Today, I want to share two strategies for preventing cancer.

The first strategy I highly recommend for preventing cancer is: eat more fruits and vegetables.  While we all know that eating more fruits and vegetables promotes health, many are not aware of the powerful effect of fruits and vegetables on cancer prevention and surviving cancer.  According to the 1988 study by Harold Foster, PhD, of the University of Victoria, British Columbia (Foster HD: Lifestyle changes and the “spontaneous” regression of cancer: an initial computer analysis.  Int J Biosoc Med Res, 1988;10(1):17-33.), major dietary changes, where large amounts of broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, onions, squash, carrots, apples, pears and legumes resulted in 200 cases of “spontaneous regressions” in cancer (in other words, the cancer was no longer detected).

The second strategy for preventing cancer is: work on not having Oncometabolic Syndrome.  If you have it, get help to get rid of it.  If you don’t have it, live a healthy lifestyle to avoid it.  Oncometabolic Syndrome refers to the increased propensity for developing cancer for those with the combination of the following conditions: Metabolic Syndrome, systemic inflammation, increased propensity for clotting, sustained new blood vessel formation by cancer cells, hormonal imbalances, low vitamin D levels, oxidation imbalance and immune incompetence.  I will briefly discuss each of these, and then give you the treatment goals for getting rid of them.

Rho-iso-alpha acids (RIAA) has been found to be a very effective anti-inflammatory and a safer alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).  RIAA is a modified extract of Humulus lupulus, which is more popularly known as hops, an ingredient used in beer-making.  Hops are the flower clusters of the hop plant.

So, should you drink more beer?  To find out, keep reading.

Efficacy and Safety of RIAA as a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Alternative to NSAIDS

In a recent article RIAA has been found to inhibit inflammation by inhibiting the molecule initiating the inflammatory response.  This molecule is called Nuclear Factor Kappa-B or NF kappa B.  On the other hand, NSAIDS work differently.  They block special enzymes called Cox-1 and Cox-2 enzymes.  By blocking them, it keeps your body from making many prostaglandins, which are involved in pain and swelling.  However, some types of prostaglandins also protect the lining of the stomach and GI tract, so that is a disadvantage.  Furthermore, NSAIDS can cause extreme allergic reactions in people with asthma.  RIAA does not directly inhibit Cox-1 or Cox-2 enzymes.  Therefore, while inhibiting pain and swelling, it does not cause damage to the stomach lining or GI Tract.  Unlike NSAIDS, it has not been found to cause allergic reactions in those with asthma or other health conditions.

Other Benefits of Humulus Lupulus

Because it works as an anti-inflammatory substance by inhibiting NF kappa-B, it has shown to have potential anti-cancer properties.   NF kappa-B is often over-activated in rapid cancer cell growth.  By down-regulating NF kappa-B, Humulus has been found to assist with programmed cell death of cancer cells.

Those with autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, may also benefit from the use of the RIAA extract from Humulus.  This also is attributed to the effect on NF kappa-B.

Humulus may also have an insulin sensitizing effect, beneficial for those with diabetes and susceptible to weight gain.

Modified Hops Extracts Effects Appear Promising

With the research findings so far, extracts derived from Humulus lupulus appear to have a number of promising benefits.  Since these can be formulated into a supplemental formula, at this point it would be recommended as a safe and effective option for those with inflammatory diseases, as a chemo-protective agent, and those with weight problems and diabetes.

Unfortunately, the unmodified extract from hops, which is used in beer, has not shown the above benefits.  So, beer drinkers should not use this as a good reason to drink more beer.  In addition, beer is made through heating and fermenting blends of hops and other substances and it contains alcohol.

If you need this natural anti-inflammatory alternative to NSAIDS, RIAA, seek the advice of a knowledgeable Certified Clinical Nutritionist for the right type of extract and dose for your particular condition.

If you have any questions regarding this natural anti-inflammatory alternative, call me at (650) 394-6226 or fill out my contact form.

Before I give you the 10 lifestyle changes, I want you to understand the basis of this method for curing diabetes.  Studies have shown that lifestyle factors play a prominent role in the development of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.  So, what is the roadmap for the curing diabetes and other chronic diseases?  Lifestyle changes.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) indentified therapeutic lifestyle changes as the most effective method for influencing diabetes.  In other words, a healthy lifestyle is the most effective method towards resolving type 2 diabetes, not prescription drugs nor just some natural substance alone.

Here’s the 10 lifestyle changes for improving your blood sugar.  If you diligently follow them, you could see results within as little as 30 days.

