Healthy by Nature radio show this week: We get to pick the brain of a renowned integrative physician who is also an expert in weight loss. He wrote The Hamptons Diet among other books and Fred Pescatore, MD’s Manhattan office is frequented by the rich and famous. With so many New Year’s resolutions in jeopardy, it seems like a good time to check in with him.  I have questions about the effect of fructose, food sensitivities, yeast and intestinal bacteria on weight gain, but this is also a rare chance for you to ask him your questions. Call the live show with questions at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.
 
Listening online
A listener kindly informed me that there is a now a much simpler procedure for hearing the show streamed live on the internet. LINK.
 
Lutein for better eyesight
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled one year study of 120 Chinese drivers showed that supplementing with 20 mg/day of the nutrient lutein was associated with improved visual acuity, central macular pigment optical density (a very good thing), improved contrast / glare sensitivity (especially in low light) and better scores on driving vision tests. LINK.

Note: to achieve those results you would need to take lutein as a separate pill or at least in a special eye supplement. Don’t be fooled by the marketing smoke and mirrors of some multi-vitamins. For example Centrum Silver contains 250 mcg of lutein. Because milligrams (mg) are 1,000 times greater than micrograms (mcg), the Centrum amount is just 1/80th that 20mg dose which was shown to be effective.

According to the Whole Foods website, “Food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin include eggs, kale, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, corn,garden peas and Brussels sprouts. To maximize the availability of the carotenoids in the foods listed above, the foods should be eaten raw or steamed lightly.”
 

Autism
Pregnancy. This week the evening news reported on research involving folate (a B vitamin also known as Folic Acid) and autism. The huge study showed that if a mom does not have sufficient folic acid in her body 6 weeks before conception and during the first 6 weeks of pregnancy, her risk of bearing a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD or autism) may be increased as much as 40%. LINK.

This finding seems logical. For nearly 50 years we’ve known that folate was needed during pregnancy for the proper formation of the part of the central nervous system called the neural tube. (Folic acid deficiency and birth defects involving that neural tube, the brain and spinal column have gone down dramatically since 1996 when the FDA finally allowed commercial discussion of this folate benefit.)
 
This new discovery is one important piece of the autism puzzle. However, I don’t think it means we can dismiss the concerns of parents who are convinced that immunizations contributed to their child’s autism. The factors may even be related. For example, isn’t it conceivable that low folate during gestation predisposes a child to be more sensitive to vaccinations? I hope that somewhere scientists are researching the extent to which children’s nutritional status affects their ability to tolerate the immune system challenge of immunizations as well as the child’s ability to detoxify the heavy metals and other toxic ingredients in vaccines.
 
Autistic kids found to be folate and vitamin B12 deficient. The plot thickens. Significantly lower levels of folate and vitamin B12 were found in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders as compared to children without ASD. This study was conducted in the Mideast country of Oman, but there is no reason to believe this same finding would not also show up in America’s autistic children. Nurse/author Sally Pacholok
has certainly taught us that adequate levels of Vitamin B12 are crucial to normal development and function of the nervous system.  
 
Last Week
LINK to Archive. Lawyer Scott Tips is President and Legal Counsel for the National Health Federation, the world’s oldest health freedom organization. He represents our interests to the Codex Alimentarius committee, an international body supposed to protect the health of consumers and create some uniformity in the regulation of food and supplements. Scott explained how its actions may threaten our access to nutritional supplements. Jim Rizzuto talked about an interesting treatment, salt rooms, for relieving sinus problems, lung conditions and even upper respiratory infections. Here are a sample of testimonials you will find if you look around. LINK. LINK. We play an original inspirational song created by a listener, John Lee Boyer.

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My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book: Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2013 Martie Whittekin, CCN