Q: I tried Viagra®, and it just didn’t work for me. I’d rather use something natural, anyway…do you have any suggestions?

Dr. Wright: You’re not alone in your “non-response.”

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Rome worked with 75 men with erectile dysfunction. The “International Index of Erectile Function” questionnaire (no kidding, there is such a thing) and serum homocysteine tests were part of each man’s evaluation. Treatment in each case was Viagra® for two months.

There were 18 “non-responders” to Viagra® alone. All 18 had high levels of homocysteine, which, incidentally, has been found to correlate with higher cardiovascular disease risk. These 18 non-responders were then asked to take a combination therapy of Viagra®, vitamin B6, and folic acid for six weeks.

At the end of this portion of the study, 16 of the 18 non-responders–that’s 88.9 percent–had significant improvement on a repeated “International Index” questionnaire, and (as might be expected) all 18 had a significant decrease in serum homocysteine levels.

Although this study was not double blind or placebo controlled, the finding of high homocysteine levels in all 18 non-responders is very likely significant, and well worth following up if you’re a man fighting erectile dysfunction. Serum homocysteine testing is widely available, and treatment for high levels carries no adverse-effect risk. And even though these researchers focused on Viagra® failures, if you have high homocysteine and erectile dysfunction, why not try vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin B12 first? (You can–if you wish–add Viagra® to the vitamins if they don’t work by themselves.)

One of the very best information sources about homocysteine health hazards is the book The H-factor Solution by Dr. James Braly and Patrick Holford. According to their extensive research, a homocysteine level under 6 units means you’re at extremely low risk of heart attack and stroke and homocysteine levels between 6 and 8.9 units translate to relatively low risk, although the risk could be even less. People with levels above 8.9 units are at significantly greater risk, with the greatest risks associated with the highest numbers.

So even though many homocysteine test reports state that 8, 10 or even 12 units are normal, if you have erectile dysfunction and your homocysteine level is over 6, it’s still worth trying vitamins B6, B12, and folate. If it’s over 8.9 units, these nutrients are definitely worth trying. Since these vitamins are quite harmless, it’s best to use larger-than-usual amounts, just in case you have one of the relatively common mutations (5 to 10 percent chance) in the various biochemical pathways regulating homocysteine and closely related metabolites. (Yes, you can have genetic testing to discover for sure whether you have one of these mutations or not, but it’s much less expensive to just try the vitamins!)

For the best chance of success, take 100 milligrams daily of the pyridoxal-5-phosphate form of vitamin B6, 3,000 micrograms daily of the methylfolate form of folic acid, and 3,000 micrograms daily of the methylcobalamin form of vitamin B12. As these are B-vitamins, it’s best to take part in the morning, and part in the evening.

If this approach works for you, it’s very likely you can eventually get by with less, but before you cut back, have your serum homocysteine measured, and then check again every few months. If it rises again significantly, it’s best to increase the quantities again.

When we were kids, we’d fall down, pick ourselves up, and keep running across the yard without another thought.

But as we get older, taking a tumble gets more and more dangerous. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries and are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults.

And once you hit 75, you’re more than four times more likely to end up in a long-term care facility after a fall.

Obviously, avoiding anything that can increase the risk of falling becomes critical to your health as you get older.

Which is why the results of a new study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are so important. Researchers found that SSRIs increased the risk of falling by a whopping 300 percent.

The study was specifically on nursing home residents taking antidepressants–SSRIs are a leading treatment for nursing home patients suffering from depression. However, it’s important news for anyone concerned about a fall. And it’s particularly important for people who are also dealing with depression.

One of the best ways to prevent a fall is by participating in a specific kind of exercise: tai chi. In one study, people who took two tai chi classes a week for 12 weeks reduced falls and increased their balance.

Incidentally, exercise is also an effective way of tackling depression. In fact, one recent study showed exercise to be as effective as adding a second depression drug.

P.S. When you’re dealing with mental health issues, you want to be able to trust your doctor. But when he’s pushing pills with dangerous side effects, it’s not that easy. Luckily, there are other options. Click here to learn more from our affiliated newsletter HSI.

Sources:
“Anti Depressants Raise Risk Of Falling Over,” Medical News Today (medicalnewstoday.com)

Dr. Wright: The symptoms of an underactive thyroid (also known as hypothyroidism) include weight gain, fatigue, constipation, depression, sore muscles, and extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures. But since these symptoms are ones that are relatively common and can indicate many other problems in the body, doctors now rely heavily on laboratory tests to officially diagnose cases of hypothyroidism.

These thyroid function tests usually measure thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH, produced by the pituitary gland) and thyroid hormone output (T3 and T4). But since thyroid hormones regulate many key functions of the body, levels in the blood do not always reflect what is going on in the tissues.

If you and your doctor have ruled out other potential causes of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing, ask him or her to measure your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which can better help assess thyroid function.

