Health

Jun

2013

Adult Persistent Acne or APA

SUMMARY

Millions of Americans have Adult Persistent Acne
APA? Think adrenal and ovary/testes hormones
Causes as always: digestive, insulin, blood sugar, adrenal stress
Ovarian involvement sometimes results in cysts in the ovaries. This condition is called Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome
Symptoms include obesity, blood pressure issues fertility development of body hair, loss of head hair and oily skin and blemishes
For all APA use nutrition, diet and lifestyle strategies, they work!

Think zits are for kids? Think again! According to The International Dermal Institute between 40 and 55 percent of the adult population age 20-40 have with low grade, persistent acne and oily skin.That means millions of unfortunate Americans and what’s even more disconcerting is the fact that dermatologists who refer to this condition as Adult Persistent Acne (APA) are, for the most part, impotent and clueless when it comes to addressing this difficult and unpleasant skin condition. The accepted medical protocols for dealing with APA remain mired in the tired antiquated, decades-old saws of steroids and antibiotics or worse barbaric deep chemical peels using toxic substances and potential carcinogens like croton oil, phenol or aminolevulenic acid.

When it comes to the biology of APA, no health condition screams adrenal and reproductive gland dysfunction louder. Both the adrenals as well as the ovaries/testes produce substances that regulate the skin oil production, pigmentation and skin cell growth that are the hallmark features of adult acne.

To put it simply and concisely, the symptoms of adult persistent acne are a classic case of hormone pathology. And, hormone pathology is itself more often than not a reflection of digestive and blood sugar problems.

Food toxins and allergies can result in malabsorbtion of raw materials for hormone production In fact, one of the more poorly recognized causes of APA is food intolerance and digestive issues. If you find that in addition to problem skin you have digestive health issues, including loose stools and/ or constipation, chronic heartburn bloating, gas, or simply general gastrointestinal discomfort and unpleasantness AND you’re breaking out, the chances are pretty good that you’re dealing with some kind of digestive related skin condition. And once the digestive distress becomes long-term and chronic you’re very possible that you’ll end up dealing with adrenal stress which can then function as a secondary cause of problem skin. This is especially likely if your facial blemishes appear as rashy and diffuse (spread out all over the face) and if they are showing up on the back or chest or other non-facial parts of the body.

Then there’s blood sugar connection to adult acne. Elevations in insulin, the sugar controlling hormone are often involved in the development APA. Once the blood sugar system become overwhelmed, the adrenal activity is unregulated. Many of the more common features of adult persistent acne, especially skin oiliness and hyper-pigmentation are a common sign of adrenal hormone activation.

Even more significant, the dermal distress of APA is more than merely an unsavory superficial skin condition. The hormone pathology behind the appearance of blemishes, dark spots and oily patches can be the harbinger of much more serious health issues to come. Because the gland chemicals that are involved in causing adult acne are largely cleared by the lymphatic system, it’s like likely the over the long haul APA can result in congestion in this significant circulatory conduit for biochemical waste. Because the lymphatic system is charged with eliminating the acne-inducing toxic and old hormones over time congestion of lymph fluid is likely to occur. Clogging of the lymphatic system may then manifest as immune activity and inflammation and causing even more adult acne, hyper-pigmentation and oiliness. Ultimately lymphatic congestion can wreak even worse biochemical havoc; liver disease, heart disease and cancer are just some of the ways lymphatic congestion can show up.

As mentioned previously, the hormone issues associated APA may be related to blood sugar dysfunction. And because of the close connection between blood sugar and female reproductive hormones, women are especially prone to blood sugar induced APA. Over the course of years and decades of sugar abuse (the average American consumes nearly half a pound a day, far more than the human body is supposed to handling) chronic elevations in insulin are likely. Insulin as growth inducing substance stimulates cell growth and division. In the ovaries this rapid cell growth and division can cause cysts. Ovarian cysts produce symptom hormones and this can be especially problematic for some women. In fact, elevations ovarian hormones the resulting symptoms, collectively known as Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) include weight gain, hair loss and the oily skin and blemishes associated with adult persistent acne.

