| The Adrenal Stress Index™ The adrenals are two small glands, each weighing 3 to 5 grams, that are located above the kidneys. The adrenals have one of the highest rates of blood flow per gram of tissue, and the highest content of Vitamin C per gram of any tissue in the body. Each adrenal gland is composed of two separate functional entities. The outer zone, or cortex, accounts for 80% to 90% of the gland, and secretes adrenal steroids (Cortisol, DHEA(S) and Aldosterone). The inner zone, or medulla, comprises 10% to 20% of the gland, and secretes the catecholamines adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. Cortisol, DHEA and adrenaline are the three main adrenal stress hormones. The Adrenal Rhythm & Its Importance The human adrenal gland does not secrete its steroid hormones at a constant level throughout the day. The hormones are actually released in a cycle with the highest value in the morning and the lowest value at night. This is easily understood by looking at Figure 1. This 24-hour cycle is called the circadian rhythm. An abnormal adrenal rhythm can influence many functions of the body, some of which are listed below.  1. Energy production Abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of cells to produce energy for activities of daily living. People who have a hard time rising in the morning, or who suffer with a low energy level during the day, often have abnormal adrenal rhythms and poor blood sugar regulation. The maintenance of a stable blood sugar level depends on food choice, lifestyle, adrenal function and insulin activity. This panel measures stress hormones and insulin, to help ferret out causes of fatigue, cravings and obesity. 2. Muscle & joint function Abnormal adrenal rhythms are known to compromise tissue healing. Reduced tissue repair and increased tissue breakdown can lead to muscle and joint breakdown with chronic pain. 3. Bone health The adrenal rhythm determines how well we build bone. If the night cortisol level is elevated and the morning level is too high, our bones do not rebuild well, and we are more prone to the osteoporotic process. Stress is the enemy of the bones. In postmenopausal women, the effect of stress worsens due to the female hormone imbalances. 4. Immune health Various immune cells (white blood cells) cycle in and out of the spleen and bone marrow for special conditioning, and possible nourishment and instructions. This immune system trafficking follows the cortisol cycle. So, if the cycle is disrupted, especially at night, then the immune system is adversely affected. Short and long-term stress is known to suppress the immune response on the surfaces of our body as in lungs, throat, urinary and intestinal tract. With the reduction in the surface antibody (called secretory IgA), the resistance to infection is reduced and allergic reactions are believed to increase. 5. Sleep quality The ability to enter REM sleep cycles, i.e. regenerative sleep, is interrupted by high cortisol values at night and in the morning. Chronic lack of REM sleep can reduce the mental vitality and vigor of a person and induce depression. 6. Skin regeneration Human skin regenerates mostly during the night. With higher night cortisol values, less skin regeneration takes place. So, a normal cortisol rhythm is essential for optimal skin health (See Figure 2).  7. Thyroid function The level of Cortisol at the cell level controls thyroid hormone production. Quite often, hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue and low body temperature are due to an adrenal maladaptation. 8. Grain intolerance & stress About 12-18% of the U.S. population suffers from a genetic intol- erance to grain. Specifically, a high incidence occurs in Celtic, Germanic, and Nordic derivation. The gut becomes inflamed within 30 minutes after consuming the grains and this can lead to an adrenal stress response, increased cortisol and reduced DHEA. (Several other functions that go beyond the scope of the pamphlet are also cortisol and DHEA dependent.) The Adrenal Stress Index™ (ASI™) Four saliva samples are used in the ASI™ for the following ten tests:
Your health care provider can use the findings in this panel to recommend customized treatment and preventive measures that may include diet and lifestyle changes, hormones, botanicals and vitamins. Advantages of the ASI™
Note: The ASI™ was invented and introduced by Diagnos-Techs, Inc. in 1989. All other panels offered on the market are copies. Abnormal adrenal rhythm can influence:
To determine if the ASI™ is the appropriate test for assessing your health condition, ask your physician for a stress questionnaire. The score can help your doctor determine a course of action. The ASI™ is mostly ordered for individuals that suffer from:
|
Showing posts with label immune. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immune. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Adrenal Stress Index™
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Remarkable Hormore . . . Insulin
One of the primary lab tests that can predict longevity is fasting insulin. Research has proven that caloric restriction is the single greatest longevity factor in all the lab animals’ studies to date. A big part of why caloric restriction increases longevity is because it lowers insulin levels. Low fasting insulin levels can be one of the best screens for predicting health and preventing disease.
