Potassium is an important electrolyte that literally charges up out cellular batteries. Understanding the importance of potassium and the foods that are high in potassium (not just bananas, which is not the highest or best source of potassium by far) will help you to have more energy and feel better almost immediately. Break out of the sodium saturation habit through new awareness of the effects of potassium on the body. Let’s look at a few of these.

Energy production and storage

Potassium is required as a co-factor for mitochondria to make energy. Mitochondria convert energy sources we take in as food and break down to glucose into the actual energy currency the body can use. This is known as ATP. We cannot make ATP until potassium helps to move nutrients into the mitochondrial matrix. Potassium-ATP channels help to regulate energy product.

Your body needs potassium to effectively store energy. When we consume food, some of it gets converted to glycogen. This becomes an immediate energy source we can break down and use as we need energy. We don’t consume food every minute of the day (most people don’t, that is!). How is it, then, that we do have energy throughout the day? Some of our digested food is stored as glycogen, sort of like an energy bar, that we convert to glucose throughout the day for immediate fuel needs. Small amounts of potassium have to be stored along with this glycogen to avoid crashing or experiencing muscle fatigue.

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Heart rhythm and vessel health

Getting more potassium in your diet could profoundly impact heart health, including helping to balance the heart’s rhythm. It could be the key to lower blood pressure as well. Potassium helps to relax the vessel walls, a process known as vasodilation. Sodium does the opposite of this. When blood vessel walls constrict, there is more resistance on the walls of the vessel and it is more difficult to move fluids through these walls. Therefore, blood pressure increases. Begin to take in more potassium and it will cause these walls to relax, grow wider and allow much smoother flow of blood through the vessel. This means lower blood pressure.

Potassium and sodium must stay balanced in the body. This balance of electrolytes is crucial to many functions, including cellular function and heart function because of the sodium-potassium pump. Interestingly, taking in more potassium helps you to better flush out excess sodium. High potassium levels in the body stop a transporter in the kidneys called the sodium chloride cotransporter. The kidneys constantly regulate our electrolyte levels. In this case, when that transporter is halted by potassium, we stop reabsorbing sodium and it gets released in the urine. In short, potassium has a diuretic effect that excretes potentially harmful sodium excess in the body. Reducing fluids in the body helps to reduce blood volume, which also helps to lower blood pressure. Physicians will use this same strategy by prescribing a diuretic like hydrochlorathiazide or furosemide to lower blood pressure. How wonderful would it be to use a natural alternative, like fresh fruits and vegetables which bring in more potassium to the body!

What about the rhythm of the heart? Did you know that arrhythmias (meaning a problem wit hthe rhythm of the heart) are on the rise? One of the most common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation. The prevalence and incidence of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the United States have increased significantly over the last decade. Current estimates suggesting at least 10.55 million U.S. adults (roughly 5% of the adult population) are now living with the condition. Potassium is a key mineral in helping to regulate the rhythm of the heart.

You know that your heart beats throughout the day. But what are the details of this and how does the blood then flow around the body. Your heart does this with 4 chambers and 4 valves to hold blood in these chambers. Your heart beats, but it also rests between the beats. First, the heart begins to fill with blood filling the 4 chambers (this is a simplification of the process as the chambers close at different times). The heart muscle then contracts, which creates high pressure and causes the valves to close. Eventually, pressure builds in the heart and the are pushed open. Now, blood will move from the heart either to the lungs for oxgenation or to the rest of the body (via the arteries) to bring oxygen and nutrition to the heart.

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The regulation of this heart beat, which puts all of this into motion, is largely electrical. One of the important “electrolytes” that helps to make electrical flow possible is potassium. It specifically controls the refractory period, the time during which a heart cells cannot fire again. This ensures that the heart has time to properly fill with that blood before the next heartbeat. If potassium is too low, the cell repolarizes (to beat again) too slowly and leaves it somewhat vulnerable. This can allow an extra, stray signal to trigger an irregular beat like an atrial fibrillation. Imagine all the people suffering with AFib, which is a dangerous arrhythmia, being able to find resolution in adopting more potassium into their food plan!

