Blog - Page 5 of 26 - Dan Hammer Health LTD

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/08/2020

In part one of improving brain function we looked at the importance of your endothelium and its ability to create nitric oxide. In part two we are going to look at nootropic compounds for improving brain function.

Nootropics are plant-based nutrients that enhance cognition while at the same time help to facilitate learning.

They are not used to protect against brain aging.

Rather, they are used to improve brain processing speed, learning, and memory. And can be used for all ages of people. Not just older adults.

These nootropic compound help to improve brain cell efficiencies, which then boost cognitive function in the form of memory.

For older adults, the ability to process and store new information declines with age. Nootropic compounds improve the brain’s ability to learn and retain this new information. And there are several key nootropics that have show promising results:

Bacopa monnieri – This is a flowering herb that has long been used to improve memory. In recent human clinical trials, a standardized extract of Bacopa has been shown to improve the following cognitive functions:

Power and speed of attention
Speed of visual processing
Verbal learning speed
Formation of new memories
Recall of memories

The amount used in this study was 300 mg of Bacopa monnieri. And the results were seen after the 12 week study was concluded.

In animal studies, the use of standardized Bacopa extract improved brain function by stimulating the growth of neuron connections in two key areas of the brain. The hippocampus and amygdala sections of the brain.

The hippocampus is key for the proper formation of new memories. And in these animal studies the following was observed: Read More →

Improving Brain Function – Part One

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/01/2020

As people age one of their concerns is improving brain function. Every study that I’ve ever seen that improves blood flow to the brain improves brain function.

It is one of the reason why I’m a big proponent of Nitric Oxide Therapy.

Helping your body improve its ability to create nitric oxide ends up improving blood flow. Improved blood flow improves the deliver of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. As well as helps to properly remove metabolic waste.

This allows your brain cells to function better.

What is critical to blood flow is the health of your endothelium and its ability to properly produce nitric oxide.

The importance of your endothelium was recently highlight in a 2019 video that I saw from the BrainMind Summit. In this video Dr. George Church of Harvard Medical School made the following statement:

“Here some stem cells are turning into two different kinds of important brain cells. The one that everyone thinks about which is neurons . . . but the one that people tend to forget about is the endothelium, which provides the blood to the neurons. And there is almost exactly 1 capillary per neuron. So you have 86 billion neurons in your brain you have almost 86 billion capillaries. . .”

Capillaries are needed to bring the oxygen and nutrients to the neurons. Capillaries are endothelial tissue.

Thus the health of your endothelial tissue helps determine the health of your capillaries.

And contained in your endothelium are enzymes that convert the amino acid L-arginine to nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide then dilates the blood vessels for improved blood flow.

As I’ve already stated, improved blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients, which then nourishes your neurons to improve their performance.

One of the ways for improving brain function is to improve the health of your endothelium and its ability to properly produce nitric oxide. To this end there are five key ingredients. They are: Read More →

Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer

Posted by Dan Hammer //

07/22/2020

I came across a very interesting article about cruciferous vegetables and cancer. I’ll provide the link to this article at the end of this post. Modern science has been able to mimic nature in delivering two compounds found in cruciferous vegetables.

But before I highlight this information on cruciferous vegetables and cancer it’s important to identify which edible plants fall into this category. They are:

Broccoli

Kale

Green and Red Cabbage

Cauliflower

Brussels Sprouts

My favorite is broccoli. And it is a good representative for the two key nutrients that have been clinically validated in their ability to fight cancer. They are:

Sulforaphane
DIM or 3,3′-diindolylmethane

Both of these ingredients have numerous studies that show how effective they are in killing cancer cells. Sulforaphane has shown promise in helping to reduce the risk for these cancers:

Breast

Bladder

Lung

Prostate

Cervix

Leukemia

Mouth

Brain

And DIM, that is found in broccoli, has show remarkable promise in resolving precancer cells that can lead to cervical cancer.

Sounds very promising. But there is a catch to these cruciferous vegetables and cancer. That catch is ingredient stability. Read More →

The Importance of Vitamin C

Posted by Dan Hammer //

07/15/2020

A new study published in the Journal of Intensive Care adds to the importance of vitamin C in helping to improve ventilator outcomes. This study was done before the CoVid19 pandemic. But since the CoVid19 virus can put people on ventilators, this study has merit in the potential to be part of the treatment protocol.

In this new study on the importance of vitamin C, the researchers looked at eight controlled trials that examined the length of time critically ill patients spent on a ventilator. Patients were split into two groups. One group received either intravenous or orally administered vitamin C. The other group did not receive any vitamin C. And here are the results:

There was a 14% reduction in time spent on the ventilator for those who received the vitamin C.

