May 6, 2008
Royal Jelly and Blood Sugar?
Q: I am hearing all sorts of debates about Royal Jelly/Honey. I stopped eating sugar over a year ago, but someone told me that Royal Jelly is good for energy. However, I have also heard that honey raises and drops your blood sugar too quickly, so it would
not be beneficial. – Regan
A: Royal jelly is a substance that is secreted by honeybees for nutrition of the larvae. It is secreted from glands in the young worker bee’s head and provides food for all of the larvae in the colony. The name is derived from the fact that if a colony needs a Queen, a hatchling will be fed only royal jelly for its first four days in order to develop the queen morphology.
The substance is cultivated from queen cells and is very perishable, needing immediate refrigeration to sustain its potency. For this reason, Royal Jelly is mixed with honey or beeswax as a preservative. Royal Jelly has a substantial amount of Vitamins B5 and B6, which can help to increase energy. The substance also contains minerals, enzymes and anti-microbial molecules. It has a composition of almost 70% water, 12.5% protein, 11% simple sugars and a small amount of fatty acids.
Royal jelly on its own should not cause the blood sugar to rise too suddenly. However, if the supplement is mixed with honey it will cause the blood sugar to spike. The glycemic index of honey is 83, which is compared to white bread at 100. If you want to try Royal Jelly and are concerned with your body’s reaction, you might try a dosage and see how you feel. You could also get your blood sugar levels checked two hours after you had the supplement to make sure that your body was responding properly to the supplement.
There are many great energy supplements on the market today and we would suggest researching some options that will not affect your blood sugar. Products like Vitamin B-12, NADH, and malic acid are all great supplementation to increase energy along with a good diet and exercise regimen.
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Help for Scalp Psoriasis?
Q: I just wondered if you know of any products that work for psoriasis, particularly scalp psoriasis? – Susan
A: Psoriasis is an immune modulated chronic skin condition that can present in a variety of ways. The rash usually occurs on the knee, elbow, feet, face or scalp. Generally, the rash in psoriasis is a raised skin patch that is flaky or scaly with burning and itching.
There are five different types of psoriasis and each can present unlike the other. As is the case with most skin conditions, psoriasis can be quite difficult to treat effectively. Often, it takes a considerable amount of time, patience and effort to be able to get this condition under control, although it can be managed.
In naturopathic medicine, the treatment for psoriasis is undertaken in a variety of ways. Most treatments start with an overall analysis of the digestive system and, specifically, the liver. The skin is the largest elimination organ, and can often show symptoms if the other elimination systems are not working optimally. The liver is a vital part of detoxification in the body and must be supported in any skin condition. There are several wonderful formulas that have been shown to assist the liver in detoxification as well as increase the liver function. There is a particularly helpful formula called Livit-2 made by the Ayurvedic company, Ayush. As well, milk thistle can be beneficial in aiding the liver to perform adequately.
Food allergies are often a component of the psoriasis picture, and either a food allergy test or elimination diet should be done if there are any consistent digestive complaints, such as gas, bloating, reflux, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain. Any known food allergens should be avoided to reduce the amount of inflammation in the body. Digestive support is useful in the form of enzymes and these should be taken daily. Again, there is an ayurvedic formula, Triphala, that assists the overall digestive system and can be beneficial in psoriasis.
Here are some general tips for diet and nutrition:
- Eliminate foods that cause an allergic response or to which there is a sensitivity
- Avoid sugar and salt
- Avoid foods that contain purine, i.e., meat and other high protein foods
- Eat fish and poultry
- Increase fiber in the diet, either by diet (whole grains, bran, fruit, etc.) or supplements
- Avoid cAMP stimulators such as biotin, ginseng, and Vitamin C
- Avoid cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors such as aspirin and NSAIDs
- Eat lots of garlic (inhibits lipoxygenase)
- Don't drink any alcohol (wine only if you must)
Here is a general list of other supplements that may be recommended to psoriasis patients:
- Omega 3-fatty acids
- Fumaric acid
- Fiber
- Quercetin.
As always, it is essential to consult with your doctor and other members of your professional healthcare team for assistance in making any decisions or changes regarding the management of this condition.
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Sinusitis or Migraine?
Q: How can you tell if your headaches are sinusitis or a migraine?
Sometimes I can tell when it's a sinus problem because I can kind of hear the fluid. But other times, my headache is on one side of my head, like around my temple or the very back of my head. I don't usually run fever with either of these nor do I get nauseated. But the pain is very severe and it usually starts in the mornings and wakes me up.
I've had my sinuses checked by my ENT when I thought for sure that my sinuses were infected, but he x-rayed them and said they look fine. I'm just wondering if what I thought of as being sinusitis is actually mild migraines. Any ideas? – Kathleen
A: According to migraine and headache expert Teri Robert, nine out of 10 people with sinus headache symptoms are likely suffering from migraines. She recommends being evaluated by a headache specialist to be sure of the diagnosis and to get proper treatment. Teri addresses the sinus/migraine question in more detail in her article “Sinuses Giving You a Headache? It’s Probably Migraine.”
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Testing Glucose Levels?
Q: I have prediabetes, Type II. After 5 years, I have been testing [blood sugar] 2 hours after eating. Now, I hear at meetings lately to test 2 hours after the start of eating. So, have I been doing it all wrong, all this time? Sometimes, I sit and eat a meal all at once. Some days I can spread out my meals by grazing… I was told 2 hours after eating is just an average. The 2 hours after start of eating tells you what certain foods you eat - how they affect the spike in blood sugar. Where can I read about testing guidelines? - wallsal55
A: The Diabetes Monitor Web site (http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/m68.htm) recommends testing two hours after taking your first bite of a meal. The reasoning is that there can be great variation in the length of a meal so counting from the first bite is the most precise method. Also, glucose levels begin to rise about 10 minutes after starting to eat.
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B-12 Deficiency Article?
Q: Can you please send me the most recent article on B-12 deficiency? I inadvertently deleted it from my e-mail. Thank you. Keep up the good work. – Martha
A: A generic article by Dr. Myatt, "Could a Common B-12 Deficiency Be Causing Your Symptoms?" is at http://prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/2899
Another version of Dr. Myatt’s B-12 article, “The Vitamin B-12 – ME/CFS/FM Connection” is at http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/8749.
And a more comprehensive and detailed version of the article, “B-12 Deficiency in ME/CFS and FM May Provide Clues and Relief” is at http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/8784
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Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is generic and is not meant to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any condition, illness, or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.
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