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

Apr

2013

Antibiotic Resistance: Deadly Prediction Come True

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

There is perhaps nothing more representative of the ignorant reliance on prescription medication for good health than the egregious and excessive use of antibiotics by uninformed physicians and their unfortunate patients. I can remember my medicinal chemistry professor in pharmacy school over two decades ago warning we eager and innocent fledgling pharmacists, that if we continued down the road we were on, within 20 years, we would be confronting the “superbug” (he really called it that), the bacteria that had evolved the abilities to resist and even thrive, despite being bombarded with our strongest antibiotic weaponry.

Alas, his prediction has come true. Just last week, disease-causing anti-bacterial resistant microbes were found in public water supplies in India. In the United States, MRSA, one of the most notorious bacterial resistant superbugs is estimated to kill 19,000 people a year. The World Health Organization has called antibiotic resistance one of the world’s greatest threats to human health and has dedicated World Health Day to this important issue. The WHO is calling for urgent action on the part of governments, health professionals as well as the layperson. And last year in Sweden, 190 delegates from 45 countries met a three day meeting called specifically in response to the worldwide bacterial resistance crisis.

Now make no mistake here. I am not some kind of Pollyanna-ish herby-derby, unaware of the important role anti-biotics can play in health care. Thank God for antibiotics! They are modern medicine’s most significant discovery. When you have a serious infection, its probably a good idea to have access to a prescription anti-microbial. Used correctly, antibiotics are a shining example of modern man’s ability to create powerful, truly life-saving medications. However, as is becoming abundantly clear, their inordinate, and inappropriate use threatens what is the most important advancement in the history of pharmaceuticals.

As with all pharmaceuticals, it must be the severity of the symptoms that determines their use. Certainly the common cold does not call for drugs. And many times patients are prescribed anti- bacterials for non-bacterial (viral) infections for which they are ineffective. We even use antibiotic-like substances in our skin care products. And the worst example of mindless, automatic dispensing of the antibiotics is the dermatological strategy of their long-term use for treating acne-prone teenagers and adults. Antibiotics 101: antibiotics should only be used for a short period of time to prevent the very resistance that seems to be occurring today. The net result of not following this rule is a full-blown crisis in health care.

Antibacterial resistance cost Americans 20 billion dollars a year, causes increased hospital stays, kills people, and it’s largely a problem caused by a medical paradigm that has abused and misused what should be the most important and heroic class of class of prescription drugs and tools of modern medicine. The take home message is prescription drugs need to be used judiciously and with great respect. They are not benign, and if used inelegantly there will be a price to pay – as the anti-bacterial crisis clearly demonstrates.

Oh and by the way, there is a built in anti-microbial system that is divinely designed to spot and kill many types of bacterial invaders. It’s the spectacular, intelligent and infinitely flexible human immune system. As with most health issues, the most important tool for protection from microbial attack is part of our biological operating system and best supported by wise lifestyle choices and good nutrition.

Chicken soup: there’s a reason your grandmother (in nearly every culture) cooked this for you when you were sick.

For example, did you know that according to Dr. William Sears, sugar ingestion can cause a 50 percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria? And the immune suppressant effect can last hours. Likewise, nutrients that improve sugar metabolism, like chromium and vanadium, can help restore immune health. White Blood cell count can dramatically increase in response to optimal doses of Vitamin C. And, Vitamin A is perhaps the most important vitamin of all for building a strong immune system. Think of Zinc, Selenium, N-acetyl Cysteine and factors in whey protein as some other important nutrients that are inexpensive, accessible and most importantly healthy and non-toxic tools for protection from our bacterial neighbors. And don’t forget about “Jewish penicillin”, better known as chicken soup, as a wonderful source of immune boosting nutrition.

The bottom line is, yes, anti-biotics have an important role to play in modern health care. But like all drugs, only as a last resort. On the other hand, using supplements and foods we can strive to keep antibiotics on the shelf and reserve prescription medication for what are definitive emergency situations.

Apr

2013

The Paleo Diet: A Second Look at Grains

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

According to the Romans, it was Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture, who gave us grains. Many agriculture experts say human health hasn’t been the same since. The highly regarded anthropologist Jared Diamond calls agriculture the “worst mistake in the history of the human race”. Without resorting to a debate about the merits of his claim, we can certainly all agree that the decline of human health is at the least correlated, if not directly, to the effect of man’s post-ice age, grain-based caloric dependence on grains.

Grains are technically unnatural in the sense they have had their genetics dramatically modified to meet specific human needs, many of which were and are economic.

Today’s modern cereal grain would be practically unrecognizable to its Paleolithic plant ancestor. Proto-maize, corn’s progenitor was a tiny little nub that bears little resemblance today’s modern, bright, full ears of corn. What has remained mostly the same over the centuries, however, is the human digestive tract – and therein lays the problem.

