First a summary of what I will discuss below in case many of you don’t want to plow through the details. The South Koreans have been testing many medications attempting to find a cure/treatment for COVID-19. The most successful one they have found is chloroquine, the main anti-malarial medication. Interestingly on March 18, 2020 a question by the press to President Trump asked if chloroquine was being thought of as a treatment. He replied that it was. As I finish this article the morning of March 19^th, Dr. Oz is being interviewed and he said the treatment he is most excited about is chloroquine.

UPDATE AS OF LATE AFTERNOON MARCH 19, 2020: A french study was released yesterday finding that hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin eliminated the COVID-19 virus in all patients versus the controls and those treated only with hydroxychloroquine.

The rest of this discussion explains the biochemistry of why chloroquine might work and are there any natural alternatives that would accomplish the same effect.

I will also provide links to studies that support some of the claims made here as well as a video explanation of the biochemistry lesson I am presenting below.

A Biochemistry Lesson

Though biochemistry is a required course in medical, chiropractic, osteopathic and naturopathic schools…and we all had to pass a biochemistry national board test to get licensed, my chosen line of work…natural nutritional solutions…is based on the field of biochemistry. All nutritional understanding is just that, biochemistry. I will do my best to give a simple explanation.

All life begins with and continues because of what happens in different cells in our body. Miraculous to be sure. Each cell has a nucleus inside and there’s where our story begins. There is DNA (double stranded strings of nucleotides) inside the nucleus that is the code for the activity of that cell.

These nucleotides transcribe information using an enzyme called RNA polymerase and create RNA. RNA then goes out of the nucleus though remaining in the cell and attaches to another structure in the cytoplasm of that cell (5’ and 3’poly A tail).

Inside the cytoplasm, ribosomes come over to read the code of the RNA. The code is translated into amino acids, aka polypeptides, which are the proteins that get things done inside each cell.

COVID-19 also has 5’ and 3’ structures in its cells. The same thing happens in COVID-19 as ribosomes can’t tell the difference between normal cells and COVID-19.

The RNA enzyme is specifically called RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRP). It is also known as replicase. In COVID-19, RdRP reads 5’ 3’ and it replicates it making more viral genomes.

Interestingly, it is well known that zinc inhibits (shuts down) RdRP from replicating. The problem is how to get zinc inside the cell. Taking more zinc supplements won’t do it. Zinc is an ion and it’s positively charged. So, it can’t get into the cellular membrane without a transporter to open the gates on the cell wall.

Zinc Ionophores

Scientists have been able to get more zinc into each cell by using what are called zinc ionophores. This is an article discussing the role of a zinc ionophore (from November 6, 2010):

Zn2+ Inhibits Coronavirus and Arterivirus RNA Polymerase Activity in Vitro and Zinc Ionophores Block the Replication of These Viruses in Cell Culture

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2973827/

The study found that as concentrations of zinc increase inside the cell, byproducts of RdRP decreased.

It is well known that chloroquine (anti-malarial drug) is a zinc ionophore. This study examines this concept (from October 1, 2014):

Chloroquine is a Zinc Ionophore

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0109180

The above study was not related to COVID-19,  but found that they were able to detect additional zinc inside the cell when using chloroquine. The amount inside was not related to the amount outside. The opening of the gate by the transporter is the main take away.

South Korean Treatment

Now to South Korea. The death rates there are 1%. Compare that to China at 4%, Italy at 8%, Iran at 6% and the US at 2% (at the time of this writing, 3-18-2020). So, the South Koreans jumped on this immediately, have a good medical system and have been doing research since the first minute of the crisis. But, it does cause one to think. Here is a paper from South Korea discussing the use of chloroquine (actually it discusses hydroxychloroquine which is an equivalent – from February 13, 2020):

Physicians Work Out Treatment Guidelines for Coronavirus

http://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=7428

The recommendations for chloroquine is 500mg orally per day and for hydroxychloroquine it is 400 mg orally per day. Suggested time frame is to use for 7-10 days.

Keep in mind there are no controlled trials that have studied this treatment. But, the biochemistry is strong and there are many scientists looking at this.