Preserve Bone Density

Did you know that regularly consuming enough potassium could help to preserve healthy bone density? It does this by acting as a metabolic buffer (potassium is alkalizing in this way) and prevents the body from losing calcium from the bones in order to neutralize acids in the body. Potassium sends a signal kidneys to reabsorb calcium back into the bloodstream rather than releasing it in the urine.

Modern diets that include chicken, fish, eggs, milk and many processed foods will create a net acid state in the body, also called a low-grade metabolic acidosis. To balance this out since the blood’s natural pH is 7.35, or slightly alkaline, the body will look for ways to buffer the acids. This is done with minerals. In the absence of readily available potassium, the body may use alkaline salts stored in the bones. Specifically, calcium carbonate could be mobilized from the bones, in order to neutralize the excess acid. This could lead to loss of bone density over time. Be sure to counter acids by alkalizing with increased potassium consumption!

Prevent kidney stones

Take care of your kidneys, improve the health and decrease the incidence of kidney stones! It changes the urine is such a way that helps any potential crystals formed in the kidneys from sticking together and then becoming larger. Potassium helps to increase citrate levels, which help to bind calcium in the urine. If calcium binds to citrate, it cannot bind to oxalate or phosphate, which are classic ways that kidney forms are known to be formed. Potassium also makes the urine less acidic because most potassium will be in the form of potassium citrate or potassium bicarbonate (through consumption of fruits and vegetables). Research by the Mayo Clinic revealed that diets low in potassium was a strong predictor of first-time and recurrent kidney stones.

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Why don’t people get optimal amounts of potassium?

In today’s processed food, or even in prepared foods (organic “healthy” soups, frozen meals, etc), sodium abounds. Why? The easiest way to create a taste profile that appeals to most people is to add salt. When we consume a savory meal, we often are looking for a total mineral profile to perceive that the food “tastes good”. It is minerals from vegetables that gives the food “taste” in large part. The easiest and cheapest way for food companies to give instant taste to food is to add more salt. If you look at most labels on any store-bought prepared food, you will see levels of sodium that are quite high and easily add up over a day. Without contering this with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the problems of high sodium will increase.

Problems of consuming high sodium levels are many. Consider this to be at levels in excesss of 2300mg. The average American currently consumes about 3400mg per day. If someone consumes more than 5000mg per day (completely plausible on a diet with fast food or ultra-processed food), it can increase one’s risk of having a stroke. But even at the 3000mg level, high sodium causes the heart to overwork and can cause artery damage. It is associated with high blood pressure. It can damage the kidneys by causing them to work more than they would need to in order to clear the excess sodium from the system. High sodium levels cause the loss of calcium, which as mentioned before, can lead to loss of bone density over time. High salt intake can even damage the stomach lining. And the change in the microbiome of the stomach due to salt may increase the risk of H. Pylori infections. This makes a compelling case for lowering the salt intake and increasing the potassium!

How do I get more potassium?

With all these exciting benefits of getting enough potassium, what is the best strategy to consume more. If you get more fresh fruits and vegetables, you will be inevitably taking in much more potassium. Let’s look at which of these contain the most potassium - and the banana is one of the lowest of this list! (But could be a great start!)

Beet greens - Yes, not the beet itself, but cooking the greens that come with your beets. Consider sauteeing with a little olive oil and onions for great taste. You will be rewarded with an incredible 1300mg per cup of beet greens.

The recommended amount for women is 2600mg, while for men the recommended amount is 3400mg. There is no risk in getting too much from food for the most part (unless you have chronic kidney dsease), but it is not recommended to supplement potassium due to its potential risks in supplement form that could cause disrupt the heart’s electrical signals when in excess. When consuming potassium in food, it gets absorbed slowly and in a healthy combination with other countering minerals, fiber, etc.

