Download Save Your Brain: Protect Yourself from the Ravages

The
Blaylock Wellness Report
Living a Long Healthy Life
Edited by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Vol. 1, No. 2
June 2004
Quick Facts
Save Your Brain:
Protect Yourself from the Ravages
of Alzheimer’s and Other Diseases
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Secret of aging
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Free radicals ‘burn’
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Poor diets, poor repairs
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Diseases more severe
●
Nutrient deficiencies
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Vitamins protect brain
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Beware vaccines
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The brain’s immune system
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Cholesterol connection
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High fat, high risk
●
Statin drugs
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‘Jellybean’ factor
What Causes the Brain to Age
●
Women at higher risk
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Dangers of aluminum,
fluoride
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Eat your veggies
As with most things in the universe, we have discovered that the
secret of aging lies in commonly occurring events in the body, something shared by all cells. This common event is the accumulated damage to vital cellular components by free radicals.
●
Omega-3 oils
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The beneficent blueberry
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Glutathione levels
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Safe hormone replacement
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Overdoing exercise
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Chelation
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Vitamins vs. cancer
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Eat seafood,
watch for mercury
●
Fix your DNA
●
Vitamin D deficiency
from lack of sunshine
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DHA and CLA
After age 40, most of us begin to worry about losing our memories and
even worse, becoming demented. This is especially true once we reach
our fifties.
But do we really need to worry? Yes and no.
Yes, because there has been an increase in the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and
Lou Gehrig’s disease over the last two decades. Though medical scientists have no explanation for this increase, there are many strong clues.
No, because there is growing evidence that simple steps can be taken
to significantly reduce your risk.
Most of us have heard of antioxidants and that they are good for you.
Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals. So, what is a
free radical?
Basically, free radicals are highly reactive submicroscopic particles
that bounce around inside a cell like red-hot BBs, burning everything
they touch.
Each cell is filled with delicate factories that perform all sorts of vital
functions such as generating energy, making enzymes and other proteins, and storing information, as with DNA.
Free radicals chip away at these cell factories the way water dripping
on a stone wears the stone away. In the beginning, the damage is so
minute that little is harmed, but over time the cell’s function becomes
impaired. The effects of this chipping away by free radicals depends on
the types of cells affected and how severely they are damaged.
God also created a system to repair much of this damage, but our poor
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diets and constant exposure to environmental toxins
severely impair this repair system.
As a result, diseases are appearing earlier, more
often and to a much more severe degree. This is
true not only for diseases affecting the brain but also
for most other diseases, including diabetes, autoimmune disorders, many cancers, arthritis, heart disease and strokes.
All of these diseases share the same event: massive production of free radicals over a long period
of time and a depletion of the body’s antioxidant
defenses.
Numerous studies have found that those with
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease have chronic nutrient
deficiencies long before the disease presents itself.
For example, most individuals with Alzheimer’s
disease have low levels of vitamin C, beta-carotene,
B1, B6, folate and vitamin B12. The latter three are
particularly important, since they regulate a special
series of metabolic steps in brain cells necessary for
forming neurotransmitter chemicals and repairing
DNA.
When these nutrients are deficient, a special chemical called homocysteine accumulates.
Recent studies have found that a large number of
Alzheimer’s disease patients have elevated homocysteine levels.
Besides being a sign of impaired metabolism,
homocysteine is in a class of special brain cell toxins
called excitotoxins. These toxins literally excite certain brain cells to death.
They are considered a central mechanism in all of
the neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s
dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Excitotoxins generate large numbers of free radicals in brain cells
and brain cell connections (synapses).
Vitamin E, C, the carotenoids and special antioxidants from plants called flavonoids all act together
to protect the brain from free radicals and, hence,
excitotoxicity.
Several studies have shown that increasing
these antioxidants in the diet slows the course of
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease and
may prevent the disease in some.
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The Vaccination Connection
One of the world’s leading immunologists, Dr.
Hugh Fudenberg, has conducted studies showing that
those who receive the flu vaccine yearly for three to
five years increase their risk of Alzheimer’s disease
tenfold.
He attributes this to the mercury in the flu vaccines.
We know that mercury poisons many of the critical
brain enzymes, even in very low concentrations.
In a paper published in a recent issue of the
Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association, I
discussed another connection to vaccines in general.
