When a hormone cream is administered through the skin, not only does some of it go straight into the bloodstream, but the hormone also builds up in the sub-cutaneous (under the skin) fat. With consistent, prolonged application, the level of that hormone becomes elevated past normal physiological levels. And this can easily be seen on saliva testing of someone using a cream. When this happens, down-regulation of that hormone’s receptors is the result. Essentially, down-regulation means that there is a decrease in the number and sensitivity of the target cell’s receptors for that hormone. This prevents the hormone from working on the cells and producing the desired outcome that was originally intended. Down-regulation can be seen as a defense mechanism to prevent over-stimulation, but unfortunately it can lead to symptoms of deficiency because the hormone’s message(s) aren’t received.

Down-regulation of receptors isn’t the only complication. When the hormone builds in the subcutaneous fat, it can get released at random intervals and in random amounts unrelated to when or how much of the cream is applied. This is certainly a problem when the intention is to provide a specific dose during specific times of the day or month. Also, liver function becomes hampered because it now has the burden of having to metabolize and detoxify the excessive amount of that hormone. And when dealing with progesterone specifically, other hormones can become imbalanced as well. Progesterone is a precursor (meaning it eventually can get converted into another hormone) to many other hormones. These include the likes of estrogen, testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA, aldosterone, and cortisol. An artificial rise in any of these hormones due to the conversion of excess progesterone results in its own complications.

So now what? What are the best alternatives? Personally, I prefer sublingual liquids. These are absorbed through the mucosa of the mouth and go straight into the bloodstream avoiding immediate metabolism by the GI tract and liver. Additionally, people have success with creams or gels that are only applied through the vaginal or rectal mucous membranes, not the skin.

If you, or someone you know has been or is currently taking progesterone cream transdermally, (or other hormones transdermally), you should encourage them to have their levels checked via saliva to see how it’s affecting them. Chances are, their levels will be “off the charts”.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

There is certainly a difference between hypo- and hyperglycemia. But regardless of which end of the spectrum a person lies, surges of insulin can accompany both. Insulin is the hormone that helps transport sugar (or glucose) out of the bloodstream and into the cells of the body. Because of insulin’s action, it is generally more elevated in those with chronically high blood sugar, but can also surge if a person is hypoglycemic and experiences wide fluctuations in blood sugar.

The complications regarding insulin and the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone can be seen very straightforward. As you know, both males and females have estrogen and testosterone although women have higher levels of the former, whereas men have high higher levels of the latter. It’s important for this hormonal balance to be maintained for a number of reasons beyond the scope of this article.

Essentially, when females experience elevated insulin levels, there is an enzyme known as 17,20 lyase that gets up-regulated and then converts (some of) their estrogen into testosterone. In males, elevated insulin levels will increase the enzyme aromatase which will cause (some of) their testosterone to be converted into estrogen. This scenario may not sound terrible, but it’s important to realize that it’s a serious problem. Estrogen and testosterone are in certain amounts in males and females for a reason. And there’s even evidence that shows the two hormones can actually work differently males and females.  Estrogen (when balanced properly) is protective and beneficial for women, as testosterone is for men. However, an excessive of testosterone in women and an excess of estrogen in men is harmful. Again, the mechanisms are beyond the scope of this article although I will share some of the signs and symptomatology when this occurs.

When women have an excess of testosterone they can experience the following: acne; hair growth on the face, chest or back; male-pattern hair loss; aggressiveness; a deepening of the voice; loss of breast tissue; menstrual irregularities; infertility; hypothyroidism and more.

Men with an excess of estrogen can experience the following: gynecomastia (or the growth of breasts); infertility; erectile dysfunction; increased risk of heart disease and stroke; increased risk of prostate cancer; low libido; loss of muscle tone; excess belly fat; depression and more.

This type of situation can sometimes be seen in lab work, with low estrogen and high testosterone in females and the opposite in males. And all too often the doctor (and/or patient) goes straight for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to “correct” the situation. Unfortunately, this may help raise the lowered hormone levels, but it doesn’t address the underlying problem and the complications that accompany the elevated hormone levels. The scenario I’ve outlined here needs to be dealt with via regulating blood sugar levels. This can be done through diet, exercise, stress management, and supplements in mild to moderate cases of blood sugar imbalance.

