Holistic Dermatology and Integrative Medicine

Is Junk Food Addictive... on Purpose?

An article came out in the New York Times recently titled The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food, by Michael Moss. The article is about a book that discusses the systematic addiction to unhealthy “foods” in the past couple of decades.

An interesting part of this is that this technology was originally created for a good purpose; in order to get our troops to eat the food that they were given. Food that had to survive in war zones. Non-perishable food. The same technology, however, has since been applied to testing and developing snack foods for the express purpose of addicting people to these foods.

Junk foods contain elevated amounts of high-temperature heated fats and oils, salt, sugar, and other chemicals that we now know are really bad for our health. It's most interesting that food industry has, starting with a good purpose, evolved to producing foods that are generally harmful for the population.

Even more interesting is the fact that these companies are operating not only according to the law, but are obligated legally to produce the maximum income for their wealthy shareholders, but with very little legal responsibility to the actual people eating the food, which is marketed especially to children and to people of lower socio-economic status. So, we have created a completely legal monster in society that satisfies our deepest food cravings and also our financial cravings.

Unfortunately, the effects of these foods are leading our entire nation to poor house because we can no longer afford the cost of so much diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other junk food-related illness. Not to mention skin diseases like acne. Because of this, we've created an amazingly "free" society, which has essentially set itself up to self-desctruct.

No longer simply a physical disease, this is also a social and cultural disease, and the solution lies in us educating one another as well as finding pleasure in foods that make us feel great and not just taste good for a few moments.

What if this same technology were applied to make healthy foods more appealing?

To your Health,

Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology & Integrative Medicine
New York

Dairy and Acne. A connection?

Back when I started my dermatology training, there were still a number of older dermatologists who had trained before the era of widespread use of antibiotics, who told their acne patients to stop drinking milk to improve their acne condition. That advice became unpopular for about 30 years, with the easy use of tetracycline to calm acne and avoid the issue.  

But during the past decade, a study on nurses and then two subsequent studies on their sons and daughters (published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2005-8,) demonstrated a definite association between drinking milk, and especially skim milk, and acne occurrence. The fact that skim milk had a greater association suggested that it was not the fats, but possibly the hormones in milk, which were causing the problem.  Milk contains hormones like progesterone, because 80% of the cows producing milk have recently been pregnant.

But milk also possesses a number of androgen-related hormones that go on to influence the sebaceous gland unit to form an acne lesion. Dr. William Danby, who was involved with these studies and lectured on this subject at the recent American Academy of Dermatology meeting, pointed out that the androgens in cows' milk cause acne, but are different than human androgens.  

As a result, the production of the body’s own androgens are not turned off by their presence, as in a normal feedback loop situation.  That would be like having another heater in your house not wired to the regular thermostat, and wondering why it was getting so hot.  So cow’s milk androgens turn up the male hormone activity that is driving the acne.  I will discuss other ways milk may aggravate acne in future blog. Do your own dairy experiment by cutting it out of your diet completely and see if it has any effect...

 

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner
Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Dr. Dattner invited to Adivsory Board of The American Botanical Council

I am pleased to announce that I have been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the American Botanical Council, a leader in providing objective information on the various uses of herbs in both healing the body and in commerce I will act as an expert advisor on herbs and the skin.

Herbs are very helpful for a variety of skin issues. Many of the herbs I have been using for years are just now appearing in products on the exhibit floor of the American Academy of Dermatology national meeting. For example, licorice and curcumin are being incorporated into anti-inflammatory herbal preparations. Green tea extract and red wine resveratrol are being used as part of the antioxidant mix in anti-aging products applied to the skin.

I look forward to sharing more with you in the future on natural and herbal skin care.

