What About Cholesterol, Gluten, and Chocolate?

My Blog on Cholesterol is up on my website.

In June the FDA issued a warning on the use of high dose Simvastatin (a cholesterol lowering drug). Based on a clinical trial, patients on 80mg of Simvastatin had an increased risk of rhabdomyolysis, a process in which muscle fibers breakdown and increase the risk for kidney damage.

As a Naturopathic and Functional Medical Doctor, I practice upstream medicine. This means, I am looking for the cause of the problem. Blaming cholesterol for heart disease is like blaming a witness at the scene of the crime. We need to look at why the body is producing the cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed in the body for a variety functions, it acts as part of a protective layer around every cell in your body.

Read more here.

NEWS:

1. Fun Fact Highlights: Gluten, Chocolate, and Gut-Brain

Gluten: The Newest Villain (Dr. Hyman)

The question that remains is: Why are we so sensitive to this "staff of life," the staple of our diet?

There are many reasons ...

They include our lack of genetic adaptation to grasses, and particularly gluten, in our diet. Wheat was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages, and 30 percent of people of European descent carry the gene for celiac disease (HLA DQ2 or HLA DQ8), (xii) which increases susceptibility to health problems from eating gluten.

American strains of wheat have a much higher gluten content (which is needed to make light, fluffy Wonder Bread and giant bagels) than those traditionally found in Europe. This super-gluten was recently introduced into our agricultural food supply and now has "infected" nearly all wheat strains in America.

To find out if you are one of the millions of people suffering from an unidentified gluten sensitivity, just follow this simple procedure.

Testing for Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease

There are gluten allergy/celiac disease tests that are available through Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics. All these tests help identify various forms of allergy or sensitivity to gluten or wheat. They will look for:

·         IgA anti-gliadin antibodies

·         IgG anti-gliadin antibodies

·         IgA anti-endomysial antibodies

·         Tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA and IgG in questionable cases)

·         Total IgA antibodies

·         HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genotyping for celiac disease (used occasionally to detect genetic suspectibility).

·         Intestinal biopsy (rarely needed if gluten antibodies are positive-based on my interpretation of the recent study)

When you get these tests, there are a few things to keep in mind.

In light of the new research on the dangers of gluten sensitivity without full blown celiac disease, I consider any elevation of antibodies significant and worthy of a trial of gluten elimination. Many doctors consider elevated anti-gliadin antibodies in the absence of a positive intestinal biopsy showing damage to be "false positives." That means the test looks positive but really isn't significant.

Source: Hyman, M. Gluten-What you don't know might kill you. www.drhyman.com. September 17, 2011. http://drhyman.com/gluten-what-you-dont-know-might-kill-you-11/

No Gluten? Find Fun in Chocolate! (Science Daily)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2003) -- There's sweet news about hot cocoa: Researchers at Cornell University have shown that the popular winter beverage contains more antioxidants per cup than a similar serving of red wine or tea and may be a healthier choice.

Source: Hot Cocoa Tops Red Wine And Tea In Antioxidants; May Be Healthier Choice. Science Daily. Nov 6, 2003. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/11/031106051159.htm

Gut-Brain: the calming effect of Belly Bugs (PNAS)

An article reports on the gut microbiota affecting our mood and gut function, specificially certain bacteria strains alter our neurotransmitter, GABA.                         

Alterations in central GABA receptor expression are implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression, which are highly comorbid with functional bowel disorders. In this work, we show that chronic treatment with L. rhamnosus (JB-1) induced region-dependent alterations in GABA_B1b mRNA in the brain with increases in cortical regions (cingulate and prelimbic) and concomitant reductions in expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and locus coeruleus, in comparison with control-fed mice. In addition, L. rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced GABA_Aα2 mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, but increased GABA_Aα2 in the hippocampus. Importantly, L. rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety- and depression-related behavior.

Source: Javier A. Bravoa, et al. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. PNAS 2011; published ahead of print August 29, 2011. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/08/26/1102999108.abstract

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