NADH for Depression – and what you can do about it
NADH
The following short article is translated with a number of amendments from a post by Jorg Birkmayer, Professor Of Medicine at the University of Vienna talking about the wonderful natural substance NADH for depression..
Sleeplessness, low energy, inability to concentrate, anxiety, are the main symptoms of depression. In Germany more than 8 million people suffer from depression. The tendency is increasing. There is
enormous damage to the economy of any country caused by depression.
Depression occurs due to of lack of energy in the brain due to high level of work demands and certain medications like cholesterol drugs, beta blocker, antibiotics, antidepressants, sex hormones etc.
Any of these medications can instigate depression. Due to lack of energy in the brain, important neurotransmitters, like adrenalin, serotonin, and dopamine are not produced in the necessary quantity. People feel ‘burned out’. Therefore, burnt-out-syndrome is considered the precursor for depression. The batteries are empty and need to be recharged. The question is: how can we do this?
The brain consumes one-third of all the energy produced by our body. Therefore, an energy deficiency is first detected in the brain. Attention deficit, weaknesses in focusing, and prolonged reaction times are all caused by too little ATP in the brain. A long term energy deficiency in the brain leads to a shortage of the neurotransmitters, noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin. If this condition persists for a long period of time, symptoms of depression such as loss of drive, sleep disturbances, hypochondria, and anxiety will develop. NADH stimulates the biosynthesis of these neurotransmitters.
NADH is a substance that is produced by the body and is the secret of our life energy. This substance is available as a food supplement for everybody whoever is in need of energy. Example include athletes, older people, people with chronic fatigue, travelers wishing to alleviate jet-lag, those who need to improve mental concentration.
Taking NADH for depression & energy
1-2 tablets per day is usually sufficient to do the trick in those who respond well to this nutrient. It must be taken under the tongue (sublingually) and allowed to dissolve there, otherwise it won’t work. In other words, do not chew or swallow it. This dosage often works extremely well for chronic fatigue, or any other form of energy loss, and supports the adenal glands
Acne breakouts or other skin eruptions after Christmas?
With the Christmas tree taken down, the last mince pie eaten, and New Years Eve just a slightly ‘blurry’ memory, January is often the time of year when people turn their attention to their health and wellbeing, and contemplate a post-xmas detox. Let’s face it, the typical ‘festive fayre’ can often be rather hard on our digestive systems, not to mention our liver and blood sugar levels, as we nibble our way through one moreish treat after another, and quaff perhaps just one teensy glass or two too many of celebratory ‘bubbly’.
With all of that in mind a January detox sounds like a brilliant idea, and who knows by the end of it our livers may even just be ‘speaking’ to us again, but something that concerns a lot of people when they embark on a cleanse is the likelihood of suffering some form of skin ‘breakout’ or another as a result of the detoxification process. So, firstly what causes these skin breakouts, how likely is it to occur and is there anything that can be done to minimise the risk?
What causes acne during a detox?
Our skin is one of our major organs of elimination, and because of this it is often one of the first things to suffer during any cleansing programme. Any toxins that are released and processed via the liver during the cleanse need to have a route out of the body, and the skin is one of these ‘exit routes’. Skin health can in some cases get noticeably worse, before it then hopefully improves during a cleanse.
Just how likely am I to experience such a skin ‘breakout’ during my detox?
Not everyone suffers with acne during a cleanse, but along with increased gas and bloating it is one of the most common adverse side-effects. One reason that some people are affected whilst others are not can be down to the individuals bowel transit time. If the bowels are sluggish, and faecal matter remains in the colon for longer than it should, then the toxins that the body is trying to rid itself of, can be reabsorbed through the intestinal wall. Once they are back in the blood stream and general circulation, they can cause inflammation and negatively affect skin health. Whilst this symptom does not usually last long, it can be an off-putting prospect for anyone considering a detox.
How to minimise the risk?
The first thing to consider here is the health of the main organs of elimination. In order for a detox to be successful the body’s eliminatory channels need to be functioning well. After all there is no point in mobilising toxins from the colon, liver or body fat stores if the bodies capacity to safely eliminate them is not up to scratch.
If a person is constipated, or not having at least 1-2 bowel movements every day, then it may be wise to delay the start of a cleanse or detox until they have tackled the constipation. One of the most natural ways to reduce constipation is to take a probiotic supplement that is specifically formulated to target this symptom.
Different probiotic strains have different actions in the body. Some strains may be effective for alleviating IBS for example, whereas other strains are better at alleviating constipation. One of the most clinically trialled strains of probiotic with regards to constipation is Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®, which can be found in OptiBac Probiotics ‘Bifidobacteria & fibre’.
A 2004 trial by Nishida et al1, studied 29 women between the ages of 20-35. The women were split in to two groups, and each group was given 100g daily of either probiotic yoghurt containing the strain Bifidobcterium lactis BB-12®, or a placebo (non-probiotic) yoghurt. The yoghurts were administered for a period of 14 days, after which a rest period of 21 days was observed, and then the groups were swapped over and given the other yoghurt for a further 14 day period. The results of the trial showed a significant increase in stool frequency in the women that were identified as constipated, making this strain of bacteria my strain of choice for alleviating constipation .
By shortening transit time, any toxins released by the detoxification process have a speedier exit out of the body, and are therefore less likely to be reabsorbed and re-circulated.
