Healthy by Nature radio show this week: We will talk about eye health and reversing eye diseases with Stuart Richer, OD, PhD, FAAO who is Director of Ocular Preventive Medicine at the James Lovell Federal Health Care Facility and Associate Professor of Family and Preventative Medicine at Chicago Medical School as well as Assistant Clinical Professor, UIC Dept of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Wow. We will also save a little time at the end to talk about strategies for cellular health with John Young, MD. The name of his program and an April 23 Dallas area event is The Young Health Revolution. Call the live show with questions at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.
 
Using the wrong end of the telescope?
You’ve likely heard that the Cleveland Clinic recently alleged that bacteria in the gut of meat eaters converts into a chemical they say stimulates blocking of our arteries. IF that were true, we should worry because no one wants blocked arteries. Carnitine is an amino acid (part of protein) and, because red meat is one source of carnitine, the headlines often came out sounding like this: “Another Way that Red Meat Causes Heart Disease.” Do you believe everything you hear in the news? (If your answer is “yes”, I would like to talk with you about buying some swampland…kidding.)

I’ll give a link to the study that started the debate. But, then, I guess “debate” isn’t really an accurate description because I’ve only heard basically one side of the story on the evening news and in the newspaper. Even on a popular public radio talk show that purports to give a balanced view, the host barely let the opposing naturopathic guest finish a sentence. The prevailing media view seems to be that red meat is bad for us and they aren’t interested in hearing otherwise. LINK.

I was immediately suspicious of the reports because I had always valued carnitine as a cardiovascular-protective supplement. Even the government’s National Institutes of Health says that carnitine carries fats from the blood stream into the part of cells where it is burned for energy. They also consider this amino acid safe. A lot of studies continue to show benefits of various kinds (LINK, LINK, LINK as just a small sample). It didn’t take much investigation to find out that the widely hyped story doesn’t hold up under close examination. Here is a link to an extremely thoughtful review of some of the concerns about the studies: LINK. The article does get pretty technical, but I think even scanning the subheads will make it clear that the researchers took some unwarranted leaps of faith even before the media ran away with the story.

For example:

In the mouse part of the research, the mice were fed the amount of carnitine equivalent to a human eating 1,000 steaks per day. (In your dreams National Cattleman’s Beef Association!)

The researchers were concerned about the chemical TMAO as measured in urine. It turns out that other foods such as peas, peanuts, potatoes, carrots and fish cause a much greater increase of TMAO excretion in urine than red meat does.

In comparing the gut bacteria of meat eaters and vegetarians they used a very small sample of vegetarians–one person.

Bottom line: as even the researchers themselves said, I would not recommend making any changes in diet or supplements based solely on this research.  Personally, I will continue to eat pasture fed beef as part of a varied diet and I will continue to enjoy my pre-treadmill drink. It consists of liquid l-carnitine (so that I use fat for energy), Oxylent (an effervescent multivitamin with high quality minerals and sugar free) and NeoCell Blueberry Hyaluronic Acid liquid (to moisturize skin from the inside out). It tastes good and I like to consume those things before a workout because I like getting those nutrients to all my cells and I think my circulation is at its best while my heart is pumping away.

Next week I’ll discuss some pros and cons of eating red meat and maybe touch on the good and risks of being vegetarian.
 
Last Week
LINK to Archive. Our old friend, Dr. Parris Kidd, dug into the marvel that is Curcumin (from the curry spice Turmeric). Then I interviewed Roger Mason about his book, Lower Cholesterol Without Drugs. I didn’t remember this from when he was on years ago, but he is quite a character. He made some relatively wild statements such as expressing concern about foods that contain cholesterol. I don’t agree with everything he said, but he did make good points and his interview was fun listening.

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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