Welcome to Wonderfully Made.
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My name is Dr. George Guthrie.
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I'm the medical director of
Lifestyle Center of America,
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in Southern Oklahoma.
I'd like to talk to you today
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about something you may
not have heard of before.
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Homocysteine, kind of an
interesting topic with me
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to discuss this
is Dr. Tim Arnott.
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Hi George. Thanks for
having me on the program.
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It's good to be
here. Atherosclerosis,
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heart attack,
cholesterol, are words that are,
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we hear commonly in
our medical world today.
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We are concerned about them.
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For years we've
understood that cholesterol,
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raising the cholesterol
increases our risk of
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heart attack. That
oxidized cholesterol,
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or oxidized little devil
LDL particles can actually
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cause damage to
our arteries and maybe
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lead to a heart
attack. But, there is something
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new coming to our understanding
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with whole realm of heart
attack and atherosclerosis,
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tell us about it.
Well, that new something
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that is coming to
our awareness is that
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it's not just the
high cholesterol levels
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that can lead to the
formation of plaques,
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cholesterol collections
if you will, in the wall of
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the artery, but it's
also the immune system
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that's involved. The
white blood cells are
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actually involved. In
fact, there, the cells
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that take up
that cholesterol after
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it's been chemically
damaged in the blood,
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they are carrying
it into the wall of the
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artery and leaving
it there. In fact, some
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of those white blood
cells stay right there
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in the
cholesterol collection in your
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artery wall and
this is what can happen.
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If you have an
infection for example,
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or simply if you have
a lot of the cholesterol
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in the artery wall,
or other factors that
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we may not know
about, you can have increased
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amounts of
inflammation in the blood stream
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and in the
tissue and for example
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if you get an
infection and a signal goes out
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to the white
blood cells of your body
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that there is a
problem, those white blood cells
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become activated,
including the white blood cells
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that are found in
that cholesterol deposit
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in your artery.
And when that happens,
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they start to move
around and that cholesterol can
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become more
unstable and it can rupture
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and break out into
the blood flow space
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and that can lead to the
formation of a blood clot,
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and nearly every
heart attack is a blood clot
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that totally
obstructs the artery.
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There is no down
stream blood flow
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then you have an
infarction or death in
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the heart muscle and
many strokes are also
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the result of a blood
clot. So, inflammation is an
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important cause of a
heart attack and of a stroke.
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Well, in the past we
have always focused on
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this
cholesterol. We thought just
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because there is a
little bit of a blockage,
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that blockage which
we thought an angiogram
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would actually
lead to a heart attack.
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When we began to watch things,
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we discovered that
less than half of the time
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where the heart attacks
actually at the blockage,
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it was often down
stream. This word, inflammation,
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we understand now
to be very important
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because anywhere along
the whole blood vessel,
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even the parts
that are not narrow,
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that there is inflammation,
it's more likely to crack
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and break open; of course,
leading to the heart attack.
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Now, as we talk about
this, this leads us to this
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word Homocysteine.
So, how does Homocysteine
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affect inflammation?
Well, Homocysteine is an
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amino acid. A protein
building block, if you will.
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We all have Homocysteine.
Homocysteine is part of a
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biochemistry cycle
that deals with amino acids
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in the body cells.
The problem is that
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if you get too much
Homocysteine in your
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blood stream,
it's like cholesterol.
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It can actually lead
to damage to the arteries
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it can lead to
increase of inflammation,
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it may increase the
risk of a blood clot forming.
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And so, Homocysteine is fine,
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but if you have too
much, then it can become
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an enemy to the
artery and actually increase
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the risk of a heart
attack and of a stroke.
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So, Homocysteine is something
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we want to pay attention
to, and you may actually
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want to have your
physician check your
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Homocysteine level,
especially if you are in a
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high risk group and
we'll be talking more about
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who those people
who are a little bit
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later in the
program. Homocysteine actually
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comes from
something called Methionine.
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We generally don't
get much Homocysteine
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in our diet, but we do
eat quite a bit of Methionine.
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Methionine is much
higher in animal products than
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it is in plant
products as we eat them.
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The Methionine is changed and,
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is part of our metabolism
and then it turns out into
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Homocysteine.
Now, normally our body
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doesn't like to keep
the Homocysteine around.
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It likes to change it
in one way or the other.
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How does it change
it? Well, actually George,
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it uses some very
important vitamins to convert
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Homocysteine into
back, frankly back into
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Methionine and to
continue that biochemical cycle.
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Those important B vitamins,
co-factors if you will,
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in the chain of chemistry,
that changes Homocysteine
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into other products, are
vitamin B12, or folic acid,
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or folate, and pyridoxine
or vitamin B6 and also
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betaine and these
important subunits
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of chemistry are
very important if you want
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to keep a nice
low Homocysteine level
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and protect your
arteries from the damages of
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inflammation, and lower
your risk of a blood clot
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forming. Vitamin B12 is
important for the recycling.
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It will turn Homocysteine
back into Methionine,
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and the others are
very important for throwing
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Homocysteine
away. So, B vitamins,
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simple B vitamins
are very important.
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For many years Americans
were not getting enough
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folic acid, because
they were eating refined
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and processed grains.
When you look at the package
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and you see
enriched wheat flour that,
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one of the things
that they were not putting
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in for many
years, was folic acid.
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Now the government
says, actually mandated
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that companies put
folic acid in and so our
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folic acid intake
is a little bit better,
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but the best way to
get folic acid is to eat
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plant food as it
comes from nature:
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whole grains, whole
wheat, a 100% whole wheat bread
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and all the other whole grains.
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Beans are reach in
folate. In fact the black eyed
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cowpea is probably one
of the number one folate
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sources, and also the
green leafy vegetables
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are very rich
sources of folic acid.
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As a matter of fact folate
almost sounds like foliage,
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and I think that's probably
where the name came from?
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Very possible, so
remember those above the ground
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vegetables are not
only gonna help your weight
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to come down, they're
not only gonna help keep
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your insulin level low,
as we've talked about in
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other programs, but
they will give you folic acid
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which will help keep
your Homocysteine level low,
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and in frankly,
those individuals with the
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highest folic acid
levels, actually one study had
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half the risk of a
heart attack or heart disease.
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And so, folic
acid, very important;
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vitamin B6 also an
important nutrient, vegetables,
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bananas, some of the
nuts are also seeds are
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very good sources
of pyridoxine or B6.
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Well, Tim, let's
focus over to B12.
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That seems to be a
real important one.
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Yes, George,
actually there are a number
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of individuals
who are low in B12.
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In fact, an article
named The American Journal
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of Clinical
Nutrition a few years ago,
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stated that
about 39% of Americans,
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healthy Americans,
were low or low normal
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with their vitamin B12
levels. So, it's not just,
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as you may have
heard, an issue for those who
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are vegetarians.
However Dr. Herman,
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in an article, last
year in The American
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Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, did report
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that vegetarians do
have an increased risk
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of being low in
vitamin B12, and that can
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translate into
elevated levels of Homocysteine.
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Now, probably
those with the highest
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Homocysteine levels are
those with kidney failure.
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And they can have very
high Homocysteine levels.
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But, as a group,
probably those who are moving
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to a diet exclusively
of plants, need to be most
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careful about this whole issue.
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Yes, vitamin B deficient,
but B12 deficiency while
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it may be more
common in vegetarians,
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there are
actually more meat eaters
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who are B12
deficient than vegetarians,
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because there are so
many more meat eaters
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than there are
vegetarians. In my own mountain
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practice, several years
ago, over a six year period,
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I identified 40 people who
were vitamin B12 deficient,
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with a number of and
a variety of symptoms.
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Interestingly, only
one of those, claimed to be
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a vegetarian, a
vegan vegetarian,
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taking no animal
products. In fact, there was a
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lawsuit a number of years ago,
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and an individual actually
was able to successfully
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sue their doctor
because their doctor missed
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the diagnosis of neuropathy
and apparently dementia,
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and because he
measured the vitamin B12 level
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and the persons, the
patient's level was in
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the normal range. And
so, you can actually have a
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vitamin B12 level
that's considered to be normal,
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in the normal range,
and still not be getting
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enough vitamin B12
for your body's needs.
