Greetings!
September 17, 2012
Thank you for your continued support of my newsletter. Each month I look forward to writing about a new topic that will help you achieve your wellness goals.
Holistic Physical
I would like to remind everyone that the fall season is the perfect time to schedule your annual holistic physical. I introduced this service last year, and it was very successful. As you know, prevention is the most powerful energy with regards to staying healthy throughout the cold and flu season. Now would be the perfect time to schedule yours!
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Don't Take Away My Tomatoes!
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If you walk into your neighborhood grocery store, you will see packages with phrases such as gluten free and dairy free. Years ago it wasn't hard to find low fat on a label , but fat is no longer the bad word that it used to be, and the reality that many people are sensitive to gluten, dairy, and other foods is quickly becoming an important part of food choices. There is increasing awareness that the foods that we think are healthy can cause a problem for our bodies.
Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers (except black pepper) (these previous examples are known as the nightshades), paprika, tobacco, gogi berries, and ashwaganda all contain alpha-solanine. Alpha- solanine is a neurotoxin that affects many people negatively and can cause systemic problems. Alpha-solanine can inhibit acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter.
If someone is sensitive to alpha-solanine than acetylcholine will build up in the synapses between nerves and cause a disruption in nerve transmission. Whether someone has a sensitivity to alpha-solanine is dependent on their ability to excrete it, genetics, nutritional status, toxicity levels, and microbial imbalances. Alpha-solanine accumulates in a person's body over time and the only way to decrease one's levels is total avoidance. Nutritional supplementation can help the body clear alpha-solanine faster and can help a person not react to alpha-solanine if by chance an alpha-solanine containing food is consumed.
 The tomato is native to western south America and central America. It was introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century but used primarily for ornamental reasons. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that it was consumed regularly. Potatoes are also native to South America. In the United States, they were considered food for livestock, rather than to be consumed by people until the late nineteenth century. This is a very short period of time for our bodies to adapt to these foods and for our genetics to respond on an evolutionary level t to handle these foods properly. Even gluten has been in our diets for over ten thousand years. The human body takes a very long time to evolve and handle relatively new foods that are being consumed.
In sensitive people, alpha-solanine can affect the thyroid negatively and other endocrine organs. When I have muscle tested patients that are on thyroid medication, I have found the majority of them have a solanine problem. After recommending to them to avoid solanine containing foods and taking nutritional supplementation many of them have had to reduce their thyroid medication as they do not need the same dosage because their thyroids improve substantially.
Other problems that people experience with solanine sensitivity are chronic joint inflammation, migraines, IBS, leaky gut syndrome, depression, appendicitis and arthritis. Norman Childers, PHD, researched the link between nightshades and arthritis and has found evidence supporting this link in the research that he and his colleagues conducted.
Alpha-solanine can interfere with calcium and vitamin D absorption. If a patient has to take a large dose of vitamin D, but their vitamin D number does not improve this may be an indicator that they have an absorption problem. Solanines have the ability to remove calcium from the bones and deposit it in any area of the body that is weakened.
This is why patients that have osteoporosis should always be checked for solanine sensitivity. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation will have little or no effect on a patient with alpha-solanine sensitivity unless the solanines are removed from their diet.
It is very challenging to avoid foods that are so commonly used in most dishes. It makes going out to eat very hard and label reading a must if you cook for yourself. Most patients start feeling better after supplementation and total avoidance of solanines for 2 months, and want to go back to having solanine containing foods in moderation.
Some people can have solanine foods in moderation, and others are too highly sensitive and have serious health concerns for them to return to eating solanines.
If a patient wants to try going back to solanines, I have them eat a solanine containing food the day before they come in to get muscle tested and see if the solanine vial reacts with them . If it reacts than I Insist they continue to stay off solanine containing foods.
You can experiment with total avoidance of night shades for two months or I invite you, your family, and friends to get muscle tested for a definitive answer.
Healthfully yours, Dr. Lou Granirer |
