If you’ve had your first colonoscopy and your doctor found no polyps , good news , your chances of ever developing colorectal cancer would appear to be pretty slim. That’s the conclusion of a Sloan-Kettering study I told you about in the e-Alert “Super Bug” (10/31/07).

But what if polyps ARE found?

No need to panic. Polyps are routinely removed during colonoscopy. But now the patient is on notice: Regular follow-up screening to monitor development of polyps is a must, making sure none turn into tumors.

In addition, a new study provides some very encouraging news about colorectal cancer prevention for patients who have already developed polyps.

——————————————–
Polyp control
——————————————–

In previous e-Alerts about colorectal cancer, we’ve seen how folate intake has been frequently linked to prevention of this very common cancer.

Now a UK team, led by researchers at the University of Sheffield, shows that folate’s protection may be significantly increased with supplements of another vitamin in the B complex: riboflavin , also known as vitamin B-2.

STUDY PROFILE

* Researchers recruited 106 subjects with colorectal polyps and nearly 100 healthy subjects
* Subjects were randomly sorted into four intervention groups
* Two groups received either 400 or 1,200 micrograms of folic acid daily
* One group received 400 micrograms of folic acid and 5 milligrams of riboflavin daily
* One group received a placebo
* The intervention period lasted from six to eight weeks
* Analysis of blood samples and biopsy samples showed that folic acid supplementation increased folate levels in the blood and the mucosal layer of the colon (the higher dose created higher folate levels)
* When riboflavin was combined with folic acid, the response was enhanced, but only in subjects with polyps , not in the healthy subjects

——————————————–
Eat up!
——————————————–

In addition to enhancing the cancer preventive effects of folate, riboflavin also helps keep eyes and skin healthy, and has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. Riboflavin is water soluble, which means your body needs to be replenished every day. Excessive alcohol consumption and the use of oral contraceptives may prompt riboflavin deficiency.

Foods that contain good amounts of riboflavin include leafy green vegetables, whole grains, meat, eggs, yogurt, cheese, and milk.

And while we’re working on the grocery list, we can add these sources of folate: citrus fruits, tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, avocados, bananas, asparagus, whole grains, and pinto, navy, and kidney beans.

But we’re not done yet, because another member of the B family also helps fight against colorectal cancer.

This past summer I told you about a study that followed dietary and medical records for more than 81,000 subjects over 14 years. Subjects with the highest B-6 intake reduced colorectal cancer risk by more than 30 percent compared to subjects with the lowest intake of the vitamin.

Dietary sources of B-6 include meat, poultry, fish, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Bananas and chicken breast contain particularly high amounts of B-6.

Urgent! MEN’S HEALTH ALERT

Avoid the stop-and-start and…

Pee Like a
Firehose!

“This amazing alternative could be the answer to a
healthy prostate FAST & FOREVER…”

Dear Health-Savvy Friend:

Wouldn’t you like to sit through a movie…without rushing off to the men’s room?

Well, here’s a little secret that even your best buddies won’t volunteer… MOST OF THEM CAN’T!

How do I know? Simple…

We men won’t willingly talk about it even to close friends, but statistics don’t lie:

* One out of every two American men will be confronted with
prostate issues by age 50…
* As many as 90% of us will feel it as we reach our 70s and 80s…

And while you still may think it won’t happen to you…if you do nothing to keep your prostate healthy the odds are really stacked against you.

Yet most of us tough guys do nothing about it…

We just go about our days assuming things will take care of themselves…not realizing there are secrets to supporting prostate health before it becomes a concern…

But it doesn’t have to be this way!

As you’ll see below, there are simple secrets to keeping your prostate healthy for the long haul. And it turns out that standard therapies aren’t just missing the cause, but making it much worse in the long term.

These new findings are so cutting-edge,
even your doctor may not have been briefed…

So please feel free to pass this report onto him when you’re done.

But don’t you wait to take advantage of the news! Because now, for the first time, my research teammates at NorthStar have developed a new, natural formula that addresses the real cause.

Details in a bit, but first be sure to tell every man you know…

Don’t let yesterday’s prostate “solutions”
TURN YOU
INTO A WOMAN

We finally found the secret to keeping your prostate healthy… while standard treatments can make occasional problems worse!

So what’s the key to keeping your prostate healthy? This is going to floor you. It was staring us right in the face all the time, but a drug-focused establishment simply refused to see it.

