Protecting Yourself against the Swine Flu.

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A new study just published in the journal Postgraduate Medicine has good news about a way to help fight a potential flu pandemic, naturally. Researchers found that a specific strain of probiotics, which are beneficial microorganisms similar to the “friendly” bacteria found naturally in the body’s digestive system, increases the body’s immune response to the flu virus — specifically, to influenza A. And the currently much hyped and much feared so-called swine flu, also known as H1N1, is a variant of influenza A.

Although many mainstream medical doctors as well as natural health practitioners have long recognized that probiotics can often help people with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, gas, and bloating, the idea that taking probiotics could help healthy people stay that way has been controversial. But the new study could change that notion. It shows that taking probiotics regularly can boost the immune system in a specific way which helps the body give influenza A the boot. The probiotics strain, which has the scientific tongue-twister name of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, PTA-6086, was found to cause significant increases in T-cell production of TNF-alpha, a key immune system activity marker, when health adults were exposed to influenza.

Researcher Mira Baron, MD, measured changes in blood TNF-alpha levels in 10 healthy adult volunteers before and after they took doses of the probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans (which is marketed under the trade name GanedenBC30 and found in various dietary supplements) daily and then were exposed to an influenza A virus. Results showed a huge 1709 percent increase in TNF-alpha levels upon viral challenge after the research participants had taken the probiotic for about a month. Dr. Baron noted in her study that the initial, dramatic increase in the body’s production of TNF-alpha in response to viral exposure shows a heightened immunological response aimed at protecting against infection.

The study did not evaluate an immune response to the specific swine flu virus, H1N1, currently causing much worry. However, there’s certainly reason to think that Bacillus coagulans could boost the body’s natural defenses to fight a variety of flu viruses, including swine flu. “These results demonstrate the ability of GanedenBC30 to boost the immune system of healthy adults against viruses that cause some of the most common human illnesses,” Dr. Baron said in a statement to the press. “The study helps support the long-suspected belief about the beneficial effects of GanedenBC30 on the immune system and adds to the emerging body of evidence that probiotics can benefit healthy people as well as those with specific health issues.”

According to Dr Peter D’Adamo, you should aim to protect the gut and respiratory passages. Elderberry should be used only by people under 15 or over 35. This is one of the useful herbs. The other herb that can be considered is licorice.

Also of course in order to keep your immune system at an all time high, you want to minimize your exposure to harmful lectins. If you are not quite sure what types of lectins are bad for you, please refer to my earlier blog on, “Why all diets are not equal”. Be wary of immune stimulants. Some of the products outlined above are part of a comprehensive protective program.

However in the event that you actually do get an infection, then you may want to consider a product called “lentin plus”. Lentin Plus 1000 is a dietary supplement, which contains Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound that has been scientifically shown to increase NK cell activity by as much as 300% in just a couple of weeks, whilst T and B cell activities are increased by 200 and 150% respectively. Research has also shown that it can help significantly boost natural antibody production, as well as other parameters of the immune system. It has been clinically proven to help powerfully enhance depleted immune systems and improve the quality of life. I have used this product for my patients and myself for the management of acute viral infections. The results have to be experienced to be believed.

It is also important to be sufficiently well hydrated. Research has shown that significant dehydration can have an impact on the immune system as well. There are certain white cells that are sensitive to histamine and that strongly inhibit the activity of the immune system in the bone marrow. There are twice as many of these white cells as there are cells that stimulate the immune system. Thus, dehydration that can cause the production and release of more than a certain amount of histamine may, in the long run, suppress the immune systems of the body at its central command station, the bone marrow.

One way the immune system relies on water is the same as for exercise. Dehydration causes the blood to become concentrated and torpid–not optimal conditions for immune cells to rush the invader. Furthermore, water helps regulate temperature–essential during fever–and flushes microbes and toxins out of the body. Remember, thirst is an indicator that you are already dehydrated.

Those who lead healthy lifestyles do not have to worry about the destruction done by smoking, alcohol and drug use, but toxic chemicals are present elsewhere and are harmful to our immune systems. Avoiding second-hand smoke is essential. Also important is the amount of non-organic foods you ingest. This is particularly true for children, because the EPA’s guidelines for safe pesticide levels are standardized for a large adult human male, not for children who are not only smaller but who metabolize chemicals at a different rate.

The cells that comprise the immune system–NK cells, macrophages, B-cells, T-cells, etc.–rely on a well functioning, strong circulatory and lymphatic system. A sedentary lifestyle leads to lethargic blood and lymph flow. By neglecting to take physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Sweet Poison.

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In 1957, Dr. William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of “poison” was: “Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Physically: Any substance which inhibits the activity of a catalyst which is a minor substance, chemical or enzyme that activates a reaction.”1 The dictionary gives an even broader definition for “poison”: “to exert a harmful influence on, or to pervert”.

Dr. Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. “What is left consists of pure, refined carbohydrates. The body cannot utilize this refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present. Nature supplies these elements in each plant in quantities sufficient to metabolize the carbohydrate in that particular plant. There is no excess for other added carbohydrates. Incomplete carbohydrate metabolism results in the formation of ‘toxic metabolite’ such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing five carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells.

These toxic metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They cannot get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time, some of the cells die. This interferes with the function of a part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease.”

When the Muslims originally clashed with the Christian warriors in the Middle-east at the time of the Crusades they were formidable warriors. As they slowly started capturing Christian territory and took over the sugar cane plantations and began to cultivate a “sweet tooth” they slowly lost their invincibility.