A recent study on folic acid published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has caused quite a stir among pregnant women and their physicians recently.  If you only read a media summary of the findings, it appears to indicate that an essential nutrient, folic acid, taken by many pregnant women as a nutritional supplement, increases the risk for asthma in their offspring.

I have covered the forms of folic acid in my recent folic acid article. Here are the key points regarding the forms of folic acid:

• Folic acid is the synthetic form while folate is the natural form.

• Technically, the oxidized form of folic acid is called Pteroyl-L- Glutamic acid, which does not naturally occur in foods.  It happens to be the most stable for adding in food, thus, it is often used in fortifying foods with folic acid.  There is no naturally occurring biochemical reaction that utilizes this form.  It must be converted using a particular enzyme in order to be used in your body.  However, an estimated 33% of people are genetically deficient in this enzyme.
• On the other hand, L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF) is the naturally occurring form of folic acid.  Technically, this is called folate.  It naturally occurs in foods.  It is referred to as the active form because it does not need to be converted to another form for use in your body.

It is important to clearly understand these key points so that wrong conclusions are not made.

I will quote sections of the study, interpret it and put my comment below each quote.

“In early pregnancy, mothers were more likely to take folic acid as a standalone supplement than in late pregnancy (31% vs. 9%).  Stand-alone supplements contained a higher dose of folic acid than did multivitamins; that is, in early pregnancy, the median intake of folic acid from standalone supplement was 2,948 mcg/day compared with 500 mcg/day in a multivitamin.”

There is a high probability of problems whenever a person takes one specific nutrient supplement (1) without the consideration of the balance of other nutrients, (2) without an understanding of the synergistic effects of nutrients, (3) having the particular nutrient at a relatively higher dose, and (4) without consideration of the form of the nutrient.

“Dietary folate was not associated with asthma in either age group at any stage of pregnancy.”

Not surprising, because everything naturally occurring in foods is in the L-5- Methyltetrahydrofolate (folate) form.

”For every 100-mcg increase in dietary folate in early pregnancy, the relative risk of asthma for the child at 3.5 years decreased by 43% if the mother had asthma”

Not surprising;  DNA methylation is a very important process in early development of the brain, nervous system, respiratory tract and lungs.  Without sufficient folate you would expect increased problems especially in mothers with asthma.

”For child asthma at 5.5 years, significant interactions were found. For a 100-mcg unit increase in dietary folate in early pregnancy, the relative risk of the child’s having asthma at 5.5 years increased by 77% if the mother smoked during early pregnancy.”

This is to be expected due to oxidative damage.  Smoking greatly alters DNA and cell replication so you would need a great increase in all nutrients, including L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (dietary folate) to offset the oxidative damage.  A 100 mcg increase in folate would not be enough to offset the oxidative damage from smoking.

”For every 1,000-mcg increase in folic acid in late pregnancy, the relative risk of the child’s having asthma at 5.5 years more than doubled if the mother had a previous child.”

This is reasonably to be expected because of oxidative damage to the mother’s DNA and the hormonal changes from pregnancy through the rigors of bearing a previous child. Using a synthetic folic acid rather than dietary folate predictably leads to problems with cell replication under this condition.

“For every 1,000-mcg increase in folic acid in late pregnancy, the relative risk of the child’s having asthma at 5.5 years decreased by 37% if the mother had asthma.”

This is the key sentence in the entire article! This is an expected effect.  With a pregnant woman with asthma, she should make sure to have a sufficient amount (1000mcg) of folate (not folic acid) even though the sentence says folic acid.  Some reasons  why it is protective for asthma and other atopic conditions (in relatively layman’s terms) in late pregnancy are:

• forming cells (such as in an in-utero child) are highly susceptible to folate deficiency

• folate, pyridoxyl-5-phosphate (active vitamin B6), and methylcobalamin (active vitamin B12) are critical in DNA synthesis and repair
• DNA synthesis and repair occurs with a key process called methylation
• inadequate methylation leads to chromosome breakage
• folate is involved in making the methylation cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)
• SAM deficiency is associated with congenital abnormalities
• SAM deficiency is associated with increased oxidative stress
• Asthma and atopic conditions are associated with increased oxidative stress
• the mechanisms are discussed and additional scientific support for significant folate supplementation in pregnant women with asthma in this paper recently published by researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

In a recent video, I briefly discussed the importance of using active forms of nutrients in prenatal vitamins.

The bottom line is: using the active forms of folate (found in real foods) and all nutritional supplements is always best.  But since just about everybody does not get all the necessary nutrients from foods alone, then everyone should supplement.  The key is getting supplements that have the active forms of the nutrients.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, post them here at http://drhusbands.com/contact-us.  If you wish to visit us, my chiropractic and wellness clinic is in San Carlos, California, in the San Francisco bay area.

