| These supplements can be taken for a year, and you can talk to your doctor about reducing the doses depending on your individual progress.
NAC: Scoops Up Free Radicals
The amino acid n-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a powerful scavenger of free radicals, says Dr. Firshein. "It is also a building block for glutathione, one of the most powerful free radical quenchers available to the body," he says. NAC even helps prevent mucus from accumulating in the lungs. He recommends taking 500 milligrams of NAC twice a day.
QUERCETIN: Help for Allergies
Allergies often worsen asthma, says Dr. Firshein. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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 The key issue is the balance of relative quantities in which these minerals are available, either in our diets and/or the supplements we consume.
Great care should be taken in recommending calcium supplementation, especially among those who already suffer from bone demineraliza-tion and among those at greatest risk of developing such problems. A typical, healthy intestine only absorbs a small portion of the calcium that is available from our food. At the same time, evidence suggests that excess calcium intake competes with magnesium absorption, further aggravating a poor magnesium status. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Oral fluoride supplements, fluoridated water, and fluoride-containing toothpastes are used to prevent tooth decay and have not caused adverse effects at such low dosages.
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation and ingestion.
Symptoms of Exposure: Inhalation of fluorine derivatives may cause immediate irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs; coughing; choking; and chills and then after one to two days, fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, and blue skin discoloration from lack of oxygen. Between 10 and 30 days later, the symptoms may disappear. |
David Brownstein
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 Work with a knowledgeable health care provider who has experience with natural supplements. If your health care provider does not share your views about using natural items, I suggest you find one who is in agreement with your views. Any treatment modality can be improved with a sound nutritional approach that supplies your body with the basic building blocks to promote healing and good health.
1 "Family Practice News." December 1, 1998, p. 31.
2 Williams, Roger. Biochemical Individuality. Keats. 1956
3 Kaufman, W. The common form of Joint Dysfunction: Its Incidence and Treatment. E.L. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Are you taking dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, or products sold in health food stores? Do you take herbal or traditional folk medicines?
Are you being treated for acne or osteoporosis?
Do you drink home-distilled moonshine whiskey or wine?
Do you intentionally sniff glue or adhesives, typewriter correction fluid, or other substances?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, or other illicit drugs?
Historically some of these products contained contaminants, such as lead, thallium, cyanide, and arsenic. |
| Are you taking dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines, or products from a health food store?
Do you take cough medicine, tonics, liquid vitamins, or other over-the-counter drugs? Do you use mouthwash?
Do you use cocaine, crack, heroin, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, marijuana, or other illegal drugs? Do you snort drugs from plastic or paper bags?
Do you intentionally sniff glue or adhesives, or typewriter correction fluid to get high?
Do you use special products to clean your walls, clothing, or rugs? |
| Avoid taking any supplements that exceed the recommended daily allowances.
• Limit salt intake. Consume no more than 2,400 milligrams a day (an amount that roughly corresponds to about a teaspoonful of salt). Cut down on salt in food preparation and do not add it to foods at the table. Because many processed foods (lunch meats, canned and commercially prepared soups, fast foods, frozen meals, and cheese) contain large amounts of sodium, consume these sparingly.
• Maintain an adequate calcium intake. This measure is crucial to preventing osteoporosis later in life (see p. 200). |
Rudolph M. Ballentine, M.D.
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 Wright is one of the foremost nutrition-oriented physicians today, and this book is a series of cases that show, in readable and entertaining style, how many common problems can be successfully addressed through working with diet and supplements.
Eating for A's, Alexander Schauss, Barbara Friedlander Meyer, and Arnold Meyer, Pocket Books, New York, 1991. How diet affects the academic performance of kids. A must for all parents and teachers.
For Tomorrow's Children: A Manual for Future Parents, Preconception Care, Blooming Glen, Pa., 1990. |
Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra
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 In a group of over fifty thousand female nurses, those who took the highest quantity of vitamin A and others who used vitamin C supplements over a long period of time had a 30 percent reduction in cataracts. Why are these vitamins effective? Antioxidants help to prevent the oxidation of protein in the lens, which leads to the formation of cataracts. Since cataracts are a common part of the aging process, this study was eye-opening for me, to say the least.
Another eye condition in which antioxidants may be of use is age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. |
| She was told to take these supplements after every meal. She persisted in her regimen and, to her surprise, lost five pounds in the following week. Perhaps she may have had a low metabolism and in addition a subtle deficiency of nutrients.
