THE GREATEST MEDICINE OF ALL… IS TEACHING PEOPLE HOW NOT TO NEED IT
NO DEATHS FROM VITAMINS
Published by Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 30, 2021
Supplement Safety Yet Again Confirmed by America's Largest Database
The 37th annual report from the American Association of Poison Control Centers shows zero deaths from any vitamin. Supporting data was published near the end of the report in Clinical Toxicology. It is interesting that it is so quietly placed way back there where nary a news reporter is likely to see it.
Furthermore, there were no fatalities from amino acids, creatine, blue-green algae, glucosamine, or chondroitin.
There were no deaths from any homeopathic remedy, Asian medicine, Hispanic medicine, or Ayurvedic medicine. None.
There were no deaths from herbs. This means no deaths at all from blue cohosh, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, citrus aurantium, ginseng, kava kava, St. John's wort, valerian, yohimbe, ma huang/ephedra, guarana, kola nut, or yerba mate.
On page 1508, a single death is attributed to an unspecified "Other Single Ingredient Botanical." The obvious uncertainly of such a listing diminishes any claim of validity.
On the same page, a single fatality is attributed to an "Energy Product." The Orthomolecular Medicine News Service considers these items to be over-the-counter drugs. They are improperly classified as dietary supplements.
Throughout the entire year, coast to coast across the entire USA, there was not one single death from a vitamin. If vitamin supplements are allegedly so "dangerous," as the FDA, the news media, and even some physicians still claim, then where are the bodies?
Even So-called "Medical Marijuana" Raises Your Heart Attack Risk
More people than ever are signing up to get their "green card" for medical marijuana. Especially older people who grapple with anxiety, pain, or insomnia.
But the science tells us that smoking marijuana is just plain dangerous. Even among casual users! In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) just issued a very serious warning about the effect of marijuana on the heart…
Long history of causing heart problems
Here in the U.S., we have very little clinical trial data on the effect of marijuana on the heart. That's because you cannot conduct a clinical trial with volunteers using a drug that's banned by federal law.
We do, however, have data from hospitals when users end up being admitted for medical problems. And for years, hospitals in the U.S. and Europe have reported increases in admissions involving marijuana. For example, Colorado was one of the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. And since it's legalization, emergency room visits relating to the drug have skyrocketed by 300 percent!
In many cases, these emergencies involve serious cardiovascular events. Here's why…
According to the AHA, marijuana affects the body in ways that harm the heart. In particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana— interacts with receptors that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
In other words, it triggers your body's "fight-or-flight" stress response, which makes your heart beat too rapidly and/or irregularly (arrythmia). Marijuana also constricts your blood vessels, which raises blood pressure. Of course, some people try to chalk this up to feeling paranoid, after use. But rest assured, things are happening inside of your body—even when feeling "relaxed."
So, over time, prolonged use increases your risk of suffering a heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. In fact, in actual human studies, marijuana users are twice as likely to suffer cardiac arrest as non-users!
It's also much more harmful than cigarette smoking…smoking marijuana poses particular dangers
Some of marijuana's unique dangers may also relate to the Valsalva maneuver…the particular way in which people inhale and deeply hold the smoke in their breath. This maneuver traps carbon dioxide and combustion products, like carbon monoxide, in the lungs, and raises pressure in the chest, which interferes with blood supply to the heart.
According to the AHA, smoking marijuana increases the concentration of carbon monoxide in your blood by 500 percent. (This deadly poison has been associated with heart problems such as abnormal heart beats, chest pain, and heart attacks.)
Robert L. Page, chair of the group that authored the AHA warning, said we should all remember that marijuana is, "just like any other medication…[all medications] have side effects, and some of those side effects can be cardiovascular, and we're still trying to figure that out with cannabis."
Marijuana gets a free pass, while they totally condemn tobacco
Well, we should never assume that the politically correct health prescriptions for the "multitudes"—or the masses—are based on science. (You can tell which way the political winds blow, so to speak, by following all the marijuana smoke.)
The fact is, heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of disease and death in this country. And I wouldn't expect a change in that statistic any time soon, as more and more states legalize the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana.
Find safer ways to reduce stress and pain
As you might have guessed, there has been a huge uptick in marijuana use since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. And that increase relates directly to the nationwide lockdowns that limited or cut off access to safe, effective, non-drug approaches to deal with stress, anxiety, and pain. All in the midst of a very real opioid drug epidemic.
Just remember, you can improve your mood, ease anxiety, and reduce pain…without resorting to marijuana or any other harmful drug. I suggest trying out some relaxing, mind-body approaches—such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga—that support your heart health as well as your overall well-being. And there are many natural supplements that improve circulation and heart health.
If you need help with selecting beneficial supplements just email me and I can provide some useful information and recommendations.
A Delicious Way to Protect Muscle Mass as You Age
By Marc S. Micozzi, M.D, Ph.D.
After you hit age 50, you can lose up to 1 percent of your muscle mass each year. And this type of age-related loss of muscle mass—known as sarcopenia—contributes to the development of disability, frailty, and metabolic disorders. It even increases your risk of death.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help maintain muscle mass as you get older. In fact, a new study found that upping your intake of one basic nutrient can do just that!