Please keep in mind that even though you may not be experiencing these signs or symptoms outright, it’s still possible that this phenomenon is occurring and causing health problems that you are unaware of.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

As mentioned in previous parts of this series, an elimination diet is extremely important to determine which foods you are sensitive to that may be driving your stress hormones out of balance and contributing to blood sugar imbalances while also adversely affecting your detoxification abilities. However, some people need to go beyond an elimination diet in order to achieve optimal results. Very often an underlying infection (bacterial, viral, protozoal, and/or fungal) in the GI tract will lead to the same metabolic dysfunction that food sensitivities will lead to. That is, they can drive inflammation, affecting the adrenal glands and blood sugar negatively. And keep in mind, patients won’t always have overt GI symptoms even when a GI infection is present and causing them harm. Although, if you did have symptoms, and then embarked on the elimination diet and still have symptoms, chances are that you have an underlying infection that needs to be addressed.

In addition to a GI infection contributing to overall inflammation along with adrenal and blood sugar stress, an imbalance in the GI tract’s bacterial balance will affect thyroid hormone function. This is because about 20% of your thyroid hormone gets activated in the GI tract, and it relies on healthy gut flora in order to do that. Obviously the thyroid is a huge player when it comes to weight loss and detox because the thyroid determines the metabolic rate of every cell in the body. When the metabolic rate slows, we will either gain weight, or at least not lose weight. And if the metabolic rate of the cells in the liver and other detox organs slow, toxin elimination will be certainly be compromised. In addition to (~20% of) thyroid hormone activation being dependent on healthy gut flora, hormone detoxification and elimination is also dependent on healthy gut flora. And if there is an accumulation of estrogen from this mechanism, thyroid function will again be compromised. Thyroid dysfunction is a major contributor to the inability to lose weight. I covered a few reasons for thyroid imbalance above, but there are many more that are beyond the scope of this series.

This concludes the series on weight loss and detox. Obviously there are many reasons that a person may be unable to lose weight or detox efficiently, but this certainly covers the basics of what I see with patients. It’s always good to start with the basics, and if that doesn’t work, look a little deeper. Good luck in your journey!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

If you’ve just completed the elimination diet and immediately realize that you lost 5-10lbs already, inflammation is one of your biggest problems. Inflammation is probably the most destructive process that occurs in the body, and is essentially everyone’s problem regarding any health challenge. And even though inflammation serves a very important purpose, when it’s constant, it can (and will) wreak havoc on every system in the body. When there’s inflammation in the digestive tract from constant consumption of food sensitivities, it will usually cause systemic inflammation. So what’s the problem with inflammation you ask? As mentioned earlier in this series, inflammation will contribute to blood sugar imbalances by interfering with cortisol (causing it to spike). This will result in insulin spikes as well. After this takes place over a period time from stress and poor eating habits, inflammation and the resultant spikes in insulin will interfere with the way insulin works at the cellular level. [By the way, imbalances in blood sugar will also lead to inflammation - so it works both ways.]

Cortisol is a hormone that helps break down stores of glycogen (stored starch) in order to raise blood sugar during times of physical and mental/emotional stress; and insulin is a hormone that deals with glucose (or sugar) transport and storage. Essentially, the constant insulin spikes and inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines that result from blood sugar imbalances will help promote insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition which prevents cells from taking up glucose from the blood, because the cells no longer respond to insulin’s message. And when this happens, the body converts the excess glucose (which the cells can’t take up) to fatty acids, that are then stored as fat.

In addition to contributing to insulin resistance, inflammation and blood sugar imbalances (along with the insulin and cortisol spikes) will eventually lead to leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone whose purpose is to let the brain know that you are full or satiated. When you become resistant to this hormone (again, meaning that cells do not respond to the hormone’s message sufficiently), you’ll wind up overeating. This can obviously lead to weight gain.

