February 22, 2012

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The Prostate Cancer Prevention Plan

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Aleef is a 50-year-old man who was having difficulty urinating.  He went to his doctor and was given a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test, which was a little high.  The doctor then sent him to a urologist for a biopsy.

Prostate Biopsy - Prevention is Key!

This procedure involves the urologist pushing twelve biopsy needles into a prostate gland the size of a walnut, hoping to hit a cancer cell that may be the size of a grain of sand.  The test was positive for cancer and Aleef was recommended to have his prostate removed.

After the surgery, Aleef continues to experience impotence, leaking of urine and difficulty urinating, which are all too common complications after removing the prostate gland.

Should you get the PSA test?

One prostate researcher stated that if men live long enough, then all men will get prostate cancer.

Thus, men are told to have an annual Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test  in order to find prostate cancer and perhaps get treatment to prevent an early demise from this disease.  What has been found instead is:

  • Much more cancer is detected, but the death rate does not go down.

The table below is the WHO (World Health Organization) prostate cancer statistics for 2008, per 1000 men.

  • The red lines are the incidence of cancer – or the number of cases of prostate cancer.
  • The blue represents the death rate from this cancer.

WHO Prostate Cancer Statistics, 2008

You will notice that in the “Less developed regions” there are about 10 times fewer prostate cancers found, but the death rate is only about half that of “More developed regions.”

For example, in Eastern Asia they find about 10 prostate cancers per thousand men and about 5 per thousand die of it.  However, in North America we find about 85 cancers per thousand men and 10 men die of it.  Part of this is because men don’t live as long in Eastern Asia; men die younger due to injuries, infections, and other causes. Where men live longer, they are more likely to develop this cancer.

In fact, the current recommendation (2011) from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) reads:

“The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer. This is a grade D recommendation.”

The “grade D” recommendation indicates that it is a poor test for detecting and treating prostate cancer.  This is based on the fact that the test increases the detection of prostate cancer, but not mortality (death rate). As we see in the graph above, PSA screening and treatment causes significant harm to patients through unnecessary biopsies, surgeries and chemotherapy.

The PSA test itself is a harmless blood test. It only becomes dangerous when it leads to biopsies, surgeries and treatment.

You can do the PSA test for another reason, though.  It can tell you if you have inflammation in your prostate gland and are therefore more susceptible to prostate enlargement and cancer.  You may then treat the inflammation, as we will discuss below, for prevention of future problems.  Just don’t get scared and let well-meaning doctors talk you into a biopsy – which leads to complications…and possibly even death.

What can you do if you already have prostate cancer?

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Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Those that are obese have a 1.27 times more likely to develop and die from the disease than non-obese men, especially those with greater belly fat.

The same graph above also indicates what has been found in multiple other studies:

  • Treatment for prostate cancer doesn’t decrease the death rate.

This is because the treatment is not effective, in part.

The other part is that the large majority of men with prostate cancer will die of something else before the cancer.

It is a rare cause of death.   In reality, the “cures” for the surgical, radiation, or chemotherapy treatment of prostate cancer would not have killed the patient anyway.  Thus, the first thing to do is… nothing!

Ideally, men should just keep their prostate healthy.  With the prostate gland, prevention is the key.  Even if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your best treatment is prevention.

Keeping your prostate healthy

The graph above also gives us some clues as to keeping a healthy prostate.  According to the WHO, those areas of the world that are “Less developed” have a much lower incidence of prostate cancer death rate.

Again, this is partly because they don’t live as long, but also because they eat significantly less process or prepared foods.  These foods, such as breakfast cereals, chips, and drinks, are high-calorie and low-nutrient, which causes inflammation in the body.

Did you know that just the color red in a tomato can help you prevent prostate enlargement and cancer?  Even the colors of natural foods are important for your health.  Artificial colors do not have this benefit.

Moreover, processed grains contain almost no minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc, which are essential for the function of the gland.  A majority of men in developed countries are deficient in zinc.

