• Substantial short-term memory or concentration problems
• Recurring sore throat and tender lymph nodes
• Muscle pain
• Pain in several joints without swelling or redness
• Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
• Feeling tired and unrefreshed—even after sleeping
• Extreme tiredness after exercise or other exertion lasting more than 24 hours

The real challenge is chronic fatigue can result from multiple sources—diet has much to do with it, as does mood, activity level and the health of your immune system. And various antigens—substances that stimulate the production of an antibody when introduced into the body—triggered by medications, virus exposure, vaccinations, heavy metals or environmental toxins all contribute to the symptoms of CFS.

Very few physicians know what to test for to uncover the causes. It takes a detailed history of your physical health, exposures, eating habits, stress, self-belief patterns, emotions and even relationships.

Fatigue and low energy can also fluctuate daily according to the foods you eat. But when you approach eating 50 percent of your food uncooked, you will definitely find your energy level improving. Foods full of refined sugar, high loads of wheat bread, dairy milk, cheese or fatty animal meats can be modified or replaced with nutrient-rich foods, and chronic fatigue states can’t last very long in that nutritious environment.

I also find that much of fatigue has a lot to do with holding one’s self back energetically by one’s own thought patterns. This may be an unconscious pattern such as fearing what others might think, thinking about the terrible “what ifs” that constantly arise or choosing inaction because we don’t feel capable or lovable enough.

For example, when your mind is idle or dwelling on unpleasant thoughts, your life force energy becomes low, which slows and tires your physical body.

Instead, say out loud, “I am a powerful force for good in the life of someone today. I am inspiring and joyful!” Did you notice a shift of more energy come into you as you said these words aloud? It works for me in every case.

This is called the language of “success,” or the language of “increase.” Thinking—and especially saying—such words empower you with energy and passion to do what you want in life. Reach out to others and feel how it can revive you and awaken your soul. And as you experience some sort of reaching out to another, just notice how it feels to connect to them and feel the energy that comes into you.

To sum up, if you discuss your symptoms with your physician, take the time to examine your food habits and improve your positive thinking, then you could be able to shake the symptoms of CFS. This will help you on the path to a healthy body and mind, and get you out enjoying your favorite activities again.

In this clinical trial of 4,757 participants called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), scientists noted that those at high risk of developing advanced AMD decreased their risk by 25 percent when they took high doses of zinc (along with 2 milligrams of copper to prevent copper deficiency), vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Those participants in the study who took only zinc or only antioxidants also lowered their risk of advanced AMD, but at a more moderate rate of protection than those who were given the combination of supplements.

Plus, the benefits of the zinc and antioxidant doses were only seen in the people at high risk for developing advanced AMD—those with mild forms or no signs of the disease saw no benefit. And the same supplements taken in the same doses had no effect on age-related cataracts.

“The nutrients are not a cure for AMD, nor will they restore vision already lost from the disease,” cautioned NEI director Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D. “But they will play a key role in helping people at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision.”

Could you achieve the same protection by simply eating a diet rich in these nutrients? I am in agreement with Frederick Ferris, M.D., the NEI director of clinical research and chairman of AREDS, who believes that it would be very difficult to get the high amount of the nutrients used in the study simply from your diet alone.

So by all means, include plenty of green, leafy vegetables as well as zinc-rich foods such as dried beans, garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, peas, soy products and whole grains in your diet. But you will also need to supplement your diet to further protect your precious sight from advanced AMD.

It is simply the act of learning to tune into your feelings—and the feeling we’ll explore is that of gratitude.

This sense or feeling of thankfulness is often in response to receiving a tangible gift or having something go really great in your life. Yet there is another way to create this feeling within you—it’s making the conscious choice to focus on your current blessings WITHOUT giving any energy or thought to problems or shortcomings.

