|
A MONEYCHANGER
INTERVIEW:
DR. WARD DEAN ON
SUPPLEMENTS
Dr. Ward Dean
graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. A former
infantry officer with combat service advising Vietnamese Rangers on
the Cambodian border, he taught at the U.S. Army Mountain Ranger
School in north Georgia. After graduating from Han Yang University
College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, Dr. Dean spent seven years as
an Army Flight Surgeon and Diving Medical Officer, including three
years as a member of the Delta Force, America’s top-secret
counter-terrorist unit. He practised life extension medicine
privately in southern California for five years, then transferred
from the National Guard into the Navy as a Flight Surgeon in
Pensacola, Florida. In 1996 he retired as a Commander.
A specialist in
anti-aging and life extension medicine, Dr. Dean served on the
founding Board of Directors of the American Academy of Anti-Aging
Medicine and as the group’s first vice-president. He has written
extensively on the biology of aging and has published nearly 100
articles and reviews in professional journals. He is the author of
Biological Aging Measurement—Clinical Applications, and is
co-author of the best sellers, Smart Drugs & Nutrients (with
John Morgenthaler), Smart Drugs II—The Next Generation (with
John Morgenthaler and Steven Fowkes), GHB—The Natural Mood
Enhancer (with Messrs. Morgenthaler and Fowkes), and the
critically-acclaimed Neuroendocrine Theory of Aging and
Degenerative Disease (with Professor Vladimir Dilman).
Dr. Dean is also
founder and Medical Director of the Center for Bio-Gerontology in
Pensacola, Florida. He continues to study the causes of aging, and
works to develop ways to measure and retard the aging process, with
the goal of restoring people to more youthful biological ages.
Since 1996, Dr. Dean has also been the Director of Research and
Development for Vitamin Research Products in Carson City, Nevada.
Recognised as an expert witness on issues of safety, toxicology, and
clinical uses of dietary supplements, he has testified for the
defense in a number of dietary supplement-related criminal cases.
I met Dr. Ward Dean
about six years ago at a conference in Atlanta, and was immediately
fascinated. Much of his practice aims at studying the causes of
aging, and attempting to slow or even reverse the effects of aging,
a topic that interests every one of us.
In spite of the
official propaganda that Americans now are healthier than ever, most
of us remember grandparents or even grandparents who seemed to
retain physical and mental vigour even into their eighties and
nineties. Today, who doesn’t fear spending his last days in a
diaper, staring vacantly out the window? What accounts for the
difference in our resistance to the ravages of aging?
I asked Dr. Dean what
role pollutants play in advancing aging. In his own locale,
Pensacola, he opposed fluoridation of the water supply, on grounds
of health and liberty.. It amounts to forced
medication of the population. In areas where drinking water
contains high naturally occurring fluoride levels people suffer from
accelerated aging.
Add to fluoridation
our ubiquitous exposure to aluminum. We cook in it, drink
from it, and slather it under our armpits (it’s in every
antiperspirant). Canadian researchers in particular, Dr. Dean
remarked, suspect aluminum as a chief culprit in Alzheimer’s
disease.
Among pollutants Dr.
Dean stressed the danger of mercury amalgam dental fillings.
While many people tolerate them well, others show extreme
sensitivity and react in a multitude of ways that appear as
degenerative diseases. “Biological” dentists will remove and
replace them with non-metallic fillings. Chelation combined with
taking DMSA (dimethylsuccinic acid) is the treatment of choice to
remove mercury from the body after the fillings are replaced. DMSA—which
used to be available only with a prescription at a cost of 4 or 5
dollars a pill—is now available over the counter as a supplement,
at a fraction of that cost.
I asked Dr. Dean
about artificial sweeteners. As little as he favours feeding his
children sugar, he would much prefer they drink sugared beverages
than those laced with some artificial sweeteners. I had to laugh
when he observed that no one had ever lost a pound drinking
diet drinks. Some people are extremely sensitive to them, too, as
they are to food dyes.
The way our animal
foods are raised create additional nutritional problems. Crowding
chickens into small cages increases their levels of cortisol,
which the body produces in reaction to stress, especially the stress
of overcrowding. Cortisol makes their meat softer and less
palatable. Factory raised eggs, too, lack colour so the layers must
be fed additives to colour the yolks. Compare yard-raised chickens
or eggs to pen-raised, and you’ll see the difference immediately.
