As we age we lose our ability to properly absorb B12.  There is something called Intrinsic Factor which is needed for B12 to be properly absorbed.  Therefore if we take oral supplements of B12 that we swallow they aren't doing us much good either because the intrinsic factor is not available to absorb what is in a vitamin pill.    That is why many physicians use B12 injections.   In my office I use sublingual B12 that is absorbed through the capillaries under the tongue directly into the blood stream.   Anyone who is severely B12 deficient should use injections to get their levels up.   But really anyone over 60 might want to get a complete blood count (CBC) to determine if they might be B12 deficient.   If you see your (Mean Corpuscular Volume) MCV greater than around a 95 and your Hematocrit (HCT) and Red Blood Cell Count (RBC) on the low end of normal you may be B12 insufficient.   (A blood test for B12 directly is not a good measurement of B12 status.  Better measurements are Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) and Homocysteine which is a measure of folate status.) Read the rest of this entry

I specialize in food sensitivities where certain foods and chemicals are tested for a loss of oral tolerance (a fancy way of saying food sensitivity).   I've seen certain chemicals cause headaches in people.  Today I had a patient that determined by a methodical food challenge/washout process that she can eat a non-organic apple only if it is washed very well, otherwise she will get a headache.  Although not certain we can assume it is the pesticide residues on the skin of the unwashed apple as many people are reactive to chemicals. (and do not realize it!)

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Trouble falling asleep is a common complaint and one that is typically easy to fix without pharmaceutical medication.  One cause can just be from a lack of melatonin being produced by the pineal gland.  Melatonin is a hormone like substance that helps regulate sleep/wake cycles.   It has the opposite cycle as cortisol which is known as a 'stress' hormone.Some people take L-tryptophan amino acid which is converted into the serotonin and then melatonin to help them sleep.  (It can also improve mood as serotonin is a 'feel good' neurotransmitter).  Some people take a supplement with melatonin which is also a very powerful antioxidant.

The more light in our bedroom, the less melatonin we produce.  If you have trouble sleeping then it is best to sleep in a totally darkened room.   The moment a light goes on in a room and hits our eyes then our melatonin levels drop.   Darkness is important for good sleep.

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When buying olive oil I often wondered how there could be so many brands at such different prices.   If you go into Whole Foods the unit price cost per gallon can vary dramatically.  Trader Joe's sells its 'organic extra-virgin' olive oil quite inexpensively.     In addition, one can see distinct color variations between oils in clear bottles.  What does this difference mean in terms of phytonutrients, taste and integrity? Read the rest of this entry

For so many years when people tell me they use honey in their tea or other foods I always question to make sure it isn't honey from a plastic squeezable bear.    I am surprised how many people use inexpensive 'honey' from a standard grocery.   You get what you pay for.  

There is a great new article from the Food Safety Network entitled "Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey".  Please read it to learn about what was found in store bought honey.   The results aren't sweet.

We all have food sensitivities to some degree. If and when they manifest as overt symptoms is very space and time dependent. Genetically engineered foods will only increase the likelihood that people will become more sensitive to foods (the technical term is a loss of oral tolerance) as potential antigens from one food/chemical is spliced into a completely different food.

We must stop the madness of Monsanto and other pharma giants from controlling all seeds.   (for more info click here).

Please sign this petition to request labeling on Genetically Engineered foods.   We have a right to know if we are eating a genetically altered food.   The ignorance so many so called experts display when they say there is no harm with GE foods is baffling.   I had constant battles with my biochemistry professor about this.  Hopefully he has opened his eyes to the dangers.

If more food is clearly labeled "Genetically Modified" there will be less demand and less madness.   Obama has already let Alfalfa seeds slip on through, now the government wants to not inform people if they are eating GE foods. Please sign, this is important for future generations.

Yours In Health,

George Mandler LDN LicAc

In the last few weeks two awfully designed studies regarding vitamin supplementation created some negative headlines around choosing to supplement.

One study published in JAMA wrongly concluded that "vitamin E" increases the risk the prostate cancer.  Problem was they weren't using Vitamin E, just a portion of it.  The use of only 1 portion of the Vitamin E class of molecules (in this case alpha-tocopherol) leads to other well documented deleterious consequences.  This study was a faulty design with faulty assumptions whose mistake was made countless times in studies over the past 20 years regarding Vitamin E metabolism.  But for some reason previous data was ignored.  There are additional faults with this study and the hyperbole conclusions spun by the mainstream media 'health writer' pundits is extraordinary.   I'll blog on this soon. Read the rest of this entry

Interesting how chocolate is often associated with 'love' and 'heart' given its known benefit on the cardiovascular system . A review study just presented in Paris - a city that is renowned for its love of food and chocolate - showed that individuals who ate the most chocolate had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with individuals who ate the least amount of chocolate. Read the rest of this entry

This abstract below looked at the absorption of Vitamin D as it relates to the type of fats we consume.  It also only studied people 65 and older so we can only conclude this applies to seniors, however we can make an assumption that it may apply to everyone.   The bottom line is that you don't want to take Vitamin D with say just some fish oils.  You need some good fat.   Olive oil, sesame oil, coconut, avocado would be great fats to have with Vitamin D.

This is important to know as I some people will just take a vitamin D with a fish oil in the morning.   The absorption will be much lower this way than taken with a complete meal.

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It has been known that cereals that contain oats, soy, corn are most likely contaminated with pesticides and/or genetically modified if they do not have the USDA Organic label. I typically do not recommend cereals with a lot of grains such as Kashi because of the potential food sensitivity issues.  So many grains eaten at once increase the likelihood of an immune response stemming from a food sensitivity.   But now the Cornucopia Institute has released a new report explaining how 'natural' cereals that are not so natural.   The full text is below and a good read.....or if you do not want to read the 4 minute video is here. Read the rest of this entry