Ben Fuchs

Ben Fuchs is a nutritional pharmacist from Colorado. He specializes in using nutritional supplements when other healthcare practitioners use toxic pharmaceutical drugs.He is the founder and formulator of Truth Treatment Systems for skin care, host of The Bright Side syndicated radio show, a member of Youngevity's Scientific Advisory Board, health expert and frequent guest on Coast to Coast am with George Noory."The human body is a healing and regenerating system, designed divinely to heal & renew itself on a moment to moment basis." "Take charge of your biochemistry through foods and supplements, rather than allow toxic prescription drugs to take charge of you." ~Ben Fuchs

May

2013

Avoiding Chinese Restaurant Syndrome

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

One of the more common misunderstandings in nutrition is the notion of food intolerances in people who are sure they are “eating well”. That’s because, unfortunately, when it comes to digestive intolerance, often foods that under ordinary circumstances would be considered healthful and wholesome can surreptitiously trigger an immune activation and subsequent symptoms. If you have an unexplained inflammatory, immune or autoimmune condition, and especially if you have digestive symptoms, even though you “eat well”, you are at risk for a food intolerance.

One of the more common food intolerances involves glutamates. The so-called Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS), which involves symptoms like chest pain, flushing and headache, is an example of a food intolerance claimed to be caused by Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). While numerous research studies have failed to prove a connection between ingestion of MSG and the symptoms that some people described as CRS, the fact remains that many allergy sufferers are intolerant to high concentrations of dietary glutamate. Grapes, wine, plums, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, and peas are examples of high glutamate-containing foods.

A second class of food components that some people may be intolerant to are the “biogenic amines”. These substances, which include histamine, tyramine and tryptamine are found in cheese, wine, sauerkraut, overripe avocadoes, raspberries and spinach among other foods. The most troubling aspect of intolerances to biogenic amines is the small amount that is required to initiate symptoms in susceptible individuals. Because they are potent and involved so many vital biological functions, a mere 100mg (roughly the amount that would fit on the head of a pin) can be enough to cause symptoms like migraine headaches, depression, low blood pressure or digestive impairment.

A third class of food substances that can cause food intolerances are the salicylates. Chemically similar to aspirin, like their pharmaceutical relative, these food-based compounds can have numerous physiologic effects. And, because there has been so much research done by aspirin manufacturers and regulatory agencies, salicylate poisoning is well-described in medical literature. Some of the more common symptoms associated with salicylate sensitivities include unexplained rashes, headaches, digestive symptoms of all kinds, depression, hyperactivity, persistent cough, and chronic fatigue.

Because plants produce these chemicals for defensive purposes, the highest concentrations of salicylates tend to be found in the surface layers of fruits and vegetables. For the same reason, as ripening occurs salicylate levels tend to drop. Coffee and tea are two beverages that may contain high levels of these problematic substances.

We all need to eat, yet introduction of foods into the body may not be as simple as it sounds. Even foods that are ordinarily considered to be healthy may induce untoward effects. The best bet if you suspect that you have symptoms that may be related to a food intolerance is to lay off specific foods and see if your symptoms subside.

Alternatively (although not as healthfully), you can eat an excessive amount of a suspected food and see if your symptoms increase. Either way, symptomology that does not seem to be related to a specific cause may be the sign of a dietary intolerance.

Just because a food is ordinarily considered healthy, that may not absolve it of potential responsibility for troublesome health issues.

May

2013

Staving Off The Gagas – Booze & Dementia

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

One of my earliest memories is of my 80-year-old grandpa belting down two shots of rock gut whiskey every morning before breakfast to stave off the “gagas”, which was his pre-Lady, non-scientific descriptor for dementia. And now science seems to be proving his point. The latest research buzz is a little bit of booze may help fight Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the news from a published report in the Journal Age and Aging, which recorded the results from a three-year study of non-Alzheimer suffering, 75-year-old subjects. Of the 3,202 people studied, it was found those who drank alcohol were 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than their tea-totaling colleagues. And it doesn’t seem like the type of alcohol drank was relevant, although all the subjects were imbibing moderately.

More than likely, the benefits attributed to indulging in the sauce have less to do with alcohol and more to do with the effects. Namely stress reduction and relaxation. This conclusion is supported by additional research released this month at the Max Plank Institute of Psychiatry in Munich where scientists found that increased production of stress hormones in rats led to the generation of Alzheimer associated proteins and ultimately memory loss.

