Is Your Water Bottle Safe? BPA Dangers

Plastic is one of the defining characteristics of modern life. Try to go a day without using plastic; it's difficult! The sad truth about plastic products is that they contain chemical components that can harm the environment and your health! One such chemical is called Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is one of the most widely-used synthetic components in the world. Most of the clear, shatter-proof plastic used in baby bottles, food storage containers, and rigid water bottles contain this chemical. Plastics that have the recycle symbol with the # 7 likely have BPA. BPA is also widely found in the lining of beer and soda cans, as well as the lining of various canned food products. BPA is an estrogen-mimicking molecule and therefore disrupts systems in our bodies that are influenced by the estrogen hormone. BPA leaches from plastic and can easily end up in our systems! CDC scientists measured BPA in the urine of 2,517 individuals aged six years and older who took part in a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found BPA in the urine of nearly all of the people tested, which indicates widespread exposure to BPA in the U.S. population.

Should we be worried about this finding? Absolutely! Scientists have known that BPA is an endocrine-disrupter since the 1930s. In the past ten years, researchers have been aggressively investigating the potential harms of BPA and the findings are frightening. BPA has been linked to early onset of puberty, infertility, miscarriages, birth defects, abnormal brain development, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, three types of cancer (breast, prostate, and uterine), and asthma.

How do you avoid BPA exposure? Most importantly, stop storing your water and beverages in plastic bottles that have the recycle symbol and a number 7 on them. As an alternative, use stainless steel water bottles or opt for the new glass water bottles by LifeFactory, which are free of BPA and other harmful chemicals found in plastic (such as PVC). Also, avoid heating plastic containers, whether it's heating them in a microwave, leaving them out in the sun, or washing them in a dishwasher; the heat will accelerate the breakdown of the chemicals in the plastic, making the chemicals more likely to leach into your food. Look for canned food options that are BPA-free, such as products from Eden Foods. Another step you can take is to tell Congress to ban BPA in our food products. Sign a petition here: http://tinyurl.com/banBPA. In Japan, when BPA-lined food cans were outlawed, tests showed that the population's BPA levels dropped significantly. We can only hope that our voices will be heard and that this harmful chemical will be banned in our country as well!

Research Backs Clinical Use of Magnesium to Control Asthma Symptoms

Research Review By Dr. Jen, NEEDS Education Director

Magnesium supplementation is a common recommendation for
people with asthma because it helps decrease inflammation and
acts as a bronchodilator, relaxing the airways and allowing for better
airflow. To test this theory, researchers recently conducted a small
clinical trial with 55 volunteers with mild-to-moderate asthma.
Half the group took 340 mg of magnesium, and the other half took
placebo, both in conjunction with their medication, for 6.5 months.
The group taking magnesium experienced a six percent improvement
in lung function by the end of the study, measured by peak oxygen
flow rate on exhalation. The placebo group did not experience a
change in flow rate.

Another test in this study, which was published in the February
2010 edition of the Journal of Asthma, demonstrated that
magnesium also improved lung function. A drug called methacholine,
which causes constriction of the airways, was given to the asthma
patients. Twenty percent more methacholine was required to cause
bronchoconstriction in the participants who took magnesium as
compared to placebo, meaning that the magnesium counteracted
the constriction. Overall, patients using the magnesium had double
the improvement in quality of life as compared to the placebo group,
according to a questionnaire

The Dirty Dozen List for 2010

While shopping for produce, have you ever wondered which veges and fruits are most pesticide laden, and therefore making it more essential to pick the organic version? This great "Dirty Dozen" list, published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) outs the most chemically laden produce.

The EWG's research shows that people who eat five fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty Dozen list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Yum.

If you’re familiar with the old list, you’ll notice a few changes in the latest iteration. Celery, which formerly was the fourth filthiest produce pick, is now top of the heap. Pears and lettuce dropped off the Dirty Dozen list this year (though they’re still not the cleanest). And blueberries and kale got the honor of joining the list this round—blueberries rank fifth for pesticide residue and kale ranks ninth.

Dirty Dozen

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

Note: Due to the fact that pesticides are stored in fat, non organic meat and butter contain high levels of pesticides.

The Clean 15
Low pesticide residue foods that are not organic; eating these foods can reduce exposure to pesticides by 90% by exposing you to only 2 pesticides per day.

Onions
Avocado
Sweet corn (although often genetically modified)
Pineapple
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Honeydew melons

Eat Well and Shop Wisely!!!

