More Americans Using Supplements

A report published in the February, 2011 issue of the Journal of Nutrition reveals widespread use of dietary supplements among Americans, particularly among older individuals.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements and the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Maryland utilized data obtained from 18,758 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006. Infants under the age of one were excluded from the current analysis.

Forty-four percent of males and 53 percent of females reported using supplements, which is an increase from the percentages reported in earlier NHANES surveys beginning in 1971. For those aged 71 and older, supplement use was reported by 70 percent. Multivitamin/mineral formulas were the most common form of supplementation. Twenty-eight to 30 percent of those surveyed used supplements containing vitamins A, B6, B12, C and E; 18 to 19 percent used chromium, iron and selenium, and 26-27 percent used magnesium and zinc. Herbs were used by 20 percent of adults and were more commonly used by older adults.

While 56 percent of those of normal weight were supplement users, this number declined to 48 percent among those who were obese, a finding that is consistent with that of other analyses. Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to use supplements compared to Hispanics and non-whites and higher education was associated with greater use of supplements compared to having a high school diploma or less education.

"About one-half of the US population and 70% of adults ≥ 71 years use dietary supplements; one-third use multivitamin-multimineral dietary supplements," the authors conclude. "Given the widespread use of supplements, data should be included with nutrient intakes from foods to correctly determine total nutrient exposure."

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Posted in: supplements

More About Natural Cancer Treatments

from Krista Peterson in response to our post about supplements

More on immune system health

Natural Cancer Treatments

Traditional cancer treatments work by targeting the tumor with toxic chemicals or radiation, killing off the malignant cells – but also damaging healthy cells in the process.  For this reason, chemotherapy and radiation are extremely difficult on the body, causing side effects ranging from hair loss to nausea and vomiting to anemia.  Some of the most lethal cancers, such as mesothelioma, are not diagnosed until the late stages. Mesothelioma treatment generally includes traditional therapies like radiation, chemotherapy, and – more rarely – surgery, but these treatments are often of limited effectiveness by the time the cancer is diagnosed.

As a result, many cancer patients turn to alternative treatment as a method of alleviating symptoms or fighting the cancer itself.  There are many natural alternative remedies available, though most are used in conjunction with traditional therapies rather than replacements for them.  The reason these treatments are not part of standard medical care is that most have not been proven to show significant positive effects in clinical trials.  However, when even conventional medical treatment offers little chance of recovery, it is only natural to search for natural alternatives with fewer harsh side effects.

Vitamin C – an important nutrient found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, given intravenously in large doses.  This therapy is based on a 1976 study that suggested the vitamin may increase survival time for terminal cancer patients.  However, other scientists have not been able to reproduce the results of this study.

Mushroom extract – the use of mushrooms for medicinal purposes.  Compounds called beta-glucans found in some mushrooms are thought to boost the body’s immune responses, allowing it to better fight the cancer.

Cat’s claw – the common name for Uncaria tormentosa, a vine found in the tropics of Central and South America.  The inner bark and root are used by indigenous cultures to treat intestinal ailments, and there has been some indication that it may also have a stimulating effect on the immune system in cancer patients.

Iscador – an extract of the mistletoe plant, especially popular as a cancer therapy in Europe.  Though the National Cancer Institute does not list it as an approved treatment, some tests have been promising and the extract is currently undergoing clinical trials.

Quercetin – an anti-oxidant flavonoid found in some fruits and vegetables.  Some in vitro studies have shown quercetin to suppress malignant cancer cells, and the National Cancer Institute highly recommends a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for cancer prevention as well as during treatment.

Macrobiotic diet – a diet that consists primarily of whole grains, vegetables, and beans while avoiding refined or processed foods.  Practitioners claim this diet is linked to the traditions of Chinese, Japanese, or Incan cultures and is based on the principle of balance in food and in life.

An Important Note

If you are receiving medical treatment for cancer or other serious illness, it is imperative that you speak to your doctor before beginning any alternative therapies to prevent possibly dangerous interactions or side effects.  Any changes in diet should also be discussed with a medical professional, since chemotherapy or radiation may change the way your body takes in nutrients and malnutrition can be a serious risk.