So how do we reverse insulin resistance and cortisol spikes? Again, the answer is in your diet (and certainly avoiding mental/emotional stress). You need to avoid the foods you are sensitive to and maintain even-keeled blood sugar by avoiding sugar and limiting starches. And now what about leptin resistance? In order to help reverse this, you need to eat small meals throughout the day and eat slowly so that you can realize that you’ve eaten enough and then simply stop. It may take some time, but the rewards will eventually pay off.

Good luck and check back for more information on weight loss and detox.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

One concept to keep in mind about any detox or diet is that time is definitely a factor. You can’t expect to detox years of indiscretions or shed years of excess pounds in one week. I mention the concept of time because the same goes for an elimination diet. To achieve the full benefits of this type of program, you’ll need to invest at least two weeks of your time and effort. Now remember, that’s only for the elimination diet. You’ll certainly need to invest more time after the initial two weeks if you’re looking to lose weight (and keep it off) and you’d be wise to continue eating well if detox is your goal also. I discussed the importance of eliminating foods you are sensitive to in part 2 of this series. Here, I’ll discuss one way to go about incorporating an elimination diet to get you started on your path.

Before I begin with the exact plan, it’s important to note that it would be wise to obtain a hypoallergenic (rice or pea based) protein powder/supplement before embarking on this diet plan. The reason for this is because at some point, you’ll be avoiding the main protein-containing foods (e.g. animal foods). In order to keep your protein intake up and your blood sugar stable, you’ll need a protein supplement during this phase. Also, you can use one that is designed for detox if you choose.

Alright, here’s the plan:

Foods to avoid:
• anything you know you’re allergic to (of course)
• all dairy (including butter), margarine and shortening
• eggs
• all gluten (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats, and kamut)
• corn
• soy and texturized vegetable protein
• nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers)
• alcohol and caffeine
• peanuts – also considering avoiding other types of nuts or seeds if you consume them on a regular basis
• beef that is not grass-fed, pork products, hot dogs, canned meat, sausage, and “fake” meats (usu. made from soy or gluten)

Foods to eat:
• at least 10 glasses of clean water (i.e.: not tap or poorly filtered water)
• vegetable juices (not fruit juices) and herbal teas are acceptable, but should not replace pure water
• hypoallergenic grains like rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat (without added wheat), or tapioca are acceptable – be careful of eating too many carbohydrates however
• all vegetables (except nightshades), low-sugar fruits, and beans – again being careful of consuming too many carbs
• fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb (organic, free-range, clean animal foods are best)
• olive and/or coconut oil

For days 1 and 2 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast
For days 3 and 4 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast and dinner
During these four days, follow the guidelines for foods to eat and avoid as outlined above.

For days 5 through 10 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast, lunch, and dinner AND in addition to avoiding the foods from the “Foods to avoid” list, also avoid eating any animal products (including fish, chicken, turkey and lamb).

For days 11 and 12 – take two servings of protein powder before breakfast and dinner AND you can (and should) now eat the allowable animal products (fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb).

For days 13 and 14 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast and follow the food lists.

After day 14, introduce one food that you’ve avoided for the last two weeks. It is of extreme importance that you only introduce one food from the list of suspected sensitivities every 3 days. If you add more than one food within 72 hours, you won’t be able to discern which food is suspect if you have any symptoms. So from now on, you can introduce one new food to your diet every three days and look for any symptoms that may point to you being sensitive to that food. Any symptoms can occur, with the most common being those mentioned in part 2: fatigue, joint pain, digestive disturbances (of any kind), sinus and lung congestion, skin rashes (including acne and eczema), canker sores, headaches, anxiousness, irritability and moodiness. Don’t limit your symptoms to this list only, any symptom can arise from a food intolerance. Also, don’t assume that you’ll get a digestive symptom. Not all food sensitivities will cause digestive symptoms.

Once you find the foods that you are sensitive to, you need to avoid them completely! If you find wheat is a problem, you cannot simply have a small bite of a cracker and assume that such a small amount won’t have an effect. It will set off a cascade of inflammatory immune biochemicals that will affect your entire system and thwart all the excellent efforts you put in. You won’t necessarily have to avoid that food for life. It’s quite possible that after you heal your system and get your body functioning optimally again, you’ll be able to reintroduce that food without any detrimental consequences.

I’ll discuss how to heal your system in future articles.

Good luck!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

Source: one of my mentor’s protocols, Dr. Datis Kharrazian

In my practice, sticking to the basics is all that is needed most (about 80%) of the time. When it comes to food sensitivities, the basics include avoiding wheat (really all gluten), corn, dairy, egg, soy, and yeast as they are the most common culprits. Of course, a person can be intolerant of any food, and often it’s a food that is consumed often. Another fairly common sensitivity would be tree nuts. A simple way to determine what foods you may be sensitive to is to go on an elimination diet, or simply avoid a particular food and then reintroduce it. The problem with avoiding only one food however, is that you may be having a similar reaction/symptom to a different food that you are still eating. Therefore, you may not notice any relief of symptom(s) and falsely conclude that there is no problem with the food you avoided. So again, a complete elimination diet is recommended. Symptoms that may arise from eating foods you are sensitive to include but are not limited to: fatigue, joint pain, digestive disturbances (of any kind), sinus and lung congestion, skin rashes (including acne and eczema), headaches, anxiousness, irritability and moodiness.

So what’s the connection between food sensitivities and weight gain and/or detox? The problem lies in the immune system. When the immune system gets called into action, as it does after eating “problem” foods, inflammatory chemicals are produced which can interfere with insulin metabolism. This can cause blood sugar to be elevated and signal the body to store more fat as opposed to break it down. Secondly, there is research that has showed people crave the foods they are sensitive to and therefore wind up overeating. So essentially, these foods can cause a biologically-based (as opposed to only psychologically-based) addictive response and cause a person to overeat. Obviously overeating will result in weight gain for most people.

As far as detoxification, eliminating food sensitivities will give your liver a break from having to clear out the inflammatory mediators produced after ingesting those foods. This will allow the liver more of a chance to deal with the burden of toxins it already has. Also, it will spare nutrients that are necessary to detox those mediators (and other toxins), in addition to nutrients needed to detox any stress hormones that will also be produced from consuming foods you are sensitive to.

I hope you now have more of an understanding and appreciation for avoiding certain foods. It may not be easy or fun to avoid those foods, but it should pay off in the end when you drop a few sizes!

In the next article, I’ll outline how to go about following an elimination diet.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

As mentioned, the most important factor in attaining your health goal of weight loss or detox is what you are eating. [I don’t mean to mitigate the emotional component of weight loss (if in fact there is one for you).]

When it comes to eating, it’s more important to eliminate the “bad” foods rather than simply include “good” foods. On the list of foods that need to be eliminated, sugar is by far number one. This doesn’t simply mean table sugar that is added to food or drinks, it means all sugar-containing foods such as: pies, cakes, cookies, candy, soda, doughnuts, ice cream, brownies, etc.. Additionally, the so-called healthy alternatives of these foods that don’t use refined white sugar as a sweetener are also on the list of foods to avoid. I’m referring to ice cream flavored with agave nectar, or cookies sweetened with white grape juice concentrate, and anything in between. About the only thing you may be able to “get away with” that’s concentrated and sweet is a small amount of raw, unfiltered honey in tea, or a smoothie. It’s best to avoid sweeteners like brown rice syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup, date sugar, and all other alternatives to white sugar. Stevia is sometimes acceptable, but not for everyone, as I’ve found it can negatively affect pancreatic function. However, if you must, it seems the best alternative.

Second on the list of foods to avoid for weight loss and detoxification is all forms of starch. This includes bread (even whole- and multi-grain), pasta (even whole-grain), rice (even brown rice), and potatoes. In fact, if you really want to lose weight, you should consider avoiding all grains. This would include foods like oatmeal, quinoa, corn (a grain, not a vegetable), etc.. It may seem way too restrictive and low-carb for many people, but it’s what I see work. I’ll write more articles in the future on the mechanism(s) of why restricting sugar, starch and high carbohydrate foods can help with weight loss, and why detox can help weight loss, but for now I just want to get the basics out regarding diet.

An exception to the “extreme” restriction in starch (not sugar, as sugar should be avoided by everyone) is an individual who wants to detox, but is not looking to, or can’t “afford” to lose weight. Generally, grains like brown rice and starchy vegetables can be OK in a situation like this.

After sugar and starch, if you’re attempting to lose weight you’ll need to cut out all alcohol. Alcohol is one of the simplest forms of sugar and can certainly thwart any efforts on shedding pounds, even if you’ve already cut out sugar and starch. A glass of wine a night may seem harmless, and even healthy, but in reality it will affect metabolism in a way that may keep you from your weight loss goals. And alcohol is obviously a “no-no” for anyone on a detox.

Lastly, it’s best to limit or completely eliminate fruit from the diet. Even though fruit is natural, the sugar in it can negatively affect blood sugar levels and lead to hormonal shifts that can prevent weight loss. Typically, fruit only needs to be avoided during the first one to three months of a weight loss regimen, and the ability to tolerate it can be assessed thereafter.

One key reason people seeking to lose weight and detox need to avoid sugar and starch is because of its effect on blood sugar levels/fluctuations and the resultant hormonal shifts that take place. Again, this is a topic for another article. But I need to make another point regarding blood sugar fluctuations and eating. It’s not simply what you eat that will affect your blood sugar, but “how” you eat.

There are basically two issues when it comes to blood sugar imbalances. A person is generally more hypoglycemic (tending toward low blood sugar) or hyperglycemic (tending toward high blood sugar). Very often however a person simply shifts between the two extremes of high and low blood sugar. Regardless of where on the spectrum you lie, your eating schedule should basically be the same. Also, because people often shift from high to low blood sugar throughout the day, it can’t always be picked up on a blood test.

As far as “how” to eat, it is imperative to eat (protein-containing foods) within one hour of waking in the morning. And it’s imperative to eat something every few hours to avoid a significant drop in blood sugar. This usually means that people need to snack on something every 2-3 hours. Several signs that your blood sugar is too low and that you need to eat (or really that you should have eaten already to avoid these symptoms) are: feeling irritable or light-headed between meals; eating relieves fatigue; craving sweets; dependence on stimulants like caffeine to function “well”; and/or get shaky, jittery, or nervous between meals. Several signs that your blood sugar is generally too high and that you tend toward insulin resistance are: craving sweets throughout the day; craving sweets after eating; eating sweets doesn’t satisfy your “sweet tooth”; feeling tired after eating; increased thirst and appetite; fat deposits around the mid-section or “belly fat”; and difficulty losing weight.

Sometimes it’s OK if you choose to exercise within an hour of waking up, instead of eating first. If that seems to work and you don’t have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you should be fine. However, you should eat (protein-containing foods) within at least 15-20 minutes after your morning workout.

Keep in mind that there are many reasons that a person may have trouble losing weight and diet alone might not give you the results you are looking for. Other areas of consideration include thyroid, adrenal, digestive, brain, pancreatic health, etc.. Specific measures for correcting imbalances in any impaired organs/glands/systems is usually also necessary to achieve weight loss and detox goals. But you must start with what you are eating (and not eating) and how and when you eat, or your efforts will most likely be fruitless.

Start with the dietary recommendations mentioned above and you should be well on your way to achieving your goal of weight loss and/or detox.

Also, please see my article my article titled “Daily protein requirements” for more specific information on the importance of eating protein.

Check back for more on weight loss and detox!

Happy New Year!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

It’s fairly simple for a doctor to evaluate for diaphragm dysfunction. The simplest method is for the doctor to place his/her hands on the back of the lower ribcage with the thumbs in the center, next to the spine. The other four fingers should lay on either side of the ribcage. Now, the patient is asked to take a deep breath while the doctor notes for symmetry in the movement of his/her hands. When there is significant dysfunction of the diaphragm, one hand will move away from the spine more than the other. Again, this is the simplest method.