A molecule of sucrose requires 27 nutrients before it can be broken down to supply energy in the Kreb’s cycle. Which means that since white sugar is “empty” calories, every molecule of sugar will strip 27 nutrients from the body (normally from the nutrients stored in the liver for detoxification). When you smoke, you are exposed to about 4000 toxic items in the cigarette smoke which your body must use up nutrients from your liver to detox.

It is a noticeable trend that more and more food items have “low-sugar” labels on them. With respect to human body needs, how much sugar do we really need daily? Low sugar labels are fine. Sugar substitutes however can be even worse as in aspartame or nutrasweet. Refer to Andy Ho’s article a few years ago about aspartame being used to kill ants because of its neurotoxic properties.

The world (particularly East Asian) countries are facing an epidemic called “Syndrome X”. One of the major reasons for this is the introduction of refined carbohydrates and white sugar.

You need from 1200 calories for women to 1800 calories for men on a daily basis. You can get these calories from foods which are packed with nutrition or from foods with empty calories like white sugar. If you get them from nutrient rich food than as you meet your caloric needs, you are also meeting your nutritional needs for vitamins and minerals.

When carbohydrates from your diet are processed in you body they are broken down into glucose. You don’t need to take extra sugar, provided you meet your caloric needs.

There are different forms of sugars and sugar substitutes. Some of you may wonder what they are all about. Fructose is fruit sugar. Table sugar is sucrose which is the most common form of empty calories. Glucose is the form that all forms of carbohydrates and sugars are broken down in your body to naturally.

Molasses is what is obtained from sugar cane juice when its concentrated. Honey is from bees. These are probably the healthiest ways of getting your sugar, because they are often rich in nutrients.

Nutrasweet or aspartame – I have mentioned above is neurotoxic. One account states that diabetics who sued it found their diabetes hard to manage in the long term.

Many people experience craving for sugary items, e.g. cakes and cookies, when they are stressed, and they feel better after satisfying the craving. Some health reports point out that this is in fact very bad for health. This is often related to hypoglycemia. As they get stressed, the body overreacts and the sugar level plummets down.

So they take more sugar rich foods, which further strips the body of nutrition and upsets the body’s biochemistry. As they keep doing this, the cells become increasingly resistant to glucose so they move towards either Syndrome X or diabetes.

How does want start to reduce sugar in one’s diet? One teaspoonful of granulated sugar contains 15 calories, 8 teaspoonfuls of sugar is found in one can of coke. You don’t need to drink coke. If you must drink coffee and tea, do it without sugar. This is one extreme. If you really wanted to cut out totally empty calories, this is how you can do it. Instead of drinking coke, drink water.

For some, this feels like too much. So they can gradually cut down. If you drink one coke a day, do it on alternate days for one week, the next week once in three days. The week therafter, once in 4days, than once in five days and so on. Finally you drink only one can of coke a week.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Why are we not biologically equal?

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One of the major divides between Western Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is the concept of individuality. In Western medicine, if you have a flu, you are treated the same way. In CAM, depending on your practitioner you would be examined and analysed to discover what was the weakness that led to you developing the flu.

One man’s food is another man’s poison. Most people are eating foods that are not compatible with their biochemistry, and it is making them sick. Should you be a vegetarian or a meat eater? Are grains and dairy products compatible for you? What foods super charge your particular metabolism and what foods deplete your vitality?

According to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Nutrition findings, most Americans are deficient in three or more essential nutrients. Nutritional experts tell us that it is more like twelve and some sick people being deficient in as many as fifty nutrients.

Are you toxic? Are any organs of your body being affected by toxins due to junk food, fast food, and devitalized food? Singaporeans are fast becoming toxic garbage dumps. In naturopathic medicine we believe that toxicity is the common denominator of all disease.

Most modern day diseases are degenerative in nature. It takes 10-20 years or more to develop diabetes, arthritis, stroke, cancer, heart disease, etc. Testing can predict your tendency towards particular disease and help to construct a nutritional and lifestyle program to prevent disease. The science is now available to prevent most degenerative disease at their earliest inception.

The newest Singaporean phenomena is popping pills. Everyone is popping vitamins these days, but does anyone know what they are doing? Now you can know exactly what you should be taking based on your individual biochemistry. No more guess work, no more trial and error, no more opinions, no more gurus. Now you can know exactly what vitamins to take based on your individual biochemistry.

As incredible and unbelievable as it may seem, doctors take blood, but never speak to you about your diet, vitamins or food supplements. Finally… you can learn what each and every blood bio-marker means to you nutritionally and what you should do about it.

Due to dietary improprieties, nutritional deficiencies, and toxicity, the bodies of many Singaporeans have become inefficient, low energy, fat storing, depots. Now you can convert your body into a highly efficient, energetic, fat burning dynamo. You can now stop storing fat and begin burning it.

Confusion is the order of the day in America. So much information, misinformation, and disinformation has bombarded us by the media, airwaves, and market place, that it is difficult for even intelligent people to sort it all out. Nutritional testing cuts through the information maze and hones in on your individual biochemistry.

The old allopathic medical model waited until a named disease developed, then fought the disease. Nutritional and functional medicine testing changes that model. You now become proactive and responsible for your health, rather than inactive and irresponsible. No longer do you wait for disease. You will now have the tools to aggressively build a state of high level wellness and nutritional soundness that allows you to live the abundant life, physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is what we believe preventive medicine is all about.