The following study from China suggests 500 mg orally twice a day (from February 20, 2020):

Expert Consensus on Chloroquine Phosphate for the Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32075365/

Another (from February 18, 2020):

Coronavirus: Chloroquine yields positive data in Covid-19 trial

https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-choroquine-data/

Comments from the above study:

1. Data from the drug’s studies showed ‘certain curative effect’ with ‘fairly good efficacy’.
2. … patients treated with chloroquine demonstrated a better drop in fever, improvement of lung CT images, and required a shorter time to recover compared to parallel groups.

Takeaways from the above information:

1. There has not been randomized, placebo controlled, double blind studies on this information.
2. Studies have been done in animals or petri dishes and not humans.
3. The biochemistry appears to be valid as to how chloroquine and zinc should work.
4. Many scientists have been and are looking into this.

Remember: Chloroquine opens gates on the cell membrane, transports zinc into the cell, zinc shuts down the activity of RdRP and COVID-19 cannot replicate.

The above explanation…for those who might appreciate a visual explanation… begins at about the 1:30 mark and can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7F1cnWup9M

Possible Natural Solution?

As a natural physician I have spent a career asking the following question for a variety of health conditions:

What natural product might do the same thing?

A google search of “natural zinc ionophore” yields these results:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=natural+zinc+ionophore&t=ffnt&ia=web

From this page, the most interesting result is:

Zinc Ionophore Activity of Quercetin and Epigallocatechin-gallate

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf5014633

Quercetin is a flavonoid antioxidant that’s found in plant foods such as leafy greens, tomatoes, berries and broccoli. It has been studied and proven to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity. It has been at the forefront for treatment of sinus problems.

Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) is found in green tea. It is also an anti-oxidant.

This was a study to determine if quercetin and epigallocatechin-gallate can increase levels of intracellular zinc in mice with liver cancer.

The takeaways from the above paper:

1. Through fluorescence, quercetin and epigallocatechin-gallate were found to be ionophores and raised intracellular zinc levels.
2. This is an animal study, not human.

In summary, we have some interesting information here. It has been asked about at President Trump’s COVID-19 press conference (March18, 2020). Today, March 19^th, there are more search results about than ever:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chloroquine+and+coronavirus&t=ffnt&ia=news

Chloroquine needs a prescription and quercetin and epigallocatechin-gallate can be found in health food stores. Dosage is unknown.

Bottom line is do you wait for the scientists to give a go ahead as to the effective use of chloroquine, or do you ask your doctor for a prescription to get ahead of the game? There are side effects, though they are usually mild.

Or, do you begin self-treatment with quercetin and EGCG?

Or, do you just wait to get COVID-19 and then get over the symptoms?

I will be using these products from my own online store:

1. AdvaClear which contains 22.4mg of EGCG. I will take 2 tablets once per day.
2. Sinuplex which contains 200mg of quercetin. I will take 1 capsule twice a day.
3. Zinc AG which contains 20mg of zinc. I will take 1 tablet twice a day.
4. Ultra Potent C 1000 which contains 1000mg of vitamin C. I will take as many as I can remember to take each day! Probably 4-10 a day.

Good luck everyone!

The post Chloroquine and Natural Solutions for Coronavirus appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

I enjoyed half a can with lunch almost every day.

I began to notice after a while that i was suddenly having cramping in my toes and feet. So, I suffered for a while dosing myself with more minerals like magnesium and calcium. Didn’t help.

Then I googled, “Does stevia cause muscle cramps?”. Many stories about others having the same response. No science, all anecdotal.

And I stopped my new daily routine and so did the muscle cramps. So, no real proof that it was the cause…and it may not happen to you.

Click here to read my article about the stevia products that are on the market today:

There’s no stevia in your stevia!