Human physiology was and is largely based on many thousands of years of hunter/gatherer-derived genetics. Meat and protein and seed were the larger components of Paleolithic man’s diet. There simply weren’t dense carbohydrate-rich grains for our caveman ancestor to feast on. There wasn’t an evolutionary survival imperative to develop the digestive chemistry to process grains. Consequently, the proteins in grains are difficult for some human digestive tracts to process.

And there are some genetic immune variables that play a role as well. Gluten and other protein components of grains can cause allergic reactions in a significant percentage of the general population. In some people these can result in the initiation of an autoimmune response that can show up as digestive, skin and respiratory symptoms.

Then there are the caloric and insulin-spiking aspects. Modern grains are typically high calorie. They have a relatively low nutritional density and they can cause elevations in blood sugar and insulin that can negatively impact health. While some grains are less problematic, generally speaking, exchanging grain calories for protein ones (especially whey or hemp seed protein) can help benefit health in many ways. For example, the improvement in the fundamental three facets of wellness (the digestive system, blood sugar system, adrenal stress system) is sometimes quite dramatic. (I suggest you look for non-sticky grains; quinoa comes to mind.)

Try making a small protein drink with 2-3 tablespoons of a quality protein powder supplement. Try to get 15 to 20 grams of protein. Read the labels. If you’re near a blender, you can crack in an egg, blend in some frozen organic fruit, add some good oil and sprinkle in some stevia powder or xylitol for a little sweetness. Protein is quite satisfying and you’ll find the need for carbohydrates to be considerably weakened.

Apr

2013

Statin: Pain, Digestive Distress & Liver Damage?

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Statin drugs are among the best selling drugs in the world. They were initially approved by the FDA for lowering the cholesterol of patients who had a history of heart problems. Today their use for “off label indications,” conditions the drug was not originally approved for, are skyrocketing – and statins are used as cholesterol-lowering drugs for just about everyone.

The American College of Physicians suggests that regardless of cholesterol levels, most diabetics should be taking statins. Several years ago the American Academy of Pediatrics raised eyebrows by concluding that indirect evidence suggests children with higher levels of cholesterol need statins. Now, scientists at the University of Edinburgh are initiating a study to discover if statins can be used to prevent pre-eclampsia, a rare but severe heart disease that occurs in pregnant woman.

Statin drugs work by suppressing an incredibly important chemical manufacturing process, the HMG CoA Reductase system, that includes cholesterol as an end product. By inhibiting this system, blood cholesterol levels are reduced, but levels of several other compounds needed by the body are also lowered. The reason? The HMGA CoA Reductase system also produces essential fats, steroid hormone, vitamin precursors and the critical vitamin-like substance CoQ-10.

Additionally, cholesterol itself is one of the most vital chemicals in the entire body. It’s a fundamental parent compound to a wide array of biochemical offspring that support all of our body’s functions.

Lastly, the well-documented toxic effects of statin use include muscle pain, digestive distress and liver damage, all of which are the inevitable result of suppression and manipulation of vital biochemical processes.

As always, the appropriate response to a breakdown in the biochemistry of the body, whether it involves pain, inflammation or elevated cholesterol, is to pay attention to symptoms of the breakdown and begin the appropriate medical detective work to understand what the body needs to repair itself. Elevations in cholesterol are almost always at least partially the result of poor blood sugar control. All patients with elevated cholesterol should greatly reduce refined flour and sugary foods. This will be easier if they supplement their diet with protein sources such as whey, hemp, peas or brazil nuts. If they eat any sugary foods at all, they should be using sugar-metabolizing nutrients that improve sugar metabolism.

The entire B-complex is especially important, as are the minerals Zinc, Magnesium, Chromium and Vanadium.
Unlike pharmaceutical intervention, which is replete with toxic side effects, proper nutrition allows you to accomplish better results and provides multiple side benefits to overall improvement in health and wellness.

“Safe drugs” is an oxymoron, because there is always toxicity inherent in the way drugs work. Furthermore, the actions of suppression and inhibition of natural processes in the body make additional side effects inevitable. No matter what we are trying to treat, nutritional, non-toxic and healthful options should always be explored and pharmaceutical, toxic intervention only used as a last resort.

Apr

2013

Inflammation Is Your Friend

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

The importance of the inflammatory process cannot be overstated. Inflammation is the fundamental mechanism of the body’s built-in homeostatic, chemistry-balancing system and a manifestation of immune system activity. The immune system is the body’s defense against “foreign invaders” and under normal circumstances, the inflammation process operates in a swift, efficient manner to sequester and ultimately prepare pathogens for destruction and removal.

The cornerstone of mainstream medicine’s anti-inflammatory treatment program is the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which effectively cancels this important healing process, and ignores the biochemical causes of the inflammation. Despite the well-documented dangers associated with the routine application of what should be a last-resort, short-term protocol, it is estimated that twenty million people currently use NSAIDs. As with most commonly accepted medical paradigms, this is a model that needs to be re-examined.