By doing this, you can make the practice of gratitude a way of life so that every moment is filled with the consciousness of gratefulness, thankfulness and appreciation. From the tiniest flower you see… to your neighbor doing his or her best to live a fulfilled life… you can actually see all the good and FEEL that within you.

Even the burned turkey or the traffic jam can be something to laugh about when you master your thoughts and emotions in this way.

Researchers who study the science of thankfulness can now show definitively that when you participate in regular and deliberate appreciation, you improve almost every aspect of your physical and emotional health.

By having research participants keep gratitude journals and execute self-guided exercises, they slept better… exercised more… increased positive emotions… achieved personal goals quicker… and assisted others more often.

It’s almost like a gratitude movement is taking shape now. There has even been a special cruise called an “Ocean of Gratitude Cruise” featuring Masaru Emoto, M.D., who wrote the book, The Hidden Messages in Water.

Emoto showed that the vibrational frequency at the atomic level of all matter responds to love and gratitude to create the most beautiful water crystal formations. This “Ocean of Gratitude Cruise” and other global efforts to send love into the hearts of humanity will shift others around them to this frequency.

By learning to tune into your own feelings, you’ll see that there is generally more of a demand for peace, unity and acceptance among people.

So, during this holiday season, open yourself up to the healing emotions of thankfulness, gratefulness and appreciation, and enjoy and celebrate your time with family and friends. Your mental and physical health will be renewed and reenergized and ready to combat the every day stresses!

But according to a recent report, two-thirds of you who experience a fatal heart attack will not even realize it until it’s too late! Grim statistics? You bet—read on.

In a report by Health.com, cardiologist and director of the Center for Women’s Health at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Elsa-Grace V. Giardina, M.D., said, “Most women worry far more about breast cancer than heart disease. But for every woman who dies from breast cancer, 10 die from heart attacks.”

Why do women have such a hard time believing that they might be at risk for a heart attack? One big reason is that, until recently, heart attack symptoms have been based on what men have experienced.

But medical professionals have finally begun to realize that a heart attack experience in a woman can be vastly different from that of a man—and this includes not just symptoms, but methods of diagnosing and treating the problem.

A particularly dangerous misunderstanding is the belief that you can’t be having a heart attack unless you have pain in your chest and numbness in your left arm, but that does not always hold true for women.

Nieca Goldberg, M.D., cardiologist and director of New York University’s Women’s Heart Program claims that it is very normal for women to have pain in the jaw, shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the upper part of the abdomen or back and weariness, but many times these symptoms are seen as a sign of stomach problems or even anxiety attacks.

Although the technology is available to stop a heart attack, since the early signs are often overlooked in a woman, the modern medication and lifesaving technology are not immediately applied—and then it becomes too late.

Is there anything you can do to lower your risks and increase your chances of survival? Absolutely! Although there are some factors you can’t control—such as your family history of heart attacks, your age or female menopause—you can and must control your lifestyle choices:

• Avoid tobacco smoking, which doubles your risk of a heart attack.
• Watch your blood pressure and keep it close to the target level your doctor indicates.
• Include moderate physical activity or exercise in your daily regimen.
• Watch your weight—obesity, especially “belly fat” is hard on your heart.
• Eat healthy foods that are low in sugar, hydrogenated oils, trans fats and animal protein, but high in plant fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and folate.
• Control the stress, anger and depression in your life, all of which can greatly impact the health of your heart.

And realize that, as a woman, your symptoms of a heart attack may not include the classic symptoms that many men experience. You know your body and you must be prepared to act immediately if you feel that you’re having a heart attack. Insist on adequate testing and don’t leave until you feel comfortable with the results. Protect your heart—it could mean your life!

I know you are concerned with your heart’s health, and your mind and emotional state have a great affect on the state of this essential organ. As a matter of fact, your mental state plays just as much of a role in heart disease as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure!

And, with high cholesterol being found in less than half of patients who have heart attacks, it is becoming very clear that stress, anger and depression make up the “Achilles’ Heel” of the heart!

