The Silent Killer

The Nopalea Story, With A New Chapter

I am thrilled to announce the results of the random double-blind placebo-controlled study of Nopalea. We were fortunate to have Robert Sheeler, M.D. come to TriVita from Mayo Clinic Rochester, where he was on the approval review board of the pharmaceuticals and clinical studies. Dr. Sheeler helped design this study along with clinical study facilitator, Dr. Gitte Jensen. After waiting several years and a significant expense, the study showed statistical significance in the improvement of joint mobility, neck and back mobility, and flexibility. It also showed statistical significance in the reduction of at-risk levels of C-reactive protein. This dietary supplement helps lower inflammation and enhances the quality of life as not only in evidence of clinical studies but also in the testimonials of thousands of people who live with a greater quality of life. Read their testimonials on page 5.

I would also like to encourage you to go to Trivita’s blog as you will find more information on chronic inflammation from the latest science, as well as passionate physicians and thought leaders to create better health and wellness outcomes that most of us desire.

Your lifestyle choices matter and here’s why. According to the World Health Organization, chronic inflammatory-related diseases are your greatest health risk. It is noted as a silent killer because its long term effects are not felt until they manifest or erupt like a fire. Scott Conard, M.D. says, “Patients come to my clinic saying ‘I feel fine, I feel fine,’ and then the cardiac event occurs and even death.” Understanding Inflammation, a 24-page document released by Harvard Medical School, reveals C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, is now considered a better indicator of your cardiovascular health than other inflammatory markers. That is a bold statement we should all take note of, especially when Americans are spending billions of dollars on statins annually, and thousands of doctors are hyper-focused on cholesterol levels as the number one indicator of heart health.

Cardiologists and other physicians are now revealing what experts at Harvard Medical School also recently publicized. “Several studies have shown that, among people with normal cholesterol numbers, those with increased CRP levels have a several-fold higher risk for heart problems.” (HMS) I am advocating that you take note of the new science, and get your C-reactive protein blood test!

I experienced this years ago. After smoldering silently, chronic inflammation erupted like a fire in my body. My body was screaming, “Quit doing this! Quit inflaming me!” My ignorance was around sleep. I thought sleep was a waste of time. I could not imagine why I would want to embrace the idea until chronic inflammation from sleep deprivation broke out into a raging fire. I was diagnosed with inflammation of the nervous system. My doctors at Mayo Clinic said, “Michael, you must change the way you think about health and life. If you don’t, you will live with a diminishing quality of life, and you will die a premature death.” Yes, chronic inflammation was my greatest health risk.

But there are other causes of chronic inflammation. You must recognize the villain — the robber of your health and quality of life. We put way too much emphasis on treating disease rather than on what is causing illness. 

Today we hear of how to get more drugs and cheaper drugs. But what we need are more choices and better choices for lowering inflammation. It is the villain that haunts humanity by stealing our health! 

Chronic inflammation is not a specific disease, as stated by NIH. And that is also why, according to Johns Hopkins University, there is not a lot of pharmaceutical research or drugs to address it. It is a mechanistic process of the immune system. Thanks to leading health institutions like Harvard Medical School and leading physicians for publishing books, we are learning the causes and ill effects of chronic inflammation. 

William Davis, M.D., cardiologist, is the New York Times bestselling author of Wheat Belly books that forever changed the nutritional world. He challenged one of the biggest lies ever told; eat low fat and high carbohydrate diet. I saw the effects of that diet with my mother, who embraced this as gospel. She would not eat an egg but feasted on pancakes and other high glycemic foods. It was a sad ending to her life as she struggled with the horrific issues of dementia. 

In his book, Dr. William Davis states, “Most people are boiling pots of inflammation: hot, steaming, churning cauldrons of disordered, chaotic inflammatory responses due to the food choices that perform poorly to human dietary needs.” 

Joseph Scherger, M.D. of Eisenhower Health and clinical professor of Family Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California writes in his book Fit and Lean, “Why do we keep poisoning ourselves… The real cause of the poisoning that has made most of us overweight or obese, with a staggering burden of disease, is a toxic food environment, of highly glycemic carbohydrates and inflammatory proteins.”

The point is not to list all the inflammatory causes but to make you aware that inflammation is your most significant health risk, and our foodie culture promotes many of the foods that inflame. Empower yourself. Take command of your life and live with the wellness you desire! Know your indicators like C-reactive protein, BMI and blood sugar levels as they are indicators of the danger lurking within. 

Yours in wellness,

Special Report References: 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279298/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913796/
https://www.cdc.gov/ibd/what-is-IBD.htm
Jensen, G. Evaluation of Activity Levels, Inflammatory Markers, and Overall Wellness. 2019.