Category Archives: Disease - Page 32

Gwyneth Paltrow, Osteopenia, and Diet Advice from the Daily Mail

Posted by on June 27, 2010 19 comments

At her health site Goop.com, Gwyneth Paltrow recently revealed that a broken leg she suffered several years ago was due to osteopenia, or brittle bone disease, possibly caused by sun avoidance and low vitamin D:

I suffered a pretty severe Tibial plateau fracture a few years ago (requiring surgery) which led the orthopaedic surgeon to give me a bone scan, at which point it was discovered I had the beginning stages of osteopenia. This led my western/eastern doctors in New York to test my Vitamin D levels, which turned out to be the lowest they had ever seen (not a good thing). I went on a prescription strength level of Vitamin D and was told to … spend a bit of time in the sun! I was curious if this was safe, having been told for years to stay away from its dangerous rays, not to mention a tad bit confused. [1]

Low vitamin D can certainly cause osteopenia and fractures. Bone density is highest and fracture rates lowest when serum 25(OH)D levels are between 32 and 45 ng/ml. [2] (As an aside, 25(OH)D levels should be tested routinely. It’s remarkable that Paltrow’s doctors waited until she had fractured a bone to measure her vitamin D levels.)

In Paltrow’s case, however, it’s quite likely that other nutritional and dietary deficiencies were also at work.

For 11 years Ms. Paltrow has avoided meat and dairy and eaten a macrobiotic diet in which most calories come from grains and legumes – two of the toxic foods that the PerfectHealthDiet counsels avoiding.

Grain consumption has long been known to damage vitamin D status and bone health. Indeed, it is difficult to induce bone frailty in laboratory animals without feeding them grain. In Edward Mellanby’s original experiments leading to the discovery of vitamin D, he induced rickets by feeding dogs a diet of oats or wheat bread. [3] In human infants, wheat bran induces rickets. [4] In addition to interfering with vitamin D, grains also contain high levels of phytic acid, which interferes with bone mineralization by blocking absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Another crucial factor in bone health is vitamin K2. Since dairy fats are the leading source of vitamin K2, it’s likely Ms. Paltrow was deficient in this crucial vitamin. Most people are deficient in vitamin K2 – let alone those who avoid meats and dairy.  In clinical trials, vitamin K2 supplementation reduced non-vertebral fractures by a remarkable 81%. [5]

Given Paltrow’s avoidance of animal fats, it’s likely that omega-6-rich vegetable oils were an outsized share of her diet, and fatty seafood a small share. But a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio reduces bone density. [6]

The long and the short of it is that Ms. Paltrow would benefit from more meat, more fat, more fat-soluble vitamins, and fewer grains and legumes.  A commenter in Britain’s Daily Mail quipped:

Maybe if she started having a nice juicy steak for dinner each day instead of the poached peelings from half an apple … [7]

Hyperbolic, no doubt, but good advice!

[1] Gwyneth Paltrow, June 17, 2010, http://www.goop.com/?page=newsletter_vn&id=177. Hat tip Frank Hagan, http://www.lowcarbage.com/2010/06/27/gwyneth-paltrow-and-osteopenia/.

[2] Bischoff-Ferrari HA et al. Positive association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and bone mineral density: a population-based study of younger and older adults. Am J Med. 2004 May 1;116(9):634-9. http://pmid.us/15093761.

[3] Mellanby E. (March 15 1919) An experimental investigation on rickets. The Lancet 193(4985):407-412.

[4] Zoppi G et al. Potential complications in the use of wheat bran for constipation in infancy. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1982; 1(1): 91-5. http://pmid.us/6310074.

[5] Cockayne S et al. Vitamin K and the prevention of fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jun 26;166(12):1256-61. http://pmid.us/16801507.

[6] Watkins BA et al. Dietary ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs and docosahexaenoic acid: actions on bone mineral and serum biomarkers in ovariectomized rats. J Nutr Biochem. 2006 Apr;17(4):282-9. http://pmid.us/16102959. Watkins BA et al. Dietary ratio of (n-6)/(n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids alters the fatty acid composition of bone compartments and biomarkers of bone formation in rats. J Nutr. 2000 Sep;130(9):2274-84. http://pmid.us/10958824.

[7] “Gwyneth Paltrow:  I’m suffering from brittle bone disease,” Daily Mail, June 26, 2010, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1289644/Gwyneth-Paltrow-Im-suffering-brittle-bone-disease.html.