A recent study from Japan tells us another way to keep the prostate healthy – exercise!  It turns out that testosterone stimulates the growth of the prostate gland – and cancer.  Testosterone is made in the testicles, just south of this gland.  The veins from the prostate and testicles connect near the prostate gland and if there is “sluggish” flow, then it can backwash into the gland.  This blood contains a very high concentration of unbound testosterone and causes prostate enlargement.  The researchers then tied off the vein from the testicles (there are others that the gland uses) and the gland went back to normal.  As we exercise, we keep a normal flow through all our veins so this may prevent prostate problems.

Prostate Cancer Prevention Recommendations:

  1. Check a PSA test to see if you have inflammation.  (If you do, follow these recommendations more strictly.)
  2. Eat only foods that aren’t processed or prepared.  Eat at restaurants only occasionally.
  3. Exercise three times per week, or more.
  4. Take 50 mg of zinc per week.  (If you take it every day, you may get a deficiency of copper!)
  5. Take 1 mg of selenium per week.  (If you take it every day, you may get low in Chromium!)
  6. Take 200-400 mg of magnesium per day.
  7. Take 5,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day.  Many doctors recommend 50,000 IU once per week.  Having enough vitamin D lowers the cancer rate by 30%.
  8. Take 12.5 mg of iodine per week.

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Don’t become another WHO statistic.  Keeping a healthy prostate is the only way to prevent what so many men, like Aleef, suffer in our modern society.

Follow my doctor-approved recommended supplement program (zinc, selenium, magnesium, D3 and iodine) and don’t forget to exercise!  Most importantly, stay way from processed foods and stick to natural foods with color as the best prostate prevention plan!

The surgical, radiation, or chemotherapy treatment of prostate cancer is dangerous! Don’t put yourself at risk and start prostate cancer prevention today!  What will be your motivation to take preventative prostate care?

 

Dr. Scott D. Saunders, M.D. (Ask-an-MD) is a practicing physician, specializing in preventative healthcare, who utilizes eclectic health care for the whole family, including conventional, orthomolecular and natural medicine. He is also the medical director of The Integrative Medical Center of Santa Barbara in Lompoc, CA. He went to UCLA medical school and is board certified in family medicine. View natural remedies with Dr. Saunders at:http://drsaundersmd.com/

 

Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Prostate Health, February 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Saunders’ Kick The Habit Plan To Quit Smoking

January 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Over a hundred years ago Mark Twain quipped, “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”  The concept of quitting a habit is as old as people, but smoking is one habit that seems especially difficult to overcome.  I have patients who quit methamphetamines, heroin and alcohol, but cannot overcome the tobacco habit.  They tell me it is the hardest thing.

One patient was able to quit when he got throat cancer, but only because he hated the tracheostomy tube so much and knew he would never smoke again if he did not beat the cancer odds. Others with this same problem actually smoke through the tube!

The methods and ways people quit are varied, almost as the number of quitters.  Some medications are used, but these were mostly created for a different purpose. When drug testing was being done on these medications, the statistical analysis showed that a greater number of smokers quit in the active medicine group than in the placebo group.  The pharmaceutical company then decided to market this effect of the medicine instead of the intended use, such as anti-depressant.  There are patches, pills, electronic cigarettes, creams and all manner of physical assistance to help quit smoking.

Decision to Quit

Kicking the habit starts with a decision.  Many who are pushed from the outside will say they want to quit, but really want to continue smoking.  This decision must come from within.  When I counsel people in my office, I simply ask them what they want to do.  I then assess whether they are ready to start trying.  Those who have made a firm resolve to quit smoking find a successful way.

My grandfather was given cigarettes as part of his Navy rations during World War II.  At home, his wife did not like the smoke in the house, plus they had a son with asthma.  So, he decided just to postpone his usual smoking.  He would reach for a cigarette from his shirt pocket, take one out, look at it and say, “I’ll just wait a few minutes.”  He kept putting it off until after a few months went by he realized he had gone a full week without smoking.  He then took the cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and said, “No use just carrying these around…” threw them in the trash and never smoked again.

