SOMA Natural Health News

October, 2004

In this Issue:

Breast Thermography - Thursday, October 28

Our next scheduled breast thermography sessions will be on Thursday, October 28. There are still a couple of times available. Click here for more information about breast thermography.

Simple Things You Can Do Every Day to Stay Healthy, Part 3 --Take a Good Quality Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement

by Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc

Eating a health-promoting diet is an essential component of good health. While it seems to be common sense that eating a healthy diet provides all of the vitamins and minerals we need to enjoy good health and reduce the risk of chronic disease, numerous scientific studies have shown that using good quality nutritional supplements can go beyond addressing nutrient deficiencies and help you achieve optimal health.

A recent study commissioned by Wyeth Consumer Health found that daily use of a multivitamin by older adults is a relatively inexpensive yet potentially powerful way to stay healthy. The group studied the effects of taking multivitamins on five diseases: coronary artery disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. These researchers estimated that providing a daily multivitamin to the elderly would result in a five-year potential health care cost savings of approximately $1.6 billion, and avoidable hospitalization for heart attacks of approximately $2.4 billion because of improved immune functioning and a reduction in the relative risk of coronary artery disease.There is evidence that both clinical and subclinical nutrient deficiencies are common in the US. In recent years, the US government has commissioned a number of comprehensive studies (HANES I and II, Ten State Nutrition Survey, etc) to determine the nutritional status of the US population. These studies in general reveal that marginal nutritional deficiencies exist in approximately 50% of the US population, and that for some selected nutrients and selected age groups, more than 80% of people consumed less than the RDA (recommended daily allowance). While it is theoretically possible for us to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need from our diets, the evidence suggests the reality is many of us do not. Taking a multiple vitamin and mineral formula can in many ways be viewed as cheap health insurance.

While most Americans are deficient in some vitamins and minerals, the level of deficiency is not often obvious. Severe vitamin C deficiency as seen in scurvy is rare, though evidence suggests that marginal, or subclinical, vitamin C deficiency is quite common.

So, what do I mean by a good quality nutritional supplement? First of all, it is not a one-a-day RDA vitamin/mineral combination. RDA guidelines were originally developed to reduce the rates of severe deficiency diseases such as scurvy and pellagra. There is much scientific evidence that the optimal levels for many nutrients, especially the antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins C and E, are significantly higher than the RDAs for these vitamins. RDAs also do not take into account environmental and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and exposure to toxins that affect how we absorb and utilize vitamins and minerals.

A good quality supplement, in my opinion, contains higher levels of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. It also balances the minerals and vitamins in proper ratios for absorption and utilization by the body and contains few if any binders, excipients and other additives. While not necessary for many people, I often use ones with hypoallergenic ingredients to avoid reactions in sensitive people. Finally, vitamins and minerals should be in safe amounts and chemical forms that absorb well and are easily utilized by the body.

What this means is most good quality vitamin and mineral supplements are in the range of four to six tablets or capsules per day. I can recommend a specific formula to address your needs and advise taking two or three with both breakfast and dinner. This simple step can go a long way to insure you are not deficient in important nutrients, and is often a core part of one's treatment plan. Typical monthly costs are approximately $1 per day for most formulas, and I prefer the Pure Encapsulations products as well as NF's Women's Formula.

Bonus: Mention this article and get 10% off the cost of your next multivitamin purchase.

News from the Clinic

September was a busy month at SOMA Acupuncture & Natural Health Clinic. A highlight for me was my trip to Seattle to attend the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) annual convention and my 20-year Bastyr reunion.As usual, the AANP convention was packed with topical information to use in day-to-day clinical practice. The first day was heavy metal day (no, we did not hear Metallica!). This workshop explored the extent of environmental exposures to lead, mercury, arsenic and other environmental toxins and reviewed proper testing and procedures to reduce the body's toxic burden of these substances using state-of-the-art therapies. I also attended some excellent lectures and workshops on naturopathic treatments for infertility, herbal medicines traditionally used to enhance sexual responsiveness, the use of IV (intravenous) nutrition and detoxification therapies, and evidence-based use of vitamins, herbs and other therapies in support of cancer treatment. As always. I returned to San Francisco filled with new ideas of how to help my patients meet their health goals using the latest information and research.

I also was among those recognized at Bastyr University for being a naturopathic doctor for 20 years! It's hard to believe that at this point I'm one of the old timers in my profession; Bastyr graduated its first class in 1982. It's also amazing to consider the strides the naturopathic profession has taken in the past 20 years, particularly with this year's inclusion of California and the District of Columbia among licensed states and jurisdictions.

