The New Optimum Nutrition Bible
Page 36
Omega-6: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, corn, soybeans, and wheat germ.
As far as supplements are concerned, for omega-3, take fish oils (at least 200 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA), or one to two tablespoons of flaxseed oil. For omega-6, take borage oil, 500 to 1,000 mg a day, or evening primrose oil, 1,000 mg a day.
7. Heavy-metal toxicity
Heavy metals are so commonplace in our modern environment that the average person has body levels seven hundred times higher than those of our ancestors. Although high levels of lead are less common since the advent of lead-free gasoline, some people have very high copper levels, mainly from copper plumbing in soft-water areas. Copper, although an essential mineral, can also be a toxic one when levels are elevated. High levels of cadmium are often found in smokers, as tobacco is relatively rich in it. Mercury from dental fillings can result in memory loss, and aluminum from cookware and foil is associated with senility. Check yourself out on the symptoms below:
Anxiety, extreme fears, or paranoia
Phobias
Poor concentration or confusion
Poor memory
Angry or aggressive feelings
Hyperactivity
Emotional instability
Headaches or migraines
Joint pain
Nervousness
If you have five or more of these symptoms, a hair mineral analysis is suggested to test whether you’ve got an excess of toxic minerals. This inexpensive, noninvasive test can also highlight deficiencies in important minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and manganese. A nutritional therapist can arrange this test for you.
8. Pyroluria and porphyria
Some people produce more of the proteinlike chemicals kryptopyrroles and porphyrins than is healthy. An excess is linked to mental illness. The madness of King George III, for example, was almost certainly caused by porphyria. This, and probably pyroluria, is a genetically inherited tendency that increases a person’s need for zinc. Stress also depletes zinc. So, if your mental health problems are strongly stress-related and the symptoms below apply to you, you may be pyroluric, or even porphyric, although the latter is much less common.
Nausea or constipation
White spots on fingernails
Pale skin that burns easily
Frequent colds and infections
Stretch marks
Irregular menstruation
Impotency
Crowded upper front teeth
Poor tolerance of alcohol or drugs
Poor dream recall
If you score five or more you may be pyroluric. You can test this by having a urine test for kryptopyrroles. If your level is high, you need more zinc and vitamin B6. Try 25 mg of zinc and 100 mg of B6 a day.
9. Histamine imbalance
Histamine is an often-overlooked neurotransmitter. Some people are genetically preprogrammed to produce too much histamine, a condition known as histadelia, and this can make a person excessively compulsive and obsessive. High-histamine types have a faster metabolism and therefore use up nutrients at a fast rate. Without good nutrition, they can easily become deficient, which can precipitate patches of deep depression. These are some of the symptoms associated with excess histamine:
Headaches or migraines
Sneezing in sunlight
Crying, salivating, or feeling nauseated easily
Easy sexual orgasm
Abnormal fears, compulsions, rituals
Light sleep
Fast metabolism
Depression or suicidal thoughts
Producing a lot of body heat
Little body hair and lean build
Large ears or long fingers and toes
Good tolerance of alcohol
Inner tension or driven feeling
Shyness or oversensitivity as a child
Seasonal allergies (for example, hay fever)
Obsessive or compulsive tendencies
If you have five or more of these symptoms, you may be a high-histamine type. You can confirm this by having a blood test for histamine. If your blood levels are high, you will benefit from supplementing vitamin C. Since histamine is detoxified by methylation, check your homocysteine level (see chapter 10).
Low levels of histamine are associated with the same kind of symptoms as B3, B12, and folic acid deficiency (see point 5, this page), and respond well to supplementing of these nutrients. Histamine levels can also be determined as part of an overall neurotransmitter screening test.
10. Serotonin imbalance
A deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin is one of the most common findings in people with mental health problems. It is associated with sleeping problems, mood disturbance, and aggressive and compulsive behavior. Check yourself out on the symptoms below:
Depression, especially postmenopausal
Anxiety
Aggressive or suicidal thoughts
Violent or impulsive behavior
Mood swings, including PMS
Obsessive or compulsive tendencies
Alcohol or drug abuse
Sensitivity to pain (low pain threshold)
Craving for sweet foods
Sleeping problems
If you have scored five or more you may be low in serotonin. A neurotransmitter screening test can help confirm this.
Antidepressant drugs like Prozac work by stopping the body from breaking down serotonin, thereby keeping more circulating in the brain. The trouble is that these kinds of drugs can induce unpleasant side effects. If you’re low in serotonin, the natural alternative to take is 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). This is a precursor to serotonin and can help restore normal levels.
