This secret has been around for centuries. Many other countries in the world have enjoyed these benefits without the USA ever taking notice until now. Many of you have been to some of the classes and probably already know where I’m headed with this.How would you like to:

  • Lose weight, and increase your metabolism.

  • Decrease your heart disease risk

    • Yes, you heard that right! (read on)

  • Improve your cholesterol

  • Improve digestive problems

  • Decrease illness from bacteria, viruses, and fungus.

  • Improve thyroid function, (it sure would be nice if the millions of people on Synthroid would have known this. Somehow someone forgot to tell them.)

My thought for the moment. I find it so ironic that people are tricked into believing that soy is the savior oil for all problems, yet it slows down the thyroid. And this healthy oil is shunned and made virtually unused, yet it can improve thyroid function in many people. Myself included.

So what am I talking about? Coconut Oil

I first learned about the outstanding qualities of coconut oil from Mary Enig’s book, “Know Your Fats”. She is one of the world authorities on fats and cholesterol. I think one of the reasons she is so well respected is because she is NOT bought and paid for by FOOD INDUSTRY MONEY.

The myth that coconut oil is bad for you was fueled primarily by the corn oil industry. Corporate profit can all too often overshadow science.

Coconut oil has a smaller structure than other saturated fats, so it goes right to your liver to be converted to energy. This gives it less stress on your pancreas, liver, and your whole digestive system. It is like throwing gas on a fire for fuel instead of large wet logs.

It is also one of the best sources for lauric acid.

Mary Enig Ph.D says “Lauric acid turns into monolaurin in the gut, and this is what keeps infants fed human milk from getting sick even when they are exposed to lipid coated viruses and various pathogenic organisms.” This is a proven bacteria, virus, and fungus fighter. So, in this day and age of new viruses, the better your immune system, the healthier you will be. “The AIDS virus is killed by monolaurin,” says Dr. Enig.

MOST Common Myth about coconut oil

-Coconut oil will increase heart disease

If coconut oil caused heart disease then there would be no Polynesian or Asian people left, they would have all died off from heart attacks. Yet, there are more people living in Asia than anywhere else, oh… they also live longer than Americans do. Commonsense would indicate that coconut oil doesn’t cause heart disease.

If coconut oil was bad for you, do you think they would put it in baby formulas? Babies use lauric acid from mother’s milk to improve their immune systems. This is one reason breast fed babies are healthier than bottle fed babies. So to try and duplicate this, formula makers add coconut oil to their formulas.



Some ways we use coconut oil

  1. In place of other oils. For instance, if you made muffins you could use coconut oil 1 for 1 for another oil or use half coconut oil and half butter

  2. It’s the most stable cooking/ frying oil. For instance, vegetable oil turns into a toxic cocktail of “funny fats” and trans-fats when it is heated up. It is much better to use coconut oil.

    One easy way to use coconut oil is to pop popcorn in it on the stove. It is 1000 times better for you than microwave popcorns.

  3. We add it to juices or smoothies. (my kids love it, too!). 

There are a lot of antioxidants in coconut oil. It helps to prevent sagging and wrinkled skin. The oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues to keep them strong and supple. Before we found the coconut lotion from Tropical Traditions, I used coconut oil on my skin.

-Dr. Altman

P.S. Don’t forget the Essential Oil class on Wednesday. Sign up on the same schedule you make appointments on. If you haven’t used the schedule just go to the website drdavidaltman.weebly.com

 
Here is my question of the week. How many fruits and veggies did you eat today? Don’t stop reading just yet. This isn’t going where you think it is.

Odds are, you may have had one serving or two.

In the fast paced American life, the processed and packaged, often comes first, and restaurants come second. So I’m going with the assumption that the average family is reading this.

We are coming into the fall and oh so soon winter will be here. There are 4 things that can all but assuredly keep you from being ill this winter. As I ride the train every day, I know it is coming. I already hear people coughing and sniffling.

I have no intention of being ill.

This series is for those of you who want to rise above the health of the average American.

This is the first step to health enlightenment.If someone gets ill the first vitamin people reach for is vitamin C. It is well known for it’s rolls in immunity. No surprises here.

