AUGUST 6 - 7, 2011 SPIRITUALITY AND THE MIND

"Spirituality is not something you learn, it is something you experience."

For those who are spiritual, I do not know if there is anything I can say. For those of you who are not spiritual or do not meditate, I invite you to try. I was raised in the Roman Catholic religion. My family attended church every Sunday. I even attended Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday masses with my Nanny. I 'gave up' candy during Lent as a child. My mother had my brother and I dress up for Sunday children's mass with Father Peter Gelsimino. Do I have religion in my life today? The answer is yes and no. I am very spiritual. I believe in one greater than myself. I call him G.O.D. It is not the same G.O.D. from my childhood. It is the G.O.D. of my understanding. I came to understand about this G.O.D. during my twelve step program.

For me, I do not need a church to pray. I pray every day. I can be at home on the terrace, in Central Park, in a church near work, on the beach or even in a synagogue when I pray. The surroundings do not matter. I will pray either in a sitting position or a kneeling position. I often start with a prayer before I meditate. It might be as simple as the serenity prayer.

It might even be The Promises from the AA Big Book, pages 83 and 84. It states this:

We are going to know a new Freedom and a new Happiness. We will not regret the past nor shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word Serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that GOD is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant Promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.

They will always materialize if we work for them.

These promises get me through the most difficult days. Anyone can read it, recite it and even leave a copy in his/her wallet. (I pulled out the copy from my wallet when I couldn't remember the phrase after 'self-seeking will slip away')


Speaking about the mind...

In 1907 Alois Alzheimer first described the condition named after him: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) This is a progressive disease that causes memory loss, disorientation, depression and loss of control over bodily functions. The earliest event in AD is oxidative damage to the brain. I want to discuss the association of high cholesterol and AD. Studies show that a high cholesterol is associated with AD with a latency period of 15-30 years. This is an independent risk factor for AD. There is a genetic test available- ApoE gene. Those individuals who have ApoE gene 4/4 have an increased risk of developing AD. Some suggest that statin drugs (those drugs that help block cholesterol production) may prevent or delay AD onset. To date, all of these studies using statin drugs to delay or prevent have not shown it to be beneficial. I do know that some physicians still prescribe statin drugs for AD.

I would rather prescribe a lipid management supplement that contains policosanol, plant sterols, guggulipids, and red rice yeast (from plant Monacus purpurus). I call this product Cardiol L forte (available at http://www.longevitynutritionals.com/) Free radical damage causes neurol death. The policosanol in this product has a stronger inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation than statins and has no side effects. This was studied in 6,000 patients who were followed for 5 years.

Until tomorrow...

OCTOBER 26, 2010 RED YEAST RICE- TRUE OR FALSE

"Life is not a race but an experience; it is not an exercise but an adventure."

Thanks Karen.

I wish I had read this quote years ago. I felt while in college that I was in a race. I was a horse with blinders. I studied, read, studied, and read. It was an experience, but a grueling one. In residency, we didn't have laws we have today. As young physicians after medical school we were expected to sometimes work 48 hours straight without sleep. There were even 72 hr shifts. Not today. As I get odler I trying to balance. I want to balance my life. I need equal time for taking care of myself. I was once told by a famous actress, "GOD gave you two hands--one to help your patients and the other to help yourself." Today I try to help myself at every opportunity. The 12 promises of a 12 step program have come true. Beyond my wildest dreams, but equally these promises have slipped away, and they return if I work at it. Life is not an exercise, it is an adventure and each of must ride the roller coaster of life. No one said it would be easy.
Do you enjoy your life? If the answer is not a solid yes--then try to change.



There is much talk about red yeast rice in lowering cholesterol. Let's clean up the story a bit. There are many statin type drugs on the market today such as Mevacor, Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor. These reduce two risk factors for cardiovascular disease: inflammation and high cholesterol levels. Statins lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which is needed to produce cholesterol in the liver.

It’s less clear how statins reduce inflammation, but research suggests that this once-overlooked property may be as much or more responsible for these drugs’ apparent – if oversold – cardiovascular benefits. Inflammation is the key more than just lowering the number. It is not about a number. It is about particle size of both the LDL (bad) and the HDL (good) choelsterol.

You must realize that statins are simply synthetic, patentable versions of the active compounds in red yeast rice … a traditional Chinese remedy that dates back to the Tang Dynasty, circa 800 A.D. Red yeast rice is not to be confused with yeast. Red yeast rice is a plant. If you are following a yeast-free diet you can take red yeast rice to lower your cholesterol. I have used red yeast rice for years in my practice. I find it very effective with fewer side effects than statins. Remember some of the major statin side effect are increased liver enzymes on a blood test, muscle aches, cramps, fatigue, insomnia and decreased sex drive.

Red yeast rice (RYR) contains several compounds collectively known as monacolins, known to reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver by inhibiting the same enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that statins interfere with. When Japanese scientists discovered that red yeast rice lowers cholesterol very effectively, western drug companies rushed to patent synthetic versions of its monacolins, which became known as “statins”. So again, pharmaceutical companies jumped on the band wagon of natural plant therapies.

Red yeast rice extract has been sold as a natural cholesterol-lowering agent in over the counter supplements, such as Cholestin™. Originally the pharmaceuitcl company that made Mevacor had a legal suit against the red yeast rice companies. Red yeast rice was not sold for some years, but now it is available again. Conventional doctors sometimes recommend it to patients who can't tolerate statin drugs, and some people see red yeast rice extract as a safer natural alternative to statins. Has your doctor recommemded red yeast rice? There has been a battle with the FDA over the legal status of red yeast rice (drug or dietary supplement?), and the producers of pharmaceutical statins have sued to halt sales of red yeast rice supplements.

The researchers began their report by affirming that red yeast rice can be an effective alternative to statin drugs, in terms of lowering blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol: “Several studies have shown that specific formulations of red yeast rice reduce LDL cholesterol significantly compared with placebo. This is likely related to the effects of monacolin K and the 13 other monacolins in the supplement, which … lower the production of cholesterol in the liver.” (Gordon RY et al. 2010) So why not try red yeast rice (Monecus purpurus)?

As always, which is the best red yeast rice product? Are there difference in vitamins bought at GNC, WallMart or CVS? Yes there is! Tests showed very wide variations in the levels of monacolins found in various red yeast rice supplements.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and www.ConsumerLab.com measured monacolin levels in 12 commercial red yeast rice supplements. The checked for the presence of citrinin, a fungal toxin that can harm the kidneys.

Across the 12 products, levels of total monacolins ranged from 0.31mg to 11.15mg per capsule … a 36-fold difference. So you see there is a difference. I do prefer quality vitamin companies. For this reason I have combined red yeast rice with guggulipids and plant sterols in my own formula. I call this Cardio L Forte. I highly recommend this web site www.longevitynutritionals.com.

The levels of monacolin K varied – the most potent monacolin, which is patented and sold by prescription as lovastatin (Mevacor) – ranged from 0.10 milligrams to 10.09 milligrams per capsule … a 100-fold variance. There was also variable amounts of citrinin in the formulations. Four of the formulations had “elevated” levels of citrinin, though probably not high enough to pose an actual health threat.

These variations in the quality have led to a bad conclusion. “Although RYR may have potential as an alternative lipid-lowering agent, our findings suggest the need for improved standardization of RYR products and product labeling.”

As they said, “Until this occurs, physicians should be cautious in recommending RYR to their patients for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.” (Gordon RY et al. 2010)

Until tomorrow...