Pain

(Is more than a four-letter word)

The Problem

Pain is one of the most costly health problems in North America. Estimated costs including direct medical expenses, lost income, lost productivity, compensation and legal fee’s are approximately $90 billion per year. Here a few statistics.

• 48 million Americans suffer from chronic pain.
• Over 21 million Americans regularly take prescription painkillers and also spend over $3 billion on over the counter painkillers.
• Over 13 million Americans cannot perform routine activities due to chronic pain.
• Fourteen percent of employees take time off from work from chronic pain.
• Up to 45 million Americans have chronic, severe headaches that can be disabling.
• Arthritis pain affects more than 40 million Americans each year.

Please keep in mind these figures don’t t represent the number of people (I call the walking wounded, so elegantly phrased by the brilliant Dr Jeffrey Bland PhD) that suffer from fibromyalgia, low back pain, myositis, gout, bursitis, carpel tunnel syndrome, etc.

While acute pain is like a sprained ankle or that a broken bone warns us that something is wrong, chronic pain is an entirely different problem. Researchers now suspect that chronic pain is completely separate from acute pain and is a non-ending feedback loop of chemicals produced inside our bodies that is not a helpful response to our environment.

To end chronic pain we must figure out how to interrupt the misery producing feed back loop. Some of the most effective approaches are multi-disciplinary. This usually includes certain medications if indicated to help get the problem under control so the bodies own system natural products will work.

But it is not only the actual pain that is the only problem; it is also the side effects of chronic pain-illnesses caused by sedentary lifestyle, seclusion, immune suppression, hormonal imbalances, depression and in many cases addiction to prescription pain killers. All of these side effects can be as devastating as the actual pain itself.

One cannot measure the value of quality of life. It is very hard for someone to try and give justice to the amount of chronic pain people endure on a daily basis. Pain affects more than just the nerve endings or the emotional health of people in pain. Pain affects every aspect of life. How we deal with pain is our choice. There are options available to try, but remember, there is no magic bullet and there is not one specific therapy that works for everyone. Pain management is the ability to educate oneself on the treatments available.

Conventional pain treatment often covers up the cause or underlying factors and treats only symptoms. But if you have suffered from chronic pain, you would welcome any relief. The key is to manage pain with minimizing the side affects of the drug or the pain itself. There is currently more and more information available on the nutrient depletions and interactions of most prescription drugs. This is a valuable tool because if you or someone you know and care about suffers from chronic pain.

Chronic Pain

There is a familiar pattern that is seen with persons diagnosed with chronic pain. If it is from an accident, trauma, physical or emotional, environmental or caused by poor lifestyle habits, the treatment is many times the same.

All pain, whether chronic or acute, physical or emotional is recognized, interrupted and acted on by the brain. Pain that lasts longer than three months is generally considered chronic pain. If you or anyone you know has suffered from chronic pain you have learned that it affects families and friends.

Chronic pain drains energy. Not only physical energy but mental energy. This is why a multi-disciplinary approach is necessary. There is not one pill, exercise or treatment plan that will work every time for every one because each approach needs to be individualized. We also know that certain approaches are helpful across the board. The following is information that seems to be accurate in many cases of people that suffer from chronic pain.

There are numerous chemicals that cause pain. The Eicosanoids are hormones that play a major role in pain and inflammation. Both non-steroidal and steroid medications work by inhibiting both the eicosanoids and platelet-aggregating factor.

The eicosanoids are subdivided into prostaglandin’s, leukotrienes and thromboxanes that influence inflammation as well as being responsible for many other biochemical actions. Certain enzymes have been shown to assist our body in regulating inflammation. The most common are the Cox-1 and Cox-2 enzymes. Cox-1 is present in our tissues under everyday conditions. It produces prostaglandins that regulate our normal bodily functions. Cox-2 is not present under normal conditions and is present only at sites of inflammation.

Nature has provided certain herbs that only inhibit Cox-2 that are very effective with out any side effects. Several companies have developed good natural combination products to address this inflammation pathway.

Chronic Inflammation

More and more information is piling up to the fact that chronic inflammation is the culprit in most all chronic pain and degenerative diseases as well as aging. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when trying to address inflammation. There are many causes of inflammation in the body. Infection, injury and stress are just a few causes of inflammation.