How Common Are Chronic Infections?

Posted by on June 24, 2010 10 comments

Very common.

One way of assessing the rate of infections is by looking for antibodies. This underestimates the rate of infection, because infections do not always generate antibodies, and antibodies can be lost during a persistent infection. However, antibodies can be detected in a simple blood test, making them the most useful measure of prevalence.

So what fraction of the population has antibodies to pathogens that produce chronic disease?

One representative study [1], conducted among Alaskan Eskimos, found that:

  • 94% were infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV), 90% with herpes simplex 1 (HSV1), 38% with herpes simplex 2 (HSV2), 80% to H. pylori, and 42% to C. pneumoniae.
  • Over 70% had antibodies to at least 3 of the five pathogens tested.
  • Seropositivity increased with age: a majority had antibodies to HSV2 and C. pneumoniae by age 45.

Infection rates are similar in other populations. Let’s look just at C. pneumoniae:

  • Among Japanese, 59% to 73% have antibodies. [2] Dr. Naoyuki Miyashita notes that “C. pneumoniae is widely distributed and that nearly everybody is infected with the agent at some time.” [3]
  • Among Finns, the prevalence of antibodies rises sharply through childhood, reaching 70% in 15-19 year olds. In elderly Finnish men, prevalence is 100%. [4]
  • Among Israelis, 31% of children and 74% of adults are antibody-positive. [5]
  • Among Italian schoolchildren, 29% have antibodies, and the prevalence increases steadily with age. [6]
  • In Singapore, antibody prevalence is 75% in men and 65% in women. By age group, it is 46.5% at ages 18-29 and 78.9% above age 40. [7]

Keeping in mind that C. pneumoniae infections often do not trigger antibody production, it seems certain that by age 40 nearly everyone has been infected.

Likewise there is no avoiding infection with other chronic pathogens. Likely agents include bacteria like Mycoplasma and viruses like cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, and HSV1.

These infections cause few symptoms in the young. Over time, however, pathogens reproduce within the body and increase their numbers. The immune system is gradually overpowered. In the elderly, symptoms of chronic infection become increasingly common.

A thesis of this blog is that most of what we consider “aging” is not a natural degeneration of the human body, but increasing debilitation from chronic infections. Cardiovascular disease, dementia and memory loss, neuropathy and lost balance and falls, “grouchy old man” syndrome, cold intolerance, inflamed and arthritic joints – these are all symptoms of chronic infection.

But this is good news. Through diet, nutrition, and antibiotics, we can cure chronic infections. By doing so, nearly everyone can hope to maintain vitality and good health to a ripe old age – 100, or older.

[1] Zhu J et al. Prevalence and persistence of antibodies to herpes viruses, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori in Alaskan Eskimos: the GOCADAN Study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2006 Feb;12(2):118-22. http://pmid.us/16441448.
[2] Miyashita N et al. Seroepidemiology of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Japan between 1991 and 2000. J Clin Pathol. 2002 Feb;55(2):115-7. http://pmid.us/11865005.
[3] Miyashita N. [Chlamydia pneumoniae infections]. Kekkaku. 2006 Sep;81(9):581-8. http://pmid.us/17037392.
[4] Tuuminen T et al. Prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin G and A antibodies in a healthy Finnish population as analyzed by quantitative enzyme immunoassays. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2000 Sep;7(5):734-8. http://pmid.us/10973446.
[5] Ben-Yaakov M et al. Prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae in an Israeli population without clinical evidence of respiratory infection. J Clin Pathol. 2002 May;55(5):355-8. http://pmid.us/11986341.
[6] Dal Molin G et al. A population based seroepidemiological survey of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in schoolchildren. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Jun;58(6):617-20. http://pmid.us/15917413.
[7] Koh WP et al. Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae in Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians in Singapore. Int J Epidemiol. 2002 Oct;31(5):1001-7. http://pmid.us/12435775.

The Heartwarming Story of a Fibromyalgia Cure

Posted by on June 21, 2010 20 comments

One of my favorite sites is cpnhelp.org, formed to help chronic disease patients suffering from infections with Chlamydophila pneumoniae, a parasitic intracellular bacterium. When I first discovered this site I immediately recognized many of my own symptoms in the reports of other patients. Although I had already cleared many symptoms through diet and supplements, cognitive and neuropathic symptoms remained, and my doctor agreed that the evidence for a persistent bacterial infection was strong. Three months of antibiotics cleared nearly all my remaining symptoms.

I’m far from the only chronic sufferer to benefit from antibiotics. Yesterday cpnhelp had a lovely and inspiring post from Ladybug, an Australian painter who suffered from fibromyalgia, a condition that produces debilitating muscle pain. She describes her condition:

The hallowed shrine of my body was invaded by ugly bugs. They put on their own ugly bug ball in my central nervous system and invited all their friends and relatives. They feasted and made merry and committed unspeakably rude acts wherever and whenever they wanted. They poured waste matter down the drains and left rubbish lying about all over the place. [1]

The medical professional has badly failed at diagnosing and treating chronic disease. I’ll have more to say later about why that is – partly it has to do with the ineffectiveness of antibiotics on a bad diet, and partly with some defects in modern medical research and clinical practices. But there is hope for chronic disease sufferers:

I [have] really overcome the scourge of fibromyalgia, despite the rhetoric carved into the stone walls of western medicine:

    Australian Association of Musculoskeletal Medicine (AAMM): “What is fibromyalgia? Pathology: not identified.”
    Australian Rheumatology Association: “Currently there is no cure for fibromyalgia.”
    American National Fibromyalgia Association: “The underlying cause or causes of FM still remain a mystery.”

No cure, eh? Mystery, eh? Pigs’ ears!…

“Living Well With Fibromyalgia” my foot. I’d just as soon live well without fibromyalgia, thank you very much….

I, Ladybug, fell ill in 2000 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in mid 2005. I had so much pain and confusion, I was barely crawling through the day. Five years on, thanks to Dr Powell’s [2] antibacterial, antiviral and detoxification therapy, I am leading a pain-free existence. [1]

Congratulations, Ladybug. We can be grateful that, thanks to the impetus and insight of frustrated patients and a few creative doctors and scientists, there is growing hope for complete cures for chronic disease.

[1] Ladybug, “Life After Fibromyalgia,” June 20, 2010, http://cpnhelp.org/life_after_fibromyalgia.

[2] Dr. Michael Powell of the Fibromyalgia Treatment & Learning Center, http://www.fmtlc.com/.

Omega-3 Fats and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted by on June 15, 2010 30 comments

The importance of achieving a good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio has been demonstrated repeatedly in clinical trials and epidemiological studies.  Cardiovascular disease mortality is especially strongly dependent on this ratio [1]:

This plot shows coronary heart disease mortality plotted against the fraction of long polyunsaturated fats in tissue that are omega-6, not omega-3.  It’s best to have around 30% omega-6, 70% omega-3.  But most Americans have around 78% omega-6, 22% omega-3.  Their omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is 9 times the optimum, and CHD mortality is ten-fold higher than is necessary.

Dr. Bill Lands, one of the pioneers in omega-3 and omega-6 science, notes that the tissue ratio is determined by how much of each type of fat is eaten:

There seems to be no ‘corrective’ metabolic response to prevent fatal tissue combinations from being developed. As much as humans might wish for some protective re-adjustment of the metabolic promiscuity, the enzymes seem to continue assembling harmful and harmless combinations in response to supplies ingested – without much regard to or feedback from the consequences. [2]

So it’s important to eat these fats in the right ratio.

How do you do that?  These steps:

  1. Minimize omega-6 fats by:
    • Avoiding most vegetable oils, including soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and canola oil.
    • Using low-omega-6 oils, such as coconut oil, butter, beef tallow, olive oil, and lard, in cooking and dressings and sauces.
    • Regularly eating low-omega-6 red meats, like beef and lamb.
  2. Get sufficient omega-3 fats by eating 1 lb per week of fatty cold-water fish, like salmon or sardines.

These simple dietary changes can reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by a factor of ten.

Yet how many doctors recommend these steps?  Indeed, many recommend the opposite:  avoiding saturated fats in coconut oil, butter, and beef tallow; avoiding red meats; and eating lots of vegetable oil.

This is a great example of our First Law of Health:  Every conventional dietary recommendation is wrong.

[1] Lands WE. Dietary fat and health: the evidence and the politics of prevention: careful use of dietary fats can improve life and prevent disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Dec;1055:179-92. http://pmid.us/16387724. Lands WE, http://efaeducation.nih.gov/sig/personal.html.  Hat tip Stephan Guyenet, http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/09/omega-fats-and-cardiovascular-disease.html.

[2] Lands WE, http://efaeducation.nih.gov/sig/composition%20maintained.pdf.