The bottom line? Lighten up and relax. It’s good for your health. And if you like a little bit of the drink on a daily basis, don’t worry about it. If someone gives you a hard time, just tell them you’re practicing your own version of Alzheimer Reduction Therapy!

May

2013

Vitamin E Is Misunderstood

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Of the six essential vitamins (D, E, A, K, C and the B complex) perhaps none is more misunderstood and unappreciated than Vitamin E. Originally discovered as an anti-sterility factor (tocopherol is Greek for “to bear children”), today Vitamin E is known to provide support for a wide variety of biological systems.

Unfortunately, beneficial levels of this critical fat-soluble nutrient are almost impossible to get from food. The best bets for Vitamin E-containing foods are sunflower seeds, wheat germ oil and rice bran oil. The RDA for Vitamin E is around 22 IU, and according to an article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, over 93% of Americans don’t even get this minimum amount. This may be one of the main reasons that health issues associated with Vitamin E deficiency are rampant.

For example, according to Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University , numerous studies indicate that Vitamin E can slow down the production of atherosclerotic plaques, a major cause of heart disease which is a major cause of death in this country. And earlier this week, scientists at Ohio State University published research in the journal Stroke that showed that this important nutrient can protect against stroke, a medical emergency which results in oxygen starvation of brain tissue and affects 800,000 people a year.

And there’s more. According to Dr. Patrick Manning, writing in the journal Diabetes Care, “Vitamin E could have a role to play in delaying the onset of diabetes in at-risk individuals”. Diabetes and pre-diabetes currently affect almost 100 million Americans and the numbers are climbing.

Last year, researchers published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed that Vitamin E can provide relief for many of the estimated 10 million patients who suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The author of the study, Dr. Arun J. Sanyal, Chairman of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Virginia Commonwealth University said “This clearly shows that vitamin E is effective for treatment of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty infiltration of the liver). Other studies indicate that vitamin E can help lower blood cholesterol, improve post workout muscle soreness and help provide relief from inflammatory diseases like arthritis and colitis and help reduce risks of developing cancer.

Vitamin E is available in two different classes, tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are then further divided into four subclasses: alpha, beta, delta and gamma, yielding 8 different forms of the essential nutrient. While most supplements only contain alpha tocopherol, each of the eight subclasses has slightly different biological activities. Thus for maximum benefit it may be wise to supplement with both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Look for the word “mixed” on the label as in mixed tocopherols or mixed tocotrienols. This will assure your ingestion of the full range of tocopherols and tocotrienols for the broadest spectrum of Vitamin E activity. A good daily dose is 400 i.u., although like all fatty vitamins, tocopherols and tocotrienols are stored, so missing a day or two shouldn’t be a problem.

May

2013

Peanuts & Peanut Butter

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

There is no food that speaks to the American childhood experience more clearly than the peanut, the source of that quintessential piece of culinary Americana, peanut butter. Peanuts were originally cultivated in South America by Peruvian Indians who are considered to be the first indigenous groups to domesticate the legume and archaeologists have traced the original specimens to around 5000 BC. From South America the Spanish brought the humble bean to Europe and to their colonies and outposts in what is today the south eastern part of the United States.

Peanuts really caught on during the civil war because they considered to be good, cheap protein. Farmers in the South had pretty much depleted their land of vital nutrients over farming cotton the lowly peanut had come to the rescue as an alternative crop. During and after the civil they ended up in the Northern states where they were sold, freshly roasted by street vendors in NYC and Boston and Philadelphia and a new American love affair was born.

Farming peanuts was a limited and labor intensive affair until the industrial revolution began to change agriculture around the turn of the 20th century. Right around that time George Washington Carver was developing all kinds of stuff from the peanut. All told, Carver, who was the head of the agricultural department at Tuskegee Institute, developed 300 different products with the peanut including various types of soaps and cleansers and milk and even ink! The reason Carver could make so many things out of the peanut is because there are so many incredible chemical active compounds in the plain old peanut.