Toxic Heavy Metals: Eliminate the Bad and Ugly

By: Rita Ellithorpe, MD and Robert Settineri, MS
Tustin Longevity Center

Human beings have been exposed to toxic heavy metals for thousands of years. Even the ancient Roman civilization wasn’t exempt. Today we are inundated with these insidious contaminants more than ever in history. Modern industrial and commercial practices pollute our drinking water, air and soil with toxic metal compounds. These harmful metals are involved in mining and the manufacture of consumer goods, as well as burning and refining processes. Toxic heavy metals are found in a vast array of sources: construction materials, cosmetics, medicines and fuels, to name just a few. They infiltrate your daily life through common everyday commodities such as baking powder, personal care products, pesticides, and antibiotics. It’s interesting to note that some of the diseases related to toxic metal poisoning have the same symptoms as the poisonings themselves. For instance, when comparing multiple sclerosis, autism and mercury poisoning, you will find some overlap in general neurological , cognitive and mental symptoms, specifically anxiety, depression, lack of coordination, memory loss and cognitive challenges to mention a few. Here we list several toxic heavy metals, symptoms of poisoning, and disease links.

Lead

Mined extensively in Missouri, Colorado, Idaho and Utah, lead is the fifth most utilized heavy metal in the United States. Lead is one of the most harmful elements on Earth and is absorbed into the body following inhalation or ingestion. Exposure to lead can come from a myriad of sources, including drinking water and air-borne lead particulates. Sources include batteries, cast iron products, canned foods, ceramics, vinyl products, black hair dyes, rinses and more. It is widely recognized as a neurotoxin and high concentrations can cause irreversible brain damage. Lead can kill brain cells, causing seizure, coma, and even death.


Symptoms of lead poisoning: Abdominal pain, anemia, anorexia, anxiety, bone pain, brain damage, confusion, constipation, convulsions, diminished motor reaction times, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, hypertension, inability to concentrate, seizures, learning disabilities, indigestion, irritability, appetite loss, muscle incoordination, memory problems, miscarriage, muscle pain, tremors, vomiting, weakness.


Disease links: Dementia, brain cancer, high blood pressure, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, liver impairment, myocardial infarction, stroke, birth defects.

Arsenic

Not only is arsenic famous in detective novels and screenplays as the secret poison of choice, arsenic is the most common environmental cause of heavy metal toxicity in humans. It enters the environment through volcanic gas and ash, and can also enter the environment when volcanic rocks are eroded by running water. It is an industrial byproduct of metal smelting processes, and can enter the atmosphere as arsine gas or enter the water supply in effluent. People can also be exposed to arsenic through common household products such as paints and wood preservatives. Perhaps the most prevalent sources are pesticides and fungicides used both around the house and in agriculture. Arsenic can cause damage to the peripheral nervous system, leading to numbness in the hands and feet, tingling, and feeling “pins and needles.” It can appear as a darkening of the skin (not due to exposure to sunlight). Excessive exposure can also appear as white bands in the fingernails a month or more after a critical dosing, as well as excessive growth of the skin on the palms and soles of the feet. It also blocks the production of glutathione which prevents oxidative cell damage.

Symptoms of arsenic poisoning: Acute symptoms include rawness of the throat from ingestion/breathing, red skin or rash at point of contact, severe abdominal pain and vomiting and diarrhea. Chronic exposure can lead to anorexia, fever, inflammation of the mucosal membranes, heart arrhythmia, liver damage and jaundice, and gangrene.


Disease links: Anorexia, multiple cancers, bronchitis, emphysema, diabetes mellitus, heart attack, liver cirrhosis, stillbirths and postneonatal mortality, blackfoot disease.

Mercury

Mercury is everywhere in today’s world: it not only degasses from the earth’s crust in volcanic emissions and evaporates from bodies of water; it also comes from commercial processes like burning fossil fuels (such as coal), incinerating waste, forest fires, fertilizers, and fungicides. It is found in thermometers, barometers, fluorescent light bulbs, vaccines (thimerosal is still in vaccines in thresholds considered un-reportable) and dental fillings. Mercury accumulates in the body and has been implicated in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Occupations that chronically expose workers to mercury include dentistry, painting, electrical, pharmaceutical and laboratory, farming, factory production, mining, chemistry and beautician work.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning: Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhage, chronic bronchitis, lung problems, kidney disorders, fatigue, insomnia, loss of memory, excitability, chest pains, reduction of sensory and motor nerve function, depression, visual and/or auditory hallucinations, muscular tremors, sleep disorders, impaired coordination, speech disorders, dementia, headaches, and diminished mental function.


