We make vitamin D in our skin using a type of solar radiation called ultraviolet B (UVB). Unfortunately, UVB is filtered out by the atmosphere. As the Earth tilts on its axis in winter, the sun’s rays travel through more atmosphere to get to us, and more and more UVB is filtered out. Some estimates have it that, in our part of the country, we simply do not make vitamin D during 4-5 months of every year. Even in summer, morning and afternoon sun has to angle through more atmosphere, filtering out most if not all UVB. (more…)

If I had written this article on vitamin D just a few years ago, I would have struggled to fill a single page. I might have said a little about D and osteoporosis, and mentioned the importance of sunlight, and then that would have been that. But the last few years have seen an explosion of research on D, suggesting that it not only helps with the bones, but also maintains muscles strength as we age, elevates mood, lowers blood pressure, and halts autoimmune disease, including multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes.

Moreover, that it strongly reduces the risk of over a dozen kinds of cancer. (more…)

A lot of people are panicked about the avian flu, so I want to make one thing very clear to start out with: a pandemic is not inevitable. In fact, as things stand right now, it seems unlikely. As far as we know, avian flu has jumped the species barrier from bird to human only a few dozen times, and human-human transmission doesn’t seem to be a threat. Of course that could change if the virus mutates. And if it ever does become easily transmissible to humans, we could have a serious problem. As many as half the people who have caught the avian flu have died of it.

I can not claim to know of any formal research connecting natural medicine to prevention or treatment of this specific form of influenza. Then again, there’s precious little research connecting conventional medicine to the avian flu, either. At a loss for proven interventions, the president has proposed using the army to enforce quarantine on entire cities if necessary.

Obviously, anything that strengthens the immune system will help us fight off just about any infection, be it the common cold or the killer flu. But I’ve written about this a million times before, so I won’t bore you with it again.

I would, however, like to write briefly about the herb Lomatium dissectum, sometimes called Desert Parsley. Although Lomatium hasn’t had a chance to prove itself against the avian flu, it certainly has shown it can take on an influenza pandemic. The following is excerpted from a paper written by Ernst Krebs, M.D., published in The Bulletin of the Nevada State Board of Health, January 1920. Krebs is writing about the 1918 Spanish flu, which killed 150,000 Americans, and 50 million worldwide:

During the fall of 1918 when the influenza epidemic visited this section of Nevada, the Washoe Indian used a root in the treatment of their sick which was gathered along the foot-hills of this slope of the Sierra. The plant proved to be a rare species of the parsley family, according to a report from the University of California.

Whether a coincidence or not, there was not a single death in the Washoe tribe from influenza or its complications, although Indians living in other parts of the State where the root did not grow died in numbers. It was such a remarkable coincidence that the root was investigated by a practicing physician who saw apparently hopeless cases recover without any other medication or care of any kind. A preparation was prepared and employed in a great many cases among the whites, from the mildest to the most virulent types of influenza, and it proved, among other things, that it is the nearest approach we have today to a specific in epidemic influenza and the accompanying pneumonia. Where used early it proved itself to be a reliable agent in preventing pulmonary complications. Other physicians were induced to give it a trial, with the same results. It is beyond the experimental stage, as its therapeutic action in this direction is established and beyond any doubt. The cases in which it has been used run into the hundreds. There is probably no therapeutic agent so valuable in the treatment of influenzal pneumonia.

Lomatium is the cornerstone of my acute winter wellness protocol (along with high-dose zinc, reishi mushroom, and Larix powder – and anything else I can get my hands on). I consider it the very best lung antiviral we have. It has worked like an absolute charm for me, and many of the people I’ve recommended it to over the years. Two caveats, though. First, it tastes awful. And second, about 1% of people who take it get a skin rash. According to the esteemed herbalist, Michael Moore, in Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West, this rash isn’t an allergic reaction, but rather, a sort of detox crisis as the body is overwhelmed by waste products from the immune system’s battle against an infection. He says that, in his 30+ years of practice, he has never seen this reaction when lomatium is used with other herbs that promote detoxification.

Okay, so the title is a little misleading. Most of this article is going to discuss fish oils, which we’ve known about for a few years already. The rest is going to touch on the Mimosa tree, which the Chinese have been using for a few millenia, but which I just learned about… Anyways, they’re both new to this newsletter, so let’s get started. (more…)

Cataracts:

In the front of the eye is a lens, like the lens on a camera: it focuses light images so they can be sent to the brain. Cataracts are “spots” or “stains” in the lens. Vision loss depends on the size, shape, color, and location of the cataracts.