I demonstrated that when vaccines are given close
together and in significant numbers, the way many
doctors give them, the brain’s immune system is overstimulated, resulting in destruction of the very brain
cells we see destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Numerous studies have shown that chronic activation of the brain’s immune system is closely connected to this terrifying disorder.
Many of these studies also have shown that the
greatest risk is among those with impaired immunity.
We know that as we age, the immune system becomes
impaired, primarily because of poor nutrition.
In fact, several studies have shown that aged-related immune problems can be corrected with nutrients
such as selenium, vitamins E and C, and the carotenoids.
Of even greater importance is the finding that vitamin D3 plays a major role in preventing overreaction
of the immune system, as seen in these diseases.
While part of the immune system is impaired, another part is overactive. This imbalance causes the problem. Nutrition can re-establish the proper immune
balance.
The Cholesterol Connection
The manufacturers of the dangerous statin cholesterol-lowering drugs were elated to announce that
lowering cholesterol significantly reduced the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
The problem with the statin drugs is that they
also increase cancer risk, lower critical levels of
Coenzyme Q10 in the body and, in some cases, can
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lead to a fatal muscle disorder. There are safer ways
to lower cholesterol.
It had been know for many years that there was a
connection between risk of heart attacks and strokes
and Alzheimer’s dementia. We now know that high
cholesterol intake is the common factor.
Several recent studies have shown that those with
the highest intakes of cholesterol-containing foods
had the highest risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Connected to this observation was the discovery
that persons who had inherited a special gene for a
fat-carrying protein called APOE4 had a very high
risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia.
In fact, 80 percent of individuals having both of
these APOE4 genes will develop the disease. Even
having one of the genes for APOE4 substantially
increases one’s risk. Having this gene also increases
the risk of developing the “punch drunk” syndrome
and even mad cow disease.
APOE4 is responsible for carrying cholesterol to
the synaptic connections in the brain. The problem
is that it does this less efficiently than the protective form of the carrier protein, APOE2. Those lucky
enough to have both genes for APOE2 rarely develop
Alzheimer’s dementia.
To get some idea as to the impact of dietary choices
and your risk, let us look at a recent study (Zutphen
Elderly Study) that examined the diets of 476 elderly
persons.
They found that those with the highest total fat
intake had a 240 percent higher risk of developing
dementia. High saturated fat intake increased risk 90
percent and high cholesterol intake increased risk 70
percent.
Fish consumption was associated with a 60 percent reduction in dementia risk. In another study,
high meat consumption was associated with a 300
percent increase in risk. This should give some caution to those following the Atkins diet.
The good news is that reducing one’s intake of
cholesterol and increasing one’s intake of vitamin
E appeared to turn off this dangerous gene, thus
lowering risk. This finding also may explain the significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in those
eating a Mediterranean diet. This diet is very low in
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cholesterol and total fat content.
It is also of interest to note that high-cholesterol
diets increase the activity of the brain’s immune
system, which we have seen is also connected to
dementia.
Statin drugs such as Lipitor lower cholesterol levels
by interfering with a critical enzyme in cholesterol
production called HMG-Co-A reductase. This allows
the drugs to drastically lower cholesterol.
The problem with lowering cholesterol too much
is that the brain needs some cholesterol. Impaired
thinking is a common complication with statin drugs.
A safer way to lower cholesterol is to use a special
extract of sugar cane wax called policosanol. This
nutrient lowers cholesterol as efficiently as statins do,
but with greater safety, primarily because it never
lowers the cholesterol-generating enzyme more than
50 percent and does so indirectly.
This also substantially lowers the risk of heart
attacks and strokes. A dose of 20 mg a day works in
most people.
Sweets and Alzheimer’s Disease
Ronald Reagan had a habit of eating jellybeans
throughout the day. Knowing that high levels of sugar
in the diet are harmful to the brain, I always wondered if this at least contributed to his developing
Alzheimer’s disease.
New evidence makes an even stronger link. In
one study of 980 elderly individuals followed for four
years, it was found that those with the highest intake
of calories had a 50 percent increased incidence of
dementia.
When high calorie intake was combined with high
fat intake, the risk rose to 230 percent. This high risk
occurred in those having the APOE4 gene.
So, why would eating a lot of sweets and carbohydrates cause dementia? There are three reasons.
Sugar dramatically increases metabolism, and high
rates of metabolism are the major source of free radicals. In fact, 95 percent of all free radicals come from
metabolism.
