She Said Her Hair Hurt…

By Al Sears, MD

PAIN… In my work, I’ve seen more kinds than I can count.

Joint pain… back pain… headache… stomachache… eye pain… tooth pain… earache… stiff, aching neck pain… labor pain… kidney stone pain…

One patient even told me her hair hurt!

Believe me, I could go on. But my point is this…

All these kinds of pain have three things in common:

1. You don’t want them, right?

2. You’ve been told that the way to make them go away is to take a drug. And this, as you know, is not a good option. Taking over-the-counter NSAIDs will eat holes in your stomach and make your kidneys old before their time. And the other option – narcotic drugs from the doctor – well… you already know why you don’t want those, right?

Now for the third thing they have in common…

3. Every one of these kinds of pain can be made better without drugs. You just have to find the right nutrient, vitamin, or herb to fix the underlying problem.

How could it be so simple?

I just read nine studies that show a connection between your aches and pains and something called “oxidative stress.” That’s when rogue electrons – a.k.a. “free radicals” – break away and attack healthy cells.

The damage they cause leads to the pain you can feel.

If you’re in pain all the time, and the pain spreads all over your body, it could be a condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia.

In one study, fibromyalgia patients were treated with antioxidants. Magnesium and malic acid improved pain levels by 59% in only 4 weeks. Symptoms continued to improve. By 8 weeks, pain levels improved by 69%. The placebo group had no improvement. Their pain got worse.1

Imagine reducing your pain by more than half… just by taking a simple antioxidant like magnesium.

Antioxidants fight against free radicals. Pain and inflammation go away.

Antioxidants also refuel mitochondria in your cells. Mitochondria supply your body with energy.

So, let’s get down to practical advice about what you can do now…

Start by eating whole, fresh, unprocessed, organic foods. And try supplements when you need more help. Here are some important antioxidants known for their pain-fighting power:

• Malic Acid: Malic acid is used by your cells to produce energy and boost your immunity. It’s in many fresh fruits, and green apples have the highest amount. An apple a day is great advice, as each contains around 90 mg of malic acid. But for pain relief, you’ll need more. Take 600 mg capsules one to four times a day before food.2
• Magnesium: Popeye ate spinach for a reason. It contained high amounts of magnesium and vitamin C. Magnesium works best in combination with C. Almonds, cashews, pine nuts, and brazil nuts have high levels. So do beans. Take 600-1600 mg each day in divided doses and at least 400 before bedtime.3
• Chlorella: Chlorella is in algae. It contains many antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Studies show it decreases the pain of fibromyalgia from a 22% average to as much as 50%.4 Take up to 10 g or 100 mL daily.
• SAMe: SAMe is as effective as NSAIDs for pain and reduces both pain and depression in fibromyalgia patients.5,6 You won’t find SAMe in food, but you can buy supplements at your local vitamin shop. Take 200-1,600 mg daily.
• Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10): CoQ10 creates energy in every cell of your body. It makes them strong and healthy. When CoQ10 and ginkgo biloba were given to fibromyalgia patients, 64% showed great improvement.7 Take 50 mg of the more potent form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) per day.
• D-Ribose: D-Ribose is a type of sugar. It feeds mitochondria and creates energy in your cells. 66% of patients reported great improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms with a 45% increase in energy.8 Take 5 g three to six times per day.
• Acetyl L-Carnitine: Researchers believe people suffering from fibromyalgia have a deficiency in carnitine. Aceytl L-Carnitine reduces the pain and increases feelings of well-being. Take 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day.9

http://www.alsearsmd.com