Muscles communicate with the rest of our tissues through myokines. These are chemicals released from the muscle by various conditions such as exercising or a change in temperature.  These myokines have benefits on organs, such as our nervous and cardiovascular system, as well as disease protection for cancer, dementia, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes.

Our bodies contain two types of adipose tissue, which are distinguished as white fat and brown fat. White fat is the reservoir of our excess calories and it is used to provide energy when too few calories are coming into the body (for instance when dieting or starving) or during prolonged periods of exercise. Brown fat (that color because it contains a cellular component, mitochondria, that gives it its brownish hue) is the furnace of the body. These mitochondria generate heat and use up calories to keep our bodies warm in cold environments.  Adults have very little brown fat. What they do have is located in the upper back, in the hollow between the collarbone and shoulder and along the spine. Newborns have much more, about 5 percent of their total body mass. Newborns are susceptible to the cold and cannot shiver to generate heat. The brown fat prevents them from suffering from hypothermia.

Even the small amount of brown fat we have as adults uses up or “burns” calories when the body is exposed to cold. In a study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by endocrinologist, Dr. Andre Carpentier, men were kept in a cold environment so they were chilled, but not shivering. The heat-burning brown fat increased their metabolic rate by 80 percent, even though they were just sitting in an under-heated room.

A new “hormone” has recently been discovered, Irisin.  Iris (Greek mythology) is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She is also known as the swiftness goddess of the sea and the sky. Irisin is released from exercising muscles and turns white fat cells (the kind we want to get rid of) into cells that act like brown fat cells. Dr. Pontus Bostrom and colleagues, who discovered the white to brown fat cell conversion, reported in the journal Nature that these new fat cells are not identical in color to the brown cells we have from birth. He named them brite, or brown-in-white, cells. They act like brown cells by increasing heat, burning calories and decreasing elevated glucose levels.

Although most of the research has been carried out in mice, some studies on humans found a significant increase in this hormone, as well as metabolic rate in humans after 10 weeks of regular exercise. It has also been suggested that the increased metabolic rate seen for a couple of hours following completion of exercise may be due to the continuing fat burning by these newly-formed brite cells.

Studies using mice suggest that increasing the level of Irisin, which is identical in humans, causes the white fat to become brite. Obese mice did not have to go on a treadmill to increase their Irisin levels. They were genetically manipulated into producing a high level of this hormone. The mice increased their energy production, thus using up calories and losing weight while improving glucose tolerance and future weight gain.

Irisin might be the magic weight-loss pill everyone has been waiting for! Would taking it in pill form eliminate the need to exercise to lose weight and decrease elevated glucose levels? An editorial in the April 19th 2012, New England Journal of Medicine suggests that Irisin would be beneficial for those who are unable to exercise because of severe muscle or skeletal disability or cardiovascular conditions. But for now, there is no substitute for exercise, which gives so much more health benefits than weight loss!

Poor sleep can have a terrible effect on your health. Poor sleep raises your risk for many chronic conditions. It's even a factor in more than 100,000 car crashes each year and 35% higher incidence of a cardiovascular death. Popular sleep remedies like melatonin or valerian doesn't work consistently for everyone. It can cause daytime drowsiness, headaches, anxiety, and mood swings. You see, your body produces chemicals  (neurotransmitters) that excite the brain. It can also produce chemicals that calm your nerves down.

If you're under stress or a sudden threat, your body releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin to speed up your heart and get your muscles ready for action. This is the "fight or flight" response. Our brain also makes chemicals to calm down our nervous system and help it relax. The neurotransmitters GABA, dopamine and serotonin are relaxers and glycine, glutamate and norepinephrine are exciters!

If there is an imbalance in this system — too much of the "excitatory" chemicals and not enough of the relaxing ones — then chances are your body's not going to be able to calm down enough to fall asleep quickly or stay asleep all night.

The key is to find out what kind of imbalance you have, and correct it. Stress is a 21^st century phenomenon. With our 24/7, non-stop, always connected lifestyles, we're constantly having to deal with issues at home or at work. It's hard to switch off worries about health, money, job security, retirement, or your children and grandchildren.