11. Adrenal imbalance
The adrenal glands and the brain produce three motivating neurotransmitters called dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. The adrenal glands also produce Cortisol. An excess of adrenaline can result in a state of high stress and anxiety, while a deficiency can result in the opposite—low energy, no motivation, and poor concentration. There is evidence that some people may abnormally turn excessive amounts into toxins that induce disperceptions and even hallucinations. Check yourself out on the symptoms below:
Irritability
Nervousness or anxiety
Extreme fears
Raised blood pressure
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Insomnia
Cold hands and feet
Excessive sweating
Teeth grinding
Headaches or migraines
Muscle tension
Restlessness
Seeing or hearing things
If you can relate to five or more of the symptoms, you may have excessive levels of adrenaline or Cortisol. If, on the other hand, the symptoms below sound like you, you may have adrenal insufficiency:
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Short attention span
Lack of drive or motivation
Difficulty in initiating or completing tasks
Frequent tiredness
Inability to deal with stress
Social withdrawal
Both excess and deficiency can be tested either with an adrenal stress index, using saliva samples, or as part of a neurotransmitter screening test. For high adrenaline levels, cut back on stimulants and sugar and up your intake of vitamins B and C. If you have low adrenaline levels, you may benefit from supplementing the amino acid tyrosine. “Adaptogenic” herbs such as Asian or Siberian ginseng or rhodiola can also help.
12. Acetylcholine imbalance
Acetylcholine is the brain’s learning neurotransmitter. Low levels are associated with memory loss and even Alzheimer’s disease. Levels tend to decline with age, but they don’t have to if you are optimally nourished. Check yourself out on the symptoms below:
Poor dream recall
Infrequent dreaming
Difficulty visualizing
Dry mouth
Poor memory or forgetfulness
/> Mental exhaustion
Poor concentration
Difficulty learning new things
If you score five or more on the symptom list, the chances are that you might be low in acetylcholine. A neurotransmitter screening test can help confirm this. Alternatively, you can simply supplement brain-friendly nutrients, such as a combination of phosphatidyl choline, serine, DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), pyroglutamate, and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).
13. High homocysteine
A high level of homocysteine is very strongly linked with depression, schizophrenia, memory decline, and Alzheimer’s disease. For example, having a high homocysteine level doubles a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, while 52 percent of depressed people have high homocysteine. When homocysteine is high, it results in your losing the ability to keep brain chemicals in balance. You consequently start feeling disconnected. This can result in depression and confusion. Check yourself out on the indicators below:
Depression
Poor concentration and memory
Chronic tiredness
Headaches or migraines
Sleeping problems
Joint or muscle aches or arthritis
Deteriorating eyesight
Family history of heart disease
Family history of schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease
Frequent alcohol, coffee, or cigarettes
If you score five or more, you may have a high homocysteine level. You can test your homocysteine level using a simple home test kit (see Resources). The solution is to up your intake of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, plus omega-3 fats.
In summary
The easiest way to find out if there’s a possibility that one or more of these imbalances is contributing to your problems is by completing the mental health questionnaire on the website www.mentalhealthproject.com. It gives you a printout, which you can copy and give to your doctor, and advises you on what to do to eliminate these common causes of mental health problems using the principles of optimum nutrition.
Learn more about nutrition and mental health in my book Optimum Nutrition for the Mind.
PART 5 Nutrition for All Ages
39 Birthrights and Wrongs
40 Superkids—Nourishing the Next Generation
41 Puberty, PMS, Menopause, and Andropause
42 Preventing the Problems of Old Age
39
Birthrights and Wrongs
We are all older than we like to think. From a health perspective, the nine months spent in the womb and the months before conception are the most critical periods of our lives. Scientists are increasingly discovering that a mother’s health and nutrition during preconception and pregnancy have a profound effect on the health of the infant, and that patterns of disease in adulthood can be traced to infant nutrition. Optimum nutrition increases fertility, the health of a pregnancy, and the chances of having a healthy baby with strong resilience to disease.
Maximizing fertility
One in every four couples suffers from some degree of infertility. For some, this means having fewer children than they want; for many, it means no children at all. And even for couples who are fertile, getting pregnant is not the easy matter that it is commonly thought to be. The average length of time taken to get pregnant is six months, although eighteen months is not uncommon. But unless fertility tests show otherwise, failure to conceive within eighteen months does not necessarily mean that you are completely infertile.
While it’s well known that a woman’s fertility decreases with age, did you know that a man’s does too? A couple’s chances of conceiving within six months of trying decrease by 2 percent for every year the man is over twenty-four, regardless of how young his partner is. And if she’s in her thirties, then she’ll take twice as long to conceive as a woman in her twenties. Yet, despite these statistics, research has shown that if both partners are in good health and receiving optimum levels of all the right nutrients, the effect of their age on their chances of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy can be reduced.
Fertility and the speed of conception depend on many factors, some psychological, some physical, and some nutritional. Conception rate is very high during holiday periods, for example, since stress—a major factor in infertility—is reduced. Knowing how to time intercourse to coincide with ovulation (the release of the female egg to be fertilized by the sperm) greatly increases the chances of conception. Also, your nutrition and especially your vitamin status play a crucial role.
