Natural Help for Tinnitus

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a very common problem, especially as we age. It’s estimated that roughly 15% of the population experiences some form of tinnitus, which can range from mild to debilitating. It can be caused by a number of factors, though the most common is damage to the ear from excessive noise or injury.

Regardless of the cause, it can be a tricky thing to live with and can be difficult to treat. The most promising natural supplement research with tinnitus seems be with the herb ginko biloba. Ginko is sometimes used as an aid for brain function because it encourages blood flow to the brain, but research has also found that ginko supplementation can also be beneficial for tinnitus.

Several placebo controlled studies have found benefit for ginko supplementation in patients suffering from tinnitus, though the studies usually recommended using 120mg of guaranteed potency ginko biloba per day. When effective dosages of the herb in a guaranteed potency form were used, many more people found relief from tinnitus when using ginko vs. the placebo group.

Another study I found recently compared using ginko biloba with a prescription drug known as pentoxifylline sometimes used for tinnitus. The research found that supplementing for 120mg of ginko biloba was as effective as the prescription, and that in both groups tinnitus sufferers found relief, though the group using ginko had more positive scores for depression, anxiety, and overall wellbeing.

If you experience tinnitus, I would definitely recommend giving ginko biloba a try, with one caveat: ginko can thin the blood (it’s sometimes used to prevent blood clots) so it shouldn’t be used at the same time as prescription blood thinners like warfarin or Coumadin. Additionally, ginko (and other supplements, generally) should be discontinued a few weeks before undergoing surgery.

When trying ginko for tinnitus, it’s important to use it for long enough to see a difference. Most studies on ginko biloba and tinnitus were done over twelve weeks. It’s possible to see relief sooner than that, but as most studies usually are done over three months, so that’s usually what we recommend when you’re trying to remedy a problem to see if something has helped.

There’s one more supplement I’d recommend for tinnitus, which unlike ginko biloba, is safe for people using blood thinners- bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids are plant compounds which are part of what gives plants their vibrant colors. They have many benefits, one of which is that they help to strengthen the walls of small veins and capillaries. Due to that benefit, bioflavonoids are often recommended for vascular disorders, or to help prevent bruising by strengthening the walls of the easily damaged tiny capillaries in the body.

Though there is not much research available on bioflavonoids and tinnitus, it is theorized that they could be useful for tinnitus by helping to strengthen the many tiny capillaries that are needed to bring blood to various parts of the ears and brain. Since bioflavonoids have many other benefits, it’s certainly worth a try to see if you find a benefit for tinnitus, especially if you can’t take ginko biloba due to blood thinning medications.

The Effects of Low Dopamine Levels

Our bodies are so interesting, and it’s so fascinating how different chemicals produced in the brain affect our mood and outlook on life. Our individual brain chemistry is affected by many different factors, and when we don’t have enough of certain neurotransmitters, if our body isn’t making enough, it can really affect us, often being experienced as depression or anxiety.

I’m glad that the stigma against mental health issues has been changing in the past number of years. For the majority of people, depression and mental health problems are the result of imbalances in the naturally produced chemicals in the brain, through no fault of their own. Natural products or pharmaceuticals that help to remedy or boost those mood enhancing neurotransmitters can really help.

Of course I’d recommend trying natural products first, but sometimes a prescription might be needed, and that‘s fine, it’s important to do what’s best for your health. I’d recommend natural products first because they are generally free from side effects and can be stopped at any time without causing a problem (you need to be careful with many pharmaceuticals for depression, it’s not recommended that you just stop taking those drugs abruptly without a doctor’s recommendation).

The two main “feel good” neurotransmitters in the brain are serotonin and dopamine. Both are critical for proper brain function and mood. Serotonin is a little more involved with how we process emotions, whereas dopamine is also involved with mood, but it’s more focused on feelings of wellbeing, pleasure, and motivation.

For boosting serotonin, the amino acid 5-HTP as well as the herb saffron can be helpful and effective. 5-HTP has also been researched for helping with reducing stress and migraines in addition to helping with boosting mood. 5-HTP is not recommended to be used along with certain prescription antidepressants since it works in a similar way.

For dopamine levels, things can be a little trickier. When we are young, the body produces abundant amounts of dopamine in the brain, which is why many of us look back on childhood as a carefree time. As we age, our levels of dopamine are reduced. By age 45 our natural dopamine levels are reduced by roughly 13% for each decade that passes. Low amounts of dopamine in the brain translate to a lower sense of wellbeing. Drugs like cocaine and opioids give the brain a rush of dopamine, which is part of why they are so addictive. Similarly, cigarette smoking also gives a dopamine rush, which is why they are so difficult to quit. Dopamine is involved with our reward system and addictive behaviors, and low dopamine levels in the brain can make it even more likely for those people to seek out risky behaviors to feel that rush or increase in dopamine in the brain.

I am certainly not advocating any of the things above, but rather am just trying to explain how dopamine works. There are supplements that can boost dopamine, but I would not recommend them due to side effects (which is why we don’t carry them at our store). There is a natural supplement I would recommend, however,  that is involved with our bodies levels of dopamine, but it does it in a different way than just artificially increasing dopamine (which I don’t think is  a good idea).

Recent research has found that a plant known as the Amur cork tree works to inhibit an enzyme in our body that depletes dopamine levels in the brain, called MAO-B (it has a longer name, but let’s just call it that). It’s an herb that’s been used safely for centuries in Asia, but now science is confirming its wide reaching benefits, including its ability to help stabilize dopamine levels in the brain. Unlike things (primarily negative like drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol) that temporarily boost dopamine levels in the brain, extracts of the Amur cork tree, known as Phellodendron amurense, work to naturally increase overall levels of dopamine in the brain to levels comparable to when a person was younger, before the MAO-B enzyme levels increased that lower our brain’s amounts of available dopamine. That plant extract is not well known in America, but we’ve found a product by Life Extension that is a good source of it called Dopamine Advantage.

In addition to helping with higher overall dopamine levels in the brain, inhibiting the MAO-B enzyme in the body can also have brain protective effects.

There are prescription drugs that influence that dopamine enzyme that have been used for many years as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease (patients with Parkinson’s disease can have extremely low dopamine levels, in fact, low dopamine levels are thought to be one of the contributing factors in Parkinson’s disease). The Dopamine Advantage supplement I mentioned above works in a similar way, but naturally. Another nice thing is that the recommended amounts to be found effective in research is available in just one pill a day, and it’s also very reasonably priced (we have it for sale for $13.99 for a month’s supply- I love it when companies don’t price gouge, especially when they have a unique supplement that’s not found many places).

Please stop by Pass Health Foods for more information or if you have any questions. Everyone is different in their individual needs, and especially for issues like depression and anxiety, it’s not always “one size fits all”. Luckily, there are a lot of natural products that can really make a difference, and we are extremely knowledgeable about the various supplements for boosting mood and reducing stress and anxiety.

Mask Mandates at Pass Health Foods

What a year this has been, but we are so incredibly grateful that things are starting to get back to normal little by little. 

We wanted to address new mask recommendations by the CDC for vaccinated people, and just say that regardless if laws change in our town or state in the coming weeks, we will still require masks to be worn at Pass Health Foods. 

We have many children and other medically vulnerable people who come into our store, and we want Pass Health Foods to continue to be a safe place to be for everyone. We will not be checking people for vaccination cards now or ever, so we ask that everyone please continue to wear masks while shopping in the store.  Additionally, we will continue to offer curb side pickup if you prefer.

We really appreciate each of you, and thank each of you in advance for helping us to keep everyone safe.

Coleman Camping Gear Raffle

This year we have a new big Solaray raffle for a Coleman Camping Set! The set includes a great quality Colman two person tent, a wonderful insulated Colman cooler, two camping chairs, and two insulated mugs!

To enter to win, purchase any Solaray product to earn a raffle ticket!  We’ll choose a winner at the end of May. It’s a wonderful quality camping set!

Stop by the store at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights for a chance to win!

Vitamin C for Gum Health

I wanted to briefly write about vitamin C and bleeding gums. I recently read a study about bleeding gums being a symptom of vitamin C deficiency. The researchers examined 15 different clinical trials and found that a tendency to have bleeding gums was related to a deficiency in vitamin C, and found that increasing their vitamin C intake was able to help reverse their bleeding issues.

Vitamin C has many benefits: from enhancing immune functioning as well as being beneficial to cardiovascular health, it can even help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s a great supplement for overall health.

Vitamin C is easily obtained through fresh fruits, though supplementing can be a good idea when you might not be regularly eating enough fresh produce. One of our favorites is our American Health Ester C, since studies have shown that it stays working in the body longer than regular vitamin C. Another we especially recommend is Nutrigold’s Vitamin C Gold, which is directly sourced from organic berries, so it’s extremely gentle and well absorbed. Both our 1000mg Ester C capsules and our Vitamin C Gold are on sale this month, so be sure to stop by.

Also, here’s an article on supplements beneficial for gum health on our website here:

Healthy Q & A: Gum Disease

Are Seasonal Allergies Getting Worse?

I’ve read some interesting things about allergies lately that I wanted to share. I love finding out the “why” of things! I was reading an article that was interviewing a horticulturalist about trees, and they were saying that a lot of the problem with the increase in seasonal allergy symptoms is because far more male trees are being planted than female trees.

Male trees have long been seen as desirable for street and residential plantings, because they don’t make fruit or seeds and are “less messy”. When it comes to pollen though, male trees produce it in abundance. Female trees are able to “trap” some of that pollen to use to create fruits, but now with the lopsidedness of primarily male trees, there’s a ton of pollen floating around without an equal amount of female trees to use it. So basically that leaves us with a ton of pollen hanging around, making allergy symptoms worse.

Another interesting thing I was reading in regards to allergies was that excesses of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere causes trees to produce more pollen. CO2, or carbon dioxide, is actually a reproductive stimulator of plants, and research has shown that trees produced significantly more pollen when treated with CO2, and that’s basically what’s happening worldwide at the moment, since burning fossil fuels produces increased CO2 in our atmosphere.

So, if you’ve been experiencing an increase in allergy symptoms, there’s actually a reason for it (if that makes you feel any better). Still, spring is a beautiful season, and it’s a sad thing to be trapped inside with the windows closed when the weather finally turns warmer.

Luckily, there are some natural supplements that can help. We usually think of histamine when we think of allergies, and that is what most over the counter allergy drugs focus on. Histamine is a compound produced in the body in response to allergens, but histamine is not the only chemical in the body involved in our allergy response, which is why over the counter allergy medications can sometimes have limited effectiveness, or change in effectiveness over time in our bodies.

Natural products for allergies have a more balanced approach, helping to calm down the overactive immune response to pollen and seasonal allergens naturally. One of the most effective supplements to do just that is quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid, a plant compound found in many fruits and vegetables like onions, apples, and berries. Quercetin supplements have been shown in studies to be effective in reducing allergy symptoms by not only inhibiting our body’s overactive release of histamine, but also in decreasing other inflammatory compounds produced in the body as a response to allergens. Quercetin is also a potent antioxidant, which offers further benefits to the body.

One quercetin supplement we especially recommend for allergy season is called Quercetin Nettle by Mt. Angel. It combines a high dose of quercetin along with a pineapple enzyme called bromelain that helps with reducing inflammation in the body as well as stinging nettle, an herb that has long been used for allergy symptoms. This specific product by Mt. Angel was formulated based on research published by the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon for seasonal allergies, and we have a lot of customers who have used it with good results.

Another idea is to try some raw, local honey. The idea of using local honey is almost like a pollen inoculation, that you’re ingesting honey made from the flowers in our local area which will hopefully make your body freak out less when you encounter spring pollen made from those same plants. Plus, who doesn’t love honey?  Also, buying local honey supports local beekeepers, which is a great thing to do, especially in 2021, regardless of allergies or not!  We support two different local beekeeping families at Pass Health Foods, and we’ve just gotten in more 16 oz. jars of raw, unprocessed honey sourced from wildflower fields in Homer Glen.

A Great New Supplement for Stress & Anxiety

I have a great new recommendation for a brand new Solgar product we’ve brought in called Stress & Anxiety Relief. As you may have guessed from the name, it really does help with stress and anxiety. The main ingredient is ashwaganda, which is an herb I definitely believe in that I’ve written about before, but this new product is a high potency extract, so where a person would have in the past had to take two pills a day to get the recommended amounts of ashwaganda, this new formula by Solgar only needs one a day.

We got a sample bottle in advance before bringing the product in the store, and my husband has been taking it every day and has said how much he likes it (which is saying something, since I’m constantly bringing home stuff for him to try).

In addition to helping with reducing stress, ashwaganda can also help with improving mental function and has even shown benefit in several preliminary studies for helping to prevent several different neurodegenerative diseases.

Solgar’s Stress & Anxiety Relief also contains saffron extract which can help with reducing stress and boosting mood. The amount of saffron extract in this Stress & Anxiety Relief formula has been found to have similar benefits to three different prescription antidepressants: Fluoxetine, Imipramine, and Citalopram (you can click on the individual names to find links to the specific research studies).

It’s a great new supplement and I especially love that it contains the recommended amounts confirmed by research studies in just one pill. Our new Stress & Anxiety Relief formula is on sale for 25% off every day!

Bilberry and Cataract Prevention

Bilberries are small berries native to Europe related to blueberries that have been used for many years for eye health.

My dad was the first to tell me about bilberry and its benefit for cataracts. He read about an Italian study on bilberry being beneficial for cataracts that really impressed him. The article he read was a small-scale study with people who had been diagnosed with early-stage cataracts that were given bilberry extract daily, the article reported that almost all of those in the study found that bilberry stopped the growth of their cataracts.

He’s been taking bilberry ever since (at least over a year) and he says he is sure that it’s helped, and that he even feels like his eyesight has even gotten better.

Other animal studies have also shown the benefit of bilberry for reducing the progression of cataracts as well as macular degeneration, with impressive results.

Bilberries are full of potent antioxidants that can help to combat oxidative damage in the body and are especially beneficial to the eyes, showing benefit for cataracts, macular degeneration, and even diabetic retinopathy- an eye condition that is a complication of diabetes that damages blood vessels in the eyes. Bilberries can also help with reducing inflammation throughout the body, and are also used to help with IBS, ulcerative colitis, and even to improve brain function.

My dad has been using Solaray’s One Daily Guaranteed Potency Bilberry every day and has been really happy with it, and that’s the one we recommend as well since it’s the strongest bilberry extract available per pill.

Buy One, Get One Free Deals!

I want to highlight a group of products, since I think they’re a really great value. We’ve had a few two packs by Natural Factors for a while, but we’ve expanded our selection to all the two packs they have available. The two packs are so great because they’re a buy one, get one free pack, so basically you’re getting two bottles for the price of one! It’s a great value for a great product, and makes a number of supplements that we carry a lot more affordable.

Also, please let me say that just because these two packs by Natural Factors are a good price, it doesn’t not mean that they are not a quality product. We don’t carry anything in the store that isn’t top quality, and in fact, all of our Natural Factors supplements are certified by ISURA, a Canadian supplement verification certification that insures that all products are tested for potency, purity, and are free from any adulterants and are accurately labeled (there have been lots of problems with less reputable brands saying one thing on the label, but when tested not having potencies anywhere near what it says on the bottle).

We have the buy one, get one free bottles in quite a few supplements: CoQ10, Ubiquinol, Vitamin D, Cranberry, Milk Thistle, B12 and more. I take a few of their supplements regularly and am really happy with them. Stop by the store and see our selection and maybe save a few dollars!

Worries about the Coronavirus Vaccine

Dear Carolyn,

What do you think about the coronavirus vaccine?  I am kind of nervous about getting it.

Thanks, John

Dear John,

It’s completely understandable to be nervous about the new coronavirus vaccines, especially for people who generally don’t take medications. There are several things about the vaccine, however, that I feel can help allay those fears.

The two main vaccines we have available, those by Moderna and Pfizer, are known as mRNA vaccines, which are different from the vaccines we have had in the past. Most vaccines that we’re familiar with use dead or inactivated viruses in a vaccine to help our body to be able to fight off that same virus if we encounter it.

These new mRNA vaccines are not made like that, and don’t contain any virus particles. Instead, they help our immune system to be able to recognize a special protein that is on the outside of the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine works by creating that protein in our body, which the immune system can then recognize as something that doesn’t belong and can mount a defense against it. Then later, if we do encounter the coronavirus, our immune system right away can recognize the virus and will already have the tools to fight it off. After getting the vaccine, and after the body makes that special protein, the vaccine is broken down- it doesn’t stay in the body, the only thing is does it to make a small amount of that special protein that’s found on the outside of the coronavirus so our body is ready and has the tools to prevent infections if it sees the COVID-19 virus.

Something else that’s important to know, is that while these specific vaccines were developed relatively quickly, this mRNA technology has actually been in the works for nearly thirty years, and is a really exciting development to make new vaccines and therapies for illnesses that have had no cure, and is right now being worked on for a possible therapy or even a vaccine for cancer, MS, HIV, and more. Science is amazing, and I’m grateful to those researchers who have dedicated their lives to helping to reduce human suffering.

The other thing to think of is that the coronavirus is no joke. If a new vaccine came out for the common cold, I’d be impressed, but I wouldn’t sign up right away, since while a cold is annoying, it’s not life threatening. COVID and this pandemic are completely different. So many people have died, and for those who recover, many can experience long term damage to the lungs, heart, and more. So I feel like any possible risk of the vaccine is overshadowed by the very real threat that the coronavirus poses. Also remember, by this point millions and millions of people have received the vaccine without a problem.

Additionally, there have been concerns in the past about some vaccines containing thimerosal or mercury, though neither the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine contain those or any other preservatives (which may be part of the reason it needs to be stored in sub zero temperatures). I just wanted to mention it, since I know thimerosal has been an issue for some.

COVID-19 has literally stopped normal life. These vaccines are the way for things to get back to normal. We can’t live like this forever, and the more people that get vaccinated, the faster we can return to our lives, and in doing so, many lives will be saved as well. Getting the vaccine is also an act of service in a way, since it is us doing our part to help to reduce the spread, reduce infections, and make things better.

Another thing the vaccine can help with is preventing mutations. Mutations in the coronavirus are a real problem, since a mutation in the virus can change it to make it more contagious or even more deadly. The more people that are vaccinated, the fewer amount of people will be infected, which means that the virus will have less of a chance to mutate.

Virus types like COVID-19 are known for their ability to mutate, just like how the flu does. There are concerns about vaccine effectiveness with these new mutations, and some wonder if it’s even worth it to get vaccinated since there are new virus strains evolving. The good news is the vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer have such a high rate of effectiveness against the coronavirus (both are around 95% effective against the original virus), that even a modest decrease in that effectiveness gives a positive outcome.

When the vaccines were still being developed, health experts were hoping for a vaccine that would be around 80% effective. Thankfully, the vaccines that were developed were a lot better than that, so even a lowering of effectiveness for possible new strains still leaves us in decent shape. Additionally, researchers are working on possible boosters for emerging strains to offer added protection. There’s still a lot we don’t know. It might be that every year we might have to get a booster shot to stay protected. Some researchers have speculated that over time, maybe in a decade, the coronavirus might still be around but with developed immunity may become a form that causes only mild illness, like the common cold; only time will tell.

I completely understand the anxiety about getting the vaccine, though I believe it’s the right thing to do, and I also think there is a lot of misinformation going around regarding the vaccine, which doesn’t help.

Hopefully this article has explained things a bit, and I hope might make someone a little less fearful of getting vaccinated. We need life to get back to normal, beyond just the selfish reasons of how I’d like to go to a restaurant or a play without worrying; there are real problems this pandemic has caused, for children who can’t be in school, for nursing home and older family members who are feeling more isolated than ever, and for the unprecedented rise in mental health issues that many people are experiencing. We need our regular lives back, and realistically, that is not going to happen without the vast majority of people getting vaccinated.

I know I usually write about supplements, so this is a departure from the norm, but when I saw this question I thought it was worth responding to. We do have lots of great supplements for the immune system at the store, and definitely recommend that everyone take a quality vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin C supplement right now (there are others of course, but I’d say those are the big three). Stop by Pass Health Foods if we can answer any questions for you, we love helping people find natural products that can help a person’s specific needs.

Carolyn Johnson is one of the owners at Pass Health Foods at 7228 W. College Drive. Feel free to stop by the store for more information or advice, or look on our website at www.passhealthfoods.com. Pass Health Foods has a very kind and knowledgeable staff.

This column makes no claims to diagnose, treat, prevent, mitigate, or cure diseases with any advice or products. Any health related information in this article is for educational purposes only. If you’d like to submit a question for an upcoming column, email us at passhealthfoods@gmail.com and put Healthy Answers in the subject line. Be well!