A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that stress can cause severe, but reversible, heart problems. And when the researchers compared patients with underlying heart failure who were under deep emotional stress to the non-stressed patients, testing and biopsies clearly showed that stress had, “potentially lethal consequences.” In other words—stress could kill you!

A study by the American Heart Association examined 536 patients who had previously experienced heart attacks. When the anxiety levels were measured, those patients with the highest anxiety scores were four times more likely to suffer from more heart problems compared to the ones with low anxiety.

And depression at least doubles the average C-reactive protein levels, which is the standard blood test for measuring your risk of a heart attack. But if you’ve already had a heart event, depression makes you four to five times more likely to have another event!

The last important risk factor for heart disease is anger. Even childhood experiences of abuse can increase your chances of heart disease later in life if you hold onto those memories on a deep emotional level. And allowing anger to take hold of your body can disrupt the regular electric impulses that keep your heart beating!

Not only do anger, depression and anxiety affect the way you eat and exercise, they also provoke the release of stress hormones and chemicals that create problems in your body. Your blood pressure and blood clotting increase, and blood sugar levels go up—all known causes of plaque build-up in your arteries!

But it’s been shown that your mind can have amazing powers over your body’s negative reaction to stress. For example, psychologist Timothy Smith at the University of Utah measured the heart rates of 82 students after he had given them a stressful task, and then again after he told them to think of someone they cared the most about before they began the task. The results showed a definite lowering of heart and blood pressure!

Laughter, optimism and even quieting the mind have real effects on a healthy heart. Karen Mathews at the University of Pittsburgh examined 209 healthy menopausal women for three years to see how optimism affected blockages of the carotid arteries (arteries on each side of the neck that supply blood to the front part of the brain). What was the result? The most optimistic women had only a 1 percent thickening rate while the pessimists had a 6 percent thickening rate!

Then consider the University of Maryland Medical School participants who watched a funny movie for 15 minutes—there was a clear relaxation of their peripheral arteries (arteries such as those in the mouth, hands or feet that are furthest from the heart) and increased blood flow for up to 45 minutes!

Now imagine what you could do for your heart’s health if you routinely performed this “mind over body” ritual to counteract the negative impact of stress, anger and depression! Your heart and your loved ones would thank you—and your heart’s “Achilles’ Heel” would lose much of its power.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

You might be surprised to learn that aspartame (Nutrasweet^®) has been linked to serious health problems. In today’s issue I’ll share information about the research that confirms this, and about symptoms associated with aspartame. I urge you to read this article; aspartame is part of so many products, and even medications, it is essential that you understand its side effects!

This issue also includes an explanation of the link between the hormone melatonin and good sleep, and information on how to supplement
melatonin.

Regarding supplements, I’ve also included a guide for how to use supplements correctly—something I find most people don’t do!

And finally, in the Q&A section, I’ll talk about yeast as a health danger and whether supplementation with brewer’s yeast can be hazardous to
your health.

Yours for healthy
living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

The Aspartame (Nutrasweet®), Methanol and Formaldehyde Connection

Did you know that aspartame turns into methanol and formaldehyde when heated? Were you also aware that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) supports the use of aspartame (NutraSweet®) as an acceptable replacement for sugar for people with diabetes? This is despite the fact that aspartame has generated the largest volume of consumer reports (75% of them) describing adverse reactions.

To me, this means the ADA is not willing to look at healthier alternatives to sugar and aspartame, such as whole food alternatives like stevia. The ADA’s official statement reads: “The American Diabetic Association considers aspartame—as well as the other FDA-approved non nutritive sweeteners (saccharin, acesulfame k and sucralose)—acceptable sugar substitutes and a safe part of a diabetic meal plan.” Interestingly, Monsanto (producer of NutraSweet®) donates $250,000 a year to the ADA and is a Platinum Corporate Sponsor.

