Sunday, August 27, 2017

GMO Insulin Increases Mortality and Morbidity in Type 2 Diabetes

GMO Insulin Increases Morbidity and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetics

Posted on: Thursday, August 24th 2017 at 9:30 am
This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2017

Studies show that synthetic, genetically modified insulin could be to blame for a number of complications in diabetes patients.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is reported to be one of the oldest diseases known to mankind, first documented three thousand years ago in an Egyptian manuscript (1). One of the sequelae of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which manifests as relative insulin deficiency (2). Insulin, generated by the pancreas, is the hormonal signal produced with sugar or carbohydrate consumption, that enables influx of glucose into the cells to fuel energy-demanding processes. Thus, the insulin resistance which is the cardinal attribute of type 2 diabetes leads to impaired glucose transport to muscle, liver, and adipose cells (2).
In comparison, type 1 diabetes, which is delineated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, arises secondary to insulin deficiency as a result of autoimmune-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas (3). Compared to type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes may necessitate immediate need for exogenous insulin replacement (4). However, with type 2 diabetes, insulin insensitivity leads to declining insulin production and ultimately pancreatic beta-cell failure (2).
The constellation of risk factors that denote metabolic syndrome, including visceral adiposity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, are well-elucidated to augment risk for type 2 diabetes (5). Obesity, for example, a hallmark of metabolic syndrome, contributes to just over half of cases of type 2 diabetes (2). Ectopic fat deposition, or the accumulation of triglycerides in liver, muscle, and pancreatic cells, is also implicated in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, alongside mitochondrial dysfunction and derangements in adipokine synthesis by fat tissue (6, 7).
Although it is classically considered a disease of affluence, eighty percent of people with diabetes mellitus live in low- and middle-income countries (2). In the United States, 25.8 million people were afflicted by diabetes mellitus in 2010, with the vast majority having type 2 diabetes (8). Worldwide, however, 415 million people suffer from diabetes mellitus, and projections estimate that 642 million will be afflicted by 2030 (9). Due to the toll diabetes incurs upon quality of life as well as the cost to the health care system resulting from long-term sequelae of diabetes, including microvascular complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy as well as occult macrovascular disease and atherosclerosis, prevention-oriented approaches should be first line strategies to combating the diabetes epidemic (10).
Elevated Plasma Glucose Mediates Diabetic Complications
Pharmacotherapy including biguanides, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, incretin-based therapies, bromocriptine, dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitors and thiazolidinediones, each with their attendant risks, are all employed to treat type 2 diabetes within the conventional biomedical paradigm (2). In some cases, insulin replacement is employed as a hypoglycemic agent to mitigate the glucotoxicity, or elevated blood glucose, that accompanies diabetes.
Endogenous insulin lowers blood glucose by recruiting glucose transporter isoform GLUT4 to the plasma membrane of the cell (11). Insulin has been demonstrated to both increase the intrinsic activity of this facilitative GLUT4 transporter, as well as induce translocation of GLUT4 transporters from intracellular pools to the cell surface (11).
Withdrawal of circulating glucose is important because chronic hyperglycemia mediates the complications of diabetes, including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy (11). In addition to vascular endothelial cells, pancreatic β cells are particularly vulnerable to elevated plasma glucose, which perpetuates the cycle of hyperglycemia such that “ensuing β-cell dysfunction promotes decreased insulin synthesis and secretion” (11, p. 90). Thus, glycemic control is a paramount objective in diabetes care.
The Dark Side of Insulin: Death and Debility
Although early insulization is recommended as standard of care by the American Diabetes Association and European Association for the Study of Diabetes, “the risk–benefit profile of exogenous insulin in the management of people with T2DM has also undergone scrutiny” (12). A Canadian study by Gamble and colleagues (2010), for example, revealed a graded relationship between insulin exposure and mortality. A 1.75-fold, 2.18-fold, and 2.79-fold increased risk of death was discovered for those with low, moderate, and high levels of insulin exposure, respectively, compared to controls (13).
Similarly, a retrospective analysis following 6484 subjects for 3.3 years illuminated that “There was an association between increasing exogenous insulin dose and increased risk of all-cause mortality, cancer and MACE [major adverse cardiovascular events] in people with type 2 diabetes” (14). Every one unit increase in insulin dose administered to type 2 diabetics enhanced risk of all-cause mortality by 54%, increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 37%, and increased risk of cancer by 35% (14). Another retrospective cohort study in the United Kingdom illuminated that insulin treatment in type 2 diabetics increased mortality by 50% compared to metformin plus sulfonylurea (15).
Likewise, in a study of 84,622 type 2 diabetes patients, insulin monotherapy increased risk of major adverse cardiac events by 73.6%, myocardial infarction by 95.4%, stroke by 43.2%, cancer by 43.7%, and eye complications by 17.1% (12). Insulin administration also increased neuropathy by 2.146-fold, renal complications by 3.504-fold, and all cause mortality by 2.197-fold (12). The authors underscore that, “When compared directly, aHRs [adjusted hazard ratios] were higher for insulin monotherapy vs all other regimens for the primary end point and all-cause mortality” (12).
Insulin Treatment Worsens Cardiovascular Outcomes
This same trend is confirmed by another study demonstrating that insulin treatment in diabetic patients with advanced heart failure is correlated with a significantly worse prognosis, so much so that even after adjustment for extraneous variables such as duration of diabetes, “ insulin-treated diabetes was found to be an independent predictor of mortality” (16, p. 168). In fact, survival rate at one year was 85.8% for non-insulin-treated diabetic patients versus 62.1% for insulin-treated diabetic patients, illustrating the dramatic disparity in outcomes (16). The hazard ratio (HR) for insulin-treated diabetes at one and two years was 4.30 and 4.96, respectively, indicating a four- to five-fold increased rate of mortality with insulin treatment (16).
