. . . oxidative damage appears to be the major culprit in age-related vision loss Can you imagine losing your eyesight as you get older? It happens all the time, and unfortunately, it’s on the increase. The major culprit in age-related vision loss seems to be oxidative damage – the remedy: getting plenty of antioxidants in food and supplements. The eye is a fatty organ, and its fatty content can easily be oxidized by sunlight, ozone, radiation from TVs and computer monitors, and other environmental toxins. Oxidizing damage to proteins in the eye’s lens causes opacities known as cataracts. Another major cause of vision loss is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which involves oxidative damage to the retina. Since a major study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) was published in 2001, antioxidants have become a standard recommendation in even conventional optometry and ophthalmology. This multi-center study found that taking vitamins C and E with beta-carotene…

. . . rebuild damaged joints with glucosamine and chondroitin Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the US today. More than 20% of our adult population has been diagnosed with arthritis, and almost half of these experience some form of activity limitation as a result. What these statistics fail to convey is the tremendous pain and suffering arthritis can cause. NSAIDs taken for this pain damage joints even further, making the disease worse long term. Fortunately, arthritic pain can be greatly reduced and often eliminated without drugs, and the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), can even be reversed. An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, including a good supplement program (see my article, “Inflammation: the Common Denominator of Disease”), weight loss if needed, and the help of a good physical therapist in devising an appropriate exercise program can minimize and even alleviate pain in all but the most severely damaged joints. Meanwhile, osteoart…

. . . lose the sugar and includ the good oils and vitamin D for good eye health While AREDS (see first article), started the conversation about nutrition and the eyes in conventional medicine, subsequent studies have focused on other nutritional factors. A Harvard study published in 2011 that followed over 38,000 women for 10 years found that those consuming the most DHA and EPA had the least risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Consumption of one or more servings of fish per week was associated with a 42% lower risk of AMD compared with consumption of less than one serving per month. An earlier Australian study of almost 7,000 participants, found that a diet low in trans-fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil could reduce the risk of AMD. (I used to recommend one serving of fish a week, however unfortunately I now believe it’s best to avoid fish – too much mercury and other pollutants – and to get your omega 3s from our cod liver oil or fish o…

If you are more than five pounds over your normal weight, you need to read my book Never Be Fat Again.  A catastrophic epidemic of overweight disease is sweeping America.  More than two-thirds of all Americans are overweight.  This is not a cosmetic problem - it is a serious, chronic and degenerative disease.  Even a few extra pounds will accelerate aging, increase susceptibility to cancer and other diseases, increase disability and shorten life.  Overweight is not a benign disease, and no one should be or needs to be fat.  Lean people live longer, have less disease, less disability, more energy, and a higher quality of life. While millions spend billions trying to lose weight, this epidemic is getting worse every year.  More than one-third of our children are overweight.  Because of this, life expectancy is expected to turn down, after two hundred years of increases. When I look at this problem, I wondered why, after all those diets and all that money, time, effort, diet books,…

. . . be sure to take vitamin D supplements with fat for proper absorption One of the fears men have about growing older is the increasing risk of prostate cancer that comes with age. But here’s some good news: a study at the Center for Cancer Research at Purdue University found that having adequate levels of vitamin D may help to prevent prostate cancer and slow down the growth rate of already existing prostate cancer. Investigators gave three groups of male mice different amounts of vitamin D in their food and tested their blood levels of vitamin D with the same 25(OH)D test that’s used for humans. The first group was deficient, at 10.5 ng/ml; the second was normal, at 31 ng/ml; and the third exceeded the high normal range at 95 ng/ml. The more rapidly cells divide, the more likely cancer is to develop or spread. Conversely, the more quickly cells die a normal death (called apoptosis), the less likely cancer is to develop or spread. The scientists found that prostate cells i…

Question:   Isn't death and old age just another acceptable form of poor health?  We can only cure what we recognize.  If we can't recognize death as a disease that can be cured, then can we ever strive for that reality?  Aren't we all dying? – Internet Answer:  Great question.  We don’t fully understand the aging process.  Some people believe that our cells are programmed to divide only so many times and then they stop.  However, we do know that a population of about 30,000 people called the Hunzas who lived on the mountain peaks of the Himalayas, lived to be an average age of 120 without being sick a day in their lives. We recognize there is nothing that can be done about getting chronologically order, but there are things we can do to slow the progression of our biological age.  By keeping your biological age younger than your chronological age, you can age gracefully without disease.  Our mission at Beyond Health is about helping people to slow the aging process, remain bi…

