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Dr. Earl Mindell's Common
Drugs With Dangerous Side Effects If you are taking any of these drugs, you should know about their dangerous side effects and their natural alternatives.
In the typical American household, it’s becoming more and more commonplace to open the medicine cabinet and see the shelves filled with dozens of different colored pill bottles—most of them prescription drugs. New ones are added each year to help with the ailments that seem to come with aging: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, blood sugar imbalances, depression, insomnia, digestive problems, osteoporosis, and allergies. Of course most people trust their doctor’s advice and feel confident that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the government’s own consumer watchdog agency, is protecting them by testing these drugs carefully before giving approval for their use by the public. Don’t Be Fooled Many FDA-approved drugs are ineffective, unnecessary, and unsafe. They come with a slew of uncomfortable and dangerous side effects, including digestive upsets and headaches, liver and kidney impairment, and dependency. In some cases, they actually cause the very symptoms they are supposed to cure. Once you’re on one drug, you need others drugs to fix the side effects of the first one, putting you on what I call the prescription drug treadmill, draining your pockets and severely compromising your quality of life. You may need help as you age, but not that kind of help. In case you’re not convinced, these statistics tell it all: § A University of Arizona study estimates that 28 percent of hospitalizations are due to prescription drug-related problems. § An FDA report recently showed that 938,000 injuries are caused each year by mistakes made prescribing and dispensing these drugs. § An article in the Journal of American Medical Association reports that in hospitals alone, prescription drugs kill 140,000 people every year. § Prescription drugs are the fourth-leading cause in death in the U.S. today. Contrary to popular belief, the FDA does not have your health as its only priority when it works closely with the pharmaceutical industry. The government agency commonly staffs its advisory boards with research scientists and consultants who have drug company ties to the very drugs under investigation. Operating with budgets in the billions of dollars, the drug companies now pitch their medications directly to the public, spending big bucks on advertising so you will ask your doctor for a drug you saw in a glossy magazine. It’s possible that your doctor has already received a visit from a pharmaceutical agent and been persuaded to sign up for a contest to win a free vacation in the Caribbean—if only he’ll prescribe whatever drug that agent is currently pushing, whether you need it or not. The loser in all of this is you—the person who suffers from the sometimes fatal side effects of the drugs, or watches loved ones suffer, and continues to foot the bill for skyrocketing health insurance premiums and taxes to support the huge bureaucracy that dominates modern medicine today. How have we become so caught up what appears to be a dangerous and corrupt approach to health care in America today? I attribute this trend to what I call the “pill-popping mindset,” a belief that if we can just find the right “magic bullet” to target a disease, we can fix the problem. The underlying condition—what caused the symptoms in the first place—is rarely looked at by either your doctor or the researchers bent on a cure. In fact, the real cause may well be masked when symptoms are reduced or eliminated by a prescription drug. I don’t mean to imply that prescription drugs are completely useless. Antibiotics save lives, and we’re all grateful for strong pain medications for surgery or for times when we are healing from wounds, chronic back pain, or debilitating headaches. But the problem arises when we expect all drugs to provide us with a magical, quick answer to complex problems that need our closer attention. The first step away from the pill-popping mindset is to start thinking in terms of lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced, whole foods diet and getting regular exercise. You may be surprised to know that there are many natural alternatives to prescription drugs, including diet, herbs, nutritional supplements, and natural hormones, that have been proven through medical testing to be at least as effective as the drugs your doctor gives you, without the harmful side effects. Some of these alternatives are preventative, while others target specific illnesses and their causes. I have been a Registered Pharmacist for over 30 years, yet I am a fierce advocate for finding natural alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, which is why I wrote this report. You can kick the habit of prescription drugs with the help of my suggestions in this report. Start enjoying a better quality of life and stop spending your money to support an industry that does not have your health at heart. Who knows—with the money you save, you may be taking that Caribbean vacation yourself! Heart Drugs And Their Natural Alternatives Heart disease claims more lives than any other disease in America. Of the estimated 12 million people who have coronary artery disease, 1.1 million have heart attacks each year and about 500,000 of them die, including the 250,000 who die of a heart attack before they can get to a hospital. Just to give you some perspective, the number of heart disease-related deaths in the U.S. annually is the equivalent of six jumbo jets crashing every day. It’s true that death rates from heart disease have declined steadily since the 1960s, thanks to advances made in surgical by-pass procedures. But since then, the cost of heart disease has risen just as steadily. According to a 1999 study from the National Center for Health Statistics, $127 billion was spent on treating heart disease and related circulatory diseases in 1995. If you are at risk because of a family history of heart disease, a recent coronary event, or high blood pressure and high cholesterol readings, you may want to explore some less costly and safer approaches to treating heart disease than are available through prescription drugs. But first, what is heart disease and how does it lead to a fatal heart attack? Your heart is a powerful muscle, working at a steady, rhythmic pace every second of every day of every year. The fuel for all of this activity is delivered by the blood flowing through the coronary arteries, the vessels that surround the heart, to supply the nutrients and oxygen your heart needs to carry on. If the flow is stopped, the heart muscle starves, its powerful rhythmic motion is disrupted, and you suffer from a stroke or possibly a fatal heart attack. Several factors stop the flow of blood to the heart. Arteries get old and less elastic with age, and waxy plaque is deposited on artery walls, narrowing the passageway for blood to flow through. Over time, this process may lead to chest pain, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of body tissues. Then it may be only a matter of time before dangerous blood clots close off an artery completely, causing a stroke or heart attack. Most people think that high cholesterol and high blood pressure cause heart disease, and that if we had a magic bullet to eliminate them, the problem would be solved. But the truth is high cholesterol and high blood pressure are more likely indicators that heart disease exists, not underlying causes. The only way to cure heart disease is to address those factors that put you at risk, making your arteries vulnerable to blocked blood flow in the first place. One of these risk factors is high levels of homocysteine, a by-product of protein metabolism in the body. Homocysteine damages blood vessels and so encourages the buildup of “bad” cholesterol as plaques. High levels can be a stronger indicator of heart disease than either cholesterol or blood pressure. According to one study, if your homocysteine levels are just 20 percent above normal, your risk of heart disease is significantly increased. Fortunately for everyone, homocysteine levels can be easily and inexpensively managed by increasing your intake of B-complex vitamins, found in whole grains such as whole wheat, rye, and millet, and leafy greens such as bok choy, spinach, kale, and green chard. I also recommend that as an ongoing preventive measure, you take a daily multivitamin that contains 400 mcg of folic acid, 50 mg of vitamin B6, and 100 mcg of B12. Another risk factor has to do with a process called oxidation, a normal and important part of your body’s metabolism. Oxidation can cause damage when it results in the over production of free radicals, unbalanced molecules that increase when you are exposed to pollutants such as smog, cigarette smoke, pesticides, and food additives. In their attempt to become balanced, free radicals scavenge your tissues and organs, ripping into cell walls and weakening the walls of your arteries to encourage the build up of LDL (bad) cholesterol and set the stage for clotting, stroke and heart attacks. You can control free-radical damage by eating foods containing antioxidants, substances that prevent excessive oxidation. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains are rich sources of antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and E. In addition, studies have shown that vitamin E dissolves blood clots, helps lower blood pressure, may inhibit atherosclerosis when combined with selenium, and is important for the health of the entire cardiovascular system. This was shown to be true in a study of over 87,000 female nurses who took 100 IU or more of vitamin E daily over a two-year period and reduced their risk of heart disease by 41 percent. Lack of sufficient magnesium in your diet will increase your risk of heart disease. A fresh, whole food diet will help you increase your levels of this mineral, which is essential for prevention and treatment of any heart disorder. It’s well-known that when people arrive at the emergency room with a heart attack, and they are given intravenous magnesium right away, they have a better chance of survival. Supplemental magnesium can prevent muscle spasms that contribute to angina pain, keep heartbeat regular, keep blood flowing smoothly, keep cholesterol under control, and maintain normal blood pressure. Get magnesium from whole grains, legumes, bran, almonds and peanuts, and broccoli, as well as chocolate, or take a daily supplement in doses of 300 to 500 mg. Other basic guidelines to follow for heart health are to keep your intake of alcohol moderate, and get regular exercise. Eat plenty of fresh garlic or take garlic supplements to reduce fibrinogen, a protein in the blood that causes clotting. Avoid exposure to pesticides, solvents, glues, dyes, paints, and PCBs, which create free-radical damage to your tissues when they accumulate in the body, and drink eight to ten glasses of pure, filtered water daily to flush toxic substances from your blood and