As we await naturopathic medical licenses to be issued, we remain busy preparing for the new services we will be offering. We are excited to be bringing on Dr. Amy Day later in the year to provide general naturopathic care as well as advanced women's health care. I am busy preparing for several talks and panel discussions this fall on a variety of topics including menopause and naturopathic medicine, as well as writing articles for Starfish Health Partners' collaborative medical journal. Watch these newsletters for further information and details. And if you haven't already, please check out our new website http://www.SOMAacupuncture.com and let us know what you think. We've worked hard to make it a useful, content filled site.

As always, our primary goal is to work with you to meet your health goals. All of the conferences, articles and events are really in support of this. Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Drinking Water Update -- Nalgene Bottles

by Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc

In the last issue of the SOMA Newsletter, I wrote about the importance of drinking adequate water every day and recommended the use of nalgene bottles as a way to safely carry and store water. Patient K.P. forwarded an article to me entitled Nalgene Plastic May Be Harmful: Studies show that the popular water bottle may pose serious health risks.

In a nutshell, the article notes that researchers at Case Western Reserve University found an increase in chromosomal defects in mice which was traced to a lab worker who used harsh detergents to clean the polycarbonate mice cages and water bottles. A follow-up study at the University of Missouri appears to confirm the initial study's conclusions. The detergent apparently caused the bottles to leach bisphenol A (BPA), which has been shown to mimic the female hormone estrogen and is considered to be an "environmental endocrine disruptor," which may interfere with hormonal messages important in body processes such as growth and development.

This is unwelcome news to me. I am familiar with past studies suggesting that softer plastic bottles like those commonly used for water and soda pop have been linked to early puberty and other hormonal problems, but a similar effect with nalgene is unexpected and potentially disturbing. I plan to follow this information closely to better understand potential health effects of using nalgene bottles.

In the meantime, the best container for transporting and storing water is probably glass, though the obvious drawbacks are the breakability and heaviness of glass. I'm not sure how hazardous relatively short term use of nalgene bottles is, such as filling one with water once or twice daily and drinking the water within a few hours. If you want a safer alternative, Sierra Magazine recommends storing food and beverages in polypropylene containers (#5 PP), high-density polyethylene (#2 HDPE) and low-density polypropylene (#4 LDPE). Do not reuse single-use water bottles as these have been found to leach a carcinogenic substance known as DEHA. Whether you continue to use nalgene bottles or other options described above, I recommend using only mild detergents and warm water to wash these between uses.

On a related note, a number of articles have recently crossed my desk regarding lead contamination in water supplies. In nearby Novato, Rancho elementary school shut down its water fountains indefinitely after discovering dangerous lead levels in the drinking water. Lead has also been recently found in Seattle public schools, the University of Montana campus, and in the Lansing, Michigan water supply. This is of particular concern because of the clear association of lead and learning and developmental problems with children being especially susceptible to these effects.

If you are concerned about acute or chronic lead exposure, there are simple tests to screen for this which we can order for you, as well as effective clinical protocols to support the elimination of lead from the body. At both our home and at SOMA, we use Multi-Pure water filters which we believe are very effective at removing a variety of contaminants from our water supply, including chloramine, now being used in San Francisco to decontaminate water.

There's no better time to get a water filter. For more information on Multi-Pure filters, keep reading . . .

Get a Free Multi-Pure Water Filter

by Michele Hangee-Bauer, Office Manager

Multi-Pure has announced a terrific promotion called Filtermania. How it works is you pre-purchase 10 filter replacements; then get a Multi-Pure filter of your choice for free. For example, buy 10 filter replacements for $49.95 each. You choose either the popular MP750SSCT countertop model (retail price $289.95) or the MP750SB below-the-sink model (retail price $379.95).

You receive the unit of your choice, one filter, and mail-in coupons for the remaining nine filter replacements. You can rest assured that you will have 10 years or more of the best tasting and purest water available.

Multi-Pure even offers its popular no-fee financing on this deal. Simply pay $100 or more at the time of the purchase, and make payments on the balance for up to 12 months. No finance charges whatsoever. What a deal. But hurry. This offer is good through December 31, 2004 only.

For Sale: Used Austin Healthmate HEPA filter; color Sandstone; $300 (original price $400+). Contact Richard at 415-821-1130 or RBee710437@aol.com

We welcome your feedback. Please send any comments toeditor@SOMAacupuncture.com.