Even if constipation is not a particular issue, probiotics could still help reduce skin breakouts during a cleanse. In a review of clinical studies into probiotics and acne by Bowe and Logan2, published in 2011 various clinical trials were looked at and it was found that probiotics and prebiotics appear to reduce systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Additionally it was found that probiotics are able to regulate the release of inflammatory cytokines within the skin, and in particular reducing interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1-α), a protein linked to acne when found in abnormal amounts.
The specific strains of probiotic bacteria that are best at reducing these skin inflammatory markers are not yet fully known, so I would recommend taking a high strength, multi-strain probiotic containing bacteria from both the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria genuses, both in the run up to, and then throughout the detox process.
Outside of probiotics there are other natural approaches that can be utilised to minimise the likelihood of acne during a detox. The following strategies can be used to improve elimination both prior to, and during a cleanse.
The following recommendations may help to improve elimination:
Increase water intake – to help with kidney function. A minimum of 2 litres of filtered or natural spring water should be drunk throughout the day.
Increase dietary fibre or take a prebiotic supplement – to improve bowel ‘transit time’. Fibre adds bulk to faecal matter and makes the stool easier to pass. Research has shown that the body needs 30-50g of fibre a day to remain healthy, but most Western diets only contain approximately 12g.
Consider specific supplements to help support the liver, such as milk thistle, MSM, N-acetyl cysteine or dandelion root
Try different relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation – stress and tension are well known to affect the digestive system and can contribute to poor elimination
In summary:
By ensuring optimum liver, kidney and bowel health we can improve the efficacy of any detox or cleanse that we do. These organs need to be functioning well to be able to deal with any toxins that might be released from body tissues during the detox process. Supporting them in the above mentioned ways enables us to speed up the elimination of any ‘liberated’ toxins, and reduce the likelihood of us suffering any skin eruptions or other side effects from the cleanse. Employing these methods should enable us to gain the maximum results from our efforts, whilst minimising any discomfort or side-effects.
It is worth mentioning here though, that whilst most detox’s are generally very safe I would not recommend them for people with serious or chronic health concerns, or those taking prescription medications without first consulting their GP. Equally women should be extra cautious during pregnancy and when breastfeeding as many detox regimes do not provide enough calories or the correct balance of nutrients for these times, when a high demand is placed on the mother.
For anyone else, a detox can often be a great way to kick start a new healthy eating and healthy living regime, with all of the benefits that that can bring for our general wellbeing.
Candida is a type of yeast that lives naturally on the body. Under certain conditions, its numbers can multiply, and lead to unpleasant symptoms. These are frequently mild, but can be serious in some instances. Understanding candida is relatively complex, but we have tried to simplify the issue in the form of this infographic. Here, we describe the various candida symptoms and treatments.
What is candida?
Candida is a type of yeast, and is therefore a micro-organism. It lives in our intestines in small quantities alongside our natural populations of beneficial bacteria. However, when the immune system has been disturbed or compromised, candida is believed by holistic practitioners and doctors to be able to develop a harmful fungal form which grows out of control, disturbing the natural balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. Natural health practitioners also contend that the fungal form can also take up residence in other parts of the body and cause symptoms throughout almost every organ and system. Things that might lead to an overgrowth include a compromised immune system, a recent course of antibiotics or other medications, stress and dietary imbalance – particularly over-consumption of sugar.
What are the symptoms of candida?
People commonly associate it with vaginal and oral thrush, and while this is true, these are far from being the only possible symptoms. Candida symptoms are many and varied. Some of these symptoms can be extremely long-standing, such as intestinal discomfort including constipation, bloating, indigestion and diarrhoea; fatigue; and recurrent bouts of thrush. Symptoms can be debilitating, e.g. brain fog, or merely an irritation, e.g. athlete’s foot. It can also have a negative effect on other systems within your body, leading to a compromised immune system, which in turn becomes susceptible to other illnesses.
What causes these symptoms?
Most experts agree that it is the by-products produced by the yeast, rather than the yeast itself that cause the symptoms. There are a number of by-products, but they tend to fall into three categories: neurotoxins, osteopathic, and hepatic. In other words, it causes brain issues, bone and joint issues, and liver damage.
How do you develop an infection?
Many of us may be carrying candida, but only a minority of these fall ill. Usually, the body’s own bacteria keep the yeast at bay. This is because there are certain conditions that make it more likely for the candida to proliferate. These conditions include recent antibiotic use, contraceptive pills, fluoride, and stress.
What is the treatment for candida?
Candida requires a holistic approach and is a huge subject which is discussed more here. It is often necessary to tackle the issue on several fronts. There are various candida management products and treatments that will help to reduce numbers. These products include specialist healthy bacteria products like Threelac and Fivelac, liquid oxygen products, botanical products such as Thyme Formula or Oregano Formula, and for local thrush management, products such as Medcare. It may also be necessary to boost your body’s natural immunity with products like Antioxidant Supreme and OREA (which also helps reduce heavy metals in the body); supportthe adrenal glands to promote immunity with products such as Licorice Formula; and heal the gut lining (also known as treating “leaky gut”) with products such as Marshmallow Formula. Finally, it may be necessary to cleanse the colon with products such as Oxy-Powder.
