Vitamin D Levels in Mom Affect Dental Health in Child

July 8, 2008

Canadian researchers at the University of Manitoba presented the results of the first study ever done to evaluate the impact of a mother’s vitamin D status during pregnancy on the dental health of her child. The researchers analyzed the vitamin D status in 206 pregnant women in their second trimester and found that only 21 of them had adequate vitamin D levels.  Vitamin D levels were related to prenatal vitamin use and consumption of vitamin D rich foods. The infants born to mothers with low vitamin D levels had an increased risk of tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay.

As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I see pregnant women and test them for their vitamin D status. Oftentimes their levels are low and they are placed on a prenatal nutritional program that includes supplementation with Vitamin D3, above and beyond what is in their prenatal vitamin.  I also encourage them to spend 10-20 minutes in the sun, with their bellies exposed, per day.  Sun exposure can increase vitamin D3 levels in the blood however some women lack the appropriate enzymes necessary to convert sun exposure into adequate vitamin D in their bloodstream.

Food sources of vitamin D can be difficult to find and to consume on a daily basis. Cod liver oil, egg yolk, and foods fortified with vitamin D are the most accessible to women. The flesh of fish such as salmon and tuna are also rich sources but I do not recommend that pregnant or nursing women consume these fish due to their high concentration of heavy metals such as mercury.

This research was presented on July 4th, 2008 at the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research. It was funded by the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, the Dentistry Canada Fund, the University of Manitoba, and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

To learn more visit the International Association for Dental Research.

-Dr. Gina

Leave a Comment » | Childhood Nutrition, Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Pregnancy | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Shortfall in Primary Care Doctors Does Not Have to Mean a Healthcare Crisis

June 25, 2008

Primary care physicians are considered the front-line of health care, particularly for chronic and preventive care. A new report published today reveals that there is a huge shortage of primary care MD’s. HOWEVER, the number of licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctors (NMDs or NDs) is on the rise, and are the ideal candidates to take the lead in preventing this health care “crisis.”

Naturopathic Medical Doctors, who graduate from CNME approved medical schools , pass national medical board examinations, and are licensed to practice medicine, are highly skilled and trained as specialists in the cost-effective prevention and treatment of chronic disease.  These primary care doctors employ advanced testing methods that pinpoint individual nutrition and lifestyle needs that will reverse most chronic illness, and in particular diabetes, obesity and heart disease and will prevent them from ever occurring.

After serving as President of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association and as the Medical Director at LTP Natural Medical Center I can tell you from experience that Naturopathic Medicine holds phenomenal promise for filling this health care gap, while saving our country billions of dollars in unnecessary spending.

-Dr. Gina

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Colorado Springs Gazette (CO) — Shortfall in primary care physicians likely to get worse— By Brian Newsome — (Sunday, June 15, 2008) —

Health insurance and rising medical costs are stars of the political stage this election season, yet a potentially larger crisis looms: a shortage of primary care physicians.

Some doctors use terms such as “collapse” and “disaster” in talking about the state of primary care during the next decade. They say the issue will likely force lawmakers to radically rethink how health care dollars are spent.

Primary care doctors – generally pediatricians, internal medicine doctors and the traditional family physician – are considered the front line of health care, especially for chronic diseases and preventive care. A shortage could translate into costlier and less-efficient health care.

1 Comment | Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

N-acetylcysteine Holds Promise for Chronic Schizophrenia

June 24, 2008

A new research study shows that supplementation with N-acetylcysteine significantly improves symptoms in schizophrenia patients in as little as two weeks.

In the study, 140 patients (mean age, 37 years) with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, NAC (1 g twice a day) or placebo, in addition to their usual medication, for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change from baseline on the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and on subscales that measured positive and negative symptoms separately. In intent-to-treat analysis, at 24 weeks the degree of improvement was significantly greater in the NAC group than in the placebo group for the PANSS total score (p < 0.01) and for the PANSS negative symptoms score (p < 0.02). The effect sizes were consistent with a moderate beneficial effect of NAC. No improvement was seen in the NAC group relative to the placebo group after eight weeks, indicating that the beneficial effects of NAC were slow to develop. Secondary endpoints included scores on the Clinical Global Impression Severity and Clinical Global Impression Improvement scales, which measure treatment effects not necessarily related to psychosis. NAC was also significantly superior to placebo on these scales, and the beneficial effects were evident as early as two weeks after the start of treatment. In addition, when compared with placebo, NAC treatment significantly improved akathisia (p = 0.022), which is a movement disorder caused by antipsychotic medications. NAC had no effect on the PANSS positive symptoms subscale.

NAC is a precursor to glutathione synthesis which is why it is showing benefit in schizophrenia. Glutathione levels are decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid and in portions of the brain of patients with schizophrenia.This is interesting because glutathione plays a key role in the removal of free radicals and schizophrenia patients tend to have a higher level of oxidative free radicals in their brain.

