YouTube Livestream Q&A Transcript, December 26, 2023
December 28, 2023
Question
“Hi, Dr. Rita! If you get sick with the flu, what can you do other than fast to speed up the recovery? I heard taking L tyrosine and spirulina should help shorten the course. Any thoughts?” [0:06:57]
Answer
You know, we could make an argument that a case for, let's put it, any biochemical entity involved in the cell membrane, the intracellular functions, the respiratory pathway, Krebs cycle. We can make an argument that if you take that supplement, you will enhance your healing. And it would be true, but would it be practical? So, what we're trying to do here is what's practical. So, I've been doing this for 42 years. I'm going to say fasting, rest, and enough sleep will devote all of your circulation and body to working on whatever area you have an illness on.
Now, how long is the fast? You know, 24 hours, maybe at the most 48. If you have to have something, have chicken broth or beef broth. If you feel that you must absolutely have something to eat or you get hungry, a tablespoon of olive oil or cod liver oil because that's rich in vitamin D to help you get through a 24 or 48-hour fast. I'm going to say the most powerful immune supplementations that we've put in our cold pack, every year we have kind of like a discount on a group of three or four items that I use, is vitamin D 50,000 International Units, vitamin D3 50,000 one a day for five days, then a zinc, anywhere between, 20 and 50-milligram tablet daily.
And then taking quercetin. We have it in the form of D-Hist or Seasonal Allergy, and it did come back in, folks. Ortho Molecular had some trouble getting supplies, and now that's back in. Quercetin is an ionophore, and it helps to make an entrance that is a natural entrance through the bilipid cell membrane, okay. The cell membrane, this would be injury from the virus hurting the cell. This would create a natural entrance into the cell membrane to allow the zinc to get through and nutrients to work on the ribosome to stop the viral replication. So, quercetin, like hydroxychloroquine, like ivermectin, these antiviral anti-parasite prescription medicines are used and very safe and effective.
I've had them around ever since my military time on active duty in the 1970s and 80s and 90s. And so, quercetin is a natural ionophore like those. So, we said D, zinc, quercetin. And then I would probably take vitamin C. I would use anywhere from, 1 to 4 grams a day. We do the high-dose vitamin C drip that has this in it, the zinc multimineral in it, and the B vitamins for the stress of the illness. So, vitamin C immune drip is what we call it, 25 grams of vitamin C.
The other thing is I would suggest that by fasting you're avoiding the sugars because sugar depresses the immune system. So, if you're going to eat anything, I would probably eat a roasted chicken or a roasted piece of meat or eggs over easy. That would be my suggestion.
So, Spirulina, I just have never seen in all the years any really good clinical efficacy as it is making the same impact that what I mentioned. Okay, I hope that helps.
Question
“Hi, Dr. Rita. Happy Holidays. My husband is sick. Headache, body ache, tired, irritable, clavicle area is sore, neck is sore, maybe the lymph nodes are swollen, sore throat. What can he do?” [0:11:41]
Answer
Well, do all the things I just mentioned. Vitamin D up to 50,000 units a day for five days. Zinc 20-25 mg to 50 mg daily, quercetin, and how much quercetin, the capsules from Seasonal Allergy or D-Hist from Ortho Molecular, they have 200 mg in it. And what research I've seen is about 600 mg is what you need when you're sick. So, I would take three capsules of D-Hist for Seasonal Allergies.
Then you could get Argentyn Silver. Argentyn is a liquid nano-particular, not colloidal, it's more finer, these little tiny silver molecules. They're diffused much more uniformly, 23 parts per billion. And I would take a teaspoon of that, gargle, and swallow it. And I do that four times a day. I would take vitamin C, a gram, 1,000 mg, four times a day. Too much vitamin C could give you some loose stools if you're not used to it. People who are accustomed can take 10-20 grams, but you have to build up to that. And then I would put him on a chicken broth and beef broth fast for a day or two and have him rest. And if of course, he's not doing better, I would have you see the urgent care or the ER or his primary care doctor. Those are the directions that would probably help anybody and that we would suggest.