It turns out to be the exact opposite of what they’ve been telling you for years. So please, listen up, because most doctors still haven’t heard the news.

Are you trading your
testosterone for estrogen?

In millions of men over 40, the rogue enzyme aromatase is raging out of control, and turning much of their testosterone into ESTROGEN –the female hormone!

Simply suppressing the 5-alpha enzyme without blocking aromatase may encourage this.

You need to address both 5-alpha reductase and aromatase to keep your prostate healthy.

For decades, they demonized testosterone
…WRONGLY!

As you know, testosterone is the hormone that makes you a MAN. And for decades, misguided theorists blamed it for all your prostate woes!

Here’s what they thought. Pretty much every report you’ll ever read about prostate health will tell you that problems are caused by a special, potent form of testosterone called DHT
(dihydrotestosterone).

* As men get older, you see, more of our “regular” testosterone gets turned into DHT…
* And this process gets “switched on” by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase…

So they focus on blocking this natural process…

Good idea? WRONG! As it turns out, just blocking 5-alpha alone may actually make things MUCH worse!

You see, the problem is that when you block the 5-alpha enzyme, a different enzyme kicks in. This second enzyme is aromatase and it’s even worse news than 5-alpha, because…

It turns your prostate into an
ESTROGEN FACTORY!

Yes! The enzyme aromatase literally turns your testosterone into the most potent form of ESTROGEN - the female hormone! And too much estrogen in your male body can…

* Wipe out any interest in sex…
* Give you female-looking breasts…
* And, adding insult to injury, make your prostate swell EVEN BIGGER!

It’s never too late to
address prostate health

Imagine the
incredible relief
when you too will forever be able to…

* PEE LIKE A FIRE HOSE
* KEEP YOUR PROSTATE HEALTHY
* GET A RESTFUL
NIGHT’S SLEEP
* PASS REST STOPS
WITH PLEASURE

If you even think you may have begun to show “minor” symptoms, it’s never too late to address your prostate health…

I know from watching my own Dad. He had to have Trans-Urethral resection (TURP) surgery. Know what this involves?

First they stick a quarter-inch pipe
way down into your penis…

…until it reaches just below the base of your bladder. Then they insert a hot wire loop to fry your prostate. It was a horrible experience for my Dad. As a 52-year-old man, I want absolutely nothing to do with it…

…and that’s why I’m taking PROSTATE DEFENSE every day!

See your doctor yearly to rule out even worse conditions. And check out the great news in this alert.

Let me repeat. DHT is not the sole cause of prostate problems. You must keep estrogen in check as well!

So suddenly, the old mysteries
causing prostate misery are solved…

Maintain healthy testosterone and estrogen levels and you can dramatically increase your chances of life-long prostate health.

If you block 5-alpha without blocking aromatase…
you’re practically forcing lots of testosterone
to turn into estrogen!

There’s no escaping the conclusion. Simply blocking 5-alpha isn’t good enough.

You must also block aromatase, or else you risk making things even worse…

And that’s also why so many supplements came up short…until now

Up until now, most producers of prostate supplements simply haven’t taken aromatase into account. (Has anyone ever mentioned it to you?)

Now, however, the NorthStar Nutritionals team has developed the ultimate formula that puts this astonishing breakthrough to work for YOU.

We went back to square one. Looked at every single natural compound thought to support prostate health. And then we combined all the best, in a synergistic formula with optimum doses to…

* Nullify the 5-alpha enzyme, so testosterone won’t get converted to DHT…
* Stop the aromatase enzyme too, so it won’t get turned into estrogen either…

We call the result PROSTATE DEFENSE. And the response from thousands of men who have already tried it has been phenomenal - but I’m not even asking you to believe them. In a moment, I’ll show you how to try it FREE OF ANY RISK.

But first, let me explain exactly why it works so much better for all these men. For starters, I’m afraid many supplement users are wasting money on a worthless type of saw palmetto…

New! 4-PHYTO BREAKTHROUGH
promotes prostate health better than ever!

Look, I’m not saying that “old style” prostate supplements are bad. Maybe they’re helping you - a little. But I am saying you can almost certainly do far better, by taking advantage of…

The cutting-edge power of 4 different
PHYTONUTRIENT BREAKTHROUGHS

Phytonutrients are one of the most exciting discoveries in 21st century nutrition. Basically, they’re the molecules that give many healing plants their clout. And the new PROSTATE DEFENSE formula harnesses today’s top four phytonutrients for the prostate, starting with…

Breakthrough #1

Super-concentrated Serenoa Repens
(The secret powerhouse in Saw Palmetto!)

If you’re taking anything natural for your prostate, it probably includes saw palmetto. And sure, the press for saw palmetto has been great. According to one of today’s most respected medical references, “saw palmetto is effective in nearly 90% of users…” Pretty nifty, right?

But here’s what you’re not being told. The clinical trials that yielded such fantastic results did not use powdered saw palmetto! Instead, they used a powerful extract — concentrating the fatty acids that actually do this good work.

The scientific name is Serenoa Repens. And each daily dose of PROSTATE DEFENSE contains 320 mg of this extract, consisting of at least 85-95% fatty acids.

WHY DO WE BOTHER?

Because Serenoa Repens extract has been shown to inhibit both 5-alpha and aromatase — blocking the production of both DHT and estrogen — and, as we’ve seen, you must do both!

Breakthrough #2

The marvelous
manhood molecule

Next we turned to a phytonutrient with even more astonishing powers. The bark of the tree Pygeum Africanum contains an extract to help the bladder empty and make it easy to start peeing too.

Most importantly of all, Pygeum seems to block both 5-alpha and aromatase — so here again, you’re maximizing your nutrient power.

Breakthrough #3

Indispensable, but missing
from many supplements

The little-appreciated herb “stinging nettle” contains an incredibly helpful phytonutrient that also blocks both 5- alpha and aromatase.

Called Urtica dioica by scientists, you won’t find stinging nettle in many supplements. But it’s not just important — it’s paramount.

You absolutely must have Urtica dioica as well as Pygeum in your supplement, if you want to do the most effective job of blocking both enzymes. And you must block both enzymes if you want to avoid a disastrous buildup of estrogen!

But even here, we weren’t quite done…

Breakthrough #4

Keeps the prostate in check!

We natural doctors used to wonder why pumpkin seeds seem to help so many men with prostate trouble.

But now we’ve found these seeds are rich in protective phytosterols… molecules so powerful that we concentrated the extract, and we’re careful to include a generous 100 mg of this discovery in every dose of PROSTATE DEFENSE.

Fight RESTROOM RAGE

The Pygeum extract in PROSTATE DEFENSE can do wonders for your peace of mind, even if you don’t have prostate trouble yet. As we men grow older, our bladder muscles can get hypercontractile — meaning we always feel like we have to go, even when our bladders aren’t full. But Pygeum has been found to maintain normal bladder function.

Fight restroom rage!

These 4 nutrients alone are enough
to rejuvenate your prostate…

But even here, we weren’t content. Because we also wanted to armor your prostate against future assaults! And here again, the latest research led us to yet another new breakthrough…

Don’t passively surrender your manhood!
Armor your prostate starting today

If you’re past 40 and don’t have prostate trouble yet, don’t just bless your luck — help it out!

You’ve got a fabulous opportunity to avoid the nasty fate that otherwise dooms many men.

FACT: If you do nothing,
you can fall prey to prostate misery…

As we’ve seen, if you live long enough, it’s 90% certain you’ll experience prostate issues. And I’ll bet you knew that all along! The very fact you’re reading this tells me you’re a health-conscious man.

And hey, I’ll bet you’re probably already doing something to head off heart problems — watching your diet, getting some exercise, maybe more. Am I right?

SO WHY ARE MOST
MEN DOING ZIP
for their prostates…?

Especially when it takes zero effort! The fact is, keeping your prostate healthy at any age can be remarkably easy. Just nourish your prostate with the 4 Phytonutrient Breakthroughs I’ve mentioned earlier…

Plus these 4 indispensable
PROSTATE PROTECTORS

Every man over 40 needs them all. Some may be in your multi, but probably not in the most absorbable forms or correct dosages - so why take chances?

CONSUMER OUTRAGE!
37% of saw palmetto supplements are
WORTHLESS!

All saw palmetto is not the same. A leading consumer magazine recently tested 27 leading brands of saw palmetto supplements and I’m afraid the results weren’t encouraging. 10 of them were found to contain inferior grades of saw palmetto, without near enough of the fatty acids that actually do the good work.

Don’t trust your precious prostate to chance! Insist on PROSTATE DEFENSE.The cutting-edge formula in each daily dose is guaranteed to include 320 mg of super-concentrated saw palmetto extract - with at least 85-95% fatty acids.