Our infographic reproduces the above information in visual form, so that it is easier to understand the candida infection, its causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Over 20 years ago, 1992 to be precise, the medical Journal “Epidemiology” published a paper by James Enstron Phd and his colleagues entitled “Vitamin C intake and mortality among a sample of the United States population”. The paper suggested that individuals who regularly supplement their diet with vitamin C have a statistically significant increase in life expectancy over those who consume lower amounts of vitamin C. But this wasn’t really anything that new. Hundreds, in fact probably thousands of books and papers were published before 1992 and many more have been published since then demonstrating the clear and indisputable benefits for immunity, anti-aging, longevity, infection control and countless other benefits again, and again, and yet again of Vitamin C. Amazingly some (though gradually less and less) sceptics still debate whether it is beneficial to supplement with vitamin C at all – on any dosage! I find this “debate” so dated, and ridiculous that I find it astonishing, that anyone would wish to take up such a position, when it is so clearly wrong. This is an argument which they have so demonstrably lost, it really is as silly as when the tobacco companies claimed up to the 1950’s that smoking was good for you, on the basis that it was relaxing.
The discovery of Vitamin C
Around 200 years ago, it was first observed that ‘limeys’ – people who consumed limes, lemons or other citrus on long sea voyages didn’t get scurvy. This is the disease caused by gross Vitamin C deficiency, eventually resulting in death. Although it soon became well known that scurvy could be prevented by consuming limes or any other citrus fruits, the specific compound responsible was not discovered until 1930. That’s when Albert Szent-Györgyi, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Szeged in Hungary discovered vitamin C, which he orginally called hexuronic acid. Later on it became known as ascorbic acid, although today there are many ‘ascorbates’ used in food supplements which are all acceptable forms of vitamin C. In 1937 Professor Szent-Györgyi was awarded a Nobel prize for his research, apparently much to the annoyance of other academics who were doing similar research on Vitamin C at the time. One of the first important experiments was with guinea pigs who are similar to humans in that their body’s cannot produce Vitamin C and therefore must get it from diet or supplementation. Cutting a long story short, he found that guinea pigs fed a diet which was enriched with vitamin C flourished. The guinea pigs who were completely deprived of vitamin C developed scurvy-like symptoms. Then they died.
Linus Pauling and the Vitamin C megadose
By the 1970’s Nobel Prize winning chemist Linus Pauling was the most famous (of many) scientists taking up the mantle of vitamin C. In his books “Vitamin C and the Common Cold” and “How to Live Longer and Feel Better”, he claimed that the common cold could be almost entirely prevented by taking large dosages of Vitamin C on a daily basis. We’re talking here about dosages far higher than the feeble RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), which is the amount described as “the level of necessary intake” – which is effectively the amount you need to take to avoid dropping dead. Of course the conventional medical profession sneered and tried to discredit him, whilst they happily slapped one another on the back. He took huge dosages himself, lived into his mid nineties, and worked until two weeks before his passing. I wonder whether the “experts” who sneered lived as long or as healthily as him?The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for Vitamin C is 60mg a day, which is enough to prevent scurvy. It’s also roughly the amount found in a medium sized orange. Unfortunately though, the amount found in an orange where weeks have gone by from being picked, to being transported to the supermarket, and from the from supermarket the shelves to your stomach typically is much lower than this. However 60mg even from a fresh orange does not provide what most nutritionists consider to be a therapeutic dosage. Linus Pauling himself started on 3000mg (3g) per day, but gradually took more and more until he was taking 18,000mg (18g), of Vitamin C per day! Pauling believed that supplementing with megadoses of Vitamin C led to an improved resistance against essentially all diseases, and he suggested it increased life-span by up to 25 years. True he beleived in supplementing with a number of other nutrients too, but Vitamin C was very much the core nutrient. For more information, read Linus Pauling’s lovely article My Love Affair With Vitamin C (but finish reading this newsletter first!).
A few more functions of Vitamin C
(This list is not by any means comprehensive)
Anti Aging
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant. All antioxidants, by opposing free radical damage, which is considered to be the cause of aging (though I doubt this is the only cause), also oppose aging. Vitamin C is also anti-aging both internally and cosmetically because it also…
Aids collagen synthesis
One of the best known roles of vitamin C is in the formation of collagen. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and is the ‘glue’ that gives integrity to connective tissue, muscles, tendons cartilage, skin, blood vessels, bone and teeth. Obviously Vitamin C is important for all of these tissues to stay in good health. The devastating symptoms of scurvy, which eventually leads to death are mostly due to impaired collagen synthesis. Aging of the skin is in essence a deterioration of the collagen in the skin.
The brain
Vitamin C is involved with dopamine and serotonin production, so it is little wonder that deficiency can be linked to anxiety, an unhealthy response to stress, fatigue, and depression.
Vitamin C and healthy iron levels
Folic acid is activated by vitamin C. Iron works together with Folic acid. It’s uptake from the gut and its utilization in the body is also dependent on vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiency impairs the effectiveness of these important nutrients.
Reduces inflammation
This is the reason high dosages can be very useful for allergy sufferers.
Blood pressure
As little as 0.5g of vitamin C taken every day lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. It’s especially effective in people already diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension. (Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012; 95: 1079-88).
Helps with candida die-off
This is not a benefit which is seen in the medical literature, but I have seen that Vitamin C helps those going through a candida die-off phase. It’s not our core product for this problem (that would be Wild Endive Formula), but it does help.