The trouble is, this constant stress causes your body to release cortisol. That's the "fight or flight" hormone I mentioned before. But cortisol doesn't just get us ready to slay a wild animal. It can also cause sleep problems. Cortisol is our body's "wake up" hormone. Our cortisol levels jump by 50 to 60 percent within minutes of waking up each morning. So the last thing you want is to have high cortisol at nighttime. Ideally, our cortisol levels should gradually decrease during the day, reaching the lowest point just before bedtime.  But if we are constantly stressed or over stimulated during the day our cortisol levels get stuck in over-drive!

Constant high cortisol can make it difficult to fall asleep. It can prevent us from getting deep, restful sleep; and too much cortisol can wake us up in the middle of the night. Studies like the four time salivary cortisol lab show that people with sleep problems had the highest amount of cortisol in their saliva, in the evening. To improve sleep, one needs to reduce our cortisol. Regular exercise helps. So do stress-reducing activities like yoga or meditation, bi-aural music, magnesium, meditation, breathing exercise, and prayer.

One of the best ways to do that is with niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3. Niacinamide is a potent sleep inducer. It directly affects the "benzodiazepine" receptors in our brain. These are the same receptors that are targeted by a well-known, anti-anxiety medicine such as Xanax or Ambien. Niacinamide has been shown to induce a feeling of calmness as well as sleep.

Do not take calcium. It can make one feel anxious, and it causes muscles to contract. Calcium can also contribute to restless leg syndrome and leg cramps that can wake us up in the middle of the night and keep you up. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer and sedative. Magnesium reverses restless leg syndrome and cramping in both legs and feet.

Green tea, despite the fact that green tea has caffeine also help. It contains the amino acid L-theanine.  L-theanine blunts the stimulating effects of caffeine, and has an overall calming effect.  L-theanine helps increase "alpha-wave" activity in our brain.  Alpha waves correspond to the same state of calm relaxation that you feel with meditation and yoga. Taking L-theanine is like getting a mini-dose of meditation for calming down your mind and promoting deep, restful sleep!

Serotonin is your body's natural "feel good" neurotransmitter. It helps regulate your mood and appetite as well as your sleep. If people crave sweets they might have a serotonin deficiency.  Woman are more likely to have this problem compared to men. Also, serotonin deficiency can cause humans to struggle with worry, anxiety, obsession, winter blues, and low self-esteem.  People with a serotonin deficiency often have sleep problems.

During the day, our body slowly converts serotonin into melatonin. Our body stores this melatonin inside the pineal gland. When daylight turns to night, it signals your pineal gland to release the melatonin. The melatonin then helps us to fall asleep. If the serotonin levels are too low during the daytime, your melatonin levels will be too low at night. But you don't have to take melatonin to correct this. One of the best ways to reverse a serotonin deficiency is to take a natural amino acid called 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan). 5-HTP is the "precursor" to serotonin. That means it's the final step in your body's production process for serotonin. By taking 5-HTP, we bypass the conversion of other molecules and directly produce more serotonin. 5-HTP also improves the quality of your sleep. 5-HTP increases REM sleep by about 25 percent and boosts your deep, restorative sleep; and 5-HTP does this without increasing total sleep time.

Supplementing with B vitamins helps boost your serotonin, too. Our body can’t make neurotransmitters like serotonin without them. That's why you need the vitamin B3 (niacinamide).  Also, we need vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 is involved in thousands of reactions in the body. It's essential for the creation of serotonin. Vitamin B6 also helps your body minimize the effects of stress. It helps you feel comfortable and prepares you for a good night's rest.

GABA deficiency causes sleep and relaxation problems. GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is our body's most abundant "inhibitory" neurotransmitter. That means it's the cornerstone of your body's "calming" system. Without enough GABA, we can feel out of balance, prone to anxiety and sleep problems. Also stiffness, and inability to relax or loosen up happens without enough GABA.

Think of GABA as the “brakes” when it comes to neurotransmitter activity. When stress triggers a spike in adrenaline, causing the "fight or flight" response, GABA slows down the response by blocking the signal. GABA relaxes, sedates, and reduces overstimulation.

The obvious way to increase GABA is to supplement with GABA. But it’s important not to take too much.  So, in addition to an appropriate amount of GABA, one should also supplement with the building blocks of GABA, which are amino acids. These amino acids are able to cross the blood brain barrier.  That means they go right to the brain where GABA is created. Taurine is one of these important amino acids. Taurine helps increase GABA without any adverse side effects. Taurine is also an excellent stress buster. Taurine inhibits the release of adrenaline, the stress neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter urine study can be done by a paid for insurance test from Pharmoscan to give insight to the diagnoses of sleep and mood disorders.

