ProHealth’s Rich Carson calls it, “almost a miracle drug”. I call SAM-e the “triple threat”, for it threatens to vanquish depression, arthritis and liver dysfunction.  SAM-e is a powerful, natural supplement that can be superior to antidepressants and as effective as NSAIDs for osteoarthritis, without the negative side effects. Watch the video.  Learn how to use it and where to get it below.

IN THIS post, Rich Carson and Karen Lee Richards team up to laud the multiple powers of the natural supplement, SAM-e.  If you’d like to improve the health of your joints or liver, or could use a healthy mood enhancer, read Ms. Richards’ summary of the SAM-e research, and watch Rich Carson’s interview.

Rich Carson is my long-time friend, an expert on supplements and the founder of ProHealth, Inc. Karen Lee Richards is Lead Expert specializing in Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, for HealthCentral’s ChronicPainConnection.

You couldn’t find two better people to tell you about how SAM-e helps promote a natural improvement in the symptoms of osteoarthritis, depression and liver disease.

I call SAM-e the triple threat supplement – relief from joint pain, blue moods and liver ills.  I take 400 milligrams every morning.

Here, Rich Carson introduces you to the substantial benefits of SAM-e:

OK, now that you’ve absorbed the basics, I’d like to summarize some of Karen Lee Richard’s research on SAM-e from her article, SAM-e: a Hard-Working Molecule that May Help Ease Pain & Brighten Mood. (Thanks to ProHealth for reprint permission.)

Let’s start out by quoting Ms. Richard’s lead paragraph to set the stage:

“Clinical trials have shown SAM-e to be comparable to prescription antidepressants for depression and as effective as NSAIDs for osteoarthritis. But, as SAM-e supports the body’s natural mood and inflammation modulating functions, it doesn’t have all the negative side effects associated with those drugs.”

[I’d argue that SAM-e might be superior to prescription antidepressant, cause they’re ineffective for many users with mild to moderate depression, as Dr. Andrew Weil discusses in this post, Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs.]

Unlike most supplements, SAM-e (S-adenosyl methionine) is not an herb or a vitamin, but rather a molecule naturally produced in all living cells. It is sold as a dietary supplement in the U.S, although it is powerful enough to be designated as a drug, as it is in at least 14 countries.

Thousands of research studies have been conducted all around the world on SAM-e, investigating its supportive effect in those with many different diseases and conditions, including depression, osteoarthritis, chronic liver disease, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Let’s delve a bit into how SAM-e can help with each of these diseases and conditions.

SAM-e and Depression

Significant Improvement Seen in Major Depression with SAM-e

Based on my readings and simple, non-scientific self-experimentation, I’ve argued in Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs and A Little Depressed? 10 Actions That Help Me that antidepressant drugs are NOT the way to go for treating mild to moderate depression. (Get your doctor to weigh in here, cause I’m not one for sure!)

Consider three points that Ms. Richards presents about SAM-e’s value to helping with depression (and then note my comment right after):

•  SAM-e has been studied extensively over three decades as a possible option for those with depression, perhaps because 29% to 46% of patients with major depressive disorder have no response or only a partial response to pharmaceutical antidepressants. At this point, there’s an impressive body of literature suggesting the mood-supporting efficacy of SAM-e.

•  In an open trial, 20 outpatients with major depression were given SAM-e, beginning with 400 mg/day and gradually increasing to 1600 mg/day by day 12.  Nine of the participants had a prior history of not responding to traditional antidepressant treatment. All 20 patients showed significant improvement with SAM-e, including seven of the non-treatment resistant and two of the treatment-resistant patients who experienced a full antidepressant response.

•  A double-blind randomized trial compared the efficacy of supplemental SAM-e with the antidepressant desipramine in 26 patients with major depression. At the end of four weeks, 62% of those given SAM-e had significant improvement compared to 50% of those taking desipramine.

OK, here’s my note about the above three bullet points: The studies cited indicate what they indicate, but, frankly, I’d feel uncomfortable to suggest that people experiencing anything but mild to moderate depression trash their doctor prescribed antidepressants in favor of SAM-e.  If you’ve been diagnosed as having strong/severe depression or other psychiatric issues, DO NOT trash your prescribed drugs in favor of SAM-e; rather, take counsel with your doctor!

SAM-e and Joints

Impressive Results in Osteoarthritis Patients Using SAM-e

In her article, Ms. Richards continues with her review of SAM-e, citing how it can benefit those suffering from Osteoarthritis.

She reports that an estimated 27 million people have osteoarthritis, making it the most common form of arthritis.

(Below, I reprint Ms. Richards words; the bold words are my emphasis…)

The pharmaceutical treatment for osteoarthritis is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – either over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, or prescription medications like Celebrex, Relafen, Daypro, etc.

While NSAIDs can be effective pain relievers, their regular use can result in some devastating side effects such as ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems, increased blood pressure and kidney damage.

Notwithstanding the side effects, in the long run NSAIDs may actually worsen joint problems because they slow the production of collagen and proteoglycans, which help to make cartilage an effective shock absorber.

By contrast, SAM-e seems to support an anti-inflammatory response equivalent to the effect of NSAIDs, but without the toxic side effects. SAM-e does not harm the digestive tract, nor does it contribute to the breakdown of cartilage. Instead, one study shows it may actually help the body restore damaged cartilage.

•  A meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials involving 1,142 patients was done looking at SAM-e for support of osteoarthritis symptom relief. The study authors concluded, “SAM-e appears to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing pain and improving functional limitation in patients with OA without the adverse effects often associated with NSAID therapies.”

•  A randomized double-blind cross-over study of 56 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee compared SAM-e (1200 mg) with the prescription drug celecoxib (Celebrex 200 mg). The results showed no significant difference between the two – both patient cohorts demonstrated significant improvements in pain and joint function – leading the researchers to conclude that SAM-e was as effective as celecoxib in managing the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

•  In a German study, 21 patients with finger osteoarthritis were given SAM-e for three months. MRI scans done on their hands both before and after the treatment period revealed significant structural improvement in the cartilage.

SAM-e and the Liver

SAM-e Supports the Prevention and Improvement of Liver Disease

I’m still amazed when I think about how unique is the liver. The liver is unique because it is the only internal human organ capable of regenerating itself. Did you know that a liver reduced to 25% of its normal size could regenerate into a whole liver again?

SAM-e plays a leading role in that regeneration.

SAM-e is thought to be beneficial for those with liver disease by acting as a precursor of antioxidant glutathione; repairing the mitochondrial glutathione transport system; inhibiting the toxic effects of proinflammatory cytokines; and increasing DNA methylation.

There are nearly a thousand published studies documenting SAM-e’s ability to support prevention and improvement in liver disease.  Back to Ms. Richards:

•  In a study of hepatic glutathione levels in patients with liver disease, participants were divided into four groups. Nine patients with alcoholic liver disease were given SAM-e; seven patients with non-alcoholic liver disease were given SAM-e; 8 patients with alcoholic liver disease were given a placebo; and 15 normal subjects served as a control group. Prior to beginning treatment, all patients had very low hepatic glutathione levels compared to controls. Following treatment, patients receiving the SAM-e had a significant increase in their hepatic glutathione levels compared with both the placebo-treated group and controls.

•  When SAM-e was given to 62 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis in a clinical trial, they were significantly less likely to die or require a liver transplant within the next two years, compared with 61 patients who had received a placebo.

SAM-e and Fibromyaliga

SAM-e Is Promising for Fibromyalgia Patients

Although SAM-e has not been studied yet as much for support of fibromyalgia patients as for those with some other illnesses, the results thus far are encouraging. In one double-blind study of 44 patients with primary fibromyalgia, improvements were seen in the areas of clinical disease activity, pain, fatigue, morning stiffness and mood.

SAM-e and Alzheimer’s Disease

SAM-e May Help Prevent or Delay Alzheimer’s Disease

Since extremely low levels of SAM-e were found in the cerebrodpinal fluid and brain regions of Alzheimer’s patients in a 1996 study, researchers are examining the potential benefits of supplemental SAM-e in Alzheimer’s.(11)  A recent study stated, “…our findings suggest that dietary supplementation with SAM… holds promise as a therapeutic approach to prevent or delay AD. A preliminary study indicates that SAM can provide some cognitive improvement in AD patients.”

How to Use SAM-e

Facts About SAM-e You Need to Know

Dosage: Recommended therapeutic doses usually range between 400 – 1600 mg a day, although some individuals may require higher doses. Studies suggest that 400 mg per day may be adequate for osteoarthritis patients, while up to 1600 mg a day is often needed for mood support. The usual dose for those with liver disorders has been 1600 mg a day. (As with any addition to your health support regimen, supplementation with SAM-e should be considered only with the approval of your professional healthcare team.)

How to Take SAM-e: SAM-e works best when taken on an empty stomach. Because it is absorbed mainly in the intestine, enteric-coated tablets that allow it to pass through the stomach intact are preferable. Leave tablets in their foil or foil blister packs until you are ready to take them in order to maintain their stability.

Adverse Effects: There seem to be few adverse effects with SAM-e, even at high doses. Occasionally mild gastrointestinal distress has been reported. Since SAM-e can sometimes lead to insomnia, it is usually best to take it early in the morning. Because it plays a role in mood support, SAM-e may trigger manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.

Contraindications: While there are no confirmed drug interactions with SAM-e, individuals using prescribed medications such as antidepressants, including serotonin re-uptake Inhibitors and MAO inhibitors, should consult a physician before using. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease, bipolar disorder or manic depression should not take SAM-e.

Some Final Words About SAM-e

The Data

The assertions reproduced here are footnoted by Karen Lee Richards’ article her from which they’re extracted.  If you’re interested in the studies she cites, please go to her article, SAM-e: a Hard-Working Molecule that May Help Ease Pain & Brighten Mood.

You’ll discover that more than three decades of solid research support the use of SAM-e to help promote natural improvement in symptoms of osteoarthritis, depression and liver disease.

Where to Buy SAM-e

I suggest you get it at ProHealth, where I get mine.  SAM-e has been one of the cornerstone supplements offered by ProHealth for many years because it’s useful for so many chronic aliments.

This is how I present it in the Products section of this site:

ProSAMe This supplement is a wunderkind – it helps to stabilize moods, support healthy joints AND liver function. It’s an important part of my arsenal, but I refrain from taking it all the time, as I like to check in, unadulterated, to see how my natural emotional well being is doing.

Note: I have an affiliate marketing arrangement with ProHealth, which means if you buy SAM-e from the above link, I will get a commission from them.  This does not at all affect the price you pay.  If you don’t wish for me to get a commission, simply go to ProHealth, search for SAM-e and buy it there.

Well, lots to digest with this post.  If you have comments or questions, please submit them in the Comments section below.

Related posts:

1. Do Depression Drugs Work?
2. Get Relief from Depression with Rumi
3. A Little Depressed? 10 Actions That Help Me

The science is in – for mild to moderate depression, pharmaceutical antidepressants are no more effective than placebos.  But the science also says that there are four steps you can take that are effective to reduce depression.  Reducing or eliminating mild/moderate depression is all about anti-inflammatory foods, supplements, exercise and a shift in cognition (perception).

ONE OF my favorite doctors in the public arena is Dr. Andrew Weil.  Among the many reasons that I like him is that he’s joyful, smart, articulate, iconoclastic, has debunked many myths and misrepresentations in the health field, written insightful books, and has promoted “functional medicine”, which seeks to understand and treat a person’s entire body as it relates to the root causes of disease or dysfunction, not simply wrestle with symptoms. (Whew!)

So, when I heard that the good doctor was to be interviewed by Ira Flatow on Talk of the Nation about his new book, Spontaneous Happiness: How to Discover and Embrace Your Body’s Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself, I tuned my dial to KQED and opened my mind to be educated.

Mr. Flatow set the stage before introducing Dr. Weil by citing some ugly statistics: In America, use of medications are up by over 400% since 1988, and one in ten people over the age of 12 take antidepressant drugs according to the CDC.

(Listen to the podcast here.)

For Most, Antidepressant Drugs Don’t Work

Dr. Weil is not the only health practitioner who thinks that this state of affairs is ridiculous.  He and others (notably, Dr. Mark Hyman) point out that not only can antidepressant pharmaceutical drugs cause dangerous side effects, but that for mild to moderate depression, they do not work any better than placebos.

The common antidepressant drugs are of a drug classification called “Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors”, or “SSRI”. Over the years, the pharmaceutical companies with their ubiquitous TV ads have done a good job of convincing too many of us that normal, cyclical (like with the onset of winter) bouts of mild to moderate depression is a big problem that you better not cope with all by yourself, so take this drug.

Problem is, antidepressant drugs don’t work for mild to moderate depression*  – you’ll do as well with a sugar pill, on average, but (adding injury to insult), they can cause pernicious side effects, such as:

• Nausea
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Nervousness, agitation or restlessness
• Reduced sexual desire or difficulty reaching orgasm
• Inability to maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• Rash
• Increased sweating
• Weight gain
• Drowsiness
• Insomnia

(*Bi-polar and severe depression is in a completely different category, and those with these conditions need to stay on their meds.)

And there’s another pretty whomping problem with the SSRI class of antidepressant drugs… with long-term use SSRIs can produce the very same problem – depression – that they’re made to alleviate.  This situation is described by the “homeostasis effect”, whereby a system, like the body, endeavors to bring itself back to the norm when an outside or unnatural agent is introduced into the system.

Although not often described as such, we hear about this all the time when a doctor or news report describes that some bacteria has become resistant to inoculants, and as such are called, “drug-resistant bacteria”. This also is common with allergy or acid reflex drugs, wherein for some people the more they’re used, the less effective they become.

The Role of Inflammation on Depression

Over the past few years, scientists have been isolating inflammation as a root cause of many degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and others.  I just got 162,000,000 results from a Google search for “inflammation-based diseases”.  Naturally, given this growing understanding of the linkage of inflammation and disease, the marketplace now offers us “Inflammation Diets”, including the spot-on inflammation-reducing tips from Dr. Weil himself.

Inflammation is a prevalent physical and mental health problem because of the poor food choices we make. In the Talk of the Nation radio interview, Dr. Weil briefly describes how processed and manufactured food can cause inflammation, in part by disrupting the right balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as by dominating the banquet of food choices which consists of poorly grown meat (animals fed grains not grass), simple carbohydrates (white flours, rice, food in boxes) and fats (saturated, trans fat, hydrogenated).

The first clue about the causal link between inflammation markers in the body and depression happened on farms in the 1950s.  Farmers recognized that when their cows, sheep and pigs were sick because they exhibited a specific behaviors: they became anti-social, maintained distance from the herd, were listless.

In the 1970s, scientists discovered inflammation markers in the blood supply of sick animals that they termed, “Blood Factor X”.  They soon understood that much of the sickness exhibited by farm animals had to do with inflammation.  In people, the researchers discovered that inflammation could induce changes in the brain that could instigate depression, leading some very few in the medical field to treat mild to moderate depression via anti-inflammatory foods and treatments.

Four Steps to Reduce Depression

Back now to Dr. Weil’s new book, Spontaneous Happiness.  This book presents a step-by-step, week-by-week , scientifically-based road map for improving, or eliminating mild to moderate depression.  (There’s a link to it below.)

I have not read the book, but from Dr. Weil’s radio interview, I can summarize what I’ll call “four steps to reduce depression”.  Step one is to avoid foods that cause inflammation — those processed, manufactured foods — and to eat instead anti-inflammatory foods.  Step two is to take certain, proven supplements proven to reduce mild to moderate depression.  Step three is to exercise.  Step four is to change one’s perception, a cognitive behavioral shift, if you will.

Step 1 – Eat Anti-inflammatory Foods

Feed animals that eat grass rather than grain (like corn) have substantially more omega-3 fatty acids in their meat.  Flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil and fish oil are rich in omega-3 fatty acids; wherein corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed oil, and olive oil (olive oil being a perfectly good oil in moderation and appropriate for cooking) contain omega-6 fatty acids.

A healthy diet should consist of roughly 2 – 4 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.  The typical American diet tends to contain 14 – 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, and many researchers believe this imbalance is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.

[Want to learn more about healthy and unhealthy fats? Read Eating Fat is Good… Maybe…Could Be… Sometimes.]

Recently, the FDA established a new food pyramid that is no longer a pyramid, but a plate.  I describe it in Yes, Choose My Food Plate and The New Food Pyramid is a Plate.  Dr. Weil responded by creating a plate of his own, but ahhh, kept it as a pyramid.  Confused?  Don’t be… be it plate or pyramid, the point is to know what foods to eat, and Dr. Weil conscientiously chooses inflammation-fighting foods.

What is Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid?

• It is a practical eating guide that consumers of all ages can use, with tips on how to reduce risks of age-related diseases and improve overall health through diet.
• It is an interactive educational graphic to help today’s families prevent disease while eating well.
• It is a simple tool that promotes optimum health and healthy aging by providing dietary advice that addresses inflammation.

Learn more about it here.

As mentioned, the key foods to avoid are those that are processed and manufactured (in boxes, cans and plastic);  grain-fed meat and dairy as opposed to animals raised on grass;  simple carbs such as white bread, white rice, potatoes; and unhealthy fats, such as trans fats, saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils.

Here’s a list of Dr. Weil’s recommended food choices

Step 2 – Take Antidepressant Supplements

The proven supplements to help ameliorate mild to moderate depression include fish oil, vitamin D3, vitamin B12 and SAMe.

I’ve written about SAMe and a powerful type of fish oil called, “krill oil” in Emotional Wellbeing (Chemistry Helps!), and about Vitamin D3 here and here.

Dr. Weil recommends two to four grams of fish oil per day.

Don’t worry about contaminant in your fish oil supplement if manufactured from a reliable brand, as typically they are molecularly distilled and thus free from PCBs and mercury, etc.

Step 3 – Exercise!

Exercise is a proven method to improve mild to moderate depression.  Whether you’re doing an aerobic or anaerobic exercise, it does a body, and a mind good.  One reason is that exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol, and increases those “feel-good” endorphins, such as epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

I have two rules for beginner exercisers:

1. Recruit a buddy to do it with you, and

2. Begin with an exercise routine that you’re willing to consistently do.

If you’re completely out of shape, walk, and walk quickly.  When this becomes comfortable, walk up hills.  If you can, begin jogging.  In between walking days, learn and do yoga or some strength-producing exercises, such as push-ups and squats.  Begin on your knees if you need to for the push-ups, and hold on to a chair for the squats.

Step 4 – Change Your Perception

A teacher once told me and the rest of the class, “Attitude is everything!”.  The near-miracle is being able to change it, cause for most of us our attitude is cemented in place, and perhaps it’s not a very good place.

But for those of you that are willing to work on shifting your mind set to improve your mental well being, consider the following information gleaned from Dr. Weil, with a healthy (hopefully) dose of my interpretation.

First, it’s helpful to know that some amount of depression is quite normal.  What would be abnormal for all except Buddhist monks is to be always happy. Getting a bit depressed is common during specific times of your life and in seasons of the year.  Common times to feel low in life are after child birth, when the kids fly the nest, during menopause, during a career shift, when middle age first hits, during illness, etc.  The onset of winter, with its cold and reduced light, can also ignite depression.

Know that when mild to moderate depression happens – the kind that DOES NOT bring you to the highest bridge or building in the neighborhood – there are better methods to combat it than drugs, as this post has been imploring.  Along with the three steps already described, working on changing your perception could be very helpful.

Dr. Weil suggests to begin improving your perception/cognition with shutting off the things that make your mind flutter, meaning things that distract you from being present, from being focused on one thing at a time.

Turns out, whether you believe it true for you or not, humans are not good at multi-tasking.  This has been studied exhaustively.  The brain doesn’t multi-task well, so what it does is shift back and forth between the things you’re doing, trying to focus individually on each thing, and not doing it well.  This does not produce calmness – just the opposite.

So, the first thing to awaken to is how you manage your day.  If too much multi-tasking is happening, try to simply focus on one thing at a time till it’s as complete as you need it to be for the day.  Improve your well-being by turning off the TV and all the electronics that compete for your attention, like every time that “ping” sound happens on your cell phone to alert you to a new text message.  That sound and inevitable reaction, takes you from your focus.  On a subtle level, it’s stressful if frequently repeated.

There are two things to practice in order to shift perception and improve mild to moderate depression, says Dr. Weil in this radio interview: Meditation and Gratitude.

Meditation takes practice.  No one’s good at it immediately.  But it’s worth trying because meditation helps you change your reaction to things.  As the saying goes, “You can’t change what happens to you, but you can change your reaction to it”.

One basic method to learn to meditate is simply to sit comfortably in a place where there’ll be no distractions for 15 minutes (to start), close your eyes and follow your breath.  “Follow your breath” means to stay focused on it, allowing the breath to come in and go out as it will.  Soon, just by focusing on it, the inhalation and exhalation will become longer and deeper.  When your mind drifts, gently bring it back.  If silently reciting some mantra, or affirmation helps, add that.  If focusing on an object in your mind’s eye helps, do that.  But first get used to following your breath.  Over time, you’ll realize that every stress point in your life is being handled with greater ease.

Be grateful. Even those of us in very bad situations can find something day to day to be grateful about.  Try… you will find something.  The key for this to improve your mindset is to recognize those things for which you’re grateful, and express it.  This can be done each evening before bed when you write down the things for which you have gratitude that happened, or were recognized that day.

I close this post with the admonition that all that’s written may be considered helpful tips to help reduce mild to moderate depression, not severe depression.  If you’re on a doctor-prescribed antidepressant, you will need to work with your doctor to wean yourself from the drug as you incorporate the suggestions here reported.

Many blessings to you.

Related posts:

1. Dr. Weil and Kevin Rose Talk Health (Video)
2. Get Relief from Depression with Rumi
3. Top 10 Health Posts of 2011

The cholesterol drug Lipitor lost its patent today.  The generic Lipitor will be much cheaper. But does that make it a good deal to you?  Some side-effects are life-threatening.  Why not make a life-style change instead?

LIPITOR USERS are in a celebratory mood, because today Lipitor lost its patent.  Yes, the Lipitor patent – the legal imprimatur enabling Pfizer, Lipitor’s manufacture, a monopoly on the drug – has expired, which means that generic Lipitor can now be made by any drug company that can duplicate it and get FDA approval.

Pfizer may claim, but cannot back up, that the Lipitor it manufactures is superior to generic Lipitor.  But au contrare – molecule for molecule – the generic stuff will be identical, and thus will work the same, including offering all those nasty side-effects.

To the Lipitor-uninitiated, know that Lipitor is a “statin” mostly associated with cholesterol, but is also used to treat people with a high risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications, as well as people with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

So, the good news about Lipitor losing its patent is that the market opens up to Lipitor generic competitors.  Yes, the price will be going down. Now, it’s about $5.00 per pill.  Soon, the price of a Lipitor generic drug, as estimated by a Harvard doctor I just heard on the PBS Newshour, will be $2.50 per pill. As others join the fray and manufacturing capacity increases, the price will decline further.

(Don’t fret for Pfizer, as they’ve been actively putting together a cabal of various entities, such as pharmacies, doctors, benefit manager and patents to maintain its market share by offering various incentives, such as Lipitor Coupons.  More on that here.)

For those using Lipitor for all those ailments written above, paying less is a good thing.  Happy people.  However, I contend that many Lipitor users would be better off if, rather than now having a price incentive to use more, or beginning to use it, they made healthier life-style changes instead.

Consider the Side-Effects

Like most pharmaceutical drugs, Lipitor comes with a long list of side-effects, a partial list which includes:

Myalgias, arthritis/ arthralgias, diarrhea, headache, rashes, elevation of liver transaminases, elevation of creatine kinase a muscle enzyme, various gastrointestinal symptoms including flatulence, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and various infection symptoms.

If the above list of Lipitor side-effects are insufficient to give you pause, here are some that are life-threatening:

Rhabdomyolysi,  Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, photosensitivity, vasculitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, angioedema, anaphylaxis.  (Source for Lipitor side-effects.)

Read again the list of health conditions that Lipitor is made to ameliorate.  Notice a common denominator among them?

Well, they’re all chronic, debilitating conditions that in many, many cases can be vastly improved through life-style changes.  And yet, so many people are unwilling to change behavior that they cumulatively will spend this year in the U.S.A. over $289 billion (the 2006 number) for drugs that attempt to fix their health problems, many of which can be improved by adopting healthy life-style changes.

This might be understandable if the drugs that improved chronic, debilitating health conditions were safe, but as noted above, they’re not… people die or get ill from the side-effects, and also become dependent on the drugs.

Rather Not Do Drugs?

UPDATE:  Check out Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs.

If you’re on Lipitor or some other pharmaceutical drug for a health condition that can be improved via a life-style change, check out some the information below and ask your doctor if your situation could be made better by doing something other than popping drugs.

Food is medicine, as you might have heard, and so start out by learning about superfoods and healthy diets.  On this blog, read My Approach to Health, and from there read Diet 101 and/or Dr. Oz and the 14-Day Reboot Plan.

For more information about cholesterol, check out: 12 Myths About Cholesterol. Interested in lowering your cholesterol the natural way? For information and inspiration, check out one man’s pursuit of healthy cholesterol numbers. Red Yeast is sometimes prescribed by doctors to help lower mildly increased cholesterol – check it out here.

If your issue involves the heart, read Dr. Oz’s Life Saving Heart Tips, and be aware of supplements to aide cardiovascular health.

Finally, medical types are connecting the dots between pernicious, chronic diseases and are finding that obesity is one main culprit – or “common denominator”, to use a phrase elsewhere in this missive.  So, here’s a fairly new term they devised – Diabestity.  It equals obesity + diabetes.

Yes, combine obesity and diabetes and you get “Diabesity”, which the ever-insightful Dr. Mark Hyman discusses in this post, The Diabesity Epidemic – It May Be Coming To You.  It’s about how to know if you’re at risk, or have diabesity, and what to do about it if you do.

Good reading to all!

Related posts:

1. High Cholesterol? Do Something!
2. 12 Myths About Cholesterol
3. Sally Fields and the Wonders of Boniva

I know you’re human, because no other creatures can read, and you’re reading this, so you’re human.  Since you’re human, you get depressed from time to time.  Me too!  Here are 10 11 actions to beat your depression into submission. Collectively, they address the dimensions within which we live our lives.

I HAPPEN to have a high tolerance for pain, or so it seems.  I’ve gone years without work, a “significant other” and – what I feel is worse  – without creating much of value.  Anyone with normal pain receptors would have been compelled to do something dramatic to change the channel.  I, however, sit still and stare out from various windows in my home at the sailboats cruising by in the bay below.

(A sweet picture, yes?)

Fortunately, these latent periods have been appreciatively disrupted by work and love and all the stuff concomitant with them.  So, I’m not terminally flirting with pain, or… as it might better be known… with depression.  And, to be fair, the depression I’m speaking of is not the kind that is so debilitating that the “flirting” is with prospects of leaping from tall building and bridges.  Rather, here the wrestling match is with that type of depression that is normative for most of us: small doses of depression, but substantial enough to categorize a week here and there as very sub-par.

From what I’ve read, many of us so disdain these depressed periods that we reflexively grab some pharmaceutical or another – Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Paxil – take your pick; certainly, the TV commercials will tell you that there’s no need to be down, just drug up to get up.

The commercials must machine gun the “cover-their-ass” pronouncements of the ill effects that might accompany your drug of choice, but what is not said is that depression drugs may not work at all.  This sad fact I report in Do Depression Drugs Work? which points to evidence that antidepressants, on average, may be little more effective than sugar pills in treating depression.

So, what should we sometimes depressed humans to do?

10 11 Depression-beating Actions

[UPDATE:  Check out Dr. Weil's Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs.]

This is what I’ve done to help myself reset, punch back, ignore, take leave of, evaporate my bouts of depression.  Disclaimer: These suggestions are not for the really strong type of depression that may sink you into an oblivion from which you may not reappear.

1. Implement a daily schedule that you can adhere to.  This means that as soon as you awaken, you have something to do that you’re willing to do.

2. Upon arising, take a shower and make it hot and cold to revitalize your body and stimulate your mind

3. Dress yourself… not in the afternoon, but in the morning, and dress as if you have something to do, somewhere to go, even if you don’t; however, if you follow #1, you should have something scheduled.

4. Listen to music, the kind that makes you feel good.  You can dial in what you need in the moment.  (Read how music helps health: Lost and Found Radio and Music’s Affect on Health.)

5. Take supplements known to be useful to ameliorate depression.   Krill Oil has a phospholipid form of omega-3 which is absorbed faster and more efficiently than the triglyceride form typically found in fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are reputed to help with stress, promote heart health and lubricate joints. (Read this on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the London Cabbie study.)  SAM-e helps balance Dopamine & serotonin are neurotransmitters that control mood and pain. But that’s just for starters — SAM-e also helps support cartilage-producing cells, and produces glutathione for detoxification, while replenishing the liver’s own SAMe supply.  I’ve written about both these supplements here, and suggest you take look.

6. Recruit a Buddy, someone in whom you can entrust your innermost self and will help lift you up when way down low.

7. Exercise! Grab that buddy, or give him/her permission to grab you, and go exercise.  Walk, jog, yoga, push-ups – just do it, and if you want to know why, read what the Mayo Clinic has to say about how exercise eases the symptoms of depression and anxiety.  Yes, it gets that dopamine and endorphins flowing – all feel-good chemicals that can help.

8. Smile in front of a mirror. Yes, this may be horrifying at first as that reflection reveals that sad, sorry, self-indulgent face, but stay with it and something deep within you may arise and shout “fuck this!”.  After that, a smile may begin to shimmer on the horizon, and this will shift things for the better.

9. Meditate. Yeah, like all of these suggestions, frankly, getting yourself to mediate when depressed has about as much a chance of success as to chant, “I am not depressed” ten times whilst hopping in a circle in on one foot.  That’s why #6 is so important.  Remember, you gave Buddy permission to be a pain in the ass, so he/she will come over, get your sorry self off the couch and out of the bon bon box. Sit on a cushion, make up a feel-good mantra to focus on, and just follow your breath for ten minutes.  Couldn’t hurt. Extra points: Make that mantra about three things for which you’re grateful.  One of them could be gratitude that you’re sitting in meditation.

10. Read a biography.  Choose a biography about someone who arose from the ashes, someone perhaps with whom you can relate.  Could be inspiring!

11. Walk with Rumi. When you’re down, you need ventilation and inspiration, a potent combo. The walk with take care of the first, and the Sufi mystic poet, Rumi will be the inspiration.  Whatever your view is of a higher power, ole Rumi will take you one step closer.  For more on this, read Relief from Depression with Rumi.

I’ve done all these things, here and there, when I remember and am not so depressed to do something.  Yeah, that’s the catch, so remember #6.

Hey, do you do something that helps with your moments of depression, other than drugs? If so, please tell us in the Comments section below.

Related posts:

1. Do Depression Drugs Work?
2. Get Relief from Depression with Rumi
3. Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs

Antibiotics are getting beat by quickly evolving bacteria.  In many American cities, there’s an infestation of Bed Bugs, some of which now have bacteria such as MRSA that are super-resistant to antibiotics. Consider alternatives to antibiotics.  Here are four.TODAY, there’s news that bed bugs are now carrying two different drug resistant bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE).  This is yet another indication that we are relying too much on drugs like antibiotics because the bugs we fight are developing immunity.

The result is that the bugs are wining.

If you haven’t heard, bed bugs have become a big deal – they’ve infested many cities, particularly New York City.  People are in a panic.  It’s really hard to find and dispense with the buggers.

Moreover, when one carrying MRSA and/or VRE bites you, you have more than a problem; more like a disaster.  As the Mayo Clinic presents it:

“Staph skin infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites. These can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses that require surgical draining. Sometimes the bacteria remain confined to the skin. But they can also burrow deep into the body, causing potentially life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, the bloodstream, heart valves and lungs.”

If you reach for the antibiotics every time you get a sniffle, you’re contributing to the creation of Super Bugs that resist all known antibiotics. Furthermore, antibiotics kill all the “good” bacteria in your gut that it vital for digestion and colon health.

There are alternatives to antibiotics for many bacterial infections.  Google “MRSA herbal treatments” or “MRSA natural treatments” and you’ll get more suggestions than you’re likely to wade through.

Here are four antibiotic alternatives to consider:

Oregano

Prior to the development of antibiotics, Oregano was often used to treat MRSA-like infections.  Use the oregano essential oil, and mix six drops into two tablespoons of olive oil and apply topically about ten times per day.  You can also ingest four drops of oregano oil with one tablespoon of olive oil four times per day.

Olive Leaf Extract

In Europe, particularly in Hungary, Olive Leaf Extract is commonly used for treating MRSA.  You can ingest a powerful formula such as this one from ProHealth, or use an essential oil as described above for Oregano.

Tumeric

This herb is getting much press of late. Dr. Weil says it’s one of his top supplements for its antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties.  The literature says that Tumeric does a good job fighting various staff infections, including MRSA.  It’s best that you use a concentrated form such as Jarrow’s concentrated formula.

Probiotics

As mentioned, your body needs this whether you’re sick or not, and unless you eat foods that are rich in probiotics, like yogurt and grass, it’s a good idea to supplement with probiotics from time to time, particularly if you have digestion/constipation issues. Ingesting a higher level of probiotics can help strengthen your system and aid in ridding your body of an MRSA-like infection.

Do you have any suggestions for antibiotic substitutes?  What has worked for you? Please weigh in below in the Comment Section.

Related posts:

1. 7 Tips for Preventing (and Combating) Urinary Tract Infections, says Oz
2. Allergies: Are There Simple Solutions?

Some ordinary people think so, but (apparently) few in the medical establishment.

Jim Simpson and his Hemp Oil

JIM SIMPSON is an ordinary guy that has devoted his life to making “hemp oil”, distributing it freely and campaigning for the government (Canadian) to recognize that it cures cancer.

He must feel alone, cause it seems very, very few of the “officials” we rely on will address his claim, much less back it.

However, Mr. Simpson does have the sworn affidavits of four dozen people who claim they’ve been cured of cancer and/or other pernicious ailments.  He also  has the testimony of a few courageous medical doctors.  Very few.

The hemp oil referred to here is not the kind you can buy in a health food store to dress up your salad — it has none of the THC (the main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant) that is thought to be theraputic; rather the hemp oil (often referred to as “hash oil“) allegedly used to cure disease is the stuff with THC.   Your grocer doesn’t sell it.  And smoking marijuana will not deliver the goods.

I have no idea about the veracity of the claims made by Jim Simpson, his associates and “patients”.  But I found the video to be persuasive enough to want you to know about the possibility of hemp, or hash, oil having curative properties.  If interested, go to the link below and watch the video.

Here’s the link to the video

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STUDIES COME and studies go, and it seems that on any given topic, some will come to opposite conclusions.

A bit confounding when you’re seeking “expert” guidance about something, particularly when that something involves your health.

Which brings me to a study about antidepressants published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. It provides evidence that says, antidepressants, on average, may be little more effective than sugar pills in treating depression.

(More about the study here.)

Wasn’t it actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise who infamously, strenuously argued to this effect when criticizing Brooke Shields for using Paxil to help with postpartum depression?

Well, like I implied, seems that most any viewpoint has some scientific article to support it, and now Mr. Cruise has his.

In any event, the point of this post is not to delve into whether antidepressants are ineffective or not, but to suggest that — with the support of our doctor — we evaluate the use of non-pharmaceuticals to help manage our state of mind.

My bias is to turn to nature.  I guess I’m a non-pharmaceutical kinda guy.  And now, I’m about to wander in rough waters that are decidedly over my head.  So, take this with a grain of salt (water):  My thinking is to try nutraceutical supplements that could help with depression before jumping straight to pharmaceuticals that have unsavory side effects; drugs such as Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Paxil and the like.

If your doctor agrees, consider trying some omega-3 supplement like Krill Oil along with SAM-e.

The Krill Oil has a phospholipid form of omega-3 which is absorbed faster and more efficiently than the triglyceride form typically found in fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are reputed to help with stress, promote heart health and lubricate joints. (Read this on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the London Cabbie study.)

SAM-e helps balance Dopamine & serotonin are neurotransmitters that control mood and pain. But that’s just for starters — SAM-e also helps support cartilage-producing cells, and produces glutathione for detoxification, while replenishing the liver’s own SAMe supply.

I’ve written about both these supplements here, and suggest you take look.

Oh, that cartoon at the top of the post was selected for a reason, which is to underscore the value of exercise in positively influencing your state of mind.  The hurdle is that when we’re depressed, it’s very hard to reengage in healthy behaviors, let along introduce them if they’ve never been a part of our lives.

Let’s imagine, though, that whether by sheer force of will, or an incoming tide of dopamine, you can take some steps toward the treadmill (or whatever).  The Mayo Clinic has some good news about why you should try right here.

Related posts:

1. A Little Depressed? 10 Actions That Help Me
2. Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs
3. The “Miracle” Supplement for Depression, Arthritis and Liver Health

They gain one to one-and-a-half pounds a week

IS IT my imagination or does it seem that every other week a new study pops out heralding yet another pharmaceutical drug gone haywire?

What does the Supreme Court, Tim Russert, Statins, Avandia, Acomplia, Heath Ledger, Roaccutane, Paxil, Alli and Coumadin have in common?

The answer is that they’re all involved with drugs gone haywire, the stories about which are presented at Natural News here.  It should not be surprising that the unsuspected, sometimes powerfully debilitating side effects of pharma drugs has exploded, for society’s strategy of using drugs as panaceas has replaced good sense and healthy behavior.

For every sickness, chronic illness or desire, a pill exists or is incubating.  Negative side effects are simply collateral damage.

So, it wasn’t surprising to pick up the New York Times today and read that “young children and adolescents who take the newest generation of antipsychotic medications risk rapid weight gain and metabolic changes that could lead to diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses, according to the biggest study yet of first-time users of the drugs”. (Full story here.)

The study, scheduled to be released today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, reports that 257 young children and adolescents in New York City and Long Island added 8 to 15 percent to their weight after taking the pills for less than three months — an average of one to one-and-a-half pounds a week.

The four drugs in the study are the most popular antipsychotic medications, with combined sales of $12.7 billion in 2008.

Of the four drugs reviewed, Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly & Company ($1.5 billion U.S. sales the first six months of 2009), showed the most severe effects on weight and metabolism. The other three are Abilify, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb ($1.9 billion sales in the same period), Seroquel made by AstraZeneca ($2.2 billion in the same period), and Risperdal made by Johnson & Johnson ($660 million, same period).

Dr. Rapoport, chief of the child psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, said Zyprexa had been so heavily marketed that it was in widespread use before physicians began to recognize the severity of its side effects a few years ago. Zyprexa has continued selling in the range of nearly $3 billion a year in the United States even as concerns emerged about its tendency to cause patients to gain weight.

With perhaps intended sarcasm, the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Christoph U. Correll of Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y., said “People should think twice before they actually prescribe the medications.”

If you or anyone you know has a child that takes or may take one of these drugs, please read the New York Time’s article here.

Related posts:

1. This Holiday, Overeat and Gain No Weight!
2. Dr. Weil’s Four Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs
3. Do Depression Drugs Work?