Antibiotics and Diabetes, Flaxseed for Metabolic Syndrome, Eye Nutrition Update

Antibiotics and Diabetes, New Research Findings

If you have a child or grandchild with juvenile diabetes, you know that managing it is practically a full-time job. Last year we were told that juvenile, or type 1 diabetes, is on the rise, but nobody really knew why. 

They thought it might be because of higher birth weights... or some strange virus... or maybe even because of gluten.

But researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have just discovered what might be the real reason cases of type 1 diabetes are skyrocketing. 

And it's none of the above. 

Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in childhood, and it turns a family's life around very quickly. Moms, dads, grandparents and kids need to learn the routine of shots, jabs and how to eat -- and learn it quickly. 

As I said, last year a study found a mysterious rise in type 1 diabetes. And unlike with type 2, there was nothing but genetics and an unfortunate twist of fate to pin it on.

Until now.

The Langone researchers found that when mice are exposed to "short pulses" of antibiotics -- the exact same kind of doses kids receive for typical childhood illnesses -- they were twice as likely to develop type 1 diabetes. 

And by the time a kid is 10 years old, he or she will have received, on average, 10 separate courses of antibiotics (more on that in a minute).

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where the body kills off the special cells in the pancreas that make insulin. That's why it can't be controlled by diet and exercise as type 2 often can, but patients must take insulin shots constantly to control their blood sugar. 

The researchers found that these common short courses of antibiotics can kill off special kinds of beneficial gut microbes that are believed to train the immune system not to attack itself. Without the benefit of these microbes, the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the test mice went through the roof. 

While it's common knowledge that antibiotics kill off our friendly gut bacteria along with the bad bugs we take them for, this is the first time researchers discovered how that disruption can go way beyond some temporary discomfort and have lasting effects.

Now, of course we can't just say we'll never give our kids another dose of antibiotics. 

But here's the thing: a recent study found that up to a third of antibiotic prescriptions were not needed in the first place. Apparently instead of playing by the rule book where antibiotics are concerned, too many doctors have decided to just play it safe.

So here are two important tips we need to remember:

1.    Don't ask for, or give your child antibiotics unless it's absolutely necessary (this goes for grownups, too).

2.    Remember that antibiotics are only useful in treating bacterial infections, not viruses that cause colds, most sore throats and sinus infections, the flu and allergies.

And for those common middle ear infections that most all children get, experts advise you to allow around three days of recovery time before turning to antibiotics for help.

Flax Seed Helps Metabolic Syndrome

If your doctor has told you that you have metabolic syndrome, you know that you're in a race to save your health. 

Metabolic syndrome means you're carrying around excess belly fat, your triglycerides are too high, and your blood sugar is creeping up into the danger zone. 

And all that can make you a sitting duck for two of the worst killers around -- heart disease and diabetes. 

But now a new study has proven that a simple supplement may hold the key to turning the tables on metabolic syndrome and giving you back the good health you deserve.  And the best part? It's easy to incorporate into some of your favorite recipes. 

Flaxseeds are just about the closest thing to a wonder supplement that you can find. 

Over the years, we've learned that these seeds, which are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, can help lower cholesterol and even help fight some types of cancer. 

Now it looks like flaxseed can help turn around your health in a lot more ways than we ever imagined. 

For the latest study, researchers divided 44 adults with metabolic syndrome into two groups. Half received only lifestyle advice, while the other half got both lifestyle advice and 30g a day of flaxseed. 

And once those folks started taking flaxseed, metabolic syndrome never knew what hit it. 

More than 80 percent of the people taking flaxseed got rid of their metabolic syndrome completely -- that was 64 percent better than the control group. 

And flaxseed delivered results that these patients could see in the mirror and on their lab tests (which is what we all want).

The flaxseed group lost more weight, dropped more inches off their waistlines, and saw greater reductions in their body mass index (BMI). 

Better still, the people on flaxseed lowered their insulin resistance, which is a key marker for diabetes. 

And many people who already know about the wonders of flaxseed will tell you it's a supplement you'll love to take. It's affordable, you can get it just about anywhere, and you can incorporate it into lots of your favorite foods.

In fact, you can get a bunch of flaxseed recipes for free right here. 

Metabolic syndrome is nothing to fool around with. It's like your body's early warning system that you have some bad news (and maybe some bad health) ahead.

Giving flaxseed a try may help you finally get the upper hand on metabolic syndrome, while there's still time to do something about it. 

One easy way to get flax seed into your family’s diet is to just add some flax seed oil to your salads. It blends right in like the dressing and tastes good. I always add some in place of olive oil for my home made dressings. But be sure to buy the flax seed oil that contains "lignan’s". Little brown specs of seed and fiber that are great for your health. I buy bottles of flax oil at Trader Joes, but you find it at any health food store or online. Since it is sensitive to heat you will want to keep it refrigerated after opening.

Eye Nutrition Update

New research shows that certain nutritional supplements can improve eye health, and that people over 60 may be making a mistake with Lutein by taking too little of it to be effective. Most supplements only contain 5-20 mg of Lutein, but Dr. Julian Whitaker, MD. recommends taking a full 40mg every day. Lutein is very safe at 40mg or higher per day.

As we get older our vision begins to decline as Lutein levels reach their lowest around the age of 60. But taking the correct nutrient supplement can be very helpful to:

·         Support Healthy Eyesight – for clear, crisp vision

·         Nourish and protect your macula, lens, and retina – for normal, healthy visual function

·         Improve glare tolerance to headlights, sunshine, or any bright lights

·         Improve your vision under low light conditions

·         Relieve eye fatigue and straining

Nutrients may be your best defense for aging eyes. While there are 600 carotenoids found in nature, Lutein and Zeaxanthin are the only two found in high concentrations in the eye, specifically your lens, retina, and macula. We are born with high levels in our eyes, but they start to decline around 40 and bottom out in our 60’s.