Second, high levels of sugar in the body cause the
sugar to react with various critical proteins, includ-
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ing enzymes that repair DNA damage caused by
free radicals.
And finally, when high levels of sugar are combined with high fat levels over a long period of time,
cells cannot absorb the sugar needed to produce energy — a condition called insulin resistance. A recent
study found a high incidence of insulin resistance in
those with Alzheimer’s dementia.
Other Factors
While the above are the major factors in the risk of
getting dementia, there are many other contributing
factors, some more important than others.
For example, we know that women have a higher
incidence of Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease than men do.
It now appears that this is because women lose their
reproductive hormones faster and to a greater extent
than men. Estrogen and to a lesser degree progesterone have been shown to protect brain cells against
a number of harmful effects, including Alzheimer’s
dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Testosterone is also
protective, but the levels in men fall much more slowly and less extremely.
Aluminum has been a suspect in Alzheimer’s
dementia for many years. Studies of human populations point to a problem, and experimental studies
show that aluminum can produce all the same changes
in the brain we see with Alzheimer’s disease.
Most of us are exposed to dietary sources of aluminum including cookware, medications, baking powder,
vaccinations, several foods (teas) and public drinking
water.
Normally, people absorb very little of ingested aluminum, but recent studies have discovered that those
with Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease absorb
a lot more aluminum than normal.
In fact, Down’s children absorb 11 times more
aluminum than is normally absorbed. Children with
Down’s syndrome have the same pathological changes
in their brains as those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ironically, several commonly consumed products
dramatically increase the absorption of aluminum and
increase its toxicity in the brain.
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Fluoride, when combined with even small amounts
of aluminum, produces dramatic destruction of the
same brain cells that are destroyed in Alzheimer’s
disease. In fact, as little as 0.5 ppm (parts per million)
fluoride added to aluminum in water was found to produce extensive brain cell loss in the hippocampus, the
memory part of the brain. Most water systems add 1 to
1.5 ppm fluoride and all add aluminum.
The amino acid glutamate, as found in monosodium
glutamate (MSG), also increases aluminum absorption and deposition in the brain. MSG is added to most
processed foods, usually under a disguised name such
as hydrolyzed protein, soy extract, natural flavoring or
even spices.
As with fluoride, glutamate is even more destructive
to brain cells when combined with aluminum.
Another surprising culprit is citric acid. Lemon juice
is high in citric acid, as are most citrus fruits. Adding
lemon to tea, for example, increases aluminum absorption from the tea (which contains very high aluminum
levels) over sevenfold. This is why you should not add
lemon to your tea.
Finally, consumption of large amounts of excitotoxins adds considerably to the damage caused by the
other factors. Excitotoxins, mentioned above, dramatically increase free radical generation for a prolonged
period after a single exposure.
If you eat processed foods, you are consuming large
amounts of excitotoxins. These excitotoxins are used to
enhance the taste of foods. Some foods add three and
even four forms of excitotoxins, which is particularly
dangerous since studies have shown they have additive
toxicity.
People with neurological diseases, the very young
and the elderly are at a special risk from excitotoxins.
Pregnant women should never consume excitotoxincontaining food additives. The artificial sweetener
aspartame contains the powerful excitotoxin aspartic
acid.
Reduce Your Risk by Following These Steps:
Watch Your Diet
Most important is your diet.
You should eat low-fat foods — at least five servings
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of fruits and vegetables (primarily vegetables) and no
more than a slice of whole grain bread a day, along
with a minimum of high-glycemic carbohydrates
— and drink filtered fluoride-free water.
Carbohydrates are classified as to how fast they are
absorbed and converted to simple sugars.
Those easily converted and absorbed are considered high-glycemic; others are called low-glycemic
carbohydrates.
The best diet is the Mediterranean diet, which is
higher in protein (mainly fish), high in vegetables and
extra virgin olive oil, and low in carbohydrates.
Seafoods can be high in mercury (methylmercury),
so caution must be exercised. It is best to get your
omega-3 oils from supplements.
Omega-3 oils are composed of two components,
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA is the most important for protecting
and nurturing the brain.
In one study, those who consumed omega-3 fatty
acid–containing foods once a week or more had
a 60 percent reduction in Alzheimer’s disease.
Interestingly, DHA has been shown to powerfully
protect the brain from excitotoxins. The EPA component had little effect. Pure DHA can be obtained from
most health supplement suppliers.