The problem is what people know and dietitians are taught about vitamin C. This is where it gets interesting. Vitamin C is also known as ASCORBIC ACID to the scientific community. Did you know that’s wrong according to your body.

Szent-Gyorgi discovered ascorbic acid and the world took off with it before his work was done. Kind of like letting a wolverine out of a cage. Good luck getting it back in.

In 1939, Szent-Gyorgi wrote a book called Oxidation. I’m going to summarize part of it for space issues today. A colleague of his was suffering from a vascular disease and wanted to try the “new” ascorbic acid for his condition.

Szent-Gyorgi sent him a preparation of paprika that contained much ascorbic acid and the man was cured.

Later, a friend, St. Rusznyak had a similar problem and Szent-Gyorgi sent him pure ascorbic acid and had no response.

“It was evident that the action of the paprika was due to some other substance present in this plant.”

4 Problems with modern understanding of vitamin C.1. It is much more than just ascorbic acid.

2. It is water soluble, so you need a regular supply of it.

3. Oxidation destroys it with storage and transportation.

4. Soil depletion of minerals such as manganese limit the plants production of vitamin C.

Now you’re probably thinking, “we started talking about illnesses”. You’re right, but the relationship with healing is critical.

Vitamin C plays many very critical roles in your body. Sadly, the FDA doesn’t allow me to publicly tell you the amazing things vitamin C has been able to cure. It would interfere with too many drug sales.

The most common thing known is scurvy. Szent-Gyorgi’s book “Oxidation” covers this topic by him saying that ascorbic acid does not cure scurvy. So what does it?

Ascorbic acid is like a peel on a banana. It is a protective wrapper, which is why it was the first part of the natural C complex that was discovered.

There are lots of goodies on the inside that your body uses to heal. Things like Rutins, Bioflavinoids, J-factors, K-factors, and copper.

So when you eat a food with vitamin C it is a very different thing to your body than ascorbic acid off the big box store shelf.

Natural vitamin C is also known as a protector of endothelial and connective tissue. Basically, if you get cut or broken and need to repair tissue, vitamin C is a vital link to how well that gets done. So as a chiropractor, patients who have high levels of C heal better and faster than those who don’t.

Dr. Bartlett of Harvard shows that wound healing with plenty of vitamin C present is several times faster than deficient tissue and tensile strength of the new skin is much greater.

In a war, there are casualties. If there are good medics, and enough of them, more guys will live, right.

When a foreign bacteria enters your body to produces toxins and enzymes that destroy proteins, amino acids, and create general carnage to your cells.

Your white blood cells come in to save the day.Your white blood cells carry more vitamin C than any other cell in your body. Why do you think that would be?

As the white blood cells go into combat with these foreign invaders it is going to take some damage. Vitamin C acts like an armor and helps heal and protect the protein structure of the white blood cell itself.

So why does off the shelf ascorbic acid seems to help with colds? Good question. It acts in an entirely different way. It is an acid, it will acidify your body and make the general environment for the bacteria more hostile. Just like a fever. As the body temp goes up bacteria have a harder time.

This is a far cry from normal immune function. Like I said earlier, illness occurs from 4 primary causes. If you maintain a regular level of natural vitamin C complexes do you think it will be easier or harder to get ill this winter.

This is just like if you do preventative maintenance on your car or you could wait until it breaks.

Dietary consumption of vitamin C is good and necessary, but because of storage, transportation, and soil depletion veggies and fruits often are lacking in vitamin C.

Today’s modern lifestyle pretty much necessitates supplementation of natural vitamin C complexes. Standard Process is the oldest whole food company and has been making living supplements since 1929. They know more about it than any one else, period.

I have been to their farm and manufacturing plant twice and when a veggie is pulled from the ground it travels about 1 mile to be processed. In a special vacuum assisted machine they pull the fiber and water out and use no heat, so the enzymes stay intact.

They produce a living supplement which is very unlike the processed, fractionated and dead ascorbic acid on store shelves.

I take their vitamin C supplement every day. It is called Cataplex C. Now, remember I can’t tell you more of the amazing things C does in your body, but if you understand the improvement to the immune system and healing capability then you can likely figure out a lot more uses.

For those of you looking for better health this winter, this sale will help. Plus, if you aren't ill, you'll do a better job at work.

Cataplex C is 20% off this month.

In Utah, Call 801-896-3259

Outside Utah call my Standard Process order line 612-BE-GREAT (612-234-7328) and leave a message.

 
This is coming to you from a room of chiropractors. I was sitting at a board meeting and pondering events of the evening.

During the events of the day two patients came in with very different stories.

Lets back up and start with a basic question. Can you ever be 100%?

Yes, most of you were born that way. You were born with your greatest health and potential.

No, in reality, you slowly decline through out life and a lifetime of trauma, poor nutrition, and toxicity slowly eats away at your health.

So, depending on where you are on the scale of health, makes a difference on how close to 100% you can get.

The good news is that you can get closer to 100% easier than ever.

Tonight, one patient came in super frustrated because he didn't want to be in the office at all and thought his body shouldn't be having this much pain.

He wanted to be fixed yesterday and never have to return. O.K.

Here is the part he was having a hard time with. The adjustment takes the pressure off the nerve and increases the joint function, and that is it. A stuck joint can't heal.

The healing comes from inside the body.
  • Do medications heal? No
  • Does a surgery heal? No
  • Does a cortizone shot heal? No
  • Does the body heal? Yes
This patient was having a hard time with the fact that his body was unable to heal instantly. This occurs because people mistake the effects of a drug, which masks all the symptoms, with true healing.

Now, this other patient has been coming in for years and can tell when her body is out of balance. She has paid her dues and she eats well, exercises, and gets adjusted every two weeks.

If she does start to get some pain, she gets in and gets adjusted as quick as possible. If she starts to feel ill, she cranks up the vitamins. IF she can't fit in her jeans, she hits the gym an extra time.

I'd call this a proactive patient.Most patients fall into a range inbetween these two. It was just weird that the two opposite spectrums came in the same evening within an hour of each other.

Even if you are a proactive person, can you really "fix" yourself?

If you have a house and are going to "fix" your house with a little DIY repair, are you the best person for that job? Are you a master carpenter, a plumber, an electrician, a master dry waller, tile layer, landscaper, etc?

You may be able to do them, but are you great at all of them?

Did you know, your body is the perfect builder for you?So when you get hurt your body is able to do the job on its own but how it performs depends on a few things.

After a storm, lets say your roof has some missing shingles and a hole in the roof. When a big disaster hits there is often a line of people waiting for supplies and carpenters.

Do you want your roof fixed well or poorly?

You could take a picture of a shingle and print it on your printer and make it look exactly like a shingle. Would you want that on your house?

No.

You want the real deal. The 50 year warranty. Maybe the steel stuff.If you are hurt, your body needs excellent building materials. If a patient is struggling to get better one of the first places to look is what kind of building materials they have on the inside.

If your body is filled with processed food, fast food, artificial vitamins, these can't create good strong tissue. They are FAKE. This kind of diet can't help a person "fix" themselves very well.

If a person cooks with whole foods and avoids packaged foods, then you'll be getting some better raw materials.

The next step for a modern American is to add whole food supplements to increase the overall vitamin and mineral content. I've actually sent a patient home for a week with a specific supplement because she was so inflammatory I couldn't even adjust her with the lightest instrument I have.

When she returned a week later it was incredible how much easier she could be adjusted.

Remember, your body will fix itself, but how well it does, depends on your inside building materials.

  1. Get adjusted so the damaged parts actually function to heal.
  2. Eat the best food you can.
  3. Take whole food supplements to heal even faster.
 
I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot.. when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.

-Michael Jordan

How you think is a key part of doing anything, and it is especially true in healing. Many of you reading this are waiting for the magix elixers for healing, and I’ll get to some later, but there is one thing that supercedes everything else.

Your mind.The next most important thing is keeping your nervous system working at 100%. It doesn’t matter what nutrition or supplements you take, if your nervous system is choked off, the nutrition doesn’t work so well.

After my first 5 years consulting I stopped taking nutrition clients if they weren’t getting adjusted, because the results were that much worse.

What I find so funny is I hear the same story from many patients.

  • Someone makes a comment on how great the patient looks.
  • The patient tells them they went to see me or my wife
  • The person in pain says “I don’t believe in chiropractic”
Two people can take the exact same circumstance and see it two different ways. One may only see pain and misery, and the other sees happiness and success.

One will complain and whine that it’s too much work and a waste of time. The other will love it and embrace it as a breakthrough in their life, that will forever change them.

Is the earth round or flat?I know it sounds like a ridiculous question but people used to believe that the world was flat. Did it matter what they believed?

Of course not, the world has always been round. There will be a point where everyone’s belief ceases to become valid. Sometimes it takes a big event to change peoples minds.

The first year I was in practice I saw an 87 y.o. lady named Gladys. She did NOT want to see a chiropractor. She had a horrible itch over her right shoulder and chest.

She went to every other type of doctor you can think of. No help. After one week of treatment, she only had a spot about the size of a quarter that still itched. She was more than happy and now started telling me about all her other problems.

Fortunately for you, you know the difference. It may not work as FAST as you want, I hear that often enough. Speed of relief is determined by your age, your health, how badly you’re injured and how long it has been there. An adjustment also doesn’t last forever, like an oil change doesn’t last.

I would encourage you to try everything you can to help those with “open” minds to find their way in. You could change their life forever, and they will always be thankful to you for that.

For Those Living A Chiropractic, Drug-free life.Sometimes things happen to you and you might not know why, but how you react makes a big difference. Over the weekend I had an emergency with a patient who comes in every week. She had a sudden sharp increase in pain that wasn’t there before, don’t know why but, 5 adjustments in 3 days and she was significantly better.

She wanted to be better very badly and was willing to put her time in and get adjusted.

Working on your health, a positive attitude that you can get better, and not quitting at a little adversity, pays off.

Healing takes time and a good mental attitude. I can tell you from seeing 1000’s of patients, that the ones who want to be in the office and believe they can get better, always do.

See you in the office

-Dr. Altman

P.S. Researchers have actually studied the mental health of chiropractic patients at the University of Miami School of Medicine and they found that the chiropractic adjustment improved a patients mental health.

 
  1. I’m not talking about the Charlie Daniels Band playing with the “fiddle of gold, against your soul.”

    If we start with the basic idea that healing requires energy, than we need to start with how energy is made.

    Let’s say Mr. Faust comes into the office with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, and skin rashes and maybe a little lupus for good measure. These problems have one thing in common. I’ll tell you later, hang-on.

    Now Mr. Faust was given the usual meds. The steroid inhalers made his asthma go away, his body pains disappeared with the Prednisone, along with the bloody diarrhea and his long-standing skin rash.

    Mr. Faust was not too keen about the notorious side- effects showing up. His face was swelling, his mood was unstable, he got stomach ulcers, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

    Now his original problems were coming back, too— “up the dose of Prednisone and the other steroids.”

    He is now addicted to the medication, why?

    Mr. Faust has weak adrenal glands.

    The Prednisone takes the place of the adrenal glands. Instead of stealing from Peter to pay Paul, Prednisone turns Peter into a loan shark. You need him now, and more and more in the future. I don’t need to tell you what happens when you stiff the loan shark.

    If some form of cortisone works –then the adrenals are weak. Tada problems solved, right!

    How Do The Adrenal Glands Poop Out?

    Are you tired? Stressed? Work a lot? Sleep little? Do you go,go,go and go some more?

    You are frying your adrenals, I know, I’ve done it.

    You might remember those early frying pan commercials where they drop some eggs in and the announcer comes on and says “this is your brain on drugs”. Those are your adrenal glands now. Then drugs like Prednisone take your adrenals and put them in the microwave to make sure all the life is cooked out of them.

    I can’t help you with the medications but I can start you on the road to healing your adrenals. The bottom line is that if Prednisone makes your symptoms go away or get better, you can bet that you have an adrenal problem. Now if the medics deny this fact of physiology, that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

    So What Do Your TiredSore, and Stepped On Adrenal Glands Need To Start MakingHormones Again?