References

http://www.mesotheliomatreatment.net/

http://www.mesotheliomatreatment.net/alternative-therapies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC431183/?tool=pmcentrez

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/01/supplements-and-cancer-what-works.html

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Posted in: cancer,Krista Peterson,natural health news,supplements

Supplements and Cancer: What Works

What Really Works? Part One

Sunday, 09 January 2011, from Ralph Moss, PhD

Coriolus versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom One of the hardest questions to answer is which, out of the many supplements really benefits cancer patients? There are many self-interested statements of benefit, but an inadequate amount of objective research on what is effective and what is not. I therefore want to call your attention to an interesting article from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). It compared the following seven botanical extracts and fractions: (1) H-48 (a Chinese mixture of herbs) (2) Coriolus vesicolor,  or its derivatives: purified polysaccharide-K (PSK) or purified polysaccharide-peptide (PSP) (3) Maitake mushroom extract (4) Echinacea (5) Astragalus root (6) The yellow spice turmeric; and (7) β-glucan derived from yeast. All of these are popular supplements used by cancer patients. The MSKCC authors looked at the ability of these substances to induce immune reactions in laboratory mice. Specifics on these products, and how they were tested, are given in the reference below. (The full paper is available for free, and readers should consult that text for details). The bottom line of the study was this: Consistently significant activity was seen with four of the preparations: (1) Coriolus mushroom extracts (especially PSK); (2) Alcohol extract of astragalus ; (3) yeast β-glucan; and (to a lesser extent) (4) Maitake mushrooms. Little or no adjuvant activity was demonstrated with H48, Echinacea extracts or a water-based extract of astragalus. The results with turmeric were mixed (but the New Chapter brand of turmeric was active.) Coriolus versicolor (also called Trametes versicolor or Turkey tail mushroom) is available from a number of sources. I will have more to say about Astragalus in a future blog entry.

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Posted in: cancer,Ralph Moss,supplements

To Those Who Are On The Attack Against Supplements

I was looking for an image to use in an article  I am working on earlier today and literally stumbled upon an article against supplements with a very trendy, techy type chart.  

At the same time I literally stumbled upon a good article from an MDs magazine about using homeopathy for trigeminal neuralgia.

Resource 1
Resource 2

After perusing the homeopathic articles I went back to the chart and played around with it a little and discovered something quite interesting: The links go to articles that are limited in information toward supplements.

Hardly accurate, and hardly fair, at least in my book.  What a way to dis-inform people while using something beguiling to lure them in to a limited way of thinking about their health and what can improve it!

You have to be the judge, but my money will always be on the side of supplements for promoting and maintaining good health... 

Many of the supplements at the lower part of the chart have been used effectively over decades for positive health results.  It is difficult to overlay the biased type of studies relied on in mainstream medicine to show less than the already known benefits of vitamins, minerals, and herbs for health.  

If all these things were of no use or no benefit how is it that other than US cultures have relied on them for thousands of years, and even the medical system of pharmaceuticals in the US is based on these very things.


Take this as a jumping off point to learn about what you can do to protect and maintain your health.

And that's a fact, or my name isn't Edith Ann...

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Posted in: homeopathy,supplements

EU Moves to Block Natural Health Care

As the European Union (EU) moves to limit right of choice and access to supplements, while turning over this industry to Big PhRMA, the plan there will have an impact in the US and other countries.

If you read Natural Health News you are aware of the shift in ownership of supplement firms to PhRMA, and you know too that PhRMA is boosting sales by promoting engineered supplement type Rx drugs.

Here's what's ahead in the EU - "From What Doctors Don't Tell You" - email news Aug. 2010.

How Big Pharma plans to kill off alternative medicine
Within two years, nutritional medicine - as a viable alternative therapy to conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals - will be a shadow of its current self in Europe. By then, four laws will be fully implemented throughout the European Union, and they will effectively remove consumer choice. In 2012, the only show in town - in terms of genuine therapy - will be prescription drugs. This bleak landscape - and what we all can still do about it before it's too late.

From 2012: High-dose vitamins will be barred, and will be available only by prescription from your doctor, who may be less than sympathetic.
a.. sales of health products will start to slow as manufacturers will be barred from making even the most obvious claim for their product
b.. Chinese and ayurvedic herbs will start disappearing from the shelves
c.. Herbal practitioners in the UK may be going out of business unless they can get themselves registered to a standard acceptable to the EU. They have until April next year to do this.
If you care about nutritional and alternative medicine - and if it's an important part of your life - you need to know what's happening now.  - 'The assault on natural medicine'.

No matter where you are, if this issue is important to you, tell your Member of Congress that you want freedom of choice and right of access, and coverage under health insurance for supplements.

Natural Medicine was cut from health insurance reform.

Most doctors are not sympathetic nor do they know about nutrition or therapeutic use of supplements.

