe more than one drug at a time. A remarkable 64 percent of American patients are on two or more blood-pressure drugs. And those medications have side effects, including:
Most patients don’t need dangerous drugs. One of the most powerful ways to combat this epidemic is completely natural and without serious side effects. I’m talking about taking CoQ10.
My Wellness Research Foundation found that a vast majority of people with high blood pressure have very low levels of CoQ10. So I’ve used this supplement to wean hundreds of patients off drugs. Treated with 200 mg of CoQ10 daily, their blood pressure returned to normal.
Here are two other natural supplements to help you lower your blood pressure:
Garlic naturally widens your blood vessels and lowers your systolic pressure (the top number) by 20 to 30 mm Hg and your diastolic pressure (the bottom number) by 10 to 20 mm Hg. A German study revealed that garlic also lowers your cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fat). Look for a supplement that contains at least 3,600 micrograms of allicin (the active ingredient in garlic) per dose.
Vitamin C is another proven way to lower your blood pressure. One 10-year study showed that the lower your levels of vitamin C, the higher your blood pressure and risk of stroke. Another study found that taking as little as 250 mg a day cut the risk of high blood pressure by almost half – and it’s very safe to take much more. I usually recommend starting with 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Whenever you indulge in high-carb meals – as most of us do during the holiday season – here’s a tip to help keep your blood sugar in check … and boost your heart health too. Simply eat some almonds at the same time.
A recent article in the Journal of Nutrition found that almonds have the remarkable ability to balance your blood sugar after eating high-carb foods. Just one serving of almonds can prevent the blood sugar spikes associated with high-glycemic foods like bread, cake, pasta, and grains. (These spikes lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.)
Almonds also have a dramatic effect on your heart. They act as antioxidants and neutralize the free radicals released by high-carb, high-sugar foods. Not only do they fight diabetes and heart disease, they’re a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a wealth of other critical nutrients (including vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, potassium, calcium, and iron).
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure and 12 Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
The other day, one of my elderly patients said something curious: “Dr. Sears, my brain must be getting smaller – I just can’t remember things like I used to.” You should have seen the look on her face when I told her that she was right. Your brain actually does shrink as you get older!
The shrinking starts in adulthood and continues at an average rate of two percent per decade. That doesn’t sound like much – but by the time you’re 80, your brain will be 12 percent smaller than it was at 20. As you might imagine, that can cause all sorts of problems, including memory loss. But there are two supplements that can help you maintain your mental edge – even as you get older.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) is an exceptional brain supplement. ALC provides a range of brain protection, improving mood and memory. It protects the brain from damage due to poor circulation and helps repair injured nerve cells so they can function normally again. ALC also increases the release of the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Researchers have found that ALC protects brain cells from damage even when blood flow is temporarily blocked. And it keeps the cell energy going even when there is little or no blood flow for short amounts of time.
Vitamin B12 is another brain booster that plays a role in creating and maintaining the protective coating (myelin) around neurons. Not only does myelin protect the neurons, it also helps conduct messages to the brain. As vitamin B-12 levels drop, myelin’s effectiveness plummets. B-12 also lowers levels of homocysteine in the body. (Homocysteine is a toxic byproduct that destroys neurons and contributes to mental disorders. It is often seen in people with B-12 deficiencies.)
Both of these supplements are easy to take and available at your local nutrition store or on the Internet. I recommend taking 250 mg of ALC and 500 mcg of vitamin B-12 daily.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health. Learn more of his anti-aging secrets here.]
Last week, a patient asked me a question I hear all the time. Maybe you’re struggling with the same problem. "Dr. Sears," he said, "I love to eat snack food – especially when I’m reading or watching TV. Is there anything better than chips?"
Well, just about anything would be better than potato chips. But if you’re looking for a healthy snack, walnuts can’t be beat. Walnuts are full of heart-healthy nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants. They’re also a great source of omega-3s. Best of all, they score a perfect zero on the glycemic index, meaning you can eat as many as you like and never get fat.
You already know that omega-3 fats are important for good health. Well, walnuts have a particular kind of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic-acid (ALA). ALA naturally lowers your overall cholesterol, your LDL (bad cholesterol), and your blood pressure. ALA is also an anti-inflammatory, which can reduce joint pain and help prevent heart disease. And walnuts have more ALA than any other nut.
