Inflammation is one of the PRIMARY causes of Aging. Stop it NOW!

How inflamed are you and I don’t mean mad!

 

Brain Energy

Are you inflamed?

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I’m not talking about passion.

I’m not talking about agitation or anger.

I’m talking about one of the most serious adjectives that can ever be assigned to health!

Most of the insidious “killer” and “distressing” diseases today have one common trait: inflammation.

In dealing with this type of inflammation, we must automatically talk about cancer, heart disease and strokes, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. We must talk about depression and anxiety disorders. We must talk about debilitating chronic illnesses, such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and even autism. Why, because they are all linked to INFLAMMATION.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that inflammation can be greatly helped by making simple changes in a person’s diet!

Physicians are trained to see inflammation as a “good thing” for the body—it indicates that the body is putting up a good fight to overcome something negative. The signs of redness, swelling, pain, and limited range of motion are all perceived as defense mechanisms.

The “whole story” about inflammation is that if it lasts for too long or is too intense, it can be very destruction.

The Basics of Inflammation

Inflammation is the product of two major physical systems interacting: the immune system and the prostaglandin system. The way in which they interact can either enhance or reduce inflammation. If one or both of these systems stops functioning correctly, the body can get stuck in “inflammation” mode.

The four key elements that influence the interaction that leads to inflammation are these:

Infections

Toxins

Injury

Heredity

What you eat influences all four of these factors. A poor diet can increase and prolong inflammation—a good diet can stop inflammation over time.

At the Root Of Cancer

For almost a hundred years, scientists have been puzzled about why so many things seem to be related to cancer. Some of the known “carcinogens” (cancer-causing agents) are well known: toxic chemicals, viruses, and certain fungi, bacteria, and parasites. But there are other things that are also linked to cancer: irritation of the skin, sunburn, radiation, and injuries.

Are you aware that many diseases and conditions called “auto-immune diseases”— such as diabetes, depression, and hardening of the arteries—are linked to cancer?

The common thread is this: cancer and these other auto-immune conditions have high levels of inflammatory markers or chemicals. These chemicals are generated by immune reactions (among them cytokines, chemokines, and interferon) and from the manufacture of inflammatory prostaglandins, which are lipid compounds that have important functions in the body. Cancer and many of these other conditions are directly related to prolonged or chronic inflammation.

None of this happens overnight, of course. Researchers now know that the lag time between the onset of inflammatory disease and the appearance of cancer is 15–17 years. One study found that 65 percent of whites and 70 percent of blacks suffered from prolonged inflammatory disease before developing cancer.

When the inflammation remains unaddressed, inflammation makes cancers grow much faster and spread more extensively.

Free Radicals and Inflammation

Free radicals and lipid peroxidation—the chemical breakdown by free radicals of fats, or lipids, in the cell membranes—strongly stimulate the growth of cancer.

A sound and reasonable avenue of treatment, therefore, suggests that the reduction of free radicals and lipid peroxidation, could greatly help cancer patients!

Sadly, some physicians advise cancer patients to stop taking all antioxidant supplements because they fear it will interfere with their cancer treatment. Yet, many studies have shown that a combination of multiple antioxidants and nutrients can reduce inflammation and in the process, reduce the growth and spread of cancer, and thus, improve the prognosis of cancer patients.

Solid research has shown that multiple nutritional supplements:
• Can greatly improve conventional cancer treatments
• Reduce complications of treatment
• Improve outcomes of treatment

Diabetes and Inflammation

The studies of diabetes have shown that diabetics have high levels of inflammation and extremely high levels of free radicals and lipid peroxidation products. As diabetes progresses in a person, the levels of dangerous inflammatory chemicals can rise even higher. Many of the dreaded complications of diabetes are directly linked to chronic inflammation and free-radical damage:

• Cataracts • Blindness • Kidney damage
• High rates of heart attack and stroke • Cancer • Depression

One way that scientists track diabetes is to measure the levels of advanced glycation end-products (called AGEs) within the red blood cells. AGEs result when excess sugar chemically reacts with cell proteins and fats, impairing enzymes and cell function, the higher the level of AGEs, the worse the disease. AGE’s, in turn, generate massive storms of free radicals and lipid peroxidation products within the tissues and organs of diabetes. That’s why diets high in sugar and especially high-fructose corn syrup are harmful to all people and especially diabetics.

