Published June 23, 2011

What seniors can learn from severe
childhood deformities

One of the worst things that can happen to an unborn baby is to develop neural tube defects. This is the name of a group of deformities that we know how to prevent. All the pregnant mom has to do is take the B-vitamin folic acid. This simple supplement can prevent most of these tragedies. Now a new study further underlines this treatment, but also points to the importance of anyone over the age of 65 taking vitamin supplements.

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Published June 22, 2011

Animal products I still eat — and recommend you do as well

As you may know, I’m a vegetarian, largely vegan. I try to encourage you and my patients to eat as many Living Foods as you can. But that doesn’t mean I recommend being vegan. While there are some animal products you should avoid, I don’t tell my patients to give up all animal products. There are nutrients found in animal products that you’ll not find easily in plants. And, as you’ll see in a moment, there are great health reasons to eat certain animal products.

You have probably heard about trans fatty acids. If you buy chips or other bagged foods, you’ve probably seen a new label saying “No Trans Fats!” That’s because trans fats are toxic. Trans fatty acids increase the risk of vascular diseases, immune dysfunction, and damage cell membrane integrity. We certainly want to avoid ingesting them!

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Published June 16, 2011

The only time salt makes asthma worse

I recently received a letter that asked a very important question about asthma. Marshall K. asked, “I’ve heard that eating salt can aggravate asthma. Is this true?”

Depending on where you go in this world you will find greater or fewer cases of asthma. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of cases here in the U.S. in recent years. Of course, we can attribute the most likely cause for the disease to differences in the environment and/or cultural differences in diet. And, as you’ve probably heard, several observational studies have suggested that dietary sodium (table salt) may play a role. But is this true?

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