Nutritional testing and personal health evaluation is an educational experience. You get to learn how efficiently every gland, organ, and system of your body is working long before a named medical condition sets in. Over a hundred biodiagnostic markers can be evaluated to determine your wellness status. For many patients it is the first time their blood and urine results have been explained in such detail. You will learn what each individual test means. The clinical range used by orthodox medicine to diagnose medically named conditions,

At Natural Therapies Centre we believe we are what we eat. Testing will tell you what foods you need to eat more of to get the nutrients your body needs, and what foods you need to avoid.

I like to quote an example to illustrate the above concepts. I have been seeing this nice young man in his thirties. Lets call him James. James was being treated for hypertension. He came in to see me to sort out his chronic gastric condition. After a few months this condition was managed quite satisfactorily. Now many of the individuals I have helped with their gastric condition, do not go on to develop other complications. Almost a year later, James developed what turned out to be chronic pancreatitis. He had almost passed out, been admitted to hospital for observation and finally scoped, analysed ad nauseum and diagnosed.

James was in a state of shock. He had no idea why this had happened. The doctors in the hospital kept treating James like an alcoholic. Finally we did a DNA test on him. The results were very revealing. James tested positive for 8 out of 108 possible disease patterns. In other words if he had adopted a normal Singaporean reasonably lifestyle he might have had a stroke, heart failure (in three different possible ways) or developed cancer. Thanks to the test results, his life could take a different path. James now had the choice of making drastic changes that would enable him to have a high quality disease free life. This would give him a good chance of being able to watch his children grow up and have families.

Unfortunately, James’ father never had that chance. He had a stroke when James was still in his teens and had never recovered.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Can an open mind save your life?

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A few years ago, I was talking to one of my ex-wife’s ( we were still married then), very good friend. I was talking to her about wellness screening and early prevention. Like many Asian ladies who feel what they don’t know won’t hurt them, she said, “ I really rather not know. That way, I can carry on doing what I am doing” Barely six months later, she discovered she had a lump in her breast and she had to do a needle biopsy. Fortunately for her, the lump was benign. It could have very easily been otherwise.

Contrast this with a Spanish lady from Thailand who flew in to consult me after discovering she had a small lump that was cancerous. Her lifestyle was okay, her diet was better than mine and no one had any idea why she developed her cancer. She was smart enough after the surgery to remove the lump not to “Let sleeping dogs lie”. She wanted to get to the root cause. In the end we discovered that the smoking gun was a badly leaking mercury filling that was situated in the tooth related to the stomach meridian. For those who have no idea of acupuncture, the Stomach Meridian is one of the few meridians that passes along the pathway of the breast. Most breast cancers have a dental link, either a badly leaking mercury filling or a root canal gone bad.

The American Medical Association after saying for 40 years that three square meals a day could feed your nutritional needs, has totally reversed this stand. The statement below totally repudiates that stand. The AMA has been forced to revise its views in light of the new evidence. They say it takes 25 years before a new idea takes hold in medicine. In 25 years every medical doctor will be studying nutrition thoroughly. Currently average medical education spends 7 to 12 hours out of a 7 year education on food, vitamins, minerals and health. Can you afford to wait for 25 years before your GP has the “right” education to help you prevent illness?

“ Vitamin deficiency syndromes such as scurvy and beriberi are  uncommon in  modern (Western) societies. However, suboptimal intake of some  vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk  factor for chronic diseases and common ……  especially the elderly. Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with  suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases. ……it appears  prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements…….. Physicians should make specific efforts to learn about their patients’  …. to ensure that they are taking vitamins they should, such as folate supplementation for women in the childbearing years, and avoiding dangerous practices such as high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy or massive doses of fat-soluble vitamins at any age. “ (JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129)

I saw this young lady who said she had a lump in her breast. She refused to have it  X-rayed or scanned. I felt that I could not responsibly treat someone without appropriate testing. She opted to work with someone else who promised that her condition would clear up. This someone kept selling her health products for two years giving her the impression that her cancer would improve. She survived for two years and then her cancer went out of control. What would have been a fairly simple issue with the correct surgical intervention with nutritional follow up became a death dealing downward spiral.

Every other week I see a new young autistic child in my practice. Most of these children which I am treating will within 1.5  years will be unrecognizably positively changed in their physical, mental and emotional ability. They will have the ability to increase their educational and emotional horizons in a way their untreated brothers and sisters will not have.

Meanwhile there will be mainstream doctors saying nothing can be done and you have to live with it and complementary and alternative physicians saying that  they can do “something” when the reality is that they do not understand what they are dealing with. I attended a International Homeoepathic Conference of mostly classical homeopaths who were still trying to treat autistic cases using classical homeoepathy. Than I heard about acupunturists from China who were claiming to treat autism with acupuncture. Nether group had done any kind of serious formal research to document the effectiveness of their study. I found this really sad. Parents will be given false hope. When these methods fail to provide results, there will be a backlash (like there was in Singapore) and someone will deliver a blanket statement that non of these methods work for “Autism” Its absolutely amazes me how such definitive comments are passed.

What you can do for yourself in the event of having a significant health issue? Educate yourself. Find out what is the standard medical approach? What are the success rates. What are the down sides? Check for complementary approaches to the problem. Explore exactly the same issues, the plus and minuses. Talk to physicians that you trust from both camps about what their experiences are. See if you can find a consensus approach. There are very few absolutes. If someone says that they all the answers on one topic, it may be possible. If they purport to be an authority on a whole scope of unrelated medical conditions, its time to be careful.