One blood test that your physician can do is what’s called a C-R-P test or C-reactive protein. This blood test looks at a protein in the blood that is associated with inflammation. This valuable test can help assess risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Chronic Fatigue

Chronic Fatigue goes hand in hand with chronic pain. This is pretty straightforward; a consistent stressor on the body will eventually wear down our metabolic systems and bodily functions. Many practitioners will look at and test how well adrenal health is when addressing chronic fatigue and chronic health conditions. Chronic pain and chronic fatigue is like pulling an overloaded trailer up-hill for a very long time. It wears down the machinery. Our bodies get worn down biochemical and emotionally.

Once again, chronic fatigue affects more than one function of the body. There may be a predominant problem such as infection or metabolic imbalances, the goal is to look at the big picture or the whole body and treat it appropriately through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.

Depression

One very common problem associated with chronic pain is depression. The way I look at this scenario is this way; if a person hurts all the time, which wouldn’t be depressed. There are many well-documented biochemical and physiological changes that occur when the body is under the consistent stress of chronic pain.

Many conventional approaches to chronic pain are to prescribe anti-depressants. This may help short term or may be needed long term but it generally does not address the underlying deficiencies or excesses.

A more natural approach is to look at the body as a whole and support it as a whole, not a symptom. Proper nutrition, gastrointestinal health, liver function, proper balance of hormones and blood sugar may many times help alleviate depression. Some of the nutrients listed below have also been studied and proven effective with certain types of depression. Again, the ideal situation is to be tested or work with an experienced practitioner to help you develop a plan specifically for you.

Conventional Pain Treatments

Almost every home medicine cabinet has at least one type of over the counter pain medication. A few of the most popular pain medicines are as follows.

Aspirin

Aspirin is an inexpensive drug that is used by millions for pain and inflammation. Long term use taken in high dose has potential side effects that include; heartburn, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, hives, itching and in some cases, bleeding.

Aspirin can also displace certain drugs from their binding sites on protein, making them less effective. Certain medication should not be taken with aspirin. Check with a qualified practitioner to identify these.

Another interesting fact is that continued use of aspirin compound has been shown to actually inhibit the production of the building blocks that form connective tissue.

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is used for moderate pain and fever, but is not effective for inflammation, swelling or redness. Inhibits prostaglandin production in the central nervous system.

NSAIDS (aspirin) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints. These compounds affect pain by blocking the formation of prostaglandin’s.

Potential side effects include stomach aches, gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, headaches, nausea, dizziness, depression, drowsiness, ringing in the ears, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, convulsions, blood in the urine and stools, chest tightness, rapid heartbeat, fainting and chills.

A Natural Approach

We do know that overall diet is critical in the management of chronic pain because when we are under the continual stress of chronic pain, this stressor affects our overall health.

1. Food as Medicine

This is very important to remember, as it is very true. We must keep in mind that certain foods aggravate pain and inflammation and set up roadblocks for the body to heal itself while others act as natural anti-inflammatory. The key is to balance these foods and incorporate the beneficial foods and eliminate the offending foods.

There are several foods that have been shown to aggravate pain and may increase inflammation. These foods produce arachadonic acid from prostaglandid PGE2. These include red meat, dairy products, peanuts, high glycemic index foods, processed foods and sugar. The other two main regulating prostaglandins are PGE1 and PGE3. Foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect that feed these hormones include fish oil, organic fruits and vegetables, essential fatty acids from flax oil or extra virgin olive oil. Also, check for food allergy or sensitivities

2. Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities

See additional handout

3. Detoxification

See additional handout

4. Protect Liver and Gastrointestinal Function

These is critical as part of therapy for people in chronic pain because most people that suffer from pain, usually are or have been taking medications to control pain, inflammation or mood. These medications all have a side effect. Some more serious than others, but there are a number of natural substances that can be used to help protect and rebuild liver and gastrointestinal function.

