Healing Path

Centre for Natural Medicine


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5 Ways to Improve Athletic Performance Naturally

by Michael Torreiter, N.D.

English: An athlete from one of the teams from...

As a naturopathic doctor, I work with many athletes.  I look at optimizing their nutrition and bringing the body back into balance.  Dietary changes can help with energy, digestion and inflammation; acupuncture can improve healing time for injuries.   For many athletes, it’s hard to resist the idea that there might be a “magic pill” that offers an extra edge over their competition.  Many turn to natural supplements and herbs to enhance their achievements.  Magazines and websites are full of ads with guaranteed results and compelling testimonials.  But which sources do you trust?

This article reviews five supplements currently promoted to athletes that actually have research to back up their health claims.  Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, these supplements can offer that extra support to help you reach your performance goals, naturally.

1. Vitamin C

AntioxidantsWhile everyone knows exercise is good for your health, what many people don’t know is that it can also produce free radicals, acids and cellular damage. As well, intense and prolonged physical activity can suppress immune function and make athletes more susceptible to contracting colds or flues.  This can inhibit training gains as time is required to recover from infections.  Supplementing with antioxidants like Vitamin C can provide the protection that many athletes need.  One study of 92 ultramarathon runners found that supplementing with 600 mg of Vitamin C, for three weeks before a race cut the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in half compared to the control group.   Another antioxidant, quercetin, is a bioflavinoid found in foods such as onions and apples.  In a mice study, quercetin supplementation was able to offset the susceptibility to infection associated with stressful exercise.

2. Creatine

Portrait of strongman Eugen Sandow (1867-1925)

Creatine is a popular supplement promoted to helping athletes who want to increase strength and lean body mass.  And the research on creatine seems to support the claims.  Creatine helps in the production of ATP, a major energy source for muscles.  Supplementation has been shown to increase the muscle’s work capacity and improve performance in high intensity exercise such as weightlifting.  Also, by maximizing creatine in your body, more water is drawn into the muscle cells, causing an increase in water content and muscle mass.  When a cell is well hydrated, it might accelerate its synthesis of new proteins and might also minimize protein degradation.

There are several forms of creatine out there, but the only research-supported form is creatine monohydrate, and that’s what I recommend.  The only substantiated possible side effect is mild digestive upset (which subsides).  Reports suggest that 20% of individuals who take creatine do not respond with increased muscle mass or strength.  It’s not known exactly why, but is hypothesized that these non-responders may already have high dietary intakes of creatine from whole foods (beef, fish).  Vegetarians are likely to see the best benefit, because of they have lower dietary creatine intake.

3. Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea (pl. różeniec górski), habitat:...

Rhodiola rosea  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are several adaptogenic – or stress-relieving — herbs that have been used for decades by professional athletes, including the Russian Olympic Team, to improve athletic performance and endurance. Siberian Ginseng, Maca Root, Panax Ginseng and Rholdiola Rosea are a few of the best.  Rhodiola Rosea is an ayurvedic herb with a long history of medicinal use and some burgeoning research behind its ability to assist exercise recovery.  In a Roman study, they found a reduction of lactic acid levels and parameters of skeletal muscle damage after rigorous exercise session.   In a Belgian Study, there was a significant improvement in VO2 max (or maximal oxygen uptake) after consuming 200 mg of Rhodiola one hour prior to exercise.

4. Recovery Drinks

There are many commercially available Gatorade-type recovery drinks that provide fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes for consumption during and following exercise.  Those hold up well in the research.  Most studies conclude that the use of these drinks for exercise longer than 30 minutes, improves exercise performance.  During that exercise window, fast acting carbohydrate sources are best– and studies show dextrin and maltodextrin are superior sources.  What’s newer on the market and in the research is adding protein to that mix.  A fast acting protein like hydrolyzed whey protein taken during or after exercise reduces muscle soreness and fatigue, stimulates muscle protein synthesis, and increases recovery time from endurance, strength and interval training.  A 2 to 1 ratio of carbs to proteins appears to be the right ratio for most.  Amounts vary depending on performance goals.

5. Zinc

Zinc can help you maintain energy level during exercise, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In a 2 year study, participants either consumed 3.5 mg of zinc through their daily diets or took a 15 mg zinc supplement.   When tested on a stationary bike, those with the extra zinc had better endurance and had lower heart rates and greater max VO2.  Why?