References:
—————————————————————————————————————————

1. Whitrow M, Moore V, Rumbold A, et al. Effect of supplemental folic acid in pregnancy on childhood asthma: A prospective birth cohort study.American Journal of Epidemiology 2009;170(10):1486-93.
2. Matsui E, Matsui W.  Higher Serum Folate Levels are Associated with a Lower Risk of Atopy and Wheeze. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123(6):1253–9.

Folic acid and prenatal vitamins – follow up to Dr Husbands’s folic acid article. Free 10-minute consult; get 10% coupon for new patients visit http://drhusbands.com/coupon To ask Dr Husbands a question, visit http://drhusbands.com/contact-us

San Francisco Doctor: Dr Douglas Husbands
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San Carlos Chiropractic and Wellness Center
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Article: Folic Acid and Folate Facts and Fallacies

The article “Is Your Breakfast Giving You Cancer?” in the April issue of Prevention magazine has generated attention and concern regarding folic acid in my San Francisco bay area community, and elsewhere.  The article brought up recent findings that folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, seems to cause an increase in colon, lung and prostate cancers.  Understandably this should rouse serious concern because folic acid is in the vast majority of folic acid fortified foods and off-the-shelf vitamins.  More importantly, pregnant woman are told to take folic acid. This article was released following recent studies reported in the November 18, 2009 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), along with some recent studies, that show that increased folic acid intake contains significant risks ^{1 2 3}.

San Francisco Doctor: Folic Acid Facts

As I’ve been telling my patients in the San Francisco bay area, you need to know that it is crucial to know the different forms of folic acid.

Folic acid is the synthetic form while folate is the natural form.  Technically, the oxidized form of folic acid is called Pteroyl-L- Glutamic acid, which does not naturally occur in foods.  There is no naturally occurring biochemical reaction that utilizes this form.  It must be converted using a particular enzyme in order to be used in your body.  It happens to be the most stable for adding in food, thus, it is often used in fortifying foods with folic acid.  However, an estimated 33 % of people are genetically deficient in this enzyme that converts this folic acid form for it to be used by your body.

On the other hand, L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF) is the naturally occurring form of folic acid.  Technically, this is called folate.  It naturally occurs in foods.  It is referred to as the active form because it does not need to be converted to another form for used in your body.

What are the functions and benefits of L-5-MTHF?

• DNA repair
• amino acid metabolism
• biosynthesis of neurotransmitters
• involved in development of the myelin covering of nerve cells
• key detoxification reactions called methylation
• proper division of red blood cells
• reducing homocysteine
• regulation of gene expression; the control of healthful genes being “turned on” and harmful genes being “turned off”
• prevention of neural tube defects in developing embryos (spina bifida)

As I have mentioned in my other articles/blogs, the importance of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects was clearly proven by Drs. McCulley and Smithells from the 1960′s through the 1990′s in multiple studies.  Although synthetic form folic acid, was used in these studies, only 200 to 400 mcg were used, which is indicated as fairly safe.

San Francisco Doctor: Folic Acid Fallacies

Does excess intake of folic acid possibly increase the risk for cancer?

From the study by Cole ⁴, those people taking 1000 mcg of folic acid with a previous history of colorectal cancer had a 2.3 times increased risk of recurrence within 6- 8 years.  It is important to note that in this study folic acid, not folate, was used, and at the start of the study, the people participating in the study had significantly lower vitamin B12 levels.  Also note that each nutrient works synergistically with others, not in isolation from other nutrients.  Problems will likely occur when a study is designed where one nutrient is given at a high dose while excluding others.  Even more so, when synthetic forms are used.

Stolzenberg-Solomon, et al⁵ studied the effects of an average intake of 853 mcg/day of folic acid by postmenopausal women that consume alcohol. The result shows an increased risk of breast cancer for folic acid intake at higher doses.  Furthermore, those women with the higher intake of alcohol were at greater risk of breast cancer.  What’s the takeaway from this study?  The synthetic form of folate at high doses is a problem.

What studies show that folate form is protective against cancer?

In 2006, an article⁶ in The Journal of Nutrition and Cancer essentially reported that a diet with significant quantities of foods containing folate and vitamins B6, B12, C, E, selenium (a mineral) and lycopene (a phytonutrient) protects against various types of cancer, including colorectal cancer.