Another source of omega-3 fatty acids is from special eggs that contain high amounts of this beneficial
fat. The highest contents are found in Christopher
Eggs. The chickens producing these eggs are fed a
special diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, which then
enters the egg yolks. A single egg supplies 600 mg of
omega-3 fatty acids.
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Of particular interest has been blueberry extract.
In one study, it was found not only to slow the aging
of the brain but also to reverse some of the aging
changes. A more recent study found that blueberry
extract could completely prevent Alzheimer’s disease
in a hereditary animal model of the disease.
This means that blueberry extract might prevent
the disease even in those inheriting both of the
APOE4 genes. It is important to appreciate that these
experiments were done using blueberry extracts and
not whole blueberries. The extracts contain much
higher concentrations of the blueberry flavonoids
than found in a bowl of blueberries.
One of the hottest areas of research has been brain
protection through caloric reduction by fasting. It has
been known for almost half a century that animals
placed on low-calorie diets live significantly longer
than those on regular or, especially, high-calorie diets.
As we have seen, high-calorie intake is especially harmful to the brain. Dr. M.P. Mattson, of the
Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute
on Aging in Baltimore, Md., has shown how this
works.
Previously, it was assumed that reducing calories
reduces the number of free radicals produced by
cells, which it does. Dr. Mattson and his co-workers
also found that it greatly increased the concentration
of two brain-protecting chemicals called nerve growth
factor and telomerase.
These two chemicals can protect the brain’s cells
against the beta-amyloid of Alzheimer’s disease,
strengthen synapses and protect against excitotoxicity. In other words, they can protect against all the
processes seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Fruits and especially vegetables contain some of
the most powerful chemical antioxidants found naturally. They also contain powerful anti-excitotoxic,
anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and antiviral
components as well.
The best results were found with fasting one day
a week, exactly what was proclaimed in the Old
Testament. Weekly fasting also helped correct insulin
excess, something also connected with these diseases.
Eating at least five servings of vegetables a day also
plays a major role in preventing these neurodegenerative diseases. A recent study found that of 1,367 people over age 65 followed for five years, those with the
highest intake of flavonoids from fruits and vegetables
had a 51 percent lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
Take Antioxidants
While you should increase your intake of all of the
antioxidant vitamins, including vitamins C, E, D, K,
carotenoids and all the B vitamins, you also should
supplement with additional antioxidants.
Some of the more powerful are the flavonoids, spe-
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cial components isolated from plants. These include
hesperidin, quercetin, green tea extract, artichoke
extract, grape seed extract and bilberry, all available
from natural supplement suppliers.
One supplement found to provide major protection to the brain is melatonin. Most people think of
it as nothing more than a sleep aid. In fact, it is one
of the brain’s most important antioxidants and actually increases the antioxidant enzyme content of the
brain.
This is especially important because recent studies have shown that these antioxidant enzymes are
low in people who develop Alzheimer’s dementia
and Parkinson’s disease. With aging, the amount of
melatonin begins to decline, one of the reasons for
the high frequency of insomnia in the elderly. If you
notice you no longer dream, your melatonin levels
are probably low. Low levels are rarely seen below
age 45.
All cells contain a very powerful antioxidant called
glutathione. It is especially important for protecting
the brain, especially against excitotoxicity and mercury poisoning. Low levels of this antioxidant are
seen in all cases of neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Ironically, it is fairly
easy to increase the levels of glutathione in all your
cells.
The supplement N-acetyl-L cysteine (NAC) has
been shown to dramatically increase glutathione
levels. Magnesium, vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid and
a high intake of vegetables also increase glutathione
levels. An additional benefit is that high glutathione
levels also help prevent cancer. A high intake of MSG
and other excitotoxins dramatically lowers brain glutathione levels.
Hormone Replacement, Good and Bad
Hormone replacement is a touchy subject, primarily because of the fear of causing cancer — prostate
cancer in males and breast cancer in females.
You also might be aware of a study, reported
recently in The Journal of the American Medical
Association and carried widely by the media,
that linked hormone replacement in women with
increased risk of strokes and heart attacks and found
no benefit in reducing the risk of dementia.
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The general public does not realize that this was
a very flawed study and never should have been
accepted for publication by the journal. The way
the experiment was set up was terribly flawed, but
the main problem with the study was the fact that
the type of estrogen they used, Premarin, has been
known for a long time to be toxic to brain cells, as is
the form of progesterone they used. In fact, though
Premarin breaks down in the body into a multitude
of brain-toxic compounds, this is the form most often
prescribed to post-menopausal women.
