Dr. Martin answers questions sent in by our listeners in today's episode.
TRANSCRIPT OF TODAY'S EPISODE
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Dr. Martin: Well good morning everyone. Once again. Welcome to another live this morning. Hope you're having a great start to your day. Okay, so Theresa is asking a question. Okay, thanks guys for sending all your questions in. "Can you please explain the difference and which one is important? White fasting blood glucose higher than your A1C. When do I need the blood test?" Okay, a lot of stuff there. Look Theresa, fasting glucose, it's good. It's a good indicator. I like it. Okay, what I like best is your A1C. Why is that? Well, it gives you an average over three months. I believe it's more accurate because your fasting glucose, depending on what you've been eating, mostly that is subject to more variation than your A1C. Your A1C. I love it because to me it's one of the best indicators of insulin resistance.
If your A1C is above 5.4, you got to be careful, okay? So I like it to be under 5.4 and it's a great indicator of insulin resistance. Okay? So I like that one better. How often? Well, I really would like people, especially if they're checking for metabolic syndrome to look at A1C at least a couple of times a year if they can. But it's a great indicator. I find it to be very accurate. I know that people, like if you talk to certain doctors, they like fasting insulin for example, which I like too. But A1C is sort of the poor man's test because doctors are not reticent to do A1C, they're happy to do it. Insulin, you almost have to threaten them. It's just you don't need that. Whereas I like A1C and it is a very, very accurate indicator of insulin resistance. Okay? So that's why Teresa, that's why I like it better than your fasting glucose. They're two different numbers. One is an average and glycated hemoglobin is a great, great indicator.
Lynn says, "I have keloid scars," okay, "from surgery a couple of years ago. They want to do a low dose radiation to make sure it doesn't reappear. What do you think of radiation?" Ah, look, Lynn, I hate to tell people not to do stuff, okay? Because first of all, I'm not your doctor. Look, I know low dose radiation, it's not near as dangerous as radiation you'd get for cancer or whatever and it's very localized. It's very specific, but there's still side effects to it. You got to weigh that out. Lynn, if you're asking me. Whereabouts do you got that keloid scar too, maybe let me know that. I don't know. You got a decision to make and I am a little bit reticent to tell you to go for it.
Okay, Milika, how are you Milika? "I checked my B12. It's 1191." I love that number. "My D3 is excellent, 275. That's a Canadian number. I'm happy with it." Me too. "Not so happy about my A1C, which is 5.8. Fasting sugar is very good. I've done three resets. I eat mostly EMC, very little carbs. Can't get it down. My creatinine 37, not good." So a little bit of kidney stress. C-reactive protein is down, which is good. "I have to mention my stress levels are high." Well that can affect your A1C in spite of Milika, the fact that. Listen, okay, if I look at everything overall from what you gave me, Milika, I'm happy you're doing the right thing. You know me, I love numbers, but you know what? Milika don't get overstressed by your numbers. Meaning that it's almost like when people are on a weight loss program and they're on that scale every day and they get discouraged and ah, I didn't lose any weight or I'm losing so little, it's not worth it. I quit. I give up.
Look, you're on the right path Milika because you're eating right, okay, now you've got other factors, you've got stress in your life. Well that affects your numbers. It certainly affects your A1C, but you're on the right track and that's why overall I want Milika to encourage you rather than discourage you. Like 5.4 on A1C is what I shoot for. Keep shooting for it, but don't lose heart, don't give up. Look, there ain't nothing perfect in this world, okay? There's too many factors. So you shoot and you have your goals and you stay disciplined and it's all worth it. It's all worth it. If your CRP is coming down, your C-reactive protein, your inflammation markers are coming down beautiful. Your creatinine, which is kidney stress, here's what I tell you, you and carbs don't get along and you never will. Do everything you can to stick to your plan. That's what I would tell you Milika, okay? You're doing better than you think you are and don't get discouraged by that. Okay?
Patricia, what do I think of a supplement NEM, which is for inflammation. You know what Patricia? I really have no experience with it. I've read about it before. People have put it on my desk before and if I'm not mistaken, they make it from egg the shell and I've read about it. Certainly has promise. And when you ask me about a product, I know what I like for inflammation. So I compare everything to that first of all. Okay? And second of all, this particular one, I can't think I've ever talked to anybody that's ever used it. Okay? So again, I know what I love for inflammation. I know what I gave my patients for inflammation. So I'm not fully answering your question. It's only because I have no real experience and I have no patients or at least I didn't in my practice days that ever used eggshell extract for inflammation. Okay? Like I said, I've read about it sounds pretty good, but I got no experience with it so I don't have a complete answer for you, Patricia.
