Dr.Garber’s Blog

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When I first began in practice, the laboratory “normal” result for cholesterol was reported as a range and, depending on the lab, was (plus or minus) 150-300 mg/dL. Over time that range kept creeping lower until the range was eliminated and the “desired” level was anything less than 200. Now I’m no conspiracy theorist but I have to say that each lowering of the “normal” levels for cholesterol strangely coincided with the release of some new drug for lowering cholesterol. I know of one lab now that has started reporting cholesterol as a range again and they are using 125-200 as a reference.

Now, in my 28th year of clinical practice, I can say without hesitation that the sickest patients I have ever encountered were those with very low cholesterol. When there’s too little cholesterol your immune system begins to break down, nerves can’t transmit their signals properly, sex hormones can’t be manufactured in sufficient quantity. Vitamin D, the new “it” nutrient which has shown to be involved with just about everything from bone density to diabetes to heart disease to autism to cancer, is actually made in our body from cholesterol. Vitamin D’s scientific name is cholecalciferol - note the chole part, as in cholesterol. I’ve heard from some patients, especially those with diabetes (the adult onset type) and high blood pressure, that they have been advised to keep their cholesterol level down at around 120. I worry that these people will in for big trouble down the road if they maintain their cholesterol level that low.

In my next installment I will provide a little more detail about the different types of cholesterol and other important blood fats, discuss what those factors are that create the inflammation that causes cholesterol to become problematic and what can be done that is health promoting. So remember: cholesterol - good, inflammation - bad, and I’m sure by now you know what the ugly is.

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     For those of you who saw my Digg on this piece the other day and then wondered why I just left it at that, here’s where I was going: The  Top 10 List for Antidepressant SIDE EFFECTS- Insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, dizziness, headache, nausea, anorexia, weight gain, loss of libido, suicidal tendencies. And those are just the big ones - the list goes on and on. Not all antidepressants produce all of these side effects and not in everyone but I have not seen one patient, ever, who was taking a prescription antdepressant who didn’t present with at least a few.

     Clinical depression though can be a very serious condition and should be properly evaluated but when the side effects of the drugs are as disabling as the sypmtoms they are supposed to be treating, other forms of treatment must be considered. It has been well established that physical exercise can be as effective as any treatment for mild depression and if one is able should be a first step. Various herbs and nutrients (St. John’s Wort, some of the B Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, SAMe, and others) are frequently used and while some report benefit I must say I have found the results disappointing and in some cases harmful.

     Of course, homeopathy is where I have found the best results when it comes to treating depression. On an individual basis there are any number of homeopathic remedies that can come into play, depending on the particulars of each case, which requires an in depth consultation with a homeopathist. After many years of research and developing formulas with a broader application than single remedies I have found that a certain combination of a special class of homeopathic remedies, called biotherapies, can alleviate the symptoms of depression safely and effectively for a wide segment of the population without side effects. For more information on Dr. Garber’s Natural Solutions for Depression, please click on https://www.drgarbers.com/consumer/dpr.html.