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If you ask men about their top 5 health fears, high cholesterol and prostate cancer will probably be on that list.
These 2 health issues shouldn’t be a worry for most men.
High cholesterol does not cause disease – although it can indicate underlying health problems.
Forcing cholesterol levels down with statin treatments doesn't improve outcomes because cholesterol isn’t the problem.
Statin treatments can also have very troublesome side effects.
And in the case of prostate cancer, it’s massively overdiagnosed and massively over treated.
But there are some rare cases of “high-grade” prostate cancer which can be worrying.
A number of studies have shown that taking statins increases the risk of being diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancers.
The human research was carried out at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings are published in the European Journal of Cancer. (PMID: 25727881)
A number of different treatments have been proposed to alter prostate cancer risk.
This study was designed to analyze some large datasets to see if the researchers could find any relationship.
The researchers used data from Swedish public health records.
In the dataset, over 185,000 Swedish men had presented for a PSA test.
The PSA is a blood test which looks at a protein related to inflammation of the prostate.
Of these men, a further 18,500 men’s PSA test results identified them (probably incorrectly) as at risk of having prostate cancer…
…so they went for a prostate biopsy.
The PSA test identifies many men who are not at risk of having prostate cancer as targets for further investigation.
The prostate biopsy can cause infection of the area – leading to hospitalization and other serious repercussions.
The prostate biopsy samples were analyzed in a standardized way.
Researchers look at them under a microscope to see if there’s any changes in the growth of prostate cells which could indicate cancer.
These biopsies analysis are then rated on something called a Gleason scale.
The samples which look more cancerous receive a higher score.
Most diagnosed prostate cancers are extremely slow-growing.
Men with these diagnoses will almost certainly die of something else if the cancer is untreated.
But for some men, men with a high Gleason score, prostate cancer can sometimes be a problem.
The study found that some treatments like aspirin were associated with a slightly lower PSA score.
Statin treatments were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer diagnosis.
Low-grade prostate cancer is usually completely harmless…
But the diagnosis itself can lead to some very harmful and unnecessary treatments.
“Men using statins had a 16% increased risk of prostate cancer diagnosis.”
But most importantly, statin treatments are associated with a significantly higher risk of high-grade prostate cancer…
The rare, aggressive prostate cancer which can be a health risk in itself.
“Men using statins had a 25% increased risk of high grade prostate cancer.”
A significant increase in the risk of high-grade prostate cancer can be added to the list of problems caused by statin treatments.
Statins are used to force down blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol has been associated with cardiovascular and other diseases.
But cholesterol has never been shown to be a cause of these diseases.
Quite the opposite – cholesterol is usually a protective factor in the context of another health problem.
Low thyroid hormones and low-grade bacterial infection are common causes of high cholesterol.
These underlying health problems are the cause of cardiovascular disease and other health problems which are linked to cholesterol.
The increase in prostate cancer diagnosis and high-grade prostate cancer in statin users underlines the importance of properly assessing the causes for high cholesterol…
…rather than simply treating the symptom by beating down cholesterol levels with statins.
-Matt Cook
Matt Cook here, and hypothyroidism is a condition that is becoming increasingly prevalent, affecting millions of people worldwide.
The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism, among other vital functions.
I say the thyroid is the master organ of metabolism.
When the thyroid is sluggish, it can cause a slowed metabolism, leading to a range of health problems.
Most people though don’t even know what the thyroid is, let alone hypothyroidism…
That’s why I call it a “silent epidemic.”
It can go undiagnosed for years, with symptoms that can easily be mistaken for other conditions.
According to recent statistics, approximately 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease…
…with an estimated 60% of those with thyroid disease being unaware of their condition.
And let me tell you, these are mainstream healthcare numbers…
In reality it’s WAY MORE than that.
For years I have extensively studied the role of the thyroid in overall health.
I believe that hypothyroidism is a significant contributing factor to the rise in chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Unfortunately, a sluggish thyroid is also one of the leading reasons why men are experiencing so many sexual problems…
Problems like poor rockiness and low libido…
Your member won’t work if your thyroid is not working properly, that’s for sure.
Once I got my thyroid working again, I started to experience raging boners and an insatiable libido.
My wife is thankful for that…
Now… There are many ways to handle hypothyroidism and get your thyroid working again.
Today I’m gonna tell you about one of them.
This solution to a sluggish thyroid is called ginger.
Ginger is a spice that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties…
Thanks to a recent study, it has recently gained attention for its potential benefits in relieving hypothyroid symptoms.
This study was conducted at the Shiraz University of Medical Science. It was published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
The researchers recruited 60 hypothyroid patients aged 20 to 60 years.
The patients were randomly assigned to either a ginger group or a placebo group.
The ginger group received 500mg of ginger twice a day, while the placebo group received an empty capsule twice a day for 30 days.
Before and after the intervention, the researchers evaluated the patients' hypothyroid symptoms using the Thyroid Symptom Rating Questionnaire (ThySRQ).
They also measured the patient’s body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, serum TSH, fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels as secondary outcomes.
After 30 days, the researchers found that the ginger group had a significantly lower mean total ThySRQ score compared to the placebo group.
“A significantly lower mean total ThySRQ score was observed in the ginger group compared to the control group.”
This means better thyroid function.
The ginger group showed significant improvements in classic hypothyroid symptoms, such as:
Weight gain
Cold intolerance
Constipation
Dry skin
Appetite
Memory loss
Concentration disturbance
Feeling giddy or dizzy
That’s truly amazing.
But it’s not over yet – the improvements continue.
The ginger group had less:
Body weight
Waist circumference
Serum TSH
Fasting blood sugar
Triglycerides
Total cholesterol
“Ginger supplementation also led to a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, serum TSH, FBS, TG, and TChol levels compared to the placebo.“**
To me, all of this simply means one thing…
Their metabolism was working again — thanks to ginger.
“Also, it may have beneficial effects in terms of weight reduction and regulation of the FBS and lipid profile in hypothyroid patients.”
And it was almost as effective as Rx treatments – while being a completely natural spice.
“In summary, according to preliminary results of this study, ginger supplementation can help relieve persistent hypothyroid symptoms.“
It’s also anti-inflammatory and helps with digestion, which is always welcome.
If you have such symptoms, I strongly recommend eating more ginger – fresh and dried.
Today I'm going to tell you about a strange substance that was allegedly the source of Alexander the Great's power…
It’s even claimed that the army of the famous commander Genghis Khan regularly consumed this substance.
This substance is called shilajit.
Shilajit is a tar-like substance that is found in the Himalayan Mountains.
It is rich in minerals, and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat various health conditions.
It contains an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance, fulvic acid, in high amounts.
Researchers looked into how shilajit was used in ancient times, and their findings prompted them to experiment.
Therefore, in recent years, shilajit has gained popularity as a natural supplement to support men's health.
Many men say they have seen great effects from shilajit, such as
Increased testosterone
Increased energy
Improved skin health
Higher self-confidence
Liver cleansing
With this natural substance becoming so popular again, researchers couldn't help but pursue it.
That's why many studies have been and continue to be conducted on shilajit.
Here is one of them:
This study was conducted at the Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran. It was published in Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation.
The liver may be the most important organ for a man, but also the most damaged.
Because modern life is very taxing on the liver.
It is a vital organ that plays a crucial role in many important bodily functions.
It metabolizes nutrients, detoxifies harmful substances, and produces bile to aid digestion.
It is also an essential part of the immune system, as it helps to fight off infections and other diseases.
See, I wasn't exaggerating when I said it might be the most important organ.
So maintaining liver health is essential.
However, as I said, it’s not easy as it sounds so people develop liver diseases.
The most common one is fat accumulation in the liver, called NAFLD (Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease).
In this study, the researchers tested the effects of shilajit on this disease.
And this is how they did it:
They took a group of mice with NAFLD and gave them shilajit.
At the end of 12 weeks, they looked at the results.
At the end of this period, they observed significant decreases in liver enzymes, triglyceride, cholesterol, and liver weight of the mice in the shilajit group.
“Shilajit treatment significantly reduced the values of AST and ALT, TG, TC, LDL, glucose, liver weight, and steatosis, and instead, increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) compared with the vehicle group.”
