July 2011
M
The Essential Guide for
Good Prostate Health
ost 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 Bladder
The 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.
Vol. 4, Issue 7
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 lifethreatening condition, the symptoms can be severe
In This Issue . . .
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
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.
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 sleepdeprived 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 Inflammation
Prostatitis 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.
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health
Page 2
drbrownstein.newsmax.com
July 2011
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 Unpredictable
It’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
1,2
have it. 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
July 2011
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 Testing
Unfortunately, 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.
newsmaxhealth.com
Page 3
A Hidden Source of Migraines: Amalgam Dental Fillings
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
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.
Page 4
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 Body
However, 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.
drbrownstein.newsmax.com
July 2011
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Continued from page 3
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 Overused
The 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
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July 2011
What You Should Know About Soy
One 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.
(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 Cancer
Age 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
newsmaxhealth.com
Page 5
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
Page 6
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-thatbe 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.
study
‘The
found a
correlation
between vaccine
doses and infant
mortality rates.
drbrownstein.newsmax.com
’
July 2011
Continued from page 5
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:
July 2011
•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.
newsmaxhealth.com
Page 7
Ask Dr. Brownstein
Dear Readers,
I will try to answer as many questions as I can.
However, because of the volume of questions, I
cannot answer each letter personally. Please include
your full name, city, and state when submitting.
If you have a question for me, please email it to:
[email protected].
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’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 alleviate my arthritis?
— Sherry A., Ontario, Canada
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.
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 soybased. 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.
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.
To your good health,
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.
Page 8
drbrownstein.newsmax.com
July 2011