Darwin or Design? Explore the Evidence for Yourself

Te Evils of Statin Drugs

Al Sears, MD

11903 Southern Blvd., Ste. 208

Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

December 4, 2008

Dear Mark,

Statin drugs—cholesterol-lowering blockbusters like Lipitor®, Zocor®, and Crestor®—can make you weak as a kitten. This is one of their most underreported and dangerous side effects.

The condition I’m talking about’s called rhabdomyolysis. It’s when your muscle cells burst and disintegrate. Drug and alcohol abuse, traumatic injury, electrical shock, and ruptured blood vessels are all major causes.

Unfortunately, so are statin drugs. In fact one of them, Cerivastatin (Baycor), was pulled from the market in 2001 after numerous reports of rhabdomyolysis.

The latest research indicates that statin users suffering from fatigue, muscle cramping, and weakness—a problem almost ten percent of statin users report (and I’ll bet the actual number’s higher)—may be in for something a lot worse.

Researchers out of the University of Alabama zeroed in on statins’ effect on a class of muscle cells called “SC’s,” or satellite cells.1 These are responsible for cell division and growth. If you strain a muscle, they kick into gear, repairing and replacing damaged tissue.

The study focused on Zocor®, one of the most popular statin drugs, and found that it slowed down the restorative action of SC’s by fifty percent. This is especially dangerous for your skeletal muscles, since SC’s are active guardians and healers when it comes to ligaments and tendons.

The fact is you shouldn’t be focusing on cholesterol levels anyway. It’s the great red herring of modern medicine. Seventy-five percent of heart attack sufferers have perfectly normal cholesterol levels.

The real culprit is inflammation. We’ve known for years that inflammation of the tissue that lines your arteries (the “endothelium”) is the main cause of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Endothelial damage leads to the build-up of arterial plaque—a substance made up of bad stuff that gets trapped in damaged tissue, including triglycerides, waste from cellular metabolism, and calcium.

As plaque builds up over time, it blocks the flow of vital nutrients and oxygen to the rest of your body, including your heart. Starve your heart of oxygen and pretty soon you’ll have a heart attack.

Plaque build-up around damaged arterial tissue can also cause small ruptures that lead to blood clots. These clots can eventually starve the heart of oxygen by blocking blood flow. And if they break free, they can do damage elsewhere, interfering with your heart’s pumping action—or going to your brain and causing a stroke.

And the science proves it. A recent “meta-study” came along and took a wrecking ball to the cholesterol myth. Published in the internationally prestigious Quarterly Journal of Medicine, it extensively surveyed results from decades of research on heart disease involving hundreds of thousands of individuals.

The conclusion? Absolutely no correlation exists between cholesterol and heart attack risk.2

Bottom line: steer clear of statins. Worry about inflammation instead. Here are the best ways to keep it in check:

Watch your C-reactive protein levels. (CRP) is a good indicator of inflammation and an excellent predictor of heart disease. A simple blood test can measure your levels. The good news is that if you have elevated levels there are simple things you can do to lower them.

Get your supplements. I also recommend some heart-saving supplements to my patients such as L-arginine, folic acid, and antioxidants such vitamin E and vitamin C.

Five hundered milligrams of L-arginine daily will help improve blood flow and dilate blood vessels in the lining of the heart, and support heart and muscle growth. You can also get L-arginine in food sources such as red meat, fish, chicken, beans, nuts and chocolate.

Get your antioxidants. With free radical damage as a major cause of inflammation, you need to prevent it by boosting your immune strength and fighting off free radicals with a daily dose of antioxidants.

Here are six powerhouses that I recommend to my patients (amounts are daily).

• Vitamin C – 3,000 mg (in divided doses)
• Carotenoids – 2,500 IUs
• Vitamin E – 400 mg of mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols
• CoQ10 – 200 mg, or 50 mg of reduced CoQ10 (Accel)
• Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) – 100 mg
• Lutein – 20 mg
• Lycopene – 20 mg

Keep your homocysteine levels in check. A simple blood test will give you an accurate reading, although your doctor probably won’t run it unless you ask. A level above 10.4 umol/L is abnormally high. I generally shoot for a goal of below 7 with my patients.

Lowering your homocysteine is also a simple matter of getting the right supplements.