organs. You’re unlikely to hear about many of these heart-healthy measures from your doctor. Instead, you are likely to be given costly, dangerous drugs that treat your symptoms but don’t prolong your life. Before I tell you how you can prevent—or reverse—heart disease with natural, alternative methods, let’s look at what the multi-million dollar drug industry is offering as its “cure” for these conditions. Drugs For Arrhythmia, Angina, And Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Arrhythmia (irregular heart beat), angina (chest pain) and congestive heart failure are all signs of a weakened heart that can’t pump enough blood to supply the body’s tissues adequately. One of the leading drugs used to treat arrhythmia and CHF is Lanoxin, the brand name for the generic drug digoxin. Lanoxin belongs to a class of drugs derived from the plant Digitalis pupurea and Digitalis lanata, otherwise known as floxglove, and has a strengthening effect on the heart muscle, enabling it to pump more blood. Commonly prescribed for irregular heartbeat, digitalis drugs can also cause it. Other negative side effects include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and stomach pain—all effects that are the result of too high a dosage. Since dosage levels are easily increased by interactions with other drugs and certain foods, it’s important to tell your doctor what medications you are taking, and watch dietary intake of fat, which tends to elevate this drug’s effect. Angina pain is often treated by nitrate drugs, such as amyl nitrate, taken when you have an attack of chest pain rather than for prevention. Sometimes called “nitroglycerine,” these drugs quickly reduce or relieve spasms in the heart muscle, thereby opening up blood vessels and reducing blood pressure to save you from a heart attack. There are no specific natural alternatives to replace the nitrates, but you can wean yourself from needing to use them as you take other measures to reduce your angina. Common side effects of these drugs are fainting upon standing, rebound angina and hypertension, and severe headaches. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Arrhythmia, Angina, And CHF You can eliminate or reduce angina pain, arrhythmia, and CHF with the following natural supplements and herbs that relax and strengthen your heart muscle. Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) A vital enzyme in your body, CoQ10 catalyzes the production of energy in cells. When taken as a supplement, it has been proven to protect and strengthen the heart, and to lower blood pressure. One study showed that heart patients consistently demonstrated low blood levels of CoQ10, improving when they received only 30 mg per day of CoQ10. In another double-blind test, CoQ10 was found to be more effective in reducing or eliminating angina pain than prescription drug medications. You can take CoQ10 in gel capsule form, which is much stronger than the powder, at 30 to 60 mg up to three times a day with meals. If you are taking medication for angina, you may want to consult with your doctor to reduce your dosage when you start on a regimen of CoQ10. L-arginine If you are taking nitroglycerine for angina attacks, you will want to know about the powerful affects of L-arginine, an amino acid plentiful in foods such as meat, poultry, dairy products, and wheat germ, that works to open blood vessels and reduce the potential for spasms. It may not act as quickly as nitroglycerine does, but when you supplement with arginine, the physiological process that dilates vessels is the same. Nitroglycerine drugs are dramatic, causing dizziness as blood pressure plummets, but arginine has a slower effect. Arginine also lowers bad LDL cholesterol levels, inhibits the absorption of fats in the diet, and has antioxidant effects. I recommend using L-arginine as a supplement to prevent angina. Arginine is generally safe when taken in doses of 1500 mg twice daily with or without food. If you are taking migraine drugs, nitroglycerine or impotence drugs, be sure to consult your doctor before adding arginine to your regimen. Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus Oxyacantha) This herb is a traditional heart tonic, currently used widely in Europe for angina relief and to lower blood pressure. Hawthorn berry is rich in bioflavonoids, which strengthen blood vessels and act as a vasodilator to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. It comes in capsule or tincture forms, or in combination with other supplements. If you’re already on heart medication, consult your doctor, as hawthorn berry, while non-toxic and safe, can be very effective and reduce your need for drugs. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition diagnosed for 50 million Americans, yet less than half of these are treated successfully through conventional drugs. Drug companies spend millions of dollars on advertising for medications that are promoted to cure high blood pressure, hoping to scare people into taking drugs at the slightest sign of blood pressure elevation. But unless you are among the few who have high blood pressure due to genetics or an illness such as kidney disease, your condition is almost always caused by diet and lifestyle choices, and taking medication can only “Band-Aid” your symptoms temporarily. Simply speaking, blood pressure is the amount of pressure exerted by blood against your artery walls, and is measured during the beating of your heart. The higher systolic pressure reading is taken during a contraction of the heart muscle, and the lower diastolic pressure during relaxation of the heart muscle. Obesity is by far the leading cause of high blood pressure, and aging is the second leading cause. As you age, your blood vessels lose some of their elasticity, making them less able to expand as blood pressure varies, and possibly causing damage to the vessel walls. Also, the buildup of plaque on the interior surfaces of the artery walls can contribute to further narrowing and blockage, causing pressure in the vessels to soar. Stress is also a leading cause of high blood pressure, and any adult with this symptom should be doing whatever is necessary to manage stress better. A normal reading for an adult is 130 (systolic) over 85 (diastolic), but if you’re over 60, a reading that has climbed gradually as high as 180 over 100 is natural and not a cause for concern. However, if you have a family history of high blood pressure and you are not exercising, eating poorly, smoking or drinking, living with high stress or have heart or lung disease, or diabetes, and you have a high reading, you may want to make some changes to avoid setting yourself up for a heart attack. At a recent American Heart Association meeting, it was reported that, without treatment, one percent of people with high blood pressure have complications of heart attack, but with treatment by a common heart drug, that incidence actually increased by 60 percent. Unless you’re under the age of 60 and your blood pressure is severe, don’t count on drugs to do much for saving your life. If you’re in your 70s, studies have shown that anti-hypertensive drugs do more harm than good, even if your blood pressure is as high as 220/120. This means that blood pressure drugs really only work for a small segment of people between the ages of 60 and 70. Blood pressure-lowering medications include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers. All of these have potentially dangerous side effects, and should be taken only as a last resort. If you’re a man, anti-hypertensive drugs can impair your sex life, causing erectile dysfunction as a result of altering blood flow. The most common blood pressure drugs are the diuretics, such as Lasix (furosemide), which act by causing you to urinate more, thus reducing the volume of blood in vessels by reducing its water content. The problem with Lasix and some other diuretics is that you lose minerals in your urine that are necessary for good heart function, such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium, as well as vital B vitamins. Other possible side effects are loss of appetite, gout, vision problems, digestive problems, headaches, skin problems, and restlessness. Beta-blockers, such as Tenorimin (atenolol), Sectral (acebutolol), Lopressor (metoprolol), and Inderal (propranolol) lower blood pressure by weakening the force of the heartbeat to reduce the surge of blood with each beat. These drugs can actually cause congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and asthma, and they may make blood vessel problems worse. They have dozens of adverse effects which are listed on the drug information insert. ACE Inhibitors, such as Capoten (captopril), Lotensin (benazepril), Vasotec (enalapril), Accupril (quinapril), Zestril (lisinopril), and Cozaar (losartan) lower blood pressure by suppressing body signals that cause a rise in blood pressure. This is great when blood pressure needs lowering, but puts you at a real disadvantage if you need to exert yourself. Another problem is that body tissues that need blood are deprived of it and produce waste products that cause the heart to beat faster (raise the pressure) in order for more blood to be delivered to the site. This worsens the very situation the drugs are aimed at remedying. If the deprived tissues are in the brain, then a stroke is possible. Side effects of these drugs include a persistent cough that causes loss of sleep and the need for yet more drugs to suppress the cough and treat the insomnia. As is common with all drugs that lower blood pressure, you may experience headaches, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, rash, vision, and taste disturbances. Some ACE inhibitors have been known to cause breast enlargement in men. Calcium channel blockers such as Norvasc (amlodipine), Cardizem (diltiazem), Vascor (bepridil), and Procardia (nifedipine) work by blocking the flow of calcium in and out of heart cells, thus preventing rapid smooth muscle contractions resulting in lower blood pressure. These drugs are newer, costlier, and more widely prescribed than other blood pressure drugs, yet are also among the most dangerous. New research is showing they do not prevent heart attack and may even increase the risk of death. In a study presented at the meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in August, 2000, it was shown that for patients using calcium channel blockers, risk of heart failure was 26 percent higher than for those using diuretics, beta-blockers, or ACE inhibitors. Again, many people report a nagging cough, in addition to irregular heartbeat, dangerously low blood pressure, overly slowed heart rate, congestive heart failure, heart attack, gastrointestinal bleeding, damage to liver and kidneys, and reduced immunity. Natural Alternatives To High Blood Pressure Drugs I don’t recommend taking any high blood pressure medication unless it’s absolutely the last resort. First, try to bring your reading down by changing diet and lifestyle for at least six months. If you smoke, stop, and if you are more than 30 pounds overweight, start by taking the weight off. That alone will