The Hiatal Hernia...More Common Than You Think

Doc Rick says, "I have had more patients come see me after they've been to the Emergency Room, spent thousands of dollars to rule out a heart attack, and when all the testing is done and no treatment is rendered, they come to my office and I fix them in less than 45 seconds. What could they be suffering from?"

The Hiatal Hernia...More Common Than You Think

I have decided to write about this aspect of human health, because like the title says, It is More Common Then You Think.  Also of importance is being able to appreciate how one can develop such a condition, and how it may be confused with other conditions that will lead your Health Care Practitioner on a wild goose chase.  Likewise, it will leave the person with the condition not knowing what to do. 

A Hiatal Hernia is a disorder of the Gastro-Esophageal Junction that results in a sac-like dilatation of the Stomach protruding above the Diaphragm.  As a result of a portion of the Stomach being above the Diaphragm, one could suffer from retrosternal pain (heartburn) and sometimes regurgitation of gastric juices into the mouth.  These manifestations are attributed to incompetence of the esophagastric sphincter (lower esophageal sphincter) and are accentuated by positions favoring reflux, e.g., bending forward or lying on your back.  It should be noted that gastro-esophageal refluxdisease (GERD) can occur without a hiatal hernia; conversely, a hiatal hernia can be present without these reflux symptoms. 

Now that I've covered the formal technical information as given by Robbins: Pathologic Basis For Disease, I'd like to expand upon that information and help you apply it to you personally.  After all, what's the point of having information if you don't know how to apply it to yourself? 

Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your Stomach.  As it passes through the opening or hiatus within the diaphragm, it then opens into the stomach.  The Lower Esophogeal Sphincter is a muscular ring that separates the Esophagus from the Stomach, and is also where the Diaphragm attaches separating the Thoracic Cavity, where your Heart and Lungs are, from the Abdominal Cavity, where all of your digestive organs live.  The Diaphragm is the muscular wall that expands down upon inspiration, pushing your abdomen outward, and contracts back upon expiration, allowing your abdomen to be pulled back in where it began.  NOTE: This is important to appreciate, because if you don't breathe through your abdomen, you are creating the basis for a Hiatal Hernia.  Abdominal breathing is the correct way to breathe.  Most people I have worked with are "Chest Breathers."  Try to notice which part of your body moves when you breathe in and breathe out.  Is it your Chest or your belly?  It should be your belly moving out with inspiration, as the Lungs fill downward with air pushing the abdomen out, and the belly moving back in after expiration.  Work on perfecting this and your health and digestion will improve tremendously, simply by doing this and nothing else. 

Tied into the diaphragm at its point of attachment to the body wall are two very important muscles called the Psoas muscles.  These two muscles are controlled by the Kidneys.  The relationship will become importantly clear in a minute.  If one is dehydrated and is breathing incorrectly, it will cause the psoas muscles to conserve on their resources which will contract and shorten them.  This will create Low Back Pain and, likewise cause the diaphragm to contract and weaken.  As a result, the diaphragm will begin to pull apart at the area where it attaches to the gastro-esophogeal junction, creating the widening in the hiatus (the opening where the esophagus passes through).  This sets up the body for the Hiatal Hernia.  Therefore, it is important to stay well hydrated and keep the Kidneys functioning properly.  For more information on this topic, please refer to Back Issues of this Newsletter at www.spineboy.com/newsletters and look for the issue titled Kidney Health: Your Most Vital Organ.  

Other contributors to the condition of a Hiatal Hernia include eating late at night and then laying down to rest or sleep, talking a lot while eating, drinking carbonated beverages with your meals, drinking a lot with your meals, eating meals with lots of carbohydrates in conjunction with your proteins, eating too fast, and as mentioned above, improper Chest Breathing instead of Abdominal Breathing. 

Other symptoms of Hiatal Hernia are shortness of breath, inability to breathe deeply or get a full breath, chest tightness, heart burn, tightness across the front of your shoulders, left arm pain, abdominal pain, stomach bloating, reflux, indigestion or Stomach gas.  If you experience any of these symptoms regularly or periodically, you should consider the following.

