• Quick Tips to Make Back Pain Go Away
• The Good and Bad of Genetically Engineered Enzymes
• Almonds & Oats Have Beneficial Effects
• Options for Stroke Damage

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Dear Health Conscious Individual,

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

In this week’s edition we will tackle an issue that faces many Americans on a daily basis—back pain. Don’t you want to wake up each morning and not have to struggle to get out of bed? Don’t you want to be able to do all the activities of a teenager? Then read below to find out several tips and supplements that can help you take care of your body’s support system—your back!

We also look at genetically engineered enzymes—sounds pretty scary, right? Well, many of these enzymes are potentially harmful and they are in loads of the foods that are in your pantry as we speak! I’ll let you know what to look for in the ingredients of your favorite foods.

Yours for healthy living,

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

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Quick Tips to Make Back Pain Go Away

Back pain is a common ailment. There are a lot of causes of back pain. In some cases, back pain is only felt slightly. Some people can work through the day with a wide range of mobility and others have strong back pain that renders them immobile.

Lifting heavy objects is a primary cause. People who lift laterally while bent at the back can often cause muscle and skeletal strain.

Many people used to think that back pain was the cause of spinal degeneration, but now we know more about this illness and have insights that teach us that back pain is caused by a variety of activities.

In some cases, the cause could be poor posture, walking techniques, sleep posture, sitting posture, work environment, shoes, or even a deep-seated emotional problem. In some cases, back pain can be caused by pain in the neck or shoulders. It is often a cause of back pain with older people.

Here are a few suggestions that you can use to ease your back pain:

The Water Solution

When pain strikes, drink two large glasses of quality water—not tap water. This could give relief within minutes when back pain is connected to dehydration. You need a minimum of four to eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day to keep acidic wastes from building up in your muscles.

Calcium and Osteoporosis

Taking calcium supplements can be good for your back pain because low back pain is the earliest symptom of osteoporosis. Women should take 800 to 1200 mg daily. It takes about a month to start working, so be patient and make sure that if you suffer from back pain and are at risk of osteoporosis, you should probably be supplementing.

You may want to have your doctor check your calcium and bone density levels if you are predisposed to osteoporosis. For our top recommended Calcium Supplement, check out Ultimate Calcium from Health Resources™.

A Few Tips

Never lean forward without using proper posture. Make sure to bend at the knees, keep your back erect and lift with your arms, legs and stomach. At all costs, avoid bending at the waist.

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• You may have a kidney infection if you have a fever and nausea along with pain in the middle-to-lower portion of your back.
• When sitting, keep your feet on the floor and maintain good posture.
• Reduce the stress in your life.
• There is some evidence that smoking may aggravate problems in your discs.
• There is some evidence that back pain may also be caused by repressed rage.
• Apply ice over a thin towel for two hours at a time off and on for the first 24 hours after pain hits, then apply heat using the same schedule.
• Sleep on your side—never on your stomach—and try a pillow between your legs for added support.
• Follow a fasting program once a month to clean out and flush your system.

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The Good and Bad of Genetically
Engineered Enzymes

Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins that speed up biochemical processes. They’re used to produce everything from wine and cheese to corn syrup and baked goods.

Enzymes allow the manufacturer to produce more of a particular product in a shorter amount of time, thus increasing profit. Generally, the use of enzymes is beneficial. In some cases, they can replace harmful chemicals and reduce water and energy consumption in food production. However, enzymes produced by genetically engineered organisms are cause for concern.

Not enough is known about the long-term effects of these enzymes on humans and the ecosystem for them to be used across the board.

FDA regulations on enzyme use is a gray area. Enzymes used in the processing of foods do not have to be listed on product labels because they are not considered foods. Also, when enzymes are genetically engineered, the manufacturer is not required to notify the FDA that the enzymes have been modified.

The lists of GE enzymes known by the FDA is, by their own admission, “probably incomplete.” Worldwide, the enzyme market is a $1.3 billion industry.

One of the largest enzyme manufacturers is Novo Nordisk, which manufactures GE and non-GE enzymes. The FDA provided us with this partial list of genetically engineered enzymes:

• Chymosin—used in the production of cheese.
• Novamyl™—used in baked goods to help preserve freshness.
• Alpha amylase—used in the production of white sugar, maltodextrins and nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners (corn syrup).
• Aspartic (proteinase enzyme from R. miehei)—used in the production of cheese.
• Pullulanase—used in the production of high fructose corn syrup.

