The New Optimum Nutrition Bible
Page 48
Diet advice
Follow the recommendations in this book. Eat pure foods that will not add to the body’s toxic burden. Fruit and vegetable juices, high in antioxidants, are very beneficial, as is lots of water—3½ pints in a day. Also drink cat’s claw tea.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral (preferably with molybdenum)
6 × vitamin C 1,000 mg (1 every 2 hours)
3 × antioxidant complex
L-glutamine powder 5 g in water
Hay fever
Even though allergic reactions to pollen are the identified cause of hay fever, other factors make one person more likely to sneeze than another. The incidence of hay fever has risen dramatically in cities compared with rural areas, which led to the discovery that pollutants such as exhaust fumes prime the immune system to react. During the summer, the air in polluted areas contains more free radicals due to the action of sunlight on oxygen molecules, so city dwellers breathe in more pollutants. Taking a good all-round antioxidant supplement containing vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc, plus the amino acids cysteine or glutathione, helps increase your resistance (the most effective forms of these amino acids are N-acetyl cysteine, sometimes called NAC, and “reduced” glutathione). The amino acid methionine, in combination with calcium, is an effective antihistamine. You need to take 500 mg of L-methionine with 400 mg of calcium twice a day. Vitamin C helps control excessive histamine levels. vitamin B6 and zinc have a role to play in balancing histamine levels and strengthening the immune system. vitamin B5 helps reduce symptoms.
The three most common substances reacted to are pollen, wheat, and milk. Although there is no proven connection, it is interesting to note that all these are originally grass products. It may be that some hay fever sufferers become sensitized to proteins that are common to grains, grasses, and possibly milk. In any event, dairy products encourage mucus production. Similarly, modern strains of wheat are high in gluten, which irritates the digestive tract and stimulates mucus production.
Diet advice
Avoid or at least limit wheat, dairy products, and alcohol. Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, plus seeds rich in selenium and zinc. Where possible, avoid exposure to pollen and traffic fumes.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral (providing B6 100 mg and zinc 15 mg)
2 × antioxidant complex
3 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
If you are really suffering, try …
L-methionine 500 mg twice a day
Calcium 400 mg twice a day
Pantothenic acid 500 mg twice a day
Headaches and migraines
There are many causes of headaches and migraines, ranging from blood sugar drops, dehydration, and allergy, to stress and tension, or a critical combination. Peaks and troughs in adrenaline and blood sugar can bring on a headache. Often headaches go away with optimum nutrition. If they persist, look carefully at the possibility of allergy. See if you can notice any correlation between the foods you eat and the incidence of headaches.
For migraine sufferers, instead of taking an aspirin or migraine drugs that constrict the blood vessels, try taking 100 to 200 mg of vitamin B3 in the niacin form, which is a vasodilator. Start with the smaller dose: this will often stop or reduce a migraine in the early stages. It is best to do this at home in a relaxed environment so the customary warm blushing sensation will probably not bother you.
Diet advice
Eat little and often and avoid long periods without food, especially if you are stressed or tense. Also make sure you drink regularly. Avoid sugar and stimulants like tea, coffee, and chocolate.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
Vitamin C 1,000 mg
B3 niacin 100 mg
Herpes
The herpes virus feeds off an amino acid called arginine. If you supplement lysine, an amino acid that looks like arginine, you fool the virus and effectively starve it. I recommend supplementing 1,000 mg of lysine every day, away from food, to keep the virus at bay. When you have an active infection, supplement 3,000 mg of lysine a day and cut back on foods rich in arginine, which include beans, lentils, nuts, and chocolate. The more stressed you are, the weaker your immune system becomes and the more chances the virus has to become active. A good way to boost your immune system is to supplement 2,000 mg of vitamin C every day. Some people also find MSM reduces an infection. It’s worth trying if lysine doesn’t clear things up.
Diet advice
Avoid arginine-rich foods during an attack. These include beans, lentils, nuts, and chocolate.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Lysine 1,000 mg (take 3,000 mg a day during active infection)
MSM 1,000 mg (take 3,000 mg a day during active infection)
High blood pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure can be caused by atherosclerosis (a narrowing and thickening of the arteries), arterial tension, or thicker blood. Arterial tension is controlled by the balance of calcium, magnesium, and potassium in relation to sodium (salt). Stress also plays a part. Correcting this balance can lower blood pressure in thirty days. Vitamins C and E and fish oils high in EPA and DHA help keep the blood thin. To reverse atherosclerosis, see this page.