But worse is the FDA’s support of aspartame. Aspartame can be found in breath mints, gum, cereals, frozen desserts, coffee, juice, synthetic vitamins, pharmaceutical drugs, tea, wine coolers, yogurt supplements, and of course, diet soft drinks.

That doesn’t sound so bad until you meet people who have linked their health problems to aspartame consumption.

Aside from all the political and scandalous implications behind the supposed “safety” of aspartame, it’s equally appalling that Monsanto’s commercial brags that 200 million people are now consuming NutraSweet® in more than 4,000 different products. Don’t think for a minute that they cannot afford the best lawyers and lobbyists to keep their product “legally safe,” despite rising evidence to the contrary.

For example: A review of 164 studies on the safety of aspartame conducted by Ralph G. Walton, M.D., Chairman of the Center for Behavioral Medicine and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, revealed that 100% of the 74 industry-sponsored studies of aspartame claimed that no problems were found.

However, he also found that of the 90 studies funded by non-aspartame industry money, 92% identified one or more serious health problems. And if you consider that the remaining 8% of the studies (which found no problems with aspartame) were FDA-sponsored and not really independent, it means that in reality, 100% of the independent studies found serious health problems with aspartame!

Incidentally, a number of FDA officials were hired by the aspartame industry immediately following the FDA’s approval of aspartame use in the food industry, including the former FDA Commissioner.

You should eliminate aspartame from your diet—especially if you are experiencing these symptoms:

While you may not be able to eliminate Nutrasweet® from everything you consume (considering its widespread use in medicines) go as far as you can toward that goal to ensure you don’t experience serious health problems!.

Hormones and Sleep

Our bodies are controlled to a large extent by the hormones that are produced by glands throughout our bodies. Sleep, like most other body
processes, is also controlled by hormones.

Have you heard of melatonin? It is a hormone that controls our sleep patterns and is produced naturally by our bodies!

The Pineal gland, a small hormone-secreting gland located in the center of our brains, primarily secretes melatonin to help our bodies
regulate our sleep-wake cycles.

Synthesis and release of melatonin by the pineal gland is stimulated by darkness. Even without
darkness, there still is a circadian cycle in which melatonin levels peak in the wee hours of the morning and drop by midday.

Unfortunately, as we grow older, our body produces less and less melatonin. Scientists believe this may be the reason we have trouble sleeping as we age.

Supplementing with melatonin, dosed from 0.5 to 5 mg at bedtime (start low), can be very effective in improving your sleep patterns without the hazards or side effects of prescription sleeping pills.

But it seems to work best for short-term treatments (three months) followed by a melatonin-free period (about a week) to reset your own melatonin production. It works even better for jet lag, especially when you can get some sun exposure at your destination before going to
bed.

Good Supplementation Habits Mean Good
Health!

I live a busy lifestyle. With my family, community, church and medical practice activities, I rely on nutritional supplementation to help maintain my health. Participating in any kind of supplement regime means you will be faced with a few decisions in order to get started on the right path.

You will notice that most supplements are just vitamins and minerals. Please know that there are several other, even more important
supplementation items to consider.

For example, Americans are increasingly experiencing pancreas, thyroid and adrenal gland fatigue or burn-out. The pancreas makes digestive enzymes in combination with timed stomach acid secretion. When both of these become depleted (very common) we experience stomach acid pain, bloating or irritable bowel symptoms, and an unhealthy shift in bowel flora (the microbiological types of yeast or unfriendly
bacteria instead of the healthy Lactobacillus bacteria so important for digestion).

With thyroid and adrenal weakness we experience fatigue, hormone and sugar metabolism disorders, to name just a few.

Why does this occur? One of several reasons is when cell membranes (made of partially hydrogenated oils, which are found in so many man-made foods) become dysfunctional, and glucose transport into the cell for processing is impaired, we experience a host of symptoms or “diseases” such as obesity, diabetes, allergies, hypertension and even cancer.