If these all
contribute to feebleness in aging, what is the solution? I wanted
to interview Dr. Dean because he studies and treats aging, and
because he formulates supplements for Vitamin Research Products.
Over the years I have read many of his articles in Vitamin
Research’s outstanding newsletter, where he does an excellent
job of making complex biological chemistry understandable.
Dr. Dean kindly made
time for this interview on September 28, 2000. We pick up where we
began discussing supplementation.
MONEYCHANGER I pass
through cycles of ambiguity towards supplements. Many times I find
myself taking handfuls (seems like bowlfuls) of supplements,
and then I just drop them all. Very few of them leave me feeling
any different. What do you think about supplementation?
Dr. DEAN I’m a big
believer in supplements. Most of us are far removed from natural
food, many soils on which the foods are grown are depleted, and our
bodies have to overcome a number of toxins and additives in food.
Even though we may not actually feel anything from the
supplements we’re taking, we clearly know, based on scientific
studies on both humans and animals, that in the long run they’re
helping us. You may not feel any different today than you did
yesterday or last month or last year, but when you attend a high
school reunion (I just came back from my fortieth), you can see how
the deficiencies and abuses to our bodies really add up over time.
The difference between people who had been taking care of themselves
and those who were not doing anything positive for their bodies and
their health really stood out.
Take one example.
Homocysteine [ho mo CIS teen] has been recognised as a
cardiovascular risk factor. By taking supplemental B-6, B-12, folic
acid, and trimethylglycine [tri meth ull GLY ceen], we can
reverse homocystein levels and reduce cardiovascular risk.
Another substance is
turmeric or curcumin, a very powerful anti-oxidant.
Turmeric will also drop fibrinogen levels like a rock. Fibrinogen
is another cardiovascular risk factor, and one of the most
significant risk factors for atherosclerosis and strokes, but
doctors don’t talk about it much. Why not? Because no known drug
will lower fibrinogen levels. However, turmeric--a common herb used
in Indian cooking and available as a dietary supplement—will, as I
said, drop fibrinogen levels like a rock and dramatically reduce
cardiovascular risk, even in the face of elevated cholesterol.
MONEYCHANGER This is
just the common spice?
Dr. DEAN Exactly. In
fact, in clinical studies, those with low cholesterol and high
fibrinogen had a greater risk for heart attacks and strokes than
those with low fibrinogen and high cholesterol. And it takes less
than 50 milligrams [mg] daily to obtain these fibrinogen-lowering
benefits.
MONEYCHANGER Everybody
fears the Big Three: heart attack, cancer, and senile dementia (or
Alzheimer’s). Aren’t all of those related somehow to lowered hormone
levels in older people?
Dr. DEAN Yes, and we
can now do something naturally about these adverse changes. Since
the passage of the Dietary Supplement Act in 1994, substances that
previously fell within the domain of the pharmaceutical companies
have become available to dietary supplement companies. A number of
natural hormones are now available as dietary supplements, including
melatonin, pregnenolone, DHEA, progesterone
creams, and some companies are even starting to offer natural
thyroid. [mel uh TONE in; preg NEN alone; pro JES
ter own]
The pineal [PIE nee
ul] gland produces the hormone, melatonin. That is the body’s
central regulator of biorhythms and also of most hormones.
Melatonin levels start dropping in the late 20s and early 30s.
That’s one reason for disordered sleep as we get older. Melatonin
levels in older people virtually don’t exist, so a lot of older
people have trouble sleeping at night, get tired during the day, and
they’re forgetful and confused. Many of these symptoms can be
reversed if we can just make sure to get adequate sleep at night.
Melatonin is totally non-toxic, and has been used intravenously in
doses as high as 200 mg.
MONEYCHANGER Whoa!
The normal dose is one to fifteen milligrams!
Dr. DEAN Exactly, so
people who are concerned that they’re taking too much can relax,
because it is absolutely non-toxic in any dose. By restoring
melatonin levels back to those of healthy young adults, people can
sleep more soundly and stay alert during the day. In experimental
animals, studies have shown that supplemental melatonin in the
drinking water at night actually increases lifespan and
prevents a number of degenerative diseases. So melatonin is one
supplement that people actually do feel. They sleep more
soundly.
I recommend starting
with a dose anywhere from one to three milligrams on an empty
stomach about an hour or so before bedtime. Take enough to help you
go to sleep and stay asleep all night, without feeling drugged in
the morning.
One caveat: a
very small percentage of people have an idiosyncratic reaction
to melatonin. That means, they have an unexplained adverse
reaction—opposite of what should be expected. In these folks,
melatonin actually makes them hyper and jittery. Those people,
unfortunately, can’t take melatonin--but for most people, it’s an
extremely safe, beneficial hormone.
MONEYCHANGER You can
buy that at any drugstore or health food store?
Dr. DEAN Yes, over the
counter.
The
hormone cascade starts with pregnenolone. Pregnenolone was really
popularized following a recent review article by Dr. Eugene Roberts
with the City of Hope in Duarte, California. Dr. Roberts had
actually been researching pregnenolone back in the 1950s for
a pharmaceutical company. He was getting tremendous results in
improving cognitive performance of experimental animals and also in
treating a number of experimental inflammatory conditions. The
scientists would induce arthritis, and then use pregnenolone as an
anti-inflammatory substance. It’s totally non-toxic. In humans,
they were using doses as high as 500 – 600 milligrams daily, and
were getting some interesting results. However, the company
president came through one day and asked Dr. Roberts what he was
working on. When Roberts told him, the president said, “Look, this
is a natural product. We’re not going to make any money on it.
We’ve got prednisone and prednisilone, triamcinolone, and all these
synthetics. Forget about this, and let’s get on with it.”
So he shelved his
pregnenolone research. But now he’s getting up in years himself.
Recently he started getting creaky joints so he dusted off his
research on pregnenolone and wrote this beautiful review article
about it. Now, a number of supplement companies are offering
pregnenolone. I recommend dosages anywhere from 10 milligrams once
daily in the morning, up to 100 milligrams. This has both
anti-inflammatory and cognitive enhancing effects. In the body,
pregnenolone also converts into DHEA and progesterone. It’s
beneficial for both men and women.
Going a little farther
down the hormone cascade, you asked about DHEA. Like
melatonin and pregnenolone, DHEA drops dramatically with age. As
the levels drop there also seems to be increased incidence of a
number of diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and
cancer. Although DHEA is not a miracle rejuvenating hormone, it
does have a number of anti-aging properties, which help to prevent a
number of aging-related diseases. One of DHEA’s significant
properties is its ability to restore insulin sensitivity.
As we get older, we all
tend to become diabetic due to “insulin resistance.” As the tissues
become resistant to insulin’s effects, even more insulin is
produced. Insulin, although essential for life, is also an aging
accelerator.
We want to keep our
insulin levels at the minimum required for health. We do that by
restoring insulin receptor sensitivity. One way to do this is to
restrict our carbohydrate consumption. Carbohydrate consumption
just accelerates the insulin resistance.
DHEA seems to restore
insulin sensitivity and helps both diabetics and non-diabetics. It
also helps to stimulate immunity, and is also a cognitive enhancing
hormone.
I recommend virtually
everybody over the age of 30 to supplement with DHEA in doses from
10 to 50 milligrams. Women tend to convert DHEA very efficiently
into testosterone. Consequently excess DHEA may cause male symptoms
such as facial hair or deepening voice. They just have to reduce
the dose down to five to 25 milligrams a day, but it’s very easy to
adjust. If they see the adverse effect, just reduce the dose.
Men tend to be able to
take a little bit more. I usually start them at 25 – 50
milligrams. In some disease conditions women can take much higher
doses. For example, in lupus doses from 75 – 100 milligrams have
helped women without the excess conversion to testosterone.
Now the question is, if
pregnenolone converts to DHEA, then do we need to take DHEA? The
ultimate steroid in the body is cholesterol. That’s where
all the steroid hormones originate. If the answer to hormone
supplementation were to just take the precursors, then we would only
need to take more cholesterol. [laughing] That’s obviously
not the answer. Why not? Because the problem lies with the
enzymes in our body that convert these hormones to other
hormones. So it works better to take moderate doses of a variety of
these hormones.
MONEYCHANGER Should they
all have their beneficial effects on degenerative diseases, such as
arthritis, loss of mental acuity . . .
Dr. DEAN . . . immune
suppression, hypertension, exactly. Many physicians have cautioned
those with prostate problems (both BPH, [benign prostrate
hypertrophy], or prostate cancer] against taking DHEA.
However, who has
prostate problems? Is it young people with high DHEA and
testosterone levels, or older men with low levels? Clearly, it’s
the older men. If high levels of DHEA and testosterone were causing
prostate problems, then 20 year olds would all have prostate
problems. Looking at the literature critically, we find that
DHEA and testosterone both actually help those with prostate
problems.
MONEYCHANGER DHEA stands
for?
Dr. DEAN Dehydroepiandrosterone.
MONEYCHANGER What about
another one that sounds similar, DMAE?
Dr. DEAN DMAE is really
an interesting substance that gets us into another whole area of
cognitive enhancement. Dimethylaminoethanol
is actually found in high concentrations in fish and sardines, so
Grandma was probably right when she said that fish is a brain food.
Back in the 1970s DMAE
used to be considered a drug, when it was used for a condition
called “minimal brain dysfunction,” today known as “attention
deficit disorder” (ADD). DMAE increases levels of acetylcholine
in the brain. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter, the brain
chemical that decreases in Alzheimer’s disease. So DMAE may have
some benefit in Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairing illnesses.
Acetylcholine is sort of
a feel-good neurotransmitter that enhances our memory formation.
DMAE also inhibits the accumulation of lipofuscin.
Liposfuscin is a pigment that begins accumulating on the backs of
the hands, of many people in their 50s and 60s. These accumulations
are known as “aging spots.” But lipofuscin also accumulates in
other cells in the body -- the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
DMAE can actually flush that pigment from the body, like an
intracellular garbage collector. Over a period of six to eight
months, many people on DMAE have watched their aging spots virtually
disappear.
I usually recommend
doses from 100 milligrams a day up to 500 milligrams. Too much DMAE
can cause excessive muscle tension, a little bit of jaw tightness,
tightness in the back of the neck, or maybe a headache. These side
effects go away with a reduction in dosage. DMAE is a mild cerebral
stimulant, and has been used as a cognitive enhancer for years.
It’s probably one of the most beneficial and inexpensive dietary
supplements that people can take.
MONEYCHANGER Do you find
any other supplements particularly valuable?
Dr. DEAN Absolutely.
One is a fairly new one, vinpocitine [vin POH suh teen],
extracted from the periwinkle plant. I usually recommend it in
doses of 10 milligrams three to four times a day. Vinpocitine
enhances brain cell metabolism and glucose uptake. It’s one of the
few things that has been used to improve vision, hearing, and a
condition known as labyrinthitis. This is a disease of the
inner ear that results in a sudden onset of vertigo accompanied by
nausea and vomiting. There’s really no drug that effectively treats
this condition. ENT doctors will prescribe antihistamines for it,
but they only make people sleepy. So in addition to enhancing
cognition, this is the substance of choice for anyone suffering from
labyrinthitis or Mennier’s disease.
A lot of different
things may cause cognitive problems. One could be impaired blood
supply. That’s why we use chelation therapy, and the herb
gingko biloba, which improves blood supply to the brain. We use
vinpocitine to enhance brain cell metabolism. We can use
DMAE to flush the lipofuscin out and increase acetylcholine levels.
There’s another
substance called phosphatidylserine [phos FATE uh dill
sear een], which maintains membrane fluidity and restores
receptor sensitivity in the brain cells. Those who have been
following the instalments on the neuro-endocrine theory of aging in
our newsletter from Vitamin Research understand the importance of
restoring receptor sensitivity in the brain. This may be a real key
to the aging process. Phosphatidylserine has been used to treat a
number of dementing illnesses, as well as to improve cognitive
performance in normal adults. I usually recommend 300 milligrams a
day to start, and after two to three weeks, the dosage can be
reduced to 200 milligrams daily, still retaining the same benefit.
