July Newsletter 2014
All about Melatonin… it helps with sleep during summer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux, and new benefits are being discovered about it all the time. Melatonin is made by the brain, and is one of the hormones that help us to sleep. It is also formed in the digestive system with concentrations that are ten to one hundred times higher than in the blood, and helps the entire gastrointestinal tract. Since melatonin helps regulate circadian rhythm, the daily rhythm of the bowel could also be similarly regulated. It also reduces spasms, including involuntary muscle spasms of the gastrointestinal tract. This normalizes the transit time of food and aids in regulating motility. These factors indicate the possibility that melatonin could help relieve symptoms of IBS. A small clinical trial that divided eighteen people into two groups was used to test this. One group received three milligrams of melatonin, while the other group was given the same dosage of a placebo for eight weeks. Surveys were conducted before and after to note any changes in symptoms. Those subjects who received melatonin reported significant improvement in their overall IBS scores, forty-five percent in comparison to sixteen percent. Improvements in quality of life scores were forty-four percent compared to fifteen percent for the placebo group. Although a study population of eighteen subjects is very small, the significance of the results is still remarkable.
In regards to melatonin and acid reflux, another research experiment compared melatonin to Omeprazole, a drug commonly used to treat acid reflux. Researchers gave a melatonin supplement to one group of one hundred and seventy-six patients (dosage unreported), and gave twenty milligrams of Omeprazole to another group of one hundred and seventy-five patients. After forty days, the entire first group who was given the melatonin supplement reported a complete regression of symptoms. Out of the second group who were given Omeprazole, only one hundred and fifteen out of one hundred and seventy-five, or sixty-six percent reported similar improvement.
These results are quite remarkable. A previous pilot study that did indicate the dosage stated that a sixty-four year-old female subject who took six milligrams of melatonin reported that her symptoms of acid reflux responded favorably to the treatment.
How do we make our own melatonin? HTP tryptophan is broken down by the body to create serotonin and melatonin. The body responds to daylight and darkness as part of the process. People who work night or swing shifts have been shown to have lower melatonin levels. It has been documented that such individuals have a higher than average incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, with the strongest correlation to peptic ulcer disease. At this stage of research, only a correlation (without any specifics) between melatonin levels and digestive health can be recognized. This information might invite those who suffer from digestive orders to experiment themselves with melatonin, which can easily be found in health food stores. My suggestion for dosage would be to start with one to three milligrams per day, and see what you think. In this experiment, it is you that is the scientist, the subject and the research analyst.
Summer foot care… presents different challenges than winter. Athlete’s foot, a fungal infection of the skin between the toes or on the thicker skin of the soles, is often a painful and difficult problem. I have often wondered why some people are prone to athlete’s foot fungus while others are not. Those who struggle with it often say that the cures that help athlete’s foot typically include two out of these three qualities: sting, stink, or stain. Just like any other ailment, there are mild to severe cases.
The symptoms of a mild case can usually be successfully treated using over-the-counter products to get relief. More severe cases often require more drastic measures. It might help to realize that the fungus is like a mushroom plant; in this case, the ‘soil’ it grows in is the dead skin of the feet. It has spores and tentacle-like capacity to propagate itself and spread. If you start to treat it with creams and powders, all your shoes and slippers will need the powder. Socks should be washed with anti-fungal soap. Creams are best absorbed by the body because they are oil-based, which skin is more readily able to absorb. However, powders do help absorb excess sweat and should be used in the shoes. Disinfect the floor of the shower stall before and after each use.
Following are a few more ideas that I’ve read about.
Ø Apply Absorbine Jr., which may sting on the raw skin.
Ø Once the infection is under control, douse the feet with rubbing alcohol after every shower and let air dry.
Ø Soak feet in Gentian Violet.
Ø Make a foot soak from vinegar by pouring two cups of vinegar into a basin. It will sting when it first reaches any open cuts, but try to keep soaking for about ten minutes. If the vinegar stings too much, dilute it fifty-fifty with water. Without rinsing off the vinegar, dry the feet with a towel and then dust them with athlete’s foot powder. Continue the vinegar soak daily, twice a day for extreme cases. Once the symptoms are less severe, the solution could be used more than once per soak until it begins to look dirty.
Here is a foot soak that I found in a Whole Foods magazine that is not for athlete’s foot problems, but rather for your general enjoyment after a long, hot day on your feet.
Herbal Foot Soak (makes 2 ounces)
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons dried juniper berries
5 whole clove buds
First, mix together all the ingredients and pour into a small jar, or place ingredients inside a large muslin tea bag. Then fill a small footbath or basin with boiling water, and add the dried herb and spice mixture. Let the mixture steep for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the water cools to a warm, comfortable temperature. Soak your feet in the fragrant water for fifteen to twenty minutes.
July Special: During the month of July, bring a friend when you come for treatment, and both visits combined are only $50 total! The friend must be a new patient. (Regular price for 2 visits is $110. It’s a $60 savings!)
