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PRx Host : |
Welcome! Tonight's guest is Allan N. Spreen, M.D., nutritionist and author of  Nutritionally Incorrect: Why the American Diet is Dangerous and How to Defend Yourself. Welcome to PlanetRx, Dr. Spreen!
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Dr. Spreen : |
Thanks, good to be here!
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PRx Host : |
I'd like to start with a question at the root of Americans' diets. In your book, Nutritionally Incorrect, you say, "Refined white bread is suitable only for elementary school paste and papier-mâché." That's a pretty strong statement. Could you explain why you feel that way?
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Dr. Spreen : |
White flour has no nutritional value after it has been refined. It becomes a pure starch, which converts to pure sugar in the body too fast for the body to use properly.
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PRx Host : |
What about unbleached, enriched wheat flour?
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Dr. Spreen : |
That actually is a fraud. Unbleached is slightly better than bleached but it's still plain, refined white flour. The fiber is gone, most of the nutrients are gone.
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PRx Host : |
Where do you recommend we go for the good flours?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Health-food stores and now the new bread shops have one form of 100% whole wheat bread. There are a few companies with 100% whole wheat bread.
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PRx Host : |
Do you think it is still bad for you to eat much bread, even if it is whole grain?
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Dr. Spreen : |
It depends. Many people are allergic to wheat and don't know it. Otherwise, real whole grains, I think, are pretty much OK.
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PRx Host : |
How can you tell if you are allergic to wheat?
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Dr. Spreen : |
If a person eats wheat constantly or craves it, I take them off for seven days. If they feel worse in two to three days, and the symptoms can be anything, then usually they feel better by the seventh day. Then I give it back and see if they feel worse. That test can be done for any food except dairy, which needs 21 days.
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PRx Host : |
So sometimes wheat, and not carbohydrates like the Atkins diet suggests, is the culprit?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Two different questions there. You can be allergic to wheat and tolerate carbohydrates in general. Many people, especially most very obese people, are sensitive to carbohydrates in general. They tend to do very well on low carb, high protein.
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PRx Host : |
If refining flour is so bad for us, why do they bother in the first place?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Shelf life, not your life. Refined flour lasts a long time, because bugs won't eat it. We're dumb enough to eat it, but the bugs aren't!
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PRx Host : |
Here's an audience question before we get too far from the topic.
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joely : |
Low carb, high protein -- I am intrigued by the recent news showing the real benefits of the Atkins diet. I have been eating more protein lately (mostly vegetarian protein, I should add) and do feel I have more energy and better mental concentration. What is your opinion of the low-carb diet in general?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I find it very effective. I had poor results with low-fat calorie-counting diets. It's even better for adult diabetes.
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PRx Host : |
Have you heard that high-protein diets can be very bad for the liver? What do you think of that?
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Dr. Spreen : |
A patient forced me to monitor them when I thought the diet was bad, and I learned otherwise. I have heard for years that high-protein diets can be bad for the liver. I have never found one confirmed case to back that up. It seems to come from anti-Atkins people who have not used the diet.
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Nelvana : |
Are there any specifics you can recommend in terms of diet to turn the syndrome of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease around? Once a liver has been "de-fattied," how do you keep it from returning to that state?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I use low-carb, because carbohydrates are close to alcohol, and milk thistle extract.
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PRx Host : |
A moment ago you mentioned high-protein diets being beneficial for people with diabetes. Here's another audience question regarding that.
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jnfr910 : |
My mother is a type 2 diabetic and is struggling to reduce her sugar intake. Do you have any suggestions for her? First steps in improving her diet?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Low-carbohydrate, because protein and fat do not use insulin in the same way. And I add chromium and vanadium.
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PRx Host : |
Could you give us some more information on how you use that diet?
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Dr. Spreen : |
She should go off all refined sugar and refined flour products, and she may even have to be careful with fruit. That's why a high-protein diet tends to be a good start. I use Atkins because he uses very high doses of nutrient supplements, which I agree with.
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PRx Host : |
What function do the chromium and vanadium play in managing the insulin?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Both moderate insulin use by the body and can help ease the extent of blood sugar swing both for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
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PRx Host : |
Here's an audience question about arthritis.
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Julie : |
Can arthritis really be controlled with better nutrition and the use of supplements?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I believe so, absolutely. I start by looking for allergenic foods. At the top of the list is dairy, wheat, corn, and citrus, plus anything craved. Then I add a good multivitamin, plus minerals, and there are other supplements. Specifically for arthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin are excellent in the long term. In the short term, the herb curcumin and the compound MSM from the health food store tend to help.
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PRx Host : |
Why do you think people crave foods they are allergic to? It seems unfair.
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Dr. Spreen : |
It is unfair! It is similar to an addiction. The food can be the fix to alleviate symptoms in the short term, but it gets worse over time.
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PRx Host : |
We have an audience member interested in milk thistle.
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Nelvana : |
Can you tell us anything about milk thistle? People keep recommending it for liver problems.
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Dr. Spreen : |
Milk thistle is an herb, and there is an extract from it called silymarin, which has a long history of detoxifying the liver. It does take fairly high doses. I would strongly recommend it, and I use high-dose vitamin C with it.
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gocardinal : |
How much vitamin C should I take daily? What about when I get a cold? How much is too much?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I give everyone 1,000 mg two times per day. When a person gets sick, I increase the dose. Lately, there was a report of heart trouble from vitamin C. The report was unpublished and unreviewed by any peers and flies in the face of hundreds of published studies showing the benefit of vitamin C in both heart disease and many other illnesses. It's been my pet peeve in the last couple of days. The report used 500 mg per day when Linus Pauling used 17,000 mg per day for decades. I guess the C finally killed him at age 93!
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PRx Host : |
Why do you think people are so ready to believe that vitamin C might be bad for you?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I believe there are pharmaceutical interests that do not like the public fixing themselves with nutrient supplements.
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PRx Host : |
Dr. Spreen, you begin your book with a look into the evils of sugar. Here's an audience question about moderation.
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copa : |
I understand that you believe white sugar is little better than a poison to our bodies. Yet, is it really that harmful if I indulge in a square of chocolate every other day or even every day? I take great pleasure in this! (I eat pretty well -- veggies, lean meats, and whole grains -- otherwise.)
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Dr. Spreen : |
I'm afraid I cheat, too. It is abnormal to our bodies by being refined, but with supplements and the rest of the diet conscientiousness, it should be OK.
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PRx Host : |
There's a lot of useful and interesting information in Nutritionally Incorrect, so I'd like to get into some of that. Most juices available in supermarkets and even many health food stores are from concentrate. Can you explain some of the important differences between concentrated and fresh juice?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Concentrates are easier to ship and store. So fresh is better, but it's much more difficult from a producer standpoint. Also, concentrates are used to make the taste of the product the same over large batches. Fresh is harder to get, but better.
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PRx Host : |
Are the nutritive values the same between fresh juices and concentrated ones?
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Dr. Spreen : |
If the juice is truly fresh, like made that day, the differences are great. There are many nutrients that survive any processing poorly.
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PRx Host : |
So even a pure, unpasteurized fruit juice in a bottle is not necessarily good for you?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I would consider that better, usually. I prefer that to juice made from concentrate.
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PRx Host : |
What is a "naked" calorie?
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Dr. Spreen : |
It is a pure, refined, chemical state that is not normal to the body. Natural foods contain all the nutrients required for the use of their calories. When a food is refined, the nutrients are removed so the body must steal from body stores to use that calorie. If the body stores run out, disease follows. That's why I prefer whole, natural foods.
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copa : |
What's your opinion of organic foods? Should people absolutely seek them out, and pay the higher prices in exchange for better health? Give me some examples.
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Dr. Spreen : |
Tough question. They are changing the definition of "organic." Federal rules for organic are much weaker and probably not worth the cost. True organic, using old, respected standards, is probably worth it if one can afford it.
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PRx Host : |
How can you tell the difference between the two kinds of organic?
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Dr. Spreen : |
That is going to get tougher. Normally, the agency certifying the food as organic has its name on the label. If not, I would not trust it.
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PRx Host : |
Back to sugar, an audience member would like to know:
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sweeetooth : |
Is honey any better than sugar?
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Dr. Spreen : |
For a sweet tooth, probably no. Dark, truly raw, honey has many useful enzymes for the body, but regular honey is little better than refined sugar.
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PRx Host : |
What about brown-rice syrup?
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Dr. Spreen : |
That is somewhat better, because it retains many minerals.
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PRx Host : |
Back to the audience.
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GeorgeHill : |
I'm trying to lose weight and am eating mainly salads, fish, and low-calorie, low-fat foods like ground turkey, plus apples and oranges. Not much sign of progress yet. Do you have any suggestions?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I had poor results using low-fat diets. My practice became much more successful for weight loss when I went low-carb, such as Atkins, carb addicts' diet, steak lovers' diet, Sugar Busters, or protein power. If that is too much, and it is for many, I had good results with the Zone.
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kornchild69 : |
There are three people in my family following the Atkins diet. One has arthritis, another late-onset diabetes, and the third is recovering from an eating disorder and candida. What do you think of this diet?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I like it for all three of them. No diet is perfect for everyone, but I have had very good results using it for all three types of problems.
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PRx Host : |
Do you have a way to describe the Zone diet simply for our viewers?
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Dr. Spreen : |
It uses fewer carbohydrates than the standard American garbage diet, which is 70% carbs. The Zone is 40% carb, while high protein, like Atkins, may be 20%-30% carb.
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PRx Host : |
What do you think about protein shakes? Are they a decent way to get your daily protein?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I prefer high-protein food, but food processors have done so much to our food that I don't know any more how much better they are.
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PRx Host : |
What about nutrition bars?
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Dr. Spreen : |
It depends on the bars. Some are very natural. However, most bars are not food and are a substitute only, but not natural food. Probably the worst tasting is the best for you because they use the least sugar.
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PRx Host : |
There are so many out there. Can you name your favorite brands?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Power Bars are the most popular, but not with me. They have too much sugar. The Balance bars are somewhat better, because they are 40-30-30 carb-protein-fat. I prefer the lowest carb, but the lower the carb, usually the worse the taste. I prefer snacks like nuts, seeds, cheese, boiled eggs, whole foods like that.
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PRx Host : |
What is the difference between a simple and a complex carbohydrate, and where can I find the complex ones?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Simple carbohydrates are fruits and sugars. Complex carbohydrates are starches, like potatoes and grains. Usually, the complex break down more slowly in the body but this is not as assured when they are refined.
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PRx Host : |
I have a question about when to eat and exercise. I have heard that you are not supposed to exercise within a half-hour of eating. I have also been told that most protein and other nutrients are absorbed in the first half-hour. What do you think?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Carbs are absorbed the most quickly. During exercise, digestion shuts down, but you probably wouldn't want to exercise starving. A small snack that is settled by the start of exercise seems best to me.
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PRx Host : |
What about eating right after exercising?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I think a person should eat when they are hungry. Usually, exercise depresses appetite for a while and then the appetite increases considerably later. If weight is a problem, normally I say don't eat until the start of an appetite. Many people lose all willpower once they get the least bit hungry. For them, I recommend high-protein snacking before getting hungry.
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PRx Host : |
So the body will tell us when the most appropriate time to eat is -- if we listen.
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Dr. Spreen : |
If we listen and if we feed it with foods for which it was designed. That does not include refined sugar, refined white flour products, or hydrogenated fats.
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PRx Host : |
Here's an audience question about hormones and supplements:
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América : |
I am doing research on natural hormonal balancing through nutrition, for women in general, but also specifically for women who have recovered from breast cancer, uterine cancer, etc., who cannot take any natural or artificial hormones. What foods or supplements would you recommend? Please suggest any bibliography or Internet links. Thanks!
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Dr. Spreen : |
There are hormonal effects from foods, no question about that. In terms of their strength and effects on hormone receptors in those with cancer, it can be a very difficult question. Most doctors are nervous about concentrated soy for cancers that are hormone-related. I would have to suggest avoiding such foods, unless proven OK for that person.
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PRx Host : |
What are the most obvious problems you see with low-fat diets?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Low-fat, I believe, is an abnormal diet. Ancient man did not eat low-fat. A low-fat diet is undersupplied in essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and in saturated fats, which are not as bad as we have been told.
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PRx Host : |
What can you tell me about essential fatty acids? What are they, how crucial are they, and where can I get them?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Essential fatty acids are in two classes: The six and the three class [omega-3s and omega-6s]. The three class is from fish oil or fish and the six class is from select foods such as flax, borage, black currant, and other oils. When I add essential fatty acids as supplements, and flax meal or flax oil tends to be the best, having both types, I add vitamin E, because it is necessary for the use of the fatty acids.
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PRx Host : |
In Nutritionally Incorrect, you talk at length about the state of our water supply. There's always a lot of contradictory information floating around about how safe or dangerous our tap water is. In your opinion, should we be drinking it?
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Dr. Spreen : |
No.
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PRx Host : |
For those of us who don't have direct access to a clean river or well, what can we do to improve our water?
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Dr. Spreen : |
I prefer deep-well spring-water, which, unfortunately, is expensive. I do not use distilled water.
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PRx Host : |
Here's an audience question.
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achooooo : |
I have awful home allergies, which result in wheezing, sneezing, coughing, and stuffy nose. I'm on a corticosteroid inhaler now and use a cromolyn sodium nasal inhaler, but I wonder if there's anything natural that I can take to help. Any ideas?
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Dr. Spreen : |
For allergies, I use high-dose vitamin C and bioflavonoids. I tend to keep increasing the dose of each until the allergy clears. There is usually some point at which it stops.
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PRx Host : |
In your book, you talk about a wide variety of common food additives. From time to time, one or another of these comes to the public's attention. Which ones do you think are the most unhealthy?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Aspartame probably scares me the most. For some, the bisulfites are deadly, but not everyone.
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PRx Host : |
Another one from the audience.
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kirakira : |
What is in your fridge?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Very little. I rarely cook. As a bachelor, I can eat out!
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PRx Host : |
With so much bad food out there, how do you go out to eat?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Unless you go out in the woods and grow your own foods and eat them raw, we all eat inferior diets. Therefore, I believe nutrient supplements are absolutely mandatory for optimal health or anything close to it.
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kirakira : |
If I only want to lose eight pounds, is it smart for me to do the cabbage soup diet? Will I benefit from it?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Some people like it. Some find it very difficult. Sacred Heart Hospital started the cabbage soup diet for heart patients before surgery. It usually caused much weight loss in a short period, so dieters started trying it. It is for seven days only and it is not just cabbage soup. So if it is done, it should be done correctly and, I suggest, monitored by your doctor. Many people have found it very effective for short-term weight loss.
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PRx Host : |
There are so many different kinds of vitamins out there, and so many different brands, and then there are pills and capsules and so on. Do you have some rules of thumb for beginning vitamin-takers?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Yes, I prefer capsules to hard pills. I never use timed release, because then you pay extra for a pill designed not to give you its contents. I also do not use multivitamins of the 100% RDA variety, as I find them far too weak. A decent multi in my opinion will have at least 25 mg, 50 is better, of each of the numbered B's (B-1, B-2, B-6). That is a quickie screen for a decent multi. I also avoid iron in a multivitamin. I look for companies that give you a choice. If PlanetRx gives you that choice, I'll bet they're good! Good supplement companies do give supplements the same, but with and without iron. Then I always add extra vitamin C because no supplement has enough.
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PRx Host : |
What is wrong with iron?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Inorganic iron, which is what supplements use, is a stress on the body and causes free radical generation. I prefer using liver or desiccated liver with other supplements to help absorption of the iron. If a person truly needs iron, they also need to make sure they know why they are losing it.
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PRx Host : |
Here's another audience question.
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mixednut : |
Are there any nutritional supplements that will help my skin? I tend to have hormone-related breakouts.
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Dr. Spreen : |
That implies to me the use of synthetic hormones. I strongly suggest the excellent book called Natural Hormone Replacement by Jonathan Wright, M.D. It explains alternatives. For skin I look for food sensitivities, especially cravings, and I use high-dose vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, and MSM, which is a high-sulfur compound.
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PRx Host : |
Why do you choose capsules over hard pills?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Too many patients -- don't ask me how they know this -- have reported seeing the hard pills in the stool. If a person is going to swallow a supplement, I want to make sure they are at least getting it!
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loumom : |
What is your feeling on softgels?
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Dr. Spreen : |
They're fine.
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PRx Host : |
We're almost at the end of our time, so I wanted to ask you a question about your coaching.
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kirakira : |
What do your divers eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? How long do they work out?
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Dr. Spreen : |
The elite athletes work out 4-6 hours per day. Their diets are predominantly high protein with very high supplement intake.
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PRx Host : |
Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Dr. Spreen. You've clarified a lot of confusing information for us tonight, and it's been great having you!
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Dr. Spreen : |
It's been fun!
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PRx Host : |
Do you have a URL you'd like to give us?
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Dr. Spreen : |
Go to www.anutritionphysician.com. Good health to everyone!
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PRx Host : |
To you, too!
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