From careful reading of all the studies in this topic by nutritionists like myself, it is clear that the synthetic folic acid and the natural folate form are metabolized differently and used by the body differently. Therefore, it is a fallacy to equate the supplemental use of folate with folic acid regarding the increased risk of colon cancer or other cancers. I do not recommend taking supplemental folic acid at more than 400 mcg/day. Unfortunately, folic acid is what you get in most off-the-shelf supplements. Some of the professional nutritional supplement manufacturers have switched to folate in recent years since research on this started coming out.

How to avoid getting the synthetic folic acid:

• Avoid all highly processed grains.
• Look for “L-5 methyltetrahydrofolate” in the Supplement Facts table of the supplement bottle.  If “folic acid” is listed on the label, don’t use it!
• Do not buy a cheap multivitamin with folic acid thinking that it’s better than nothing, especially if you have a family history of colon cancer
• Eat plenty of dark green leafy vegetables daily, preferably organic
• Consult an experienced and knowledgeable nutritional expert who knows and understands the nuances of nutrition and keeps up-to-date with current research.  Test them: have them explain the differences between folic acid, folate and L-5 methyltetrahydrofolate. If they can’t, find someone else.

As promised, key reasons why “eat your vegetables” is absolutely one of the best piece of advice:

1. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, Swiss or rainbow chard, mustard greens and collard greens, contain folate in high amounts.
2. Nutrients work synergistically.  Vegetables have various nutrients that work together in your body.

If you have any questions regarding folic acid or help with where to buy multivitamins/supplements that contain folate, contact me whether or not you are in the San Francisco bay area.

Dr Douglas Husbands is a chiropractor, functional medicine doctor, nutritionist and anti-aging practitioner in the San Francisco bay area.  His chiropractic and wellness clinic is located in San Carlos, CA.

Copyright 2010. Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN, ABAAHP. All rights reserved.

References:

Chiropractor in San Mateo CA – San Carlos Chiropractic and Wellness Center

951 Industrial Road, Suite B, San Carlos, CA

(650) 593-4447

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http://sancarloschiropracticandwellnesscenter.com/contact-us

Articles:

Low Back Pain / Neck Pain Treatment Using Cox Flexion Distraction

Lower Back Pain Causes and Relief

Disc Treatment for Herniated or Bulging Disc: A Natural And Non-surgical Solution

A couple of months ago, her mother brought her to me for effective non-drug asthma treatment options.  She had a chronically stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, and a deep wet cough during the day. At night, she would often have bouts of coughing for 20-30 minutes at 1 am and 5 am.  This significantly interrupted the her and her families’ sleep.  Partly as a result of the interrupted sleep, she had dark circles under her eyes.  She could not breathe through her nose but only with her mouth open.

• chiropractic adjustments
• a low-allergenic, anti-inflammatory diet
• nutrition supplements including probiotics, fish oil, curcuma longa extract powder, powdered quercetin ascorbate,  MSM powder, and extra vitamin D

By the way, regarding vitamin D,  a recent article published in the March 2010 issue of Mothering Magazine confirmed that a large majority of children with asthma have low vitamin D levels.  I also reported on this factor in my March 2007 newsletter issue of my newsletter called “Functional Health Notes”.

Within about 6 weeks, the mother reported that she has almost complete cessation of all symptoms mentioned above and has had no need of albuterol for 3 weeks.  She has decreased the dose of Flovent significantly also.  Their family is greatly relieved from this 3-year ordeal.

Copyright © 2010 Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN. All rights reserved.

http://www.drhusbands.com/blog/ Chiropractic / Asthma Treatment for Children: A Functional Medicine Approach

Pregnancy Back Pain Statistics

According to the American Pregnancy Association, 50 to 70 percent of all pregnant women have back pain. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, back pain during pregnancy is one of the most common discomforts of pregnancy.

In a February 2007 cross-sectional study reported in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics [1.  Skaggs C, Prather H, Gross G, et.al., Back and pelvic pain in an underserved United States pregnant population: A preliminary descriptive survey. J Manipulative Physiol Theraputics, 2007;30:130-134.], 67% of the 599 women reported musculoskeletal pain in the second trimester of pregnancy.  80% of those women with pain slept less than 4 hours per night. 75% of these women took pain medications. 85% of these women felt they had not been offered effective treatment options for their pregnancy back pain.

Unfortunately, many women are not aware of effective, safe, non-pharmaceutical options for back pain relief. This is partly because many obstetricians and gynecologists are not aware of the safety and efficacy of chiropractic manipulation for pregnancy-related back pain.

