Dr. Jay Sordean was an invited guest speaker at the University of California at Berkeley at their Sather Health Lecture Series. In this segment of the talk Dr. Jay Sordean has Esther Slaman walk the Cal Students through the way that we explain to patients how Function, malfunction, disease and symptoms all fit together.
What is so crucial about mitochondrial disease and dysfunction? Well, you may remember that the mitochondria are organelles in your cells. They make the energy packets that store and release electrical power so you can make proteins, hormones, move, talk, breathe, circulate blood, and think. Mitochondria have a counterpart in the plant world. The chloroplast. The organelle in plant cells that take carbon dioxide and water, capture energy from the sun, and pack that energy in sugar molecules. Those sugar molecules are one of the three types of food that the mitochondria then burn to create heat and energy packets.
Of course, this reminds us of how important the plant world is for our survival. The picture below by Cody Serfass sh
ows this interrelationship beautifully.
posted Dec 22, 2014, 8:30 AM by Cody Serfass
But, as much as we need the mitochondria to work right, it can either start to not work right or be so damaged as to not work at all. It is kind of like an internal combustion engine. There has to be fuel, the burning of the fuel has to be controlled, and the energy has to be converted into a useful form. So, just like taking your car to the mechanic to figure out why the horsepower dropped, you need an expert on mitochondrial function to figure out what might be going on if you are starting to lack power. Call The Redwood Clinic for help with this.
Definitive diagnosis of mitochondrial disease and dysfunction requires a knowledge of many steps in the process. Figuring out where in the process things aren’t working may require doing organic chemical analysis. It tells us if the steps in the process of energy production are happening as they are supposed to. Sort of like seeing if the engine is burning cleanly or producing extra pollution.
Aging is related to inflammation. Inflammation damages tissues, nerves, blood sugar balance, brain tissues, and other tissues and organs. Inflammation can damage mitochondria and degeneration of mitochondria effects all parts of the body.
The prolongation of mitochondrial health seems also associated with life span. Why is that? Caloric reduction is a major factor related to longevity. When you reduce calories and fast on occassion, your damaged mitochondria will be broken down so only healthy ones remain behind. Having only well functioning mitochondria is like having a race event with only the best running cars working. The broken down cars then don’t create wrecks and roadblocks on the race course.
The failing heart is a muscle running out of fuel, and the fuel of the heart comes from mitochondrial activity. Without adequate intake of nutrients you will have mitochondrial deterioration, according the Bruce Ames. With the high prevalence of death from heart attacks in this country it is wise to have your mitochondria checked at The Redwood Clinic to see if they might be a source of potential early mortality.
Build up of acids from the energy cycle, when it is not working right, leads to higher acidity, and that is related to bipolar depression.
Stomach, Small Intestine, and Large Intestine
African Americans may have an especially susceptible mitochondria that have less ability to produce heat and thus have higher levels of diabetes and prostate cancer.
Also having too much “white fat” (devoid of mitochondria) puts you more at risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease than having enough brown fat which contains lots of mitochondria that can convert the fat into energy.
In addition to getting your mitochondrial function checked out, there are many things you can do to help support your mitochondria. Periodic exposure to cold helps your metabolism and the functioning of your energy production system — the mitochondria. While it is not for me, you could really shock your system (and stimulate your mitochondria) by joining a “polar bear club.” Taking a cold shower in the morning can also help.
Exercise helps optimize thyroid function, and thyroid hormones enhance metabolism and speed mitochondrial activity to create more energy and resultant heat.
Atrazine is a widely used weed killer predominantly for corn. Atrazine is a mitochondrial damager — avoiding foods with atrazine is a great idea. That may mean that you have to avoid packaged manufactured “foodstuffs” if made from non-organic corn. Other studies show that Atrazine use tends to correlate with the incidence of obesity. And again, most manufactured foods are made with some kind of corn.
Herbicides work on chloroplasts and chloroplasts are like mitochondria. When you poison the mitochondria you can’t burn fat anymore. And fats, carbohydrates and proteins are what we burn for fuel.
Chronic use of alcohol can damage mitochondrial DNA through oxidative stress. Then if the liver isn’t working, you can’t clear toxins and then you age quickly.
Certain combination and single drugs can damage your mitochondria. Go to www.mitoaction.org to see which drugs are not good for your mitochondria. Drugs that damage your mitochondria include statins, antibiotics, and beta-blockers. The bacteriocidal antibiotics, quinolones, aminoglycosieds and beta lactams, are the most damaging to mitochondria. Certain things might help to support your body when taking those drugs, such as the right probiotics and NAC. Also, if possible, use the bacteriostatic antibiotics versus the bacteriocidal antibiotics.