Nothing of course beats pre-emptive wellness care. Eat wisely. Exercise appropriately and for long enough (but not too long). Make sure you are taking enough supplements.

And no, taking just 1000 mg of Vitamin C and nothing else is not appropriate supplementation. Make sure that you are taking Vitamins and Minerals. If you are older than  35, ensure you have digestive enzymes and probiotics as well together with a broad spectrum essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). Ensure that you do some form of wellness screening especially after 35 apart from the standard medical testing. What happens after this? Make sure that you have a life worth living. Meaningful work, a happy family. Friends that share your interests and you can have deep conversations with.

A deep meaningful spiritual connection in whatever way that speaks to you. And yes curiosity and an open mind.

Be well

Dr  Sundardas

Not all essential fatty acids are equal

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How much fatty acids do you need? To answer this question, you need to honestly evaluate your eating habits? How much cold water fish and nuts do you eat? Does your family have a history of heart disease? Do you eat a lot of red meat? Do you eat fish? If you still can’t decide and, given the typical Asian diet, there is probably room for supplementation of EFA’s in your diet.

Most people consume too much omega-6 relative to the amount of omega-3 that they get. Vegetarians must be particularly careful because it is much easier to get supplies of omega-6 in the vegetarian diet. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 that should be ingested is around 6:1 for fish-eaters, and 3:1 for vegetarians (because they need to manufacture their own EPA and DHA). Flaxseed oil (or simply flax seeds) is a good choice to boost the intake of omega-3 provided you are healthy and you can break down the flax seed oil into omega-3 and omega-6 .

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fats that are essential to the diet because the body cannot produce them. Essential fatty acids are extremely important nutrients for health. They are present in every healthy cell in the body, and are critical for the normal growth and functioning of the cells, muscles, nerves, and organs. EFAs are also used by the body to produce a class of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which are key to many important processes. Deficiencies of EFAs are linked to a variety of health problems, including major ones such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It has been estimated that as high as 80% of the American population may consume insufficient quantities of EFAs.

Very few health issues have received as much attention during the past several decades as the question of fat in the diet. Sixty-eight percent of mortalities in America are related to fat consumption and diet, including heart disease (44% of deaths), cancer (22%) and diabetes (2%). There are several types of dietary fats. Saturated fat is found mainly in animal products, including meat and dairy products, and avocados, and nuts. Cholesterol is a dietary fat that is only found in animal products. Cholesterol is also made by the body in small amounts from saturated fats. Heavy consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol has been linked to heart disease and cancer. Unsaturated fats are typically oils from vegetables, nuts, and are present in some fish. These are considered the healthiest dietary fats. Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats. EFAs are the only fats that may need to be increased in the American diet.

Scientists classify essential fatty acids into two types, omega 3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids, depending on their chemical composition. Technically, the omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, and two others called EPA and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid is found mainly in flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, hemp seeds, and dark green leafy vegetables. Stearidonic acid is found in rarer types of seeds and nuts, including black currant seeds. EPA and DHA are present in cold-water fish, including salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel and cod. Cod liver oil is a popular nutritional supplement for omega-3 EFAs.
Omega-6 fatty acids are more common in the Asian diet than the omega-3 EFAs. These include linoleic acid, which is found in safflower, olive, almond, sunflower, hemp, soybean, walnut, pumpkin, sesame, and flaxseed oils. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is found in some seeds and evening primrose oil. Arachidonic acid (AA) is present in meat and animal products.

Both types of EFAs, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, are necessary in a healthy diet. Deficiencies of EFAs have been brought about by changes in diet and the modern processing of foods and oils. Many nutritionists believe that a major dietary problem is the use of hydrogenated oils, which are present in margarine and many processed foods.

Hydrogenated oils are highly refined by industrial processes, and contain toxic by-products and trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are fat molecules with chemically altered structures, and are believed to have several detrimental effects on the body. Trans-fatty acids interfere with the absorption of healthy EFAs, and may contribute to atherosclerosis, or damage to the arteries. Deep-fried foods, which are cooked in oil that is altered by very high temperatures, also contain trans-fatty acids.

Dietary changes that have contributed to EFA deficiency or imbalances include the increased use of oils that contain few or no omega-3 EFAs; the industrial milling of flour that removes the EFA-containing germ; the increase of sugar and fried foods in the diet that may interfere with the body’s absorption of EFAs; and the decreased consumption of fish.

Symptoms of EFA deficiency or imbalance include dry or scaly skin, excessively dry hair, cracked fingernails, fatigue, weakness, frequent infections, allergies, mood disorders, hyperactivity, depression, memory and learning problems, slow wound healing, aching joints, poor digestion, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol.  EFA supplementation is recommended for over 60 health conditions. EFAs are used therapeutically to treat and to prevent cardiovascular problems, including heart disease, high cholesterol, strokes, and high blood pressure. EFAs also have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, and are used in the nutritional treatment of arthritis, asthma, allergies, and skin conditions (e.g., eczema). EFAs are used as support for immune system disorders including AIDS, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and cancer.