Other clues that may point to diaphragm imbalances are when the patient walks with one foot flared out more than the other during gait or on static postural analysis (indicating possible psoas muscle dysfunction); and/or when the patient walks or stands with the upper body leaning more toward one side (indicating possible QL muscle imbalance). Additionally, the patient may sigh frequently, have difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breath.

OK, now that we know the signs and symptoms, I’ll discuss the possible areas that may need treating.

In order to be truly holistic (at least in a structural sense), the doctor needs to evaluate the entire body. He/she should begin with a basic gait and postural analysis. The imbalances above should be noted in addition to overpronation of either foot. When the foot overpronates (“flattens” too much) it can cause dysfunction in the psoas muscle which can have repercussions on the diaphragm due to its attachments. For more information on overpronation of the feet, click here. Additionally, the psoas and QL should be tested for inherent dysfunction and corrected accordingly.

As mentioned above, the diaphragm attaches to the ribcage, so any dysfunction of rib movement needs to be addressed, usually through chiropractic adjusting. The nerve that supplies the diaphragm (named the phrenic) arises from the third, fourth and fifth cervical (neck) nerves, so any dysfunction of those vertebrae should be corrected – again, usually through chiropractic adjusting. It would also be wise to look at the function of the first three lumbar vertebrae as the diaphragm attaches to those as well. Also from a spinal perspective, the junction of the thoracic and lumbar spine should also be evaluated. The bottom thoracic (12th) and top lumbar (1st) vertebrae need to be assessed, because that’s often the area where movement becomes restricted affecting diaphragm. This area is especially critical in low back pain, because if there is a lack of movement at those segments, the low back will have to compensate and move excessively which can lead to degeneration, instability and lumbar disc herniation. Lastly, the pelvis should always be evaluated because it acts as the base or foundation of the spine. And if the foundation is “cracked”, it’s very difficult for the “floors” above to be stable.

One more thing – sometimes the diaphragm needs to be addressed directly. Recall, it is a skeletal muscle just like any other and can be manipulated through various methods, manually or with the use of a massage-like instrument.

If you’ve been suffering from low back pain without an apparent cause and without relief after trying different methods, consider the diaphragm as the possible culprit – and if it is, AK may be able to help.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

The symptoms related to estrogen dominance are vast and can vary among individuals. Some symptoms include (but are not limited to): breast tenderness, low libido, depression, mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, fibrocystic breasts, headaches, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, insomnia, hot flashes, uterine pain (possibly fibroids), digestive disturbances, bloating and water retention, cancer, etc.. Because there can be so many systems affected (e.g.: adrenal, thyroid, digestive, etc.) there can be even more symptoms.

In this article I’m going to explain two ways intestinal dysbiosis (or gastrointestinal microbial imbalances) can contribute to estrogen dominance.

Estrogen is ultimately detoxified in the liver through the phase II detox pathway called glucuronidation. During this process, estrogen molecules are bound to glucuronic acid. This process enables the estrogen to be inactivated and thus not cause an impact on physiology. After this process occurs in the liver, the newly formed complex is transported to the GI tract via bile (the route for many toxins to be disposed of). In an ideal world/body, the complex gets flushed down the toilet per se. However, when intestinal microbial imbalances exist (e.g.: an overgrowth or infestation of harmful bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and/or fungus), an increase in the activity of the enzyme beta-glucuronidase can occur. This enzyme is known to uncouple, or disconnect estrogen from glucuronic acid. The result is that estrogen can now be reabsorbed back into circulation and increase the total estrogen load of the body; and contribute to (or cause) estrogen dominance.

Another reason intestinal imbalances can contribute to estrogen dominance is in the way estrogen gets metabolized. The first phase of estrogen detoxification by the liver is known as hydroxylation. During this process, an “-OH” group is added to one of the carbon atoms on estrogen. When it’s added to the “2-carbon”, the end-product is known as 2-OH (or 2-hydroxy) estrogen. If the -OH group is added to the “4-carbon”, 4-OH estrogen is yielded, and when added to the “16-carbon”, 16-OH estrogen follows.