Question
“I take levothyroxine and liothyronine in the mornings for hypothyroid. I've been advised by my doctor to take iodine, as I live near Lake Superior. When is the best time to take Iodine? Should I take it in the morning with my meds, or in the evening?” [0:14:02]
Answer
Well, that’s good. See, here's that thing where the doctors are starting to open up and beyond their medical training start to do some homework and get into these other things, Iodine. And I take mine every day.
Well, I would take it in the morning just to make sure you're consistent, you have a pattern. I need a routine every day. I think most people need routine. So, my routine is I take the bulk of my vitamins in a little dish in the morning, and I set out my quart of water that I filter through a Berkey filter. And then I have my cup of coffee. And I don't allow myself to have my coffee until I finish my vitamins. Now, I won't necessarily finish all 64 ounces of water. Then I have my exercise to do. Then I have my Bible reading to do. And then I get dressed and come to work. I don't think I forgot anything. Then I always take it in the morning. It is water soluble, so you can take it that way. You don't have to have food with it. There are a few vitamins that are fat-soluble and are probably better to take with a meal. But I don't have the time to be that organized and spread out. So, I take my vitamin D fat-soluble, my vitamin K2 fat-soluble, my vitamin E, and my vitamin A. All these fat-soluble vitamins, I still take on an empty stomach, and that's just the way it is for me. And better it would be if I took them with food, but it doesn't fit my routine. I don't think it makes that much of a difference.
So, don't add stress to your life. Add routines that work for you. And then your doctor can help work out maybe with some micronutrient testing. I use the SpectraCell. There are others. And they can check levels if you want to see if your routine is serving you well.
Question
“If I have had to go off hormones because of breast cancer, how do I handle hormone blood tests and the pill that suppresses estrogen?” [0:16:38]
Answer
Alright. So, you had to go off your hormones. I presume you're postmenopausal, and you were on replacement hormones due to breast cancer, and they probably were estrogen and progesterone positive on the pathology workup. So that's a good thing because estrogen-positive and progesterone-positive show that whatever the change in the cell type, it wasn't so angry or morphing into an aggressive cancer that it lost its healthy, normal surface membrane receptors. Okay, it didn't get into this angry cell. So, you'll be off of that. And following your oncologist management, they probably gave you either tamoxifen or anastrozole for blocking that, there are others, and you'll be on that probably about five years.
“How do I handle blood tests?” Well, on the blood tests, I do the blood tests even on my breast cancer patients, which are rare in the history of a general clinic like this. And the reason why I do it on them is because drinking wine and a high-carb diet can make the estrogen go up in a woman. So, here, she's been told to block the estrogen effect, and her oncologist, I don't know of any oncologist yet who has learned or done their homework to see that wine, which is often what women are depressed to lose a breast or have breast cancer diagnosed, and they'll go to drinking wine. And wine is a toxin, alcohol is a toxin, and it will make your estradiol go up. My own dear sister, who is my eldest sister, and remember, the younger sister can never teach the older sister anything. And so, she heard me tell her what to do and then she had her wonderful hardworking, service life, she was a beautiful, wonderful woman, but she was a widow. Tremendous work. She was a teacher at a Lutheran High School, and she worked very hard for those children, but she was depressed, I think, and she drank wine and her cancer came back and her estradiol, without any hormone replacement at her mid-60s, was 179 ng/dL.
That's because she was drinking wine. Because when she came here, when she was first diagnosed, we got her all fixed up and got her to lose weight and exercise, no alcohol, good nutrients, and she was given a hormone blocker by her oncologist, then she had no as measurable estradiol. And I've proven this over decades and decades. So, I do these hormone tests to make sure your lifestyle or what you're eating doesn't have a hidden hormone effect on your body.
So, let them do your estradiol level to make sure that they're checking the estrogen levels that they're trying to suppress. I just don't understand why my oncological colleagues try to suppress something and then they never measure it.
Question
“Taking Estradiol 0.025 mg patch and blood work is 73 pg/ml and 100 mg progesterone is 3.4 ng/ml. Was told to double progesterone to 200 mg.” [0:20:57]
Answer
That's reasonable because I do like progesterone higher than 4, and you're not far from it. So that's very reasonable.
