Eggs

Vitamin A Part 2

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Athletes take note:  Vitamin A can improve performance and provide tremendous benefits because it helps increase protein synthesis from muscle cells.  This means Vitamin A is one of the most important nutritional supplements for weight lifters and body builder and anyone interested in improving athletic performance.  And you don’t have to be pumping iron or running a marathon to benefit; the increased protein synthesis cans also improve vitality and energy and day to day strength for sedentary couch potatoes too.

Vitamin A Part 2

By Martin Doege (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps the most well-known role for vitamin A involves vision.  Some of the Vitamin A you ingest ends up in your eyes where it acts to turn light into our reality (!).  In other words, if you think see the world through rose colored glasses think again.  You actually observe the world through lenses made up of (partially, at least) of Vitamin A! From a historical perspective, the most significant sign of a lack of Vitamin A was night blindness, which can which can ultimately result in total blindness.  This was noted as early as 3500 years ago by ancient Chinese and Egyptian physicians used Vitamin A-rich fish liver oil as a treatment and cure.  The health of the cornea also depends on Vitamin A and deficiencies can lead to swelling, inflammation and ultimately ulceration and blindness.

It’s also important for the immune system.  While most people think of Vitamin Cwhen it comes to warding off colds and supporting the body’s defenses, as it turns out Vitamin A plays even more significant anti-pathogenic, anti-toxin role.  In addition to having an enhancing effect on specific antibodies, the workhorses of immunity, Vitamin A upregulates the body’s non-specific, general resistance to infection.  Dr. Robert Atkins, of Atkins Diet fame recommended taking extremely high doses (up 100,000 i.u., 50 times RDA) to be taken (along with Vitamin C and Zinc) at the first sign of a cold.

Finally, no discussion on Vitamin A would be complete without mentioning its non-essential cosmetic properties.  Topical Vitamin A is one of the most important and powerful anti-wrinkle ingredients you could every use.  The same connective tissue and protein stimulating properties you can get from eating or supplementing with Vitamin A can be targeted to the skin by directly applying the stuff.  It’s so effective at driving protein and collagen synthesis that it’s regulated by the FDA as a drug.  The brand name for this prescription Vitamin A cream as most people know is Retin-A and it contains just .01 to 1 percent retinoic acid (the most potent form of Vitamin A)  and that’s all you need to use just a few times a week to have noticeably smoother, healthier and younger looking skin.

Worldwide, Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is considered a serious problem by the World Health organization.  Because of its growth stimulating properties, children are especially susceptible to the negative health impacts of VAD. According to the World Health Organization, deficiencies in Vitamin A affect nearly 250 million preschoolers; it’s the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and it increases the risk of disease and death from serious infections. In addition to visual problems some of the indicators of VAD include dry eyes, skin conditions including acne and dermatitis and decreased resistance to infections and chronic colds and respiratory conditions.

Luckily, while Vitamin A deficiency is relatively common in undeveloped countries, in the United States and Europe full blown deficiencies are rare. Yet, it’s safe to say, most people could benefit from extra Vitamin A taken as a nutritional supplement. This critical nutrient is important for bone and eye health, the immune and reproductive systems and it helps keep skin looking soft, supple, and blemish-free. It acts synergistically with thyroid hormone and helps the body use protein and iron more efficiently. If you’re deficient in Zinc or if you have problems absorbing fats, you’re probably not getting the benefits you need from this versatile and very important vitamin.

Vegetarians and vegans are especially at risk for Vitamin A deficiency which is only found in animal products. Eggs, beef organ meats and dairy are nature’s richest sources of Vitamin A and especially high concentrations are found in liver and kidney.  Non-meat eaters (as well as carnivores that want make sure they’re getting enough) may want to consider supplementation with 20,000 international units a day.  The RDA for Vitamin A is a paltry 5000 i.u., but daily doses as high as 50,000 iu have been used for short periods of time for treating acne and heavy menstrual bleeding.  In one study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 1993,la whopping 300,000 iu daily dose was used to suppress the formation of tumors in lung cancer patients.

While Vitamin A is only found in animal products, many fruits and vegetables do produce a “phyto” version of this important nutritional molecule.  It’s called beta carotene and can be obtained via dark green leafy vegetables as well as red and orange fruits veggies like cantaloupe, carrots, pumpkins and squash and sweet potatoes.  Kale and turnip greens are particularly good source of beta carotene which is essentially 2 molecular chunks of Vitamin A stuck together to form what can be considered pre-vitamin A.   Beta carotene conversion to Vitamin A requires enzymes and effective biochemistry and depending on the health of the individual this may or may not occur.