The theory is that zinc fuels enzymes in your red blood cells that clear out excess carbon dioxide during exercise.   In men, zinc is also important to maintain healthy testosterone levels, and having enough available testosterone is important for athletic performance.  In one study, zinc supplementation of marginally zinc-deficient normal elderly men resulted in an increase in serum testosterone.


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Viewing Photos of Baby Animals Increases Productivity

As you may have heard, a new (awesome) study was released suggesting that viewing photos of adorable kittens and puppies actually increases productivity.  This is somewhat reassuring to a large number of office workers who spend work-time emailing cute photos to each other and frequently changing the desktop photos of their pets.  (“Yeah, I was just trying to increase my productivity, that’s it.”)

In the study, university students were asked to sort through photos of baby animals, adult animals, or pleasant-looking foods.  They were then required to complete various tasks requiring focused attention.  Performance improved after viewing baby animals compared to the less cute photos, demonstrating more accuracy and better focus.

journal.pone.0046362.g001

The research team from Japan behind the study suggest the results could be interpreted in one of two ways, using an approach motivation theory or nurturant love theory.  If the first theory is correct, the “cuteness-triggered positive emotion” induced by viewing the baby animals has high approach motivation – something that makes us want to go out and achieve something – and therefore causes a narrowed attentional focus.  If the second theory is correct, the photos of baby animals induce nurturant love – the feeling of love and concern for another’s well-being – that motivates caregiving behaviour which includes heightened attention.

These theories sound plausible, and I’m not a psychologist.  But as a naturopathic doctor, I wonder about the physiological effect that viewing fuzzy adorable animals has on stress hormones like cortisol.  We know that elevated stress hormones can impede performance on tasks that require attention.  And there is research showing that humans experience a measurable reduction in blood cortisol when petting dogs.  So therefore when you click on this photo…

baby_pig1

…that your mother-in-law sent in the middle of the workday, maybe it’s the reduction in cortisol that improves your productivity.  If that’s the case, then a photo like this one…

kitten_in_a_tophat_by_peaches87564

…is also improving your immune system, lowering your blood pressure, reducing cellular damage, prolonging your life and having many more health benefits that occur when cortisol levels are normalized. (aaaaawwwww!)


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New Study: Organic Tomatoes Have More Nutrients

State fruit - Tomato

by Michael Torreiter, Naturopathic Doctor

This week, a study was released comparing the nutrient content of organic vs. conventionally grown tomatoes in Brazilian farms.  Although the organic tomatoes were 40% smaller, the phenolic compounds were 139 per cent higher and vitamin C was 55 per cent higher in the organic produce.  The farms were 1.5 km apart and shared the same weather and soil conditions.

Recent research has been exploring the environmental factors that are at play affecting a plant’s concentrations of nutrients; this study points to stress as one of the most vital factors.  By growing plants organically, the plants may have a tougher time in cultivation.  Without the protection of herbicides and fertilizers, they experience more stress and produce more phytonutrients to protect themselves.

This isn’t the first study to demonstrate a nutritional superiority to organic over conventionally grown produce.  A 2007 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found almost twice as much of the phytochemicals quercetin and kaempferol aglycones in the study’s organic tomatoes.  And organic strawberries packed a higher antioxidant punch in this 2006 study from the same journal.

Not all studies show a difference in nutrient content between organic and conventionally-grown fruit and vegetables.  But many do.  And when you consider the added benefit of avoiding exposure to chemical pesticides and fertilizers – some of which are known carcinogens or endocrine disruptors – the argument for organics just gets stronger.

I am fortunate to live in Kitchener-Waterloo – a community with several options for organics.  If you also live in KW, try out a weekly organic food box like Pfenning’s Organic, Grand River Organics or Transpire Organic. Or hit a local health food store:  Healthy Foods and More, Eating Well Organically or Kara’s Smart Foods.


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Vegetarian Diet Can Reduce Heart Disease Risk

by Michael Torreiter, Naturopathic Doctor

Food for Life distributes food on an internati...

A recent Oxford study on vegetarianism has been getting a lot of attention.  Released January 30th, the study shows a 32% reduction in ischemic heart disease risk for people eating a vegetarian diet over an omnivorous one.  The study was massive – close to 45,000 people were enrolled and were followed for an average of more than 10 years. It was controlled for sex, age, BMI, activity level, smoking and other heart disease risk factors.