00:11:32.69\00:11:35.90
In fact, what I
usually recommend for my
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patients at the Lifestyle
Center is to try to push
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that vitamin B12
level toward the top of the
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reference range, and
you're gonna be a lot safer.
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Now, George, there is
a number of problems that
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result if you don't
get enough vitamin B12.
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The Homocysteine level goes up,
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and we can talk more about that.
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Dr. Vollset and
his colleagues in the
00:12:01.47\00:12:04.36
Hordaland
Homocysteine Study in Finland,
00:12:04.39\00:12:07.26
they've done a lot
of work in Homocysteine,
00:12:07.29\00:12:09.89
and what they have
found is that individuals
00:12:09.92\00:12:12.01
with the highest
Homocysteine levels
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are at two to three
fold increased risk of a
00:12:14.34\00:12:18.82
heart attack and a stroke.
And so, again, vitamin B12
00:12:18.85\00:12:24.10
is needed if you want
to keep your Homocysteine
00:12:24.13\00:12:27.48
level low and help yourself
be at the lowest risk of
00:12:27.51\00:12:32.07
heart attack and stroke.
Tim, let's mention a little
00:12:32.10\00:12:35.19
bit some of the
levels from the laboratory
00:12:35.22\00:12:38.16
that since the normal
on the laboratory sheet
00:12:38.19\00:12:41.51
may not be correct,
maybe we should say something
00:12:41.54\00:12:44.21
about the vitamin
B12 optimal level.
00:12:44.24\00:12:48.28
I know in our
laboratory we focus,
00:12:48.31\00:12:51.29
in the laboratory
results actually say anything
00:12:51.32\00:12:54.53
above 200 is
normal. Others have discover
00:12:54.56\00:12:58.99
that problems can
develop up to a level of 300
00:12:59.02\00:13:03.19
and some experts are
recommending over a 450,
00:13:03.22\00:13:07.01
and I think as you pointed out,
00:13:07.04\00:13:09.61
we have Lifestyle
Center of America don't mind
00:13:09.64\00:13:11.53
it up around a 1000, do we?
00:13:11.56\00:13:13.67
Well, that's exactly
right and one of the ways
00:13:13.70\00:13:15.91
to determine whether
you are getting enough
00:13:15.94\00:13:18.13
vitamin B12 is to
measure your Homocysteine level.
00:13:18.16\00:13:22.60
And we would like to
see it less than about 7.2
00:13:22.63\00:13:26.13
at the Lifestyle
Center of America,
00:13:26.16\00:13:28.33
and frankly those
individuals who have
00:13:28.36\00:13:31.14
Homocysteine
levels of about 3 to 5,
00:13:31.17\00:13:34.02
are at the lowest risk
of these killer diseases,
00:13:34.05\00:13:37.25
and I know there is
a number of listeners
00:13:37.28\00:13:39.76
who are listening
in parts of the world
00:13:39.79\00:13:42.71
who may not have
heart disease as much
00:13:42.74\00:13:45.65
of a problem as we
have it here, or stroke,
00:13:45.68\00:13:48.77
but things are
changing. And more and more
00:13:48.80\00:13:52.23
third world countries,
or individuals in those
00:13:52.26\00:13:55.06
countries are
moving to the city,
00:13:55.09\00:13:56.72
they are starting to eat foods,
00:13:56.75\00:13:58.24
the fast foods
and the refined flour
00:13:58.27\00:14:02.31
and foods that are rich in fat,
00:14:02.34\00:14:05.63
and they're starting
to get the same diseases
00:14:05.66\00:14:08.54
that we are
getting here in America
00:14:08.57\00:14:10.72
and that the people
are getting in Europe
00:14:10.75\00:14:12.34
and other western countries.