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When nearly 70 people are sickened by an outbreak of salmonella after eating at a fast food chain, you’d like to know the name of the chain, wouldn’t you?

And you’d expect an organization supposedly dedicated to protecting public health to release the name, wouldn’t you?

I mean, you certainly wouldn’t expect them to choose protecting the chain restaurant over public health, would you?

And yet, that’s exactly what happened after an outbreak that started in Texas (43 cases) and Oklahoma (16 cases) and spread to eight other states, leaving 68 people ill.

Even worse–the CDC didn’t even report the outbreak until almost two months after it happened!

So…choosing not to report the name of a restaurant at the center of an outbreak of infection, and then taking two months to even acknowledge said outbreak…That’s an interesting pair of choices for an organization with the words “Disease Control” right there in its name.

The CDC hasn’t explained why the report took so long, or why it hasn’t revealed the restaurant at the center of the outbreak. Could it be that they’re more interested in protecting corporate interests than they are in protecting the health of the American people? Is the CDC just one more government entity in the pocket of Big Business? That pocket’s getting pretty crowded…

I certainly can’t think of another explanation–why else would they keep an outbreak under wraps for two months and keep the public in the dark about what chain got people sick?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the CDC has pulled such a shady trick. In the summer of 2010, they released a report that 155 people had become sick in two multistate outbreaks of salmonella infections. The restaurant at the center of those outbreaks was called “Restaurant A” in the report. It wasn’t until days later that the CDC revealed the outbreak was in fact linked to Taco Bell.

There’s no good reason to keep information about such an outbreak under wraps. When it comes to public health, transparency and trust are essential. How can we believe the CDC has our best interests at heart when we can’t even trust them to name a restaurant that sold food that made people sick?

P.S. Keep reading for a thyroid test that can offer certainty when you’re not buying the “normal” result you got from your doctor.

Sources:
“CDC Mum About Fast-Food Chain in Salmonella Outbreak,” Food Safety News (foodsafetynews.com)

Q: After reading some of your articles on gluten sensitivity, I’m wondering if it could be related to how I’ve been feeling lately. How can I find out if I am in fact sensitive to gluten?

Dr. Wright: The most sensitive and specific blood test for gluten/gliadin sensitivity that’s presently available is called the tissue transgluaminase (tTG) test. It’s the one I’ve used since it became available. Others include the endomysial antibodies (EMA) test and the antigliadin antibodies (AGA) test. These two screening techniques check for specific antibodies produced in the body after ingesting grains. The EMA tests measures mostly “short-lived” antibodies and the AGA test checks “longer-lived” antibodies.

Keep in mind, though, that you will not have antibodies to anything you haven’t previously been exposed to. So if you’ve been avoiding all gluten grains, the test will be negative even if you are truly gluten sensitive.

The new ad campaign for milk has me almost feeling sorry for the dairy industry…almost. It definitely has me feeling embarrassed for those folks.

Because, wow. They’re really grasping at straws this time.

In one ad, a woman terrifies her child when she shakes a carton of “alternative milk.” The point of the ad is that you don’t have to shake cow’s milk but that you have to shake those “alternatives” (they’re probably referring to nut-based milks in this one) so vigorously and for so long that you become a raging monster in the eyes of your child (yes, really).

In another, a bunch of rich old men on the “Board of Unnecessary” brainstorm ways to spend one member’s obscene amount of cash. Burning it is “too easy” and putting the whole Internet into a book is “too practical.” But then one of the men suggests “making milk from something other than cows.”

“But milk comes from cows,” another answers. This, however, is the idea–how unnecessary! And so the plan is approved.

Okay, so almond milk needs shaking. But if that’s all you’ve got, I think you’re losing the battle.

After all, cow’s milk has been associated with prostate problems, bone fractures, and strep throat. It also may contain bacteria that could cause Crohn’s disease.

Meanwhile, one of those “unnecessary” alternatives, almond milk, is absolutely packed with nutrients. It’s high in both protein and omega fatty acids, it’s high in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin E. All this without any cholesterol or saturated fat.

Oh, and another thing about almond milk–it’s currently leading the pack of “alternative” milks–which explains the new pro-dairy campaign.

You can almost see the panic behind the ads. People are starting to realize that dairy doesn’t belong in the human diet, and are embracing the much healthier alternatives. And that has the dairy industry shaking in their boots.

The problem, though, is that they’re running out of good things they can say about cow’s milk. As more studies come out revealing there are more problems than benefits associated with dairy, they’re stuck with just-plain-silly attacks like “you have to shake it!” or “that’s not ‘real’ milk!”

But “real” or not, alternatives like almond milk are just plain better for our health. And that’s something the dairy industry just can’t touch.

P.S. Think you might have gluten sensitivity? Keep reading for a test that can help you find out for sure.

Sources:
Gotmilk.com

“Almond Milk Leads Dairy Alternative Beverage Market,” Nutraceuticals World (nutraceuticalsworld.com)