Do You Know What's In That "Silver Filling" from your Dentist?

The following is taken from a blog written by Alex Shvartsman, DDS, ND among other degrees.  I highly respect him and the type of dentistry he practices.  Many in this country do not understand the possible health affects that their amalgam fillings can cause.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury was held in Geneva Switzerland on January 10, 2013. The purpose of the multi-country treaty is to protect human health and the environment from the toxic effects of mercury.
In addition to agreeing on a ban on new mercury mines, the phasing-out of existing ones, control measures on air emissions, and the international regulation of the informal sector for artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the multi-country committee agreed on a global “phasing down” of amalgam filling use.

Public awareness on toxicity of mercury is surprisingly low.

A new Zogby poll shows that nearly 60% of Americans do not know that the major component of dental amalgam fillings is mercury – considered by toxicologists to be the most toxic non-radioactive element on earth. Mercury is a neurotoxin, a reproductive toxin, and a pollutant.  This number is not surprising because only 11% of Americans are told by their dentists that amalgam contains mercury and fully 23% do not know that there is mecury in “silver fillings."
What does our government say about dental amalgam mercury? It turns out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)– allows dental industry to hide from consumers the fact that amalgam is 55% mercury. The FDA endorses the deceptive term “silver fillings” to describe this mercury product. In addition, the FDA promotes more amalgam use – not less, especially in the poor population. Furthermore, The FDA took down their original warning that mercury fillings should not be used in children and pergnant or nursing mothers.

The FDA is not keeping its promise.

While the U.S. government signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury – thereby pledging to scale down amalgam use, the FDA’s pro-dental amalgam position hinders the phasing out of dental mercury fillings.
It is up to the public to put pressure on the federal government to stay true to their pledge to the world, to eliminate mercury fillings.

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Is All Peanut Butter the Same?

This week, I had a request from a patient to write about peanut butter.  This person said that some people believe that all peanut butter is equal in quality. 

Commercial peanut butter contains hydrogenated and saturated fats. The hydrogenation process allows the peanut butter to remain the same consistency and the oil to not separate from the peanut butter.  The peanut butter is both heated and stabilized by adding chemicals to the product.  Any peanut butter that is stored on the shelf and has no separation between its oils and solids is hydrogenated.  The problem is that we have found that hydrogenation damages cells and tissues and the saturated fats cause inflammation and damage in arteries and veins.  Eating these types of fats can lead to cardiovascular disease and even strokes.

The peanut butter that contains separated oils from the solids is not hydrogenated.  Also, since the peanut butter is not overheated or processed, it contains less saturated fat.  This product should be stored just like any nuts, in the refrigerator, once opened.  Remember, exposure to heat and light causes a fat to saturate.

Oils are best eaten, unheated.  If you want to cook with oil, I suggest a high heat oil such as avocado or grape seed.  Other oils shouldn't be exposed to high temperatures, otherwise they change to saturated or trans fats.  Coconut oil is a saturated fat and, in my opinion, should be used sparingly and always in conjunction with an unsaturated fat.

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A Warning if You Use Colgate Toothpaste

Despite the slick commercials featuring a perky Kelly Rippa hawking Colgate for a whiter smile and fresher breath, you might want to throw that toothpaste away.  For the past 20 or so years, manufacturers have been including the chemical, triclosan, in their hand soap and toothpaste products.  A new study on animal fetuses shows that this chemical causes disruptions in their endocrine systems.

Most of the hand soap manufacturers have voluntarily pulled this chemical from those products, especially after all of Europe banned triclosan.  Minnesota is the only state to ban its use, interestingly enough.  Colgate categorically refuses to stop using this chemical in its Colgate Total products. The company cites studies confirming the safety of triclosan.  What they don't say it that these are industry studies, not independent studies. Remind anyone of the tobacco industry and its claims back a couple of decades ago?

Triclosan has been found in the umbilical cords of all the women who participated in a separate study about this chemical.  It was also found in the blood samples of their fetuses.  I am always amazed at the surprise that is elicited from the hosts of the shows (in this case, the CBS Morning Show) where these findings are announced.  Our blood contains over 800 chemicals and the banning of just one that has finally been identified as harmful isn't going to make that tremendous of a difference, but it seems to make people feel as though they are getting some sort of protection against damaging chemicals.

My recommendation continues to be for all of us to discontinue using patent medicines and chemical-containing personal products (which are all of the commercially produced ones).  We cannot avoid all the chemicals in the air, but we can certainly cut down on those that we put into our bodies or on our bodies, for that matter.

Caffeine and Hot Flashes

A new study suggests that caffeine use is linked to increased menopausal symptoms in post-menopausal women.

As many as 85% of women experience hot flashes during menopause. Hot flashes are vasomotor symptoms that cause a warm or hot flushed sensation that usually begins in the head and face and then radiates down the neck to other parts of the body. There may be red blotches on the skin. They can happen any time of day or night. If they happen at night (such as night sweats), they can interrupt sleep. Loss of sleep can eventually lead to irritability and fatigue.

In a recent study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic conducted a comprehensive survey on 2,507 women with menopausal symptoms between 2005 and 2011. Data on 1,806 women from the survey were ultimately included in the analysis.

The researchers found that women who used caffeine had significantly greater symptom scores for hot flashes and night sweats when compared to women who did not use caffeine. The authors noted that these findings remained significant even after adjusting the data for smoking and menopause status.

There are a number of effective nutritional support formulations for older women, including both herbal and vitamin supplements.

One very important point that this and other studies concerning coffee consumption fail to mention is that coffee is highly acidic and as such, it can be responsible for leaching calcium from bone...something that can lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis.

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Understanding Holistic Female Hormonal Health

Women's hormonal health is controlled by multiple factors at multiple levels. Our genetics, internal and external environment, our interpersonal relationships, demands made by others and ourselves, our diets and our self-analysis, to name a few, all contribute to our overall health.

Dr. Royal Lee, founder of Standard Process, said, "The whole nutrient complex is greater than the sum of its parts."  The same may be said for women's hormonal health:  it's so much greater than simply looking at a few symptoms such as weight gain, irritability or hot flashes.

Those of us alternative care doctors who work with women's special health issues, realize that hormonal care necessitates a triple approach:  chemical, physical and mental/emotional.  Within this triad, is each woman's epigenetic environment.  We know that our DNA can be altered.  About 20% of our DNA is encoded and unchangeable while 80% is alterable. What exactly are these components?

1.  Chemical.  This is crucial to our success with hormonal imbalances.   Diet, environmental factors, gut health, and other stressors have to be addressed in order to provide nutritional support for a healthy female endocrine system.

2.  Physical.  Here, we have to address digestive health.  This is not simply how you assimilate nutrients, but how healthy your immune system is, which affects your endocrine system....all parts of your endocrine system.  This is the primary reason that I evaluate sugar handling, thyroid function, adrenal function as well as ovarian health.  Additionally, many women need a safe, effective detoxification program provided for them to ensure optimal digestive health.

3.  Mental. Stress, relationship problems, work issues and financial issues are some of the challenges that occur on a daily basis.  These factors can lead to physical and chemical hurdles that can negate or derail any progress.  Women have been programmed to take care of everyone else, first, and if there's anything left over, that's about all they get....leftovers.  Add to this, the fact that women usually are the last ones to bed and the first to get up, we now see sleep loss and exhaustion added to the mix of problems. 

Lucille Ball once said, "Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."

Women are the backbone upon which our family structure is built.  We women set the emotional tone of the family.  We deserve to be heard, valued, respected and given the best and most complete hormonal care available.  I consider it part of my calling to help provide that care.

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