However, for the patients who were the most critically compromised, the ventilator time was reduced by 25 percent.

This outcome was with the daily use of vitamin C that ranged from 1 to 6 grams of either intravenous or oral vitamin C.

There is a massive amount of research that confirms the importance of vitamin C. In fact, vitamin C is considered an essential nutrient for humans. And the reason why is that people cannot internally produce this vitamin.

This means we must get this water-soluble nutrient either from our diet, through supplementation, or a combination of both.

Low levels of vitamin C in your body leave you susceptible to infections.

And the reason why is the role vitamin C plays in maintaining your immune system. This importance of vitamin C has four basic components. Read More →

Supplements for Prostate Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

07/08/2020

I’ve written a couple of articles on supplements for prostate health.

So why another one?

This one comes directly from the National Cancer Institute and provides a very objective and balanced approach to this issue about using supplements for prostate health.

Prostate cancer is the most common internal cancer affecting men. Here in the United States approximately 12% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

An even greater number of men are affected by prostate concerns like an enlarged prostate.

In the introduction for this large PDF (86 pages), the National Cancer Institute notes that the use of vitamins and other supplements are widely used by men for both prevention and prostate health. Almost 60% of men that have a family history of prostate cancer use some form of supplementation to reduce their risk.

Here is a list of what they cover:

Calcium
Green Tea
Lycopene
Modified Citrus Pectin
Pomegranate
Selenium
Soy
Vitamin D
Vitamin E

In this article I’m going to give you the primary conclusion the National Cancer Institute has for each of these ingredients. Then I’ll provide some of my thoughts at the end. Read More →

Dangers of Soy – A Balanced View

Posted by Dan Hammer //

07/01/2020

Are there dangers of soy that can affect your health? Or is soy as beneficial to your health as the soy industry claims? I hope to provide a balanced view in this article.

However, I want to be upfront. I’m not a fan of soy or products that contain ingredients from soy.

I don’t like the taste of soy. And I try to steer away from processed foods that contain soy in their ingredient list. But my feelings about soy don’t justify whether there are dangers of soy.

Many vegans and vegetarians will use soy-based foods to get their protein needs. They will consume items like tofu, miso, tempeh, natto, and edamame. While many enjoy the taste of these foods, I do not.

And while I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, I get a lot of my daily protein intake from pea protein. I believe it’s a better source for protein. It is also hypoallergenic for most people and causes less stomach distress and bloating.

But I digress so let’s get back to the dangers of soy – a balanced view.

Older research in this area has produced some bad press for the soy bean industry. That soy affects your hormones, can cause trouble for your thyroid, and possibly be a contributing factor in certain forms of cancer.

So are these dangers of soy real? Read More →

Reduce Nighttime Urination

Posted by Dan Hammer //

06/22/2020

There is medical term called Nocturia. Sounds like it could be a villain from either the Marvel or DC Universe. Unfortunately, it’s a villain for many men who want to reduce nighttime urination.

Men who wake up 2 or more times during the night to go to the bathroom.

It’s one of the most common urinary problems in older men. And it seems to effect 50% of men over the age of 50. And 70% of men over the age of 80.

So what are the dangers of Nocturia?

Outside of being annoying, this increase in nighttime urination disturbs sleep patterns, which can contribute to poor health, lower energy, depression, and increased overall mortality. And for older adults it increases their risk for falls. And the potential injuries that could be the results of hitting the floor or other objects in the room.

But men, what if you could reduce nighttime urination by 64%?

And limited your trips to the bathroom at night to no more than one time? Would you be interested in learning how?

If yes, then let me tell you about a successful human trial that did just that.

This trial studied a group of men who ranged in age from 45 to 72 years old. Their urinary symptoms were assessed at the start of the study. During this assessment 87% of men reported some degree of Nocturia. Roughly 50% of the men got up one time at night. And 37% of men got up two to three time each night to urinate.

All subjects were given one capsule that contained the following:

180 mg of Beta-sitosterol
100 mg of Pygeum Bark Extract
15 mg of Lycopene
10 mg of Boron
2 mg of Melatonin

They took this capsule daily for 60 days. Researchers then evaluated the number of trips they had to the bathroom to go pee. The 87% who suffered from Nocturia at the start of the study declined to only 23%, which was a 64% reduction.

And for those in the study who got up 2 or more time to go to the bathroom, none suffered from this degree by the end of the study. In fact, many of these men were able to reduce nighttime urination to zero.

Now you might not be able to combine all 5 of these ingredients into your lifestyle. So let’s look at each one to see how they can benefit men and improve their urinary tract. Read More →

Combining Walnuts and Pecans for Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

06/15/2020

When it comes to heart health, combining walnuts and pecans can be a winning team. Most of the positive press associated with using nuts for heart health goes to walnuts. But pecans can also be a positive force for good cardiovascular health.

