A Wheat Outing!

Many of you would have attempted a wheat exclusion diet along the road to good health, and no doubt discovered this grain is insidious!

It is often found lurking in fairly benign stock cubes and even soy milk (think malt), and at times can even be discovered sneakily lolling around in rye sourdoughs and children’s sweets! Outrageous indeed. So what follows is a comprehensive, but by no means exhaustive list, of possible wheat sources. No excuses now for any slip ups in that wheat exclusion diet!

Baby Probiotics

Probiotics positively affect our intestinal bacterial flora. Many of us are familiar with the terms lactobacillus acidophilus and bifido bacterium. However, some species are specific to infants.

Bifidobacterium (B.) infantis is the natural inhabitant of the intestines of human babies as well as occurring in small numbers in the vagina where it is adapted by infants during birth. The type of birth delivery and the type of infant feeding significantly affects the development of the intestinal microflora of newborns. B. infantis is dominant in vagianlly delivered and breastfed infants and is crucial for the development of the immune system.

Libido Lows

Low libido refers to decreased sexual desire, and can be classified as primary (lifelong) or secondary (acquired after normal sexual functioning). It may also be generalized (not limited to certain situations or partners) or situational. Risk factors include interpersonal issues, alcohol and drugs, certain medications (OCP, SSRIs and bet-blockers), depression, anxiety, fatigue, and hormonal imbalances (decreased androgen levels). Fortunately most cases of low libido respond terrifically to herbal medicine and key minerals.

The first herb to consider treating low libido in women is Shatavari (asparagus racemosus). This herb is highly regarded in Ayurvedic medicine for its rejuvenative action on the female reproductive system and was said “to give the capacity to have a hundred husbands”!!

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

I have recently seen quite a few cases of acute B12 deficiency in the clinic. Let’s have a look at the causes and treatment of this potentially very serious condition. (Long-term deficiency will ultimately result in brain and spinal cord degeneration.) In its most pronounced form, vitamin B12 deficiency presents as pernicious anaemia, an autoimmune disease affecting the parietal cells of the stomach. However sub-clinical B12 deficiency without anaemia is commonplace.

Numbness and paresthesia of the extremities are often the earliest symptoms. There may also be a diminished perception of movement and spatial orientation. Irritability, fatigue, breathlessness on exertion, ringing in the ears and loss of libido are also commonly experienced. Other symptoms include loss of the sense of taste and smell, plus fatigue, memory loss, personality changes, depression and even dementia. Gastrointestinal symptoms also often present, such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, flatulence and a sense of fullness. Loss of appetite is common and the patient often has a beefy red tongue, and may also experience burning or soreness of the tongue.

Tofu Tales

This delicious white soft block of soybean protein often presents a consumption problem. Not everyone is aware of the versatility of this gorgeous food. Tofu, also known as bean curd is a versatile, easily digestible form of vegetarian protein, high in phyto oestrogens, calcium and cholesterol-free. Tofu is made by pureeing partially cooked soy beans and extracting the soy milk from the puree, which is then solidified using either magnesium or calcium. It has been called the “food of 10,000 flavours” as it picks up the flavours of the other foods it is cooked with.

Tofu is best kept covered in water in the fridge, changing the water every other day. It can also be frozen, which changes its texture slightly, making it spongier and chewier.

Minerals Under Review – Silica And Calcium Fluoride

Many of you are very familiar with this interesting dual mineral combination used primarily to treat hair loss, poor nail growth, cracked heals and anal fissures. It also has many more interesting and varied applications!

Lets have a quick look at these two minerals and examine they work.

Silcon dioxide is known as the “calcium re-organizer” for its role in the early stages of bone development and in treating conditions involving tendons and ligaments. Osteoarthritis, heel spurs, as well as teeth, skin, hair and nails respond very favourably to silica.

Sunscreen Schishms

Evidence is trending to show that several common sunscreen chemicals have toxic or adverse effects on human health.

Extensive research has shown that a number of UV filters frequently used in commercial sunscreens (e.g. 4-MBC, octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), octyl-dimethyl-PABA) possess endocrine-disruptor activity, i.e. interfere with endogenous hormone action and production.

Endocrine disruptors have been implicated in the development of a number of diseases, including reproductive cancers, as well as the abnormal development of the male reproductive system.

HRT and Ovarian Cancer

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women taking HRT had an increased risk of ovarian cancer irrespective of the duration of use of hormone replacement therapy or the type of therapy. The study involved 900,000 women in Denmark who were followed for an average of eight years. Compared […]

Folinic Acid VS Folate and Weight Loss

Many of you may have heard discussion in the media recently about the MTHFR gene and its association with folinic acid and weight loss.

The MTHFR gene is an important regulatory enzyme involved in the metabolism of hormones. One aspect of a defect in this gene (and 50 per cent of Australians are estimated to carry this gene polymorphism) is central adiposity, or being overweight. It is associated with higher BMI, higher waist to hip ratio, higher androgens and lower SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin).

Vitamin D Deficiency and Safe Supplementation

Vitamin D is obtained through the diet, and depending on sun exposure is also produced and stored in the body. Dietary vitamin D is found in fortified food, such as milk and butter, fish and sun-dried shitake mushrooms.

Traditionally, the primary function of vitamin D3 has been to assist in the development, growth and mineralisation of a healthy skeleton through its role in calcium metabolism. Recent findings however have shown other benefits of vitamin D3, such as playing a vital role in maintaining the immune and nervous systems, a healthy cardiovascular system and cardiac muscle, healthy skin, kidney health and muscle strength. Vitamin D is also required for healthy cell differentiation, particularly in the prostate gland.