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. And once again, welcome to another live this morning and hope you're having a wonderful start to your day. We appreciate you when you can come on and say hello. We love you dearly and thanks as we go live here this morning for a Q&A Friday. Always fun. Always appreciate your questions, okay? No stupid questions. That's our motto here. Gillian has got a question. "Had an echo, ECG, CT coronary calcium. Test calcium score of 140," little bit high. "Figures that her GP and cardiologists want to put her on statin drugs." Your triglycerides, wait a minute, let me just look again. Not bad. HDL, not bad. That's what I'm more interested in, Gillian. And look, guys, okay, it's very important you understand this. I'm not against any of the testing. The coronary calcium test, you've got some calcium built up in those coronary arteries. Almost everybody does.
But I just got to tell you, taking a statin drug is not going to lower your calcium in your coronary arteries. That's not how it works. It will lower your LDL cholesterol, but not going to lower your calcium. The best thing to lower calcium is vitamin K2. And you get that when you eat eggs, meat, and cheese. You have calcium with vitamin K2. What hardens your arteries? What calcifies your arteries is inflammation caused by insulin. Glycation caused by sugar. It glycates. It damages your endothelial, the little Teflon layer in your blood vessels. Oxidation, free radical damage. So you have inflammation. Inflammation is not Houdini. Why would you have inflammation? Well, the number one reason is because you have insulin resistance. Too many carbs, crappy carbohydrates. Okay?
So you have inflammation, glycation, oxidation. And I just got to tell you, a statin drug doesn't get rid of any of that. Oh, it'll work because it'll lower your cholesterol. But what's that going to do for you? Statin drugs lower LDL cholesterol. So what? What's that got to do with heart disease? Because still today, in spite of all the evidence, the boogeyman and heart disease to 99.9% of every physician is cholesterol because there's good cholesterol to them and then there's bad. And I talked to you about it yesterday. I talked to you about it almost every day. It all started with one guy, Ancel Keys. After President Eisenhower had a heart attack. Blamed it on cholesterol. He fudged the studies. He got so powerful, he vilified anybody that went against him reminds me of Dr. Fauci. One guy and he changed the trajectory of medicine for the last 60 years. I watched it happen, guys. I got trained. My training taught me cholesterol was bad. I never believed it. I didn't believe it when I was trained that way. I didn't buy it. That cholesterol was at the root of heart disease.
Okay, let me answer somebody else's question because they ask about it too. And it might as well hit two birds with one stone. Nancy, so Gillian is asking about calcium. How did your arteries get calcified? So we talked about that. And it ain't cholesterol. Cholesterol is in your blood vessels, guys. Okay. Yes, cholesterol is there, but it's not the bad guy. It's not the bad guy. It's like the police at the crime scene. The police are not the bad guys. It's like firemen at the site of the fire. Are firemen the bad guys? No. Cholesterol's always going to go through your blood vessels, guys. It's got a job to do. You need cholesterol in order to transport your hormones. You need cholesterol even to absorb vitamin D from the sun. You need cholesterol, but they vilified it. They made it the bad guy. And is that true? No, it's not true.
And like I said, this has been going on. I even got trained like that to lower your cholesterol. I didn't buy it. They were telling us even in school. Don't eat butter. Don't eat eggs. Limit your eggs. Limit your red meat. Don't eat dairy like cheese because it's cholesterol. Well, cholesterol is only found in the animal kingdom. It's not found in the plant kingdom. So that went right up the alley of vegetarians and vegans because they bought that line. That cholesterol was at the root of heart disease. There was guys that followed suit with it, like what was his name? Neil Barnard or whatever his name was. He was Clinton's cardiologist or whatever. Bill Clinton, the president, had a heart attack and he wanted him to become vegetarian and I think he convinced him. And guys, it's looking for love in all the wrong places. I'm sorry. I don't buy it.
Here's Nancy asking a question. "Is it possible that LDL cholesterol gets sticky and sticks inside of our arteries?" Well, it doesn't get sticky. Like I said, Nancy, cholesterol will be in your arteries. You need it. Cholesterol's in every cell in your body. Cholesterol's in your brain. It's not bad. They've made LDL bad. Well, you know what they're finding? The lower your LDL is, the faster you're going to die. God gave you LDL. You need it. It's a part of your immune system too. You need cholesterol. So guys, is cholesterol ever become bad? Not in my opinion. That's not the root of the issue. I know I'm on a little narrow road. Okay? I know that there's few of us and you can take a statin drug. Millions do. But I'll tell you, it's very damaging. Lots of side effects. Cognitive is one of the biggest issues of that and 50% of women that take a statin drug become diabetics. 50% of women who take a statin drug become a diabetic. They don't tell you that. You damage the very thing your heart needs. Your brain and your heart are the two places that have the most mitochondria.
Now, you guys know what mitochondria are. They're your battery packs. Your muscles have a lot of batteries inside them. They're called mitochondria. Your brain has a lot of mitochondria battery packs and what makes your battery packs, your mitochondria work is CoQ10. Yo body produces it. It's a molecule. And when you take a statin drug, 100% for sure you're damaging the pathway of CoQ10. Therefore, you're damaging the mitochondria and the fuel that it emits, which is ATP. So without getting into weeds, I just got to tell you that if you're taking a statin drug and you're not taking CoQ10, you're making a big mistake. If you're taking a statin drug and you're not taking vitamin D, even as a supplement, you're making a big mistake. If you're taking a statin drug and you're not taking vitamin B12, you're making a big mistake because your body needs that. The statin drug will work because it will lower your cholesterol. Like I said, I don't believe in that, but I'm telling you, I know there are people listening to me today that are on statin drugs and if you're on a statin drug and you're not taking ubiquinol CoQ10, not ubequinone, ubiquinol, B12 and vitamin D, you're making a huge mistake and it's going to cost you in terms of your health. I saw it in my office on a daily basis.
Okay, Sandra, it's a good question. Sandra's worried because she drinks coffee and she's worried because she puts a little bit of honey in it. And is it milk or cream you're using? Milk or cream. Don't use milk. Okay. But she wants to know if you're still going to get the benefits of coffee. Yes. Now don't put sugar in it. Whatever you do. Is it pure? I mean 100% honey. Honey, okay. Sandra, is it? Yeah, you still get benefits. Now black is the best. I admit there's good, better, best. Okay? You're getting benefits. You're drinking coffee. It's so good for you. Don't put milk in it. There's no fat. You want fat. Use cream. Okay. If you insist. I used to get patients, I'm going to change your habit in 21 days. You're putting sugar in your coffee, you won't need to after 21 days. Trust me. And then you won't want sugar at all in your coffee after that. Okay. Yes, Sandra, you're still getting the benefits of a very powerful antioxidant. Very powerful anti-inflammatory. Very powerful fiber. The best fiber for your gut is coffee, not fiber.
Chris is asking about gluteal tendinopathy. No fun. Your glutes, your butt. You've injured your butt muscle and the glute is a very tight, tight, tight muscle. Usually because we sit too much. There's a lot more gluteal tendinopathy than there used to be and it ain't no fun. And generally, supplements like I like Navitol and curcumin, you combine them with very anti-inflammatory. Sometimes that can be helpful, but you're probably better off, Chris, to get treatment on it. Get somebody to get right at it. And I used to tell patients, I'd send patients home that had it and I said, "Take out a ball. Golf ball may be a little small, but maybe. Take something hard, get on the floor and find that spot and you better work it because that gluteus, okay?" The glutes come across the hip and it's a tight, tight, tight, tight, tight muscle. When you injure it, it's no fun. Somebody asked this too. Who was asking about that because there's somebody else that asked about that I want to see. Yeah. Nelly, gluteus medius tendinopathy. Give it the big names. Both hips are no fun. But like I said, if you can get a good therapist or whatever to work it, most people they don't get at it. Okay. Thank you for the question.
Carl. Carl had a cardiac arrest six months ago. "Feeling about 80% better. What do you suggest?" CoQ10 for the muscle in your heart. Somebody was asking too about cardiomyopathy. CoQ10, CoQ10, ubiquinol, ubiquinol. I would have you on high DHA. I would have you on Navitol, pine bark extract. Nothing better to open up the blood vessels. Okay? You want that. You want more blood. You want CoQ10 because of the mitochondria, all the battery packs and the muscles of your heart, you want the CoQ10. And I love high DHA for the heart because it lubricates the blood vessels. Okay. Lubrication. Anti-inflammatory. Okay. That's what I recommend and exercise. They're already getting you to do it. Walk.
Joyce. "Any thoughts about taking Canadian bitters?" Look, I'm not against that like Canadian bitters. I think you're referring to a very specific product if my mind serves me well or my memory. I have no problem with that. You don't want to replace your enzymes because you need digestive enzymes more than anything else. But the bitters? Yeah. They can be adjunctive therapy. I got no problem with that. That was Joyce. Look, if you've got excessive gas and bloating, usually Joyce, you got SIFO, small intestine fungal overgrowth. That's what usually happens. So the enzymes. Our enzymes are made exactly for SIFO because we add oil of oregano right into the enzyme. Man, I love oil of oregano.
Ken, "my question is, is it true that a meal takes longer to digest so the eggs and cheese of the meal should be eaten first? I know that might sound silly." No silly questions here. "I'm asking for clarification. The theory is that meat will cause the other foods to rot before absorption." That's not true. Look, you got enough acidity or you should have enough acidity in your stomach. The only thing I ever ... Is it true or not true? Because Italians often do this. They'll have their fruit after a meal. I know with my in- laws, boy, my mother-in-law, you went to eat. Manjuman, you never stop eating any Italian food to die for. Okay. But they often eat their fruit after a meal. I kind of like, if you're going to have a little bit of fruit, have it before a meal so it doesn't ferment after a meal. But hey, maybe the Italians know something that I don't know. As far as eating your meat last, you got to have ... What did you say? To eat your meat first. Nah. You're going to have eggs, meat, and cheese in the same meal. You got a good stomach. That's what your stomach is for, that acidity. It'll burn a hole in your kitchen table if you have enough acidity in your stomach because that's where it belongs. And if you need to take digestive enzymes to help you with that, but nah, you can eat them at the same time.
Davina, "how do I raise my estrogen and progesterone naturally?" Well, naturally, okay, because I don't want anybody to take estrogen. I like progesterone and our menopausal formula will elevate your progesterone. Okay. It's made for that. Because when women get into any kind of hormonal trouble, it's not estrogen you're missing. And I know you did the blood work because Davina is saying her testosterone. I hate to be negative. Davina, but I want to know your symptoms, not your numbers, because hormonal numbers depending when you took them even then. Look, I used to do that in my office, but your estrogen, I never saw anyone with low estrogen compared to progesterone. It's really progesterone, not estrogen. I never liked estrogen to give it. Okay? I never did. I love progesterone. I love elevating that because it's so good for you, but not estrogen.
So how do you do it naturally? Well, everything's connected, like your hormonal system is connected. So one of the ways, and I show this chart all the time, so let me bring it out, Davina. I bring this chart out and I show the pyramid. See the pyramid? And you got your thyroid, you got your adrenals, you got your ovaries and they're connected and you got your pancreas. All connected, all connected. And the thing that I work on is the progesterone. Elevate that progesterone. One of the ways to elevate progesterone is to lower your cortisol, your stress hormone, because that will drain your progesterone and that makes your estrogen dominant. But I'm not so much worried about elevating that if you don't need it. What are your symptoms, Davina? How are you feeling? Because I wouldn't tinker if you're feeling good. I wouldn't tinker. Okay? I'm usually trying to lower xenoestrogen because we live in an estrogen dominated world.
Someone said the other day I heard it. Well, if estrogen caused cancer, every woman would be dead. Yeah, but it's the xenoestrogens we're talking about. Okay. What mimics estrogen? And estrogen is a growth hormone. There's no doubt about it. And your body knows how to balance estrogen, but we live in an estrogen dominated world that mimic estrogen. That's what I'm concerned about. Okay. Thanks, Davina, for the question.
Joanne. "My doc says the clogged arteries are the top cause of stroke." Yeah, your doc's right. Your doc's right. Clogged arteries. Okay, that can cause high blood pressure. So can dehydration, by the way. But what clogs your arteries? That's what I'm interested in. But your doc's right. I mean, your arteries get clogged. The problem is they get taught in medical school that it's your cholesterol. It's not your cholesterol clogging your arteries. Again, what damages arteries? What calcifies arteries? Oxidation, inflammation and glycation. Sugar and sugar destroys your kidneys and sugar gets your kidneys to hold onto salt, which elevates your blood pressure. That can cause a stroke because think of high blood pressure. It causes extra pressure on your blood vessels. Your doctor's right. It's the solution that's different.
Okay, Brianna, hiatus hernia. She's been told to reduce the amount of acidic foods that you eat. Well, you got to figure out, Brianna, what bothers your stomach. Some people... Look, I don't want you to lower your acidic foods. I want you to make your stomach more acidic because that's a problem even with a hiatus hernia. Usually you have low acidity in your stomach and now your body's trying to make more acid. Your body's adapting to the fact that you're a ... I'm not accusing you. I'm accusing most people of being carboholic. Your stomach was not designed to live on sugar or carbs. I'm not saying you can't ever have any carbohydrates. I'm not saying that, but your body wasn't designed for that. And it's one of the reasons we see a lot of hiatus hernias more than ever. People are eating the wrong foods. They live on carbohydrates. They avoid eggs, meat, and cheese, because that's what your body was designed to eat. I'm not saying you can't have any plants, but you don't have the enzymes that a rabbit has and you don't have four stomachs that a cow has. They eat plants. They live on plants. They're built to eat plants so you don't have to. People that live on carbohydrate, your stomach wasn't made for that. Your acidity in your stomach is for you to eat meat. And when you don't, the acidity, the pH of your stomach changes and you get problems. Okay. That was Brianna.
Okay. Where are we? Okay. We got time for a few more. Colloid cysts, Carmen, is asking about thyroid problems. Doctors aren't concerned at all. Well, neither are mine necessarily.You get cyst on the thyroid. I saw that a million times in my practice, either through ultrasound or whatever. Lower your estrogen, lower your insulin. Those are growth hormones. Insulin makes things grow and so does estrogen. If your doctor's not worried about it, it's because you're not worried about cancer. What are your symptoms, Carmen? Do you have any thyroid symptoms? Because that's significant if you do. If you don't, I'm not worried about it either. Lower your estrogen, flaxseeds. Okay? You might want to be on the dim menopausal formula and insulin. Lower your carbs.
Gail, cardiomyopathy. Talked about that already. Myopathy. Muscle. Weakness. CoQ10. CoQ10. Very important. I have you on Navitol. Pinebark extract elevates your nitric oxide. So good for your heart. Navitol is blood flow, guys. Blood flow, blood flow, blood flow, blood flow. From your head to your toes. And omega-3, high DHA. Okay, that was Gail.
Joan. "A friend said not to drink anything. Not even a coffee before eating." Joan, tell your friend. Doesn't know what they're talking about. I understand why they say it. You don't want to drink water because you're going to lower your acidity in your stomach. No. I can't handle it because to me, that's getting into weeds. You're just getting into nitpicking. Never drink anything before a meal. No, I don't believe that. As a matter of fact, I've brought to you this research that shows when you drink coffee before a meal and with a meal. I like coffee with a meal. Why? It lowers your insulin response. It's like taking a cup of Metformin. Coffee is so good for you. So do I drink coffee with a meal? You bet your boots. You bet your boots I do. So I don't get it. You drink a little bit of water with your meal or before your meal? Come on. I don't buy it. Okay? So never drink anything before your meal. I don't buy it. Okay? I know people tried to convince me about that, but I'm not convinced. Okay. I'm not convinced.
Joanne, "I have a question about having headaches." You're like me, aren't you? I get migraines. Not really, but I say I do. When I hear stupidity, I get a migraine. Joanne, "I have a question about having headaches now and again, mostly in the mornings, thinking of me because I haven't had a coffee in several hours." I love that Joanne. You're trying to get me to say coffee's addictive, aren't you? Joanne. Are you trying to get me to say that? I'm addicted to coffee. It's good for you. It's the real vitamin C. It's a supplement. It's one of the best supplements you can take is coffee. So have it. And if you get a headache when you don't have it, why do you go without having it? \Usually people get headaches because they're dehydrated and they're often low in magnesium. I don't know how many people that had headaches for years that came to see me and sometimes it was hormonal and that in women. I get that. But you wouldn't believe how many hundreds of people over the years that I got them drinking water as a habit, two liters, and they never had another headache in their life with a pinch of salt. They were dehydrated. Joanne, you're not going to get me to go against coffee. I'm sorry, I won't do it. Okay?
Kim. Okay. Well, Kim, I answered this the other day, so let's finish with this today. Okay? Let me just go over it. Talking about Zinzeno, it's a balance testing from Norway. I guess they send you a kit and I understand the highest quality of omega-3 is failing the test with 16 MPM studying trauma. People with failed ratios have started this oil. Okay. What oil are you talking about there? It's a long question here. Kim, look, I think I answered this the other day. You can have your omega-3 levels tested. That's available in Canada. At one time, my I used to send out a kit to get omega-3 and other things tested. Then you didn't have to do it anymore. You could get it done in Canada at a lab. I like testing it because you want to make sure your omega-3 levels are good.
Now look, there are different omega-3s on the market. You see it. It's like there's different cars on the road for omega-3s. There's a lot of cars on the road and some are better than others. I have studied omega-3 for 50 years. I know the importance of omega-3. I know what it does inside your body. I know what it does inside your brain. I know what it does for your eyes. I know what it does for your circulation. I know what it does for your heart and people that poo-pooed omega-3, they really don't know what they're talking about. They really don't. Now there are better omega-3s and the best omega-3s are found in the animal kingdom. Fish, steak. And you got EPA and DHA. Omega-3s. They're the best. Plants, you have omega-3s in plants, but they're not bioavailable like the DHA and EPA.
Now, I am really big on all the research, all the evidence that I read over the years and looked at with clinical patients. Real people having to get real results. And in my opinion, there's nothing better than high DHA. There's nothing better on the market than high DHA. It's the best. And I've seen it with the results with it, what it does in the brain, what it does in the heart, what it does in the eyes, what it does in the gut. Tremendous. Okay. I don't know if I answered your question or not. I thought I did the other day. Okay. Let's leave it at that, guys. Okay. I'm breathing. Okay. Guys, we love you, love you, love you. Thank you so much. What an audience you guys are. Always ask the best questions. Smart, smart, smart. You know more about nutrition, guys. My audience knows more about nutrition than 99% of any physician I've ever met in my lifetime and I mean it. Okay guys, we love you dearly. Talk to you soon.
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