There are several ways that diabetics can control inflammation. The most obvious and essential, is to control the intake of blood sugar. But in addition, diabetics should be on diets that are high in antioxidant flavonoids. Substances that are very beneficial include highly colored vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, grapefruit, green and white tea, as well as antioxidant flavonoid vitamins and minerals. (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse)

If I had to start with anything, it would be the GHI Cleanse and the Cod liver oil. Those two by themselves have been shown to dramatically reduce inflammation.

 

There are also a number of natural plant extracts, as well as vitamins and minerals that reduce inflammation and improve how the body uses insulin. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a defect in insulin function at the cellular level (insulin resistance), which can often be corrected or greatly improved by diet, exercise, and supplements. (Health Master’s Insulin Support)

Many diabetics are deficient in magnesium, which may explain their high incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. A low level of magnesium greatly increases inflammation, pain, and free-radical damage. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to prevent development of the deadly “metabolic syndrome,” which has symptoms that include high blood pressure, belly fat, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. (Health Master’s Magnesium Glycinate)

Help for Diabetics

A number of commonly available supplements can help diabetics, primarily by forestalling damage from inflammation and free radicals. These include:

• Curcumin and Queretin (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse) and Tumeric Force

• Cinnamon extract (Health Master’s Cinnamon Extract Fuel Burner)

• Ellagic acid (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse)

• Magnesium (Health Master’s Magnesium Glycinate)

• Vitamin E (Health Master’s Super Potent E)

• Vitamin C (Health Master’s Excellent C)

• Omega-3 fats (Health Master’s Norwegian Omega 3)

There’s also special value in R-alpha-lipoic acid (Health Master’s Alpha Lipoic Acidone of the body’s most important antioxidants. This substance not only neutralizes free radicals, but also lowers blood sugar by dramatically improving insulin function in tissues. A dose of 300 milligrams three times a day corrects many cases of Type 2 diabetes and reduces the amount of insulin needed in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Inflammation and Heart Disease

Many researchers now agree that inflammation as we age is the major cause of most cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.

“But,” you may be saying, “I thought it was high cholesterol that was the major factor.” No. The major factor is not high cholesterol or even high LDL-cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol).

As we age, we become more inflamed. Inflammation is a natural process caused by the aging of our immune system—the system normally designed to prevent it. By the time a person reaches the age of 80, inflammation is significantly higher than at younger ages. How much higher varies, and the research is just now moving in the direction of determining why some older people have less inflammation than others.

Some of the factors associated with “aging inflammation” may be related to genetics, since some genes have been found to control inflammation. There are other factors, however, that are equally potent:

• High mercury levels

• Persistent infections from viruses, bacteria, and antibiotic-resistant    bacteria known as mycoplasma

• Stress

• Year of ingesting excitotoxins (in the form of food additives and omega-6 fats)

The likelihood is that the increase of inflammation as we age is the result of the combination of all these!

The Importance of Magnesium

Again, magnesium may be of great benefit. Magnesium plays a major role in protecting the brain, heart, and blood vessels—studies have shown that when the “cells” are given “food” that is low in magnesium, the cells’ rate of aging accelerated. (Health Master’s Magnesium Glycinate)

Magnesium is often measured in blood tests. Unfortunately, these tests can be misleading. Studies have shown that a person with a normal blood level of magnesium can actually have low levels of magnesium in the tissues. More than 90 percent of magnesium resides in the tissues, very little in the blood.

A low level of magnesium is associated with high incidences of metabolic syndrome (also called Syndrome X), which affects more than 50 million Americans and millions more worldwide. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abnormal blood lipids, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low HDL, and elevated levels of VLDL cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Magnesium plays an important part in how blood vessels process the natural chemicals around them (endothelial function). That’s because the endothelial cell lining of the vessels constitutes the “brains” of the vessel. Abnormalities in such function are the first stages of impending heart attack or stroke. Low levels of magnesium can accelerate hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. (Health Master’s Magnesium Glycinate)

The Need to Lower Inflammation

The lowering of inflammatory chemicals has been shown to reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, as well as heart failure and arrhythmia.

Studies of those who have had heart-bypass surgery or coronary stents have shown that the greatest predictor of future problems is an elevation of inflammatory chemicals (not cholesterol levels). The only benefit of statin cholesterol-lowering drugs is their ability to reduce inflammation in arteries...not the lowering of cholesterol. A recent major study (called the Vytorin study) was a disappointment to statin drug manufacturers—it demonstrated that lowering cholesterolby itself is not protective.

While we are touching on statin drugs, let me also point out that they are proven carcinogens—all of them significantly suppress immunity and they are all associated with amnesia, disordered thinking, muscle weakness, muscle pains, and severe damage to nerves in the arms and legs. (Natural products have no serious side effects!)