It was bad enough when THE CHINA STUDY five years ago, and FORKS OVER KNIVES appeared last year.  Now, there is a new study that has really buried meat to where it belongs.  “In the ground with other carrion” has come to light. This research has identified meat as leading to a greater risk of cancer, cardiovascular, and mortality in general. These startling findings show people that keeping a diet high in red meat is dangerous for humans! After a time on the table or in the gut, vegetables (mainly carbs), ferment. Fats become rancid, but meat protein putrifies!  PUTRIFICATION and all it implies is not healthy!

Results show that substituting other healthy protein sources -- like fish, poultry, nuts and legumes -- was linked with a lower risk of death. Researchers say it is more evidence that eating high amounts of red meat come with significant health risks tied to type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The researchers observed 37,698 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for up to 22 years and 83,644 women in the Nurses' Health Study for up to 28 years. All had no heart disease or cancer at the beginning. Diets were assessed by questionnaires every four years.

In both studies, a combined 24,000 people died, 5,910 from coronary heart disease and 9,464 from cancer. Regularly eating red meat, particularly processed, was linked directly with risk of death. One daily serving of unprocessed red meat (the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 13% increased risk of mortality. One daily serving of processed meat (such as hot dog or two slices of bacon) was linked to a 20% increased risk.

There were 10% and 16% increased risks for death due to heart disease and cancer, respectively. This took into account other pertinent factors like age, weight, exercise levels, and family history of disease.

Red meat, especially processed meat, contains ingredients that have been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

These include heme iron, saturated fat, sodium, nitrites, and other carcinogens that are formed during cooking. ALE, AGE, and APE were very high in their diet.  (See my Book or www.docblock.com for more info on ALE, APE and AGE).

Replacing one serving of total red meat with one serving of a healthy protein source was associated with a lower mortality risk: seven percent for fish; 14% for poultry; 19% for nuts; 10% for legumes; 10% for low-fat dairy products; and 14% for whole grains.

The end result: 9.3% of deaths in men and 7.6% in women could have been prevented at the end of the follow-up if all the participants had consumed less than half a daily serving of red meat. The choice is yours, eat no meat and you are neat or eat it and have a short and poor life.  Also, your flatus and stool will reflect what you really are…a real STINKER!

The Inuit story was first told in the early 1980s. Despite their very high intake of animal fats, the incidence of cardiovascular disease of these native Greenlanders was only 1/10 of the Danes who lived in the same area, but ate differently. The explanation for this very low risk among the Inuits was ascribed to their very high intake of seafood at 400 g/day.  In a landmark article, now containing 1600 citations, in the New England Journal of Medicine (1985;312:1205-9), The Zutphen Study, showed that eating fish as little as once or twice a week was associated with 50% lower relative risk of fatal heart disease. But there is still much controversy in subsequent studies in that many of these were retrospective.  The types of fish (cold water oily or other), method of preparation (breaded and fried or other), were not taken into consideration.

Food, both plant and animal, contain fatty acids referred to as Omega 3s. There are three main omega-3 fatty acids. One, Alpha-Linolenic Acid, is found in some plant seeds and oils such as flax. The other two are EPA and DHA, and these occur almost exclusively in water plants, as well as fish (and shellfish). EPA and DHA are known as “long-chain” omega-3s because their structure is longer than alpha-linolenic acid. The body has a strong preference for the long-chain omega-3s. ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid) is the mother compound of all omega-3 fatty acids. Through metabolic elongation and desaturation enzymes, ALA can be enlarged to EPA (EicosaPentenoic Acid) and to the ultimate DHA (DocosaHexaenoic Acid). Unfortunately, when we are older than 25 or are younger and are ill, we can’t do the elongation and desaturation trick and little or none of the EPA or DHA.  There is much less evidence for a protective effect of ALA on cardiovascular risk than for EPA and DHA. Also DHA is highly concentrated in the brain, where it helps brain cells communicate with each other and protects them from harmful substances, such as those that predispose one to Alzheimer’s disease. It is also concentrated in the retina of the eye, where it is critical for visual function. EPA is important for healthy blood vessels, heart health, and brain function. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties that help to favor a healthy heart and brain.

EPA and DHA are the building blocks of the eicosanoids known as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, etc., and have many positive effects like reducing serum triglyceride levels, improve endothelial function and arterial stiffness, decrease arrhythmias and blood pressure, as well as stabilize atherosclerotic plaques. These mechanisms are responsible for the protective effect of EPA-DHA on cardiovascular risk.

