Carlton Fredericks, Ph.D.
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| It is passing strange that a public which confidently swallows sugar—a dangerous food—by the ton will hesitate in taking vitamin and mineral supplements which present no dangers. Part of this apprehension has deliberately been fanned by industries that make junk foods, which will be the first to be discarded if the public experiences the benefits of good nutrition. Part originates with baseless warnings by government agencies, the executives of which came from the junk food industry and will return to it, in the revolving-door tradition. |
Susun S. Weed
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 Use Supplements
• Contrary to current practitice, I avoid vitamin and mineral supplements and probably wouldn't take them if I had cancer. If I did choose supplements, I would limit my use to a short duration. Many nutrients have been shown to interfere with the promotion and growth of cancer-e.g., carotenes, vitamins A, B]7 (laetrile), C, D, E, coenzyme Q,0, folic acid, the amino acid argi-nine, germanium, melatonin, and selenium-but supplemental forms of some can spur the growth of malignancies. Carotenes in food prevent cancer; supplements of beta carotene increased lung cancer in smokers. |
| Budwig felt that vitamin and mineral supplements did more harm than good. She advocated a diet of at least 50 percent fresh raw vegetables, fruits, and nuts.
• It's vitally important to nourish your immune system when you have a diagnosis of cancer. A strong immune system is better able to stop recurrence and metastases, and help you heal from surgery and adjuvant treatments. See Chapter 4.
• Immune strengthening therapies measure their results differently than orthodox treatments. |
Dr Bernard Jenson and Mark Anderson
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 When medical reports discuss nutritional supplements, invariably the assertion that vitamin and mineral supplements can be toxic comes up. It is usually not mentioned that unrealistic pharmacological dosages are needed to induce toxicity, and that natural food source supplements never come close to approaching those levels in recommended doses. Only synthetic vitamins approach these mega-levels in the name of "high potency". What is ironic about such expressed fears of toxic levels of nutrients by medical people is that toxicology itself is the cornerstone of their approach. |
Neal Barnard, M.D.
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 She also began a course of vitamin and mineral supplements to strengthen her immune system, along with a regular exercise regimen. Her pain and fatigue gradually diminished and eventually disappeared completely, and her energy came back better than ever.
The test that identified her sensitivities was developed by Russell M. Jaffe, a former National Institutes of Health researcher who found that, for many patients, sensitivities to foods and environmental chemicals play a major role in fibromyalgia. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 Lee used natural progesterone cream, along with a natural diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, and exercise, to treat hundreds of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
In a statistical analysis of 100 of his patients, he found that women with the worst cases of osteoporosis had an average 23.4 percent gain in bone mineral density after 3 years of treatment—a remarkable increase. Overall, the 100 patients had an average gain in bone of almost 13 percent, Dr. Lee says. |
Mark Blumenthal
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 There has been significant growth in other categories (e.g., menopause, weight loss, etc.) not noted specifically in this survey.
Over the past few years various surveys have reported differing statistics, but they tend to move in the same general direction. For example, in April and May 1999, Prevention magazine and Princeton Survey Research Associates conducted a survey of 2,000 adults indicating that 91 million consumers, about 49% of all the adult Americans, were estimated to have used an herbal product during the previous year. The survey also showed that about 24% (44. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 If you have become severely malnourished as a result of celiac disease, you may need to receive intravenous nutrition to help rebuild your body. vitamin and mineral supplements may also be prescribed if you are unable to absorb nutrients from foods.
¦ If dietary restriction proves ineffective, prednisone (Deltasone) may be prescribed. This is a steroid that suppresses the body's inflammatory response. However, it also has adverse effects on immune function and the adrenal gland, so it is best to take the lowest dose that helps, and for the shortest possible amount of time. |
Attaining Medical Self SufficiencyDuncan Long
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| You can also find out what the medical literature has to say about various vitamin and mineral supplements. Generally mainstream medicine will be a bit too conservative about how much of these you need; after all, for years the medical establishment claimed no one needed to ever take supplements, a contention that has since been proved false j because many of the diets people adopt are far from healthy over the long haul.
On the other hand, mainstream medicine doesn't make extravagant or exaggerated claims for what supplements will do for you. Nor does it gloss over potential dangers. |
John Robbins
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 Many of them also used vitamin and mineral supplements, and drank herbal teas.15
In 1995, the American Cancer Society commented simultaneously on vitamin C, the Hoxsey herbal therapy, the Gerson diet, the macrobiotic diet, and several similar dietary methods. "None of these approaches is supported by adequate clinical data," the organization began, neglecting to mention that a major reason for this is its own refusal to conduct or support any sort of testing that would provide adequate clinical data.
