Thrombi (blood clots) are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (American Heart Association 2004). Blood clots are responsible for a grim litany of health problems, including stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and complications of cancer. Because of this intense danger, conventional physicians prescribe a number of powerful drugs to prevent blood clots. But these drugs have dangers of their own; if their use is not closely monitored, they may cause serious bleeding and even death.
Blood clots are a natural part of the healing process; blood thickens around an injured area, forms a protective scab, and eventually dissolves on its own. However, clots become dangerous when they interfere with the circulatory system.
The best way to manage blood clots is to prevent them from forming in the first place. By the time a patient has had a stroke or heart attack, there has already been a failure of preventive medicine. These patients may end up taking anticlotting medication for the rest of their lives.
Cancer is also associated with the risk of blood clots. Patients who have cancer often have hypercoagulable blood due to multiple disturbances in their metabolism and circulation.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a common cause of discomfort and misery for tens of thousands of people in the United States. The two major types of inflammatory bowel disease are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are comparable and treated similarly.
As the name implies, inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. In Crohn’s disease, the inflammation can extend to any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Up to 55 percent of people have Crohn’s disease that affects both the small and large intestines. In Crohn’s disease, diseased portions of the intestine often alternate with healthy intestinal areas. By contrast, ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon.
Fortunately, both diseases offer excellent opportunities for nutritional therapy. It is important that patients with these diseases pay careful attention to their nutritional intake, making sure to maintain healthy levels of nutrients. Many people with inflammatory bowel disease almost completely stop eating during flare-ups. Also, malabsorption of nutrients is a significant problem (especially in Crohn’s disease), making it doubly important to use supplements.
Replacement of vital nutrients consists of a good multivitamin, together with minerals that are lacking. The vitamins that most patients with inflammatory bowel disease lack are the B-complex vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin B6, and particularly vitamin B12. Iron and calcium deficiencies are frequently found in patients with Crohn's disease as well as deficiencies in zinc, protein, vitamin D, and folic acid
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome. It is a mysterious medical condition that affects approximately 500,000 Americans. The disease has no known cause, and there is no test that can measure for it.
Rather, CFS is defined as a set of symptoms that include prolonged, overwhelming fatigue that begins on awakening and lasts throughout the day. The fatigue may worsen with exercise or physical activity. Other symptoms associated with CFS include mood swings, muscle spasms, pain, headache, sleep disturbances, and loss of appetite. There is typically no evidence of muscle weakness or joint or nerve abnormalities, and CFS is not considered a primary psychological disorder, although it may have psychological elements, such as depression.
Free radicals and other potent oxidants may contribute to the development of CFS. One study showed that protein oxidation was significantly elevated in the blood of CFS patients. A number of studies have looked at nutrients or hormones with immune-boosting properties and found promising results with CFS.
Three supplements in particular appeared to be beneficial: Coenzyme Q10, DHEA and Multivitamin including Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium and Glutamine
The consequences of uncontrolled diabetes are severe: blindness, kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease, and painful peripheral nerve damage. Today, most practitioners focus treatment on strict blood sugar control. While diabetes is characterized by excess blood glucose (the form of sugar used by cells as energy), this simplified approach can actually hasten the progression of the most common form of diabetes and does nothing to address the damage it causes.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when the body is no longer able to use insulin effectively and gradually becomes resistant to its effects. It is a slowly progressing disease that goes through identifiable stages.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include aging, obesity, family history, physical inactivity, ethnicity, and impaired glucose metabolism. Type 2 diabetes is also a prominent risk of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of conditions that includes insulin resistance along with hypertension, lipid disorders, and overweight.
Type 2 diabetics can counteract the progression of their disease by improving insulin sensitivity, enhancing glucose metabolism, and attempting to mitigate the complications of diabetes. The following supplements have been shown to improve blood sugar control or limit diabetic damage: Lipoic Acid, Carnitine, Carnosine, Chromium, CoQ10, DHEA, Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty acids, Fiber and Vitamins B3, C & E
Endometriosis is caused by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. These collections of endometrial tissue cause lower abdominal pain and may cause infertility and gastrointestinal complications. Approximately 5 million women in the United States, mostly between the ages of 25 and 44, suffer from endometriosis. The disease also affects about 30 to 45 percent of women with infertility.
The cause of endometriosis is unknown. According to the most prevalent theory, endometrial tissue refluxes into the abdominal cavity, where it becomes established. An established colony of endometrial tissue continues to act like normal endometrial tissue even though it is outside the uterus. The tissue responds to the normal hormonal fluctuations in a woman’s monthly cycle. During the first part of the cycle it thickens and grows in response to estrogen. In the latter part of the cycle, the tissue degenerates and bleeds, sloughing off the excess cells and causing inflammation and damage to adjacent tissue.
Women with endometriosis have elevated levels of inflammatory chemicals, providing a therapeutic target for anti-inflammatory dietary supplements. Essential fatty acids. Supplementation with essential fatty acids can reduce the inflammation associated with endometriosis by interfering with the production of prostaglandins or cytokines that mediate the pain and many other symptoms seen with endometriosis.
Other nutritional supplements which may be beneficial include Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Milk Thistle and natural progesterone.
Fibromyalgia is a relatively common disorder characterized by widespread muscle pain, stiffness, and disturbed sleep. People with fibromyalgia may have pain that lasts for months, or even years. Some people with fibromyalgia will be in continual pain. The disease, however, is complex and poorly understood.
Fibromyalgia tends to occur in women much more often than in men. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of people with fibromyalgia are women between the ages of 30 and 60 years . As many as 10 million people in the United States battle this chronic illness, and fully 5 percent of the world’s population may live with it.
While there is still much to learn, these new findings suggest several targets for fibromyalgia therapy, including antioxidants to limit oxidative damage and nutrients that inhibit pain receptors and transmitters in the muscles. One important pain transmitter is substance P, which is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with fibromyalgia.
Today’s most exciting research implicates oxidative damage as an underlying problem in fibromyalgia and calls for more research into the use of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to fight inflammation and scavenge free radicals. Many studies have found oxidative damage in people with fibromyalgia.
Antioxidants that patients with fibromyalgia should take include selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Other supplements of benefit include Magnesium and Malic Acid and Vitamin B6.
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