Now, PROSTATE DEFENSE supplies them all, in one quick swallow! And you may be shocked to learn how effective this fast, simple measure can be. Let’s take a quick look at the power unleashed by:

Protector #1 - Prostate Miracle Food! America’s food supply is critically low in organic zinc, yet healthy prostates contain massive amounts of it. Importantly, though, older male bodies have trouble absorbing zinc unless it’s “chelated”with picolinic acid. So we specify easily absorbable chelated zinc in the PROSTATE DEFENSE formula.

Protector #2 - The Super New Secret in Yeast! As men age, our levels of organic selenium decrease dramatically… yet new research suggests that selenium is essential to prostate health. Enough said? Here too, this critical mineral must be adequately absorbed, which is why our PROSTATE DEFENSE formula uses only selenium yeast.

Protector #3 - For Your PSA! Maybe you’re having your PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels checked on a regular basis — if so, I’m sure your doctor is telling you he wants it good and low. Vitamin E may block a gene that triggers PSA production! We make sure PROSTATE DEFENSE contains the optimum dosage.

Protector #4 - The Great Red Wonder! Lycopene has been making headlines for its prostate-protecting power, but you probably didn’t know that blood levels of lycopene are significantly reduced by advancing age. So even if your diet is rich in tomatoes, you may not be getting enough of this crucially important antioxidant. Why mess around? Guarantee you’re getting the right kind every day, with PROSTATE DEFENSE!

CONGRATULATIONS!
Now you know more about prostate trouble
than 90% of doctors…

And you’ve got all the knowledge you need to pee like a fire hose forever, and sit through 3-hour movies without a twinge. Just ingest the right forms and the right dosages of all 4 phytonutrient breakthroughs, plus all 4 prostate
protectors every single day. That’s it!

Plus, unlike most old-style prostate supplements…

Prostate Defense even comes in
state-of-the-science SOFT GELS…

So it’s even easy to take and quickly absorbed, going to work within minutes of the moment you take your first capsule. If you took one right now… All this good stuff could start happening in your body.

Men praise PROSTATE DEFENSE!

“With PROSTATE DEFENSE now I can function much better.”

–Gary B., Pennsylvania

Doctor says
“I’M DOING GREAT!”

“PROSTATE DEFENSE is an excellent product. I have the PSA tests done yearly and my doctor says I’m doing great. He told me to keep up with whatever I’m doing.”

–Marvin B., Washington

PEE LIKE A FIRE HOSE
You may be amazed at how
PROSTATE DEFENSE can work for you.

“I only get up once a night to use the bathroom.”

– G. H., Oregon

BEFORE YOUR NEXT
BATHROOM BREAK…

I’ve seen nothing else in the world that even comes close to the total support it offers men. I recommend it to male patients and loved ones, I take it myself every day, and you’ve seen the results men are reporting. Revolutionary!

In psoriasis, skin cells multiply too rapidly, resulting in painful, itchy rashes. Although the exact cause of psoriasis is a mystery, a study from a team of American and Canadian researchers reveals a potential trigger of this condition: cigarette smoking.

In an examination of data collected from the Nurses Health Study, researchers reported these results:

* A smoker’s risk of developing psoriasis is nearly 80 percent higher than that of people who have never smoked
* Risk of developing psoriasis is more than 35 percent higher among people who are former smokers, compared to those who never smoked (this risk remains elevated for as much as 20 years after quitting)
* Among smokers, those who smoke the most are at highest risk
* Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases risk, especially among children

Researchers predict that psoriasis treatments are probably more effective among nonsmokers compared to smokers.

Psoriasis patients who have had no luck with conventional treatments may find an effective therapy in an extract of mahonia aquifolium (also known as the Oregon grape). In the December 1999 HSI Members Alert we featured an article about psoriasis and mahonia aquifolium, which is marketed under the brand name of M-Folia. Members can use their password to access that article from the Members Alert archives on our web site at hsibaltimore.com.

Dear Reader

High lead levels in some Chinese-made toys has been a hot news topic lately. But if you don’t have children and you don’t have toys in your home, you might have noted this issue and thought, “Not my problem.” If so, you don’t know lead.

We pick up traces of lead from many sources: water, air, food, house dust in older buildings, automobile components, hair dyes, and even candy. And if you’ve reached retirement age, you’ll never guess where you’re picking up some lead: from your bones.

I can’t help you get lead out of your car or your house dust, but there are steps you can take to minimize the problem of lead in your bones.