Common EFA supplements are flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant seed oil, hemp seed oil, and cod liver oil. Consumers should search for supplements that contain both omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs, because imbalances of EFAs may occur if either is taken in excess over long periods of time.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Are we destroying our future? (children and genomics)

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There is an ancient Chinese proverb or a curse depending on your perspective thatgoes something like, “May you live in interesting times”. And yes, we truly live in interesting times. The advances in Science, Technology and Medicine have been truly breathtaking and awe inspiring.

As we gambol merrily along our lives, we have to stop and think about the legacy that we are leaving our children in more ways than one. Are we giving our children a better standard of living? Are we leaving behind a better world? Are we leaving behind a happier world? As we look at these, the answers become a little more complex and less black and white. Yes, as we increase our income levels, they get to live in better quality buildings. Life gets more comfortable. There is access to increased medical care and better facilities. In most Asian countries as they rapidly modernize everything begins to look neater and cleaner. They never go hungry. They have access to appropriate educational facilities.

However lets look a little at the nitty gritty of the cleaner buildings and the other changes in the environment. Most of these changes are facilitated by the advent of modern technological changes. For one thing, every year there are 2000 new chemicals being introduced into the environment that were not there before. One estimate, is that from the time of our grandparents to date we have 100, 000 new chemicals that were not there before. If you ever go into a construction site, you would notice the use of glues, solvents and new chemicals that make the process of designing new buildings easy and the impact on biological systems traumatic. One of the most commonly used ingredients is formaldehyde. This was once primarily used to preserve dead animals It is a very toxic substance and is now used in 200 household items. Imagine what it does to the nerve and brain tissue of developing fetuses in the mother’s womb not to mention young children.

We are at the beginning of one of the most terrifying epidemics that is beginning to sweep the emerging first world economics i.e. Asia, India and China. Its not SARs or even the swine flue. It’s the epidemic of Syndrome X. Syndrome X is the precursor to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. What is particularly pernicious about this is that the programming for this condition is in utero. The study of how genes are turned on or off by the environment (nutrition, diet, toxins and emotions) is called epigenetics. The implications of the epigenetic revolution are even more profound in light of recent evidence that epigenetic changes made in the parent generation can turn up not just one but several generations down the line, long after the original trigger for change has been removed.

In 2004 Michael Skinner, a geneticist at Washington State University, accidentally discovered an epigenetic effect in rats that lasts at least four generations. Skinner was studying how a commonly used agricultural fungicide, when introduced to pregnant mother rats, affected the development of the testes of fetal rats. He was not surprised to discover that male rats exposed to high doses of the chemical while in utero had lower sperm counts later in life. The surprise came when he tested the male rats in subsequent generations—the grandsons of the exposed mothers. Although the pesticide had not changed one letter of their DNA, these second-generation offspring also had low sperm counts. The same was true of the next generation (the great-grandsons) and the next.

Such results hint at a seemingly anti-Darwinian aspect of heredity. Through epigenetic alterations, our genomes retain something like a memory of the environmental signals received during the lifetimes of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and perhaps even more distant ancestors. So far, the definitive studies have involved only rodents. But researchers are turning up evidence suggesting that epigenetic inheritance may be at work in humans as well.
In November 2005, Marcus Pembrey, a clinical geneticist at the Institute of Child Health in London, attended a conference at Duke University to present intriguing data drawn from two centuries of records on crop yields and food prices in an isolated town in northern Sweden.

Pembrey and Swedish researcher Lars Olov Bygren noted that fluctuations in the towns’ food supply may have health effects spanning at least two generations. Grandfathers who lived their preteen years during times of plenty were more likely to have grandsons with diabetes—an ailment that doubled the grandsons’ risk of early death. Equally notable was that the effects were sex specific. A grandfather’s access to a plentiful food supply affected the mortality rates of his grandsons only, not those of his granddaughters, and a paternal grandmother’s experience of feast affected the mortality rates of her granddaughters, not her grandsons.

The studies by Pembrey and other epigenetics researchers suggest that our diet, behavior, and environmental surroundings today could have a far greater impact than imagined on the health of our distant descendants. “Our study has shown a new area of research that could potentially make a major contribution to public health and have a big impact on the way we view our responsibilities toward future generations,” Pembrey says.

The logic applies backward as well as forward: Some of the disease patterns prevalent today may have deep epigenetic roots. Pembrey and several other researchers, for instance, have wondered whether the current epidemic of obesity, commonly blamed on the excesses of the current generation, may partially reflect lifestyles adopted by our forebears two or more generations back.

Michael Meaney, who studies the impact of nurturing, likewise wonders what the implications of epigenetics are for social policy. He notes that early child-parent bonding is made more difficult by the effects of poverty, dislocation, and social strife. Those factors can certainly affect the cognitive development of the children directly involved. Might they also affect the development of future generations through epigenetic signaling?

Be well
Dr Sundardas

Why all diets are not equal

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Dr James D’Adamo’s initial observations of individuals under naturopathic inpatient treatment showed that certain kinds of people improved on different types of diet. The principles behind the observations of James D’Adamo were researched by Peter D’Adamo, resulting in the basic theory determining the selection of foods according to blood group. This has been comprehensively illustrated in the series of books, starting with Eat Right 4 Your Type (ER4YT), which lists foods according to their status: beneficial; neutral or avoid.

