| After a month's course of supplementation with green tea extract, the doctors reported that angina attacks were controlled in 71 percent of the patients. In addition, fibrinogen levels were reduced in all but one patient and electrocardiogram results normalized in fifteen of the patients. Angina patients are usually prescribed powerful medication for this condition, and they should continue taking that medication. |
Dr Ron Roberts
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 Although we have given details above of foods that are rich in particular vitamins and minerals, you may find that an optimum level of these substances can be maintained most effectively through supplementation.Supplements that contain a variety of ingredients are available in liquid, tablet or powder form from health food stores and pharmacies, and the recommended daily dosage is usually supplied with the particular product. If in doubt about what supplements would do you the most good, consult a practitioner. |
Ron Garner
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 Moving from an unhealthy bowel situation to a healthy one requires detoxification, changes toward a healthy diet, and supplementation with herbs and enzymes if necessary. Enemas may be used as necessary to clear stagnant and impacted feces from the colon. Colonic irrigations are much more effective than enemas. The use of digestive enzymes and acid supplements to aid the digestive process, as well as bowel flora supplements to introduce healthy bacteria back into the intestines, are also recommended. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) followed 36,282 premenopausal women ages fifty to seventy-nine who were randomly assigned to receive 1,000 mg of calcium with 400 IU of vitamin D3 or placebo daily for seven years to assess bone fracture. supplementation did not reduce the risk of hip fracture. Although there was an increase in hip-bone density, there was also an increase in kidney stones. |
Ron Garner
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| The diet and digestion must be improved. supplementation with digestive enzymes is helpful.
Additional fiber, from psyllium husks or flax seeds, for example, along with pure water, are helpful in retaining moisture and filling out the stool. Bran products should not be used as they are irritating to the bowel and add to the problem of mucus buildup in the colon if they cannot be completely digested.
When constipation is present, water intake should be increased. Just like flushing a toilet, the bowel cannot be cleaned without adequate water. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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| Studies have shown that calcium and vitamin D supplementation in people over age sixty-five increased total bone density but not necessarily in areas that matter, like the femoral neck, where low bone density can cause hip fracture.16 Moreover, the changes in bone mineral density in areas like the femoral neck were present only for men and not women. This is important since osteoporotic fractures primarily affect women. The only studies that showed that calcium and vitamin D prevented hip fractures involved French women who had osteoporosis and were living in nursing homes. |
| Lasix increases the loss of thiamine (vitamin B{) in the urine, which can lead to memory deficiency and other problems, but this side effect can be corrected with vitamin supplementation. Lasix also increases calcium excretion in the urine, which leads to thinning of the bones and risk of fracture. For these reasons, thiazide diuretics should be used before Lasix or Bumex for the treatment of hypertension, unless there is fluid retention and a failure of kidney function. |
| A recent analysis of 41 studies of omega-3 fatty acids with a total of 36,913 participants52 showed no reduction in cardiovascular events or total mortality with omega-3 supplementation using fish oils and other supplements. There was a 7% increase in cancer, which was not statistically significant.
In the Study on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Ventricular Arrhythmia (SOFA), 546 patients with implantable fibrillators and ventricular arrhythmias were randomized to receive 2g/day fish oil or placebo. |
Ron Garner
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| If it is dry or flaky when scratched, the body is in need of oil supplementation. Several tablespoons per day may be taken until a smooth skin is achieved again. Good oils for this use may be purchased from health-food stores. They must be kept in the refrigerator and used before their expiry dates. Otherwise, they turn rancid and become toxic to the body. It is preferable to keep oil supplements in the freezer to preserve their freshness. This way, they can be kept for long periods of time and warmed slightly under the tap for immediate use. |
| The purpose of the four main digestive enzymes for supplementation purposes, are:
1 Amylase—to break down carbohydrates.
2 Lipase—to break down fats.
3 Protease—to break down proteins.
4 Cellulase—to break down soluble parts of fiber.
The body cannot manufacture cellulase; it must be obtained from foods that are high in fiber, or from supplements. Cellulase plays the very important role of transporting nutrients into the body through the gut wall and moving heavy metal toxins out, which can alleviate multiple chemical sensitivities. |
| Lee has done a tremendous job of breaking through the myths and dangers of synthetic hormone supplementation.30 Over an approximate period of 25 years, Dr. Lee and other researchers have uncovered a largely western phenomenon of estrogen dominance that is affecting women especially, but also men. In simple terms, estrogen dominance is an excess of estrogen over progesterone. In a healthy body, progesterone is produced in sufficient quantities to balance out the effects of estrogen. Progesterone is also needed for many other functions in the body. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 While it's true that older people tend to spend less time in deep sleep, possibly due to reduced levels of melatonin, various strategies, including exercise, proper diet, melatonin supplementation, and light, therapy, can help seniors—and everyone else—sleep like a baby again. ances. All of these factors may also disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to such problems as sleep phase syndromes and insomnia.