Marion, "an odd doctor is saying that a peptide in Ozempic is good for inflammation. It's called semaglutide." Yep, "must be taken at low doses. Has Dr. Martin heard of this peptide?" Yep. If you didn't know that is sold in Canada, I have no idea. All I know is it was meant for diabetes and insulin and now they're using it in a weight loss. Ozempic, Wegovy and we've talked about it in the past. I mean not specifically the peptide but the medication comes with a boatload of side effects. So what's the question here? Has Dr. Martin heard of it? Well again, I haven't without taking dosage from Ozempic, can you get it separately? I don't know that. I know there are GLP-1 sort of how would I describe them as similar and they're natural.
But you know what guys? I always tell people when it comes to weight loss, there's no shortcuts and you can take something to help regulate your blood sugar, which will help, but there's no magic and you can't out supplement a bad diet. And I would say the same thing, Marion for inflammation, okay? The biggest thing in inflammation is to get off the sugars and get off the crappy carbohydrates. That's the one thing you can do with food. I don't know, I haven't seen this peptides sold separately in Canada. Maybe somebody on our scroll can give you the answer. I don't know. I really don't know. Hey, there's a couple of things I don't know this morning and here's another one.
Cheryl, is there anywhere I can get these peptides? BPC 157 in Canada? Have no idea Cheryl. I have no idea. I used to be up generally more when I had my radio show just because I was in practice and people would put stuff on my desk every day, five days a week and I mean it. Doc read about this doc, what do you think of that doc? This I get it on the radio show but I also used to get it in my office. Now that I'm not in my office, I'll tell you what Cheryl, I will look this up and see. I've never heard of it to be honest with you. I've never heard of BPC 157. I haven't. I know what peptides are, but I haven't heard specifically of that one so I can't answer your question.
Raylene, "what helps with lipedema?" Well look, it's not easy like to say somebody tells you, oh well I know how to get rid of lipedema. Yeah, run Forrest run. That's a condition where you usually see it sometimes in the arms but mostly in the legs and you got tree trunks for legs and that's just because you can't drain that fluid there. And I mean listen, I like a rebounder, I like it for a lot of reasons, but when it comes to your lymphatics and draining, I'm big on circulation so I always love Navitol. But is it going to create a miracle in you? Nah, probably not. Probably not. I'd have you on it anyway because of micro circulation. Raylene, okay, and lymphoma. Lipedema. Lymphoma, yeah.
Okay, Theresa, "if I get bouts of diverticulitis, what's better for me? IBS formula, the Gut-Ease, Digest All," which are the enzymes. I do it both. You got diverticulitis, you got to start in your stomach, you got to break food down there Theresa. So that's why those enzymes are so good. They start right in the stomach and they break down the protein, they break down the fat, they break down those carbohydrates, lipase and amylase and protease and all sorts of different type of protease enzymes especially to break down the protein. Protein is a harder food to digest. You want to break that down. If you got diverticulitis, you got any kind of digestive issue down the tract, start with your stomach. Probiotics big time.
Now the Gut-Ease is a different product but you need that product because it's full of what we call mucilages, like slippery elm and marshmallow root. And we choose that in the Gut-Ease to recoat the gut. And I would have you on if you've had any history of diverticulitis, I-B-S, I-B-D, I'd have you on digestive enzymes. If you were in my office, here's what I used to do. I'd have you on the enzymes, digestive enzymes, stomach, start there. I'd have you on probiotic, regenerate all of the gut. I'd have you on Gut-Ease with the high doses of mucilages including the regenerative amino acids. Okay?
And I'd even have you on bone broth again for regeneration, especially with diverticulitis, or diverticulosis, okay? Those are serious conditions of the gut and you need that L-glutamine. Now we put a lot of L-glutamine in the Gut-Ease, but you get L-glutamine in the bone broth too. So I mean it like thousands and thousands of cases and the results we got were incredible. Okay, incredible. But I would do all of the above plus lay off the sugar. Sugar is toxic to your gut and not too much fiber because fiber when you have digestive issues can really, really bulk up the stool and now going to really irritate the gut. So be careful with all of that. Thank you Theresa for the question.
