Natural Way to Health

Dr. David Brownsteins

Achieving & Maintaining Your Optimal Health

June 2008

alt is bad for you, right? Salt causes hypertension, doesnt it? We would all be healthier if salt was eliminated from our diet, correct?

Exploding the Myths Around Salt and Your Health

Then a curious thing happened.

Vol. 1, Issue 2

low-salt diet because their food tasted too bland.

Well, the surprising answer to the above questions is an emphatic no. There are many myths and untruths about salt, and I will try and dispel them in this months newsletter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration thinks salt is harmful. In fact, it is making waves about regulating salt as a dangerous substance. The problem is that the FDA is not looking at the difference between refined and unrefined salt. In typical FDA fashion, regulators have lumped all salt products together. You should, in fact, avoid one particular form of salt. But the salt you should avoid is refined salt, because it is a toxic, devitalized substance that has no dietary value. Unrefined salt, however, is an important part of a holistic treatment regimen. I was taught in medical school that salt was bad. The medical school professors beat it into our heads that Americans eat too much salt, resulting in an epidemic of high blood pressure. I was taught that consuming salt was responsible for swelling of the body and exacerbating Mnires disease an inner ear disease with symptoms including vertigo, ringing of the ears and severe dizziness as well as a host of other negative effects on the body. After medical school, I routinely told my patients to avoid all salt. Many patients did try to eliminate salt from their diets. What was the result of eliminating salt from the diet? Did their blood pressure lower? Were they healthier? Unfortunately, the answer was again no. I saw little clinical benefit from a low-salt diet. And most of my patients had a difficult time staying on a

The Dangers of the Low-Salt Diet

When I began practicing holistic medicine, I started to look at the mineral levels of my patients. I was shocked at what I found. Nearly every patient had multiple mineral (as well as vitamin) deficiencies. In fact, those with chronic illness were often more mineral-deficient than those who were comparatively well. This shouldnt be surprising. Minerals are necessary for life itself: Our bodies cannot optimally function without an adequate supply of minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, and chloride all important minerals in our body. Without these items we cannot build strong bones and muscles or have an optimally functioning immune system. You might be asking yourself, What does this have to do with salt? In my search for more safe and effective natural remedies, I came across an article about unrefined salt. I

In This Issue . . .
 The Dangers of the Low-Salt Diet  Salt, the Nutrient You Need Most  Why Is Salt Refined?  Dr. Bs Case History of the Month  Overcoming Thyroid Disorders Part II  In the News  Treating Hypothyroidism  Ask Dr. Brownstein 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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June 2008

was intrigued. What I did not know was that unrefined salt contains more than 80 essential minerals. I also did not know that unrefined salt helps to raise the pH of the body that is, it makes your body more alkaline, more balanced. Before using any type of salt in my practice, I needed to research the subject. I was surprised at what I found. For instance, I did not know there were huge differences in various types of salt. When I started to use unrefined salt in my practice, I immediately saw many positive health benefits in my patients. Many with high blood pressure actually saw their blood pressure drop. Unrefined salt also improved the immune system and helped in other areas of the body.

thirsty. Too little water, and too little salt, disrupts the ability of your cells to release waste products which should be going to your kidneys. The end result of dehydration and not enough salt is cellular decline and death.

Salt, the Nutrient You Need Most

Salt is an amazing, natural remedy. The key to understanding its power is to first understand the important differences between specific types of salt. As previously mentioned, the media, Big Pharma, the American Medical Association, and most other conventional medical organizations, will tell you that salt is bad for you.