Disease links: Multiple sclerosis, autism, cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, psychosis, chronic fatigue syndrome.

Cadmium

Since cadmium is found in zinc-, lead-, and copper-containing ores, industrial activities such as mining, smelting and refining metal ores discharge significant amounts of cadmium into the atmosphere. Fossil fuel burning, waste incineration and steel production also contribute their share, as do vented nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries used in aircraft, buses, and diesel locomotives. And smokers beware; about 40 to 60 percent of cadmium inhaled through cigarette smoke is absorbed by the body as opposed to the five to 10 percent taken up from food or water. From all combined sources, it is estimated that 4,000 to 13,000 tons of cadmium are released annually into the environment.

Symptoms of cadmium poisoning: Anemia, dry and scaly skin, emphysema, fatigue, hair loss, heart disease, depressed immune response, hypertension, joint pain, kidney stones, liver dysfunction, loss of appetite, diminished sense of smell, lung cancer, pain in the back and legs, yellow teeth.


Disease links: Immune system deficiencies, lung cancer, prostate problems, birth defects and miscarriage, behavioral and learning disabilities.

Aluminum

Even though it technically is not considered a “heavy” metal, aluminum is a toxic metal and the third most abundant element on earth. Besides a myriad of commercial sources, aluminum comes to us from out of the sky and land. Acid rain (originating from air pollution)comes into contact with soil and other sources, to dissolve aluminum compounds and spread them widely over the planet. Some scientists and health professionals believe that bioaccumulation of aluminum could be responsible for at least ten common neurological disorders—including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and senile and pre-senile dementia. Note: Beryllium, a metal in some ways similar to aluminum and used in exotic aircraft and spacecraft parts, as well as bicycle wheels, is also toxic.


Symptoms of aluminum poisoning: Excessive headaches, abnormal heart rhythm, depression, numbness in the hands and feet, blurred vision, muscle pain, psychosis, fatigue, long-term memory impairment, loss of balance, inability to pronounce words properly, even liver and kidney failure.


Disease links: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, anemia, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), birth defects.

Nickel

Nickel is a heavy metal used in the automobile industry, electronics, as a catalyst in chemical processes, in nickel-cadmium batteries, many household products and in cheap jewelry. Environmental nickel comes from surface runoff, industrial and municipal waste discharges, and natural erosion from soil and rocks. You can become allergic from contact with nickel jewelry. The nickel ions are transported through the sweat into the skin. Nickel can cause cancer of the upper respiratory tract and it is thought that its carcinogenic effects are due to its lipid-peroxidation properties that burn the cell’s fatty membrane, causing DNA-strand gaps and breaks and DNA-protein crosslinks. Foods like cocoa, soybeans, some dried legumes and nuts, and oatmeal contain high concentrations of nickel.

Symptoms of nickel poisoning: rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal septal perforation, asthma, dermatitis, kidney damage, headaches, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, insomnia.

Disease links: Lung and nasal cancers.

Other Toxic Heavy Metals

There are approximately 35 “heavy metals”, of which 23 are listed as being toxic to humans. A heavy metal is defined as having a density 5 times greater than water. Technology has introduced uses for heavy metals that have never before been present in our environment, and hence new avenues for humans to be exposed to those heavy metals.


Urine and feces samples offer the most accurate methods for diagnosing individual toxic heavy metal burden. It’s important that you take a test for heavy metals both before and after undergoing a chelation regimen. That way you can assess your levels and monitor your progress.

We have vast experience in our clinic and have conducted published clinical studies on chelation therapy utilizing Detoxamin (calcium disodium EDTA suppositories). We have performed extensive clinical studies with Detoxamin and I personally have over 4000 of my patients on the product. Some of the most important clinical outcomes I see in my patients are increased blood circulation, improved cognitive function (memory, concentration and mental focus), better sleep patterns, reduction multiple toxic metals, increased activity/energy levels, improved prostate conditions, reduced muscle and joint pain, improved blood marker values (LDL and HLD cholesterol) and more.