To your Health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner, MD
Holistic Dermatology
New York 

From the ABC:

ABC Welcomes New Advisory Board Members The American Botanical Council (ABC) announces the addition of several new members to its Advisory Board. These esteemed individuals — with diverse academic backgrounds ranging from analytical chemistry, oncology, and pharmacognosy to environmental science, aromatherapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine — are committed to promoting healthier living through herbal and plant-based medicine. Advisory Board members volunteer their time to peer review articles that appear in HerbalGram, HerbalEGram, HerbClips, and various ABC publications. Additionally, HerbalGram editors seek feedback and advice from Advisory Board members on issues such as research questions, article ideas, ABC policies, book reviews, and much more. The new Advisory Board members include an oncologist, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, a dermatologist, a nurse/aromatherapist, a nutritionist, a doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine, a mycologist, a geneticist, two pharmacognosists, two family practice physicians, two natural product chemists, and two environmentalists.  “We are deeply grateful to include these experts on the ABC Advisory Board,” said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. “For many of these individuals, receiving official ABC Advisory Board status simply formalizes an already established, long-term relationship in which many of these friends and colleagues have been contributing their time and expertise to ABC and many of its publications as expert peer reviewers. The wide spectrum of scientific and clinical expertise held by these individuals as a group reflects the increasing complexity and sophistication of the modern herbal movement and of ABC’s vital nonprofit educational mission.”

Speaking about Holistic Dermatology in India

It is the beginning of the New Year, so I want to wish the best to all of you and to our world.

I would like to share some very exciting news with you. I was invited to go to India to be a featured speaker for an International Symposium on Integrative and Holistic Dermatology. To my knowledge, this was the first Symposium on Holistic and Integrative Dermatology sponsored by an academic Dermatology department, ever on the planet. On December 4, I gave three lectures on various aspects of holistic dermatology, and participated in a panel wrapping up the session at the Dermatology Department of Kasturba Medical College in Manipal University in Manipal, located in South West India. It was quite an experience to be honored by having the opportunity to teach about the approach to treating skin disease, and to do so to eager listeners halfway around the world. I have already heard from Dr. Shenoi, the head of the department, that what I presented was well received, and has given rise to new ways to treat difficult cases at the hospital there. In addition, my listeners were awakened to the neglected aspect of nutrition in Dermatology.

My knowledge was also enhanced by hearing the two other speakers, one of whom I had met when she was just entering this field of study.
I had a chance in Manipal to see the Ayurvedic department and the Yoga department at the medical center, which represents an integration of traditional care with conventional medical care that is rare in India as it is throughout the world. We spent a morning at a naturopathic hospital, which focused on diet and physical modalities for healing. Cleansing diet, simplicity, spirituality, and beauty of the surroundings, and yoga, were mainstays of the healing program there beyond the diet and other cleansing processes.

One of the other Integrative Dermatology speakers, Dr. S. I. Narahari, was having anopening of his new clinic for Applied Dermatology, and invited me to participate in the dedication and speak at his 5th annual National symposium. The physicians from all over India, honored mentor dermatologist Dr. Terrence Ryan from England,the press, and many people from the local government were present. More than 15 patients with elephantiasis were presented to a group of over 25 dermatologists and other physicians. Between presentations, I was asked by Dr. Narahari and a government minister to help design studies on nutrition and skin disease as, it relates to rural India. I am excited about being able to help those who might otherwise not receive care, and about extending studies in nutritional dermatology that can have a more widespread benefit.

To recover from jet lag on arriving in India, I spent the first 4 days in an Ayurvedic Spa, where I experienced the famous medicinal oil massages and hot herbal applications. We were treated to a visit to the associated third-generation manufacturing plant, which used age-old processes to manufacture Ayurvedic remedies. It has taken time for me to recover from the travels during flu season, so I finally writing to you now.

What has been most amazing to me are the similarities between several thousand-year old Ayurvedic concepts and what I am now doing, incorporating what is now being called functional medicine into my practice of dermatology. This will be thesubject of some of my letters and blogs in the future.

Grape Seed Extract Protects Against Skin Cancer

I just read a study evaluating the use of various vitamins and supplements and likelihood of getting skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) and wanted to let you know the exciting news about the results. The study was performed at the Kaiser Permenente Hospitals in San Francisco (where else?) 

Here's the scientific part: four hundred fifteen patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were age-matched with an equal number without cancer. They were questioned about their use of Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and grape seed extract. Grape seed extract (not to be confused with grapefruit seed extract) contains powerful anti-oxidants including “proanthocyanidins”.  These neutralize “free radicals” generated by sunlight, and help prevent sun damage to the DNA that leads to cancer.

What it means for you: The study showed that there was a significant association between use of grape seed extract and reduced development of skin cancer. Multivitamin use was associated with a borderline significant reduction in SCC’s. Vitamins A, C, E, and D were not associated with any change in likelihood of developing SCC. The only unsettling variable in the study was the increased prevalence of blond and red hair in the SCC group (unsettling because this means that people with lighter complexions seemed to have more incidence of cancer.)

Although there were some potential faults in the study design, it does point to the potential protective effects of powerful antioxidants like grape seed extract in protecting against squamous cell cancer of the skin. It does not remove the need for sun protection, but may offer protective additional protection.

To your health,

-Dr. Dattner

Holistic Dermatology, New York 

Urgent: Keep Free Access to Vitamins and Supplements in the US

I use a lot of supplements in my practice. In fact, it's one of the largest parts of what I do. I'm afraid that access to them may soon become limited unless we take immediate action. 

To skip the details and alert your senators now, click here.

There is a really troublesome initiative about to be activated by the GAO Congress from Senators Durban and Waxman, which could drastically limit new innovative supplements, and raise the cost of any created in the past 16 years of so.

I urge you to contact your Senators and Congress people and let them know they should vote against it, before the commentary deadline on December 1st, 2011.

Whole Foods talks about it here.

The directive letter to the GAO, here, looks like it is simply designed to protect the public, but two major organizations aligned with natural health are concerned that it will in effect, be overlooking the protections in the DSHA act passed in 1994, and requiring any supplements since that legislation to be proven safe before they are allowed, even if they are produced by improved methodology from previously and still allowed supplements and herbs.  You may remember that DSHA was passed as a result of a massive public outcry about legislation which would have greatly removed availability of supplements, vitamins, and herbs from the roughly 80% of the population who now use them.  

I cannot follow the exact politics of the issue, but I now that this is the latest in a series of political moves by Senator Durban which included a defeated bill which would have drastically reduced access to supplements.

I have had the opportunity over the past three decades and especially over the past dozen year, to use nutritional, vitamin, and herbal supplements to help a lot of people get better from conditions which did not respond to the best quality conventional care. Many not only improved their skin, but also regained better energy and digestive function, and were able to resume active and productive lives. Side effects have tended to be minor or positive compared to htose that I have witnessed with drugs.

I shudder to think what would have happened to all of those lives if I did not have access to the tools to help them because of this pending Durban legislation.

If you value your health and freedom to take supplements. Don’t just take my word for it. Please check out the following organizations on their web pages, and decide about the issue for yourselves.

Citizens for Health

Alliance for Natural Health - the Petition

The actual ploys used in this issue have been changing, as the legislators keep trying to make changes which in essence will in essence, benefit the drug companies.

Please remember that failure to act on this issue could result in loss of access to supplements vital to your health and life, or to to the health of people you care about. The danger of these products as used by experienced  practitioners is currently immensely smaller than that of pharmaceuticals properly prescribed.

I believe that we have enough of an industrial chemical burden and disease crisis without the US government, by legislative intimidation, taking away or making more expensive, a whole class of tools for people getting better. It all just forces us to use phamaceutical instead, rather than having a choice.

Tell your legislators that we are doing fine as we are, and that they should vote down this Durban bill.

To your health,

Dr. Alan M Dattner, MD

 

Food Allergy and Eczema (and Pregnancy)

According to an article published online ahead of print Oct 26 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, there was a significantly increased incidence of both food sensitization and filaggrin mutations in children who went on to developeczema and asthma.

A filiggrin is a protein related to penetration of foreign materials through the skin that has been found to be defective in a proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema. The risk of being allergic to foods was up to 5 times as great in association with eczema as compared with those who did not have eczema.

Here's what I have to say about this: despite the naysayers over the years who have claimed that eczema is not related to diet, this study from Germany shows an association between food allergy and eczema and asthma. I want to emphasize that in my experience, it takes more than food sensitivity testing and elimination to control food allergy manifestations.

Working with digestion, gut flora, and gut health, helps to reduce food allergy, and has proven to be helpful in reducing the incidence and severity of atopic dermatitis in infants, children and adults, as well as the severity of other inflammatory skin diseases.