Vitamins for fertility
The male partner is responsible in about a third of infertility cases. (It should be stressed that infertility has nothing to do with sexual virility, which is usually not affected.) The usual test for infertility in a man involves a sperm count—the higher the sperm count, the greater the fertility. One study has shown that extra vitamin C increased sperm count as well as sperm mobility.1 Likewise, vitamin E or essential fat deficiency has been found to induce sterility in both sexes by causing damage to the reproductive tissues. Unfortunately, however, simply taking vitamin E will not reverse the condition if you are sterile.
The high rate of infertility among diabetics may provide us with a clue. Diabetics are frequently low in vitamin A, which is essential for making the male sex hormones. Vitamin A is dependent on the release of zinc from the liver. Of all the nutrients known to affect male fertility, zinc is perhaps the best researched. Signs of zinc deficiency include late sexual maturation, small sex organs, and infertility. With adequate supplements of zinc, these problems can be corrected.
Dr. Carl Pfeiffer, director of the Princeton Biocenter, one of the first research groups to identify the importance of zinc, also found a high degree of impotence and infertility in male patients who suffer from zinc deficiency. “With adequate dosage of vitamin B6 and zinc,” he wrote, “the sexual ability of the male should return in one or two months’ time.” In view of the fact that the average dietary intake of zinc is half the RDA, the effects of zinc on fertility may be quite substantial and widespread. Zinc is found in high concentrations in male sex glands and in the sperm itself, where it is needed to make the outer layer and the tail.
Care prior to conception
The best odds for a healthy offspring are achieved when both partners prepare for pregnancy. It takes three months for sperm to mature, while the egg or ovum takes a month. If, during these preconceptual months, each partner pursues optimum nutrition, minimizes intake of antinutrients, especially alcohol, and stays healthy, the chances of a healthy conception are high, especially if the couple abstains from sex during the nonfertile phases of the month.
One in three conceptions is spontaneously aborted during the first three months of pregnancy. This risk is reduced when both partners are optimally nourished and healthy. A common cause of miscarriage is a lack of progesterone, which is needed to maintain the pregnancy in the early weeks. This can be a result of estrogen dominance (see chapter 25).
Homocysteine is a new health marker that’s been making headlines for its association with more than one hundred different health conditions including infertility and pregnancy complications. One study, which looked at nearly six thousand women, found that those with high homocysteine levels were up to 100 percent more likely to have suffered problems with their pregnancies or had babies with birth defects. It’s now easy to have your homocysteine tested, and if a high level is found, this can be reduced to a healthy level in around three months with the right nutritional supplements. It’s well worth checking your homocysteine level before trying to conceive, and lowering your score, if it’s above six, by supplementing folic acid, B12, B6, and TMG (see chapter 16).
Anyone considering IVF (in vitro fertilization; where a woman’s egg and her partner’s sperm are fertilized outside her body and then implanted in the womb) should cover all these “optimum nutrition” bases first. While IVF has an average success rate of 21.8 percent (and that’s among the “cream of the crop,” who are selec
ted for this expensive treatment), the holistic approach—where both partners are given an optimum nutrition method of treatment and any underlying health problems resolved—has a success rate of more than 78 percent, according to the preconception care organization Foresight, which followed up the pregnancies of 1,076 couples, 779 of which resulted in a live birth.
Vitamins for a healthy pregnancy
Optimum nutrition can greatly improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Even the slightest deficiencies during pregnancy can have serious effects on the health of the offspring, and the idea that birth defects are often caused by nutritional imbalances in the mother is rapidly gaining wider acceptance. So far, slight deficiencies of vitamins B1, B2, and B6, folic acid, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium have all been linked to birth abnormalities. So too have excesses of toxic metals, especially lead, cadmium, and copper.
Severe deficiencies of any vitamin will cause birth abnormalities, since a vitamin is by definition necessary for maintaining normal growth. A healthy pregnancy will of course depend on a greater supply than normal of all these nutrients, since accommodating the needs of a growing fetus as well as her own body puts extra demands on the expectant mother.
Spina bifida
As many as 5 percent of births show some developmental defect, many of which affect the central nervous system. Spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal cord does not develop properly, has been strongly linked to a lack of folic acid and probably of other nutrients, too, in the mother’s diet. A survey of twenty-three thousand women found that those who supplemented their diet during the first six weeks of pregnancy had a 75 percent lower incidence of neural tube defects than those who did not.2 The incidence of this condition is far higher when mothers have had a nutritionally poor diet for the first three months of pregnancy. One study found that dietary counseling alone lowered the rate of spina bifida in babies born to mothers at risk, but that the administration of extra folic acid, on its own or in a multivitamin, resulted in a much lower number of babies with neural tube defects. Since the optimum daily allowance for folic acid intake is 800 mcg per day, with a good diet providing 400 mcg per day, a supplement of at least 400 mcg per day is recommended for women intending to become pregnant.