Other potassium rich foods:

* Swiss chard (cooked) - 960 mg/cup

* Baked potato - 925mg per potato

* Sweet potato - 500mg per medium sweet potato

* Acorn squash - 800 mg per cup

* Avocado - 975mg per avocado

* Coconut water - 450mg - 600mg per cup

* Apricots - 400mg per cup (about the same as 1 banana)

Potassium Broth:

An excellent alkalizer, detoxifier and weight loss “soup” is potassium broth. Use this broth anytime to get more potassium in your diet. There are many variations you can do by adding greens, like kale or chard, or even adding burdock root or other medicinal herbs. Here is the basic recipe:

Fill a medium-sized stockpot about 3/4 with water. To this add:

* 3 medium potatoes

* 1 bunch of kale with the stems removed (the entire bunch would yield about 1400 mg of potassium)

* 3 large carrots

* 3 stalks of celery

* Include chopped onions, garlic, ginger and cayenne if you like them!

Simmer ingredients for about 30-45 minutes and enjoy a delicious broth! Enjoy the great benefits of consuming more potassium in your diet.

Ariel Policano is a naturopathic physician. This substack is dedicated to empowering information in the field of nature cure, natural medicine and breakthroughs in the field of frequency medicine. The most natural state of our body is the state of wellness and vitality. Our body is an incredible self-organizing system that can heal itself. Let’s learn how!

A wonderful book, written in 1928 (a time when homeopaths and naturopaths were considered to be part of the medical standard of care) covers this topic as well as the rationale behind the cleanse: “The Grape Cure” by Johanna Brandt. She hoped it would be, “A contribution by the author to reduce the suffering of humanity and in the hopes of bringing relief to millions of sufferers in the world.” Johanna had cancer and was able to reduce the tumor significantly through water fasting. She was not completely recovered though and her discovery of “feasting” on grapes got her through to recovery. It is incredible to think that about 100 years they were seeking alternative methods to heal the body, just as we are doing today. She used her intuition, which led her to experimenting with eating only grapes for days and then weeks.

Grapes are fascinating to learn about. They are comprised of water, fructose, glucose, organic acids, polyphenols including proanthocyanins, anthocyanins, flavinols and much more. Grapes contain thousands of compounds that have been classified, but there are likely thousands more we have yet to learn about!

Grapes are high in potassium. Potassium is much needed in the body today and we often are low in this mineral. We get potassium from fruits and vegetables. We need it to alkalize the body and to feed the battery of our cells (the sodium potassium pump). When you eat grapes, you may feel hydrated, refreshed and energized. Some of this is related to the influx of potassium into the system.

Grapes are a natural bowel cleanser. The skin has insoluble fiber, which helps to add bulk to the stool. Grapes are 82% water, which softens the stool. The acids in grapes, which include tartaric acid and malic acid, have mild laxative effects. Malic acid is also a wonderful food for the mitochondria, necessary in the biochemical steps of turning glucose into energy.

Grapes can improve the digestive system. There are polyphenols in grapes that can soothe the lining of the digestive tract. They reduce inflammation in the gut and may help to clear H. Pylori infections from the system.

It is interesting that Johanna Brandt sensed the grapes could help to heal her cancer. They do indeed have compounds in them that have now been studied to help in the healing of cancer. One of these compounds is delphinidins. Delphinidins have many benefits to the body, including possible healing of cancer. Some of the healing properties include:

* Improved eye health - improved night vision and increases protection of the retina

* Better heart health - reduced inflammation in the artery walls and overall improved circulation

* Skin health - Reduced UV damage and improved health of the collagen

With regards to cancer, delphinidins have been studied in prostate cancer to induce apoptosis (necessary to maintain the health of the cell) and inhibit tumor growth. In breast cancer, delphinidins suppressed the growth of HER-2-positive and triple negative breast cancer cells. It also reduced the growth of new blood vessels that could give support to tumors and inhibited the migration of cancer cells. Pretty impressive that Johanna sensed the potential of grapes to do amazing things to heal the body!

