Most of the time, men are completely unaware of their prostate gland, a small organ that is vital to male sexual health.

Unfortunately, while largely unnoticed, the prostate can be the site of major health concerns for men. It can become enlarged, inhibiting the flow of urine; it can become infected and inflamed, causing fevers and discomfort; and, finally, the prostate can become cancerous — which can kill.

In fact, next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among American men. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2011, some 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and there will be 32,050 deaths from it. Still, it receives less attention — and less funding — than many other types of cancer.

This month’s newsletter will take a look at three prevalent prostate conditions — enlarged prostate, infection of the prostate (prostatitis), and prostate cancer — and discuss what can be done to prevent and treat them.

Enlarged Prostate Pressures the BladderThe prostate is a walnut-sized gland in the

male reproductive system located just beneath the bladder. Its function is to store and secrete fluid which nourishes and maintains the appropriate acidity for semen.

One of the most common problems that can develop with the prostate, which affects many men over the age of 50, is called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). In fact, the older men become, the more BPH seems to affect them.

Put simply, BPH refers to an increase in the size of the prostate due to an increase in the number of cells in the gland. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that leads from the bladder to the genitals for urination. When sufficiently enlarged, the prostate presses against the bladder and compresses the urethra, impeding the flow of urine through the urethral canal.

BPH is not cancerous, but it can cause a great deal of discomfort for men who suffer from the condition. When an enlarged prostate gland impedes the flow of urine, men will often complain of having a weak urinary stream or a difficult time emptying the bladder. Furthermore, men with BPH frequently feel an urge to urinate due to the enlarged prostate pressing against their bladder.

If the bladder does not empty completely with urination, bladder infections and kidney damage can occur. Although BPH is not treated as a life-threatening condition, the symptoms can be severe

The Essential Guide for Good Prostate Health

In This Issue . . .

July 2011

Vol. 4, Issue 7

Prostatitis: Inflammation of the Prostate .............. 2 Prostate Cancer Is Unpredictable .......................... 3 Pitfalls of Prostate Testing...................................... 3 Case Study: Hidden Source of Migraines ............. 4 Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer ........................... 5 In the News: Infant Mortality From Vaccines? ..... 6 Supplements Can Fight Prostate Problems .......... 7 Ask Dr. Brownstein ................................................ 8

Page 2 July 2011drbrownstein.newsmax.com

enough to radically affect the quality of a man’s life. The constant urge to urinate can cause men to wake up numerous times during the night to try to empty their bladder. And people who are chronically sleep-deprived have an increased risk of heart disease as well as other serious conditions.

BPH is most often diagnosed by taking a thorough case history and checking the patient’s prostate gland with a rectal examination. If BPH is diagnosed, the patient should start by avoiding antihistamines and decongestant medications, which can worsen the condition.

More severe cases of BPH can be treated with medications such as alpha blockers (Cardura and Hytrin), which help to temporarily relieve the symptoms. Unfortunately, these medications do not treat the underlying cause of BPH, and do not

stop the progressive enlargement of the gland. The prostate gland requires male hormones known as androgens to function optimally.

The main hormones that regulate prostate function are testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estrogen. DHT is thought to be the hormone that causes prostatic enlargement. Testosterone converts to DHT through an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

To combat this, a class of medications called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (Avodart, Proscar), blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT. But my experience has shown that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors provide little relief for the vast majority of men with BPH. Furthermore, these expensive medications can result in a decreased libido.

If these medications fail to correct the problem, doctors may perform surgery to open up the urethra. This surgery is called a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP. This surgery is only indicated for severe cases of BPH where such measures are necessary to avert serious health issues such as kidney failure.

I’ve found that diet plays a critical role in prostate health. The standard American diet contains too many refined foods, including refined sugar, flour, oil, and salt. It is important to remove these devitalized foods, as they set the stage for BPH.

I have treated many men with prostate problems by simply cleaning up their diet and adding beneficial supplements.

Prostatitis — Prostate InflammationProstatitis is an inflammatory condition that

can cause painful and difficult urination. Men with prostatitis also can suffer from a persistent, urgent need to urinate, and pain in the abdomen, groin, penis, testicles, rectum, or lower back.

health

Coffee Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to

ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a study at the Harvard School of Public Health, published on the JNCI website.

Men who drank six or more cups per day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and an 18 percent lower risk of any type of prostate cancer compared to men who did not drink coffee. Drinking 1 to 3 cups per day was linked to a 30 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

The effects were the same whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated, leading researchers to believe the lower risk could be linked to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of coffee.