Clinical research has also revealed the beneficial effects of coenzyme Q10 in brain disorders, aging, and allergies. Coenzyme Q10 has the ability to counteract histamines and may have considerable utility in the treatment of asthma. It has also been used to help shrink breast cancers and even reverse metastatic cancer in some patients. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 They thus enhance the action of probiotic supplements. Start by taking V4 teaspoon of FOS twice a day and gradually work up to 1 teaspoon twice a day over the course of two to three weeks.
¦ Sea greens, such as spirulina and blue-green algae, contain many trace minerals that are missing in the normal diet. Take a sea-greens supplement as directed on the product label.
¦ Thymus glandular extract enhances immune function, which is often impaired in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Take 750 milligrams of thymus extract at breakfast and again at lunch. |
| Green-foods supplements are full of trace minerals and help to energize the blood. Take a green-foods supplement as directed on the product label.
¦ Lipoic acid has shown considerable promise in protecting the cells in the pancreas that manufacture insulin. It seems to be helpful for both type I and type II diabetes, which is unusual. Take 100 to 500 milligrams daily.
¦ People with diabetes have a tendency to lose excessive amounts of minerals in their urine. |
| If you suffer from diarrhea, make certain to take supplements supplying both the major minerals and trace minerals (see DIET AND NUTRITION in Part One). Fatigue is often caused by chronic sodium-potassium imbalance. You may find that supplementing your diet with potassium lifts your mood as well as your energy level.
¦ Try to avoid stress. Stress worsens an attack. Consider learning biofeedback or yoga or meditation. These disciplines can help immeasurably. When you are in the midst of an acute attack, rest and relax as much as possible.
¦ Avoid all medications possible. |
| Vitamin K
Leafy green vegetables, green-foods supplements such as chlorella and spirulina.
50-150 meg.
MINERALS
Calcium
Calcium carboniate, calcium citrate, calcium chelate, or calcium aspartate.
1,000-1,500 mg.
Chromium
Chromium nicotinate, chromium picolinate, or chromium chelate.
100-400 meg.
Copper
Copper citrate or copper chelate.
1 mg for every 15 mg of zinc ingested.
Iron
Iron glycinate.
10-30 mg. You should not take supplemental iron unless blood tests reveal deficiency, however. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Inform your doctor about these supplements. Discontinue using folk medicines, which may cause other symptoms.
Discontinue the use of these substances. If your symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
Seek immediate medical help.
With methanol poisoning symptoms may be mild initially but could progress to blindness, coma, and/or death. Ethylene glycol can cause renal failure.
Consult your doctor. Discontinue ingesting these products. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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 Studies have indicated that these calcium supplements may contain substantial amounts of lead.41 Lead is a toxic metal that primarily affects the brain, kidney, and manufacture of red blood cells. Lead toxicity is a significant problem in industrialized countries, including the United States. The level of lead in the body has been shown to be directly linked to IQ and criminal behavior (see Attention Deficit Disorder). The higher the lead level, the lower the IQ and the greater the risk of delinquent or criminal behavior. Lead is a major problem in children. In 1988, the U.S. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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 In these situations, supplements are extremely valuable. Also, in certain health problems the need for amino acids rises dramatically.
FDA Bans Tryptophan
In 1989 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed a very valuable amino acid—tryptophan— from the supplement market because of a single contaminated batch that was imported from a single manufacturer in Japan. The contaminant was soon revealed to be the result of a new manufacturing process, and the problem was solved. |
| Many of the effects are similar to fish oil, but because they have not yet gone through the first step in conversion they may not be as helpful in some situations. supplements of flax seed oil are useful in a variety of skin disorders, including psoriasis, and digestive problems, including spastic colon and probably inflammatory bowel disease. Some claims have been made for benefits in other inflammatory diseases, as well as cancer and immune system problems. |
| Capsules of 1000 mg (containing 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA) are commonly available, and there are also some supplements with a higher concentration of the active oils. Sometimes higher doses are used in studies, but with comprehensive diet and supplement programs it is usually possible to achieve beneficial effects with lower doses. I usually recommend starting on two to four capsules per day, and may increase the dose if the response is not adequate.
Flax Seed Oil
Another good source of omega-3 oil is flax seeds. |
| You may have concerns about swallowing so many pills if you are on many different supplements. If you have difficulty, it is easiest to take them with a thicker liquid, such as tomato juice or a blended fruit and yogurt smoothee. This usually makes it easy to open the throat for swallowing and coats the pills, making it easier for them to go down. After you are able to take them this way, it becomes easy to swallow many pills at one time, even with plain water, but be careful. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| The authors of the study concluded:
Our study demonstrates that in diabetic patients daily oral vitamin E supplements may reduce oxidative stress, thus improving membrane physical characteristics and related activities in glucose transport.67
Vitamin E also appears to play a significant role in the prevention of diabetes. One study followed 944 men, forty-two to sixty years of age, who did not have diabetes at the beginning of the study. Forty-five men developed diabetes during the four-year follow-up. The study indicated that a low vitamin-E concentration was associated with 3. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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 Until research is done on people, however, he recommends that you be content with the biotin that you'll find in good multivitamin supplements.
