Question: I have raised cortisol levels at midnight as a saliva test indicates. Would eating lecithin granules and meditating daily be enough to lower my evening cortisol levels? I also have low levels of aldosterone (157 blood serum) and low levels of
melatonin (17 saliva-midnight).
Answer: There is a substance derived from soy lecithin called phosphatidylserine, which can lower cortisol. It is doubtful that lecithin granules will achieve the same result. Certainly meditation might help. Raised cortisol can antagonize melatonin, which can lead to insomnia characterized by waking up after +- four hours of sleep and then finding it difficult to go back to sleep. It is interesting that you have raised cortisol and yet low aldosterone, as both are predominantly manufactured by the adrenal glands. Low blood pressure and light-headedness is typical of low aldosterone levels while poor sleep, finding it difficult to lose weight and a diminished immune system are features of raised cortisol.
Question: I hope you can help me with a problem of too much Vitamin B12 in my body, it is said on my blood report that it's double what it should be and can be toxic, mine is 1,450mol and it should be between (140-700). I have looked on internet and a lot of stories are on about liver problems. My liver tests seem all quite good. I do take vitamins; in all add up to 50mcg of B12 with some of it being in a multivitamin and some in magnesium powder with other nutrients.
Answer: You really aren’t taking that much vitamin B12, so I find this result difficult to comprehend. I also could not find any evidence by examining scientific research that B12 is toxic. One way to find out whether B12 is working for you is to have a blood test, which measures a substance called homocysteine, a type of protein the body usually recycles with the help of B12. If your homocysteine is raised this indicates, at least in part, poor utilization of B12, which can adversely effects your brain, heart and bones.
Question: Where in Australia can I purchase DHEA?
Answer: You would need a prescription from a doctor which you can then take to a compounding pharmacy. It would be in your interests to find a physician who is aware of the benefits and harms of DHEA and how to maximize the upside of this hormone while limiting its downside. In the USA, DHEA is available without prescription and can simply be purchased over the counter in a health food store for example. As DHEA is associated with an increased risk of both breast and prostate cancer in certain scenarios, which I explore in ‘You have the power,’ now purchasable via Amazon, seeking the guidance of a health professional is essential in my estimation.
Question: My 10 yr-old daughter has an overactive thyroid and is currently taking carbimazole. She was 11weeks premmie, and I believe she was lactose intolerant. Are there any dietary guidelines I should be following to assist in returning her levels to normal? I would like to avoid surgery or radium therapy as has been suggested. She was diagnosed at 4yr, and I believe it may have been triggered by me 'overdosing' her with soy formula when she was a baby - this is full of iodine as her levels fell when I stopped giving her this formula.
Answer: Your daughter might benefit from a gluten-free diet, as there is some evidence that coeliac disease and gluten intolerance is connected with autoimmune thyroid disease and an overactive thyroid gland. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. You are right about iodine, which questions the wisdom of adding it to our food chain, as some with a genetic predisposition will react adversely to excessive exposure to this nutrient, triggering an autoimmune reaction. Vitamin D is a hormone which can balance the immune system but if it’s not functioning adequately autoimmune disease might result. It is possible that the accumulation of yeast in the body and abnormal bacteria interfere with the function of vitamin D and you would need to locate a physician who can investigate this possibility.
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