2-OH estrogen has a weak estrogenic effect. Meaning, 2-OH estrogen won’t contribute much to the harmful, proliferative [or harmful tissue-growing (as in cancer growth) effects] of estrogen. On the other hand, 4-OH and 16-OH estrogen will in fact contribute to the deleterious effects of estrogen. Intestinal microbial imbalances favor the production of (mostly) 16-OH estrogen and 4-OH estrogen, and away from the benign 2-OH estrogen. As a result, the classic symptoms and diseases of excess estrogens can occur.

Take home message: a healthy GI tract is much more important than simply avoiding GI symptoms. Additionally, simply treating symptoms of estrogen dominance and hormone imbalances with bio-identical hormones may not be the way to go!

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

This set of blood markers is often the most scrutinized because of all the hype around cholesterol and fats these days. Most Americans appear to be pressured and confronted with having to be concerned with matters of heart disease and whether or not to take medication to lower cholesterol. This is obviously a concern, however cholesterol levels alone don’t show a big enough picture to determine a person’s cardiovascular (or general) health and/or risks. Regardless, here are the markers:

Total Cholesterol
This is self-explanatory and includes LDL, HDL, and vLDL.

HDL Cholesterol
Also known as “good” cholesterol because of its function in transporting cholesterol away from the tissues (especially arteries) to the liver

Non-HDL Cholesterol
Again, self-explanatory – made up of the sum of LDL and vLDL cholesterol

LDL Calculated
Also known as “bad” cholesterol because of its ability to help deposit cholesterol in arteries and other tissues

Triglycerides
These are fats in the blood that can come from diet or triglyceride production by the liver. And if more calories are consumed than can be used by the cells immediately – the body will convert the excess into triglycerides to be stored. Typically triglycerides are in excess because of too much sugar, caffeine, or alcohol; essentially with blood sugar imbalances.

For more in-depth information of cholesterol, see my article titled: “Understanding Cholesterol“.

Over the years, the ability to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been improved. One good type of testing includes testing the particle size of both LDL and HDL cholesterol. Essentially, it’s better to have LDL cholesterol particles that are large (or “Pattern A”). When the particles are large, it implies less surface area for that cholesterol to be oxidized (which is when cholesterol really becomes problematic and contributes to CVD). When the particles of LDL are small (or “Pattern B”), there is more surface area that can be oxidized, thus compounding the problem.

The exact opposite is true of HDL. HDL is best when the particle size is small.

In conclusion, it should be noted that most of the time when I see cholesterol and triglycerides elevated, it is due to insulin resistance or other issues with blood sugar management. This is basically the result of imbalances in other systems typically due to diet and stress hormone levels. Another possibility is low thyroid function. This will decrease metabolism in every cell of the body, and slow the metabolism of cholesterol leading to a higher level. Lastly, microbial imbalances in the intestinal tract can contribute to high cholesterol due to bile salt analogue production (a topic for another article).

High cholesterol is not usually the most pertinent issue I see in my practice. That just has to do with the patients that walk through the door. And when I do see (functional) high cholesterol on a patient, I don’t simply give natural cholesterol “blockers” like red rice yeast. I see high cholesterol as a symptom, not a primary disease process. Keep in mind that some people do truly have genetically-based high cholesterol, but I don’t find that to be the norm. If genetically-high cholesterol is something that is suspected (because of extremely high levels or levels that are non-responsive to care), a lipid electrophoresis can be run to determine if in fact a genetic lipid disorder exists known as hyperlipoproteinemia.

There are even more cholesterol markers that can be run nowadays, for example oxidized cholesterol and apolipoprotein studies. Again, I don’t often see this, but will deal with it when necessary. I often see more issues with low cholesterol in my practice. Yes, a person can have too little an amount of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a necessary ingredient in every cell in the body.

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology