Impotence in Diabetics

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
More than 50 percent of diabetic men suffer from impotence, and almost all complain bitterly that it has destroyed something that is very important to them. Impotence caused by diabetes can be prevented or reversed in almost all men whose bodies can still make insulin.
Diabetes causes horrendous nerve damage including blindness, deafness, burning foot syndrome, loss of feeling, loss of muscle control, pain and tingling and impotence. The penis is the only gland in the body that has its blood supply shut off all the time. Muscles surrounding the penile artery constrict the artery to prevent blood from flowing to the penis. When a man is excited, his brain sends messages along nerves that cause the nerves to secrete a chemical called nitric oxide theat relaxes the muscles around the arteries to open blood flow to the penis and the balloons in the penis fill with blood and the man has an erection.
More than 90 percent of diabetics who can still make their own insulin can be controlled so that they do not suffer nerve damage. When you eat, your blood sugar level rises. If it rises too high, sugar sticks to cells and causes permanent nerve damage. Doctors can measure how much sugar is stuck on cells with a blood test called HBA1C. To get your HBA1C to a normal range below 6.1, you have to avoid foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar such as those with added sugar, those made from flour such as bakery products and pastas, and fruit juices.
Most cases of nerve damage from diabetes can be reversed by good control of diabetes, but sometimes the damage is permanent. For example once person goes blind from diabetes, he will never get his vision back. However, impotence is often reversible with good control of diabetes.
Men who are impotent from diabetes must be seen every month and each month, the doctor must draw a blood test called HBA1C which measures diabetic control for the last 12 weeks, or another blood test called fructosamine, which measures diabetic control over the last 2 weeks. Every time, the HBA1C is greater than 6.1, the doctor must change the patient's drugs and the patient must change his diet.
All diabetics should get a blood test called C-peptide to tell if their bodies can make insulin. If their C peptide is greater than 1, they should not be placed on insulin and should be started immediately on Glucophage and Actos or Avandia. These drugs lower high blood sugar levels, never cause low blood sugar, and also lower insulin to prevent obesity and heart attacks. Only if blood sugar levels cannot be controlled by diet and these insulin-lowering drugs should doctors prescribe drugs that raise insulin.
For my recommendations on treatment of diabetes see http://www.drmirkin.com/diabetes/D222.html
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com
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5 Important Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Don Ford, M.D.
One of the essential nutrients for your body optimal health is vitamin B-12. It is part of what is called the “B complex” of vitamins and since it contains cobalt, it is also known as cobalamin. Vitamin B-12 is important for the maintenance of the nervous system, the formation of red blood cells, and growth and development in children. It is especially important in cells that are dividing rapidly such as in the bone marrow where red blood cells are formed.
Some of the signs and symptoms you would want to look out for if you suspect you might be deficient in vitamin B-12 would include:
•Nervousness or Moodiness- All of the B-Complex vitamins are important to your body’s nervous system in one way or another. If you are experiencing a deficiency of Vitamin B-12, you may notice symptoms such as moodiness, nervousness, or even depression.
•Elevated Levels of Homocysteine in your blood- There is a lot of evidence that elevated levels of homocysteine is associated with elevated levels of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin B-12 along with other B vitamins, have been shown to reduce the levels of homocysteine in your blood. Your physician can test for these levels with a blood test during an office visit.
•Numbness and Tingling In The Fingers and Toes- Because of vitamin B-12’s importance in the nervous system, a prolonged deficiency could ultimately cause feelings of numbness or tingling in your extremities. Because this can also be a sign of neuropathy due to many different causes such as diabetes, it is important that you immediately notify your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms.
•Anemia- Since vitamin B-12 is such an important part of the development of red blood cells, you may have anemia, which can be easily identified by a blood test preformed at your doctors office. Symptoms of anemia include, sluggishness, lack of energy, fatigue.
•Constipation and Loss of Appetite- Many vitamin deficiencies have been linked to gastrointestinal complaints. If you are constipated be sure to discuss this with your doctor.
It is always important to try and identify why your body may be deficient in vitamin B-12 or any other critical nutrient.
Are you getting enough of vitamin B-12 from your diet? Foods that are high in Vitamin B-12 include fish, dairy products, eggs and organ meats such as liver. A diet rich in vitamin B-12 important for you to obtain and maintain optimal health.
Are you taking any prescription or over the counter drug that has been shown to either reduce your levels, or increase your bodies demand for vitamin B-12 such as Prevacid, Prilosec, Zantac, Metformin, or even other over the counter Antacids? If you are taking any of these medications and experiencing some of the mentioned side effects, they could be due to the vitamin deficiency and easily corrected with a good supplement. These medications can cause deficiencies if other essential nutrients as well.
If you want to learn more about why your body needs vitamin B-12: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/vitamin_B12.htm
If you would like to learn more about other medications that have the potential to put you at risk of other vitamin and mineral deficiencies please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/
If you would like to see the full line of NutraMD products please visit: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/Category_ID/11/products.asp
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The Doctor Answers Your Questions About Fish Oil Supplements

By Don Ford, M.D.
Fish oil is a great source for Omega-3 fatty acids. Most of the fats we eat are omega-6 or other types of fat, but cold water fish, nuts, and seeds contain Omega-3 fats. There are literally hundreds of studies and articles in the medical literature documenting the benefits of fish oil supplements. Of course eating a diet that is naturally high in Omega-3 fats is good, but these foods may be high in calories, which are not good for weight gain, or contain heavy metals or pesticides, which if eaten too often can be harmful. So the literature recommends fish oil supplements for most people. And if you have high triglycerides, high cholesterol, vascular disease, a previous heart attack or stroke, attention deficit disorder, depression, or any inflammatory condition such as arthritis, fish oil can be therapeutic.
How much fish oil do I take? Well, if you are interested in maintaining good health and not treating any particular condition, the answer seems to be at least 1,000 mg of the Omega-3 fats. Now this can be confusing since each fish oil capsule contains 1,000 mg of fish oil but lesser amounts of the Omega-3 fats. To determine this, you must read the fine print on the back label which will tell you how much EPA and DHA are in each 1,000 capsule. EPA and DHA are the specific Omega-3 fats. It will contain “x” amount of EPA and “y” amount of DHA. You must add these 2 numbers together to get the total amount of Omega-3 fats present in each fish oil capsule. If these numbers add to 300, a relatively low amount of omega 3 fats, it will take 4 capsules a day to get at least 1,000 mg of omega 3 fats. This is the amount needed for those wishing to prevent certain problems long term but not treating any particular condition.
If you are trying to treat a specific condition, you need at least 2,000 mg a day of Omega- 3 fats. This may require 7-8 caps a day, which is too many for most people. So you must find a fish oil supplement that has more Omega-3 fats than 300 mg per capsule. Occasionally pharmacies such as Walgreens or CVS will carry them, but more often you must go to a health food store, a vitamin store, or find it on the internet. There is now a prescription fish oil called Omacor, which is high in Omega-3 fats and 4 a day will exceed the 2,000 mg a day recommended to treat various conditions. Some doctors will recommend up to 5,000 mg a day of the Omega-3 fats for certain things, but you should do this only on the advice of a physician familiar with high doses of fish oil. Fish oil does “thin” the blood so that cuts will bleed a little longer than usual, but holding steady pressure on a minor cut for 5-10 minutes usually will stop the bleeding.
It is also important to buy a fish oil that is microfiltered to remove all the heavy metals. Salmon and other cold water fish are near the top of the food chain, and their fat accumulates any toxins, such as heavy metals, that are in the algae or smaller fish that they eat. We accumulate the same toxins in our bodies that we consume, so to avoid this, the fish oil is treated to remove such toxins. Also, salmon, or fish oil derived from farm grown fish, has been shown to have higher levels of pesticide residues from food and fertilizers in the water, so farm grown fish should be avoided. Ideally a pharmaceutical grade supplement is best if you choose not to take the prescription form, which is quite expensive. There are several good such supplements available. Ask your doctor for advice if you are not sure what to purchase.
http://www.essential-nutrients.net/
To learn more about supplements available that help prevent vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient depletion that are caused by the prescription or over the counter drugs you are taking: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/Category_ID/11/products.asp
C. Donald Ford, MD, Diplomate of the American Board Internal Medicine. http://www.essential-nutrients.net/aboutus.htm
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The Complexities of the Nutrient-Drug Interaction

By Don Ford, M.D.
It never crosses most people’s mind, but the truth is, everything you ingest from medication, to beverages or food has the ability to impact the absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of anything else you happen to ingest. Some medications have the side effect of changing appetite, which that alone, could result in drug-induced malnutrition. Some of these interactions are more commonly known than others. For instance, you may have a grandparent that takes Coumadin to thin their blood. There is a long list of foods including asparagus and mayonnaise that patients need to avoid in order to keep their drug levels in a very narrow therapeutic range. Ingesting these foods along with Coumadin could result in uncontrolled bleeding, or just the opposite, it could negate the blood thinning properties of the drug all together and allow deadly clots to form in their arteries.
