Archived News of the Week

Antibiotics, Calcium, Sugar and Dehydration

The Antibiotic from Hell: In case you don't follow Dr. Mercola, I will tell you what he advises in his newsletter of September 25th, ominously entitled: "Warning: Fluoroquinolone antibiotics may cause permanent nerve damage." The nerve damage he is talking about is peripheral neuropathy or the possibility of permanent tingling, numbness, burning, weakness or pain in your hands, arms, feet and legs, not unlike what happens with long-term diabetics. This is the same antibiotic that caused a patient of mine to spontaneously rupture the quadriceps tendon holding her knee together. She had serious surgery, has a long impressive scar and she is fine now. Aside from ruining your life for awhile from unnecessary knee repair, the fluoroquinolones also increase your risk for acute liver toxicity if you are over age 66, plus, at any age, it can cause random symptoms like memory loss, psychosis, headaches, depression, anxiety, kidney failure, heart symptoms, nausea, blindness and "other health problems."

Here are some names of this class of drugs so you will know to avoid them if your MD wants you to take them for a "routine infection: Cipro, Factive, Noroxin, Levaquin, Avelox and Floxin. If you will be taking an antibiotic my recommendation is to always ask for an older, tried and true (ie. no deaths, no blindness, no tendons flying away) antibiotic like amoxicillin. Don't ever accept any new drug just on the market. No one ever really knows a drug outcome until it's been used for quite a while.

Calcium Plus Women Equal Longer Life Span: This was a Canadian Study of more than 9000 Canadian men and women participating in a 12 year cohort trial. It was observed that during the 12 year trial period, a total of 1,160 participants died. After looking at the data it was determined that many of the women who died consumed significantly less calcium than those women still living. "The benefit was seen for women who took doses of up to 1,000 mg per day..." That said, my ongoing advice is to never take elemental calcium or you will be swallowing rock, shells or bones that are usually contaminated with lead and other heavy metals. Try a more absorbable calcium like MCHC or citrate or lactate. And be sure to get at least 500 mgs. of the 1,000 mgs. through your diet by eating yogurt or dark leafy greens. Just Google "calcium content of foods" find what you like, add up the calcium mgs. and you are set to go.

Sugar Kills Women: This was a study done at the University of Utah. It found that even the tiniest amount of sugar consumption resulted in the doubling of the death rate of female mice. The mice were fed the equivalent of 3 cans of soda a day and while the females experienced a 100% increase in death rates the males didn't die as dramatically, but they did experience a sharp drop in fertility. Coca Cola, I fear, could be the cause of the end of life as we know it: Infertile males plus no women equals no life on earth.

Sugar also reduced their intelligence and the researchers said that "...feeding the mice refined sugar was equal to being inbred mice." Or "sugar makes mice dumber than if their parents were brother and sister." Or, how about dementia? I have noticed that an ice-cream gene seems to switch on after age 60 and so many older people, whose risk for dementia is already high, eat big bowls of ice cream after dinner. My parents did. I counted 10 pints of ice cream in my mother's refrigerator when I was disassembling her house after she died.

I have noticed that as certain men and women age, they tend to "treat" themselves more than they did when they were younger. But what a time NOT to do this! Could this increased sugar consumption partially explain the Alzheimer's epidemic? The diabetes epidemic? The mind boggles that something dressed in virginal white and as tasty as sugar could be so evil and life-threatening. And don't even think of aspartame as a substitute. It is Satan's spawn and will kill you quicker and uglier than sugar.

The researchers also opined that sugar-eating Americans usually eat much more than the mice did in the experiment so it appears that we are in worse trouble than we think. Remember, refined sugars include maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, sugar, fructose and dextrose. These are usually cunningly disguised by the manufacturers of packaged foods, so either give up all foods that come in a bag, box, can, jar or wrapper or become a label-reading fiend.

If you want to keep your marbles and live a nice long life, avoid white sugar, white bread, white salt, white tortillas, snack chips, processed meats, most dairy unless you can get raw dairy, sodas, sports and energy drinks, fruit juices (unless you have a juicer and juice your own) and cake, candy, ice cream and all sweets.

Dehydration: The Key to a lot of Bad Things That Can Happen to You: In my testing, I find that so many of you are dehydrated. Experts estimate that approximately 75 percent of the American population is sub-clinically dehydrated. That's pretty alarming considering what can happen to you if you are dehydrated. For example, instant low back or neck pain, attacking you out of seemingly nowhere; "But, Doc, I all of a sudden couldn't stand up!" then I check and there is not only acute dehydration but chronic dehydration causing muscle spasms and subluxations.

Are you depressed? You could be dehydrated. Researchers at the University of Connecticut whose study was published in the British Jour Nut evaluated two groups of volunteers to determine the effects of dehydration on cognition. All volunteers were healthy and exercised an average of 30-60 minutes per day. All were exercised to the point of dehydration then asked questions. The males in the group experienced issues with their memory and vigilance levels when dehydrated as well as mild fatigue, anxiety and tension. The female group experienced the same issues, but to a greater degree than men. Then there is anger, fatigue, mood swings, headaches, difficulty concentrating.

Our thirst mechanisms don't kick in until we are 1 or 2% dehydrated, but by then dehydration is already setting in and starting to impact how our mind and body perform. We must consciously drink and remain hydrated throughout the day or as you can see, lots of uncomfortable things can happen and particularly in older people: Our thirst mechanism often switches off when we get old and many of us try to function in a state of chronic dehydration and perpetual fog ("I just can't think straight, Doctor M.D! "Well then, let's just get you tested for dementia.") We simply don't know we are thirsty after a certain age. I have noticed that scenario in myself - my thinker goes when I am dehydrated - so in order to make sure I am well-hydrated and not too stupid, I make myself drink about 2 liters of water daily, whether I want it or not. Along with your water, take at least 4 Min-Tran per day just to make sure the water is getting to where it's supposed to go and you are not just peeing it out.

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