You probably saw the sensational media headlines last week: Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Attacks! We told you the truth about this several weeks ago, before the latest research came out. The headlines leave out the fact that its only high dose calcium tablets without Vitamin D, or any of the other essential calcium cofactors that were found to raise the risk of heart attacks. The truth is hidden in the article, but of course very few if any will actually read the original article published in the British Medical Journal. If you take calcium, be sure to read this.

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Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a powerful natural antioxidant supplement that in numerous clinical trials has been shown to provide significant benefits for heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, periodontal disease and Parkinson’s disease.

People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) have a nervous system disorder that results in muscular weakness and tremors. People with PD have been shown to have low CoQ10 levels. Without sufficient CoQ10, the cells of the basal ganglia in the brain are more susceptible to damage by circulating toxins. Damage to the basal ganglia is thought to be one of the principal causes of the development of Parkinson’s disease.

A study published in the journal Archives of Neurology suggests that coenzyme CoQ10 may be able to accomplish what current treatments for Parkinson’s disease cannot; slow its progression. The ailment afflicts between one-million and 1½ million Americans with 50,000 new cases reported every year.

Parkinson’s disease causes tremor, muscle rigidity and movement problems. The underlying cause is the slow loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a brain chemical involved in movement. It usually starts with small tremors, then progresses to a shuffling gait and increasing weakness. There is no cure, and drug therapy tends to lose effectiveness over time.

Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring compound produced within the body. CoQ10 (also known as Vitamin Q10) is biosynthesized from the amino acid Tyrosine and eight vitamins, which are tetrahydrobiopterin, vitamins B6, C, B2, B12, folic acid, niacin, and pantothenic acid. CoQ10 works by neutralizing molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are present in high levels in the energy-producing components of cells and can cause cell damage and death.

In Parkinson’s disease, research has shown that this free radical damage is greater in the area of the brain responsible for movement control, which leads to cell death and development of the disease.

In the latest research, 80 Parkinson’s sufferers were randomly assigned to receive coenzyme CoQ10 at three different doses of 300, 600, or 1200 mg/day, or a placebo. The progressive deterioration in movement that characterizes the disease was slowed by 44% in those who took the highest doses.

“There’s really no treatment that has been shown unequivocally to slow the progression of the disease,” says Dr. Clifford Shults, lead author of the study and professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. “Our data suggests that coenzyme CoQ10 may, but it clearly needs to be confirmed and extended.”

Source: Arch Neurol 2002 Oct;59(10):1541-50

With the introduction of the superior, more absorbable forms of Coenzyme Q10 in 2006, far lower doses may very well provide these same benefits. The Hansen Clinic CoQ10 MAX 50mg is an all-natural, proprietary, patent-pending, crystal-free, solvent-free, lipid-stabilized CoQ10 shown in recent clinical trials to be over eight times more absorbable than powdered forms of CoQ10 and more than twice as bioavailable as other oil-based products. For more information click here….

By Stephen Daniells, 23-Jun-2010

The heart health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA may be related to their ability to reduce oxidative stress, suggests new research.

By Stephen Daniells, 24-Jun-2010

Low blood levels of folate are associated with a 35 percent increased risk of hearing loss, says a new study from Australia that strengthens the link between B vitamins and hearing.



On March 8, 2010, ABC News reported that “Osteoporosis Drugs, Like Fosamax May Increase Risk of Broken Bones in Some Women” and that “Long-term Use of Popular Class of Osteoporosis Drugs May Have Opposite Effect for Some Women.” (click here to watch the ABC video)

Fosamax and Boniva are the two most popular drugs in this class of drugs called bisphosphonates. They are supposed to make bones stronger, but now there’s mounting evidence that, for some women, taking these medications for more than five years could cause spontaneous fractures.

“We are seeing people just walking, walking down the steps, patients who are doing low-energy exercise,” said Dr. Kenneth Egol, professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Very unusual, the femur is one of the strongest bones in the body.”

This entire class of drugs should be withdrawn from the market, says Dr. Hansen. On January 1, 2009, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report from the FDA, which says that the Osteoporosis drug Fosamax may now be linked to cancer. The FDA received 23 reports of esophageal cancer possibly linked to the drug between its October 1995 debut and May 2008. Of these patients, eight have died so far, according to the report. This is worrisome news for the tens of millions of American women that currently take Fosamax for Osteoporosis.

Good News! There are safe and effective Natural Alternatives to drugs like Fosama & Boniva

Osteoporosis affects approximately 25 million Americans. Women know they need to do something to prevent Osteoporosis, but they don’t know what. They are trusting their doctors and the drug companies to give them something to help. Most doctors know nothing about prevention through diet, nutrition and exercise. So by the time the average woman is diagnosed with Osteoporosis, 50 to 75% of her original bone mass has already been lost. Women need answers. Why is Osteoporosis so prevalent in the U.S., while it is almost unheard of in some cultures? What can a woman do to change her risk of getting this common disease without taking risky drugs?

Officials estimate that there are about 1.5 million fractures annually among osteoporosis patients and 300,000 of them die within six months of getting a fracture. Medical costs for osteoporosis treatment exceed $17 billion dollars annually in the U.S. and because of the increasing elderly population, the number is only expected to rise. The incidence of these bone fractures has doubled in the last 30 years, due mainly to nutritional and environmental factors.

Conventional medicine views osteoporosis as an irreversible process associated with aging and menopause rather than diet and lifestyle choices. The emphasis has been placed on slowing down the rate of bone loss by prescribing synthetic drugs that block bone loss, as well as high doses of calcium, increased amounts of dairy and regular exercise. While these therapies do slow the rate of bone loss in some, they do not stimulate bone rebuilding. The best they can do is to keep the already porous bones from losing any more bone density.

The good news is that Osteoporosis is preventable and reversible through diet, exercise, nutritional supplementation and natural bio-identical hormone replacement with plant based Estriol and Progesterone, and natural Growth Hormone precursors.

Dietary Treatment and Prevention of Osteoporosis

Observations of various populations worldwide show that the countries with the highest consumption of meat and dairy products have the highest incidence of Osteoporosis. Because of this observation, scientists posed this question: Is osteoporosis due to calcium deficiency or excess protein, or acid pH caused by too much protein and dairy?

A study published in the journal Nutrition in 1974, found that eating a low protein diet led to a positive calcium deposit of +31, while a high protein diet led to a calcium loss of -120. This means that at the end of the day, after taking 500 mg of calcium, the low protein diet group was shown to have increased its calcium level by +31. On the other hand, taking 500 mg of calcium while eating a high protein diet actually lowered the level of calcium in the bloodstream by -120.