Question
“…and blood work went down to 1.5? Thoughts on decline?” [0:21:27]
Answer
Oh, I see. So, you did go up. I don't have an answer for that. Were you using the progesterone as a cream or as a capsule? I presume it's a capsule. You know, we are metabolically all unique, and you need to repeat these tests is what I would say. I would go and stay on the 200 mg and I would recheck it. And we'll probably never know, because I see this happen from time to time, and I never seem to find out why that's happening. I don't know that there's any competitive food item or supplement that blocks the progesterone impact. I just don't have that answer for you. So, just stay the course, see your doctor, and retest it. And if it stays low like that, then maybe you have to change a different format in which you're using it. Maybe we'd go to the cream or a vaginal suppository, something like that.
Question
“Hello. My rheumatologist is wanting me to change my rheumatoid arthritis medicines from methotrexate (been working well for 20 years) to Enbrel – what are your thoughts and on biologics or a better/safer RA treatment?” [0:22:41]
Answer
I think you had that question here. Yeah, so I see it here on the email. I was diagnosed I tried to stay off meds and, finally had to go on low-dose methotrexate, held for years, and then, you had tendons transplanted, you had some very bad implant, you know, rheumatoid damage on two fingers, okay.
So your doctor insists that you go on Enbrel. Can you share what you know regarding the safe options?
What would I say…I have had many, many patients who have rheumatoid arthritis, and they have come and with working with them over time, and how much time, within 12 months, we have been able to get them off, or taper down over time, their methotrexate, and we never see their sedimentation rate, their other inflammatory markers go up. Enbrel is a TNF alpha, blocker. TNF alpha is a very important cytokine. God didn't put it in us to harm us; God put it there to be on alert like a soldier, a special soldier, in a time of damage. So, if you have cell membrane damage here in your membranes, let's say in your gut, and you're eating something over and over and over, maybe it's a yogurt or maybe it's cookies or it could be anything from good to bad, and you're eating this food, and you don't even know that you're having a low-grade immunological IgG allergy made to that food. Now, I think the doctors are starting to wake up now because we've had so many patients with rheumatoid or other chronic metabolic diseases come off their medicines and do very well.
So, what are my thoughts on Enbrel? I would follow your rheumatologist's advice. I would find a good, functional, medical doctor who will do the complete digestive stool analysis from Doctor's Data in St. Charles, Illinois - Doctor's Data because I have, I don't know, 40-plus years of history with that company.
They know what they're doing. They are the old guard, mature, they've been doing this kind of studies for functional medicine for many decades, and they do a very good job of doing a complete look for inflammation markers in your stool, how good your digestion is, is their inflammation, and, and so forth, and they do genetic testing that's very excellent.
The other thing I would do is an Immuno food allergy test, again by a company that I've been working with for 40 plus years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, called Immuno Food Panel or Immuno Food, but that's what I call it. I know it's Immuno. I don't know if they have another name. But they're in Fort Lauderdale in Florida. They have been doing this for close to 50 years now, or I think this is their 50th anniversary. They are excellent at looking at things that will inflame your body, and inflame your joints, and you could get anything from these gut scenarios to psychiatric problems, to arthritic problems, to dermatological skin problems, to the autoimmune attack of the thyroid, pancreatic inflammation, glomerular nephritis, kidney problems, on and on. And so, these are good, good companies.
So, find a good functional doctor alongside your rheumatological doctor and have them work together. That's what we call integrative medicine. Doctors like us with a boatload of experience working with our colleagues with their specialties for you, the patient, for the best outcome. That is our total goal. And so, I'm not going to say not to use Enbrel because I don't know you and I am a general practitioner, not a specialist. But I have done this 40-plus years and I have countless numbers of patients who have been able to come off of this. So, I don't know where you live, but you need to find a good one. If you go to ACAM.org. ACAM.org means the American College for the Advancement of Medicine. It is the original blueprint doctor organization that got together in the Great Lakes area. They were originally called the Great Lakes Academy for the Advancement of Medicine (GLACAM). And then they were founded in 1972. And then changed because they grew, because there were so many doctors, like myself, young doctors, saying we're just being taught drugs, imaging, and surgery. We're not learning nutrition. And so, we doctors got together, ACAM, the American College for the Advancement of Medicine, and offshoots of them was a4m, the American Academy for the advancement of medicine, and then what's another offshoot. There were many offshoots, but the founding one was ACAM, GLACAM. ACAM.org, you type that in and then wherever your address zip code is, and you can say a 50-mile, 20-mile, 5-mile radius, fine, see if there's a doctor who has gone there and gotten training, or is in that group of mindset that they're willing to learn because we’re teaching doctors. I have doctors coming here all the time and we're showing them, our doors are open, why they slow me down, but I want to teach I want to share. You know, one day I'll be dead and then what I know will be lost if I don't share it and teach these doctors. So, have them call us and we'll try and get back to them. So, hopefully that helps you.