Poor Diet and Food Allergies
Stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, and spicy foods are major contributors to sleep disorders. |
Dr Ron Roberts
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| The quantities recommended for supplementation are for adults only. Children's supplements should be half of these, and you should not supplement infants without practitioner advice.
Of course, vitamin and mineral supplements are only a small part of the industry that promotes dietary supplements of all kinds. Negotiating your way through the maze of information about herbs, amino acids, enzymes and other unfamiliar nutrients, and working out what might be useful for you, is a daunting task—a bit like going on a cross-country trek with a myriad of signposts pointing in different directions. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 Then, eating some carbohydrate along with it helps carry the tryptophan into the brain where it is converted into serotonin. supplementation with the amino acid 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can also help your brain manufacture more serotonin and, unlike tryptophan, it doesn't need carbs for it to get into the brain.
Norepinephrine deficiency often results in cravings for stimulation from sugar, coffee, stress, or alcohol. |
Jack Challem
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 By itself, inositol supplementation is more effective than pharmaceutical treatments; however, 12 to 18 grams daily translates to a lot of capsules or tablets. You can cut down on the number of pills by getting a prescription for inositol from your physician and having it filled by a compounding (custom) pharmacy. You might also be able to take less inositol (in the range of 4 to 6 grams daily) by combining it with a high-potency B-complex supplement and 5-HTP. On occasion, inositol will increase symptoms, in which case you should try one of the other recommended supplements.
Niacinamide. |
| Note: If you are under thirty-five years of age, it's unlikely that you need DHEA supplementation.
Ginseng. Extracts of ginseng (specifically, those containing saponins) appear to modulate dopamine levels in the brain. In a study of nicotine addiction, researchers found that ginseng extracts decreased the nicotine-induced activation of dopamine. The same mechanism may apply to nondrug-related addictive behavior. Ginseng is certainly worth trying for thirty days. Follow the label directions for use because potencies vary among manufacturers.
N-acetylcysteine. |
| These genetic tendencies reduce the body's ability to either make or transport serotonin, although they can often be corrected with B-vitamin or 5-HTP supplementation. (See the supplement recommendations in the following pages.)
Low thyroid activity might also be a factor in depression, especially if you are a woman and even more so if you are a woman over forty-five years of age. Occasionally, thyroid test results will look normal, but the hormone levels are actually low for you as an individual. Possible clues to low thyroid activity are a lack of energy and not sweating. |
| Taken as a dietary supplement, melatonin can help with sleep disorders and can speed recovery from jet lag, but the timing of supplementation is crucial.
Quick Tip
If You're Taking Meds for Your Moods, Check with Your Doctor
If you take prescription drugs for depression, anxiety, or another mood issue, work with your doctor before trying natural neuronutrients. Neuronutrients may amplify the drug's effects, and your doctor may need to reduce your medication dosage. Please do not attempt to do this by yourself.
Type of neurotransmitter. Calming.
Nutritional building blocks. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 It is entirely possible that the variable results sometimes obtained in studies on garlic supplementation happen because of variation in the quality of the garlic supplements and lack of standardization of the allicin content. This is not to say don't use garlic supplements—absolutely do!—just use very high-quality ones that are standardized for allicin content, not allicin "potential." Two of the best are Kyolic Aged Garlic, widely available in better health food stores, and Allicidin by Designs for Health, available on my Web site (www.jonnybow-den.com). |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 In fact, the authors of the Duke study were so impressed by the enormous range of potential epigenetic effects that they issued a word of caution to anyone interested in applying the results of their research to humans:
These findings suggest that dietary supplementation, long presumed to be purely beneficial, may have unintended deleterious influences on the establishment of epigenetic gene regulation in humans.
In other words, we don't really know everything that's going on here, folks. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 The overwhelming majority of research studies have demonstrated that ginkgo supplementation has a positive effect on cognition. There have been numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies that show ginkgo extract is effective in reducing either the progress of dementia or the severity of its symptoms. The results are not always dramatic, but they are significant.