Some Causes of Pregnancy Back Pain

• Changing Hormones:  The hormonal changes during pregnancy allow the ligaments to soften in preparation for childbirth.  Ligaments connect bones to bones via the joints.  The joints can more easily get out of proper alignment, causing pain. Restoring proper alignment with specific chiropractic techniques for pregnancy can decrease pain.
• Increased Spinal Curvature: As the baby grows in the womb, a woman’s center of gravity shifts forward.  This causes the low back curvature to increase.  The mid-back and neck curves also increase as a result.  This can cause jamming of the joints of the spine, specifically the facet joints.
• Sacroiliac Joint and Pubic Symphasis Laxity: The pelvic joints in particular become more relaxed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.  This allows the joints to very easily become misaligned.  The misalignment causes pain and restoring proper alignment via chiropractic care often provides significant relief.
• Stress: With the postural and structural changes in pregnancy stress often finds the weak spots, and during stressful times you may find an increase in back pain during stressful periods in pregnancy.

Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Pregnancy-Related Back Pain

A review of previous studies on the effectiveness of chiropractic for pregnant women with lower back pain was published in the July 2008 edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics [2.  Stuber K, Smith D. Chiropractic treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain: A systematic review of the evidence. J Manipulative Physiol Theraputics, 2008;31:447-454.].  This study reviewed the previously published journal articles between January 1982 to July 2007.  Six studies met the criteria for inclusion in this review.  Interestingly, the authors noted that 68% to 85% of pregnant women with pregnancy back pain do not look for any care for their lower back pain. The authors theorize that this is because most pregnant women consider back pain to be a normal part of the pregnancy.

In one study, 100% of the 103 women receiving chiropractic treatment attained greater than 50% relief of back pain.  In another study, 84% of the 25 subjects reported lower back pain relief with chiropractic manipulation.  None of the studies reviewed indicated any adverse effects or evidence of harm to either the pregnant woman or unborn child from the chiropractic care.

My Clinical Experience Treating Women with Pregnancy Back Pain

Over the last 19 years, I have treated many women with back pain from pregnancy.  Chiropractic treatments are modified to consider the biomechanical changes and hormonal alterations on a woman’s body for safe and effective treatment, for the mother and the in-utero infant. There are many techniques to safely and effectively perform chiropractic manipulation on pregnant women.

In my experience, one of the most comfortable and effective chiropractic treatment methods that pregnant women seem to prefer is the use of Cox Flexion-Distraction while lying on their side.  I have written about the Cox Flexion method in other articles, such as on herniated neck disc treatment.  With this method during and after treatment, I consistently have women who have had previously had other chiropractic techniques performed by other doctors telling me that they have never felt so good since becoming pregnant.  They often sleep significantly better and are more emotionally stable.

Unfortunately, not all chiropractors have training and advanced experience using Cox Flexion-Distraction.  It is an elective technique taught in some chiropractic schools and offered as a continuing education course to chiropractors.   An article that I wrote in 1991 on this technique was published in the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association.   To my knowledge, on the San Francisco Peninsula where I’m located, I’m one of the few who utilize this method.  I offer this pregnancy back pain treatment in my chiropractic clinic in San Carlos.

Copyright © 2010 Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN. All rights reserved.

http://www.drhusbands.com/blog/ Chiropractic / Pregnancy Back Pain

Case in point:  A lawsuit was filed on March 2, 2010 in San Francisco superior court against 8 brands of fish oil supplement manufacturers with high levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCB’s).  The initial defendants named are (in alphabetical order): CVS Pharmacy, Inc.; General Nutrition Corp. (GNC); Now Health Group, Inc.; Omega Protein, Inc.; Pharmavite LLC (Nature Made brand); Rite Aid Corp.; Solgar, Inc.; and TwinLab Corp.  These manufacturers had fish oil supplements that exceeded the recommended safe highest limit for PCB’s of 90 parts per billion (ppb).

One fish oil supplement manufacturer that I have consistently recommended due to repeated batch testing by independent 3rd party tests showing very low contamination levels of 1.0 parts per trillion (ppt) or less, is Nordic Naturals.

Safety is just one reason why I take painstaking detail in researching fish oils and other nutrition supplements for my patients’ needs.  Knowing the nutrients required in helping restore a patient’s health is as important as choosing the right brand.  Some brands simply do not have the adequate therapeutic amounts, while some have questionable safety.  Adequate dosage, in the purest form available, and combined with other nutrients for their synergistic effect, along with functional medicine approach and effective chiropractic techniques, are components of our health restoration program in our clinic.

If you have need to consult regarding using fish oil or our health restoration programs call our appointment desk at (650) 593-4447.  We are offering a free consultation for the first 10 minutes for those who are scheduling for the first time through March 2010.

http://www.drhusbands.com/blog/ General / Is Your Fish Oil Safe?