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Posted in: EU,supplements

What Health Stores are Permitted to Tell You

There was a news report earlier today about problems with supplements.  I was laughing pretty loudly when the noon news interviewed one of the study's authors about colloidal silver.  She said it makes you turn blue, and this couldn't be further from the truth.

This information just arrived in another newsletter I receive, and it certainly is timely.

While ficused for those who own and operate health food stores, I think the consumer surely has a right to the information.  It can help you be a better and more informed natural health advocate and shopper.

By Charles J. Raubicheck, Esq., Sidley & Austin
Given the many DSHEA-related legal and regulatory developments over the past several years, natural products retailers often ask: "What can I say when selling supplements and not break the law?" To update retailers who sell dietary supplements as to what health-related information about their products they can properly give their customers, this guide is was created by Natural Products Association and Natural Products Foundation general counsel, Sidley Austin.
Verbal communications from retailer to customer about the health benefits of dietary supplements should be based on reliable information from suppliers and other sources. Typically, this information is documented in one or more of the written forms described below. Further, a retailer can convey product health benefits by providing access to, or by distributing, these written materials themselves.
Label and Package
The primary source of health information about dietary supplements is the list of claims made on the product label (including the package). Under DSHEA, suppliers of dietary supplements are permitted to make claims about their products called "statements of nutritional support" (which must be substantiated by data maintained by the supplier). These statements include claims about:

(a) a benefit relating to a classic nutrient deficiency disease;

(b) how a product affects any part of the structure of the human body, (e.g., "Glucosamine helps promote connective tissue"), or any function of the human body (e.g.,"Echinacea helps support the immune system");

(c) the mechanism of action by which a product acts to maintain body structure or function;

(d) general well being.

The most prevalent of these types of claims in the current marketplace are structure/function claims [(b)]. As a starting point, a retailer can use the body structure or function claims made on the label and package when telling customers about product benefits.
However, explicit claims about how a given dietary supplement may play a role in preventing or treating a particular disease condition are not permitted by the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act. Hence, structure/function claims are often vague, or not sufficiently specific for some consumers. The quandary often faced by the retailer is how to help this type of customer. Certain disease-specific information may be imparted to the customer, but only under the conditions explained in sections 3 through 6 below.

Promotional Literature
Structure/function claims can also be made in promotional materials for supplements e.g., brochures, booklets, flyers). These materials are allowed to be displayed and offered to consumers in retail stores. They are usually placed adjacent to the producton the shelf, in a product information section, or on a counter near a cash register.
Often, a supplier will make one or more structure/function claims in a promotional piece that is not made on the label or package. It therefore pays the retailer to be familiar with the promotional literature provided by suppliers.
Third Party Literature
Under DSHEA, publications written by third parties about the health benefits of dietary supplements may be distributed to consumers in connection with the sale of supplement products. This is so-called "third party literature."
Significantly, third party literature can lawfully discuss the role of dietary supplements in preventing or treating diseases, without subjecting the supplements to regulation by the FDA as drugs. To do so, the publication involved must satisfy all of the following conditions:

(i) it must be a reprint of an entire article authored by someone other than the supplier or retailer;
(ii) it must be physically separate in a store from the product it describes;
(iii) it must present a balanced view of available scientific information about the supplement and its health benefits;
(iv) it cannot mention the name of a manufacturer or the brand name of a product; and
(v) it cannot have any sticker or other information attached to it.

The obvious advantage to third party literature is that it can present health benefit information beyond structure/function claims, particularly statements about how a given dietary supplement can be useful in the prevention or treatment of some disease condition. Congress intentionally meant for consumers to have this type of information when it enacted the third party literature section of DSHEA. Many retailers may not be aware of this provision, or how to use it effectively.
To get the most advantage from third party literature, retailers should keep abreast of scientific studies or articles about particular dietary supplements, or request suppliers to supply them with third party literature pieces. Such pieces can be distributed by retailers directly to customers in retail stores (and can even be mailed with store catalogues). It is important, however, that these publications not mention particular companies or brands, or be displayed in a store in immediate physical proximity to the actual dietary supplements which are mentioned in the article.
Of notable importance, the piece should present a balanced view of available scientific information on the supplement being discussed. While neither Congress nor the FDA has defined "balanced" in the third party literature section of DSHEA, from other contexts this term can be construed to mean reporting or discussing negative or inconclusive studies as well as positive data, and not exaggerating benefits over known risks of taking a product.
To what extent can retailers talk to their customers about the information in a third party literature piece? This issue has not yet been addressed by the FDA or decided by the courts. While two recent court cases (Pearson and Washington Legal Foundation) suggest that some verbal communications about third party literature may be protected by the First Amendment, state laws governing the practice of medicine or pharmacy will have to be considered as well. Therefore, at this time, it is advisable to let third party literature pieces speak for themselves.
Software
Certain software programs that supply health benefit information about dietary supplements are available, and are intended for use in the retail sale context. The programs are designed to qualify as third party literature (note that DSHEA does not restrict the term "publication" to a published journal article). As such, specific diseases that supplements may help to prevent or treat are covered. These programs are offered for viewing by the consumer at kiosks or other discrete places, physically apart from supplement products, in a number of retail establishments.
Retailers should not verbally answer questions about, or summarize, software program information, for the reasons noted in section 3 above. They may tell consumers that they stock a particular type of dietary supplement, and where to find it in the store, but they should not mention particular companies or brands.
Book Section
DSHEA has an additional section whereby Congress explicitly recognizes the right of retailers to have separate sections in their stores (where no products are sold) in which they sell books and similar publications on dietary supplements. These books and publications can include information about disease prevention or treatment benefits of dietary supplements. They do not have to qualify as third party literature to do so.
Nonetheless, retailers should be careful about verbally summarizing books to customers; the publications are often lengthy, and may not always have balanced presentations about product-disease relationships. Again, the advisable course is to allow the books to speak for themselves.
Health Claims
Under the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the FDA has approved some health benefit claims (called "health claims") for dietary supplements. Health claims communicate the message that particular supplements play a role in reducing the risk of the occurrence of particular disease conditions. The permitted claims for supplements include the benefit of calcium in reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis, and the benefit of folic acid taken during pregnancy in preventing neural tube birth defects. There are other health claims permitted for particular foods (e.g., the benefit of low fat foods in reducing the risk of developing cancer; the benefit of soy protein in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease).
Health claims can be made on labels, packages and promotional literature. Retailers can use these sources to deliver the pertinent health benefit messages for the products involved.
Nutritional Benefits
The nutritional benefits provided by many dietary supplements, which can be gleaned from the Supplement Facts box on the product label, statements of nutritional support, third party literature, and books and other publications on particular supplements, can also be verbally communicated by retailers to consumers.
One caveat in this regard: a number of states have enacted dietitians' laws, which define "nutritional information" and state or imply that only licensed dietitians have the right to provide it. There have been a few states where the right of dietary supplement retailers to give nutritional information to their customers has been challenged by dietitians. NPA has consistently opposed these efforts, taking the position that DSHEA and the First Amendment permit retailers to verbally supply nutritional information that is supported by truthful and non-misleading labeling and other publications. To date, NPA has been successful in protecting retailers in this regard. However, individual retailers should check their own state laws and if any questions arise, should contact NPA.

SOURCE: http://naturalproductsfoundation.org/index.php?cid=203479&src=gendocs&ref=DSHEA_Quiz&category=FoundationPrograms&curlid=124

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Posted in: consumersE,DSHEA,education,supplements

Older Adults Need More Vitamin D

Not only do older people require more vitamin D, but so do people of color, people who do not go in the sun, those wearing clothing that fully covers the body from head to toe, but those dealing with obesity (this group may need up to 5x greater doses).

Find our many articles on Vitamin D using the search box.  You can also order the vitamin D test and your quality vitamin D supplements to help support Natural Health News.

By Mike Stones, 18-May-2010

Older adults suffering vitamin D deficiency need higher remedial doses than younger adults, according to a new research review.

The study, Correcting poor vitamin D status: Do older adults need higher repletion doses of vitamin D3 than younger adults?, concluded that: “The doses and total time for repleting older adults with vitamin D3 appeared to be greater than for younger adults, in part due to the lower starting baseline vitamin D status.”

Oral supplementation

To ensure almost all patients receive sufficient vitamin D, a daily dose of 125 mcg (5000 IU) is required for older people, aged 65 and above, while for younger patients, below the age of 65, a rate above 50 mcg (2000 IU) was sufficient.

The results applied whether Vitamin D was taken daily or as a bolus oral supplementation. Adults classed as deficient were those with levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 75 nmol/L.

The researchers further concluded that several regimens, such as loading with a high dose (12500 mcg) of vitamin D3 and then giving 1250 mcg monthly, provide enough vitamin D3 for most patients to achieve and maintain 25(OH)D levels at or above 75 nmol/L.