drop points in your blood pressure reading, and the way to do it is through exercise and laying off the sugar and refined carbohydrates. Couch potatoes have a 34 percent higher risk of developing hypertension than people who are active. A brisk half hour walk three or four times a week can make a difference, dropping blood pressure from three to 15 points in three months. Eat Blood Pressure-lowering Foods Eating salt does not raise blood pressure in most people. A small percentage of the population is genetically susceptible to having blood pressure rise due to excess salt, but for more people it doesn’t cause a problem unless it is consumed in extreme excess. However, many Westerners are chronically low in potassium. You can raise your potassium intake by eating bananas, apples, avocados, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and apricots. Fresh celery, as much as four stalks a day has been known to significantly reduce blood pressure. Try drinking a fresh carrot/celery juice mix daily. A diet of highly processed food can cause imbalance between sodium, potassium, and magnesium—all fluid regulators that are missing in the modern convenience diet. When we eat at Mother Nature’s table—whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, meat, and fish—our ratio of these three minerals comes into balance and blood pressure naturally goes down. Supplement Your Diet With Herbs Heart-healthy ginkgo biloba, well-known as a memory enhancer, has been shown to relax the walls of contracted blood vessels, opening them up to provide enhanced circulation. Ginkgo also thins the blood by inhibiting platelet clumping, which allows the blood to flow more easily through arteries, veins, and capillaries, supplying the heart with vital nutrients. Parsley oil and dandelion extracts are two other herbal remedies that lower blood pressure by acting as a diuretic. Identify Other Medications That May Be Elevating Your Blood Pressure Many of the common drugs you depend upon for other conditions can cause high blood pressure, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, Prednisone, osteoporosis drugs, nasal decongestants, headache drugs, and anti-anxiety prescription drugs (Valium, Ativan, and Xanax). In women, excess estrogen from hormone replacement therapy can cause edema, or water weight, to raise blood pressure. Stress causes the release of adrenal hormones which automatically raise blood pressure. Managing your reaction to stressful situations—driving during rush hour, dealing with work deadlines, handling family upsets—by seeking the help of a friend or trusted counselor, taking up yoga, or learning relaxation techniques—can bring increased well-being, and that translates to lower blood pressure. Take stress-reducing herbs such as kava and ginseng, instead of drinking coffee or caffeinated teas, which tend to cause the adrenal glands to repeatedly produce stress hormones. High cholesterol is a common diagnosis in most Westernized societies, setting off an alarm that heart disease and heart attack are just around the corner. But contrary to the simple explanations drug companies are hoping you believe, high levels of cholesterol do not cause heart disease, and simply lowering cholesterol will not make heart disease go away. Researchers at the University of Illinois recently showed that in patients who had bypass surgery for serious blockage, up to 50 percent had cholesterol readings of below 200, supposedly an indicator of excellent cardiovascular health. In other words, total cholesterol count alone is not a reliable indicator of heart disease. What part does cholesterol play in heart disease? Cholesterol is a fat-like material found in the brain, nerves, blood, bile and liver. It is an essential component in producing your stress and sex hormones—cortisone, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA—and in maintaining nerve function, as well as other important bodily processes. The damage to blood vessels occurs when oxidized cholesterol is deposited on artery walls, not simply cholesterol itself. Oxidation, you may recall, is the process by which free-radical damage occurs, making vessels vulnerable to the build up of substances called plaques. Oxidized bad LDL cholesterol is the real culprit in heart disease, not merely the deposits on artery walls of cholesterol itself. The cholesterol-lowering drugs may do a quick job of decreasing your cholesterol count, but there’s little evidence that they will make you live longer or reduce your risk of a heart attack, unless you are extremely ill. Bile-blocking cholesterol drugs, such as Questran (cholestryamine) and Colestid (colestipol HCL) work mainly by blocking production of bile, a substance released by the liver to increase the absorption of fats, and by blocking the production of cholesterol. They are especially hard on the liver, making it work overtime to take up more cholesterol from the blood. They also lower levels of vitamin E, causing a deficiency which is a known factor in heart disease. Bile-blockers also deplete folic acid, which in turn raises homocysteine levels, another risk factor for heart disease. Most alarming are the results of studies showing that rats given Questran grew cancerous tumors. Cholesterol-blockers, or statins, marketed under the names Lipitor (atovastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) work by blocking the enzyme needed to make cholesterol in the body. They are among the most widely prescribed of all drugs, with full FDA approval, yet there are no long-term studies to show the safety or effectiveness of these drugs. Side effects include liver damage, stomach ulcers, and rhabdomolysis, a disease that destroys muscle tissue. Statins block the production of coenzyme Q10, a substance in your body that is essential to a healthy heart and muscles. Once again, we see a drug given to reverse heart disease, but which instead robs you of your natural defenses against it. The smartest thing you can do is avoid cholesterol-lowering drugs, unless you are at high risk for an imminent heart attack due to clogged arteries. If you’ve been taking cholesterol-lowering medication, there’s plenty you can do to reverse your heart disease. Natural Alternatives To Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Even the American Heart Association advises that the first step in lowering cholesterol should be a vigorous attempt to improve diet and get more exercise, a recommendation that sadly is rarely passed on when your doctor writes you a prescription. Eat Foods That Protect Your Heart Make sure you get plenty of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains, nonfat yogurt, and high quality protein such as fish, chicken and lean red meat. Fruits and vegetables are high in the B-complex vitamins which protect against dangerous homocysteine levels. Broccoli, spinach, and beets are good sources of methyl groups, which help in the metabolic cleansing of toxins like homocysteine from your cells. Fruits and vegetables are also high in antioxidants, the natural artery roto-rooters to prevent clogging that leads to heart attack. The cholesterol-busting foods you want to be sure and eat are apples, berries—especially blueberries and raspberries—Brewer’s yeast, carrots, fish, eggplant, grapefruit, legumes, oat bran, onions, and prunes. Eat more fiber from unprocessed, whole foods. Fiber binds to bile acids in the intestines just like the bile-blocking drugs do. Add fiber supplementally by taking soluble and insoluble fiber with water. Avoid Bad Fats The best diet for lowering cholesterol is one low in sugar and refined carbohydrates. Also avoid trans-fatty acids from margarine and the partially hydrogenated oils found in cookies, cakes, chips, French fries and almost all other processed foods. Instead, get your dietary fat from olive oil and fish oil. Cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring contain plenty of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Both olive and fish oil can actually lower LDL cholesterol; fish oil can increase your HDL, or good, cholesterol. A recent study compared extra-virgin olive oil with other vegetable oils and found that those who ate only olive oil reduced high blood pressure medication dosage by half, some participants going off drugs completely. Don’t worry about eating foods high in cholesterol, because eating these foods will not raise cholesterol levels unless you have a liver problem. The body manufactures about 75 percent of its own cholesterol, and the rest we get from food; any more from the diet is broken down by the liver and excreted. Enjoy that omelet, but still, even with a healthy liver, don’t go overboard and tax your body’s natural system for eliminating cholesterol. When it comes to fat, avoid the “fake” fats (partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils), avoid vegetable oils (because they’re almost always rancid by the time you get them and cause oxidation), and eat other fats and oils in moderation. Get Friendly With Soy The humble soybean has been a staple food in Asian countries for 5000 years, making it no coincidence that Japanese men have the lowest death rate from heart conditions in the world. Research has shown that soy proteins and isoflavones, the phytochemicals contained in soy, work to keep arteries clean and clear in many different ways. Soy’s effectiveness to lower cholesterol may be due to its antioxidant properties, which enable it to reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol. It’s also been shown that soy in the diet blocks the enzyme needed to make cholesterol in the body, an action similar to that of the statin drugs without the side effects. In addition to fighting high cholesterol, the soy isoflavone genistein helps prevent blood from excessive clotting and maintains blood fluidity. You can get at least 25 grams of soy per day by eating tofu, tempeh, miso, or soy protein powder in smoothies. To get tips on how to eat more soy in your daily diet, refer to my book, Earl Mindell’s Soy Miracle (Simon and Schuster, 1995), which includes 70 great recipes based on soy foods. Eat Plenty Of Garlic The newest research about this odiferous herb shows that garlic eaten fresh and as a supplement dramatically decreases the build up of plaque deposits in the arteries. It seems this effect is due to garlic’s potent antioxidant abilities, which prevent the free-radical damage to LDL cholesterol that sets the stage for blocked and clogged arteries. Garlic also protects against narrowing of the arteries by reducing the tendency of blood to clump or clot. Add garlic to your diet or take it in supplement form, making sure you get at least 0.6 percent allicin, the active compound, in your extract. Get Plenty Of Antioxidants The antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E play a key role in protecting the lipid layer of cell membranes in artery walls. Remember, the problem is not how high your cholesterol reading is, but how badly oxidized it is. Vitamin E is especially protective, as it prevents LDL cholesterol from being oxidized by free radicals in your blood. In one study, ingesting 800 IU daily brought a 26 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol production. To add more vitamin E to your diet, eat foods that contain healthy fats, like whole grains, nuts, seeds, greens, vegetable oils, eggs, and avocados. When buying supplemental vitamin E, it’s important to make sure you’re getting natural vitamin E as opposed to the cheaper, synthetic version. The labeling is subtle, so watch out: look for d-alpha tocopherol, not dl-alpha tocopherol, to make sure you’re getting natural vitamin E. There are also several types of natural vitamin E, but I prefer alpha-tocopherol succinate, because this form of vitamin E is the most easily absorbed by your body. Take up to 800 IU of vitamin E daily as part of your cholesterol management plan. Be careful though, if you are taking the drug Coumadin (warfarin) to prevent blood clots forming inside blood vessels. Glutathione Glutathione is a tiny protein in your body. It is a powerful neutralizer of free radicals, acting as a front-line defense for preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Glutathione levels drop as we age, so the best way to raise glutathione levels is by taking the supplemental amino acid N-acetyl cysteine, (500 mg three times a day), which is necessary for your body to make glutathione. Foods sources with high levels of cysteine are onions, garlic, yogurt, wheat germ, and red meat. Take Niacin Supplements A member of the B-complex family, niacin, or vitamin B3, is proven as an effective, natural alternative to statin drugs in its ability to lower bad LDL cholesterol, raise good HDL, and balance blood fats. New research has proven niacin safe if you have diabetes in addition to high cholesterol, and are concerned about balancing blood sugar. Niacin is also a vasodilator, which means it expands the blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach the heart. This may cause a sudden flushing sensation of heat and tingling, usually in the hands and face. To avoid this unsettling side effect, take a “no-flush” form of niacin, inositol hexanicotinate. Begin with 50 mg twice a day and work up gradually to 400 mg three times a day (or whatever the highest dose you can take without flushing is, up to 400 mg daily). If you are taking nicotinic acid, tell your doctor about inositol hexanicotinate, which is the same thing in a safer form. Several Herbal Remedies Showing Potential As Cholesterol Busters Gugulipid (Commiphora Mukul) Often called “gugul,” this herbal extract has been used medicinally in India for over 2000 years to treat arthritis and obesity. In clinical trials, gugul was shown to raise HDL by 35 percent, lower overall cholesterol by 27 percent, and triglycerides (blood fats) by 30 percent. The recommended dose of this safe supplement is 200 mg, up to four times a day. Red Yeast Rice Extract (Monascus Purpureus) Used traditionally in Chinese medicine to boost heart health, red yeast rice lowers cholesterol through natural chemicals that act like the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. But unlike the drugs, the rice extract poses very little risk of adverse effects. Clinical studies done at major universities show it be a very potent cholesterol fighter. However, if you have had liver disease, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not use red yeast rice. Doses of 1200 mg twice day are therapeutic. Green Tea Extract Available in tablet form or as a beverage, green tea extract has active ingredients called polyphenols that prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, raise good HDL levels, and lower blood fats. Grape Seed Extract This herbal supplement works specifically to stop LDL cholesterol from being formed and deposited on artery walls. Capsicum The common household spice, cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutenscens), has an active ingredient known as capsaicin. It is an effective cholesterol buster when taken in capsules as a supplement, or sprinkled liberally on food. However, don’t take capsicum with ACE inhibitors (Lotensin, Zestril, Accupril) because it may make the persistent cough that often accompanies these medications worse. And don’t forget that regular physical exercise—half an hour, four or five days a week—raises the good HDL. Drugs For The Digestive Tract And Their Natural Alternatives Your health and vitality depend on how well your digestive system functions. If you have digestive problems, the food you eat will not be properly absorbed, leading to nutritional deficiencies, lack of energy, and a host of other problems. Fortunately, most common digestive problems can be handled by a simple change in lifestyle or eating habits, once you understand the essentials for a maintaining a healthy digestive tract. In most cases, drugs for digestive disorders treat the symptoms alone, and either fail to address, or even exacerbate, the underlying cause of the problem. Let’s look at the major types of drugs for digestive disorders and what you can do to avoid them. Drugs For Stomach Acid, Heartburn, And Ulcers The drug companies that make antacids and drugs like Tagamet and Zantac want you to believe that excessive stomach acid production is the cause of heartburn or ulcers. Actually, the opposite is usually the cause; too little hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Stomach acid is a vital part of good digestion; it kills bacteria and parasites, and breaks down essential nutrients in your food so that they can be absorbed in the small intestine. When there is insufficient stomach acid, your digestion slows down and your food doesn’t move along into the small intestine. This leads to heartburn as the stomach pushes partially digested food mixed with stomach acid back up into the esophagus. Unlike the stomach, which is protected from stomach acid by a powerful mucous lining, your esophagus is not equipped to handle this industrial strength acid. Hence, the painful burning sensation in the chest, only too well known to those who suffer from heartburn. There are many factors that can cause a low secretion of stomach acid, including drinking icy cold liquids with a meal. As we age, our production of hydrochloric acid slows down, and most people over age 50 don’t make enough stomach acid for thorough digestion of their food. In the case of ulcers, we now know that a bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori is the culprit, not excess stomach acid. This bacteria actually suppresses stomach acid and eats holes in the stomach’s protective mucous lining. We also know that an estimated one third of all bleeding ulcers are caused by regular use of NSAID drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. It’s tempting to head for the medicine cabinet when you have painful heartburn or indigestion, but before you do, here’s what you need to know about the drugs commonly prescribed for these problems. H2 Blockers This is a class of drugs that was designed to reduce acid production in the stomach by blocking histamine receptor sites, and originally developed as anti-ulcer drugs. Now, they are typically sold over the counter as a remedy for heartburn, under the brand names Tagamet (cimetidine), Pepcid (famotidine), Axid (nizatidine) and Zantac (ranitidine). If you already have an ulcer, it might be appropriate to use one of these drugs while you are eradicating the bacterial infection that causes it, but if your problem is heartburn, these drugs will actually make your digestive problems worse in the long run. Because they further reduce your already depleted stomach acid, H2 blockers interfere with your ability to absorb critical nutrients that require hydrochloric acid to break them down in your food. H2 blockers commonly cause deficiencies in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B12. Because the valve that opens to allow food to pass from the stomach into the small intestine is triggered by the right amount of stomach acid, too little acid causes food to sit undigested in the stomach, resulting in more heartburn. Once again, this is a case of the “cure” making the problem worse. Another problem with acid-blocking drugs is that they often mask the symptoms of an ulcer as it continues to progress. Each of these individual drugs has its own side effects as well. Zantac interferes with the liver’s ability to detoxify any other drugs you may be taking and can cause severe headaches, fatigue, diarrhea, stomach pain, and itching. Pepcid has similar side effects and should not be used if you have kidney or liver problems. Tagamet use has been associated with impotence, and there is some evidence that it may impair male fertility. It can also aggravate joint symptoms in patients with arthritis. Proton Pump Inhibitors This class of drugs is even more powerful at suppressing stomach acid production because these drugs actually interfere with the cellular mechanism that pumps acid into the stomach. The most often prescribed drugs in this category are Prilosec (omeprazole) and Prevacid (lansoprazole). Like the H2 blockers, they complicate digestive problems even more by reducing available stomach acid. Common side effects from these drugs include headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, weakness, upper respiratory infection, rash, cough, and back pain. Antacids Most Americans pop antacids like candy; they are some of the biggest selling over-the-counter drugs. Antacids like Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums will do the job of neutralizing painful stomach acid for up to an hour, relieving the immediate symptoms of heartburn. The problem is, an hour later your stomach may pump out an even greater quantity of acid to make up for it, and you’re back reaching for another antacid. Some people become dependent on antacids in this way. It’s dangerous to neutralize your stomach acid with any frequency. Remember your stomach acid is what protects you from harmful bacteria. Antacids also interfere with the action of the enzyme, pepsin, which makes it difficult for you to digest proteins. Antacids that contain magnesium may cause diarrhea, while those containing aluminum can cause constipation and intestinal blockage. High blood levels of aluminum have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Both aluminum- and magnesium-based antacids rob your body of calcium, resulting in weakened bones. The antacids that contain calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate can lead to “milk-alkali syndrome,” the symptoms of which include headache, nausea, irritability, weakness, and kidney damage. You should definitely think twice about using antacids regularly if you have hypertension, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, or a recent gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Stomach Acid And Heartburn There are some simple steps you can take to avoid stomach disturbances like belching, heartburn, and bloating without resorting to medication. Avoid Trigger Foods Avoid overeating and steer clear of the foods that trigger heartburn, including fried or fatty foods, margarine, nuts, chocolate, mayonnaise, tomatoes, citrus juices, carbonated soft drinks, alcohol, and caffeine. Don’t drink hot or cold liquids with your meal. Don’t eat on the run or run after you eat. Actually, wait at least an hour after you eat before doing any kind of exercise. And, don’t lie down for a nap after a meal. Drink Enough Water Make sure you drink at least eight to ten glasses of pure, filtered water a day. Water helps to protect the mucous lining in the stomach. Drink a glass when you get up in the morning and one or two glasses a half hour before you eat. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water (make sure it’s at room temperature) a half hour before eating to help increase stomach acid. Take Digestive Enzymes Digestive enzymes are essential to break the food you eat down into its basic components so that the nutrients are available to the body. Poorly digested food causes gas, bloating, heartburn, and a host of other complications. As you age, the body’s own production of digestive enzymes slows down, making it even more important to take digestive enzyme supplements. I recommend you use a supplement derived from 100 percent plant sources that includes the following digestive enzymes: § Amylase (breaks down carbohydrates) § Cellulose (breaks down cellulose) § Protease (breaks down proteins) § Lipase (breaks down fats) Look for a supplement that gives you at least 40,000 enzyme activity units in a 400 to 500 mg dose. Take one or two capsules right before each meal. Take Ginger Extract Ginger has been used as a digestive aid since ancient times. Several of the constituents of ginger help to balance the secretion of stomach acid and pepsin, rather than suppressing them as ulcer drugs do. Ginger also has the ability to speed up transit time through the digestive tract, while improving absorption in the small intestine. Ginger extract has demonstrated effectiveness in protecting the stomach lining from ulcers caused by alcohol and NSAIDs. It has long been used as a remedy for nausea and vomiting, whatever the cause. (For more information on ginger extract, please see the section titled “Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Arthritis.”) Alternatives To Drugs For Ulcers Discover The Cause If you have an ulcer, have your doctor give you a Helicobacter pylori IgG antibody blood test to determine if your ulcer is being caused by this pesky bacteria. If it is, this is one case where antibiotics are your best bet. The course of treatment is brief, and it will avoid long-term use of more dangerous ulcer medications. Do not take HCL supplements until your ulcer is healed, and definitely avoid irritants like coffee, alcohol, and NSAIDs. Incidentally, ginger also has antibiotic effects and can kill off many kinds of bacteria. It also enhances the effectiveness of prescription antibiotics. Using ginger extract for an ulcer is a good idea, even if you’re using antibiotics as well. Heal Your Stomach Ulcers With Soothing Plant Juices Some natural remedies for healing stomach ulcers include fresh cabbage juice and raw potato juice (mix them with carrot juice and drink daily), aloe vera juice, and licorice extract (use 300 mg four to six times a day for up to a week). Once your ulcer is healed, follow the suggestions in the other sections of this report to improve the overall health of your digestive tract. Drugs For Constipation Everyone experiences occasional constipation when our diet changes, or our daily routine gets disrupted during travel. Using the occasional laxative in these situations isn’t usually a problem. The real issue is with chronic constipation, which points to a more serious underlying problem. If you try to treat this problem with laxative drugs, you can become dependent on them. Drugs for constipation fall into several categories, all with different strategies to bring about a bowel movement. Saline laxatives like Epsom salts and Milk of Magnesia draw water into the intestines to soften feces. Unfortunately, they may alter the body’s fluid and electrolyte balance in the process. Drugs like Ex-Lax, Modane, and Medilax contain a variety of bowel irritants or stimulants (cascara sagrada, phenolphthalein, senns, bisacodul, or castor oil). These drugs stimulate the contractions of the intestinal walls, as well as altering water and electrolyte secretions. They are usually used in severe cases of constipation and evacuation is rapid. The danger occurs when these drugs are used too often, resulting in dehydration and dependency. Eventually, the colon may become unable to contract on its own. Bulk-producing laxatives like Metamucil, Mylanta Natural Fiber, Serutan, and others contain a variety of fibers like methylcellulose, psyllium, and polycarbophil. These fibers give bulk to the feces and cause them to absorb more water, making them softer and easier to evacuate. Psyllium is particularly useful in cases of irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon, and hemorrhoids. These bulk-producing agents are the safest form of laxatives, but be sure to take them with plenty of water to avoid any kind of stomach, intestinal, or rectal obstruction. Lubricants like castor oil and mineral oil are also used to treat constipation. These oils prevent water from the feces from being reabsorbed through the walls of the colon, so the feces don’t dry out. However, large doses of mineral oil can cause anal discomfort ranging from itching and irritation to hemorrhoids. Docusate is a surfactant found in variety of brand-name laxatives. This stool softener works by mixing fats with the contents of the colon, and is useful in cases of hemorrhoids or anal fissure where passing a firm stool is painful. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Constipation If you must use a laxative, bulk laxatives like psyllium are the safest choice for quick relief. However, chronic constipation in a sign that you need to change your diet and lifestyle habits. Here’s what you can do to get things moving. Drink More Water If you aren’t drinking enough water, your stools will be hard and dry. The strain that this causes can lead to hemorrhoids or anal tears and bleeding. Eat More Fiber This means adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to your diet. The average American consumes only half the recommended daily amount of fiber. If you’re having trouble getting enough fiber in your diet, you might try a fiber supplement. Look for one that includes both soluble and insoluble fiber from a variety of vegetable sources, legumes, and whole grains. The addition of friendly bacteria, and "green foods" to a fiber supplement can help cleanse your intestines of toxins. Take MSM Taking at least 2000 to 4000 mg of MSM daily can promote regularity, in addition to a multitude of other benefits. Take A Magnesium Supplement Taking magnesium draws water into the contents of your large intestine and relaxes the muscles of the intestinal walls. Taking 600 to 900 mg a day can help relieve constipation. In A Pinch, Try An Epsom Salts Bath Dump an entire box of Epsom salts (magnesium salts) into a hot bath, and soak for 20 minutes. Within a couple of hours, your bowels will be moving again. All of the natural alternatives recommended for irritable bowel syndrome, outlined below, can help to relieve chronic constipation including ginger extract, probiotic supplements, and aloe vera extract. Drugs For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis applied to a wide variety of chronic complaints including constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. If your digestion is not good, there is probably still some undigested food mixed in with waste products by the time they pass through your colon. The colon bacteria get to work breaking this undigested food down by fermenting it, causing gas and bloating. The key to the health of your colon is friendly bacteria known as probiotics, which do battle with foreign bacteria and keep fungal yeast overgrowths like Candida albicans under control, as well as manufacturing B vitamins and vitamin K which are then absorbed through the colon wall. When these healthy bacteria are depleted by prescription drugs like antibiotics and steroids, nutritional imbalances, or stress, the bad bacteria and yeasts take over. This can be the cause of symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation, as well as headaches, mental fogginess and joint pains. Please do some detective work to find the cause of your irritable bowel symptoms before you resort to medication; some of them can be deadly. The newest drug to hit the market for irritable bowel syndrome, Lotronex, has caused a scandal for the FDA. In the drug’s first eight months on the market, there were five deaths attributed to Lotronex. Other patients required surgery, one had a colon removed. Forty-nine patients who took Lotronex developed ischemic colitis, which can be life-threatening. A recent Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that one of the members of the FDA committee that authorized the fast-track approval of Lotronex was on the payroll of the drug company who manufactures it. Rather than taking the drug off the market until more safety studies could be done, the FDA simply required that pharmacists give Lotronex users a “warning pamphlet” on the potential risks associated with the drug. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Take Probiotic Supplements Probiotic supplements help reestablish and maintain helpful strains of bacteria, like lactobacillus, that keep your digestive system in balance. Millions of these beneficial micro-organisms live in your stomach and intestines. These friendly flora protect your intestines against an overgrowth of infection from fungi and yeasts, prevent constipation, and neutralize toxins that can lead to colon cancer. Use Ginger Extract Once again, ginger comes to the rescue! This soothing herb can calm abdominal cramping and helps the body regain the balance that stops diarrhea. If diarrhea is caused by parasites or bacteria, ginger can help take care of these unwanted guests. Extensive studies document the effectiveness of ginger in destroying most intestinal parasites and worms, along with their eggs. Ginger supports probiotic levels, increasing the numbers of these helpful bacteria. Ginger also helps avoid indigestion caused by incompletely digested food passing into the large intestine. It increases bile production, which improves fat digestion and speeds up transit time through the digestive tract. Try Aloe Vera Extract An extract of this thick-leafed succulent herb is particularly good for the digestive tract and has helped many people with irritable bowel symptoms, as well as constipation, by reducing bacterial putrefaction in the intestines. Because the aloe plant is 99.5 percent water, make sure you read labels to determine how much of the active ingredients are in the product you buy. Identify Food Allergies Irritable bowel syndrome is often caused by food allergies. An elimination diet is the best way to identify food allergies, I recommend that you contact the Environmental Health Center at www.ehdc.com to help you identify the source of your digestive sensitivities. Pain Relief And Arthritis Drugs And Their Natural Alternatives Pain is a natural part of life. In fact, it’s the body’s way of signaling you that there is something wrong that needs your immediate attention. Suppressing this warning signal by heading straight for the medicine cabinet every time you feel a twinge of pain may not only keep you from treating the source of the pain, but is most likely compounding the problem by causing other serious complications. Of course, no one should suffer unnecessarily from pain, and pain medication is appropriate in cases of acute or severe pain following surgery or an injury. However, chronic pain requires a different approach, if you want to avoid compromising your health. If you suffer from chronic pain, you are not alone; over 100 million Americans are in the same boat. Arthritis sufferers number 37 million. Over 30 million people suffer from painful headaches, 32 million from chronic back pain, and another 15 million from cancer-related pain. Consequently, sales of pain relievers bring in $30 billion a year for the drug companies. Manufacturers of over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, and aspirin spend millions of dollars in advertising convincing us that these drugs are a safe, effective way to deal with everything from the occasional headache, to migraines, arthritis, and menstrual cramps. In this case, what you don’t know will definitely hurt you. A 1998 study revealed that more than 107,000 Americans are hospitalized every year just from taking these over-the-counter pain relievers. In fact, one fifth of all suspected adverse drug reactions reported to the FDA are related to aspirin and ibuprofen-type drugs. The most tragic statistic is that more than 20,000 deaths each year are caused from complications related to these drugs. Whether you are taking over-the-counter pain killers or prescription drugs for arthritis, fibromyalgia, or migraine headaches, you owe it to yourself to find out more about the short- and long-term side effects of these dangerous drugs. Over-The-Counter Drugs For Pain Most people assume they can take over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen with safety. After all, doctors recommend daily dosages of aspirin as a preventive measure against heart disease. The truth is that these drugs have serious side effects and should never be taken for more than a few days in a row or more than a few days a month. NSAIDs Aspirin and ibuprofen-type drugs are known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). You probably know these drugs by their brand names—Advil, Motrin, Midol IB, or Nuprin (ibuprofen); Aleve (naproxen); or Orudis (ketoprofen). While these drugs are typically known to cause stomach upsets in some people, what often goes unrecognized is that prolonged use can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, erode the lining of the intestines causing “leaky gut” syndrome, or lead to peptic ulcers. In fact, researchers have found that taking one dose of ibuprofen causes you to bleed a teaspoon of blood. Combine that dose with a glass of beer, wine, or cocktail, and your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding increases four times. Your risk also increases if you combine NSAIDs with antidepressant drugs like Prozac or other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This family of drugs is also hard on your liver and kidneys and can cause hepatitis, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes, as well as a variety of urinary tract and kidney problems. Other possible side effects include itching, skin rashes, ringing in the ears, and dizziness. Ibuprofen-type drugs can cause muscle weakness or cramps, disturbances in vision and hearing, changes in blood pressure, a wide range of blood disorders, menstrual problems, and impotence and breast enlargement in men. Both aspirin and ibuprofen can prolong bleeding time by as much as three or four minutes, and for this reason should never be taken within one week of surgery. But what about those ads claiming an aspirin a day will keep a heart attack away? The fact is that aspirin poses more risks than benefits in healthy people. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice recently ordered Bayer to amend their aspirin ads to educate the public about aspirin’s risks including higher risk of ulcers, hemorrhagic stroke, kidney failure, asthma, and high blood pressure. Aspirin can also cause retinal detachment and blindness. The NSAIDs also block your cells’ ability to absorb vitamin C and rob your body of iron, folic acid, and potassium. These drugs can also deprive you of a good night’s sleep by interfering with your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycles. Just one dose of aspirin can cause a 75 percent reduction in melatonin production. You should also be aware that these presumably “safe,” over-the-counter NSAIDs can produce serious reactions in combination with other commonly prescribed drugs. You should also know that taking one aspirin an hour before an alcoholic drink can raise blood alcohol levels 26 percent above normal. Acetaminophen Most commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, acetaminophen is probably the most overused non-prescription drug on the market, as well as an ingredient in dozens of prescription and over-the-counter remedies for colds, flus, coughs, arthritis, and headaches. Tylenol relieves pain and reduces fever, but unlike the NSAIDs, it does not actually reduce inflammation. It is commonly thought to be a harmless alternative for those who are allergic to aspirin or have digestive upsets from ibuprofen-type drugs. However, it is far from harmless, putting excessive stress on the liver, and should therefore be used with caution. If you have any form of liver disease, or drink even one glass of alcohol daily, you should avoid acetaminophen altogether. The combination of this drug with alcohol can seriously damage your liver. The most tragic abuse of this drug is acetaminophen poisoning among children. Tylenol packaging for children recommends a dose of 4.5 to 7 mg per pound of body weight, with multiple doses averaging 23 to 34 mg per pound in a day. Reports to the FDA of children who had acetaminophen poisoning occurred at doses of 27 to 191 mg per pound per day. Over half of these reports resulted in death; others required liver transplants. These lethal doses are easily reached if a parent makes a mistake in their math or thinks a little more Tylenol will make their child feel better. If you must give your child Tylenol, calculate the dose carefully. Other possible side effects of acetaminophen include low white blood cell count, easy bruising and excessive bleeding, open sores, fever, jaundice, and hypoglycemic coma. Acetaminophen should never be taken in combination with certain drugs prescribed for heart conditions and depression. Drugs For Arthritis: Is the Cure Worse Than The Disease? In the process of trying to find a cure for arthritis, modern medicine has created an entirely new set of problems. An estimated 100,000 people are hospitalized each year due to the side effects of arthritis medications and 16,000 patients die from these complications. While these medications may temporarily take away the pain of arthritis, in the long run, they make the condition worse. Traditionally, the treatment for arthritis has involved liberal use of prescription-strength NSAIDs like Indocin (indomethacin), Relafen (nabumetone), Naproxyn (naproxen), or Clinoril (Sulindac). These NSAIDs reek havoc with the digestive system, causing gastrointestinal upset and bleeding. In natural medicine, there is a recognition of the close relationship between the health of your digestive system and the health of your joints. NSAIDs can cause what is known as “leaky gut” syndrome by eroding the walls of the intestines. This causes toxins to “leak” into the blood. Because some of these toxins resemble joint tissue, the body routes these toxins to the joints. The immune system then launches an attack on the toxins, indiscriminately destroying joint tissue in the process. This is thought to be one of the causes of rheumatoid arthritis. NSAIDs can also block the body’s own production of cartilage and increase the deterioration of cartilage cushioning the joints. This is a clear-cut case of the “cure” actually aggravating the disease. In a Norwegian study of 186 patients with arthritic hips, those patients taking the NSAID Indocin had far more rapid hip destruction than those taking no medication at all. Steroids For acute flare-ups of arthritis, doctors routinely prescribe a class of drugs known as steroids, such as Prednisone. While steroids are highly effective in reducing inflammation, their cost to your health far outweighs their benefits, making even short-term steroid therapy undesirable, and long-term steroid therapy unsafe. Use of steroids can lead to heart disease, eye problems, severe osteoporosis, and diabetes. Because steroids suppress the immune system, they leave you vulnerable to infection and contagious diseases. Just say “no” to steroids. Cox-2 Inhibitors The newest trend in arthritis drugs is a class of drugs called cox-2 inhibitors. The NSAIDs work to relieve the pain of inflammation by inhibiting the action of cox enzymes, short for cyclooxygenase. The cox enzymes fall into two categories, cox-1 and cox-2. Both convert stored fat into locally acting hormones, called prostaglandins. Cox-1 is responsible for making the prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining and kidneys, while cox-2 makes prostaglandins that inflame injured areas. It’s important to understand that inflammation, by itself, is not inherently bad. In fact, it’s a normal response to injury in an attempt to trigger the body’s repair process. When the cartilage surrounding a joint is damaged, the body sends out an SOS message that triggers the cox-2 enzymes into action. These enzymes start to burn stored fat, known as arachidonic acid, which releases prostaglandins as a byproduct. The prostaglandins act like a demolition team, breaking down the damaged cartilage so that it can be replaced by new, healthy cartilage. However, as we age, our body’s ability to regenerate damaged cartilage diminishes, and the injured cartilage is never fully healed. The body keeps calling for the demolition team, and the cox-2 enzymes keep churning out more prostaglandins. But instead of healing the injured joint, the cox-2 byproducts just cause more inflammation, ultimately destroying the cartilage they were sent to help regenerate. The problem with the NSAIDs is that they inhibit both cox-1 and cox-2 enzymes. They may put out the fire of inflammation ranging out of control, but in the process, they leave the stomach and kidneys vulnerable by reducing the action of cox-1 enzymes. The new focus of arthritis treatment has been to create drugs that selectively inhibit the action of the cox-2 enzymes. While this may sound like a reasonable strategy, the new drugs have failed to deliver on target. The first of these new cox-2 inhibitors, Celebrex (celecoxib), went on the market in 1999 with the promise of becoming the new “super aspirin.” Over 2.5 million people were prescribed Celebrex in its first three months on the market. Within months, there were ten deaths reported to the FDA from Celebrex, half of them due to gastro-intestinal hemorrhaging. Ulcers caused by this drug can occur suddenly without warning or symptoms. Side effects include skin rashes, mental confusion, cramps, and diarrhea. Research also suggests that patients who take Celebrex are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke. Celebrex suppresses a substance that keeps blood platelets from clumping together, increasing the risk of blood clots. The bottom line is that creating a drug that targets one highly specialized action in the body is rarely the solution, because the body is more complex than that. These “magic bullet” cures tend to ricochet, either missing the target, or causing a chain reaction of other problems, or both. This is the main difference between a single synthetic molecule like Celebrex, designed to do one thing, and an herbal remedy that may have hundreds of beneficial compounds all acting synergistically to support the body’s own healing process. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Arthritis No one should have to choose between the agony of chronic pain and the long-term side effects of dangerous drugs. Fortunately, there are safe, effective treatments for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions like fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraine headaches, and even menstrual cramps. Let’s look at the natural supplements you can take to promote good joint health, as well as reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Ginger Ginger has been in use as a culinary herb and herbal remedy for 5000 years and is Nature’s own anti-inflammatory. Today, science is unlocking the biochemical secrets of this illustrious herb, which contains over 400 different chemical compounds. Unlike a single-action drug, ginger is a comprehensive natural pharmacy packed into one exotic-looking root. The fruit of scientific research on this ancient herb has produced a ginger extract designed specifically to relieve arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Developed by a Danish researcher, the extract contains all of ginger's most potent anti-inflammatory ingredients. Unlike the cox-2 inhibitor drugs, ginger works by bringing pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory hormones into balance, stemming the runaway inflammatory cycle. Ginger also contains powerful antioxidants that help prevent the formation of toxic free radicals that further increase inflammation and damage joint tissue. The extract relieves pain naturally, by acting on the hormones that mediate the pain response. And unlike the NSAIDs, while it’s relieving your pain and inflammation, ginger is also improving the health of your digestive tract. (See the section titled “Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Stomach Acid And Heartburn” for more information on ginger’s digestive benefits.) In pilot studies of ginger extract in Denmark, patients with chronic joint discomfort noticed significant improvement after only three months of treatment, as compared to other patients taking a placebo, with no side effects. In a Singapore study, patients' symptoms improved after only three weeks of treatment. The largest study, of 140 American subjects over a period of ten weeks, showed the ginger extract had significant positive effects on patients with knee arthritis. This powerful ginger extract is an exciting breakthrough, offering hope for a pain-free life for arthritis sufferers, and is a proven alternative to NSAIDs and dangerous prescription drugs. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used sulfur fumes to treat a variety of diseases almost 2000 years ago. People have long sought out the healing effects of mineral springs containing sulfur. Now a form of organic sulfur, known as MSM, is available as an effective treatment for arthritis. Sulfur first made its debut as an arthritis treatment in the 1970s in the form of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). There was extensive documentation on DMSO’s effectiveness in treating painful muscles and joints, and outside of the U.S., over half a billion patients used DMSO for relief from these conditions. While the FDA never approved DMSO for human use, it remained available over the counter, and many Americans were able to decrease their reliance on arthritis medications by substituting DMSO. The drawback to DMSO was an unpleasant fishy odor and taste in the mouth. Fortunately, in an attempt to overcome these side effects, researchers discovered MSM, the “active ingredient” of DMSO, which produces no odor when used. MSM decreases the inflammation of arthritis while opening up blood vessels and increasing circulation to the affected joints. MSM supplementation may play a significant role in joint healing, because sulfur is an essential raw ingredient for tissue repair. MSM is also a great pain reliever; it works by blocking the pathway of electrochemical pain messages along the nerve fibers. MSM is available both as tablets and as a skin lotion. I recommend taking at least 2000 to 15,000 mg of MSM daily with food. You can rub MSM lotion on the affected joints for topical pain relief. Glucosamine A close cousin to MSM is glucosamine, another sulfur compound, and the two work hand in hand as a natural arthritis treatment. Glucosamine plays an important role in repairing damaged cartilage, which is particularly significant as we age and our bodies become less efficient at this task. In studies comparing glucosamine to Motrin (ibuprofen), patients showed faster improvement from Motrin initially. However, after one month the effect of the Motrin began to wear off while patients treated with glucosamine continued to experience significant pain relief and less joint tenderness and swelling after four to eight weeks of treatment. Long-term, glucosamine was far more effective. Needless to say, glucosamine had none of the side effects of the NSAIDs. The best news is that patients continued to improve even after they stopped taking the glucosamine, further proof of its long-term benefits. Before and after electron micrograph studies of cartilage from arthritis patients treated with glucosamine showed nearly healthy cartilage among the glucosamine group, as compared to continued cartilage deterioration in those receiving a placebo. I recommend taking at least 1000 - 1500 mg of glucosamine a day in combinations with MSM and ginger. I know that thousands of people have had remarkable results using these three ingredients. Tumeric (Curcumin) This yellow-orange culinary spice, often used in Indian dishes, has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It works as well as cortisone for some people to reduce painful arthritis flare-ups. For acute pain, take 300 to 600 mg of curcumin capsules, three times a day. Ashwagandha Root (Withania Somnifera) This herb is classified as an adaptogen, a substance that increases your body’s ability to withstand stress of all kinds. Preliminary studies suggest that it reduces inflammation, making it a useful herb in the treatment of arthritis. Yucca Root Extract (Yucca Schidigera) In a double-blind clinical trial, researchers found that certain soapy compounds found in Yucca root, called saponins, had a positive therapeutic effect in the treatment of arthritis. Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) This herb, a relative to the common daisy, has long been used throughout Europe and the Americas as a fever tonic and is equally effective in cooling the heat of inflamed joints. Take 150 mg daily. Bromelain Found in pineapples, this digestive enzyme plays an important role in the healing damaged tissues and carrying away inflammatory waste products from the joints. Pregnenolone This steroid hormone was shown in numerous studies to be effective in treating arthritis. Because pregnenolone can’t be patented, however, researchers soon lost interest in it. I recommend you take 50 to 100 mg of pregnenolone daily. It has no side effects and may help improve your memory while it increases your joint flexibility. Boron This trace mineral is often added to supplements designed to treat arthritis because it assists in the proper absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. The incidence of osteoarthritis is higher in regions of the world where there is less boron in the local diet, suggesting that boron supplementation may be important for those who already have the disease. Fish Oil And Borage Oil These two oils are important sources of essential fatty acids (EFAs). They interact with the cox enzymes to produce prostaglandins, some of which are inflammatory and some anti-inflammatory. To keep this delicate system in balance, you need to balance your supply of the two types of EFAs—omega-3 and omega-6. In the proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, the inflammatory process works in your favor. Unfortunately, most of us consume too much of the omega-6 variety, found in corn and other vegetable oils and animal fats, and not enough of the omega-3 variety. To add more omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet, try eating more salmon and green leafy vegetables. Taking a daily supplement of fish oil or borage seed oil is a good way to make sure you have an adequate supply of this valuable nutrient to keep your joints healthy. Migraine headaches affect six percent of men and 18 percent of women in America. In the last ten years, the prevalence of migraine sufferers in the population has increased by more than 60 percent. If you are one of the thousands of Americans that take migraine drugs for pain relief, you are putting your health at significant risk. Some of these drugs are so toxic that they are only prescribed for no more than five days. The most commonly prescribed migraine drug is Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate), which relieves pain by constricting the blood vessels in the brain. Unfortunately, it also has a constricting effect on the heart and blood vessels throughout the body and consequently has been responsible for causing fatal heart spasms and possible fatal strokes. Never take this drug if you are at risk for heart disease. Side effects include dizziness, numbness, drowsiness, weakness, neck stiffness, and flushing. Other risks of taking this drug include damage to the eyes, severe allergic reactions, kidney or liver disease, and seizures. Alternatives To Drugs For Migraine Headaches Modern medicine has had little success in treating migraines, but fortunately, there are some simple and natural remedies that have had some success in reducing the frequency of migraines and alleviating the painful symptoms associated with them. Researchers think there are several possible causes of migraines, including sudden constrictions in blood vessels which could be caused by some of the same imbalances in prostaglandin production that occur in arthritis. Inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain is definitely present in migraine sufferers. Other researchers theorize that migraines are caused by abnormal activity of the brain chemical, serotonin, which has a relationship to the clumping of platelets in the blood. Substances that inhibit serotonin also inhibit the release of substance P, a chemical in the body that stimulates the sensation of pain, and this in some cases prevents the onset of migraines. Ginger Extract Ginger addresses almost every one of the causes that researchers believe play a part in migraine headaches. It balances anti-inflammatory and inflammatory prostaglandins, normalizes platelet clumping, and blocks the effects of substance P, the “pain chemical.” Ginger has a long history of use for neurological problems and is well known for easing nausea and vomiting, two of the characteristic symptoms of migraine attacks. Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) Nearly 2,000 years ago, Dioscorides, a Roman doctor who is credited with writing the first medical textbook, prescribed the herb feverfew for headaches. Today, it remains one of the most effective known treatments for migraines. In one double-blind study in England, feverfew treatment produced a significant decrease in nausea and vomiting during the migraine attacks, as well as reducing the frequency of the migraines by 24 percent. An Israeli study of 57 patients also found a significant decrease in the severity of their migraine headaches. Although the optimum dosage has not been determined, the best recommendation is to take 80 to 100 mg of powdered whole feverfew daily to prevent migraines. Higher amounts may be taken at the onset of a headache. Magnesium The mineral magnesium is virtually a “magic bullet” for both migraines and tension headaches. It is effective in preventing migraines, probably because of its ability to relieve muscle spasms. In one German study, half of a group of 81 migraine sufferers were given 600 mg of magnesium daily, and half received a placebo. After three months, those taking the magnesium had 42 percent fewer migraines, compared to only 16 percent fewer headaches among the placebo group. If you get migraine headaches, I recommend taking 400 mg of magnesium with breakfast and again before bed every day. If you feel a migraine headache coming on, take an equivalent dose immediately. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) MSM is another ingredient that seems to alleviate migraine pain. Take up to 10,000 mg a day for optimal results. Drugs For Depression And Anxiety And Their Natural Alternatives We all have cycles in our lives when we experience disappointment, anxiety or sadness due to death of a loved one, illness or injury, divorce, career change, or a move, for example. For most of us, these events bring on a temporary case of the blues, passing as we make adjustments and return to normal life. A shift in mood may also be due to the change of seasons, when shortened daylight hours of winter bring on fatigue, over-eating, and over-sleeping—all symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Or your “down in the dumps” feeling could be due to a deficiency of thyroid hormone, a condition easily corrected once identified. A more serious condition exists when prolonged or severe depression makes it hard for you to carry on daily activities, work, and family life. You may be feeling hopeless, helpless, or plagued with feelings of guilt and remorse. Your thoughts are negative, pessimistic, sometimes suicidal, and you have trouble concentrating or thinking clearly. Crying spells can debilitate you, leaving you too tired and listless to do anything other than take to your bed. Anxiety disorders often accompany chronic depression and are most often treated with tranquilizers or other addictive drugs. One such disorder, panic attacks, can come on suddenly without any apparent cause. Without warning, you may find your heart pounding, you become disoriented and gripped with fear. Chronic depression affects as many as 19 million Americans, and is not only psychological, but has a biochemical basis as well. When you’re depressed and anxious, you may have an imbalance of brain chemicals—notably the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine—that needs to be addressed in addition to any psychological causes. If you are taking any prescription drugs, your depression may be worsened due to side effects of those drugs. The following is a list of drugs that contribute to depression and anxiety: § Antihistamines § Antibiotics § Anticonvulsants § Antidepressants § Barbiturates § High blood pressure drugs, such as Lanoxin (digoxin) and Cardizem (diltiazem) § Hormone steroid drugs, such as Prednisone § Birth control pills § Acid blockers, such as Tagamet and Zantac § Tranquilizers, such as Xanax and Ativan Diet can also contribute to chronic depression, especially eating excess refined carbohydrates, drinking alcohol, smoking, and being deficient in vital nutrients. Few physicians look at any of these factors before they quickly write you a prescription for yet one more drug to deal with your depression and anxiety. Drugs For Depression Drugs that treat depression include Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline), all belonging to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs act by raising levels of serotonin, the brain chemical responsible for lifting mood and enhancing the ability to focus. SSRIs are prescribed for children and adults alike with a variety of mental and emotional disorders, ranging from mild personality quirks to serious emotional dysfunctions. Most often, they are prescribed for mild depression, PMS, menopause symptoms, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress, and just about anything else that physicians don’t have an answer for. Unfortunately, the widespread distribution of SSRIs to manage mild mood disorders fits our social myth that everyone should be happy all the time. A more realistic approach would be to have people attend counseling to learn to deal with their problems first, relying on drugs only for extreme and untreatable cases. Perhaps you’ve read in the newspaper of the link between antidepressant drugs, especially Prozac, and violent behavior resulting in suicide and murder. Early drug company studies showed that Prozac users who were not suicidal before starting the drug had five times the risk of suicide or suicide attempts than those on other classes of antidepressants. Another study showed that Zoloft brought on suicidal thoughts in a group of healthy, non-depressed volunteers, countering the drug company’s explanation that the increased suicide rate with this drug is due to previous mental illness. These types of drugs also tend to create a false sense of emotional detachment, which can add to its negative effects. In clinical trials of SSRIs, between 15 and 21 percent of those taking these drugs stopped due to unpleasant side effects, including insomnia, drowsiness, dizziness, anxiety (especially with Prozac), headache (with Paxil), dry mouth (with Zoloft and Paxil), male sexual dysfunction (Zoloft), loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea (Prozac and Zoloft), and constipation (Paxil). Some people cannot use Prozac because of rash, fever, joint pain, liver or kidney damage, and must discontinue use or suffer a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Testing of these drugs was shockingly inadequate, lasting only for five to 16 weeks for most, and up to one year for Prozac, yielding no data on long-term effects. These drugs are dangerous, yet the drug companies that profit hugely from them would have you believe they are safe and have no connection to personality changes or violent behavior. A May, 2000 story in the Boston Globe reported that the executives of one drug company pressured research scientists to hide or diminish records showing the increased risks of suicide in people using their drug. Furthermore, doctors are now recognizing a new and fatal disorder—serotonin syndrome—caused by SSRI overdose or interaction with other drugs. Symptoms include hallucinations, confusion, fluctuating blood pressure, and seizures. Be warned of serious interactions with blood pressure diuretic drugs and with insulin and sulfonylurea drugs for diabetes; Prozac can cause low blood sugar, and then high blood sugar when stopped. Natural Alternatives To Drugs For Depression Fortunately, you can avoid the hazards of taking antidepressants and learn to manage your moods with the help of Nature’s own antidepressants. But if you are taking antidepressants and wish to get off them, do it gradually to avoid withdrawal effects such as obsessive, violent, and suicidal thoughts and actions. Don’t ever go off an antidepressant suddenly. Change Your Diet Beating depression without drugs can be as simple as making changes in your diet. Eliminate sugar, coffee, chocolate, and alcohol, as these substances stimulate your adrenal glands and can wear them out, leaving you anxious and depressed. Substitute herbal teas for coffee, taking a cup of ginseng tea for that afternoon boost. Identify any food allergies that may cause fatigue, insomnia, and depression, and eliminate the sources from your diet. Feed Your Brain With Amino Acids Eat foods that contain the essential amino acids needed for manufacturing the neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of well-being. The amino acid tryptophan is the building block of serotonin, and tyrosine is necessary to make norepinephrine and dopamine. Good sources of both these amino acids are meat, especially wild game, turkey and chicken, as well as wheat germ in whole wheat breads or by itself when added to cereals. If you have a chronic, recurring depression, you might want to work with a professional to start taking amino acids in supplement form. Take Borage Oil Or Evening Primrose Oil If you are depressed, it’s very likely that the balance of your essential fatty acids is off. You can restore balance by supplementing with borage oil and evening primrose oils, and eating deep water fish such as salmon, herring, and tuna two or three times a week. Cut back on foods that contain vegetable oils found in processed and packaged bakery goods, as well as margarine, a source of harmful trans-fatty acids. Get Extra B-Vitamins Through Supplements The B vitamins separately and together are vital for optimal brain and nerve function, and for relaxing muscle tension. In fact, some researchers see depression as a symptom of various B-vitamin deficiencies, including B1, B6, and B12. Most Americans are deficient in these vitamins which are found in leafy greens, meat, and whole grains. The older you get, the harder it is to absorb the B vitamins in your food, a good reason to take them as part of a daily multivitamin. In particular, B12 is an antidote for depression and stress, frequently given by injection by doctors who practice complementary medicine. Or, you can take B12 in the form of tablets that dissolve under your tongue and pass directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your stomach. You’ll want to take about 1000 mcg (1 mg) |