Similarly, insulin treatment worsened recovery in type 2 diabetics with congestive heart failure (CHF) who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), a treatment aimed at improving cardiovascular performance and survival in CHF (17). Whereas the death rate was 8.63 per 100 patients-year in non insulin-treated diabetics, it was 15.84 in the insulin-treated diabetic cohort (17).
Along the same lines, a large study of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients highlighted that insulin treatment dramatically increased risk of mortality in diabetic patients compared to those treated with diet and other medications and MI patients without diabetes (18).
Association Between Insulin and Cancer
Studies have indicated that diabetic patients exposed to insulin incur higher rates of cancer risk and mortality. According to researchers, “We also observed a strong gradient of cumulative insulin dispensations and cancer mortality rates in this population. Compared with patients not exposed to insulin therapy, we observed a significantly increased risk of death from cancer associated with increases in cumulative exogenous insulin exposure” (19).
One hospital-based case-control study revealed that “diabetic patients who had taken insulin or insulin secretagogues had a significantly higher risk of pancreatic cancer compared with diabetic patients who had not taken these drugs” (20). Other studies have proven a link between insulin therapy and significantly increased rates of colorectal cancer in type 2 diabetics compared to non-insulin users (21). Specifically, after adjusting for potential confounding variables, each incremental year of insulin therapy was associated with a 21% increased risk of colorectal cancer (21). These results were replicated by Chung and colleagues, who found a three-fold elevated risk for colorectal adenoma in type 2 diabetic patients who received chronic insulin therapy relative to those who received no insulin (22).
How Insulin Engenders Morbidity and Mortality: Mechanisms of Action
Because interventional studies are scarce, much of the scientific data on this subject matter is derived from epidemiological studies. The argument that correlation cannot be conflated with causation has merit; however, the preponderance of literature indicates that insulin use is associated with substantial risks that warrant further investigation.
Although it is possible that insulin use may represent a surrogate marker for more advanced disease, many studies such as the analysis by Smooke and colleagues (2005) have adjusted for this confounding factor (16). Risk of mortality conferred by insulin use remained after accounting for different baseline characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index, serum creatinine, history of coronary artery disease or hypertension, and ejection fraction (16).
Another possibility researchers propose is that patients on insulin monotherapy are missing out on benefits conferred by oral anti-diabetic medications, or that they failed these medications due to poor compliance (16). More tenable is the possibility that insulin augments cardiovascular risk because “Insulin has been associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activation, increased vascular resistance, increased cardiac and vascular hypertrophy, and endothelial dysfunction” (16). In this way, insulin, which also has demonstrated atherogenic properties, may contribute to the development and progression of heart failure (19).
Additionally, as a growth hormone, insulin possesses mitogenic properties, meaning that it encourages cell division in a way that could contribute to cancer development (19). In concert with elevated levels of IGF-1, hyperinsulinemia may promote the proliferation of neoplastic cell lines (23). Thus, insulin administration may exacerbate pre-existing hyperinsulinemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, leading to accelerated cancer development (19).
Type 2 Diabetics Insulin Use May Culminate in Double Diabetes
In one Japanese study, insulin administration led to rapid deterioration of glucose control, decline in C-peptide to levels reflective of insulin deficiency, and onset of type 1 diabetes after a mean duration of 7.7 ± 6.1 months (24). Further, islet cell related autoantibodies indicative of type 1 diabetes became positive in three cases (24). In type 1 diabetes, it is speculated that genetic susceptibility is primarily conferred by presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II region (IDDM1) and the insulin gene region (IDDM2), both of which were present in this cohort (25).
Insulin administration has previously been reported in the literature to incite type 1 diabetes in three genetically predisposed type 2 diabetic patients as well (26). Insulin therapy led to various immunological responses, including insulin antibody production, insulin allergy, and infiltration of mononuclear cells in to pancreatic islets (26). Insulin is the predominant β-cell auto-antigen implicated in the pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes, and auto-reactivity of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to insulin epitopes has been demonstrated in type 1 diabetics (27, 28). Thus, researchers conclude that “insulin may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of T1DM [type 1 diabetes mellitus]” (24).
Is Genetically Modified Insulin to Blame?
This double diabetes, or development of autoimmune insulin-deficient type 1 diabetes following treatment of insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes, as well as the host of other adverse sequelae associated with insulin use in type 2 diabetics, may be due in part to the genetic recombinant insulin preparations that are the brainchild of the biotech industry.
As previously reported, the three-dimensional conformation of synthetic, genetically modified (GM) insulin diverges dramatically from the porcine-derived insulin that it displaced from the market. Because structure dictates function, even point amino acid substitutions, which are routinely utilized in the development of insulin analogs, can result in different ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic packing, and Van der Waals forces between amino acids in proteins that in turn give rise to markedly different spatial folding patterns (29).
There is, for example, a disparity in primary structure between bioidentical insulin and one of the best-selling insulin analog Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] injection). Produced from a genetically engineered strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli), “Insulin glargine differs from human insulin in that the amino acid asparagine at position A21 is replaced by glycine and two arginines are added to the C-terminus of the B-chain” (30). Changes in primary structure, or sequence of amino acid residues, are translated into changes in geometric secondary structure, interactions between motifs known as super secondary structure, and interactions among protein domains, such as disulfide bonding, known as tertiary structure. Due to the principal that structure governs function, these modifications can result in deleterious functional changes.

GMO Insulin Cannot Replicate the Physiological Activity of Native Insulin
Because insulin is a water-soluble hormone, it cannot freely penetrate the lipid bilayer and diffuse into the cell to elicit biological effects (31). For native insulin to bind to its proper receptors and exert its life-sustaining effects, it must be folded, for instance, into spiral alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets, laterally packed adjacent to parallel or antiparallel beta strands (31).
Compared with endogenous insulin, manmade GM acylated long-acting insulins may exhibit reduced metabolic activity, as the addition of a fatty acid chain alters its binding affinity for its cognate receptor and even distorts its self-assembly capacity (32, 33). Due to the reduced potency of these formulations, such as detemir, they are designed to be administered at fourfold higher concentrations relative to other insulin analogs (31).
Scientists have also speculated that misfolding of manmade GM insulin can create insulin cross-linking with proteins in endothelial cells, plasma membranes, and vascular walls (34). For instance, changes in protein conformation due to misfolding of acetylated recombinant insulins such as detemir and degludec may cause binding of insulin preparations to albumin, the primary protein in human blood plasma, which results in higher circulating levels of these insulin products (31). Structural and allosteric modifications to degludec have resulted in its ability to create multi-hexamers deposited in subcutaneous tissue (35).
With regard to these synthetic insulin products, Monnier and colleagues (2014) echo these sentiments, with,
“All chemical modifications of the insulin molecule, including elongation with two arginine residues at the C terminus of the B-chain (insulin glargine), and acylation of the hormone with a fatty acid either directly (insulin detemir) or indirectly (insulin degludec) added to the B-chain, can alter the effects of these long-acting insulin analogues on such parameters as glucose transport to cells, stimulation of multiple intracellular pathways and activation of mitogenic processes” (31).
Lastly, if it assumes an inappropriate folding pattern, it is possible that synthetic, GM insulin is recognized as a foreign entity, which may results in immunogenic reactions (31). Because it is unable to assume the native protein structure, GM insulin may not only be unable to perform the life-sustaining functions of endogenous insulin, but it also has the potential to elicit maladaptive immune responses.
Natural Anti-Diabetic Substances
In many cases, insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes, a disorder of deranged insulin signaling, may represent adding fuel to the fire. No individual should misconstrue this article as medical advice or discontinue any medication without the approval of a licensed physician. The intent, rather, is to encourage early dietary and lifestyle interventions, combined with targeted nutraceuticals, in order to prevent the downward trajectory that results in the prescribing of insulin to treat type 2 diabetes.
Although there is a strong genetic component, researchers maintain that the majority of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle modifications (2). Variables, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and toxicant exposure are all preventable factors correlated with development of type 2 diabetes (36, 2).
In addition, as catalogued in the GreenMedInfo databases, dozens of natural agents and modalities, including botanicals such as ginger (37), spirulina (38), and black cumin seed (39), nutraceuticals such as L-arginine (40), vitamin C (41), magnesium (42), omega-3 fatty acids (43), and vitamin D (43), and both high intensity interval training (44) and aerobic exercise (45) have all demonstrated anti-diabetic and insulin-sensitizing effects in human trials. Consistent with naturopathic precepts, health care providers should prioritize these lowest risk, least invasive interventions as the standards of care.
References
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2. Olokoba, A.B. et al. (2012). Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of Current Trends. Oman Medical Journal, 27(4), 269-273.
3. Todd, J.A. (2010). Etiology of type 1 diabetes. Immunity, 32, 457–467.
4. Atkinson, M.A., Eisenbarth, G.S., & Michels, A.W. (2014). Type 1 diabetes. Lancet, 383(9911), 69-82.
5. Alberti, K.G. et al. (2005). The metabolic syndrome—a new worldwide definition. Lancet, 366(9491), 1059-1062. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67402-8
6. Garcia-Roves, P.M. (2011). Mitochondrial pathophysiology and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 117(3), 177-187.
7. Fujioka, K. (2007). Pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and the role of incretin hormones and beta-cell dysfunction. Journal of the American Academy of Physicians, Suppl 3-8.
8. Department of Health and Human Services. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011). National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf
9. Global Burden of Diabetes. (2011). International Diabetes Federation. Diabetic Atlas SeventhEdition. Retrieved from http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas
10. Stolar, M. (2010). Glycemic control and complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus. American Journal of Medicine, 123 (3 Suppl), S3-S11. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2009.12.004.
11. Furtado, L.M. et al. (2002). Activation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 by insulin. Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 80(5), 569-578.
12. Currie, C.J. et al. (2013). Mortality and other important diabetes-related outcomes with insulin vs other antihyperglycemic therapies in type 2 diabetes. Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 98(2), 668-777.  doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-3042.
13. Gamble, J.M. et al. (2010). Insulin use and increased risk of mortality in type 2 diabetes: a cohort study. Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, 12(1), 47-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01125.x.
14. Holden, S.E. et al. (2015). Glucose-lowering with exogenous insulin monotherapy in type 2 diabetes: dose association with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events and cancer. Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, 17(4), 350-362. doi: 10.1111/dom.12412.
15. Currie, C.J. et al. (2010). Survival as a function of HbA1c in people with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet, 375, 481–489.
16. Smooke, S., Horwich, T.B., & Fonarow, G.C. (2005). Insulin-treated diabetes is associated with a marked increase in mortality in patients with advanced heart failure. American Heart Journal, 149(1), 168-174.
17. Mangiavacchi, M. et al. (2008). Insulin-treated type 2 diabetes is associated with a decreased survival in heart failure patients after cardiac resynchronization therapy. Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, 31(11), 1425-1432. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2008.01206.x.
18. Berger, A.K. et al. (2001). Effect of diabetes mellitus and insulin use on survival after acute myocardial infarction in the elderly (the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project). American Journal of Cardiology, 87, 272-277.
19. Bowker, S.L. et al. (2010). Glucose-lowering agents and cancer mortality rates in type 2 diabetes: assessing effects of time-varying exposure. Diabetologia, 53(8), 1631-1637.
20. Li, D. et al. (2009). Antidiabetic therapies affect risk of pancreatic cancer. Gastroenterology, 137(2), 482-488. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.04.013.
21. Yang, Y.X. et al. (2004). Insulin therapy and colorectal cancer risk among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Gastroenterology, 127(4), 1044-1050.
22. Chung, Y.W. et al. (2008). Insulin therapy and colorectal adenoma risk among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in Korea. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, 51(5), 593-597. doi: 10.1007/s10350-007-9184-1.
23. Pollak, M. (2008). Insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling in neoplasia. Nature Reviews, 8, 915-9928.
24. Nishida, W. et al. (2014). Insulin administration may trigger type 1 diabetes in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients with type 1 diabetes high-risk HLA class II and the insulin gene VNTR genotype. Journal of clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 99(9), E1793-E1797. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1759.
25. Ounissi-Benkalha, H., & Polychronakos, C. (2008). The molecular genetics of type 1 diabetes: new genes and emerging mechanisms. Trends in Molecular Medicine, 14(6), 268-275. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2008.04.002.
26. Nakamura, M. et al. (2008). Insulin administration may trigger pancreatic β-cell destruction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Research in Clinical Practice, 79, 220-229.
27. Di Lorenzo, T.P., Peakman, M., & Roep, B.O. (2007). Translational mini-review series on type 1 diabetes: Systematic analysis of T cell epitopes in autoimmune diabetes. Clinical Experiments in Immunology, 148(1), 1-16.
28. Nagata, M. et al. (2007). Immunological aspects of “fulminant type 1 diabetes.” Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 77S, S99–S103.
29. Žáková, L. et al. (2014). Human insulin analogues modified at the B26 site reveal a hormone conformation that is undetected in the receptor complex. Acta Crystallographica Section D-Biological Crystallography Journal, 70(Pt 10), 2765-2774.
30. RxList. (2017). Lantus. Retrieved from http://www.rxlist.com/lantus-drug.htm
31. Monnier, L., Colette, C., & Owens, D. (2014). Acylated-based long-acting insulin analogues: Is “misfolding” the problem? Commentary letter on Hamasaki H and Yanai H. The switching from insulin glargine to insulin degludec reduced HbA1c, daily insulin doses and anti-insulin antibody in anti-insulin antibody-positive subjects with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes & Metabolism, 40(6), 483-484.
32. Menting, J.G. et al. (2013). How insulin engages its primary binding site on the insulin receptor, 493, 241-245.
33. Owens, D.R., Matfin, G., & Monnier, L. (2014). Basal insulin analogs in the management of diabetes mellitus: what progress have we made? Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 30, 104-119.
34. Monnier, L., Colette, C., & Owens, D. (2013). Basal insulin analogs: from pathophysiology to therapy. What we see, know and try to comprehend. Diabetes & Metabolism, 39, 468-476.
35. Sreengard, D.B. et al. (2013). Ligand-controlled assembly of hexamers, dihexamers and linear multihexamers by the engineered acylated insulin degludec. Biochemistry, 52, 295-309.
36. Hu, F.B. et al. (2001). Diet, lifestyle, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(11), 790-797.
37. Shidfar, F. et al. (2015). The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 12(2), 165-170. doi: 10.1515/jcim-2014-0021.
38. Marcel, A.K. et al. (2011). The effect of Spirulina platensis versus soybean on insulin resistance in HIV-infected patients: a randomized pilot study. Nutrients, 3(7), 712-724. doi: 10.3390/nu3070712.
39. Bamosa, A.O. et al. (2010). Effect of Nigella sativa seeds on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 54(4), 344-354.
40. Piatti, P.M. (2001). Long-term oral L-arginine administration improves peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care, 24(5), 875-880.
41. Mason, S.A. (2016). Ascorbic acid supplementation improves skeletal muscle oxidative stress and insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes: Findings of a randomized controlled study. Free Radical Biology Medicine, 93, 227-238. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.01.006.
42. Moctezuma-Velázquez, C. (2017). High Dietary Magnesium Intake is Significantly and Independently Associated with Higher Insulin Sensitivity in a Mexican-Mestizo Population: A Brief Cross-Sectional Report. Revista De Investigacion Clinica, 69(1), 40-46.
43. Jamilian, M. et al. (2017). The effects of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid co-supplementation on glycemic control and lipid concentrations in patients with gestational diabetes. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 11(2), 459-468. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2017.01.011.
44. Jelleyman, C. et al. (2015). The effects of high-intensity interval training on glucose regulation and insulin resistance: a meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 16(11), 942-961. doi: 10.1111/obr.12317.
45. van der Heijden, G.J. (2010). A 12-week aerobic exercise program reduces hepatic fat accumulation and insulin resistance in obese, Hispanic adolescents. Obesity (Silver Spring), 18(2), 384-390. doi: 10.1038/oby.2009.274.


The GMI Research Group (GMIRG) is dedicated to investigating the most important health and environmental issues of the day.  Special emphasis will be placed on environmental health.  Our focused and deep research will explore the many ways in which the present condition of the human body directly reflects the true state of the ambient environment.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Is Fructose Really That Bad for YOu?








Is fructose really that bad for you?

By Dr. Ronald Hoffman



I remember a time in the 70s and 80s when I was just getting started in the field of nutrition when fructose was considered a harmless sweetener for diabetics. Marketed as “diabetic sugar,” fructose syrup was dispensed in clear plastic containers and consumed with impunity by persons with blood sugar problems. 

The embrace of fructose as an alternative to glucose was fostered by the observation that it evoked a lower blood sugar response than other sweeteners. Fructose was found to have one of the lowest glycemic index (GI) values—20, as compared to glucose, and its disaccharide maltose—100 and 105 respectively. 

One putative advantage of fructose was that it seemed to get “under the radar” of the body’s insulin responses. Fructose—unlike sucrose, glucose, malt sugars and starches—not requiring insulin for its metabolism, did not appear to stoke the insulin surges which could lead to insulin resistance, a pathway to metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes. 

This led the American Diabetes Association to endorse fructose as a preferable alternative to other sugars from 1979 to 2001—albeit with a caution about high intakes. 

All this changed in 2004 with the publication of a landmark review—one of the most frequently cited in nutrition literature—entitled “Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.” 

The paper noted a striking concordance between the popularization of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener—ubiquitous in sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, candies, and processed foods—and the incidence of obesity. The authors advanced the notion that fructose’s ability to circumvent insulin metabolism was actually a liability, causing it to elude the body’s natural satiety mechanisms. 

A problem associated with high fructose consumption was “de novo lipogenesis” in the liver—literally the body’s ability to transform sugar into fat. In the liver this would lead to fatty liver; in the bloodstream it would generate high triglycerides; and the adipose tissue would store surplus body fat. 

Moreover, it was found that fructose uniquely fed the uric acid synthesis pathway, leading to higher risk of gout. That’s why I caution patients with gout to not just avoid dietary purines from meats, but also excess fructose from soda, candy and fruit juice. 

But fructose-phobia has gone a little too far. I vividly recall a patient who indignantly returned a bottle of zinc lozenges because each lozenge was sweetened with 3 grams of fructose (for reference, 1 medium apple has 12.6 grams of fructose). 

So strong was the backlash against high-fructose corn syrup that the sugar industry attempted to “rebrand” it as “corn sugar”—a move that was rejected in 2012 by the FDA

Now, in a surprising reversal, this month’s edition of the authoritative American Journal of Nutrition offers a robust vindication of fructose. In a pair of articles, it was demonstrated that when fructose was substituted for glucose, it did not result in a rise in triglycerides. Moreover, fasting blood sugar was slightly lowered, as was hemoglobin A1C, a measure of long-term sugar control. 

One explanation for these seemingly paradoxical results was that fructose is sweeter-tasting than glucose; thus, a smaller amount of fructose may suffice to satisfy a sweet-tooth. 

Another possibility is that fructose appears to have a “catalytic” effect on sugar metabolism in the liver; it may help diabetics utilize sugar as fuel more efficiently. This is said to outweigh the tendency of fructose to generate fat. 

How do we reconcile these disparate views of the healthfulness of fructose? 

First, it must be kept in mind that humans are genetically programmed to consume moderate amounts of fructose in such “Paleo” foods as fresh fruit and even wild-gathered honey. But modern fruits that were not available to our ancestors are now systematically bred for sweetness. Domesticated vegetables—also revved-up versions of their prehistoric forerunners—like corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, snap peas and tomatoes, also deliver some fructose. 

But by far the biggest sources of fructose in the modern diet are from sodas and processed foods like candy, cakes and cookies, sauces, jams, jellies and fruit spreads, dressings, and fruit juices. Even “natural” sweeteners like agave are laden with fructose. Keep in mind that while high-fructose corn syrup sounds bad, it only delivers slightly more fructose than table sugar, which is half fructose/half glucose. So switching to Coke made with “pure cane sugar” to avoid high fructose corn syrup won’t help you much. 

It’s the relatively recent incorporation (since the 1970s) of cheap, corn-derived fructose in all manner of modern foods, resulting in a soaring per capita consumption of sugar calories, that may be responsible for fructose’s bad rap. 

The problem may not be fructose per se, but with our overall high consumption of refined carbohydrates. The authors of the new exoneration of fructose admit 

“ . . . when fructose supplements diets with excess calories compared to the same diets alone without the excess calories, it leads to weight gain and all of its downstream cardiometabolic disturbances, including an increase in fasting glucose, . . . insulin resistance, apolipoprotein B, [elevated] triglycerides, uric acid, and markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.” 

So you don’t need to avoid fructose as if it were a poison, but strive to keep your consumption to less than 35-50 grams per day (perhaps even less if you’re trying to lose weight by going very low-carb). That means 2-3 servings of fresh fruit per day are OK, but minimize honey, jams, jellies and fruit spreads, dried fruits, sodas, and fruit juice. Read labels to spot added high fructose corn syrup in such products as ketchup, relish, tomato sauce and salad dressings. Note that most breakfast cereals are laced with high-fructose corn syrup, in addition to delivering a jolt of rapidly-digestible starch. 

(An exception where more stringent fructose avoidance is called for might be fructose malabsorption—wherein sufferers experience gas, bloating, and diarrhea when consuming fructose-rich foods. This is usually diagnosed via a breath test, or alternatively, after a trial of strict fructose elimination relieves symptoms.) 

It goes against the fundamental laws of nutrition that a single dietary component, like saturated fat, animal protein, or wheat, can be precisely targeted as a universal causal agent of human disease. 

Thus: The fewer other forms of sugar, candy, pastry, ice cream, frozen desserts, and refined carbs you consume, the less damage, if any, a little dietary fructose will inflict.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Flu Shots

  • The Disgusting Stuff in Flu Shots

POSTED BY: SHERRI TENPENNY, DO 08/23/2017
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Dr. Tenpenny has JUST released her newest eBook. CHALLENGING THE VACCINE DOGMA. I encourage everyone to join the Vaxxter newsletter and get your FREE copy before it is gone. Begin MailChimp Signup Form
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By Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO, AOBNMM, ABIHM
It’s that time again: the hype has begun to push flu shots into the arms of everyone, from six-month-old infants to 96-year-old grandparents. Flu vaccines have been around since the 1930s when it was discovered that the influenza viruses grew well in eggs and could be harvested for a vaccine. Flu shots contain stray, potentially cancer-causing stray viruses and the multi-dose vials remain loaded with mercury. For nearly 90 years, this disgusting slurry has annually been injected into humans. Truth is, the long-term consequences of this action are completely unknown.
For the 2017-18 flu season, there will be a variety of 10 different flu shots made by five different manufacturers:
  • Seqirus: Afluria, Fluad, FluVirin, FlucelVax
  • Protein Sciences: FluBlok
  • MedImmune: FluMist, (again this year, the intranasal vaccine is not approved for use.)
  • GlascoSmithKlein (GSK):  FluLaval, Fluarix (both are quadrivalent)
  • Sanofi Pasteur (SP): Fluzone, Fluzone Intradermal, Fluzone High-Dose for seniors
Each of vaccine has its own unique spin: Different ingredients, individualized manufacturing processes, and even age-specific utilization guidelines. It’s gotten so complicated that websites have been created to sort by age of patient, allergens, how the shots are delivered and which vial has three or four strains.
A flu shot ain’t just a flu shot anymore.
Selecting the Vaccine Viral Strains
Deciding which strains to be included in the annual flu shot is a global affair. Active surveillance and infection trends are gathered by 122 national influenza centers in 94 countries. The data are analyzed by the four World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers located in Atlanta, London, Melbourne, and Tokyo. Of the hundreds of strains and substrains of influenza viruses in circulation, the WHO chooses strains that were the most prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season last year.  The flu shot has historically consisted of three viral strains: two influenza A viral strains and one strain of influenza B. Beginning last year, 11 of the currently approved vaccines are quadrivalent, with another strain of influenza B added to the mixture.
The production of influenza vaccine generally begins in March for the Northern Hemisphere. Scientists use an educated guess – a kin to a crystal ball – to predict which viruses will be most prevalent 8 months later, when the vials of vaccine are ready for use and shipped to providers. Not only is the selection of viruses tricky, preparing the virus for use gets even more complicated.
Processing the virus for use
After the annual strains, called “the seed viruses,” are selected, the three/four viruses are tested for their ability grow in eggs. If one of the seed viruses propagates poorly, it is mixed with a stock influenza that does grow well in eggs. Each influenza A virus consists of eight distinct genes. Combining a seed virus with a stock virus can create up to 256 (28) new viruses. Researchers are then tasked with identifying which of these 256 recombinants has an (H) antigen on its surface that matchs the seed virus AND has the internal genes of the egg-growing stock virus. From there, the selected hybrids are sent to the manufacturers and the process begins.
Every year the CDC says that if the vaccine virus isn’t a “close match” to the viruses in circulation, the flu shot will be less effective, leading to increased illness, increased hospitalizations, and even an increased number of deaths. But if the vaccine viruses are a man-made mixture, how can they be a “close match”? For those who preach, “get your flu shot!”, how close is close enough?
During the 2014-15 season, the flu shot effectiveness was only 19%; during the 2015-16 season, it was only slightly better at 47%, truly about the same as a toss of a coin. But how often does the influenza vaccine really have a chance at keeping you from contracting an influenza infection?
Flu-like Symptoms are not “the flu”
Most people think they have the flu if they become ill with flu-like symptoms: a headache, body aches, chills, cough, and fever. But there are more than 200 viruses and other pathogens that can cause “influenza-like illnesses,” defined as fever (temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) and a cough and/or a sore throat caused by a pathogen other than influenza virus. Such causes can include enterovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and a long list of streptococcal bacterial strains. When an influenza vaccine is injected, the antibodies are specific for influenza viruses. The vaccine will have no effect – yes, nearly zero! – against other pathogens.
Influenza viruses are the only viruses that cause the flu. Influenza-like illness is not influenza illness. This is why you can get the flu shot and still get what appears to be “The Flu.”
So, how often are flu-like symptoms actually caused by influenza viruses?
Good question.
Knowing that each week thousands of nasal and throat swabs from ill persons are sent to CDC Centers to be tested to determine the type of pathogen causing the patient’s symptoms, I examined the CDC’s Weekly Flu Activity and Surveillance Reports. The government loves to track of numbers and data, and these reports are a prime example of your tax dollars at work. Going through each report was a tedious task, but the results are important – and very telling – identifying WHY the influenza vaccine is completely unnecessary.
For example, in the 2015-16 flu season, 639,456 samples were tested. Only 64,921, or 10.15%, of the samples were positive for influenza virus. Over a 19 year period of time, millions of samples have been tested and on average, influenza symptoms have been caused by influenza viruses only 15.34% of the time.
Meaning, if you really believe the flu shot keeps you from getting the flu, it would be protective only 15% of the time. Said another way, if you get an influenza-like illness, you have an 85% chance that the bug making you sick is not an influenza virus.  
Here’s a link to a pdf file  I created using the CDC’s own data. If you’re a healthcare worker, print this chart. Take it to your boss. Serious side effects can occur from the flu shot, including Guillain-Barre syndrome and brachial neuritis with very little benefit to you, or to the hospitalized patients you serve.
Post Production of Flu Shots
After the hybrid virus has been chosen from the mix, the virus is inserted into the membranes of fertilized eggs. Eleven days later, the slurry is extracted and centrifuged to remove as much blood and tissue as possible. The details of this process were described previously in my article, “The Disgusting Chicken Stuff in Vaccines” found here. 
Prior to filling the vials with the vaccine solution, the following list of ingredients are added. Different flu shots contain different types and amounts of particulate matter. Even the amount of HA viral antigen can vary, from only 15 mcg in Fluad to 135 mcg in FluBlok. Unless you read specific package insert for the specific injection you (or your children) are about to receive, you won’t know what’s coming through that needle:
  • Chicken proteins – disgusting chicken stuff in vaccines
  • Chicken DNA
  • Avian (stealth) viruses – retroviruses from the SPF-eggs
  • Antibiotics
  • Chemicals and buffers
  • Triton X-100 – a detergent
  • Hydrocortisone – in the culture medium
  • MSG – in FluMist – this chemical goes up your nose!
  • Polysorbate 80 – can cause infertility; can also cross the blood-brain barrier
  • Sucrose – makes the vaccine more viscous
  • Synthetic Vitamin E – highly inflammatory adjuvant
  • Gelatin – known to cause anaphylaxis
  • Thimerosal – mercury – 25 mcg per dose when given from a multi-dose vial
Each of the ingredients listed above have the potential for causing serious side effects that will be discussed in detail in future releases of this series.
Manufacturers moving away from eggs
As previously discussed, manufacturing flu shots from eggs is time-consuming and only allows one “crop” per year. First described in the mid-1990s and still in early stages, all major players in the vaccine industry are moving toward the use of cell cultures to replace egg-based vaccines, particularly flu shots. With cell lines, production can be rapidly scaled up in times when the government thinks there is an emergency and needs more flu shots.  Below are the cell lines currently used for flu shots.
Insect cells
sIn 2013, the FDA approved the first influenza vaccine – FluBlok – produced in ovaries taken from fall army worms.  The manufacturer extracts the HA gene from this year’s seed virus and combines it with another virus, called a bacteriophage. This second virus only infects insects. Then the recombinant virus is grown in billions of cells derived from the fall armyworm. The infected worm ovaries churn out large quantities of the desired HA protein, and within three weeks, the manufacturer extracts and “purifies” the virus, readying it for insertion into the season’s vaccine.
Two immediate problems come to mind: 
  1. How exact is this match when the human influenza virus is combined with an insect-infecting virus?
  2. How much insect DNA is incorporated into the final solution? The amount of egg protein and bovine albumin is listed on package inserts, even if it is only a fraction of a nanogram. How much insect DNA is coming through that needle?
Dog kidney cells
Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were first isolated from a healthy female cocker spaniel in 1958. The cells were immortalized, meaning they have been dividing in perpetuity since that time. A continually dividing cell, by definition, has the ability to form tumors or undergo an oncogenic transformation. The FDA is well aware of this and has held several summits regarding the use of neoplastic cell for the production of vaccines.  For example, as far back as 1998, the Center for Biologic Education and Research (CBER) and the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Committee (VRBPAC), both divisions within the FDA, discussed the use of neoplastic and tumor-causing cells for vaccine manufacture. They concluded an arbitrary amount of tumor-causing DNA – up to 10ng – would be allowed in vaccines.
The first human influenza vaccine using MDCK cells was licensed in the Netherlands in 2001 (Influvac). This vaccine is no longer in production. Currently, FluCelVax, manufactured by Seqirus in partnership with Novartis, is the only FDA approved flu shot available in the US made from dog cells. 
I hope that the information above will be enough to convince you, your family and your friends to never get another flu shot. I hope you will use these facts to confront a system forcing you to be injected with this disgusting solution. We have installed a print icon at the bottom of each article. Share with friends both through social media and by handing out the article in person.

In the mean time, wash your hands, avoid refined foods particularly white sugar, take at least 3000 mg of Vitamin C ascorbate daily and have your Vitamin D level checked (the level should be 80-100ng/ml to be protective.) By following these simple steps, you’ll be well this winter without a flu shot. 

Brain Regeneration

Brain Regeneration: Why It's Real & How To Do It
4Posted on: Thursday, August 24th 2017 at 6:30 am
Written By: Sayer Ji, Founder
This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2017

Have you ever wished you could regenerate those brain cells you sacrificed in college? Do you fear that your aging brain is in a perpetual state of decline? Medical science is being rewritten to show that we CAN improve the health of our brain, and that repairing damage is not only possible, it’s something anyone can do.
It is a commonly held misconception that the brain is beyond repair. Even the medical establishment has asserted that once we kill brain cells, they are gone forever. The fact is, the brain can repair itself, and as science is now proving, there is real benefit to simple practices that can help keep our brains sharp and elastic throughout our lifetime.
Rewriting the Story of Brain Health
The field of cognitive neuroscience is relatively new - only around one hundred years old - so it’s no surprise that we are constantly arriving at a newer and better understanding of how the neural circuitry of the human brain supports overall brain functioning.
For most of those one hundred years, it was believed that once damaged, the brain could not regenerate. Brain cells were finite, and any loss or injury would be suffered as a deficiency for the rest of that person’s life. This created a false belief that the brain is essentially in a perpetual state of decline.
Although compelling evidence to the contrary was presented as early as 1960, medical dogma was (and is) slow to change. It wasn’t until the 1980’s when Fernando Nottebohm’s research at Rockefeller University clearly indicated that neurogenesis - production of new nerve cells, aka neurons - was taking place in the adult vertebrate brain.
The next big step in this scientific evolution would take more than thirty years. However, the pace of our understanding of how the brain is wired was about to take a quantum leap.
Our Elastic Brain
The growth of new neurons in an adult, mammalian brain was first seen in 1992, when scientists isolated neural stem cells from mice in a Petri dish. This regeneration was then replicated thousands of times in a variety of published studies over the next twenty-five years.
It is now accepted in the medical scientific community that the adult brain is capable of growing new neurons and glial cells, something previously disbelieved by the medical establishment. The brain is now considered to be resilient, pliable - plastic.
The term neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to “rewire” itself through practice of a desired skill. It is the combination of new cells and new learning that creates this magic. When fresh nerve cells are well-stimulated (i.e., trained through specific learning exercises) they make new connections. In other words, they become healthy brain cells that contribute to learning and the development of new skills.
Just like the muscles of the body, when the brain is well-nourished and stimulated through proper exercise, it heals and grows. And with proper care and feeding, this amazing brain regeneration can occur throughout life.
To help make this a “no-brainer”, GreenMedInfo has compiled a simple list of ways you can safeguard brain health, stimulate new brain cell growth, and even heal the brain.
1.  Get Lots of Physical Exercise
When you hear the phrase “train your brain”, you probably don’t think of lifting weights. Turns out, physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body, and your brain.
The brain benefits of exercise are two-fold. First, the brain is a voracious consumer of glucose and oxygen, with no ability to store excess for later use. A continual supply of these nutrients is needed to maintain optimal functioning.
Physical exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, delivering a boost of fresh oxygen and glucose to hungry brain cells. A 2014 study showed that just 30 minutes of moderate cardio was enough to boost cognitive functioning in adult brains of all ages.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Exercise is believed to stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis: new cell growth in the region of the brain associated with long-term memory and emotions. Healthy cell growth in this region is important to the aging brain, and believed to help prevent cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
2.  Use Stress Reduction Techniques
Our modern world runs on stress, so the need to unwind is easy to understand. What you might not be aware of, is just how damaging continual immersion in the fight or flight hormones of stress can be to your brain.
Stress is one of the top factors in age-related cognitive decline. This makes engaging in regularly scheduled leisure activities not just a fun thing to do, but an important step towards ensuring optimal brain health.
You don’t need to look far to find ways to de-stress. Let your interests guide you. The key to picking brain-healthy pastimes is to avoid passive activities like watching TV, and instead choose stimulating hobbies that engage the brain through patterns, puzzles, and problem-solving.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry found that activities such as playing games, reading books, and crafts like quilting and knitting reduced rates of cognitive impairment by up to 50 percent.
Engaging with art also ranks high on the list of brain-healthy hobbies. Studies prove that once again, it’s not enough to be a passive observer. To get the brain-boost, we must engage.
In a German study reported in the journal PLOS One, researchers studied two groups: a group who observed art, and a group that produced art. The study concluded that compared to those who observed art, the art producers demonstrated increased interactivity between the frontal and parietal cortices of the brain. This increased brain connectivity translates to enhanced psychological resilience in the group of art producers. In other words, their ability to resist the negative effects of stress improved.
Looking for a more low-key way to unwind? How about playing beautiful music or sitting in quiet contemplation? Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and even build resistance to feelings of anxiety and depression. And while listening to music may seem like a passive activity, research suggests that the act of listening to musical patterns facilitates brain neurogenesis.
Both meditation and listening to music affect the secretion of key hormones which enhance brain plasticity, thus changing the very way we respond to stress. Talk about good medicine!
3. Take Strategic Supplements
Turmeric
You probably know at least one person who raves about the health benefits of turmeric. This deep, orange root has been used as a panacea for everything from soothing joint pain and calming inflammation, to lowering the risk of heart disease. And our awareness of the benefits of this ancient medicinal herb continues to grow.
Turmeric is an example of a remyelinating compound, which denotes a substance with proven nerve-regenerative effects.

