Category: Uncategorized

March 01, 2015 Vitamin D Gets a Reality Check, Or Does It   Reference:   Annals of Internal Med 2015, Washington Post   The US Preventative task force is waving a bit of a caution flag out there about Vitamin D. They state that, as best as they can tell, there really isn’t “convincing” evidence that “megadoses” of Vitamin… Continue reading Vitamin D Gets a Reality Check, Or Does It

February 23, 2015 Reference: Washington Post Feb 2015, 2015 Executive Summary, New York Times   The new Guidelines for 2015 are out!   And a subtle shift is happening of monumental proportions. Eggs are back! The long-standing hostility to eggs and butter has been lifted with simply silence.   No one is saying, “We were dead wrong” but instead have come… Continue reading Eggs and Butter get a Pardon

February 16, 2015 Balancing Zinc and Copper  Reference: Brewer, Inter Jr of Alzheimer’s   Just about 50% of us are going to have Alzheimer’s when we get to age 85. Pleasant thought, isn’t it? As baby boomers boom, the number of folks with cognitive decline is skyrocketing.   Want to be part of that?   Of course not! So… Continue reading Copper, Zinc and Alzheimer’s

February 09, 2015 Statins Lower Testosterone Levels in Men   Reference: Endokrnyologia Polska Dec 2014   Statins are the number one drug prescribed in the world.   The power of big pharma to influence policy has led to suggestions that we put statins in the water, such is the enthusiasm of their advocates.   Their utility has been “magnified”… Continue reading Statins Lower Testosterone Levels in Men

February 02, 2015 Sitting Too Long is Bad for You   Reference:   Annals of Internal Medicine Jan 2015   How bad?   This is a big problem. I spend all day sitting. I’m a “knowledge worker”. You know, indoor work, no heavy lifting.   Computer, desk, phone, and intellectual work.   Eight hours a day. Sound like you?  (Then I… Continue reading Sitting Too Long is Bad for You

January 26, 2015 Hepcidin, Weight Loss, Thyroid, Ferritin, and Iron   References: Nemeth Annual Review of Nutrition, Ahmed WJG, Paoletti   Are you trying to lose weight and can’t? Think it might be your thyroid?   You feel tired all the time.   Your doctor doesn’t measure your ferritin or your iron.   Is there a link and connection you should know… Continue reading Hepcidin, Weight Loss, Thyroid, Ferritin and Iron

January 19, 2015 Why Is My Thyroid Still Abnormal?  Reference Kent Holtorf Journal of Restorative Medicine 2014 Jan 19th, 2015   Standard medical practice measures two simple tests with your thyroid.   Your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and your T4 (the circulating precursor to the active hormone T3).   Your doctor says, “You’re fine.”   You still feel crummy.   What’s going… Continue reading Why is My Thyroid Still Not Normal?

January 12, 2015 Brown Fat, Good Fat   References:   Seale, Diabetes , van der Lans JCI Images from van der Lans, Cypess NEJM     It’s cold.   Wisconsin gets cold but this is extra lousy.   Last winter, it lasted for months.   Yet, my squirrels sit out there on the feeder and look toasty warm. How do they do it?     Brown fat. Ever heard… Continue reading Brown Fat, Good Fat

January 05, 2015 Astaxanthin: Antioxidant extraordinaire  Reference: Fransceschelli PLOS One Feb 2014   Astaxanthin has been getting press recently. It’s the pink color in salmon and shrimp, so it’s a naturally occurring compound related to the carotenoid family (carrots and other yellow vegetables.) It started emerging back in the ’90s. Its use as an antioxidant has been… Continue reading Astaxanthin for What Ails You

December 29, 2014 Vitamin C Gets a ReBoot   Reference: University of Iowa Alumnae Magazine, Winter 2014, PACMAN Study   Cancer cells have a problem. They have broken mitochondria. Mitochondria is the part of the cell that makes energy from high-energy compounds. (We call those high energy compounds carbs, and fats, and proteins.)   In particular, mitochondria are great at… Continue reading IV Vitamin C Gets a Reboot