Last, but most certainly not least, Vitamin A absorption requires bile and that means you want your gall bladder, and hundreds of thousands of patients lose theirs every year.  Liver disease, which affects 30 percent of Americans, can mess up the body’s ability to process Vitamin A too.  Pretty much anything that impairs fat absorption, including pancreatic insufficiency, small intestine inflammation and lymphatic congestion, can have a negative impact on the body’s ability to process and utilize vitamin A from foods and even supplements. If you suspect any issues with fat malabsorbtion or you are sans gall bladder, you might want to think about taking a vitamin A supplement and eating vitamin A rich foods with fat absorption aids such as lecithin, digestive enzymes, pancreatic enzymes, bile salts, probiotics and apple cider vinegar.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Nutrition

Fat Malabsorption Syndrome

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

SUMMARY

  • Fat Malabsorption will accelerate the aging process.
  • Disturbances after eating fatty meals or a history of gall bladder problems, liver or colon disease can be indicative of fat malabsorption.
  • Everyone can benefit by improving fat absorption.
  • Helpful supplements include lipase, pancreatin, bile salts, lecithin and choline.
  • These can be especially important for nerve and brain health.

One of the most underappreciated causes of aging and degenerative disease is Fat Malabsorption Syndrome. If you are dealing with any chronic breakdown disease where the body is progressively degrading and not healing and/or you are suffering from digestive distress after eating fatty foods, consider yourself a candidate for this ominous and often undiagnosed condition. This is especially true if you are sans gall bladder or have a history of liver, pancreatic or colon disease. And even if you have no obvious symptoms or disease, paying attention to fat absorption is a key part of any anti-aging protocol.

Helps Fat MalabsorptionIt wouldn’t hurt any of us to be using fat absorption supplements, starting off with digestive enzymes, specifically lipase, which is a generic term for a class of enzymes that dissolves fat. It’s found in pancreatin (available as a supplement) which is a group of enzymes that is made by the pancreas. These fat absorbing enzymes can improve overall health not only digestion. While they’re obviously important for the digestion of fats, they are also play in important part in the biochemistry of cell membranes and inflammation. Folks with arthritis may get tremendous benefits from pancreatin enzyme supplements as well as ordinary digestive enzymes. They can help thin the blood too.

Bile salts can help improve fat absorption. You’ll find these in most quality digestive enzyme supplements, or you can purchase them on their own.

And don’t forget about lecithin which a powerful nutritional supplement that is critical for the health of the brain and nervous system in addition to being important for the liver and fat absorption. Bile, the body’s superstar fat dissolving liquid, is largely composed of lecithin, the same stuff you can buy in a health food store. Most lecithin is derived from soy, a major GMO crop, but you can use rice or sunflower lecithin which are available via the internet (Organic Rice Lecithin, and Sunflower Lecithin). Food sources of lecithin include sprouts, peanuts, cauliflower, cabbage and eggs (the word “lecithin” comes from the Greek term for egg yolk). Lecithin is available as a powder or as a liquid. The liquid, is syrupy and thick and has a stronger taste while the powder is more concentrated and purified although a bit more expensive. Both go great in smoothies where lecithin’s emulsification properties will make your smoothie more “smooth”. Adding a raw egg to your smoothie is great way to get lecithin. You can also get lecithin capsules made are with the syrup. Lecithin really ups the nutritional value of all fats and fatty vitamins and will improve your body’s ability to assimilate these key building nutrients.

If you are trying to improve fat absorption you’d be wise to make sure your getting enough choline too. Eggs are a really good source of choline. Choline is a really fascinating nutrient. Its super important for the liver, can help diabetics process sugar and it’s is involved in the construction of important cell structures. Choline helps turn fats into something called phospholipids which make up cell membranes, the ultra-thin covering of cells. Cell membranes function as little computer chips. They are the brain of a cell and their information processing properties are dependent on phospholipids. Using choline to improve phospholipid production may provide support for anyone dealing with nerve and brain health issues including ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. They can be helpful for memory and learning too; almost all brain formulas on the market include phospholipids (lecithin is largely composed of phospholipids). As with lecithin, choline supplementation can positively impact fat absorption.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Health

Eggs, Lecithin, Choline & TMAO

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Summary:
1) Gut bacteria can convert eggs and lecithin into chemicals that are associated with heart disease.
2) These chemicals are also produced by the body they have a long and proven reputation for NON toxicity and perform many vital functions especially for the heart.
3) While elevated blood levels of these substances are associated with heart disease, the body has very efficient mechanisms for clearing them out.
4) If your blood levels of this chemicals are elevated, don’t blame the foods which can very helpful, healthy and nutritionally valuable.
5) If your blood levels of these chemicals are elevated you probably are dealing with a digestive health issue or a detoxification issue and not a food issue.