    1. Fat-Yes the sick, twisted, and wrong thinking low-fat diets are killing your ability to make hormones.

    2. ALL, yes ALL, yes, one more time ALL adrenal hormones come from CHOLESTEROL. All those wonderful adrenal hormones that help us deal with stress, inflammation, and even injuries come from cholesterol. You need cholesterol

    3. The adrenals can’t use the cholesterol without Vitamin A. So take your cod liver oil.

    4. Since the adrenals are also involved in sugar regulation, don’t eat simple sugars. Try keeping your carbohydrate load below 75 grams a day.

    5. And lastly I have to step on one more medical myth. Your adrenals NEED natural salt. Not Morton’s, but Celtic Sea Salt. I’ve seen this impressive fact directly. When we do the purification program and someone has weak adrenals, it shows up about in the second week, because there is no salt in the program. They have near immediate improvement in fatigue when they take Celtic Sea Salt. And no, it doesn’t raise blood pressure.

      Your adrenal glands make your energy. If they are abused and tired, how much energy do you have? 

      Since the adrenal glands also control your sleep / wake cycles, and if they are shot, you won’t sleep well. The #1 time you HEAL is when you sleep. 

      So if you can’t sleep, or can’t get out of bed in the morning, are tired, and even get a little light headed then we should talk. Just call the office 801-896-3259 or send me a quick email. If this stuff rings true for you take this quick test.

 
For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION



Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Now many of you probably got this as a joke via email, and it is pretty funny, but sadly it is true. When my wife and I were in Portugal, one of my favorite parts of the trip was eating. Oh my goodness the food was so good.




  • Flavorful

  • Filling

  • Colorful

  • Slow



Everything had more flavor. Even the omelets I had for breakfast had something unique about them. Something to try:

#1 Add some spices to your recipes tonight.
#2 Don’t have any ideas? Try www.allrecipes.com for some new ideas.
Pick your meat and type it in and see what comes up. Remember,
don’t use the artificial ingredients if they come up. This isn’t a natural health website.

I didn’t notice this until we got home, but we were never hungry. Three square meals a day - was it. Snacking never even crossed my mind. I think two things were happening.

#1 We never had any artificial food. It was all real whole food, veggies, fruit, fish, eggs, etc. Artificial (food in a box) has most of the real vitamins stripped out of it. So, your body gets a little upset and wants its vitamins.

When you eat cheap processed food your body will crank up the food cravings. You will eat more, and we all know what that looks like.

One of the early uses of Catalyn (multivitamin from Standard Process) was to help food cravings. As food became more and more processed 80 years ago people started eating more. Catalyn is a whole food vitamin made from 15 foods. It was taken 30 minutes prior to a meal for people who were overweight. Try 2 before a meal.

#2 There was fat in the foods. Even the pastries we had for breakfast had eggs in them. I wish I could get the recipe. Fat makes you feel full and keeps you from overeating.
ie…Butter not margarine, whole milk not skim milk.

Oh so colorful, I can remember ordering an omelet at a small restaurant. It came with a tray of accessories: tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and corn. It was different, but that was the point. It was so good.

#1 Try and have more veggies and fruit cut up at each meal. The more colorful the better.

#2 Variety is the spice of life. Order something new from Penzys Spice (penzeys.com) We use some every day.

#3 Eat SLOW. Meals were a sit down affair. Meals weren’t seen as a necessary break in the day. They were prepared with time and eaten with pleasure. Probably because it always tasted so good. The one time we stopped at a fast food chicken place. It was a small shop with about a third of the shop being a giant grill and to them, fast food was the whole chicken roasting on a spit over the grill. They took the chicken off, chopped it up and bagged it for us. Not exactly KFC.

#4 Good meals take time to prepare. This is probably the hardest part of being healthy, slowing down. Many people under the age of 40 don’t really know how to cook anymore. Cooking is becoming a lost art. A package of this and a box of that nuked in a microwave is not cooking. Cooking is learnable.

The best traditional cookbook on the market is “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon.

A great cookbook that has lots of good wholesome food that we use pretty regularly is “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” -Ree Drummond (http://thepioneerwoman.com/)

#5 Eat even slower, it takes at least 20 minutes for your body to figure out how much food you just consumed. If you race through your meals you can easily over eat.