Another supplement used
as a “smart substance” is acetyl-L-carnitine [uh SEAT ul
ell CAR nuh teen]. This is a form of L-carnitine that has been
used primarily in Italy for Alzheimer’s and other dementing
illnesses. It improved cognitive performance in normal people,
helps to normalise lipid [fat] metabolism and acts as a
mitochondrial resuscitant. The mitochondria are the powerhouses
of the cell responsible for producing all cellular energy. Acetyl-L-carnitine
actually restores several biochemical parameters of old mitochondria
to scores characteristics of youthful adults.
I usually recommend
anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams a day. It used to be fairly
expensive, but the price is coming down so now it’s more
affordable. But if price is a concern, I recommend plain old L-carnitine,
which may have all the benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine at a lower
cost.
There are some drugs
that can be used also to improve cognitive performance. The one
that I recommend the most is piracetam [purr ASS uh tam].
This is the prototype of a whole class of what we call nootropics
[no oh TROPE ix]. All the nootropics are fairly similar,
extremely safe, and highly beneficial. The nootropics have the
unique characteristic of facilitating communication between the
right and left hemispheres of the brain. We all seem to be
dominated by the left or the right half of the brain, and the
noötropics seem to cause the left & right sides of the brains to
communicate more efficiently.
MONEYCHANGER Do you need
a prescription for piracetam?
Dr. DEAN Actually, a
prescription won’t even do you any good because it’s not available
in the US. I usually recommend people go to International Anti-aging
Systems (IAS) in Great Britain. You can legally order drugs from IAS
even though the drugs are not approved in this country. It’s legal
to import them without a prescription. Call VRP (800-877-2447) for
contact information for IAS.
There’s one more
substance which I think is probably the best anti-aging substance
currently available. It is glucophage or metformin.
Glucophage is an anti-diabetic drug that restores insulin
sensitivity. As I mentioned, we all tend to become diabetic as we
get older. If elderly people were judged by the same criteria for
diabetes that are used for young people, a very high percentage of
our older population would be diagnosed with diabetes. But since
the HMOs and the insurance companies obviously don’t want to provide
that much treatment, they move the goalposts and change the
criteria.
Glucophage actually
restores insulin sensitivity to that of a much younger person. As a
result, we have less cross-linking of our tissues, which causes our
tissues to lose flexibility and dry out like old windshield wiper
blades. Glucophage is also one of the most effective weight-loss
substances there is. Why? Because insulin drives sugar into the
cells where it becomes fat. We don’t become fat because we eat fat,
we become fat because we eat sugar. Sugar drives our insulin up,
and the insulin drives the sugar into the cells, where it’s
converted into fat. So to lose weight, we need to eat fewer
carbohydrates and restore our insulin mechanism back to a more
youthful level. We can do that with this drug, metformin. It’s
available by prescription in this country, but is fairly expensive.
Unless people have a pharmacy plan, I usually recommend that they go
to IAS for it, where it costs 40-50¢ a pill.
MONEYCHANGER You can
order it from there and import it into the country?
Dr. DEAN Or you can go
to Mexico and buy it there at a fraction of the US cost.
MONEYCHANGER We’ve
talked about supplementation. That’s sort of the easy way to
fix things. What about exercise?
Dr. DEAN Exercise is the
best anti-aging pill there is. I recommend that everybody should
take a daily walk around the block, as a minimum. I have seen
wonders in people who have done just that.
MONEYCHANGER Nothing
more than just walking around the block?
Dr. DEAN Exactly. That
dramatically reduces diabetics’ blood sugar levels and insulin
requirement. It’s amazing what just a little bit of moderate
exercise accomplishes. A lot of people think they don’t have time to
exercise, or it takes too big a commitment. Well, everyone can walk
around the block, and it’s amazing how much benefit that confers, in
dropping insulin, dropping blood sugar, getting some oxygen into the
system, and improving your outlook on life. It also helps to keep
the cortisol down.
MONEYCHANGER Does it
help to take the stairs instead of the elevator?
Dr. DEAN Absolutely,
absolutely.
MONEYCHANGER That sounds
almost silly, but if you do enough of that during the day it means
quite a bit more exercise.
Dr. DEAN What’s one of
the most popular exercise machines in the gym? The Stairmaster.
MONEYCHANGER What about
the loss of sexual function as we grow older? Viagra® has been an
incredible success, even to the extent of enticing a former
presidential candidate to do a commercial for Viagra. Do any
non-prescription, non-pharmaceutical supplements have similar
effects?
