Brain Performance Center

Applied Kinesiology Center of Los Angeles Newsletter

James Blumenthal, DC, DACBN, FACFN
Jonathan Herbert, DC, PAK 
August 2010
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In This Issue
Meet Dr. Herbert
Contact Us!
Partners in Health
Call to Action
Why Laboratory Testing
Heavy Metals Weighing You Down?
Quick Links...
Dr. Herbert
Dr. Herbert will be speaking about buying organic foods to avoid serious chemical exposure this month.  He will share which foods are important to buy organic and why. Come learn and interact with him! 
 
Sat. January 16, 5:00pm
 
Mon. January 25, 6:30pm
 
Mon. February 8, 6:30pm
 
On January 18th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, from 3:30 to 7:00, Dr. Herbert will be at Curves in Brentwood providing FREE Maximal Health Scans. Curves will also be providing FREE tours and special discounts  on membership. Use your day off to improve yourself. Contact Curves to sign up for your time.
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2990 South Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 203
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310 445 3350
Partners in Health
 
Whole Foods Market
Curves
We do our best to reach and treat those who are suffering through health problems. Now we need your help to spread the word. Pass this newsletter along and tell those who are suffering to contact us.
Greetings!  

Hello and happy new year. We are continuing our series of laboratory testing with the next few newsletters.  We are also working on a newsletter to educate our readers on vaccines. We are carefully sorting through the information so that we can give you the most up to date information. Because there is so much information on vaccines, it may become a series also. This month we are teaching about heavy metals, where they come from and what they can cause.  Enjoy the information and contact us with questions it may bring up.
Why Laboratory Testing?
lab testingIn our office, we use many laboratory tests to assist us in diagnosis and guide us in the direction to help our patients heal quickly. Since we use a variety of tests to examine nutrition, hormone production, detoxification, allergies, digestion, and brain function, we are writing a series of newsletters to describe why we use them. Don't wait for the next newsletter to see what test is right for you, call us today and we will discuss which test can help you now.
Heavy Metals Weighing You Down?
Applied Kinesiology LogoWe are exposed to heavy metals on a daily basis depending on our jobs, where we live, where we exercise, and what we eat or drink.  However, we may be exposing ourselves to higher amounts than we think.  Heavy metals have been shown to contribute to problems in the brain, nerves, liver, and kidneys along with other areas in the body.  In healthy individuals, the heavy metals are caught and eliminated through our stool or urine.  However, some people have trouble getting rid of the metals and that is where the health related problems start.
 
One of the problems with metals is that they can interfere with the enzymes that do many things throughout our bodies. These enzymes make neurotransmitters for memory and learning, energy to help us get through our day, as well as to help keep our detoxification systems running smoothly.  When these enzymes are disrupted by the metals the processes start to slow down and the brain becomes less effective at recalling
memories, fatigue sets in, and our detoxification system becomes gummed up.
 
For instance, aluminum which can be found in water, food, dyes, antacids, antiperspirants,
and vaccines has been shown to contribute to such problems as dementia, Alzheimer's, Huntington's or Parkinson's.  It is most often found in water, as it is used in water treatment in some areas.  Studies suggest levels of aluminum above 0.1mg/liter in drinking water could be a risk factor in developing dementia or Alzheimer's.
 
Another metal commonly found in drinking water is arsenic.  Arsenic has been associated
with increased risk of several cancers including lung, bladder, liver, and skin. It has also been shown to contribute to heart disease, Type II Diabetes, and gestational diabetes which happens during pregnancy and can cause problems throughout the pregnancy.  High levels of arsenic in children have been found to contribute to learning problems.  It is used in pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and was used extensively to treat wood for construction until 2004.  This wood, still in circulation, can release the arsenic into the ground when the wood gets wet. Exposure to this treated wood can increase amounts of arsenic absorbed by the body, whether the exposure is from the wood, smoke, or ash.
 
 
Mercury has been in the news lately because of its use in vaccines.  However, it is also found
in certain seafood, fillings in teeth, mascara, toothpastes, lens solutions, and contraceptives. It has been shown to cause problems in the brain, nerves, kidneys, and digestive system. Many of these problems mirror problems of those diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, which has many researchers and parents looking at mercury as a cause.  A survey conducted in 1999 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 10 percent of US women of childbearing age (16-49 yr old) had total
blood mercury levels higher than the safety limit set by the EPA. 
 
Lead, found in some ceramic glazes, PVC plastic, and drinking water has been shown to cause problems in many
areas of the body
including the heart, nerves, kidneys, liver, and the reproductive organs.  High levels of lead can contribute to behavioral problems, memory loss, muscle weakness, and slower detoxification.  Lead has also been
shown to replace zinc and selenium so that our immune and detoxification systems are slowed even further.
 
In our office, we test for these heavy metals and more using a urine test that shows whether the patient
has high levels of metals and if they are having trouble getting rid of them. If they have high level, but they are getting rid of the metals, then we know to look for a source that they may be exposed to daily. If they have trouble getting rid of them, then we can help speed that process through chelation and detoxification. The company we use is
Doctor's Data. To see all of the metals they test for and a sample report click here.
 
Many of these metals are
found in drinking water. If you are interested to get your water tested or would like more information, please visit the EPA's website by
clicking here.
We strive to teach and improve the health of those around us. We hope you have enjoyed and learned from this newsletter. Pass on this information to someone who needs it by clicking on the "forward email" link below. We thank you for your referrals, and they thank you too!
For your health,
 
Drs. Jim Blumenthal and Jon Herbert
 
2990 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 203
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310 445 3350