Its a Bouncing Baby Stone...

Yesterday I got a call from my mother. She informed me that my Father was passing two kidney stones!  OUCH!

If you have ever passed a kidney stone, you know how painful it can be.  The medical doctors told my father that if he was unable to pass the stones, that they might have to fly him from Pinetop AZ to Phoenix for treatment.  Fortunately, Dad was able to pass the stones in the night, but not without quite a bit of pain and a little blood loss.

Although I can't do anything about the stones that my dad passed last night, there are some things that I can advise him of that might help him in the future. They could help you as well.


According to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN), the very diet recommendations that have been found to reduce high blood pressure has also been show to reduce the tendency to develop kidney stones.

The diet is called the DASH diet, and it stresses the importance of increasing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts in the diet. It further recommends reducing sugars, sweets, and red or processed meats.

Imagine that... a healthy diet is a healthy diet... what a technological breakthrough.  I wonder what else a healthy diet helps with...

Anyway, excuse my sarcasm.

If you tend to suffer from kidney stones or know someone who does, pass this information along.  Most who have experienced the excruciating pain of passing a stone will agree that if changing their diet can prevent only one stone, it is well worth it.

Keith Biggs, DC
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic.blogspot.com
therapeuticfoods.blogspot.com

Vitamin B for Brain

Vitamin B has been show to slow the shrinking of the brain that occurs in aging. Certain B vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, are known to control levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimers.

In a study of nearly 170 volunteers at Oxford University, researchers used MRI scans to measure the rate of brain shrinkage over a two-year period. They found that on average, the brains of those taking a tablet that combined folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 shrank at a rate of 0.76 percent a year, while those in the placebo group had a mean brain shrinkage rate of 1.08 percent.  Those subjects in the study with high homocysteine blood levels benefited the most, with a nearly 50% decrease in brain shrinking rate when compared to subjects in the study group that were taking placebos.

According to an article on the CNN website, the researchers said that "The two-year clinical trial is the largest to study the effect of vitamin B on MCI and one of the first disease-modifying trials in the Alzheimer's field to show positive results."
The researchers made it clear that this was a limited study and that more research is needed.

William Thies, chief medical officer of the Alzheimer's Association, expressed his concern as well saying that "No recommendations can or should be made to doctors or the public regarding use of B vitamins based on this study. No clinical or personal habits should be changed as a result of this article." (Translation: heaven forbid that we find something as benign as vitamins helping with this horrible disease. How can we make money selling Vitamin B? We need a drug!)

I find the position of William Thies perplexing. Tell me, what can it hurt to try an increased dosage of the B Vitamins?  We are talking about an illness for which there is no medical answer, so if taking an increased amount of Vitamin B fails to make a difference, then what is lost? What is gained... increase health in general?

As for me, I believe that we should increase our vitamin consumption across the board, and that includes an increased dose of the B Vitamins.  It might not slow down brain matter loss, senile dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, but then again, it just might.  Either way, the B vitamins are necessary for healthy physiology.  Perhaps What Dr. Thies wants is for our at risk adult population to just sit and wait for the next "miracle" drug with all of its unknown side effects. After all, a cure is just around the corner, right?  Brilliant.

Keith Biggs, DC
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic@gmail.com

Stop Smoking and Eat Your Vegetables

Smoking causes lung cancer. Period. This is a certain and verifiable statement. The best way to avoid or reduce your risk of developing the deadly disease of lung cancer is to quite smoking.

But there is more...

A recent study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, states that eating vegetables and fruits reduce the risk of contracting lung cancer.

The interesting thing about the study is that the researchers determined that the quantity of the vegetables was not as important as the variety of the vegetables.

Keith Biggs, DC
www.eastmesachiropractor.com

Water Water Everywhere!

Do you want to loose weight? Drink water. Simple, yes, but effective. 

A recent study compared two groups of people that were placed on a natural, whole food diet. One group was then also told to drink two cups of water before each meal. No other restrictions were given.

The results, in retrospect, were quite predictable. The group that drank water BEFORE each meal lost more weight than those that did not drink water.

So, if you are interested in trying to drop a few extra pounds, start your meals out with water. Oh, by the way, did I mention that your body needs water?  This is a diet tip truly without any adverse side effects.

Keith Biggs, DC
3617 E. Southern, Suite 8
Mesa, AZ  85206
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
www.biggschiropractic.blogspot.com

Paleo-Mediterranean Diet

OK... so think about this. Early man and his diet.  We were hunters, gatherers, and then, finally, farmers. If you take these thought into consideration every time that you go to the store, open the fridge, or go the the food pantry, you are likely to make better food choices.

The paleo-mediterranean diet simply means that the diet consists of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, fish, and smaller amounts of whole grains. The mediterranean diet also includes SMALL amounts of cultured dairy products. It stresses the eating of very little simple carbohydrates, those commonly found in sugar, pastas, breads, cakes, candy, and soda.

In western societies, the rate of hypertension in the population is roughly one in four. High blood pressure, however, is virtually non-existent in societies that follow a hunter-gatherer type of diet.

If you wish to live longer with less of a risk of high blood pressure and all the diseases that it brings, it is time to take a close look at your diet.

Keith Biggs, DC
Biggs Chiropractic & Acupuncture
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic@gmail.com
480-985-3334

Vitamin D Therapy

I have an elderly patient that recently told me that her medical doctor determined that she was Vitamin D deficient through a routine blood chemistry test. To treat the deficiency, she was given a prescription for 50,000 IU Vitamin D, to be taken once weekly for about 4 weeks.

Vitamin D is a hot topic these past several days. It is essential for proper bone health, muscle function, brain function, immune function, and many other physiological actions within the body. Kudos to the MD for making the diagnosis.

The problem is, what will this patient do when she is done taking the 50,000 IU of Vitamin D?

I hope that the patient was instructed in proper nutrition so as to prevent a blood deficiency of Vitamin D again, though I doubt it.

Historically, the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D is 400 IU. The RDA is the MINIMAL daily dosage. Anything below that level causes significant disease, the most common is known as Rickets in children, and Osteoporosis in adults.  It was also thought in the past that daily intakes of vitamin D above 2000 IU was toxic and detrimental to the body.

The good news is that these archeic thoughts regarding dosages are showings signs of weakening. Dr. Vasquez, DC, ND, DO, for example recommends doses of 2,000-10,000 IU for chronic musculoskeletal pain patients.
Some studies show that by taking an additional 1,000 IU per day, a person can reduce their risks of colon cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Vitamin D is produced in the body when it is exposed to sunlight. It is also present in many of the foods we eat, including fish, fish oils, grains, and eggs.

Back to my chiropractic patient. Instead of massive temporary doses of vitamin D, she should be placed on a daily supplementation of 2,000-5,000 IU, with a follow-up blood test in a couple of months. The goal is better health for the long term, and not an immediate spike of blood vitamin D levels for the short term. The long term benefits for this patient could be incredible, and unlike taking medications, vitamin therapy causes no detrimental long term affects.

Keith Biggs, DC
3617 E. Southern, Suite 8
Mesa, AZ  85206
480-985-3334
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic@gmail.com