A number of studies have shown that ginkgo modestly improves both memory and the speed of cognitive functioning, as well as the symptoms of Alzheimer's and vascular or mixed dementia. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| A BASIC SUPPLEMENT PLAN—FOR EVERY BODY
The science of micronutrients has progressed by leaps and bounds since the 1970s, when consumers first started to catch on to the idea that supplementation makes sense. We know a great deal about how nutrients interact, and about how to get the proper complement of nutrients into a daily supplement program. Let's get you started on a multi-nutrient supplement plan that will benefit every adult.
Here are guidelines on what to look for on the label of your daily multivitamin, although formulas will certainly vary, as will your own personal needs. |
Bottom Line Health
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| However, the new research suggests that lowering homocysteine by supplementation has no effect on preventing heart attacks—and that these supplements may even trigger a slight rise in heart attack risk.
B vitamins do not prevent heart disease.
Kaare Harald Bonaa, MD, PhD
"Combination vitamin therapies, which do lower homocysteine, have no effect on cardiovascular events, even though the homocysteine level is lowered," says Dr. Joseph Loscalzo, head of the department of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| In addition, take 500-1,000 meg of B12, to prevent B12 deficiency— which can be masked by folic acid supplementation.
ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES/ ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY
These two medications are used at quite different times in a woman's life: the first, to prevent pregnancy or regulate menstrual cycles during the years of fertility; and the second, to deal with hot flashes and other symptoms that can crop up at menopause. |
| We have plenty of dietary sources, but the vitamin C drain of the hurried/worried modern world makes supplementation important.
Other reasons to appreciate vitamin C:
• People with allergies often find vitamin C works well as a natural antihistamine.
• Supplements of this vitamin may help to reduce asthma symptoms.
• Vitamin C has an anti-inflammatory effect. It promotes the making of anti-inflammatory chemicals and blocks the action of enzymes that promote cartilage-dissolving inflammation.
• Vitamin C plays a role in cardiovascular health. |
| No matter what condition you find yourself wrestling with, know that excellent nutrition and specific supplementation will help any person, ill or well, to get the most out of life. This is especially true when powerful, depleting medicines are needed.
Certain drugs are a fact of life for people who are severely ill with diseases like AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, heart rhythm irregularities (arrhythmias) or inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease. Other medicines are needed by people with chronic conditions such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, or Parkinson's disease. |
Jack Challem
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 Studies have shown that after three weeks of supplementation, PGX significantly lowers blood-sugar and insulin levels. Although the label suggests weight-loss benefits, we think that any weight loss results from improved blood-sugar and insulin levels.
Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer. Although we have some reservations about starch-blocking supplements, this particular brand has some scientific support for inhibiting the activity of alpha amylase, one of the gut's starch-digesting enzymes. By blocking the activity of alpha amylase, Phase 2 prevents the absorption of some carbohydrates. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 Reduced coenzyme Q10 supplementation decelerates senescence in SAMP1 mice. Exp Gerontol2006 Feb; 4l(2):130-40.
Yang TT, Koo MW. Hypocholesterolemic effects of Chinese tea. Pharmacol Res 1997; 35(6):505-12.
Yang TTC, Koo MW. Chinese green tea lowers cholesterol level through an increase in fecal lipid excretion. Life Sciences 1999; 66(5):4ll-23.
Yokoyama M et al. Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on major coronary events in hypercholesterolemic patients (JELIS): A randomized open-label, blinded endpoint analysis. Lancet 2007 Mar 31; 369(9567):1090-98.
Yu YM et al. |
Michael Pollan
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 As I write, Coca-Cola is introducing vitamin-fortified sodas, extending the Wonder Bread strategy of supplementation to junk food in its purest form. (Wonder Soda?) The big money has always been in processing foods, not selling them whole, and the industry's investment in the reductionist approach to food is probably safe. The fact is, there is something in us that loves a refined carbohydrate, and that something is the human brain. The human brain craves carbohydrates reduced to their energy essence, which is to say pure glucose. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| The more of these factors that ring true for you, the more likely you are to benefit from careful, targeted nutrient supplementation along with the medicines you take.
In the next chapter, I'll explain what exactly I mean when I refer to "appropriate nutritional and lifestyle changes." You'll learn what nutrients are and why some are so essential for your good health. |
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