Inflammation: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly; The Cause of Most Chronic Diseases

Inflammation is very important to our bodies.  It is a protective part of our immune system to fight infection and other foreign invaders and to initiate the healing process.  Inflammatory cells aid the body's healing mechanism.  Inflammation is not the same as infection.  An infection is caused by a micro-organism. Inflammation is the body's response to fight the micro-organism.

Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli, causing and increased movement of plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes) from the blood to the injured tissues.  It usually appears within a few minutes or hours and ceases on the removal of the injurious stimuli.  The classic signs of acute infection are pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function.  Without inflammation the body would not be able to heal well.  For example, when inflammation causing heat is generalized, we experience it as a fever.  The fever is part of the body's immune response to fighting the infection.  It has been shown in studies that reducing a fever with medicine increases the length of time of an infection.  It has also been shown that taking anti-inflammatory medications continuously after an injury increases the time it takes to heal the injury.

However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can cause damage to the body, either locally (such as in tendinitis, tendinitis, knee arthritis caused by injury, etc.) or systemically.  These can be caused by overuse (not allowing the injury to heal), using enough anti-inflammatory medication so that it cannot completely heal, genetics, chronic low grade infection, the SAD diet (Standard American Diet), dysbiosis (an alteration in intestinal bacteria), toxins such as heavy metals and environmental pollutants, improper healing from surgery, etc.  Common chronic inflammatory illnesses are:  acne, allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, celiac disease, chronic urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis and prostatitis, chronic kidney disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, etc.  Inflammation of the brain and gut has been implicated in ADHD and autism, depression and other mood disorders.

In the last couple of decades, more evidence is being found through research that most of the chronic diseases leading to death are also caused by chronic inflammation, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.  For example, atherosclerosis, which causes heart attacks and heart disease, was considered to be caused by high cholesterol.  More recent studies show that inflammation is implicated in every stage of this disease.  Most scientists studying the inflammatory cause of heart disease believe the moderate success of the statin drugs in lowering cardiovascular events is more from their anti-inflammatory effect than by lowering the LDL.

Studies are also showing that inflammation plays a large role in cancer.  It is felt that inflammation can cause cell mutation leading to cancer, and inflammation has been shown to promote tumor growth and metastasis.

Once chronic inflammation has set in a cascade of problems results, making it more difficult to heal.  For example, inflammation can cause an increase in insulin, which also causes inflammation.  Elevated insulin holds onto fat in the body and causes obesity.  Fat cells also secrete inflammatory chemicals and increase inflammation in the body.  This increases insulin further and leads to insulin resistance.  This can lead to Diabetes Type 2, which increases inflammation in the macro- and micro-circulation, causing damage to the arteries.  The arterial wall damage causes a release of inflammatory cells and chemicals to repair it, which can lead to platelet aggregation and plaque deposition.  This can lead to heart and vascular disease.

Most of us are dealing with one or more of these problems and have no idea of how to heal it.  Most doctors simply treat the symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause:  inflammation.  My next blog will look into medications generally used for the chronic inflammation that threatens our health and our lives, how well they work and if they are safe.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi

Insulin Can Be Deadly for Type 2 Diabetes

 Insulin is an absolute lifesaver in Type 1 Diabetes, where the body doesn't produce enough insulin.

However, I have resisted giving insulin to my Type 2 Diabetic patients because they already make too much insulin.  Elevated insulin levels increases inflammation in the vessels which can cause hypertension and increase heart disease and stroke risk.  It can also cause blood disorders.

When I first started my medical practice over 20 years ago, most doctors were touting the oral medications for Type 2 Diabetes as better than insulin.  Insulin was rarely given unless a patient was completely uncontrolled.  However, over time, many of the oral agents have proven to increase risk of heart disease and other major complications, and we have seen in the last 5 years an increase in the use of insulin for Type 2 Diabetes again.

A new study was released in February 2013 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism following over 84,000 patients over 10 years and the clinical outcomes of their diabetic regimen, which confirms my reservations about using insulin in Diabetes Type 2  (http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/98/2/668.abstract?sid=431db3d9-1303-4a28-b796-89e12ee5c0d2).

Compared to using Metformin alone, those using insulin alone had an increased risk of a major cardiac event, cancer, or early death by 80 per cent.  Insulin use nearly doubled heart attack risk, and more than doubled neuropathy risk.

Patients who took metformin and insulin together were also at high risk of suffering a major cardiac event, cancer, or early death.  And those who took sulfonylureas (Glucotrol, glipizide, glyburide, and Glucovance in combination with metformin) also had increased risk of heart disease and death over metformin alone.  This is because sulfonylureas increase insulin levels as well. 

The increase in cardiac events and death rates was independent of the average levels of blood sugars.

The conclusion of the study reads:  "In people with T2DM, exogenous insulin therapy was associated with an increased risk of diabetes-related complications, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Differences in baseline characteristics between treatment groups should be considered when interpreting these results."                    

Most doctors assume that decreasing blood sugar levels is the end point in maintaining health in diabetes.  Flooding the body with more insulin forces blood sugar into the cells and out of the blood stream, so increasing insulin works in the short term.  But the long term effects of excess insulin are not taken into consideration.

When patients come into my office on insulin it is hard to get them off because the body is used to the high levels.  When weaning from the insulin the blood sugar spikes high enough that it scares the patients.  However, if someone is determined to get off the insulin, we use a combination of diet, exercise, metformin, SpringTree Glucose Balance, SpringTree SuperMulti Plus, fish oil and krill oil to get them off. 