Relay for Life 2014… in Woodland Park is at the end of this month! Join the fight against cancer on July 26th between noon and midnight, at the Woodland Park High School athletic field. There will be carnival fundraisers and activities to enjoy, so bring the kids! If you are interested in joining a relay team, it is not too late to join our team, the ‘Activators’. You can register on the following website: www.relayforlife.org/tellercountyco. We also have luminarias for sale here at the office. Just a ten dollar donation ensures your loved one will be honored at the luminary ceremony with their name on a luminaria. Learn more at RelayForLife.org.
In regards to melatonin and acid reflux, another research experiment compared melatonin to Omeprazole, a drug commonly used to treat acid reflux. Researchers gave a melatonin supplement to one group of one hundred and seventy-six patients (dosage unreported), and gave twenty milligrams of Omeprazole to another group of one hundred and seventy-five patients. After forty days, the entire first group who was given the melatonin supplement reported a complete regression of symptoms. Out of the second group who were given Omeprazole, only one hundred and fifteen out of one hundred and seventy-five, or sixty-six percent reported similar improvement.
These results are quite remarkable. A previous pilot study that did indicate the dosage stated that a sixty-four year-old female subject who took six milligrams of melatonin reported that her symptoms of acid reflux responded favorably to the treatment.
How do we make our own melatonin? HTP tryptophan is broken down by the body to create serotonin and melatonin. The body responds to daylight and darkness as part of the process. People who work night or swing shifts have been shown to have lower melatonin levels. It has been documented that such individuals have a higher than average incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, with the strongest correlation to peptic ulcer disease. At this stage of research, only a correlation (without any specifics) between melatonin levels and digestive health can be recognized. This information might invite those who suffer from digestive orders to experiment themselves with melatonin, which can easily be found in health food stores. My suggestion for dosage would be to start with one to three milligrams per day, and see what you think. In this experiment, it is you that is the scientist, the subject and the research analyst.
Summer foot care… presents different challenges than winter. Athlete’s foot, a fungal infection of the skin between the toes or on the thicker skin of the soles, is often a painful and difficult problem. I have often wondered why some people are prone to athlete’s foot fungus while others are not. Those who struggle with it often say that the cures that help athlete’s foot typically include two out of these three qualities: sting, stink, or stain. Just like any other ailment, there are mild to severe cases.
The symptoms of a mild case can usually be successfully treated using over-the-counter products to get relief. More severe cases often require more drastic measures. It might help to realize that the fungus is like a mushroom plant; in this case, the ‘soil’ it grows in is the dead skin of the feet. It has spores and tentacle-like capacity to propagate itself and spread. If you start to treat it with creams and powders, all your shoes and slippers will need the powder. Socks should be washed with anti-fungal soap. Creams are best absorbed by the body because they are oil-based, which skin is more readily able to absorb. However, powders do help absorb excess sweat and should be used in the shoes. Disinfect the floor of the shower stall before and after each use.
Following are a few more ideas that I’ve read about.
Ø Apply Absorbine Jr., which may sting on the raw skin.
Ø Once the infection is under control, douse the feet with rubbing alcohol after every shower and let air dry.
Ø Soak feet in Gentian Violet.
Ø Make a foot soak from vinegar by pouring two cups of vinegar into a basin. It will sting when it first reaches any open cuts, but try to keep soaking for about ten minutes. If the vinegar stings too much, dilute it fifty-fifty with water. Without rinsing off the vinegar, dry the feet with a towel and then dust them with athlete’s foot powder. Continue the vinegar soak daily, twice a day for extreme cases. Once the symptoms are less severe, the solution could be used more than once per soak until it begins to look dirty.
Here is a foot soak that I found in a Whole Foods magazine that is not for athlete’s foot problems, but rather for your general enjoyment after a long, hot day on your feet.
Herbal Foot Soak (makes 2 ounces)
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons dried juniper berries
5 whole clove buds
First, mix together all the ingredients and pour into a small jar, or place ingredients inside a large muslin tea bag. Then fill a small footbath or basin with boiling water, and add the dried herb and spice mixture. Let the mixture steep for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the water cools to a warm, comfortable temperature. Soak your feet in the fragrant water for fifteen to twenty minutes.
July Special: During the month of July, bring a friend when you come for treatment, and both visits combined are only $50 total! The friend must be a new patient. (Regular price for 2 visits is $110. It’s a $60 savings!)
Relay for Life 2014… in Woodland Park is at the end of this month! Join the fight against cancer on July 26th between noon and midnight, at the Woodland Park High School athletic field. There will be carnival fundraisers and activities to enjoy, so bring the kids! If you are interested in joining a relay team, it is not too late to join our team, the ‘Activators’. You can register on the following website: www.relayforlife.org/tellercountyco. We also have luminarias for sale here at the office. Just a ten dollar donation ensures your loved one will be honored at the luminary ceremony with their name on a luminaria. Learn more at RelayForLife.org.