10x10: Dr Northrup's Top 10 Women's Health Findings: 2000-2010

 

Dr. Christiane Northrup MD is a mentor of mine. She is a pioneering gynecologist who attunes to women's wisdom underlying the issues we face. She caught my attention on PBS when I was in college with her focus on empowering women during surgery to get regional anesthesia, so they could be awake during a hysterectomy and participate in the decision-making, rather than anesthestetized objects on a table.

Here is a link to Dr. Christiane Northrup's top 10 findings in Women's Health over the past decade, complete with details. A summary:

1. End of One-Size Fits-All Hormone Therapy
2. Fetal Monitoring Doesn’t Improve Pregnancy Outcomes
3. Early Detection of Breast Cancer is an Imperfect Solution
4. Fish Oil Proven Protective Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt 
5. Optimal Vitamin D Level is Critical for Robust Health
6. Stem Cells Discovered in Menstrual Blood
7. Natural Progesterone Holds Great Promise for Heart Health
8. Iodine Reduces Breast Pain
9. Breast is Still Best
10. Educating Girls is the Key to Planetary Health

To D Or Not to D

Our press is rife with the preventive power of Vitamin D against the flu, breast cancer, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, depression & arthritis. Yet there is controversy still about how much is enough. My response? Show me the data. 

What's Your Level? When we are figuring out if you have enough, we measure in your blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. I happen to agree with the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and believe you should have a level of:

• 75 nmol/L or higher
• 30 ng/mL or higher 

How much should I take? Our government set the RDA goal at 400 IU/day, which is ridiculous in my opinion. NOF has a higher goal: 400-800 IU/day for those < 50, and 800-1000 IU/day in those > 50. 10-20 min of sunshine per day gets you 10,000-20,000 IU. From nutritional sources such as mild, egg yolks, and oily fish (salmon, tuna - you know, the ones that contain mercury), you get about 100 IU per serving or less. I generally recommend 1000-2000 IU/day. Ergo, you need a supplement. 

How much is too much? From my review of the data, I believe you can safely take up to 10,000 IU/day especially in the Bay Area of California where we have dense cloud cover much of the year. Toxic symptoms are kidney stones and kidney problems, both thought to be related to high blood calcium levels. NOF suggests that you can only become toxic if you are using a prescription form of Vitamin D, and supplements are relatively safe. 

Which supplement? There are two types: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Old data suggested D3 was superior but recent research suggests they are equally good. 

What about my pumpkins? We have no consensus on the best level in kids, despite recent studies in this week's Pediatrics urging higher levels. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended 400 IU/day in all kids beginning within the first few days of life and including breastfed infants. Funny, my pediatrician didn't mention that in our 10-minute appointment each year.

Supplements 101

Here is a basic plan for all adults (kids in a future post!). Additional supplements should be based on your individual issues and goals (e.g., weight loss, insomnia, reversing insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, underactive thyroid, etc.).

1. Good multivitamin. You need ample A, B, C, some E and minerals. Minerals vary depending on your health. My faves are on my website at www.doctorgottfried.com and, as with all of our supplements, 100% of after-tax proceeds support educational and environmental nonprofits.
2. Fish oil. Even if you are vegetarian, consider this supplement. 99% of Americans are deficient and flax oil does not suffice. You must use a safe brand that is molecularly distilled and tested to be free of mercury. I recommend 1000-3000 mg/day, depending on your health. Higher doses are sometimes needed in depression, inflammation, high cholesterol and insulin resistance. I prefer PurEFA (each soft gel is 1000mg). This is our most proven supplement based in high-quality data.
3. Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Most of us need more than nutrition, sunlight and a multivitamin provide. Check your vitamin D level – most of my patients are deficient even here in sunny California.
4. Greens formula. I recommend that everyone drink green juice as a start to the morning followed by protein. This alkalinizes your body. You can juice it yourself (wheatgrass, kale, celery, chard, etc.) or mostly use a powder. I prefer the taste of Designs for Health or Integrative Therapeutics.

Get Your Vit D Level Checked

Hi, Friends. We are in the midst of an epidemic of low Vitamin D levels yet the bad news is that conventional physicians rarely check them. Demand your "25-OH-Vitamin-D" level now! Below is a link to a great article from the New England Journal of Medicine from July - a review of the importance of Vitamin D. Basically 50,000 IU per day is too much and the dose that is recommended keeps going up higher and higher. Check your level to see if you're getting enough from sun, food sources and/or supplements.

Here's the link to the article:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/357/3/266