Trevor, can high vitamin D and calcium be related to low energy? Yes, to some extent. I'll answer in a sec, but let me get the second part. I had a CT scan, had a buildup in the arteries. Okay, so you got extra calcium, you had it built up in the artery. Was it in your blood, the actual blood or just on the atherosclerosis? I'm asking you the question because Trevor it's important to me. Can you take extra vitamin K2? Yes you could. You take 7,000 of IU a day of vitamin. Listen, what is your numbers Trevor? I need to know that because. Now calcium, there's two things. You have atherosclerosis which is hardening of the artery, is that what you mean? Or is your serum calcium levels high? That's a different puppy. Okay, that's a different diagnosis. Serum calcium has to do with your parathyroid glands. So do you have trouble with that? I need to know that Trevor, in order to answer your question properly.
Okay, now if you've been diagnosed and it sounds like you have, you had a CT scan and you have a buildup in your arteries of atherosclerosis. Yeah, the arteries have calcified. Yes, you should be on extra vitamin K2. Now remember what I always say, what is the rule of thumb? Eat vitamin K2. And when you eat eggs, meat and cheese, vitamin K2 is in the food. Okay? Now if you already have hardening of the arteries, I would have you on high DHA oil to lubricate those blood vessels. I would have you on Trevor, Navitol. Why? Because it opens up your blood vessels, it elevates your nitric oxide. You want that because your Teflon layer, your endothelial layer of your blood vessels, you're losing that elasticity with the hardness of the arteries. Okay? But I got no problem if you're taking vitamin K2 separately if you want, okay? And as long as you're taking your vitamin D with your K2, you're fine. Okay, so you got two different things. So let me know if your serum calcium levels are high. I don't think so from what you're sounding like, but let me know that because that's another issue. That's the parathyroid gland. Okay, thank you very much.
Mykayla. I think I'm saying that right. "What are your thoughts on live blood testing?" Well I used to do live blood testing. I used to teach live blood testing. Okay, I like it. It's a tool in the toolbox. It's not everything. Some people think it's everything you see everything in live blood. I don't believe that. Okay, I like it. I used it. It was part of my toolbox and like I say, I taught it over the years. I taught courses on how to take live blood and what to look for, what not to look for because sometimes you get practitioners and it's their only tool and then they tell you, well you got this, this, this and that and 15 different things and I didn't teach that. I taught it as part of a toolbox. Look at live blood. It's very good to look at. Every doctor office should do live blood. Every doctor's office. Let me see, let's just have a quick look. Let's see what the shape of your red blood cells are. Let's see your white blood cells and what are they doing in live and it can be fascinating and I like that part of it.
So I am not against it. What I am against is sometimes you get practitioners and it's their only tool in the toolbox and then they make a diagnosis that you got 15 different things. They haven't looked at your A1C, they haven't looked at your triglycerides, they haven't looked at your HDL, they haven't looked at uric acid. I'm big on blood test, live blood, yes, in a toolbox along with looking at all your, because you know me, I tell you what test I like done the lab is really important. Really important. It's not everything though. Okay? You know me, symptoms trump blood tests, especially when it comes to the thyroid and that because sometimes the ranges for example in the TSH are from here to Mars and doctors in a lot of ways have been hijacked by the lab.
Oh, you don't have a thyroid problem. Why? Because your lab test isn't showing me that. I know doc, but I'm losing my hair, I'm gaining weight, I got no energy. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck. If the thyroid's not working properly, it doesn't always show you in numbers, not always, okay? Because like I said, the thyroid has a lot of moving parts to it. You have to understand it's like a puppet and it's got a lot of strings attached. You better figure that out. So all I'm saying is when you asked me about live blood, I like it. I used it, no problem. Okay? I've got no problem with it. It's a tool, it the toolbox. That's the way I like to look at it. Thank you very much for that question, Mykayla. I think I'm saying your name right, but I'm not sure.
"What is this and how to correct hypercalcemia?" Well you see now Deb, now you're cooking because Trevor asked me and I wasn't sure if he was asking me about what you're asking me. I think he wasn't. I think he was talking about his CT scan that showed he had hardening of his arteries atherosclerosis. Two different things. Now you're asking me about hypercalcemia, which is your parathyroid glands, okay? They're not working properly and you've got too much calcium in your system. If that's you, Deb, and if you've got that for yourself, I would have you on separately on vitamin K2. Okay? Thank you for the question. Get me your thyroid numbers too because that can often be affected by the parathyroid gland.
"How do your supplements benefit health, cataracts?" Okay, Anna. Well, Anna, here's my overarching principle. When it comes to your eyes, blood supply, it's almost everything in the eyes. If your blood supply is compromised, you're going to have eye problem, okay? Cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, okay, floaters, whatever. Eyes almost invariably with very few exceptions have to do with blood supply in behind the eye. That's why I am so big on high DHA and so big on Navitol. I put that combination in eye conditions for many, many years with tremendous results working with ophthalmologists and optometrists, when they would listen. They weren't always listening, but a lot of them did and they couldn't deny the results of mutual patients. They just couldn't deny the results. I don't know. What are you doing? It's getting better. Yeah, okay. It's blood supply. That's what I look at, okay?
Okay, Joanne, "is boron a bone maker and included in some products?" Yeah. "How much a 72-year-old woman with osteoporosis should use?" Well I wouldn't take boron on its own. Okay, I'd rather Joanne, you eat. The best thing you can do for bone, food and exercise. Better than supplements and don't take calcium, it won't get to its intended destination. You're better off taking vitamin D with K2 and you're better off eating eggs, meat and cheese, eat a lot of eggs, meat and cheese. Why? You get calcium with vitamin K2. The calcium will get to its intended destination, okay? And exercise is a hundred times better than boron on its own. Get stronger, okay? Joanne, I don't know how strong you are. Get stronger. Muscles will do you more good than a supplement. Muscles attach into bones and they anchor in and when your muscles get stronger they anchor in and your bone gets stronger.
So osteoporosis responds to muscle more than a supplement. I love vitamin D though and I love vitamin K2. You want to take some boron? I am trying to think of how many micrograms you would take of that. I dunno, it's been a long time. I'd have to look it up. But there's no magic in boron. I can tell you that right now. There's magic in a muscle. It's amazing. Much better with vitamin D. Even a doctor would agree with vitamin D, usually, when it comes to osteoporosis, get your numbers checked, see what your vitamin D is at. Okay, that was a good question Joanne. Thank you.
Courtney, "can you have too many electrolytes?" Yeah, sure you could. Okay, "the only way I can drink water, wondering if there are any negative side effects. Well, from too much electrolyte powder?" If you're taking too much potassium, for example, you could get digestive issues, stomach cramps, bowel, loose bowel with too much magnesium for example, our electrolyte potassium, sodium too much. It's usually the opposite by the way, but if that's all you're drinking and you're not getting any symptoms, you need them, you need them. Remember you need, I think it's 4,200 milligrams of potassium a day and you only need it's four to one when it comes to sodium. And you know me, I like sodium, I like salt. Salt gets vilified. But I like salt. I really do not table salt, but I like salt. Okay, Courtney, thanks for the question.
Let's see. I think I can get it done today. I really do. Dr. Jason Fung talked about a product called Glyco Care saying in 17 days you can get rid of diabetes. Well Debra, I don't know. Here's my thoughts. No, I don't care who you are, okay? And you're a diabetic, you can't out supplement a bad diet, so I don't think Dr. Fung would tell anyone to just take this product and don't worry about your diet. Okay? I like supplements, you guys know that. But you can't out supplement a bad diet, a diabetic and you're still eating, you got an allergy to carbs. You and carbs don't get along. So I don't care what you supplement. There ain't no magic. There's no magic. Does this product help with diabetes, with the diet, with eating the right food? Yeah. Okay, good. I got no problem with that.
Okay, "what does Dr. Martin think about 100% pure copper mugs, cups." Is there a benefit? I like copper using copper mugs. That's a good question, Cheryl. I know about iron pans, copper cups. I don't know. I'd have to look it up. Cheryl, I'm telling you, I haven't even, I know they used to use the king used to drink out of silver cups and that was sort of an anti bacterial cup, right? That's what the silver cups actually helped to kill some bacteria and viruses. Copper. I like copper trace. Trace copper, put heat to it. I have to think about it. Let me get back to you. Okay, I have to think about it. Is there anything really negative about it? I don't know. Nobody's ever asked me that before. Isn't that amazing? Today I get questions that nobody's asked me before.
