Gale Maleskey
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 Just because a dietary supplement is new to researchers in the United States doesn't mean that it's been ignored worldwide. In some cases, a supplement is already being used in another country as an alternative to costly prescription medications, Czap says. Doctors here have little incentive to seek out alternative remedies because insurance usually covers the cost of prescription medications for their patients, he adds. |
| By the late 1990s, this popular dietary supplement was being used by untold numbers of amateur and professional athletes. Whether they intended to or not, some of these athletes became, in effect, promoters of creatine as they publicly acknowledged using it. They seemed to provide living proof that creatine does what it claims—increases strength and provides short-term explosive power.
While using the extra boost of creatine might seem like a form of not-so-subtle cheating, athletes throughout history have sought ways to gain the competitive edge. |
| Although proponents claim that creatine is a harmless dietary supplement, no one knows what will happen if people continue to take it for many years at the recommended dose of 5 to 25 grams daily.
"Creatine is relatively safe, and it's a biological material that's normally found in the body anyway. The question is, what happens if you take a lot of it over a long period of time? We don't know that yet," says Ara Der-Marderosian, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy and medicinal chemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
Dr. |
| Whether DHEA is important in that decline is unknown, although the dietary supplement industry suggests that it's a causal relationship. We don't know that it is. We're not trying to say that DHEA has no effect, but we do think that there is significant risk that has not been explained to the consumer."
SMPPLEMiMTSNAPSHOT_
? DHEA
Also known as: Dehydroepiandrosterone.
May help: Lupus; may slow or reverse aging, but any beneficial effect of DHEA use in humans has not been established by scientific studies. |
| If you get way too much of the trace mineral selenium, for instance (as once happened to people who took an improperly made dietary supplement), you might lose your hair and fingernails and develop a gar-
Memory Joggers:
How to Remember to Take 'Em
One man put the bottle In his shoe. "He could remember to take his pills in the evening, but he could never remember in the morning," says Joyce Cramer, a medical researcher in psychiatry at West Haven-Yale Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Connecticut and an authority on drug-taking behavior. |
Andrew L. Stoll
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 In addition, with the lack of regulatory supervision of manufacturing processes, what goes into an herbal or dietary supplement may be suspect.
Both conventional Western medicine and many forms of alternative and complementary medicine have much to offer humanity in reducing suffering and improving health. Integrating different medical philosophies and practices can be difficult, but it is well worth the effort.
In natural, herbal, and complementary, as well as in conventhan one substance that is biologically active. In St. |
Elaine Feuer
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 As a direct result of the dietary supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (see Chapter Eight), the FDA removed evening primrose oil from its Import Alert List on 22 December 1994. [FDA Import Alert #66-04] standard American diet, the formulation of prostaglandins is blocked by modern food processing (refining, heating, and processing vegetable and seed oils), and by a lack of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Other factors that inhibit prostaglandin formulation are aging, smoking, drinking, taking medication, stress (high blood pressure), and obesity. |
Ruth Winter
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 A nonessential amino acid, it is used in microbiological research and as a dietary supplement in the L and DL forms. It is used as a flavor enhancer at 1 percent for pickling spice. It is now GRAS for addition to food. It caused cancer of the skin in mice and tumors when injected into their abdomens. ALAR • See Daminozide.
ALBENDAZOLE • Zental. Valbazen. A worm medicine given to cattle. The FDA tolerances for residues are: 0.2 ppm in uncooked edible cattle tissue; 0.6 in muscle; 1.2 ppm in liver; 1.8 ppm in kidney; 2.4 ppm in fat. ALBUMEN • See Albumin.
ALBUMIN • (Albumen). |
Elaine Feuer
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| In the early 1990s, the FDA raided the following establishments: seventeen health food stores in Texas; a Utah-based herb company distributing evening primrose oil; a dietary supplement company in Oregon; a black-currant oil distributor in Illinois; the Life Extension Foundation in Florida; an alternative medical clinic in Kent, Washington; Nutricology in San Leandro; herbalists in northern and southern California; and many other small businesses throughout the country. |
| The agency contended that any dietary supplement added to a capsule or tablet was a "food additive" (as in the case of evening primrose oil). Under this theory, the FDA could present an affidavit from one of its scientists stating that experts generally did not regard the product as safe. The actual safety of the product was never at issue.
On 27 January 1993 Traco Labs, Inc. won a federal court decision on their "encapsuled product"—black current oil. Back in 1988, the FDA had instructed a U.S. |
| This "establishment" newspaper asserted that the dietary supplement industry was using scare tactics and misinformation to "rally thousands of health-minded Americans to support legislation that would actually deprive consumers of reliable health information"—when, in fact, it was the FDA and mainstream media who were responsible for deliberate deceptions and inaccuracies. |
Donald M. Epstein
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 Even when we are told that a particular treatment, practice, or dietary supplement is beneficial for our health and well-being, our physiology is likely to ignore or reject it if the idea is foreign to our prevailing myths.
For example, if an expectant mother in our culture is told about a simple procedure she can follow after her baby is born that will restore lost nutrients, improve her immune system, facilitate the transportation of antibodies to her baby through breast milk, speed up her recovery, and is free of charge, she is likely to say, "Yes! I'll do it. Tell me what it is. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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 Kessler do not know the older literature on the subject and they do not know the more recent literature on the subject, they are the wrong agency or the wrong personnel to be involved with the enforcement of dietary supplement regulations. There are many other reasons that I have come to this conclusion. Either we change the agency, change the personnel or specifically limit their power with strict Congressional guidelines such as mandated in S. 784.
Dr. |
| Kessler also revealed his true intentions inadvertently when he stated that FDA was within the law to regulate dietary supplement products that were mixtures as food additives. There is no scientific rationale for removing two safe products from the market if they happen to be mixed together, just because you have the legal authority to do so.
Some products are better when they are mixed, such as GLA and vitamin E. The product lasts longer on the shelf without oxidizing because of the presence of the vitamin E. Sometimes mixtures are cheaper and sometimes they are more effective. |
| The bill then being considered, the dietary supplement and Health Education Act, eventually passed despite the opposition of some vehement protectors of the FDA. However, many of the most important sections of the Senate version of the bill, which would allow the easiest public access to supplement information, were deleted before the bill was passed by the House of Representatives. This was the result of compromises with powerful committee chairpersons.
As of this writing, in 1995, efforts are underway to correct some of the omissions of the final version of the bill as passed into law. |
| Melatonin is also available as a dietary supplement. It is the substance that appears to regulate the "body clock/' the physiological changes that relate to day-night changes.
Melatonin levels normally go up when it turns dark, and they are low during daylight hours. This hormone is also an antioxidant/free-radical scavenger that appears to slow the aging process. The production of melatonin is high in youth and declines steadily with age. Many signs of aging are associated with this loss of melatonin production, but cause and effect have not been proven. |
| Having said all this, the purpose of this book is to give you the information you need to start your own dietary supplement program, usually using relatively large yet safe and effective doses, for preventing and treating both symptoms and diseases and enhancing longevity.
Diagnoses Versus Optimal Health
A diagnosis is just a name given to a recognized collection of symptoms. If your particular collection of symptoms does not fit a known pattern, they cannot be diagnosed (but that does not mean that you do not have health problems). |
| Most dietary supplement suppliers are very competitive (except for multilevel marketing prices, which are high), and a below-cost item may not meet label claim or on occasion may be made with inferior raw ingredients. These may have contamination problems or problems with solubility. Synthetic vitamin E, for example, is much cheaper than the natural form, but the molecule is slightly different, and contains only the alpha-tocopherol, not the beta, gamma or delta forms found in "mixed, natural tocopherols." That information should be on the label. |
Stanley W. Jacob, M.D.
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 Comments:
As a dietary supplement, MSM offers grear potential for anyone with constipation. MSM produces a general "tonic" effect in the bowels and normalizes bowel function, particularly for older individuals. We have given MSM to nursing homes, where constipation is a common problem. The nurses have said that MSM works well for patients, even for individuals not responding to Metamu-cil or stool softeners.
Patients being treated for arthritis or other painful condirions often say that MSM has restored their normal bowel movement. |
Andrew L. Stoll
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| Omega-3 fatty acids can be considered food, a dietary supplement, or a drug, depending on your point of view. word {hyper = "above" and icum = "icon") translated roughly as "above spirits," hinting at how long physicians have known about the mood effects of this widespread herb. St. John's wort has also been used as a topical antiseptic for wounds. The name St. John's wort derives from the blood-red berries (resembling stigmata) the plant produces, but also because folklore says that the flowers bloom on St. John's Day (June 24).
Strength of Data Supporting Antidepressant Action. |
Elaine Feuer
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| Although beta carotene has a history of safety in thousands of clinical trials, the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN) warned that, as a result of the Finnish study, antioxidants could be dangerous if taken as a dietary supplement. The New York Times entitled its front page article on the Finnish study, "Vitamin Supplements Are Seen As No Guard Against Diseases." Once again following the "official line," the media disregarded the multitude of studies that demonstrate the benefits of antioxidants used in optimum amounts. |
David Heber, M.D., Ph.D.
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 First, there are stored antioxidant chemicals that come from fruits and vegetables, herbs, teas, or dietary supplement pills. They can be stored in the body, as is the case with lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene, or they can be broken down by the body extensively, as is the case with soy protein and green tea. This first system is dependent on diet, since many of these compounds, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lycopene, are not made in the body. |
Ruth Winter
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| Used as a chemical preservative and a dietary supplement up to . 1 percent. A mild irritant to the skin. It can cause allergic reactions such as asthma, red eyes, and skin rashes, especially in people sensitive to aspirin. Listed by the FDA as GRAS in a reevaluation of safety in 1976. The final report to the FDA of the Select Committee on GRAS Substances stated in 1980 that it should continue its GRAS status with no limitations other than good manufacturing practices. BENZOIC ALDEHYDE • See Benzaldehyde. BENZOIC RESIN • A flavor additive. See Benzoic Acid and Resins. BENZOIN • Gum Benjamin. |
Paul A. Offit, M.D.m Bonnie Fass-Offit, M.D. and Louis M. Bell, M.D.
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 Because the FDA does not strictly control these "alternative" products, a dietary supplement at a nutrition center may not contain what it is said to contain. A label stating that a product contains 10 mg of zinc may not be correct—the product could actually contain 50 mg of zinc or 0 mg of zinc. In addition, although only zinc is listed on the label, there may be other impurities. For example, a severe and occasionally fatal disease—eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome—was traced to a product sold in health food stores called L-tryptophan. |
Thomas Bartram
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 Floradix Herbal Iron Extract: absorbable iron in a yeast extract dietary supplement. Contents include Nettles, Fennel, Angelica root, Horsetail, Spinach, Yarrow, etc.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) Previously known as "mucous colitis", "spastic colon". Believed to be associated with psy-chomatic rather than allergic phenomena. Food is said to be responsible for one-third cases. X-ray fails to reveal evidence; prostaglandins implicated. Females more susceptible than men. Cow's milk and antigens in beef can precipitate. Symptoms. Spastic colon: colon held in spasm. |
| Popular stimulant drink throughout South America. dietary supplement. Keynote: revitaliser. Constituents: theobromine, theophyllin, caffeine (7 per cent), saponins, tannins, choline. Action: anti-stress agent, tonic, nutrient, nerve relaxant, astringent, adaptogen, diuretic. Sustains the immune system. Aphrodisiac. Gentle stimulant for adrenals. Revitaliser. Antidepressant. Uses. Sportsman's strength and stay. Increases stamina, adapts the body to stresses of modern living. Jet-lag, nervous depression, diarrhoea. Recovery from illness, hang-over symptoms. |
Marcia Zimmerman, C.N.
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 While everyone realizes calcium is required for bones and teeth, it is not widely known that calcium is also vital for brain function. A dietary supplement of calcium is included in the 30-Day Plan so that you and your children don't decrease your calcium intake with your decrease in dairy products.
Wheat Intolerance
A person's sensitivity to wheat is actually to gluten, the protein found in it. Eliminating wheat from the diet is difficult because it is in most foods. When you start scrutinizing labels, you will be amazed how often wheat is listed in the ingredients. |
James A. Howenstine, MD
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 This product is not a drug and should be considered a dietary supplement. The product has a special system to deliver organic whole foods in a manner that binds metals, toxins, and supports the immune system. There is synergy between the noncolloidal state of the ingredients and the delivery system permits ultra penetration of the supplement and greatly increases the bioavailability of the product. The main use of this product is to remove toxic heavy metals from the body. |
Ruth Winter, M.S.
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 CHOLINE CHLORIDE • Ferric Choline Citrate. A dietary supplement with the same function as choline bitartrate (see). The final report to the FDA of the Select Committee on GRAS Substances stated in 1980 that it should continue its GRAS status with no limitations other than good manufacturing practices. CHOLINE HYDROCHLORIDE • Colorless to white, water-absorbing crystals used as a fungicide on various feeds. In the Community Right to Know List (see). Moderately toxic to humans by ingestion. May be mutagenic. CHONDROITIN • A major constituent of cartilage in the body. CHONDRUS • See Carrageenan. |
| CHOLINE BITARTRATE • A dietary supplement included in the B complex vitamins and found in the form of a thick syrupy liquid in most animal tissue. It is necessary to nerve function and fat metabolism and can be manufactured in the body but not at a sufficient rate to meet health requirements. Dietary choline protects against poor growth, fatty liver, and renal damage in many animals. Choline deficiency has not been demonstrated in man but the National Academy of Sciences lists 500 to 900 milligrams per day as sufficient for the average man. |
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