NAC                                                   Milk Thistle                      SAMe

Zinc/Carnosine                                PhosCholine                     Artichoke

NAG                                                   Larex                               Probiotics

Prebiotics                                          Dandelion                        Oregon grape

Burdock                                             Fringe Tree                      Gentian

Red Root                                            Ginger                               Turmeric

SeaCure                                             Slippery Elm                     L-Glutamine

Aloe Vera                                          Marshmallow                    vitamin C

5. Support Adrenal Function

The adrenal glands are responsible for assisting in regulating our body’s response to stress. A hormone called cortisol is secreted under times of stress. Elevations of cortisal are associated with inflammation. The problem is that too many of us are always in a state of stress, thus producing too much cortisol and weakening adrenal response. There are several good books available  on this subject

• Nutrients to Support Adrenal Function Include:

vitamin C with bioflavonoid,         B5       B6       Holy basil      Ashwaganda

Bacopa          magnesium             Relora              Rhodiola              licorice

zinc

(adrenal glandular as synergistic glandular such as  hypothalamus, pituitary

and thyroid).

6. Support Immune Function

Persons under any chronic conditions have a lowered immune response. Diet is important to maintain a healthy immune system as is a healthy gastrointestinal tract as up to 70% of our immune system is developed in the GI tract.

• Foods to Support Immune Function Include:

Fresh vegetables                           Fermented Foods (Kim Chi, sauerkraut, Kefir)

Essential Fatty Acids                   Fresh Organic Vegetables

• Nutrients to Support Immune Health Include:

Vitamin C               astragalus             thymus peptides              bioflavanoids

quercitin                Larex                    medicinal mushrooms      Lactoferin

Zinc                       melatonin               Nat-Stim                          DHEA

OPC’s                    whey protein          trace elements               colostrums

Andrographis        boneset                  elderberry                       noni

• Foods that Suppress Immune Function Include:

Sugar                                        Deep Fried Foods              Food Additives

High Glycemic Foods              Processed Foods               Food Colorings

7. Balance Acid/Alkaline

See additional handout

8. Get Restorative Sleep

This is one of the most common and consistent problems encountered by persons with chronic pain. Many health practitioners agree to break the cycle of chronic pain, one must get restorative sleep. This is considered to be at least 7-8 hours per night, every night.

There are several approaches one can use. Herbal and nutrient therapy has been effective for many. We also have to consider what was eaten throughout the day as some foods can be stimulating and cause a person not to get into a restorative pattern. The biggest offender is caffeine, as it can be hidden in numerous foods.

Supplements that help with inducing or increasing sleep include; passionflower, valerian, wild lettuce, hops, inosital, GABA, 5-HTP, L-Tryptophan, California Poppy, melatonin and magnesium citrate.

9. Supplements to Control Pain and Inflammation (please do some research on which products may fit your need best, it is always recommended to work on the diet in conjunction with any supplement program)

• DLPA Protects the body from enzymes that render our own pain killing ability, less effective.

• Wobenzyme of Vitylzyme These are one of the most effective natural compounds

• EPA/DHA This is found primarily in fish oil. Other oils also contain the

• Systemic Enzyme Therapy The brand names that have many studies behind them include Wobenzyme and Vitylzyme.

• DMSO Originally used as a solvent. Very effective in reducing scar tissue and decreasing inflammation.
• Zyflamed (Cox-2 Inhibitor) This product by New Chapter is the subject of a number of clinical trails. It is a very effective, natural COX-2 inhibitor supplement.
• Trace Mineral Research This liquid mineral/trace element is a favorite. It assimilates extremely well and results can be seen or felt in a few days.
• MSM Also know as dietary sulfur. Has been shown effective in cleaning out
• L-Tryptophan L-Tryptophan is converted into Serotonin with the help of a number of nutrients and hormones. Low levels of Serotonin have been associated with chronic pain.
• D-Phenylalalnine….D-Phenylalanine is the dextrorotory form of the amino acid phenylalanine. The L forms are ones that are bioavailable for protein synthesis and regulatory function. The D form is not absorbed in the body but acts as an inhibiting agent to the enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown of endorphins and enkephalins that control pain perception.

Low levels of endorphins and enkelphalins have been shown to be present with persons suffering from chronic pain.