What You Should Consider

I have had several patients over the years who have presented with chest tightness that began as indigestion, left shoulder and upper arm pain, and have just come from the hospital or Medical Doctors Office having had a Cardiac work-up including a Cat Scan, an EKG and Stress Test, with all reports being normal.  The doctors have told them to take anti-anxiety medications and try to relax, as the tests don't indicate any Heart problems.  This is great that the Heart isn't a problem, but it doesn't address their concern.  The problem has always shown up as a Hiatal Hernia.  The best part about that is the condition can be resolved in 4 or 5 deep breaths while I apply pressure at the base of the sternum to the Stomach and traction toward the feet to reduce the Hiatal Hernia.  The patient reports immediate relief of all their symptoms, and they begin to breathe normally and go back to a normal life.  This is such a great feeling to have when helping someone who suffers with this concern, knowing it can be fully handled in about 30 to 45 seconds.

My Offer To You

If you are a Current Practice Member and suspect you may have a Hiatal Hernia, or if you have difficulty taking a deep breath, indigestion or reflux, call the Office and tell us you'd like to have the Hiatal Hernia Check. The check itself takes three seconds, and the solution takes 30 to 45 seconds.  I will follow the correction with helping you to identify why you developed this condition, and instruct you on how to restore balance to your systems.  This is an invaluable service and normally costs $75.00.  For the month of August, I will include this check with your normal office visit.  That's right, It's FREE!!  But you must act fast.  As of September 1st, the offer will be gone.  So call the Office and let us know you want the Hiatal Hernia Check.

If you are a New Potential Practice Member and suspect you may have a Hiatal Hernia, call the Office at (845) 561- 2225 and tell us you'd like to have the Hiatal Hernia Check.  We will invite you to our FREE Health Care Class held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the 320 Robinson Avenue location, and then ask you to go to www.spineboy.com and print out all the New Patient Forms under the New Patients Start Here button.  But you must hurry as well.  As of September 1st the offer will expire and the normal fee for the service will apply.

The Luck of the Draw

Some people do all the right things and still develop serious health problems. Others flaunt their bad habits and are able to live long lives, dying peacefully in their sleep at the age of 95. Of course the exceptions only prove the rule. Their existence does not suggest that rules for good health should not be observed.

We Can Make Our Own Luck

Making your own luck with respect to good health involves taking various actions on your own behalf. In fact "luck" itself, without any help from us, only goes so far. For example, you could be lucky and blessed with a fast metabolism. That's great, you can eat whatever you want and not put on much weight. But is eating exclusively from the three main food groups of pasta, pizza, and peanut butter what you really want to do? Well, yes, but it's important to recognize that there is a down side. Eventually your metabolism will rebel against this slog-fest and betray you. You'll begin to put on weight and it may take a long time to reverse this trend, even after you've switched to a more sensible diet. Similarly, health check-ups are a smart lifestyle choice. Chiropractic check-ups help ensure your body is functioning at peak levels. If some optimizing is needed, your chiropractor will recommend treatment that will get you back to being fit. They'll also be able to answer your questions about diet and exercise, helping you plan choices and activities that will keep you and your family healthy and well.

Some people do all the right things and still develop serious health problems. Others flaunt their bad habits and are able to live long lives, dying peacefully in their sleep at the age of 95. For example, high blood pressure (hypertension, HTN) is a common chronic disease in the United States. With HTN a person's heart has to work much harder, all the time, to pump the blood needed by the rest of the body. HTN is associated with heart attacks and stroke, and hypertensive heart disease is a leading cause of death. ¹

HTN is often described as a lifestyle disease. ^2,3 Those who are overweight and/or obese (this characterizes two-thirds of American adults) are at increased risk for HTN, as are persons with diabetes. People who don't exercise regularly are more likely to develop high blood pressure, as are those who smoke cigarettes. In fact, overweight/obesity, lack of exercise, and tobacco use are the top three causes of HTN.

Obviously, achieving an average weight, exercising regularly, and stopping smoking (or never starting) are three main lifestyle actions related to decreasing one's risk of developing HTN. But some people who are slim, have exercised all their lives, and do not smoke may still develop high blood pressure. In such a case, HTN is termed "essential hypertension". The person has a very healthy lifestyle, there are no risk factors for HTN, and still they become hypertensive. That is the luck of the draw, otherwise known as a genetic predisposition to this disease.

In a contrasting example, a few people may smoke two packs of cigarettes a day since age 15, drink a quart of gin every few days, and never get really sick. They don't develop lung cancer or liver cancer and have no problems with HTN or heart disease, and live lives that fly in the face of all received wisdom in the field of public health. They continue to thrive well into their 80s and beyond and love to tell their well-meaning friends and relatives, "I've never been sick a day in my life" while lighting up another cigarette. Such persons are described by epidemiologists as outliers, those whose health parameters represent an outlying 2.5% or less of the standard values. Their luck of the draw lies in possessing an indestructible constitution.

Of course the exceptions only prove the rule. Their existence does not suggest that rules for good health should not be observed. Regular vigorous exercise and a healthful diet containing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are important for all of us, young and old. Chiropractic care is an important component of the lifestyle mix. Chiropractic care helps people, young and old, achieve the best health possible. This natural form of health care helps take the "luck" out of the equation. We can make our own luck and chiropractic helps us do that in the arena of health and well-being.

¹Zhang WW, et al: Hypertension and TIA. Int J Stroke 4(3):206-214, 2009
²Schmid AA, et al: Current blood pressure self-management: a qualitative study. Rehabil Nurs 34(6):223-229, 2009
³Pascual JM, et al: Body weight variation and control of cardiovascular risk factors in essential hypertension. Blood Press 18(5):247-254

To Immunize or Not To Immunize?

Doc Rick says, "Every year I have conversations with parents, mostly mothers about my position on vaccinations. Since I do not have children, my position on it is fully based on what I know and what I have seen. Please read the following article and strongly consider all your options before making a life changing decision." Click on the link

To Immunize or Not To Immunize? 

Are You Putting Your Child At Risk?

Three years ago I discussed the Law as it is written in the State of New York, in an effort to fully inform you about your legal rights to have a choice regarding the immunization of your children before they start school, as well as what your options are regarding these rights.  As promised, in this month’s newsletter, I will discuss the risks associated with immunizations and what the full story is when considering whether to immunize your child or to go without.  I hope the information is helpful.

The following information was taken from several different books I have on display within the office that are available for lending, if you choose to get more information then what I am about to offer you.  Among the titles, "Immunization Theory vs. Reality" by Neil Z. Miller, and "The Consumer's Guide to Childhood Vaccines" by Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-Founder and President of the National Vaccine Information Center, these books offer valuable information on vaccinations and what every parent should know and consider before blindly allowing and accepting the recommendations to have their child vaccinated.  It certainly should be known, and I welcome your comments on this matter. 

What Is Known and Not known About Vaccination

Vaccines theoretically work on the principle of protection by artificially stimulating the Immune System to produce antibodies--small molecules of protein that attack invading organisms--to overcome a disease in the same way the natural disease stimulates immunity.  Protection from disease via vaccination depends upon the theory that periodically challenging the Immune System with small amounts of inactivated viruses and bacteria or attenuated (partially inactivated) live viruses will force it to produce antibodies that will confer immunity in the same way that a bout with the natural disease confers immunity.

However, vaccines do not work in the body in the same way that natural disease works in the body.  When bacteria or viruses enter the body and disease progresses in the normal way, the Immune System is stimulated to produce a type of natural immunity which is often permanent.  Vaccines, which are most often injected directly into the blood stream or swallowed by mouth, provide an artificial, temporary immunity.  Sometimes vaccines fail to provide any immunity at all.  This is why multiple doses of many viral and bacterial vaccines are required to "boost" and extend protection.

Critics of the mass vaccination system point to the fact that before many vaccines were introduced in the early 1900's, death and injuries from childhood diseases in technologically advanced countries such as the U.S. were already on a steep decline because of better sanitation, nutrition and health care.  Although vaccination has been credited with eradicating Small Pox from the world and eliminating Polio from the Western Hemisphere, there is a scientific question as to whether vaccines can eradicate all the viruses and bacteria for which we vaccinate, no matter how many booster doses of vaccines are given.  Some viruses and bacteria that cause disease in humans also live in animals and some viruses and bacteria are very adaptable and can change their character in order to survive.  This may have been the case in the late 1980's when, after two decades of measles vaccinations within the U.S., a more virulent type of measles was seen in an outbreak among American children and adults.

With so many gaps in scientific knowledge about long term effects of mass vaccination, there is a growing concern that the mysterious rise in Immune and Neurological disorders during the past four decades, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, asthma, autism, otitis media, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer and other chronic health problems may be caused in part by repeated manipulation of the immune system by giving multiple doses of viral and bacterial antigens in early childhood.  It is unknown whether the use of a growing number of multiple viral and bacterial vaccines is weakening the human immune system or causing genetic change.

The Timing Of Vaccination

Some doctors maintain that a child's immature Immune and Neurological Systems, which develop most rapidly within the first few years of life, are also most vulnerable to insult in the first few years of life.  Others believe that it is important to wait to determine whether a newborn has an underlying Neurological or Immune System disorder or other undiagnosed health problems before vaccination begins.

Some parents, who have made the decisions to vaccinate, are choosing to begin vaccinations at a later age and are taking special precautions to keep their unvaccinated children out of daycare or crowds to reduce the risk of exposing their children to adults or other children who may be sick with serious disease.

Many parents, who have decided not to vaccinate, are consulting health care professionals who specialize in Chiropractic, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture) and other holistic health care therapies which focus on enhancing the functioning of the immune system and maintaining wellness. 

Other parents, however, especially those with children in daycare, are choosing to begin vaccinating early but are allowing only one or two different vaccinations to be given simultaneously rather than three or four at a time.  Some parents are choosing to space vaccinations further apart so that, if a reaction occurs, there is less confusion about which vaccine may have caused the reaction.

Because the U.S. Federal Vaccine Policy today allows a one-year old child to be vaccinated with as many as 10 different viral and bacterial vaccines on one day, you should consider whether you want your child to get just one or two vaccines or many different vaccines on one day.  Whatever option you choose, becoming better informed about your options will make you more comfortable with your decision.

Check The Vial And Keep Records

 Whenever your child receives a vaccination, it is a good idea to check the vial of vaccine to make sure it is the type of vaccine that you have agreed to give your child and that the expiration date on the vial is not expired.  You may want to consider asking for a new, unopened vial of vaccine.

A parent should always ask for their own personal copy of the vaccination record to keep in a file at home.  This record should include the type of vaccine, date and lot number.

What You Should Do

If you are a new parent, or are planning on becoming a parent for the first time or perhaps again, you should consider doing this in the best way possible.  Learn form you previous mistakes, or learn from the mistakes of others.  Take the time to get fully educated on the subject before you blindly accept the insistence that it has to be done, put out there by the medical establishment.  Fear is a strong motivator, and becoming fully informed allows you to make a solid decision without fear of negative outcomes. 

To ALL Current and Potential Patients:  Since we ALL know people who are having children, please forward this information to them and ask them to consider what is written here.  For more information about vaccinations, please stop into the office at 320 Robinson Avenue, Newburgh, New York 12550 or call the Office at (845) 561-2225 and ask us to send you the information entitled Eight Important Questions to ask BEFORE you vaccinate your child, along with the recipe for developing a strong and healthy Immune System NATURALLY within your child.  This is a free service.  Also go to www.nvic.org and do some reading there.  Likewise, the information is FREE;-)

Your Sleeping Thyroid...The Missing Link

Doc Rick says, "So many people are being diagnosed with thyroid disorders, it is no wonder any of us can still be able to survive. The solution is not as difficult as you may think. And it does not require medication either" Click on the link

Your Sleeping Thyroid...The Missing Link

Having returned from the Mediterranean where I was studying nutrition while on a Cruise Ship (I know, it's a tough life, but someone has to live it.), we learned about what I am calling "The Missing Link."  Having covered the relationship between the Heart and the Thyroid in past issues of Holistic Health Newsletter, it was fascinating to learn that even I have this health imbalance.  Anytime I find a tool or a technique that will help me personally, you can be sure I will bring the information back and share it with my Practice Members. 

Iodine supplementation may be the "missing link" in a good percentage of health related issues of the Thyroid, Liver, Adrenal Glands, muscles of the body, Ovaries, Breast Tissue, as well as the Heart, as many Heart Arrhythmia cases, especially Atrial Fibrillation, are regulated by this required nutrient.  One of the topics we covered while in class was specifically about Iodine Fulfillment Therapy and the need to check this in everyone.  Since the body needs adequate stores of Iodine for the Heart to beat smoothly, along with many other body functions, I was amazed to see that even I was quite deficient in my Iodine levels.  Having learned the material and then discussed it with couple of the different practitioners who were already aware of this common deficiency, I am now offering the simple test called the Iodine Patch Test.   This simple test will help both of us determine if you have adequate stores of Iodine within your body.  We simply apply a patch of special roll-on Iodine (made in the proper ratios for this test), and then see how long it takes for the patch to disappear and become absorbed by the skin.  If it disappears quickly (as mine took 45 minutes) it indicates that you are severely Iodine deficient, and your Thyroid and other body functions are out of balance.  Healthy results should take greater than 12 - 16 hours.  Ideally it should take 24 hours.   