You would be healthier if you avoided salt, they say. In order to understand the benefits of good, You wont get hypertension if you avoid salt, they claim. unrefined salt for the body, you must first understand However, all salt is not created equally. Just the importance of water to your body. as there are many different brands of, say, Water and salt are intimately connected. That a lowcars or televisions, there are many differences The human body is approximately 70 salt diet in various brands of salt you can buy today. percent water, and the brain is roughly 80 percent water. We are all familiar with refined salt. could prevent Nearly every house has a container of it in The adult body has approximately hypertension the pantry and a shaker on the kitchen table 250 grams of salt in it. A baby has 14 is a dangerous and by the counter when we cook. grams. Water and salt work together to do important work, including stimulating metabolism, improving detoxification, and transporting nutrients, as well as looking after the optimal functioning of the hormonal, nervous and immune systems.

fallacy for most Americans

Water is a big part of this puzzle. People today are often dehydrated without realizing it, and they are not aware of the dangers of dehydration. Water is key to optimal brain function, and it allows the brain to flush out toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, people drink all kinds of things that end up pulling water out of their body, like caffeinated coffee, tea and soda, as well as high-sugar juices. The problem with dehydration goes beyond simply being

Refined salt has been harvested mechanically from various salt mines as brine, essentially a highly concentrated solution of salt and water. Prior to mechanical evaporation, the brine is often treated with chemicals to remove the minerals, which are sold to industry. Those minerals which, by the way, your body needs are referred to as impurities in salt. Then harsh chemicals, such as sulfuric acid or chlorine, are used to bleach the salt white. Finally, all of the fluid is removed in a big bed-type dryer.

All food-grade salt available in the United States must comply with the National Academy of Sciences Food

Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health is a publication of Newsmax Media, Inc., and Newsmax.com. It is published monthly at a charge of $49.00 per year and is offered online and in print through Newsmax.com. Our editorial ofces are located at 560 Village Boulevard, Ste. 120, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409. The owner, publisher and editor are not responsible for errors and omissions. Rights of reproduction and distribution of this newsletter are reserved. Any authorized reproduction or distribution of information contained herein, including storage and retrieval system posted on the Internet, is expressly forbidden without the consent of Newsmax Media. For permission, contact the publisher at : PO Box 20989, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416. CEO Christopher Ruddy Publisher Nicholas Moccia Author David Brownstein, M.D. Contributing Editor Greg Brown Production/Art Director Elizabeth Dole To contact Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health send e-mail to: askdrdavid@newsmax.com. Subscription/Customer Service contact 1-800-485-4350 or naturalway@newsmax. com. Send e-mail address changes to naturalway@newsmax.com 2008 Newsmax Media, all rights reserved. Please note that this advice is generic and not specic to any individual. You should consult with your doctor before undertaking any medical or nutritional course of action.

June 2008

Chemicals Codex Sodium Chloride Monograph. Sounds like a guarantee of quality, but really it breaks down like this: The final purity of food-grade salt is between 99.7 percent to 99.95 percent pure. In this case, pure means the level of sodium and chloride in the salt. Typically, thats 60 percent chloride, 39 percent sodium, and up to 2 percent additives. That 2 percent level of additives may contain anticaking, free flowing, or conditioning agents. These agents may include sodium ferrocyanide, ammonium citrate, and aluminum silicate. None of these products, however, provide any benefits to your body. A tiny amount, 0.1 percent, is iodide. Dextrose, also known as refined sugar, is used as a stabilizer so that iodide will stay in the salt. The other impurities, including important minerals and elements you need to stay healthy, have been removed from now-refined salt. Thats what is put in a package and sold now in grocery stores.

remove those pollutants. Finally, iodine is added to refined salt to prevent goiter. Goiter is an interesting topic unto itself. In a future newsletter, I will show you how, although there may be enough iodine in salt to prevent goiter for the vast majority of individuals, there is not enough iodine in refined salt for optimizing thyroid function, nor enough for the rest of the bodys needs. If you would like more information on iodine, please take look at my book Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Cant Live Without It, 3rd Edition. Unrefined salt, on the other hand, contains more than 80 trace minerals (trace means the amounts are tiny, however even these small amounts are necessary for your body to work properly.

Water is key to optimal brain function, and it allows the brain to flush out toxic chemicals

Why Is Salt Refined?

Salt is refined for the same reason the food industry refines other food products such as flour, sugar, and oils to maximize profits. A refined product, having all of its life-sustaining properties removed, including minerals and vitamins, now has nothing in it that can go rancid. It can sit on the shelf forever without an expiration date. Refining the things you eat helps the food companies that make these products not you. Another reason salt is refined is marketing. Salt manufacturers think that an all-white product will appear to be cleaner and thus be more appealing to consumers. Its not a complete waste of effort. If the salt comes from a heavily polluted area, the refining process can

The other big difference is that unrefined salt does not have ferrocyanide and other toxic chemicals added to it. It has not been exposed to harsh chemicals to remove those same minerals, which occur naturally in the salt. An example of unrefined salt that I have found effective is Celtic Sea Salt Brand (www. celticseasalt.com, (800) 867-7258). The amount of salt you can use in your diet will vary depending on how much water you drink and your health issues. The best results can be achieved with working with a holistic healthcare practitioner who is knowledgeable about natural products.

As a general rule, 1/4 teaspoon of salt per quart of water you drink supplies an adequate amount of salt. Some may need more, some less. You can add it to your food or water, or just eat small amounts of it throughout the day.
1. More on salt refining at www.saltintstitute.org 2. NHANES I. CDC.org 3.  Townsend, M. Low mineral intake is associated with high systolic blood pressure, in the Third and Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Am. J. of Hypertension. Vol. 18, 2. Feb. 2005, p. 261 4. Cochrane Database. 2004.1 5. Hypertension. 1995. Jun;25(6)

Please note all information presented in Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health is for informational purposes only. It is not specic medical advice for any individual. All answers to reader questions are provided for informational purposes only. All information presented in Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health should not be construed as medical consultation or instruction. You should take no action solely on the basis of this publications contents. Readers are advised to consult a health professional about any issue regarding their health and well-being. While the information found in Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health is believed to be sensible and accurate based on the authors best judgment, readers who fail to seek counsel from appropriate health professionals assume risk of any potential ill effects. The opinions expressed in Dr. David Brownsteins Natural Way to Health do not necessarily reect those of Newsmax Media.
June 2008

Dr. Bs Case History of the Month

In each issue, I will share with you the story of one of my patients and how sometimes simple alternative approaches to their problems can solve major health problems. Names and some details have been changed for privacys sake, but the problems and their resolutions are real. Dr. David Brownstein
Nancy, 26, complained to me that she had suffered from headaches for more than eight years. The headaches just get worse and worse, she said. Nancy claimed the headaches were worse around her menstrual cycle and that she would have to take 800 milligrams of ibuprofen at least four times per day just to get by. Nancy had seen her gynecologist who prescribed birth control pills for her. Since such headaches worsen around the time of a womans period, many doctors assume the headaches are related to hormone production. Conventional doctors thus will often prescribe birth control pills to lower the production of the female hormones. I knew, however, that Nancys headaches were not somehow the result of a lack of birth control pills in her system. Furthermore, birth control pills contain synthetic hormones. (Ill write more on birth control pills and their dangers in future newsletters.) The birth control pills helped a little bit, but I dont like taking them, she told me. After examining her, I ordered blood work. It turns out that Nancy had a dairy allergy. I knew this because the test results showed she had high levels of antibodies in her blood to casein, a protein in dairy. Allergy to the milkprotein casein is very common. In fact, I nd it in more than half of my patients. It is important to eliminate or at least lower allergyprovoking foods. The second most common problem I see in my patients is an allergy to the protein in wheatgluten, a common food additive in products as varied as ketchup and ice cream. An allergy to either milk or gluten can appear in many different forms. Some people get headaches while others get runny stuffy noses. A food allergy can also be inammatory to the body. As a result, any inammatory condition can be made worse by the allergic reaction to food. In Nancys case, her dairy allergy was exacerbating her headaches. I also found that Nancy was very low in an adrenal hormone known as DHEA. Nancys DHEA-sulfate level was 350 nanograms per deciliter. Normal levels for her age would be around 2,500 nanograms per deciliter. DHEA is the most common adrenal hormone, produced in men and women. An anabolic hormone, it stimulates muscle growth. It also has positive effects on bone strength. DHEA
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has weight-loss benets, too, since it helps to burn fat in the body, and it can be an important hormone for those complaining of low libido, or sex drive. I have found DHEA to be one of the most important hormones to use in any natural, bioidentical hormone treatment regimen. DHEA has very few side effects. The most common is acne, easily rectied by lowering the dose. I only recommend dosages in line with what your body would normally need, which in men is 5 to 10 milligrams a day and in women 2 to 5 milligrams daily. Larger doses are unnecessary for the vast majority of people. I put Nancy on 5 milligrams of DHEA per day and told her to avoid all dairy products. Within seven days, Nancy told me that her headaches were 90 percent gone. Thirty days later, they were totally gone. It feels like a miracle. She went on: Not only are my headaches gone, but my energy level is so much better, she said.

Headaches Just Melt Away

Sounds like a miraculous change, but Nancys case is not unique. I have treated hundreds of patients for headaches. My experience has shown that most patients who suffer from headaches have hormonal imbalances. I would estimate that greater than 80 percent of chronic headache patients suffer from a hormonal imbalance. Once this imbalance is corrected, in the vast majority of patients the headaches usually improve or melt away. Often, the problem is simply low DHEA. It is important to have your levels checked, however, before and after starting therapy. You can take too much DHEA (just as you can take too much of anything). How much is too much? It is hard to say without looking at a laboratory test. It is important, too, to follow any natural, bioidentical hormone therapy with pre- and post-laboratory testing. Finally, it is imperative to use reputable sources of DHEA. For years, I have been testing supplements for their contents and toxicity, and I have found that better than 70 percent of over-the-counter DHEA supplements do not contain the labeled amount of the hormone. Also, I recommend using only natural, bioidentical hormones from reputable companies. I recommend DHEA from Biotics Research. Its available from Viotron at (800) 437-1298. (I have no nancial relationship with Viotron or Biotics Research.) Always with a doctors supervision, most patients should start with 2 milligrams per day and increase to 5 milligrams daily as needed. Generally, women do not need more than 5 milligrams a day, and men no more than 10 milligrams a day. Remember, the best results are achieved with working with a healthcare provider knowledgeable and skilled in the use of natural, bioidentical hormones.
June 2008

Overcoming Thyroid Disorders Part II

In the last newsletter, I wrote about my father, Ellis, and his battles with heart disease. I found my fathers heart disease was caused in part by a hypothyroid condition.

The conventional approach to diagnosing hypothyroidism primarily revolves around the measurement of thyroid blood tests, primarily the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test.

Heres how the thyroid gland works: The pituitary gland is in our brain and produces a whole host of I believe hypothyroidism is the most commonly hormones that help to regulate most of the major glands missed diagnosis by conventional medicine. Thats of the body. One of the hormones it produces is thyroid because most doctors rely solely on thyroid blood tests stimulating hormone, shortened to TSH. This hormone to make or rule out a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The travels through the blood to the result is the erroneous idea that just thyroid gland, causing it to produce 10 percent of the population has More than 40 percent thyroid hormone levothyroxine, an abnormal thyroid function. My known as T4. Then the T4 is released of people suffering research has shown that more than from the thyroid gland into the 40 percent of people suffering the the ravages of blood stream and travels to all of the ravages of hypothyroidism are not hypothyroidism are not trillions of cells in the body. correctly diagnosed by conventional When the T4 is taken up by correctly diagnosed by tests. the cells, it is converted into the How can more than 40 percent of conventional tests more active thyroid hormone the population have an illness that a triiodothyronine, or T3. (The common lab test is missing? That is a numbers refer to the quantity of iodine molecules long, and sad, story. present on the thyroid hormone, thus T3 is a much Over the years, conventional medicine has searched more active thyroid hormone compared to T4.) for a test that accurately diagnosed a hypothyroid If the TSH level is elevated, it is a sign that the condition. A half-century ago, the protein-bound iodide pituitary gland is sensing a low thyroid hormone level test was touted as the best test. A decade later, this test in the body, and thus TSH is being secreted in order was replaced by measuring thyroid hormone levels. to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more. If In the 1970s, conventional medicine began touting the TSH test is normal, however, many physicians the thyroid stimulating hormone test (TSH) as the automatically rule out a hypothyroid state. newest and best test. Lately, the ultra-sensitive TSH The TSH test has been the gold standard in test has been introduced and promoted as the newest conventional medicine for diagnosing hypothyroidism and best thyroid test. for more than 30 years. The normal range for the Before, a hypothyroid condition was determined by TSH test reported in most laboratories is from 0.4 clinical diagnosis a doctor would listen to a patient, to 4.5 milli-international units per liter (mIU/L). perform a careful exam, and then make a diagnosis When TSH values fall above this range, a diagnosis based on the patients complaints and that physical of hypothyroidism is given. This reference range was exam. established to include 95 percent of the population. Thus 5 percent of the population should be classified as Now, however, medical students and doctors are having a thyroid disorder. trained to make the hypothyroidism diagnosis based only on blood tests. In fact, in my training I can clearly remember being taught that if the thyroid blood tests are normal, that ensures that the patient does not have a thyroid problem. With that supposedly ruled out, I was trained to look elsewhere to help my patient. Unfortunately, looking elsewhere usually means prescribing an antidepressant medication even though I have yet to see a patient with an antidepressant-medication deficit.
June 2008

However, as reported in the Colorado Thyroid Study, many researchers believe that the true incidence of hypothyroidism is significantly higher than 5 percent. In that study, researchers tested more than 25,000 people and looked primarily at their TSH levels. Nearly 10 percent of those studied were found to have an undiagnosed abnormal thyroid function.

Even people who fell within the range had, in some cases, an increased risk of hypothyroidism in the future,
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In The News: Reading Between the Medical Headlines

In January, drug companies Merck and Co. and Schering-Plough nally released the information on a long-anticipated study comparing the blockbuster drug Vytorin (a combination of the statin drug simvastatin sold as Zocor with ezetimibe sold as Zetia) versus Zocor alone. At issue was the drugs ability to decrease hardening of the arteries, specically plaque formation in the carotid arteries, what research science calls the endpoint, the moment when an expected result is reached, and the study ends for a given subject. The study was designed to look at the development of atherosclerosis, or blockage, in those arteries. The study began in 2002. The rst results were supposed to be reported in November 2006. Big Pharma, however, would not release the results. The companies claimed the data needed further study. One year later, Merck missed another publication date, and the media started to write about the failure to release the data. Soon after, Merck and Schering-Plough announced a plan to change the endpoint of the study. Remember, the endpoint is the result, the expected outcome, and it should be a signal that the study has been concluded. If the study were on heart disease drugs, and chest pain was the endpoint, no more results would be recorded for that particularly study. If the idea was to test a new cholesterol blocker, and a particular reading was the endpoint, then once patients registered that number no more results would matter. Problem is, you cant change the endpoint of a study after the fact and expect no one to question your motives. In fact, it is almost unheard of to change the endpoint of a study after it has been completed. But

Big Pharmas Slippery Research

thats what the drug makers did. Following intense media scrutiny, Congress became involved and called committee meetings to discuss the delay in the reporting of the studys results. In January, Merck and Schering-Plough nally released the data (more than a year late), which showed no benet in taking Vytorin or Zocor in preventing atherosclerosis; both drugs showed an increase in arterial clots or atherosclerosis. In fact, the results showed the arterial wall thickness, a sign of a worsening of the disease, increased in both groups studied, and it increased more in the Vytorin group compared to the Zocor group. Not only was Big Pharma holding back the negative results of this study, it was trying to change the endpoints after knowing their drugs had failed to show improvement. Yet it took pressure from a congressional subcommittee to get them to release the data. Now, instead of backing up a drugs effectiveness, this study instead stands as an indictment of the pro-drug culture Big Pharma promotes and maintains by controlling the money and information available for research. In future newsletters, I will provide you with information on the statin drugs and why this class of drugs needs to be avoided. A recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the typical radiation dose for a single CT scan is 15 milliseverts (mSv). Most CT scans involve multiple areas of the body and can expose the individual to 30 mSv to 45 mSv. Yet we know that Japanese atomic bomb survivors who received a low dose of radiation from the blast about 40 mSv had a signicant increase in cancer risk. The authors of the article felt that

CT scans and subsequent medical radiation are responsible for approximately 2 percent of cancer cases in the United States. CT scanning equipment is everywhere these days. All hospitals have them, and many surgery centers and other medical buildings contain these units. While useful, the problem is that they are expensive and have to be used to make them protable. I would encourage you to only get a CT scan when it is absolutely necessary. Ask your physician if the results of the CT scan will change the course of therapy. And, if possible, rely on an MRI scan, which uses no radiation. Finally, whole body CT scanning, being promoted to the public as a screening tool, should be avoided.

Big Risk From Body Scans

In a recent study on heart disease, 130 heart attack patients between the ages of 45 and 60 years old were compared to 61 healthy age-matched control subjects. Levels of zinc were found to be lower in the heart attack patients as compared to the healthy group. The authors also found higher levels of copper and iron in the heart attack patients. I have found zinc deciency occurring in over 75 percent of new patients that I evaluate. Zinc and copper are antagonists in the body. If you have too much copper, your body may lose zinc, and vice-versa. It is important to have your zinc and copper levels in your red blood cells checked on a yearly basis. If zinc levels are low, I recommend supplementing with 50 milligrams a day of zinc. Also, high iron levels have been associated with a host of medical problems, including cardiovascular diseases. Iron levels should be checked yearly and, if too high, therapeutic phlebotomies (removal of a pint of blood) are very helpful.
June 2008

A Simple Test Can Save Your Life

researchers noted, raising the question of whether screening was worthwhile at all.

Treating Hypothyroidism

Conventional medicine would have you believe Thrse Hertoghe, a Belgian endocrinologist and there is only one treatment for hypothyroidism: levogood friend of mine, also feels that the TSH test is not thyroxine, or Synthroid and Levoxyl. I remember sensitive enough. In Dr. Hertoghes experience, the being taught that there is no reason to use any other TSH test may identify only 2 percent to 5 percent of thyroid medication. Doctors are still trained in the hypothyroid individuals. Dr. Hertoghe recommends same way today. correlating the blood test results with the clinical My experience, however, has shown that many people picture in order to secure do much better with natural an accurate diagnosis of Should the TSH Normal versions of thyroid hormone hypothyroidism. Range be Changed? than with these commonly used It has been my versions. There is great controversy in conventional experience that relying medicine about where the normal TSH range Many people need more than solely on the TSH test will should be set. Many believe the upper limit of just T4 to get the most benefit the TSH range should be lowered to 3 mIU/L result in under diagnosing from their thyroid hormone. For from 4.5 mIU/L. many individuals who instance, if you have mineral are suffering from Yet even this small change could result in deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, a doubling of the numbers of individuals hypothyroidism up to 30 or biochemical defects, you may diagnosed with hypothyroidism via blood tests percent, even 40 percent of not be able to convert all of the to 26 million individuals from approximately the population. Dr. Broda 13 million now. inactive T4 into the more active Barnes, a pioneer in the T3. It must be understood that the TSH test is diagnosis and treatment only one measure of thyroid function. I do not You may need the added of thyroid problems, think the TSH test should be used as the sole ingredients found in desiccated made this argument more test. thyroid hormone such as than three decades ago: Thats because each person is a unique calcitonin and selenium. Also, laboratory tests should biochemical individual. Some may do better desiccated thyroid hormone, not be the sole diagnostic at a TSH of 1.0 mIU/L, while another may containing the more active tool when it comes to do better at a TSH of 3.0 mIU/L. Only with a thyroid hormone, T3, is a much hypothyroidism. complete, holistic approach can you achieve the closer version to our own thyroid best results. The holistic approach to production. Having said that, my experience has shown diagnosing hypothyroidism that the vast majority of patients have optimal If you are not doing well on is very different from the thyroid function when the TSH is between 0.3 your current thyroid hormone standard conventional mIU/L and 2.0 mIU/L. replacement regimen, then model of relying only by all means look at changing on the blood tests. I believe it is inappropriate to rely to another version. I have seen countless patients solely on laboratory tests to diagnose hypothyroidism, get little or no response from Synthroid or Levoxyl as this will miss many individuals suffering from this and significantly improve when they are changed to condition. desiccated thyroid hormone. A holistic approach includes looking at the following Examples of desiccated thyroid hormone include components: thyroid blood tests, medical history, basal Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid, and Westhroid. body temperatures, and a physical exam. Remember, each patient is a unique biochemical individual, not simply a test result on paper. My experience has been clear: the diagnosis and treatment of a hypothyroid condition should integrate all four of these steps. Many people are needlessly suffering because they fall in the normal range of the TSH test.
June 2008