Dr. Manchester was a pediatrician who smoked and would counsel all of his young patients never to start smoking.  He tried to quit, but kept going back to it and felt like a hypocrite.  He paid for all sorts of programs, used all the medications and tried hundreds of times without success.  He felt so discouraged that he quit being a pediatrician and became a psychiatrist.  One day, he suffered a heart attack and ended up in the hospital.  As he was lying in the hospital bed, he hated being there so much he knew he would never smoke again just to avoid it — and he quit easily.

Patches

I had one patient, when the patches required a prescription, who was wearing a patch for many years.  We kept trying to wean him off, but he would come in for another round.  I do not know if he ever got off the patches, but at least he was not smoking.

Patches with nicotine in them are now available over-the-counter.  They are mostly helpful for those who really smoke for the nicotine, not for other reasons.  If you get shaky, nervous, jittery, and very irritable in the first several days after quitting, then this may be an option for you.  Those who can go a full day without these symptoms are less likely to benefit from patches.

Drugs

There are many drugs available now to help with the smoking habit. If you are going to use these, then...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Quit Smoking, January 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Taking Back Your Life From Adrenal Fatigue

December 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

Sick and Tired by Flickr Khya

Karen is in her forties, very active at work and play.  Over the past several years since her husband died, she has had a lot of stress with the loss of their home and many other problems.  For several months, she has not been able to sleep well and she is tired all day.  She laments, “I feel like I’m half-awake all night and half-asleep all day! I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  What is worse, she is gaining weight and feeling hopeless.

While the complaint of fatigue is among the most common for visiting a doctor, there are many reasons for it.  One of the most common is “adrenal fatigue.”

This term conjures-up images of the adrenal glands working as hard as they can and just getting pooped-out.  However, the glands don’t really get tired. Rather, the cells in the body react to long-term high levels of stress hormones by blocking their effects.

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, affects every cell in the body.

  • Over time it suppresses the immune system, allowing more infections
  • Changes the neurotransmitters in the brain, causing depression and anxiety
  • Causes insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes
  • Prevents the use of fat for energy leading to easy fatigue and hypoglycemia

With all these effect. it is no wonder people with chronic stress have such a multitude of symptoms!  Often, these symptoms are vague and genera, but abnormalities don’t show up in the usual tests done by doctors.  The patient then is told, “There is nothing wrong with you.” and goes home discouraged.  Many people come into my office just hoping to have some terrible abnormality on the test so at least there will be something wrong.

Distinguish the Difference

There are a variety of reasons for being tired.  Some of the more common ones are adrenal fatigue, low thyroid, chronic infections and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.  The difficulty is that these may overlap in any individual.  Some ways to distinguish them are:...


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Dr. Scott Saunders, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Effective Pain Management: 4 Tips To End The Suffering

November 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Tim was in pain for as long as he could remember.  His back began hurting years ago and never went away.  He had seen multiple doctors who only prescribed him narcotic pain medications, which didn’t really work, or they suggested surgery, which rarely works.  When he came into my office, I tried a different method for getting rid of his pain: I gave him a book.

The book Healing Back Pain, by John Sarno, MD, explains Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and how to get rid of it. Tim has now been pain-free for several years!

Why Do You Have Pain?

Most physicians treat pain without trying to find out the root cause.  There is always a reason.  I will repeat that…There is always a reason for pain!  We may not be able to always find the reason for your pain, but most of the time, it is possible.

There are four primary reasons for pain:

  1. Inflammation
  2. Poor circulation
  3. Muscle spasm
  4. Nerve pain

Each of these primary pain triggers has a different set of reasons for causing pain and, therefore, different ways of treating it effectively.