I urge all my patients and all health care professionals to become more informed about chelation therapy, and to consider Detoxamin as a foundational solution for the removal of toxic heavy metals to improve the quality of their lives. Detoxamin is safe, gentle, 80% less cost than intravenous EDTA therapy and works while you sleep.

Black Mold Exposure…....It Can Happen To You

A Review of the New DVD Movie by Michael Roland Willams
By Dr. Jen Morganti

This must-see documentary begins with the camera panning through a couple’s sparsely furnished house where every item is covered in plastic. The chairs, the tables, the computer keyboard, and every other item is sealed in plastic and covered in cloth. As the story unfolds, we discover that this almost obsessive sterilization process is absolutely required for this couple to exist in their environment. Any type of slight contamination sends their health into a tailspin, causing anything from skin rash to migraines to vomiting. The couple spends hours washing articles of clothing (especially when they are new), dusting,cleaning, and plastic-wrapping every new item they introduce to the home to prevent off-gassing. They spend an entire weekend tediously wrapping and rewrapping a new couch they bought, but nothing prevents them from having a reaction and they must return it.

Imagine being so sensitive to every odor in household products, food, furniture, clothing, carpet, your car, and even outdoor air, that you become ill to the point of dysfunction. You must isolate yourself from other people because of the products they wear. You are unable to work because your work environment makes you ill; the doctors don’t believe you and neither does your family. This film documents the daily struggles of real people with these extreme sensitivities to everything in their environment, all because they were exposed to high levels of toxic mold.

Mold and fungus are critical to a balanced ecosystem, but overgrowth of mold in living spaces can be inhaled, and over time exposure can cause multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). Molds such as Aspergillus, Fusarium,and Penicillium are some of the offending factors that can be toxic. The symptoms that mold exposure can cause are common and non-specific, such as fatigue, asthma, abdominal pain, dizziness, vomiting, hearing loss, and skin rash.

MCS can be caused by chronic exposure to any kind of toxin, including mold, chemicals, heavy metals, and more. It is not a widely-accepted diagnosis within the medical community, due in part to lack of education in medical school as well as the fact that the American Medical Association hasn’t given it credibility. Some of the doubt continues because patients present a long list of non-specific symptoms and there is no definitive lab test to determine a diagnosis. As a result, a person suffering with MCS symptoms may get passed from doctor to doctor without getting any help. During the course of this unproductive process, people with MCS may instead
become labeled as mentally ill, liars, money grubbers, or whiners. The skeptics may argue, why is it that only some people become ill when living in an environment contaminated by black mold or other toxins, and others have no symptoms at all?

Some researchers believe that genetic susceptibility explains why some people are sensitive and others are not. In this documentary, several experts weigh in, including Dr. William Rae, pioneer of environmental medicine and director of the Environmental Health Center of Dallas. His experience shows that people can recover from MCS, but everyone’s physiology is different, so treatments and successes will vary.

This documentary is valuable to anyone. If you suffer from MCS, it is a great movie to share with friends and family, and if you are healthy, it shows us how we should be both careful and aware about hidden dangers lurking in our environment.

YEAST GONE WILD

Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.

You may have been trying for years to resolve chronic health symptoms and, yet, still not realized that one of the undiagnosed triggers might be yeast overgrowth.

What is Yeast?
Candida albicans is a fungus living in our intestines that produce 180 chemical toxins capable of making you feel dizzy and fatigued, shutting down your thyroid, throwing your hormones off balance, and causing you to crave sugar and alcohol, and gain weight. Candida and its 180 by-products are associated with symptoms of PMS, loss of libido, painful intercourse, infertility, numbness, tingling, multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn’s, colitis, irritable bowel, acne, lupus, insomnia, drowsiness, white tongue, breath bad, body odor, sinusitis, bruising, sore throat, bronchitis, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, spots in front of eyes, and dozens more symptoms.

Yeast overgrowth is primarily caused by overuse of antibiotics that kill bacteria, both good and bad, wiping out the intestinal flora. Another overlooked cause is mercury, a powerful antibiotic from dental fillings, which can be inhaled and swallowed in the process of chewing and act like an antibiotic in the intestines. Once yeast has the room to expand, a diet high in sugar, simple carbohydrates, and fermented foods feed their ravenous hunger and corticosteroids, estrogen, and birth control pills further encourage its growth.

