It ran in the East County Californian, which does not have an online edition. You can find more about Dr. David Perlmutter at his website:
http://www.perlhealth.com/ DOCTOR’S ORDERS:
SCRIPPS CONFERENCE REVEALS DIET & SUPPLEMENTS
CAN DRAMATICALLY REDUCE RISKS OF HEART DISEASE,
ALZHEIMER’S, AND OTHER SERIOUS AILMENTS
By Miriam Raftery
Fish oil, vitamins, herbs and certain foods can prevent heart failure, Alzheimer’s and other serious diseases, halt cancer growth and lower healthcare costs in America, leading physicians and researchers revealed at a conference for medical professionals in San Diego.
Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update, was sponsored by Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and held at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines January 19-21.
“The first thing we have to recognize is that food is medicine,” cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, M.D., co-founder of the Scripps Clinic for Integrative Medicine, told the East County Californian. “This is one area where western medicine fails, and it’s one area where we have the greatest capacity for change. I’m a firm believer that disease is preventable, particularly cardiovascular and also many neurological diseases, through nutrition.”
Obesity, now a national epidemic, causes inflammation--a “smoking gun” that can trigger heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other serious diseases. By eating “superfoods” and foods with a low-glycemic index (such as berries and whole-grain breads), people can dramatically reduce their risk of developing these illnesses. “We now know there is an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of cold water fish, spices like turmeric, ginger, and green tea,” said Guarneri, who also advised eliminating coffee and white flour and eating complex carbohydrates.
Supplements such as fish oil capsules containing omega-3 fatty acids can further reduce inflammation and produce additional health benefits.
“Fish oil alone, taken by massive amounts of consumers, will drive down the cost of healthcare,” said Tom Aarts, publisher of Nutrition Business Journal. Increasingly, physicians are prescribing fish oil as a first-step for patients with moderately high cholesterol before resorting to prescription Staten drugs, which can cause muscle damage or neurological problems.
Researchers with the Lewin Group found that America’s healthcare system could achieve huge cost savings if key supplements were taken by consumers. Rather than treat diseases after they occur, use of supplements would actually prevent disease or injury. For example, calcium supplements could save $13.8 billion by preventing hip fractures in the elderly. Folic acid supplements taken by women of child-bearing age could prevent neural tube defects in infants, saving $1.3 billion.
Perhaps the most intriguing presentation was made by neurologist David Perlmutter, M.D., who revealed that Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, multiple schlerosis and other neurological diseases can often be avoided by following a “brain smart diet” and taking supplements.
“We never hear about that—prevention of Alzheimer’s,” said Perlmutter, author of BrainRecovery.com - Powerful Therapy for Challenging Brain Disorders, The Better Brain Book and Raise a Smarter Child By Kindergarten. An international expert in nutritional influences on neurological disorders, Perlmutter was awarded the Linus Pauling award in 2002 and has appeared on numerous TV news and talk shows.
He showed images of normal brains compared to brains of patients with neurological disorders. “Medicines treat smoke, the symptoms,” he said, revealing hot spots in the brains of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s sufferers. “They don’t treat the fire.”
He revealed a clear link between diabetes, which triggers inflammation, and Alzheimer’s.
How clear?
The risk of developing Alzheimer’s is 200% higher in non-insulin dependent diabetics than in people without diabetes, and 400% higher in insulin-dependent diabetics.
“These are modifiable risk factors,” Perlmutter said. He cited a Journal of Neurology report which concluded that taking Vitamin C and Vitamin E reduced the rate of developing Alzheimer’s by 78%. Moreover, patients with high-serum levels of beta carotene were found to have an 89% decreased risk of developing cognitive diseases.
Some supplements can even help patients who already have crippling diseases. “We intervene by giving Parkinson’s patients Co-enzyme Q10,” said Perlmutter, citing evidence that the supplement repairs mitochondrial damage. In one year, the rate of decline in Parkinson’s taking Co-Q10 slowed by 48%, with no serious side effects.