Diet advice
Follow the diet recommended in this book. Avoid salt and foods with added salt. Increase your intake of fruit (eat at least three pieces a day) and vegetables, which are rich in potassium. Take a tablespoon of ground seeds as a source of extra calcium and magnesium. Unless you are vegetarian, eat poached, grilled, or baked tuna, salmon, herring, or mackerel twice a week.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
Antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Bone mineral complex (providing 500 mg calcium and 300 mg magnesium)
EPA/DHA fish oils 1,200 to 2,400 mg or eat oily fish
Vitamin E 600 IU
Also read chapter 23.
HIV infection and AIDS
The main focus of current research is on antioxidant nutrients that strengthen the immune system. Leading researcher Dr. Raxit Jariwalla from the Linus Pauling Institute in California has shown vitamin C’s ability to suppress the HIV virus in laboratory cultures of infected cells. He found that with continuous exposure to ascorbic acid (vitamin C), in concentrations not harmful to cells, the growth of HIV in immune cells could be reduced by 99.5 percent. Dr. Jariwalla suggests that in healthy humans a daily dose of at least 10 g is needed for an antiviral effect. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an altered form of the amino acid cysteine that is a powerful antioxidant, has also been found to have antiviral properties. Dr. Jariwalla discovered that adding vitamin C to NAC created an eightfold increase in anti-HIV activity.
Diet advice
Eat a high-energy, whole-food organic diet packed with fresh fruit and vegetables and their juices. Eat fish rather than meat. Drink cat’s claw tea twice a day to boost the immune system.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2–10 × vitamin C 1,000 mg (2,000 mg every four hours up to bowel tolerance)
1–4 × N-acetyl cysteine 1,000 mg
Indigestion
This unpleasant state can be caused by many different factors, including too much or too little hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. Excessive stomach acid or a hiatal hernia usually causes heartburn. Insufficient hydrochloric acid or digestive-enzyme deficiency usually causes a feeling of indigestion and reduced well-being after a meal. A bacterial imbalance or fungal infection in the gut can also result in these symptoms, plus bloating after a meal, because undesirable organisms multiply on feeding. Nutrition consultants can test these possibilities and identify the cause. The following advice is, however, a good starting point.
Follow the recommended diet in this book. Balance your diet for acid- and alkaline-forming foods (see part 9). Avoid stomach irritants such as alcohol, coffee, and chiles, concentrated proteins, and any foods that you suspect you are intolerant of.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
Vitamin C 1,000 mg
Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria
Digestive enzyme (without betaine hydrochloride if heartburn is present) with each main meal
Also read chapter 22.
Infections
When the immune system is run-down, infections occur. Many nutrients and phytonutrients help enhance immune function. These include vitamin C, all antioxidants, and the plants echinacea, cat’s claw, and aloe vera. There are also many natural infection fighters including probiotics (for bacterial infection), caprylic acid (for fungal infection), elderberry extract (for viral infection, and grapefruit seed extract for all three. Read chapters 24 and 33 to find out which remedies are most helpful, depending on the infection. Below is a general infection-fighting program.
Diet advice
Follow the diet recommended in this book. Eat and drink plenty of fruit and vegetables and their juices. Drink plenty of water, herb teas, and three cups a day of cat’s claw tea. Stay away from mucus-forming foods—dairy products, meat, and eggs.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
3 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Echinacea 10 drops twice a day
Aloe vera a measure a day as instructed on the bottle (get the best since the concentration of active ingredient varies a lot)
Grapefruit seed extract 10 drops twice a day
Also read chapters 24 and 33.
Infertility
This unfortunate condition is more common in women than in men, although in 30 percent of couples who have difficulty conceiving the problem is due to the man. Vitamins E and B6, selenium, and zinc are important for both sexes, and vitamin C is important for men. Also important are essential fatty acids. There are, however, many causes other than nutritional deficiency, perhaps the most common being hormonal imbalances, particularly in women. These can be checked by a nutrition consultant or your doctor, from saliva samples taken at intervals over a month.
Diet advice
Follow the diet in this book. Essential fatty acids are found in cold-pressed vegetable oils, so make sure your daily diet includes a tablespoon of an oil blend to provide omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids or a heaping tablespoon of ground seeds.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral (including zinc 15 mg and selenium 100 mcg)
Vitamin E 600 IU
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Also read chapters 25 and 39.