The need to lower inflammation has been related to every study that looks at inflammation markers.

Ironically, some of the so-called health “authorities” recommend an increase of omega-6 oils in the diet—oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soybean, and canola. These oils have been shown to dramatically increase inflammation throughout the body and to accelerate heart disease. Millions have died or been crippled by diseases as a result.

Although it is not the popular conception in the general population at present, researchers know that saturated fats do little to impact hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, or strokes. It is the Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oil, instead, that are the major contributors to heart disease by inducing inflammation.

Sugars, too, are major players in inflammation. High-fructose corn syrup is the worst sugar of all and it is found in virtually all processed foods.

On the other hand...omega-3 oils are highly protective against both heart attacks and strokes, and are much more effective than any statin drug. These oils reduce inflammation, slightly thin the blood, and improve blood flow through the blood vessels, especially small vessels. (Health Master’s Norwegian Omega 3)

Vitamin C and natural E (with high gamma-E component) also dramatically reduce inflammation and atherosclerosis in blood vessels. (Health Master’s Excellent C and Super Potent E)

Other nutrients with proven dramatic reduction in atherosclerosis include curcumin, quercetin, ellagic acid,(Health Master’s GHI Cleanseresveratrol (Health Resveratrol Plus), and garlic (Health Master’s Garlic). In some cases, the use of these nutrients has reversed hardening of the arteries.

Neurodegenerative Disease And Inflammation

One of the fairly recent findings about Alzheimer’s is that it is linked to the ApoE4 gene, which is also associated with inflammatory gene activation. People who have taken anti-inflammatory medications regularly showed much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than the general population, especially those who had the ApoE4 gene.

The brain has its own immune system, which is regulated by a type of cell called “microglia.” These immune cells are scattered throughout the brain, with some areas of the brain having more than others. The highest concentration is in the part of the brain associated with Parkinson’s disease, the second-highest in the areas involved in Alzheimer’s disease.

A number of things can activate microglia:

Mercury Cadmium Tin Infections Pesticides
Lead Aluminum Fluoride Vaccinations Trauma

Most people are exposed, to at least some degree, to these substances, but those with the ApoE4 gene are much more sensitive to their toxic effects, as are people who eat an inflammatory diet, have poor antioxidant intake, and who exercise little.

Curcumin (Health Master’s GHI Cleansehas been shown to be very protective against Alzheimer’s disease. Resveratrol (Health Master’s Resveratrol), quercetin, ellagic acid, silymarin, (Health Master’s GHI Cleanseferulic acid, apigenin, kempferol, and a number of other natural substances also have shown protective effects against brain inflammation.

A number of carotenoids, which include alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and others, also have properties that protect the brain. (Health Master’s GHI CleanseBlueberries, spinach, kale, and broccoli have especially high amounts of these carotenoids. Studies have shown that people with high intakes of carotenoids for ten years or longer have strong protection against age-related memory loss.

On the other side of the equation, studies have shown that a high intake of omega-6 oils—those commonly used in cooking—significantly increase one’s risk of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Americans eat 50 times more of these oils than is good for health! Those who advocate the use of these oils—especially sunflower and safflower—as “cholesterol-lowering” are apparently unaware of the influence of these oils on neurodegenerative disease.

What about cholesterol?

The truth is-your brain needs it! For brain cells to communicate with one another, they must have specially structured pathways from outside the cell to the inside. These are called lipid rafts. They are made of cholesterol. Another function of cholesterol in the brain is to protect the brain against the damaging effects of excitotoxins—in other words, glutamate gone into hyper mode. The brain has one of the highest cholesterol contents of any organ. Statins are drugs that reduce cholesterol levels, including brain cholesterol. This reduction in brain cholesterol can greatly disrupt brain cell communication. Many who take statins report amnesia, confusion, memory loss, sluggish thinking, and disorientation. When the statin medications are stopped, these brain functions improve.(Health Master’s Cholesterol X)

The Danger of Obesity

Recent research has shown that those with abdominal obesity (commonly known as “pot belly”) have a higher risk of developing a number of illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea. New findings have shown that the fat around the intestines secretes inflammatory chemicals that can cause inflammation in a number of tissues and organs.

Ten Additional Steps for Combating Inflammation

The first step to reducing inflammation is to avoid all environmental toxins—including all mercury, aluminum, cadmium, lead, pesticides, herbicides, and industrial chemicals. Major sources of mercury contamination are metallic dental fillings and mercury-containing vaccines. Choose ceramic fillings, and consider seriously finding a qualified dentist to remove any old amalgam fillings.

