Walking.  We figure out how to do it after crawling for a while.  We do it for decades without a second thought.  We skip and run, we carry loads and climb ladders and live life on two feet.  Walking is effortless.  

When an injury happens, suddenly walking isn't so easy.  We must learn how to walk again, step by wobbly step, using crutches, rails and the strong arm of a friend. Over the years our injuries accumulate.  It isn't many few decades after we stop crawling that we begin to stiffen up and slow down.  Arthritis brings persistent pain into our paces.  

Healing is spontaneous most of the time, and sometimes we get knees repaired or joints replaced.  When walking isn't so easy, we appreciate just how important it is.  Our ability to walk is part and parcel with our lives.

Walking speed correlates directly with life expectancy in our later years.  Fast walkers live longer.  Overall, not in every specific case.  When congestive heart failure (CHF) strikes and we are confined to our beds, walking can save us or kill us.  Research has shown that most people with CHF get better when they begin a program of walking.  A few individuals have worse outcomes, early, the rest of have better outcomes, period.

Walking is a test and if you pass, you live.

The irony is rich. The term "snake oil" has come to mean everything that is fraudulent. The reference is to the infamous "snake oil salesman" who pitched and sold his wares out of the back of a wagon to the unsuspecting villagers of the American west.

Snake oil has real medicinal value. It was used as medicine before the North American continent was on the map. Centuries ago the Chinese used an oil made from a cold water snake called Enhydris chinensis to treat joint pain and bursitis. It was introduced to the US by Chinese laborers who worked on the Transcontinental Railroad in the mid 1800's. There's evidence that the ancient Egyptians used it too. In the early 1700's the English had a patent medicine made from snake oil. Snake oil was sold here as a panacea in the early 1900's, but the products sold were probably more filler and adulterant than they were actual snake oil.

So what's in it that's good for you? Snake oil, depending on the snakes used to derive it, can be a rich source of an fatty acid known as EPA, eicosapentanoic acid. EPA is used by the body to synthesize series 3 prostaglandins, which are anti-inflammatory and pain relieving. You can know EPA is important because it's in human breast milk.  EPA is effective for treating depression, improving cognitive function, autoimmune diseases including rheumatism, high cholesterol, hypertension, and more. 

EPA can be derived in the body from other fatty acids, but it's much easier to eat in your food. The richest sources are fish: herring, mackerel, salmon, trout, pilchards, menhaden and sardines. Fish do not make their own EPA. They get it from eating algae like spirulina, which we also can eat. Plant foods don't contain any EPA at all.

Part of the reason it's easier to eat EPA than to make it in your body has to do with human genetics. Some people have the gene to make the enzyme which lets them convert ALA (alpha linolenic acid) into EPA. Other people have mutations in their genes that limit their ability to do the conversion. Diabetes and some allergies also limit a person's ability to convert ALA to EPA. ALA is an essential fatty acid, meaning that no humans can make it; we have to get it from the diet.

If we don't make it very well, and we don't eat much fish, we need to get our EPA some other way to keep our cell membranes happy.  Many healthcare professionals recommend that we take fish oil.  Fish oil contains 12-18% EPA.  Salmon oil tops the list at ~18%.  Chinese water snake oil contains ~ 20% EPA, whereas rattlesnake oil is said to contain 8.5%. Cod liver oil has more DHA than EPA and is best reserved for specific uses, like building baby brains or healing brain injuries.

The reason why some snakes have more EPA than others has to do with the temperatures that they live in. Snakes and fish are both cold blooded, so they have to function with their bodies at the same temperature as their environments. Omega 3 fats like EPA don't harden in cold temperatures like omega 6s do. They help keep cell membranes flexible. Flexible membranes don't get injured as easily, and are able to function better. Cold water fish, or cold water snakes, will have more EPA than those that live in warm sunshine, like rattlesnakes.

The next time someone tells you that a treatment is "snake oil", remember this. Public attitudes and language reflect our history, not our future. Science continues to give us reason to revise belief systems, erase myths, and sometimes to welcome old treatments back into the fold.

Recent post by Dr Gryder at the Madness Medicine Blog.

Macular degeneration is the #1 cause of visual loss in folks over 55, and it is #2 after cataracts in folks over 65.  Until your 40's, you might never even hear about it.  But if your own vision begins to change and worsen, you might wish you'd started to pay attention sooner.  To that end, here are a few things you can do to keep your eyes healthy.

One of the best things anyone can do for themselves is to eat foods that support health.  Any doctor who is worth her salt will tell you how to optimize your diet for your particular health needs.  The eyes in particular are sensitive to metabolic disease and systemic inflammation, which can be caused by eating bad (trans) fats, having high blood sugar, and not consuming enough antioxidants.

All antioxidants, including the ones you get from eating berries and bright colored vegetables, are fair game.  The more the merrier, in fact, because they seem to have synergistic effects.  The specific antioxidants that are protective pigments in the eye are lutein and zeaxanthin.  You can buy supplements that have these things in them, but you don't have to.  The best way to get these may be by eating good food.  Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of these and of vitamin A. Spinach salads, kale, turnip greens and collards are best, but anything green probably has some of it in there.  If you're not wild about greens, maybe you can find some other way to get a daily dose of them, such as putting them in casseroles and blending them up in a yummy fruit smoothie.  Other vegetable sources of are broccoli, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, and sweet yellow corn.  Anything that is brightly orange or yellow-colored has a chance of containing some.

One of my favorite sources is egg yolks.  Each egg yolk contains approximately 210 micrograms.  You'll notice, if you're an egg-eater, that egg yolks are not all the same color.  The ones you want are the brightest, orangiest ones you can find.  Usually organic eggs have better color, but they are so expensive that many people balk.  You can scope out the best source of eggs from your grocery store by noting the yolk color each time you break some open.  If you have two different brands, break open one from each dozen and compare.  When you go shopping again, bias your buying toward the brighter yolks.  They're good for your eyes.  Eggs also happen to contain B vitamins and choline which are good for your brain and liver and most everything else.  And in case you hadn't heard yet, eggs do not drive up your cholesterol, so if you stopped eating them for that reason, you can start up again now.

Another dietary addition that is great for the eyes is Brazil nuts.  They contain just enough selenium that eating 2/day will keep you replete for the nutrient.  If these nuts aren't your favorite, try chopping them up and mix them into your breakfast oatmeal.  You won't even notice them, but they will help your eyes and support many other body systems as well.

Aging gentlemen need to be aware that taking a lot of zinc, without also consuming plenty of antioxidants, could actually cause macular degeneration.  Zinc is great for the guys because it helps prevent BPH, so lots of men take it later in life.  Make sure you're also eating colorful fruits and berries to prevent this possible negative effect!


One last suggestion that might help you keep your vision longer is to always protect your eyes from the sun.  This means buying quality sunglasses and using them when you're in bright sun.  Never stare directly at the sun (just like your momma said), and use hats to help protect your eyes when you're out for a long time.