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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Watching Dr Oz 10/23/12: Fountain of Youth?, Antioxidants Blamed For Cancer, The Medicine Hunter's Backyard Plant Pharmacy, Coffee for Longevity, The Five Tibetans Workout, Ultimate Longevity Food

The Dr. Oz Show
Airdate: October 23, 2012
Dr. Oz: Have Medicine's Most Controversial Leaders Found the Fountain of Youth?


  • Has the fountain of youth been found?
  • Are antioxidant causing cancer?
  • The three things Dr. Oz and Dr. Agus agrees on
  • Chris Kilham says the fountain of youth is in your backyard
  • Is coffee a longevity drink?
  • Mr. Kilham shows two of The Five Tibetans

A modern medical doctor goes up against a medicine hunter and both say they have found the fountain of youth. Dr. Oz talks with two experts in their fields: one, a doctor who believes in and promotes prescription drugs for longevity; and two, an expert in natural remedies who says food and herbs can create balance and health.


Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Dr. Oz: Have Medicine's Most Controversial Leaders Found the Fountain of Youth?

In our never ending desire to always be young, Dr. Oz talks to two experts about what they believe is the true fountain of youth.

David Agus, MD, is a specialist in cancer research and author of The End of Illness, and says to look for clues that your body is trying to tell you something. Wearing high heel shoes can create foot pain that causes inflammation in the body that creates diseases later down the road, said Dr. Agus.

Dr. Agus said he doesn't want to stick needles in his patients and then tell them he can't do anything for him. Researchers are saying that for the first time ever Alzheimer's disease has been reversed in mice with pharmaceutical drugs.

The fountain of youth possible for everyone over the age 40, said Dr. Agus, if they take statin drugs. That's a bold statement, said Dr. Oz. Statin drugs block inflammation, explained Dr. Agus, so anyone at risk for inflammation should be taking statin drugs.

[There was no discussion of the risks of taking statin drugs. Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD, cardiologist and author of The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology, talks about how statins blocks the body's ability to produce and absorb CoQ10 – an antioxidant required for heart function. When the body runs out of CoQ10 the result is death.]

Dr. Agus has put together a five questions to ask yourself to determine if statin drugs could be helpful.

Dr. Oz: Five Questions for Statins
  • Do you have a family history of heart disease?
  • Do you have a family history of cancer?
  • Are you over weight?
  • Do you smoke?
  • Do you have a history of diabetes or high blood sugar?

Dr. Oz asked audience member Janetta these five questions. She answered yes to only one, being over weight. Dr. Agus said just one yes answer makes a person a candidate for statins and should talk to their doctor. Dr. Oz countered by saying 2/3 of the population is overweight, isn't that an unrealistic standard. Being overweight increases the risks of heart disease and cancer.

Dr. Agus said everyone who is overweight should take statins because 2/3 of the population will die of heart disease and stroke. Statins, said Dr. Agus, will prevent those deaths.

Inflammation in the body can be measured with a C-Reactive Protein blood. If the test shows high levels of the protein and have heel pain from would they go on a statin? Asked Dr. Oz. Yes, said Dr. Agus, the Jupiter study showed people do better on statins when they have chronic inflammation in their body.

To Dr. Agus, the blanket use of statins it's not controversial. People who have heart disease and cancer look back and say they wish they had taken a statin drug. [I'm pretty sure that if you tell anyone with a life threatening disease that there was something they could have taken to prevent it they absolutely say they wished they had taken that magic pill. If I only knew then what I know now, right?] Janetta said she doesn't think she will get statins but would rather work to lose that extra weight.

Without prescription, people can buy statins at a big box store for only $9 for a 90 day supply. [What? Is he talking about red yeast rice which has been compared to statins? Red yeast rice carries the same side-effects as statins including liver toxicity and inhibiting CoQ10 production. I seriously question that $9 price tag and would look closely at the manufacturer and ingredients before I went to a reputable and buy a more reputable brand.]

Side-effects of statins include muscle pain and muscle damage, memory loss, liver toxicity and kidney failure. Dr. Agus said every side-effect is reversible and those who experience side-effects while taking statins should stop using them.

Dr. Oz told Dr. Agus to stop, that he doesn't see the benefit Dr. Agus is talking about. Dr. Oz said he sees patients who ask for statins when they have given up on lifestyle choices to create great health. A healthy lifestyle dwarfs the effects of any pill, said Dr. Oz. Statin drugs work for some people yet Dr. Oz said he doesn't believe that everyone over 40 should take a statin drug. 