Leaky Gut: An Open Door to Our Tissues
In the absence of competition, yeast colonies grow into all the empty nooks and crannies of the large and, possibly, small intestine. It is a scientific fact that when yeast cells reach a certain critical mass, they change from round buds to a thread-like invasive tissue. They are running out of food and looking for more, so they pack their bags and emigrate to the small intestine from their main home in the large intestine.

In the small intestine, the yeast threads poke microscopic holes in the intestinal lining. Such a phenomenon is called “leaky gut”—a superhighway to the blood stream with nothing to block toxins trickling across the gut lining. Instead of absorbing life-giving nutrients, a now-compromised and permeated intestinal wall allows all 180 of yeast’s chemical by-products, as well as undigested food molecules, bacterial toxins, and other chemicals to take a one-way ride straight into the blood. Though the holes are not necessarily big enough to allow the yeast to get in or infected the blood, the bloodstream is now carrying hundreds of waste products from head to toe.

Yeast and Inflammation
When yeast, bacterial, and food toxins hit the blood stream, they trigger widespread inflammatory reactions by either directly attacking tissues or creating allergic reactions along with the production of histamine, which causes immune cells to react. Some of the yeast toxins, like acetaldehyde, alcohol, zymosan, arabinitol, and gliotoxin, have been named by mycologists (biologists who study fungi), but rarely do they extend their discussion to the human suffering caused by these toxins.

Acetaldehyde is produced when yeast digests sugar. It is a particularly potent toxin that can damage all bodily tissue, including the brain. It is also produced when you drink alcohol, breathe the exhaust from cars, and smoke cigarettes. What most people don’t know is that yeast also produces alcohol in the body—enough to make some people feel drunk and give a positive reading on a breathalyzer test. Most people with yeast overgrowth can’t touch alcohol because it makes them feel so rotten.

Weight gain is very common in yeast overgrowth. Our bodies create pounds of fluid retention in an attempt to dilute the inflammatory toxins that yeast produces. Over time, tissue toxins and fluid build up lead to cellulite and weight gain. The gas produced by yeast can cause abdominal bloating that can increase your waist size up to 6 inches from one meal to the next.

The Yeast Questions
Positive answers to most of these questions may mean you have yeast overgrowth.
1. Have you taken several courses of antibiotics in the past?
2. Have you been on the birth control pill?
3. Do you react to the smell of damp moldy places?
4. Do you crave sugar and bread?
5. Do you feel drained to the point of exhaustion?
6. Do you have symptoms of intestinal gas, bloating, and cramping (IBS)?
7. Are you troubled by constant vaginal infections?
8. Are you bothered by itchy burning eyes?

Where’s the Cure?
The treatment for yeast does not lie in just a pill, as many women have learned. Even if your doctor is one of the few that does recognize yeast overgrowth, the most common treatment recommended is a week or two of antifungal medications. Most doctors don’t understand that yeast overgrowth requires a change in diet, probiotics, and antifungal supplements and/or medications.

• Diet: avoid sugar, wheat and dairy as well as fermented foods, and alcohol.
• Probiotics (good bacteria): the best ones are acidophilus and bifidus. Products that guarantee 2-10 billion organisms per capsule are recommended.
• Antifungal supplements: garlic (eat one or two cloves a day), oil of oregano (take 2-3 capsules per day) and grapefruit seed extract (take two to three capsules per day) or take a formula that also includes caprylic acid, pau D’Arco, black walnut, beta carotene, and biotin.

If you are suffering with long-unresolved symptoms, then it may be worth investigating the possibility that your intestinal tract may be under siege of a yeast overgrowth. When the source of the symptoms is properly identified as yeast, you can arm yourself and finally lay your suffering to rest.
Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical doctor and naturopathic doctor, specializes in managing and healing often misdiagnosed and chronic conditions, such as digestive problems, hormone imbalance, recurring infection, IBS, widespread inflammation, allergies, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. In the health industry for 28 years, she has authored and co-authored 12 books on health,, including The Yeast Connection and Women’s Health. Dr. Dean has an active telephone wellness consulting practice; visit her at www.carolyndean.com.

Is Fibromyalgia Making You Crazy?

by Rodger Murphree, D.C., C.N.S., reprinted from NEEDS Natural News

Do you suffer from anxiety, fatigue, and chronic pain, yet are told you're crazy, lazy, or depressed by friends, family, and doctors who try to make you think your illness "is all in your head?" If so, you're not alone.