During the study, a total of 5,035 cases of prostate cancer were reported, including 642 fatal cases. The lower risk for coffee drinkers remained even after researchers allowed for other factors that boost risk, such as smoking and failure to exercise.

Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health is a publication of Newsmax Media, Inc., and Newsmax.com. It is published monthly at a charge of $108.00 per year and is offered online and in print through Newsmax.com.Our editorial offices are located at 560 Village Boulevard, Ste. 120, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409.The owner, publisher, and editor are not responsible for errors and omissions. Rights of reproduction and distribution of this newsletter are reserved. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution of information contained herein, including storage in retrieval systems or posting on the Internet, is expressly forbidden without the consent of Newsmax Media.For permission, contact the publisher at: PO Box 20989, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416. CEO Christopher Ruddy Health Publisher Travis Davis Author David Brownstein, M.D. Contributing Editor Matthew Kalash Production/Art Director Elizabeth DoleTo contact Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health send e-mail to: askdrdavid@newsmax.com. Subscription/Customer Service contact 1-800-485-4350 or naturalway@newsmax.com. Send e-mail address changes to naturalway@newsmax.com© 2011 Newsmax Media, all rights reserved. Please note that this advice is generic and not specific to any individual. You should consult with your doctor before undertaking any medical or nutritional course of action.

July 2011 Page 3newsmaxhealth.com

Prostatitis can also result from infection. Approximately 15 percent of prostatitis cases are caused by acute bacterial infection of the prostate gland, which can be associated with a fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a poor appetite. In addition, prostatitis can also be caused by an infection of the bladder, sometimes brought on by trauma from activities such as biking or horseback riding.

In these cases, the tetracycline class of antibiotics (minocycline or doxycycline) has proven effective. Another class of medications, the quinolones (Cipro or Levaquin), also can be effective for treating these symptoms.

However, I’ve seen some men who take numerous courses of potent antibiotics for prostatitis and suffer adverse effects like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches from overuse of those antibiotics. And yet the condition persists.

Sometimes the solution is a simple one. I have treated many men with prostatitis by simply having them rehydrate with adequate amounts of water. Dehydration can be insidious, and it is vital to guard against it. To be sure you are getting enough water, simply take your weight in pounds and divide by two; the resulting number is the daily amount of water to ingest in ounces.

Also, eliminate liquids that enhance dehydration, such as sweetened beverages. I have seen an association between the artificial sweetener aspartame and prostatitis in some individuals. In these cases, eliminating aspartame, reversing dehydration, and correcting nutrient imbalances have been successful at eliminating prostatitis.

Some men who develop chronic prostatitis have no identifiable cause, and conventional medicine has little to offer these individuals. For many of these patients, a holistic approach can be more successful.

Prostate Cancer Is UnpredictableIt’s estimated that between 1 in 3 and 1 in 6 men

will develop prostate cancer at some time in their lives. The disease is even more common as men get older — up to 70 percent of men age 80 and older have it.1,2 However, statistics show that of men with prostate cancer, just 1 in 35 die from it.

These statistics indicate that most prostate cancers are slow-growing. However, our present knowledge of the disease makes it nearly impossible

to predict which cancers will grow slowly and which will be fast-growing. Typically, after age 50, men are advised to get a yearly rectal exam and PSA test, which assesses the level of prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme secreted by the gland.

If the manual rectal exam is abnormal or the PSA level is elevated, the patient will be referred to a urologist for a further workup. Prostate cancer can only be diagnosed by a biopsy of the prostate gland. It is the reading of these tissue samples that confirms whether the patient has a malignancy.

Pitfalls of Prostate TestingUnfortunately, there are many pitfalls involved

with prostate testing. First, the PSA level can be elevated for a number of reasons besides cancer, including BPH and prostatitis. Second, I am not 100 percent in support of the procedure to biopsy the prostate gland. The biopsy procedure removes samples of prostate tissue. But most times this biopsy is done “blindly,” meaning the tissue is taken from random parts of the gland.

Even if certain areas of the prostate are suspected of being abnormal, the biopsy procedure is still unreliable as to whether or not the urologist will get a sample of the diseased tissue. Also, the biopsy itself has the potential to spread cancer. If the majority

Continued on page 5

David Brownstein, M.D., is a board-certified family physician and one of the foremost practitioners of holistic medicine. Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally to physicians and others about his success with natural hormones and nutritional therapies in his practice. His books include Drugs That

Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do!; Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It; Salt Your Way To Health; The Miracle of Natural Hormones; Overcoming Arthritis; Overcoming Thyroid Disorders; The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet; The Guide to Healthy Eating; and The Guide to a Dairy-Free Diet. He is the medical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Mich., where he lives with his wife, Allison, and their teenage daughters, Hailey and Jessica. For more information about Dr. Brownstein, please go to www.drbrownstein.com.

Page 4 July 2011drbrownstein.newsmax.com

A Hidden Source of Migraines: Amalgam Dental Fillings

Heather was a 36-year-old attorney who suffered from terrible headaches. “I used to be able to control them with anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin. But as I got older, the pain got worse. The migraines got really bad after my second pregnancy.”

Heather had been prescribed Inderal (a beta blocker), which helped for a while, but came with unwanted side effects. “It makes me so tired, and I am gaining weight, which I can’t stand,” she claimed.

Over the last four years, Heather’s migraines began to worsen each month, to the point that she was starting to miss work. “Sometimes the pain is so bad I just lie down in bed for hours,” she said.

Water Is Vital for Health My preliminary examination showed that Heather

had dry mucous membranes in her mouth and eyes, and her skin turgor was decreased, which meant that her skin looked slackened and loose rather than firm and supple. When I asked if she had dry skin, Heather said yes. She used lotion every day to moisturize.

I ask every new patient much water they drink. Usually I have to ask two or three times before they will answer. Most patients are embarrassed to admit they don’t drink enough water. Finally, Heather told me she was drinking about four glasses of water per day (around 30-40 ounces).

I say this all the time, but in order to achieve optimal health, or overcome illness, it is vital to maintain adequate hydration. I see the consequences of dehydration on a daily basis in my office.

Adequate water intake is necessary to circulate nutrients throughout the body, as well as to flush out toxins. Furthermore, it is impossible to balance the hormonal system — especially the thyroid and adrenal glands — without enough water in your body. Common signs of dehydration include headaches, brain fog, poor memory, and muscle aches.

When I explained the significance of drinking water to Heather, she said she had been suffering from muscle aches and pains for a few years. “I thought I was just getting older,” she said.

I told her muscle aches and pains are not a normal part of aging. I advised Heather to increase her water intake. How much? I told her what I tell everyone: Take your weight in pounds and divide it by two — that number is the amount (in ounces) of water to drink per day. Heather weighed 140 pounds. Therefore, she had to consume 70 ounces of water per day.

Heather drank more water and felt better. “The daily headaches went away in about a week, and I don’t get muscle aches and pains anymore,” she said.

Amalgam Fillings Poison the BodyHowever, Heather still had one major symptom that

was not improving on the holistic regimen I outlined for her. (I had also prescribed vitamins, minerals, and bioidentical hormones.) Heather’s migraines were still appearing every month just after her menstrual period began. We tried various bioidentical hormonal therapies, but none worked.

I did a hair mineral analysis, and found was that Heather had very high mercury levels (1.49 parts per million — normal levels are less than 0.6 ppm).

Mercury is a toxic substance that has no therapeutic uses in the body. It is the third most toxic element known to mankind. Unfortunately, it is the most common toxicity that I see in my patients. In fact, I find myself discussing mercury toxicity on a daily basis with patients.

The most common exposure to mercury is dental amalgam fillings. These are the silver filings dentists have been putting into patients’ mouths for the last 100-plus years. Amalgam fillings are made of 50 percent mercury (by weight).

The American Dental Association claims that amalgam fillings are safe. They are horribly wrong and should be taken to task for allowing use of these fillings. No one should have a mercury filling in his or her mouth.

The first step in Heather’s treatment plan was to support her detoxification pathways. I asked her to take alpha lipoic acid (300 mg twice per day), vitamin C (5,000 mg/day), MSM (4,000 mg/day) and selenium (100 mcg/day). Next, I sent Heather to a holistic dentist who removed her amalgam fillings. Finally, we began a chelation program using DMPS (four injections).

After six months of detoxification, Heather’s migraines were gone. “I am so grateful. I feel better than I ever remember. I’m a better mother and a better lawyer. My brain is working great now,” she said.

In each issue, I will share with you the story of one of my patients and how sometimes simple alternative approaches can solve major health problems. Names and some details have been changed for privacy’s sake, but the problems and their resolutions are real.