Question
“I am using the capsule. I'm asking to redo labs because I thought there was maybe an error?” [0:30:00]
Answer
Yes, that's always a possibility. I run my own lab because I do my research, I do my own publications here, and peer-reviewed journals, and yes, I run my own lab, and I would repeat that for you. Yes.
Question
“Thank you – I made an appointment with Dr. Johnson here today.” [0:30:24]
Answer
Okay. Praise the Lord. And again, we're all learning. One day, I was like Dr. Johnson, and frankly, to be honest, there was no YouTube, and there was no community thought towards this. I started formally as a doctor practicing this way when I got off of active duty from the military. I came here in 1996, maybe it was, and I started working at Whitaker Wellness Institute, which has now collapsed. I think they haven't been open for about three or four years. And I was like the first few doctors that Julian Whitaker was with, bless his heart, Allan Sosin, Dr. Weissman was there. We three carried most of the work while Julian was doing more teaching and kind of flying around the world trying to get people more interested in this. So, bless his heart. And you have to understand we are all growing. So, every new doctor doing this, compliments them that they're trying. We have our grand rounds here at Tustin Longevity Center every month. All of us doctors get in a big room with a video screen. We have the current patient that we ask, “How would you do this?” And we all put in an input on a patient. Or we'll bring up a scientific article, and each of us brings it in. So, we're all working to raise all of our eight or nine doctors/healthcare providers here. So, if they don't know the answer immediately, give them a month to get their studying done, present your case to the grand rounds we do here, and then be a part of it. I have doctors coming now to our grand rounds just to be a part of it and learn how to do this in a general practice. I'm not a university. I'm not getting money from anyone. I shut everything down. All our income stops. We stop, and on my staff, everything, they do their staff learning, we teach the staff of their front office. If they're phlebotomists, if they're the supply room, we're teaching them separately for their growth while we, doctors, have our grand rounds because we don't put money first here. We put the growth of the patient because medical care, as it should be, because life matters, and where care happens, health happens. That's Tustin Longevity Center.
So, go Dr. Johnson and go, Dr. Patel, PA Patel, and Dr. Gonzalez, PA Gonzalez, and Dr. Kaur, and Dr. Meric, and Dr. Mitchell, and now Dr. Maida and me. I don't know how many that is, or maybe I missed a doctor, but you see, we're all learning.
Question
“Do you recommend methylene blue to boost mental performance?” [0:34:31]
Answer
That's a good question. There's a lot of literature coming out on methylene blue. And see, that would be a situation where it would go to our grand rounds, and we should bring that up and look for articles on it. Maybe I can do that. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month from noon until 2. So, the second Tuesday of every month is not a good time to come between 12 and 2 because we're all busy trying to improve our game here. Methylene blue. Yeah, there's a lot going on in natural research about the impact. So, I can't speak to that specifically, but I've heard about it, and I'm very interested. So, I will look into that.
Question
“Amazing! The world needs you and doctors like you!” [0:35:33]
Answer
Well, they're out there. And we're going to find them, and we're going to support them, and we're going to support our patients, and we're all going to do better as we do here. You know, TLC, we thank the Lord, I have so many people hitting 100 years now, and they're 90s, and they're 80s, and they're still working out and playing pickleball, and what a joy it is for me. So that's my pay, that, you know, of course, I need to pay the bills here, especially for a big operation like this. But I tell you, I have so many patients who come in saying successful things. Or this is better, that's better. I can't even remember them individually right at the moment here, nor should I disclose by description because somebody might know someone, and I don't want to identify them. But it is such a joy to come here. It's like family.
Oh, you know, I'm going to also bring this up. For Christmas, we just try and get stuff for the little grandchildren, but I got something for myself. And I got to rescue dogs from Orange County Rescue Center. You know, they'll put them down if somebody doesn't take them. So, I got Milo and Macy. And Macy is maybe a 20-pounder, 25-pounder little Australian sheepdog mix. She is so smart. And then I got a bigger German Shepherd/Labrador combination, who is – you know, there's some cartoon, where there's a smart cat and a dopey dog. The smart cat is always getting the dog in trouble. I remember that when I was a little kid. But anyway, they remind me of that.
So, I have this little kind of garden area all fenced in right next to my office, and I think I'm going to bring my dogs, and they'll be in there and I can have a little bed there in their water bowl, and so they can always be with me. And so, that's what I think. So maybe you'll start seeing Milo and Macy. So, there you go.
You know, remember last year, right around Christmas, Snoopy died, my other dog. I don't know if you remember that picture of my dog Snoopy, and he was so afraid of water. We had to put him in a boat to get him anywhere near water. But we had to put him down. I asked God to keep him alive through Christmas last year. And he made it for two more days after Christmas. So, once I healed from that and my sons, and the husband after that, oh I have the vet right on the other side of the clinic here, and that is Dr. Kavanagh with Saddleback Veterinary Clinic. And, you know, we brought old Snoopy there for he was 16 years old as a Pitbull mix. And he was so amazed at how healthy and long-lived he was. So, all, my whole family went there. You know, adult men, my adult son, Brighton, my adult son, Talon, my husband, myself, all four of us were in there with Little Snoopy, and Dr. Kavanagh saw us all crying, and Dr. Kavanagh got choked up. And the next day, Dr. Kavanagh had his wife or someone, they brought a little thing of flowers to our house in remembrance of little Snoopy. I mean, it's just a dog, one of God's creations. You know, I can tell you how important life is because life matters, especially human beings. We’re made in the image of God. That drives me. That drives me.
So, now, everyone, what I'm saying is I'm trying to re-establish the community doctor who never moves, they stay in the same place, and they're always going to be there. You know them. You know their family, you know their pets, you know whether they go to church or not or you know their moral background, and that's what I want to encourage in life, is to know your doctor and the doctor should know their patients. All right.
Question
“What are your thoughts on the balance of listening to the Holy Spirit within us speaking to health decisions in combo with contrary medical advice?” [0:40:31]
Answer
Well, I am a Christian and I believe every word of my King James Bible. And I have to say that because I am a Christian, and I think everyone knows I always have my Bible here, so I don't make it a show, but I want people to know me and where my heart is, I have to go with my decisions based on the word of God for everything I do. But I do think God, you know, he talks about Luke, the beloved physician in the Bible, and remember that part about the woman. Oh, let me show you this. I got this picture here from 1 of my patients, and this is the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, the menopausal/perimenopausal woman, and she's touching the hem of Jesus, and she was healed of her issue of blood. And it says she suffered under physicians and spent all her income without any help and just got worse. And so, someone gave me this picture. It is actually, Mark 5:25-34, catacombs of the Marcellinus and Peter, 4th century A.D. So, there are some tombs where people drew pictures, and biblical stories to remind them, teach their children and heritage. And this is a copy of that picture of the catacombs.
See, what a joy it is to, have my patients know me and it's a blessing to me. So, yes, you have to be who you are. And I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of salvation unto God to all men, both Jew and Greek. And so, that's who I am. I think everyone knows it and I'm not ashamed of it. And that way, people know me, and I live my life, and I love everyone, because God so loved the world, you know, and so I have to love the world, and value life.
So yeah, get your medical advice, share with others, get good counsel, because there's a lot of, you know, cults, and there's a lot of misinformation. And I could go on for hours with 42 years of experience and so forth, but I can tell you, I counted and called on the Holy Spirit when I was a young training medical student, and I almost got kicked out of medical school for taking my stand in a medical situation that would have ended the life of an unborn, and I just wouldn't participate. And so, I was threatened, and that's a hard feeling, but I stood my ground and I said, “God, if you want me to stay and be a doctor, you're going to have to protect me.” And he protected me. So, get good advice from someone who reads their Bible cover to cover, cover to cover. Don't take it from someone who's just studying commentaries. I try to read this just like my medical texts because God is the ultimate healer in my world, and I do believe in the power of prayer and hope, faith, and love. So, that's a hard question. I pray that you get good counsel and someone who is sober and has read cover to cover multiple times their Bible before you take their advice.
Question
“Christmas Blessings, Dr. Rita! When I apply my estradiol cream (6 mg), I usually put one click on my groin area and another click on my face. Is it okay to put both clicks on my face and neck (instead of my groin area)?” [0:45:15]
Answer
The answer is yes. The absorption is probably higher in the face. So, when you do your every 6-month lab or so, I'll be able to look at where your level is. And then if too much is being absorbed on your face, then I'll have you cut back the dosing on that or something. But yeah, there isn't anything special other than I like it for the collagen/elastin. Now that I'm in my 70s, I've never had any cosmetic surgery. I don't even go to hairdressers. I have so many wonderful patients who are hairstylists, and they're always telling me what to do with myself. And I just let it grow and roll it up. But I do know that estradiol helps avoid with wrinkles. And I had such a long, long history of being a smoker because everyone smoked in the 1960s and 70s when I was in college and high school, and even medical school. And I just thank God I got pregnant finally after 11 years of marriage. I never used birth control. And then I had Talon and that's when I quit. And praise God for that. But yeah, it should be fine if you want to use both on your face. But make sure you keep your appointment and lab and so we can check the levels.
Question
“Is it okay to fast more than 12 hours prior to a blood draw?” [0:47:01]
Answer
Absolutely! In fact, remember, I always fast, I try to do a 5-day fast from the first of January to the 6th of January, and that's after our New Year's dinner. And so, on the 6th I will try and get a blood test. So, yeah, absolutely you can. If you can handle it, I think that's wonderful. Let your doctor know how long you've been fasting.
Question
“How can I boost my immune system? I had a baby this past year, and I've been sick multiple times this year.” [0:47:33]
Answer
I would say look at some of the transcripts. We transcribe these. Go back to some of the YouTube videos and go on our www.TLCDoctors.com and you can see some of our articles on boosting the immune system. But I'm telling you, we're living in sugars, fruit sugar, drink your sugars in your latte, frothy, smoothies. We're drinking too much sugar, we're getting too much starch, we're getting too many carbohydrates. And sugars always depress the immune system. That's probably the number one thing. And you've got to look really hard in your lifestyle where it's at and where it's sneaking in.
It's not okay, and we don't deserve treats all the time. And I have to tell that to myself too. So, I'm not saying that you are, I'm just saying it's hard to live in America without being pushed by social pressures. Even at church, I'm so sick of going to church Sunday after Sunday and seeing these terrible doughnuts and terrible sugar drinks, orange juice. Oh my goodness, it's terrible. So that's the number one thing I would do.
Now, the other thing is the most nutraceutically researched supplement out there is the Juice Plus. So, for you and for your children, if you take Juice Plus, the fruit and vegetable, you can get it free for a child for 4 years. So, that would be my next suggestion other than lowering the carb, fruit sugar, and starch in your diet and for the children. And remember, all this quick fast pre-made junk food for the kids has all these hidden processed chemicals and starch and fruit sugars. Don't do it.
And then I would certainly make sure that they're getting their vitamin D. Even the infant, a 1-year-old, we start giving vitamin D with a little eyedropper, and you can talk with your pediatrician about the recommended amount of vitamin D by their age and weight as they go but do that. So that'll cover your questions.
Question
“Is it true that doctors get bonuses from insurance companies for every vaccination they inject? I heard that they did along with things like mammograms, etc., the recommended AMA (American Medical Association) guidelines. Thank you.”
Answer
Unfortunately, medicine has been captured through the lobbyists of the pharmaceutical and the government funding of education in this country. And so, yes, we have been captured. And yes, these financial incentives are corrupting many decisions and recommendations, in my opinion. We have to get paid for what we do. And if you are getting a mammogram, the machine, the time, the space, the rent, the heat, and the electricity all have to be paid for. But as far as vaccinations, I do know that they are and were paid, for the more you vaccinate, the more your remuneration is.
