Bella Vista House Calls MD

06/09/2024

NALTREXONE (low-dose),
aka "LDN," is available at local compounding pharmacies.
LDN inhibits extremely inflammatory cytokines from microglial cells, a part of the immune system that can sometimes overreact.
There are numerous potential benefits of LDN, including improved sleep, less fatigue, possible prevention or improvements of various neurodegenerative diseases, and weight loss.
In fact, naltrexone is one of the two ingredients in a very expensive weight loss pill called Contrave. Contrave combines Wellbutrin and naltrexone into one pill and has been shown to cause weight loss.
Yahoo sponsors an LDN support group which one can subscribe to for free.

05/12/2024

OMEGA-3 OILS

In addition to oils I wrote about recently, other fats worth considering are extra-virgin olive oil, fish oil, DHA and flaxseed oil, and borage oil.

Why consider these omega-3s? They may help treat anxiety, improve immunity, protect against autoimmune diseases, prevent and treat cancer, aid in damage from strokes, prevent heart rhythm problems, treat depression, and prevent atherosclerosis.

We should do our best to avoid trans-fatty acids and excessive omega-6 oils. Instead, opt for healthier oils like those listed above.

03/27/2024

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/ginger-for-osteoarthritis/

A quarter- to a half-teaspoon a day of powdered ginger can be as pain-relieving as ibuprofen, without the risk of damage to the intestinal lining.

03/15/2024

FLAXSEED OIL..is an omega-3 oil which must be taken with vitamin E. This oil can be oxidized easily, which might make it more carcinogenic. Flaxseed oil contains linolenic acid, & it is difficult for the body to convert the linolenic acid into healthy DHA, so for most patients I prefer they take fish oil instead.

02/25/2024

White Potatoes… caution!

Broccoli, vinegar, and lemon juice are put to the test to blunt the glycemic index of white potatoes.

02/11/2024

The best dietary source of the longevity elixir spermidine is wheat germ, followed by tempeh and mushrooms. To get 20 mg of spermidine solely from wheat germ you’d have to eat like a half a cup, though. I would instead recommend increasing intake through a variety of healthy foods, but massive doses of wheat germ have actually been put to the test in clinical trials. Diabetics given 30 g of wheat germ in the morning and 30 g at night for 6 months had significant improvements in blood sugar control, dropping from a hemoglobin A1c level of 8.4 to a nondiabetic 6.4. (The control group stayed at 8.4.) However 20 grams a day (about three tablespoons) did not appear to help.

Those with high cholesterol given about a quarter cup a day for a month dropped their cholesterol by 25 points and their triglycerides by about 60 points. This cholesterol-lowering effect is mainly thought to be due to the healthy phytosterol content of wheat germ, given that removing the phytosterols diminished the benefit). Twenty grams a day only seems to lower cholesterol, though… and six grams a day (about one tablespoon) doesn’t appear to do either. That one tablespoon does, however, appear to improve the microbiome.

Study subjects randomized to eat bread enriched with 6 grams of wheat germ experienced an increase in the proportion of Bifidobacteria in their stool compared to those eating non-enriched wheat bread. I talked about the benefits of boosting Bifidobacteria with foods like apples and wild blueberries in How Not to Diet. A common constituent of commercial probiotics, Bifidobacteria are considered one of the proxies for a beneficial balance of good bugs in general. The prebiotic effects of wheat germ are consistent with a significant drop in stool pH, presumably due to enhanced production of short chain fatty acids. The only other clinical effect I could find was an improvement in pain, fatigue, headache and mood swings associated with painful periods in women randomized to a wheat germ extract

(From
Dr Greger’s book How Not to Die)

https://nutritionfacts.org/hnta-video/clinical-effects-of-wheat-germ/

12/04/2023

LUTEOLIN

Is an antioxidant useful for memory problems. It is effective for insulin resistance, obesity, neuromuscular issues, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The ALS and autism communities have adopted it with enthusiasm, citing its efficacy.

It calms microglia, the immune cells in the brain which cause a lot of damage through inflammation. Inflammation has been shown to cause death of brain cells known as neurons.

An October 2010 Journal of Nutrition article revealed that the flavonoid luteolin helps reduce inflammation in the brains of aged mice, which restored memory to levels observed in younger mice.

11/07/2023

CARNOSINE

This molecule occurs naturally in muscle tissue and helps protect the heart by reducing acid buildup. It also regulates metabolism of calcium in heart muscle cells which can help prevent dangerous heart rhythms. It may also protect the brain from damage when the heart develops congestive heart failure.

It is the only substance found to increase the lifespan of cells by increasing the maximum number of times that the cell can divide before it dies. So it is especially helpful in protecting the brain and the heart.

Its powerful antioxidant effects reduce the release of glutamate (we hate glutamate).

Finally, it protects from products of sugar metabolism (called "Advanced glycation end products"), improves wound healing, can heal gastric ulcers, and improves intestinal function.

I recommend 500 mg twice a day.

10/24/2023

SELENIUM:

This essential mineral is an integral component of powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory enzymes produced by the body. Selenium enhances the body's production of glutathione (the ultimate detoxifier). Selenium also improves resistance to infection. A study at the University of Arizona argues that selenium reduces the risk of breast and prostate cancers by half. This mineral also protects the brain from immune-system toxicity and helps prevent depression and other mood disorders. In the brain, selenium also helps to remove mercury. Throughout the body, selenium is used by glutathione peroxidase in the anti-oxidation process that removes dangerous hydrogen peroxide from cells.