But EPA and DHA are not equal in cardiovascular health. Just like DHA is better for the brain, both EPA and DHA are needed in cardiovascular health. In a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials in a systematic review contrasting the effects of EPA and DHA as monotherapy on serum lipoproteins. Compared with placebo, DHA raised low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 7.23 mg/dL, whereas EPA non-significantly reduced LDL. In direct comparison studies, DHA raised LDL 4.63 mg/dL more than EPA. Both EPA and DHA reduced triglycerides, with a greater reduction by DHA in direct comparison studies. DHA also raised high-density lipoprotein (4.49 mg/dL) compared with placebo, whereas EPA did not. These results suggest that while EPA and DHA both reduce triglycerides, they have divergent effects on LDL and high-density lipoprotein. Technically, all DHA is plant-based.  DHA derived from fish sources originates in plants and is progressively concentrated as it moves up the food chain. We know that fish do not create their own omega-3s, but that they’re derived from microalgae, and are collected and stored incrementally up the food chain. The advantage of fish-based DHA lies in the fact that the food chain is more economical. 

Depending what the malady is, DHA is for brain and eyes, and EPA is for cardiovascular health. It is said that 2000 mg of animal DHA is equivalent to 400 mg of DHA (2a).  The Now company sells Omega 3s-500 which contains 500 mg of DHA and 2000 mg (4 caps) daily is the recommended dose.  Whereas, only 400 mg of DHA (2a) work for heart, brain, and eyes.

Even better than taking supplements, is to consume Omega 3s as food. Fish and seaweed are the best source. Seaweed will be discussed later. The very best is farmed salmon, which has 6,000 mg per six-ounce serving, compared to the wild with only 4,500. If these came from Chile, Scandinavia, British Columbia, or Australia, they are without pollution compared to Asian-farmed salmon. Wild fish are not richer in Omega 3 fish oils than farm-raised varieties. Farm-raised fish, such as salmon and trout, won’t grow without Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet, so fish farmers add it to the fish meal. Farmed catfish and tilapia, however, do not need Omega 3 fatty acids, so these farm-raised fish have little or no Omega 3s. In the wild, fish get their Omega 3s from algae, plankton, and other fish that they may eat.

Escolar (ivory tuna) has even more Omega 3s. Avoid eating predator fish; they have the potential for the highest level of mercury contamination (e.g., shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish). Eat a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury (escolar, salmon, canned light tuna, pollock, and catfish). Albacore (“white”) tuna has more mercury than canned. Check local advisories about the safety of fish that you might catch yourself from local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. Perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, has infiltrated 80% of our inland farm streams and ponds. It is a hormone receptor inhibiter.

Sea vegetables are commonly eaten by humans in Asian cultures and have Omega 3 (2a). Edible seaweeds have steadily increased in popularity since the 1980s, no doubt in a large part due to the rise in popularity of sushi. The sushi, or maki-sushi, consists of rice and raw fish wrapped in delicious and healthful sea vegetables, such as dulse and wakame.

The Seaweed is chock full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. The dietary fiber derived from sea vegetables has an anti-cancer, a fat-diminishing, and a mild anticoagulant effect, as well as being a super-antioxidant. Also, there is chlorella, and, the best, spirulina, a freshwater green algae that assists in bowel health, heart health, and the reduction of heavy metal toxicity. These contain many carotenoids and antioxidants, plus the ideal protein (far better than milk) along with other super-micronutrients.

By definition a berry is a fruit that has many seeds in a fleshy pulp and is juicy when ripe. Many fruits that are popularly called berries have a different structure and thus are not true berries. Grapes, bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes, to botanist are in fact berries. Strawberries and raspberries are not. They are a aggregate fruit. The mulberry, which is in the same class as a pineapple is a multiple fruit. In my mind, berries include blueberries, bilberries, blackberries, huckleberries, strawberries, cranberries, mulberries, and gogi or wolfberry. These “berries” not only have a low glycemic index (usually less than 35) but also prevents inflammatory processes such as Alzheimer’s and improves cardiovascular health. A low GLYCEMIC INDEX is fat reducing with all its metabolic advantages.