Though your distress certainly feels real, their accusations make you wonder. You do often lose your train of thought mid-sentence, have strange reactions to medications, and suffer with an assortment of health problems as all your labs return normal. Then there is insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, mitral valve prolapse, chronic sinusitis, tingling in the extremities, night sweats, chemical sensitivities, headaches, and reflux to name a few. Maybe you are crazy. You've been bounced from one doctor to another, had dozens of tests, taken numerous prescription drugs, which didn't help, and you get worse year after year. Anyone would be made crazy if they went days without sleep, had diffuse chronic pain, no energy, no answers, no life, and no hope.

The traditional drugs of choice for fibromyalgia include: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), antidepressants, anticonvulsant medications, muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, and pain medications. While they may provide short term relief, their results are often fleeting and their side-effects detrimental. It's not unusual for fibromyalgia sufferers to take 12 or more prescription drugs, many of which contribute to their erratic behavior.

For example, the sleep drugs, Ambien and Lunesta, may cause short-term memory loss, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and depression. Tricyclic antidepressants, including Trazadone and Elavil, may cause early morning hangover, mental confusion, and lethargy. Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI) drugs may cause anxiety, depression, mental blunting, and lethargy. Klonopin and other benzodiazepines may cause depression, fatigue, and decreased mental function. All of these drugs are known to deplete at least one or more essential mood-dependant vitamins, minerals, or nutrients (B6, B12, CoQ10, folic acid, etc.). Individuals with fibromyalgia are also deficient in the brain chemicals, which help regulate mood and mental function.

NEUROTRANSMITTER DEFICIENCIES

Research shows that most fibromyalgia patients are deficient in serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These three neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) are essential for optimal mood and mental function. Serotonin, also known as the "happy hormone", helps regulate mood, sleep, digestion, bowel movements, pain, and mental clarity. Individuals with fibromyalgia also have low levels of the amino acid, tryptophan, as well as 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), necessary for the production of serotonin. L-phenylalanine-derived norepinephrine, when released in the brain, causes feelings of arousal, energy, drive, and ambition. It's no wonder you suffer with "fibro fog."

STRESS-COPING SAVINGS ACCOUNT

I like to use the analogy of being born with a stress-coping savings account. We have certain chemicals, vitamins, minerals, and hormones, like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, that allow us to handle day-to-day stress. The more stress, the more withdrawals we make. Individuals with fibromyalgia make more withdrawals than deposits.

SSRIs like Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft, and others don't make serotonin, they only help the brain hang onto and use serotonin more effectively. These drugs are essentially a high interest loan. Those with fibromyalgia simply don't have serotonin to re-uptake. They've bankrupted their stress-coping savings account and depleted their serotonin long ago. These drugs usually only provide short term relief, while perpetuating their debt. Fortunately, there are some tried-and-true nutritional protocols that can help put your stress-coping savings account back in the black.

REBUILDING YOUR NEUROTRANSMITTER ACCOUNTS

» 5-HTP

Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials show that patients with fibromyalgia experience benefits from increasing serotonin through 5-HTP replacement therapy:
• Decreased pain
• Improved sleep
• Less tender points
• Less morning stiffness
• Less anxiety
• Increased energy
• Improved mood in general, including in those with clinical depression
» S-ADENOSYL L-METHIONINE (SAMe)

SAMe increases the action of several neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, by binding these hormones to their cell receptors. However, patients with fibromyalgia can be deficient in this essential amino acid.

One study shows that patients taking SAMe for a period of six weeks had a 40% reduction in pain and 35% improvement in their depression.

SUPPORTING FIBROMYALGIA

A blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids comprise the necessary building blocks to alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms. These include malic acid, sometimes known as the apple acid, which helps the body make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) more efficiently. ATP is the body's primary form of energy currency. Magnesium complexes with ATP become the main carrier of metabolic energy in the body and are essential for all biosynthetic processes in the body. Magnesium is also well regarded for its role in maintaining healthy mood, sleep patterns, and joint function. Amino acids are required for protein synthesis, which builds muscle, connective tissue, and other structures. Individuals with fibromyalgia have been shown to be deficient in several key amino acids, including methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, threonine, and lysine—all of which must be supplemented to restore healthy levels. I have formulated a product that includes these critical nutrients and more, in a convenient, easy-to-remember "packet" system.

Please know that, while you might not feel you're the sharpest tool in the shed at the moment, you can replenish your brain chemicals, rebuild your stress-coping savings account, and even remember where you put your car keys … with the proper nutritional support.