Cataracts can occur for a number of reasons. Most are attributed to aging. Others are a long-term complication of diabetes. Understand, however, that neither age nor diabetes make cataracts inevitable.

Age-related (or “senile”) cataracts largely occur due to buildup of oxidative damage within the lens – either because the rate of damage increases, or because the lens’ ability to protect itself is compromised. Central to these protective mechanisms are a number of common antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and other carotenoids such as lutein. Research here really points to long-term prevention, with antioxidants showing benefit over, not weeks, or even months, but years and sometimes decades. In the case of vitamin C for example, one extremely large, long-term study found that it prevented cataracts, but only when people had been taking it for at least ten years! Of course it’s never too late to start.

Extracts of bilberry (“European blueberry”) and alpha-lipoic acid, mentioned in last month’s article on glaucoma, could help here. There have also been studies where simple multivitamins were protective – often more protective than taking the supposed eye-specific nutrients alone.

Two nutrients deserve special attention when it comes to senile cataracts: vitamin B2, and an antioxidant called carnosine (not to be confused with carnitine). What research there is (little) on B2, hints that it could prevent senile cataracts and might possibly reverse them. Considering how safe the vitamin is, and how very, very inexpensive, it’s worth a try. I’d shoot for at least 25 mg, twice a day.

Carnosine is something special! More than just a great antioxidant, intriguing research points to it as a crucial anti-aging nutrient as well[1]. One of the ways we get old is when the proteins in our cells caramelize (just like in cooking) with sugars and oxygen. Simply put, carnosine appears to be able to prevent this process. In the research with cataracts, n-acetyl-carnosine (a form more absorbable by the eyes) was applied in eye drops. In the longest-term study of these eye drops, 49 patients who had just been diagnosed with senile cataracts received either the n-acetyl-carnosine eye drops or placebo eye drops twice a day, or no treatment, for 24 months. Over this time, not one person using the carnosine eye drops got worse. In fact, compared to both placebo and the untreated group, the people receiving the real treatment showed real improvement in their ability to see clearly at both six months and two years.

Diabetic cataracts are different than senile cataracts. Here, a compound called sorbitol builds up inside the lens. Sorbitol is created from glucose (“blood sugar”) by the enzyme aldose reductase. The thing about sorbitol is, it can’t cross into or out of the lens. In other words, it stays there once it’s created. (On the flip side, however, you don’t have to worry about dietary sorbitol, because it can’t get into the lens in the first place!)

The most important thing you can do to reduce the impact of diabetic cataracts is to get your diabetes under control. Beyond that, you might look for something that could slow down or stop aldose reductase. And we know of a few things that can – at least in test tubes. Quercetin, Hesperidin, and other flavonoids all seem to be able to reduce the activity of this enzyme. So does alpha-lipoic acid (this one keeps on coming up!) And while carnosine has been studied in senile cataracts, its mechanism would indicate it might be worth trying here as well.

Macular Degeneration:

Remember, the lens in the eye focuses light images so they can be sent to the brain. To be more specific, these light images are focused on a light-sensitive film in the back of the eyeball called the retina. The central part of the retina is called the macula, which is responsible for both vision in the center of our visual field, and for our ability to see color[2]. In macular degeneration, the macula (as you may have guessed) degenerates. We lose central vision first, with the vision loss gradually spreading outward towards the periphery.

Macular degeneration (MD) is the major eye disease where bright light appears to be a problem, as it can damage the macula. Avoiding bright light, or at least using a good pair of sunglasses goes a long way to preventing this disease. But even with bright light shining right into your eyes, the macula is able to protect itself with compounds that act like “internal sunglasses,” namely the orange-yellow carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin[3]. (The macula even looks yellow under a microscope, since it’s so rich in these brightly colored plant pigments). It’s no surprise, then, that eating green leafy vegetables appears linked to a lower risk of this disease, since most of them are unusually high in lutein. Collards, spinach, and kale are all wonderful sources of lutein. Orange peppers are the richest source of zeaxanthin. Corn and egg yolks are rich sources of both.

Consuming lutein and zeaxanthin can protect against macular degeneration, whether you get them from the diet or supplements. They appear to absorb better when consumed with fats or oils. While most research finds benefits in prevention, it should be noted that in at least one study, vision actually improved in people with macular degeneration who took 10 mg lutein per day.

Research suggests that the herb Ginkgo biloba may be useful in preventing macular degeneration. Too early to draw any firm conclusions. Still, no reason not to try it.

And finally, the mineral zinc appears helpful. 40 mg of elemental zinc was used in one study, where it was able to significantly slow down macular degeneration. Considering zinc’s relatively low cost, and it’s million-and-one side benefits (immune system, heavy metal toxicity, Attention-Deficit Disorder, prostate enlargement, wound healing, etc.), I figure everyone ought to be taking zinc!

Diabetic Retinopathy:

The whole process whereby high blood sugar can damage the retina is kind of complicated. Suffice it to say that A) it does; and B) lowering your blood sugar (if it’s high) is the single best thing you can do to keep your eyes intact.

Beyond that, this is yet another area where antioxidants – a wide range of them – appear protective. And yet another area where alpha-lipoic acid appears to be especially valuable, since it not only protects the eyes, but can lower blood sugar as well.

For example, one researcher found that carnosine levels in the muscles of different animals was correlated with the species’ maximal life spans. Cells that are grown in test tubes with l-carnosine also can live a lot longer than cells grown without it. [1]

The macula is actually less sensitive to light than the rest of the retina. This is why, when it’s very dark out, you see more clearly in your peripheral vision – but you don’t see colors nearly as well.[2]

We’ve all heard of beta-carotene, the most famous carotenoid. But why beta-carotene get so famous, while its cousins, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin fall by the wayside? Well, beta-carotene can be converted in the body into vitamin A. The others, on the other hand, are converted to vitamin A poorly, if at all. And since we tend to get tunnel vision in nutrition, focusing on vitamins and minerals to the exclusion of all else, we can fall into the trap of ignoring the non-vitamin-related health aspects of food. Which is, of course, ridiculous! What makes a yam healthy is more than just beta-carotene; an orange is more than just vitamin C![3]

About two years ago, I was asked to speak to Peg Morse’s[1] Vision Group at the Newbury Court retirement home. It turned out to be the worst talk I ever gave.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve always enjoyed speaking with Peg. And the other people who came were also nice, attentive, and engaged. For my part, I showed up prepared, with an outline, notes, and even a diagram of the eye. So why did this talk go so badly? (more…)

I’m dating an herbalist now, and she’s pretty amazing. (She’s also going to be reading this). [2018 update: I have since married someone who is not the herbalist!)  Her training, her philosophy is all about herbs, straight from Nature, prepared the way our ancestors prepared them. I, on the other hand – I love the herbs, too; don’t get me wrong – but I also think nutraceuticals are great. She says nature never intended us to have 1,000 mg of vitamin C, or high-dose B-vitamins, or even standardized herbal extracts: they’re not really “natural.” I say, “Natural, schmatural – so what? Who says we can’t improve on nature?”

Discussion ensues. We’re both opinionated people.

Finally, we decided to be each other’s guinea pigs. For my part, I’m going to go on an herbal protocol of her choosing, to fix (or “balance”) what ails me. She is going to take some supplements I recommend.

The disappointing thing, however, is that nothing is really wrong with her. Nothing needs fixing. How boring! Sure, she sometimes gets headaches if she skips a meal; that’s probably a blood sugar thing. And she’s going to start taking chromium for that. But otherwise, healthy, happy, fit as a fiddle. So I decided (and this is where the newsletter comes in) to write a simple supplement protocol to maintain great health for the next 60 years. Assuming she already eats great. Assuming she isn’t a millionaire. And one final rule: no herbs.

1. A good multivitamin/mineral.

Vitamin B6 does dozens of things in the body, most of which are crucial to life. I could name some of them, but why bore you? Zinc is needed every time we read our DNA. Without vitamin C, we can’t make the very stuff we’re made of. Folic acid, at pennies a day, lowers the risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s. The newest research into vitamin D points to a role, not just in osteoporosis, but in arthritis, depression, chronic pain, and cancer. Etc.

Chances are, you’re not outright deficient in any of these. If you eat a balanced diet, you should be doing okay. But there’s a difference between having “enough” of a nutrient – after all, Wonder Bread, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and tap water are “enough” to survive on – and having an optimal amount. That’s where a good multi comes in.

We’re not necessarily talking about megadoses here, although I guess that depends on what we mean by “megadose.” For example, 25 mg of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 might be however-many-thousand percents of the Recommended Daily Allowances, but these doses are eminently sane and healthy. With some nutrients, calcium for example, you don’t want to exceed the RDA by much. But with others (the B-vitamins especially), you should. And to get to these levels, you need to look to supplements.

