Questions From Our Readers...
Q: Isn't it normal to have an increased amount of bone fractures with aging? L.R.
A: Absolutely not! Don't confuse normal with common. Let's re-phrase your question: Is it common to see more fracture with aging? That answer is yes. Unfortunately it is common, and due to the problems discussed above. But is it normal? No. It is normal to have a decline of calcium within certain bones with aging, such as the hip. But with good muscular support and no extreme loss of calcium, there should not be any "normal" increase in fractures.
Q: Is it true that drinking soda can weaken bones? G.A.
A: It's certainly possible. Most soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphorus. And, if you consume too much phosphorus, it may cause calcium loss from your bones. Another concentrated source of phosphorus is the commonly used nutritional supplement lecithin.
Q: Is the strength of your bones genetic? D.O.
A There is a genetic factor when you consider the strength of your bones. The other influence is your environment, especially your level of activity, and to some extent, diet. It's not certain how significant the genetic aspect might be. Most likely, activity is the most significant factor, diet second and genetics third. Don't forget the obvious: these first two factors are ones you have great control over.
Q: In your article on Brain Chemistry, you didn't make mention of schizophrenia. Is this a disease of chemical imbalance? S.K.
A: Studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (3-22-90) suggest that schizophrenia is a disease of altered brain chemistry. Other diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis, may be categorized the same way.
Q: In your article on nutrition and the brain, you mention that cholesterol is important for the brain. Can cholesterol affect the brain like the heart? J.W.
A: Too much or too little of anything can be a problem. If there is too much cholesterol stored in the arteries, it can restrict blood flow to the brain, causing damage. But if the brain doesn't have enough cholesterol, there could be problems. Studies have shown that although the incidence of heart disease decreased moderately with lowered cholesterol, the incidence of death from suicide and violence doubled. The reason is believed to be associated with unhealthy changes in the brain chemistry due to the lowered cholesterol.
These findings are more significant when cholesterol lowering drugs are used. For every 100,000 patients treated with cholesterol lowering drugs, about 70 deaths from heart disease are prevented. However, the increased incidence of death from other diseases and the lowered quality of life in the elderly has made many physicians take a closer look at this problem.
Q. Can too little blood cholesterol cause problems? T.M.
A. Since cholesterol has specific functions, too little may be a problem. Thomas Bassler, M.D., states that if the cholesterol level is decreased, mortality rates in general increase. A recent study done at the University of Minnesota bears this out: They found that men with blood cholesterol levels under 160 were three times more likely to suffer bleeding strokes than men with higher cholesterol levels.
Q: Is there a relationship between brain nutrition and intelligence? A C.
A: Recent studies have shown significant numbers of children had increases in their IQ as a result of multiple vitamin and mineral supplementation. It has also been shown that some nutritional supplemented individuals showed a lesser number of abnormal brain waves than before supplementation.
Q: My doctor told me I was calcium deficient. He suggested taking calcium, and said all calcium tablets were the same. Is this true? C.L
A: Different people who require calcium supplementation may need different types of calcium tablets. In general, a more acid calcium, such as calcium lactate, is ideal, and calcium carbonate seems to work less effectively than most forms. However, it's best to find out what works most effectively for your particular problem. (Although pure calcium lactate is neutral, many calcium lactate products are made acidic, and therefore more absorbable, by the addition of citrate.)
Q: Numerous questions have been asked lately about vitamins and minerals: is this vitamin good for that, or is that mineral good for this problem? And often the question is simply "should everyone take this vitamin or that mineral?"
A: The answer of course is that everyone is an individual. One person's problem may respond well to a certain vitamin, but another person with the same symptoms may not respond, or may even worsen, with that same vitamin. One good rule to follow is this: if there is a need for a certain nutrient, getting that nutrient into the body will more than likely help that person. If no need exists for a particular nutrient, taking it will not guarantee anything. So the first step is to establish whether a need exists for a particular nutrient, then supply that need.
Of course just taking a nutrient does not guarantee the body will use it either. The nutrient first must be digested and absorbed. In many ill people, the intestines cannot work well and this might make it difficult to digest and absorb any nutrient or food. Finally, the best source of nutrients is from a good diet.
Q: In your article on "Vitamin Use in Hospitals," what were the "standard tests" used to evaluate the need for vitamin supplementation. H.G.
A: The "standard tests" used in this study were blood and urine tests. In evaluating a patient for nutritional needs using such simple blood and urine tests, many times a less obvious (but equally important) requirement is overlooked. It certainly is possible that in the above study a number of other nutritional needs went undiagnosed.
Q: My doctor said my blood tests show low iron. But the blood test from a doctor I saw last month showed iron was normal. Can iron change that quick? E.L.
A: There are numerous indicators in the blood which reflect iron status. One may not indicate an iron need while another does. There are several blood tests which demonstrate iron need, including iron itself. (Hemoglobin, ferritin, total iron binding capacity and transferritin saturation are some others.) Your doctors are probably responding to the type of blood test(s) performed. Unless you've lost a lot of blood, iron levels generally don't change that quick. And remember, blood tests show only what's in the blood and nothing more. (It's also possible to need iron in one part of your body, such as the muscles, despite normal blood levels.) Finally, many other factors are needed for iron to work properly in the body. So even a low iron indicator may not mean you need iron-you may require some other nutrient to keep your iron normal.
Q. My daughter is always chewing on ice cubes. Can this be dangerous? M.L.
A. People with iron deficient anemia are typically fond of chewing on ice. This may be something to rule out.
Q: DK asks "Can a doctor who uses applied kinesiology treat allergies?"
A: In one sense, no. But we do care for patients with allergies. We don't treat names, like sciatica, headaches, asthma, and arthritis. We treat people. And, those people may have complaints of pain, difficulty breathing, etc. For convenience, a name is applied to a person with certain symptoms, but everyone is an individual and should be cared for as such.
Q: Your article on "Are You Still Fat" answered many questions for me except for one. Is the problem of carbohydrate intolerance you wrote about a real "disease' like diabetes? TM
A: Borderline Carbohydrate-Lipid Metabolism Disturbance', (BCLMD) is not classified as a disease, like diabetes or Type IV Hyperlipoproteinemia. It is a functional disorder, where normal carbohydrate usage is altered, but the person has not yet progressed to a true disease state. It is considered by some to be a precursor, potentially, to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other diseases.
Q: How can a doctor test for the problem of BCLMD? SS
A: The diagnosis of BCLMD can be made by your doctor through a proper history and physical exam, and perhaps muscle testing. In addition, a blood test (lipoprotein electrophoresis) may help confirm the diagnosis Unfortunately, the blood picture will not always portray the problem, so the best advice is to perform it three times if it is negative the first and second time. Many times, the patient has all the classical symptoms, in addition to what was discussed in the article, that match the problem: fatigue, sleepy after meals, hunger after meals, cravings, intestinal bloating, and impaired concentration.
Q: My doctor wants me to eat breakfast every morning. But when I do I'm very hungry all day long and end up eating much more food. I don't understand this hunger only when I eat breakfast.
A: If you look back at your previous meal (your dinner or the snacks you had the evening before), you may find you're eating too many sweets. When you eat a meal, like breakfast, your body produces insulin in two phases; the first is immediately after eating your meal and the amount of insulin released is based on your previous meal. So if you've eaten a lot of sweets at dinner or during the evening, the high insulin produced during the next morning's breakfast will lower your blood sugar by mid-morning causing you to be hungry. That often starts a "domino effect" which continues all day. (The second phase of insulin is based on how much carbohydrate you eat during the present meal.) The answer to your question lies in your previous evening's food intake.