Walnuts are high in antioxidants, too – and they have a flavonoid called ellagic acid. This powerful nutrient (also found in several types of berries) inhibits the growth of cancer cells. If that’s not enough for you, walnuts are very high in arginine. Arginine helps make more nitric oxide (NO), which helps your blood vessels dilate and, thus, increases blood flow. This is great for your heart … and for the bedroom. (That’s the basic idea behind Viagra.)
Next time you’re in the grocery store, skip the chips and pick up some walnuts. Enjoy your snack time without the guilt – or the extra pounds.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure and 12 Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
You may have heard that Japan has the highest percentage of centenarians (people aged 100 or above) of any country in the world. Japan’s Health Ministry just released the latest figures, and there are more than 28,000 centenarians living there today. More than double the number here in the U.S. There are probably many reasons (including a diet high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids), but I find it intriguing that 80 percent of them drink green tea every day.
You’ve read about the healthful properties of green tea many times in ETR. (See Messages #1719, #1745, and #1796.) For one thing, it’s high in polyphenols. These antioxidants help protect your cells from the "fire" of daily metabolism.
A new study of more than 40,000 Japanese men and women indicated that those who drink a lot of green tea do live longer. The research also revealed that green tea may protect against heart disease. And the more you drink, the better. Those who drank five or more cups a day had rates of heart disease 16 percent lower than those who drank only one cup a day – and their rates of death were 26 percent lower.
I usually prefer tea made from the whole herb – but if you don’t like to drink it, green tea extract is available at most health food stores. I recommend 500 mg to 700 mg daily. (Check the label before you buy to make sure it has the antioxidant EGCG, which is 25 to 100 times more powerful than vitamins E and C.) But remember … green tea has a moderate amount of caffeine.
(Source: Reuters)
[Ed. Note: There's a list of Dr. Sears' preferred antioxidants - and how to use them - in his book The Doctor's Heart Cure.]
Yesterday, I told you why men should be concerned when their testosterone levels begin to decline. Here’s another reason: Low levels of testosterone can cause depression.
If you are a man and you are depressed, one therapy outperforms all the rest: natural testosterone. It works faster and better than antidepressant drugs. And if used appropriately, it lacks the side effects – like impotence and weakness – of those drugs. On top of that, testosterone improves potency and strength.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology and Metabolism concluded that depression in men aged 50 to 89 rose in direct correlation to a fall in testosterone. And in a recent Harvard study, doctors found that about 40 percent of the depressed men they interviewed had low testosterone levels. (Even the researchers were surprised by the results.) Sixty percent of those who used testosterone to treat their depression showed an improvement. This rate beats that of every antidepressant drug.
If you are feeling moody, sad, or irritable, it is important to have your testosterone levels checked. Once you know your levels, you can implement a plan to raise them and feel better.
I’ve been restoring testosterone in my male patients for years – and I have seen some dramatic changes. I use several methods, including testosterone gels, injections, and precursor supplements (which help the body make its own testosterone).
These treatments need a doctor’s prescription, but you can get the ball rolling by taking the herbal supplement I mentioned yesterday.
[Ed. Note: You can find more natural ways to increase testosterone levels in Dr. Sears' book, 12 Secrets to Virility.]
You probably know that Enron CEO Ken Lay’s life was cut short by a heart attack. His doctors knew he had heart disease. In fact, he had suffered several heart attacks before the one that killed him … and he’d been taking statin drugs to lower his cholesterol for years.
Statin drugs work by blocking the body’s production of cholesterol. This lowers total cholesterol – not just "bad" LDL cholesterol but also "good" HDL cholesterol. And to avoid developing heart disease – even to reverse damage that’s already been done – HDL is key.
HDL can reduce your risk of heart disease regardless of your LDL levels. The Framingham study (the most reliable and unbiased source of data for heart disease risk) shows that if your HDL is high enough, your LDL will have no negative impact on your heart health. In fact, if your HDL is above 85, you are at no greater risk of heart disease if your total cholesterol is 350 than if it’s 150.