Methyl mercury has a damaging effects on mitochondria in the brain especially. An underlying mitochondrial disorder may be a reason why vaccine-induced autism is real, as mentioned in US Federal Court.
A damage to your body due to your doctors prescriptions is called inatrogenica imperfecta by Dr. LePine. Medicine-induced disease due to bad drug combinations is quite prevalent.
Panic attacks can come from a high pH in the brain. Eg. you panic when your CO2 level increases from, for example, holding your breath a long time underwater. Due to pH drop. (Meaning that you are becoming more acidic — remember the pH scale is small numbers acid, 8 is neutral, and larger numbers are basic). Aerobic exercise may help you deal with it build up of lactic acid which is the product of the energy production without oxygen.
Darwin’s illness throughout life may have been due to mitochondrial problem and a mitochondrial DNA -related problem.
In this case, arginine and citrulline may have positive benefits.
Autism or other types of delayed developmental conditions may be helped by understanding the mitochondrial gene sequence as well.
Understaning the need to get oxygen into the brain and then into the mitochondria is discussed in Dr. Jay’s bestselling book, Super Brain: Maximize Your Brain Health for a Better Life. Order online at this link.
Medical research increasingly recognizes mitochondrial dysfunction as a major factor in the pathology of numerous human diseases, including diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and ischemia reperfusion injury. So consider getting you “powerhouse” checked out at The Redwood Clinic before you “check out” for good. 510-849-1176
Fibromyalgia. A label for a myriad of symptoms, syndromes and conditions that have to be teased out to really find the underlying causes. I have been working with patients with 
diagnoses of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, etc. etc. for more than 25 years. So how about fibromyalgia diagnosis done properly?
I am at my third seminar touching upon this in the last 6 months. To find out if there is anything else new on the subject, to keep me on the cutting edge of understanding fibromyalgia. Because very few doctors have even close to enough training in it. And the diagnoses are really wrong so often, even by the experts (one study showed 60% incorrect diagnosis).
One continuous thread in the fabric is the role of mitochondria and mitochrondrial dysregulation or sub-functioning. The mitochondria are the energy power-houses of our cells and body. Without enough energy you will feel achy and having pain in all parts of the body. I have numerous lectures on this subject on my youtube channel you can watch. None of these yet discuss mitochondria. Stay tuned for that aspect.
On the other hand, the role of meningeal compression and torqueing is something I have spoken on extensively. This also is a key factor and understanding underlying causes in each individual presenting with fibromyalgia.
The list of involved “diagnoses” includes: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Organic depression/anxiety, Multiple bursitis/tendonitis sites, Connective tissue disorders, Stealth infections (Lyme and co-infections, viral), Endocrine (hormone) myopathies, dysglycemia (blood sugar problems), Anemia, Multiple sclerosis, occult malignancy, GI (gastrointestinal dysbiosis and Toxicity.
You can get more individualized assessment by calling The Redwood Clinic at 510-849-1176
This topic – microbiome microbiota probiotics brain health – is the biggest rave right now in the medical field. But is it a new topic or just another “Johnny come lately” by conventional medicine to something natural medicine has been addressing for centuries? The latter is the case. This is important to know, but not new news. Science has just come up with more details and deeper explanations. Not a bad thing, but in my mind not a great sign that medicine is making great advances. These things were ignored and covered up because they did not fit the pharmaceutical model of treatment. Those of us with many decades of natural medicine experience have been fighting an uphill battle with the vast majority of MDs – they have berated us to our patients when we prescribed these effective approaches.
At any rate, what is the big commotion?
Microbiome protects the Blood-Gut Barrier
Did you know that there are bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, molds and other critters besides animals that influence your health? Of course you do. I first heard about the use of “good bacteria” over 50 years ago. I watched my father break up a pack of brewer’s yeast and flush it down our toilets at home. He explained that the bacteria help to break down our “poop” faster in the septic tank.
For those of you who don’t know, a septic tank is a buried tank to convert sewage into harmless water. People in the city don’t have their own septic tanks – the city sewage treatment system does that for you. In the country, though, a septic tank is the advanced way to safely manage human waste. It is a big step up from the pit at the bottom of an “outhouse.”
Septic Tank diagram from wikipedia
So, flushing brewer’s yeast into the septic tank allowed the yeast to break down the sewage so the septic tank would not back up. The third stage of the septic tank then released the final water into a “finger system” of pipes, buried underground, that led out to the yard to help water it.