The post Does Stevia Cause Muscle Cramps? appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

Benefits:

– Formulated with prebiotic fibers structurally identical to human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), such as 2-fucosyllactose (2FL)
– 2-fucosyllactose (2FL) may support production of short chain fatty acids and butyrate
– Contains a total of 15 g protein per serving12 g of pea/rice protein blend and 3 g of added essential amino acids
– Provides essential nutrients to address malabsorption, including:
– Methylated vitamin B12 and calcium L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, a bioavailable folate
– Zinc as zinc gluconate to support gastrointestinal mucosa integrity

Click Here to Purchase

The post Metagenics UltraGI Replenish appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

An oligosaccharide, simply stated is a type of undigestible carbohydrate. It is technically a prebiotic, a term recognized by many with GI tract problems as “food for the good bacteria”. Many probiotics contain prebiotics and most of them have the potential to cause unexpected GI tract problems like gas, bloating, stomach aches or loose bowels. Not so with human milk oligosaccharides.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides

There have been more than 200 human milk oligosaccharides identified and 2′ FL is the most abundant. In comparison with bovine milk withless than 40 oligosaccharides identified, human milk has 100-300 times more total oligosaccharides. They resist the acidic pH of the stomach, are not affected by digestive enzymes and reach the colon intact – an area where bifidobacterium thrives. Once arriving in the colon, they work to change the chemistry of the bowel in a remarkably positive way.

Not only do levels of beneficial bacteria increase, but human milk oligosaccharides act as decoys for many bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens. They confuse these organisms causing them to bind to the HMO and not human cells. These pathogens are then excreted and do no harm.

No wonder breast milk has always been the “gold standard” for infant nutrition. These same benefits can also be seen in children and adults.

For Metagenics supplement containing HMO’s:

Click here to view Metagenics UltraGI Replenish

References:

1. Bode L. Human milk oligosaccharides: every baby needs a sugar mama. Glycobiology.
2012;22:1147-1162.
2. Jaff MS. Higher frequency of secretor phenotype in O blood groups benefits in
prevention and/or treatment of some diseases. Int J Nanomedicine. 2010;5:901-905.
3. Kobata A. Structures and application of oligosaccharides in human milk. Proc Jpn Acad
Ser B Phys Biol Sci. 2010;86:731-747.
4. Engfer MB, Stahl B, Finke B, Sawatzki G, Daniel H. Human milk oligosaccharides are
resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Am J Clin Nutr.
2000;71:1589-1596.
5. Gibson GR, Scott KP, Rastall RA, et al. Dietary prebiotics: Current status and new
definition. Food Science and Technology Bulletin: Functional Foods. 2010;7:1-19.
6. Yu ZT, Chen C, Kling DE, et al. The principal fucosylated oligosaccharides of human milk
exhibit prebiotic properties on cultured infant microbiota. Glycobiology. 2013;23:169-177.
7. Lievin V, Peiffer I, Hudault S, et al. Bifidobacterium strains from resident infant human
gastrointestinal microflora exert antimicrobial activity. Gut. 2000;47:646-652.
8. Sharon N. Carbohydrate-lectin interactions in infectious disease. Adv Exp Med Biol.
1996;408:1-8.
9. Kunz C, Rudloff S, Baier W, Klein N, Strobel S. Oligosaccharides in human milk:
structural, functional, and metabolic aspects. Annu Rev Nutr. 2000;20:699-722.
10. Newburg DS, Ruiz-Palacios GM, Morrow AL. Human milk glycans protect infants against
enteric pathogens. Annu Rev Nutr. 2005;25:37-58.
11. Ruiz-Palacios GM, Cervantes LE, Ramos P, Chavez-Munguia B, Newburg DS.
Campylobacter jejuni binds intestinal H(O) antigen (Fuc alpha 1, 2Gal beta 1, 4GlcNAc),
and fucosyloligosaccharides of human milk inhibit its binding and infection. J Biol Chem.
2003;278:14112-14120.
12. Morrow AL, Ruiz-Palacios GM, Altaye M, et al. Human milk oligosaccharides are
associated with protection against diarrhea in breast-fed infants. J Pediatr. 2004;145:297-
303.
13. Coppa GV, Zampini L, Galeazzi T, et al. Human milk oligosaccharides inhibit the
adhesion to Caco-2 cells of diarrheal pathogens: Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, and
Salmonella fyris. Pediatr Res. 2006;59:377-382.
14. Shang J, Piskarev VE, Xia M, et al. Identifying human milk glycans that inhibit norovirus
binding using surface plasmon resonance. Glycobiology. 2013;23:1491-1498.
15. Weichert S, Jennewein S, Hufner E, et al. Bioengineered 2′-fucosyllactose and 3-
fucosyllactose inhibit the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enteric pathogens to
human intestinal and respiratory cell lines. Nutr Res. 2013;33:831-838.
16. Angeloni S, Ridet JL, Kusy N, et al. Glycoprofiling with micro-arrays of glycoconjugates
and lectins. Glycobiology. 2005;15:31-41.
17. Kuntz S, Kunz C, Rudloff S. Oligosaccharides from human milk induce growth arrest via
G2/M by influencing growth-related cell cycle genes in intestinal epithelial cells. Br J Nutr.
2009;101:1306-1315.
18. Kuntz S, Rudloff S, Kunz C. Oligosaccharides from human milk influence growth-related
characteristics of intestinally transformed and non-transformed intestinal cells. Br J Nutr.
2008;99:462-471.
19. Rudloff S, Pohlentz G, Borsch C, Lentze MJ, Kunz C. Urinary excretion of in vivo (1)(3)Clabelled
milk oligosaccharides in breastfed infants. Br J Nutr. 2012;107:957-963.
20. Obermeier S, Rudloff S, Pohlentz G, Lentze MJ, Kunz C. Secretion of 13C-labelled
oligosaccharides into human milk and infant’s urine after an oral [13C]galactose load.
Isotopes Environ Health Stud. 1999;35:119-125.
21. Eiwegger T, Stahl B, Schmitt J, et al. Human milk-derived oligosaccharides and plant derived
oligosaccharides stimulate cytokine production of cord blood T-cells in vitro.
Pediatr Res. 2004;56:536-540.
22. Bode L, Kunz C, Muhly-Reinholz M, et al. Inhibition of monocyte, lymphocyte, and
neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells by human milk oligosaccharides. Thromb
Haemost. 2004;92:1402-1410.
23. Bode L, Rudloff S, Kunz C, Strobel S, Klein N. Human milk oligosaccharides reduce
platelet-neutrophil complex formation leading to a decrease in neutrophil beta 2 integrin
expression. J Leukoc Biol. 2004;76:820-826.
3
24. Schilling JD, Mulvey MA, Vincent CD, Lorenz RG, Hultgren SJ. Bacterial invasion
augments epithelial cytokine responses to Escherichia coli through a lipopolysaccharidedependent
mechanism. J Immunol. 2001;166:1148-1155.
25. He Y, Liu S, Kling DE, et al. The human milk oligosaccharide 2′-fucosyllactose modulates
CD14 expression in human enterocytes, thereby attenuating LPS-induced inflammation.
Gut. 2014.

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Viberzi (Eluxadoline) improves stool consistency and decreases pain in the intestines. Unless Viberzi causes new or worsening abdominal pain. Your risk of having a spasm is increased if you do not have a gallbladder. This spasm usually happens within the first week of treatment and usually goes away when treatment is stopped. Lucky you.

There is also increased risk of pancreatitis with Viberzi. Symptoms of pancreatitis usually go away when treatment with VIBERZI is stopped. Your risk of getting pancreatitis is increased if you drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day. Sounds good to me, at least I know how to stop it!

The most common side effects of VIBERZI include constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain. Stop taking it if constipation lasts more than 4 days.

The mechanism of action of Viberzi is that it deadens the nerves in the digestive system. This automatically slows the movement of stool through the intestines. More water is absorbed and stool consistency changes. But is this for the better? The potential for constipation happens because the deadened nerves may be deadened too much and the peristalsis (muscular contractions that push stool through the intestines) slows too much.

This drug only works for as long as you take it. It is not a cure. It was only tested for 6 months.

Do not take Viberzi if you:

• Have or may have had a blockage in your gallbladder or a sphincter of Oddi problem
• Have or had problems with alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, or drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day
• Have had pancreatitis or other pancreas problems, including if you have had or may have had a blockage in your pancreas
• Have severe liver problems
• Have had long-lasting (chronic) or severe constipation, or problems caused by constipation
• Have or may have had a bowel blockage (intestinal obstruction)

For a complete all natural treatment plan that includes an IBS with diarrhea diet, please fill out the form below to receive a copy of Dr. Dahlman’s free report about IBS utilizing his step-by-step process and an all natural supplement program.*

To find the costs of his program, please click here: “Do It Yourself Program” and solve irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea on your own or “Phone Consultation Program” to learn about how he can guide you through the step-by-step process to help you conquer this condition.*

The post Viberzi is a New Medicine for IBS with Diarrhea appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid are very popular over-the-counter and prescription medications and belong to this class of drugs. They were used by more than 15 million Americans in 2013 and treat heartburn and acid reflux by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach.

A 20 percent to 50 percent higher risk of chronic kidney disease was shown in people who use these proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) compared with those who don’t, said lead author Dr. Morgan Grams, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The study was published Jan. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“We found there was an increasing risk associated with an increasing dose. That suggests that perhaps this observed effect is real,” according to Dr. Grams. He goes on to say, “Use of the prescription heartburn drugs already has been linked to short-term kidney problems such as acute kidney injury and an inflammatory kidney disease called acute interstitial nephritis”. Newer studies now show a link between the drugs and chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys lose their ability to filter blood effectively.

In all those studied, researchers associated use of the drugs with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease over 10 years. The researchers also compared people using the drugs once a day with people who used them twice a day. They found twice-daily use was associated with a 46 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease, versus a 15 percent increased risk in those taking one daily dose.

But the researchers cannot say definitively what causes the kidney damage. But, there are some plausible theories. One theory is the population of people in the study were older and tended to have more health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and heart problems. Another theory is these medications can cause magnesium levels to decline in the body, and a lack of this important mineral could damage the kidneys.

Why would PPI’s lower magnesium levels? A simple understanding of how the body works explains it clearly.

The stomach secretes stomach acid for many reasons. One is to begin the process of digestion of proteins. Another is to provide an acidic environment that many bacteria cannot live in. This protects us from some of the many bacteria we may ingest in our food. But the concept least understood by most people is the acid begins the preparation of minerals like magnesium and calcium for easier absorption in the small intestine. Without proper amounts of stomach acid present, these and other minerals will be excreted and not absorbed. Hence, lowered levels of magnesium and the kidneys can suffer.

Heartburn and acid reflux can be successfully treated with dietary changes. Why risk your kidneys or how about your bone health? Remember, if magnesium is not prepared properly for absorption by stomach acid, neither is calcium. Or any other mineral.

The post Common Heartburn Drugs Linked with Kidney Disease appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

Like any medication, Linzess doesn’t work for everyone but many had significant improvement in their symptoms with either IBS-C or CIC. It should not be used by anyone 17 years of age or younger.

The design of the medication came from the identification of a receptor in the gastrointestinal tract that when stimulated, increases water secretion into the bowel lumen. It also decreases abdominal pain associated with IBS-C.

But, as with all medications that never solve the problem and only mask symptoms, there are side effects you may not want. And, the medication doesn’t work for everyone.

The main side effects is an over-loosening of the bowel causing diarrhea. What a great concept. Let’s go from being an IBS patient with constipation to becoming an IBS patent with diarrhea. Brilliant!

Other side effects include gas, swelling, abdominal pressure and feeling of fullness and abdominal pain. Wait, I thought this medication decreased abdominal pain? Only if the abdominal pain originates in specific cells in the gastrointestinal system. Pain associated with IBS can come from many places. Additionally, why do we want to take a medication that “numbs” any part of our body?

And, there are no long term studies of the safety of Linzess. Wouldn’t it be better to try an all natural treatment plan to restore the health, balance and efficiency of your gastrointestinal system?

For a complete all natural treatment plan that includes an IBS with constipation diet, please fill out the form below to receive a copy of Dr. Dahlman’s free report about IBS utilizing his step-by-step process and an all natural supplement program.

Remember, Dr. Dahlman will personally design the exact diet for you that is necessary to treat this condition. Don’t suffer!*

To find the costs of his program, please click here: “Do It Yourself Program” and solve irritable bowel syndrome on your own or “Phone Consultation Program” to learn about how he can guide you through the step-by-step process to help you conquer this condition.*

The post Linzess for Chronic Constipation is Safe or Not? appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

The primary take away from the study is long term vegetarianism causes genetic mutations that increase the above mentioned risks. Populations with a primarily vegetarian diet for generations have seen DNA changes that make them susceptible to inflammation.

These mutations help the body adapt to be better able to absorb essential fatty acids from plants. Sounds like good news so far, but the unfortunate consequence is that this mutation also increases the production of arachidonic acid, a fatty acid, but not essential. Essential means that you must get it from your diet as the body cannot produce it. Arachidonic is not essential as it is synthesized from other fatty acids.

Arachidonic acid is necessary for health in the body, but too much of it is detrimental to your health. A vegetarian eating vegetable oils will find this gene increases arachidonic acid to unhealthy levels causing many inflammatory and other health conditions. This explains why previous research found a 40% increase in colorectal cancer in vegetarians than meat eaters contrary to popular belief.

This gene mutation also hinders the production of beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids which are protective against heart disease. The American diet has seen in the last 100 years a shift away from diets high in Omega 3 from foods such as fish and nuts to Omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable oils.

There should be a healthy balance between Omega 3, Omega 6 and arachidonic acids for human health.

Let’s take a broader look at this subject. It’s my belief that a vegetarian diet is not as healthy as the population has been led to believe. There are studies that suggest health benefits to it and other studies that link cancer, heart disease and many inflammatory conditions to this diet.

The reason is that plant materials contain carbohydrates which is simply another name for the many different types of sugar found in them. Sugar is known to be pro-inflammatory. A diet high in plants is high in glucose. That’s not good.

Couple this with a genetic mutation that promotes the production of arachidonic acid…known to increase inflammation…and you have a recipe for potential disaster.

The full study can be found at: http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/

The post Vegetarian Diet Increases Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

The public’s awareness of stevia has grown with the search for natural low calorie sweeteners and low carb products. Manufacturers are taking advantage of this by creating products that have 1% stevia in them and the other 99% is a cheaper low calorie sweetener that may contribute to bowel discomfort in some people. Not all.

Many “health conscious” people believe that any product that contains stevia must be healthier for them than to use good old fashioned sugar. I agree that too much sugar is detrimental to a person’s health, but should you substitute it with something that you truly don’t understand?

The main problem with most “Stevia” products is they contain dextrose, erythritol, maltodextrin or inulin in addition to the non existent stevia or 1% stevia. The dextrose, erythritol, maltodextrin and inulin can cause gastrointestinal upset and discomfort in some people. Not all, but some. Are you one of them?

Truvia is a combination of erythritol, rebaudiana A (that’s NOT stevia) and natural flavors. Truvia is not safe because the erythritol is NOT derived from wonderful fresh fruits as the label implies, but it comes from genetically modified (GMO) corn. There is NO stevia in Truvia. A particular molecule from the stevia plant, called rebiana A, is in Truvia. Rebaudiana A makes up one half of one percent of the product. The rebaudiana A in Truvia comes from China and is also GMO. The natural flavors in Truvia are not exactly natural. They are the artificial equivalent of “natural flavors”. The FDA allows this deception. Truvia is made by Coca Cola. Truvia, Purevia, Zerose, Zsweet are all brand names for similar products that DO NOT contain stevia. Avoid them.

Stevia in the Raw contains dextrose and 1% stevia leaf extract.

Organic stevia from Sweet Leaf contains inulin and 1% stevia extract.

Organic stevia from Wholesome contains inulin and rebaudiana A (not stevia).

The Whole Foods Market version of stevia contains rice maltodextrin and 1% stevia extract.

Now for the good news. If you have read this far, there actually are products that are pure stevia.

Here’s another Whole Foods products that actually only has stevia in it. Enjoy.

