Author Archives: Sarenka Smith

The Power of Ginger

June 5, 2017

A new review published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences assesses findings of 60 studies surrounding ginger—as a supplement, or ingredient in food and drink. Although experts have not yet determined a specific dosage for preventive purposes, the review concludes that ginger consumption is medically sound and helpful.

The studies “have built a consensus that ginger and its major constituents exert beneficial effects against obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and related disorders,” wrote authors from China Agricultural University. The researchers focused their studies on the different aspects of metabolic syndrome—a combination of three or more risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Metabolic syndrome now affects almost a quarter of the world’s population: a growing health problem that has reached reportedly pandemic proportions.

Scientists have researched potential strategies in order to both prevent and treat metabolic syndrome, specifically non-pharmaceutical options. As ginger has a long history of treating a variety of ailments and illnesses, due to its phytochemicals and antioxidants, the general consensus is that there are several mechanisms behind ginger’s ‘superfood powers.’ The paper details the ways in which the spice plays a significant role in fat burning, carbohydrate digestion, and insulin secretion; ginger has also demonstrated an ability to inhibit oxidative stress—a form of cellular aging—in addition to anti-inflammatory properties.

During a study in which ginger was fed to rats, ginger significantly reduced body weight and systemic inflammation, while simultaneously lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. The accumulation of studies suggest that consuming ginger can also enhance calorie burn and reduce feelings of hunger, likely associated with weight loss in overweight adults. Associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Marie-Pierre St-Onge states that while the field is still developing in terms of assessing the impact of various spices, on humans, “The research is very promising.”

Physician of the Month: Harris Waters, MS, MD, FACS, FAARFM, ABAARM

June 1, 2017

A4M valued member Harris Waters, MS, MD, FACS, FAARM, ABAARM shares insight from his professional experience in this Physician of the Month feature.

Dr. Waters earned his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine, after which he completed a general surgery residency at the University of Arizona followed by a vascular fellowship at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Long Beach, California. He has completed a Master’s Degree in Nutritional and Metabolic Medicine from the University of South Florida School of Medicine, in addition to a Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine from A4M.

Dr. Waters recently joined an outstanding team of naturopathic physicians at The Canby Clinic in Canby, Oregon, in order to pursue a full-time career in complementary/integrative medicine.  With the knowledge he has attained with A4M/MMI education, he hopes to provide patients with real healthcare, not solely the treatment of symptoms.

Q: Before joining A4M, what was your medical background?

Before joining A4M my medical background consisted of 30 plus years practicing conventional medicine: general and vascular surgery. For the past 20 years, my surgical practice was located in the rural community Silverton, Oregon.

Q: What anti-aging techniques have you incorporated into your practice? How did you do so?

About a decade ago, I noticed the overall health of my patients worsening; patients were not responding to basic treatment plans: most notably, patients with gastrointestinal issues. It was suggested to me that I listen to a talk by Dr. Shari Lieberman, which I did while attending my first A4M conference. To this day, I recall leaving her lecture thinking that the information could not be correct, being contrary to most everything I had been taught. I did purchase her book with the plan of reading it on the plane home.

The very next day I was on surgical call and had to operate on a patient with appendicitis. This was a 30 year old man with a 6 year history of ulcerative colitis with a chronic hematocrit of 26% (normal 36-45%) which required transfusions 1-2 times per year secondary to his chronic slow bleed from the colitis. As suggested by Dr. Lieberman, I asked him if there was anything he craved, loved to eat or ate daily (with the plan of proving her wrong). The patient responded “no,” but his wife responded “yes”. Turned out he ate peanut butter every day, as it was his go to food. He was known to have it at breakfast, lunch, with dinner, and as a snack food.

Following surgery, the patient and his wife came back to the office. This patient was not interested in eliminating peanut butter from his diet, but his wife was now on a mission! I shared that I was unsure that what I had heard was true, but that this Dr. Lieberman spoke about craving what you are allergic to. Feeling there was nothing to lose, his wife decided to stop the peanut butter. The patient was almost due for his bi-annual colonoscopy and that would provide the perfect test to see if eliminating peanut butter would affect his colitis. After 8 weeks of being peanut butter free, the patient underwent a colonoscopy. His hematocrit the day of the procedure without any transfusions or iron therapy was 42%! The colonoscopy was entirely normal, which was confirmed by biopsies a few days later. The ulcerative colitis was gone!!!

I went out to speak with his wife and tell her that everything was normal; she started crying, then gave me a big hug and kiss. I was taken aback for a moment, and asked why she was crying. She said they were tears of joy! She told me, “I also stopped the peanut butter in my son’s diet. He is becoming normal now; he was having GI issues and they are gone. He was diagnosed with hyperactivity, ADD, and had behavior issues. He is now doing better in school, and I’m getting a normal child back!”

Needless to say, I was shocked. Here I was, a conventionally trained surgeon curing ulcerative colitis hyperactivity, ADD and GI issues simply by elimination of peanut butter from a diet. How crazy was that?!?

I read Dr. Lieberman’s book a second time to see if I myself might find relief from migraine headaches, which had in the past 5 years had become progressively worse. Following an extensive conventional workup, the option offered was medication, with the potential of significant side effects. My favorite foods had always been cheesecake, along with gluten and dairy-based products. I decided to eliminate both gluten and dairy from my diet, and 3 days later, the headaches were gone! Now I only experience a migraine after I have eaten something with gluten or dairy.

Q: What are the benefits of practicing anti-aging medicine as a professional, and for your practice?

I’ve had success treating patients with GI issues, along with arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, narcolepsy, headaches, and gastro esophageal reflux using complementary/integrative modalities. For example, instead of prescribing a medication, patients have been able to find relief simply by dietary changes and nutritional improvement. These types of treatments are not typically addressed in conventional medicine.

Q: What are the changes you see in your patients?

Patients interested in complementary/integrative medicine are more motivated. Patients as a whole are becoming more and more disenchanted with conventional medicine, and are looking for alternative ways to achieve health, wellness, and optimal aging.

Q: Would you recommend Anti-Aging Medicine to your peers?

Yes, without hesitation.

Q: Where do you see the future of Anti-Aging Medicine 20 years from now?

Good wellness and healthy aging is attainable, and health care–rather than illness care–MUST become the future for all. It is unacceptable that this generation is sicker than the last, that insurance governs care, and that big pharma continues to drive healthcare. People are now beginning to connect the dots. Anti-Aging and complementary/integrative concepts in medicine will be the wave of the future.

“Fat But Fit”–No Such Luck

May 17, 2017

Medical scientists from the University of Birmingham are actively countering the theory that people can be simultaneously overweight and medically fit, presenting new research that reinforces that obese people are at a far greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people of a normal, healthy weight.

Researchers claim that the term ‘fat but fit’ is a fallacy that spurs the spread of obesity, a global public health epidemic. The study—presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Portugal—assesses the medical records of 3.5 million people in the United Kingdom between the years 1995 and 2015, in order to evaluate the legitimacy of the theory ‘fat but fit.’

Previous medical research suggests that obesity can have little impact on a person’s susceptibility to various harmful diseases, if they are considered to be otherwise medical healthy. Yet the research, which consistently tracked obese but “metabolically healthy” people, found that they were still at a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes and other heart-related conditions.

Specifically, the study found that obese people were 50 percent more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease, and between 7 and 11 percent more likely to develop cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease. The United Kingdom’s largest funder of cardiovascular research, The British Heart Foundation, has stated that this research will help to dispel an ‘age-old myth.’

The data further estimates that approximately 28.1 percent of adults in the U.K. qualify as clinically obese, with a Body Mass Index greater than 30. In the United States, the statistics rise to approximately 66 percent.