To start our discussion I’d like to do a nutritional comparison of these two nuts. And I’m going to use information from Dr. Edward Group of Global Healing.. Below is his table comparing one ounce of walnuts to one ounce of pecans:

https://globalhealing.com/natural-health/pecans-vs-walnuts/

Nutrient	Walnuts (14 halves)	Pecans (19 halves)
Water	1.15g	1g
Calories	185kcal	196kcal
Protein	4.32g	2.6g
Total Fat	18.49g	20.4g
Carbohydrates	3.89g	3.93g
Fiber	1.9g	2.7g
Sugars	0.74g	1.13g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	28mg	20mg
Iron, Fe	0.82mg	0.72mg
Magnesium, Mg	45mg	34mg
Phosphorus, P	98mg	79mg
Potassium, K	125mg	116mg
Sodium, Na	1mg	0mg
Zinc, Zn	0.88mg	1.28mg
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	0.4mg	0.3mg
Thiamin	0.097mg	0.187mg
Riboflavin	0.043mg	0.037mg
Niacin	0.319mg	0.331mg
Vitamin B-6	0.152mg	0.06mg
Folate, DFE	28µg	6µg
Vitamin B12	0µg	0µg
Vitamin A, RAE	0µg	1µg
Vitamin A, IU	6IU	16IU
Vitamin E	0.2mg	0.4mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	0µg	0µg
Vitamin D	0IU	0IU
Vitamin K	0.8µg	1µg
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	1.737g	1.752g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	2.533g	11.567g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	13.374g	6.128g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Caffeine	0mg	0mg

Combining Walnuts and Pecans For a Healthy Snack

The key to helping people improve their health is to find healthy snacks that will fuel their body with good nutritional calories.

One ounce of either walnuts or pecans is under 200 calories. This is good.

What makes them a better choice than potato chips is that they will satisfy your hunger and hold your appetite for a longer period of time. And the reason why is their combination of protein and fiber with healthy fats. Read More →

Sage Extract For Improved Cognitive Function

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/22/2020

It’s a long title but this article is going to discuss using sage extract for improved cognitive function. Especially for short-term memory.

As we age one of our concerns is cognitive function. Especially the ability to remember. Not just past events. But recent activities. What would be called “short-term memory.”

There are many factors that can contribute to this decline.

One is poor circulation, which robs the brain of the needed oxygen and blood glucose to operate at peak efficiency.

But another factor are chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These compounds are used to help your brain cells communicate with each other.

Acetylcholine is a key neurotransmitter. It is critical for memory, attention, and reasoning.

As we age acetylcholine declines. This decline plays a major role in poor memory and your inability to pay attention to tasks.

The pharmaceutical industry has created a drug that boosts your level of acetylcholine by inhibiting an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme degrades your brains level of acetylcholine, which then effects your memory.

Sage extract can inhibit this same enzyme resulting in an increase in acetylcholine levels.

In a 2018 clinical study that used a standardized sage extract, the participants, when compared to the placebo group, had:

Nearly a 60% increase in memory performance.
An approximate 2.5 fold improvement in attention.

And the improvements were within hours of taking this sage extract.

This interest in a natural way to address cognitive function as spawned additional studies for both younger adults and those with Alzheimer’s disease.

For younger people, the sage extract showed the following improvements within hours: Read More →

Vitamin D and Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/15/2020

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about CoVid19 and Vitamin D Deficiency. Today I want to focus on vitamin D and heart health.

Additional studies are showing how optimizing your vitamin D intake can help to prevent both heart disease and stroke. And it seems to do this by:

Improving endothelial function
Reducing arterial stiffening

Vitamin D does this by increasing your endothelium’s ability to create nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels to improved blood flow.

Additionally, vitamin D helps to decrease the destructive chemical compound called peroxynitrite, which can cause inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

Researchers at the Nanomedical Research Laboratory at Ohio University conducted a study that examined this relationship between nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. For simplicity, please remember the following:

Nitric oxide is good
Peroxynitrite is bad

In their study, the researcher introduced a human hormone called angiotensin-II. This hormone causes endothelial dysfunction. The result was a decrease in nitric oxide and an increase in peroxynitrite.

When vitamin D3 was introduced, this was significantly reversed. There was a 10 fold increase in nitric oxide and a 10 fold decrease in peroxynitrite.

This study suggests that by maintaining normal levels of vitamin D in your blood stream, you can help to maintain normal endothelial function. This helps your body to properly produce nitric oxide for improved blood flow.

And, normal levels of vitamin D help to prevent the destructive peroxynitrite, which can cause vascular inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

So the question becomes:

How much vitamin D to you need to take to see a benefit? Read More →