2. Fish Oil (capsules or liquid):

Look up “vitamin” in the dictionary. It says “A substance that is critical for proper functioning of a living organism that the organism is unable to produce in for itself.” By that definition, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils are vitamins. And more so than any other vitamin, omega-3s in higher levels than those needed to simply survive provide a vast spectrum of health benefits.

First and foremost, fish oils reduce inflammation. And – please forgive the oversimplification here – inflammation is what eventually kills most of us. Whatever disease finally gets you, you can bet that inflammation will be a part of it. Of course, controlled inflammation is a good thing, part of a healthy immune response. To that end, fish oil doesn’t suppress inflammation across the board; rather, it supplies raw materials that the body can use to control inflammation when it gets out of control.

Over a lifetime, fish oil reduces the risks of: heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and getting senile. Shorter term (weeks and months), there’s real benefit in arthritis, learning disorders, general aches and pains, depression (very impressive results), and a variety of skin conditions.

What really clinched it for me was the study where people receiving a 4 g a day of EPA (the most important part of fish oil) for 3 months were better able to resist sunburn than people who got a placebo. Wow! Fish oil will lower my risk of cancer, heart disease, depression… and sunburn? Gotta’ get some!

Two things: first, buy from a company that puts their product through rigorous quality control, so you won’t worry about contamination. And secondly, most companies are afraid to scare off people by recommending the higher doses supported by research (“I don’t want to take that many pills,” says the customer, “I’ll just buy that other brand that says to take less!”) For optimal benefit, take at least 3 g combined EPA & DHA.

3. A Whey Protein-Based Shake for Breakfast:

Okay, disclosure time: what you’re reading now isn’t the exact protocol I’m handing my girlfriend. Because this item isn’t on her list; it is, however, on yours.

Or maybe it isn’t… You, too, can skip this one if you eat a spectacular breakfast every morning. But please understand, by “spectacular” I don’t mean a bran muffin (organic or not), some yogurt, or a little fresh fruit. I’m talking about three eggs scrambled with peppers and onions, Moroccan olives, fresh herbs, whole-grain toast with almond butter, a grapefruit and some organic berries, and green tea – a meal. Not a snack.

A whey protein shake with fresh fruit is the next best thing. And it’s so easy to make! It takes seconds! A number of weight loss books endorse whey protein. So do bodybuilding (weight gain) books. More than that, whey contains stuff that helps the liver detoxify, deals with mercury poisoning, maintains the immune system under stress, the list goes on and on. More than that even, I believe a whey protein shake for breakfast, is one of the best things for anyone who feels their energy drag in the middle of the day, craves sweets, or even… gets headaches when they skip a meal. Hmmm…

4. Alpha-Lipoic Acid:

Oxidation is the chemical process that makes iron rust, that causes a cut apple to turn brown. Inflammation (see #2, above) is intimately connected with oxidation. As you might imagine, oxidation is right up there with inflammation in terms of what makes us get sick, get old, and die.

Any designation of “best antioxidant” is pretty arbitrary. Some antioxidants are better at some things than others. Other “antioxidants” aren’t even antioxidants: instead, they stimulate your body to make its own antioxidants. Nevertheless, I’m going out on a limb and calling alpha-lipoic our “best antioxidant.” Here’s why:

We’re constantly exposed to oxidation, in the form of sunlight, pollution, cooked food, smoke, etc. It’s every-where. Most antioxidants work just fine against this kind of oxidation, because they intercept it before it gets in to do much damage. The problem is, we also make our own oxidation, in the mitochondria (or “power plants”) of our cells. Regular antioxidants don’t get in to our mitochondria. They still stop oxidation, but only after some damage has already been done. In a sense, they’re like fire trucks putting out a house fire: they may save the neighborhood, but the house is still destroyed. Alpha-lipoic acid, on the other hand, is like a fire extinguisher. Not because it’s weak, but because it gets in and quenches the fire where it starts – before the house burns down, so to speak. It gets into the eyes, it protects the nerves, and it specifically helps protect against the consequences of high blood sugar.

In studies involving animals, alpha-lipoic acid, alone or in conjunction with, acetyl-l-carnitine, greatly reduced some of the signs of aging, more so than any supplement I’ve seen. I’d take 300-600 mg a day.