I'll tell you all about that new study in a moment. But first, let's go over some other basic steps you can take to build muscle mass as you age…
Well-established ways to maintain muscle mass as you get older
There are three basic and well-established steps you can take to build and maintain muscle mass as you get older…
First and foremost, make sure you eat plenty of protein daily. After all, protein is the basic building block of muscle tissue. Your body also uses it to repair damaged tissue.
Unfortunately, as I often report, many Americans don't eat nearly enough protein to maintain muscle mass as they age. To make matters worse, the U.S. government's recommendations for daily protein intake are about half of what studies show you actually need!
In fact, researchers have found that men who want to maintain muscle mass in their 50s and older should eat six ounces of meat (just over one-third of a pound) in a single serving.
Basically, you want to make sure to include a full, fist-sized serving of protein with every meal. So, perhaps go for a few eggs with breakfast, a salad with some wild-caught fish broiled in lemon and butter for lunch, and a grilled, grass-fed steak with roasted vegetables for dinner.
And remember…meat and seafood (but not plants) provide complete proteins, containing all the amino acids that your body needs to build muscle and run metabolism. These foods also contain bioavailable minerals like calcium, magnesium, and selenium, which each play a critical role in muscle mass and function.
People with kidney disease should watch their protein intake. Sometimes, people with kidney disease can have problems filtering out phosphorus, an electrolyte commonly higher in many protein-rich foods.
The second established way to build and maintain muscle as you get older is to engage in some light-to-moderate exercise every week. But remember, don't overdo it. Most studies suggest that you only need to exercise for about 140 to 150 minutes total per week. And activities like housework and yardwork count toward that total. Plus, unlike pounding away on a treadmill, light-to-moderate activities—like walking, swimming, hiking, and gardening—activate and engage a variety of muscle groups.
My third basic recommendation is to avoid taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. These toxic drugs damage your muscles, organs, and mitochondria (your cells' energy factories). Plus, new research even links them to osteoporosis.
And now, thanks to this new study, we know there is a fourth thing you can do to support your muscles as you age…eat more fruits and vegetables!
Build muscle by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
For the new study, researchers investigated the link between dietary intake of vitamin C and muscle mass in more than 13,000 European men and women ages 42 to 82 years.
First, they asked the participants to complete a seven-day food diary, which they then used to estimate vitamin C intake. Second, they measured the participants' vitamin C levels through blood samples, which is far more accurate than just relying on dietary questionnaires and food surveys. Third, they calculated the participants' skeletal muscle mass.
Of course, there were many reasons the researchers focused on vitamin C intake…
For one, vitamin C helps protect against free radical damage to your cells and tissues. And your muscles, by weight, make up the largest tissue in the body after the skin. (Or, at least, they should.) Plus, since vitamin C is "water-soluble," you cannot store it in your tissues as you do with other "fat-soluble" nutrients, like vitamins A and D. So you must replenish it daily through your diet.
Well, it turns out, nearly 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women in the study did not even consume as much vitamin C as recommended by the European Food Safety Agency. (Remember, the study took place in Europe.) Specifically, dietary intakes for men ranged from as low as 26 mg/day to as high as 215 mg/day. For women, it ranged from as low as 30 mg/day to as high as 215 mg/day.
So, how did dietary intake and blood levels of vitamin C impact muscle mass? Well, let's take a look…
More C equates to stronger muscles
The researchers found a very strong association between vitamin C intake/blood levels and muscle mass. In fact, men and women with the highest amounts of C in their diet or their blood had the greatest skeletal muscle mass compared to those with the lowest amounts.
Plus—the participants didn't even need mega-doses of vitamin C to gain significant protection. The researchers estimated that eating just one citrus fruit, such as an orange, each day and having a vegetable side to a meal will be enough to help protect most people against age-related muscle loss.
Of course, I never recommend adopting the bare minimums. Instead, aim for achieving optimal health and muscle strength by eating six to eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Some of my favorite foods rich in vitamin C include: berries, grapefruits, hot peppers, oranges, and sweet peppers.
And don't forget to support your protein intake by regularly consuming full-fat dairy, grass-fed and -finished meat, and wild-caught fish and seafood as part of your balanced, Mediterranean-type diet.
In the end, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet as you get older is critical for maintaining muscle mass…and for fighting off disease!
My Comment:
While taking regular vitamin C commonly found as Ascorbic Acid is beneficial, I recommend taking a whole food version like Amla Fruit or Rose Hips. The whole food version has all of the natural co-factors and enzymes that allow your body to utilize the vitamins much better and more effectively. That is why eating foods high in vitamin C is a great start to a healthy diet. But you may still need to supplement with vitamin C to reach the levels needed to fight off illness and disease. Remember, vitamin C cannot be stored in your body so you need to consume it every few hours to be most effective. And when you are sick or under high stress, your body will consume much higher amounts of vitamin C. Recommended dosages can be 5 to 10 grams per day or more. A good approach would be taking 2,000 to 4,000 mg per day (divided up between 3-4 times per day) on a regular basis and then bumping that up to 5,000 to 10,000 mg per day if you are feeling sick or trying to fight off an illness. Vitamin C is nontoxic and safe, especially in its whole food form.
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).
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