Pain From Inflammation

The repair mechanism of the body contains hormones that act as “inflammatory mediators,” which switch on the four signs of inflammation:

  • Redness
  • Heat
  • Swelling
  • Pain

If there is some injury to the body, these reactions are essential for fighting infection, preventing excessive blood loss and repairing any damage.  However, when there is no injury and these mediators are activated, they can actually do a great deal of harm.  These are all the “-itis” diseases:

  • Arthritis
  • Tendonitis
  • Myositis
  • Bursitis
  • Arteritis
  • Pneumonitis
  • Others

The first part in the disease name describes a location and the second part, or the “-itis” describes inflammation.  For example, “Arth-“ refers to joints and “-itis” means inflammation, so “arthritis” is inflammation in the joints.

Inflammation Pain Treatment

The best treatment for inflammation is...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Pain Management, November 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Saunders’ Easy DETOX Program – For Life!

September 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

Strolling through a vitamin aisle or searching on the internet will bring a very wide array of products and services for detoxification.

  • Some are potions of multiple herbs and foods.
  • Some are simple such as vinegar.
  • Diets of all kinds are advocated.
  • Other detox modalities include enemas, saunas, foot pads and so much more!

How do we make sense of all this?

Chemicals are everywhere.  Our air and water are filled with thousands of toxins, even prescription drugs have been found in the water supply.  In some cases, these toxins can build up in our bodies and cause us to feel bad, sick, or just plain yuck. It turns out we don’t always have control over what’s in our air, food and water.

Product Of Our Environment

At age 69, Larry’s neurologist told him he had Alzheimer’s disease.  He was given a drug that was supposed to help him think more clearly, but it didn’t help at all and was told there was nothing else that could be done.  His wife then brought him into my office to see if there was something better than the drugs.  After evaluation, we found the lead in his body was more than 50 times the acceptable level.  We have him a series of chelation therapy treatments to remove the lead and he became normal again, able to think clearly.

The truth is those things that are part of our environment become part of us. We need to be able to use the normal mechanisms of our body to excrete those things that are harmful back into the environment. The process of detoxification has two components: 1) avoiding toxins and 2) getting rid of toxins, which we cannot avoid.

Avoiding Toxins

Larry was a welder, but never wore a mask to filter the metals.  The torch he used vaporized the metals and, as a result, he was breathing them over many years.  Since lead isn’t easily excreted from the body, it built up and became toxic to his brain.

When we are aware of a potential toxin that could be absorbed by our body one way or another, it is important for us to consider the many ways to avoid exposure to that toxin.  Safety officers on every job should try to make the workplace free of toxins.

Anne was a very active interior decorator in her early 50s.  She started getting illnesses frequently. “I catch everything that goes around,” she complained.  Moreover, she was getting more and more fatigued.  She felt achy all over.  The usual tests failed to find a cause of her problems, so she was referred to an environmental medicine specialist.  The doctor found she was reacting to a toxin made by a mold, which was apparently growing in the older house she was renovating.

Avoiding mold is very difficult because it is so prevalent in our environment.  You can’t avoid all toxins, but you can significantly diminish them in your own body.

Those who eat organically-grown foods, for example, have much lower levels of heavy metals, pesticides and chemical fertilizers detectable in their bodies.

There are many chemicals that can be part of our everyday diet.  Avoiding these is essential to maintaining a healthy metabolism.

  • Both artificial and natural flavorings often contain ketones and aldehydes.
  • Artificial colorings can poison cellular systems.
  • Even common additives such as MSG can be dangerous to some people.  MSG is an excitotoxin on the nervous system.  Those who have adequate supplies of inhibitory neurotransmitters may be spared, but the rest will lose brain cells.
  • One toxin to avoid at all times is artificial sweeteners.  These have multiple toxic effects on the body from neurotoxicity to causing dysbiosis (killing the normal bacteria in the bowels).

Detox Program

Because we are constantly exposed to toxins, both internally and externally, it is important that we maintain a lifetime detox program.  Most detox programs only deal with the liver because it is the primary organ in our body which neutralizes and excretes toxins.  However, just as important in detoxification are the minor players: the intestines, kidneys, lungs, and skin.  We will discuss how to maximize the benefits from each of these systems. ...