Iodine Fulfillment means the entire body has adequate stores of Iodine in order to function properly.  Although Iodine can be found in every organ and tissue in the body, some areas utilize more Iodine than others.  It is not only the Thyroid Gland that uses Iodine, but also the Heart, Breasts, Ovaries, Muscles, Liver, and Adrenal Glands.  We are also discovering that while it may take smaller doses to fulfill the Thyroid's needs, it often takes much larger doses to fulfill the rest of the body's needs, including the needs of the Heart. 

These parts of the body are Iodine-sensitive--that is, if they are starving for Iodine, they do not function properly.  Since there are so many Iodine-sensitive sites in the body, medical experts are finding that Iodine therapy can be a "panacea" of all sorts for all types of stubborn problems.  Just as physicians noted 60 to 100 years ago, Iodine therapy can help people with Hypo- or Hyperthyroid (with or without goiter), Fibromyalgia, Fibrocystic Breasts, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Brain Fog, Constipation, Obesity, Diabetes, Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Infections, Hypertension, and more.  In addition, it may prove essential treatment if you suffer from Heart Disease, Arrhythmias, and Atrial Fibrillation.

Many decades ago, salt and bread began to be fortified with Iodine in an effort to resolve chronic Iodine deficiencies in the American public.  Some of this fortification was later changed to carcinogenic bromine fortification.  And today we find lots of people with toxic and heavy metal burden--with high levels of lead, mercury, and the two toxic halides, Bromine and Fluorine.

Bromine and Fluorine compete with Iodine for absorption and binding in the body.  As Iodine levels drop, Bromine and Fluorine levels rise.  The damaging effect of Bromine on Thyroid Tissue also appears to contribute to the development of AutoImmune Diseases in the Thyroid Gland (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis).  Upon specific testing, it is known that Iodine Fulfillment Therapy increases Iodine at the absorption sites in the body while increasing the excretion (elimination) of heavy metals and the toxic halides Bromine and Flourine.

As these toxins are decreased, the body breathes a sigh of relief.  Measurable clinical changes start to take place as Iodine levels rise.  Goiters and nodules of the Thyroid begin to disappear.  The same is true for ovarian cysts.  Energy increases as the toxin load diminishes.  Metabolism increases, and weight loss becomes more normal.  Libido increases in men and women.  Brain fog clears.  And deeper and better sleep with vivid dreams once again becomes possible.

Breasts and Iodine

The Breasts are the second main glandular storage site for Iodine next to the Thyroid Gland.  The relationship between Breast health and Iodine deficiency has been known for more than 100 years.  The human female Breast concentrates and secretes Iodine.  The more diseased the Breast Tissue, the greater the need for breast Iodine.  Since the Mammary Glands have a trapping system for Iodine similar to that of the Thyroid, the Breasts effectively compete with the Thyroid Gland for ingested Iodine.  This distribution of Iodine to both the Breast and Thyroid Gland in pubertal girls explains why goiter is 6 times more common in girls than pubertal boys.  The disappearance of Iodine into Breast tissue in women leads to decreased ability to supply the Thyroid Gland with an adequate amount of Iodine.  The development of Goiter in young girls indicates deficient distribution of Iodine in both Breast and Thyroid tissue.  Treating such patients with Thyroid Hormone is not sensible and appears to increase the risk of Breast Cancer.  Iodine Fulfillment Therapy does not increase the risk for Cancer.

Perhaps the most significant Breast symptom related to Iodine is Fibrocystic Breast Disease.  It is not unusual for women who were desperate with this condition--and considering a mastectomy in order to become 100% normal--to end up with no Breast pain following the achievement of Iodine saturation.  Many of these women experience the beginnings of these kind of results within three weeks of taking 50 mgs of Iodine daily. 

Normal Breast architecture will simply not develop when a woman is deficient in Iodine.  And the Breasts and Thyroid are not the only tissues that take up, secrete, and utilize Iodine.  All tissues in the body are more immune to disease when they posses adequate Iodine.  Do you remember when we were kids--no matter what kind of cut, scrape, or injury we got--we always got a tincture of Iodine put on the wound?

That's because Iodine is powerfully antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and even anticancer.  Therefore, people with adequate Iodine levels within their body enjoy markedly less numbers and severity of infections.  And adequate amounts of Iodine, and Iodine supplementation for those who are deficient, equates with better health in general and less risk of infection and infectious disease in particular.  Also, since Iodine promotes normal killing of defective and abnormal cells (apoptosis), Iodine helps the body's surveillance system to detect and remove abnormal cells.  This results in the slowing of degenerative disease processes and decrease risk of cancer. 

