DR. GEORGE DEFRANCA
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Healthy persons with high cholesterol do not need statins? What the...?

8/26/2013

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Sounds strange doesn't it? Almost sacrilegious, right? But recent studies are touting results that say the same thing. More incredibly, they show that HIGH cholesterol levels are associated with decreased mortality! The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent research group and gold standard for research evaluation, stated, “Statins do not have a proven net health benefit in primary prevention populations and thus when used in that setting do not represent good use of scarce health care resources”. (1) Some studies have shown that lowered cholesterol levels are associated with increased mortality! (4-6) One older study found an 11% increase in mortality due to heart disease for every 1% decrease in cholesterol levels! Statins do stop the production of cholesterol but at the expense of stopping the production of some very vital substances. Cholesterol is not the problem. Lifestyle and diet are. Drugs are not the answer and only create more problems. Better and smarter on how to live a more healthier life are.


1. Therapeutics Letter 77/ March-April 2010.

2.  Lancet 2001, Aug 4; 358(9279)

3.  J Womens Health 2004. Jan-Feb 13(1)

4.  Lancet 1997: 350; 119-1123

5.  JAMA 24 April, 1987, p 2176-2180

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Grains are inflammatory?

8/19/2013

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"But I thought grains are good for you!!" exclaimed my patient. People do not realize that grains are inflammatory to our bodies because they contain lots of omega-6 fatty acids (not the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids). Omega-6 fatty acids contribute to inflammatory reactions in our bodies, compared to omega-3 fatty acids which deflame our bodies. Read my article on Greens and Genes.

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TABATA WHAT?

8/14/2013

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   The Japanese professor Izumi Tabata studied training techniques with Olympic skaters and developed a routine that bears his name today. They are called tabata's and they consist of training at a high intensity for 20 seconds, resting for only 10 seconds, and then repeating the high intensity interval 7 more times. These 8 repetitions at 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off, racked up a work-out totaling 4 minutes! Tabata trained his athletes four times a week this way and noticed conditioning gains similar to athletes that trained longer and more often.
   A simple way to do a tabata is to move your body vigorously in any way (run, jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, spinnning, etc) for 20 seconds, rest for 10, and repeat with the same or another exercise. Do 8 reps and you are done. Do this at least twice a week, preferably 3 times, and you can improve your conditioning without spending hours in a gym.

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Vitamin D is a hormone?

8/14/2013

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Yes, vitamin D is a hormone. Actually it is a secosteroid. In Latin, "seco"  means to cut. This refers to the "B" ring of the pre-vitamin D molecule where it is "cut" open after exposure to UVB rays from the sun, turning it into vitamin D. If it weren't for that split in the chemical ring, it would be a steroid hormone. The importance of vitamin D being a steroid-like hormone is that it acts in the nucleus of cells on the chromosomes and genetic code! Vitamin D actually effects our genes! Genes contain the blueprint for the proper manufacture of proteins and other molecules that are important in cell function. It makes sure that cells die when they are supposed to, even cancer cells. It makes sure that the correct genes are turned on and that incorrect or damaged genes are turned off (cancer genes). This is one of the reasons that optimal vitamin D intake can reduce your risk of cancer by up to 50%! The neat thing is that vitamin D is free! You are supposed to get it from your skin, not from your diet. You would have to drink 200 glasses of milk to get the same amount of vitamin D that is generated from 20 minutes of proper sun exposure.
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Omega-3 Deficiency Kills More People than Breast Cancer each Year?

8/11/2013

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Several years ago Harvard researchers have determined that almost 100,000 (72,000-96,000) preventable deaths occur each year due to omega-3 deficiency! This should have been headlines news, but instead, we read and hear about the need for more drugs. I would also add the importance of vitamin D in overall health. This vitamin was not factored in with this research. One of the researchers stated that omega-3 was more than being a part of a healthy diet, it was a matter of life and death! Wow! In its powerful anti-inflammatory role, omega-3 fatty acids (and vitamin D) have been shown to reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes, cancers, and inflammatory diseases by 50-60%. Food for thought...

Goodarz Danaei, Eric L Ding, Dariush Mozaffarian, Ben Taylor, Jurgen Rehm, Christopher J L Murray, Majid Ezzati. The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors’ . Public Library of Science Medicine Journal. Vol. 6, April, 2009

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Vitamin D2 or D3?

8/8/2013

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Many people do not know the difference between vitamin D2 and D3. If you have low vitamin D levels and your MD has given you a prescription for it, you are most likely getting D2. Normally, the body makes vitamin D when UVB rays change cholesterol in your skin into vitamin D, the D3 form. This is the normal form of vitamin D for all animal systems. To get D2, fungus (mushrooms) are irradiated with UV light to get D2. Since D2 is a plant source of D, and D3 is an animal source of D, which one do you think you should take? Studies have shown that D2 will raise your blood levels of D, but D3 does it better and since it is the preferred form, D3 is what should be used. Therefore, I recommend patients take D3.
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The Miracle of Chiropractic

8/5/2013

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Ellie was only 5 years old and her father carried her limp body into my office, tears in his eyes. He just came from the hospital after his daughter "felt ill". She was examined, had an MRI of her head and neck, and was released from the emergency room. Her father was told that she would be fine, that there were no "injuries", and that she will get better. Having been a patient of mine for years, Bob knew he could come to me with any problem. He was concerned that they missed something. They did. After a thorough examination I found one of the most common problems harming our young patients' health: poor spine function. She was listless, barely able to speak, saying that she had a headache and neck pain. I called the ER physician and told him my concerns of there still being a possible medical emergency, infection, etc. He assured me that the imaging was normal and that she was fine. I proceeded to treat little Ellie with the gentlest of techniques, releasing lots of tension from her upper neck. Her eyes opened immediately and she started laughing. Bob picked her up and hugged her while I left the room. After 5 minutes they came to the front desk, Ellie skipping down the hallway and her father beaming from ear to ear saying,"Thankyou Dr. George for bringing my Ellie back!" I said, "Don't thank me, thank chiropractic."
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    Author

    I am George DeFranca, DC, chiropractic physician in Central Massachusetts since 1982. I love my patients, my practice, and talking and teaching about health. I enjoy the outdoors, especially the ocean and kayakfishing.

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“Experienced in the safe and effective treatment of joint, muscle, nerve, and soft tissue disorders.”
"Spine...Nervous System...Health"
Dr. George DeFranca

73 Central Street / West Boylston, MA  01583
508-835-2271

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