I’ll give you some optimal lab values in a minute, but before I do, think about it. What role
does insulin play in the body? Remember, insulin is essential to pull sugar or glucose into
the cell to keep homeostatis in the blood. The sugar is then burned for energy or stored for later
use.
Excess sugar is stored as fat, and for our ancestors that may have been a good thing because they didn’t have the instant access to food that we have. But because our culture consumes SO many refined sugars, our very cells try to resist extra sugar intake because they can only store so much sugar as fat in a healthy manner. So, in order to reduce the amount of sugar coming into
the cells, the cells will ultimately reduce the amount of insulin receptor sites.
Well, that’s good for the cells, but bad for the bloodstream. Insulin can’t get into the cells, so it
remains in the blood. Remember, part of insulin’s job is to convert sugar to fat wherever it is. So now the excess insulin in the blood causes excess fat in the blood.
Dr. Ron Rosedale in his book “The Rosedale Diet” quotes a study where insulin was dripped
into the arteries of dogs and in just a few months the artery became blocked with plaque. Plaque
buildup can deprive the heart of blood and oxygen and eventually cause a heart attack.
As a person continues to ingest refined carbohydrates and the insulin continues to be made, it
drives the body into a fat storage mode rather than a fat burning mode. We use the term
insulin resistance, meaning a healthy cells response to excess refined carbohydrates.
Insulin has many key roles that will not be fulfilled if blood sugars are elevated; let’s look at a
few of them.
Insulin is necessary to pull magnesium into the cell. Blocked insulin receptor sites in the cell
mean low cellular magnesium levels and magnesium is critical for energy production, healthy
heart, vascular, and blood pressure regulation.
Excess insulin in the bloodstream causes retention of sodium which in turn causes increases in
blood pressure and fluid retention. There is also a significant correlation between elevated insulin levels and certain types of cancer, namely: breast, colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Poor sugar regulation and insulin dysregulation has also been indicated in aging, memory problems, fatigue, anxiety and depression, immune suppression, obesity, vascular disease, and as I mentioned heart disease.
The fasting insulin levels I like to see should be 10 or lower, under 6 is ideal. Traditional lab values suggest treatment should begin when levels exceed 18; however, if fasting insulin levels are over 10, insulin resistance is well under way and needs serious attention.
Therapeutically, we need to make sure the patient reduces their level of refined and even their starchy carbohydrates until levels are stabile and life style changes are made.
Exercise is critical for anyone who is struggling with insulin resistance. Cells will burn sugar
with activity and movement. So the best way to reduce sugar, (besides not eating it) is to
burn it.
Keep in mind, the most stubborn cases of insulin resistance usually involve one or more food allergens, so reducing food allergens can be important.
As far as supplements, there are several options, but let me remind you to start treatment with the basics and adjust from there as you change your lifestyle.
GlucoBalance is a formula developed by Dr.'s Jon Wright and Allan Gaby as a foundational
nutrient: 2-3 capsules tid.
Optimal EFAs are a mixture of Omega 3’s and GLA with some flax seed oil to reduce
NF-kappa-B: 2 capsules tid.
Bio-D-Mulsion Forte 4,000 IU (some studies show it works as good as medication to
reduce blood sugar).
Lipoic Acid: 100 mg tid to prevent neuropathy.
Niacinamide: 500 mg tid to help burn sugars more efficiently.
Magnesium is prescribed to bowel tolerance in the form of Mg-Zyme or Calm 3tsp (about 300mg bid) at bedtime.
As you know, so many botanical agents are available to assist blood sugar regulation; but if the basic building blocks are not available, the herbs may not work as effectively. So diet, healing the gut, exercise, and foundational nutrients will hold a big piece to the insulin resistance puzzle.
I’ll give you some optimal lab values in a minute, but before I do, think about it. What role
does insulin play in the body? Remember, insulin is essential to pull sugar or glucose into
the cell to keep homeostatis in the blood. The sugar is then burned for energy or stored for later
use.
Excess sugar is stored as fat, and for our ancestors that may have been a good thing because they didn’t have the instant access to food that we have. But because our culture consumes SO many refined sugars, our very cells try to resist extra sugar intake because they can only store so much sugar as fat in a healthy manner. So, in order to reduce the amount of sugar coming into
the cells, the cells will ultimately reduce the amount of insulin receptor sites.
Well, that’s good for the cells, but bad for the bloodstream. Insulin can’t get into the cells, so it
remains in the blood. Remember, part of insulin’s job is to convert sugar to fat wherever it is. So now the excess insulin in the blood causes excess fat in the blood.
