Optimal Health News – Fall 2011
Dr. Chris Henderson
Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist
Optimal Health Center: 1705 Washington Street, Suite M, Calistoga, CA 94515
Queen of the Valley wellness Center: 3421 Villa Lane, Napa, CA 94558
(707) 942-1250
Up-Coming Talk in Calistoga
Acupuncture and Natural Medicine for Healthy Digestion and GI Tract
If you or someone you love suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s disease, or other digestive tract problems. You need to attend this talk. Find out how Chinese and naturopathic medicine can eliminate you digestive health problems.
Thursday October 13th from 6-7pm;
Optimal Health Center Conference Room
1705 Washington Street, Calistoga.
Limited seating for 10 persons so please RSVP prior to attending.
Fall and Chinese Medicine
As we transition into fall time with the cooler and wetter weather arriving, it is important
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the seasons have very profound effects upon the health of an individual.
Fall is the harvest time, when the bounty of summer is being reaped and stored for the coming winter. It is a time of completion. The three months of fall are called the period of tranquility of one’s conduct…soul and spirit should be gathered together in order to make the breath of fall tranquil….allthis is the method for the protection of one’s harvest.” “ In autumn all things in creation approach their harvest, perfection, and completion.”
Five element theory tells us that Fall is related to the metal energy. This metal energy involves communication, strength, and structure. The organ associated with metal are the lung and large intestine. The lung rules the skin, thick fluids in the body, and the immunity or wei qi.
During the fall, it is important to strengthen the lung energy so that you will not contract illnesses such as cold and flu. The large intestine involves the eliminative processes of the body. It is important to eliminate the wastes from the body or disease processes can occur.
Now is a good time to work on supporting your lungs with the appropriate acupuncture and herbal therapies in order to get you through the winter without infection, allergies, or other respiratory conditions.
Estrogen Metabolism and Breast Cancer
Healthy estrogen metabolism has been shown to be essential for the prevention of breast cancer. Estradiol (E2) is metabolized into either 2-OH estrone or 16α-OH estrone in the liver. 2-OH estrone is considered “good” and 16α-OH estrone is considered “bad”.
A recent 5-year prospective study of 10,786 women was conducted to investigate the role of estrogen metabolism as a predictor of breast cancer, specifically the ratio of 2-OH to 16α-OH
The researchers found that premenopausal women who developed breast cancer had a decreased 2-OH:16α-OH ratio and a higher percentage of 16α-OH than 2-OH. Women with predominately 2-OH were 40% less likely to have developed breast cancer during the 5 years.
Diverse factors can add to the hormonal risk by decreasing the 2-OH:16α OH ratio:
– Numerous pesticides and carcinogens
– certain drugs such as cyclosporin and cimetidin (Tagamet)
– Obesity
– Genetic predisposition
Dietary interventions can significantly promote C-2 hydroxylation and increase the 2- OH:16α-OH ratio.
These include increased consumption of:
– cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cabbage) and
– phytoestrogen-rich foods such as soy and flaxseeds
First, dietary fiber, especially lignin, can bind unconjugated estrogens in the digestive tract, which are then excreted in the faeces. Second, dietary fiber can beneficially • affect the composition of intestinal bacteria and reduce intestinal β-glucuronidase activity, resulting in a lowered deconjugation of estrogen and reduced reabsorption • Dietary fiber intake also increases serum concentrations of SHBG, thus reducing levels of free estradiol.
Carbohydrates
- Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in vegetables and whole grains, are preferred over simple carbohydrates for optimizing estrogen metabolism
- Excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates has detrimental effects by raising blood glucose levels and stimulating insulin release, resulting in secondary adverse influences on sex hormone balance.
Testing for Estrogen Metabolites
A 24 hour urine hormone test for estrogen metabolites is an excellent way to determine your 2-OH:16α-OH ratio and thus your breast cancer risk.
Rejuvination Medicine
Current research is investigating the role of telomeres on aging. A telomere is an area of repetitiveDNA at the ends of a chromosome. The telomere protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. When a cell divides, the telomere regions are not replicated but after cell division they are replaced by an enzyme called telomere reverse transcriptase. If telomeres are not reaired completely this leads to the eventual death of the cell. This cell death is major component of aging. Various nutrients and diet can slow down the degradation of chromosomes and the repair of protective telomeres.
This anti-aging, telomere-supporting diet should involve:
– Reductions in simple carbohydrates, increase in dietary fiber intake (to counter insulin resistance).
– Nutrient dense, low calorie foods. (Calorie restriction enhances maximum and
average lifespan).
– High antioxidant load in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
– Sources of omega-3 fatty acids in active forms, such as cold-water fish.
Decreased sources of saturated fat, hydrogenated oils, and trans fatty acids.
– Average balance protein intake with rotation among meat, dairy, vegetable, and fish
protein sources (not greater than 1gm/kg of body weight per day, unless otherwise
indicated).
– Intermittent short periods of fasting and methods for body detoxification (dietary and otherwise)
Wellbutrin for Mommy, ADHD for Baby?
Children exposed to the antidepressant drug bupropion (Wellbutrin®) in utero have a 3-fold increased risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder compared with kids whose mothers did not take the drug during pregnancy. The findings, from a multiple logistic regression analysis of claims-based data from nearly 40,000 families, were published in the July edition of the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. The author, Dr. Roberto Figueroa of the Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, said the objective was to identify parental factors, including psychiatric diagnoses and use of psychoactive medication, which might increase the risk of ADHD in young children. Dr. Figueroa found that children exposed to bupropion in uterohad a 3.5-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD by the time they were five years old. If bupropion exposure occurred during the second trimester, the odds ratio for ADHD increased to 14.6 (Figueroa R. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2010 Jul 6. Epub ahead of print).