What This Means To You

Appreciating the body's need for Iodine is important, which is why I am sharing this vital information.  Since it is necessary to have adequate stores of Iodine for normal functioning of your body, as it is used by many of the major organs, including the Thyroid, Heart, Liver, Ovaries, Breast Tissue and Adrenal Glands, if you have any health imbalances related to those organs/glands, you should consider what I have discussed here.  And if you have difficulty with your energy levels, libido, metabolism, brain fog or sleeping habits, Iodine deficiency could very well be the "missing link."  Take note of how you are feeling, and how your body is functioning, and consider the following offer.

My Offer To You

If you are curious about your Iodine Saturation Levels, and you should be, my offer is for you to come in and have the Iodine Patch Test done.  It is a simple test that requires applying a special roll-on Iodine solution to your skin, usually on the inside of your forearm, or some other inconspicuous area, and then noting how long it takes to disappear.  Again, we are looking for it to take as long as possible, certainly greater than 12 hours.  And if it takes less than that, it would benefit your entire health and the functioning of your whole body to begin Iodine Fulfillment Therapy.  If your results are positive, meaning you are Iodine deficient, we would discuss what needs to be done to restore your Iodine levels to normal. 

To ALL Current Practice Members:  During your next scheduled office visit, I will be offering the Iodine Patch Test.  The cost for this test is absolutely FREE!  That's right, there will be no charge for this test.  I feel it is so important and the potential to help you regain your health is so high, that I will be doing this test on everyone.  And there will never be a charge for the test.  So call the office at (845) 561-2225 and tell us you want your Iodine Patch Test done on your next scheduled office visit, and we will make sure it gets handled.  But get it handled, before Summer is over and you get back into your Fall routine.

To ALL Potential Practice Members:  I am asking you to come to my Tuesday Evening Health Care Class which is held every Tuesday Evening at 6:30 pm at No Charge. That's right, It's FREE!  During the class I will answer any and all of your health related questions, and I will introduce the importance of the Iodine Patch Test.  For those who wish to participate, we can do the test, and you can see for yourself if in fact you are Iodine deficient.  At that point, you can decide if you'd like me to help you with that condition, or any other health related condition that may concern you.  Simply call the Office at (845) 561-2225 and schedule yourself  for my next Free Health Care Class.  As class size is limited, we do require reservations.  So please call the Office to schedule yourself for the next class.  Why wait?  Aren't you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?  Call NOW!

Are You Suffering From Vitamin G Deficiency? Do You Know?

Doc Rick says, "Here is another vitamin you probably have never heard of before coming to see me at the office. And if you haven't, you probably have never heard of it. Read the following and see if any of the symptoms apply to you." Click on the link

Vitamin G Understanding The Importance Of It

The natural question most ask at this point is, "What is Vitamin G?," as I've never heard of it.  Appreciating that, I offer the following information that was first presented in the July Issue of Vitamin News, Volume 2, Issue No. 7, entitled Vitamin G, as it appeared in 1934.  It was reprinted from the Part of the Royal Lee Library Series, published by The International Foundation for Nutrition and Health.  Please consider the information and appreciate when it was written, and I hope you enjoy it.

In the early investigations of vitamin B, the antineuritic vitamin, it was soon found that it contained a separate factor that was necessary to growth, that was more resistant to heat than the B, and occurred associated with B in varying proportions, being relatively high in yeast and low in corn.   Different animal species were found to have varying requirements for the two components, pigeons being relatively immune to deficiency of growth factor, while rats were susceptible to a deficiency of either.

The growth factor became separately designated as vitamin G, and it is now known that a deficiency of this principle is a factor in the causation of secondary anemia, pellagra, cataracts of the eye, and various forms of dermatitis.

In pellagra, Mellanby has stated that vitamin A deficiency (caused by the use of white corn as the principle food) is the cause of spinal cord degeneration, and the associated deficiency of G causes the skin lesions in areas affected by the cord deficiency.  This theory explains the "symmetrical" appearance of skin lesions.  It also indicates the impossibility of a complete cure, in view of the cord degeneration.

