Currently viewing the category: "calcium"

Women Over 50: Health Choices

By On · Add Comment · In breast reduction, calcium, chiropractic, chiropractor, cosmetic surgery, exercise, health, hormone replacement therapy, infections, vitamin D

Ladies: Are you over 50 and considering a boob-reduction?  Hope you’re healthy then, because a recent study shows that you’re at an increased risk for infection. That’s right. And on top of that, women over 50 also have a higher rate of wound-healing problems as compared to younger women, leading to a higher rate of repeat surgery to remove areas of dead skin (debridement). Something to think about if you’re considering a slash to the sag.

The study conducted at Johns Hopkins University looked at 1,192 women who had breast reduction surgery between 1999 and 2009 and found that the post-surgery infection rate for women over 50 was 2.7 times higher than for those under 40.
Researcher believe that the differences are due to age-related changes to hormone levels. Yes, of course! And the reason is that they found older women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were less likely to have post-surgery infections. Further, women who had undergone hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries, both of which result in large decreases in hormone levels, had higher rates of infection. Accordingly, the study’s authors conclude that doctors should investigate any factors that might effect hormone levels in women considering breast reduction surgery, and that hormone replacement therapy might be warranted in women with reduced hormone levels.
So why would I say “hope you’re healthy?” Because health isn’t simply which chemical or hormone we’re missing. When the body is in a state of wellness, it’s missing nothing. Why not instead encourage older women to do some things that might improve their health overall? Why not encourage younger women now to maintain their health to their best ability?
Spoke to a lovely lady this evening in my practice who told me that she does what she does cosmetically because it makes her feel better about herself, which in turn, motivates her to do other right things for herself (like exercise and eat well, etc). While I certainly understand where she’s coming from on an emotional level, I’d say it’s somewhat illogical reasoning: You alter yourself through surgery so that you feel better about yourself, and then you exercise and eat well?
Ladies, your body is yours to do what you deem appropriate. But I assure you that by doing the right things:

  • Exercising regularly
  • Drinking lots of water
  • Eating whole, natural foods
  • Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium
  • Visiting your chiropractor regularly
  • Getting regular body work
  • Being aware of your body (through gyno checkups and breast self-exams)
  • Minimizing alcohol and tobacco use
  • Practicing safe sex
  • Getting plenty of rest
…you should be healthy for years to come. And if you are in your fifties and pick up these habits now, your highly intelligent body will rebalance itself. If you don’t feel better about yourself then, it’s time for me to hang up my hands (sorry, I’m a chiropractor: it’s all I could think of…). At the very least, if you decide to get that breast reduction after all, then you’ll be in the best shape to handle the surgery.

Vitamin D-Fence

By On · Add Comment · In calcium, cancer, type 2 diabetes, vitamin D, vitamin D3

Exciting news out of Finland: Vitamin D may provide protection against type 2 diabetes. In a recent study conducted by the National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, people with higher blood levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels of the vitamin.

And in another study, vitamin D was shown to lower the risk of developing many cancers. Wow! This study, conducted at Creighton University Medical School in Omaha, Nebraska, looked at 1,179 postmenopausal women who were free of any known cancers 10 years before the study started. The women were separated into three groups; one took calcium supplements, another, calcium supplements plus 1,100 IU vitamin D, and the third took placebo pills. After four years, the group taking the calcium plus vitamin D showed a 60% lower risk of developing cancer. But even more exciting was that after seven years, the risk was lowered by 77%. Booyah!

These finding show the mega-importance of taking a daily vitamin D supplement. According to this and other studies, taking three times the RDA levels of vitamin D3 (much better than the D2 derivative) will provide the beneficial effects. In practical terms it means taking 1,000 IU vitamin D3 every day. As experts point out, though, you never want to take more than 2,000 IU a day, as this can cause liver and kidney damage, among many other problems.

Vitamin D can be found naturally in fish and fish oils, and it is added to milk, cereals and orange juice. But the main source of vitamin D is the sun–ultraviolet rays stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D. Although the American Cancer Society acknowledges the finding “are intriguing”, they are currently cautious about recommending supplementation. Most Americans, however, are deficient in this essential nutrient; and with the concerns about people getting “too much” sun, it stands to reason that supplementation is a must.

Just think, something as simple as supplementing with vitamin D can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and many cancers (breast, colon and ovarian). In my mind, it’s a no-brainer. And the low cost of supplementation makes it an even more obvious health choice. According to Edward D. Gorham, adjunct professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego and a researcher on two vitamin D/cancer studies, “There’s enough evidence to recommend that people take 1000 IU of vitamin D every day. Doing so would only cost about 5 cents per person per day and could prevent several thousand cancer deaths each year.” If that ain’t enough to get you supplementing, nothing will.

Get Smart!

By On · Add Comment · In alternative, alternative therapy, calcium, conventional wisdom, cow's milk, health practices, medical paradigm, mommy, natural health, phytates, soy, soy milk, tooth decay, vitamin D

My wife told me today of a mommy she met at the park. The mommy asked my wife if she gives my daughter soy milk. My wife said no – we don’t drink it so she didn’t really see the point in starting my daughter on it. The mommy then said she only gives her child soy milk, and never cow’s milk, although she has been noticing her child’s teeth were decaying.

Now, pediatricians will o.k. a child’s drinking soy milk instead of cow’s milk if the soy product is fortified with vitamin D and calcium. That’s because soy milk is not as great a source of these two nutrients. Furthermore, soy milk contains compounds – called phytates – that decrease the absorption of calcium and other minerals. Vitamin D is necessary for proper bone development, immune function and cell growth. Calcium is necessary for healthy bones, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Both nutrients play a major role in tooth development and health. Deficiency in either can cause weakened or underdeveloped bones and teeth, including tooth decay.

O.k. here’s my problem with what my wife told me. I think there is a major cultural shift happening in this country, and it’s towards natural health. I’m all for natural health – heck, I’m a chiropractor, for crying out loud (and I did write a book about it – The Six Keys To Optimal Health) – however, I think that if you are going to do things naturally, you’ve got be smart about it.

You see, the medical paradigm is actually the safest alternative for people who do not want to think for themselves. On a purely statistical basis, medical wisdom is the safest, lowest maintenance way to care for your body. Do what your doctor tells you and, for the most part (probably around 75% – I’m pulling this number out of my keester, but it’s more for illustrating a point, anyway), you should be o.k. True, for the minority of people, following the conventional wisdom might be harmful, useless, or minimally beneficial at best. So for these people, thinking outside of the box is often necessary.

That’s where “alternative” health practices originated (and in this case we’re discussing natural, but it can just as well mean any other alternative therapy – magnets, leaches, exorcisms, whatever); they came from man’s desire to heal himself outside of what he was told worked, but, unfortunately, hadn’t for him (or his parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.). As the alternative therapy began helping more people, it began to rise within the mainstream, moving closer, itself, to becoming conventional wisdom.

Here’s the point: if you are going to practice natural or alternative health methods, be informed. Don’t give your child a product without knowing everything about that product, and definitely do not substitute a well-known health product (vitamin/nutrient) for one of today’s latest health-food flavors of the month. I know, I know, soy is safe – I just said it, didn’t I? However, if you notice your child’s teeth decaying – WAKE UP! Either look it up and educate yourself, or call your pediatrician or dentist and find out if there’s a vitamin deficiency causing it.

The bottom line is this – if you are going to be the master of your own health, then you gotta know the way to do it: read the instructions, watch the demonstration video, take the weekend seminar. If you don’t have the time to buck up, then just do what conventional wisdom (read: modern medical science) tells you – it’s simply the safest way to go.

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.