Each of the four blood types, which develop at separate times in human evolution, exhibit biochemical differences. Type O, the oldest and most common blood type, has no true antigens (chemical markers that incite antibody production, the reason why people die when given a blood transfusion which is not compatible with their own blood. The next oldest, Type A, first appeared in Asia or the Middle East between 25,000 and 15,000 BC as an evolutionary response to the rise of densely populated agrarian communities. The Type A antigen causes antibody reactions in Type O and Type B, the third blood type.

The Type B antigen appeared between 10,000 and 15,000 BC among nomads in the Himalayan highlands. The most recent and least common, Type AB, has the antigens of Types A and B, combining many of the characteristics of the two.

The Protein Diet vs Blood Type (Atkins)

The protein diet is one that suggests that a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet is the way to lose weight and keep it off. It also suggests that it is the only way to regulate weight, cholesterol and be healthy. This diet has had its spectacular successes and its adherents. There are people for whom it does not work. The ‘O’ type would benefit from high protein diet (Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 40:40:20.). However all the other blood types would not benefit from this. I actually had a patient who experienced his cholesterol and triglycerides getting worse on this diet years ago.

The 30% Carbo, 40%Protein, 30%Fat Diet versus Blood Type (Zone Diet)
This diet which basically revolved around carbohydrate intolerance focused on keeping the Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 30:40:30. This diet works spectacularly for those who have problems regulating their blood sugar levels. It also has its fair share of success. Many people with insulin and blood sugar problems have benefited from it.

Again the ‘O’ type would benefit from this program. (Carbohydate:Protein:Fat in the ratio of 40:40:20.). The other blood types would not benefit as much. The A (Carbo70%) and AB (Carbo 60%) types in particular would have a hard time adjusting to this programme.

The Vegetarian Diet versus Blood Type
The vegetarian diet has two major variations. The raw food proponents who are those who basically juice and eat their salads raw. Then there are vegetarians who eat cooked vegetables. Under this category there are lacto vegetarians (those who drink milk and vegetables), lacto-ovo vegetarians (drink milk and eat eggs and vegetables). You rarely see a fat raw vegetarian. There are however cooked food vegetarians who are overweight.

The ‘A’ type would benefit from being vegetarian. The other blood types would not be as comfortable. If a “O” type attempted a vegetarian diet, they would experience accelerated ageing. One of my very good friends, an “O” type insists on being vegetarian for religious reasons. His skin is beginning to age very rapidly. I once had a patient who was a marathon runner. She was a long term vegetarian despite being an “O” type. Eventually she developed an Achilles tendon injury that would not heal. She was persuaded to eat meat. After a few days of this diet, the injury healed really well. She found herself ravenous for meat.

The Macrobiotic Diet versus Blood Type

We have the macrobiotic diet with its emphasis on cooked grains, and vegetables and modest portions of fish and other meats. The “A”, ‘B’ and “AB” type would benefit from doing this.. If a “O” type attempted it, they would be undernourished and lethargic.

Having had the opportunity to put more than 4,000 individuals on supervised diets, I have had the opportunity to observe that different individuals benefited from each of the different diets. There was no underlying rationale as to why a particular worked until the Blood Type Diet unified these ideas.

The Weight Loss Factor – there are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ diet (METABOLIC)

graph chart for 2.8

Be well

Dr Sundardas

Teenage dieting and osteoporosis

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The seeds for osteoporosis are often laid in the early teens. Osteoporosis involves both the mineral (inorganic) and non-mineral (organic matrix composed primarily of protein) components of bone. In fact true lack of dietary calcium results in a separate condition known as osteomalacia or softening of the bone.

Frequent dieting during the teen years or significant caloric restriction do a couple of negative things to the body. First they shock the body and may disrupt the hypothalamus, pituitary adrenal axis (this is like the main switch board for the hormonal and nervous system center). Next as people fast, they normally use up minerals in the body’s attempts to keep vital functions going. Initially the minerals come from whatever is circulating. Then the minerals stored within the bone matrix are used up.

As this goes on, more and more minerals are used up. If these same women become pregnant, most other their nutrients are used up by their babies as well. If they were supplementing throughout those years, these mineral loss effects can be mitigated or ameliorated. Most young women who typically do yoyo diets, fast repeatedly or have bulimic type behaviours in my experience do not do adequate supplementation.

Caloric restriction without malnutrition is a technique that can be used for effective weight loss as well as for anti-ageing. This needs to be distinguished form the caloric restriction programs that young women on weight loss or yo yo diets go on. On these amazing sounding but quite dysfunctional diets there is no adequate nutritional supplementation. This is what leads to the loss of calcium.

Research done by Dr. Michael Colgan show that maximum permitted reduction in calories is from two hundred to five hundred calories a day. Furthermore such a program must be supplemented by a complete vitamin and mineral supplement program to shut down the body’s malnourishment defenses. If the caloric reduction is more severe than the above, the fatpoint defenses are triggered. The whole cycle of metabolic shutdown and appetite explosion begins anew.

Such a program yields a maximum weight loss of between 1.5 to 1 pound a week. Gradually over the course of a year, the fatpoint edges down as the body remodels itself around the new weight, always on the low side of the existing fatpoint. The minor changes in calories slip by the fatpoint defenses and the supplements keep the nutritional defenses quiet. Within a year, you can lose between twenty-five and fifty pounds. The great difference between this loss and most other losses by dieting is that the ravenous hunger, bringing, sickness, nausea and other hazards of dieting do not occur. With normal cell turnover the body adopts its enzyme levels, its muscles, its skeleton, its glands, to the new lower weight. The fat point drops to suit.