5. Medicinal Mushrooms, especially Reishi:

The Chinese don’t call Reishi the “Mushroom of Immortality” for nothing! Reishi increases vitality and health. Reishi protects and strengthens our lungs and livers. Our livers perform hundreds of vital chemical reactions, from processing hormones, to storing energy and detoxifying stuff 90% of the toxins we have to deal with. Beyond this, Reishi enhances and nourishes the deepest levels of the immune system. Reishi increases the activity of immune cells called Natural Killer cells, which provide surveillance against “altered-self” cells, that is, virally-infected and cancerous cells.

6. Green Tea:

Breaking the rules again? Of course not! Green tea isn’t an herb, it’s a tea… Oh, never mind… Perhaps the single most effective cancer-preventative supplement.

7. Honorable Mentions:

Sesame seeds, any berry that can stain your clothing… and SAMe: if the research keeps on coming in on how bad homocysteine is (and SAMe lowers homocystein), it might surpass green tea.

The holistic approach to dealing with intense stress isn’t to survive it but to remove yourself from it whenever possible. But sometimes, no matter how calm and in-touch-with-nature you are, two or three weeks just come out of nowhere and hit you like a ton of bricks – you’re dealing with sleep deprivation, overwork, physical and emotional exhaustion. You can’t concentrate, you can’t get to sleep, your blood pressure shoots through the roof, and it seems like every time somebody sneezes you catch their cold. (more…)

Last month’s newsletter talked a bit about anxiety and panic, touching briefly on the differences between the two.  It also included a fair amount of talk about “lifestyle” factors – those indirect but very real contributors to anxiety and panic.  Much of the article was drawn from an interview with Janet Beaty, a local naturopathic doctor.

Before I start Part II, I want to correct three errors and/or oversights from last month’s piece.  First, I spelled Dr. Beaty’s name wrong (Sorry, Janet!  And if anyone wants to contact Janet for a professional appointment, her office number is 978-287-5352).  I mistakenly listed a dose of chromium in milligrams (mg), when it should have been in micrograms (mcg).  And I completely forgot to mention hyperthyroid-ism as a potential cause of anxiety and/or panic.  The thyroid gland is the master gland of metabolism, and when it starts working too hard, speeding you up too much, it can create severe anxiety.  In fact, a close friend of mine was once institutionalized for two weeks with crippling panic and delusions before the docs figured out an overactive thyroid was causing it.  With a combination of medication and supplements now, she’s completely fine.  None of the medications and supplements she’s taking deal directly with anxiety.  They deal, rather, with the underlying cause.  But they work.

The larger point is that, if you suffer from serious anxiety or panic, especially if it’s something new in your life, please have yourself checked out by a medical professional who can rule out underlying causes – hyperthyroid or otherwise.  This identifying and treating underlying causes, Dr. Beaty points out, is a real strengths of naturopathic medicine.

That being said, this month’s article will talk about ways to deal directly with anxiety and panic.

One up-and-coming supplement is the amino acid l-theanine, which is found in green tea.  Many people who say coffee gives them the jitters don’t have a problem with green tea, even though it also contains caffeine.  That’s because theanine counteracts the effects of caffeine.  In fact, when rats were given theanine along with caffeine, it completely negated the negative effects of the caffeine!

Theanine can be calming independent of caffeine.  In one study, women aged 18-22, were given 50-200 mg of theanine or a placebo.  Within 30 minutes, a brain scan showed increased alpha waves (associated with an “awake, alert, and relaxed” state of mind).  The women also reported feeling more relaxed.  I think of theanine for people who can’t contain their energy.  My friend, who owns another health food store, and who tends to get a little hyper with the stress of his job, says a combination of 200 mg theanine and 500 mg GABA (see below) works for him.

Anxiety aside, theanine is good for you anyways.  Research shows it protects rats and gerbils from damaging effects of strokes, protects them against liver cancer, and helps fat mice lose weight.

GABA (or gamma-amino butyric acid) is another anti-stress, anti-anxiety amino acid.  GABA is a naturally-occurring neurotransmitter in the brain, where it dampens the excitability of brain cells.  I’ve always considered it as a “quiet-the-mind” supplement, to slow down incessant mental chatter.  In fact, I took this one myself years ago at Grace’s recommendation, when something I couldn’t stop thinking about kept me from sleeping.  It worked great.

Dr. Beaty has a slightly different take on this supplement, which she also recommends in her clinic.  She recommends it for people “with chronic muscle tension… people who are tight.” 