Question:   I have been using turmeric in cooking; about a tablespoon of this spice powder.  Am I benefiting from ingesting it this way?  If I were to take supplemental curcumin, could I take it with food? B. D. – Ishpeming, MI Answer:   Curcumoids represent about 2% of the spice turmeric.  While there’s benefit in consuming turmeric, to make a major impact on a health concern, you’d be better off taking curcumin as a supplement.  Beyond Health Curcumin is an extract of turmeric standardized to contain 95% curcumin. Each capsule is 250 mg and provides 237.5 mg curcumin.  People often take several capsules a day to deal with inflammatory disease.  If you were to take supplemental curcumin, yes, you could take it with food.…

Question:   I have been taking a beta carotene supplement and I just read that a study showed that people who take beta carotene have a higher incidence of cancer.  Is this true?  I'd like to know what you think. K. E. – Macon, GA Answer:  There were actually two studies, in 1994 and 1996, which I am aware of that demonstrated a higher incidence of cancer in those taking beta carotene supplements.  I think the studies were well done, but there are lots of ifs, ands, and buts that muddy the water so that the conclusions can confuse people. Beta carotene is one of a family of compounds known as carotenoids.  Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments that are abundant in plants and fruits.  For example, the orange pigment in carrots is from beta carotene.  Carotenoids are known for their anti-oxidant properties, and they are known as the dietary source of Pro Vitamin A.  Vitamin A is necessary for normal metabolism and growth and it is important for vision and immune syste…

Question:   I have been suffering one infection after another.  Can you tell me how to boost my immunity? C. D. – Sausalito, CA Answer:  First of all, get out and get some sunshine.  The sun is a powerful immune system builder.  One of your problems may be that you are vitamin D deficient.  Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, there isn’t enough UVB in the winter to sustain vitamin D levels.  You should have your doctor measure your blood 25 (OH) D level. You must be sure to eat a good diet and supplement with high-quality nutrients.  Eat a mostly plant-based diet that is 75 percent or more raw food by volume. Sprouts and green vegetables are balanced and nourishing choices. Drink freshly made vegetable juices twice a day.  Be sure to drink pure water as regular tap water is toxic and immunosuppressive.  Use the Beyond Health Reverse Osmosis System for economical high-quality water.  Get on the Beyond Health Ultimate Wellness Kit and the Immune Support Kit.  Go to bowel toleran…

. . . Carotenoids for a long life and for life-long clear vision! Beyond Health recently introduced our new beta-carotene product, Carotene Formula. Carotenes are part of a family of more than 600 antioxidant pigments found in fruits and vegetables (they give produce their vivid colors) called carotenoids. Carotenoids are vastly under-appreciated in today’s supplement world, but a 1984 study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences found the carotenoid content of tissue to be the most significant factor in determining maximal lifespan potential in humans and other mammals. In other words, the more carotenoids you consume, the longer you’re likely to live! One reason for this, no doubt, is the important role carotenoids play in detoxification. Certain carotenoids are also central to the health of the eyes. Beta-carotene, for example, converts in the body as needed into vitamin A. Two other antioxidant carotenoids that have been getting a lot of attention recently are lutein a…

. . . maintain a sharp brain for life Most of us hope to live to a ripe old age with our wits about us. Indeed, there are many examples of people living into their hundreds with all their faculties intact to inspire such a hope. Unfortunately, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in eight people over the age of 65 and nearly half age 85 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. Many more have other forms of dementia. By 2050, it’s probably going to be a lot worse; the number of people over 65 with Alzheimer’s is projected to triple. Projections weren’t given for those over 85, but it certainly doesn’t look good for those of us planning to live well into our nineties and beyond. But wait a minute. We’re not helpless victims here. As disturbing as these statistics may be, Alzheimer’s is just disease (aka malfunctioning cells), and we know that all disease has only two causes: nutrient deficiency and toxicity. As diets become more devoid of nutrients and as toxins proliferate in o…

. . . flawed studies suggest fish oil is ineffective in treating heart disease It’s become an all-too familiar story. Studies of healthy populations find that a natural substance, let’s call it “substance X,” provides protection against one or more diseases. A significant body of research accumulates validating substance X’s health benefits. It becomes popular with the public, and even doctors begin prescribing it. Sales boom. But then studies begin to appear in prestigious medical journals saying substance X is ineffective and may even be dangerous. The media jump on the story like flies to a sticky bun, and the public is led to believe that none of the so-called experts really knows what they’re talking about. A confused public gives up on being proactive about their health and simply waits to get sick. When they do, they are scared enough to suspend critical judgment and blindly trust their doctor and his or her expertise in administering pharmaceutical drugs. All of this serv…