Pamela, "is it true that only magnesium urate cross crosses the blood-brain barrier?" Therinate crosses the blood-brain barrier that I know. My two favorite magnesiums are citrate and glycinate. They're chelate. They're very good for you. I find urate. I don't know. I haven't had a lot of experience using magnesium urate. I like citrate better. It crosses the blood-brain barrier like the one for sure is therinate. It's expensive. I'm not sure I buy all the hype that was made really at MIT. Yeah, it's got some real promise to it. I don't know if it's worth the extra amount of money. I like magnesium though. You know me, right? You know me. I love magnesium. 90% of the populations low in magnesium. It's not in the soil anymore and we need magnesium. Okay? So I'm not sure about that, Pamela. Well I am sure it's not the only one that gets across the blood brain barrier because the therinate does okay?
Theresa, "for a few months, experiencing vibrations feeling off and on. My heart races, my energy's low. Stress is off. Could this be low blood sugar?" Yeah, maybe. But the main cause is stress. The main cause is cortisol, vibration's, cortisol, you got a vibration inside and it don't turn. That's cortisol. Cortisol is supposed to be cyclical. Cortisol is supposed to go with your circadian rhythm, supposed to be high in the morning, low at night. And listen, join the cast of millions that have high cortisol. It's big huge problem today, much more than ever. It was meant to have a part-time job. Now it's got a full-time job and I can tell you and what it does, it sends your sugar skyrocketing. Okay? Your blood sugar goes up, but what goes up must come down. And so a lot of hypoglycemia, low blood sugar is caused by the adrenals, by cortisol. What goes up must come down, okay? Blood sugar goes up, your insulin goes crazy and your blood sugar comes down. That can cause a yo-yo effect of blood sugar. But at the end of the day it's your cortisol. It's your cortisol.
Okay, Jacques. Last question guys. So we'll get it done this morning. "What do you think of a chemist who has a master's degree, by the way?" Okay, "in organic chemistry and said that vitamin D testing is a fraud." You know I love vitamin D testing. I don't know why he would say it. Can I be honest with you? This is the first time I ever heard that, that vitamin D testing, blood testing is a fraud. It's not a fraud. You can measure it. I've been ordering vitamin D testing for 50 years and you can get it done now you can send your blood out and get it done. Do I like it? I love it. It's a great test. Is it a fraud? I don't know why you would say that and look certainly entitled to your opinion. I don't agree with him Jacques.
Okay, he's saying there's no natural vitamin D except from the sun. Well I don't agree with that either because I can tell you that the Inuit formally called the Eskimo when they checked their vitamin D levels, no sun. They weren't out skinny dipping in the North Pole, in the Arctic, okay? But their vitamin D levels were pretty good. Why is that? Because they were eating vitamin D. When you eat organ meat, when you eat blubber, like they did the whales, the cod liver oil that they loved, they would eat that liver in the cod liver oil and their vitamin D levels, their de hydroxy are good. And you know what the problem is today is that unless you eat it every day. Listen, and I've always said this Jacques, I agree with them there. The best way to get vitamin D is in the sun. There's no doubt about it. Okay, I agree there. I don't agree with what he said about the test, but I do agree that vitamin D from the sun is the best. There's no doubt about it.
But to say that you can't get it, I can prove it where you take a supplement and every doctor would agree with this, you can raise vitamin D levels in the blood by taking vitamin D. Is the test a fraud? No, it's very accurate in my opinion. Thanks for the question, Jacques. You can tell your friend if he's your friend or tell a chemist if you can talk to him. Dr. Martin loves you, but he disagrees with you. But I still love you. Okay guys, all the questions. I think I got 'em done. Okay. I think if I missed any, would you let me know? You guys are wonderful and Faye is going. Happy is Father's Day. You know what my mother used to say? Every day is Father's Day. I used to love that when my mother said that and she was right. Every day is Father's Day. But it is a nice thing to think about your daddy. I think about my father all the time. Every day goes. I don't think there's a day go by I don't miss my daddy and I'm 73 years old. Okay? Yeah. Happy Father's Day coming up. Okay, love you guys. Talk to you soon.
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