Jean Carper
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 Daniel Tucker, a board-certified allergist and immunologist in West Palm Beach, Florida, who takes bee pollen himself as a nutritional supplement, agrees there could be a serious risk, including anaphylactic shock, if a person was "sufficiently allergic to one of the pollens or bee antigens." He offers this advice to people who decide to take bee pollen: At first take only a little bit and see if you have any type of allergic reaction. If so, stop taking it. He notes that this is what doctors do when testing for allergies. "We put tiny bits on the skin to see if we get a tiny reaction. |
| Consumer note: The formula used by Joey Blackburn is a patented combination of a nutritional supplement composed of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and trace elements, developed by Dr. Matthias Rath. It is sold under the brand name Cellular Essentials Cardio-Basics, from Florida-based Rexall-Sundown International; and as Vita-cor 20/90 from Health Now, Inc., a California-based research and development firm.
What Are They?
Vitamin C and vitamin E are potent antioxidants; this means they can block the destructive activity of chemicals in the body called oxygen free radicals. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
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| Evening primrose oil, a nutritional supplement, has been very helpful in lessening certain symptoms including cramping in particular as well as irritability, breast discomfort, anxiety, tiredness, and swollen fingers and ankles. One study found that while sufferers had a significant decrease in symptoms after their first cycle, the best results with the supplement came after the fifth cycle. My patients have found it very helpful for abdominal cramping.
Vitamin C, which helps regulate estrogen clearance from the body, helps combat PMS symptoms. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
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 Silicon is available as a nutritional supplement in the forms of magnesium trisilicate and silicon dioxide. Magnesium trisilicate is the form found in widely used antacids. It is unclear at this time what benefit, besides its antacid effect, supplementary silicon can confer. For the time being, get your silicon from food sources. On the other hand, the amounts usually found in supplements are unlikely to cause adverse effects.
Simethicone, a silicon (polymer of silicon and oxygen), is available for the relief of "gas." Activated charcoal usually (see Charcoal) works better in this respect. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 A fire retardant containing substantial amounts of this chemical had been mistakenly fed to farm animals in place of a nutritional supplement. It wasn't long before the toxin found its way into the state's food supply.
Hubbard's precisely monitored and physician-supervised program included repeated sauna sessions, aerobic exercise, the oral administration of niacin and other food supplements, and water and electrolyte replacement. This combination of activities was designed to mobilize the fat-stored toxins and enhance their excretion. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
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| It has become increasingly popular as a nutritional supplement, widely used for its alleged abilities to boost energy, increase athletic performance, alleviate arthritis, restore color and luster to hair and, in general, rejuvenate. Deficiencies in humans can result in abdominal distress, vomiting, cramps, burning pain in the heels, fatigue, insomnia. Signs of reduced immunity to some infectious agents have also been noted in pantothenate deficiency.
Recently a metabolite of pantothenic acid called pantethine has come into the supplement supermarket. |
| Potassium iodide is available as a nutritional supplement, either by itself or in combination with other vitamins and minerals. Those who restrict their salt intake, those who eat large amounts of cruciferous vegetables, and those who do not eat seafoods should seriously consider taking supplementary potassium iodide at 150 micrograms daily (of iodide).
Iron
I. OVERVIEW: Biologic Gold
Iron has journeyed together with copper and oxygen for a very long time. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Because L-tryptophan is sold as a nutritional supplement rather than as a drug or a foodstuff, it still does not fall under the province of any regulatory agency.
In the past, public health scandals or disasters have prompted expansions in health regulations. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 So it is wise to use a nutritional supplement to ensure the best chance for the body to get plenty of what it needs for proper functioning. Many of the nutrients offer some protection against inflammation, regulate blood clotting, improve immune function, and improve fat metabolism by helping the body to handle cholesterol and triglycerides. |
| It is not routinely taken as a nutritional supplement but is used primarily as a medicinal drug.
Deficiency and toxicity: Deficiency of lithium is not really known. The theory that a deficiency of lithium can cause an increase in depression has not been adequately proved.