If you want to absolutely avoid genetically engineered enzymes you will have two choices: avoid foods in the following categories, or call the food manufacturers directly and ask them if their enzymes are genetically engineered. They will probably have no idea. Ask them to check and call them back again. Let us know if you get written confirmation.

• Beers, wines and fruit juices—Enzymes used: Cereflo, Ceremix, Neutrase, Ultraflo, Termamyl, Fungamyl, AMG, Promozyme, Viscozyme, Finizym, Maturex, Pectinex, Pectinex Ultra SP–L, Glucanex, Bio-Cip Membrane, Peelzym, Olivex, Zietex
• Sugar—Enzymes used: Termamyl, Dextranase, Invertase, Alpha Amylase
• Oils—Enzymes used: Lipozyme IM, Novozym 435, Lecitase, Lipozyme, Novozym 398, Olivex, Zeitex
• Dairy products—Enzymes used: Lactozym, Palatase, Alcalase, Pancreatic Trypsin Novo (PTN), Flavourzyme, Catazyme, Chymosin
• Baked goods—Enzymes used: Fungamyl, AMG, Pentopan, Novomyl, Glutenase, Gluzyme

In many cases the enzymes named above are brand names. They may appear under other names as well.

Enzymes are usually found in minuscule quantities in the final food product. The toxin found in genetically engineered tryptophan was less than 0.1 percent of the total weight of the product, yet it was enough to kill people.

The use of enzymes is widespread in the food industry. Nothing is known about the long-term effects of genetically engineered enzymes.

I suggest a diet of whole foods and remove as many processed foods from your pantry as you can! It’s simple to stock fresh, wholesome foods for your entire family!

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Almonds & Oats Have Beneficial Effects

Almonds significantly lowered bad cholesterol levels in a study of people with high cholesterol reported in rapid-access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers measured cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight in the subjects. They found that patients reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL—bad cholesterol) an average 4.4 percent with a half portion of almonds and 9.4 percent with a full portion.

Soluble fibers include pectin (which is found in apples) and gums (such as beta glucan, which is found in oats). Insoluble fibers are found in wheat bran, whole grains and vegetables. Oats contain both types of fiber, but it is the beta glucan in oats that is primarily responsible for oats’ cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Some foods, such as oatmeal have been proven to actually reduce blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), while maintaining levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol).

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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.

Options for Stroke Damage

Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am a new subscriber hoping that you can help me. About 10 years ago I had a slight stroke but I was very fortunate as it didn’t leave me crippled. I came out of it with shaky hands. I have been to different doctors and no one seems to have an answer.

The only medication that seems to work is “lorazepam” (Valium^®). It helps for a while and then I’m back to where I started, which is very embarrassing—especially if I’m going out to dinner! You can’t keep food on your fork or spoon.

Also I can’t use (or hold) a pen anymore to write so I type everything. I’d be forever grateful if I could find someone who had an answer as medical doctors don’t seem to have one. —Alice G.

Dear Alice,

Your stroke undoubtedly caused some damage to the brain or nerve tissue because of a lack of blood supply to the affected area. And while nerves and tissues have their maximal recovery within the first six months after injury, I believe there are ways to augment the healing effect even after that.

So if you’re having trouble getting the food to your mouth and trouble with other daily activities at home, then I would refer you to a licensed physician in your area who is open to natural therapy so that you may discuss one or more of the following treatments:

• I.V. or Oral Chelation. Maximize blood flow to your brain by maximally opening the small vessels to the damaged tissues via an I.V. or oral chelation product.
• Nattokinase. This is a natural blood thinner from the Japanese fermented soy, natto. It is sold as a nutritional supplement. This has the effect of increasing blood flow and, along with Vitamin E 1600 IU, reversing deep vein thrombosis (clots) even better than the prescription drug, Coumadin^®. I suspect it would do a lot to also maximize blood flow to the brain along with chelation.
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in combination with biofeedback therapy, has been successful with some stroke patients.
• Meditation and biofeedback can calm the nerves and calm the brain supplying electrical impulses to these nerves. The nervous system is VERY sensitive to thoughts and emotions, even when held at a subconscious level.
• Vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids (EFAs) and minerals. These nutrients feed nerve tissue. So, consider a good multivitamin and either fish oil or flax seed oil at nine grams daily.

I hope you and the physician you choose can find one or more of these suggestions of value. And don’t forget to optimize your nutrition with juicing and a whole foods diet.

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.