The blood sugar may spike in the beginning, but over time it often begins to come down.  The supplements help protect the body from the damaging effects of the high blood sugar, and the insulin levels come down rather than increasing, which protects the body from the inflammatory effects of high insulin.  Most patients feel better, even if their blood sugar readings are a little higher.  I would rather have higher blood sugar readings and protect the vessels through supplements than have higher levels of damaging insulin.

WARNING:  Do not stop insulin if you have Type 1 Diabetes or if your insulin level is proven to be too low.  Insulin is necessary in these situations.  However, if a Type 1 patient follows the typical advice of "eat what you want and cover yourself with insulin," more and more insulin is usually needed over time, which can cause insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes along with Type 1.  Then the problems caused by high levels of insulin can happen in this situation as well.  It is best to eat a diet as that recommended in the free e-book along with exercise to use as little insulin as possible to keep the blood glucose under control.

For a free booklet on diabetes go to www.springtreehealth.com.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi

The Incredible Health Effects of Berberine

Berberine has been found to work as an antibiotic, and anti-fungal/anti-candida agent, reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, support the cardiovascular system, works as an anti-inflammatory, reduces fatty liver disease, reduces leaky gut syndrome, acts as an antidepressant, and has anti-cancer effects.  It also lowers blood sugar and reduces insulin resistance, in one study as effectively as metformin.

Because people with diabetes are at risk for candida, high cholesterol and triglycerides, heart disease, inflammation, fatty liver, intestinal problems, mood disorders and cancer, they may want to consider taking berberine to not only assist in lowering blood sugar, but in protecting their body from all the risks associated with diabetes.

(SpringTree Glucose Balance has 500 mg of berberine with each serving.)

Berberine is a strongly yellow colored compound found in plants such as Oregon grape, Barberry, Goldenseal and others.  It has been used for centuries for both its medicinal properties and as a natural dye.
 
Berberine is a nucleic acid-binding isoquinolone alkaloid with wide potential therapeutic properties.  Berberine prevents and suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, E-selectin, and genes, and increases adiponectin expression.

Antibiotic properties
Berberine has long been used as an antibiotic, such as in Goldenseal.  Studies have shown that it has effectiveness against Staphylococcus Aureus, and possibly against MRSA. 

Antifungal and antiyeast properties
Berberine has shown some activity against fungal infections, Candida albicans, yeast, parasites, and bacterial/viral infections. Berberine seems to exert synergistic effects with fluconazole (an anti-fungal medication) even in drug-resistant C. albicans infections. 


Support of the cardiovascular system
During the last few decades, many studies have shown berberine has various beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.  Berberine lowers elevated blood total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and atherogenic apolipoproteins (Apo B).  It seems to improve arterial endothelial function.  Clinical and experimental studies show that berberine may be useful in congestive heart failure.

Anti-inflammatory properties
 Berberine has significant anti-inflammatory activities.  It restores cellular redox by inhibiting gp91phos expression and enhancing SOD, the body's super anti-oxidant.  It suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression.

Profoundly positive effects in diabetes
Exciting new research is showing that berberine has been shown to lower elevated blood glucose as effectively as metformin.  Using 500 mg. three times per day, there were significant decreases in hemoglobin A1C, fasting blood glucose, after meal (postprandial) blood glucose, and triglyceride levels.  The mechanisms of action include inhibition of aldose reductase, inducing glycolysis, preventing insulin resistance through increasing insulin receptor expression and acting like incretins.  A new study suggested berberine may overcome insulin resistance via modulating key molecules in insulin signaling pathway, leading to increased glucose uptake in insulin-resistant cells.

Fatty liver disease
Berberine reduces hepatic fat content in the rats of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Berberine also prevents proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are central for the development of fibrosis during liver injury.

Cancer
Berberine has drawn extensive attention towards its antineoplastic effects. It seems to suppress the growth of a wide variety of tumor cells, including breast cancer, leukemia, melanoma, epidermoid carcinoma, hepatoma, pancreatic cancer, oral carcinoma, tongue carcinoma, glioblastoma, prostate carcinoma and gastric carcinoma. Animal studies have shown that berberine can suppress chemical-induced carcinogenesis, clastogenesis, tumor promotion, tumor invasion, prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, and leukemia.

Brain and Mental Health
Berberine seems to act as an herbal antidepressant and a neuroprotector against neurodegenerative disorders.  As berberine is a natural compound that has been safely administered to humans, preliminary results have been found in clinical trials in patients with depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or related diseases in which cognitive capabilities are affected, with either the extract or pure berberine.   It increases noradrenaline and serotonin levels in the brain (rats) while inhibiting dopaminergic activity.  It may increase the number of serotonin transporters available in the brain, enhacing the reuptake of serotonin.  The half-life of berberine in vivo seems to be three to four hours, thus suggesting administration three times a day if steady levels are to be achieved.

New experimental results suggest berberine may have a potential for inhibition and prevention of Alzheimers Disease(AD), mainly through both cholinesterase (ChEs) inhibitory and β-amyloids pathways, and additionally through antioxidant capacities.

Intestinal Disorders
As an antibiotic and antifungal berberine reduces intestinal dysbiosis (abnormal gut bacteria and yeast).  Berberine can ameliorate proinflammatory cytokines-induced intestinal epithelial tight junction damage (which causes "leaky gut syndrome") in vitro, and berberine may be one of the targeted therapeutic agents that can restore barrier function in intestinal disease states.

Consider Berberine as one of your regular supplements, especially if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi