Dr. J. Renae Norton, Alternative to Inpatient Treatment. I am an eating disorder specialist in the areas of bulimia, anorexia, bulimarexia, binge eating disorder, BED, emotional eating disorder and obesity.
The problem is polluted food. The solution is to avoid the polluted food. But that isn’t enough. You must also get out into the sun and find foods rich in sulfur.
Let’s start with the clean eating.
Monsanto has changed the DNA of soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and alfalfa by putting the insecticide DDT into it. Bugs bite into the plant and the DDT splits their abdomens open.It should go without saying then that DDT is not safe for human consumption. Unfortunately though, we unknowingly consume a lot of it in this country, through this type of DDT infused crop. You can be sure, that if you are eating a processed food, it goes without saying that it is probably from a genetically modified crop with some sort of DDT insecticide.
Although we do not immediately suffer the same fate as the bug, we apparently do pay a price as the number of gastrointestinal disorders has increased significantly over the past twenty years in the U.S. Once DDT gets into our gut, it appears to stay there for good.
Many of patients I treat for disordered eating are driven by a tendency to eat too much processed and/or polluted food in an effort to cut back on fat. This results in gastrointestinal problems that result, such as bloating, constipation, and weight gain.
According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine regarding GE foods “…. it is clear that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment.” Although the role this problem plays in the field of eating disorders such as Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating is not even on the radar of researchers, the impact that GE is having on the obesity epidemic is beginning to gain some traction.
Impact of GE Grains on Obesity and Other Eating Related Illnesses
Researcher and professor, Åshild Krogdahl, and her colleagues at the Norwegian Veterinary College, conducted a 10-year study to determine if eating genetically modified grain had any adverse effects on animals including rats, mice, fish and pigs. The work was a multi-national collaboration with researchers from Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Turkey and Australia. The results confirm the obvious:
According to the findings, feeding rats, mice, pigs and salmon genetically engineered feed causes obesity, along with significant changes in the digestive system and major organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, genitals and more.
Animals fed genetically engineered Bt corn were less able to digest proteins due to alterations in the micro-structure of their intestines. This fact that “they were less able to digest proteins” has huge implications in that the biochemistry of amino acids is necessary for all life processes. It not only explains the rise in obesity, but may explain increases in many modern diseases that are currently on the rise and/or reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S. including diabetes, digestive disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, autism spectrum disorders, autoimmune diseases, sexual dysfunction, sterility, asthma, and many more.
Perhaps the most important finding, from the perspective of what is and isn’t safe to eat, is the finding that the animals that ate fish that had been raised on GE grains also became obese and suffered the same gastrointestinal disturbances and immune disorders as those that were fed the grains directly.
Finally, the project did not just focus on weight gain but looked at the effects on organ changes too. Researchers found distinct changes to the intestines of animals fed GMOs compared to those fed non-GMOs. This confirms observations by other U.S. researchers. Significant changes occurred in the digestive systems of the test animals’ major organs including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, genitals and more.
The animals in this study were fed a diet of GE corn and soy, which contained toxic proteins from the bacteria Bt or Bacillus thuriengensis. As mentioned previously, Bt is an insecticide that works by killing larval insect pests which damage corn, soy, cotton, canola and other crops. By inserting and gene-stacking various Bt toxins, along with herbicide resistant gene sequences, the plants DNA is altered or genetically engineered for the specific purpose of killing the offending pests.
In essence, “The entire plant is made into a pesticide factory which is also resistant to herbicides….. Roundup, is such a product and is produced by Monsanto…….It is the most popular herbicide used on herbicide tolerant crops.”[1]
In view of what we do know from these animal studies, there is a shocking lack of data on the effects of GE food on humans. There are very few studies to begin with, and as the American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, “Not a single human clinical trial on GEs has been published.” A 2007 review of all published scientific literature on the “potential toxic effects/health risks of GE plants” revealed “that experimental data are very scarce” in general. The author of the review concludes his paper by asking, “Where is the scientific evidence showing that GE plants/food are toxicologically safe, as ‘purported’ by the biotechnology companies?” Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, “The experiments simply haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.”
Another researcher, Dr. David Schubert[2] agrees, “If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable as many diseases take a very long time to develop.” He postulates further, “If GE foods caused immediate and acute symptoms, with a ‘unique signature’ perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.”
However, that is what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s with a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement, L-tryptophan. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique and measurable change in the blood. It still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was occurring and what the source was. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled.
No Data Is Data
As discussed earlier, there is almost no research being done for the express purpose of scientifically establishing the links between GE foods and the dramatic increase in the specific health problems that US citizens are experiencing in comparison to citizens in other countries where GE crops are regulated or prohibited. But what we do have to go on is the unprecedented downturn in the health of one of the wealthiest developed nations in the world and what we can predict for the future based upon studies on the effects of GE on animals. If, as the biotech and food industries would have us believe, GE is safe, why are there no studies showing this?
The Link Lack of Sun Exposure and Obesity
Our skin produces huge amounts of cholesterol sulfate, which is also water soluble and provides a healthy barrier against bacteria and other potentially disease-causing pathogens that might otherwise enter the body through the skin. Cholesterol sulfate can enter both fat cells and muscle cells with equal ease. Dr. Stephanie Seneff proposes that, because of this, cholesterol sulfate may be able to protect fat and muscle cells from glucose and oxygen damage, which is known as glycation or more commonly inflammation.
She also argues that when you’re deficient in cholesterol sulfate, your muscle and fat cells become more prone to damage, which subsequently can lead to glucose intolerance; a condition where your muscles cannot process glucose as a fuel. As a result, your fat cells have to store more fat in order to supply your muscles. The more damage, the more fat that accumulates.
Sulfur also plays an important role in glucose metabolism. She hypothesizes that if sufficient amounts of sulfur is available, it will act as a decoy to glucose, effectively diverting it to reduce the sulfur rather than glycating and causing damage. This would have the beneficial effect of reducing inflammation, as sugar (glucose) is highly inflammatory and wreaks havoc in your body.
What to Do
Dietary Sources of Sulfur
Sulfur is derived almost exclusively from dietary protein, so eat fresh caught fish and organic grass-fed beef, and poultry
Meat and fish are considered “complete” as they contain all the sulfur-containing amino acids you need to produce new protein. Needless to say, those who abstain from animal protein are placing themselves at far greater risk of sulfur deficiency.
Coconut oil and olive oil also contain sulfur (and are ideal sources of healthful saturated fats too).
Other dietary sources that contain small amounts of sulfur IF the food was grown in soil that contains adequate amounts of sulfur, include:
Another reason that we gain weight is that any diet high in grains and processed foods is likely to be deficient in sulfur. It turns out that once whole foods are processed, sulfur is lost.
Eating organic helps to insure that the soil is richer. Additionally, soils around the world are becoming increasingly sulfur-depleted, resulting in less sulfur-rich foods overall.
Drink water, such as Fiji water, that has minerals still in it. Soft water is easier to use for cleaning, but Hard water also tends to contain more sulfur than soft water, which, according to Dr. Seneff, may be why people who drink soft water are at greater risk of developing heart disease.
In addition to making sure you’re getting high amounts of sulfur-rich foods in your diet, Dr. Seneff recommends soaking your body in magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) baths to compensate and counteract sulfur deficiency. She uses about ¼ cup in a tub of water, twice a week. It’s particularly useful if you have joint problems or arthritis.
[1]The Cornucopia Institute Obesity, Corn, GMOs July 24th, 2012 Brattleboro.com
Anthony Samsel.
Health reasons to avoid sun (other than skin cancer) burn easily – redhead, etc – there are alternatives
If avoiding sun you need to supplement with vitamin D
Work long hours or night shift. Long hours reduced vitamin D by 8%
Live far from equator even more of a problem if the region is also cloudy (Washington State, Scotland)
10X more SAD in Seattle than Miami
DDT and some other pesticides in our bodies reduce the vitamin D perhaps 3ng
Smoking reduces Calcium, which reduces vitamin D
What to Do?