Earlier this week a study was published in the New England Journal of Medline that has raised quite an internet ruckus.  According to the article, gut bacteria can metabolize substances found in eggs like lecithin, and choline into precursor of something called TMAO which again supposedly is linked to heart disease.  And now the mainstream media, as they tend to do, are making the leap to “eggs and lecithin consumption is associated with heart disease”.

Eggs, Lecithin, Choline & TMAOThe NEJM study follows fast on the heels of another study, this one released by the Cleveland Clinic that implicated carnitine, an amino acid found in red meat in the production of TMAO.  As with the egg and lecithin study researchers as well as the media again the hastily linked the carnitine derived TMAO with heart disease.

Here’s the problem with drawing these types of conclusions.  First of all, they leave out the important and relevant fact that these substances, (e.g. carnitine, lecithin, choline) that are supposedly so dangerous for the health of your heart in addition to being found in foods,  ARE MADE BY YOUR BODY!   And , researchers advocating  abstinence seem to be unaware of the fact that there is voluminous literature published over the course of at least 50 years that lend credence to these biochemicals  as not only being gentle and benign, but really being very, very important.  They perform numerous vital functions in the body and are beneficial for overall health as well as cardiovascular health.

Is it conceivable, even likely that blood levels of chemicals like TMAO are increased by the ingestion of certain foods and perhaps supplements like choline and carnitine?  Yes.  And no one disputes the possibility, based on their chemistry, that when these chemicals build up in the blood, toxicity, especially heart toxicity, can result (remember however: possible does NOT mean proven!)

The link between the offending cardiotoxic chemical TMAO and eggs and lecithin and choline and meat are bacteria that live in our large intestine.  The critters, generically referred to as “probiotics” feed on these types of foods and readily convert them into precursors which the body then metabolizes into TMAO precursors

Bacteria like fatty nutrients as much as we do!  And bacteria produce waste materials as a function of their digestion of foods just like we do.  Our gut bacteria eat the food we eat and then they poop!  Bacteria poop!  This makes all food is a potential problem.  Eating and digesting can, even under normal healthy circumstances result in the production of these kinds of wastes.  This is why we want to be careful about what and how we eat.  But we do need to eat.

We have trillions of bacterial cells that live with us. And they are our friends!  They make vitamins and purify our blood and help us digest our food.  They make good fats for our digestive tract and the fight yeast and other bacteria and cancer.   And, they need to eat too.   And, they eat what we eat.  In other words, anything we eat is likely to feed these little critters. And one of the things bacteria produce as a result processing and digesting eggs and other foods are TMAO precursors.  They’re the bacterial version of feces.  And like all waste, it’s not supposed to hanging around.  That’s why the body has mechanisms for dealing with these types of chemicals.   The liver has enzymes for processing it and most of it is eliminated very effectively through urine.

The bottom line is if blood levels of TMAO are elevated, eggs are not the issue.  Nor is lecithin or choline or carnitine or any other vitamin or nutrient biochemical.  The issue is bad blood chemistry following a breakdown in digestive tract health that leads to an accumulation of food derived WASTE; it’s not the fault of the food.  If your metabolic and detoxification systems are whacked out and you are accumulating TMAO in the blood, solving the problem by avoiding eggs and lecithin and choline is simplistic and silly.   These supposed bad guys like lecithin and eggs, are not only innocent bystanders, they are motherlodes of nutrients that make your heart strong and health.  Substances like Vitamin A and D and Zinc, the b-complex, choline, essential fats and precious phospholipids.  And meat carnitine is one of the most important, heart- strengthening amino acids you can ingest.  Please, don’t blame these healthy foods.  It’s not their fault. What we need to be doing instead of staying away from these powerful and important foods and supplements is fixing our guts, fixing our digestive systems.

Is elevated TMAO problematic?  Perhaps. The chemistry is right for it.  These kinds of chemicals are unstable and need to be eliminated from the body.  That’s why you have a liver and that’s why you should be careful about how you eat.  But this is a far cry from the claim that eggs or lecithin cause or are even associated with heart disease.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Health