Dear Healthy-Conscious Friend,

The wheezing. The tightness across your chest. The horror of being unable to breathe. These are all nightmares an asthma sufferer faces daily.

But thanks to the magic of inhaled medication, we don't have to worry about our asthmatic children and grandchildren, right?

I wish that really were the case. Christine O'Brien tells us about some research she's uncovered...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. Summer's almost here. You made the decision to lose the winter flab for a healthier body. Dr Wright reveals important elements to keep your mind healthy too.


Is your asthma pump paving the way for an attack?!?
Christine O’Brien
Contributor to Nutrition and Healing

The very medication so many parents rely on for peace of mind could actually make asthma worse in some kids.

British researchers will be publishing a report in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology journal, revealing bad news about the popular asthma medications salbutamol and salmeterol. They found that those medications could actually INCREASE the risk of asthma attacks in some people.

It's all about a gene variant. And 13% of the kids with asthma carry this variant. Those kids are at a troubling 30% greater risk of asthma attacks if they're using that inhaler on a daily basis. The kicker? The gene variant itself doesn't make asthma worse - it's only when you add the medication.

The researchers conducting the study said there should be a switch of treatment for children with this variant. But unnamed experts are saying these kids should go on using their inhalers as prescribed. I'd love to hear the explanation for that one. And where exactly these experts are employed.

It just goes to show, once again, that health care can’t be "one size fits all". The mainstream offers up their marvellous drugs, but these medications can't possibly work for every person.

And this disturbing example shows that sometimes, that "one size" medication can actually make things worse. Far worse.

Add back your diet's missing ingredient

Q: Like a lot of other people, my summertime goal is to lose weight. I started a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet earlier this month and I am losing weight. But my mood has taken a nosedive since I started eating this way. Am I imagining it or are the two things related?

Dr. Wright: You're not imagining it. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "fat and happy". Well, it's not just folklore. The same carbs that make you fat (and contribute to diabetes and other problems) also make you happy. It's simple science: Carbs allow more of the amino acid L-tryptophan to penetrate your brain. The L-tryptophan triggers your brain to make more serotonin and the serotonin makes you feel happier. It's as simple as that! But if you're following a low-carb diet, it's possible that not enough L-tryptophan will penetrate your brain and you could wind up depressed.

So, if you get depressed but don't want to eat more carbs, the solution could be as simple as taking supplemental tryptophan so there's more of it to penetrate the brain. Take either 1,500mg twice daily or, if that makes you drowsy (which is rare but possible), take all 3,000mg at bedtime. It'll pull you out of any high-protein diet depression you may have. Just make sure not to take it when you're eating protein. It's best to take tryptophan with whatever small amount of carbohydrates you do eat.

You might also want to take a small quantity of (over-the-counter) lithium, 5mg, twice daily. Lithium "catalyses" one of the first steps in tryptophan metabolism, moving it more rapidly and effectively down the "metabolic pathways" toward serotonin. And even though low-dose lithium is quite safe, you can make it even safer by including essential fatty acids and vitamin E in your daily programme. I always recommend that anyone taking lithium also take a teaspoonful or two of flaxseed oil (or other essential fatty acid) along with 400IU of vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols) each day.

In case of difficulty obtaining these supplements, contact Health Works on 011 325 5168.