Our Club member Wes Bradford is a Family Physician and Functional Medicine consultant in Torrance (www.dr-bradford.com), and is a member of the Clinical Faculty at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  He has participated in Rotarian Polio-Corrective Surgery Projects in Uganda and India.
 
Health problems can be caused by diet, soil mineral depletion, toxic contamination, and differing needs (genetic, environmental, stress, lifestyle and medical differences).  However, focused nutritional changes can help a variety of chronic health conditions.  Avoid wasting money on nutritional junk, and know which nutritional interventions can help.
 
 
Drug-induced nutritional problems include antacid side effects, because without stomach acid: Minerals don’t dissolve, proteins don’t digest properly, vitamin B12 (in meat products) is lost, and harmful bacteria are more likely to get into the intestine where they cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome and increased Acid Reflux (causing a vicious cycle of “needing” more antacids).  Gallbladder surgery causes nutritional problems because bile from the gallbladder is the body’s detergent, dissolving oily substances so digestive enzymes can process them.  Without it, you don’t adequately absorb oil-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) or essential oils like omega-3s.  (The nutrition you put into your mouth may go out the tailpipe instead of being absorbed!)  Burned foods (grilled or barbecued) are carcinogenic for colon, breast, and prostate cancer, and possibly other kinds.
 
Common mineral deficiencies include iodine deficiency, which correlates with high rates of hypothyroidism, as well as with fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer (and possibly several other cancers).  This (rather than a soy-based diet) seems to explain low breast cancer rates in Japan!  Magnesium, selenium and zinc deficiency are also common and contribute to chronic disease processes.  A healthful diet should contain:
  • A variety of raw vegetables and fruits (dark colors) in every meal (not juice!)
  • Good quality protein in every meal & snack (to balance carbs and avoid weight gain, diabetes and other problems)
  • Nuts & seeds (unroasted to avoid trans-fats)
  • Avoid sugar foods (eat fruit for dessert)
  • Avoid white flour & white rice products (empty calories with nutrients removed)
  • Eat organic unprocessed foods, free-range poultry/eggs and grass-fed beef/dairy products
  • Avoid burned foods (Cancer-causing!)
Many chronic medical conditions show benefits from focused nutritional changes.  Osteoporosis can do better with nutrients than with drugs or hormone replacements, without side effects!  Ideal combination: Vitamins D3 & K2, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, boron, manganese, strontium, and orthosilicic acid (“BioSil” capsules).  This also helps to heal chronic back strain and recover from orthopedic surgery & injuries (collagen healing, not just bone).
 
In depression, studies show benefits from a combination of vitamin D3 (“sunshine vitamin”), folate (raw dark green vegetables), vitamin B12, vitamin B6, omega-3 oils, zinc, and adequate protein.
 
Frail elderly people typically suffer from protein deficiency, which the body sacrifices to produce the inflammatory molecules it uses to fight chronic disease.  This results in weakness not only in skeletal muscle, but also in heart muscle and intestinal wall muscle (intractable constipation).  Taking a supplement of whey protein shakes 1-3 times a day can help turn this around, especially when combined with resistance exercise and replenishing other deficiencies.
 
80% of healthcare costs result from chronic disease processes, which are mediated by chemical imbalances in the body.  These imbalances can be analyzed by molecular biology testing, and improved by incorporating individualized nutritional treatment with conventional medical care.  Maintaining good health as we age requires more than just drugs and surgery.