This is not the first time vegetarianism has come out on top in health-related research.  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (seen in the documentary Forks Over Knives) conducted a 20-year study showing a reversal of vascular damage in heart disease patients who adopted a strict plant-based diet.  And preliminary results in October 2012 from a study on Seventh Day Adventists show that vegetarian men live an average of 9.5 years longer and vegetarian women live 6.1 years longer than their non-vegetarian counterparts.  The study includes 96,000 people from Canada and the United Studies and is midway to completion.

So far, research on health and longevity seems to be siding with vegetarianism.  This latest Oxford study is extensive and sounds quite conclusive.  But, as with any research, critics could undoubtedly find fault with it or say it doesn’t go deep enough.  In these massive, lifestyle-based studies, it is very hard to control for all factors.  For example, we don’t know the other foods the participants were eating.  Did both groups eat the same amount of heart-healthy fruits and vegetables?  If not, that could skew the results.  And we don’t know the kinds of meat the omnivores were eating.  Was it primarily hotdogs and processed meats?  Why doesn’t somebody conduct a study comparing vegetarian diet to a diet that includes only so-called healthy meats (lean, organic, grass-fed, etc.)?

In my clinical practice as a naturopathic doctor, I have definitely seen benefits for patients who switch to a vegetarian diet.  When some people stop eating meat they feel so much better for it – they can lose weight more easily, start sleeping more soundly, and lower their blood pressure.  But I’ve also seen former vegetarians introduce healthy meats into their diet and improve their symptoms.  Some feel stronger and have more energy; or the change may improve their digestion.  Ultimately, the best diet for someone can be very individualized.  People have differences in metabolism, body type, genetics and a host of other factors.  These differences mean that the very same diet that keeps you feeling healthy might make your friend gain weight and feel fatigued.  By honouring and accommodating these differences we can help each other reach our optimal health.


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Repoopulating* the Gut

Toilet Twinning

Toilet Twinning (Photo credit: Michael Coleman)

by Michael Torreiter, Naturopathic Doctor

According to Health Canada, Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea in Canadian hospitals and long-term health facilities.  And 1 in 10 patients who contract the infection will die from it.

In January of this year, a landmark study from the New England Journal of Medicine showed that “fecal transplants” were by far the best way of curing persistent intestinal infections caused by C. difficile.  In a fecal transplant the stool of a healthy person is put it into the digestive tract of an infected individual.  That’s right.  Fecal.  Transplant.

Although this procedure has been performed for years, this is the first time a randomized controlled trial comparing fecal transplants to antibiotics has been done.  In this study, the participants who received the transplants had a cure rate of 94% compared to only 31% in those who received the antibiotic vancomycin, and 23% for a third group who received a bowel lavage followed by vancomycin.  The results were so conclusive, the researchers actually had to stop the trial early because the monitoring board overseeing the trial determined that it was not ethical to withhold the transplants from the other participants.

To do this procedure, a healthy donor’s stool is screened for infectious organisms like parasites, then blended, mixed with salt water, and pumped into the gut via an enema or, as in this study, through a nasal tube snaked down into the intestines. The theory is that the bacteria in the healthy gut are used to repopulate the normal mix of bacteria in the person infected with C. difficile and crowd out the disease-causing agent.

bio-kBut…you may wonder…could we not just give probiotic supplements to the patients and skip the (icky) poop-through-the-nose-tube part?  Possibly.  Only weeks ago, Health Canada approved Bio-K, a Canadian-made fermented milk-based probiotic product, as an effective means of preventing C. difficile.  A study published in 2010 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed a 95% drop in the number of patients who contracted Clostridium difficile after being given two dose of Bio-K.  More studies can determine whether Bio-K could be as effective in curing C. difficile as it is in preventing it.

So far, fecal transplants are a “niche” procedure, not widely performed by physicians.  The procedure has been used on an “ad hoc basis” for 50 years and has always performed well in studies (although this recent study is seemingly the best designed).  One professor at the University of Calgary, Dr. Tom Louie, has done more than 100 fecal transplants and looks favourably on the new study: “Overall I think this paper is an important paper to say that performing fecal transplants does work.”