As to its relation to anemic conditions, where there may be so many contributory factors, vitamin G has been found to be of great benefit in certain types that fail to respond properly to other treatments.  It can be safely stated that anemia can specifically result from vitamin G deficiency, but that vitamin G is not necessarily beneficial in any case of low erythrocyte (blood cell) count.  Vitamin C is also known to be an important factor and so are E and F.  Vitamin G is likely to be found of value in secondary anemias while others are more valuable for pernicious anemia.

Sherman-Smith says of Vitamin G:

"Vitamin G is evidently a substance of coordinate importance with the longer known vitamins as an essential factor in normal nutritional and deprivation or serious shortage of this substance results in wide-spread injury to the body.  Conversely, the liberal feeding of this substance may be expected to play a significant part in including a better-than-average nutritive condition."

Vitamin G deficiency has been demonstrated to be a specific cause of cataract of the eye in test animals.

We quote the Journal of Nutrition, January 1934, pages 97 -106:

"Of 72 rats receiving diet 625 (deficient in G), 70 developed cataracts between the 40th and 87th day...diagnosed by gross observation with the naked eye."

Cataract is here suggested as a more reliable and constant indication of vitamin G deficiency than the dermatitis heretofore consider specific, as its appearance is more consistent and unmistakable.

"Catalyn," because of its vitamin content, has been demonstrated to be a valuable remedy for cataract.  The cataract is known to be a deposit of calcium carbonate, and to aid in its resolution, "V-P Phosphade" is very useful in the supplying of phosphorus radical to make the conversion to calcium phosphate.  Because there are always many other less conspicuous deposits of calcium carbonate in the body tissues the "Catalyn" and V-P Phosphade must be taken for several months as a rule before the cataracts are affected.  When the rest of the deposits are dissolved, however, the cataracts disappear with relative suddenness.

The reference given above is only 6 months old.  "Catalyn" with "V-P Phosphade" has been successfully used for cataract for three years.

It will be here noted that vitamins A, C, D, F and G (probably also E) are concerned with some phase of calcium metabolism.  A, causing by its absence kidney stones, C, being responsible among other things for the proper health of bone and teeth, D, ditto, but of less importance, F being an agent that increases the diffusibility of calcium, making it available to the muscle and nerve functions, while G deficiency results in morbid soft tissue deposits of calcium.  Only vitamin B is omitted from this category, probably because of our present ignorance, as its antineuritic effect is no doubt wrapped up in calcium reaction.

Some day the sciences of vitamin therapy and endocrinology will establish as secondary to the study of the biochemical reactions of the alkali metal salts, with calcium as the major factor.  The problems of old age itself are matters of calcium metabolism, in all probability, and most of the symptoms of senility are due to direct changes in calcium metabolism because of hormonic and vitamin deficiencies.

Why is vitamin G deficiency more productive of its specific reaction in old age?  Because the vitamins act as nutritive agents for the endocrines and as age progresses, the endocrine organs become less efficient.  More of the nutritional materials may be required to maintain function. 

This hypothesis applies to vitamins B, C, and E as well.  In children, vitamins A and D are required in relative higher amounts, somewhat less in later years.

Thank You Dr. Lee

The following is a summary of the Vitamin G Complex

Apparent Function:                    

1) Necessary to growth and development.

2) Necessary to cell respiration.

3) As growth stimulus, promotes normal repair processes and thereby delays senility.

4) Necessary in blood regeneration.

5) Helps to lower blood pressure.

Possible Results of Deficiency:

1) Underdevelopment and retarded growth from malnutrition.

2) Eye disorders (conjunctivitis).

3) Incipient pellagra.

4) Abnormally slow regeneration of erythrocytes (secondary anemia).

5) Cutaneous changes (pellagra symptoms, mild dermatitis).

6) Nerve lesions and irritability (Neuritis).

7) Loss of hair (alopecia).

8) Sprue

9) Interferes with normal skin respiration.

10) Alimentary tract disorders (Gastroenteritis, stomatitis, digestive disturbances).

11) Fatty infiltration and degeneration of the liver.

12) Renal manifestations (cystitis, Hemorrhagic conditions of the urine, stones--renal calculi).

13) Elevated Blood Pressure.

Results of Absence:

1) Gastrointestinal disturbances (gastroenteritis, stomatitis, ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, achlorohydria).

2) Cessation of growth.

3) Eye disorders (keratinization, severe conjunctivitis, ophthalmia, cataracts).

4) Severe pellagra.

5) Severe nerve and spinal degeneration (Mental disorders, hyperirritability).

6) Death.