In a recent article in the Annals of Neurology  (Apr 2012), the protective effect for diets containing high amounts of blueberries and strawberries against cognitive decline in older women was documented. These “berries” are high in compounds known as falconoid, which may help reduce the negative impact of inflammation and stress on cognitive function. The lead researcher Elizabeth Devore MD of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, commented, "Our study examined whether greater intake of berries could slow rates of cognitive decline."  Devore and associates evaluated data from women who were between the ages of 30 and 55 upon enrollment in the Nurses’ Health Study in 1976. Dietary questionnaires completed every four years since 1980 were analyzed for the frequency of berry intake as well as the intake of 31 individual flavonoids representing six major flavonoid subclasses commonly found in US diets. Cognitive function was tested every two years in 16,010 participants who were over the age of 70 between 1995 and 2001.

Consuming a relatively high amount of blueberries or strawberries was associated with a slower decline in cognitive function test scores over the follow-up period compared to women whose intake was lower, resulting in a delay in cognitive aging of up to 2.5 years. Greater intake of the anthocyanidin class of flavonoids and total flavonoids was also associated with a reduced rate of decline.

"Substantial biologic evidence supports our finding that berry and flavonoid intake may be related to cognition," the authors write. "Berry-derived anthocyanidins are uniquely and specifically capable of both crossing the blood–brain barrier and localizing in brain region, the hippocampus, involved in learning and memory. In multiple studies of rats, blueberry or strawberry supplementation significantly reduced age-related declines in neuronal signaling and cognitive behavior, and supplementation at older ages reversed neuronal and cognitive decline. We provide the first epidemiologic evidence that berries may slow progression of cognitive decline in elderly women," Dr Devore claimed. "Our findings have significant public health implications as increasing berry intake is a fairly simple dietary modification to test cognition protection in older adults."

In other studies berries have been shown to have more than just antioxidant effects, such as have been demonstrated for mulberry in Parkinson’s disease. The wolfberry may have direct neuroprotective effects that are independent of its antioxidant benefits. In animal studies, blueberries have been associated with a variety of brain benefits, including a reduction in age-related increases in nuclear factor-kappa beta. Aged rats given blueberries, cranberries or blackberries have better balance and control, and a reduction in amyloid beta has been observed in association with blueberry intake in mice bred to develop specific aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. In humans with mild cognitive impairment, daily consumption of blueberry juice resulted in improved word list recall and better performance in comparison with subjects who receive a placebo.

Neurodegeneration and cognitive decline are chronic processes, throughout life.  Future research will identify critical periods during in which increased consumption of berries is most effective and the extent to which berry will prevent or even reverse the deleterious effects of aging.  Furthermore, the optimal dietary intake, necessary duration of intake, and longevity of the effects following the cessation of supplementation is being explored.  As a fringe benefit, your cardiovascular system will age less and you will be thinner.  Humans were meant to eat leaves (like spinach), nuts (seeds) and berries (small, globe shape, "juicy fruits") with minimal amount animal flesh, rather than the unhealthy semi-natural material that we call food in the 21st century. 

Much scientific literature supports the role of stevia to lower Blood Pressure. However, adding chocolate to this sweetener, not only makes an excellent vehicle for the consumption of this herb, but controls Hypertension better than either alone. Observations of the blood-pressure-lowering effects of cocoa products (dark chocolate and cocoa drinks) came from the Kuna Indians, who live on islands off the Panama coast.

High blood pressure was rare in the Kuna Indians primarily due their high consumption of natural cocoa drinks rich in flavanols. In contrast, those Kuna Indians who live in Panama City consume cocoa from the local grocery stores, devoid of flavanols. The mechanism is speculated that cocoa products may increase the amount nitric oxide known to dilate blood vessels, in addition to the inhibition of "angiotensin-converting enzyme" (ACE) by flavanol-rich nuts.

A recent meta-analysis covered 10 randomized controlled trials involving 297 both healthy subjects and those with prehypertension or stage-one hypertension randomized to cocoa products or placebo for two to 18 weeks. It was found that cocoa products lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 2.5 mmHg.

The blood pressure-lowering effects reported in this meta-analysis were comparable to another meta-analysis on dark chocolate. The latter study found that cocoa dropped systolic blood pressure by 4.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.8 mmHg.