Their complex nature is also is why peanuts can be such a problem food. In addition to the potentially thyroid suppressing compounds in peanuts, along with grains, dairy, and eggs are one of the most important of all food allergens. While peanut allergies are not as pervasive as as significant as dairy or grain the affect up to 6 million Americans and they be potentially life threatening. I remember when I was a pharmacy student working at an asthma hospital, a kid got an injection that was made with peanut oil and had an allergic reaction that was so severe it killed him. Peanuts can also be source of a toxic mold called aflatoxin that’s been associated with cancer. And unfortunately, peanuts are also a source of really problematic compounds called lectins that trigger various immune and autoimmune reactions.

One of the more common yet underappreciated reactions to peanuts involves the skin. For some sensitive folks, dermatitis can occur by simply by touching or breathing in peanut dust. And ingestion of peanuts has been linked to acne in susceptible children and teenagers.

If you’re looking for concentrated nutrients however, and you’re not concerned with allergic reactions, you’d be wise to add a handful or two of peanuts to a meal a couple of times a week. You can also throw some into a smoothie to enhance its nutritional value. Peanuts are a good source of protein and vitamins, including hard to find vitamin E (one ounce of peanuts contains 29% of the Reference Daily Intake level) as well as minerals like copper, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, potassium, selenium, zinc and calcium. All told, a couple of tablespoonfuls of peanuts contains nearly half of the 13 vitamins necessary for the body’s growth and maintenance and more than one third of the 20 minerals needed! Peanuts are even a good source of resveratrol; one ounce contains approximately 73 mg. A naturally occurring plant compound resveratrol intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and increased longevity.

May

2013

Coconut Oil and the Miracle Lipid that Burns Fat

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

One of my favorite nutritional supplements are medium chain triglycerides. Generally referred to as MCT oil, this largely unrecognized supplement imparts numerous benefits. MCT oil was first introduced almost 60 years ago as a tool for treating lipid disorders. MCTs are metabolized without bile and go directly to the liver where they are processed into a source of fuel. Thus they provide a good source of easily metabolized energy for patients with liver disease, gall bladder issues, those with bile deficiencies and other health compromised patients.

They’re so effective that they’re the fuel of choice for hospitalized patients being fed intravenously in intensive care units. And MCTs may provide circulatory benefits too. A 2008 study published in The American Journal of Physiology found that MCT intake in rats with high blood pressure improved their cardiac function and structure.

Perhaps the most significant role MCTs provide for good health is in the realm of weight loss. Diet conscious health enthusiasts can benefit from MCTs unique metabolic chemistry in three ways. First of all, MCTs provide drive lipid biochemistry with 10 per cent fewer calories than ordinary fat. Secondly, MCTs are rapidly converted into energy. This means that they are much more likely than other fats to be uses as a source of fuel, rather than being stored. In this manner they function more like carbohydrates than fats. Yet, in contrast to carbs, they have no significant effect on insulin. This makes them an ideal source of energy for diabetics. Thirdly, unlike ordinary lipids, MCTs have been shown to increase thermogenesis (fat burning), which may result in an actual loss of calories.

In addition to providing weight reduction benefits, MCT oils have neurological enhancing properties. The fascinating fats been shown to increase the production of “ketones” which may provide benefits for senescent brains. Ketones are known as a potent and stable non-sugar source of energy to the brain. This makes MCT oils an ideal alternative brain fuel source for elderly and neurologically impaired patients, as well as diabetics (who are a much higher risk of age-related cognitive impairment), all of whom must be wary of the deleterious effects of sugar.

These unusual lipids have also been shown to increase the phospholipid levels in the brain which may provide additional cognitive benefits. And, interestingly, a 2009 study from the University of Toronto Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology found that supplementation with medium chain triglycerides improved the cognitive function in dogs and increased the level of omega-3 s in the parietal lobe of the brain, the section associated with the mental decline seen in human patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

Perhaps the most important food source of MCT oils is coconut oil. Besides being a wonderful ingredient for cooking, over half of the fats in this tasty oil are MCTs. If being used for its MCT content, a typical daily dose of coconut oil would be 2-4 tablespoons a day. Diabetics or Alzheimer’s patients can may want to take twice that much.

Occasionally, some patients find that coconut oil causes some stomach distress. Thus, when starting a coconut oil regimen, it’s probably best to start off using ½ to 1 tablespoonful a day and gradually work yourself up to a final 2-8 tablespoonful daily dose. Sometimes digestive discomfort from coconut oil can be alleviated by taking it with food. Other sources of MCTs include butter and palm kernel oil. Pure MCT oil is also readily available as a nutritional supplement in health food stores.