Epidemiological studies from around the world have shown that in countries like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, etc, where the people generally eat no dairy at all and less than 50 grams of protein daily and get about 400 mg of calcium per day in their diet, have no osteoporosis; it’s virtually unheard of in those countries. However, if you look on the other extreme, Eskimos who daily consume about 2200 mg of calcium, have the highest incidence of osteoporosis of any population in the world, even though they’re getting 2200 mg of calcium daily. The difference is that they also daily consume 250 to 400 grams of protein in fish, walrus, or whale meats. That high protein content and the acid pH that results are the principal causes of osteoporosis. It’s not simply a deficiency of calcium. It’s the excessive amount of protein that stimulates a hormonal change in the body that causes the body to excrete calcium through the kidneys in the urine.

The average American consumes as much as 100 grams of protein per day and that amount stimulates the parathyroid gland to release a hormone called parathormone that pulls calcium out of the bones to be excreted in the urine. The most important consideration in the prevention of Osteoporosis is not overdoing protein. This can be accomplished by following the Department of Agriculture’s new food pyramid guide. Start at the bottom: eat 6-11 servings of whole grains, 3-5 servings of fresh, steamed, or microwaved vegetables, and 2-3 servings of fresh fruits daily. Meats and dairy should be eaten sparingly in smaller portions than the former foods that are lower in the pyramid. For optimal health you only need a maximum of 40-50 grams of protein daily.

Minerals and Vitamin Cofactors

Calcium is the major mineral in bones. However, you can get too much of a good thing. If you’re eating a high protein diet, even 2200 mg of calcium a day won’t help you. Too much calcium inhibits magnesium, which is essential to the production of the hormone calcitonin. This hormone helps tone down the calcium excretion and keeps calcium in the bones. Magnesium is also essential for the conversion of the active form of vitamin D, which is required for calcium absorption and its deposit into bone. Taking too much calcium actually blocks magnesium and therefore blocks the production of vitamin D in its active form, which prevents calcium from getting into the bone. Calcium should not be taken in excessive amounts.

There are several other nutrients that are very important in prevention and cure of osteoporosis. Three B-vitamins, vitamin B₆, folic acid, and vitamin B₁₂ are essential. These three vitamins are important in the conversion of the amino acid methionine into cysteine. If they are deficient, homocysteine increases. As homocysteine increases in the body it interferes with collagen cross-linking, leading to defective bone matrix. That means, if you don’t have these vitamins, then the bones can’t hold calcium in place in their normal meshwork. Therefore, even though you may be consuming enough calcium, it won’t be held in the bone.

Another vitamin that is often overlooked in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is vitamin K. This hormone-like vitamin is necessary for the production of the active form of osteocalcin which is the major noncollagen protein in the bone. Without sufficient vitamin K and its production of active osteocalcin, calcium will not be held within the bone in its place. Vitamin K is found in deep green leafy vegetables and is one of the most commonly deficient vitamins missing from our diet.

The trace mineral Boron also appears to be an essential factor in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. A study of postmenopausal women given 3 mg of boron daily was shown to reduce their urinary calcium loss by 44%. Apparently, boron is required to activate certain hormones including estrogen and vitamin D. Fruits and vegetables are the main sources of boron and diets that are deficient in these foods may also be deficient in boron.

Plant Cofactors

Certain bioflavonoids found in fruits have been shown to be very important in the prevention of osteoporosis. Certain polyphenol bioflavonoids, especially those extracted from grape seeds, have been shown to stabilize collagen structures. Since collagen is the major protein constituent in bone, stabilization of the integrity of the bone structure or the collagen will help to prevent calcium loss and osteoporosis. For optimal insurance against osteoporosis, I recommend taking a supplement that contains Leucoslect® Grape Seed Extract.

Drug Therapies

In July 2002, researchers at the National Institutes of Health abruptly halted the nation’s largest study on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), because the study found that the long-term use of synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone drugs increase a women’s risk of breast cancer by 26%, her risk of a heart attack by 29%, her risk of stroke by 41% and her risk of blood clots by 113%. (Source: JAMA. 2002;288:321-333).

Several other drugs are now being recommended for Osteoporosis, including the Biphosphanate drugs that include Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel. Tens of millions of women are currently taking Fosamax for Osteoporosis and millions of additional women take Boniva and Actonel, all of which share the same concern.

Evista, a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) is also being recommended to prevent and treat Osteoporosis. Evista is approved for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, but works by a different mechanism than the Biphosphanates. Evista stimulates the Estrogen Receptors and appears to prevent bone loss in a manner similar to other synthetic estrogens, like Premarin. Side effects include hot flashes, leg cramps and blood clots.

Natural Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement

The ovaries produce three different Estrogens: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3). The two most concentrated and most potent estrogens are Estrone (E1) and Estradiol (E2). These two are both now classified as carcinogens. You should test your estrogen levels to make certain these two are not too high. Even “Bio-Identical” Hormone Replacement Therapy that uses Estradiol or Estrone can and does cause cancer if it gets to high.

Dr. Hansen’s Natural Hormone Rx: Estriol, Progesterone and Growth Hormone

Estriol (E3) has been shown to be protective against cancer. It prevents bone loss, stops hot flashes, thinning of the skin and dryness of the vaginal membranes. It is 1000 times less stimulating to the breast tissue than Estradiol and does not cause harmful build-up of the uterine lining. Estriol inhibits osteoclasts in bone from breaking down and causing bone loss.

Unlike the estrogens, which only help prevent bone loss, taking natural Progesterone helps to increases bone mineral density by as much as 10-15% within 6 months and 20-25% in 3 years (Clinical Nutrition Review, 1990, 10:384-391). Progesterone stimulates osteoblasts in the bone to directly increase bone density.

Growth Hormone (GH) is necessary throughout life to keep your bone density high. GH has direct effects on bone cells known as chondrocytes. A deficiency of GH severely limits bone growth and hence the accumulation of bone mass. You can stimulate you own GH activity by exercising and by getting plenty of sleep. Additionally,

Dr. Hansen prescribes a plant based source of Estriol and Progesterone for the prevention and treatment of Osteoporosis. He also prescribes a nutritional and herbal supplement known as Secretropin to boost GH production by the body. These natural products are safe and effective alternatives to synthetic drugs, providing all of the benefits and more, without the negative side-effects.

Testing

DEXA Scan X-Ray

The top standard for measuring bone density is the DEXA Scan, which is an X-Ray of the spine and the hip bone. The measurements taken can be compared to the average for the total population and by age group. The main concern with this test is the fact that it exposes you to gamma radiation that is known to be cancer inducing. For this reason I prefer to recommend an NTX Urine Test for bone density.

N-Telopeptide (NTX) Bone Loss Testing

Approximately 90% of the meshwork or your bones consists of type I collagen that is cross-linked at the N-terminal, hence the name N-Telopeptide. This highly cross-linked collagen structure provides for the basic fabric and tensile strength of bone tissue. The collagen infrastructure of bone undergoes a continuous process of remodeling that involves osteoclast mediated bone breakdown and osteoblast mediated bone formation. Bone breakdown by osteoclasts results in the release of cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTX)of type I collagen. NTX is specific to bone and is found in urine as a stable end product of bone loss.