I practice Orthomolecular Medicine, and often utilize stabilized glutathione in patients with schizophrenia.This new research further validates the benefits of using stabilized glutathione to treat schizophrenia, as glutathione levels are often low in the cerebrospinal fluid and in the brain of schizophrenia patients.

-Dr. Gina

3 Comments | Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Orthomolecular Psychiatry | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

“Big Breakfast” Means More Weight Loss in the Long Run

June 18, 2008

New research shows that women who eat large breakfasts lose a lot more weight in the long run then women who eat a smaller breakfast.  In this study, presented yesterday at The Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, and led by  Dr Daniela Jakubowicz, MD of the Hospital de Clinicas in Caracas, Venezuela, Forty-six women followed a very low carbdiet with a small breakfast for eight months (1085 calories per day, 17g of carbohydrates, 51g protein and 78g of fat).  A second group of 48 women followed a “big breakfast diet” (total of 1240 calories a day, 46g of fat, 97g of carbs and 93g of protein) that included a 610 calorie breakfast (58g of carbs, 47g of protein and 22g of fat); a 395 calorie lunch (34g carbs, 28g protein and 13g fat); and a 235 calorie dinner (5g carbs, 18g protein and 26g fat).

In the first four months of the program, the low carb dieters lost an average of 28 pounds and the “big breakfast” dieters lost an average of 21 pounds.  HOWEVER, during the next four months, which was focused on weight maintenance, the low carb dieters GAINED an average of 18 pounds while the “big breakfast” dieters LOST an additional 16 pounds.

Basically, the very low carb diet only works in the short term.  At our medical clinical , we prescribe a weight loss program that allows for long term results, because it is NOT a very low carb diet but rather a diet that balances blood sugar and hormone levels.  And that is why over 300,000 people on this diet (which was designed by a Naturopathic Medical Doctor and comes from Australia) so far have successfully lost weight and maintained their weight loss over the long term.

Women who follow this type of diet, that includes a balanced complete breakfast, report feeling less hungry, especially in the mornings, and having fewer cravings for carbohydrates.

-Dr. Gina

Leave a Comment » | Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Weight loss | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

FDA Admits Mercury in Amalgam Fillings is Harmful to Fetuses and Young Children

June 13, 2008

The Food and Drug Administration has been saying for years that mercury in amalgam fillings is safe. Now they have announced that mercury is harmful “in some.” Perhaps one day the FDA will assert that mercury is harmful to all…In the meantime this is a major step forward in helping to prevent neurological problems in developing children. Read more about this landmark announcement by the FDA by clicking here.

In our medical practice, patients often ask me whether or not they should get their amalgam fillings removed. I do not have a stock answer to this question. It depends on the number of amalgams you have, the state of health you are in, who is going to remove them, what they are going to be replaced with, and how committed you are to following a protocol to help minimize exposure and detoxify the body from any mercury exposure that comes from removing the fillings.

A good first step is to have your urine and/or blood tested for mercury load, and to work closely with a holistic dentist and a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor.

-Dr. Gina

Leave a Comment » | Autism and Mercury, Naturopathic Medicine, Pregnancy, Toxins and Detoxification | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Sickness Syndrome Depression: Inflammation in Your Brain

March 19, 2008

Several years ago, I began lecturing to physicians and publishing research on the topic of Sickness Syndrome Depression. At first, no one was all that responsive to the idea that inflammation in the body could cause mental health challenges like depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.

Well…there was a research study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association yesterday that supports the use of “anticytokine therapy,” that basically means anti-inflammatory therapy, in the treatment of depression!!! Not surprisingly, the study was done by doctors who have a disclosed relationship with top psychiatric drug company, Eli Lilly.

If you want the genuine information about this condition, and how YOU can treat it NATURALLY, without a drug that has side effects, visit www.sicksyndrome.com

Leave a Comment » | Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Pharmaceuticals | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Antidepressants in our Water Supply

February 21, 2008

Here’s yet another reason to consider alternatives to prescription medications, especially statins (Lipitor), anti-inflammatories (Celebrex) and antidepressants (Prozac, Cymbalta and Zoloft). The drugs are tainting our water supply, showing up in treated waste water which flows into rivers, lakes and oceans, harming fish and other marine life. Read more about this here.

Water FaucetAt the very least, remember to dispose properly of your prescription medications by giving unused portions back to pharmaceutical take back locations and NOT by dumping them in the toilet. For specific government guidelines on how to properly dispose of your meds visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy

Better yet, visit a qualified licensed Naturopathic Physician www.calnd.org and try natural alternatives to your prescription medications which prove safer not only for you and your family but for our water supply and our planet. A good portion of my practice involves taking patients OFF of these drugs in order to promote true health and vitality. In Naturopathic Medicine we call this “removing a barrier to cure.” In most cases, prescription medications become the barrier to cure.

In health,
Dr. Gina L. Nick
NMD PhD
President California Naturopathic Doctors Association

To view the research mentioned above click here.

1 Comment | Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Pharmaceuticals | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

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