Remyelinating compounds work to repair the protective sheath around the nerve bundle known as myelin, an area often damaged in autoimmune and vaccine-induced disorders. Research shows that even small doses of these restorative substances can produce significant nerve regeneration.
The Western model of pharmaceutical intervention has created a culture that seeks to identify and isolate the “active ingredient” of an organic substance. What this fails to account for is that organic compounds often work in concert: isolates by themselves may lack a critical key that another plant element provides.
Cucurmin is the isolated active ingredient in turmeric, however, new research shows that another element found in turmeric has magical properties of its own.
In an exciting study published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy, researchers found that a little-known component within turmeric, Ar-tumerone, may make "a promising candidate to support regeneration in neurologic disease."
The study found that when brain cells were exposed to ar-tumerone, neural stem cells increased in number and complexity, indicating a healing effect was taking place. This effect was replicated in rats, who when exposed to ar-tumerone saw increased neural stem cell production and the generation of healthy new brain cells.
Green Tea
A 2014 paper studying the active compounds in green tea (known as catechins, a main class of micronutrient), determined that green tea catechins are not only antioxidant and neuroprotective, they actually stimulate the brain to produce more neurons.
Because of this therapeutic effect on damaged regions of the brain, green tea has been shown to have exciting implications in the treatment of 'incurable' neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. This prompted researchers to declare green tea catechins  "...a highly useful complementary approach.." in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Further investigation of green tea examined a combination of blueberry, green tea and carnosine, and found it to promote growth of new neurons and brain stem cells, in an animal model of neurodegenerative disease.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is considered a powerhouse in the herbal medicine pharmacopoeia, and its implications for brain health are equally potent. Ginkgo has demonstrated at least 50 distinct health benefits, and its medicinal value is documented in the treatment of more than 100 different diseases.
There are numerous studies on Ginkgo's ability to stimulate levels of a critical brain protein called BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein affects healing in damaged regions of the brain and is essential in the regulation, growth and survival of brain cells, making it especially important for long-term memory.
Ginkgo is so effective that a 2006 paper published in the European Journal of Neurology found it to be as useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease as the blockbuster drug, Donepezil.
Recently, a new mechanism behind Ginkgo biloba's brain healing properties came to light with the publication of an article in Cell and Molecular Neurobiology. Researchers determined that Ginkgo is effective, in part, due to its ability to modulate neural stem cells (NSC’s) into the type of cell that is necessary in the specific region of the brain where the BDNF proteins are active.
NSC’s are multipotent cells; they have the amazing ability to shapeshift into any of the many different phenotypes of cells that make up the brain. Ginkgo stimulates the growth of the right cell phenotype for the affected region of the brain, giving our brain exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed. Now that’s intelligent medicine!
4. Eat Your Veggies
Want to stimulate brain cell regrowth while you’re having lunch? Add some freshly steamed broccoli to your plate!
Science has added a substance called sulforaphane, found in sulfur-rich vegetables such as broccoli, to the growing list of neuritogenic substances that have been documented to stimulate nerve growth in the brain.
The study, published in the journal Genesis, reveals that sulforaphane, in addition to stimulating new nerve growth, has demonstrated significant healing properties as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, as well as preventing disease and death of healthy neurons.
Adding to the excitement surrounding these findings, researchers observed the beneficial effect on neural stem cells that results in their differentiation to specific, useful types of neurons, lending powerful support to the hypothesis that sulforaphane stimulates brain repair.
Vegetables containing sulforaphane include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard leaves, radish, turnips, watercress, and bok choy. For therapeutic benefit, try to consume at least 3 cups per day, raw or cooked.
5. Employ Continuous Learning
Aging is often associated with cognitive decline, both in research and anecdotal evidence. However, a growing body of literature shows that retaining a sharp, lucid brain means never retiring our critical thinking skills.
The need to continually challenge and expand our thinking was demonstrated in the aforementioned 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry. In this study, the leisure time activities of a group of older adults (ages 70-89) were monitored for effect on mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
The study determined that the level of complexity of the activity was key to its effectiveness at preventing MCI. Working with computers, reading books, and activities associated with patterns and problem-solving contributed to a significant decrease in the odds of developing of MCI. Less stimulating activities showed no statistical effect. This stresses the importance of feeling challenged and stimulated by the activities we pursue as we age.
These findings were reinforced by a 2014 study of nearly 3,000 volunteers, spanning more than a decade. This study examined the potential long-term benefit of cognitive training in older adults. Results showed that participants demonstrated enhanced brain processing speed and reasoning skills for up to ten years after the training was completed.
These tangible brain benefits spilled over into daily life and were measured in the participant’s ability to complete normal daily tasks, such as personal finances, meal preparation, and personal care routines. Said of the study, “The idea is, the more stimulating your environment, the more you’re increasing the complexity of your brain.”
For more information on ways to keep your brain healthy, visit GreenMedInfo’s brain health research database.

Sayer Ji is founder of Greenmedinfo.com, a reviewer at the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Co-founder and CEO of Systome Biomed, Vice Chairman of the Board of the National Health Federation, Steering Committee Member of the Global Non-GMO Foundation.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.
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