Levels of NTX correlate with the rate of bone loss. Bone loss rates exceeding bone formation results in a net loss of bone and ultimately osteopenia or osteoporosis. This test is the best way to detct active bone loss or bone building. It is relatively inexpensive compared to the DEXA Scan and free of radiation.

Hormone Testing

All three Estrogens can be measured in Saliva, which gives an accurate assessment of the active forms of the estrogens. Progesterone is also tested in the Saliva. The Estrogen to Progesterone ratio gives a good picture of the relative balance of these two synergistic hormones. Too much Estradiol and Estrone or too little Estriol can cause an increased risk of cancer. Too little Progesterone will inhibit the production of new bone.

Growth Hormone is tested by blood. Because GH is released in short pulsatile bursts in the bloodstream and has a very short lifespan in the blood it is not a good marker for GH activity. Instead, we use IGF-1 to assess the correct level of GH. Ideally, IGF-1 level should be 200-250.

Vitamin D3 (25-Hydroxycalciferol) should be tested in the blood serum. Many experts recommend that the optimal Vitamin D3 level for prevention of osteoporosis and protection against cancers is 50-65 ng/ml.

Recommended Bone Building Supplement: Peak Advantage High Potency Multi-Vita/Min

• Calcium Citrate: Calcium is the major mineral in bones. Calcium Citrate is 2.5 times better absorbed than Calcium Carbonate, even in individuals with low stomach acid. The U.S. RDA for calcium is based on 1968 data using Calcium Carbonate as the standard. According to more recent research published in The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in November 1999, by Howard J. Heller, MD and his colleagues found that Calcium Citrate is 2.5 times more bioavailable (easier for your body to use) than Calcium Carbonate as demonstrated by measuring the blood level of calcium after a single oral dose (500 mg) of calcium carbonate taken with a meal.

The RDA used to be 800mg of Calcium Carbonate daily for women, which would be equivalent to only mg 320mg of Calcium Citrate. Adequate intake (AI) recommendations published in August 1997 were set at 1000 milligrams for men and women aged 19 - 50 and 1200 milligrams for individuals older than age 50. To get the equivalent benefit from Calcium Citrate you only need to consume 400 to 480mg of Calcium Citrate respectively.

• Magnesium Aspartate: Magnesium is the determining factor of bone strength. 80-85% American women consume less than the RDA. Necessary for the formation of new calcium crystals and the active form of Vitamin D. Magnesium Aspartate is the most useable form.

• Boron: Necessary for the production of natural estrogen and testosterone. Significantly reduces loss of calcium and magnesium.

• Vitamin K: Required for the attraction of calcium to bones. Individuals with Osteoporosis have been found to have 35% less Vitamin K than age matched controls. Overuse of antibiotics kills healthful intestinal flora that produce Vitamin K. Supplementation reduces calcium loss by as much as 18-50%.

• Vitamin D increases calcium absorption, slows bone loss and boosts bone formation. One study on Vitamin D showed that participants who took vitamin D supplements had a 7 percent lower risk of death compared to those that did not. It is now known that virtually every cell in our body has receptors for vitamin D and that vitamin D is not just a vitamin. It also has very powerful hormonal activities and has protective effects noted against certain cancers (particularly breast and prostate), autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, and heart disease. I recommend taking 5000 I.U.s once or twice daily. This is a quantity sufficient to raise your blood level of Vitamin D3 to between 60-100 ng/dl.

• Folic Acid: Decreases homocysteine levels which can cause osteoporosis. Alcohol and Birth Control Pills cause a deficiency. Pregnancy creates a higher demand.

• Silica: Found in high concentrations at calcification sites in growing bones.

• Betaine HCl: Source of hydrochloric acid that is essential for the absorption and assimilation of minerals.

• DigeZyme: Plant enzymes that digests phytates, found in grains that commonly bind to minerals and significantly reduce their availability for absorption.

• GSE Ultra 110: Leucoselect® Grape Seed Extract to stabilize collagen.

Summary

Osteoporosis is preventable and it is reversible. You can take charge of your own health. For optimal results you need to eat more vegetables and grains and less meat and dairy products. The greatest threat to your bones is the high protein diet consumed in the United States. The average American consumes 90 grams of protein daily. You need to cut that amount in half. Additionally, you need a good multi-vitamin and mineral formula, like Peak Advantage that provides the right amount of minerals, vitamins and plant cofactors to prevent or reverse osteoporosis. Finally, you need to test your Estradiol, Estrone, Estriol, Progesterone and IGF-1 levels. With this information you can then correct the hormone imbalances and prevent or reverse Osteoporosis for good.

Source:The Alliance for Natural Health

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to abolish Structure/Function Claims and Qualified Health Claims. What does this jargon mean? Why is this so important?

At the present time, the FDA does not allow the seller of a food or supplement to say that the product will help prevent or treat a health condition or disease. Only a drug company selling an FDA approved drug may make such a claim. Any violation of this rule can result in massive fines and a long jail sentence.

The producer of a Vitamin D supplement cannot legally cite the science showing that Vitamin D prevents and treats the flu. Flu is considered a disease so this is forbidden. The science doesn’t matter to the FDA. Nor does freedom of speech.

The supplement producer can make a Structure/Function Claim. For example, the bottle might say to take Vitamin D for immune system function.

Alternatively, the Vitamin D producer might ask the FDA for permission to make a Qualified Health Claim. For example, it might ask to be able to say that Vitamin D may prevent or treat the flu (note the qualifying term “may”).

But the FDA does not like Qualified Health Claims and will almost always deny them. It will typically say the science is not strong enough. To reach this conclusion, it will throw out most scientific studies because they have not been set up in the form of standard FDA drug trials.

FDA Wants to Regulate Supplements Like Drugs

The FDA seems to want, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest says it wants, the abolition of both Structure/Function Claims and Qualified Health Claims. They seem to want food, supplements, and drugs to be treated exactly alike. No health claims of any sort would be allowed unless the product was brought through the full FDA approval process.

At first glance, this might seem both fair and logical. Why not treat everything alike? Why not subject food, supplements, and drugs to the same standard?

But this is not at all fair or logical. It is actually both unfair and completely illogical. It omits an all important fact: the staggering cost of FDA approval: up to $1 billion for a single product.

FDA Approval & Drug Patents Create Drug Monopolies

Drug companies can afford to pay these horrendous sums. For one thing, they can charge as much as $100 a pill. And how can they get away with charging so much? Because drugs are usually patented.

The patent together with FDA approval creates a monopoly. This is a government sanctioned and enforced monopoly, and it makes drug companies the most profitable businesses in America.

Another important fact: natural substances cannot usually be patented. At least the rules say that they cannot be. Does this mean that drug companies avoid natural substances? Of course not.

When drug companies find a natural substance that promises to prevent or treat disease, they seek to “twist” the molecules enough to claim that the resulting product is “new” and therefore patentable. Then they take the modified and no longer “natural” product to the FDA for approval.