If your doctor is reluctant to try a change in treatment protocol, I suggest finding a doctor who will be more open to your needs.
1.  Weetman, A.P. Fortnightly Review: Hypothyroidism: Screening and Subclinical disease. British Medical Journal. 1997;314:1175 919 April 2.  Hertoghe, Thrse. From lecture at Broda O. Barnes M.D. Research Foundation, Stamford, Conn., February, 2002 3.  Barnes, Broda. Hypothyroidism, the Unsuspected Illness. Harper and Row.1976. p. 137

Ask Dr. Brownstein

Dear Readers, I will try to answer as many questions as I can. However, due to the volume of questions, I cannot answer each letter personally. Please include your full name, city and state when submitting. If you have a question for me, please e-mail it to: askdrdavid@newsmax.com. It seems that the news these days is full of stories about problems people have with gluten. I suspect I am allergic to wheat, but I wonder if thats likely, or if its something else. Should I get tested? Tim Epting, Charlotte, N.C. Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten sensitivity is extremely common. The numbers of people suffering with this illness is staggering. There are estimates that nearly one in 133 Americans suffer from celiac disease and that perhaps 1 in 6 experience gluten sensitivity. About 1 percent to 3 percent of those with the illness are properly diagnosed, meaning up to 99 percent of people with either the disease or gluten sensitivity dont even realize it. Why worry about a disease that so many people dont know they have? There are plenty of reasons to worry, particularly when it comes to your long-term health. People who are unable to properly digest gluten face a potential disaster when it comes to their immune system. Thats because correctly digested food in the stomach moves down the small intestine, where the actual process of absorption into the body occurs. Tiny, finger-like strands called villi come up from the intestine wall and take in all the vitamins, nutrients and other minerals. Undigested food like gluten creates an immune
David Brownstein, M.D., is a board-certied family physician and one of the foremost practitioners of holistic medicine. Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally to physicians and others about his success with natural hormones and nutritional therapies in his practice. His books include Drugs That Dont Work and Natural Therapies That Do!, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Cant Live Without It, Salt Your Way To Health, The Miracle of Natural Hormones, Overcoming Arthritis, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet, and The Guide to Healthy Eating. He is the medical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomeld, Mich., where he lives with his wife, Allison and their teenage daughters Hailey and Jessica. For more information about Dr. Brownstein, please go to his Web site at www.drbrownstein.com.

system response (your body literally thinks the food is an invader), and those antibodies then can damage the villi, inevitably leading to poor nourishment. The result of this continual damage can be bloating and diarrhea, and potentially to leaky gut syndrome. I hear that adults are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. That seems like a lot, and people come in different sizes. What do you recommend? Lena Andersen, Culver City, Calif. My primary recommendation on the use of water is that you ensure an adequate water intake every day. It is impossible to achieve optimum health or to recover from a chronic illness without adequate water intake. The best way to figure your ideal water consumption level is to take your body weight in pounds, divide by two, and then use the result in ounces as your guide. For instance, a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces of water a day. There are about eight ounces in a glass, so thats 12 1/2 glasses. Similarly, a 120 pound woman would need just 60 ounces, so thats 7 1/2 glasses a day. If you exercise or have a physically active job, you might need even more. As for the water itself, I recommend that you use a filter that removes fluoride and chlorine, as well as bacteria and parasites. There are many water filters on the market that meet these requirements. Since a filter system removes many minerals from tap water along with the toxic agents you dont want, it is important to take daily vitamin and mineral supplements. To your good health,

June 2008