So, this issue becomes
00:14:12.37\00:14:15.78
more and more
important especially as people
00:14:15.81\00:14:18.52
are finding out about
the benefits of a plant based
00:14:18.55\00:14:22.18
diet. Remember you
need to take vitamin B12
00:14:22.21\00:14:26.36
if you're going to
the exclusively on a plant
00:14:26.39\00:14:30.09
based diet. Is
there any toxicity from
00:14:30.12\00:14:33.42
taking too much vitamin B12?
00:14:33.45\00:14:35.44
Well, one of the
things that may happen
00:14:35.47\00:14:37.60
if you take large, very
large doses of vitamin B12,
00:14:37.63\00:14:41.68
as you actually may
run the risk of depleting
00:14:41.71\00:14:45.19
the folic acid in your
body. I haven't seen a lot of
00:14:45.22\00:14:50.38
evidence that you can
take too much vitamin B12.
00:14:50.41\00:14:55.05
Have you seen
any studies on that?
00:14:55.08\00:14:58.08
No, I don't know of any
toxicity from too much B12.
00:14:58.11\00:15:02.00
You know, the body
is actually very good,
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.59
if it sees a lot
of B12 coming its way,
00:15:04.62\00:15:08.63
on a regular basis, it
can actually reduce the
00:15:08.66\00:15:12.30
number of receptors for example,
00:15:12.33\00:15:15.16
that can take up
that vitamin B12.
00:15:15.19\00:15:17.24
That makes an important point
00:15:17.27\00:15:19.15
if you are in a custom
of taking a large amount of
00:15:19.18\00:15:22.37
vitamin B12, you
probably want to continue that
00:15:22.40\00:15:25.66
on a regular basis. And
we'll actually be sharing
00:15:25.69\00:15:29.26
later in the
program what we recommend,
00:15:29.29\00:15:31.97
but I just want to
highlight it, at the
00:15:32.00\00:15:34.17
moment what I typically
recommend for my patients
00:15:34.20\00:15:36.45
as at least 500
micrograms that's
00:15:36.48\00:15:39.22
mcg of vitamin B12 each day.
00:15:39.25\00:15:43.89
And this is especially
important for children
00:15:43.92\00:15:46.64
because children,
you need that vitamin B12
00:15:46.67\00:15:49.91
in order to create
new DNA, new genes,
00:15:49.94\00:15:54.33
if you will, in
order to make new cells,
00:15:54.36\00:15:56.57
because children
are rapidly growing,
00:15:56.60\00:15:59.68
they have a lot of
cell division going on
00:15:59.71\00:16:01.87
and especially
mothers who are pregnant,
00:16:01.90\00:16:04.12
who are nursing their
children, their need for
00:16:04.15\00:16:07.86
vitamin B12 is even higher
and it's even more important
00:16:07.89\00:16:12.86
if they're on a total
plant diet, to take this tiny
00:16:12.89\00:16:16.07
little in our
household, cherry-flavored,
00:16:16.10\00:16:19.81
naturally cherry-flavored,
no sugar, you understand
00:16:19.84\00:16:23.00
vitamin B12 tablet. My
children actually love it
00:16:23.03\00:16:26.28
and so I am
sure yours will, too.
00:16:26.31\00:16:29.52
I would like to
point out for listeners
00:16:30.63\00:16:33.09
that vitamin B12 is
best absorbed if it can be
00:16:33.12\00:16:38.07
mixed with saliva before
it actually goes into the
00:16:38.10\00:16:40.71
stomach. There is another
factor in our saliva that
00:16:40.74\00:16:43.39
actually protects it
from the acids of the stomach
00:16:43.42\00:16:45.55
and then hands it off
to an intrinsic factor made
00:16:45.58\00:16:48.66
in the stomach. So,
it's best if you don't take
00:16:48.69\00:16:50.99
it as a pill that you
swallow, but as something that
00:16:51.02\00:16:53.79
dissolves in your
saliva or in a small pill that
00:16:53.82\00:16:57.06
you chew. Absolutely,
now there are other benefits
00:16:57.09\00:17:01.32
for making sure that
your Homocysteine is nice
00:17:01.35\00:17:04.59
and low, other benefits
for taking that vitamin B12,
00:17:04.62\00:17:08.51
and Dr. Clarke
highlights those in the Archives
00:17:08.54\00:17:12.21
of Neurology in
November of 1998.
00:17:12.24\00:17:14.57
He found that
individuals with the highest
00:17:14.60\00:17:17.35
Homocysteine levels
were actually over four times
00:17:17.38\00:17:21.94
at greater risk of
Alzheimer's disease.
00:17:21.97\00:17:25.00
And there are some
individuals who believe
00:17:25.03\00:17:27.52
that if you have very
high Homocysteine levels,
00:17:27.55\00:17:30.50
it may increase the
risk of something called
00:17:30.53\00:17:32.97
oxidative damage to the tissue,
00:17:33.00\00:17:36.07
including the tissues
of the brain and it may
00:17:36.10\00:17:38.65
actually increase some
of these brain diseases,
00:17:38.68\00:17:42.50
and in fact there are
studies that show that
00:17:42.53\00:17:46.06
individuals who are
plant-based in their diet
00:17:46.09\00:17:48.93
and don't pay
attention to vitamin B12,
00:17:48.96\00:17:51.47
may be at higher risk of
some of the brain diseases.
00:17:51.50\00:17:56.12
You don't need to
have that as a problem,
00:17:56.15\00:17:58.61
but you do need to
make sure that vitamin B12
00:17:58.64\00:18:01.93
is part of your
program, again, even if you are
00:18:01.96\00:18:04.85
not a vegetarian, but
especially if you are a
00:18:04.88\00:18:08.62
total plant based
eater. Now we're going to be
00:18:08.65\00:18:11.64
talking a little bit
later in the program about those
00:18:11.67\00:18:14.07
who may not have
access to this little vitamin
00:18:14.10\00:18:17.51
B12 tablet. What can
they do? And I think that's
00:18:17.54\00:18:21.15
an important discussion.
We'll be talking about that
00:18:21.18\00:18:23.74
little bit later. I'd
like to say something about
00:18:23.77\00:18:26.86
where vitamin B12 comes from.
00:18:26.89\00:18:28.75
Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria.
00:18:28.78\00:18:32.80
Animals don't make
it, bacteria make it.
00:18:32.83\00:18:37.67
Animals have bacteria in
them, for example the cow
00:18:37.70\00:18:41.04
has bacteria in its
stomach which will make
00:18:41.07\00:18:43.02
the vitamin B12, and
then the cow can absorb it.
00:18:43.05\00:18:46.13
Because of the way
our bodies were made,
00:18:46.16\00:18:48.46
we do not have the
ability to actually
00:18:48.49\00:18:51.51
absorb the vitamin B12
that is made in our own
00:18:51.54\00:18:56.28
colons by the
bacteria that live there.
00:18:56.31\00:18:59.21
And so, an external
source may be necessary for us,
00:18:59.24\00:19:04.85
especially if we live
in a very clean world.
00:19:04.88\00:19:09.29
There are actually
a group of Buddhists
00:19:09.32\00:19:12.35
reported on, who
moved from India where they
00:19:12.38\00:19:14.97
had no vitamin B12
deficiency, to England
00:19:15.00\00:19:18.17
where they began
to develop vitamin B12
00:19:18.20\00:19:20.95
deficiency. And it
was discovered that
00:19:20.98\00:19:23.93
it was the dirt, if
you will, on the food that
00:19:23.96\00:19:28.16
they grew
themselves and prepared,
00:19:28.19\00:19:30.83
enough vitamin B12 and
the bacteria of the dirt
00:19:30.86\00:19:34.51
got into their
mouth, that they were able
00:19:34.54\00:19:36.83
to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency.
00:19:36.86\00:19:39.52
Well, it living in India,
but when they got to England,
00:19:39.55\00:19:42.92
things were much
cleaner and they developed
00:19:42.95\00:19:46.37
the B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 is also needed
00:19:46.40\00:19:50.20
to make some of
the stress hormones.