Another reason for organ weakness is the destructive emotions of worry, anger or depression. These change the body’s acid-base balance, nutrient absorption, enzyme activity and adrenal gland secretion of adrenaline, shifting away from its other functions of sex hormones, growth hormones and blood pressure-controlling hormones.

The thyroid gland is also enzyme- and nutrient-dependant and down-regulates in response to the above listed factors. It is dependant upon certain nutrients such as naturally occurring iodine, which can be found in kelp.

Therefore, be aware of “other” supplements which are important, or perhaps even required, to allow the vitamins you consume to actually work.

Here are the most important of the “other” supplements to consider:

Essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA. These build healthy cell membranes (nearly 100 trillion in the human body) and brain tissue (made of approximately 90% fat).

• Proteolytic and digestive enzymes make every biochemical process in your body work.
• Anti-oxidation from phytonutrients (plant sources) keep the electron-seeking molecules (dangerous molecular by-products of metabolism) controlled, allowing repair enzymes to reverse disease processes.
• Amino acids are the protein building blocks must be are part of your nutrient intake.

Here’s a quick summary of good habits to follow when supplementing:

• Take your supplements with food for proper digestion and assimilation
• Keep all supplements out of direct sunlight; UV rays destroy their chemical quality
• Create a regular routine for your supplement taking, like at breakfast and dinner
• Keep supplements in the same place, to reinforce your habit; remember, it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit, so give it a little
  time

For proper nutrition, you need a balance of:

• vitamins
• minerals
• essential fatty acids & oils
• phytonutrients
• amino acids
• enzymes

Follow these recommendations and you’ll get the most from your supplements!

Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com

.

Is Taking Brewer’s Yeast Safe?

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am a 91-year-old reader of your newsletter. I have been having some stress problems and took your advice—brewer’s yeast for
insomnia. It’s been working beautifully. Today I’ve been reading the book, Food Enzymes—the Missing Link to Radiant Health by
Hombart Santillo, N.D. pages 75-76 concerning yeast. This of course concerns me. I look to you for advice.—R. P. Frodahl

Dear Mrs. Frodahl,

Thank you for your confidence in me. And your question is a good one because there is still a controversy as to whether yeast hypersensitivity conditions can really cause as broad a range of symptoms as some authors claim.

First, let me explain brewer’s yeast (also known as baker’s yeast) just a bit, and clarify the difference between it and infection with the yeast called Candida albicans.

Brewer’s yeast is special yeast used to ferment beer and bake bread. As bad as taking yeast for therapy may sound, medicinally it is considered by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a vitamin, and by our American authoritative source, The Merck Index, as being a beneficial source of protein and B vitamins. More specifically, brewer’s yeast is officially approved in both Germany and by the American Botanical Council for the treatment
of chronic acne and loss of appetite.

In America we use it for these conditions and others, even though it is not a prescription medication.

It is used to help people sleep better, as you know. This effect probably comes from the Niacin (vitamin B3) and Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) present in the yeast working together to enhance serotonin in the brain.

In contrast to this beneficial yeast, overgrowth by the Candida yeast species is known to cause a long list of symptoms, some of which I know are real. Certainly we know that localized Candida yeast infections can cause the skin to itch, rash and swell. In the mouth it is known as
thrush.

But more insidiously, Candida overgrowth can and does occur when a patient is found to have even a mild immune weakness or overindulges in simple sugar forming foods. Mostly Candida overgrowth manifests as fatigue, urinary pain, irritable bowel syndrome and clouded thinking, and it also plays into allergies and other low-grade inflammatory conditions.

So don’t worry, the two yeasts in question are very different. Keep taking the brewer’s yeast if it works for you. If nothing else, it is a source of nutrition that some people call “nature’s wonder food.”

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

Today I’d like to share with you some of my nutritional secrets for reducing inflammation. I believe inflammation to be the key to fighting most disease, from arthritis to cancer and a host of other chronic, painful conditions.