If we’ve known for years that the procedure works, why hasn’t it been used more?  Maryn McKenna wrote a well publicized article about the fecal transplants for Scientific American over a year ago.  Since then she has received more than 100 emails from patients with C. difficile who want to try the procedure but cannot find a doctor who agrees that “the procedure has merit”.  McKenna speculates that doctors’ distaste for the procedure is the main barrier to it’s wider use.  And, because feces is decidedly unpatentable, big pharma have not stepped in to give the procedure the push it needs.

Let’s hope that this new study gives fecal transplants more attention and that public pressure can make the procedure more widely available.  This would prevent much human suffering and needless deaths – which should be the goal of any good health care system, shouldn’t it?

(*whereas I’d love to take credit for the term “rePOOPulate”, alas, this Canadian group of doctors beat me to it)


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Laughter is the Best Medicine

by Michael Torreiter, Naturopathic Doctor

According to psychologist Dr. Cliff Arnill, the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday of January.  This year “Blue Monday” was January 21st.  Although the date seems rather arbitrary, it is no secret that many people’s moods tend to be lower at this time of year.  So I’d like to help beat the mid-winter blues by talking about the health benefits of laughter and humour.

It’s kind of a no-brainer:  laughter is good for you.  And the research backs that up.  For example, a University of Maryland study showed that laughter helps blood vessels function better.  Subjects were randomly assigned to either watch this funny movie:

Kingpin 2

or a movie that produced mental stress like this one:

Saving Private Ryan 2

then they switched.  After subjects watched the funny movie their blood vessels expanded and there was increased blood flow; but after watching the stressful movie, the vessels constricted and blood flow was reduced.

My dad clowning around

The beneficial effect of laughter and humour on the immune system has been well-documented.  In an Indiana State University study, participants who watched a funny movie had reduced stress and higher activity of natural killer cells (immune cells important in fighting cancer).  Several studies show an increase in IgA (immunoglobulins that help protect us against upper respiratory infections) as a response to watching comedy programs.

Oxford researcher Robin Dunbar has shown that laughter and humour increase the body’s production of endorphins, the brain’s feel-good hormones.  He raised his subjects’ ability to tolerate pain by exposing them to comedy programs. An increase in endorphins can improve the body’s ability to handle pain.

Laughter is good for you psychologically as well.  Herbert Lefcourt, a psychologist formerly of University of Waterloo demonstrated that the ability to sense humour can moderate stressful events and buffer mood disturbances in response to negative life events.

So go laugh!  Here are a couple of links to get you started:

  •  Richard Wiseman and the British Association for the Advancement of Science attempted an experiment to come up with the World’s Funniest Joke.  Go here to read the winner.
  • Wired magazine has a collection of the best animated gifs.  I might have laughed pretty hard at the Crazy Frog Brothers.


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Upsetting the Balance: Endocrine Disrupters and Your Health

by Michael Torreiter, Naturopathic Doctor

Sarnia

Sarnia (Photo credit: terrydu)

In Aamjiwnaang First Nation, near Sarnia, Ontario, there aren’t enough boys to have a hockey team.  And although there are three girls’ baseball teams, there is only one boys’ baseball team.  This isn’t for lack of interest in sports, but because the community has seen a drastic decline in the number of boys being born in recent years.  By 2003, the ratio of girls to boys being born was 2 to 1, one of the biggest ever reported.

A decline in male births is being seen worldwide.   Since 1970 there are 3 million fewer baby boys in industrial nations.  If this sounds like a real threat to the survival of our species, that’s because it is.  It doesn’t take an epidemiologist to accurately predict what might happen in the future if this pattern continues.

Aamjiwnaang is located in the heart of Ontario’s Chemical Valley, and is surrounded on three sides by chemical and manufacturing facilities.  Three of the top 10 air polluters in Ontario are within 25 km of the reserve.    Noxious smells are a part of life on the reserve and PCBs are one of the chemicals found in elevated levels in Aamjiwnaang’s soil.

Researchers have identified the high exposure to these chemicals as the likely reason fewer boys are being born in Aamjiwnaang (and elsewhere).  Chemical exposure may be causing changes at conception and disrupting the reproductive cycle which make it harder for male embryos to survive.

Chemicals such as PCB’s that enter your body and interfere with your natural hormones are known as endocrine disruptors, the latest toxins to concern Canadian consumers. Research is implicating these chemicals in reduced fertility rates, increased reproductive cancer risk, the obesity epidemic, and genital abnormalities.  And from rubber ducks to makeup to canned foods, they can be found virtually everywhere.  But how worried should we be?

