| Glutamine for Cravings
NEXT TIME a carbohydrate urge hits, reach for the white stuff. No, not granulated sugar. Glutamine. L-glutamine (also known as glutamine) is the most abundant amino acid in the human body
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The majority of it is stored up in the muscles and used up in really heavy exercise, which is why it's such a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. (It's also critical for the immune system, and since so much is used up during intense exercise, this may be partly why marathoners frequently get sick after the event. |
Jean Carper
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 Indeed, if your glucose tolerance is borderline, as it is in about one-fourth of ordinary Americans, chromium can fix it. Even if your blood sugar is low instead of high, chromium can yank it back up to normal. Whatever the blood sugar problem, chromium tends to normalize it, says Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D., at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Belts-ville, Maryland. Dr. |
Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
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 She also recommends tryptophan, 500 to 6000 mg at bedtime, taken on an empty stomach or with carbohydrate, not with protein; B complex (50) at breakfast and again after dinner at night; ascorbic acid, up to 4 g daily; and a good multi-mineral preparation providing calcium 250 to 1000 mg, magnesium 125 to 599 mg, manganese 10 to 30 mg, zinc 15 to 30 mg, selenium 50 to 200 meg, and chromium 50 to 200 meg. Dr Slagle also prescribes dietary changes to improve this. The results are probably as good, if not better, than the results using antidepressant drugs. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 A recent comprehensive review combining the results of ten published and unpublished double-blind studies concluded that chromium picolinate supplementation may have a small beneficial effect on weight loss.132
DHEA (page 503)
One double-blind trial found 100 mg per day of DHEA was effective for decreasing body fat in older men,133 and another double-blind trial found 1,600 mg per day decreased body fat and increased muscle mass in younger men.13 However, DHEA has not been effective for improving body composition in women or in other studies of men. |
Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
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| High supplemental doses of chromium would never come even close to 1050 mg per day.
Selenium
Once considered highly toxic, selenium is now known to be essential. When Dr Hoffer was working toward his M.S.A. in chemistry, he first studied selenium as a toxic component of wheat grown in South Dakota and in southwest Saskatchewan. For a while, there was some apprehension that wheat grown in these areas would be toxic to people. |
| A 375 meg; vitamin B-1210 meg; vitamin C 500 mg; vitamin D-3 3 meg; vitamin E 79 IU; vitamin K100 meg; calcium gluconate 100 mg; chromium 0.1 mg; magnesium 7.6 mg; manganese 1.5 mg; molybdenum 0.1 mg; iodine 50 meg; iron 1.3 mg; and zinc 10 mg. Thirty were given placebo.
On our modern high-tech diets any nutrient deficiencies are usually multiple and involve both vitamins and minerals.
After 8 months, there was no significant difference between the groups on verbal intelligence scores. However, only the supplemented group increased non-verbal intelligence scores. Non-verbal I.Q. |
| He was prescribed vitamin B-6 (250 mg daily), niacinamide (1000 mg three times daily), vitamin C (1000 mg three times daily), chromium (1000 meg three times daily), liquid fish oil (1 teaspoon twice daily) providing close to 2 g of EPA, and zinc (50 mg daily). He was told to discontinue all dairy and milk products. Regular use of dairy and milk products can be associated with psychosis and depression.
On December 13, 2004, the patient returned for a follow-up. He reported an increased sense of alertness and vigor from the treatments. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 For example, one double-blind study conducted in China on three test groups with Type II diabetes found that those who took 500 ug of chromium twice daily for four months had lower blood sugars, and nearly normal glycosylated hemoglobin as compared to those on the placebo. Total cholesterol and insulin levels also fell.4"'
Other minerals also play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. For example, low dietary intake of copper in experimental animals can cause the pancreas to shrink (atrophy) and reduce insulin secretion. |
| Step Two: Increase Your Defenses
Increasing your body's defenses will include supplementing your diet with: vitamins E and C; the carotenoids; basic minerals, such as selenium, zinc, copper, and magnesium; and the trace elements, boron, molybdenum, manganese, and chromium.
Your main antioxidant defense should come from a high intake of fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables. These plants contain about ten thousand phytochemicals, five thousand of which are flavonoids, which are the most powerful and versatile antioxidants known. |
| The major contributing factors related to type II diabetes include: obesity; overeating refined carbohydrates and fats, both polyunsaturated and saturated; a lack of omega-3-type fats in the membranes of cells; chromium deficiency; and a lack of soluble fiber and phytochemicals.
The final common cause is a defect in the insulin receptor on cell membranes, most often caused by an abnormal composition of fats in the membranes. Diets high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids and omega-6 type fats contribute to this diabetes-related membrane malfunction. |
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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 Chromium may help control blood-sugar levels more effectively when niacin (30 to 100 mg/day) is also supplemented.