Dr. Ron Rosedale in his book “The Rosedale Diet” quotes a study where insulin was dripped
into the arteries of dogs and in just a few months the artery became blocked with plaque. Plaque
buildup can deprive the heart of blood and oxygen and eventually cause a heart attack.
As a person continues to ingest refined carbohydrates and the insulin continues to be made, it
drives the body into a fat storage mode rather than a fat burning mode. We use the term
insulin resistance, meaning a healthy cells response to excess refined carbohydrates.
Insulin has many key roles that will not be fulfilled if blood sugars are elevated; let’s look at a
few of them.
Insulin is necessary to pull magnesium into the cell. Blocked insulin receptor sites in the cell
mean low cellular magnesium levels and magnesium is critical for energy production, healthy
heart, vascular, and blood pressure regulation.
Excess insulin in the bloodstream causes retention of sodium which in turn causes increases in
blood pressure and fluid retention. There is also a significant correlation between elevated insulin levels and certain types of cancer, namely: breast, colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Poor sugar regulation and insulin dysregulation has also been indicated in aging, memory problems, fatigue, anxiety and depression, immune suppression, obesity, vascular disease, and as I mentioned heart disease.
The fasting insulin levels I like to see should be 10 or lower, under 6 is ideal. Traditional lab values suggest treatment should begin when levels exceed 18; however, if fasting insulin levels are over 10, insulin resistance is well under way and needs serious attention.
Therapeutically, we need to make sure the patient reduces their level of refined and even their starchy carbohydrates until levels are stabile and life style changes are made.
Exercise is critical for anyone who is struggling with insulin resistance. Cells will burn sugar
with activity and movement. So the best way to reduce sugar, (besides not eating it) is to
burn it.
Keep in mind, the most stubborn cases of insulin resistance usually involve one or more food allergens, so reducing food allergens can be important.
As far as supplements, there are several options, but let me remind you to start treatment with the basics and adjust from there as you change your lifestyle.
GlucoBalance is a formula developed by Dr.'s Jon Wright and Allan Gaby as a foundational
nutrient: 2-3 capsules tid.
Optimal EFAs are a mixture of Omega 3’s and GLA with some flax seed oil to reduce
NF-kappa-B: 2 capsules tid.
Bio-D-Mulsion Forte 4,000 IU (some studies show it works as good as medication to
reduce blood sugar).
Lipoic Acid: 100 mg tid to prevent neuropathy.
Niacinamide: 500 mg tid to help burn sugars more efficiently.
Magnesium is prescribed to bowel tolerance in the form of Mg-Zyme or Calm 3tsp (about 300mg bid) at bedtime.
As you know, so many botanical agents are available to assist blood sugar regulation; but if the basic building blocks are not available, the herbs may not work as effectively. So diet, healing the gut, exercise, and foundational nutrients will hold a big piece to the insulin resistance puzzle.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Nutritional Deficiencies May Weaken Immune Response
Researchers at Cornell University reported that nutritional deficiencies may weaken immune response. They noted the importance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and probiotics to support immunity. (Calder PC, Kew S. "The immune system: a target for functional foods?" Br J Nutr. 88 Suppl 2:S165-77, 2002)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
My sore throat
I had a sore throat today. I took my "natural antibiotic" - ADP several times with little effect, even after testing myself and visually confirming my sputum that it was bacterial. I also took an immune booster - Bio-Immunozyme Forte with the ADP. This usually does the trick. But the sore throat persisted. Just now I am doing acupuncture and blogging. After just two needles and not even one minute of time had passed my sore throat and head congestion started clearing up. Yes, acupuncture still amazes me after many years in practice.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
96.5% of the population are deficient in Iodine
Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It
Dr. Brownstein has expanded and updated this book with all the latest information about iodine. The entire book has been updated with new case histories. In addition, there are three NEW chapters which provide information about:
- What iodine does in the body
- Why autoimmune thyroid disorders form from a low iodine state
- Why it is so important to ensure an adequate selenium intake
Dr. Brownstein feels iodine is the most misunderstood nutrient. He feels it is impossible to achieve your optimal health when there is iodine deficiency present. This book provides information on how iodine therapy can help:
- Breast Cancer
- Detoxification
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic Breasts
- Graves' Disease
- Hashimoto's Disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Improve the Immune System
This book will show you Dr. Brownstein’s latest research about iodine. He feels a large segment of the population is currently suffering from iodine deficiency. Ensuring adequate iodine levels is essential to helping you achieve your optimal health. Dr. Brownstein will provide you with all new information on the importance of iodine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