"Some involve a diet that is nutritionally inadequate," the report continued. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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 Studies have shown that vitamin and mineral supplements can reverse or arrest the natural decline of immune function. Supplements have a clear effect in hastening healing and preventing bacterial infections after operations, and they can increase the effectiveness of flu vaccinations, which are intended to evoke an antibody response.5 Good nutrition turns out to be one of the best ways of strengthening the immune response, and we will look at this in detail below.
Since the immune system will inevitably, if gradually, decline, we must plan to bolster it. |
Attaining Medical Self SufficiencyDuncan Long
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| Chandra found that elderly volunteers who had received daily vitamin and mineral supplements for a year had more T cells, greater IL-2 production, and better antibody response to influenza vaccine they were given than did the "control" group of volunteers who had been given a placebo rather than a vitamin/mineral tablet.90
90 Chandra RK, Au B. "Single nutrient deficiency and cell-mediated immune responses. III. Vitamin A." Nutritional Research 1:181-5, 1981.
The exact reason these elderly people weren't getting enough vitamins and minerals is unclear. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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| Many manufactured foods, sometimes because they have little nutritional value in themselves, add vitamin and mineral supplements to the food before it's packaged. For example, food manufacturers fortify flour, bread, and cereals with iron. They have unfortunately overlooked the fact that too much iron is associated with risks of its own. Since it is nearly impossible to keep an accurate count throughout the day of what supplements you've ingested from commercially prepared foods, this is another reason to avoid these foods altogether. |
Attaining Medical Self SufficiencyDuncan Long
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| So while you may tend to think that "Flintstone vitamins" are for growing youngsters, in fact vitamin and mineral supplements as well as a good diet are in order for the elderly and many middle-aged people as well.
Which supplements? How much do you need? Should you run down to the local grocery store and buy a bottle of tablets and maybe start gulping them down by the handful?
The key thing to remember is that while having the right amounts of nutrients keep the immune system running at its peak ability, you can overdo a good thing. Dr. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 You can't replace a healthy diet with vitamin and mineral supplements; you still need to eat as well as possible," says Dr. Janson. "But you can make up for some of the fault of a poor diet with them—and most of us have fault with our diets."
Like diet, exercise and stress management, supplements are only part of a total health plan—not magic pills that can make up for all of your other bad habits. "No matter how much I tell my patients to eat a better diet, a lot would rather take the pills, because it's easier," says Dr. Janson. "Sorry, but supplements are only a part. |
| Natural healers may use a combination of juices, vitamin and mineral supplements, dietary changes and other therapies to build up the immune system, the body's natural defense against infection. And as the immune system becomes stronger, antibacterial and antiviral herbs and homeopathic preparations can be used to zero in on the infection.
¦M
Complementary Medicine
That's not to say that alternative treatment should be a substitute for conventional medicine. Most alternative health practitioners believe that the best care involves considering all options, including conventional medicine. |
| GNC is the largest specialty retailer of herbs, health foods and vitamin and mineral supplements in the nation. The Pittsburgh-based company has 1,900 stores across the country, up from 800 ten years ago.
¦US
Medicine for a New Century
Why the recent surge in interest? Rising health care costs may be a factor, says BeHage. "People are taking more control of their destinies as far as health is concerned," he says. "They have to, because with the cost of health care, they can't afford not to. |
| But there's something that can make it go down a little easier: vitamin and mineral supplements. mm
Cheap, Safe and Proven
Nearly half of all Americans—about 100 million people—use supplements at least occasionally. About half of them pop vitamin pills daily, spending nearly $4 billion a year in the process. It seems like money well-spent: Growing evidence suggests that high doses of certain nutrients can help slow the natural aging process and stave off heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and other diseases. |
| Others who may be in special need of vitamin and mineral supplements, according to Dr. Stern: women of childbearing age; women who are pregnant or nursing; dieters, especially when they consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day; people preparing for or recovering from surgery; those who drink alcoholic beverages frequently; smokers; people who travel a lot and may not be able to eat a variety of foods; people who live in smoggy climates; and, possibly, strict vegetarians.
Beyond the RDA
Why do so many of us need nutritional boosts from a pill or tablet—or from a few of them? |
Bill Gottlieb
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| Simone, people who take vitamin and mineral supplements along with conventional treatments recover faster from cancer and live longer than those who don't take them.
ASTRAGALUS: To Shield Your Immune System
This Chinese herb strengthens the immune system, which is weakened by chemotherapy. Dr. Rountree prescribes 1,500 milligrams a day for his cancer patients.