There is mounting evidence that endocrine disruptors are a real threat.  One of the first well-documented cases happened in 1993 when Louis Guillette was doing research on alligators in Lake Apopka, Florida.  He and his team discovered startling reproductive abnormalities.  The young male alligators had very high estrogen levels, very low testosterone levels, and reduced penis size.  This was traced back to a severe pesticide spill in the lake in 1980.  The pesticides were DDT and DICOFOL – two known endocrine disruptors.  More recently, similar hormonal irregularities have been discovered in male alligators from another Florida lake – Lake Okeechobee – that had no such direct exposure to the pesticides, a sign that the impact of hormone disruptive chemicals may be more widespread.

In 2009, the Endocrine Society, an international scientific group of endocrinologists, issued the first ever statement identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals as a significant concern to public health.  “From chemicals in pesticides, food, plastic bottles and other items that we use every day, the concern is real,” said Robert M. Carey, MD, president of The Endocrine Society. “In this Scientific Statement on endocrine-disrupting chemicals— developed by a group of experts in the field—we present evidence that shows endocrine disruptors have effects on male and female reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology, thyroid disease, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology.”  Endocrine-disrupting chemicals that were identified by the Endocrine Society include industrial solvents (like PCBs), plastics and plasticizers (like bisphenol A and phthalates), pesticides (like DDT), fungicides and pharmaceuticals.

English: teat, baby bottle nipple (Lovi/Canpol...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of these chemicals, Bisphenol A (BPA) has been in the spotlight in recent years. BPA is a ubiquitous chemical that makes plastics more pliable.  It is found in baby bottles, drinking cups, food storage containers, dental sealants, tableware, cell phones, toys, some medical devices and linings in food cans.  Nearly all of us have elevated levels of BPA in our bodies and even very low doses have been linked to health effects such as low sperm counts, prostate and testicular abnormalities, and early onset of puberty.  In 2008, Canada banned the import and sale of baby bottles that contain the substance. And in 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA a toxic substance.  Some plastics manufacturers have been quick to find replacements and declare their products “BPA-free”.  Unfortunately research now suggests that many of the chemical substitutes are no better than BPA and that the BPA-free products still leach estrogen-mimicking chemicals.

Another group of chemicals on the Endocrine Society’s list is phthalates.  Phthalates are a class of chemical compounds that soften plastics and hold scents and colours.  They are widely used in bodycare products like shampoo, cosmetics and fragrances.  Exposure to phthalates can elevate estrogen in males, and hinder boys’ masculine development.  In addition, mothers’ exposure to phthalates in pregnancy has been linked to testicular abnormalities and smaller penises in their sons.  Because of the health risks, products with phthalates have been banned in the European Union since 2006.  Unfortunately, the Canadian government has been much slower to act.  “I don’t see Canada doing anything to regulate cosmetics” says Jessica Burman Zinger, owner of Cocoon Apothecary, a chemical free cosmetics line from Waterloo, Ontario.  “It is a self-regulated industry similar to the US…Companies will continue to put toxic chemicals in products as long as we keep buying them.”

As Burman Zinger says, at this point, it’s largely up to us to make educated consumer choices.  Here are FIVE THINGS you can do now to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors:

  1. AVOID PLASTIC food containers (especially those for hot beverages); keep soft plastics (toys, cling wraps, etc.) out of your household.
  2. SHOP ORGANIC – To avoid pesticide exposure, buy your fruits and vegetables at a local health food store. Kitchener-Waterloo has many good ones — Healthy Foods and More, Eating Well Organically, or Kara’s Smart Foods, to name a few.  And order a weekly organic food box:  Pfenning’s Organic, Grand River Organics, and Transpire Organic are good options in KW.
  3. SWITCH TO NATURAL bodycare products – All products purchased at Waterloo’s Holistic Nutrition and Olivier Waterloo are guaranteed to be free of endocrine disrupting chemicals.  Cocoon Apothecary products can be purchased at Holistic Nutrition or online.
  4. AVOID CANNED foods /beverages – buy your legumes dried and your beer in bottles to reduce your exposure to BPA
  5. PUT PRESSURE ON industry and government.  The Environmental Defense Fund and the David Suzuki Foundation are leading the charge in Canada.

cocoon apothecary

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