If you are one of the many unfortunate sufferers of APA don’t despair. Because ultimately acne like all skin and health conditions is a biochemical/nutrient problem, there are many biochemical/nutrient strategies(as opposed to pharmaceutical) for dealing with APA. Below are my Top 17nutrients and strategies for addressing adult persistent acne:

1) Zinc Picolinate ( 50mg a day) – best taken with 2mg of Copper chelate, important for blood sugar control as well as hormone production and balance

2) Vitamin A (20,000 iu a day) – premier skin vitamin stabilized the growth of skin cells and sebum (skin oil) producing cells too

3) Vitamin B5 (1000-200mg three times a day taking each dose with the entire B-complex) – key vitamin for skin oils and adrenal gland hormones

4) Vitamin B3 (timed release 100-300 mg daily,taking each dose take with the entire B-complex) – anti-inflammatory, improves blood sugar control

5) NAC (500-1000mg) a day – important liver support nutrient, improve hormone processing

6) Selenium Monomethionine (600mcg a day) – detoxification of old hormone

7) Glutamine (1000 mg a day) – general detoxification and anti-inflammatory properties

8) MSM (2000mg a day) – detoxification, improve hormone elimination

9) Vitamin C (5000-10,000 mg a day) – the “primal panacea”, good for everything. Involved in hormone production as well as blood sugar chemistry

10) Probiotics (80 billion units of multiple strains) – improves fat metabolism, detoxification and hormone processing

11) Vitamin E (400 iu a day) – dramatic anti-inflammatory and healing properties

12) Isolate and eliminate problem foods (dairy, grains eggs and legumes are BIG problem foods; ANY vegetable can be a trigger as well)

13) Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy) – improves hormone processing and detoxification. Steam lightly if you have any thyroid issues

14) Reduce intake of insulin spiking foods

15) Reduce intake of ALL foods caloric intake, fasting can have a dramatic impact

16) Slow down and deepen breathing, deep diaphragmatic breathing techniques daily to improve adrenal function

17) Exfoliate and cleanse daily 2% salicylic acid toners and cleanser. Keeping excess skin oils off of the face is important. These secretions from oil glands, technically called sebum undergo chemical when they’re exposed to air that can cause inflammation and increase zittiness. Proper and regular exfoliation will assure that potential poor clogging dead skin cells are removed off of the skin surface.

18) Use Retinoic Acid cream or gel!! It is by far and away the most important topical skin product you can use. It improves all markers of skin health including hyper-pigmentation, oily skin and blemish formation. It’ll even prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

Jun

2013

Daily Dose of Fiber is Detoxification

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

I have a good mom, a conscientious mom and a healthy mom. She’s almost 80, but boy is she spry, with a spring in her step and the boundless energy of a woman half her age. And, if you asked her to tell you her secret to her good health and remarkable vim and vigor she’d smile at you and point you to the pantry where she keeps her box of Grape Nuts cereal and bottle of roughage, which is her quaint, if antiquated, term for what is one of the most poorly understood and under-appreciated of all essential health nutrients, fiber.

Fiber is defined as inactive carbohydrate, it’s not really a single substance and this complexity gives a clue to the confusion that surrounds this super important nutritional substance. It consists of sub-fractions, various components including cellulose, lignin and pectins and although it contains no calories and it’s not digestible, it passes through the digestive tract completely unscathed, getting enough of the stuff in your diet on a daily basis is a major key to good health.

One of the most important benefits of getting a daily dose of fiber is detoxification. In fact, inert as it may be, of all the important nutrients the human body needs, none has more purifying properties than fiber.

When looked at under a microscope fiber reveals itself to be composed of numerous, tiny net like molecular structures that act to trap poisons in a spider web-like fashion. Once toxins are trapped, the fiber plus the trapped poison is eliminated through the large intestine.

Fiber also helps support the excretion of toxic, sludgy bile. After it’s produced in the liver, bile passes through the digestive system where it picks up waste materials such as used hormones, old, dead cells, food toxins, bacteria and medications and then heads for a return trip to the liver. From there, bile recirculates around the digestive tract and picks up more toxins and wastes. Like the oil in your car’s engine, eventually bile can get goopy and thick with waste materials. Under ordinary circumstances some of this sticky biliary muck is supposed to be excreted through the large intestine thereby helping maintain the cleansing properties and fluidity of the remaining bile.

Fiber, as it passes through the digestive tract, large intestine and exits the body adheres to old bile and thereby assists in the excretion of the toxin fluid substance. The net result is cleaner biliary fluid and more effective detoxification. This cleansing, bile assisting property of fiber can be especially important for anyone dealing with hormonal issues, impaired liver functioning or general toxicity. If you’re one of the many millions of Americans without a gall bladder, making sure you’re getting a daily dose of fiber can be an important strategy for offsetting the digestive impairment associated with removal of this critical structure.