Your body doesn’t produce lutein and zeaxanthin, so you need to get them from supplements, or foods like green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and broccoli, and also corn, and egg yolks. Dozens of studies show that supplementing with these carotenoids is effective in shielding your eyes from free-radical damage caused by years of exposure to light and oxygen.

A new two-year double blind placebo-controlled study showed that lutein and zeaxanthin improved visual acuity (sharpness) by a stunning 63%. That kind of clinical proof cannot be ignored.  In another study, participants had a remarkable 58% improvement in glare tolerance, an issue so many people face as their eyes age.  And a 40% improvement in macular pigment levels, which is the protective substance (made up of carotenoids) that resides in the center of your macula. You have probably all heard of the health issue called Macular Degeneration that is so prevalent these days, well, supplementing with nutrients can help prevent this from occurring.

Landmark Vision Studies from the National Eye Institute

Sponsored by the National Eye Institute, the AREDS and AREDS2 are the first studies of their kind to evaluate nutritional supplements for eye health. For a total of 12 years and almost 9,000 participants, the groundbreaking studies showed that supplements, including lutein and zeaxanthin, can have “a direct and significant effect” on eye health. The AREDS research prompted conventional physicians and eye care specialists to take serious notice of nutritional supplements.

Taking a supplement with higher levels of Lutein and Zeaxanthin can be an important part of your health. Some people may prefer to take more of a well-rounded supplement that contains more of the nutrients known to be helpful for eye health. Nutrients like Bilberry, Glutathione, Taurine, Lycopene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Zinc, if these nutrients are not included in their current multi-vitamin.

For those interested in taking a lutein and zeaxanthin supplement, you can get a good quality one at a good price from Costco at:  http://www.costco.com/trunature%C2%AE-Vision-Complex-Lutein-%2526-Zeaxanthin%2c-140-Softgels.product.100003048.html   

This product contains a higher amount of lutein and zeaxanthin as recommended by Dr. Whitaker. If you are experiencing declining vision, you may want to take it twice per day to get a total of 50mg of Lutein per day. If you look around you will see that most eye supplement products only have 5-10mg of lutein in them. The Costco product by Trunature is a good product at an excellent price and it contains 25mg of lutein. And, they go on sale every couple of months if you are patient.

If you prefer a more complete eye supplement, one of the better ones I have seen is sold by Dr. Whitaker and is called Vision Essentials Gold. You can find it at: http://www.drwhitaker.com/product/vision-essentials-gold/?key=229988&kw=vision%20essentials%20gold&kclick_id=4148c30f-6d5e-4549-a21a-9b1c8c832740&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxqS-BRDRgPLp0q2t0IUBEiQAgfMXRF3PAK-TwVAeADpdcPbPIEmWuGYPtskJRH4IN6-tkjUaAgbV8P8HAQ  

Vision Essential Gold contains all of the nutrients I mentioned earlier that are important for eye health including Bilberry, Glutathione, Taurine, Lycopene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Zinc and also the helpful herb Schisandra and Carrot. It contains 40mg of lutein so one a day is all you need.

My Comment:

As these studies show, taking supplements can be very beneficial for your health. To me it is just common sense. Our body depends on nutrition to heal itself, and it is almost impossible to get everything you need from food alone. Because of chemical agriculture methods, the soil our crops are grown in contains about 50% less of the nutrients it did just 50 years ago. That means even if you eat a complete and seemingly healthy diet, you still will not get the necessary nutrition your body needs. Add in the stress and toxins that are all around us in the environment, and it is easy to see that we are fighting a losing battle with basic food alone.

It is important to remember that taking vitamins or supplements may not be of any help if you don’t take the right kind and amounts. Always buy “whole Food” vitamins whenever possible. More and more whole food supplements are becoming available as people understand how much better they are for you than the cheaper synthetic ones usually found at stores.

If you want a whole food multivitamin, here is one at a very good price, but you will need to take 3 per day: https://www.amazon.com/Sundown-Naturals-Concentrate-Multivitamin-Formula/dp/B007A4W53Y/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1472852722&sr=1-4&keywords=whole+food+multivitamin

If you want a better one that is "organic" and you only need to take 1 per day, this is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Naturals-Multivitamin-Multivitamins-Capsules/dp/B01BLS0FPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1472852722&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=whole+food+multivitamin&psc=1

  

I like this brand because they make extra effort to make their vitamins more bio-available so they are absorbed better, but they suggest taking 4 per day:  

https://www.amazon.com/DNA-Formulas-Multivitamin-Bioavailable-Preservatives/dp/B00L3CTRMQ/ref=pd_sbs_121_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TXQGN4Z5M7AK8BWXP0YP

Of course you can always just go to a health store like Super Supplements and ask them to recommend a good whole food multivitamin. 

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you do something! Wishing you could be healthy doesn’t work. You need to make an effort. That is why I write this blog. There are even whole food vitamins available now in gummy bear form for those (you know who you are) who can’t or won’t, take any pills larger than a baby aspirin. So there are no excuses for not getting healthy and being able to enjoy your life more.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or need any help selecting the right supplement.

Until next time, stay healthy and happy

JD Roma

The information on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, and medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or suspect you have, a health problem you should consult your physician (preferably a Naturopath).