The effects of inflammation are obvious and everywhere. Swelling, pain and stiffness are an indication of chronic long-term inflammatory activation. Typically inflammatory disorders are named with the suffix “itis,” or “itus” such as arthritis, cellulitis, tendonitis or tinnitus. While NSAIDs may provide short-term relief, if the biochemical dysfunction that caused the inflammation is allowed to continue, symptoms will re-occur. Additional complications and further health problems are likely to manifest over the long term. The use of NSAIDs also ensures significant toxic side effects. Upper gastrointestinal tract and liver toxicity are a common result of the regular use of NSAIDs. As a result, consumption of NSAIDs poses a detoxification challenge to a digestive-immune system that is already compromised. Furthermore, the chronic, long-term use of NSAIDs are considered to a significant cause of drug-induced morbidity.

The first thing anyone who suffers from a chronic inflammation should do is review their intake of foods to identify those that are causing digestive symptoms. It’s rare that immune system activation does not involve some sort of infiltration by foods that are essentially toxic to our individual system. As a result, eliminating those foods that cause digestive symptoms such as heartburn, belching, abdominal cramps and loose stools is the only pragmatic approach to achieve a lasting cure for any inflammatory disorder. Next, specific nutritional supplementation can be used to heal the intestinal track and support the immune system. Probiotics are extremely helpful for the digestive system. Digestive enzymes taken with meals can also provide benefits. Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, are supportive. Lastly, the entire B-complex, especially vitamins B3 and B5, and vitamin C should be included.

Inflammation is not a condition that should be ignored and continually suppressed. It’s a sign that something inappropriate has entered the body, and the resulting inflammatory response is an essential part of the body’s healing and balancing chemistry. The proper approach to heal chronic inflammation is to remove its triggers and support the body as it accomplishes its homeostatic mandate. As always, pharmaceuticals that suppress the body’s biochemical processes are not effective as a replacement to elimination of the causes of adverse symptoms, and should only be used as a temporary, last resort.

Apr

2013

Some Thoughts on Vitamins

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

When the subject of nutrition comes up, oftentimes the conversational spotlight gets focused on the term vitamins, which gets tossed around as an all-inclusive, catch-all term for all nutritional supplements. In the interests of accuracy, it’s important to keep in mind that the term vitamins refers only a single component of the nutritional supplement world, which includes protein, essential fats, minerals, water, fiber, and carbohydrates, and accessory nutrients like NAC and alpha lipoic acid and probiotics.

The word vitamin is actually a slang term for nutritional substances that are more technically called “co-enzymes”. These being biomolecules that assist enzymes in their work of making biological chemistry happen.

The body is a seething, bubbling factory of chemical reactions. Every cell in the body, of which there are many trillions is capable of producing somewhere on the order of 10 thousand to 100 thousand chemical reactions per second!! To put it in even more dramatic, (if incomprehensible) terms there are quadrillions (!) of individual chemical reactions occurring in our bodies every minute we are alive. And each one of these chemical reactions depends on the action of enzymes and, in-turn, each one of these enzymes requires the assistance of coenzymes some of which are the vitamins. Considering most of our vitamin needs are met by foods or supplementation, in other words, they are not made by the body, the stupendous importance of making sure we are giving our body generous quantities of these critical molecules through the diet and through nutritional supplements become obvious.

There are two classes of vitamins, those that dissolve in water and those that dissolve in oil, the so-called water soluble vitamins, which are the B-complex and Vitamin C and the fat soluble vitamins, D, E, A and K. The water soluble vitamins critical as they may be are easier to work with than the fat soluble vitamins. You can and should take a lot of B-complex and vitamin C, they are multi-functional and used and excreted rapidly. The best way to make sure your getting enough of the water soluble vitamins is to take generous amounts, in water all day long, i.e. by drinking them. The fat soluble vitamins, D, E, A and K are much trickier to work with. Optimal assimilation of the substances requires a healthy and well-functioning digestive system including especially the liver and gall bladder. And, because they are transported around the body in the lymphatic system if things aren’t moving well in the lymph, fatty vitamin activity may be impaired. The same is true if you have liver problems or gall bladder problems, especially if you’ve had your gall bladder removed or if you have pancreatic health issues. If this is the case, you’re going to want to take the fatty vitamins with meals that include fatty foods. Digestive enzymes can help so can apple cider vinegar and perhaps pancreatin which contains digestive enzymes. You can also use se bile salts, maybe lecithin and you might want to consider including some choline which the body can use to make lecithin.

Take home message:

Use generous amounts of the B-complex and Vitamin C throughout the day. Put them in water or some other liquid medium and drink them down slowly for best results

Take fatty vitamin D, E, A and K supplements with meals that contain some kind of fatty foods. If you are dealing with digestive health issues i.e. those that involve the stomach, small intestine, liver, gall bladder or pancreas, you can improve the absorption of these fatty vitamins by taking them with digestive enzymes, pancreatin, bile salts, apple cider vinegar, lecithin and choline.