Heavy Metals Increase Risk of Depression and Panic Disorder

June 10, 2010

Even at low levels generally considered to pose little or no risk, exposure to environmental lead might increase – by as much as 2.3 times – the risk of depression and panic disorder but not of generalized anxiety disorder. That was the suggestion of a Canadian study appearing in the December, 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Gender and ethnicity were also factors and the researchers stressed that lead exposure cannot be determined to be a cause of these psychological problems.

One of the main, and often overlooked, sources of heavy metals, including lead, is our water supply-both drinking water and shower water.   I recommend investing in a quality water filtration and ionization system to all of our patients.  The link between heavy metal exposure and mental illness suggested in this study and proven in many others (including practical, real life studies completed with patients at LTP Medical) is one of the reasons why we always test patients with mental health challenges for exposure to environmental toxins including heavy metals and treat them using the LTP Medical Custom Purification Program to remove the toxins from their systems.  This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to see immediate benefit in patients suffering needlessly with these challenges. Other treatments include custom amino acid therapy, fatty acid therapy, orthomolecular therapy, hormone therapy and food allergy testing and treatment.

In health,

Dr. G

3 Comments | Depression, Heavy Metals, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Orthomolecular Medicine, Orthomolecular Psychiatry, Purification, Purification Program, Toxins and Detoxification | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

The Potential of Resveratrol-is it Worth Adding to your Health Regimen?

August 20, 2009

grapeResveratrol is a naturally occurring chemical found in the skins and seeds of red grapes, peanuts and in Polygonum, a popular and well respected herbal medicine from the Far East.  Currently, the research on Resveratrol is promising as a protective chemical against the damaging effects of toxins, synthetic estrogen and xenoestrogens, inflammation, and the process of aging.  It has specific actions on the brain, immune system, and heart.

In my practice I will use between 200 and 500 mg per day of Resveratrol as part of a treatment protocol. This typically is added to a protocol after a patient has been tested to determine if he or she has a deficiency of antioxidants or an imbalance of free radicals relative to antioxidants in the body.  All too often patients come into my practice with a huge bag of supplements, with no idea of what is working, what is not working and still battling the same symptoms that led him or her down the path of supplementation.

You know your body better then anyone else… you have been living in it your entire life!  You may have a sense of what is causing your symptoms and you also may have a sense for what medicines are helping or harming you.  To help confirm that sense, and develop a balanced approach to solving your health challenge, I encourage getting lab testing completed through a qualified Naturopathic Medical Doctor who has access and has experience with taking objective measured to get to an underlying biochemical cause for your symptoms.  And at that point, adding a powerful antioxidant such as Resveratrol to your protocol, and then re-testing after 3-6 months, this will let you know for certain if what you are taking is actually helping to balance your body!

In health,

–Dr. Gina

Leave a Comment » | cholesterol, Diet and Disease, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Inflammation, Prevention, Women's Health | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Toxic Chemicals in our Hospitals

November 14, 2008

A hopeful new report entitled “Taking Toxics out of Maryland’s Health Care Sector: transition to Green Pest Management Practices to Protect Health and the Environment” was recently published by the Maryland Pesticide Network and Beyond Pesticides, in collaboration with Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment.

The report discusses the results of a statewide survey that revealed a general reliance on toxic pesticides at Maryland Hospitals and elder care facilities.  There were 25 pesticides identified by the survey that are used at these facilities. And of these, 11 the cockroachare linked to cancer, 12 are associated with neurological effects, 10 are associated reproductive harm, 5 cause birth or developmental defects, 10 cause liver and kidney damage, and 6 are suspected endocrine disruptors.

Pesticides are extremely toxic to the body and it does not make sense that they are being used in healthcare facilities. Even though they are classified as “safe” by the federal government, there is a compounding effect.  This means that if you were only exposed to a “safe” dose of a single pesticide, and you were otherwise a healthy individual, then you may not see immediate effects. However, these toxins accumulate in fat cells and, over time, lead to cellular damage.  Also, you are never only exposed to one toxin at a time.  Your body is exposed to many different toxins at one time, and the added exposure to a known toxic pesticide will lead to a combined damaging effect on the body, regardless of its classification as being “generally recognized as safe.”

The Human Detoxification System is equipped to remove toxins from your body on a minute by minute bases. And it is a brilliant system.  However, it is not designed to handle the sheer volume of toxins that we are exposed to in our society today- through our food, water, air and the mental and emotional stresses of our time.  So eventually, your body’s ability to remove toxins slows down, and the toxins get stored near your cellular DNA, causing damage.

To learn more about toxins, and their impact on the body click here. Eight years ago I published a medical textbook on the effects of toxins on the human body and the use of herbal and nutritional medicines to support the Human Detoxification System, and protect the body from harm. My intention with writing the book was to bring scientific evidence to the timeless health tradition of cleansing the body and to inspire physicians and medical students to employ this simple health program to prevent and treat many diseases of the human body, mind and spirit.

Equally important to taking steps to detoxify your body, you must also remove sources of toxins from the environment as much as is possible.  To learn about natural alternatives to toxic pesticides click here and here for some straightforward advice.

In health,

– Dr. G

5 Comments | Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Toxins and Detoxification | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

New Study Finds that Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners are Hazardous to your Health

July 25, 2008

New research by the University of Washington shows that scented laundry detergents and fragrances are hazardous to your health.  The study looked at six of the leading laundry products and air fresheners and found that all of these products emitted nearly 100 disease-promoting volatile organic compounds and none of these chemicals were listed on the product labels. One of my books, Clinical Purification,  discusses ways in which volatile organic compounds lead to disease in the body, including cancer.  It is important to test for toxic chemicals and toxic damage in the body, and to detoxify the body as a means of preventing diseases in the future.  As this research study reveals, it is also important that we use non-toxic household products to minimize our exposure to disease-promoting chemicals. Fortunately there are lots of them available these days.  Some of my favorites include Thieves household cleaner and wipes (you can use the # 931983 to order the products direct from the manufacturer) and products by Seventh Generation.

–Dr. Gina

1 Comment | Latest Nutritional Research | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Next Entries »