Lithium toxicity, however, is a very real possibility when it is used as a medicine. In the treatment of manic disorders, there is a fine line between therapeutic and toxic levels. Since it is cleared in the urine, anyone with kidney disease must take lithium with caution. |
The Complete Book of Alternative NutritionSelene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| Although technically a drug, not a nutritional supplement, aspirin used to be derived from a chemical called salicin, which was obtained from the bark of the white willow tree. Now it's made from oils and other ingredients that aren't quite as natural as tree bark. The lowly aspirin has more than 50 million regular users in the United States, some who take it for general aches and pains and others who use it as a daily supplement.
When aspirin is taken as a supplement, it's most commonly used to prevent cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. |
| If you were to believe the claims of advertisers, marketers and nutritional supplement zealots, you might think that the newest of these concoctions can do everything—cure cancer, prevent heart disease, even wipe out the common cold. So many sound so promising! But we know that much-touted cures often fizzle under the magnifying glass of scientific research. How are you supposed to know the difference between what works and what doesn't?
In part 2, we'll bring you up-to-date on the latest research. Some of the alternative herbs and supplements actually can help prevent and fight disease. |
Gale Maleskey
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 Because erectile dysfunction could be a side effect of prescription drugs or a symptom of other health problems, see a doctor before you take any nutritional supplement. If you've been having trouble achieving or maintaining an erection during a period of more than 90 days, let your doctor know.
Alternative medicine practitioners believe that there are dietary and other natural measures that men can take to restore the ability to achieve erections. For starters, experts suggest that you get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise several days a week. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Establishing a proper individual nutritional supplement program is a fine art. If we focus on a particular nutrient and take higher amounts of it, we may become deficient in other nutrients that have a similar process of absorption into the blood. The B vitamins are absorbed fairly well, so this is less a concern for them, although I still do not suggest supplementing just one. The main concern is for the different minerals that tend to compete for absorption sites—taking a high amount of one may limit utilization of the others. |
David Brownstein
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 Thymus extract is another nutritional supplement that can be extremely helpful to those suffering from autoimmune thyroid disorders. I have also found Vitamin A helpful to lessen the symptoms from autoimmune thyroid problems.
Selenium can be a useful nutrient for individuals with autoimmune thyroid disorders. Selenium has been shown to slow the progression of autoimmune thyroid disorders. In these disorders, anti-thyroid antibody levels are produced which damage the thyroid gland. Selenium supplementation has been shown to
Q lower these antibody levels. |
Leo Galland
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 Taking a nutritional supplement called N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), which is widely available in health food stores, restores glutathione levels in the body and protects against liver damage caused by a range of toxins, from Tylenol overdose to carbon tetrachloride poisoning.87 N-acetyl cysteine should be taken only under a doctor's supervision. The effective dose may range from 500 to 8,000 milligrams per day.
A number of foods stimulate the body to produce more Phase Two enzymes. These foods have been shown to improve liver detoxification and to decrease the risk of developing cancer. |
| Administering magnesium as a nutritional supplement raises blood levels of the mineral and buffers the response to stress. Magnesium supplements can build resistance to the effects of stress.
Personality has an effect on this cycle. Students who must take an exam while being distracted with noise may also lower their magnesium levels. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| The study utilized the extensive dietary and nutritional supplement database collected in the Cholesterol Lowering Atherosclerosis Study. A total of 156 men aged 40-59 years with previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery were studied. The main outcome was the change per subject in the percentage of vessel diameter obstructed because of hardening of the artery, as determined by angiography after 2 years of randomized therapy of a cholesterol-lowering diet and either a cholesterol-lowering drug (colestipol-niacin combination) or placebo in association with supplemental antioxidant vitamins. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Teenage girls on "the pill" must also be particularly careful to avoid nutritional deficiencies, and all would be well advised to take a supportive nutritional supplement. Adequate intake of the antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins C and E, selenium, and beta-carotene, can help reduce potential toxicity of oral contraceptives. The herb, milk thistie, contains silymarin and may be especially helpful.
A high-nutrient diet is the best prevention for problems. Low-fat protein levels and nutritious foods such as whole grains, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are also important. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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| As a first step, you need to identify your sources of exposure as discussed above, and then attempt to minimize or avoid them when possible.
A nutritional supplement Program
Next, you need to use supplements and foods that have been shown to help you chelate and excrete metals, as well as counter the damage they may be causing. Among the recommended supplements are sulfhydryl amino acids: cysteine or N-acetylcysteine, 500 milligrams three times daily with vitamin C (see below), and methionine, up to 1,000 milligrams a day provide chelating and antioxidant effects. |
Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.
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| Jerry Cott, chief of the psychopharmacology research program at the National Institute of Mental Health said, This is the first time we would be testing a nutritional supplement that appears to be having efficacy about to the degree of a synthetic medication.' The body's highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids are in the eyes and the brain, where neurobiologists believe they are essential to the proper functioning of cell membranes. If levels of omega-3 fatty acids are too low, they have theorized, then essential chemical pathways become overwhelmed and mental disorders can occur. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 The issue of the bioavailability of the flavonoid aglycone quercetin serves to illustrate many of these issues. Many nutritional supplement companies market products containing quercetin. The rationale for including quercetin in such products is generally based on in vitro research or in vivo models following dosage by injection. However, the general consensus of studies is that the bioavailability of quercetin (as quercetin) is poor. This is due to its propensity to rapidly undergo C-ring fission. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| It is also used as a dough conditioner and occasionally as a nutritional supplement, though most people acquire plenty of salt without even trying. Sodium chloride can be commercially extracted from salt mines or seawater, or through brine evaporation.
Salt is basically safe when used in modest amounts. Some people with salt-sensitive, high blood pressure must avoid it. As a factor in causing high blood pressure, it is implicated in heart disease, as well as in kidney disease. Though salt is safe, it is unwise to consume high-salt-content foods. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| The L-tryptophan was used not only as a nutritional supplement, but also in infant formulas and nutrient mixtures for intravenous feeding.
There was a single case report linking 5-HTP to a condition similar to EMS in 1980.73 However, this case involved the use of very high dosages of 5-HTP (1,400 mg) over a 20 month period. Further examination of the patient indicated a defect in tryptophan metabolism that resulted in elevations in kynurenine. Such defects in tryptophan metabolism are common in patients with scleroderma, which shares many common features with EMS. |
Barrie R Cassileth, Ph.D.
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 Essiac is sold in health-food stores and catalogs as a nutritional supplement. In Canada, it is also available through a program for patients for whom no effective conventional cancer treatment exists. Because it is unproven as a cancer therapy, companies making or selling Essiac may not make claims for its medicinal value. If you plan to try Essiac, inform your physician.
Hydrazine Sulfate
Hydrazine sulfate came to prominence as a cancer therapy around 1970, promoted by Joseph Gold, M.D., a cancer researcher in Syracuse, New York. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| To overcome this conversion difficulty, it may be necessary to use a broader-spectrum nutritional supplement or to use injectable pyridoxal-5-phosphate.
For most indications, the therapeutic dosage of vitamin B6 is 50-100 mg daily. This dosage level is generally regarded as being safe, even for long-term use. When using dosages greater than 50 mg, it may be important to divide it into 50 mg dosages throughout the day. |
| Liver detoxification
Supporting liver function focuses on protecting the liver by following the dietary guidelines above and the nutritional supplement recommendations below. In addition, most naturopathic physicians often use formulas containing "lipotropic factors". Lipotropic factors are, by definition, substances that hasten the removal or decrease the deposition of fat and bile in the liver through their interaction with fat metabolism. In essence, they produce a "decongesting" effect on the liver and promote improved liver function and fat metabolism. |
| A retrospective study of a nutritional supplement called ICAPS Plus (which contains beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and riboflavin) compared the 38 who used the preparation regularly with the 37 who used only one bottle, who served as controls. Fifteen of the treated patients improved their vision by one line or more compared with only six of the control group. In addition, three of the 38 in the treatment group lost one line or more of vision, compared with 13 in the control group. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
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| It's available in natural food stores as a nutritional supplement.
There is another herb that when made into a tea can be helpful in inducing sleep. Passionflower, which is a sedative and an analgesic, is available in natural food stores in various forms.
In addition to taking herbs and supplements and eliminating the sources of bedtime stimulation, there is one more important thing that you can do to encourage restful nights, and that's exercise. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Other nutritional supplement Terms
Natural: Vitamins are considered natural when they are extracted exclusively from food sources and contain the specific mix of nutrients found in nature. Often, this mix includes other enzymes, catalysts, or minerals to aid the body's use of the vitamins. Yeast, liver, corn, soy, rosehips, and alfalfa are common sources from which vitamins and minerals are extracted. People who are allergic or sensitive to any of these foods may be reacting to the other ingredients but not to the vitamins themselves. |
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