What it boils down to is that the sun is not just good for us, it is vital to our survival and good health. For example, in one study, 38,472 women selected in 1991-1992, aged 30-49 were monitored for 15 years. Looking at the frequency of sunbathing vacations and sunburn, the researchers found that increased sunburn frequency was associated with reduced all-cause mortality! Sunbathing vacations more than once a year also reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.[1] Finally in another study involving 16,500 people, researchers looked at weather statistics and found a 60% increased risk of stroke for those with the lowest sun exposure.[2]
Steps You Can Take To Get More Sun
Get regular sun and learn how to monitor your vitamin D3 levels.
In general burning is a bad idea as it can lead to skin cancer. There are many other variables to take into consideration when sunbathing. One is skin type.
According to the Vitamin D Council Parameters of Vitamin D3 Sulfate
Skin Type
Skin color
Skin characteristics
I
White; very fair; red or blond hair; blue eyes; freckles
Always burns, never tans
II
White; fair; red or blond hair; blue, hazel, or green eyes
Usually burns, tans with difficulty
III
Cream white; fair; with any eye or hair color; very common
Sometimes mild burn, gradually tans
IV
Brown; typical Mediterranean Caucasian skin
Rarely burns, tans with ease
V
Dark Brown; mid-eastern skin types
Very rarely burns, tans very easily
VI
Black
Never burns, tans very easily
There are other factors as well, which can affect the amount of vitamin D your body makes from exposure to the sun. These are:
The amount of skin you expose. The more skin you expose, the more vitamin D you can produce.
How old you are. As you get older, your skin has a harder time producing vitamin D.
Whether you’re wearing sunscreen. Sunscreen blocks a lot of vitamin D production and it has also been implicated in skin cancer.
The altitude you’re at. The sun is more intense on top of a mountain than at the beach. This means you make more vitamin D the higher up you are (at higher altitudes).
Whether it is cloudy. Less UVB reaches your skin on a cloudy day and your skin makes less vitamin D.
Air pollution. Polluted air soaks up UVB or reflects it back into space. This means that if you live somewhere where there is lots of pollution, your skin makes less vitamin D.
Being behind glass. Glass blocks all UVB, so you can’t make vitamin D if you’re in sunlight, but behind glass. In fact, light coming through glass has been shown to be more cancerous.
Given all of the variables, it can get complicated. For example:
At noon in Miami, an individual with skin type III would probably need about 6 minutes of exposure to the sun to make 1,000 IU of vitamin D in summer and 15 minutes in winter.
Someone with skin type V would probably need around 15 minutes in summer and 30 minutes in winter.
At noon in Boston during summer, an individual with skin type III would probably need about 1 hour of exposure to the sun to make 1,000 IU of vitamin D.
Someone with skin type V would probably need about 2 hours of exposure.
During the winter months in Boston, it’s not possible for anyone to make vitamin D from the sun, no matter their skin ty
Amount of Sunlight for People of Color
Did You Know?
We all started out at the equator and had dark skin. The farther away we got from the equator, the lighter our skin became and the less melanin we needed to protect against the potentially burnng rays of UVB. Today, in the U.S. people of color have significantly higher rates of cancer (although the rates dropped for cancer in 2013 among African Americans) heart disease and obesity.
If you are a person of color, the research says you will need up to 5 times more exposure as the melanin in your skin “protects” you from the sun.
“In a startling 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that African-Americans have a much higher incidence of heart failure than other races, and it develops at younger ages. Before age 50, African-Americans’ heart failure rate is 20 times higher than that of whites, according to the study. Four risk factors are the strongest predictors of heart failure: high blood pressure (also called hypertension), chronic kidney disease, being overweight, and having low levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol. Three-fourths of African-Americans who develop heart failure have high blood pressure by age 40.”[3]
When it comes to cancer, the picture is not much better.
“Despite……. declines….. death rates for all cancers combined remain 33% higher in black men and 16% higher in black women, compared to white men and women. African American men also have higher death rates for most of the major cancer sites (including lung, prostate, colon/rectum, liver, pancreas, and others). Notably, the higher overall cancer death rate in African American women compared to white women occurs despite lower incidence rates for all cancers combined and for breast and lung cancer.
Just recently, the new data have emerged showing that African Americans have the highest rate of obesity.[4]
African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.
In 2011, African Americans were 1.5 times as likely to be obese as Non- Hispanic Whites.
In 2011, African American women were 80% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.
In 2007-2010, African American girls were 80% more likely to be overweight than Non-Hispanic White girls.
While rates are climbing for the population at large for all of these diseases, the fact that they are climbing faster among people of color is another important data point reinforcing the importance of sunshine as a means of prevention. Research is needed to determine whether there are differences in incidence among people of color in other parts of the world, i.e. does the incidence go down for them in warmer climbs.
Get the app DMinder. It works out all of the details using our location and time of year/day and weather conditions. You program it with supplements, amount of time and time of day you are in the sun and it keeps a running tally of your level of vitamin D3.
Take vacations that involve the sun. Go camping, zip-lining, canoeing, or skiing
Take up a sport that is played outdoors. Tennis, golf, bike riding or roller blading are all good for you as they are low impact and/or high intensity interval (HIIT) types of activities and they can be done outdoors
Get up with the sun – or as early as possible. Your body produces more melatonin if you get early morning sunlight. The more melatonin the better you sleep at night.
Limit the time you spend using electronics. Read don’t watch – fall asleep with a book and not the TV. Write don’t text. When was the last time you actually wrote a letter to someone. It is amazingly gratifying. If you are addicted to surfing the net, set a limit, using an alarm (ok the one on your phone) and stick to it.
Volunteer for Habitat or community activities that take place outdoors. There is something about working with a group of people and being outdoors that is so inspiring.
If you work 3rd shift, consider changing shifts. It is that bad for you. Change jobs if changing shifts is not an option. Really, it is that bad for your health.
If you live in the city, get out of it every chance you get. City dwellers get less sun.
10. Get your vitamin D3 levels checked regularly.
Invest in a UVB lamp. I have a UVB lamp that appears to provide significantly more vitamin D3 in a much shorter period of time than being in the sun even under optimal conditions.
Standing about 14 inches from the light bulbs, according to the meter, I can obtain 500 I.U. of vitamin D3 in 1 minute. I am currently using the lamp on 9 locations; front and back of lower legs; front, back and sides of thighs; front, back and sides of torso. I do not expose my face or neck. I get about 5,000 I.U. in about 10 minutes.
When I lay in the sun, I expose the front and back of my entire body in a bathing suit for half an hour to an hour. I am getting about 7,000 to 10,000 according to my DMinder. I also garden and do so with arms and legs exposed but this is usually early morning or dusk when the UVB radiation is at it’s lowest.
Does Supplementation of Vitamin D3 Work?
It is not clear if supplementation works. One study showed that the problems associated with vitamin D3 deficiency do not improve even if the serum levels of vitamin D3 go up with supplementation. (citation) This make sense, as we will see in chapter _, in that the supplemented D3 never becomes sulfated. It is the sulfur that appears to have all of the health benefits, for the cholesterol and the vitamin D3. I have concluded that I need all three, the sun, the UVB lamp and the supplement along with foods rich in vitamin D3 and cholesterol.
Vitamin D3 Toxicity
Another question is whether or not you can take too much vitamin D3. Toxicity is more likely to occur if the dose goes over 10,000 I.U. according to most authorities. The guidelines are still being revised by many agencies in view of the epidemic of vitamin D3 deficiencies.
Another problem when it comes to supplementing is vitamin D2. It can actually be harmful as it blocks the absorption of vitamin D3. Please do not take it as a supplement. Note that it is vitamin D2 that is put into fortified milk, fortified cheese, fortified cereal…., well everything that has been fortified basically.
There are some people who should not even take vitamin D3 supplements.
Here are the recommendations from some organizations in the United States on how much vitamin D3 to take:
Recommended daily intakes from various organizations:
Vitamin D Council
Endocrine Society
Food and Nutrition Board
Infants
1,000 IU/day
400-1,000 IU/day
400 IU/day
Children
1,000 IU/day per 25lbs of body weight
600-1,000 IU/day
600 IU/day
Adults
5,000 IU/day
1,500-2,000 IU/day
600 IU/day, 800 IU/day for seniors
Summary
Not only is the sun good for us as long as we do not burn the skin, it is a life-saver. We will also see how the foods that have been kissed by the sun heal the body, block or prevent disease and sustain us well into old age.
[1] Yang et al. (2011). Ultraviolet exposure and mortality among women in Sweden. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 20(4):683-690.
[3] DeSantis, C. (2013). Cancer statistics about African Americans released. American Cancer Society. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/expertvoices/post/2013/02/04/cancer-statistics-about-african-americans-released.aspx
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
This week I spoke about all of the health advantages of adding sunlight to your daily routine. Vitamin D plays a major role on your overall health! If you missed last night’s episode you can tune in HERE.
What We Covered:
1:10-Recap of the Sunshine Diet
3:41-Cholesterol Sulfate & Vitamin D3
5:05-UVB Lamp
6:04-Sunlight
6:59-EndoPAT Machine
7:55-Dr. Stephanie Seneff
9:35-Myths about The Sun, Cholesterol, & Vitamin D
9:58-Myth: Too Much Sun Is Unhealthy
10:59-Vitamin D Deficiency
11:12-Myth: The Most Likely Cause of Skin Cancer is Overexposure To The Sun
11:59-Omega 3 Fats
12:55-Omega 6 vs. Omega 3 Ratio
15:10-Myth: Sunburn or Skin Damage from The Sun Is What Causes Skin Cancer
16:35-Sun Bathing and Sun Burn are Detrimental to Health
18:15-Sunscreen Is Good for You and Should be Worn at all Times When Outdoors
19:15-Two Different Types of Sun Rays
20:44-What Would Happen If The Sun Went Out?
23:25-What The Sun Can Protect
24:50-Myth: Cholesterol Is Bad
25:17-Cholesterol Is The ‘Master Hormone’
25:50-Myth: LDL Cholesterol Is Bad
26:56-If I Have High Cholesterol, Taking A Statin Will Prolong My Life
27:33-Myth: High Cholesterol Causes Heart Attacks
28:35-Myth: High Cholesterol Causes Alzheimer’s
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
This week’s episode is titled “The Sun Life Diet Part IV”. I interviewed Dr. Stephanie Seneff about her research on sunlight, cholesterol, and overall health. This is the final episode of the Sunlife Diet Series and you don’t want to miss it! Listen HERE.
Dr. Seneff is a Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
What We Covered:
0:50-Review of Previous Weeks
3:00-Dr. Stephanie Seneff
4:54-Why Does LDL Go Up Without The Sulfate?
6:00-Bile Acids
7:05-Sources of Aluminum
9:20-LDL Particles
10:45-What is Glycation?
11:47-What is Methylglyoxal?
15:29-LDL
15:45-Homemade Ginger Ale
16:34-Homocysteine Levels
20:00-Why do Homocysteine levels go up rather than down?
21:17-The Role of GMOs
24:09-Vitamin D3
27:06-Cyp Enzymes
29:26-Trevor Marshall
33:44-How Much More Sun Do People With Dark Skin Need?
36:45-The More Sun The Better (without getting burned)
37:30-Does a UVB Lamp Work As Well As Real Sunlight?
39:33-Broad Spectrum Lamp
42:13-Obesity
42:32-What Role Does Cholesterol Sulfate and/or Vitamin D Sulfate Play in Weight Management?
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
This week’s episode is titled “The Sun Life Diet Part III”. I interviewed Dr. Steven Lamm about the EndoPAT machine/test. You’ll want to stick with us for the entire series to learn how sunlight directly affects our cholesterol and overall health. Listen HERE.
What We Covered:
0:50-Recap of the First Two Parts of the Sun Life Diet
1:22-Dr. Steven Lamm Introduction
2:15-Dr. Steven Lamm Biography
3:00-Uses of the EndoPAT
3:54-Dr. Norton’s Results
7:19-How Reliable is the EndoPAT?
10:50-Who Should Use the EndoPAT?
15:52-What’s the Youngest Age People Can Get Tested?
17:52-What’s the Oldest Age People Can Get Tested?
18:52-Result Ranges
20:15-Sunshine
20:50-Dr. Stephanie Seneff
22:11-How Long Should You Wait Between EndoPAT Tests?
22:46-What Changes Do You Typically See?
27:37-Next Week’s Episode
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
This week’s episode is titled “The Sun Life Diet Part II”. We talk about the solution for getting/maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. You’ll want to stick with us for the entire series to learn how sunlight directly affects our cholesterol and overall health. Listen HERE.
What We Covered:
0:45- Last Week Recap
1:04-Cholesterol Sulfate
2:35-Endo-PAT Test Results
5:30-Greatest Risk Factors in Vascular Health
6:57-Doctor Stephanie Seneff
7:40-Definition of Cholesterol Sulfate
9:54-Cholesterol Serves Multiple Purposes
10:04-Functions of Cholesterol
12:03-Cholesterol is a Fat
13:10-LDL Cholesterol is the Most Damaging Fat
13:58-The Easiest Way for Cholesterol to Travel is on Damaged Fats
14:21-How to Obtain Cholesterol Sulfate
15:38-Vitamin D3
19:29-Every Cell in the Body Regulates Sunshine
20:15-Circulate Inactive Vitamin D
22:05-Vitamin D3 Supplements
23:51-Supplementation
24:08-Vitamin D2
24:54-Raw Milk
27:49-Raising Vitamin D3
28:58-Cholesterol Sulfate Deficiency
29:30-Role of Cholesterol Sulfate
31:12-Homocysteine
33:20-Statin Drugs
36:35-Relationship Between Sunlight and Cardiovascular Disease
38:06-Foods Higher in Cholesterol are High in Sulfate
38:42-Best Food Sources
41:05-How Much Sun?
42:31-Skin Color Plays a Role In The Amount of Sunlight You Absorb
43:53-Epson Salt
44:43-Glyphosate
45:43-Homocysteine
47:56-High Fructose Corn Syrup
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
This week’s episode is titled “The Sun Life Diet Part I”. We introduce what cholesterol is and all of the different types, as well as debunk some myths that you may have been believing for years! You’ll want to stick with us for the entire series to learn how sunlight directly affects our cholesterol and overall health. Listen HERE.
What We Covered:
2:36- Dr. Stephanie Seneff
2:58-Cholesterol
3:09-Myth #1- LDL Cholesterol is Bad
3:52-Myth #2-If I have High Cholesterol, Taking a Statin Drug Will Prolong My Life
5:32-Myth #5-Saturated Fats Cause High Cholesterol
6:09-Pollutants In The Environment & Food
6:34-Definition of Cholesterol
7:50-Cholesterol Is Critical To Every Biological Function
8:08-Brain Cholesterol is Critical for Myelin
8:44-Cholesterol Sulfate
9:00-Functions of Cholesterol in the Cell Membranes
9:33-Cholesterol in the Blood
10:30-Cholesterol Aids in the Digestion of Fats
11:13-Types of Cholesterol
12:25-Chylomicrons
13:00-VLDL
13:33-IDL
13:43-LDL
15:10-Oxycholesterol
16:47-HDL-A1
17:52-BHDL
18:09-A Polyprotein
20:10-Total Cholesterol
23:09-Triglycerides
25:24-Optimal Level of Triglycerides
25:56-Bad Cholesterol
27:14-Ranges of LDL Cholesterol
31:44-Infograph By Mercola
32:24-Cholesterol Sulfate
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
When we think of cholesterol, we often think of it as a bad thing. The reality is we cannot survive without cholesterol. There are a number of myths when it comes to cholesterol.
Myth: LDL cholesterol is bad.
Truth: LDL cholesterol isn’t all bad. We need a balance of HDL and LDL for optimal health. The smaller the LDL particle size the more dangerous it is. So it is important to know the type of LDL that you have. The most important thing to know about LDL cholesterol is that it is more easily damaged. This is the critical issue when it comes to blood pressure and plaque build-up.
Myth: If I have high cholesterol, taking a statin will prolong my life.
Truth: Not only do statin drugs not prolong your life, they may shorten it and/or make you more susceptible to stroke, heart attack, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, etc.
Myth: High cholesterol causes heart attacks
Truth: It may actually be a deficiency of cholesterol, in the form of cholesterol sulfate, that causes heart attacks
Myth: High cholesterol causes Alzheimer’s.
Truth: The brain needs cholesterol for proper myelination. Dementia actually appears to be driven by glycation (inflammation brought on by too much sugar) and lack of a certain type of cholesterol called B cholesterol.
Myth: Saturated fats cause high cholesterol
Truth: Saturated fats offer protection. Sugar is the culprit along with damaged fats.
In this article, I will explain how I personally doubled the arterial flow to my heart by sitting out in the sun! It took 8 weeks to go from poor to excellent. For the doubting Tom’s, check out the before and after EndoPat results below. Note the slight decrease in blood pressure as well. The therapeutic range for the Endopat, a test that measures the functionality of the lining of the heart and blood vessels, is as follows:
<1.67 High Risk
1.67-2.09 Intermediate Risk
>2.1 Healthy
Interpreting the scores from the Itamar company:
Red Zone: Score of 1.68 and lower
You do not have proper endothelial function and this could be an important signal of an imminent cardiac problem. This EndoScore may indicate the presence of disease and that an immediate evaluation and intervention may be needed, whether it is aggressive medical therapy or a medical procedure. It’s imperative that endothelial health be restored.
Yellow Zone: Score between 1.69 and 2
Your endothelium is healthy and while you don’t have any additional risk, you are still not in the well-protected Green Zone.
It’s vitally important that you now take charge of your own health and do everything you can to improve your EndoScore. Good health depends of certain lifestyle choice you make that include what you eat, how active you are, whether or not you smoke, the precautions you take to avoid injuries and accidents, and how you deal with tension and anxiety. The choice is yours. Choose health!
Green Zone. Score between 2.1 and 3
Your endothelium is functioning optimally, and you have maximum protection. Keep up whatever it is that you are doing, because the foods that you have been eating and the physical activity you have been performing regularly have affected a number of risk factors implicated in vascular health and longevity, particularly blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, and obesity.[1]
Notice that my initial score was 1.48 and that 8 weeks later, it was 3.04. In the words of the makers of the equipment, this was an extraordinary improvement. Read on to ee how I accomplished this in such a short period of time and with no medication
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an organic molecule that is critical to the structure of all animal cells. It functions within the cell to protect the cell membrane and enable the cell to change shape and move about without a wall. This is what differentiates us from plants and bacteria as they are restricted by their cell walls.
An Aside: Did you know that humans are only 10% human cells and 90% bacteria? So maybe it is the cholesterol that makes it possible for the human 10% to manage the bacterial 90% of the human biogenome? I find this concept strangely intriguing. Go cholesterol!
Cholesterol Does It All
In the brain cholesterol:
makes up the myelin sheath that insulates against signal loss
In the heart cholesterol:
allows heart muscle to beat
In the membranes of all cells cholesterol:
promotes cell-cell communication
allows cells to move, and gives them permeability
prevents leaks in cells
protects cells from pathogens (microbes)
In the blood cholesterol:
makes up part of the lipoproteins (LDL, HDL)
is essential for protecting contents in the blood from oxidation (free radicals) and glycation (inflammation) during transport to cells and organs
Cholesterol is the precursor to of all steroid hormones, beginning with Pregnenolone. These hormones regulate:
blood sugar – Glucocorticoids
mineral balance and blood pressure – mineralcorticoids
sex hormones – testosterone, estrogen, etc
Vitamin D
Cortisone – the stress hormone
Cholesterol aids in the digestion of fats
The point is that cholesterol is critical to all of our biological functions
What Are the Actual Types of Cholesterol?
Cholesterol comes in the form of lipoproteins. The lipoproteins range from largest to smallest in density compared with the surrounding water. They are different sizes, and contain different proteins, because they have different jobs, depending upon where they end up.
Classification of lipoproteins according to density from low to high: chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL, HDL, VHDL (picture courtesy of medscape.com)
Chylomicron is the biggest particle. It is produced in the gut and directly provides the fuel from fats to many different cells. But it also delivers fats to the liver, where the fats are sorted out and redistributed into smaller particles called lipoproteins, as well as to the heart and the muscles.
VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) is produced in the liver and carries fat, cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants to cells.
IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein) is a bit smaller than VLDL and carries similar to VLDL goods in smaller amounts.
LDL (low density lipoprotein) is what is left over after VLDL has delivered most of its content to the cells. It is called “bad cholesterol“ because it is easy to attack. While traveling, it gets hit by microbes, free radicals, toxins, and glucose (or the pollutants in our food and environment). So LDL is in the most fragile container and as such, the container most likely to be damaged, especially if there is a lot of glucose (sugar) floating around. This is what causes “inflammation”.
oxLDL (oxycholesterol) is LDL after being attacked and oxidized. Turns out, this is really the dangerous form of cholesterol.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) is the smallest particle, which is very robust and reliable. It literally saves cholesterol from turning into the damaged oxLDL. It also destroys pathogens by getting the pathogen to ingest it and then from inside the cell of the pathogen, the HDL destroys it. (Amazing, right?) It deserves the reputation for being the “good cholesterol”.
HDL-A1 – is the form of HDL that brings good cholesterol to the liver so it can be further distributed. It is produced when the cells in the skin made up of cholesterol sulfate, are exposed to the sun.
B – HDL – is the form of cholesterol that goes specifically to the brain.
Apoliproteins
So if you think of the Lipoproteins as the method of travel, you can think of the apoliproteins as their navigational system. The apoliproteins guide the lipoproteins to their intended target. The fats are attached to apoliproteins (apo’s) A, B, C, and E. HDL attaches to ApoA, LDL attaches to ApoB, VLDL attaches to Apo’s B and C, and IDL attaches to ApoE.
Chylomicron Structure
ApoA, ApoB, ApoC, ApoE (apolipoproteins); T (triacylglycerol); C (cholesterol); green (phospholipids) Diagram by Xvazquez
The lipoproteins are transported from the intestines to adipose, cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue by the chylomicrons. The chylomicrons are 85-92% triglycerides, 6-12% phospholipids (the parts of the cell membrane that form lipid bilayers), 1-3% cholesterol and 1-2% proteins.
Phospholipid
By Ties van Brussel / www.tiesworks.nl[2]
In a good assessment you should be able to identify the following:
Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol is a combination of the LDL, VLDL and HDL that is circulating in your blood. The ranges below don’t mean as much any more as they used to mean as it is not the total cholesterol, but the type of cholesterol that appears to be more predictive of vascular disease.
Range:
Optimal – <200
Moderate – 200-239
High – > 240
HDL – High Density Lipoproteins
HDL is the one that scavenges around in the blood basically looking for damaged LDL cholesterol to remove. The higher your HDL level, the lower your risk for heart disease. Low levels increase the risk.
Range:
Optimal – >60
At Risk – <40
It appears that the total number of HDL particles is not as important as the size. In other words, the larger the HDL particles, the more protection they offer. (This is the same relationship that we see in the LDL particles, in that the larger they are the less damage they cause. [3])
The ratio of large HDL to total HDL is measured using NMR spectroscopy methods. Five subfractions of HDL have been identified, from largest (and most protective) to smallest (and least protective). The types are: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b and 3c. [4] This information is probably more important for research purposes given that none of the HDL is “bad”.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides store energy for future use. They are a type of fat (lipid) made from any calories the body doesn’t need to use right away after eating. So when we eat more than we need in one sitting, the body converts the excess into triglycerides, which are stored in the fat cells for later energy. This is meant to be a temporary arrangement, the assumption being that when we need energy between meals, certain hormones will release triglycerides and supply the needed energy between meals.
If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, especially “poluted” calories like simple or processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, you may end up with high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).
Triglycerides are a much better indicator that we are eating too much of the wrong foods than total cholesterol. Very simply, triglycerides tell us that we are taking in more than we are burning off.
TIP: This is a strong argument for eating 5 or 6 times during the day, as in 3 smaller meals and 2 or 3 snacks, instead of 1 or 2 big meals. It is also a strong argument for getting enough exercise to burn off excess calories on a regular basis.
Cholesterol, on the other hand, is used to build cells and generate hormones. As long as we don’t damage the cholesterol through glycation (too much sugar) or oxidation (free radicals) and we have the help we need from the sun (see below) to properly utilize the cholesterol, we don’t have to worry about how much cholesterol we have on board.
Triglyceride Range:
Optimal – <150
Moderate – 150-199
High – >200
LDL – Low Density Lipoptoteins
LDL is called “bad” cholesterol because it is easily damaged, which drives the body to form plaque in an attempt to fix it. Plaque build-up in the arteries can reduce blood flow and increase your risk of heart disease.
However, this is an overly simplistic view. As mentioned above, there are actually 3 types of LDL, very small/small (VLDL), medium, and large diameter low-density particles. It turns out that the higher the number of very small and small LDL’s you have, the more at risk you are for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries.) This is because the smaller particles have a better chance of embedding themselves into the lining of the arteries and becoming plaque. The medium and large particles are fluffy and don’t stick.
In a Nutshell: For LDL and for HDL larger particles are better. For LDL, fewer particles (lower total LDL) is better, for HDL, more particles (higher HDL) is better.
Ranges: Optimal Moderate Poor
LDL Particle Number <1260 1260-1538 >1538
LDL Small <162 162-217 >217
LDL Medium <201 201-271 >271
HDL Large >9386 6996-9386 <6996
Researchers have identified two patterns of LDL, Pattern A and Pattern B. Pattern B, in which the size and density is smaller, equates to a higher risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) than does a pattern with more of the larger and less-dense LDL particles (Pattern A). As mentioned earlier, the smaller the particle, the easier it is to break through the cell wall, which is how plaque begins.
The test used to measure these subtypes is expensive and I would not recommend having it done unless you find that your LDL is high. At that point, knowing the particle size and the pattern is very important in terms of knowing what to do next.
Risk Category Ranges
Optimal Moderate High
A N/A B
> 222.5 218.2 – 222.5 <218.2
Another interesting relationship is that there is a correlation between higher triglyceride levels and higher levels of the smaller, dense, more “sticky” LDL particles. Conversely lower triglyceride levels are correlated with higher levels of the larger, less dense, more “buoyant” LDL particles.[5]
New theories about it’s role suggest that it is not TOO MUCH CHOLESTEROL, BUT NOT ENOUGH OF THE RIGHT CHOLESTEROL THAT CAUSES HEART DISEASE, CEREBRAL VASCULAR DISEASE AND DISEASES LIKE ALZHEIMER’s. Amyloid beta in the brain, and plaque in the arteries, appear to be adaptive responses resulting from a lack of sufficient levels of a form of cholesterol called cholesterol sulfate.
Cholesterol Sulfate
Perhaps the most critical form of cholesterol is one I had never heard of, and one, which has not received nearly enough attention, given the role it plays in heart disease and in our overall health. I am referring to cholesterol sulfate, a form of cholesterol made in the skin when it is exposed to the sun. It is needed in order for the heart to beat and it is also an integral part of neural transmission in the brain. That does seem pretty important: needed for the heart to beat and for the brain to work! Without these two functions we are either brain-dead or dead all over.
According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff[6], cholesterol sulfate supplies oxygen, sulfur, cholesterol, energy and negative charge to our tissues. As I mentioned earlier, it is cholesterol that separates us from plants and bacteria because our cells can communicate whereas nonhuman cells are unable to perform this function. But to do this, there has to be a membrane and it is cholesterol that allows the membrane to do its job.
Throughout the book we have talked about Leaky Gut, or the hyper-permeability of the gut. Cholesterol defines the permeability (fluidity) of the body’s membranes. All of them. In this sense, you could say that cholesterol determines gut permeability, skin permeability and the integrity of any other barrier. It is the glue that holds us together. To summarize:
Cholesterol is the chief substance in the myelin sheath that insulates the nervous system so there are no short circuits. It is directly related to thinking learning and remembering
Cholesterol is key for digestion – it is a precursor to bile acids, which are needed for mixing fats and water together.
Cholesterol is the mother of all steroid hormones, including glucocorticosteroids, mineralocorticoids and sex hormones.
Cholesterol helps in managing blood sugar, blood pressure, mineral balance and everything steroid hormones do.
Cholesterol is a powerful protector against invaders – bacteria, protozoa, fungi, worms, viruses etc. It does this by first by creating a shield in the skin, in the gut, and in membranes. Second as a part of a trojan horse system known as HDL (high density lipoprotein ), and third as an antioxidant.
Cholesterol handles glucose by creating a system that prevents glycation, or the damaging of proteins.
A Perfect Design
So cholesterol is what we need to move, think and live. Getting it where it needs to be, or transporting it, is vitally important. How is it going to navigate through the body, which is 70% water, when it is not water soluble?
Since cholesterol is a fat, it has to have fats to transport it. Unless it has a sulfate. Attaching sulfate to cholesterol creates a molecule, which is both water and fat-soluble. The addition of sulfur allows cholesterol to travel with virtually no barriers. Once it gets inside the cell, it splits – cholesterol goes to do its magic in the membranes and sulfate goes to the cytoplasm.
But all of this magic depends upon getting enough cholesterol sulfate. Without the sulfate, cholesterol has to hitch a ride with a fat. The easiest fat is the one that is damaged, or LDL cholesterol. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just the amount of LDL, but the quality of LDL, that causes plaque build-up.
To summarize, when it comes to vascular disease, cholesterol sulfate solves the problem of getting cholesterol to all the places it needs to be without raising the LDL (bad) cholesterol.
How Do We Obtain Cholesterol Sulfate?
To really understand how this works, you have to understand the connection between cholesterol, sulfur, and vitamin D from sun exposure. We call vitamin D a vitamin because we can’t produce it on our own. It is actually a type of hormone. We need sunshine in order to activate vitamin D, which is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunshine. We also cannot produce cholesterol sulfate without the sun. In fact, they are produced together.
The process is as follows:
The skin gets sulfur dioxide from the air and converts it into sulfate
The sulfate converts energy into cholesterol sulfate when the skin is exposed to the sun
The cholesterol sulfate eventually gets oxidized as a means of protecting us from UVB radiation. It then transforms into vitamin D3 sulfate.
Vitamin D3 is considered a steroid, as it carries numerous messages and even manages gene expression and cellular behavior. Once it is formed, it is transported to the liver. From there it is transported to the kidneys where it is activated. At this point it is in the form of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Vitamin D can also be activated in the immune system, prostate, breast, colon, lung, brain, and skin cells.
Ah Ha! So maybe this is why vitamin D deficiency appears to be involved in so many of the diseases that are currently on the rise, many of which are affecting these organs and systems!
Although the kidneys activate and release vitamin D into the bloodstream, the rest of the cells in the body can also activate vitamin D. Apparently each cell in the body regulates it’s own sunshine, activating it and discarding it as needed, while the bloodstream keeps a base level of inactivated vitamin D on hand at all times. The designer of this system covered all the bases. Truly amazing. Pure genius…..
The implications for testing vitamin D levels are that you should not test for activated vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). The better test is the circulating inactive form of 25 hydroxy D. So when you test, order serum 25 (OH) D in case your doctor doesn’t know what to do.
Vitamin 25 hydroxy D Range:
Maximum level: 100 ng/ml (toxic above 150 ng/ml)
Optimal: 50 to 70 ng/ml
Deficient: less than 50 ng/ml
What is the Difference Between Vitamin D3 Sulfate and Vitamin D3.
There is a world of difference relative to cholesterol levels. Vitamin D3 sulfate, which is created in the skin upon exposure to the sun is a sophisticated water soluble and fat soluble traveler, meaning that it doesn’t need the transportation services of the LDL container. The non-sulfated Vitamin D3 version coming from a supplement or food has to use LDL cholesterol. Remember we said that plaque develops when the body is forced to get cholesterol sulfate from LDL cholesterol.
This explains so many things for me as well as for many of patients. For example, I supplemented for years with mega doses of vitamin D3. At first, my D levels went up, but I believe that eventually the system down-regulated, as they eventually dropped and would not budge. The reason I started supplementing in the first place was that my vitamin D levels suddenly started going down. What I realize now is that I had also stopped getting sunshine at the insistence of a somewhat controlling though loving close friend. This is when they started declining.
As one might expect given all of the above, I also saw my LDL cholesterol slowly rise for the first time in my life. A recent Endopat showed the beginning of plaque despite my pristinely clean eating, great triglycerides, fantastic HDLs and perfect blood pressure. I am now a very moderate sun worshiper again and will repeat the Endopat with the expectation of significant improvement. (It was my doctor’s suggestion that I consider a statin that prompted the research for this article.)
Another significant distinction of vitamin D sulfate is that it does not participate in calcium metabolism until after it unloads its sulfate. In other words, sulfation happens first when sulfate connects to cholesterol and then it converts to cholecalciferol ( Vitamin D3 ). This means that none of the supplemental D3 will get sulfated! Maybe that’s why it doesn’t work to supplement with vitamin D3, other than to raise vitamin D levels. It may have no effect on the disorders associated with vitamin D deficiency according to research in which it was administered to individuals with medical conditions associated with low vitamin D[7]. This actually may be giving people a false sense of security.
What is the difference between D2 and D3?
Vitamin D2 is the plant form and it works in a way that is similar to that of D3 with respect of calcium metabolism, as it cannot be sulfated either. D2 is what they use to “fortify’ the milk from which they removed the natural vitamin D. If you drink raw grass-fed milk you can get vitamin D3 sulfate naturally. This appears to be the only food source.
But with complete disrespect to mother nature, we ruin the raw milk by pasteurizing it, killing the vitamin D3 sulfate. Then adding insult to injury we add fake vitamin D. Not only does the synthetic version not help, it actually seems to confuse the vitamin D receptors (VDR) which prevents us from absorbing vitamin D3 sulfate when it is available! This is consistent with the some of the observations of Trevor Marshall, in which he points out that supplementing with vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 down-regulates and interferes with the VDR receptor. Unfortunately, he loses me after that as he recommends avoiding all sources of vitamin D, including the sun.
The Solution
To cut to the chase, you can protect yourself from cerebral and cardio vascular disease, as well as many other illnesses, by spending a half-hour in the sun (or a few minutes with a UVB sunlamp) several times a week. It’s that simple.
We get cholesterol sulfate when the skin is exposed to sunlight, or a UVB light. Recall that vitamin D is not really a vitamin but a hormone that has become deficient in most Americans. Not coincidentally, for the past 25 years, people have avoided the sun like the plague, ergo less sun, less cholesterol sulfate, less vitamin D3 sulfate and more chronic illness. The chart below shows the % of increase in illnesses on the rise over the past decade. This time period coincides with the removal of the good fat and supplementation of the fake vitamin D in dairy foods.
Health Problems that have increased – The percentage of people with low vitamin D3 has also DOUBLED in a decade.
% increase over past 10 years
Diabetes
66 %
Overweight kids
150 %
Parkinson’s
110 %
Thyroid Cancer
80 %
Breast Cancer
110 %
Tuberculosis
100 %
Multiple Sclerosis
70 %
Autism
250 %
Ulcerative Colitis
210 %
Concussions
80 %
Traumatic Brain Injury
170 %
Pulminary Hypertension
88 %
Alzheimer’s
48 %
Hospitalizations – Food Allergy
260 %
C-Section
40 %
Peanut Allergy
40 %
ALS deaths
60 %
Knee injury (teen)
400 %
Chronic Disease in Children
70 %
Metabolic Syndrome
250 %
Bipolar Disorder – youth
4,400 %
Celliac
100 %
ADHD (LA schools)
230 %
Rickets-(UK 600 %)
500 %
IBD
200 %
Lyme Disease
300 %
Clostridium difficile (age > 85)
400 %
Sleep Apnea
200 %
Looking at it another way, Michael F. Holick, Ph. D., M.D.[8] points out that optimizing vitamin D levels to 50 ng/ml will lead to significant health benefits and disease prevention as follows:
Rickets, reduced by 100%
Osteomalacia, reduced by 100%
Cancers, all combined, reduced by 75%
Breast Cancer, reduced by 50%
Ovarian Cancer, reduced by 25%
Colon Cancer, reduced by 67%
Non-Hodgkins, reduced by 30%
Kidney Cancer, reduced by 67%
Endometrial Cancer, reduced by 35%
Type 1 Diabetes, reduced by 80%
Type 2 Diabetes, reduced by 50%
Fractures, all combined, reduced by 50%
Falls, women reduced by 72%
Multiple Sclerosis, reduced by 50%
Heart Attack, men, reduced by 50%
Peripheral Vascular Disease, reduced by 80%
preeclampsia reduced by 50%
Cesarean Section, reduced by 75%
What if all of the problems associated with Vitamin D3 deficiency are actually caused by a cholesterol sulfate deficiency? Whether or not this is the actual problem the solution is the same: Get exposure to the sun for a sufficient amount of time to activate cholesterol sulfate without damaging the skin. (It is just as effective to use a UVB lamp for a few minutes.)
The Role of Cholesterol Sulfate in Plaque Formation
Throughout the book, we have talked about the role that damaged or polluted foods play in the declining health of Americans. It turns out that the lack of cholesterol sulfate combined with the body’s attempt to manage the damage from microbes, free radicals, toxins, and excess glucose may be what actually causes plaque to build up in the arteries, not an excess of cholesterol or the foods that contain cholesterol.
According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the plaque is an attempt by the immune system to save damaged lipoproteins, refurbish them and send them to the heart. Remember, the heart does not beat without cholesterol sulfate.
HDL has been dubbed the good guy because it brings cholesterol back to the liver. But according to Dr. Seneff, the real reason that HDL is so good for us is that it delivers cholesterol sulfate to the heart. And as long as there is enough sulfate in the system, HDL’s will turn the cholesterol into cholesterol sulfate.
But what happens when there is not enough cholesterol sulfate? When it is not available, the body employs another mechanism to increase it. By taking damaged LDL, and turning it into plaque, the beneficial HDL cholesterol can be separated out through a process involving homocysteine, since homocysteine is a source of sulfate. Thus the cholesterol sulfate needed by the heart and brain is made available. However, there is a side effect for this cure: homocysteine oxidizes cholesterol and the process itself causes plaque to build up over time.
Why does this happen? It’s kind of like leaky gut. When blood becomes deficient in sulfates, it loses its negative charge. The negative charge is important because it keeps cells in suspension. Without the negative charge, the sticky protective part of the cell, called the glycocalyx, becomes more permeable, and gaps develop that allow blood to seep into tissues. Blood clots form to plug the holes. Eventually, however, the clots block the artery and lead to cerebral and coronary vascular disease.
Statins to the Rescue, Right? Wrong!
Conventional medicine dictates the use of Statins to lower LDL cholesterol. Indeed, statins are the number 1 prescribed medicine in the U.S. But the chart below demonstrates what has happened since people started taking statins.
Congestive Heart Failure Rate Is Rising
Clearly statins are not working. There is actually no research that shows statins prolong life. What they do is lower LDL cholesterol. In the short term, they can even prevent minor heart attacks. Over time, however, they deplete the heart muscle, brain, liver, and joints of needed cholesterol. What does work is more sulfur in the blood. The only individuals who should consider statins are those with a genetic predisposition to high HDL who do not produce cholesterol sulfate.
Let the Sun Shine
This is such an elegant and simple solution, just get more sun.
According to Dr. Seneff, there is “a complete inverse relationship between sunlight and cardiovascular disease – the more sunlight, the less cardiovascular disease.” In a study involving 16,500 people, researchers looked at weather statistics and found a 60% increased risk of stroke for those with the lowest sun exposure.[9] In another study, 38,472 women selected in 1991-1992, aged 30-49 were monitored for 15 years. Looking at the frequency of sunbathing vacations and sunburn, the researchers found that increased sunburn frequency was associated with reduced all-cause mortality! Sunbathing vacations more than once a year also reduced risk to cardiovascular disease and mortality. [10] Interestingly, this corresponds with the 30-fold increase in the use of sunscreen over the same time period. [11]
Food Sources of Sulfur
It turns out that the foods highest in cholesterol are often highest in sulfur. What a coincidence! I have said it once, and I will say it again. We are designed perfectly, if only we could resist the urge to improve upon the design. (Of course, many of these so-called “improvements” are driven by the desire to take short cuts, while many others are driven by pure greed.)
All animal proteins contain plenty of methionine and cysteine, which are the two sulfur-containing amino acids. The best sources are:
Pastured organic eggs
Liver from grass-fed beef
Wild caught fish & shellfish
Inner organs of grass-fed animals
As mentioned earlier, the only food that contains cholesterol sulfate naturally, is raw milk. The only sulfonated amino acid is taurine. Fish and shellfish contain the most taurine, which the body uses extensively in times of stress and intoxication. It stores huge amounts of taurine in the heart, the brain and the liver. (If you are a vegan, your best choice is garlic, onion, cabbage and sauerkraut. But you are still not getting the badly needed cholesterol and the CLA – conjugated linoleic acid.)
My favorite source of sulfur is of course bone broth. When the bones simmer for days the way I make bone broth, it is rich in various forms of sulfate, including chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate. And it tastes so much better than a vitamin supplement!
But one of my favorite ways of getting sulfate is being in the sun for a few minutes every day. How much sun you get depends upon many factors: skin color (genetics), time of day, and where you are in relation to the equator. If you are light- complexioned, especially if you are fair, less is more. Stay in the sun only enough for your skin to turn pink. If you are dark skinned, higher levels of melanin protect you better from skin damage. However, you may have to spend more time in the sun to convert the necessary vitamin D into cholesterol sulfate.
Another Ah ha: We all started out at the equator and had dark skin. The farther away we got from the equator, the lighter our skin became and the less melanin we needed to protect against UVB. Today, in the U.S. people of color have significantly higher rates of cancer (although the rates dropped for cancer in 2013 among African Americans) and heart disease.
“In a startling 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that African-Americans have a much higher incidence of heart failure than other races, and it develops at younger ages. Before age 50, African-Americans’ heart failure rate is 20 times higher than that of whites, according to the study. Four risk factors are the strongest predictors of heart failure: high blood pressure (also called hypertension), chronic kidney disease, being overweight, and having low levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol. Three-fourths of African-Americans who develop heart failure have high blood pressure by age 40.”[12]
When it comes to cancer, the picture is not much better.
“Despite……. declines….. death rates for all cancers combined remain 33% higher in black men and 16% higher in black women, compared to white men and women. African American men also have higher death rates for most of the major cancer sites (including lung, prostate, colon/rectum, liver, pancreas, and others). Notably, the higher overall cancer death rate in African American women compared to white women occurs despite lower incidence rates for all cancers combined and for breast and lung cancer.
Given the role that the sun plays, it may be even more important for the person of color to be in the sun, given that their skin naturally “screens” out the UVB rays. I cannot find good information on how much sun we should get other than that it varies for each of us and a general rule of thumb is enough for the skin to become “pink”. Obviously this will not be very helpful for the person of color. “Darkening” or checking for a ”tan” line might be a better indicator, but even those don’t sound right.
In general, too much sun ages the skin and burning can cause skin cancer. So proceed cautiously regardless of the color of your skin. Start slow and increase the amount of sun you get slowly over time. But get sun! In the meantime, monitor your vitamin D3 sulfate levels to be sure that sun exposure is working.
Another way to get limited amounts of sulfer through the skin is to use Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate). I use it frequently as an ex-foliant, after sitting in front of my near-infrared sauna or my UVB lamp. (The sauna fights gut bacteria and the UVB provides D3 sulfate and cholesterol sulfate.) Be careful with the Epsom salts, as you can over do it and end up drying out your skin.
Dr. Ron’s Ultra Pure makes an MSM line of body products including shampoos and conditioners that are awesome and a good source of sulfate. I use his MSM toner all over my body before putting on an organic body lotion from Intelligent Nutrients.
Glyphosate
Throughout the book, we have talked about the dangers of foods that are not organic. One of the most dangerous herbicides is glyphosate—which is used on most conventional and genetically engineered food crops. There is a great deal of data on the dangers of glyphosate. But according to Dr. Stenanie Seneff, glyphosate is also a major problem because it interferes with the enzymes responsible for activating vitamin D in the liver and kidneys. She explains: “Glyphosate disrupts cytochrome p450 enzymes, which activate vitamin D. In addition, according to Dr. Seneff, the formation of cholesterol sulfate is also disrupted by glyphosate.
Without getting too technical, if you ingest too much glyphosate the red blood cells fall apart because they have lost their cholesterol sulfate. Remember, we said that cholesterol sulfate basically holds our cells together. The mechanism is called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which means that the red blood cells coagulate your blood because they have lost their form and function.
Solution: Eat Clean, Go Organic!
Homocysteine
High homocysteine levels is another phenomenon that is seldom discussed, but one that has been implicated in coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and more. It is another example of a protective mechanism gone awry and it is becoming increasingly common.
Given the amount of damage that it does, it is surprising that it is rarely a topic of discussion. There is a very good reason: there is no medication that lowers homocysteine levels. Consequently, the drug companies are not interested in educating the public of it’s dangers as they will not profit from doing so. We are left to our own devices on this one, which is probably a good thing.
Homocysteine Level
Health Status
Below 6 units
10 percent of populationExtremely low risk for disease
6 to 8.9 units
35 percent of populationLow risk for disease, could be better
9 to 11.9 units
20 percent of populationSignificant risk for premature death from degenerative diseases
12 to 14.9 units
20 percent of populationHigh risk for premature death from degenerative diseases
15 to 19.9 units
10 percent of populationExtremely high risk category, at risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease in the next ten to thirty years
Greater than 20 units
Extremely high risk, right now, of heart attack and stroke.
Lowering Your Homocysteine Levels
There are several important supplements that can lower your homocysteine levels:
Folate
B2
B12
B6
Zinc
Trimethyglycine or TMG
It is also important to eat the following:
Healthy fats like coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, and olive oil
Organic vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables – 50% of your diet if possible
High quality protein – organic eggs, wild caught fish, grass-fed red meat, pastured pork, nuts and seeds in moderate amounts (1/2 cup per day)
Sound familiar?
Cut way back on:
Caffeinated drinks
Alcohol
Processed foods
Salt (use sea salt)
Sugar (consider Xylitol)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Something that a lot of people are not aware of is that the liver turns fructose into fat. The live’s job is to make cholesterol. This is a complex process involving some 25 to 30-steps. When it has to stop to turn the fructose into fat, it severely hampers its ability to make cholesterol. This is an important issue in view of the excessive amount of HFCS consumed in the U.S.
There are two things you can do: First, avoid processed foods, which are loaded with HFCS; Second, substitute Xylitol as a sweetener. It has many health benefits and a low glycemic load.
Summary
To review: It is the microbes, toxins, free radicals, and high levels of glucose that damage the LDL, along with high levels of homocysteine that damage the arteries, and herbicides like Glyphosate that block vitamin D3 and cholesterol sulfate from activating, combined with a lack of cholesterol sulfate, and lack of vitamin D3 sulfate that leads to illness, especially vascular disease.
In a nutshell: The alleged benefits of vitamin D3 sulfate are also benefits of cholesterol sulfate, i.e. protection against cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and improved immune function.
To stay healthy: Get plenty of dietary sulfur, get regulated sun exposure, eat good fats, reduce your homocysteine levels by supplementing and avoiding foods that raise homocysteine levels, avoid herbicides like glyphosate by eating clean, and get plenty of rest.
[1] (6) Bonetti PO, Pumper GM, Higano ST, Holmes DR Jr., Kuvin JT, Lerman A. Noninvasive Identification of Patients with Early Atherosclerosis by Assessment of Digital Reactive Hyperemia. 44: 2137-2141
[2]The copyright holder of this work allows anyone to use it for any purpose including unrestricted redistribution, commercial use, and modification.
[6] Seneff, S., Davidson, R., and Mascitelli, L. (2012). Might cholesterol sulfate deficiency contribute to the development of autistic spectrum disorder? Medical Hypotheses, 8, 213-217.
[7]In studies where vitamin D was given as an intervention (treatment) to help prevent a particular ailment, it had no effect. The one exception was a decreased death risk in older adults, particularly older women, who were given vitamin D supplements. Gordon, S. (2013). Vitamin D supplements won’t help prevent disease: Review. Health Day. Retrieved from http://consumer.healthday.com/
[8] Holick, M.F. (2010). The Vitamin D solution: A 3-step strategy to cure our most common health problems. New York: Hudson Street Press.
[10] Yang et al. (2011). Ultraviolet exposure and mortality among women in Sweden. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 20(4):683-690.
[11] Schneider, A. (2010). Study: many sunscreens may be accelerating cancer. Aol News. Retrieved from http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/24/study-many-sunscreens-may-be-accelerating-cancer
[12] DeSantis, C. (2013). Cancer statistics about African Americans released. American Cancer Society. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/expertvoices/post/2013/02/04/cancer-statistics-about-african-americans-released.aspx
Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.
“As an Eating Disorder Professional, I know that many of my clients that are in treatment for Anorexia, Bulimia, Bulimarexia, Binge Eating Disorder or Obesity are overwhelmed by all the information in the news about our health. In hopes of relieving some of the stress this can inflict on both my patients and readers, I’ve highlighted some of the weekly health news that was of particular interest to all of us at The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity. From my eating disorder and obesity treatment center in Cincinnati, here is your weekly news update for the week of April 13th-19th.“
NEWS: New Role For Attention-Deficit Drug In Battle Against Binge Eating
Whether it’s in a television show or a movie, Hollywood has treated binge eating as a joke, but for an estimated 1 to 5 percent of American adults who suffer from this threat to their health and their lives, there’s nothing funny about it.Learn More
NEWS: Is Binge Eating A Mental Illness? 5 Facts About The Disorder You Should Know
You might think binge eating is just a thing college-aged stoners or recently dumped people do, but in many cases, regular binge eating is actually an eating disorder that needs to be treated. In fact, in 2010, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Eating Disorders, officially listing binge eating disorder (BED) as a mental illness. To be clear here: we’re not talking just occasional Sunday sessions of overeating at brunch or late night snacking (let’s face it, we all need those from time to time). In its clinically diagnosed form, binge eating is a secret demon that can feel unbeatable. LEARN MORE
NEWS: We Break Our Own Hearts
The brain’s job is to protect us. Binge eating is an example of the brain attempting to do this and having it go horribly awry. To protect us from the neurochemical deficits caused by negative emotions, one of the brain’s immediate solutions is to increase dopamine (the brain’s happy dance drug). Regrettably, this occurs in the old mammal brain—home of the fight-or-flight response. Here the mantra is: survive now ask questions later. This part of the brain does not think because in crises action, not thought, increase your survival chances. That’s why you can eat yourself into a fudge coma, while ignoring the thigh karma until you are wearing your skinny jeans as a headband. When you are bingeing, your brain is surviving now by reaping the neurochemical rewards of eating to obviate the immediate threat of negative emotional states. LEARN MORE
NEWS: Is It Time For A Warning Label On Sugar-Loaded Drinks?
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: We consume a lot more sugar than is good for our health. Because of this, the next generation of Americans will struggle with obesity and diabetes more than any other. The most obvious culprit is the added sugar in sodas and other sugary beverages, like sports drinks or teas. LEARN MORE
NEWS: How Much Sun Exposure Should I Get?
Question: My wife has had two melanomas removed and avoids the sun at all costs. But doesn’t she need to get at least a little sunlight for her health (i.e. vitamin D)? LEARN MORE
Were there any news articles that you saw this week that really grabbed your attention? Leave a comment with a link. If the article helped you, it will likely help some of my other readers!
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“As an Eating Disorder Professional, I know that many of my clients that are in treatment for Anorexia, Bulimia, Bulimarexia, Binge Eating Disorder or Obesity are overwhelmed by all the information in the news about our health. In hopes of relieving some of the stress this can inflict on both my patients and readers, I’ve highlighted some of the weekly health news that was of particular interest to all of us at The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity. From my eating disorder and obesity treatment center in Cincinnati, here is your weekly news update for the week of April 6th-12th.“
Between sunscreen and indoor lifestyles, bodies crave vitamin D
Tammi Leader Fuller, 55, is outdoors most of the time, running her Malibu, Calif.-based sleepover camps for grown-ups. Yet, she knows she does not get enough of D, the “sunshine vitamin,” because it requires ultraviolet rays to be absorbed. LEARN MORE
Scientists Discover Why You Should Mix Different Lettuces Together
There’s nothing quite as disappointing as looking at your lunch and thinking, “Another salad. Yawn.” While we love leafy greens, a boring bowl of monochromatic leaves isn’t the best way to go, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The reseachers discovered that different-colored lettuces have different, yet complementary, antioxidant effects. LEARN MORE
A Scientific Explanation for Food Cravings
Do you ever get food cravings? An irresistible urge to eat a specific food that leads to a bad mood or even physical pangs of hunger? LEARN MORE
Raw Milk – The Pros and Cons
In real food circles, people are encouraged to consume unprocessed, whole foods. Yet even seemingly unprocessed food that we buy at the supermarket has gone through some changes. For example, the organic milk you buy at Whole Foods is not exactly what came out of a cow, because it has been pasteurized – treated by high heat to kill off potentially lethal microorganisms. That’s why some people swear by raw milk. LEARN MORE
All People With Eating Disorders Are Underweight, Right?
As a clinical psychologist with an expertise in eating disorders, people frequently tell me stories about their experiences with eating and weight. Some tell painful stories of watching loved ones deal with severe symptoms. Some express their own struggles around dieting and body image. Some describe trying to treat patients. And some just ask questions. LEARN MORE
Were there any news articles that you saw this week that really grabbed your attention? Leave a comment with a link. If the article helped you, it will likely help some of my other readers!
Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED) and the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the Director of The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
fed the grains directly.
In essence, “The entire plant is made into a pesticide factory which is also resistant to herbicides….. Roundup, is such a product and is produced by Monsanto…….It is the most popular herbicide used on herbicide tolerant crops.” [1]
d on humans. There are very few studies to begin with, and as the American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, “Not a single human clinical trial on GEs has been published.” A 2007 review of all published scientific literature on the “potential toxic effects/health risks of GE plants” revealed “that experimental data are very scarce” in general. The author of the review concludes his paper by asking, “Where is the scientific evidence showing that GE plants/food are toxicologically safe, as ‘purported’ by the biotechnology companies?” Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki a
nswers, “The experiments simply haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.”
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