• Lyprinol Lyprinol is the lipid extract from the Green Lipid Mussel that has outperformed ibuprofen as well as many of the omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. The fatty acids in the New Zealand Green Lipid Mussel modulate the abnormal cell membrane chemistry of pain and inflammation. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, un-like
• Magnesium & Malic Acid Most persons that suffer from chronic pain or other chronic conditions are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium also inhibits IL-6. This mineral is used up under stress by the adrenal glands.
• Borage Oil Borage Oil is high in a fat GLA gamma linoleic acid. This is a healthy fat found in different plants
• Nattokinase is a very effective anti-inflammatory enzyme found from soy. Many years of clinical research has shown this to be very effective in chronic pain and inflammatory conditions.
• Glucosamine/Chondrotin Numerous studies have proven the benefit of glucosamine/chondrotin supplements in chronic joint pain. It generally takes 4-6 weeks to become very effective.
• Serratiopeptidase A premier proteolytic enzyme to support joint and tissue repair. Very quick acting in many cases for pain relief with over 40 years of clinical testing in Europe and Asia.
• Turmeric (Curcumin) inhibits the breakdown of arachidonic acid, a potent pro-inflammatory fat.
• Quercetin This powerful antioxidant inhibits the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL
• Boswellia This gum resin inhibits the Cox enzyme pathway and reduces the pro-inflammatory pathway.
• Microlactin Is derived from milk, acts quickly and usually effective with arthritis.
• Hylaronic Acid Helps rebuild the synovial fluid in the joint. Acts as a cushion.

There are many nutritional supplements that are used to either help control pain and inflammation. The ones listed above have been used and studied for many years.

Additional Helpful Factors for Controlling Chronic Pain

Laughter

Norman Cousins landmark book “Antimony of an Illness” showed that laughter is medicine. It is hard sometimes to laugh when experiencing chronic pain. The key is to try and find some lighter side of your situation. There are studies that show that a good “deep belly” laugh produces a lot of pain fighting chemicals.

Exercise

Exercise can be helpful in the management of pain but if you overdo it, you increase the pain. Find and exercise that works for you. One of the healthiest exercises is SWIMMING.

Acupuncture

Much literature is written on the benefit of acupuncture and pain. Many health plans are recognizing the health benefit of this ancient treatment. It helps to break pain cycles by balancing energy.

Chiropractic

Regular quality chiropractic care usually provides people with some relief. Long-term management of chronic pain usually includes some type of chiropractic care.

Massage Therapy

Mark Norman is a Certified Nutritionist in private practice in offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He is available for private consultations as well as group lectures. He has developed a lifestyle program called “Practical Steps Toward Optimal Health” and teaches this across Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Products discussed are available at Tailor Made Nutrition or on-line at www.tailormadenutrition.com

Email: mknorman2003@yahoo.com

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease covers a broad range of disorders including high blood pressure, heart attack and chest pain, stroke, congestive heart failure and birth defects of the blood vessels. Every year, heart attacks and strokes cause more than 930,000 deaths in the US accounting for over 40% of all deaths making it the nation’s number one killer.

As a matter of fact, every 34 seconds an American dies of heart disease. Most of us know someone that has heart disease and most of us are interested in avoiding the health problems associated with this disease. The good news is that are tools available as well as very good information at our finger-tips that help us outline a program to help control many types of heart disease.

While cardiovascular disease kills primarily people 65 and older, the incidence of sudden death from heart disease is dramatically rising in people aged from 15 to 34 years of age.

What is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty acid component found in virtually all cell membranes. Not only does cholesterol support cellular integrity, but cholesterol also is required for the transport of phospholipids into our cells. If we didn’t have cholesterol we would fall apart. Cholesterol is what makes our cells waterproof. Without cholesterol we could not a different biochemistry on the inside and the outside of our cell.

When cholesterol levels are not adequate, the cell membrane becomes leaky and porous, a situation the body interprets as an emergency, releasing a flood of corticoid hormones that wok by sequestering cholesterol from one part of the body and transporting it to areas where it is lacking. This can become a problem when medications are used to drive cholesterol levels down too low.

Another interesting fact is that our liver makes approximately 80 percent of the cholesterol in our body. Approximately 20 percent comes from the diet. Focusing on just lowering cholesterol and fat consumption has little or no effect on serum cholesterol levels. A diet high in carbohydrates especially refined carbs and starches and other fast acting starches and hydrogenated fats is more likely to cause an increase in total cholesterol than cholesterol from food.