> Vitamin C, 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day.
> Magnesium, 300 to 600 mg per day.
> Vitamin E, 400 to 800 IU per day. >• Vitamin B6, 50 to 150 mg per day.
>• Biotin, 10 to 20 mg per day in selected cases.
>• High-potency multiple vitamin-mineral formula that includes trace minerals. Iron should not be included unless iron-storage disease has been ruled out. Adjust doses of other nutrients according the amounts in the multiple.
>¦ Gymnema sylvestre in selected cases. |
Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
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| It contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, and chromium ascorbates, but most of the vitamin C contained there is sodium ascorbate. Mineral ascorbates are more tolerable for many and are equivalent to taking the pure vitamin C (hydrogen ascorbate).
A very small number of people, fewer than 20 seen over the past 30 years, cannot tolerate any amount of vitamin C. They have developed an allergy or idiosyncrasy to either the synthetic vitamin C or to some of the other ingredients of the preparations. They might try preparations made from other sugar sources. |
Eric R. Braverman
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 It is no surprise that they can alter the four biochemical natures. chromium, rhodiola, and thiamine help to build dopamine, for example; manganese, lipoic acid, and huperzine-A address acetylcholine; inositol, B vitamins, and branched-chain amino acids are GABA-related; and vitamin B6, St. John's wort, and fish oils are used for serotonin-based therapies.
The diets and supplement programs listed in this book are designed to work together. Specifically, the diets promote the absorption of the supplements. Therefore, for best results, use both these programs together. |
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
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 It is almost impossible to achieve ingestion of this level of chromium just from dietary sources to do this, you would have to eat more than 10,000 calories per day.
Some of my patients also use chromium as part of a weight-loss regime, because it helps naturally curb the appetite by stabilizing blood sugar.
Chromium also helps my patients to maintain high levels of the "anti-aging" hormone DHEA. DHEA levels can become depleted if the body produces too much insulin, because insulin interferes with an enzyme that helps produce DHEA. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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 Supplements and Diabetes
The most important of all of the supplements for the diabetic is chromium. Many studies of the diabetic have shown that supplementation of the diet with chromium will decrease fasting blood sugar levels, improve glucose tolerance, lower insulin levels, and decrease total cholesterol and fat levels, while increasing HDL cholesterol.9 chromium deficiency may be the primary underlying factor contributing to the large number of Americans who suffer with blood sugar problems, both diabetes and hypoglycemia. |
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
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| In one study, patients' levels of DHEA dropped by an average of 10 percent after they discontinued taking 200 meg of chromium daily.
You should be aware that one report in 1996 noted that chromium picolinate caused chromosome damage to cells grown in a laboratory. Theoretically, chromosome damage can lead to cancer. However, I do not believe this one negative report merits discontinuation of chromium.
Another way to help stabilize blood sugar levels is to eat a diet rich in soy products. Soy is abundant in two amino acids, glycine and arginine, that help to control insulin fluctuations. |
| Some of my patients also use chromium as part of a weight-loss regime, because it helps naturally curb the appetite by stabilizing blood sugar.
Chromium also helps my patients to maintain high levels of the "anti-aging" hormone DHEA. DHEA levels can become depleted if the body produces too much insulin, because insulin interferes with an enzyme that helps produce DHEA. In one study, patients' levels of DHEA dropped by an average of 10 percent after they discontinued taking 200 meg of chromium daily. |
Eric R. Braverman
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| GTF contains chromium, which is frequently reduced in the plasma of patients with sugar cravings. Inositol may also quell carbohydrate cravings. All diabetics must follow a strict diet that eliminates foods with high sugar content. This diet should be discussed with your own physician.
Type 2 diabetics become insulin resistant, and as they age they lose their growth hormone (with advancing years all of our hormone production slows down). |
| Fatigue: chromium (men 35 meg., women 25 meg.), guarana (200-2,000 mg.)
Impotence: arginine (has an effect similar to Viagra) (1,000-10,000 mg.)
Inflammation: fish oil (1,000-3,000 mg.), aspirin (1,200-1,500 mg. for a short period of time), and willow bark (200-1,000 mg.)
Narcolepsy: guarana (1,000-2,000 mg.)
Substance abuse: thiamine (men 1.5 mg., women 1.1 mg.)
Treatment-resistant depression: Rhodiola rosea (50-750 mg.)
Weight loss: hydroxycitric acid (500-1,500 mg.), conjugated linoleic acid (2,000-3,000 mg. |
| It contains thiamine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, low-dose caffeine, folic acid, and chromium. Taken on a daily basis, this supplement can help to build your metabolism. This specific formula helps keep your edge sharp and decreases symptoms of fatigue, light-headedness, weight gain, and diminished libido. Taking the supplements listed at left, in the amounts indicated, will increase your energy and return your attention to its former levels of excellence.
Dopaminergic symptoms and conditions are best treated with specific supplements. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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| Many studies of the diabetic have shown that supplementation of the diet with chromium will decrease fasting blood sugar levels, improve glucose tolerance, lower insulin levels, and decrease total cholesterol and fat levels, while increasing HDL cholesterol.9 chromium deficiency may be the primary underlying factor contributing to the large number of Americans who suffer with blood sugar problems, both diabetes and hypoglycemia. Evidence is overwhelming that there is a significant chromium insufficiency in the United States. |
James Howard Kunstler
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 How do we get exotic ores, chromium, titanium, from the few places that possess them to the foundries where the alloys are manufactured in order to manufacture wind turbines? What do we use to power the furnaces? Coal? Coal is generally mined using diesel-powered equipment. Well, artificial diesel fuel can be made from coal, or one can reinvent coal-powered steam shovels and the like, but it would be necessary to ramp up whole new industries on a shrinking petroleum energy base. Then what happens when the coal runs out? The coal industry predicts that the U.S. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 Three minerals that are known to lower blood sugars are GTF chromium (200 meg per day), manganese (5-15 mg per day), and vanadium (20 mg per day for 2 weeks, and then 2 mg per day). Interestingly, one study showed that herbs traditionally used to treat diabetes contained higher-than-normal levels of chromium. Barley also contains high levels of chromium.
Herbal Treatments for Both Diabetic Types
Numerous herbs can affect blood sugar levels and overall diabetic status. For a complete list of the herbs that can affect blood sugar, refer to the Appendix. |
Patrick Holford
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 Helpers Works with other B complex vitamins and chromium. Best taken with food.
Robbers Antibiotics, tea, coffee, birth control pills, and alcohol. B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID)
What it does Involved in energy production; controls fat metabolism. Essential for brain and nerves. Helps make antistress hormones (steroids). Maintains healthy skin and hair.
Deficiency signs Muscle tremors or cramps, apathy, poor concentration, burning feet or tender heels, nausea or vomiting, lack of energy, exhaustion after light exercise, anxiety or tension, teeth grinding.
How much? |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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| Evidence is overwhelming that there is a significant chromium insufficiency in the United States.
Although a specific RDA has not been established, it is my recommendation that 200 to 400 meg (micrograms) of chromium picolinate each day would appear necessary for optimal sugar regulation. Be sure to monitor blood sugar and consult your physician accordingly.
The Antioxidants, Specifically vitamin C
The transportation of vitamin C into the cells is accomplished by its connection to insulin. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 Chromium may also help with sugar and alcohol cravings, at 200 meg twice daily. Melatonin can also be used and has had some good effects during detox for aiding sleep. One 3-mg tablet (the sublingual variety is best) can be taken at bedtime.
A multiple vitamin with additional antioxidant nutrients is a good idea during detox from alcohol. Minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium should be taken to replace those lost during alcohol abuse. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 Alcohol destroys B vitamins, magnesium, and chromium, and can be a potent depressant for some people.
Limit caffeine, as it intensifies anxiety and contributes to fibrocystic breast disease.
Limit dairy products. They are high in fat, interfere with magnesium absorption, and may cause constipation.
Limit fat intake to 30% of total calories.
Limit the consumption of cold foods.
Limit protein intake to 1 g/kg of body weight.
Avoid licorice. Licorice stimulates the production of aldosterone. |
Marcia Zimmerman, C.N.
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 Chromium is one of the trace minerals that is not added back, and it is a necessary element for your body to shuttle glucose into cells. chromium makes insulin more efficient, thereby reducing the amount it takes to get glucose into your body cells. You are sure to get enough of this essential mineral if you follow the 30-Day Plan.
We have seen that there are two sides to the carbohydrate picture. On the one hand, they provide necessary energy for your body, but on the other hand, they can disrupt brain function. |
| To pardy compensate for these losses, some of the B vitamins and one or two minerals are added back to "enriched" flours and cereal grains. chromium is one of the trace minerals that is not added back, and it is a necessary element for your body to shuttle glucose into cells. chromium makes insulin more efficient, thereby reducing the amount it takes to get glucose into your body cells. You are sure to get enough of this essential mineral if you follow the 30-Day Plan.
We have seen that there are two sides to the carbohydrate picture. |
Michael Castleman
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 Not all multivitamin/mineral supplements contain selenium and chromium. Make sure that yours does. Both minerals may play important roles in disease prevention. One long-term study found that large doses of selenium may significantly reduce the risk of lung, colon, breast, prostate, and esophageal cancers. Other studies suggest that people who are deficient in chromium may have an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Consider single supplements. Multivitamin/mineral supplements have breadth, but they may not have the depth you need. |
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