Which Vitamin C products do I recommend?
Actually I recommend any vitamin C product as being beneficial. However our top selling one, and the one I take myself is Tapioca Vitamin C. My second favourite (which I have also taken on and off) is the extremely pleasant tasting Mixed Ascorbates. For children the most popular one is Fizzy C, although my personal view is that Mixed Ascorbates is equally acceptable for kids. However as we sell around 30 different Vitamin C products, and they all have some unique selling point or other, it’s probably useful for anyone who isn’t sure which one to take to view them all.
Dosage of Vitamin C
Despite some of the sillier press reports that I have occasionally seen, I don’t really think you can harm yourself on any dosage. However there is a maximum beyond which there would be no additional benefit. However it should also be noted that very high dosages of most forms of vitamin C cause loose bowels in some individuals. (Calcium Ascorbate is the most notable exception, and does not seem to cause loose bowels on any dosage – even if you consumed an entire bottle in one go – not that I’d especially recommend anyone to do that).
Studies have shown as little as 500mg per day to be highly beneficial for a range of health issues. However I regard 1g per day, as a basic therapeutic dosage and as much as 15-20g spread out over the day to be useful for acute infections or wherever the immune system may be impaired.
In regarding 1 gram a day as the starting dosage which is sufficient to benefit most people, I have been particularly influenced by the results of two double blind studies. The first in teenage school children which showed a drop of 61% in absenteeism when the pupils were given 1g of vitamin C per day compared to a placebo group, and 64% fewer symptoms in those that did get ill during the trial period. The second with Canadian soldiers, where 68% less sick days were reported compared with a placebo group, also with 1g taken per day. Would these figures be better still if the dosage had been higher?
I do not take the 18g per day suggested by Linus Pauling, but I do take Vitamin C daily and I very rarely get colds or flu’s any more. I used to get just as many as everyone else – in fact probably more for often than most people. When I do get them, which is now very rare, they seem to be very short lived and are vastly less severe (I also up my dosage of Vitamin C to ‘Linus Pauling’ type quantities at that point, and take 2-3 x the label dosage of Oxylift or Oxygen Elements Max). Here is my daily regimen, which I advocate to everyone not just for preventing colds, but for the prevention of all illness, which I take on an ongoing basis.
1) I take Vitamin C the whole year, specifically 1g of Tapioca Vitamin C. Then I get about another gram by taking 2 capsules twice a day of Antioxidant Supreme, which I think is a wonderful wide spectrum antioxidant for immunity and slowing the aging process.
As the years begin to take their toll, many of us become resigned to watching our minds and bodies begin to fail. But it doesn’t have to be that way. None of us is immortal, but there are still plenty of ways we can take care of ourselves and keep functioning well into old age.
Over time, we begin to stop producing the crucial hormones and chemicals that keep everything in perfect balance, while toxins build up in our systems. Our bodies, tough as they are, begin to deteriorate – bones become creaky, thinking becomes foggy and skin loses its elasticity. However, by keeping ourselves in good working condition, we can delay the onset of many of these signs of aging and supplement what we can no longer produce on our own. We’re not talking about drastic measures like HRT here – just simple ways to maintain your health throughout the years.
The first is exercise, which might seem like a no-brainer – we all know that staying active is good for us. It becomes even more important as the twilight years approach; as the saying goes, “use it or lose it”. As well as keeping your bones and muscles in good condition, it ensures that oxygen levels in your blood remain high so that every part of you gets the energy it needs. Exercise keeps stress and anxiety levels low and can help to stave off age-related illnesses like Parkinson’s, as well as relieving the insomnia that many of us encounter later in life. It doesn’t have to be strenuous – as long as it gets you off the couch.We recommend supplementing this with an oxygenating product like OxyLift, which provides not just oxygen and a detoxifying effect but also essential trace minerals, enzymes,and amino acids.
However, our CEO Mark Lester’ssingle favourite anti-aging product is actually NADH, also known as Co-Enzyme 1. It has a multitude of applications including heart health, immune health, and boosting memory, and the Finchley Clinic sells the only authentic sublingual NADH on the market, directly from the developer.And you could do worse than a daily dose of good old Vitamin C. It’s not just for preventing coughs and colds – it actually has strong anti-aging effects.
Diet goes hand-in-hand with exercise as a basic way to keep the system functioning. Your nutritional needs change as you age, in particular your need for more vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids. You’re also less able to process things like sugar, alcohol and unnatural toxins after several decades, and you might find that a binge hits you harder the next day than it used to. Listen to your body when it tells you that you’re not as young as you were, and treat it gently.
Your diet and activity levels are personal, and you don’t need to share them with anyone besides your doctor. But no matter how private you are, your habits will still show up for all to see – on your face. Skin is the proverbial coal-mine canary when it comes to your health, since it’s one of the body’s major ways to get rid of toxins as well as the barrier between your body and the outside world. If you are dehydrated, deficient in something vital or catching too many UV rays, your first clue could be your fine lines, wrinkles, under-eye bags and blemishes.