Finally fermentation, the breakdown of dietary fiber by gut bacteria produces important and helpful biochemicals. The cecum, the entrance to the large intestine contains vast colonies of probiotic bacteria that breakdown fiber material and produces something called short chain fatty acids (CSFAs). The SCFAs function as a source of fuel for the cells of the intestine providing yet another mechanism for fiber to promote digestive wellness.

There are two kinds of dietary fiber and they’re both important. Soluble fiber (SF) dissolves in water while the second kind of fiber, insoluble fiber (IF) does not. Most foods will contain both forms although usually one type will predominate. Soluble fiber is found in soft and squishy fruits and vegetables such apples, pears, peaches and pumpkin. Beans and legumes are especially good sources of SF. Insoluble fiber predominates in nuts and seeds and whole grains. A regular dose of non- GMO popcorn is a great way to get a dose of insoluble fiber.

According to a May, 2012 study that was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Diet, the Americans average fiber intake is around 15-20 grams a day. Yet according to The Institute of Medicine, children and adults need to be consuming nearly twice that much. Given this humble, yet essential nutrient’s importance for detoxification and bile cleansing and elimination, could it be that low fiber intake is behind the US of A’s well-documented degenerative health crisis?

The easiest way to get soluble fiber is to eat more veggies. Veggie soups are good too. If you’re juicing, the soluble fiber will come out in the liquid (because it’s soluble). Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, won’t and is typically lost in most juicers. Making a daily veggie juice in a Vitamix or similar high powered, which grind insoluble fiber up rather than extruding it like an ordinary juicer is an effective way to make sure you’re getting enough IF. I like grinding seeds in a coffee grinder and then putting the ground powder (which contains not only fiber but also protein, minerals vitamin and essential fats) in smoothies, yogurt and salads. You can also bake with insoluble fiber and although you may lose some of the vitamins and minerals and other nutrients, you won’t be losing the detox and digestive benefits.

Did you know: Starting off meals with 1 or 2 cups of streamed veggies or heaping teaspoonfuls of soluble fiber powder (I like Garden of Life) can put a dramatic dent in your appetite. You’ll find yourself feeling fuller faster, eating a lot less and losing weight easily.

Jun

2013

Most Notorious of Statin Induced Symptoms

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans taking a statin drug you should know that yet another study was released yesterday, this one published online in the venerable Journal of the American Medical Association, implicating these best-selling billion-dollar babies in the development of muscle weakness and pain.

By Ed Yourdon (Flickr: Jogging couple) via Wikimedia Commons

Apparently, according to the study, which analyzed data gleaned from the health records of San Antonio-based beneficiaries (i.e. victims) of the U.S military health care system, statin drug use is associated with an “increased likelihood of diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions”. In English, that means that if you’re on statins your likely to mess up your muscles.

Now if anyone is surprised by this kind of finding which mimics the results found many other studies and corroborates the information on the drug company own insert that’s included in all statin drug packages, they’re clearly not paying attention to biochemistry, medicinal mechanisms or for that matter the news. Even mainstream media outlets like Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/05/statins-linked-to-muscle-pain-sprains/ and CNN http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/statin-side-effects/MY00205.html have weighed in on this most notorious of statin induced symptoms. At this point, a quarter century after their release on an unsuspecting and unfortunately sometimes gullible public, no medical practioner worth his salt can plead ignorance to the muscle pain and weakness that is clearly associated with long-term statin use.

Now when most of us think of muscles we tend to think of biceps, triceps, quadriceps and other body structures connected to the skeleton, i.e. what is generally referred to as the musculoskeletal system. What is often forgotten however, is the fact that that one of the largest, strongest and certainly the most important muscles in the body is … the heart!

How ironic that a drug that is a supposed to be used to protect against cardiovascular disease boasts as a primary side effect toxicity to the heart, the very organ the poison (medicine) is supposed be treating! What’s even worse, last month in an article published on the website Medical New Today, researchers from the British Medical Journal reported on evidence that statin use can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. And the most notable system affected by this serious life-threatening disease? You guessed it, the heart. Again the supposed structure that statin drugs are supposed to be supporting.

Look, it’s not complicated: the human body cannot function in a healthy fashion unless it can make cholesterol and a lot of it. This important raw material for hormones and cells is arguably the most critical chemical in the body and the molecule that singularly distinguishes animal life from plant life. Put another way, cholesterol is the quintessential molecule of animal life. If you mess around with the body’s ability to make this stuff you are playing with fire and the longer you poison cholesterol manufacturing bio-machinery the more likely you are going to be to be dealing with toxicity and side effects.