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Filed Under: Detoxification, September 2011, Dr. Scott Saunders, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Curing Bipolar Disorder

August 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

Paula called from a hotel room in the next town crying, hardly able to talk.  She said she wanted to die, that life was too painful and she was hopeless.  She had left her husband and 18-month-old son a couple of days earlier, spending more money than they had during the previous two days and nights, staying in hotels (but not sleeping), getting massages and eating in fancy restaurants.  Now, she had crashed and was completely despondent. At 43, she acknowledged that her whole life was filled with similar episodes.

Bipolar disorder is not a disease; it is only a syndrome or collection of symptoms that include instability.  People with this are “up” or “down,” but not in between.  Some people have manic episodes like Paula where they feel “high” and don’t sleep, then come crashing into a deep depression that may last for days – or even years.  Some never recognize a “manic” episode and are only depressed.  Either the highs or the lows can be continual or episodic.  It’s hard to diagnose because everyone is different.

“I miss mania!”

At 25, Corey was the life of the party.  Since she was a very pretty girl with long blonde hair and attracted attention anyway, but when she was “up” she didn’t need any help with alcohol or drugs; she was uninhibited.  However, there would come a time when she would be “down” and hate life, cut herself with a razor blade leaving scars on her arms.  She would also have crying spells and panic attacks.  In high school, she had been both anorexic and bulimic.

It took several years to help Corey come to balance.  We worked with her hormones, diet, and multiple supplements, including herbs and vitamins.  As she started to be more predictable, and have less depression she didn’t feel the need to “cut” anymore.  Moreover, her eating disorders resolved and she no longer had crying spells.

One day, Corey came in to the office and described the previous months of the return of all her bipolar symptoms – the mania and depression, the crying and cutting – all of it had returned.  I asked her what happened and she said she went off of everything because she missed the “high” side of being bipolar.  The highs feel so good; she said, “I miss mania!  …But the lows are so bad that I’m willing to give it up.”  We went back on the program and she remains stable.

Bipolar Medication

Corey  had been to multiple psychiatrists over the years and had been on just about every psychiatric bipolar medication, none of which had any lasting effect.  The medical treatment for bipolar disorder is tranquilizers, anti-depressants and lithium.  These may help symptoms, but they do not solve the problem.  The best they can do is give temporary, partial relief of bipolar symptoms.  Most often, those with bipolar disorder stop their medications because the side-effects are worse than the disease.

One large problem with bipolar disorder is that when there are no manic episodes there is only depression.  Doctors assume the patients are depressed and give them anti-depressants.  When these bipolar medications don’t work, the doctors often give more.  Not only do these not help, they too often cause people with bipolar depression to feel suicidal.

Home Remedies for Bipolar Disorder

The best treatment for bipolar disorder is...


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Filed Under: Bipolar Disorder, August 2011, Dr. Scott Saunders, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

At Last – Natural Menopause Relief

July 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Victoria came in yesterday wondering if she should take hormones for menopause.  At age 54, she hadn’t had a menstrual period in over six months, but wasn’t having any of the usual symptoms of menopause either and was wondering what to expect.  She’d had a couple of hot flashes (“I think”), but they weren’t distressing.  However, even though her symptoms were minimal, she was told she needed the hormones to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.

At age 45, Julia had already had over a year of hot flashes and they were keeping her up at night. After sweating so much at night, she couldn’t get right back to sleep; and it happened several times every night.  During the day, she was tired all the time and irritable both at work and at home.  She even started getting anxiety.  “Miserable…” was how she described herself.

As you can see, there are many faces of menopause.  Some women are really miserable with the hormonal changes and mood swings, while others seem to sail through without a blip on the hormone radar screen.  Because of this, the big question is, “Does every woman require hormone treatment?”