And though I am focusing on arthritis and cancer today, these tools can be applied to almost any disease.

In addition, I’ll talk a bit about Oral Chelation and how it can help even in cases where there are multiple health issues involved.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Nutritional Supplementation for
Inflammation
and Arthritis

There are many sources of supplements that I am going to recommend to you, but first a word on drug and supplement interactions. Especially if you are on medication, you should note what possible effects could occur with any new supplement you take.

For example, for those who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a commonly used drug is Methotrexate, which can lower the levels of folic acid in the body. If a person is already suffering from low folic acid, methotrexate is potentially more toxic in conjunction with a diet rich in vegetables and fish.

I still recommend that you take an omega-3 oil supplement. Cod liver, halibut, other fish oils and flaxseed oil (EPA – omega-3) contain the necessary weapons against rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis and other autoimmune disorders.

• I recommend 1,000 mg of fish or flaxseed oil twice a day. Research from the British Journal of Nutrition (March 2001) showed that supplementation with fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) can markedly reduce interleukin-1 beta production and significantly reduces morning stiffness and number of painful joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The reduction only occurred when omega-3 was given in much higher amounts than omega-6 oils.
• Vitamin C builds connective tissue and fights infections, bacteria and virus attacks. The ability of vitamin C to enhance the autoimmune system is its strongest case for being a good overall arthritis weapon. It also improves gout by causing uric acid excretion to increase. I recommend 2,000 mg a day in times of acute illness or stress. But it is the natural sources of vitamin C that contain the whole vitamin complex and are the most preferred.
• Augment your diet with folic acid, especially for gout. At doses of 25-75 mg/day, especially in combination with higher doses of vitamin C, folic acid is proven to lower serum uric acid levels to improve symptoms of gouty arthritis flares. Dietary sources include green, leafy vegetables and liver.
• Sulfur is an essential compound for the development of bones, repair of cartilage and connective tissue. You should eat sulfur-specific foods like eggs, garlic, onions and asparagus, and you can also supplement your diet with methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). This product reduces the inflammation around joints while simultaneously repairing joints and tissues. Take up to 400 mg twice daily.
• Bromelain is good for arthritis. You’ve seen me recommend this for allergies in another issue, but Bromelain is also great for arthritis. It is an enzyme extracted from pineapples which helps to stimulate the production of prostaglandins. The result is reduction of inflammation. Take up to 400 mg a day.
• The following herbs are all known to help in arthritis: lemon myrtle leaf, wild rosella calyx, aniseed myrtle leaf, mountain pepper leaf, devil’s claw root extract, yucca leaf extract, white willow bark, feverfew flower extract, celery seed extract, boswellia extract, bovine cartilage (has condroitin and glucosamine), bromelain and papain extract are herbs used in natural formulas that really work well for most patients.
• Alfalfa and Capsicum are herbs which have a good record of helping arthritis sufferers:

Alfalfa provides essential minerals for bone development, and can be eaten as raw plant or in 500 mg capsule form. People have consumed up to 5 grams of the herb and achieved relief. I recommend you slowly work up to that level.

Capsicum is also commonly known as red pepper, cayenne pepper, and chili pepper.

The dried ripe fruit of Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum annum is rich in the phytochemical capsaicin, which is the active phytochemical constituent responsible for the pungent and irritating effects of cayenne pepper.

Applied externally in the form of ointments and creams, this herb provides pain relief for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Make sure you always wash your hands thoroughly after application so that no eyes or mucous membranes become irritated. Most people apply cream 4 to 5 times a day.

Inflammation can be treated effectively using safe, natural supplements. The key is understanding which nutrients to use and in what quantities for your body. If you’ll follow these simple guidelines, you should be able to regain a higher level of activity with less discomfort and stress than before!

Inflammation and Disease

In a cover story of Time Magazine, it was reported how cancer, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s and other health issues may be more significantly affected by inflammation than originally believed.