Some medications, such as Staten drugs commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, actually deplete the body of Co-Q10. This can cause debilitating and often permanent muscle damage, as well as severe neurological problems. “If a patient must take Staten drugs, be sure to also take Co-Q10,” Perlmutter advised.
Many other prescription drugs deplete the body of Vitamins B-12, B-6, and folic acid, he observed, adding that a recent study suggests lower folic acid levels lead to increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
“Food can inflame the brain,” he added. For example, 1% of the population has a gluten sensitivity. Eliminating wheat and other products containing gluten can cut the risk of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s, in people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. “We should be testing everyone for Celiac disease,” said Perlmutter. He described a child with Tourette’s syndrome, another neurological condition, who is now symptom-free after being put on a gluten-free diet.
Obesity itself raises the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by a whopping 300%. Although Parkinson’s disease can also be caused by environmental causes such as exposure to pesticides, slimming down can dramatically reduce most people’s risk of developing the neurological disease. “The fatter you are, the poorer you do on cognitive testing,” Perlmutter added.
The neurologist advises eating a Mediterranean diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cereals, low in meats and dairies. Avoiding trans-fats, limiting alcohol and exercising regularly are also recommended.
DHA, an omega fatty acid in fish oil, “turns on the smart gene” observed Perlmutter, who advises its inclusion in the diet at all ages. Some infant formulas are now available with added DHA. In areas of the world where people consume high levels of fish, the rate of Alzheimer’s is significantly lower than in the U.S.
Perlmutter raised one troubling question. “Fish populations around the world are being decimated,” he noted. “What happens in 20 years, when we don’t have high levels of fish oil?”
Oncologist Mitchell Gaynor, M.D., discussed the role of foods and supplements to ease side effects of chemotherapy or even prevent cancer. Antioxidant vitamins (such as C and E) and compounds in soy, for example, trigger production of detoxifying enzymes in the body, which combat chemicals and other environmental toxins known to cause cancer. Too much white sugar and caffeine can increase inflammation and in turn raise the risk of cancer.
By contrast, consuming green tea, garlic, omega fatty acids, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage or broccoli can lower cancer risk. Curcumin, the yellow spice used in curry, has been found to inhibit carcinogens and growth of cancer cells.
A 2005 study found that curcumin even restricts growth of melanoma cells. Selenium, found in brazil and cashew nuts, lowered rates of prostate cancer by 62% and colorectal cancer by 50%, one study showed. A 2006 study at UCSD found that women who took 1000 units of Vitamin D lowered their risk of breast cancer by 50%. People who consume foods high in phytoestrogens can cut their risk of lung cancer in half, another study found.
“Green tea has many anti-cancer effects,” said Gaynor. An Antioxidant in green tea is 20 times more potent than Vitamin E and 200 times more potent than Vitamin C, he added. “Green tea also induces cancer cell death and inhibits angiogenesis, growth of new blood cells needed for tumors to grow.”
Not every supplement study had positive results. One large clinical study was halted in mid-stream after researchers found that beta-carotene was actually increasing cancer levels in smokers.
But overall, the prospect of preventing illness through natural means–foods and supplements derived from nature—appears promising and safe.
Each year, 100,000 people die in U.S. hospitals from taking prescription drugs that were properly used. That figure does not count those who die from improper usage (such as overdoses) or the many more who develop serious side effects from prescription drugs. While a few supplements have been linked to problems (most notoriously ephedra, which the FDA pulled off the market following 134 deaths believed linked to the popular weight-loss supplement), the vast majority of vitamins, minerals, herbal medicines and other supplements on the market have a long history of safety compared to prescription drugs.
Ultimately, improving your diet and adding supplements may be just what the doctor ordered--shifting the focus from curing disease to preventing it. This would lower America’s staggering health care costs and improve the health of our population, many medical experts predict.
“We fasten our seatbelts to prevent fatal accidents and brush our teeth to control tooth decay,” Gaynor advised doctors at the conference. “There are just as many things that you can do to prevent cancer in yourselves, your patients, and your families.”
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