Dr. DEAN In fact I’ve
designed a formula for that. It’s a combination of arginine
[ARR jin neen], one to three grams; choline [KOH
leen], one to three grams; vitamin B-5 (pantothenic
acid), 500 milligrams. Taken several hours in advance, this
combination has almost the same nitric oxide producing effect as
Viagra.
Other supplements that
also work in many people, and can be taken in conjunction with the
above formula, include an herb, tribulus terrestris, about
500 milligrams. The most potent versions come from Bulgaria. I
believe tribulus acts to restore the brain’s hypothalamic
sensitivity to testosterone. In other words, it makes the available
testosterone work more efficiently. Yohimbe, also available
as an herb, is the only other drug listed in the Physician’s Desk
Reference as a male aphrodisiac. The dose on that is five to ten
milligrams three times a day.
Another aphrodesiac herb
for men is the herb muira puama, which has also been
extensively studied. To sum up, that’s a combination of tribulus,
yohimbe, and muira puama, arginine, choline, and vitamin B-5. This
combination has reportedly worked wonders in many cases.
MONEYCHANGER Does that
work for men only, or for women, too?
Dr. DEAN Some women have
responded positively to tribulus and to yohimbe as well. However,
they seem to do better with the South Sea Island herb, Kava Kava.
MONEYCHANGER Of the many
publications I get, I really enjoy reading the newsletter from your
supplement company, Vitamin Research Products, and I’ve really
learned a lot from it. How could my readers subscribe?
Dr. DEAN They can call
(800) 877-2447 or they can visit the web site,
www.vrp.com. We have all of the articles from back issues of
the newsletter on the website. We cover most of the things we’ve
talked about today, including hypothyroidism, ADD, perimenopause,
postmenopause, osteoporosis, and the importance of magnesium
for a variety of conditions.
Magnesium is one of the
most under-appreciated and least expensive supplements
that people can take. Every TV station bombards us with
exhortations to take calcium. However, our problem isn’t calcium
deficiency but improper calcium utilisation.
As we get older, calcium
deposits develop in our joints, called arthritis. Calcium deposited
in our arteries is called atherosclerosis. In our brain, calcium
deposits calcify the pineal gland, impairing production of
melatonin. I think that people actually lack magnesium more than
calcium. They’re putting calcium in orange juice, milk and dairy
products, breakfast cereals…but we don’t see much about magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency
results in hypertension and contributes to ADD in children. It may
cause asthma and allergies. Many of these conditions can be
reversed by adequate magnesium supplementation. Magnesium is a
smooth-muscle relaxant, so it helps in hypertension and asthma.
When magnesium is lacking, calcium is not adequately absorbed.
Likewise, an excess of calcium impairs magnesium absorption.
One of the real keys to
osteoporosis and other conditions is to take adequate magnesium.
You can adjust your dose by taking it just up to “bowel tolerance.”
An excess of magnesium will result in stomach upset and diarrhea, so
we take the dose up to that point, and then drop it back to where we
feel comfortable. That assures us we’re getting adequate magnesium
to help maintain dense bones.
MONEYCHANGER You have a
connection with Vitamin Research Products?
Dr. DEAN Right. I’m
Director of Research and Development.
MONEYCHANGER Some people
would criticise that and complain that as a doctor you shouldn’t
have a commercial interest in these preparations. What do you think
about that?
Dr. DEAN Dr. DEAN Why
shouldn’t I have a commercial interest? As a vitamin junkie myself,
I have a personal as well as a financial interest in producing
quality nutritional supplements. We also put out a lot of cutting
edge information in our newsletter. I assume that a lot of the
readers may buy products from their local discount store based on
information we provide. Our articles in our newsletter are backed up
by scientific references. People can check on the accuracy of what I
write. I take supplements because I believe in them. Of course, I
still pull out the prescription pad occasionally. In fact I’ve
talked about some drugs today that your readers can get a
prescription for.
But if they don’t have a
doctor, they can also go to IAS or some other overseas pharmacy. I
don’t think there’s any real conflict with my recommendations.
MONEYCHANGER Thank you
very, very much for your time and courtesy, Dr. Dean.
[END]
Back to the previous
page
|