While some of these are useful indicators of health, they can also be depressing reminders of mortality, and it’s just as important for us to feel good about our outward appearances at 60 as it is at 16. Your best defence is a good moisturising lotion, to replenish the loss of oil and moisture that causes our skin to become dry and saggy as we age. We recommend MSM Cream Light, a lotion that includes aloe vera, nut oils and vitamin E as well as dimethyl sulfone (MSM), a sulphur compound that helps to keep your soft tissues flexible at the cellular level. To keep skin oxygenated, we love Aquaspirit, an easy-to-useanti-agingliquidthat you can use as a pick-me-up whenever you like. Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of sunscreen! Long-term sun protection is often the most important key to maintaining youthful skin.
Plenty of people stay hale and strong well into their 90s and beyond, so there’s no reason to give up on your health when grey hairs begin to appear. In fact, if you’ve been neglecting your body up until now, there’s no time like the present to turn things around!
Here’s a quick exercise for you: how much sugar have you eaten today? Perhaps you only counted a teaspoonful in your morning cup of tea, but have another think. The bacon sandwich you had for breakfast? Chances are there was sugar in that commercially-produced “healthy” wholemeal bread, and you copped an extra whack if you slathered it in HP sauce at 3.5g of sugar per serving. Salad and an energy drink for lunch? One can of Red Bull contains a ridiculous 27g of sugar;if you had dressing on your salad, you may have bumped the sugar still higher. Got peckish around 4 o’clock and had a cereal bar? Whoops – they can contain up to 18g of combined natural and added sugars. Adds up fast, doesn’t it?
To put that into perspective, current WHO guidelines recommend limiting your daily intake of added sugar to38g (nine teaspoons) for men and 25g (six teaspoons) for women: that means that just that one can of Red Bull either puts you over the limit or pushes you close to it. Not to mention that that recommendation is a maximum: you’d be better served by staying well below it!
Of course, by now most of us are aware of the sugar content of sweet drinks, confectionery and so on.What we need to look out for is the hidden added sugar in foods we think are healthy. Processed food labelled with things like “low-fat”, “high-fibre” and “whole grain” encourages us to think we’re making good food choices, but we often miss the secret buried in the nutritional information: extra sugar, under a variety of unfamiliar names, added to make this “healthy” food just as tempting to our sugar-junkie tastebuds.
You might not think your sugar intake is particularly important if you’re not actively trying to lose weight or manage a health condition like diabetes. However, research has shown that excessive sugar can have serious health repercussions beyond the well-known issues of obesity and insulin resistance. We know that yeast, or candida, feeds on sugar; a diet high in sugar encourages the growth of candida in your gut, crowding out beneficial bacteria and affecting not just gut function, but mental function too. Studies have found links between sugar and a loss of cognitive ability: in a 2012 study at UCLA, rats that were given fructose syrup in their drinking water found it much more difficult to remember their way out of a maze than the sugar-free control rats. Their brain cells were slower to signal to each other and they showed far less brain activity – after just six weeks of consuming more sugar than they should.
Quitting sugar can be as difficult an undertaking as quitting smoking; sometimes harder, since we’re bombarded with ads and smells from all sides. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance: it sparks opioid receptors in your brain, making you feel good and crave more.Your gut bacteria also adjusts over time to fit your diet, so when you change it, your body will protest. You can ease the transition with natural sugar-free sweeteners like Xylitol: a corn-free sweetener that can actually have anti-candida effects.
Some people prefer to cut out sweeteners completely and get their tastebuds acclimatised to the natural flavours of whole foods. It’s true that making the switch from processed to whole, organic food is one of the best things you can do for your health. Things will taste bland at first, but plenty of people who make this change report that after a few weeks of avoiding added sugar, they find they can no longer tolerate the saccharine taste of the treats they used to love – and appreciate the natural sweetness of a piece of fruit so much more. In the meantime, you can try kicking your cravings with Nutrisorb Chromium, which helps you to control your blood sugar, cholesterol, weight and mental state. It’s a big help toanyone working towards a healthier lifestyle.We also recommend Sucroguard for help with balancing your blood sugar while you adjust your diet.
We’ll end this with the happy news that other tricks to break your sugar habit include exercise, black coffee and weirdly enough, sour flavours. Why is that so great? Because sour fermented vegetables like sauerkraut are also excellent sources of probiotics! How’s that for a two-for-one deal?
Reference:
‘Metabolic syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in insulin receptor signalling and cognition.J Physiol. 2012 May 1;590(Pt 10):2485-99.
Now, my amazing Thyroid and Candida article (I would say that admittedly, since I am writing it)
In the seminal article “Conquerig Candida”, Sherridan L. Stock stated his opinion / observation that 90% of candida victims have low thyroid function, and many thyroid deficiency symptoms, are also typical candida overgrowth symptoms. Candida in fact binds thyroxine (the main thyroid hormone) and thus renders it ineffective. So there is the obvious connection between candida and thyroid problems.
The thyroid is a small but very critical gland found roughly in the centre of the throat. It has a number of functions, the most important of which is that it is responsible for regulating metabolism and energy levels in the body.
Poor thyroid function is known as hypothyroidism is an extremely common condition. (The opposite condition, hyperthyroidism, is much rarer, and a separate subject altogether). Apart from potentially causing the most well known symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, (though 40% of hypothyroid subjects are underweight), constipation, hair loss, and sensitivity to the cold, it ensures that almost every system in the body is at a low ebb.