And the liquid version of the above Whole Foods product. Only stevia. Enjoy.

Sweet Leaf has it partially figured out. Just stevia AND natural flavors that aren’t so natural as I mentioned above.

So, the bottom line here is to be careful with your stevia products. Not everyone using stevia will have gastrointestinal discomfort when using stevia product. But you might.

The post There’s No Stevia in Your Stevia! appeared first on Dr. Dahlman.com.

More than 5 million people have Alzheimer’s disease in the US and that number is expected to hit 16 million by 2050. It is the sixth leading cause of death killing more people than prostate and breast cancer combined.

And, according to traditional medicine, there is no way to prevent, slow or stop its progression. But holistic doctors have always had a treatment plan to do just that. And they have. Now we have proof.

Keep in mind that Alzheimer’s disease is now considered an inflammatory condition. Holistic practitioners have long removed sugar and carbohydrates from their patients because they are inflammatory foods. In addition, they have also begun the patient on an aggressive natural supplementation program. And always with stunning results.

With a startling increase in autoimmune inflammatory conditions over the last few decades, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and that the number is continuing to increase. Some experts say that 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune inflammatory disease because the NIH numbers only include 24 diseases. Other researchers have identified 80-100 different autoimmune diseases and suspect at least 40 additional diseases of having an autoimmune basis.

The reason for the removal of pro-inflammatory foods is because it is now known that sugar and excessive carbohydrate intake can inflame the body. The process that does this is called glycation. Stated most simply, it is the attachment of a sugar molecule (glucose) to a protein molecule. That, in and of itself…alters the protein. Glucose should not be attached to proteins. When that happens, they are called glycated proteins or advanced glycation end products (AGE’s). The immune system must react to this altered tissue and will…as designed.

In Alzheimer’s disease, we have sugar attached to brain cells and the immune system attacks.

We now have a study…small study of only 10 patients…but with exactly the expected results.

Here’s what they found:

1. Of the first 10 patients who utilized this program, including patients with memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), or subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), nine showed subjective or objective improvement.
2. One potentially important outcome is that all six of the patients whose cognitive decline had a major impact on job performance were able to return to work or continue working without difficulty.

How did they achieve these results?:

1. Fasting for 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. This eliminates the usual pro-inflammatory carb filled late night snack.
2. Elimination of simple carbs and processed food. More elimination of pro-inflammatory foods.
3. Increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, non-farm raised fish, grass fed beef and organic chicken.
4. Elimination of gluten. All grains being carbs…are pro-inflammatory.
5. Probiotics.
6. Coconut oil, 1 tsp twice a day.
7. Melatonin and trying to get 8 hours of sleep a night.
8. The herbs Bacopa monniera 250mg, Ashwagandha 500mg, and turmeric 400mg each day. All are known to be anti-inflammatory.
9. Methylcobalamin 1mg (very absorbable B-12) per day, methyltetrahydrofolate 0.8mg (very absorbable folic acid) per day, pyridoxine-5-phosphate 50mg (B6) per day, citicoline 500mg twice a day (a form of choline that helps memory), vitamin C 1g per day, vitamin D3 5000IU per day, vitamin E 400IU per day, CoQ10 200mg per day, Zinc picolinate 50mg per day, alpha-lipoic acid 100mg per day, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 320mg and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 180mg per day.
10. Exercise.
11. Returned to hormone replacement therapy if necessary.

So, what’s the basic takeaway from this small study? Dietary changes with an emphasis on reducing pro-inflammatory carbohydrates from the diet and an aggressive and unique natural supplementation program utilizing anti-inflammatory herbs and other anti-inflammatory nutrients can improve cognitive function or possibly return a dementia or Alzheimer’s disease patient back to normal.

It’s diet, folks. Always has been and always will be. Carbs are a villain, not fats.

As usual, traditional medicine has to appear unenthusiastic as they say at the end of this study that, “results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected, whether such an approach may be effective in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease, and how long improvement can be sustained.”

Uh huh.

The full text of this study can be read here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/

Bredesen, D. Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program. Aging (Albany NY). 2014 Sep; 6(9): 707–717.

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