While childhood vaccines no longer contain the mercury preservative thimerosal, the flu vaccine for both adults and children contain a full dose of mercury.

The second step is to remove omega-6 fats (now called N-6 fats) from your diet.

Third, eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. At the same time, eat more vegetables, and eat a moderate amount of fruit in whole-food, unprocessed and not juiced form.

Fourth, do not use artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame (blue packets). (Use  Stevia)

Fifth, avoid fluoride in all forms (including toothpaste, mouthwash, and fluoride dental treatments). Some prescription drugs contain fluoride—make sure if you are taking a prescription that it does not have any fluoride in it. Fluoride and aluminum combine in especially powerful ways linked to brain inflammation.

Sixth, choose to eat a low-meat diet, and especially restrict your intake of red meat. Iron in red meat acts as a catalyst for free-radical production and this increases inflammation.

Seventh, drink white tea. It aids in absorption, and is an especially fine complement to a diet high in fresh vegetables.

Eighth, use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. It has a number of anti-inflammatory flavonoids. Extra virgin coconut oil can also be used for cooking—it has been shown to reduce inflammation.

Ninth, avoid cooking dishes that are high in sugar or carbohydrates. This dramatically increases the amount of glycation, which is converted into powerful free radical-generating AGEs.

Tenth, choose to eat vegetables that are known anti-inflammatories—especially cruciferous vegetables such a cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale. Choose organically grown vegetables and eat them raw or use a blender. Be sure to wash even those that are organically grown, before eating.

The Benefit of Exercise

Moderate exercise has been shown to be beneficial in reducing a wide variety of ailments—including heart disease, strokes, depression, osteoporosis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.Excessive exercise, however, can be counterproductive and can worsen these disorders. How is that so? Intense exercise releases free radicals. To avoid the negative impact of these free radicals, be sure to take an increasedamount of antioxidants, and take them in combination.

Moderate exercise includes walking briskly for 30 minutes. Resistance exercises strengthen muscles and prevent osteoporosis. I especially recommend these two types of exercise.

Good Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

A number of supplements can reduce inflammation. These work best if taken together. A well-compounded high-quality vitamin-mineral supplement is essential. (Health Master’s Ultimate Multiple)

In addition, consider:

Curcumin. (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse)This is a derivative of tumeric. It is both a powerful anti-inflammatory and an antioxident—as powerful as many prescription anti-inflammatory drugs but without negative side effects. It has been shown to help prevent cancer and shrink existing cancers.

Quercetin. (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse)This flavonoid is found naturally in a number of fruits and vegetables, especially onions, cranberries, and tea. It has powerful anti-inflammatory powers but works in a way that differs from curcumin. Quercetin and curcumin work together very well. Absorption is increased if the flavonoids are dissolved in a little extra virgin olive oil or fish oil.

Boswellia. (Saloxcin)This is an extract from the plant Boswellia serrta, known in the Bible as frankincense. It has good anti-inflammatory abilities. It should be taken on an empty stomach.

Ellagic Acid. (Health Master’s GHI Cleanse)This is a flavonoid found in pomegranate extract, raspberry extract, and walnuts. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, as well as protect the heart muscle.

Natural Vitamin E. (Health Master’s Super Potent Eonly the gammas subtype of vitamin E has anti-inflammatory activities. The other forms are powerful antioxidants, so in combination, the four subtypes of vitamin E provide significant protection. (Make sure your vitamin E has alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols.)

Magnesium. (Health Master’s Magnesium GlycinateMagnesium is a powerful anti-inflammatory and helps raise cellular glutathione levels. Make sure you take a high-quality supplement since cheaper supplements tend to be magnesium oxide, which is poorly absorbed in many people and causes diarrhea. Better absorption is seen with magnesium citrate and citrate-malate. Slow-release forms of magnesium are available.

Of course this is just a start. Call my office for more detailed supplement guidelines.

Here’s my foundational supplements:

Health Master’s GHI Cleanse

Health Master’s Insulin Support
Health Master’s Magnesium Glycinate

Health Masters Ultimate Multiple

Health Master’s Cinnamon Extract Fuel Burner

Health Master’s Insulin Support

Health Master’s Norwegian Omega 3
Health Master’s Garlic
 Stevia
Saloxcin
Resveratrol Plus

All of these high quality supplements can also be purchased by calling my office at 1-800-726-1834.

I remain sincerely,

Dr. Ted Broer

*This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Neither the information, nor any formula(s) mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.