SIBERIAN GINSENG: For More Energy and Stamina
Siberian ginseng can help prevent fatigue brought on by radiation or chemotherapy, says Dr. Rountree. It also works well with astragalus to protect the immune system. |
The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
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 Beasley advocates vitamin and mineral supplements for people with eating disorders. "You could have the world's most renowned psychotherapists—Freud, Jung and Adler—talk to most of these patients until the sky turns green, and it won't do any good until you get nourishment to the brain and clear the way for therapy."
Dr. Beasley is not alone in his beliefs. Contrary to the old practice of first putting people in therapy and then slowly reintroducing food, treatment specialists now know that re-establishing proper nutrition is critical before psychological therapy can be effective. |
Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D.
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 The usual program consists of 450 to 800 calories daily for about three months taken in a premixed liquid preparation that contains vitamin and mineral supplements. No solids whatsoever are permitted for the duration. The risks of liquid diets are sudden cardiac arrest, gallstones, gout (due to the resulting high uric acid), and psychological stress, not to mention the awful boredom!
The hottest news in the area of weight reduction is the discovery of two natural brain chemicals: one (galanin) triggers a craving for fatty food; the other (enterostatin) suppresses it. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Two major issues arise when discussing vitamin and mineral supplements. First, because most nutrients can be derived from foods, many experts question the necessity of an individual taking supplements. Also controversial is whether or not supplements of such lesser known nutrients as the bioflavinoids, choline, lecithin, orotic acid, and pancreatin, are necessary or beneficial to health.
The second issue involves supplement safety. Low doses of most supplements are safe. Yet when taken in megadoses, many nutrients have pharmacologic effects and may even be unsafe. |
| Yet, there is much disagreement about whether or not nutritional supplements are necessary insurance for good health or will increase your life span.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are regulatory paradoxes: They are classified as food, not drugs, even though they often act as drugs. This means supplement manufacturers do not have to prove that products are safe or that they have medical benefits; they also need not follow the stringent manufacturing practices for pharmaceuticals, which ensure purity and consistency of drugs. |
The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
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| MEDICAL ALERT: Anyone who has cystic fibrosis should be taking vitamin and mineral supplements only after discussing it with his physician. cystic fibrosis ate encoutaged to eat a well-balanced diet and—after very careful personal evaluation by theit doctots and nutritionists—to take specially prepared supplemental pancteatic digestive enzymes and a general mul-tivitamin/mineral supplement plus othet vitamins and minerals prescribed just for them as theit conditions indicate at that time, says Dr. Mueller.
"The major issue is calories," adds Dr. Stallings. |
| Most nutrition-oriented doctots also recommend vitamin and mineral supplements. Doctors at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, for instance, recommend that all of their patients take Im-muno Max, a multivitamin/mineral supplement developed at the centets that contains several times the Daily Values of numerous nutrients. The supplement is available by calling 1-800-490-8555 or by writing to Shelby Health Systems, 3455 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. |
| Nutritional intervention for BPH includes a healthy low-fat, high-fibet diet, weight loss if necessary, vitamin and mineral supplements and, in some cases, essential fatty acids such as flaxseed oil, says Dr. Balch. Some doctors also consider two herbs, saw palmetto and pygeum (a tree batk used extensively in Europe for this problem), an essential part of treatment. One product, Ptostata, from Gero Vita International, combines all of these herbs and nuttients, says Dr. Balch.
Research findings are disappointingly slim when it comes to nuttition and BPH, however. Here's what studies show. |
| That brings us to the second important discovery that the writers made: vitamin and mineral supplements should be treated with the same care and concern for safety that you reserve for prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Large doses of certain nutrients can be toxic. They can cause side effects.
They can interact with medications that you might be taking. So there are a few rules to follow when using this book.
Please take the Medical Alerts seriously. They are there for your safety. |
Peter Radetsky
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 Nutritional therapy, boosting the body's overall health by proper eating — organic food, glass-bottled spring water — rotation diets, and vitamin and mineral supplements.
3. Immunotherapy, or provocation-neutralization therapy, as it's also called.
4. Heat therapy. ("If they're really chemically ill, put 'em in a heat chamber and sweat it out of 'em," Rea says. "It's similar to a sauna, but specially designed so it doesn't put out a lot of toxins.")
All this may sound bizarre to someone used to conventional medicine, and worse than that to orthodox docs. |
Prevention Magazine
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 Unlike vitamin and mineral supplements, which contain isolated nutrients, the so-called nutraceutical supplements contain compounds extracted from whole foods, then concentrated and shrunk down into a Jetson-like pill. You'll find pills containing broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and many other foods.
The advantage of nutraceuticals is that they contain not just one vitamin or mineral but all of the compounds that are naturally found in foods, in the same proportions that nature intended.
Can they take the place of the real thing?
Probably not. |
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