Dozens of studies have confirmed that natural
estrogens, especially the form known as estriol, are
highly protective of the brain, especially against
Alzheimer’s disease.
Estriol also has been shown to protect women from
breast cancer. Premarin contains estradiol, a very
powerful form of estrogen and one most associated
with breast cancer.
Brain cells contain numerous estrogen receptors,
which is why estrogens are so important to brain protection from a number of assaults. Only natural estrogens can provide this protection. Before supplementing, women should have a complete female hormone
study done.
Kale, which most people think of as a plate decoration, also contains a natural estrogen compound that
is highly protective of the brain in both males and
females. It is too weak to cause hormone stimulation
in men or women, but it provides the protection of
estrogens.
Men generally do not lose their reproductive hormones as rapidly or as dramatically as women.
Yet, after age 55, most men have significantly
lower levels of testosterone. Testosterone has been
shown to be very protective of the brain, including
against Alzheimer’s disease. Testosterone is derived
from another hormone, called DHEA.
This hormone also has been shown to be very protective of brain cells. DHEA levels also fall with age.
One of the best ways to increase both DHEA levels
and testosterone is simply to take DHEA.
I would advise men to have a male hormone lab
test before supplementing with DHEA, and those
with prostate cancer should not take DHEA or
any male hormone.
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Some men fear supplementation because of a theoretical risk of prostate cancer, but studies have shown
that rather than increasing risk, DHEA may reduce
the risk. Also, most men with low DHEA levels feel
better with supplementation and report increased libido. I would not recommend taking more than 10 to 15
mg a day. It should be taken on an empty stomach.
A Few More Things You Should Know
When brain cells are weakened, either by disease
or a lifetime of free-radical damage, they become
much more vulnerable to injury by toxins of various
types.
It is for this reason that you must avoid further
injury by avoiding known brain toxins.
Avoid fluoride.
Fluoride is a powerful brain toxin, especially when
combined with aluminum, as we have seen.
You should avoid fluoridated water, fluoride toothpaste and fluoride-containing mouthwashes. Many
natural brands are available.
Avoid MSG.
It is also critical that you avoid excitotoxins in food
such as MSG, aspartame, hydrolyzed proteins, soy
proteins, whey protein extracts, natural flavoring, textured proteins, soy extracts and related names.
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and herbicide toxicity. Even so, I would avoid these
poisons and choose natural pest-control methods.
Avoid vaccinations.
You should avoid all vaccinations, especially the flu
vaccine.
With the growing threat of bioterrorism, public
health organizations will be offering a whole host of
new vaccines. I would avoid them all. In the previous
newsletter I outlined ways to effectively combat bioterrorism and daily infections without vaccinations.
Avoid aluminum.
Avoid all aluminum-containing foods (processed
cheeses, teas with lemon, pancakes, biscuits and all
foods using baking powder), cookware, medications,
vaccinations and topical ointments.
Do not eat foods high in aluminum when eating or
drinking citrus-containing foods and drinks (orange
juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, etc).
Avoid mercury in fillings.
Do not let your dentist fill your teeth with mercury-containing amalgam (looks like metal) or in any
way manipulate your fillings (tooth cleaning, etc).
To do this you must avoid processed foods. If you
can’t avoid processed foods, check labels for these disguised names.
If you have amalgam fillings, have them removed
by a dentist trained in proper removal procedure.
The International Association of Oral Medicine and
Toxicology (IAOMT) trains physicians in this procedure and can give you the name of a trained dentist
near you.
Avoid pesticides.
Exercise, but don’t overdo it.
Avoid pesticides and herbicides, especially within
the home. A considerable amount of evidence links
these toxins to increased risk of Alzheimer’s dementia
and especially Parkinson’s disease.
Finally, you should exercise regularly but not aerobically.
Startling evidence shows that combining pesticides
and herbicides greatly increases their toxicity to the
brain, and in sensitive individuals even minute concentrations can result in advanced and very rapid
onset Parkinson’s disease.
Nutritional supplements, as outlined above, have
been shown to protect dramatically against pesticide
Aerobic exercises dramatically increase free-radical
generation that can lead to numerous diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. Several studies have
shown moderate exercise to be protective against
Alzheimer’s dementia and other neurodegenerative
diseases.