Moreover, they found that shilajit reduced physical damage caused by this disease.
“Shilajit treatment improved the adverse effects of HFD-induced histopathological changes in the liver as compared with the vehicle group.”
And finally, they found that shilajit was an excellent antioxidant.
“Shilajit restored the antioxidant/oxidant balance toward a significant increase in the antioxidant system in the Shilajit group.”
Shilajit is a mysterious substance waiting to be explored.
This study showed that shilajit could be very helpful in treating fatty liver disease.
Shilajit is on my very close radar.
I think it could be a hugely beneficial supplement for men.
In my opinion it’s best to start with 200mg and go from there.
When buying shilajit, look for brands that have been tested for heavy metals by a 3rd party.
Choose the one with low heavy metals.
src: Matt Cook
Salt was so important in the Ancient world that the Roman author Pliny wrote that early Roman soldiers received some of their wages in salt.
That is where we get the word salary -- meaning salt allowance.
Salt was important for curing meats, preserving foods for later in an age with no refrigeration.
But in Ancient Rome, and for most of human history, salt has also been known for its health giving effects.
It’s not until very recently that salt has been seen as something harmful -- and wacky, low-salt diets have become popular.
Pure salt is a chemical compound called sodium chloride.
The sodium part is absolutely essential for human health.
This is why people eating low-salt diets generally don’t fare well.
For example, low-salt diets cause insulin resistance in healthy people.
The human research was carried out at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The results were published in the journal Metabolism.
The renin angiotensin aldosterone system is a network in the body which is known for regulating blood pressure.
But this system of hormones and proteins also has other effects -- including some effects on insulin.
Sodium -- the most important part of salt -- is critically important to the healthy functioning of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system.
Theoretically, a low-salt diet could cause insulin resistance by causing imbalances to this system.
“Low-salt diets activate the renin angiotensin aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems, both of which can increase insulin resistance.”
So this study was set up to see whether a low salt diet was enough to cause insulin resistance in healthy people.
The researchers recruited over 150 people for the study. The cohort included men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 years old.
All the participants went through two different experiments.
Experiment 1 consisted of living on a low salt diet for a week.
The second experiment was that of a high salt diet for the same time period.
People produced more aldosterone and other stress hormones when they didn’t get enough salt.
Insulin resistance was tested by “the homeostasis model assessment.”
This is the standard way to assess insulin resistance -- it involves multiple tests combined to give a final score.
Higher scores on this test mean insulin resistance.
The low-salt diet caused insulin resistance.
“Scores of insulin resistance were significantly higher on a high salt diet compared with the low-salt diet.”
The researchers wondered whether there could be other factors affecting the result -- these days scientists are very sceptical of results which show salt in a good light.
So they plugged in numerous other factors to their calculations. These other factors were things which could also affect insulin resistance.
After taking into account every risk factor they could think of -- the researchers found that the low salt diet still caused insulin resistance.
“The low-salt diet was significantly associated with insulin resistance independent of age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index, serum sodium and potassium, serum angiotensin II, plasma renin activity, serum and urine aldosterone, and urine epinephrine and norepinephrine.”
Try as they might, they couldn’t explain the findings away.
A low salt diet causes insulin resistance in healthy people.
“The low-salt diet is associated with an increase in insulin resistance. The impact of these findings on diabetes and cardiovascular disease needs further investigation.”
The war on salt is one of the greatest mistakes of the medical and nutritional establishment of the last 100 years.
Sodium is an essential mineral for human health.
And it’s one which is almost impossible to get enough of without consuming sodium chloride -- table salt.
Most people should be using more salt, not less.
You should always consult a healthcare practitioner about treating and diagnosing health-related problems.
This 1 supplement can reverse diabetes symptoms in men
Matt Cook here, and I’m always looking for natural supplements that can benefit men.
And nicotinamide riboside is a supplement which is gaining more and more of my interest.
It’s a substance which helps the body to generate energy more efficiently.
It works in a very similar way to a more common form of vitamin B3 called niacinamide.
Recent articles have been published showing that this supplement could help with Parkinson’s disease, alcoholic liver damage, and numerous metabolic health problems.
And because it improves our energy production, it can play a massive role in metabolic health.
Recent animal experiments have shown that nicotinamide riboside can help with diabetes…
…as well as many of the complications associated with that metabolic disorder.
The research was carried out at Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa. The findings were published in Nature Research Scientific Reports.
This research was carried out on rodents.
There are 2 ways in which lab animals are given type II diabetes or prediabetes.
One is using a chemical called streptozotocin, the other involves feeding the animals a high-fat diet.
Both methods produce many of the diabetes associated complications – including peripheral neuropathy.
“Mice fed on a high-fat diet become diabetic and develop insulin resistance and neuropathy. Given streptozotocin they develop type II diabetes, hyperglycaemia, severe insulin resistance and neuropathy.”
Nicotinamide riboside has the ability to increase the body’s production of something called NAD+.
NAD + is one of the most essential elements for optimal energy production.
“Because NAD + might address glycaemic control and be neuroprotective, we treated prediabetic and type II diabetic mice with nicotinamide riboside added to a high-fat diet.”
The speculation was correct, there was a whole host of benefits for these animals given nicotinamide riboside.
When prediabetic animals were fed a high-fat diet…
Blood sugar improved.
They gained less weight.
Diabetic liver damage was reduced - including hepatic steatosis.
Neuropathy was reduced or prevented.
“Nicotinamide riboside improves glucose tolerance, reduced weight gain, liver damage and the development of hepatic steatosis in prediabetic mice while protecting against sensory neuropathy.”
The researchers found similar benefits in the other mice.
Those mice were fully diabetic after having been given the toxic chemical streptozotocin.
Researchers discovered nicotinamide riboside…
Reduce blood sugar.
Reduced weight gain.
Reduced liver damage including hepatic steatosis.
Protected against diabetic neuropathy.
“In type II diabetic mice, nicotinamide riboside greatly reduced non-fasting and fasting blood glucose, weight gain and hepatic steatosis while protecting against diabetic neuropathy.”
The researchers were surprised at the extent of the benefits provided by the supplement.
They suspected they might see some benefits due to the fact that nicotinamide riboside is known to help with blood sugar control.
But the extent of the benefits – improving almost every complication of type II diabetes of type II diabetes and prediabetes – was quite a surprise.
“The protective effect of nicotinamide riboside could not be explained by glycaemic control alone.”
The researchers carried out a detailed examination of the cornea of the animals.
The cornea is a structure in the eye which could be considered part of the brain or nervous system.
It’s an easy way to assess the health of the nervous system overall.
Damage to the corneal structure is a very good indicator of neurodegeneration – damage to the brain and central nervous system.
The researchers found a remarkable protective effect from nicotinamide riboside on the corneal structure.
This indicates that the supplement protects against neurodegeneration, brain and central nervous system problems, induced by diabetes.
The researchers also looked for changes in NAD+ and related pro-energetic compounds. (NADP+ and NADPH)
As expected, nicotinamide riboside boosted these energetic compounds which are depleted by diabetes.
“NADP+ and NADPH levels were degraded in diabetes but were largely protected when mice were supplemented with nicotinamide riboside.”
Nicotinamide riboside could have massive benefits for people with diabetes because it helps the body to generate energy more efficiently.
“The data justifies testing of nicotinamide riboside in human models of obesity, type II diabetes and associated neuropathies.”
The supplement works in ways similar to a number of other supplements on the market.
This includes nicotinamide mononucleotide and the less exotic (and less expensive) niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3).
The first point I want to make, then emphasize, then re-emphasize, is that there is no ‘the’ cause of cardiovascular disease. By which I mean that there is not, and never has been, any one single factor that can be considered to be ‘the’ cause. Instead, there are many. They can work by themselves or combine with others.
So you can say that, for example, diabetes is ‘a’ cause of cardiovascular disease. But you cannot say that it is ‘the’ cause. Yes ‘a’ cause but not ‘the’ cause. This is not purely semantics. Whilst the difference may seem subtle, it is critical. A table, or the table. A man, or the man. An answer, or the answer.
If there is no ‘the’ cause, what does this mean in practice? It means that many different things, or factors, or whatever term you use to describe them, can lead to exactly the same disease.