The result? We now pay as much as 100X as much for the drug than we would have paid for the natural product. Worse, the “new” drug may be much more dangerous than the natural product from which it was derived.

Why is a Drug More Likely to be Dangerous?

Drugs are more likely to be dangerous than herbs or nutritional supplements because humans have had thousands of years to co-evolve with natural substances. Natural substances may of course be toxic for us. But the odds of any newly engineered substance being toxic, sometimes very toxic, are higher, because our bodies are completely unadapted to it.

If the Center for Science in the Public Interest is successful in abolishing Structure/Function Health Claims and Qualified Health Claims, it will not mean that foods and supplements will then be taken through the FDA approval process. This is inconceivable. It would cost way too much to do without patent protection.

Even if, hypothetically, foods and supplements were taken through the FDA approval process, nobody could afford to buy the approved products, which would now cost too much.

If Structure/Function and Qualified Health Claims disappeared, all that would happen is that Americans would have even less information than they do today about the potential health benefits of foods and supplements. Drugs would be the only game in town, no matter how expensive and how dangerous they might be.

The only way Americans would have to learn about the health benefits of eating the right foods and taking the right supplements would be to burrow into scientific journals. Much needless death and suffering would result. Our economy would continue to pay a higher and higher price for monopoly healthcare that does not improve our health.

Take action now!

Sign our letter and tell the FDA not to abolish the Structure/ Function and Qualified Health Claims systems, but rather expand them and stop censoring good science.

It is not a coincidence that certain vested interests, supported by groups like CSPI and the FDA, want to shut down any free flow of information about natural approaches to health. The new drug pipeline is getting thinner and both food and supplements are increasingly viewed by consumers as a much healthier alternative to drugs.

There is nothing less than a scientific revolution currently taking place at the intersection of food, food extracts, and food supplements. Solid, peer reviewed scientific research is pouring forth from reputable research institutions, especially research universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and the like.

Unfortunately the American people do not hear about this research. Food and supplement producers would like to tell them about it. But FDA rules prevent it.

This is the great “Catch 22” of modern American medicine. The greatest innovation and the most exciting news today is in natural medicine. But because natural substances aren’t patentable, they won’t get FDA approval. And because they won’t get FDA approval, the government won’t let us hear about it.

Don’t let the FDA tighten the noose on health information even further. Take action now to maintain your right to know. Reassert the constitutional right of all Americans to free and truthful speech about science.

Consider what is happening in Europe right now. Under emerging European rules, even a doctor will not be allowed to talk to a patient in private about food or supplements that have not been approved by it’s FDA equivalent health authority. At least the Europeans do not let the drug companies fund the health authority as we let the drug companies fund the FDA! (For more information about what is happening in Europe and internationally and how this relates to the CSPI proposal to the FDA, see ANH Feature: US health claims regime under Euro-threat.)

It is time to call a halt to this madness before European rules are adopted in the US. Good science should be freely available to all. Both food and supplement producers should be able to cite it without fear of jail. What can you do about this? Send a message directly to the FDA. Tell them to reject the CSPI proposal.

Please take action now.

Hunter Lewis
ANH-USA President

Waxman’s Anti-Supplement FTC Language Kept Out of The Senate Finance Reform Bill! Two weeks ago we told you about a “sneak” anti-supplement provision (Section 4901) slipped at the last moment into the House Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173). This “below the radar” provision would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) broad new rulemaking and enforcement authority to force vitamins off the market or into drugs.

The good news is that with your support we successfully headed this off by making the provision too “controversial”, as Senator Dodd reportedly said. Still, the fight isn’t over. We must continue on the lookout for attempts by politicians in the pockets of “big pharma” to regulate vitamins out of the market.

Stay tuned. I will keep you posted to future developments.

Related Article:Bio-Identical Hormones: Are They Right for You?

The word hormone comes from Greek, meaning “to set in motion.” Hormones are made by your endocrine glands, including the adrenals, thyroid, liver, pancreas, pituitary, pineal gland and genitals. Hormones direct and coordinate many of the most import functions of the body.

As we age the ability of our bodies to produce adequate amounts of hormones diminishes rapidly. Deficiencies of any one of the hormones can lead to significant symptoms of ill health that are often thought of as normal signs of aging. However, mounting research is showing that restoring hormone levels to more youthful levels can reverse many of the signs of aging and restore the strength, energy, flexibility, vitality, mood, immunity and cognitive function of your prime.

The Hormone Solution

In his landmark book, The Hormone Solution, which I recommend you purchase and read from cover to cover, Dr. Thierry Hertoghe, M.D., a fourth generation endocrinologist from Belgium, writes,

“Your body contains more than one hundred different types of hormones, and they pour into your bloodstream at the rate of thousands of billions of units per day. Hormones regulate your heartbeat and your breathing. Hormones make men men and women women. Hormones put you to sleep at night and wake you up in the morning. They control your blood pressure. They build bone, maintain muscle tone, and lubricate joints. Hormones govern growth. They make the body produce energy and heat. Hormones burn fat. Hormones govern the menstrual cycle and allow pregnancy (and birth) to occur. They fight stress, prevent fatigue, calm anxiety, and relieve depression. Hormones make and keep memories. Hormones control your sex drive, virility, and fertility. They stimulate your brain and your immune system. It is by no means an exaggeration to say that hormones are crucial to very single function of the human body.

You can’ live without them

“But in the environment we live in at the opening of this new millennium—and particularly as we ourselves age—rarely do our bodies have the optimum levels of hormones. So we don’t enjoy optimum health, whether that means arthritis or heart disease or flagging sex drive or gray hair and wrinkles or out-of-control weight gain. The program in this book, a combination of nutrition and hormone balance, can bring anyone into optimal health. The Hormone Solution is not a miracle cure or an empty promise. It is a reality. It is for anyone who feels tired all the time. Or forgets things. Or isn’t sleeping well. Or feels more depressed and anxious than he used to. Or who is at risk for osteoporosis or cancer—among many, many other things. We’ve accepted these things as inevitable, especially as we age. We didn’t like it, but we thought we had to live with it. But we’ve been wrong.

“You probably know that some hormone levels decline with age. What’s less well known is that almost all hormone levels drop, across the board, in men as well as women. Your endocrine glands cannot maintain the same production of hormones they did in your younger days. And that loss is the most crucial—and eminently correctable—underlying process that causes the signs and symptoms of aging as well as a host of other health concerns. With the proper physiological doses of natural hormones in combination with a hormonally supportive diet and vitamin and mineral supplements, you can retain your health—and your youth—more fully and for a longer time. I am not recommending the massive pharmaceutical quantities of the standard hormone prescriptions, like menopausal replace therapy (HRT), but rather the finely tuned individualized substances that are identical in structure and quantity to what young, healthy body’s produce.

“When all our hormones are at optimal levels, our bodies are healthy, efficient, resilient, flexible, and strong.”

Restore Your Hormones: Restore Your Strength, Vitality and Longevity

Optimal levels of hormones provide a veritable fountain of youth. Nature designed hormones to work synergisticly to keep your body strong, active and beautiful. The major cause of deficient hormone levels is the aging of the endocrine glands that occurs due to the increasing stress and toxic load of our modern lifestyle. Without help your glands will simply wear out and wither away. They will become overwhelmed with toxic waste and oxidative damage and no longer be able to keep up with the stress of life. The cells of the glands will die faster than they can be repaired. The good news is that you can change the course of your own aging process. You can test your hormones, find out which hormones are deficient and replenish or replace them. You can take natural supplements to repair and rebuild your glands and restore the hormone levels back to level of a health 30-35 year old. The fountain of youth is within you.

Testing Your Hormones

Where do you start to figure out what’s causing what? Here’s what I recommend. Start by examining your symptoms. By taking a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms you can narrow in on the cause of your problems.

Once you know which hormones are most likely to be causing your symptoms, then you can test them specifically to determine where you stand compared to the optimal range. Some hormones can only be tested through a blood test, some can be tested by blood or by a saliva sample.

Saliva hormone testing has the advantage of being less invasive (no blood draw required), less expensive and sometimes more accurate because hormones in the saliva are often found in their free, unbound state, which gives a truer picture of their functional status.

What Hormones Should Be Tested

Adrenal Cortisol

DHEA

Estrogens

Estrone (E1)

Estradiol (E2)

Estriol (E3)

Growth Hormone (IGF-1)

Insulin

Pregnenolone

Progesterone

Total Testosterone

SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globlin)

Thyroid

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

T3, free

T4, free

Vitamin D3 (25-Hydroxy-D3)

Adrenal Cortisol

Cortisol (also known as Hydrocortisone) is produced by the adrenal glands. It is released with adrenaline during times of stress. Cortisol raises blood sugar levels, promotes the metabolism of proteins and the breakdown of fats to provide strength and energy, makes your heart beat faster and increases your blood pressure. A deficiency will cause you to feel unable to cope with stress, wiped out and lightheaded, mentally dull and depressed, anxious, pessimistic and defeated, confused and distracted, or paralyzed by stress.

DHEA (De-hydro-epi-androsterone)
DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the body. It is produced by the adrenal glands and is converted by the body into Progesterone, Testosterone, and the Estrogens, Estradiol and Estrone. Adequate DHEA levels give the body the building blocks necessary to produce all of these hormones. It strengthens muscles, keeps mucous membranes soft and moist, stimulates immunity, boosts energy levels, reduces anxiety and depression, improves mood, increases libido in women, enhances memory, and helps the body fight cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. A deficiency causes tiredness, decreased libido and an increased risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Estrogen
Estrogen makes a woman feminine. It creates the soft contours of a woman’s breasts, hips and pelvis that prepare her for childbirth. Estrogen keeps the skin smooth and free of wrinkles. It prevents excess hair growth, and keeps the vaginal membranes moist. It enhances sexual desire, increases physical endurance, prevents osteoporosis and promotes a happy enthusiastic mood.

As a woman ages, however, her ovarian function begins to decline, leading to a decline in the production of the estrogens. A deficiency of estrogen will cause the thinning of your skin due to a decreased production of collagen, which will lead to wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. With decreased estrogen your breasts will shrink and sag, you’ll lose some of your feminine shape and your vaginal mucous membranes will become thin and dry. A deficiency of estrogen can also cause you to lose muscle and make you feel tired, irritable and depressed all day long. And last but not least, the declining hormones lead to vasomotor instability that cause the hot flashes, disrupted sleep, irritability and depression associated with menopause.

Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Drug manufacturers have been making synthetic estrogen drugs for more than 50 years to combat these changes. However, in July 2002, researchers at the National Institutes of Health abruptly halted the nation’s largest study on HRT, because the study found that the long-term use of synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone drugs increase a women’s risk of breast cancer by 26%, her risk of a heart attack by 29%, her risk of stroke by 41% and her risk of blood clots by 113%. (Source: JAMA. 2002;288:321-333).

“Bio-Identical” Hormone Replacement Therapy

The ovaries produce three different Estrogens: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3). The two most concentrated and most potent estrogens are Estrone (E1) and Estradiol (E2). They are the hormones that stimulate cell growth of the uterine lining and breast tissue associated with preparation for pregnancy. Because they stimulate cell growth they can also stimulate cancer cell growth. Both Estrone and Estradiol are now classified as carcinogens. You should test your estrogen levels to make certain these two are not too high. Even “Bio-Identical” Hormone Replacement Therapy that uses Estradiol or Estrone can and does cause cancer if it gets to high, or if it is not balanced correctly with the appropriate amount of Estriol (E3) and Progesterone. I recommend that you avoid Estrone and Estradiol completely and make certain you have enough Progesterone, which protects against cancer and builds healthy bones.

Dr. Hansen’s Rx: Use Estriol Only NOT Estradiol or Estrone!

To protect against cancer nature designed the body to produce the third estrogen, known as Estriol (E3), which has been shown to be protective against cancer. A woman’s Estriol level goes way up when she gets pregnant and stays up while she is breast feeding. High levels of this estrogen protect a woman from the harmful effects of the other two estrogens during these periods. This is the reason women who have more children and who breast feed longer have a lower incidence of breast cancer. Estriol has also been shown to not cause the excessive build up of uterine lining that is associated with uterine cancer. In fact, research indicates that low levels of Estriol place you at an increased risk for developing cancer. You should check all of your Estrogen levels periodically to make sure that they are in a healthy balance approximately equal to a ratio of 8:1:1, Estriol to Estrone to Estradiol, respectively.

Growth Hormone

Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is a very small protein substance that is chemically similar to insulin. It is secreted in short pulses during the first few hours of sleep and after exercise. GH promotes growth of bones, muscles, organs and all other cells throughout life.

Production of GH peaks during adolescence and falls after the age of 21 by about 14% per decade. By age 60 GH production is reduced by one-half. Individuals with higher levels of GH appear more youthful and report greater vitality and stamina.

Growth Hormone is necessary throughout your life to keep your muscles toned and firm, your bone density high and your joints flexible and strong. It protects your kidneys, heart and other organs, as well as your digestive system. It keeps your arteries clear and your mind sharp and calm. It supports the immune system and helps to prevent weight gain in your hip and thighs. As GH decreases your hair becomes thin and limp, your muscles disappear, your skin begins to sag, your lips become thin and your gums recede.

Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone is known as the “Mother Hormone” because it is manufactured in the brain and the adrenal glands from cholesterol and then converted in the liver to DHEA and Progesterone (and ultimately other hormones such as Cortisol, Estrogen, and Testosterone). Pregnenolone enhances memory by stimulating concentration and clarifying thinking. It reduces fatigue, fights depression and protects the joints from inflammation and arthritis.

As we age, the body’s natural Pregnenolone levels decrease. A deficiency of Pregnenolone leads to poor memory, depression, and cognitive decline as well as decreasing bone density, lean body mass and muscle strength.

Progesterone
Progesterone is also produced by the ovaries. It has its own unique hormonal functions, but a certain amount is also converted into Testosterone, then into Estrogen. Progesterone increases uterine secretions and stimulates building of new bone. It also helps regulate salt, control blood sugar, modulates nerve function, has a calming effect and promotes a healthy thymus gland, which is part of the immune system. Supplementing natural Progesterone extracted from the wild yam can help maintain these healthful benefits. Provera (the synthetic version of natural progesterone) has some progesterone-like effects, but causes an additional 30 negative side effects that are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference.

Taking natural Progesterone can increase Bone Mineral Density (BMD) by 10-15% within 6 months and 20-25% in 3 years. Additionally, natural Progesterone protects and preserves the brain and calms nervous system, activates Tumor Suppressor Protein, which suppresses cancer growth, activates DNA repair and initiates programmed cell death of cells overcome by cancer.

Melatonin

Melatonin is produced primarily at night after sunset and facilitates the onset and continuation of normal sleep patterns. Working late in front of a computer, watching television late at night, working night shifts, travel across multiple time zones, stress and aging all cause changes in sleeping patterns that are likely to have adverse effects on Melatonin secretion patterns. Altered patterns or reduced levels of Melatonin secretion cause sleep disturbances, insomnia and fatigue. A deficiency of Melatonin can be found in depression, schizophrenia, amenorrhea, anorexia, and breast cancer.

Sufficient amounts of Melatonin can relax your muscles, relieve tension, reduce stress and anxiety (especially at night), and lower your blood pressure. It calms you and provides a sense of serenity. Supplementing Melatonin can effectively synchronize the sleep-wake cycle. Physiological doses of Melatonin show little or no carry-over sleepiness. Melatonin is also a powerful anti-oxidant and at normal levels provide protection from the oxidative damage of free radicals that may cause cancer.

Testosterone
Testosterone is not just for men. Women have it and need it as well. A deficiency of Testosterone in a woman leads to fatigue, muscle wasting, low sex drive, decreased sexual stimulation, and diminished sense of well-being. Testosterone protects the heart and reduces plaque build up in the arteries. It prevents joint pain and osteoporosis. It builds muscle and reduces fat and cellulite. Testosterone tightens the skin and prevents wrinkles. When a woman’s ovarian function declines in the years before and during natural menopause, so does the amount of Testosterone she produces. Between a woman’s 20s and 40s the amount of Testosterone circulating in her blood declines about 50%. If a woman starts Estrogen Replacement Therapy at menopause, her blood levels of Testosterone drop even further due to a biochemical reaction.

Thyroid

The types and severity of symptoms of hypothyroidism vary between individuals. At the onset of the disease, the symptoms can be vague and develop slowly. They may include weakness, weight gain, cold sensitivity, cold hands and feet, fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, and thinning, brittle hair. Other early symptoms include muscle achiness, joint pain, and heavy menstrual periods.

If undiagnosed and untreated, later symptoms can include confusion, thick skin, swelling of the arms or legs, slowing of speech, and depression.

Typical hyperthyroid symptoms include anxiety, shaky hands, sweating, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, increased appetite, tremors, and weight loss. Many symptoms of hyperthyroidism affect the eyes leading to bulging eyes, eye puffiness, light sensitivity, and an intense stare.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is made from sunlight by the skin, liver and kidneys. Vitamin D3, known as Cholecalciferol, is the form of Vitamin D that is generated in the skin of animals when light is absorbed. Additionally, we get some Vitamin D, known as Ergocalciferol, or Vitamn D2, from egg yolk, fish oil and a number of plants.

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased susceptibility to colds and flus, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer of the breast, prostate, colon and skin, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression, peripheral artery disease, Parkinson’s and several autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes.

A recent Pew Research Poll shows that nearly 80% of Americans don’t trust Washington and they have little faith that the massive federal bureaucracy can solve the nation’s ills. Here’s a good example.

“Of all the sneaky tactics practiced in Washington D.C., this recent action by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) is one of the most insidious: While no one was looking, he injected amendment language into the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173) that would expand the powers of the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to terrorize nutritional supplement companies by greatly expanding the power of the FTC to make its own laws that target dietary supplement companies.” (To read the entire article posted in NaturalNews, click here.)

Your help is urgently needed to halt this power grab

Please take two minutes right now to sign two online petitions to tell your Senators to vote down this deceptive action by Henry Waxman — a lifelong opponent of natural medicine who is trying to covertly inject this expansion of FTC powers into the Finance Reform Bill.

According to the Natural Solutions Foundation, Senator Waxman’s amendment gives the FTC “power that could be used to restrict truthful information about dietary supplements, by requiring expensive, “drug company” level clinical trials before vitamin companies could make claims about their products.”

The Alliance for Natural Health says, “At the present time, the FTC takes the position that supplement companies should produce results from at least two random controlled human trials to show substantial support for any advertized health claim, even claims permitted by the FDA under DSHEA, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.”

This deceptive action is intended to put nutritional supplement companies out of business, make vitamin and herbal supplement drugs and give “big pharma” and its big money, the corner on the market.

Your help is urgently needed. I don’t send out a lot of “urgent call to action” requests, but this is one that definitely demands our collective attention. Please sign both of the online petitions below, or call, fax or email your representatives in Washington and strongly voice your opposition to any expansion of powers of the FTC over dietary supplements.

Click here to sign the Alliance for Natural Health online petition.

Click here to sign the Natural Solutions Foundations online petition.

Protect your health freedoms or you will lose them! The U.S. Congress is literally just one vote away from granting the FTC dangerous new powers to destroy the natural products industry. A vote could take place as early as this weekend.

As many as 50 million Americans have allergies, including 36 million who suffer from seasonal allergies and at least 14 million who have food allergies.

Seasonal Allergies, also known as hay fever, can make you miserable. Millions of Americans hate the springtime because for them it means constant sneezing, congestion, watery, itchy eyes, runny nose, mental dullness, poor concentration, headaches and fatigue.

Most Americans reach for a prescription drug or OTC anti-histamine to treat their allergies, however, these drugs often cause significant adverse effects and unwanted symptoms that can be worse than the allergies.

What does Dr. Hansen Recommend for Seasonal Allergies?

Dr. Hansen says, “If you want to stop allergic symptoms fast without resorting to taking drugs, you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients called Flavinox™. It contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract (equivalent to 4 lbs of seeded grapes), green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and Vitamin C.

Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in Flavinox™.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to hay fever congestion.

Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their hay fever symptoms clear up within 15 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox™.

For more information and the recommended dose for Flavinox™, the natural alternative to Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec®, click here.

What Causes Seasonal Hayfever Allergies?

People who have allergies have an immune system that is over reacting to a normally harmless substance such as pollen, mold, animal dander, etc. These substances are called allergens.

Mast Cells are the cells of the immune system that release histamine and other allergic chemicals that cause allergic symptoms, including a runny nose, sneezing, watery, itchy eyes, itchy throat and swelling of the mucous membranes when triggered by antigens.

All of these symptoms are produced by the body to attempt to remove the allergen from the body. When you get into a dust storm or walk through a field of weeds with lots of pollen blowing in your eyes, nose and lungs, you want your immune system to react to wash the pollen out of your eyes, blow it out of your nose, or cough it out of your lungs. However, you certainly don’t want your Mast Cells over reacting to every single pollen or every food.

When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is lacking bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

That is why two people who go outside together can have such opposite reactions to inhaling the same air in the Spring. Standing side-by-side, one will take a deep breath and proclaim how much he loves the smell of citrus blossoms in the Spring, while the other stands there sneezing, and wiping her watery itchy eyes, cursing the smell and the wind.

Natural Bioflavonoid Stops Allergy Symptoms Fast!

New research indicates that allergies are caused by a deficiency of specific bioflavonoids known as Proanthocyanidins that are found in fruits and vegetables such as grapes, cranberries, plums, blueberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, pomegranates, tomato skins, green tea and onions. Proanthocyanidins stabilize over reactive Mast Cells and thereby prevent histamine from being released too easily.

When you eat foods rich in Proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids they actually get incorporated directly into cell membranes throughout the body, including Mast Cells. When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is deficient in bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

When you have enough of these bioflavonoids in your cell membranes the Mast Cells don’t over react. you don’t need a drug to block the histamine. Here is a list of great tasting foods that contain

Table 1. Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods (Units = mg per 100 grams)

Source: USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin (monomers-trimers) Content of Slected Foods 2004

Patient Success Stories: Stopping Allergies Fast with Natural Medicines

Deborah, Phoenix, AZ

I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine - Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec - all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox, a natural allergy product, and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.

When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.

Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ

All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox herbal allergy formula the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!

I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!

Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ

I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage Horse Training Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.

John, Phoenix, AZ

I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.

Don’t do Drugs!

Most drugs work by blocking a normal body function rather than correcting the problem and they all have side effects. The top selling allergy drugs are no exception, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec. They all work by blocking histamine, which temporarily relieves some of the symptoms but often cause headaches, dry mouth, fatigue and drowsiness as well. Some side-effects can be life-threatening. Seldane (terfenadine) was taken off of the market because it was found to cause fatal heart irregularities. It was replaced by Allegra (fexofenadine) which is a metabolite of Seldane.

Anti-histamine Drug Side-Effects:

Common side-effects include headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, cough, upper respiratory infections, back pain, painful menses and hyperactivity in children; very young children are usually more sensitive to the effects of anti-histamines; symptoms may include increases in blood pressure, nightmares or unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability.

Additionally, anti-histamines have side-effects that are not reported in the patient information or in the physician’s drug reference manual because the clinical trials used by the drug companies to establish the effectiveness of the drugs are often too short and conducted on too few patients.

The average clinical trial for the current anti-histamine drugs lasted only 2-4 weeks and included only 2500 to 5000 patients. It is only when these drugs are used for longer periods of time on millions of people that we discover the true and complete list of side-effects.

Additional Side-Effects discovered after the initial clinical trials include depression, irritability, uncontrollable crying, anxiety, irrational behavior, rage, aggression, muscle and joint pain, erratic sleep, fatigue on waking. Here is a representative sample of side-effects registered by patients after the initial clinical trials.

Patient Reported Side-Effects (See www.AskaPatient.com to view more patient reports)

Zyrtec Side-effects (3/31/2010): heart palpitations-rapid and irregular heartbeats; severe muscle pain-leg cramps and bursitis; chronic fatigue-felt exhausted all the time; nosebleeds; mental fog-unable to concentrate; difficulty finishing a sentence because I would forget what I was saying. The palpitations caused me to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in the ER a month ago. My leg muscle pain was so bad I couldn’t walk 1/4 of a block. Bursitis so bad at night I couldn’t sleep. I stopped taking Zyrtec 4 days ago and everything except the palpitations has disappeared. AVOID ZYRTEC !!!

Zyrtec Side-effects: My 5-year-old developed extremely volatile mood swings, including tearfulness, depression and erratic sleep patterns. They began the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after I stopped giving it to him.

Zyrtec Side-effects (3/27/2010): I gave this to my 9 year old son who just struggles with awful allergies to everything. 1 tsp about 6 pm. He went to sleep at 8pm and slept soundly for a while with no sneezing but still sniffling. Woke up around 2 am and was just angry. Yelling, stomping, gritting his teeth mad at everything. Couple hours later fell asleep .Got up for breakfast in a worse rage. Went from room to room forgetting why he went there.

I kept him home from school, he fell back asleep after breakfast and woke up at 1:30pm (when I woke him up) Wow, that was scary. Never again. This completely changed his personality in one dose and he was very, very sleepy with it. I really was hoping we had found something to help him. I’m angry I wasn’t warned.

Zyrtec Side-effects:My 7 year old daughter took Zyrtec for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up.

This drug should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. Normally she would wake up happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.

Claritin Side-effects: Cleared my sinuses but caused foggy head, inability to complete fairly simple tasks, sweating and sense of not feeling like myself. Possibly also caused bouts of short temper and snapping at my family. This drug should not be OTC. There should be a very clear warning about possibility of ‘foggy head’, and depressive symptoms in particular.

IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO MARKET THIS DRUG AS NON-DROWSY as it easily leads the consumer to believe there is little danger of not being able to function normally at home and at work, NOT TO MENTION DRIVING A VEHICLE.

BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN TAKING THIS DRUG. I would start taking it over the weekend or when you can stay home for a couple of days to be able to assess what side effects you may experience. Also, if you have family, it would be good to have another grownup around to care for the kids in case you feel foggy or have depressive symptoms. DO NOT GIVE CLARITIN TO KIDS.

Allegra Side-Effects: So glad I found this site!(www.askapatient.com) I to was perfectly fine till I started taking allegra. I experienced weakness, insomnia, problems with my stomach, confusion, depression, mood swings, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, tremors, leg pain. I still do not feel quite myself. I would rather suffer with all the symptoms of allergies than face what I have over the last month. Wish I would have found this site before I started taking the allegra. If taking this drug and you experience any unusual symptoms “STOP TAKING THIS DRUG” This has been a nightmare!

Allegra Side-Effects: Extreme anxiety, panic attacks, hopelessness, depression, crying, general paranoia and feeling on the brink of craziness. I wish I had found this site (www.askapatient.com) earlier - I have had the most horrible 7 months (emotionally) while taking this drug - the only time I felt like “myself” was when I was not taking it, but since it is an allergy drug I never made the connection. It works wonderfully to deal with allergies, but it seems to amplify all sorts of emotions to a dangerous level (for some people). Wow, after seeing other similar reviews, I am stopping IMMEDIATELY.