It is also important that you exercise your brain.
Reading, memorizing lists of facts, engaging in intellectual conversation and other intellectual pursuits
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has been shown to be protective. Neuroscientists call
it “use it or lose it.”
one of the more effective aluminum chelators for the
brain.
By following these steps, even should you have a
strong family history of dementia, your risk will be
greatly reduced.
Pyruvate (as calcium pyruvate). Take 500 mg with
each meal to remove the aluminum from your food.
Pyruvate has been shown to effectively prevent aluminum absorption.
Ways to Remove
Aluminum From Your Body
Chemicals that remove toxic metals from the tissues and organs of the body do so by a process called
chelation, hence they are called chelators. One of
the most effective chelators for removing aluminum
from the brain is the experimental drug Feralex-G.
One advantage of this drug is that it can be taken
by mouth rather than injected. When combined
with ascorbate (vitamin C), it was shown to produce excellent reductions in brain aluminum levels.
Unfortunately, the drug is not yet available.
A study done in 1993 at the University of Toronto
found that patients given aluminum-chelating drugs
deteriorated at half the rate of those given no treatment. Recent studies have found that using aluminum chelation could reverse the pathological changes
characteristic of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Until the new oral chelating drug is ready for market you may want to reduce your brain load of aluminum by using the following supplements, also shown
to significantly lower brain aluminum.
Magnesum citramate. Take 500 mg three times a
day. Magnesium reduces brain levels of mercury and
the citramate, a combination of citrate and malate,
has been shown to significantly stimulate elimination
of aluminum from the body. In this combination the
supplements are even more effective.
Ascorbate (as magnesium or calcium ascorbate).
Take 1,500 mg three times a day on an empty stomach. A recent study found ascorbate to be a very
effective chelator of aluminum, especially when the
aluminum was bound to brain cell DNA. Taking higher doses of ascorbate with the magnesium citramate
increased the removal of aluminum even more. This
has been referred to as molecular shuttle chelation.
Malate. Take two 500 mg capsules three times a
day on an empty stomach for one month, then two
capsules a day thereafter. Malate was shown to be
Flavonoids. Eat a lot of fresh vegetables.
Supplements containing flavonoids, such as quercetin
and hesperidin, also prevent aluminum absorption.
Chlorella helps remove mercury and lead and may
remove aluminum.
These supplements are in addition to the antioxidant vitamins you normally take.
Nutritional News Update
Nutrition Helps Cancer Patients
A new study appearing in the June 2004 issue of
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that children with leukemia who were deficient in
antioxidant vitamins before chemotherapy treatment
did considerably worse with chemotherapy in terms
of complications and adverse effects than did children
well supplied with antioxidants.
The latter had fewer infections, less nausea and
vomiting, and went home from the hospital earlier
than deficient children. This is important because the
study found that a large percentage of these children
were severely deficient in these vitamin before treatments began.
Despite a considerable amount of research and
clinical evidence indicating that antioxidant vitamins
protect all cancer patients from treatment complications, oncologists still warn their patients not to take
antioxidants for fear of antioxidants interfering with
the treatment.
All of these studies, including this one, found no
such interference. In fact, as I show in my book
“Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients,” nutritional supplementation improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatments while protecting
normal cells and tissues from injury.
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Choosing the Right Fats
Controls Inflammation
Another new study found that how you choose
your fats can determine inflammation in the body.
Numerous chronic diseases are associated with
inflammation, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis
and autoimmune thyroid disease), asthma, pulmonary diseases, infections and all of the neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s
disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
One accurate measure has been the C-reactive protein (C-RP) test. I encourage you to ask your doctor to
include this test in your next physical.
This study also looked at another indicator of heart
disease, the fibrinogen level. Levels of both of these
substances are determined by simple blood tests any
doctor can order.
The study found that trans fatty acids (from partially hydrogenated oils) and high carbohydrate diets
significantly increased these inflammatory markers in
the blood, thereby greatly increasing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Omega-3-fatty acids (N-3 oils), on the other hand,
reduced these inflammatory risk factors.
Previous studies found that a high intake of N6 oils, such as safflower, sunflower, soybean and
corn oils, increased inflammation in the body and
increased the risk of all these diseases. It is for this
reason that you should increase your intake of the N3 oils (omega-3 fatty acids) and decrease your intake
of N-6 oils.
Because seafood, the major dietary source of
omega-3 fatty acids, is also contaminated with significant levels of mercury, it is important to use highquality supplements.