00:19:50.23\00:19:52.57
And those who are
in western societies,
00:19:52.60\00:19:55.99
where we have a
high levels of stress
00:19:56.02\00:19:58.61
in our adrenal glands
that sit at top the kidneys,
00:19:58.64\00:20:01.22
are putting out a
lot of the adrenal in the
00:20:01.25\00:20:03.29
epinephrine. We may
actually be using up
00:20:03.32\00:20:06.92
more of the vitamin
B12 and that may be one
00:20:06.95\00:20:10.02
of the reasons why we need more.
00:20:10.05\00:20:12.34
But, I certainly
agree, George, in some of
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.99
these countries, for
example a study in Siberia,
00:20:15.02\00:20:19.16
individuals who were
total plant based in their
00:20:19.19\00:20:22.61
eating, they were
not taking vitamin B12
00:20:22.64\00:20:25.45
and they were not
vitamin B12 deficient,
00:20:25.48\00:20:28.49
because they are not
so conscientious about
00:20:28.52\00:20:33.03
getting rid of all the
dirt and all the bacteria like
00:20:33.06\00:20:36.11
we are in these
countries with our hot water,
00:20:36.14\00:20:38.33
our bacterial,
antibacterial soaps
00:20:38.36\00:20:42.04
and our detergents,
you know, we might say
00:20:42.07\00:20:44.84
scrupulously clean
in these countries.
00:20:44.87\00:20:47.54
When I was in
Africa, and not too long ago,
00:20:47.57\00:20:50.59
I was invited to join
a group of individuals
00:20:50.62\00:20:54.38
who were sitting
down, having their lunch,
00:20:54.41\00:20:56.40
and they were using
their fingers as the utensil
00:20:56.43\00:21:00.92
to take the food from
the plate. And certainly,
00:21:00.95\00:21:04.72
those kind of habits
are going to have a side
00:21:04.75\00:21:07.54
effect that's beneficial,
that is more the friendly
00:21:07.57\00:21:11.04
B12 producing bacteria
will enter your system.
00:21:11.07\00:21:15.79
That's a good reminder
Tim. Some have jokingly said
00:21:15.82\00:21:20.09
maybe if we
didn't brush our teeth,
00:21:20.12\00:21:22.09
the bacteria in our
mouth would be allowed to grow
00:21:22.12\00:21:24.22
enough. I am not sure
I'm ready to go there,
00:21:24.25\00:21:26.37
but I suppose
that's a possibility.
00:21:26.40\00:21:29.00
So, you can always
take that vitamin B12
00:21:29.03\00:21:31.23
tablets and keep
brushing your teeth.
00:21:31.26\00:21:33.84
I thought you might be
interested as listeners
00:21:33.87\00:21:36.32
to know, some of
you may be creationists,
00:21:36.35\00:21:42.59
as I am. You know,
the evolutionists have
00:21:42.62\00:21:45.23
a hard time explaining
this, because vitamin B12
00:21:45.26\00:21:48.87
is a very complex substance.
And the bacteria actually
00:21:48.90\00:21:54.51
have two completely
separate ways of making
00:21:54.54\00:21:57.21
it, another evidence
left in the record that
00:21:57.24\00:22:01.06
we have a Creator, who's
in charge, I am thankful.
00:22:01.09\00:22:04.56
And you know, George,
there is another lesson
00:22:04.59\00:22:07.15
here in the B12.
Some people are maybe
00:22:07.18\00:22:10.13
wondering about B12
and why didn't the Creator
00:22:10.16\00:22:13.75
provide B12 in the
plants, and as we point it out,
00:22:13.78\00:22:17.97
if you live closer to the earth,
00:22:18.00\00:22:20.33
if you grow your own
food, if you get your
00:22:20.36\00:22:22.76
hands dirty, if you
don't necessarily wash all of
00:22:22.79\00:22:26.97
the dirt off of those
organically grown fruits
00:22:27.00\00:22:31.58
and vegetables and if
they don't have pesticides
00:22:31.61\00:22:35.06
on the surface of
them, killing bacteria,
00:22:35.09\00:22:37.75
you will get the
friendly bacterial exposure
00:22:37.78\00:22:41.64
that you need and get
the B12 that you need.
00:22:41.67\00:22:44.41
But in our very clean,
scrupulously clean society,
00:22:44.44\00:22:48.32
B12 is important. But,
this whole issue of B12,
00:22:48.35\00:22:51.74
brings up an important
principle and that is that
00:22:51.77\00:22:54.12
the Creator has tied
the highest organism on this
00:22:54.15\00:22:59.14
planet to one of
the lowest organisms.
00:22:59.17\00:23:02.83
In fact, the only
source of B12, as George has
00:23:02.86\00:23:06.32
pointed out is a bacteria.
So, here we are, so a well
00:23:06.35\00:23:11.55
developed and so
intelligent, and yet,
00:23:11.58\00:23:14.44
the Creator has said,
don't forget the tiny bacteria,
00:23:14.47\00:23:18.40
you need them just
as we need each other.
00:23:18.43\00:23:21.64
So, these are some
of the lessons that
00:23:21.67\00:23:24.30
we can find in creation,
if we look below the surface.
00:23:24.33\00:23:28.56
Now, George, we want
to shift gears for just a
00:23:28.59\00:23:32.14
few moments, we don't
have a lot of time left,
00:23:32.17\00:23:34.51
but we want to talk
about another supplement,
00:23:34.54\00:23:37.38
if you will, and this time
it's a little bit more about
00:23:37.41\00:23:41.13
perhaps a natural supplement,
00:23:41.16\00:23:42.80
maybe more inviting
to some, and that is the
00:23:42.83\00:23:47.06
supplement of flax seed.
George, tell us a little bit
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.79
about flax seed, what
is it, why should we have
00:23:50.82\00:23:54.14
it on our tables
on a regular basis,
00:23:54.17\00:23:56.91
and what can it do for
us? We talked earlier about
00:23:56.94\00:24:00.93
Homocysteine. It
increases inflammation
00:24:00.96\00:24:03.40
and increases our
risk of heart attack.
00:24:03.43\00:24:05.44
We need vitamin B12 to
keep our Homocysteines low.
00:24:05.47\00:24:09.46
There is a substance
some substances in the matter
00:24:09.49\00:24:13.05
of fact in flax seed
they can help protect us.
00:24:13.08\00:24:15.71
One of those is
soluble fiber and the other one
00:24:15.74\00:24:19.26
is a very important
fat substance called
00:24:19.29\00:24:22.14
an Omega-3 fat. And Omega-3 fat
00:24:22.17\00:24:26.34
for example this fat
Alpha Linolinic Acid,
00:24:26.37\00:24:30.40
very powerful fat, to
help actually lower the
00:24:30.43\00:24:35.07
inflammation in
your blood stream.
00:24:35.10\00:24:37.63
And as we pointed out
at the beginning of the
00:24:37.66\00:24:39.65
program, if you want
to avoid a heart attack,
00:24:39.68\00:24:41.92
if you want to prevent
the cholesterol in your
00:24:41.95\00:24:45.43
artery from breaking
off into the blood stream,
00:24:45.46\00:24:48.15
a clot forming, then
you want to make sure
00:24:48.18\00:24:51.33
the inflammation in your
body is as low as possible,
00:24:51.36\00:24:54.68
and in order to do
that, you want to move
00:24:54.71\00:24:57.29
away from meats, which
actually have a fat that
00:24:57.32\00:25:00.98
increases the inflammation,
00:25:01.01\00:25:03.13
called arachidonic
acid, and move toward plants,
00:25:03.16\00:25:06.94
green leafy vegetables,
flax seed and English walnuts.
00:25:06.97\00:25:11.94
These are some of
the richest sources
00:25:11.97\00:25:14.24
of this important
inflammation reducing fats.
00:25:14.27\00:25:17.97
Now, it's my understanding that
00:25:18.00\00:25:19.79
we like the Omega-3, I'm sorry,
00:25:19.82\00:25:22.72
we like the flax seed
because it's so high in
00:25:22.75\00:25:25.72
Omega-3 fat. But, if I
just eat the flax seed,
00:25:25.75\00:25:29.06
well I be able to
absorb the Omega-3 fat?
00:25:29.09\00:25:33.28
Well, that's a very good point,
00:25:33.31\00:25:34.70
the Creator has put a
nice, protective shell
00:25:34.73\00:25:37.99
around those good
fats, so that they don't
00:25:38.02\00:25:41.12
combine with
oxygen and become damaged
00:25:41.15\00:25:43.73
and change into
something that's not
00:25:43.76\00:25:45.76
helpful for your body.
So, what you want to do
00:25:45.79\00:25:48.43
is take those whole
flax seeds and grind them.
00:25:48.46\00:25:52.51
And what we do in this country,
00:25:52.54\00:25:54.59
is to take a coffee
grinder and we put those,
00:25:54.62\00:25:57.14
a tablespoon of flax
seed in the coffee grinder
00:25:57.17\00:26:00.28
and we whiz it
up into a powder and
00:26:00.31\00:26:02.50
what I do is put it
under my cereal in the morning.
00:26:02.53\00:26:05.93
You can put it over
your salad; you can put it in
00:26:05.96\00:26:07.92
recipes. But, this flax
seed is a very powerful,
00:26:07.95\00:26:12.11
powerful tool of
reducing the inflammation.
00:26:12.14\00:26:15.52
But, you do wanna to grind it.
00:26:15.55\00:26:17.44
Now it seems like
I remember hearing
00:26:17.47\00:26:19.95
that one could get
too much flax seed,
00:26:19.98\00:26:22.17
it might cause some problems.
00:26:22.20\00:26:24.00
Tell us about that.
Yes, that's actually true.
00:26:24.03\00:26:26.73
You know, actually I
was taking two tablespoons
00:26:26.76\00:26:31.01
of freshly ground
flax seed every morning
00:26:31.04\00:26:34.72
and I started to
notice something.
00:26:34.75\00:26:37.06
I started to
notice that in the morning
00:26:37.09\00:26:39.17
I was coughing, I
was not coughing up
00:26:39.20\00:26:41.69
but a little bit
of phlegm come up
00:26:41.72\00:26:43.65
and it had a
little bit of blood in it.
00:26:43.68\00:26:45.65
And actually one of
the things that the fats,
00:26:45.68\00:26:49.06
these good Omega-3
fats and flax seed can do,
00:26:49.09\00:26:51.86
is to prevent
something in your body from
00:26:51.89\00:26:55.04
working as well as
it should, that's the
00:26:55.07\00:26:56.55
platelets. Platelets
actually help to prevent
00:26:56.58\00:26:59.54
blood from clotting
and if you get too much of
00:26:59.57\00:27:04.16
this flax seed, you
can actually have problems
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.83
with bleeding. And so I
find that one tablespoon
00:27:06.86\00:27:09.90
a day, or perhaps
three tablespoons every
00:27:09.93\00:27:13.43
fourth day, is
probably the best way to go.
00:27:13.46\00:27:16.79
And so we've
seen in this program,
00:27:17.28\00:27:19.24
how vitamin B12 is so
important at keeping the
00:27:19.27\00:27:24.19
Homocysteine level
low, so that you can have
00:27:24.22\00:27:27.42
the low, have lower
risk of heart attack,
00:27:27.45\00:27:29.93
lower risk of
stroke, we've seen the
00:27:29.96\00:27:32.81
importance of an
important fat in flax seed,
00:27:32.84\00:27:36.09
in English walnuts, in
leafy green vegetables.
00:27:36.12\00:27:39.71
In fact, we would
encourage you to use
00:27:39.74\00:27:41.67
flax seed, freshly
ground, on a daily basis or
00:27:41.70\00:27:45.63
frequently so you
can have all of the
00:27:45.66\00:27:48.70
heart disease protection
benefits that are possible.
00:27:48.73\00:27:53.22
And remember that
it's small things that can
00:27:53.25\00:27:56.68
have a powerful
benefit to your health.
00:27:56.71\00:27:59.89
Tiny things like
something made of bacteria,
00:27:59.92\00:28:04.02
B12 and the tiny
flax seed to be powerful
00:28:04.05\00:28:08.94
ways of showing how
wonderfully you are made.
00:28:08.97\00:28:12.48