Options For Managing Menopause

Doctors have turned this very normal process of life into a disease.  It’s not a disease.  There is nothing about menopause that creates poor health, except for the symptoms.  The truth is women can live long and healthy lives without the hormones that produce ovulation and menses.  Because of this, menopause is one of the few conditions that should be treated symptomatically.

Treatment for menopause is really about controlling symptoms; if a woman has no symptoms and just stops her menstrual periods, she doesn’t need to do anything.  But, if her life is miserable with sleep deprivation, panic attacks, foggy brain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and loss of libido, it may be prudent to find natural menopause relief from those symptoms.

The treatment options a woman has are very broad due to the wide variety of symptoms.  There are many herbal remedies, vitamin treatments, natural combinations, homeopathic remedies, creams, suppositories, patches, hormone replacements and prescriptions available to those navigating through menopause.  “How to choose?” is the biggest question.  Read on to find some helpful tools that might fit you.

Remember: You are the only one who knows how you feel, so a doctor cannot tell you what will work for you.  Consider the advice you are given, try the ones that seem promising and then evaluate them for yourself.  This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all condition.  It just has to work for you!

Best Of Herbal Remedies

There are so many herbal preparations that it is impossible to list them all.  Let me say that many of my patients find one herbal remedy or another that works well for them. Streamlined doctors are told that herbal preparations don’t work, so they pass unbelief on to their patients.  This is unfortunate because, while they don’t work for all women, countless find great natural menopause relief and avoid having to take potentially harmful prescriptions.

Some of the preparations that I have seen women use successfully include:

  • Black Cohosh
  • Red Clover
  • Russian Rhubarb
  • Ashwaganda
  • Chayawanprash

I highly recommend Black Cohosh because it is the most visibly affective.  There are many preparations and combinations to try – just find the one that works the best for you. Recently, while shopping, I came across...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Menopause, July 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Osteoporosis Natural Treatments That Work

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Osteoporosis Diagram - Graphicshunt.com

“Grandma fell and broke her hip,” is the story we’re told.  She goes into the hospital and has surgery, but it’s just the beginning of the end.  It’s all downhill from there.  We then go to the doctor who does a test and tells us that it’s going to happen to us if we don’t take some medication.  Then, we see famous actresses on television advising us how crucial it is to take osteoporosis medication.

There is a whole culture of fear surrounding the aging process, fear that it’s going to strike us – and we never know where it will strike next.  Out of fear we take calcium and bisphosphonates (prescription drugs) to ward it off.  But, everything you heard about osteoporosis is wrong!

Osteoporosis History: Rickets

Rickets by flickr gradyiii

The reality of osteoporosis is very different.  It is a disease of the Industrial Revolution, hardly appearing on the scene before then.  Prior to the Industrial Revolution, people lived, worked and traveled outdoors in the sunshine. But since that time, several changes have happened.

  • Work moved indoors under artificial lighting.
  • Cities also became polluted with soot that prevented the ultraviolet light that makes vitamin D from reaching the people.
  • People started bathing more often.
  • Children among the wealthy class were kept indoors without exercise since cities were dangerous places and, as a result, became more susceptible to rickets because they didn’t have enough calcium.

Many may remember the storybook (and movie) of Heidi.  Her friend, Klara, lived in the city and was in a wheelchair, becoming weaker and weaker.  But when Klara went to visit Heidi in the mountains, she gained strength and was miraculously able to walk again.  Her recovery was attributed in the story to the clean mountain air.  Really, however, Klara had a disease called “rickets.”  The “clear mountain air” was the sunshine she was getting for the first time in her life that made vitamin D.  By the middle of the 20th Century, everyone knew what Rickets was and how to prevent it.  My mom even lined her kids up for a dose of Cod Liver Oil specifically for that purpose.

Modern Day Osteoporosis

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Ideally, get 15 minutes of sunshine a day with most of the body exposed. However, indoor tanning beds may be uses when it comes to therapeutic vitamin D exposure. It is important that one not over expose yourself to both the natural sunlight and the rays of an indoor tanning bed. You should never let the skin get anything more than the slightest pink tint.