A more complete list of possible thyroid deficiency symptoms:
More common in females than males, the list of possible symptoms include (but are not limited to) weight gain, heat and / or cold intolerance, headaches and migraines, dry skin, dry hair, brittle hair, lifeless hair, lacklustre hair, coarse hair, slow growing hair, hair loss, loss of curl, premature greyness, excessive hair fall (especially in Autumn), sparse eyebrows (especially outer third), low motivation and ambition, irritability, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, fluid retention, decreased memory and concentration, unhealthy nails, brittle nails, low sex drive, insomnia, hives, asthma, allergies, slow healing, acne, or carpal tunnel syndrome, female problems (fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, PMS, cramps, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, spontaneous abortion, cyclic seizures, dry vagina and infertility), weight problems (usually high, sometimes low), gallbladder disease (six times higher in women with excess estrogen or on birth control pills or E RT), low blood sugar, attention deficit disorder (ADD), adrenal exhaustion from excess secretion of adrenaline, and osteoporosis (from excess estrogen leading to excess adrenaline and then to excess cortisol). Intestinal symptoms include poor appetite; irritable bowel syndrome, dysphagia; poor digestion (low acid and pancreatic enzymes, decreased gall bladder motility); nutrient malabsorption; gas and wind; colic; decreased peristalsis; constipation; pancreatitis (from hypothermia). In his superb book “The Great Thyroid Scandal”, Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield claims about about one third of all cases of depression are simply undiagnosed thyroid problems or adrenal gland problems which are causing thyroid problems, as well as a huge proportion of chronic fatigue cases.
Diagnosis.
Conventional diagnsis normally comes from blood tests. But according to experts such as Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield, blood tests are notoriously poor at picking up hypothyroidism, and it is recommended that the Barnes Temperature Test be used wherever there is a possible thyroid concern. You can ‘google’ this test for yourself separately after reading this newsletter. Dr Durrant-Peatfield is also a fan of differential diagnosis (diagnosis based on signs and symptoms) where all roads seem to point in the same direction, regardless of the outcome of testing. We cannot ‘recommend’ or advise against this ourselves as this would be practising medicine without a licence. But the law does allow us to mention that this is what some health care professionals do.
Treatment
Conventional treatment involves giving patients the hormone thyroxine, which is an effective but not terribly natural approach, which does not restore thyroid function.
Right now, we have an amazing deal on our core botanical product for thyroid health – Kelp Formula. This is a a polyherbal product containing 7 herbs that help maintain thyroid functuion. (Under EU law we cannot use terms such as “heal or improve” as these would be illegal health claims, but we know that it’s a great product).
Our suppliers last batch was accidentally formulated with one herb within the formula with a short expiry date (02/16) meaning that legally the entire product has to be be given the expiry date of 02/16. Result: they are selling them to us at half price, when it wasnt an especially expensive product to begin with.At the time of writing we have around 25 bottles in stock but we can get quite a lot more if our stocks do run out – probably enough for whatever demand we get after this newsletter.
Usual price £13.99
Current price £6.99 – while stocks last
And as always there are volume discount on more than one bottle, and reward points on every sale, making it an even better deal. This is a unique and probably one-off opportunity to give your thyroid a hand incredibly inexpensively until stocks run out.
How good is the product?
Obviously there is no product on the planet that works for all the people, all of the time. But we’ve been selling it for a long time, and although it’s never been a top seller for us, we think its an excellant product. We have to be careful here, as we almost everything we want to say boarders potentially being construed as an illegal health claim, but we have had what doctors call ‘anecdotal’ reports of significant improvements in energy, vitality, weight loss, improved sense of general well-being and all typical symptoms associated with a possible thyroid concern within anything from around 2-12 weeks (sorry to annoy you, but people do not all respond at the same speed).
Can it ever be harmful?
Not to the best of our knowledge (or experience) based on the label dosage. However theoretically it could be if you are unlucky enough to be allergic to one of the ingredients, which could theoretically occur with any ingredient in any food or food supplement if you happen to be allergic to that ingredient / herb / nutrient / substance etc. Also, please see the legal note below.
What else can help?
Kelp Formula works very nicely all by itself. But in fairness, the results can often be further improved by combining it with Thyroid Suppot Formula or TH207. These products supply the core nutrients that the body needs for ideal thyroid function, whilst Kelp Formula provides what we believe are the most beneficial herbs legally available. There is more detailed information, full list of ingredients etc on Kelp Formula on the main product page.
(These subjects have been covered in previous newsletters in the past, and will be again in the future).
Legal note:
As far as we are aware, these products can be used alongside conventional medications – at least we have never had any bad reports from any customers who have done this – and there have been quite a few. But do not stop or reduce any conventional medications such as thyroxine or any other thyroid medicines if you are already being treated medically for low thyroid without discussion and the approval of your doctor. Also, do not take these products if you have an over active thyroid (which is a much rarer condition) without discussion and the approval of your doctor. Do not take these (or for that matter any other) products if there is any doubt for any other reason whether you should take them without discussion with your doctor. We are able to give naturopathic and nutritional advice, but we are not allowed legally to give medical advice, and you need to consult with your doctor for this.
You might think it sounds funny if you’ve never had to go through it. We snigger at it and avoid the topic in polite conversation. It could be caused by your diet, medication, pregnancy, stress, travel or even by refusing to use public toilets. But when it hits you – and constipation affects almost all of us at one point or another – you won’t find yourself very amused at all.