And so, that is why I believe a healthcare provider needs to believe in God. Now, I can't tell anyone who to believe in or what to believe, but if you don't believe, you're going to be held accountable by a superior being than yourself, who is recording every word that proceeds out of your mouth, how you'll be judged by and how you treated people, and how things that were done in the dark will be broadcast from the housetops eventually, that we have accountability. Then I think that person can be persuaded that life is not as valuable and justify taking care of themselves and their own goals rather than, living to serve God and His creation. So, yeah, that happens, and, that's why I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it's the power of God unto salvation to all men. So, yeah, that's why I let people know who I am.
Question
“God's blessing to you, Dr. E! Your former patient (before she moved!) and my daughter is pregnant with her first baby. What do you know about/can you recommend umbilical cord encapsulation?” [0:52:36]
Answer
Yeah, that's a common practice. In fact, the best placentas out there that really are coveted, it's kind of like a cultural thing amongst midwives and some OBGYNs who are nutrition health-minded, they know that the women who take Juice Plus during their pregnancy, their placenta is so healthy, pink, oxygenated and just in a good state of development. That after the placenta is delivered, they box it up and they dry it, dehydrate it, and then they dustify it, and put it into capsules. And so, that's what many of my patients and I would have done had I known about it. You know, all the animal kingdom consumes the placenta as part of nutrition and so forth. So yeah, I'm in favor of that, and I would certainly have her on vitamin D and iodine and Juice Plus and a good multimineral/multivitamin. Not these pharmaceutical prenatal junk things that are called vitamins. Anyway.
Question
“What do you think a good score should be for testosterone for women in their 50’s, minus 10 ng/dL and free testosterone 1.6 pg/mL? I don't take anything except DHEA which is 302 because I take 10 mg.” [0:54:10]
Answer
I have been doing this for decades. And then when I go back to my memory of doing hormones back in the 80s and 90s, as soon as I got off of active duty, I had more leeway to order more testing. But I even did some testing on active duty. Women and men, your testosterones are falling. Men used to have 1,600, 1,400, and 1,200 on their testosterone levels. Usually, the peak for a man is around October- November. Women have a monthly cycle variation; men have a biannual. But on women, the testosterone levels years and years ago were, oh I would say anywhere between 80 and 150, somewhere in that range, maybe even up to 200. My last testosterone was 170, and I've been on DHEA since I can't, I must have been in the 1990s. Anyway. So, take 50 mg. My DHEA level was somewhere around 800. My testosterone was 170. It helps me with my muscle mass of aging and my weight lifting, and it helps me have all this energy, and it's my engine for burning sugars. So, I think you need more DHEA. I wouldn't be afraid of a DHEA serum level. You know, 5, 6, 7, 800, 900, I wouldn't worry about it.
Now, what are some of the side effects? Acne, I've seen from time to time, rarely, rarely. But I would tell the women to lower their carbs and use Argentyn spray to the face and try and not wash the face so much with soap and get cracks in the face of the skin. So, that's what I would say.
Question
“Stevia and monk fruit – are these safe?” [0:56:51]
Answer
Yeah. In general, those, along with allulose, monk fruit, and stevia, I think I'm forgetting one. Yeah, I think they're fine. What I tend to say is if you have to follow that sweet tooth, be careful. If you're searching what are safe sweet tasting things, that can be a problem, because there's the psychological part of, even thinking your pre-eating brain can start secreting insulin and digestive enzymes just in anticipation of a meal, and that insulin spike is what we don't want to see, and a high carbohydrate diet does that. So even if you're not doing the carbs but you're always doing sweet-tasting things, you're going to push your pancreas through a psychological/neurological vagus nerve pathway to secrete insulin. And that's where a lot of people have higher insulins than they should probably because of them taking these sugar imitators like that.
Question
“So you take testosterone as well as DHEA?” [0:58:23]
Answer
No, no I don't. I just take DHEA. And my DHEA gets my testosterone up to the 100 - 170 range all the time. Now, maybe it took some time. I haven't really studied it in that sense. I know there are times when my testosterone was only 40 or 50. But now, after many years on it, yeah, it's in that 170 range.
