Wisdom Wednesday: Berberine

Berberine is a yellow-colored alkaloid compound found in several different plants, including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, philodendron, and tree turmeric. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties. It can be used topically on cuts and other wounds, and it’s perhaps most commonly used to treat gastrointestinal issues, including traveler’s diarrhea and food poisoning.

However, in recent years berberine has become a very popular research topic. Over a third of the approximately 2,800 studies on berberine listed on PubMed were published in the last 5 years. These studies indicate berberine may have a wide range of clinical applications.

Much of the benefit from berberine appears to be from its activation of adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK). AMPK is a cellular enzyme often called the “metabolic master switch” because it plays an important role in regulating metabolism.

AMPK regulates an array of biological activities that normalize lipid, glucose, and energy imbalances. Metabolic syndrome occurs when there AMPK-pathways are turned off, triggering a syndrome that includes hyperglycemia, diabetes, lipid abnormalities, hypothyroidism, and energy imbalances.

The hormones leptin and adiponectin also activate AMPK. So berberine can have some of the same effects as exercise, dieting, and weight loss – the lifestyle modifications considered beneficial for a range of maladies. On the other hand, AMPK suppression can have similar effects to those of eating a high-calorie diet while leading a very sedentary lifestyle.

One of the most interesting studies on berberine compared taking 500 mg of the compound 2-3 times per day for three months with the diabetes drug Metformin. Berberine was able to control blood sugar and lipid metabolism as effectively as Metformin, with researchers describing berberine as a “potent oral hypoglycemic agent”. Berberine stimulates the uptake of glucose into the cells, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces glucose production in the liver.

6 Million Americans Drink Water Tainted with Toxic Chemicals

Millions of Americans are exposed to unsafe levels of dangerous chemicals in their drinking water that may trigger a host of health problems, researchers report.

Those health problems can range from cancer to higher cholesterol levels to compromised immune systems and hormonal disruptions, the scientists said.

The levels of these chemicals, known as polyfluoroalkyl and perflouroalkyl substances (PFASs), exceed government-recommended safety levels for at least 6 million people in the United States, the study found.

“These chemicals may have complicated names, but people are exposed to them in nonstick cookware and packaging – things we use in our lives,” said lead researcher Cindy Hu, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s department of environmental health.

Although some of these chemical were phased out a decade ago, they linger in the environment, Hu explained, and other types of these chemicals are still used in manufacturing and in foam used to fighting fires.

Hu added that exposure to PFASs is probably even greater than reported in this study. For example, drinking water that serves nearly 100 million Americans isn’t even tested for PFASs, she noted.

Unless people have their water tested, they have no idea whether they are being exposed to high levels of PFASs, Hu said. In addition, the health effects of these chemicals can build up over time, as they tend to remain in the body.

Regular treatment methods used at water plants do not remove these chemicals from the water, Hu added. She doesn’t think drinking bottled water is a good alternative either, because it has its own problems, such as chemicals from the plastic bottles leaching into the water.

Study Links Sleep Problems to Stroke Risk, Recovery

Too little or too much sleep may be a risk factor for stroke and might hinder recovery, new research suggests. The review of 29 previously published studies found that sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea are related to stroke risk and recovery.

“Sleep disturbances are more prevalent in stroke patients, even more than in the general population,” said lead researcher Dr. Dirk Hermann. He’s a professor of neurology at University Hospital Essen in Germany.

Evidence has existed for a number of years that sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that is common in elderly patients and especially so in those who’ve had a stroke, is a risk factor for stroke, he said.

Some studies show that sleep apnea was present before the stroke and may have contributed to the risk. Further, patients with more severe sleep apnea may have more severe strokes, the researchers said.

“Treating sleep apnea with a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), which prevents the airway from collapsing during sleep, may reduce the risk for stroke,” Hermann suggested.

“Stroke patients should be diagnosed for sleep apnea and also treated, which is not systematically done,” he said.

Other sleep disorders, such as insomnia and hypersomnia (excessive sleep), are also risk factors for stroke, Hermann added. “Wakeful sleep can raise blood pressure, which can increase the risk for stroke,” he explained.

In addition, sleep problems can affect recovery from a stroke, according to the report.

Wisdom Wednesday: Bitters

Dr. Ronda Nelson recently wrote a blog about bitters that prompted me to do some research. She is one of my mentors and I have attended several of her seminars in the last few years.

The literature is very confusing about the original and use of bitters. This is primarily because the medicinal use of bitters morphed into a social practice for drinking alcohol in the eightieth century Europe.

The earliest reference to bitters I could find was about 1500 BC in Ayurvedic medicine in India. Certain herbs, like wormwood were extracted in alcohol and used for medicinal purposes. The use of alcohol in herbal preparation is the basis for Western herbal medicine today. However, the term “bitters” is used to describe a specific group of herbs generally taken before meals to stimulate and aid in digestion.

Today, it is still very popular in England to have “bitters” with afternoon tea in preparation for the evening meal.

Italy and France developed specific bitters for social consumption. In Turin, Italy, 1796, Antonio Carpano created the first recipe for vermouth – probably the most commonly known aperitif. Later this was called sweet vermouth as the French developed a dry vermouth a few years later. The word aperitif comes from the Latin word aperire, meaning “to open”. Aperitifs have a bittersweet flavor that “opens up” the appetite, preparing your taste buds for a delicious meal.

Clinically, I use a combination of herbs as an aperitif to aid in digestion. Medi-Herbs produces a product call DiGest Phytosynergist that stimulates gastric juices, cleanses the liver, enhances immune function and promotes a normal response to environmental stress.

If you have read some of my blogs on liquid herbs, you will be familiar with some of the ingredients: Chamomile flower, Dandelion root, Echinacea root, Milk Thistle seed and Gentian root.

Sugary, High-Fat Western Diet Tied to Denser Breast Tissue

Overweight and obese women who eat a Western-style diet may develop more dense breast tissue, possibly increasing their risk for breast cancer, Spanish researchers report.

The women were about 41% more likely to have denser breast tissue than women who ate a Mediterranean-type diet.

High-fat dairy products (whole mild, high-fat cheeses and ice cream), processed meats (bacon, ham and salami) and refined grains (white bread, pasta and white rice) are prime examples associated with this increased risk. Other examples include sweets and sweetened drinks, convenience foods (pizza, French fries and chips) and sauces (mayonnaise and ketchup), said study co-author Dr. Marina Pollan. She is a cancer epidemiologist at the National Center of Epidemiology in Madrid.

Women who ate such a diet had a 46% higher risk of developing breast cancer, Pollan added, although these study findings do not prove that diet causes breast tissue to become denser.

A Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of fish, vegetables, legumes, boiled potatoes, fruits, olives and vegetable oil and a low intake of juices, she said.

For the study, Pollan and her colleagues collected data on more than 3,500 women who were part of a breast cancer screening program between October 2007 and July 2008.

Is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Real?

Gluten sensitivity appears to be a real medical problem, and not a figment of the popular imagination conjured up by the gluten-free craze, a new study contends.

Some people suffer changes within their bodies after eating gluten that are separate and distinct form those that accompany either celiac disease or wheat allergy, researchers report.

“We don’t know what is triggering this response, but this study is the first to show that there are clear biological changes in these individuals,” said senior researcher Armin Alaedini. He is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

People with non-celiac what sensitivity appear to suffer from a weakened intestinal barrier, which leads to an immune response after they eat foods that contain the gluten protein – typically wheat, rye or barley.

Their symptoms involve bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but also include fatigue, headache, anxiety, and problems with memory and thinking skills, the study showed.

These people don’t have celiac disease, a genetic disorder in which immune cells attack the lining of the small intestine following exposure to gluten. They also don’t have a wheat allergy, which usually prompts allergic reactions such as hives, itchy eyes or difficulty breathing, but does no long-term damage to the small intestine.

The analysis of 80 patients with non-celiac wheat sensitivity shows they did not experience an autoimmune reaction. And, they didn’t have T-cells – a specific form of white blood cell – attacking living cells in the body, as occurs in celiac disease, Alaedini explained.

Wisdom Wednesday: Neuropathy

Neuropathy or nerve pathology is a term used to describe damage to a nerve as opposed to pain and inflammation. The signs of neuropathy are numbness, tingling and/or loss of strength but often these symptoms are overshadowed by pain.

Think of neuropathy as a loss of nerve function. If the damage is to the afferent nerve (signals going to the brain) supply, then the loss is sensory. If the efferent nerves (signals coming from the brain) are damaged, then a loss of motor control ensues.

Let’s look at sciatica, where the pain runs from the spine down the back of the leg. True sciatica effects approximately 5% of the population but many physicians continue to call all leg pain “sciatica”. When the nerve is just inflamed, treatment is fairly straight forward – correction of all injury reflexes, reduction of inflammation with supplementation and spinal/pelvic manipulation will resolve most cases is a couple of weeks.

However, if the sciatic neuralgia (nerve pain) is complicated by neuropathy, the prognosis is less favorable. In addition to the treatment described above, the nerve must also heal. Unfortunately, peripheral nerves are the slowest healing tissue in the human body.

The most common cause of neuropathy is diabetes. Over 50% of all Americans are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. About half of that number are developing neuropathy but currently are asymptomatic. The other half are well aware of their neuropathy symptoms.

It is said that all diabetics develop sciatica and are never cured. While that statement is certainly not true there is some truth in that statement.

I rely on two herbs and a former B vitamin to support healing from neuropathy. If a sciatic patient has no objective findings of neuropathy, I prefer to concentrate on reducing inflammation. However, once the inflammation is under control, if the patient is not responding well, it’s time to consider treating for neuropathy even if all the findings are symptomatic.