She says, “quite apart from its value as a solvent, it stands alone among the foods of nature as a builder. I have seen it administered in cases of tuberculosis and have witnessed the amazing spectacle of an emaciated patient putting on weight when needed - grapes are strength-giving food. They are nourishing, sustaining and completely satisfying.” One might be concerned that grapes would cause weight gain, but that is likely not the case unless one needs to put on weight. She is only making the point that grapes can be used for building up the body and this could manifest itself in many ways.

She mentioned that “The organic acids of the grapes are strongly antiseptic and their effect on the gums is more valuable than any other result of the diet. Every tooth may be loose in its socket and pus may be pouring from the gums, but after a few weeks on the exclusive grape diet it will in time be found that the teeth are firmly set in the jaws and that every trace of ills with the teeth and gums will have disappeared.” Very interesting that the different constituents in the grapes would also have this positive impact on the teeth. It could be the powerful antioxidants, the organic acids and the refrain from fats and high protein foods that might impair circulation to the gums. When these are avoided, healthy and necessary circulation to the teeth may return.

Johanna also stated that, “Our blood is dependent, first on what we think, second on what we breathe in and third on what we eat and drink.” and that “Acidosis is the root of most of our bodily ailments. It is caused by the use of cooked foods, meat, starch and white bread and white sugar.”

Of having a mono-diet of grapes, she said, “I’ve discovered a method that may cure cancer and may cure almost any other disease. What is more, it may prevent cancer and almost any almost any other disease. Our system of healing has been greatly modified by the food cure. And while the patient is undergoing cure for his or her own particular complaint, nature is secretly restoring and rejuvenating every part of the body.”

Johanna says of the effects of doing the Grape Cure, “The senses become abnormally acute, dim eyes brighten, faded hair takes on new gloss, hopeless voice becomes vibrant, magnetic and thecomplexion clears.”

“Abnormal growths, cancers, tumors, ulcers, abcesses and fibrous masses seem to be dissolved by the powerful chemical agent in the grape. Diseased tissues and fatty degenerations are broken into minute particles and thrown into the blood stream to be carried to the organs of excretion.”

One of the ways to embark on a Grape Cleanse, is to do a pre-cleanse, then work up to a time when only grapes are consumed during the day and then transition back to a healthy food plan. Cleanses are always transformational and help to reduce the overall toxic burden of the body. Would you like to do the Grape Cleanse with a guide? We are hosting a cleanse with 3 sessions, recipes, education and support beginning on May 13th. Learn more here if you would like to join, register here. Either way, remember to eat more grapes!

If you are a Genius owner, we offered a free library in our live lecture and you can get that here: Creating Wellness - Liver Focus

Ariel Policano is a naturopathic physician. This substack is dedicated to empowering information in the field of nature cure, natural medicine and breakthroughs in the field of frequency medicine. The most natural state of our body is the state of wellness and vitality. Our body is an incredible self-organizing system that can heal itself. Let’s learn how!

The organs, glands and the cells of the body are objective. They are listening to us and the vibrations and frequencies surrounding us. So, each word that you say is affecting your entire being and to that degree to your state of wellness. This means you have tremendous power to change this state of wellness at anytime.

Though we tend to notice when things go wrong - an ache, some limitation or an outright illness whether acute or chronic - most of the time in our body things are working just as they should. That is pretty amazing to consider. Everything is working in perfect harmony and rhythm without us even understanding how most of it works and for the most part with incredible efficiency.

Right at this moment, our heart is beating in perfect rhythm. Our lungs are taking in just the amount of oxygen we need and adjusting our respiration rate accordingly. Our liver is busy detoxifying things that might otherwise harm us, our digestive system is effectively breaking down food, turning it into nutrition we can take into our cells and eliminating that which is not needed. Pretty incredible since most of the time we do not even realize how many functions and chemical reactions are happening as we just go through our day.

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In Masuru Emoto’s “Hidden Messages in Water”, Emoto shows us that positive words change water into crystal. He also did a rice experiment, where he labeled 3 containers of rice. One one container was written the words, “Thank you” and on another container was written the words “I hate you” and then the other one was put further away and not looked at for the rest of the experiment. You might expect that the “Thank you” container stayed preserved the longest. That was the result. And the one with the words, “I hate you” did begin to decay and start to go bad much more quickly. However, the one that was the quickest to go moldy and deteriorate was the one that was ignored. This makes you wonder, “What is the power of focused energy?”

In the same way, we can consider the attention and time we take to truly appreciate what the body does as very important. What happens when we take this functioning for granted, forget about it and run off with the daily drama of our lives? Is it possible that the breakdown of the body, illness, dis-ease happens when we take our attention away from that which is working correctly?

In Proverbs 16:24, it states that, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” It states that good, pleasant words can be healing to the bones! Our thoughts and our words are frequencies; they are constantly having an effect. This is a more nuanced way to focus those energies. It is both proclaiming that the function is perfect and it is humbly thanking the body for its continued amazing service.

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The human body is, as is everything in nature, a self-organizing system. The body has many incredible systems that help it to stay in homeostasis. Mineral levels are balanced, as is temperature and even the correct number of breaths taken every minute in order to get enough oxygen into the body. What we can do is praise and affirm the functioning of those systems in order to improve them. Here are some examples. Notice what you are feeling as you repeat these statements:

* What an incredible system working for wellness within my own body!

* My body does an excellent job of keeping me moving, running, breathing, digesting, hearing and seeing clearly each and every day. What a miracle!

* I send praise to my body on every level for doing that which I need to be healthy

* I notice the incredible effort that my body exerts to keep me well. Thank you!

You can get more specific for the systems of the body:

Praise for your liver: I am amazed at the functioning of my liver. I send praise to my liver as it is constantly detoxifying and helping to purify my blood. I give thanks to my liver and gallbladder for working together harmoniously to facilitaty my digestion

Praise for your kidneys: What incredible kidneys I have! They are incredible and do the most wonderful job at filtering my blood and helping me to live with great vitality. They so wonderfully sort out that which is needed and help me to separate from that which I do not need. I send salutations and thanks to my perfectly working kidneys!

For your eyes: I send great praise to my eyes. When I open my eyes in the morning, it is incredible that I can see everything so clearly. I celebrate my eyes so I can enjoy the sunset and all that nature has to offer. I send thanks for my eyes for the incredible gift of sight. I enjoy this earth so much through the ability of my eyes to receive light messages and my brain to properly interpret them.

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As you read these statements of praise, you will begin to think of other statements to give praise - and these begin to build on each other in a way that builds powerful momentum.

It is interesting to not that in the vedic scriptures, there were many prayers that were done daily to request good health from spirit. Sanskrit is a powerful, ancient language that contains healing energy of its own. Here are a few mantras that help us to stay healthy and even build up our vitality.

The Dhanvantari Mantra is a powerful Vedic prayer dedicated to Lord Dhanvantari, the divine physician and deity of Ayurveda, aimed at restoring physical health, removing ailments, and promoting longevity. Regular chanting, often 108 times, is believed to cure physical and mental illnesses and bring peace. Imagine the power of words that can have this affect! And in partnership, our willingness and focus in reciting them. To get assistance with pronunciation and recitation, try putting the words, “Dhavantari Mantra” into YouTube search to find videos that can assist.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya DhanvantrayeAmrita Kalasha HastayaSarva Maya Vinashanaya Trailoka NathayaShri Mahavishnave Namah

The Dhanvantari mantra is recited to remove fears and diseases, those wishing to improve their health and eradicate diseases recite this mantra. Try 1 or 2 days using the 108 recitation. Again, this is most easily done by using YouTube chanting videos to accompany you!

If you are a Genius user and would like the library for the Power of Praise, it is free and you can get that here: Power of Praise

Ariel Policano is a naturopathic physician. This substack is dedicated to empowering information in the field of nature cure, natural medicine and breakthroughs in the field of frequency medicine. The most natural state of our body is the state of wellness and vitality. Our body is an incredible self-organizing system that can heal itself. Let’s learn how!

One of the ways we can use this is to become an observer of our thoughts. What are the thoughts we are thinking? Could we stop for a moment and decide to change these thoughts. After all, everything we are thinking will have a great impact on every aspect of our lives. Maybe we want to decide in advance the thoughts will allow our minds to think! Decide what it is that you want and from there, begin to write that down and create a series of affirmative statements to start that creation process. You may say to yourself, “Oh, I’ve said affirmations before. That didn’t really work.” Or maybe you will react by thinking, “It couldn’t possibly be that easy for me to heal my body through simple thoughts.” So, that brings us to most people’s main obstacle - past programming or past trauma (which created a program).

This experience, or programming, is usually from our childhood. It happens usually before the age of 7, when our subconscious mind is very open to all the things happening around us in terms of shaping our thoughts and our beliefs about life. That programming, for better or worse, will play throughout much of our lives as we begin to discover wheter we will keep or reject that information. A simple example could be the way your parents thought about money. Did anyone in your family tell you to be very careful with every cent because “money doesn’t grow on trees”, which implies that money is sort of scarce and hard to get so you need to be extremely careful. As a child, we picked up many programs that brought with us and may still be playing to this day. We have to become aware that a program could be limiting us and acknowledge that we want to change the program, then take action on that desire, in order for our positive statements and thoughts to really take hold.

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When you realize you want to accomplish something like healing an illness, we want to ask ourselves where is the emotional or energetic root of what might prevent us from healing or recovering from this. If we want to manifest a new career or make more money, we ask a similar question. If I have not achieved it, or fear that I might not be able to do it, where is the energetic root cause of this issue from my life. Now, your first response will probably be, “How could I possibly know where this came from?”

A part of your absolutely knows. So, how do we access that knowing? The mind loves to play games. Think of solving the crossword puzzle or playing some other brain game. If we show the mind that this is a sort of game we are playing it will relax. So, we let the mind know that there is no right or wrong answer but if we could just see in our mind’s eye a movie that will unfold right in front of us about the origin of this issue, it will probably show you something very interesting. Close your eyes, know what you want to accomplish, and then think of the potential obstacles. Ask - what in my childhood could possibly be related to this mental obstacle I see? Your consciousness is all knowing. And keep telling yourself, it’s ok to just make it up as if you were writing a movie. At this point, what do you see? About what age are you? What is happening?

This will give you clues about the origin point of the programming. We adopted a program. A belief system about some particular issue. The programming could have come through a traumatic experience, though it does not have to be. Whatever the issue is, who are we interacting with? This becomes a time to look at the experience in different ways. Was it really the way we have been remembering it? If someone did something to us, hurt us, or even abused us, what was their experience? What could have caused them to do this? Was there anything good that came from this event, even though we never considered it to be good in any way before? And can we forgive the person that may have done something hurtful, wrong or unkind to us?

Once we arrive at the event or the issue, we can then write some statements of forgiveness and that we are ready and willing to clear and release this issue. This may not be the last time you ever do a release on this event, but it will definitely release some of the mental and emotional energy that has been locked up in our lives and now we can begin the process or working on the subconscious mind through the affirmative statements with much, much more success.

With regard to creating affirmative statements, there are several strategies that can make these more successful. You can manifest, heal or create much more quickly and efficiently when these techniques are implemented. The one we are going to talk about today is utilizing “Om” both at the beginning of an affirmation and at the end. So, if we wanted to say, “Every cell in my body is happy and well.” then we would simply say, “Om - Every cell in my body is happy and well - Om.” Sounds a little odd perhaps,but let’s begin to understand why this technique can accelerate our results.

One of my naturopathic colleauges once mentioned her take on the development of illness. She said, “All disease is just the deviation from the Om”. I was so curious about this take and it made sense. As I learned about the word “Om” it is aligned with our own divine perfection and being ill or in dis-ease is about the most unnatural state that we could be in. And it suggests that becoming healthy could be aligning ourselves or perhaps entraining the frequency of “Om” into our field. Let’s look at the concept of the word “Om” a little more.

Om is not just a sound or a frequency but a “sound” representation of the very core of our existence. If you begin to silently or out loud chant Om, it can change your life. Understand, this word does not belong to any religion nor is the way I am describing it meant to be a religious practice. The words are so aligned with the most true essence of our being that in and of itself can be a healing practice. The repetition of “Om” to yourself or out loud can actually improve your physical vitality, have you looking younger, happier and more energized while at the same to also feeling more calm and poised in life.

Speaking, thinking or chanting Om has a magic about it that brings all our thoughts and feelings into a state of harmony. This is a requirement when you want to bring these affirmative statements to fruition. Being in a state of relaxation, also called heart coherence, is the most powerful state to manifest from. Sitting quietly for a few minutes every morning and chanting Om will help you be in this more effective creative state.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we will explore more strategies for using thought and intention in a structured way to heal illness or manifest that which we truly want. If you would like to join me for the live broadcast on Tuesdays at 3pm ET, please use this link to register. If you are a Genius owner and would like the library for the Thyroid, use this link here.

Ariel Policano is a naturopathic physician. This substack is dedicated to empowering information in the field of nature cure, natural medicine and breakthroughs in the field of frequency medicine. The most natural state of our body is the state of wellness and vitality. Our body is made to self-organizing system that can heal itself. Let’s learn how!

Thanks for reading Ariel’s Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it.

When estrogen and progesterone begin to decrease, from the mid to late 40’s and on, these hormones are no longer around to counteract the effects of other hormones, known as androgens. One androgen that can become more dominant in this way is DHT. It can have several important effects on the body. If you are in peri-menopause or menopause almost certainly, some of these To counter these effects, there are dietary, herbal and nutritional solutions.

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If DHT remains dominant in the body, it will bind to androgen receptors in the hair and cause the follicles to get smaller. It will also cause the growing cycle to change, by shortening the anagen (growth) phase and extending the telogen (resting) phase. This can cause hair to thin as well as hair loss. Unfortunately, DHT has the exact opposite effect on hair on the chin, upper lip and jawline. Here, it stimulates hair growth paradoxically and this is usually not wanted!

Having issues with belly fat? It could be DHT. This hormone stimulates the accumulation of visceral abdominal fat. This fat is deep within the abdomen, surrounding internal organs, and is more metabolically active than subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is very interesting when considering overall health. It functions like an active endocrine organ. The tricky thing with visceral fat is it can lead to a cascading loop that can make a weight problem worse.

Visceral fat can release free fatty acids. These can accumulate in the liver and muscle and lead to insulin resistance and also contribute to the development of fatty acid. Visceral fat also contains a high concentration of immune cells called cytokines. This can lead to increased inflammation in the body. Having an excessive amount of visceral fat can lead to leptin resistance. This means the brain’s signaling mechanism for satiety (“hey, it’s time to stop eating”) becomes dysregulated. End result: you unknowingly eat more than you need and may gain weight as a result.

How do you know if your visceral fat is too high? Here is an easy test that is very general in nature and applies to all heights. You can measure waist circumference. To measure, use a fabric tape measure. This is easily found online. Measure from the top of your hip bone to the bottom of your rib cage. Your waist is considered to be the narrow space right between them and is typically in line with your belly button. Your ideal waist measurement should be 35 inches or less for women and 40 inches or less for men.

DHT dominance can lead to a decrease in the body’s ability to burn energy efficiently. Sound familar? When DHT binds to androgen receptors in the body, it can reduce metabolic rate and fat oxidation (your body’s fat burning ability). It can also contribute to insulin sensitivity and make it harder for the body to manage blood sugar.

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So, how can we begin to stop the effects of DHT in the body? The key here is to stop the conversion of testosterone (women have some levels of testosterone) to DHT. There is one key enzyme in this process, which is 5-alpha reductase. You probably have heard about this method of blocking the effects of DHT when you hear about medications to prevent men’s hair loss with Propecia or Finasteride (generic drug).

However, there are natural ways to block this enzyme. One of the most commonly used herbs for this purpose is saw palmetto. While men might use it to prevent hair loss or help with prostate issues, women can also use this herb to decrease the levels of DHT and reduce the effects on hair, belly fat, appetite, metabolism and more.

You could also use pumpkin seeds or pumpkin butter. Pumpkin seeds contain lots of healthy phytosterols as well as linolenic acid. Pumpkin seeds will also block the 5-alpha reductase enzyme to prevent DHT from binding to androgen receptors. Other herbs that can block the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT include pygeum bark and stinging nettle.

Another helpful herb for this purpose is black cohosh but it works for a different reason. Black cohosh is not a direct estrogen replacement, but works in an interesting way that assists with the DHT issue. In menopause, estrogen levels drop. In order for estrogen to be helpful in the first place, it has to bind to estrogen receptors. Later in life, low estrogen means empty estrogen receptors. This allows DHT to become much more active and extert influence on hair, visceral fat and so on. Black cohosh acts as a SERM and is able to bind to those empty estrogen receptors. By taking up the receptors and convincing the body that estrogen is there (even though it is not), it restores the estrogen-to-androgen ratio present earlier in life and can reduce the effect of the DHT on the body. Black cohosh also affects places like the brain and bone, but does not have effects on the breast or uterus making it a relatively safe choice of supplementation for this purpose.

Vitex (chaste tree berry) is an interesting herb that can assist with DHT issues and also has other benefits in regulating progesterone during peri-menopause to menopause and beyond. Vitex acts on the pituitary gland and stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and reduced prolactin. This can support the body’s own production of progesterone. As the ovaries decrease in their activity, this progesterone production will be through the adrenal pathway.

So, vitex helps with progesterone levels. That will help to reduce the DHT dominance effect on the body. But it also helps with DHT in another way. Progesterone actually directly competes with testosterone for the 5-alpha reductase enzyme. As progesterone levels become more normalized through taking vitex, this can help to deplete the stores of this enzyme and make it less available for the production of DHT. So, black cohosh and vitex are great herbal remedies for this purpose and have other added benefits of helping to bring about much needed increased levels of estrogen and progesterone without needing to resort to hormone replacement therapy.

Diet can also affect DHT levels. The higher a food is in saturated fat, then the worse the effect will be. Saturated fat is the primary building block for testosterone synthesis. When testosterone levels rise, there is more substrate that will ultimately be converted to DHT. High zinc content in foods like red meat or shellfish will incresae the activity of 5-alpha reductase.

Dairy foods like milk or yogurt will change the way your body processes hormones. This has to do with a substance called IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor). IGF-1 is stimulated in the body when you consume milk, yogurt but also when consuming any high protein food. This even happens with isolated soy protein, like the kind that is usually used meat substitutes or protein shakes. High levels of IGF-1 upregulates 5-alpha reductase activity, which accelerates DHT formation.

Focus on whole, unprocessed foods including vegetables, fruits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, nuts, seeds. These foods are low on the food chain and have fewer environmental toxins in general and less of a way for them to concentrate. These foods will help with the breakdown of hormones (more fiber) and do not cause the uptick in the 5-alpha reductase enzyme.

In summary, the top supplements to assist with the DHT issue would be saw palmetto, pumpkin seeds, pygeum africans, green tea extract, black cohosh and vitex. Good foods to assist with lowering DHT include those that are plant-based, whole unprocessed foods including vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Ariel Policano is a naturopathic physician. This substack is dedicated to empowering information in the field of nature cure, natural medicine and breakthroughs in the field of frequency medicine. The most natural state of our body is the state of wellness and vitality. Our body is made to self-heal. Let’s learn how!