Sometimes even jokes have good lessons

 

 
Since moving to a desert climate I’ve had to adapt to much drier skin, until now. This is my secret weapon that may help you with many problems including dry skin.



Black Currant Seed Oil from Standard Process might be the answer.


Why? You might ask…

Black Currant Seed Oil is rich in GLA. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center,

“Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that is found mostly in plant-based oils. Omega-6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids: They are necessary for human health but the body can’t make them — you have to get them through food. Along with omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), they help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.”

Black Currant Seed Oil is a superior source of GLA as compared to the more common Evening Primrose oil. Some of the most common uses here in the office are for chronic inflammation, significant dry skin, and PMS or Menopausal symptoms.

Also from the University of Maryland Medical Center:

Uses:

Some preliminary clinical research suggests that GLA may be useful for the following conditions:



Diabetic neuropathy

Some studies show that taking gamma linolenic acid (GLA) for 6 months or more may reduce symptoms of nerve pain in people with diabetic neuropathy. People who have good blood sugar control may find GLA more effective than those with poor blood sugar control.



Rheumatoid arthritis

Studies are mixed as to whether evening primrose oil helps reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Some preliminary evidence suggests evening primrose oil may reduce pain, swelling, and morning stiffness; but other studies have found no effect. When using GLA for arthritis symptoms, it may take 1 - 3 months to see any benefit. It is unlikely that evening primrose oil would help stop progression of the disease, so joint damage could still occur.



Allergies

GLA from evening primrose oil or other sources has a longstanding history of folk use for allergies. And women and children who are prone to allergies appear to have lower levels of GLA in breast milk and blood. However, there is no good scientific evidence that taking GLA helps reduce allergy symptoms. Well-conducted research studies are needed.

If you decide to try GLA for allergies, work with your health care provider to first determine if it is safe for you. Then track your allergy symptoms closely for any signs of improvement or lack of improvement.



Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Clinical studies suggest that children with ADHD have lower levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs), both omega-6s and omega-3s. EFAs are important to normal brain and behavioral function. Some studies seem to indicate that taking fish oil (containing omega-3 fatty acids) may help reduce ADHD symptoms, though the studies have not been well designed. Studies that used evening primrose oil have found it was no better than placebo at reducing symptoms.



Breast cancer

One study found that women with breast cancer who took GLA had a better response to tamoxifen (a drug used to treat estrogen-sensitive breast cancer) than those who took only tamoxifen.



Eczema

Evidence is mixed as to whether evening primrose oil can help reduce symptoms of eczema. Some early studies found it did, but they were not well designed. Later studies that examined people who took evening primrose oil for 16 to 24 weeks found no improvement in symptoms. If you want to try evening primrose oil, talk to your health care provider about whether it is safe for you to try.



High blood pressure (Hypertension)

There is some preliminary evidence that GLA may help reduce high blood pressure, either alone or in combination with the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found in fish oil. In one study, men with borderline high blood pressure who took 6g of blackcurrant oil had a reduction in diastolic blood pressure compared to those who took placebo.

Another study examined people with intermittent claudication, pain in the legs while walking that is caused by blockages in the blood vessels. Those who took GLA combined with EPA had a reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to those who took placebo.

More research is needed to see whether GLA is truly effective for hypertension.



Menopausal symptoms

Evening primrose oil has gained popularity as a way to treat hot flashes associated with menopause, but so far studies have not shown that it works. If you want to try evening primrose oil for hot flashes and night sweats, ask your health care provider whether it is safe and right for you.



Mastalgia

Some evidence suggests that evening primrose oil may reduce breast pain and tenderness in people with cyclic mastalgia. It may also help reduce symptoms to a lesser extent in people with non-cyclic mastalgia. However, it does not seem to be effective for severe breast pain.



Osteoporosis

Some studies suggest that people who don’t get enough of some essential fatty acids (particularly EPA and GLA) are more likely to have bone loss than those with normal levels of these fatty acids. In a study of women over 65 with osteoporosis, those who took EPA and GLA supplements had less bone loss over 3 years than those who took placebo. Many of these women also experienced an increase in bone density.



Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Although most studies have found no effect, some women report relief of PMS symptoms when using GLA. The symptoms that seem to be helped the most are breast tenderness and feelings of depression as well as irritability and swelling and bloating from fluid retention.

Dietary Sources:

GLA is found in the plant seed oils of evening primrose, black currant, borage, and fungal oils. Spirulina (often called blue-green algae) also contains GLA.

Since it is used for so may things by so many people it is part of Standard Processes fundamental supplements.

Have questions?

Just email docaltman [at] gmail.com or call our Standard Process order line 612-BE-GREAT.

 
I had a great off-the-cuff conversation with a patient Friday that I thought everyone should know.  As happens often, this patient was walking out the door and remembered she was going to ask me something about the health reports she keeps getting in the mail.  If you order any kind of natural health books, info, reports, or darn near anything your name ends up in a huge database.  In time you start getting lots of mail to buy this herb from the deepest recesses of the amazon jungle that only appears for one day, and that vitmain that no one has ever heard of because they just discovered it on the moon.

The hard part about these mailings is that they are written by professional copywriters  and they get a token M.D. to stand in and be the front man.  They look fabuluous and can part the seas.  I see the twinkle in every patients eyes when they have a chance to be pain free in 1 week and all their joint damage will be erased.  The written word is powerful when used by a professional.

These are tough calls to make as a doctor.

I can’t recommend these for various reasons and it isn’t because the herbs don’t work.  This is how I advised the patient.  In reality, the product won’t hurt the person and may even make them feel a little better.  They had 2 anti-inflammatory herbs and natural aspirin in there.  So sure, they will likely feel a little better.   To buy the product is clearly up to the patient, unless I see something dangerous in there.  Diet supplements are the ones you really need to watch closely.  They are often jacked up with adrenal stimulants.

Here is the problem that I pointed out to the patient that you can go and check yourself.

When perusing the literature the product was in a nutshell:

  • For joint and pain relief
  • $40
  • Mixed with other herbs
  • Main herb was Boswellia Serrata 150mg (no extract ratio)
I thought this was interesting because I just took 2 Boswellia Complex (from Mediherb) that morning.  It is a great anti-inflammatory.  You are never going to find 2 identical products from different companies, so I attempted to just explain quality differences in herbs

So here is my Boswellia complex in a nutshell:

  • For joint and pain relief (anti-inflammatory)
  • $20.50
  • Mixed with other herbs
  • Main herb was Boswellia Serrata 277mg (7:1 extract ratio)


Supplement FactsServing Size: 1 tablet
Servings per Container: 30, 90Amount per Serving%DVCalories5Calcium40 mg4%Boswellia gum oleoresin 7:1 extract
from Boswellia serrata gum
oleoresin 1.9 g
Containing boswellic acids 180 mg277 mg†Celery Seed fruit 6:1 extract
from Apium graveolens fruit 1.0 g166.7 mg†Ginger rhizome 5:1 extract
from Zingiber officinale rhizome
300 mg60 mg†Turmeric rhizome 25:1 extract
from Curcuma longa rhizome 2.0 g
Containing curcuminoids 70.4 mg80 mg†† Daily Value (DV) not established.

This is where is gets interesting.  We have an herbalist on-call and believe me over the years I’ve called her a lot.  A really good herbal company always puts the EXTRACT ratio on the label.  It looks like this (7:1) or (4:1) or any variation of that.  That is the fastest and easiest way to tell if you even need to investigate any further.  What that means is if a label doesn’t contain an extract ratio I don’t buy it.

Why?

Because….

The one thing I’ve learned over the years about herbs, is that you need to be getting (on average) at least 2000mg of herb or the equivalent.  Some of our herbs have a dose of 6000mg.  Here is why most people are getting ripped off.  They look at the fancy label and a laundry list of ingredients and go “WOW” there is a lot in here, this is a much better supplement.  The problem is they only have 100-250mg of herb, with no extract ratio.  Go ahead look at your bottles.

So why does that EXTRACT ratio make such a difference?

Well grasshopper… this is where the rubber meets the road.  The extract ration tells you how concentrated the herbal preparation is, so you have to multiply the ratio number by the mg to get an equivalent dosage.  In our example above…

The Boswellia complex I as taking was 277mg with a (7:1 extract ratio)

we take 277 * 7= 1,939mg in one capsule.

