Q: I have a bad reaction to statins, and I hate taking them. I believe that I eat right and exercise enough, but my numbers are stubborn. Is there something else I can do to lower my LDL and cut my risk of cardiovascular disease? - Joey A., Solon, Ohio
A: First of all, there are many statins, so work with your doc to see if you can find one that you can tolerate and that works for you. Next, talk to your doc about the power of omega-7 fatty acid supplements and omega-7-rich foods to improve LDL and HDL levels and reduce accumulation of hepatic fat (fatty liver) - a major source of heart-damaging inflammation. Dr. Mike has been doing research on this subject for some time, and there is more and more info on how effective it can be.
Initially, there were interesting lab studies on mice, but about five years ago human studies done by Dr. Mike and his colleagues found that after 30 daily doses of 220 mg of the monounsaturated fatty acid omega-7 (purified palmitoleic acid) participants saw reductions in CRP levels (an inflammation marker) by 40% to 44%, as well as reductions in liver triglycerides and lousy LDL cholesterol, and a significant increase in good HDL cholesterol. Since then, other studies have shown that omega-7 can help break the cycle of high blood sugar by enhancing insulin sensitivity and increasing fat-burning for energy.
You can be at the front of the next wave of smart nutritional choices by making sure you get a good supply of palmitoleate (that's omega-7) from fatty fish (salmon, ocean trout, anchovies), some nuts (especially macadamia nuts) and avocados.
As a supplement, you want a purified omega-7 from fish (our favorite source) to dodge the cancer- and inflammation-promoting palm oil that plant sources may contain. So boost your omega-7 intake from food, and ask your doctor about your best dose of omega-7 supplements.
Q: It seems like all of the farms around us are now planting Roundup-ready GMO corn and soybeans. Is my family at any health risk from this pesticide? - Fred D., Pierre, South Dakota
A: The pesticide glyphosate, or Roundup, is the world's most popular weed killer. It lays waste to anything that isn't genetically engineered to tolerate it. It's used in GMO agriculture to stifle weeds and is sprayed on wheat, barley, oats and beans that are not genetically engineered, killing and drying out crops for an early harvest. It is also commonly used on lawns, and there are applications for clearing weeds from industrial yards and train, pipeline and power line throughways.
Does it harm human health? Well, in 2015 the World Health Organization labeled it as a "probable carcinogen," and recent studies from the University of Washington have linked its use to a 41% risk increase for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and have found that people who lived close to areas treated with glyphosate saw their risk of an early death from Parkinson's disease increase by 33%.
One groundskeeper in California was awarded $80 million when a jury agreed that Roundup played a big part in his diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and by last February, one news outlet estimated that more than 11,200 plaintiffs around the country have filed lawsuits against Roundup's parent company, Bayer AG.
There's one more scary thing: again at Washington State University, researchers found that while glyphosate exposure in lab rats produced no apparent ill effects on either the parents or the first-generation offspring, second- and third-generation offspring had significant increases in testis, prostate, ovary and mammary gland diseases, obesity and kidney disease. The term used to describe the epigenetic changes from glyphosate exposure was "generational toxicology."
Glyphosate is widespread throughout our food chain, and it just makes sense for you to eat organic when you can. Keep everyone at a safe distance when Roundup is sprayed over nearby crops or lawns.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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