The report shows that the natural responses of the body to fight bacterial infection, skin damage or even allergies can sometimes go overboard in some people’s systems, resulting in a likelihood of exacerbating existing autoimmune illnesses, or worse, starting the process for illnesses that were lying dormant within the body.

Scientists are continuing the research to find the extent of this interaction as well as the specific anti-inflammation solutions that are more specific.

In my practice, I believe this link to be true. I have seen enough patients with chronic issues who have inflammation present in some parts of their body. For me, it can be easily explained when I tell my patients that they are feeling pain because of inflammation, and that the myriad of symptoms can be addressed by helping to reduce the inflammation wherever it may be.

As in the article in the Time magazine, I fully support a preventative lifestyle that embraces whole, natural food consumption, plenty of exercise, low-fat diets and prudent use of pain killer medication. One smart idea advocated in the article, which I also heartily endorse, is the practice of regularly flossing your teeth to minimize the risk of gum disease; gum disease is a constant source of consistent inflammation within the body.

Link Between Cancer and Emotions

An instigator of inflammation which no doubt plays a role in the development of chronic degenerative diseases is painful emotions such as stress and anxiety.

There are many studies suggesting a direct relationship between cancer and both stress and anxiety.

This relationship suggests that stress alters the immune system. Researchers in one study found that cancer of the cervix occurred most often in women who reported being hopelessly frustrated over a stressful situation.

In another study, researchers found that those prone to stress were most likely to develop breast cancer.

Anger is another predictor of cancer. In fact, a number of studies reveal that experiencing higher levels of anger, or suppressing it, increase the risk significantly.

In one study, for example, patients who could express emotions such as anger, hostility, guilt, depression and aggression were able to survive longer than patients who reported they had fewer negative emotions.

Depression is another emotional state that is definitely linked to inflammation, and somewhat less strongly, to cancer. Various studies support the concept that cancer may promote cancer, rather than initiate it.

What is the answer? I recommend a balanced diet made up primarily of fresh, whole foods, moderate exercise (after you have been examined and cleared for exercise by your doctor), and a good multi-vitamin to help fill in where there may be gaps in your nutrition. In addition, I recommend you see a nutritionist who focuses on natural supplements and diets rich in whole foods to help you make these changes. Finally, I recommend you find a certified counselor, social worker or psychologist to help you find healthy ways to deal with your anger.

Q & A

Each week in the Q & A section of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options™. For more information on Easy Health Options™, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

Oral Chelation and Multiple Health Issues

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am writing to you concerning my mom. She is 75 and lives in Memphis, TN; has had breast cancer in both breasts 20 years ago, triple bypass surgery in August 2000, diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) about a year ago, and recently her cardiologist stated her aortic valve is significantly narrowing—to what extent I am not sure at this point.

I do as much naturally as possible and was researching the chelation process. I would like to help her avoid surgery if at all possible. I contacted Dr. X in Knoxville about the IV process. However she does not want to move to Knoxville for two months or so and is not crazy about the IV process. Someone recommended the oral chelation and the use of Advanced Artery Solutions™.

My questions to you are: Will this product help with her condition? How much of it should she take? Will it interact with her other supplements and meds for her heart? What are the drawbacks with it? I have heard about kidney failure. I assume if she drinks plenty of water to flush this out and has her blood, kidneys, liver, etc. monitored she should be okay with it. Any other information you can provide to me would be greatly appreciated

—Renee G.

Dear Renee,

Advanced Artery Solution™ is a safe choice, but its effectiveness is projected to be slower than IV chelation. Please don’t worry about safety here—it is not known to interact with medications. EDTA is an amino acid, not considered a “drug.” There are peer-reviewed studies demonstrating EDTA’s safety with kidneys. What you have heard about is IV chelation where mixing of the solution was not correct and at the same time they failed to monitor kidney function with a simple BUN/Creatinine blood test. Have her take the recommended amount on the bottle.

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.