Sorry that this month's newsletter is a little behind in getting out. I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on my new book about heart disease which is due to be out in September. And, just so I don’t get bored, I agreed to finish ANOTHER book on anxiety and depression. It will be entitled “Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine,” and is due to be out next month (September 2005) for the Teton Health Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And even though my wife has threatened to divorce me, I just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to speak along with one of my mentors, Dr. Wayne Dyer author of “The Power of Intention, There is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem,” and other best selling books.
I hope to see many of you next month (August) in Dallas or Houston Texas at one of my workshops or talks. I'd love to meet you all. Here's my schedule of upcoming talks. See you there.
In the last two newsletters I shared information from my soon-to-be-released book “Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You.” My editor decided I needed to change my original title idea, What Your Conventional Medical Doctor Definitely Won’t Tell You About Heart Disease and Hypertension,” to a more streamlined title. This book is unlike any book you’ve ever read on heart disease. It will surely be controversial. It was a hard book to write and caused several grey hairs to appear during the last few months. The material on heart disease is complicated and everchanging. This caused me to make several book revisions. I had to write the chapter on cholesterol three different times.
“Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You” will be available in September, stay tuned.
Here is a link to a free chapter from this new book. It's the chapter on cholesterol entitled, Medical Myths Associated with Cholesterol.
More on CoQ10
Some of the following material is from “Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You.”
Last month I reported on the benefits of CoQ10. Anyone who wants to prevent or reverse heart disease should be taking CoQ10 and fish oil supplements. Here is a little more information about this incredible life-enhancing nutrient.
CoQ10 is also known as ubiquinone. It has been demonstrated that it is an essential nutrient for proper cardiovascular function. CoQ10 has been shown to be effective in returning heart function to normal. This is especially true when discussing congestive heart failure.
CoQ10 can’t be manufactured by the body. Instead, we must obtain CoQ10 from the foods we eat. Meat, dairy, and certain vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, which contain the highest concentrations of CoQ10. We tend to absorb and utilize less CoQ10 as we age. Research also shows that we tend to need more CoQ10 as we age.
The primary function of CoQ10 is to provide cellular energy. In each cell there are organelles (small organ cells) known as mitochondria. They allow a chain of chemical reactions to create a spark which generates 95 percent of the body’s energy. CoQ10 is the spark that helps ignite the energy production within the mitochondria. Without CoQ10 there is no cellular energy!
CoQ10 is more abundant in some cells and organs than in others. It tends to congregate in the organs which need the most energy including the heart and liver. Researchers investigating CoQ10 have estimated that as little as a 25 percent reduction in bodily CoQ10 will trigger various disease processes including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer, and immune system dysfunction.
CoQ10 was discovered in 1957. Dr. Karl Folkers and fellow researchers at the University of Texas in Austin are credited with identifying the importance of CoQ10 in bodily functions. Dr. Folkers has been honored with the Priestly Medal, the highest award bestowed by the American Chemical Society, for his work with CoQ10, vitamins B6, and B12. In his acceptance for the Priestly Medal, Dr. Folkers pointed out that CoQ10 therapy was a major advancement in the treatment of heart disease. In fact, one of the studies he sited showed that the those treated over a 3 year period with CoQ10 and conventional medical therapies had a 75 percent survival rate compared to a 25 percent survival rate for those who used conventional drug therapy alone. Dr. Folkers went on to say “I believe it is quite possible that cardiovascular disease may be significantly caused by a deficiency of CoQ10.”
The results of using CoQ10 in treating heart disease can be quite dramatic as the study below illustrates.
A group of class IV (terminal) congestive heart failure patients were supplemented with CoQ10 in addition to their prescription medications. Normally, class IV patients live only a matter of days. Seventy one percent of those taking the CoQ10 survived one year and 62 percent survived 2 years!
Several studies have demonstrated the role high blood pressure plays in heart disease. Research also shows that CoQ10 is able to reduce blood pressure in high risk heart disease patients. In one study CoQ10 lowered systolic pressure from an average of 141 to 126 and diastolic from 97 to 90.
CoQ10, until recently, was a prescription medication in Japan. It is quite popular in Japan where there hundreds of commercial CoQ10 preparations from more than 80 different pharmaceutical companies.
Over 12 million (approximately 10 percent of the population) Japanese take CoQ10 on a regular basis to prevent and treat heart disease. This number is rapidly growing since the recent change in laws that now allow CoQ10 to be sold over the counter. Japanese physicians have a long track record of using CoQ10. In fact, 75 percent of all supplemental CoQ10 comes from Japan. The popularity of CoQ10 has made the price of the high quality Japanese CoQ10 which reaches the United States, fairly expensive. Venders and manufacturers say the price will eventually come down once the large Japanese manufacturers increase the capacity to meet the growing demand for CoQ10.
Dosage?
I recommend my patients consider taking a minimum of 50 mg a day for prevention and 100-200 mg for treatment of coronary heart disease, including associated high blood pressure.
There are hundreds of CoQ10 products on the market. Depending on the quality, CoQ10 can cost as little as pennies per tablet. However, the cheaper forms of CoQ10 are cheap for a reason. They use inferior CoQ10 usually loaded with fillers and additives. Pure high quality Co10 comes from Japan. It costs more but is yields better results. Tablets require binders that restrict the absorption of CoQ10.It’s therefore best to use Co10 in capsule or chewable form.
Here's a good high quality, absorbable form of CoQ10 - 100 mg softgels.
Look here for great tasting chewable CoQ10 tablets.
Research in the News
Higher Levels of the B Vitamin, Folic Acid Reduces the Risk of Stroke
UMEA, Sweden--Higher plasma levels of folate appears to reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke according to a case-referent study coordinated by researchers at Umea University Hospital. Plasma folate was statistically significantly associated with a reduced risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
The study was published in Stroke (36:1426, 2005).
High Protein Diets Produce Weight loss
SEATTLE--A high-protein diet lowered body weight in test subjects, possibly by suppressing appetite and spontaneous caloric intake, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (82, 1:41-48, 2005).
The researchers concluded an increase in dietary protein from 15 percent to 30 percent of caloric intake results in significant weight loss; they added the appetite-suppressing effect of protein may contribute to the weight loss produced by low-carbohydrate diets.
If you’d like some help reducing your carbohydrate intake, read about Slim 'N' Trim here.
Beta-carotene helps lower risk of heart attack
BOSTON--In a study reported in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition (135:1763-69), researchers from Harvard University and the University of Costa Rica reported intake of fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene are inversely related to risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack). Those in the lowest quintile of beta-carotene levels showed a significantly higher risk of heart attack, compared to those in the highest quintile.
Vitamin E helps reduce risk of death due to heart disease
Vitamin E decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease-related death among healthy women in the Women's Health Trial, a long-term study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (294, 1:56-65, 2005).
High quality Vitamin E available here
Avoid Parkinson's Disease by Eating More Polyunsturated Fat
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands--According to a study published in the June issue of Neurology (64, 12:2040-2045), the risk of developing Parkinson's disease may be reduced by a high intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
Olive oil is a good source of MUFA’s. Deep cold water fish (or fish oil supplements) and flax oil are good sources of PUFA’s.
High quality Fish Oil available here
Vitamin D and Calcium Reduce the Risk of PMS
AMHERST, Mass.--Women with the highest intake of vitamin D and calcium appear to have a reduced risk of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), according to data from the Nurses' Health Study II cohort. After adjustment for risk factors including age and smoking status, women in the highest quintile of vitamin D intake (median 706 IU/d) had almost half the risk of developing PMS compared to those in the lowest quintile. Intake of calcium from food sources and intake of skim or low fat milk also significantly reduced PMS incidence. The researchers concluded that these findings, coupled with research showing higher calcium and vitamin D intake could reduce the risk of osteoporosis and some cancers, suggest clinicians should recommend higher intake of the nutrients even in younger women.
Study results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (165:1246-52, 2005).
Fish Oil Reduces Risk of Arteriosclerosis and Blood Clots
GRANADA, Spain--A study published in the June issue of The Journal of Nutrition (135, 6:1393-1399, 2005) indicates daily intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), oleic acid (olive oil), folic acid and vitamins A, B6, D and E, even at low levels, appears to reduce a variety of risk factors in men with peripheral vascular disease (arteriosclerosis of arteries in arms and legs) and intermittent claudication (blood clots).
Everyone should be taking a good high quality Multivitamin and Mineral Formula like these
Dairy Products May Increase the Risk of Prostate Cancer
PHILADELPHIA--Higher intake of dairy foods and calcium may put men at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, according to new research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (81, 5:1147-54, 2005). Dairy calcium more than doubled the risk of prostate cancer.
The researchers concluded dairy consumption may increase the prostate cancer risk through a calcium-related pathway. However, they cautioned that calcium and low-fat milk may reduce the risk of colon cancer, suggesting the mechanisms of action by which dairy and calcium impact the risks of these cancers still need to be elucidated.
The study found calcium supplements help prevent prostate cancer while a high intake of dairy rich foods actually increased prostate cancer.
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Copyright © 2005 Dr. Rodger Murphree. All rights reserved.The information provided in this message and Newsletter and on the DrRodger.com site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.