There are degrees of constipation, but the generally accepted definition is when the sufferer has a bowel movement less than five times in a week, has difficulty doing so, and when their faecal matter is small, dry and hard. This last part provides a clue as to the true danger of this pervasive problem. Bowel movements are a major way in which your body expels toxins, as both solid and liquid. When you don’t have a bowel movement for a few days and stool sits in your colon, your body begins to re-absorb the waste water. That’s why bowels become impacted and stool becomes dry and difficult to expel – and it also means that the toxins you should have got rid of are back to circulating through your body. The longer you are constipated, the more waste matter builds up in your bloodstream, putting added stress on your body. Sufferers might notice other signs of this toxic build-up, such as bad breath and skin problems: respiration and perspiration are two other ways your body expels waste.
You might instinctively turn to laxatives for relief from constipation, but not so fast. Especially if you are frequently constipated, laxatives can do you more harm than good in the long run. Your bowels can start to depend on laxatives to function normally; they can damage the natural contracting motion of your colon, which will make things worse over time, as well as effecting the nerves and tissue of your large intestine. Stimulant laxatives are the worst culprits for this, but herbal remedies such as cassia or senna can have the same effect. “Natural” doesn’t always mean “safe”!
There are plenty of laxative-free ways to encourage your colon to function again, and it starts – as most of the best remedies do – with your diet. We all know dietary fibre is of the utmost importance for proper bowel function: insoluble fibre helps food to move through your intestines, while soluble fibre slows digestion to a healthy level and encourages the growth of healthy gut bacteria. You can easily up your fibre levels with vegetables like beans, peas and broccoli; many people also take psyllium husk as a supplement, though it can be allergenic and sometimes causes bloating. Probiotics are also key, since they ensure your colonic microbiome supports healthy bacteria; this helps you get the most out of your food and expel what isn’t needed.
Even simpler remedies include getting lots of exercise to stimulate circulation and intestinal movement, abdominal massage to get things physically moving, and adopting the squatting position when you go to have a bowel movement. And if you need to go, go: delaying bowel movements when you feel the urge keeps waste matter in your colon for longer, increasing the likelihood that it will become impacted.
Impacted or constipated colons can have a range of negative health effects; in fact, many of us have some degree of waste build-up in our bowels without the symptoms of constipation to let us know urgently that something is wrong. We recommend an oxygen cleanse like Oxy-Powder, or Colosan which also contains magnesium to keep your bowels squeaky-clean and running smoothly. There’s no need for aggressive laxatives or enema treatments; by slowly releasing stabilised nascent oxygen into your intestinal tract, this method of cleansing turns impacted solids into easy-to-pass liquids. No, it’s not pretty to think about – but you have to agree it’s far better than being constipated.
Use the special code caps-max when you checkout your order to benefit from the 25% off offer.
Suffering from candida?
Do many of these symptoms sound like you?
From the article “Conquering Candida” – Candida overgrowth causes many symptoms, the most common of which in our experience are fatigue, bloating (gas), food allergies, carbohydrate craving, vaginitis (thrush), anxiety/depression, impaired memory, poor concentration, a “foggy” brain with feelings of unreality, and general malaise. Additionally, numerous other symptoms may less commonly be exhibited. Of these, those we see most frequently include cystitis/urethritis, menstrual irregularities, loss of libido, stiff and painful joints, muscle pain, indigestion, diarrhoea/constipation, inhalant allergies, chemical sensitivities, catarrh, hay fever, sinusitis, persistent cough, cardiac arrhythmia, discoloured nails, acne and other skin eruptions, earaches, headaches, and dizziness. Candida may also contribute significantly to the causation of a number of medical conditions as diverse as premenstrual tension, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, urticaria, epilepsy, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, hypoadrenia, hypothyroidism, hypoglycaemia, ileocaecal valve dysfunction, and childhood hyperactivity.
Threelac capsules
Threelac capsules for candida – Get 25% off whilst stocks last. Read on to find out how.
Threelac has long been our most popular product for intestinal candida overgrowth. Some 10 years or so after the original sachets hit the market, Threelac was launched almost unnoticed in vegetarian capsules a couple of years ago. In order to raise awareness of the availability of the capsules, for the next two weeks we have this special offer on. Therapeutically we are not aware of any difference between the the capsules or sachets, so we think the choice of which one you purchase just comes down to personal preference.
This offer is available on Threelac Capsules only (not the sachets).
Please note, we only have a limited number of Threelac capsules available for this promotion, and if our stock runs out before the promotion ends, then we will end the promotion early.
Remember to use the special code caps-max when you checkout your order to benefit from this offer.
*** Offer ends on Saturday 31st October, so get your order in by midnight on the 30th to benefit ***
For best results, we recommend combining Threelac capsules with Oxygen Elements Max and Active Digestive Enzymes and potentially any of the products found here. With regard to the Oxygen Elements Max, please remember to use as directed on the label. We often find that people who claim it “didn’t work” dabbled with, took it when they could be bothered or if they remembered. This does not produce results and is really a waste of time and money. Used consistently and persistently, most people are delighted with the results. Candida thrives in a sluggish, basically crappy (sorry to put it so bluntly), de-oxygenated environment, and adding a liquid oxygen product to your regimen at the same time as taking Threelac will enhance results.
PS, Here are the five most recent customer reviews of Threelac. You will get 500 reward points by writing your own review on the web site for Threelac or any other product.