Our body is very smart, especially when it comes to maintaining balance. For example, our liver will produce cholesterol if needed and will slow down production if cholesterol is not needed. We were given this as a fed back mechanism to continually strive to maintain balance in our body chemistry.

The greatest effect on lowering total cholesterol levels are made by addressing other factors such as excessive carbohydrate consumption, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, endocrine dysfunction and liver congestion.

Medical Approach

After the Cholesterol Consensus Conference in 1984 anyone with a cholesterol level of 200 or more was automatically given a prescription. If you have ever had cardiovascular disease in the past you will almost automatically be put on a statin.

Cholesterol lowering medications such as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, Lescol and Zorcor are commonly prescribed. Statin drugs work by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. This can be the beginning of numerous other problems or symptoms because statin drugs inhibit not only the production of cholesterol, but the whole family of intermediate substances, many if not all which have important biochemical functions in their own right.

If you follow any news stories recently, one can see many of these medications are being looked at very closely because of the potential adverse side effects. Another common complaint from people on statins is chronic muscle pain. Some information that has been published in regard to chronic muscle pain looks at a couple things.

First, the statins can interfere with liver function. If our liver does not detoxify or work properly, it can become sluggish and cause any number of health problems or symptoms. Secondly, for the statins to be metabolized in our body, we need to have available the nutrient called CoQ10. The interesting point about CoQ10 is that it is needed for energy production and has been shown to be deficient in many individuals, especially those that are taking the statin medications.

Recent research from Germany is suggesting that Lipitor is no more effective than any other cholesterol lowering drug on the market. The manufacturer claims it is the best available. This is what the manufacturers want you to think so you can take it the rest of your life and spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on this drug.

In addition, recent information is suggesting that regularly taking statin drug may prevent strokes. Again, there is much research showing that certain nutrients and dietary intervention can be very effective in reducing the event of stroke. Lipitor is on track this year (2006) to make an estimated 13 billion dollars by year end.

Another problem is that the New England Journal of Medicine recently published a report finding that Lipitor more than doubled the risk for a deadly stroke if you’re a severe diabetic. Plus a study funded by Pfizer compared the effect of a 20mg dose of Lipitor verses placebo on more than 1200 type II diabetics who were ill over a four year period.

The results were as follows: Taking Lipitor made absolutely no difference in the participants combined risk of heart attacks, strokes and death. Even worse, more than twice as many patients who took Lipitor suffered fatal strokes (27) than the placebo group (13).

Liver function is generally monitored as enzymes may be elevated in individuals that do not do well with the statin drugs. This is also important to remember if one wants to improve liver function or even protect it from the side effects that may arise from the use of certain medications. There is a great amount of literature to support the idea that we should cleanse the live in conjunction with other dietary changes to maximize the lowering of total cholesterol.

New guidelines published by the American College of Physicians call for using statins by all people with diabetes older than 55 years old and for younger diabetic patients who have any other risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure or a history of smoking. The sales of statins have been so impressive that it is being considered to be used in many other health conditions including:
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Osteoporosis
- Macular Degeneration
- Arthritis
- Mental disorders such as memory and learning problems., Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Cost of statin drugs
With all the information put forth on the lowering of cholesterol, the statin medications are enjoying a spike in sales. Unfortunately, the statin drugs while very effective also have side effects that many people don’t want to experience. The cost of some statin medications run up to $300 per month.

First Step

Determining Your Cardiovascular Health

The first step is to accurately measure your current condition. We get disease if cholesterol is too high or too low. Below 180 there is an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, depression, and suicide. Above 240 there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke. Half of all heart attack patients have normal cholesterol levels.

Recently, the upper limit of total cholesterol went from 220 down to 200 and is being considered to go even lower. But is this the absolute answer to risk for heart disease? Probably not. Nevertheless the side effects of the statin drugs may be significant. There is supportive literature to look at optimal values of lab rather than just looking at normal ranges of lab for everyone.

Cholesterol levels fall into several different ranges. Conventional Laboratory Range, Optimal Range and Alarm Range.

Conventional Lab Range: 130-200 mg/dL(Standard US Units) 3.36-5.2 mmol/L(Standard International Units)
Optimal Range: 150-220 mg/dL(Standard US Units) 3.9-5.69 mmol/L(Standard International Units)
Alarm Range: <50 or > 400 mg/dL(Standard US Units) <1.29 or >10.34 mmol/L(Standard International Units)

Too low of a cholesterol level can also suggest a concern for other health problems.

In some of the statins, CoQ10 is needed to metabolize the medications, ultimately leaving a deficiency. This deficiency is correlated with most types of cardiovascular disease. In others, the statins interfere with cholesterol metabolism in the liver causing liver damage in some this is exactly why many physicians are recommending including CoQ10 to their patients taking statin drugs.

Many Medical Laboratories now subdivide total cholesterol measurement into several components, including LDL (bad) cholesterol which is directly linked to heart disease, actually one can request a highly sensitive large particle LDL blood test that will actually look at the stickiness of the blood to determine actual risk factors for clotting. Standard tests also look at the HDL (good) cholesterol that is protective. The relative amount of LDL to HDL is more important than total cholesterol. An example is that is possible for an individual to have a very high HDL to be at low risk for heart disease even with the total cholesterol above 200.

Many studies are looking at measuring inflammation in the blood and tissues rather than cholesterol as a way to determine risk factors for heart disease. The name of this test is called a C-reactive protein Test (CRP Cardio).

One must keep in mind that optimal health is about balance. Too low of cholesterol can have a detrimental effect on health as well. Consider the fact that your body produces cholesterol primarily in the liver and other tissues, whether you eat food or not. Cholesterol is the backbone

Second Step

Control Inflammation

More and more recent research is proving that inflammation plays a role in almost every health condition, especially heart disease. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published 3 articles showing the connection between inflammation and determining heart disease. There are several test one can do to determine the amount of inflammation in the bodies tissues.

One test is called Fibrinogen. High fibrinogen levels can induce a heart attack via a couple mechanisms including platelet aggregation, hyper-coagulation and excessive blood thickening. High levels of fibrinogen doubled the risk to die from a heart attack.
High fibrinogen has been shown to respond nicely to several lifestyle changes and dietary supplements.

Stress reduction, regular exercise can be helpful. Dietary supplements include but are not limited to the following: Bolouke, proteolytic enzymes, vitamin C, Green Tea, ginkgo, garlic and vitamin E. It is also recommended to look at DHEA and vitamin K levels.

One very helpful test is the C-reactive protein test that measures the inflammation in your blood and tissues. One drawback is that this test is non-specific as to determine where or what is causing the inflammation. There are several things that will help reduce CRP levels that will be discussed upcomong.

There are certain foods that increase inflammation as well as foods that decrease inflammation. Please note the drawing below in regard to this.

A.A. ——> pge1 fish oil
processed foods
red meat pge2<——-
peanuts
dairy ——> pge3 vegetables

Certain supplements have been shown to be effective in lowering CRP levels. Fiber, 30-50 grams per day of both soluble and insoluble fiber along with Bolouke, enzymes, fish oil and 800 IU of vitamin E daily have been shown to lower CRP levels in humans.

Third Step

Improve Diet

Foods that May Increase Cholesterol Levels
Eating animal foods containing saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol levels and heart disease. A significant amount of saturated fat can be found in conventional beef, pork, veal, poultry with the skins on, cheese, excessive butter, ice cream, and many dairy products that are not low fat.

Palm oil has been shown to elevate cholesterol levels in some studies while some point to a cholesterol lowering effect and with coconut oil there is mixed studies, but recent research is indicating that the structure of coconut oil may be beneficial in many health conditions. Sugar, fructose and processed foods contribute the increase in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Fructose increases triglyceride levels as this has been shown to be the case in several well conducted studies

Foods to Lower Cholesterol Levels
The role that diet plays in the management of cholesterol can become confusing. Many studies have shown that the increase in cholesterol levels is due to an increased consumption of saturated fat, not necessarily dietary cholesterol. Remember, your body has a built in feed-back mechanism that regulates the amount of cholesterol that is produced in the liver.