Osteoporosis that is not due to disease can develop from malnutrition and malabsorption of Calcium and or Vitamin D. It can also be triggered by a Vitamin C deficiency and a high acid ash (high protein) diet. A high phosphate intake or an iron overload can aggravate the condition as well.

When a group of scientists began to study the incidence of osteoporosis in different countries, they found the highest incidence in countries like UK, Sweden, the United States of America and the lowest in China where the diet avoids all of the risk factors metioned above as well as including all of the protective items that follow below.

The ideal diet for preventing osteoporosis is high in vegetables and fruits, but low in fat and animal products. Refined carbohydrates and alcohol are to be held at a very low level and carbonated drinks loaded with phosphates should be eliminated. Flavonoid rich food like dark blue-black berries, citrus rinds and colourful fruits should be liberally consumed. It should also include exercise. A 45 minute to an hour’s walk, three to five times a week is the minimum exercise that is recommended.

According to Dr Maurine Tsakok, head and senior consultant of Singapore General Hospital’s department of obstetrics and gynaecology, women taking soy bean products from dougan to miso soup to legumes like peanuts and beans were naturally increasing their oestrogen levels.

This is because soya products contained plant oestrogens and if sufficient quantities are consumed (which was about three times more soya products a week than normal). In a retrospective study of 98 menopausal Singapore women only half were found the need Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Dr Tsakokk also found that two-fifths of the women who did not need HRT exercised regularly compared with about one- tenth of those on HRT. This is one of those times when soya in the right amounts is actually useful and helpful.

The supplements below are suggested; Calcium Citrate 1000 mg a day Magnesium Citrate 500 mg a day Pyridoxine 100 mg a day Folic Acid 1000 mg a day Vitamin B12 1 mg a day Phylloquinone (K1) 1 mg a day Boron 3 mg a day Strontium Lactate 100 mg a day Botanical medicines that are useful are herbs like dong quai (Angelica sinensis), liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), unicorn root (Aletris farinosa), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and false unicorn root (Helonias opulus). These herbs contain phytoestrogens which are suitable alternatives to oestrogens in the prevention of osteoporosis in menopausal women. They will also help with symptoms like hot flushes and mood swings.

Be well

Dr Sundardas

How to keep children safe

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I have a special soft spot when it comes to children. Every time I see a disabled or handicapped child my heart goes out to the child. I also feel for the parents. When it comes to children in the Autism Spectrum Disorder however I also feel a little angry. Why? I am not angry with the parents (I feel for them). Nor am I angry with the children.

Sometimes when I look at them my heart breaks. I am angry that there is so much misinformation about the nature and conditions that surround the problem.

Of course every time I surf the web and read what others have to say, there seem to be a range of opinions. However, the bottom line is that no one concerted school of thought apart from the Defeat Autism Network and its philosophies and practices has consistently helped ASD children recover and experience a fuller range of life and experiences.

I don’t wish to outline a treatment protocol here for ASD (this is covered in my clinic website www.NaturalTherapies.com). What I want to do is to outline an overall procedure so that children have a reasonable chance of growing up well physically, emotionally and mentally. This is based on my experience of working with 10, 000 people of which 1,000 were children suffering from ASD, infections and allergies and emotional issues. Every adult was a child once and when I saw them , I saw the scars of inappropriate parenting.

I think parents need to make sure that they are physically, emotionally and mentally prepared to have a child. Both parents need to prepare themselves physically first. Stop smoking, drinking alcohol and the use of recreational drugs. If that seems like too much work, then the next question to ask is, “Are you sure that you are ready for the rigours of childbirth and child raising which will last for at least twenty years?” If you have been smoking or drinking then make some attempts to detoxify your liver. Ensure to the best of your ability that you have lowered the level of toxic chemicals in your system like heavy metals like mercury and PCBS like dioxin. Correct as much of your deficiencies as possible. If you are both are physically healthy, your baby has that much more chance of being physically healthy.

The next step is to be in a happy marriage or relationship. Why this provisio? It stands to reason doesn’t it that if you and your partner are happy with each other when the baby is in the womb, the mother will produce “happy molecules of emotion” (neuropeptides). This will bio-chemically program the baby in utero to be a “happy little camper”. The positive emotions will also program the baby to have positive emotions and high self esteem. In many Asian cultures, the concept of in-utero programming was practiced. Now we have “hot- housing” for producing smart kids. I have spent twenty years researching the impact of all these variables and a few books on the topics are planned. What I am outlining here are the takeaways from the research.

The baby is born. Minimise as much trauma as possible. You cannot legally avoid vaccines. However you can delay them until they are at least 1 year old. The baby’s innate immune system is at an all time high for the first 6 months. Thereafter it starts declining and other mechanisms kick in. In my experience of working with ASD children, none of whom are born with ASD just the tendency towards it, the trigger seems to be some kind of infection or vaccine (normally MMR) impacting the baby’s immune system within the first few days to few months of the baby’s birth.

Thereafter breast feed to child for at least 9 months to a year. When you start weaning them and adding solids, go slow. Notice their responses to new items and watch out for skin responses (rash, itch, cradle cap), digestive responses (colic, diarrhoea and constipation). All of these are markers of food intolerances which will eventually lead to significant health issues.

Maintaining close contact between mother and child in the first 24 hours of birth creates close bonding that results in a young person who will bond with others and be emotionally healthy and well-adjusted. Birth trauma of any kind, lack of close emotional bonding will create a young person who can grow up to be angry, distant and even psychopathic and suicidal.

