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April 2002 Newsletter The Adrenal Glands-Your Personal Shock Absorbers We all know what stress feels like but where does it come from? Stress is a reaction to a threat whether it is on the physical, mental or emotional plane. The body is trying to compensate and survive. It has been said we are cavemen in jeans. Physiologically we have very much the same body that early man did. He felt stress also. Perhaps he was mauled by an animal, he couldn’t find food for his family or he had to live through a flood and draught. Today sources of stress for us include excessive work, temperature changes, environmental toxins, chronic illness and pain, surgery, allergies and over exercise. In addition, many of us are in pursuit of the perfect state. We exhaust ourselves trying to live up to the expectations of our families, our culture. We proudly announce,” I don’t stop until I get it all completely right. That’s just the way I am.” As we aspire to this illusive state of perfectionism, we tote worry, anxiety, depression, guilt, anger and fear with us. Ouch! What comes to mind is a happy song written several years ago by Bobby McFarland entitled’ Don’t worry be happy.’ There is so much wisdom in the message. Even though we feel we can handle the stress it registers inside the body in a very loud way. Sometimes we are not even aware of the amount of strain that we carry. We get so used to it that the sensation feels normal. However, your adrenal glands are working very hard to compensate for the strain. Everyone has 2 adrenal glands, They are about the size of your thumb and they sit on top of your kidneys. One of their jobs is to make hormones to help the body adjust to stress. There are two main hormones that we use during stressful times. One is adrenaline, which gives us the ‘flight or fight’ response when there is short-term stress such as slamming on the brakes to avoid an accident. The other is called cortisol which is used for longer periods of stress. An example would be the recovery from a disease or a personal crisis such as loss of your job. In any event, cortisol is designed to be used for a period of months. When our stress endures for years, cortisol remains in the blood and can cause problems such as inflammation, muscle wasting and impairment of the immune system. So it is easy to see that we are physically designed to cope with shorter period of stress but enduring long-term stress can severely diminish good health. Joy Pacitto is a board certified clinical nutritionist with a private practice in Rocky Hill, CT. Joy’s clinical protocols reflect her belief in a holistic model of healing and living. Joy can be contacted at her office, Nutritional Therapy, 860-529-8313.
Relief For Asthma And Allergies Asthma is a disorder “characterized by spasm of the bronchial tubes and excessive excretion of mucous in the lungs that can lead to difficult breathing.” Constriction of the bronchial tubes and inflammation make these attacks range from mild to life-threatening, as they limit the ability to inhale and exhale air. Food allergies often play a big role in asthma. If one or more of these “trigger” foods are found to be the cause of attacks, an elimination diet may be all that’s needed. Naturally acting bronchodilators, anti-spasmodics, and antioxidants are well researched. Lobelia is an effective anti-spasmodic to the lungs and causes constricted bronchial passages to dilate for increased airflow and easier breathing. In the herbal form, lobelia in high doses can be toxic. As such, an herbal preparation is not used. However, a highly-diluted, homeopathic form is considered safe and effective. Licorice has the ability to increase the half-life of the hormone cortisol, thereby increasing its anti-inflammatory action and providing relief from breathing problems associated with asthma. It also inhibits enzymes that promote inflammation. Horehound is often recommended by herbalists due to its ability to soothe and open up the bronchials. Because of this action, horehound is included in many herbal cough drops. Dong Quai is known for its effectiveness in alleviating symptoms among those having a range of sensitivities such as pollen, animal dander, dust, and food. It works by selectively inhibiting the production of allergic antibodies, which are especially high in patients with allergies. Capsaicin, the major active component in chili pepper, may help eliminate asthma attacks. Evidence suggests that capsaicin causes desensitization of the airway lining to varied irritants. Vitamin C inhibits bronchial constriction and has been shown to have a protective effect on airway hyper-reactivity in patients with exercise-induced asthma. Due to its role in calcium transport and intracellular phosphorylation reactions, magnesium greatly affects the state of bronchial smooth muscle with asthmatic inflammation. Combining a healthy diet and lifestyle with the most appropriate supplementation can provide relief for asthma sufferers. Reference: Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, 1991:148-9.