I prefer using pure DHA, the main component of
omega-3 fatty acids. DHA plays a major role in brain
health and has been shown to increase intelligence in
newborns.
DHA can be purchased in most natural food stores.
Another alternative is eating eggs high in omega-3
fatty acids. The chickens are fed diets high in omega3 fatty acids, which is incorporated in the egg yolks.
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While several brands are available, Christopher
Eggs have the highest concentration, at 600 mg per
egg. Eating even one egg a day gives you a considerable dose of these healthy fats.
Vitamin C Reduces Harmful
Effects of Fluoride on Unborn Babies
Recent studies have shown that fluoride can cause
severe toxicity to the developing baby in a mother’s
womb, especially injury to the child’s brain.
In fact, recent studies have shown that fluoride
greatly increases free-radical damage in the developing brains of newborn animals. In one study, high
fluoride intake was associated with significant abnormalities in the development of the skeleton and
organs, and vitamin C was found to protect against all
of these abnormalities. Vitamin E offered some protection but was less effective than vitamin C.
This study offers mothers another way to protect
their children from the toxic effects of fluoride in
drinking water and foods: A prenatal vitamin containing vitamins C and E and all of the other B vitamins,
as well as minerals, can go a long way in protecting
your baby.
The study also cautions mothers to avoid fluoridated drinking water, fluoride toothpaste, fluoridated
mouthwashes and dental fluoride treatments.
Selenium Dramatically Reduces
Aggressive Prostate Cancers
A new study coming out of Harvard Medical School
and reported in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute looked at the selenium intake of 586 men
who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. This
was one of the largest studies of its kind.
The study found that those with the highest intake
of selenium had a 48 percent lower risk of developing
advanced prostate cancer, the most deadly stage.
It is important to note that selenium supplementation did not prevent prostate cancer in this study;
rather, it lowered the risk of the cancer getting out of
control.
Other studies have shown selenium to be preventive, especially when combined with vitamin E.
June 2004
The Blaylock Wellness Report
Selenium in the diet is dependent on vegetable
sources, which can be highly variable. This is because
vegetables obtain their selenium from the soil.
Vegetables grown in selenium-poor soils contain very
little selenium.
Since most people buy their foods from supermarkets, it is important to see where the vegetables
were harvested and check with selenium soil maps.
Most Western states have high selenium levels. Many
Central and Eastern states have low levels.
Supplementation is the safest way to assure adequate selenium intake. The adult dose is 200 mcg a
day. It should not be taken at the same time as vitamin C, since this vitamin interferes with absorption.
Restoring Enzymes
That Fix Broken DNA
A tremendous amount of research is showing that
many of the diseases associated with aging and even
some diseases of the young are related to defects in
special enzymes that can repair damaged DNA.
Most of this damage is caused by free radicals and
occurs every minute of our lives. This chipping away
at our DNA can result in enough accumulated damage to lead to such diseases as cancer, autoimmune
diseases and neurological diseases (Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s diseases). Virtually
every disease that can affect people increases such
DNA damage.
When we are young, these broken areas in our
DNA are quickly fixed by these DNA repair enzymes.
Unfortunately, many of the toxins we are exposed to,
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Page 10
as well as poor diets, significantly impair these repair
enzymes. Fluoride is a powerful inhibitor of DNA
repair enzymes and was known to be so even before
drinking water was first fluoridated in 1945. Mercury,
even in very small doses, is another powerful inhibitor of these enzymes.
Recent studies have shown that melatonin and
curcumin can restore DNA repair enzymes as well
as increase the levels of antioxidant enzymes, thus
giving double protection. In addition, both are antioxidants in their own right.
Melatonin is a natural hormone secreted from the
pineal gland that most of us think of as a sleep aid. In
fact, new studies indicate that it plays a major role in
protecting the brain. Since melatonin declines as we
age, as we have seen in the discussion on Alzheimer’s
disease, supplementation is important after age 50.
The usual dose is 1 to 3 mg at bedtime.
Curcumin is a flavonoid extracted from the spice
turmeric. It is one of the most powerful and versatile
antioxidants known, in addition to its ability to aid in
the repair of DNA. It also has very powerful anti-cancer effects, both reducing the risk of cancers and stopping the growth of cancers once they develop.
Curcumin is a bright yellow powder that is oil soluble.
You should dissolve 500mg in one tablespoon of extra
virgin olive oil and take it twice to three times a day.
Vitamin D May
Prevent Multiple Sclerosis
A new study indicates that a higher intake of vitamin D may prevent MS, the crippler of young adults.
Publisher Christopher Ruddy
Editor Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Executive Editor Ken Williams
Art/Production Director Elizabeth Dole
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June 2004
The Blaylock Wellness Report
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Modern science has concluded that this terrible disease is the result of the body’s immune system attacking its own nervous system. In this study scientists
found that people having the highest vitamin D levels
had the lowest incidence of MS.
be converted by an enzyme (delta-desaturase). This
enzyme is often either not working or barely working. We know that its activity is decreased with aging,
high blood sugar, a high intake of N-6 oils and any
chronic disease.
It is known that vitamin D regulates the immune
system (called immunomodulation) and tends to cool
down the overactive immune reactions seen in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
This means that a significant number of people
are not able to convert the oil; as a result, the ALA
shifts metabolism, producing disease-causing products
(eicosanoids). Flaxseed oil is very high in ALA.
Similar studies have shown low vitamin D levels
in people having other autoimmune diseases such as
immune thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s
syndrome, lupus and Crohn’s disease.
The problem with ALA is that it is easily oxidized
when exposed to air or sunlight; that is, it becomes
rancid. For this reason it should be prepared in nitrogen during manufacturing, sealed from air and sunlight and taken only with vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols, also called natural vitamin E).
Epidemiologists have noted that diseases such as
MS are more common in northern latitudes than
southern and have hypothesized a relation to sun
exposure. Most of the vitamin D we require is generated when our skin is exposed to the sun. With the
widespread use of sunscreens and sun avoidance,
vitamin D deficiency has become more common.
Recommended levels of supplemental vitamin D
have recently been shown to be far too low at 200
to 400 IU a day. A recent review appearing in The
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that
safety concerns with vitamin D toxicity are grossly
exaggerated and that the daily dose should be 2,000
IU a day. It also should be noted that vitamin D has
been found to reduce the risk of several cancers as
well as diabetes.
Wrong Oils Can Greatly Increase
Prostate Cancer Risk
To avoid this problem, I would again suggest that
you take pure DHA, since it has all the beneficial
effects and none of the toxic effects. Antioxidant vitamins also should be taken with DHA. Again, remember to keep your supplements in the refrigerator.
Pearl of the Month:
The special oil called conjugated linolenic acid,
or CLA, has been shown to promote weight loss by
reducing fat production within fat cells (adipocytes).
A recent study found that it also promoted weight
loss in animals made obese by MSG (monosodium
glutamate). This is especially remarkable in that this
type of obesity resists dieting, exercise and even near
starvation.
Several studies have shown that increasing your
intake of omega-3 type oils (fish oils) can significantly
reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and several
cancers.
A new study found that eating the type of oil that
can be converted to omega-3 oils — alpha-linolenic
acid, or ALA — can increase the risk of prostate cancer by 70 percent.
This oil is found in most prepared foods, such as
mayonnaise, creamy salad dressings, oil and vinegar
dressings, beef and pork.
The problem stems from the fact that in order for
ALA to produce the healthy anti-cancer oil, it must
(Please turn over for more information)
June 2004
The Blaylock Wellness Report
Page 12
About Dr. Blaylock
Dr. Russell Blaylock edits NewsMax.com’s The Blaylock
Wellness Report. He is a nationally recognized board certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author and lecturer.
He attended the Louisiana State University School of
Medicine in New Orleans and completed his internship
and neurosurgical residency at the Medical University of
South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
For the past 26 years he has practiced neurosurgery in
addition to having a nutritional practice.
Dr. Russell Blaylock
He recently retired from his neurosurgical practice to
devote full time to nutritional studies and research.Dr.
Blaylock has authored three books on nutrition and wellness, including Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health
and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, and his
most recent work, Natural Strategies for The Cancer
Patient.An in demand guest for radio and television programs, he lectures widely to both lay and professional medical audiences on a variety of nutritional subjects.
Dr. Blaylock serves on the editorial staff of the Journal
of the American Nutraceutical Association and is the associate editor of the Journal of American Physicians and
Surgeons, official journal of the Association of American
Physicians and Surgeons.
He recently retired as a Clinical Assistant Professor of
Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi and
now serves as a Visiting Professor in the Department of
Biology Belhaven College.
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