——————————————–
Aged to imperfection
——————————————–

I recently came across a sobering USA Today report that highlighted lead research from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and other sources.

The fact that lead is stored in bones is not a new discovery. But over the past decade, researchers have found that bones release lead into the bloodstream along with calcium. This release is prompted by three life-changing events that have profound effects on the body: pregnancy, menopause, and old age.

Introducing lead into the blood during pregnancy endangers the neurological development of the fetus as well as brain development in infants who may pick up lead through breast-feeding. Fortunately, the phase-out of leaded gasoline has paralleled a sharp decline in blood levels of lead among children and women of childbearing age.

But for those of us who came of age long before unleaded gas and paint, the lead stored in our bones poses substantial dangers.

For instance, here’s a list of health risks associated with lead exposure. Notice how many of them are symptoms we typically associate with aging:

* Fatigue
* Joint and muscle aches
* Anemia
* Memory and learning difficulties
* Reduced cognitive function
* Difficulty sleeping
* Impaired motor skills
* Decreased sexual drive
* Decreased sperm production
* High blood pressure
* Loss of appetite
* Constipation
* Stomach cramps
* Nausea
* Increased risk of miscarriage
* Behavioral problems

Ellen Silbergeld, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told USA Today that blood levels of lead may be as much as 25 percent higher in post-menopausal women due to the thinning of bones which prompts lead to leach into the bloodstream. She notes that this lead infusion may also increase heart disease risk.

——————————————–
Escorting lead from the body
——————————————–

If you’re as disturbed as I am to learn just how leaded we are, you’ll be relieved to know that a calcium supplement might help considerably.

Adrienne Ettinger, a Harvard bone lead expert, told USA Today that calcium supplements reduces the likelihood that calcium will be leached from bones, into the bloodstream. This also reduces the leaching of lead from bones. Ettinger adds that 1,200 milligrams of calcium taken daily has been shown to significantly lower blood levels of lead in nursing mothers.

Chelation therapy may also help the cause by purging lead already in the bloodstream.

Chelation was first developed more than 50 years ago by the U.S. Navy to treat lead poisoning. In recent years it’s become a somewhat controversial method for removing calcium plaque from artery walls. Chelation contains vitamins, minerals, and a synthetic amino acid (EDTA), which binds to heavy metals and removes them from the body through urination.

You can find more information about chelation in the e-Alert “Passing on the Bypass” (1/23/03) at this link:

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200301/ea20030123.html

Prevention on a plate

Prevention on a plate Next time you stop in at the grocery store, fill a bag with kale, collards or spinach and grab a nice selection of assorted nuts. Besides the fact that they’re firmly in the whole foods camp and they taste good they can also fend off type-2 diabetes.

A research team did a meta-analysis comparing multiple studies that encompassed almost 287,000 participants and over 10,000 cases of type-2 diabetes. The studies showed a consistent link between magnesium intake and type-2 diabetes risk.

According to the analysis, with every 100-milligram increase in magnesium intake, there was a corresponding decrease in risk by 15 percent for type-2 diabetes.

Magnesium has been recognized as playing a role in insulin sensitivity. It is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. In animal studies using rats, a deficiency in magnesium was shown to have a negative effect on glucose- induced insulin secretion and uptake. However, supplementing with magnesium caused a positive effect by reducing the development of diabetes.

While the researchers wouldn’t go out on a limb and actually recommend magnesium supplements, they did suggest that it’s a good idea to make sure you get adequate amounts from food.

That just so happens to be my favorite recommendation. Your first line of defense against a wide range of illnesses can be found right in your own well- stocked pantry. Food is medicine”but it has to be nutritious food. (No one can possibly kid themselves into thinking a half-gallon of Chubby Hubby ice cream is good for you”even if you try using the kiddie excuse, “Well, there’s milk in it!”)

Good sources of magnesium, besides the leafy green vegetables and the nuts I already mentioned, include navy beans, lima beans, broccoli, brown rice, avocados, haddock, and oatmeal. That’s a pretty nice variety, making it easier to include magnesium-rich foods in a variety of meals throughout your day.

If you decide to go the supplement route, choose one of the better-absorbed forms such as magnesium citrate, glycinate, orotate, malate, fumurate or some combination of these. Twin Labs, KAL and Solgar are widely available off-the- shelf brands. Magnesium oxide mostly slips through your body unabsorbed while irritating your intestinal tract.