— Dr. David Brownstein

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of prostate cancers are slow-growing — remember, only 3 percent of affected men die from it — it’s possible that a biopsy will cause the abnormal cancerous cells to be released from the gland. And some men develop chronic inflammation of the prostate after a biopsy.

The biopsy of the prostate gland should be undertaken only after careful consideration. I am not opposed to all prostate biopsies. But I feel too many are being done in an (often) haphazard manner. I don’t think this is good medicine.

PSA Testing Is OverusedThe most basic tenet of medicine is that you

need an accurate diagnosis in order to formulate an effective treatment plan. This leads to the following question: If you don’t do the biopsy, how can you diagnose prostate cancer? The answer is: You can’t.

That is where the PSA test comes into play. If the PSA level is elevated, it may signal prostate cancer. So does everyone need an annual PSA test? No.

In the U.K., PSA testing is not used widely. Yet a comparison of prostate cancer incidence in the U.S. and the U.K. found the intensive PSA screening in the U.S. resulted in dramatic increases in prostate cancer incidence without a significant change in mortality between the two countries.3

This would indicate that PSA screening in the U.S. is not giving us what we hoped it would: a decrease in the mortality rate from prostate cancer.

What mass PSA screening does is create a population of men who now have to undergo painful diagnoses and treatments without evidence of these therapies changing the final outcome.

Furthermore, looking at the annual age-adjusted cancer death rates among males from 1930 to 2005

(the latest year available) shows the death rate for prostate cancer has not gone down; it has increased.4 That means that over the last 75 years our therapies — radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal blockade, and surgery — have been ineffective for most people.

I believe that doctors are overusing the PSA testing to diagnose a relatively common illness (prostate cancer) that has a fairly low (3 percent) mortality rate. If we had better therapies to treat the advanced disease, I would be in favor of universal PSA screening. Until that day comes, I am against it.

That is not to say the PSA test doesn’t provide useful information. It does. If the PSA level is elevated or rising at an unduly high rate, that could be a message to the patient to improve his diet, exercise, and detoxify.

Risk Factors for Prostate CancerAge is the single largest risk factor for prostate

cancer; the older you are, the more likely you will develop it. However, there is also a hereditary component; if you have a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, your risk goes up considerably.

There is some controversy over whether or not elevated levels of the androgen hormones — testosterone and DHT — are risk factors for prostate cancer. If elevated levels of androgens such as testosterone were responsible for causing prostate cancer, we should see prostate cancer occurring in young men, whose testosterone levels are the highest. But the opposite is true; prostate cancer is more common in older men with low testosterone.

Although the role of estrogen in causing prostate cancer is not 100 percent clear, my experience has shown that elevated estrogen levels in a man are associated with myriad problems including atherosclerosis, blood clots, arthritis, and prostate

Continued on page 7

Continued from page 3What You Should Know About SoyOne key piece of dietary advice for preventing and

treating prostate problems is to eliminate soy. Soy has estrogen-like properties and its use will exacerbate/cause prostate problems. I have written extensively on this subject in newsletters and blogs, and in my newest book, The Soy Deception.

Exclusive to Current SubscribersCurrent subscribers have instant access to any and every past edition of Dr. Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health.

Simply go here: drbrownstein.newsmax.com

Check your e-mail inbox for this month’s password.(Please remember to use lowercase letters.)

Page 6 July 2011drbrownstein.newsmax.com

In the News: Reading Between the Medical Headlines

Study: Antidepressants Thicken Arteries

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine studied 513 middle-aged male twins who had both served in the Vietnam War. Among the 59 pairs of twins where only one brother took antidepressant medications, the one who took the medication had higher carotid intimal-media thickness. In other words, the brother who took antidepressants had signs of plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

Compared to the subjects who did not take an antidepressant medication, the brothers on antidepressants had four times as much plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, as reported at the American College of Cardiology meeting on April 5, 2011.

You can add an increased risk of cardiovascular disease to the large number of adverse effects caused by antidepressant medications. Although the direct action of antidepressants is not known, what is known is that they are very ineffective medications for the vast majority of patients.

So what should you do? Before going on an antidepressant, consider trying exercise. Exercise has been shown in numerous studies to be more beneficial and have fewer adverse effects than any antidepressant medication. And exercise doesn’t increase the thickness of your carotid arteries.

BP Guidelines Are Being Manipulated

An article in the March 28, 2011, issue of Archives of Medicine reported that doctors with private financial conflicts of interest dominate the panels that write the guidelines for cardiovascular

recommendations. Researchers reported that, from 2003 to 2008, over half of the people responsible for setting cardiovascular guidelines had conflicts of interest.

Furthermore, of the people who led the groups, 81 percent had personal financial interests in companies affected by their guidelines, which included blood pressure recommendations.

In decades past, the normal upper limit for systolic blood pressure was thought to be calculated by adding the number 100 to your age. For example, at age 60, your upper limit systolic blood pressure would be 160 mmHg. The new guidelines state that blood pressure should 120/80 mmHg, no matter what your age.

These guidelines are fine for a 25-year-old. Not so for a healthy 70-year-old. This study shows why the powers-that-be keep lowering blood pressure recommendations; the vast majority of the people making the decisions about what constitutes “normal” have conflicts of interest.

Keep in mind that it is normal for your blood pressure to rise as you age. It is also normal to lose muscle mass, skin thickness, and bone density as you age. These normal age-related declines are not a symptom of a disease, they are merely signs of aging.

This study should be an indictment on the failure of Big Pharma and the American Heart Association in setting blood pressure parameters. We are being over-medicated with expensive hypertensive drugs that cause too

many side effects and have too little therapeutic effect.

Finally, keep in mind that true hypertension does need to be evaluated and treated. Do not stop taking any anti-hypertensive medication without consulting your healthcare provider.

Study: Vaccines Raise Infant Mortality Rates?

Researchers studied infant mortality data from 34 countries, analyzing the number of vaccines children were given during the first year of life and its relationship to mortality rate. They found that there was a correlation between the number of vaccine doses and infant mortality rates, according to a May 4, 2011, report in the journal Human and Experimental

Toxicology. This study ranked the infant mortality rates in the nations providing data. Rates ranged from 2.31 per 1,000 live births in Singapore to 6.22 in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. ranked last among the 34 countries studied.

The U.S. immunization

schedule specifies 26 vaccines for infants in less than one year — the most of any nation in the study — and we have the worst infant mortality rate in this study. The authors wrote, “These findings demonstrate a counter-intuitive relationship: nations that require more vaccine doses tend to have higher infant mortality rates.”

This study does not prove that more immunizations are causing a higher infant mortality rate. But I feel we are exposing our newborns to too many vaccines.

‘The study found a

correlation between vaccine doses and infant mortality rates.’

July 2011 Page 7newsmaxhealth.com

problems, including prostate cancer. I believe elevated estrogen levels are directly correlated to the development of prostate cancer.

In fact, research has shown that estrogen therapy increased the rate of prostate cancer in rats.5 I have been checking estrogen levels in men for nearly 20 years, and can report that elevated estrogen levels are correlated with nearly all inflammatory problems, including prostate cancer.

What causes elevated estrogen levels? The culprits are many: obesity, eating a diet of refined foods that have estrogen-like hormones added to the animal feed, exposure to pesticides and other toxins that have estrogen-like effects in the body.

Assessing estrogen levels in men can be easily done with blood tests. If estrogen levels are elevated, cleaning up the diet, detoxifying, and taking supplements can help. I cannot stress this enough: Drink an adequate amount of water. Drinking water can help prevent many issues with the prostate.

Maintaining a healthy diet will also give relief for prostate problems. Remember that all prostate diseases are inflammatory-provoked illnesses. A poor diet feeds these problems by introducing devitalized substances that cause inflammation. Conversely, a healthy diet is anti-inflammatory. Avoid additives in foods and stick to mineralized salt.

More information about healthy diet can be found in my book, The Guide to Healthy Eating.

Supplements Are Powerful Tools to Fight All Prostate Problems

Taking the right supplements can help improve and prevent prostate problems.

The prostate, like the thyroid, is an endocrine gland, and needs the proper nutrients for optimal functioning. By the time problems have developed, the prostate tissue has become very inflamed.

Taking the right supplements can help to reverse this condition and allow the prostate gland to resume its normal function. Over the past 20 years, I have worked with various nutrients to find the best combinations not only to help the prostate heal, but also to optimize its function. From this research, I have found that the following important supplements should be included:

•Beta sitosterol saw palmetto•Pomegranate•Boswellia•Pumpkin seed•Pygeum africanum•Stinging nettle

The combination of these supplements has proven effective for many suffering from prostate problems; these nutrients can make dramatic changes in the functioning of the prostate gland.