Another interaction is the interaction of alcohol with many medications. The fact is, alcohol can also impact the body’s use of many of its essential nutrients as well. Some of the chronic health problems that an alcoholic has are often associated with their malnutrition. Unfortunately, the word malnutrition conjures up images of extremely thin people on the verge of starvation. The fact is many obese individuals suffer from severe malnutrition and multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Just because you are consuming calories, doesn’t mean you are meeting your body’s demands for all of its essential nutrients. The highly processed foods we eat are often devoid of the beneficial nutrients contained in the unprocessed foods.
Individual food components also have the ability to impact your body’s absorption of a drug. For instance, tyramine, a component of cheese and a powerful vasoconstrictor, can put a patient into a hypertensive emergency if they were to eat cheese while taking a drug called a monamine oxidase inhibitor, often called MAOI for short. Luckily, MAOI products are not used at near the frequency they once were.
Deficiencies in some of your essential nutrients can impact how your drugs are metabolized and used throughout your body. For instance zinc, coenzyme Q10, calcium or magnesium are all used within the tissues throughout your body, and if certain processes aren’t able to happen because of missing essential nutrients, the medications you have taken may not be able to perform properly. Having missing nutrients is like trying to build a house without any nails. You may be able to glue it together, but how many windstorms will the house be able to resist before crumbling to the ground?
Many medications can produce deficiencies in your vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. For example, “statins” which are used to lower cholesterol have been shown in many studies to reduce the levels of Coenzyme Q10. Many diuretics are known to reduce levels of potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins; oral contraceptives have been linked to reductions in B-complex vitamins, particularly Folic Acid, as well as Zinc. There are literally hundreds of medications both over the counter and prescription that have an impact on one or more of your essential nutrients. There are numerous books written on just this subject!
Even deficiencies of one vitamin or mineral can impact how your body uses a different vitamin or mineral. Folic acid and Vitamin B12 often work hand in hand. When one is in full supply, and the other in a deficient state, the vitamin present isn’t able to perform at its optimal capacity. This can have a “domino” effect, which can lead to a significant change in cell physiology (or function), and ultimately to a disease.
http://www.essential-nutrients.net/
To learn more about supplements available to help prevent the vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient depletion caused by many of the prescription or over the counter drugs you take: http://www.essential-nutrients.net/store/PPF/Category_ID/11/products.asp
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Migraine Headaches - Is Natural Relief Possible Without Drugs?

By Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C.
Natural treatment methods for migraine headaches are usually harmless and also cheaper than traditional pain medications. Sure, it's possible you could experience a negative reaction or even increase your headache pain because of a natural treatment, but the odds are far less than with pain-relieving medications.
People are different from each other. A natural treatment that might relieve one person's migraine headaches may not relieve someone else's. But on the same measure, just because one migraine headache treatment does not work for one person does not mean it won't work for you. There are many effective alternatives to taking medication when it comes to relieving migraine headaches. One of these alternative methods may be just what you have been looking for.
Chiropractic adjustments, or chiropractic manipulations, are a very popular natural treatment method for headache relief. Patients with migraine headaches have been visiting chiropractors for over 100 years, and with very good results. Studies have shown that over 80% of headache patients find relief with chiropractic care. Plus, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems do cause headaches and by correcting these spinal problems many headache sufferers find welcome relief.
Biofeedback is another form of treatment that is safe and can be effective in eliminating pain. Biofeedback is a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and of course, the relaxation of their tense muscles.
Stress can cause tension, which can lead to muscle tightness (muscle tension) and cause headaches. By relaxing these tense muscles, especially in the neck, it is possible to relieve the tension causing the migraine headaches. With biofeedback, once the technique is learned there is no longer any need for the biofeedback equipment. The patient with migraine headaches can now produce the desired effect at any. They can control certain bodily functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can help reduce and relieve their migraine headaches.
Most people are unaware that too much salt can cause headaches. And by simply lessening the salt intake headaches can sometimes be prevented.
Food allergies or sensitivities can also cause migraine headaches. Certain foods such as cheese, alcohol, monosodium glutamate (a food additive), nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate and onions can cause migraines. Foods that cause headaches are called “triggers.” People who experience migraine headaches because of food sensitivities can eliminate their pain by simply eliminating the foods causing the pain.
However, it’s not always easy to discover which foods are the culprits. One way is to keep a food diary. Get a small notebook, with each page representing one day. On each daily page make three columns. The first column will contain the hours in the day. The second column will be a list of the foods eaten that day. And the third column will list the symptoms that you experience.
As an example, if you had eggs and toast for breakfast at 8 AM you would write “eggs and toast” in the food column that corresponds with 8 AM. Make a note of everything that is eaten on this list and at what time they were eaten.
When you eventually experience a migraine headache you write “migraine headache” or “headache” down in the symptoms column at the time it began. For example, if one of your headaches begins at 2 PM you will write “headache” in the symptoms column for 2 PM.
It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but after experiencing a few migraine headaches, with the help of the food diary, you will be able to tell which foods cause headaches. Over time, by figuring out which ingredients in these foods are causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate these ingredients and relieve some pain.
Another very common cause of tension headaches and migraine headaches is just plain stress. People who experience tension can get headaches from their increased tension.
Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as with biofeedback training (as explained above), taking a warm bath or shower, lying down and resting in a quiet dark room, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms. Regular exercise can also, over time, reduce tension.
These are just a few of the many natural treatment methods that are available to migraine headache patients. They are all considered safe and are effective for many people. If you have headaches it may be beneficial to try some of these treatments or search out others on your own. But as always it is a good idea to talk with your doctor before attempting to treat yourself for a health problem.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has treated many patients with migraine headaches. He has patented a unique neck pillow that was designed to correct neck problems that cause headaches. For information about his natural approach for migraine headaches relief please visit his site.
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Restaurant Meals Can Be Healthful

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Everyone can enjoy an occasional meal in a restaurant and order whatever they want. But if you have to eat in restaurants several times a week, you need to devise ways to make healthy choices and avoid the temptation to over-eat. If you are trying to control weight, diabetes, cholesterol or high blood pressure, you need to must find ways to meet your special requirements.
First, choose restaurants that gives you a fighting chance. Find a restaurant with a good salad bar and load up on fresh vegetables. Order broiled fish for your entree. Ask to have it prepared with lemon juice instead of butter. Have steamed vegetables as an accompaniment, without added butter, and fresh fruit or fruit ice for dessert.
Asian restaurants often have a wide array of tasty dishes with lots of vegetables. Thai and Vietnamese restaurants and Mongolian grills are good choices if you stick to the vegetarian and seafood entrees. Go easy on the white rice.
Your chances of finding whole grains in a restaurant are slim to none, but if you travel a lot, you might want to pack or shop for your own cereal to eat in your hotel. Large cities and college towns often have vegetarian restaurants that offer varied, flavorful meals made with vegetables, beans and sometimes even whole grains. Whatever you order, watch out for the huge portions that many restaurants serve. Divide it up at the beginning of the meal and save some for the next day's lunch, share with a friend, or just leave it.
The restaurants listed below are a few of the national chains that offer good to excellent salad bars and some other healthier choices for people on the go.
Black Eyed Pea
Bob's Big Boy
Chili's
Denny's
Golden Corral
Long John Silvers
Lone Star
Olive Garden
Ponderosa
Ruby Tuesday
TGI Friday's
If you have found other good choices let me know and I'll add them to this list (send an email through my web site, below)
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com
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Growth Hormone Releasers: Forget About Supplements; Exercise!

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Entrepreneurs claim that growth hormone levels decrease with age, and that their products will help you combat the effects of this process. It is true that growth hormone levels drop as a person ages, but there is no evidence whatever that lack of growth hormone causes aging or that taking growth hormone slows aging, and the evidence that growth hormone grows muscle and gets rid of fat is highly controversial. Furthermore, it is against the law to sell growth hormone without a prescription, so these products do not contain any growth hormone.
Products that are sold as "growth hormone releasers" are just amino acids, the building blocks of protein, that are the same as the protein you get in your food. Anything that you eat can be called a growth hormone releaser because all foods raise blood levels of growth hormone temporarily. When you eat protein, blood levels of growth hormone rise even higher. Growth hormone releaser pills cost much more than food and have not been shown to raise blood levels better than the ordinary foods you eat every day.
Exercise can also be called a growth hormone releaser because every time that you exercise, blood levels of growth hormone rise. Exercise raises growth hormone levels more than and longer than eating does. Recent research shows that growth hormone levels are lowered by having lots of fat stored in your belly. However, no one knows whether these growth hormone manipulations have any effect on the aging process since we have no dependable tests for aging. The commonly used tests to measure aging actually measure fitness. To reduce the effects of aging and improve your performance on all medical tests of aging, start an exercise program. If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates and fatty foods; eat plenty of the foods that come from plants (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds); and maintain a regular, vigorous exercise program.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com
Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health and nutrition
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