How to Stop Hay Fever Allergies Fast

Unlike the drugs that only block histamine or histamine receptors but never cure the problem, nature makes some great tasting foods that actually stop the symptoms by correcting the cause of the allergic hypersensitivity.

If you want to stop Hay Fever symptoms fast you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients. It is called Flavinox^TM and it contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract, green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and vitamin C.

Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in Flavinox^TM.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the Spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to Hay Fever congestion. Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their Hay Fever symptoms clear up within 15 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox^TM.

For more information about Flavinox™, the natural alternative to Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec®, click here.

How About Food Allergies
Unlike airborne allergies and a few food allergies that are associated with IgE antibodies that cause immediate hypersensitivty reactions, most food allergies are associated with IgG antibodies and cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions that typically take 8 to 72 hours to manifest.

Food allergies may be the cause of your fatigue, moodiness, eczema, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and even weight gain, as well as your child’s temper tantrums or ADHD and auto immune disorders including multiple sclerosis. You can reduce your food allergy symptoms by getting more proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids but to eliminate them completely you need to avoid them for 120 days.

Food Allergy Success Stories

Delaney was only 2 1/2 years old when her mom first brought her to see me. She had severe mood swings and temper tantrums. At times she would screech non-stop every 30 seconds for hours, or slap hands in the air repeatedly for hours. She would fly into a rage within 45 minutes of eating wheat and became a little devil. Once we determined her allergy foods and eliminated them she turned into an angel. She is a different person now, sweet and patient and helpful. The transformation was truly amazing.

Donna was a 45 year old woman who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. She was always fatigued and had been plagued by weakness and numbness for years before her diagnosis. Once we tested and eliminated her food allergies all of her symptoms went into remission. She felt so great and had so much energy that she asked if she could stay on the allergy elimination diet forever.

Katherine came to see me because she was stressed out. She was anxious, depressed and overweight. A 34 year old hair dresser, she had tried to lose weight but couldn’t. She was working out and eating next to nothing but still couldn’t lose weight until we discovered the foods that she was allergic to. Once she eliminated those foods, the pounds just seemed to melt away and she went from size 12 to size 4 in four months on the allergy elimination diet. She looks sensational and feels great.

Heather is a 35 year old mom of 3 who was 70 lbs over weight and could not lose the weight even though she ate very few calories and exercised daily. After testing and finding out that she was allergic to she lost 70 lbs in 5 months. She couldn’t believe how easy it was once she eliminated the trigger foods that were causing her body to hold onto the extra weight.

Food Allergy Testing
If you or your family members have any of these conditions you should get tested. At the Hansen Clinic we perform an advanced allergy test that requires only one tube of blood to test both IgE and IgG allergies in 100 foods. The old-fashioned scratch test is inferior because it only measures IgE allergies only. It is also barbaric because it requires 100 different injections of the suspected allergens under the skin to test 100 items.

For more information about our advanced allergy testing, click here.

Quoted from: nutraingdredients-usa.com

The cells of multivitamin users may have a younger biological age than cells from non-users, according to new research.

Researchers led by Honglei Chen, MD, PhD from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at the length of telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells replicate and age.

Compared to non-multivitamin users, the researchers noted that that telomeres were on average 5.1 per cent longer for daily multivitamin users.

Article author: Stephen Daniells, 27-May-2009

[Read entire original article at the source…]

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
June 2009, Volume 89, Number 6, Pages 1857-1863, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26986
“Multivitamin use and telomere length in women”
Authors: Q. Xu, C.G. Parks, L.A. DeRoo, R.M. Cawthon, D.P. Sandler, H. Chen

Inadequate levels of vitamin D may be causing about 37,000 premature deaths in Canada and costing the country billions of dollars, according to a new review.

New research, published March 29, 2010, in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, reports that increasing the mean serum level of Vitamin D in the average Canadian could reduce the death rate by 16% and save the country 6.9% of its health care costs, or about $14.4 billion annually.

“The results of this study strongly suggest that the personal and economic burden of disease in Canada could be significantly reduced if the mean serum 25(OH)D level was increased from its current level of 67 nmol/L to the optimal level of 105nmol/L,” wrote the researchers.

“These results should increase interest by individuals, researchers, organizations, and agencies in Canada in assessing the health benefits of higher vitamin D production and intake and modifying practices and recommendations accordingly,” they added.

The study was funded by the Vitamin D Society (Canada), the UV Foundation (US), the Sunlight Research Forum (The Netherlands), Bio-Tech-Pharmacal (US), Dairy Farmers, Yoplait, and IADSA.

Vitamin D Benefits

Vitamin D deficiency in adults is reported to precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 diabetes.

The science supporting the muscle function of vitamin D, as well as the vitamin’s role in immune health, is sufficiently robust to have merited a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA).

Despite the recent surge in research supporting the wide range of benefits of Vitamin D, many people across the world are still not getting enough vitamin D.

Recommended Daily Intake of Vitamin D

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is conducting a review of the available vitamin D science and is due to deliver its findings this summer. Many expect the IOM to recommend RDIs much above the current levels of 400IU. Oprah has been telling her viewers the RDI should be 2000IU or more.

The IOM may also revise upper safe levels (USLs) with some saying 10,000IU per day reflects the most recent science.

Dr. Hansen says adults should be taking 5000-10,000IU Vitamin D3 daily and they should get their blood tested to make sure they are getting enough to raise their serum 25(OH)Vitamin D level to 100nmol/L.

Source: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200900420
“An estimate of the economic burden and premature deaths due to vitamin D deficiency in Canada”
Authors: W.B. Grant, G.K. Schwalfenberg, S.J. Genuis, S.J. Whiting

Eating 1-2 servings of fatty fish per week or taking omega-3 oil supplements, may reduce a woman’s risk of heart failure by about 25 to 30%, according to a new study.

The benefits appear linked to the omega-3 content of the fish, report researchers in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The highest intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids linked to a reduction in the risk of heart failure of 25 per cent.

According to Emily Levitan and her co-researchers, consuming one serving of fatty fish per week could reduce a woman’s risk of developing heart failure by 20%; two servings per week could reduce the risk by 30%, compared with women who ate no fatty fish.

The association for the highest consumption of omega-3 fatty acids was slightly less than eating two servings of fatty fish per week. The highest intake of omega-3 oil was associated with a 25 per cent reduction in risk of heart failure.

The researchers analyzed data from 36,234 women between the ages of 48 and 83, participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Over the course of 18 years of study, 651 cases of heart failure were documented.

The researchers concluded, “Moderate consumption of fatty fish (1–2 servings per week) and marine omega-3 fatty acids were associated with a lower rate of first heart failure hospitalization or death in this population.”

Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.50
“Fatty fish, marine omega-3 fatty acids and incidence of heart failure”
Authors: E.B. Levitan, A. Wolk, M.A. Mittleman