Next, I learned about the healing power of good bacteria (also called flora) when travelling at age 25 in India and other parts of Asia. I started taking brewer’s yeast tablets I purchased in a “tin” in an apothecary in Columbo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The “digestive urgency” (also know as diarrhea) that was common for other travelers and myself was largely and beautifully controlled by taking 6-10 tablets per day. While others were having problems, my poops were relatively formed and healthy. Once again, good bacteria having a positive influence on the digestion of human waste output.
But how do we get from septic tanks to gastrointestinal health to brain health?
The role of gastrointestinal health in brain health is not new.
Studies dating back to the turn of the 20th century explored this connection. Ultimately, poor explanation, a concept of panacea, charlatanism, and a greater interest in cognitive theories ended the interest in the subject in 1920s-1930s. However, with better investigative techniques and new approaches, the connection was re-explored at the turn of the 21st century with astounding results. Alterations to the microbiome are now known to create physiologic adaptations responsible for changes in mood, behavior and neural plasticity. In this webinar you will learn about those physiological responses, what causes them, and how to fix it.
We start out life, after birth, with not a lot of this “flora” in our guts. By age one we have a similar mix as adults. That is over 1,800 genera of critters, 40,000 species (genus species, like “homo sapiens” humans), and 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion) single critter in all in our intestines. It weighs anywhere from 1 – 2 kg.
Each of these critters has DNA, genetic material like we do in each of our cells. Combining all of the critters together, they have 100 times the genes found in the human genome. Thus, all this genetic material can have a positive or negative impact on your genetic material. It is all a matter of having the right balance of flora.
Each person has her own “fingerprint” of flora that is unique to her. No one has the same mix. But there are general rules of thumb that we functional medicine doctors use in our treatments.
That is one of the specialty trainings we have to help you stay healthy. Not all probiotics are the same. Some are good for you as an individual. Others are a waste of money because they don’t even get to where they are supposed to go. Your stomach acid or bile kills them before they get to where they are supposed to go. And that is the job of your stomach acid and bile. But we use specific strains that we know will help you get the balance your intestine and brain needs. One excellent probiotic for general use is Ultra-Flora and you can get it through our portal at http://www.TheRedwoodClinic.Metagenics.com Call our office to get special code for ordering with free shipping. 510-849-1176
You have to have good bacteria in your gut for your stress response to not go crazy.
Imbalanced bacteria can cause liver pathology which can lead to negative brain responses.
Imbalanced bacteria can lead to “leaky brain syndrome,” a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and then changes in neurotransmitters. These include dopamine, serotonin, and others that effect mood and memory.
Imbalanced bacteria can also lead to autoimmune reactions.
What can cause imbalanced bacteria? Stress, environmental factors, and dietary factors. Gluten, dairy, food allergens, and others are the dietary factors. Medications can be part of the environmental factors.
You might think that your water is safe. Well, as we have been saying for the past 30 years, you have to filter your 
water at the tap, preferably with a Multipure filter (order one at www.multipureusa.com/redwoodclinic). That is because there is lots of stuff in your water that is not good for your health. That includes heavy metals such as lead. It can come from solder. It can come from medications. It can come from industrial sources. It can come from airborne lead that falls into the water treatment plants.
The reality of lead in water came home to roost in Flint, Michigan. According to an alert from MOVE-ON, this is the story.
“In April 2014, state officials switched the source of Flint’s drinking water to the Flint River to save money.
Almost immediately after the switch, residents noticed changes in the smell, color, and taste of the water coming out of their taps. Tests showed high levels of bacteria that forced the city to issue advisories calling for residents to boil their tap water.2
Michigan Gov. Snyder and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality were aware of the high levels of lead in Flint’s drinking water for months, but they kept telling residents that the water was safe to drink.3 Lead poisoning is incredibly serious, especially to children, causing lower IQs, long-term learning disabilities, and behavioral problems.4
Last October, Flint’s drinking water source was finally switched back to the same source as Detroit. But Flint’s pipes are now permanently damaged and continue to leach lead into Flint’s drinking water.
Only when the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into how Michigan has handled the crisis in Flint did Gov. Snyder finally issue a state of emergency.”
If it can happen in Flint, it can happen anywhere. Even in your town. And the only control you have is at your tap.
And lead is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you know of someone in Flint please have them read this post and have, or help them, buy a Multipure water filtration system.
Susan B. Koemen Donation Version of System
1. “Michigan Knew Last Year That Flint’s Water Might Be Poisoned But Decided Not to Tell Anyone,” Slate, January 11, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/694?
2. “Michigan’s Failure to Protect Flint,” The New York Times, January 15, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/693?
3. “Michigan Knew Last Year That Flint’s Water Might Be Poisoned But Decided Not to Tell Anyone,” Slate, January 11, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/694?
4. “Generation of Flint kids with lead in blood may not see effects for years,” MLive, January 14, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/695?
Now in the northern hemisphere we are in winter. The time of hibernation. The time when the nights are longer, the days are shorter (although now, January 7, the days are getting longer). The time when the body is supposed to be conserving its reserves of energy.
On the other hand, the need for warmth drives people to gather, often with pot-lucks, gourmet buffet eatfests, and holiday gatherings over food and wine. And there are the Super Bowl bashes with lots of junk food and alcohol. So, unlike the bears, we humans are in high activity mode and adding to the toxic burdens in our bodies. To be more in line with Nature, instead we should be resting and not adding more toxicity (unless we are beavers). So, NOW is the time to help our hibernating bodies with detoxification support. Learn more in this video, and then call the office to start your 10 or 21-day detoxification that will make you feel so much better to start the New Year right.
This process of detoxification is also encouraged as a part of healthy brain support in my Dr. Jay’s two bestselling books, available online at the following locations:
Super Brain: Maximize Your Brain Health for a Better Life
Dr. Jay on Chicago TV
https://www.createspace.com/5585723
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TFOP926
Outsmarting the Dementia Epidemic: 7 Key Memory Care Actions to Avoid Alzheimer’s and Successfully Keep Your Brain Safe, Smart, and Sexy into the Future
https://www.createspace.com/5585869
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TFS5PBC
Learn more about how and why detoxification from this video Dr. Jay created on our website.
Michael Pollan (#MichaelPollan) has recently come out with a new documentary movie and a new book called “In defense of Food.” (#InDefenseofFood) The documentary movie will be coming out locally at 9:00 PM Wednesday, December 30 on KQED. A long review article was written by David Weigand In the San Francisco Chronicle Monday, December 28, 2015, It is a review of the basic concepts in
the book and an outline of the movie apparently. As a big fan of Michael Pollan’s books, I enjoyed the article and the basic premise that Pollan “simply makes a case for eating right,” “eating food” — and not something that is manufactured.
The article has a brief overview of the different trends and
official recommendations since the fifties regarding proper nutrition. These recommendations are related to the mass production of consumables by the food manufacturing industry. There is a review of no- and low-fat diets, the injection of vitamins into manufactured foods, the creation of trans fatty acids, and the massive amounts of sugar and salt in processed foods.
The bottom line suggestions in the article are “eat only foods that will eventually rot. Avoid foods advertised on television. Eat food that has been cooked by humans. If it’s made from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t….There is no single food whose consumption or avoidance will answer our dietary prayers.”
To the degree that this article or Michael Pollan’s book goes, these are certainly good ideas and advice. But they don’t go far enough. It is naïve to say that that simply eating foods will correct the imbalances that our bodies currently have. The proliferation of toxins in the environment —
Pouring Mercury
and consequently in our bodies, cannot be addressed simply by eating “food.” To address health issues it is necessary that each person have a carefully performed, individualized evaluation of functional capacities. Then there must be creation of a targeted remediation program that includes: detoxification, repair, and then replacement to address the years of exposure to processed foods and environmental chemicals.
The nutritional deficits that lead to damaged tissue structures, like in the intestine, must be corrected along with other deficits, and just eating food, even if it is all strictly organic, is not enough for most people. The damage is too extensive to fix without intensive action.
This is where the experience of clinicians such as Dr. Jay Sordean come into the picture. Looking at the big picture as well as the details, taking into account traumas, toxicity, stress and structural issues – all of which play a role in the breakdown and positive repair of the body, mind, emotions and spirit. This functional diagnostic medicine approach is lacking in your hospitals and most clinics. Its absence is a reason why chronic illness and epidemics (diabetes, ADHD, autism, dementia, obesity, to name a few major ones) are prevalent in America today. Dr. Jay’s series on issues such as functional causes of obesity and on female hormone imbalances are worth watching to understand why “just food” isn’t enough. Time to call for an appointment 510-849-1176
#MichaelPollan
Interview of Shirley McElhattan by Dr. Jay Sordean related to her services and experiences in the senior placement consultation industry. Shirley has been working in that capacity for 20+ years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also has personal experience helping to care for a family member with Alzheimer’s. Http://www.NaturalSolutionsWithDrJay.com
Contact Shirley at http://www.stpaulstowers-esc.org
Dr. Jay interviewed Shirley for background for his two bestselling books. To order either of the bestselling books by Dr. Jay Sordean, go to:http://www.OutsmartingDementia.com and http://www.SuperBrain-TheBook.com
For information about brain evaluation and treatments, go tohttp://www.TheRedwoodClinic.com/chapel
To learn more about Alzheimer’s, dementia, and how to boost your brain power, go to http://www.theredwoodclinic.com/alzheimers-dementia-prevention/
Go to Natural Solutions with Dr. Jay and sign up for the podcast.
Or go directly to the interview by Clicking here.
http://www.naturalsolutionswithdrjay.com/?powerpress_pinw=47-podcast
Bioimpedance Analysis is an accurate and quick test that gives us objective information we then use when designing & monitoring your individualized health programs (weight loss or weight gain, detoxification, immune challenges, etc).
How does it work? Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is the assessment of body composition using electrical tissue conductivity. It simply involves placing two adhesive electrodes on the hand and wrist, and two on the ankle and foot. The computer then runs a very small current through the body for 10 seconds while the patient is lying down. It’s non-invasive and comfortable. Results are printed instantly.
Health and well-being are closely tied to the health of the body’s fat-free mass and body cell mass compartments. By focusing attention on these mass compartments, therapeutic strategies are more effective because results can be measured objectively.
The Biomarkers 2000 device, a bioimpedance analyzer, provides a direct readout of the impedance of the human body, and estimates of fat mass, fat-free mass (lean body mass), body cell mass, extracellular mass, total body water, intracellular water and extracellular water.
Applications: • Acute/Chronic Disease • Geriatrics • Obesity/Weight Loss Program • Lifestyle Assessment • Eating Disorders • Athletic Performance
How accurate is the test compared to other tests of this type? The BIA test is extremely accurate when performed properly. The current ‘gold standard’ for body fat testing only is still the hydrostatic method (getting dunked under the water), with an error margin of around .5 to 1 ½ %, whereas the BIA error margin is around 1 to 2 ½ %. However, the BIA accurately measures crucial data – including intracellular water (a good health indicator), extracellular water (a good toxin indicator) and phase angle (good indicator of cell health and fatty acid balance) – which the hydrostatic method does not. Also, the BIA is more convenient…you don’t need to get wet!
SUMMARY and VALIDITY: We have performed hundreds of these tests and have found that the results have been reliable to base our programs for detoxification, improving function, losing weight safely with respect to body composition, and monitoring improvements in overall function in combination with our other methods.
References Ott M, et al. Bioelectrical impedance analysis as a predictor of survival in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Journal of Acquired Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology, 1995; 9:20-25. Guo SS, et al. Aging, body composition, and lifestyle: the Fels Longitudinal Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999; 70:405-11. Position of the American Dietetic Association. Nutrition intervention in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Journal of American Dietetic Association, 2001; 101:801-819. Blackburn GL. Managing obesity in America: An Overview. Advanced Studies in Medicine, 2002; 2(2):40-49. Lee CD, et al. US weight guidelines: Is it also important to consider cardiorespiratory fitness? Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 1998 Aug; 22 Supplement 2:52-7. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dieticians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 2000; 100:1543-1556.
Are there really Millions who are “Brain Dead”?
When people like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Nelson Mandela – who were significant leaders of the world – had Alzheimer’s, what does that mean about the fate of the common person? Alzheimer’s does not develop overnight — it is a progressive disease. All three had evidence of it while they were in seats of extreme power. In advanced Alzheimer’s, people have to be told what to do in all but the most basic of life processes. Does it make you wonder who was behind the thrones of power telling them what to do? If you knew that Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, or any of the other candidates had early stage Alzheimer’s would you still want to elect them?
One in eight Americans will have Alzheimer’s. One in 3 dies with dementia. ONE in THREE!!!! That should concern you. If you have never known anyone with Alzheimer’s or known of a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s it is time you did. I have numerous testimonials of people’s experience caring for family members with Alzheimers. Watch them.
When I’m not enjoying life and working with people who want to change their life for the good, I can have bouts of frustration about not knowing why memory enhancement seems to be a forgotten priority for people until it is fading. Solutions are available, but the understanding that everyone has to face this problem seems lost on billions across the planet. We are almost 8 billion people on this planet. A billion will have Alzheimer’s.
Don’t get me wrong. Some people are concerned about the possibility. But it saddens and perplexes me that millions are spent on supplements that have a catchy name but don’t really address the complexity of the issue. As a quote (in my boIok) from a patient states “The human psyche is at least as complicated as Indiana.” 🙂 I don’t know if you are one of those who thinks your brain will always be fine, but please watch my video to wake up your brain to take action for self-preservation. …..https://youtu.be/_b5rbA5TjeE