Foods that have been shown to lower cholesterol in many double blind and controlled research include fermented milk products, garlic, shitake mushrooms, ginger root, raw nuts, orange juice, dietary fiber, fresh fruit and vegetables. Much of the research is based on the fiber content content as well as these foods supplying plant sterols.

Fourth Step

Miscellaneous Nutrients and Strategies To Help Determine The Cause of High Cholesterol Levels and to Help Lower Cholesterol

1. Do Not Smoke
More and more research is proving that smoke damages the cardiovascular system and also
that it is never too late to quit. Remember, the body is an amazing machine. Given the
correct tools the body can heal itself from most conditions.

2. Reduce Stress
Numerous studies have shown that stress causes many health problems. In relation to
stress, we know that the body responds in many ways including producing excessive cortisol.
Cortisol is a hormone that is secreted from the adrenal cortex when we are under stress. The
problem is elevated cortisol under prolonged states causes a cascade of health problems,
especially heart disease by causing increased inflammation and improper blood sugar
regulation.

3. Increase Fiber
Most Americans do not consume enough fiber. The recommended amount of fiber (soluble
and insoluble) for OPTIMAL intake is considered between 30 and 50 grams. The
unfortunate news is that the average amount of fiber consumed by Americans is only 8
GRAMS PER DAY. Not only does fiber assist in lowering cholesterol but has clinically shown
to lower CRP levels. The relation of chronic inflammation and a increased cardiovascular risk
has been well established.

4. Liver Detoxification
The liver is responsible for hundreds of actions in the body. Our entire body is dependent on
the proper functioning of our liver. Hormones are processed and toxins are dismissed in a
proper liver function. Some nutrients include Milk Thistle, Artichoke, Dandelion, Turmeric,
Guggle, Choline (phosphatidylecholine) inosital, etc. The incorporation of foods that improve
liver function along with decreasing foods know to slow or impede liver function is also
recommended.

5. Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to increase the HDL or good
cholesterol. Regular exercise also increases insulin sensitivity causing insulin be be more
effective in the body. Look what the new guidelines on the food pyramid are recommending.
60-90 minutes of exercise everyday. The health benefits of regular exercise are too
numerous to cover at this time.

6. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism or low thyroid function has been clinically linked to cardiovascular disease as
well as increased cholesterol and triglycerides. In one large study of 4000 participants,
researchers found that about 2/3 of those diagnosed with hypothyroidism had cholesterol 4
times higher than normal. These individuals had a decrease in thyroxine concentrations
which are the iodine containing hormones secreted from the thyroid gland which main
function is increase cell metabolism.

Several other tips that may give us a clue as to if thyroid is playing a role include the
following:
A. Weight gain around hips. B. Menstrual irregularities. C. Unresponsive thyroid treatment.

Research suggests that hypothyroidism may slow down or decrease the metabolic break
down of fats such as cholesterol. In addition, a dysfunctional thyroid may impair kidney
function and interfere with the activity of the gene (methylenetetrahyrofolate reductase) that
the body depends on to process homocysteine.

7. Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is an over-active thyroid gland and has also been linked clinically to
increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Remember the body wants balance. The following
home test is used by many health professionals to determine proper thyroid function.

8. Adrenal Cortical Dysfunction
Consider testing cortisol levels especially if triglycerides are also elevated. Cortisol can
increase the release of catecholamines increasing the release of fatty acids into the blood
stream.

9. Check Blood Levels for Iron
Too much iron in the system can lead to oxidation of fats, cholesterol is a fat.
Hemochromatosis is the number one inherited genetic disease in America today. A simple
blood test from your doctor can determine if you have this condition or not.

10. Fasting Insulin Levels
There is sufficient research showing that elevated insulin levels contributes to metabolic
dysfunction leading to elevations in the lipids. Controlling blood sugar levels is one of the
healthiest things humans can do. Recent research has suggested that diabetes will become
the number one killer of Americans surpassing cancer and heart disease by the year 2010.

Nutrients that have been clinically proven to lower cholesterol and or triglyceride levels

See Additional Literature on Products Listed Below

Styrinol, Phytosterols
Pantethine, Guggle
Red Yeast Rice, CoQ10

Additional Information: at Tailor Made Nutrition or www.tailormadenutrition.com
or
Mark Norman
email mknorman2003@yahoo.com