Dr. Oz: Do Antioxidants Cause Cancer?

Dr. Oz has said before on The Dr. Oz Show that antioxidants can reduce cancer risks. But Dr. Agus says antioxidants are simply a marketing toy. Randomized studies show that smokers who take beta carotene have higher risks of lung cancer, explained Dr. Agus. [Wouldn't that fact that they smoke(d) increase their risks of lung cancer? Did the study compare smokers with non-smokers? Hmmm...]

Dr. Oz explained that antioxidants seek out free radicals, oxidized materials, and remove them from the body. Dr. Agus said he just isn't sure, he thinks that antioxidants take out both the good and the bad leaving the body unable to fight of disease.

Today's food has 15-20% less nutrients than our ancestors got from the same amount of food, explained Dr. Oz, so it's important for people to supplement when they don't have access to healthy food. Dr. Agus asked how many people in the audience know people who have rickets or scurvy? No one raised their hand. [Well, I raised my hand because I do know a child that has rickets.] Dr. Agus said that's cause to believe that vitamins don't do anything for us.

Dr. Oz said many doctors are saying the same thing behind closed doors that people can get enough vitamins from their food and therefore do not need to supplement. Dr. Oz also said that leaves some people behind in the nutrition department, those people who don't have a balanced diet who don't have access to affordable healthy food.

Dr. Oz Agrees with Dr. Agus On Three Things

Dr. Oz Agrees with Dr. Agus #1: Automate Your Life
Eat, sleep and work at the same time. Eating lunch at noon one day and then 2pm the next day, creates a situation where the body produces stress hormones. Eating regularly scheduled meals and snacks allows for better muscle structure, even blood sugar, lower stress, and better overall health. The biggest stresses in life that we point to aren't as stressful as we think. Dr. Agus said he keeps healthy meal bars on hand when he can't have that lunch so he can eat something healthy.

Dr. Oz Agrees with Dr. Agus #2: Daily Aspirin
Both Dr. Agus and Dr. Oz says taking a daily baby or low dose aspirin can help to reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer.

Dr. Oz Agrees with Dr. Agus #3: Stand Up For Your Health
We (American's) are guilty of one thing that is more dangerous than smoking. Sitting for five, or more hours is equivalent to smoking a pack and a quarter of cigarettes. Even if you're working out, if you're sitting down the rest of the day you're risks of death go up. Don't sit for more than six hours a day. 

Dr. Oz: Is The Fountain Of Youth In Your Backyard?

Chris Kilham, known as the Medicine Hunter, is an ethnobotonist and author of Tales From The Medicine Trail, says the fountain of youth may already be growing in your backyard. Mr. Kilham travels the world talking to medicine men and learning their wisdom.

He believes that flowers, herbs, and red juice from a tree can help the body heal and can keep us young. Maca root can support reproductive health and rhodiola can play a role in healthy brain function.

Mr. Kilham wants more people to have access to these natural and plant-based remedies. The sad fact, he said, the drugs people are taking are killing us. At the top of the list of killers of humans is pharmaceuticals.

Putting toxins in the body creates disease, said Mr. Kilham. Side-effects are real effects of taking these toxins. Most of our health concerns can be treated better, more safely, and effectively with plants.

Dr. Oz: Fountain of Youth Plant #1: Dandelion
Dandelion is another plant that can support health. Like bitters, dandelion plays a role in detoxing the liver. Eat dandelion as a green in salads and stir fry, or drink it as a tea. The liver is our primary organ of detoxification and it works hard to flush out fat and toxins. Dandelion helps keep the liver running.


Dr. Oz: Fountain of Youth Plant #2: Holy Basil
Tulsi, or holy basil and also called hot basil when used to cook is a 5,000 year old Ayurveda herb where it goes by yet another name, the incomparable one. All chronic disease involve inflammation, said Mr. Kilham, holy basil reduces systemic inflammation. Holy basil can be grown in your backyard and can be made into pesto. If you don't want to grow it, Mr. Kilham says it comes in supplement form or in a tea.

Dr. Oz said he had never heard of holy basil before. Really? Holy basil was discussed twice last season:



Dr. Oz: Fountain of Youth Plant #3: Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms are called the mushroom of immortality in Chinese medicine. Mr. Kilham said reishi mushrooms are powerful food for the immune system. Get reishi mushroom as a tea or take ir as a supplement. Dr. Oz said the tea tastes a little like dirt.



Dr. Oz: Coffee for Longevity!