Amanda: This product seems to have a miraculous effect on my (super sensitive) digestive system; I’m not sure if I actually have low-level Candida but the symptoms are similar. I usually take one sachet per day before a meal but sometimes increase it to 2 or even 3 times per day if I’m likely to be eating food that’s normally a bit too rich for me to digest. I always plenty on holiday with me and have also found it can calm an upset stomach.
Karen: Through the use of Threelac and various other supplements, I was able to get my long standing candida problem under control. I was taking at one stage 5 packets a day, but you need to work up to this gradually. Now I find if my diet has been poor, I take a packet from time to time to keep everything maintained. It seems to be working and I no longer have an issue with my candida.
Renate: I have been using this product for years and it’s the only thing that helped when I first started using it for my candida. I used to have awful symptoms with terrible inflamed boils on my skin, especially around my neck, and within weeks this had cleared. Really recommend it..you won’t get it cheaper anywhere else either
Marie: Threelac is the best thing ever! It has helped me greatly with my candida overgrowth symtoms of chronic fatigue. I began to improve a few weeks after I started using it, stopped using it when I no longer needed it, but now I am back for more, as I am in a bit of trouble again.
Jenny: I was always a little sceptical about trying products for candida especially as they can be expensive. I have tried so many over the years and none have worked. I reached a point in my life where I was just so poorly, I was bloated, I looked pregnant, my joints hurt, I was lethargic and felt very low. I decided to give Threelac a try and wow, what a difference. I did make the ultimate mistake though, I finished the course, started feeling better so decided to discontinue using it (mainly because of the cost). Within a few weeks things started to go down hill. My tummy was bloated again, I was tired, no energy and just wanted to sleep all the time. Once I re-purchased it the symptoms again disappeared. The product makes such a difference to me that even family members notice the difference. I cannot recommend this product enough, it genuinely gave me my life back.
Best wishes
Mark G. Lester – Company Director
www.thefinchleyclinic.com
My picture to the left for those who were wondering what the company director looks like. This was taken on holiday in August 2015 – somewhere in the Mediterranean.
The following is a statement written in response to being asked to comment on how the EU has affected the natural health industry on a Facebook page supporting a political party in Essex. I am re-publishing it on this blog for those who may be interested.
My name is Mark Lester, and I am a UKIP member in Margaret Thatcher’s constituency of Finchley where I run a company called The Finchley Clinic Ltd.
I’d like to make a few comments concerning how our membership of the EU has wrought enormous damage to my industry – natural health. In my area of business and expertise, unfortunately it is not possible to be a serious supporter of the natural natural medicine industry AND a supporter of EU membership. To claim otherwise is nonsense, and it is little surprise that there is overwhelming support from those involved in my industry to leave the EU. Now I will explain why in brief (though I could, and perhaps one day will, write an entire book on the subject).
One by one, various EU directives, covering every aspect of the natural medicine / food supplement industry has come under regulation. Supposedly designed “to protect consumers”, but sadly merely Orwellian doublespeak – a thinly veiled smokescreen meaning “protect corporate interests, take away freedom of choice, and suppress expression of legitimate opinion”, these regulations have, with one slow insidious directive after another, done enormous damage to the entire industry. One by one, these directives have tied us up in regulatory knots, put more than one company I know of out of business altogether, have put several on the brink, and in the case of my extremely ethical company who did nothing wrong, and paid lots of taxes, reduced us from a rapidly expanding and very profitable small company, to one which is now just about managing to trade profitably.
This is a huge subject. But a SHORT summary of how the EU has affected public health, removed consumer choice, hugely damaged a thriving UK industry, caused trade to simply haemorrhage into the arms of non EU countries at our own expense, and caused a general dumbing down in the quality of the products still available is summarised in the articles I wrote here and here,
The basic problem with the Lib Dems is that none of them are business people, and none of them have ever had ANY real responsibility. It’s all very well for academics to pontificate, but Vince Cable and his Liberal buddies wouldn’t last five minutes if they actually had to run an SME – the supposed life-blood of the economy. If he had, and had come up against the amount of petty, business damaging, red tape that my industry has had to put up with from the EU, and then to add insult to injury was forced without his democratic consent to contribute financially to this nonsense with his own hard earned tax payers money, I suspect he wouldn’t be such a committed Europhile.
It has been claimed that the industry was unregulated before the EU wastes of tax payers money decided to interfere. This contention however is erroneous. The industry was regulated by The Drugs Act 1968 and other UK laws and dangerous products were banned. Personally I didn’t notice too many dead bodies lining the streets before the EU decided to butt in. Did any of you? Then it was claimed it was about “harmonisation”. Well, assuming we needed to be “harmonised” in the first place, which we didn’t, this “harmonisation” was once again a smokescreen. It was Orwellian doublespeak for what was actually occurring, meaning “dumbing down, pharmaceuticalisation, and reduction of availability”
I must add it was never my intention to become a member of a political party. However in the end I felt I had no choice as I witnessed the breathtakingly unethical and unfair destruction of an industry by entirely unelected officials, who clearly didn’t know the first thing about the industry they were presuming to have the authority to regulate.
Supplier of Natural Health Supplements for candida management and colon cleansing
Actually I recommend any vitamin C product as being beneficial. However our top selling one, and the one I take myself is 
Best wishes