Vitamin C Aids Alzheimer’s Therapy Drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders appear to enter the brain more easily when a vitamin C molecule is attached, according to researchers in Italy. The discovery could lead to safer and more effective drugs that target the brain, they say. “We’ve opened a door for a promising new way to improve delivery of drugs into the brain using a natural nutrient, vitamin C,” says Stefano Manfredini, lead investigator in the study. Researchers recently discovered the existence in some cells of a new receptor, the SVCT2 transporter, which is believed to play a major role in regulating the transport of vitamin C into the brain, where vitamin C is found at high concentrations. Manfredini and his associates theorized that adding a vitamin C component to certain therapeutic drugs would facilitate their transport across these receptors and their entry into the brain. To test their theory, the researchers studied three different compounds that are used to treat brain disorders—ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s—but are known to have difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier. Adding a vitamin C component to each of these three compounds significantly improved their ability to interact with the vitamin C transporter. The results suggest that this approach may improve drug delivery, the researchers concluded. Reference: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, January 31, 2002
Joint Pain No More Conventional treatment for all forms of arthritis are fairly similar and include the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NAIDS) which cause adverse reactions including perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal pain. Essential to the alternative treatment of arthritis are basic nutrition and exercise. Specialists indicate that a diet high in fiber, moderate in protein, and heavy on fresh produce is most effective in building up the body against the effects of arthritis. Plant seed oil-derived unsaturated fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) was shown in a study to significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Glucosamine, which plays a role in cartilage formation and repair, is one of the best known and researched of these nutrients. Findings published in The Lancet suggested that the long-term combined structure-modifying and symptom-modifying effects of glucosamine sulfate indicate that it could be a disease-modifying agent in osteoarthritis. John H. Klippel, medical director of the Arthritis Foundation, called this a “landmark study providing evidence that glucosamine has an important role in the management of osteoarthritis.” MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane) and SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine) are indicated to improve joint flexibility, reduce stiffness and swelling, improve circulation, and reduce pain. Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71:349s-51s.
New Studies Reveal Lycopene’s Effectiveness For Cancer And Heart Disease Lycopene is a nutrient that gives tomatoes their distinctive red color. It is also found in a few other fruits, such as watermelon, grapefruits, and guava. Lycopene is one of the members of the carotenoid family, which includes beta-carotene, the building block for vitamin A. Lycopene is found in high concentration in the testes and reports indicate that it may be useful in preventing prostate cancer. Recent studies have established a close link between dietary intake of tomatoes and lowered cancer risk. Japanese researchers found that tomato consumption prevents atherosclerosis by protecting lipids from oxidation. A case-controlled study, comprising 108 subjects with atherosclerosis and controls revealed an inverse relationship between serum lycopene and the risk of atherosclerosis, suggesting a protective role for lycopene against the development of atherosclerosis. A study of more than 1,300 European men suggested that consumption of lycopene-rich foods reduced the risk of a heart attack by half. Epidemiological studies at Harvard Medical School, reviewing epidemiological literature, found that among 72 studies, 57 reported inverse associations between blood lycopene levels and cancer risk. The evidence was particularly strong for cancers of the prostate, lungs, and stomach. Data were also suggestive of benefits of lycopene intake in cancers of the pancreas, colon and rectum, esophagus, oral cavity, breast, and cervix. For those who are not tomato lovers, lycopene is also available in capsules or tablet form. Reference: Arch Biochem Biophys 2000; 373:271.
Lower Cholesterol And Boost Immunity Beta-glucans are becoming popular supplements for their pharmacological activities including anti-tumor and cholesterol lowering properties. Mushrooms are considered a good source of beta-glucans. Beta-glucans from mushrooms are identified as biological response modifiers that stimulate the immune system. Beta-glucan works by stimulating the immune system response to keep immune cells in a heightened state of vigilance against invaders. A clinical trial on patients with malignant melanoma, carcinoma of the lung, and carcinoma of the breast showed that beta-glucan resulted in shrinking the tumor. A Japanese study showed that the beta-glucan lentinan, derived from shiitake, has the ability to enhance immunity and to prolong the survival time of some cancer patients. Several studies have indicated that consumption of oat bran lowers blood cholesterol, and this effect has been attributed specifically to oat bran’s soluble fiber, beta-glucan. Beta-glucan derived from barley was also found to lower cholesterol in humans. A study at the University of Massachusetts on obese men found that supplementation with 15 grams of beta-glucan fiber daily for eight weeks significantly reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. No known side effects associated with beta-glucans have been reported. References: Anticancer Res 1997; 17(4A):2751; Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72:49.
Study links chromium and cholesterol Dr. Danielle Greenberg, a nutritional scientist at AMBI, Inc., presented research results from five double-blind, placebo-controlled studies involving more than 300 adults. Greenberg found that on average, total blood cholesterol levels fell more than 20 points—from more than 220 mg per dl to less than 200 mg per dl—in people receiving chromium versus those receiving placebos. Greenberg said the results were impressive, especially because none of the participants in the studies was using lipid-lowering medications, and the only medical intervention was to give either chromium or the placebo during the test periods. Greenberg also said that though chromium at dosages of 200 mcg per day significantly lowered blood cholesterol, doses of 1,000 mcg per day had more pronounced effects. Chromium supplementation was required for at least two months to see an effect, Greenberg said. Reference: Journal of the American College of Nutrition, November 2000.
Health Tip Astudy of 163 adolescents treated at National Jewish Hospital in Denver, CO showed that the children suffered from bone loss because of inadequate dietary calcium rather than the side effects of steroid use, which was previously believed to be the culprit. Children who took 1,000 mg per day of calcium had significantly lower rates of bone-density loss than children who did not take calcium supplements. Reference: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, December 2000.
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