The herb lemon balm (Melissa officanalis) is another option.  From what I’d read, I thought of lemon balm more for calming hyperactive kids and as an antiviral in herpes.  Dr. Beaty, however, says she uses lemon balm a lot for simple anxiety, and that she sees it work.  It’s quite safe (except it can make some anxiety drugs stronger and might be a problem in pregnancy).  Lemon balm can be taken in pill form, as a liquid extract, or as a pleasant tea.

A few herbs I don’t have space to cover, but worth looking into on your own are: passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), especially for anxiety related to blood pressure that gets high due to stress, then stays high into the evening.  Motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca), for anxiety associated with increased heart rate.  Holy basil (Ocimium sanctum), new to this country, but people tell us the supplement works and the tea, with its pleasant, green flavor, is calming.  Three or four cups of the tea a day, hot or iced, may be enjoyed.  True brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is a personal favorite.  Long used in India as a calmative, most of the modern research has focused rather on ‘attention’, where it seems to help after taking a month or so.  I think of Bacopa, where one is constantly distracted by anxiety, or for anxiety that roils through the digestive system, leaving your gut crampy or spastic (think IBS).

Crossing the fine line from anxiety into panic, the nutrient inositol can be amazing.  It is absolutely safe, relatively inexpensive and tastes like sugar.  It’s found in every cell of our bodies.  But what does it do?  How does it work?

Inositol is part of a number of second messenger systems.  Let me explain.  Neurotransmitters are chemicals that regulate mood, and affect the behavior of the brain.  They do this by sending messages to brain cells.  However, they only deliver their messages to the outsides of cells; a “second messenger” is needed to carry that message inside.  Inositol is a crucial part of second-messenger systems for practically every neurotransmitter known.  In a sense, we can say that inositol helps the brain manage itself better.

Well, that’s fine for theory – but does it actually work?  In one study, people with panic attacks received either 12 grams of inositol a day or a placebo.  At the start of the study, everyone averaged 10 panic attacks per week.  Four weeks later, those taking inositol went down to about 3 attacks per week.  (The placebo group went down to 6).  In another trial, inositol was compared to fluvoxamine (an antidepressant drug used to treat panic disorders).  Here, inositol was found to be more effective than fluvoxamine in reducing the number of panic attacks.

There’s also good research on obsessive-compulsive disorder, with a significant improvement at 18 grams a day in 6 weeks.  I know two customers who have done quite well on inositol.  Another study found it effective in anxiety-driven bulimia and binge eating.  There’s good research on depression, too.

If you want to try inositol, you’re going to want to buy it in powder form.  While a standard dose is less than 2 tablespoons of this sweet powder, that’s equal to more than 20 pills.  While it’s not unheard of for people to get slightly stomach-achey or gassy while taking it, those appear to be the only side effects.

There’s good ol’ Rescue Remedy, a flower essence blend from the Bach Company.  Flower essences are a form of homeopathy that involves soaking flowers in water for an hour or two.  In the end, what you’re left with is basically… water.  I can’t explain it, but Rescue Remedy just seems to work.  People take it during situations that “freak them out,” and even give it to animals when they’re spooked.  While I tend to have a prejudice against homeopathy – herbs and nutraceuticals are more consistent and easier to understand – this one is worth a try.  If it does work, it works in a minute or so.  Even the quickest herbs may take 5-10 minutes, even longer with food in your stomach.  (Debra, however, was brought up on homeopathy and says when it works, it works, even if hard to understand!)

Finally, it’s worth looking at vitamin B-6.  B-6 is needed to make all our major neurotransmitters.  A less-than-optimal level, then, can interfere with our brain’s ability to regulate.  While there is no research specifically with anxiety, there is with PMS, where it can be quite helpful.  What I suggest to people with any sort of mood disorder is to take B-6 if they don’t remember their dreams (this can often indicate low B-6 levels).  See if it makes a difference.

[Note from 2018: the following paragraph is embarrassing, and should probably be removed.  But I’m leaving it in for posterity’s sake].

And while I would love to write about B-vites Niacin and Niacinamide, I can’t.  The paper I wanted to quote from was in the recent issue of The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients.  But somebody took my copy!  I’ll make sure to get a replacement before this newsletter comes out, if you want to come in and read it.  In the article, the president of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine discussed how he used these in his clinic.  He said that they were the single most effective approach he used.  And he gave instruction on how to use them.