Preventing Polish Problems
Prudent nail polish policies can pay off before you develop dry or yellowed nails, or cracked cuticles. Consider these tips.
Buff 'em up. Gently buffing the surface of the nail with an emery board after removing the polish will keep your nail color natural-looking, says Dr. Scher.
Lay on another layer. An extra layer of colorless base coat will protect the nail and prevent discoloration, says Dr. Scher.
Never on Sunday. |
| Pregnant women should check with their doctors before taking any over-the-counter medications or nutritional supplements.)
Rehydrate with fruit juice. If nausea has advanced to the vomiting stage, you'll need to drink lots of fluids—especially carbohydrates like fruit juice—to guard against dehydration, says Dr. Nie-byl. If you can't keep any food or drink down, see your doctor immediately.
Neck Pain when to see your doctor
• Your neck pain persists for more than three days or keeps coming back.
• You suffer from neck pain after a fall or accident. |
Judith Wills
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 Beta-carotene is not thought to be toxic, although fairly high intakes of over 30 mg per day may make the skin orange-tinged, and high doses of beta-carotene supplements (not carotene-rich foods) may increase the risk of cancer in smokers.
Vitamin D
CHOLECALCIFEROL
USA RDI10 pg UK RNI no recommendation for non-pregnant adults under 65 EC R DA 5 pg Vitamin D intake is important for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body, helping to form bones and carry out other mineralization. One research trial has found that vitamin D can halt the progress of osteoarthritis. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| For some relief, your doctor can prescribe estrogen and other hormone supplements and medications." If you're going through menopause, ask your doctor whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate for you. (For more tips on dealing with hot flashes, see page 264.)
Take aspirin. Check your temperature. If you're harboring a lingering fever, taking aspirin or acetaminophen during the day or before bedtime can break that fever. But, says Dr. Greene, it will do so by causing you to sweat. The good news is that it may be the push that's needed to finally lick the underlying infection. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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| For instance, improvements in bone density and parathyroid hormone levels in the blood can both be good indicators that magnesium supplements are providing benefits. Reduction or disappearance of bone pains, muscle twitching, and an inclination to muscle cramping can all indicate the value of supplementing magnesium.
This important mineral also loosens the bowels. This can be a real blessing for those gluten-sensitive individuals who struggle with constipation, but it requires caution and careful attention from those who are inclined to diarrhea. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| Perhaps you've been taking iron supplements. Or you enjoyed a package of chewy black licorice. Maybe you overdid the feasting altogether and then turned to a bottle of Pepto-Bismol for relief. All four items have been known to turn stools black, says Barry Jaffin, M.D., a specialist in gastrointestinal motility disorders and a clinical instructor in the Department of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
But's there also a strong likelihood that your stools are black because they contain blood. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 Arthritis
Treatment with vitamin C supplements resulted in the resolution of significant cutaneous hemorrhages in three elderly rheumatoid patients, all of which were ascorbic-acid deficient.
—K.G. Oldroyd KG and P.T. Dawes,' 'Clinically Significant Vitamin C Deficiency in Rheumatoid Arthritis," British Journal of Rheumatology, 24(4), November 1985, p. 362-363. |
David Brownstein
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| How can I take any supplements? They all make me sick. I get extremely tired and sick to my stomach when I take any vitamins or minerals," she said. Grace was also found to have a hypothyroid condition, but she could not tolerate taking any type of thyroid medication. After two months of NAET, her reactions to many foods began to subside. "It feels like a miracle, " she claimed. "Foods that used to bother me, don't bother me at all. I am starting to feel so much stronger because I can eat again. " In addition, Grace began to take her thyroid medication and noticed further improvement. |
| I prescribed a daily regimen of supplements (vitamins B-12, B-6, and E as well as selenium and flax seed oil). Finally, Julie was found to have a mycoplasma infection (see Chapter 2), and the antibiotic Minocin was added to her treatment program. "It has now been two years since I started this treatment program. I feel 95% better. What little pain I now have usually goes away with an aspirin. My energy and my weight are also back to normal. My rheumatologist tells me there is no cure for scleroderma. He is wrong. I feel I have cured this illness, " she said. |
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