I am not a religious devotee of the conventional medical model. Sure, if I’m having a heart attack, need my broken bones realigned or have a recalcitrant prostate refusing my bladder any airtime, then my local ER, where treatment is often nothing short of heroic, will be my first port of call. However, if medication or an operative procedure is not mandatory and I have for example a debilitating skin condition like eczema or an irritable bowel, for which a more circumspect analysis of my condition might be more beneficial, then I might opt for something that is a little less industrial strength.

This is where I am at odds with my specialist colleagues. Take treating heartburn for instance. Gastroenterologists are often of the opinion that the most effective way to manage this condition is with medication that suppresses the production of stomach acid. So, when Joan, a delightful, bubbly 70 year-old, presented at my practice with a two year history of crippling eczema that had been driving her nuts and had also confounded the interventions of three dermatologists, I wondered whether the acid-suppressing medication she was taking could be the primary culprit. Turns out, that it just might be. Stomach acid is absolutely critical for protein digestion, which renders protein molecules small enough to absorb but not large enough to trigger the immune system.

Scientific evidence shows that once acid production is inhibited food proteins that are normally broken down and therefore not perceived as threatening by the immune system, might suddenly be seen as alien, making them allergenic, which culminates in conditions like eczema. Joan’s skin prick test, which is one way to identify allergens, revealed that she was reacting to nuts, yeast and wheat. Suppressing acid not only induces food allergy but what it also does is make smaller amounts of the ingested allergen much more injurious.

Compromising acid production also makes the protein our bodies need less accessible for assimilation, along with reducing the availability of vitamin B12 and the mineral zinc. Zinc and protein are essential for skin health, with the lack of these exacerbating Joan’s skin condition. Having sufficient acid protects against bacterial overgrowth but with this protective barrier eliminated, potentially harmful bacteria have an easy passage into the small intestine leading to a condition known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, the symptoms of which; bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain and loose bowel motions, resembling those of irritable bowel syndrome.Ultimately digestion might become so dysfunctional that malnutrition is the end point, leading to a loss of muscle mass and bone strength, which is pretty much what ageing is all about. Only we are hastening the process with the medications we prescribe so liberally and with such little concern for the consequences.

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Question & Answer Segment ------ your queries answered

Answer: Before you ascribe this development to you genes you need to assess your stress levels, as these can cause hair loss, which is reversed, once stress abates.  My suggestion is that you find a holistic physician who can evaluate your nutrient status, as deficiencies of zinc and protein, specifically amino acids cysteine and arginine, can lead to hair loss.  Excess levels of the mineral copper can also cause hair loss.  Hormone imbalances also need to be examined and here your physician would need to measure thyroid hormones comprehensively, something not done by conventional medical practitioners, as well as look at oestrogen, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels.  Autoimmune diseases, especially those that implicate the thyroid and those which involve reactions to foods, resulting in the immune system attacking hair follicles, need to be considered.

Question: I just read your article in Wellness magazine on cortisol and other hormone levels. I am pretty sure I am suffering from adrenal fatigue. Almost every night I wake up between 3 and 5 am and find it very difficult to get back to sleep. I wake up tense and ready to go. Seems my cortisol cycle is out of whack. Apart from this I don't have any trouble getting out of bed in the morning (if I have 6-7 hours sleep) but I am susceptible to stress and have a busy mind. Do you have any advice or is it possible to have a consultation with you?

Answer: Producing too much cortisol late at night can adversely affect sleep patterns as can eating sweet foods before you go to sleep. Low levels of melatonin can also lead to insomnia. The amino acid tryptophan and vitamins B3 and B6 are associated with healthy sleep patterns. Cortisol and melatonin status can be assessed by means of salivary assays.

Question: My HDL is 1.9, which seems ok, triglyceride 0.7 again I guess ok but my LDL is 3.0 and they say it is too high. Is it high because I am on Omega 3 oils, 1Metric teaspoon a day? I have read on some programs on the internet that it is too much omega3 and it can be dangerous and it can cause LDL to rise. Can it be any other reason, as I thought omega 3 was good for you? I do eat fish twice, sometimes three times a week. Also my glucose fasting test is high at 5.6 mmol/l. It says it should be between 3.0-5.4. What can I do about that? I eat a lot of fruit but not sugar in any beverage, piece of dark chocolate; 4 squares twice weekly and occasionally a piece of cake.

Answer:Omega-3 rich diets have been shown to decrease the amount of LDL delivered to the arteries, which is a good thing. The only time that fish oil might raise LDL, according to the evidence I have found, is if your LDL levels are already low, when you commence fish oil. The B vitamin, niacin, can lower LDL. Raised blood glucose levels are also associated with a condition known as insulin resistance and elevated levels of LDL. You would need to have this evaluated by your doctor.

Question: I have recently read 'The Hormone Solution - stay younger with natural hormones' by Dr Thierry Hertoghe. I like what I read and it makes sense to me. Do you support bio-identical hormones in your practice?

Answer:Hormones are best used on the back of optimizing nutrient status, bowel and liver function and limiting what is known as inflammation. I elaborate on this in ‘You have the power.’