Here’s what I give my patients (amounts are daily):

• Vitamin B12 – 500 mcg
• Folic Acid – 800 mcg
• Vitamin B6 – 25 mg
• Riboflavin (B2) – 25 mg
• TMG (trimethylglyceine) – 500 mg

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1.Thalacker-Mercer et al. “Simvastatin Reduces Human Primary Satellite Cell Proliferation in Culture.” University of Alabama at Birmingham. For presentation at the American Physiological Society Conference The Integrative Biology of Exercise V. Hilton Head, SC. September 24-27, 2008.

2.Ravnskov, U. “High cholesterol may protect against infections and atherosclerosis.” Quarterly Journal of Medicine. 2003. 96:927-34.

"This amazing alternative could be the answer to a healthy prostate FAST & FOREVER..."

This is not an endorsement, but is perhaps at the least very useful educational information. Urgent! MEN'S HEALTH ALERT Avoid the stop-and-start and... Pee Like a Firehose! "This amazing alternative could be the answer to a healthy prostate FAST & FOREVER..." Dear Health-Savvy Friend: Wouldn't you like to sit through a movie...without rushing off to the men's room? Well, here's a little secret that even your best buddies won't volunteer... MOST OF THEM CAN'T! How do I know? Simple... We men won't willingly talk about it even to close friends, but statistics don't lie: One out of every two American men will be confronted with prostate issues by age 50... As many as 90% of us will feel it as we reach our 70s and 80s... And while you still may think it won't happen to you...if you do nothing to keep your prostate healthy the odds are really stacked against you. Yet most of us tough guys do nothing about it... We just go about our days assuming things will take care of themselves...not realizing there are secrets to supporting prostate health before it becomes a concern... But it doesn't have to be this way! As you'll see below, there are simple secrets to keeping your prostate healthy for the long haul. And it turns out that standard therapies aren't just missing the cause, but making it much worse in the long term. These new findings are so cutting-edge, even your doctor may not have been briefed... So please feel free to pass this report onto him when you're done. But don't you wait to take advantage of the news! Because now, for the first time, my research teammates at NorthStar have developed a new, natural formula that addresses the real cause. Details in a bit, but first be sure to tell every man you know... Don't let yesterday's prostate "solutions" TURN YOU INTO A WOMAN We finally found the secret to keeping your prostate healthy... while standard treatments can make occasional problems worse! So what's the key to keeping your prostate healthy? This is going to floor you. It was staring us right in the face all the time, but a drug-focused establishment simply refused to see it. It turns out to be the exact opposite of what they've been telling you for years. So please, listen up, because most doctors still haven't heard the news. Are you trading your testosterone for estrogen? In millions of men over 40, the rogue enzyme aromatase is raging out of control, and turning much of their testosterone into ESTROGEN --the female hormone! Simply suppressing the 5-alpha enzyme without blocking aromatase may encourage this. You need to address both 5-alpha reductase and aromatase to keep your prostate healthy. For decades, they demonized testosterone ...WRONGLY! As you know, testosterone is the hormone that makes you a MAN. And for decades, misguided theorists blamed it for all your prostate woes! Here's what they thought. Pretty much every report you'll ever read about prostate health will tell you that problems are caused by a special, potent form of testosterone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). As men get older, you see, more of our "regular" testosterone gets turned into DHT... And this process gets "switched on" by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase... So they focus on blocking this natural process... Good idea? WRONG! As it turns out, just blocking 5-alpha alone may actually make things MUCH worse! You see, the problem is that when you block the 5-alpha enzyme, a different enzyme kicks in. This second enzyme is aromatase and it's even worse news than 5-alpha, because... It turns your prostate into an ESTROGEN FACTORY! Yes! The enzyme aromatase literally turns your testosterone into the most