In our modern society things have only gotten worse!  We forgot about rickets and stopped thinking about getting enough sunshine.  Not only do we work indoors all day, the dermatologists are now telling us to avoid the sun at all costs.  We use sunscreen; we wear hats and clothing, we stay indoors or stay shaded from the “cancer-causing sunshine.”  (This is the topic of another discussion.)  Moreover, we bathe every day.  I had a beach volleyball player who was out on the beach without a shirt or sunscreen every day and he was still in the “osteopenia” range of vitamin D.  It turns out that every time he finished playing he would go take a shower, washing all his vitamin D down the drain.  Did you know it takes over 24 hours to absorb vitamin D through the skin?

Vitamin D helps us to absorb and use calcium.  Without a constant supply, the calcium is taken out of our bones to make our muscles and nerves work.  Osteoporosis is just a mild form of Rickets.  Osteopenia is a little milder, and so forth.  The scale looks like this:...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Osteoporosis, June 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Is There A Cure For Autism?

April 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Raun Kaufman

In 1976, a ground-breaking book was published about an autistic child who was cured of his autism.  Prior to that time, autism was thought to be an incurable disease.  Raun Kaufman disproved the theory, whose own son “triumphed over autism.”

However, even today when parents are told that they have a child with “autism” they are almost always told that there is no cure.  In fact, if a person diagnosed with autism improves, then most doctors still assume the diagnosis was wrong in the first place.  But in a world where we regularly heal leprosy, cause the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear, I think it is not very realistic to call anything “incurable.”  We are beginning to understand that “incurable” just means “ignorant.”  If we understand a disease, then we can cure it.

Symptoms

Autism is not a disease with a cause; it is simply a collection of symptoms.  People who are diagnosed with autism meet certain criteria that include:

  1. Problems with social interaction, such as a lack of eye contact or not acknowledging others.
  2. Language delays, such as speaking, reading or writing.
  3. Repetitive behaviors, such as spinning things, flapping hands, or balancing things.

Causes

Like every other part of the body, the brain has stages of development.  If there is an insult during a certain stage, the function that would normally take place doesn’t happen and there is a resulting deficit.  In autism, the insult to the developing brain seems to happen anywhere from the womb to early childhood.  Those things that are thought to cause this disturbance are many, some of which include:...


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Filed Under: Autism, April 2011, Dr. Scott Saunders, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Fibromyalgia Syndrome – “Doctor, I hurt all over!”

March 1, 2011 By 3 Comments

Fibromyalgia is not a disease; it’s a “syndrome” which means that is just a collection of symptoms.  The problem is that there may be many different causes of the same symptoms so it is very difficult to diagnose and treat, but when the cause of the fibromyalgia symptoms is known, then the treatment can be very effective.

Marilyn is in her 50’s, an interior decorator and very active in her community. Over a year before she came to see me, she suddenly “got sick.”   She had been to many doctors trying to get her health back.  She was in pain all the time and felt such a profound fatigue that she could no longer function in any of her activities.  Her hormone, liver, kidney, and metabolic tests were all normal so her doctors told her it was all in her head.  However, when we did further testing she was found to have a significant amount of mercury and lead on a provoked urine test.  She started a chelation protocol and gradually improved.  Though her heavy metal tests are now normal, she is still not.  However, she is on no medications and is able to continue most of her activities.

In this case, a fibromyalgia cause was found.  Heavy metals can prevent the production of energy in cells to create the symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Nerve cells are especially sensitive.   Moreover, it has been found that certain combinations of heavy metals, like mercury and lead, may have ten times the effects of either one alone.  The symptoms don’t all resolve immediately upon removing the metals because damage has been done that need to be repaired, which can take years in the nervous system.

There are many other potential causes of fibromyalgia syndrome besides heavy metals. This is by no means a complete list, only a sampling of possibilities:...


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Fibromyalgia, March 2011, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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