Especially sensible is in normalizing these factors before starting pregnancy, if this planning is possible, and there is a history of atopy (asthma, hay fever, eczema) in you or your family. More about this important issue in a later blog.

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner
Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

Taking Stock of Your Medical History

Discovery of what illness a person has, and what is the underlying reason that illness is going on, often requires a lot of information.  Most of that information is related to your history, that of your family, and that of those around you. 

No one knows this information better than you, so it is helpful to keep a record of what has been going on with your health:
·      Serious or recurrent illnesses, surgeries and accidents, medications, vaccinations and other treatments, and their dates
·      Supplements, vitamins, herbs, other alternative treatments and the apparent positive and negative effects of these treatments on you.
·      Diet, or changes or slips in your diet and their dates are also important.
·      Don’t forget to get copies of important lab test results, and recent lab tests results, even if negative.

From my perspective, the events preceding your illness may be the most important clue to the cause of your specific illness that followed the exposure.

It may be more useful to edit the report you bring to a doctor, rather than bringing the whole file.  Try to keep a full file for yourself, and bring copies to your doctor, so that you keep a full set of your information.  Remember, doctors may only keep records for a period of up to 7 years.

Until there is a universal medical record kept, or perhaps a chip with that information in our wallet or under our skin, you are the best keeper and provider of information which may help with your health.  

Put together your own health file, and keep it where you or your family can find it.

To your health,

Dr. Alan M. Dattner
Holistic Dermatology
New York, New York

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As always, the content of this blog is for information and education purposes only, and should not be used to prevent, diagnose or treat illness; please see your physician for care.

 

Herbal Medicine and Dermatology article in New York Times

I was just browsing the internet to collect articles I've written, and came across this one in the New York Times. Here, I discuss camomile, plantain, aloe vera, lemon balm, and cayenne for dermatitis, psoriasis, herpes, and other conditions.  Please read the full article for specifics. 

To your health,

Alan M Dattner, MD
Holistic Dermatology, New York

More Pomegranate!

Pomegranates are back on the shelves, and hopefully, back in our hearts! I havejust spotted Pomegranates on the shelves of my local produce stores at rock bottom prices, meaning they are in season nearby. They contain valuable anti-oxidants that are well known to protect the heart.

What’s news is that they also have been shown to have protective effects on the skin. Dr. Hassan Mukhtar, who I met over 10 years ago when he presented his findings on the anti-oxidant protective effects of green tea extract, EGCG,recently published studies on the protective effects of pomegranate extract against Ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage. His group’s studies, published in 2005 showed that pomegranate extract inhibited UV damage in cultured human skin cells by inhibiting the changes in two molecular pathways associated with cancer (knownas NF-kappaB and MAPK).

More recent studies showed that feeding Pomegranate extract to mice protected against a wide variety of biological markers related to UV light induced development of cancer. This information is important because it substantiates the mechanism by which pomegranate protects against skin cancerinduced by UV light. Some of those mechanisms of UV damage also contribute toaging of the skin. So data is emerging suggesting that food derived anti-oxidants such as pomegranate may protect against both skin aging and cancer.

You can pick up pomegranates at your local produce store and enjoy them as a snack or desert. I eat them with an old dark sweat shirt or apron on, and not my favorite light colored clothing, as the red juice from the seeds has a tendency to squirt andstain when you cut them open. It may take you a few tries to get used to the slightly tart taste.

The seeds are the size of corn kernels, andhave hard seeds inside. The white pulp around them is slightly bitter, but is also loaded with anti-oxidants, so I eat some of that along with the delicious red juice inthe seeds. I make sure that the seeds have the rich purple color, and toss away thosethat have turned brown, in some sections of the fruit.

Pomegranates have been revered for thousands of years in the Middle East. Ifyou travel to those lands, you will notice the familiar round shape with a wide, protruding stem in paintings and jewelry. Perhaps they were revered because of benefits seen in those who ate them over generations. It’s exciting to know studies simply confirm that you now can protect both your skin and your heart by enjoying this tasty fruit.

To your health,

Alan M Dattner, MD
Holistic Dermatology, New York