[I'll vote for that!] Live years longer, happier and healthier in three steps from Chris Kilham.

Dr. Oz: Chris Kilham Longevity Step #1: Coffee Daily
Mr. Kilham said that coffee can lower the risks of colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, it support health blood pressure and has a positive impact on metabolic syndrome. Only 15% of people are caffeine intolerant and those folks can still get benefits with decaf coffee. Mr. Kilham recommends two to four cups of coffee a day. He's all for moderation and to stay within 300mg of caffeine daily.


Dr. Oz: Chris Kilham Longevity Step #2: Eat A Red Onion Daily
Red onions will help to thin the blood, explained Mr. Kilham, and are safer than pharmaceuticals. Onions also contain contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that demonstrates 100's of healthy properties from immunity to heart health. The onion does not have to be raw but, yes, cooking will reduce some compounds however there are so many healthy compounds in the onion you're good.

Dr. Oz: Chris Kilham Longevity Step #3: Turmeric Daily
In southeast Asia, turmeric root is eaten like we eat carrots but you have to eat lots of turmeric root to get a healthy dose of the active constituent curcumin. Turmeric supports heart health and healthy inflammation levels plus a whole host of benefits without those nasty side-effects like death that come from prescription drugs. Mr. Kilman recommends taking 500mg daily of turmeric. He recommended to look on the label for “BCM 95” and “Mireva”. [I've never heard of these. I think he means a standardized extract of 95% which the product below provides.]


Dr. Oz: Shaman's Secret Workout

Dr. Oz: Shaman's Secret #1: Chanting
Chanting works the lungs and the lymphatic system which in turn supports immunity and heart health. Mr. Kilham did a chant with Dr. Oz and the audience which he learned from Native American tribes in Oklahoma and Kansas – and I'm not about to try to write it down here. Find a chant that feels right to you and speaks to your own spirituality.

Dr. Oz: Shaman's Secret #2: Five Tibetans
Mr. Kilham has been practicing the Five Tibetans for 30 years and yoga for over 40 years. The Five Tibetans can build strength, endurance, enhance digestion, and even help increase balance. Mr. Kilham says doing the Five Tibetans for 10 minutes a day will increase your life by years.


[Chris Kilham has also written a book about these exercises in The Five Tibetans: Five Dynamic Exercises for Health, Energy, and Personal Power.]

Dr. Oz: The Ultimate Longevity Food

Eat Chocolate! People who eat chocolate experience a 30% reduction in heart disease and stroke, supports healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation in the body. Dr. Oz recommends eating one to two ounces of at least 70% chocolate.

A viewer sent in their Dr. Oz inspired chocolate creation, a life-sized bust of Dr. Oz made from chocolate. Another viewer made and sent in a large Dr. Oz Show logo, yup it was all chocolate. And the craziest chocolate creation, a Dr. Oz poop chart made from chocolate.

This super fan wanted to show her three kids how food effects their poop and she wanted to do it in a creative way. That was certainly creative. I think I would pass on that chocolate.

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4 comments:

  1. Has there been a change in who is writing this blog? I don't recall the author's commentary previously. It now seems that the writer is a bit condescending and putting in their comments as if they, too, had a medical degree. I preferred the original blog where it a transcript of the show.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's been no change in writers, it's all me. I've commented on a majority of posts published here. That's one of the reasons I started the blog.

      I'm curious, does asking questions and providing additional information normally fall under the category of condescending?

      I've never claimed to have a medical degree. I do claim that television shows often have a limited time frame in which to provide information and as a result are only able to scratch the surface of most topics.

      I think it's important for people to understand that there is more information available on any subject especially where it comes to side-effects. The information I posted regarding CoQ10 came from a medical doctor and I simply restated it with credit provided.

      I also question prices of products because I worked in retail. Unfortunately when prices are so low that they are too good to be true, the product can often artificial ingredients and lower levels of the main ingredient.

      And I personally find it surprising when Dr. Oz says he has never heard of a product when he has discussed it on more than one show - and this isn't the first time. I completely understand that he talks about a lot of products. But, I wonder how that statement got past his editors.

      Delete
    2. Heather, you're doing a great job. I love being able to go back over information in text. Saves me a lot of time. Thanks!

      kehj

      Delete
  2. I totally disagree with taking statin to lower cholesterol to live long like a zombie. The side effects are not worth living at all, never mind living long with muscle cramps, chills, dizziness all day. A zombie's life is not worth a stain drug. Live a normal quality life without drugs is my motto.

    ReplyDelete