The review of chocolate’s effect on blood pressure involved 15 studies showed that the blood pressure-lowering effect of cocoa-chocolate products was only significant for those with pre-hypertension or high blood pressure. In those with high blood pressure, systolic levels dropped 5.0 mmHg and diastolic levels 2.7 mmHg. This decline of 5.0 mmHg systolic blood pressure with cocoa products is comparable to other lifestyle modifications, such as moderate exercise (30 minutes/day), which tend to lower systolic levels by 4.0-9.0 mmHg. What’s more: a 5.0-mmHg systolic drop translates to a reduction in the risk of a cardiovascular event by 20% over the next five years.

One can buy Stevia sweetened chocolate at some health food stores, mega grocery stores (Sam’s, Walmart, etc.) or on line for little more than the high fructose, corn syrup sweetened, artificial chocolate. Your Blood Pressure will be better controlled with your current meds or if you have pre-hypertension can be managed without drugs.  This combo comes in drops, powder, bars, or separately to be added together to make fudge, cakes, cookies, or for smoothies. On line, there are many recipes such as adding them to almond butter for your best taste and health.

In a review article, M.L. Dreher, et al., (Nutr. Rev., Apr. 2012; 70(4): 234-40) indicated that this food is nutrient-dense with a cardiovascular healthy fatty-acid profile, as well as protein, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, Gama tocopherol, and six phytochemicals. The green and purple color are due to the presence of lutein and anthocyanin.

According to the meta-anaylsis (which reviewed the results from other clinical trials), among nuts, the pistachio contain the highest amounts of potassium, gamma-tocopherol, vitamin K, phytosterols, and xanthophyll carotenoids of the rest. Pistachios help maintain healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, glycemic control, and endothelial function.

When consumed in moderation (a handful), pistachios help control body weight because of their satiation effects (the ability to make one feel full). One particular study, with subjects in a weight-loss program, demonstrated lower body mass index and triglyceride levels in individuals who consumed pistachios compared with those who consumed an isocaloric pretzel snack. Emerging research suggests that the addition of pistachios to high carb foods, the glycemic index was significantly reduced. When buying these nuts, purchase fresh non colored (red dye), non-salted, slightly roasted variety. The roasting opens their shell slightly.

The best mineral treatment for osteopenia (mild thinning of the bones) and its big bad sister, osteoporosis according to mainstream Docs is Calcium, but to me, it is Magnesium!  Both ortho docs (straight doctors) and I agree that these two minerals are needed to treat osteoporosis. However, I believe one needs much more magnesium than calcium. In fact, we get all the calcium we need from our food (mostly green leafy vegetables), even if we do not eat any dairy products. The third is Strontium and, if needed, the fourth, Boron and the fifth, Zinc. Of course, exercise, and vitamins (D, K, and C) are required along with the hormone, testosterone and, if a woman, estrogen too. To prevent the bone problem in the first place, taking some supplements is prudent such as Magnesium and Vitamin D. But once the trouble develops, much more is needed to include Strontium. If it were all that wonderful, why have you not heard of Strontium before, except for the radioactive form found in atomic waste and occasionally used to treat certain cancers? It is because of big Pharma.

Actually, the first studies on Strontium in relation to bone density were done in the early 20th century. In 1910, a German researcher reported that Strontium appeared to be uniquely effective in stimulating rapid formation of bone. Ten years later, another German scientist concluded that Strontium and Calcium were superior to calcium alone in mineralizing bone. In 1952, a report from Cornell University showed that this mineral was wonderful for rebuilding bone. In 1959, Mayo Clinic demonstrated that severe, painful osteoporotics taking 1,700 milligrams of strontium daily with hormones had marked improvement. In addition to its anti-resorptive activity, Strontium was found to have anabolic (tissue-building) activity in bone.

Unfortunately, after that, things died down in the Strontium/osteoporosis world. Patented calcium, such as Caltrate, became popular. Real drugs like the Diphosphonates (Fosamax® etc), SERMS (Relafin® etc.), Parathyroid hormone (Forteo®⁾, and the latest, Denosumab, a monoclonal antibody (Prolia®) became available in that chronology. Not only are these more expensive, but do have significant side effects. Since Strontium is natural, it is not patentable, and no drug company is willing to spend 6 million dollars to get it through the FDA. But with a synthetic version of Strontium that they could trademark and make a profit it may be doable. So research on Strontium (as well as any other natural substance) has been woefully neglected. More recent strontium-osteoporosis research used a patentable Strontium combination. Strontium itself isn’t patentable, but it was combined with a patented, synthetic substance called ranelic acid, which makes the combination patentable. So far, it’s been available only in Europe under the trademark Protos®, but, it’s the Strontium doing the work! The patent medicine companies and the media aren’t going to tell you that, though. Since this new combination has a good deal of profit potential and other all-natural forms of Strontium don’t. Soon there will be this new combination as the only form of Strontium “approved” to help rebuild bone. But all of the attention focused on patenting Strontium has done one good thing-it’s sparked interest and funding for more strontium/osteoporosis research. True, most of the current studies have been done on the patentable combination. But, as noted above, it’s the Strontium itself that’s doing the work, not the substance with which it’s combined. So these results are still good news.

Natural Strontium is safe, but not completely so with the potentially patentable form, Strontium Ranelate. In the two-year study, with recently postmenopausal women using 340 milligrams of strontium, the researchers reported more “adverse events” in the placebo group than in the Strontium group. The most common complaints in both groups were diarrhea, nausea, gastritis, and indigestion. However, elevation of the muscle enzyme creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) in animals which the research termed is mild, transient, and of “no clinical significance” was noted. But since strontium ranelate is the semi-synthetic, patentable form, I feel it was the synthetic part of the combination that caused the slight muscle damage. In the human studies reported prior to 2002, quantities of up to 1,700 milligrams of Strontium per day were taken with no reports of significant side effects.

There is a caution from animal studies. Animals deliberately given a low calcium and magnesium diet and then supplemented with relatively high doses of Strontium developed bone deformities. From a purely scientific standpoint, this is a predictable result: Bones contain much more of these minerals than Strontium, so depriving them of what they need, then trying to “make up” for it with only part of the equation is bound to present problems. Fortunately, there’s much more calcium and Strontium in our diet–so it would never naturally happen to us. But to be absolutely safe, follow this simple rule: Always take more magnesium than Strontium.

Now for a bit of bad news: There’s not enough Strontium in our food to have a significant effect if you have osteoporosis already, so if you’re suffering from this condition, you should take Strontium in supplement form. But if you don’t have osteoporosis, it’s a good idea to eat foods that contain more Strontium to prevent it from occurring. The largest amounts of Strontium are found in spices, seafood, whole grains, root and leafy vegetables, and legumes. Strontium not only repairs existing damage, it can actually help prevent you from suffering with osteoporosis in the first place. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s strontium ranelate, strontium gluconate, strontium lactate, or strontium carbonate. As long as it’s Strontium, it’s good for you! For now, I recommend two 635 mg of Strontium. Life Extension has a good product costing about $10 a month. They can be taken together, or separately with or without food.

We have seen folks with severe osteoporosis reverse within 18 months with only natural supplements. Whereas in the literature, they never completely heal even after five years with expensive and potentially dangerous drugs like the esophageal cancer producing, jaw rotting and fracture causing drug, Fosamax®! The choice of how you handle your thin bones is certainly yours, so chose wisely.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the consistent inability to obtain or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse. ED was believed to be a psychological condition; however, in the past two decades, doctors have recognized that the majority of patients’ erectile failure can be attributed to an organic cause. ED could result from neurologic, endocrine, or structural impairments. However, now research on erectile physiology has led to the conclusion that ED is predominately a disease of THE BLOOD VESSELS both arteries and veins and their unique penile structure, the corpus cavernosum (literally “cave-like bodies”). This is a pair of spongy tissues which if filled with blood, the penis becomes erect. The corpus cavernosum is composed of a meshwork of interconnected smooth muscle cells lined by vascular endothelium. The endothelial cells and underlying smooth muscle also line the small resistance helicine arteries that supply blood to the corpus cavernosum causing the organ to get hard (penile tumescence). Under stimulating circumstances, Nictric Oxide (NO) is released from the endothelium, a one cell thick lining, of the blood vessels. This causes relaxation of muscles around the arteries to the corpora cavernosa which engorges the penis with blood, increasing both its length and diameter. Blood can exit the erectile tissue only through a drainage system of veins around the outside wall of the corpus cavernosum. The expanding spongy tissue presses against the surrounding fibrous tissue, the tunica albuginea, constricting the veins, preventing blood from leaving. As a result, the penis becomes rigid .

Normal erectile function involves three synergistic and simultaneous processes: 1) neurologically mediated increase in penile arterial inflow, 2) relaxation of cavernosal smooth muscle, and 3) restriction of venous outflow from the penis.