potent form of ESTROGEN - the female hormone! And too much estrogen in your male body can... Wipe out any interest in sex... Give you female-looking breasts... And, adding insult to injury, make your prostate swell EVEN BIGGER! It's never too late to address prostate health Imagine the incredible relief when you too will forever be able to... PEE LIKE A FIRE HOSE KEEP YOUR PROSTATE HEALTHY GET A RESTFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP PASS REST STOPS WITH PLEASURE If you even think you may have begun to show "minor" symptoms, it's never too late to address your prostate health... I know from watching my own Dad. He had to have Trans-Urethral resection (TURP) surgery. Know what this involves? First they stick a quarter-inch pipe way down into your penis... ...until it reaches just below the base of your bladder. Then they insert a hot wire loop to fry your prostate. It was a horrible experience for my Dad. As a 52-year-old man, I want absolutely nothing to do with it... ...and that's why I'm taking PROSTATE DEFENSE every day! See your doctor yearly to rule out even worse conditions. And check out the great news in this alert. Let me repeat. DHT is not the sole cause of prostate problems. You must keep estrogen in check as well! So suddenly, the old mysteries causing prostate misery are solved... Maintain healthy testosterone and estrogen levels and you can dramatically increase your chances of life-long prostate health. If you block 5-alpha without blocking aromatase... you're practically forcing lots of testosterone to turn into estrogen! There's no escaping the conclusion. Simply blocking 5-alpha isn't good enough. You must also block aromatase, or else you risk making things even worse... And that's also why so many supplements came up short...until now Up until now, most producers of prostate supplements simply haven't taken aromatase into account. (Has anyone ever mentioned it to you?) Now, however, the NorthStar Nutritionals team has developed the ultimate formula that puts this astonishing breakthrough to work for YOU. We went back to square one. Looked at every single natural compound thought to support prostate health. And then we combined all the best, in a synergistic formula with optimum doses to... Nullify the 5-alpha enzyme, so testosterone won't get converted to DHT... Stop the aromatase enzyme too, so it won't get turned into estrogen either... We call the result PROSTATE DEFENSE. And the response from thousands of men who have already tried it has been phenomenal - but I'm not even asking you to believe them. In a moment, I'll show you how to try it FREE OF ANY RISK. But first, let me explain exactly why it works so much better for all these men. For starters, I'm afraid many supplement users are wasting money on a worthless type of saw palmetto... New! 4-PHYTO BREAKTHROUGH promotes prostate health better than ever! Look, I'm not saying that "old style" prostate supplements are bad. Maybe they're helping you - a little. But I am saying you can almost certainly do far better, by taking advantage of... The cutting-edge power of 4 different PHYTONUTRIENT BREAKTHROUGHS Phytonutrients are one of the most exciting discoveries in 21st century nutrition. Basically, they're the molecules that give many healing plants their clout. And the new PROSTATE DEFENSE formula harnesses today's top four phytonutrients for the prostate, starting with... The NorthStar Nutritionals' free eletter - Guide to Good Health - is your guide to great health! Providing innovative and high-quality formulations based on today's most important health discoveries, from a team of experienced and knowledgeable experts. Sign-up today to get the latest in natural health, industry news and cutting edge discoveries. Plus, you'll also qualify for special, reader-only sales and offers! Just enter your email address below and we'll send each week's edition right to your inbox. We respect your privacy! We know how important your privacy is to you so we guarantee that we will NEVER sell your e-mail address. Please also note, you can remove yourself from our list at any time. We supply a link at the bottom of each e-mail to manage your subscription to NSN's Guide to Good Health e-letter. We also provide you with a mailing address, phone number and e-mail address to contact us if you have any problems. Breakthrough #1 Super-concentrated Serenoa Repens (The secret powerhouse in Saw Palmetto!) If you're taking anything natural for your prostate, it probably includes saw palmetto. And sure, the press for saw palmetto has been great. According to one of today's most respected medical references, "saw palmetto is effective in nearly 90% of users..." Pretty nifty, right? But here's what you're not being told. The clinical trials that yielded such fantastic results did not use powdered saw palmetto! Instead, they used a powerful extract -- concentrating the fatty acids that actually do this good work. The scientific name is Serenoa Repens. And each daily dose of PROSTATE DEFENSE contains 320 mg of this extract, consisting of at least 85-95% fatty acids. WHY DO WE BOTHER? Because Serenoa Repens extract has been shown to inhibit both 5-alpha and aromatase -- blocking the production of both DHT and estrogen -- and, as we've seen, you must do both! Breakthrough #2 The marvelous manhood molecule Next we turned to a phytonutrient with even more astonishing powers. The bark of the tree Pygeum Africanum contains an extract to help the bladder empty and make it easy to start peeing too. Most importantly of all, Pygeum seems to block both 5-alpha and aromatase -- so here again, you're maximizing your nutrient power. Breakthrough #3 Indispensable, but missing from many supplements The little-appreciated herb "stinging nettle" contains an incredibly helpful phytonutrient that also blocks both 5- alpha and aromatase. Called Urtica dioica by scientists, you won't find stinging nettle in many supplements. But it's not just important -- it's paramount. You absolutely must have Urtica dioica as well as Pygeum in your supplement, if you want to do the most effective job of blocking both enzymes. And you must block both enzymes if you want to avoid a disastrous buildup of estrogen! But even here, we weren't quite done... Breakthrough #4 Keeps the prostate in check! We natural doctors used to wonder why pumpkin seeds seem to help so many men with prostate trouble. But now we've found these seeds are rich in protective phytosterols... molecules so powerful that we concentrated the extract, and we're careful to include a generous 100 mg of this discovery in every dose of PROSTATE DEFENSE. Fight RESTROOM RAGE The Pygeum extract in PROSTATE DEFENSE can do wonders for your peace of mind, even if you don't have prostate trouble yet. As we men grow older, our bladder muscles can get hypercontractile -- meaning we always feel like we have to go, even when our bladders aren't full. But Pygeum has been found to maintain normal bladder function. Fight restroom rage! These 4 nutrients alone are enough to rejuvenate your prostate... But even here, we weren't content. Because we also wanted to armor your prostate against future assaults! And here again, the latest research led us to yet another new breakthrough... Don't passively surrender your manhood! Armor your prostate starting today If you're past 40 and don't have prostate trouble yet, don't just bless your luck -- help it out! You've got a fabulous opportunity to avoid the nasty fate that otherwise dooms many men. FACT: If you do nothing, you can fall prey to prostate misery... As we've seen, if you live long enough, it's 90% certain you'll experience prostate issues. And I'll bet you knew that all along! The very fact you're reading this tells me you're a health-conscious man. And hey, I'll bet you're probably already doing something to head off heart problems -- watching your diet, getting some exercise, maybe more. Am I right? SO WHY ARE MOST MEN DOING ZIP for their prostates...? Especially when it takes zero effort! The fact is, keeping your prostate healthy at any age can be remarkably easy. Just nourish your prostate with the 4 Phytonutrient Breakthroughs I've mentioned earlier... Plus these 4 indispensable PROSTATE PROTECTORS Every man over 40 needs them all. Some may be in your multi, but probably not in the most absorbable forms or correct dosages - so why take chances? CONSUMER OUTRAGE! 37% of saw palmetto supplements are WORTHLESS! All saw palmetto is not the same. A leading consumer magazine recently tested 27 leading brands of saw palmetto supplements and I'm afraid the results weren't encouraging. 