Overall comparison:

Advertised supplement
150mg
$40

Boswellia Complex
1,939mg
$20.50

You’d have to spend $517.06 to get the same amount of herb from her flashy advertising supplement company.


Herbs aren’t made the same and many herbs can be switched out for others that look exactly identical to cheat the manufacturer.  Not all companies have the expensive chemistry equipment to analyze the potency. Quality matters!  An expensive herbal product doesn’t automatically make it better.

Basic rules to follow:

#1 Look for an extract ratio
#2 Avoid USA manufactured herbs.


There is only a food grade standard for quality.  Other countries have a pharmaceutical grade standard.  Which really improves quality and potency and label accuracy.  This is why we buy our herbs from Mediherb, an Australian company.  Their more potent than any other herb preps I’ve seen.  Mediherb is not available in stores so if your only access is a natural food store, at least look for an extract ratio.  It may seem expensive but compared to what you get it is often much cheaper for the potency.

 
Friday I had a perfect example of how amazing a chiropractic adjustment is.

Patients are really great teachers and wonderful reminders of the natural order of health. As a chiropractor, I get to see really sick and disabled people every day.

Friday was a pretty awesome day for one young gentleman. He came in because of a lot of organ dysfunction and in general being very unhealthy, so much so, that he is in the E.R. about every 3 weeks.

Since, the time I did the exam on him and Friday til the time I adjusted him, he had seen a homeopath for a boat load of supplements and other remedies. He did a very mature thing and declined the supplements until he talked to me and saw his x-rays.

Now, most of you who are long time readers may be thinking, “I thought supplements were good for you?”.

They are!

I take 7 different ones a day.What I want you to learn is the order of events. We haven’t talked about this concept for a long time and Friday gave me a good reminder.

I started using Supplements in practice about 12 years ago because patients were struggling to heal. As I learned more, and realized they wield tremendous power to help people, I started counseling people from all over.

It took me about 5 years to see a stark difference in patients.

All of the patients I was adjusting and giving supplements to were doing much better than the ones who were just getting supplements. And so my number one rule for supplements began.

“Supplements come second”I still don’t help counsel people unless they are getting adjusted. So, when people call me from other areas of the country for help, I’m glad to help, but my first question is, “When was the last time you got adjusted?”

Every action in your body is controlled by your nervous system, every one. Your nervous system is influenced by the function of your spine. The University of Colorado found that a misalignment can cause up to a 60% loss of function of the nerve.

How much pressure does it take? About the weight of a nickel.

By their very name “supplements”, they are supplemental. Meaning they are an additional therapy to help the patient regain their health or maintain their health.

The harsh reality is that supplements are necessary by nearly every one. Researchers started seeing nutritional deficiencies back in the 1920’s. Do you think people in general eat more processed food now or back then? Do you think farming has stripped more nutrients from the soil by now or back in the 20’s.

Those are things I think about when I am feeling awesome. I get adjusted and take supplements even when I feel amazing because I still want to feel amazing 20 years from now.

So this is just a reminder for many of you in Minnesota and possibly new info for those of you who I haven’t adjusted.

For the best results… make sure you are getting adjusted by a chiropractor no matter where you live.Lessons of the post:

#1 Get adjusted. Even if you are only getting adjusted 1x a month that’s enough for many of you to keep your body running very well.

#2 Use whole food supplements. That means the supplements are still living foods not ripped apart dead, deficient, items from a national brand. If you see your supplements on TV. They are not worth buying. If you have questions just email me or read older posts.

#3 The best place to startStandard Process makes the best and original whole food supplements. If every one took just their Multi (Catalyn), Their B (Cataplex B), and (Cruciferous Complete) the green supplement, we would see a dramatic improvement in the health of the nation.

Like I said earlier, I take 7 things, but those extras are specific to me. Each person, may need something different, but those 3 above are foundational supplements every one can take.

    Author

    I've been a chiropractor for 14 years and feel very strongly that people need to experience the amazing benefits of a chiropractic adjustment. I hope to always exceed your expectations in chiropractic and natural health care!

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