Inflammation
Many health problems, including all those ending in “itis,” are inflammatory. This means that a part of the body such as a muscle or joint, the gut, or the respiratory tract, is inflamed. This is a sign that the body is reacting, or overreacting, to something. A tendency to overreact can arise if a person is deficient in essential fats and their supportive nutrients, vitamins B3 and B6, biotin, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is also needed to make Cortisol, the body’s anti-inflammatory hormone. Boswellic acid, found in the plant frankincense, is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that is available in the form of a cream for inflamed joints and muscles. L-glutamine helps to calm gut inflammation. Antioxidant nutrients are also intimately involved in inflammatory responses. However, there is little point in calming down an inflammation if the source of irritation remains. This may be a food allergy or an irritating substance such as alcohol.
Diet advice
Avoid immune-suppressing or potentially irritating substances such as coffee, alcohol, and strong spices. Avoid suspect foods such as wheat and dairy products for ten days to gauge your reaction to them. Otherwise, just follow the diet guidelines in this book.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral (with 300 mg magnesium and 15 mg zinc)
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Pantothenic acid 500 mg
L-glutamine powder 3 grams a day
3 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Anti-inflammatory herbal joint complexes or cream (optional)
Also read chapter 26.
Irritable bowel syndrome
This term is used to describe intermittent diarrhea or constipation, urgency to defecate, abdominal pain, or indigestion. There are many possible contributory causes to one or more of these symptoms. They include food allergy, gut inflammation, overexcitation of the gut muscles, stress, infection, and toxic overload. It is therefore best to see a nutrition consultant who can determine which factors are relevant. Essential fats and the amino acid glutamine calm gut inflammation, antioxidants help the body detoxify, and the right mineral balance helps the muscles of the gut work properly.
Diet advice
Pursue a simple, pure diet of lightly cooked vegetables, fish, nongluten grains (rice, millet, corn, quinoa), lentils, and beans, plus ground seeds for essential fats. Avoid any suspect allergens, including wheat and dairy products, coffee, alcohol, and spices, for ten days to see if this makes a difference.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 500 mg
L-glutamine powder 3 grams
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Digestive enzymes with each main meal (if indigestion is a symptom)
Also read chapter 22.
Kidney stones
Kidney stones are abnormal accumulations of mineral salts found in the kidneys, bladder, or anywhere along the urinary tract and can range in size from a grain of sand to a fingertip. There are various kinds, but 80 percent of kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones. Excessive calcium in too-alkaline urine crystallizes and stones begin to form.
By far, the most important thing to do to prevent kidney stones is to drink plenty of filtered or bottled water—at least two quarts a day—to flush the kidneys and urinary tract regularly. Nutrient deficiencies can also contribute to the formation of kidney stones, especially lack of magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and potassium, all of which are involved in proper calcium metabolism.
Diet advice
Green leafy vegetables, whole grains, bananas, nuts, and seeds should be consumed regularly. Vitamin A, abundant in carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables, also benefits the urinary tract and helps inhibit the formation of stones. Avoid antacids and minimize your consumption of animal protein, as they cause the body to excrete calcium and uric acid, the key components in the two most common forms of kidney stones.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Menopausal symptoms
These include fatigue, depression, weight gain, osteoporosis, reduced sex drive, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes. While optimum nutrition often helps relieve these, many women respond to small amounts of natural progesterone used as a cream. This is available over the counter in the U.S. Supplementing vitamin C with vitamin E and bioflavonoids may help reduce hot flashes. Also important for this and other symptoms, including vaginal dryness, are sufficient essential fatty acids, which make the prostaglandins that help balance hormone levels. For prostaglandins to work, sufficient vitamin B6, zinc, and magnesium are required.
Diet advice
Follow the diet recommended in this book, being careful to cut down on sources of sugar and stimulants. Have a tablespoon of a cold-pressed oil blend or a heaping tablespoon of ground seeds for
essential fats, magnesium, and zinc.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg with 500 mg of bioflavonoids
Vitamin E 600 IU
Bone mineral complex (including extra magnesium and zinc)
Herbal complex with agnus castus, dong quai, black cohosh, or St. John’s wort
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Also read chapters 25 and 41.