Healthcare Priorities Must Be Refocused

We are wasting a huge portion of our healthcare budget diagnosing a common disease that kills a very small percentage of the people who have it. Our healthcare dollars could be better spent on prevention. In other words, we should be practicing ways to prevent the formation of an enlarged prostate, infection of the prostate, and prostate cancer, rather than expending so much effort diagnosing and treating a slow-growing disease.

The entire medical-industrial complex is set up to diagnose pathology. The PSA test and prostate biopsies prevent nothing — they merely diagnose an existing condition.

This is one of many examples of why we spend nearly 20 percent of our gross national product on healthcare, yet we continually rank amongst the lowest of any Western country on all health indicators. We would do much better to focus on health and prevention rather than post-symptomatic diagnosis of diseases such as prostate problems.

Prevention is up to you. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take that will go a long way to guarding against prostate issues.

You will lessen your chances of developing prostate problems by eating better, maintaining adequate hydration, and correcting nutritional imbalances. In my experience, this holistic approach is effective for treating prostate problems.

REFERENCES

1. J. Urol, 1993, 150: 379-85.

2. Scan. J. Urol Nephrol, 1980, 14, 91: 29-35.

3. N. Eng. J. of Med, 2005, 17, 353: 1784.

4. CA Cancer J. Clin, Sept./Oct. 2010, 60, 5.

5. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. No, 2006, 1089: 168-76.

Continued from page 5

Page 8 July 2011drbrownstein.newsmax.com

I’ve suffered from arthritis for the past five years. My last MRI showed that the inflammation has now caused bone damage in my ankle and I am almost handicapped. Can you tell me what I can do to allevi-ate my arthritis?

— Sherry A., Ontario, Canada

The first thing you should focus on is your diet. Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. It is vitally important to eat a healthy diet free of refined foods — no refined sugar, salt, flour, or oils.

Have your healthcare provider check you for food allergies, particularly dairy and gluten.

If you test positive for either of these, eliminate them. Sometimes a therapeutic trial of dairy- and gluten-free diets can provide dramatic results for arthritic patients.

Also, drinking enough water is another important step to overcoming arthritis. If you only have tap water available, drink it. However, it is better to drink filtered water that removes chlorine and fluoride.

I am a vegetarian and use soy milk instead of cow’s milk. I also eat some meat analogs that are soy-based. How much soy is too much?

— Galen M., Ithaca, Mich.

My experience has clearly shown that the ingestion of non-fermented soy products such as soy milk and soy meat analogs is not a healthy choice. These items can predispose someone to thyroid problems, as they inhibit the conversion of inactive (T4) to active (T3) thyroid hormone.

Furthermore, soy ingestion causes mineral and vitamin deficiencies. I have seen many more prostate problems in men who ingest non-fermented soy products.

I tell my patients to avoid non-fermented soy products. More information about soy can be found in my newest book, The Soy Deception.

I’m confused about your recommended daily dose for iodine of 6 to 50 mg to keep bromine levels in check. That’s an awfully large dose, isn’t it?

— James W., Topeka, Kan.

I have carefully reviewed the data on iodine, and I feel that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iodine is woefully inadequate due to the lowered iodine levels in our food supply and the increasing toxicity of bromine and fluoride.

In fact, our exposure to bromine has increased markedly over the last 30 years. Bromine is used as a fire retardant in many consumer items including computers, iPods, cellphones, mattresses, automobile interiors, clothing, and carpet. I have tested over 500 patients and each one has tested high in bromine, whether they were healthy or not.

The use of higher doses of iodine has a dual effect: It replenishes depleted iodine stores and it helps the body release toxic halogens such as bromine and fluoride. In fact, when patients start to take iodine, they start to excrete large amounts of bromine and fluoride in the urine.

Iodine is best used as part of a holistic treatment regimen that includes eating a healthy diet, drinking adequate amounts of water, and using unrefined salt.

Before taking iodine supplementation, consult your healthcare provider.

Ask Dr. Brownstein

Please note: All information presented in Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health is for informational purposes only. It is not specific medical advice for any individual. All answers to reader questions are provided for informational purposes only. All information presented in Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health should not be construed as medical consultation or instruction. You should take no action solely on the basis of this publication’s contents. Readers are advised to consult a health professional about any issue regarding their health and well-being. While the information found in Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health is believed to be sensible and accurate based on the author’s best judgment, readers who fail to seek counsel from appropriate health professionals assume risk of any potential ill effects. The opinions expressed in Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health do not necessarily reflect those of Newsmax Media.

To your good health,

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