Here are four natural ways to increase your HDL:
[Ed. Note: For more advice on boosting your HDL and reversing heart disease, get a copy of Dr. Sears' book, The Doctor's Heart Cure.]
The average life expectancy in the U.S. today is 76 years. Depending on your lifestyle, you may go well beyond that. Here’s a little test to give you an estimate of your expected lifespan. You start with the number 76, and add or subtract from that average.
Exercise: Do you exercise vigorously at least three times a week? If you do, add 3 years to 76. If not, subtract 3 years.
Diet: Do you avoid bad fats and processed foods and, instead, choose lots of omega-3-rich fish and grass-fed beef? If so, add 2 years.
Weight: Are you at a healthy weight? If you’re overweight by 50 pounds or more, subtract 8 years. Thirty to 40 pounds, subtract 4. Ten to 29 pounds, subtract 2.
Blood Pressure: If you know your blood pressure, add 1 year.
Drinking: Do you have more than two alcoholic drinks (cocktails, beer, or wine) a day? If you do, subtract 1 year. And for each additional daily drink, subtract 2 more. (Remember what I said yesterday: One to seven drinks a week is healthy – no more.)
Smoking: If you smoke more than two packs of cigarettes a day, subtract 8 years. One to two packs a day, subtract 6. One-half to one pack, subtract 3.
Driving: Have you received a traffic ticket or been involved in a traffic accident in the past year? If so, subtract 4 years. Other violations, subtract 1. If you always wear your seatbelt, add one.
Working vs. Retiring: If you are 65 or older and are still working, add 3 years.
Relaxation: If you take a relaxed approach to life, add 3 years. If you’re aggressive, driven, or anxious, subtract 3. And if you consider yourself "unhappy," subtract another year.
Gender: Since women tend to live longer than men, add 3 years if you’re a woman. If you’re a man, subtract 3.
Age: How long you’ve already lived matters. If you’re between the ages of 30 and 39, add 2 years. Forty to 49, add 3. Fifty to 69, add 4. Seventy or older, add 5.
Family History: If any grandparent reached age 85, add 2 years. If all your grandparents reached age 80, add 6. If one of your parents died of a stroke or heart attack before the age of 50, subtract 4.
Based on the above categories, determine what you need to work on. Do you need to exercise more? Eat better? Lose weight? Just because your father died from a heart attack doesn’t mean that is your destiny. You have information he may not have had. Look at the diseases that run in your family and work to lower your risk factors. You can start – today – to improve your longevity by making positive changes.
(Resource: The Longevity Game, by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company)
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure and 12 Secrets to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health. For more advice on how to stay active and mobile - far into old age - pick up your free copy of Youth Secrets.]
Yesterday, you read how the glycemic index can surprise you. Some foods that are touted as "healthy" – like some cereals – can be worse for you than candy bars. That’s because the glycemic index measures the blood sugar produced by different foods, and some cereals produce much more blood sugar than some candy bars.
Today, I have an even bigger surprise. Nearly everyone reporting on this important measurement has misinterpreted it, introduced bias, come to a wrong conclusion, and ignored the real lesson.
How can that happen? "Glycemic" means "sweet" – and the glycemic index can’t seem to shake this association with sweetness. Yet real data show very little connection between the sweetness of a food and its glycemic index. Some of the sweetest foods have a very low glycemic index – cherries, for instance, measure 22. Potatoes and cornbread are not sweet but top the index at 100, because starchy foods release much more sugar into your blood.
So the glycemic index is not about sweetness but starchiness. Still, you can hardly read about the glycemic index without running up against the advice to "eat low-glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains." Even the USDA’s new Food Pyramid makes this nonsensical recommendation. (Have you ever seen a non-starchy grain?)
So forget the misinterpretation and bad advice. If you choose naturally occurring foods, you can indulge your sweet tooth. The most reliable way to lose fat is to eat foods with a glycemic index below 40 until you achieve your desired leanness. To avoid the common bias, my Wellness Research Foundation and I developed our own glycemic index for our patients. You can get your free copy here.
Tomorrow, I’ll explain how you can use fat to get lean.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]