Another One

Of the pills that Americans thoughtlessly put into their mouths is a multivitamin. Without a proper evaluation of your diet, lifestyle and living circumstances, taking any "one size fits all" type of medication can be dangerous.

Diet high in copper, fat speed mental decline - Alzheimer's Disease - MSNBC.com: "Copper, which has been found at higher levels in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients, is normally consumed in animal organs like liver, and in shellfish, nuts, legumes, some fruits, potatoes and chocolate. Drinking water that travels through copper pipes can also contain copper. Many of those in the study with high copper levels got it primarily through multivitamins.

The U.S. daily recommended intake of copper is 0.9 milligrams, while study subjects with the most copper consumed at least 1.6 milligrams per day."

Extra iron should also be avoided.

Speaking of a good thing gone wild, let me weigh in on the soy controversy. In TCM we do not advise everybody to eat soy. If you have a fast metabolism, run a little warmer than the people around you and can't sit still, you can eat soy as a substitute for meat a little more than someone who doesn't do all those things. If you have a tendency to retain water and are cold, you should avoid it 85% of the time. Nourishing soups are your best bet.

Tags: copper, iron, soy, alzheimer's, multivitamins, food, Debsweb