Sources of Vitamin G

You can get your vitamin G with natural sources of vitamin B which include the following:

Eggs, Fish, Meat, Poultry, bananas, green vegetables, whole grains, and mushrooms.  Be sure to make them natural sources of the whole grains, not the refined and processed ones with enriched vitamins.  The fact that they are enriched indicates they have been depleted from their natural vitamins and have had man-made artificial ones put back in.  Unfortunately, they will not have the true vitamin in its whole form and hence are worthless.  Ultimately, this will cause depletion of yourself over time and will create health concerns and deficiency diseases mentioned above.

My Offer To You

If you suspect that you are suffering from a lack of vitamin G, or are just curious to see if vitamin G would benefit you, please stop into the office during the month of July, and I will be happy to test you for it.  The test itself only takes a few seconds, but the potential implications are endless.  If you have elevated blood pressure, if you eat more refined and less natural foods, if you eye concerns, hair loss, or digestive issues, come have the vitamin G Check.  This simple test can make a huge difference in your health if you are found to be deficient and could use some vitamin G.  Call The Office today and ask us to include this FREE test during your next regularly scheduled office visit during the month of July.

Peeling the Onion

In the language of statistics, health is a continuous variable. A person's health can be expressed as an infinity of values ranging from abundant well-being to terminal states approaching death. Like an archeological dig, good health has many layers. It's always a mistake to stop digging, because a little more effort and a little more thought will reveal new patterns and new connections.

The Path of an Adjustment

Chiropractic treatment, known as a chiropractic adjustment, involves methods of restoring optimal mechanical function to spinal joints. When joint mobility is optimized, nerve impulses flow freely from the brain to the body and back from the body to the brain. Normal nerve transmission allows all body systems to function normally. Cells receive their instructions on time and in the right amount. Information (feedback) from the cells likewise reaches the brain on time and without distortion. Cells and tissues do their jobs efficiently and effectively and the body expresses optimum health. The channels of communication are open and information is freely transmitted back and forth. Thus, the layers of good health are in alignment. The body has a built-in healing mechanism. The job of the chiropractor is to enable that mechanism to work properly.

In the language of statistics, health is a continuous variable. A person's health can be expressed as an infinity of values ranging from abundant well-being to terminal states approaching death. If health were a discrete quantity you could assign a number to it. You could say that someone had 95% health or 32% health. You'd be able to measure health on an exact scale. But of course health is much more complex. Health status requires intermediate descriptive states for a more complete understanding of a person's level of wellness.

The practical outcome is that health is an expression of many factors, not merely one kind of activity. A person who has an extraordinarily healthy diet but has very high levels of stress may still suffer from cardiovascular disease, regardless of the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and fresh fruits and vegetables he consumes.¹ A person may be a champion athlete, such as a ballet dancer or a figure skater, and yet have type 2 diabetes owing to a lifetime of unhealthy nutrition.²

There are many such cautionary tales, including that of a famous runner, author, and fitness expert who died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 52.

Like an archeological dig, good health has many layers. It's always a mistake to stop digging (even though you think you completely understand a process), because a little more effort and a little more thought will reveal new patterns and new connections. This is the major problem with medications. You take a drug to stimulate one thing or inhibit another thing, but there always more layers to consider. Side effects result from trying to manipulate one layer of effects while ignoring the consequences to other important layers.

Statins are a good example of this process of failing to consider the layers of health. These drugs lower blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting the production of a liver enzyme that is part of the pathway of cholesterol synthesis. But statins have many side effects, including Lou Gehrig's disease, memory loss, liver damage, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle pain.³

In contrast, chiropractic care is designed to pay attention to all the layers. Chiropractic care, in fact, is a layer-optimization process. By restoring full functioning of a person's nerve system and improving the mechanical functioning of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractic care enables the body's layers of health to interact in the way they were designed to interact. Chiropractic care is a natural, efficient method of restoring and maintaining good health.

¹Knoepfli-Lenzin C, et al: Effects of a 12-week intervention period with football and running for habitually active men with mild hypertension. Scand J Med Sci Sports Feb 2, 2010 (Epub)
²Fuemmeler BF, et al: Weight, dietary behavior, and physical activity in childhood and adolescence. Implications for adult cancer risk. Obes Facts 2(3):179-186, 2009
³Sharma M, et al: Systematic review: comparative effectiveness and harms of combination therapy and monotherapy for dyslipidemia. Ann Intern Med 151(9):622-630, 2009