10 of them were found to contain inferior grades of saw palmetto, without near enough of the fatty acids that actually do the good work. Don't trust your precious prostate to chance! Insist on PROSTATE DEFENSE.The cutting-edge formula in each daily dose is guaranteed to include 320 mg of super-concentrated saw palmetto extract - with at least 85-95% fatty acids. Now, PROSTATE DEFENSE supplies them all, in one quick swallow! And you may be shocked to learn how effective this fast, simple measure can be. Let's take a quick look at the power unleashed by: Protector #1 - Prostate Miracle Food! America's food supply is critically low in organic zinc, yet healthy prostates contain massive amounts of it. Importantly, though, older male bodies have trouble absorbing zinc unless it's "chelated"with picolinic acid. So we specify easily absorbable chelated zinc in the PROSTATE DEFENSE formula. Protector #2 - The Super New Secret in Yeast! As men age, our levels of organic selenium decrease dramatically... yet new research suggests that selenium is essential to prostate health. Enough said? Here too, this critical mineral must be adequately absorbed, which is why our PROSTATE DEFENSE formula uses only selenium yeast. Protector #3 - For Your PSA! Maybe you're having your PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels checked on a regular basis -- if so, I'm sure your doctor is telling you he wants it good and low. Vitamin E may block a gene that triggers PSA production! We make sure PROSTATE DEFENSE contains the optimum dosage. Protector #4 - The Great Red Wonder! Lycopene has been making headlines for its prostate-protecting power, but you probably didn't know that blood levels of lycopene are significantly reduced by advancing age. So even if your diet is rich in tomatoes, you may not be getting enough of this crucially important antioxidant. Why mess around? Guarantee you're getting the right kind every day, with PROSTATE DEFENSE! CONGRATULATIONS! Now you know more about prostate trouble than 90% of doctors... And you've got all the knowledge you need to pee like a fire hose forever, and sit through 3-hour movies without a twinge. Just ingest the right forms and the right dosages of all 4 phytonutrient breakthroughs, plus all 4 prostate protectors every single day. That's it! Plus, unlike most old-style prostate supplements... Prostate Defense even comes in state-of-the-science SOFT GELS... So it's even easy to take and quickly absorbed, going to work within minutes of the moment you take your first capsule. If you took one right now... All this good stuff could start happening in your body. Men praise PROSTATE DEFENSE! "With PROSTATE DEFENSE now I can function much better." --Gary B., Pennsylvania Doctor says "I'M DOING GREAT!" "PROSTATE DEFENSE is an excellent product. I have the PSA tests done yearly and my doctor says I'm doing great. He told me to keep up with whatever I'm doing." --Marvin B., Washington PEE LIKE A FIRE HOSE You may be amazed at how PROSTATE DEFENSE can work for you. "I only get up once a night to use the bathroom." -- G. H., Oregon BEFORE YOUR NEXT BATHROOM BREAK... I've seen nothing else in the world that even comes close to the total support it offers men. I recommend it to male patients and loved ones, I take it myself every day, and you've seen the results men are reporting. Revolutionary! See how easy it is? Just click "Order Now" to find out RISK-FREE why so many men are saying... "I pass rest stops WITH PLEASURE!" Directions: For use as a dietary supplement, take 2 softgels twice a day. Supplement Facts Serving Size: 4 capsules Servings Per Container: 30 Amount Per Daily Serving % Daily Value† Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopherol) 200 IU 667% Zinc (as zinc arginate) 15 mg 100% Selenium (as selenium yeast) 10 mcg 14% Saw Palmetto berry extract (85-95% fatty acids) 320 mg * Nettle root extract 300 mg * Pumpkin seed oil 100 mg * Pygeum africanum bark extract (13% sterols) 100 mg * Lycopene 10 mg * *Daily values not established. †Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Other ingredients: Soybean oil, gelatin (capsule), water, caramel color, yellow beeswax, lecithin and titanium dioxide. This product contains NO: wheat gluten, milk/dairy, corn, sodium, sugar, starch, artificial coloring, preservatives or flavoring. Always check with your physician before making any changes in diet or taking dietary supplements. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN Protect from heat, light and moisture. Store at 15-30°C (59-85°F). Do not use if seal is broken. ** This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

L-carnitine: The Case for Red Meat

I went to GNC and picked up bottle of 60 - 500MG pills for $25 with the 20% GNC member discount)… its about a 1 month supply if you take two a day. The brand was Vita Plus acetyl-L-carnitine. You can get the GNC brand for a $10 more or you can get the GNC plain L-carnitine for about $5 more. I was told by the lady in the store that Acetyl is absorbed better than non-acetyl-L-carnitine. I also have another very interesting article below that supports the argument with even more research back-up (see below).

In this issue:

L-carnitine: The Case for Red Meat

It's good to know...

L-carnitine: The Case for Red Meat

You may assume because I’m known as the ‘nutrition physician’ that I’m against red meat. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. Red meat (lean, organic, and antibiotic-free) can actually benefit your health.

Here’s why…

Red meat contains the highest concentrations of a vital nutrient called L-carnitine. It’s got about 94 mg of L-carnitine in every serving. By comparison, secondary sources like cheese and milk only contain about 3 mg per serving.

Why is L-carnitine important?

The amount of L-carnitine in your body is directly related to your energy level. It’s a key player in helping your body turn fat into energy. According to the late Dr. Brian Liebovitz, a good friend and L-carnitine pioneer, L-carnitine is literally the ‘energy nutrient.’

Most people have the ability to produce their own carnitine. (That’s why it’s not technically called a vitamin.) But—in order to produce it, your body has to have adequate levels of 6 other nutrients: lysine, methionine, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and iron.

If you’re lacking in any one of those areas, guess what? You’re probably not producing enough L-carnitine either.

What happens without enough L-carnitine?

Without this vital nutrient, you can feel lethargic and even gain weight. (Many vegetarians unknowingly are L-carnitine deficient.) You’re also at greater risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, liver disorders, and kidney diseases. Chances are, your immune system’s compromised as well.

The good news is…

A new study out last week proves that L-carnitine can help prevent and even reverse the slowing of your metabolism due to the aging process.

As we get older, we are all prone to a sluggish metabolism. But what scientists in France have shown is that by getting adequate levels of L-carnitine, this process can be halted, or even reversed! Imagine yourself at age 65 having the metabolism of a 35-year-old. It’s possible!

And here’s proof…

Scientists at the University of Dijon studied the muscles of young and old rats. Older rats had 34% lower L-carnitine levels than the younger rats. So—they fed the elderly rats a diet supplemented with L-carnitine (30 mg) for 12 weeks.

This lead to a 55% improvement in the oxidative capacity in the muscles of the older rats. (This is a key indicator in how well an animal’s metabolism is working.)

Plus, while no dietary changes were made, the rats experienced a decrease in abdominal fat. In other words, because their muscles were working harder (55% harder), the rats turned the fat into energy instead of keeping it in the form of belly fat.

(As a side note: oxidative muscle capacity also directly relates to how well your body responds to insulin. So diabetics may want to look closely at keeping up adequate L-carnitine levels.)

Well, that’s great news, but what can L-carnitine do for humans?

The truth is, L-carnitine is critically important to humans, especially as we get older.

One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the effect of L-carnitine on 66 subjects over 100 years of age. During this study, the patients were either given a placebo or a daily dose of L-carnitine for six months.

Compared to the placebo group, the L-carnitine group experienced across the board improvements, including:

· Greater reductions in fat mass

· Increased total muscle mass

· Reduced fatigue (as measured after a 6 minute walking test)

· Improved cognitive performance

· Less mental fatigue

Now—I’m not saying to start eating hamburgers every night of the week.

Instead, I recommend trying to get 2-3 servings a week of lean, organic, antibiotic-free meat. Even the chain grocery stores have started carrying this type of high quality red meat. Laura’s organic beef is one brand I found at my grocery store.

On the other hand, if you feel better without red meat in your diet, you can always supplement L-carnitine. (As another side note: your body doesn’t need acetyl-l-carnitine. That’s a patented, for-profit supplement you can do without!)

Men usually require more L-carnitine than women, due to their larger body mass. I usually recommend 500-1000 mg for women and 1000-2000 mg for men.

Science catches up to good nutrition

As I mentioned earlier, my friend Dr. Liebovitz was the pioneer advocate of L-carnitine… he was just about the only PhD I knew writing about it 15 years ago. And it’s great to see that the laboratory scientists are actually starting to catch on. It is often the case that so-called laboratory science is behind the curve in ‘proving’ concepts that we nutritionists have been preaching for years!

So the next time you’re out, don’t second guess picking up a nice lean cut of meat (organic and steroid-free, of course!). And tell your neighbors, your nutritionist said it’s good for you!

Until next time,

Allan Spreen, M.D.

NorthStar Nutritionals

At NorthStar Nutritionals, we're committed to providing high quality nutritional products using the latest scientific research available, as well as the best ingredients derived from reliable sources. We believe that equipped with such products, our customers will have the tools to take control of their health naturally.

Our team of knowledgeable experts works specifically for you, developing innovative solutions and products based on your feedback and input. Our dedicated scientists include...

Allan Spreen, M.D. An acclaimed "nutrition physician," is a noted author and special advisor to The Discovery Channel as well as the Chief Advisor to NorthStar Nutritionals.

Judith Eaton, M.S., R.D., CD-N, LD/N., a famed researcher of nutraceutical foods and supplements.

Arnold J. Susser, R.P., Ph.D., N.M.D. Dr. Susser is a renowned biochemist, author and lecturer.