If you’re concerned about cardiovascular disease or if you’ve had a heart attack and want to prevent another one there are numerous non-toxic, non-pharmaceutical strategies that you can use to keep yourself out of the cardiologist’s office and out from under his knife. Magnesium Glycinate, Essential Fatty Acids, Taurine, Arginine and Sulfur (MSM) are just a few gentle, benign and multi-functional nutritional supplements that you can use to keep heart healthy and strong. And Niacin is a great supplement that can reduce cholesterol production just as effectively as any statin drug without the side effects. Perhaps the most important cardiovascular health strategy is to stay away from insulin spiking foods. Excess ingestion bread, pasta cereal, cakes candies fruits and fruit juices and many other mainstays of the Standard American Diet (SAD) are a sure fire way to mess up your heart and circulatory system. Staying off of these foods is way better heart-healthy strategy than taking a poison anti- cholesterol drug. You won’t have to worry about side effects and you’ll lose weight too. You’re likely to lower your blood pressure and increase your longevity to boot. And unlike the deadly drugs dispensed by your doctor you’ll actually drop your risk diabetes.

Jun

2013

Dermatitis, Psoriasis, Eczema and Rosacea

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and rosacea are all the signs of potential invasion into the body through the digestive system. And considering the Standard American Diet which is filled with potential food enemies like dairy, grains, refined, processed and chemical laden Franken-food, this should come as no surprise.

By James Heilman, MD via Wikimedia Commons

It seems counterintuitive to regard skin symptomology as the manifestation of internal or systemic conditions. It just makes sense to think that if we have s boil or a cyst or a rash or a zit, why of course we have a skin problem. This confusion arises as an understandable result of the obliviousness with which most of us regard the “underneath”, the area below the visible skin that is not only intimately integrated with the internal environment of the body, but even more importantly, that is threaded with tributaries through which inflammatory chemicals and immune cells are constantly streaming. When the internal defenses of the body have been breached and allergens or toxins, which are perceived as an enemy and as a threat enter into the blood, they can understandably initiate a defensive response. This response can show up anywhere there is blood and often the circulatory stream beneath the skin is one such affected area. When this happens, the swelling, out of control or chaotic skin cell growth, itching and redness associated with cutaneous pathologies can result.

If you’re dealing with rashes or itching or psoriatic plaques or eczematic symptoms, as always focus on the digestive system first. Look for gastro-intestinal related issues like bloating, gas, heartburn, loose stools, constipation etc. and link them to foods. Eliminating digestive problems can go a long way toward helping eliminate skin conditions too. Use digestive support supplements like digestive enzyme (with bile salts) and apple cider vinegar. Probiotics can be especially helpful and on their own have been known to eliminate many skin conditions. And Omega 3 fats can have a tremendous impact on all inflammatory and immune heath challenges. Your best bet is to take both flax seed oil cod liver oil to make sure your covering all your Omega-3 bases. The Omega-6 EFA derivative known as gamma linoleic acid can be helpful too. Evening primrose and borage oil are your best sources of GLA.

May

2013

N-Acetyl Cysteine Protects Your Liver

One of my all-time favorite nutritional supplements is N-acetyl cysteine, known to most simply as NAC (pronounced: “knack”). Not only is a NAC a building block of the body’s most important detox molecule, glutathione, but it is also a very special and important detox and even medicinal molecule on its own. It’s a prescription drug called Mucomyst which is used by victims of cystic fibrosis to help clear out thick sticky mucoid secretion which clog unfortunate CF patient’s lungs and organs. It can also improve lung function folks who are dealing bronchitis or emphysema or tuberculosis. And, it’s available in intravenous form as a medication called “Acetadote” which is used as an antidote Tylenol liver poisoning. According to an article published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Tylenol or acetaminophen (which is the generic name for Tylenol) poisoning is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, with nearly half of acetaminophen poisoning cases due to unintentional overdose. Even if you’re not dealing with acute, full blown liver poisoning taking a couple hundred milligrams a day of NAC might not be a bad idea if you’re taking Tylenol on a regular basis.

NAC is used in the food industry to protect butter and other fatty foods from going rancid. It seems to be especially protective against oxidation of fats. If you’re dealing with osteoporosis, NAC can protect bone making cells from oxidation. It can be helpful for folks dealing with kidney disease. In article published in the American journal of physiology in 1997, researchers concluded that NAC can reduce the impact of ischemic renal failure. Other researchers are exploring the use of NAC for chronic cystinosis, which is an accumulation of crystals in the kidney as well as the eye and the lymph nodes. And there are currently studies aiming to find out if NAC can be used to treat coon inflammation. Keep in mind now, all of these potential uses for NAC are independent of NAC’s important and most well-known role as a building block for the glutathione tripeptide molecule.