It is interesting to note that the care and concern that the that parents demonstrate in the first seven years of the child’s life will critically impact him/her for thye rest of their lives. This behaviour by the parents provides the basis for imprinting that would condition the child physically, emotionally and mentally if not spiritually as to what type of person he is and what type of world he lives in. This sets the Blueprint for his Life. The role modeling they provide creates the basis for healthy well functioning happy person or a chronically dependent dysfunctional person.

The Imprint period from birth to about age 7 is the time when we are like a sponge. We pick up and store everything that goes on in our environment. The basic programming occurs between the ages of 2 to 4, by which time the bulk of the programming is complete. We also get our basic programming, which includes drivers and the script at about this age many of the cases of child abuse and or incest that is repressed normally occur about this time frame.

During this time frame the child unconsciously picks up the parents’ behaviour. Many cases of deep-seated dysfunctional attitudes also tend to originate from this time frame. The very notion of imprinting comes from Konrad Lorenz who studied the behaviour of ducklings when they hatched. He discovered that baby ducks would imprint a mother figure in the first day or so of life. So if you wish your children to have happy, positive experiences, you the parents need to live powerfully positive and happy lives.

Be well
Dr Sundardas

When politics and medicine collide {mercury, vaccines, HRT}

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On a daily basis when I work with my clients and I have to present to them information that upsets their mental models, I get a variety of responses. These responses range from:

1) Are you sure about this? (mildly skeptical)
2) Why did my doctor or dentist not tell me this?
3) How come the FDA passed this?
4) Why isn’t the government doing anything about this?

For the mildly skeptical responses (its only mildly skeptical now because those who come to me know about my somewhat unorthodox views), I simply give them the facts and let them decide. They are of course shocked that the precious antibiotics that the doctor gave them for their viral influenza was quite useless and it was in the best (or worst) case scenario (depending on your perspective) meant to protect against the possibility of a secondary bacterial infection (if it occurred). Most people believe however that the cold got better because of the antibiotics. It is because of the indiscriminate use of the antibiotics we now have “flesh eating bacteria” proliferating and the development of antibiotic resistant bacterial species.

The next scenario is that of “Why did my doctor or dentist not tell me this”. I have a good friend of mine who is a general practitioner who regularly tells his patients when they have a cold that they do not need antibiotics. Some of his patients love him. His relatives when they see him professionally for a cold and are told they do not need antibiotics go away disgruntled grumbling under their breath, “What kind of doctor are you?” This is one reason doctors do this. They do not want to lose patients. If a patient feels he needs antibiotics and nearly everyone else is doing it, than “I must do it as well”.

On the subjects of mercury fillings, I can wax lyrical but I won’t. I will simply say that in many countries until quite recently, a dentist could lose his license for suggesting that mercury was not a suitable material to be used in the teeth. Now there are states in the US outlawing the use of mercury. One wag once said that:

1) If they used the same standard of double blind studies on mercury as a dental filling that they do on drugs, it would never have cleared clinical trials

2) If the US government were to openly ban mercury as a dental product, it would go bankrupt under the weight of the lawsuits filed by its military serviceman

In Singapore, dentist are advised not to use mercury for pregnant mothers by the Ministry of Health. Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Is it not safe for pregnant mothers or is it not safe for the babies? If its not safe for mothers and babies, how about the rest of us poor mortals?

One of the other major issues is that of vaccines and its safety. A certain percentage of the cost of the vaccines goes towards legal fees. There are legal companies in the good old USA who specialize in cases of vaccine damage in children. They take these companies to court and win. I will let you ponder on the meaning of a purported medical procedure that is supposed to protect children but leaves 2 % of the children handicapped and brain damaged and autistic some way. Before the serious advent of modern vaccines, the incident of autistic features was 0.1% to 0.2 % . Ahh…the wonders of modern medical science.

For the longest time, the FDA has been held up as the bastion of medical safety and reliability. I have already written about the makeup of the FDA committees when they sit in deliberation. However let me add a new piece to the puzzle.

In what may be among the longest-running and widest-ranging cases of academic fraud, one of the most prolific researchers in anesthesiology fabricated much of the data underlying his research, said a spokeswoman for the hospital where he works.

The researcher, Dr. Scott S. Reuben, an anesthesiologist in Springfield, Mass., who practiced at Baystate Medical Center, fabricated data in some or all of the 21 journal articles dating from at least 1996, said Jane Albert, a spokeswoman for Baystate Health.

The reliability of dozens more articles he wrote is uncertain, and the common practice — supported by his studies — of giving patients aspirinlike drugs and neuropathic pain medicines after surgery instead of narcotics is now being questioned.

The drug giant Pfizer underwrote much of Dr. Reuben’s research from 2002 to 2007. Many of his trials found that Celebrex and Lyrica, Pfizer drugs, were effective against postoperative pain.
“Independent clinical research advances disease treatments and improves the lives of patients,” said Raymond F. Kerins Jr., a Pfizer spokesman. “As part of such research, we count on independent researchers to be truthful and motivated by a desire to advance care for patients. It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reuben’s alleged actions.”

Last but not least, the government of any country is the last resort in the chain of medical responsibility. When all else fails and there is a epidemic, pandemic or global financial meltdown than the government steps in.

My question to you my dear reader is, how responsible are you going to be for the health care of you and your family?

Be well
Dr Sundardas