NYANP Newsletter December 2009

Contents

• Welcome, Donielle Wilson, ND, CPM
• Memory, Attention and Nature, Sean E. Heerey, ND, MA, CCC/SLP
• Meditation Lowers Heart Attack Risk, Peter Bongiorno, ND, LAc and Pina LoGiudice, ND, LAc
• A Tale of Two Glutens, Steve Nenninger, ND, CDN
• NYANP Event: Holiday Dinner in NYC 12.13.09 at 5:30 pm
• Sponsor Appreciation

Welcome!

The New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians (NYANP) is a not for profit organization representing Naturopathic Medicine in New York State. Our mission is: Healthy Patients, Licensed NDs. We want to make it possible for all New Yorkers to benefit from Naturopathic Medicine, and to pass state legislation to license Naturopathic Doctors.

We'd like to welcome you to our monthly newsletter, intended to inform, heal and unite. Articles are contributed by professional members of the NYANP.

Please direct questions and submissions to Jackie Packman at assistant@nyanp.org.

Many wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all!

Dr. Donielle Wilson
NYANP President and Executive Director

Memory, Attention and Nature
By Sean E. Heerey, ND, MA, CCC/SLP

A recent study wanted to look at the effect of being in nature on memory and attention. Researchers tested two groups of college students. One group went for a walk in an arboretum that was full of trees and shrubs. A second group went for a walk of similar duration but in a busy, well-trafficked urban area. Both groups were a given tests of mental acuity. The group that walked in nature did better than the group that walked in the city. It did not matter if the temperature was 80 degrees or 25 degrees. The researchers decided to see if the beneficial effect of exercise could explain the difference. So they had the two groups looks at photographs. One group looked at photos of nature and the other of man-made structures found in most major urban areas. The results showed that the group that looked at photos of natural landscapes did almost 25% better on tasks of memory and attention span. Find the time to go outside. Even if you are in the middle of New York City find a green space and stretch your legs. You will probably be more productive. If going outside is not possible place beautiful images around your living and work spaces.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6892

Sean E. Heerey, ND, MA, CCC/SLP
Naturopathic Doctor (Oregon Licensed)
Autism/PDD, Chronic Disease and Homeopathic Drainage
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Speech Pathologist (NY License)
New York, NY
212.239.4544
www.drseanheerey.com

Meditation Lowers Heart Attack Risk
By Dr. Peter Bongiorno and Dr. Pina LoGiudice

In most cases of naturopathic care, stress reduction techniques are a central part of helping the body to heal itself. In our practice, we find for virtually any condition, stress reduction modalities such as meditation, yoga, exercise, and acupuncture will help patients get healthier faster, decrease their dependence on medications, and sustain any gains. Heart disease is the number killer in the United States.

One recent study announced at the most recent American Heart Association gives credence to this approach. A major study of stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program was associated with 43% reduction in risk for all cause mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke in a high-risk sample of African Americans. A selected stress reduction approach may be useful in the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic CVD. The subjects were 201 African American participants (half male and half female) with documented coronary artery disease. Subjects performed either Transcendental Meditation or another program called "health education control." Regular care was continued in all subjects.

After 5 years of follow-up, the heart attack risk in the meditation patients was 43% reduced. Systolic blood pressure (the top number) decreased by mean of 5.1 mm Hg. Also, there were reductions in psychosocial stress in a high stress subgroup. There were no significant changes in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) or Body Mass Index.

It was concluded that stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program was associated with 43% reduction in risk for all cause mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke in a high-risk sample of African Americans. A selected stress reduction approach may be useful in the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic CVD. It is likely that even greater benefits would be achieved in lower risk individuals. Also, greater benefits would probably result in those doing other lifestyle changes like exercise, the Mediterranean Diet, and proper nutrients.

It is not known if other methods are equally as effective at this point. If you are not including some kind of relaxation program as part of your health regimen, this is a great time to start.

Schneider R et al. Effects of Stress Reduction on Clinical Events in African Americans With Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Abstract 1177: Circulation. 2009;120:S461

Peter Bongiorno ND, LAc and Pina LoGiudice, ND, LAc
Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine (WA state licensed), Licensed Acupuncturists (NY licensed)
Vice President, NY Association of Naturopathic Physicians
NYANP Physician of the Year 2008
Huntington, NY
631.421.1848
email: drpeter@innersourcehealth.com
www.innersourcehealth.com

A Tale of Two Glutens
By Dr. Steve Nenninger

Warm bread baking in the oven, filling my childhood home with a loving aromatic embrace. We made bread by hand as children on Saturdays. Life was good as we sat around on those lazy, hazy Sunday afternoons and ate homemade, two-inch thick slices of homemade cinnamon, raisin bread slathered in butter.

In another world (that other world being my gut), a different story was taking place. A war was breaking out, as pointless and arbitrary as any war. The bread that tasted so good to my tongue was making contact with my intestinal walls and wreaking havoc. Inside each grain of wheat is a protein called gluten. Gluten is also present in two other grains: barley and rye. Gluten is a slinky-shaped protein that makes bread spongy.

By a tremendous bit of back luck the protein we call gluten looks to the body like it is a dangerous bacteria, and not just any bacteria. It’s spiral size and shape (one nanometer spiral) make it look like the spirochetal bacteria that cause Syphilis and Lyme Disease.

We know well what the immune reaction to the Lyme bacteria can do to a patient or a loved one. No organ system is safe from the destructive inflammation. Likewise, doctors from an earlier generation were aware of these effects from a Syphilis infection. The damage from these diseases is caused by the powerful weapons released by our body's immune system, in reaction to the presence of the bacteria.

Similarly, with gluten, the immune system reacts to the presence of gluten, and that causes all of the problems associated with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance. Symptoms may not show until a lot of damage has been done, or an autoimmune disease or cancer is diagnosed. Gluten intolerance is the hidden epidemic of the 21st century, the equivalent of Syphilis and Lyme Disease when these diseases where misunderstood, misdiagnosed and poorly treated. Gluten related disease is vastly under diagnosed in this country. It is diagnosed 40 times more often in Europe.

In a frantic attempt to destroy anything that may be the invader, while the immune system is going after the gluten protein, gliadin, it is also mistakenly going into attack against one's own tissue as well. After the battle, the body will clean up and do the repair work. The problem is that, as long as gluten is present in the diet, the attack never ends. Antibodies are produced against gluten, and they are produced against healthy tissue as well, in the form of autoantibodies. Gluten intolerance is associated with antibodies against the thyroid (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis), pancreas (Diabetes), liver (cirrhosis), and the lining of the intestines (Crohn's disease). Interestingly, the areas of the body most effected by gluten all originated from the endodermal layer in the embryo.

Celiac disease is just one kind of gluten intolerance. Undiagnosed gluten intolerance can destroy the potential for lifetime health and wellness. Unfortunately it is too often missed and really must be considered with seemingly unrelated issues such as blood sugar imbalances, mood disorders including depression and anxiety, foggy thinking and low energy, as well as autoimmune diseases. All behavior disorders (including Autism) are often either caused by or aggravated by gluten. Irritability is many times the first clue that gluten intolerance exists.

To recover from gluten induced illness, complete avoidance without exception is required. Thankfully we now have more resources than ever in stores and on the internet. Avoiding gluten is a major life change, but one that can save your life.

Dr. Steve Nenninger NMD
Naturopathic Medicine for Colitis
Port Jefferson, Manhattan, Phoenix
109 Randall Avenue ~ Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Phone (631) 235-2111 ~ Fax (631) 551-0204
Email: SteveNenninger@gmail.com
www.SteveNenninger.com

December Dinner in NYC
Sunday, December 13th at 5:30 pm

The NYANP board would like to invite you to a holiday dinner in NYC. We really hope you are able to come!

Location: Chelsea Market, Buddakan
75 9th Avenue (Between 15th and 16th Streets), New York, NY 10011
www.buddakannyc.com

Please RSVP to Doni and Jackie at assistant@nyanp.org.

NYANP Sponsored By:
Thorne
American BioSciences, Inc