One of my favorite uses for NAC, which is truly a versatile detox supplement, is in a topical form to alleviate some of the toxicity associated with the acne medicine Benzoyl peroxide. There’s not a lot of topical medications for acne, you pretty much count all the approved topical acne meds on one hand and Benzoyl peroxide is pretty much the only medication for acne that you’re going to find in a drug store. It’s a rare acne sufferer who has not used Benzoyl peroxide containing products at least once, and most people who have acne are using it on a daily basis. It’s the stuff in proactive, most Neutrogena acne products and pretty much all Clearasil acne products too. The problem with Benzoyl peroxide is its somewhat extreme toxicity. The FDA regulate the amount of BPO (as Benzoyl peroxide is referred to), so theoretically at least, toxicity should not be a problem. The maximum percentage you can get of BPO is 5 per cent or 10 percent if you have a prescription and toxicity with includes tumors and cancer has only been shown to occur at high levels say, at 50 percent or higher concentrations, but do you really want to use any percentage of a known tumor causing agent. If you are using Benzoyl peroxide washes or creams you should now that you can protect yourself number one by supporting glutathione using the building blocks; glutathione is an important skin cell protector. But you should also know that you can use NAC on its own to protect yourself from Benzoyl peroxide toxicity. You can even use NAC to protect yourself from the irritation that Benzoyl peroxide can cause. Simply dump the contents of a 500mg NAC capsule into your favorite skin care cream, mix it in real well so it’s completely dissolved, and apply it to your face after you use your BPO. If you add some Vitamin E, you can stick a pin in a Vitamin E capsule and add the oil to your cream along with the NAC, you can even better anti-irritant effects. Of course taking NAC orally and Vitamin E for that matter can also help your body fight off some of the toxicity associated with Benzoyl peroxide. And because acne may be related to deficiencies in glutathione, taking NAC as a supplement may clear up your skin enough so that you won’t even need your Benzoyl peroxide products in the first place.

And that’s not the only topical benefits you can get form NAC. It turns out folks who have psoriasis may get at least some symptomatic relief form topical application of NAC. According to an article published in The Lancet in 1999 a 10 percent N-acetyl cream was shown to slow down the hyper growth of skin cells. Although this study was not done directly on psoriasis patients, given the non-toxic and gentle and healthy benefits associated with NAC it might be worth a try. One thing to keep in mind if you are going to make use of NAC cream for acne or psoriasis or simply as an anti-oxidant (which might not be a bad idea, given the numerous benefits associated with this interesting nutritional substance) you have to make sure to use it fresh. NAC breaks down pretty quickly and if you add it to your favorite lotion or cream and let it sit for more than10 or 15 minute, the sulfur component of NAC will be released and it can destroy the structure of your product, and it’ll probably give off a pretty stinky sulfur smell too.

You can support and improve the effects of taking NAC if you use it with selenium and alpha lipoic acid. A good daily dose of these three musketeers of detox is 500mg of NAC, 400micrograms of a chelated selenium and 400mg of alpha lipoic acid. Taking these nutrients with 100mg of Vitamin C (1000mg) and 400 i.e. of Vitamin E, (as mixed tocopherols) can provide even more detoxification and protective benefits.

Bet you didn’t know:
NAC’s important liver detox role makes it an important anti hangover alcohol clearing supplement. Take 500mg to 1000mg before you go out drinking and another 500mg when you get home and may another 500mg the next morning. Drink lots of waste and use the B-complex with each dose and you can eliminate or at least dramatically reduce the headaches and yucky feelings associated with alcohol overdose and toxicity.

Glutathione is a three part molecule made up of the amino acids cysteine, glutamine and glycine. In addition to getting cysteine from NAC, for maximizing glutathione production make sure you’re getting a teaspoonful of glutamine powder every day and using gelatin capsules, whey protein bone soup to get your glycine.

According to the folks at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NAC has benefits for reducing the symptoms of HIV/AIDS and cancer the toxicity associated with chemo- and radiotherapy.

NOW Foods N-Acetyl Cysteine

N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is a stable form of the non- essential amino acid L-Cysteine. A sulfur-containing amino acid that acts as a stabilizer for the formation of protein structures, also necessary for the formation of Glutathione.