Although it is the number one killer in America, heart disease is also one of the most easily prevented. Heart attacks, strokes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and arrhythmias are all caused by the cumulative effects of poor lifestyle choices. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is deficient in nutrients, highly acidic and inflammatory, and laden with toxins. Our increasingly stressful, isolated, and sedentary lives compound the problem. Fortunately, all of these factors are completely under your control. The heart is an amazingly well designed and efficient pump. It will beat over 2.8 billion times during an average person’s lifetime. It cannot take breaks, go on vacation, or go offline for periodic maintenance—it is always on duty. It is self-repairing, so it knows how to maintain itself while it is working. However, to extend its reliability decade after decade, it requires nutritional support and other favorable conditions that only you can supply. The kind of support yo…

Foods you enjoy every day and think of as healthy, like whole grain breads, cereals and pastas, may be causing big problems without your knowledge. Wheat, barley, rye, kamut, and spelt all contain a protein called gluten, which causes a problematic immune response in an increasingly large segment of the population -- possibly up to 50%. This leads to a wide range of health problems, from mild indigestion to debilitating neurological diseases and fatalities from cancer and heart disease. In fact, some health practitioners are finding that a gluten-free diet clears up a host of health issues in many of their patients. Immune reactions to gluten, often referred to as "gluten intolerance" (GI), can start early in life, and are associated with the development of numerous autoimmune diseases. GI creates silent inflammation and tissue damage in the intestines, brain, heart, joints, skin and/or elsewhere in the body. In the small intestines, inflamed and irritated tissue prevents absorption…

. . . they're toxic, and you don't need them! For all too many people it's hay fever time of year again -- time to reach for the Claritin, the Allegra, the Zyrtec to combat sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and fatigue. But like other drugs, these antihistamines are toxins that interfere with normal biochemistry. They can cause both minor and major symptoms including drowsiness and fatigue, dizziness, headaches, difficulty in concentrating, stomach upset, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, constipation and even seizures, hypertension and irregular heartbeat. The good news is you don't need to use toxic drugs to find symptom relief. The even better news is you can say goodbye to allergies forever. I've helped lots of people to free themselves of allergies. Here's how I did it: I taught them the fundamentals of healthy living that you can now find in Never Be Sick Again and my other books. I got them on a high-quality supplement program that covered the basics --…

. . . get the inflammation and acidity down The quercetin in our Cell Repair Formula is so important in building and maintaining optimal health that I've included it in our Ultimate Wellness Kit, as something I wish everyone would take daily. Although wonderful for preventing and treating allergies, quercetin is just as useful as an anti-inflammatory for relieving pain, especially when combined with vitamin C. In fact it’s often more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS). And since inflammation is a common denominator of all disease, taking quercetin on a daily basis is one of the most significant things you can do for your health. Quercetin also recycles and increases the antioxidant effects of vitamin C. You’ll notice if you’re taking vitamin C to bowel tolerance and taking quercetin at the same time that you’ll need less vitamin C to reach bowel tolerance. Quercetin also increases and sustains a high level of energy and endurance as well as maximizing ph…

. . . new study finds the more you chew, the more satisfied you feel We all know that taking time to chew our food well is important. After all, it’s the first step in that all-important process, digestion. Not only does chewing start breaking down our food physically, enzymes in saliva begin breaking it down chemically as well, and these enzymes need time to work if they are to perform optimally. But here’s another reason to slow down and make sure you chew each bite. Researchers in the Netherlands and Switzerland asked 26 men to chew food from one to eight minutes without swallowing it while their stomachs were being filled with about 100 calories of food from a feeding tube. Half an hour later, they were offered a meal. Those who had had the longest chewing times consumed almost 20% fewer calories at this meal. Chewing well releases more nutrients. When the body gets the nutrients it needs, it shuts down the appetite control and makes you less hungry. While most of us would…

. . . probiotics prevent and treat allergies Has it seemed to you that more and more people you know have allergies? There’s been a dramatic rise in the incidence of allergies in the industrialized world over the past half century, with no end in sight. Scientists have two main hypotheses for why this is happening. The “hygiene hypothesis” argues that our overly hygienic environment doesn’t present enough challenges to allow the immune system to develop properly. Children who grow up on farms and get their fair share of dirt under their fingernails have fewer allergies than their urban counterparts. The second hypothesis, the “microbiota hypothesis,” pertains to gut ecology—the composition of bacteria, yeasts, and parasites, together called microbiota or microflora, in our small and large intestines. It proposes that significant changes to gut ecology that have been observed in industrialized areas of the world have compromised immune competence leading to more allergies. T…