Andrew Halpner, Ph.D., a graduate of Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Hyla Cass, M.D., a psychiatrist, researcher and best-selling auther, Dr. Cass is an oft-quoted expert in the field of integrative medicine and psychiatry.

Tracey Seipel, M.D., BSc, BNt.,Dip H.M., Dip Mst, MANPA., a naturopath, clinical nutritionist, and herbalist, Dr. Seipel combines her experience as a clinician and as an academic into breakthrough natural approaches for managing daily health concerns.

Jenny Thompson, Director, Health Sciences Institute. As Director of today's leading resource on the best and most exciting discoveries in natural health, she represents the voice of the HSI Membership -- which demands only the best -- in product development, quality, and customer service.

acetyl-L-carnitine: it’s the key to brainpower

Al Sears, MD 11903 Southern Blvd. Ste. 208 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 November 3, 2008 Dear Mark, Ever heard of ALC? If you want to keep your mind razor-sharp your whole life, you’ll want to know about it . . . ALC stands for acetyl-L-carnitine. You won’t hear about this high-octane IQ fuel from most doctors. But it’s the key to brainpower. Studies show ALC keeps the mind from slowing down as time goes by. In fact it shores up your ability to recall words and names, follow what others are saying, and think and reason clearly. You’ll never have to worry about those “senior moments.” That’s because ALC ramps up production of a brain chemical called acetylcholine. This is a neurotransmitter that helps your brain to relay signals between the neurons responsible for cognitive thought, focus, and memory. Your brain needs more and more acetylcholine as it ages . . . but can’t make more of it on its own. ALC makes up the difference, keeping those neurons firing literally at the speed of light. Poor blood circulation is another reason your thinking can get fuzzy with time. Your brain cells aren’t getting enough oxygen. Clinical evidence has shown that ALC keeps your brain’s cellular engines revved in spite of decreased blood flow.1 It’s also a potent antioxidant. You’ve heard about free radicals. They cause damage by latching on to healthy cells, disrupting their natural functioning, changing their DNA, and even killing them. It’s a little-known fact, but free radical damage lies behind a lot of the gradual loss of brainpower that comes with aging. High-energy cells throw off a lot of free radicals. Because they use so much energy, your brain cells are particularly vulnerable. ALC puts the brakes on free radical activity. It boosts production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the basic fuel every cell in your body needs to make and transport energy.2 Higher levels of ATP boost your metabolism at the cellular level and can help you to lose weight. It also literally reverses the age-related cell damage that can lead to brain fog. It even works in people who’ve already shown signs of senility or Alzheimer’s. The science proves it. Researchers recently looked at the effects of ALC in people with mild cognitive impairment and even early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. With as little as 1.5-3 g per day, they showed significantly improved brain function across the board after three months.3 As if that weren’t enough, ALC boasts a long list of health benefits that go far beyond the brain. It’s been shown to ramp up male performance and slow nerve damage in diabetics.4,5 There’s even evidence that ALC can literally re-grow nerve cells.6 You can see why ALC’s such a weapon against aging, both in the brain and throughout the body. I recommend 250 mg of ALC per day. It’s best taken in liquid form on an empty stomach. A word of caution: be sure to let your doctor know you’re taking ALC, especially if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD 1.Calvani et al. “Attenuation by acetyl-l-carnitine of neurological damage and biochemical derangement following brain ischemia and reperfusion.” International Journal of Tissue Reactions. 1992. 21(1):1-6. 2.Shigenaga et al. “Oxidative damage and mitochondrial decay in aging.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1994. 3.Montgomery et al. “Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease.” International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2003. 18(2):61-71. 4.Giammuso et al. “Improved pallesthetic sensitivity of pudendal nerve in impotent diabetic patients treated with acetyl-L-carnitine.” Acta Urologica Italica (Italy). 1996. 10(3):185-187. 5.Gorio et al. “Peptide alterations in automatic diabetic neuropathy prevented by acetyl-L-carnitine.” International Journal of Clinical Pharmacological Research. 1992. 12:(5-6):225-230. 6.Taglialatela et al. “Acetyl-L-carnitine enhances the response of PC12 cells to nerve growth factor.” Developmental Brain Research. 1991. 59(2):221-30. 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