According to the research review, a promising loading regimen is to provide calcidiol (25(OH)D) itself.

Since information on repletion with vitamin D2 has been published recently, the researchers decided to focus on the use of vitamin D3 from dietary supplements, prescriptions for large oral doses, and bolus dosing or injections.

Most published dosing regimens failed to achieve 75 nmol/L in almost all subjects, whether young adults (below 65 years) or older adults (above 65 years).

The authors, Susan Whiting, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and Mona Calvo, US Food and Drug Administration, noted many differences among studies, including baseline levels, endpoints, study duration, and compliance.

Adverse effects

All the studies reviewed reported that subjects were free of adverse effects, indicating that the vitamin D3 protocols were safe during the observed dosing periods.

Meanwhile, the researchers noted that: “Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is at epidemic proportions worldwide. In temperate countries more than half of the population is at risk and worldwide, even in tropical countries, vitamin D deficiency is a very serious concern due to changes in living and working conditions.”

Vitamin D has been shown convincingly to have many functions beyond its role in calcium and bone health, they added.

In addition to maintaining normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

Source: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research -

Title: Correcting poor vitamin D status: Do older adults need higher repletion doses of vitamin D3 than younger adults? Authors: S. Whiting, M.Calvo

Older adults need higher remedial doses of vitamin D deficiency: Study: "Older adults suffering vitamin D deficiency need higher remedial doses than younger adults, according to a new research review."

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Posted in: older adults need more vitamin D,supplements,Vitamin D,vitamins

Cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopods: They're Using Supplements

Score one for the good guys like me who have been educating doctors (and the public) in the safe and effective use of supplements for many decades!

This is great ammunition for our argument that supplements are effective and they do not cause deaths.

And the statistics are very good.

Health Practitioners Increasingly Turning to Supplements12/11/2008
WASHINGTON—Cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopedic specialists are taking dietary supplements for their own well-being, and recommending them to their patients for overall wellness and for reasons related to their specialties, according to new data from the “Life...supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study. In addition, the practitioners surveyed generally believe usage of dietary supplements by consumers is more popular than it was just five years ago.

“We learned from the 2007 HCP Impact Study that physicians and nurses are taking supplements as part of a proactive wellness regimen that also includes healthy diet and regular exercise,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president of communications at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which manages the campaign. “With the second year of this study, we were able to dive into specific specialties and find similar trends, further demonstrating the important role for doctors in incorporating dietary supplements as an integral part of wellness.”

Some of the specific highlights from the 2008 study:

Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of orthopedic specialists use dietary supplements for reasons including general wellness (43 percent), joint health (29 percent), heart health (26 percent), bone health (25 percent) and flu/colds (22 percent).

94 percent of orthopedic specialists who take dietary supplements recommend them to their patients, as do 82 percent of those who don’t take supplements. The primary reasons: bone health (75 percent), joint health (73 percent) and musculoskeletal pain (53 percent).

Among cardiologists, 57 percent use dietary supplements, 86 percent of whom recommend supplements for their patients. Cardiologists are using dietary supplements for general wellness (32 percent), heart health (29 percent) and lower cholesterol (20 percent); for their patients, supplements are recommended for lower cholesterol (58 percent), heart health (55 percent) and maintaining healthy cholesterol (36 percent).

A full three-quarters of dermatologists are using dietary supplements for reasons such as overall wellness (42 percent), bone health (24 percent), skin/hair/nails (16 percent) and heart health (15 percent).

While 79 percent of dermatologists who take supplements recommend them to their patients, only 28 percent of those who don’t take supplements do so. Top reasons for recommending supplements: hair/skin/nails (81 percent) and overall health (30 percent).

Council for Responsible Nutrition (www.CRNusa.org).

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Posted in: health news,natural health expert,natural health news,natural news,supplements,supplements and health,supplements are safe,supplements used by medical specialists

And Now for the Rest of the Story

Just this past Sunday (9 November, 2008) I posted this article on Natural Health News: Boosting Drug Sales with Studies.

I added one follow-up article earlier today, and now I am happy to give you something to think about in terms of why sound nutrition is a better option than wholesale use of drugs. Supplements certainly do edge out the pharmaceuticals in this study.

You'll also see how it is totally possible to fool a lot of the people a lot of the time -

Why treat nutritional deficiency with drugs?
(OMNS, November 13, 2008) A recent study suggested that statins might be used to avoid the effects of nutritional deficiency. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Jupiter group described a study of statin drugs in people with high C-reactive protein and low cholesterol. (1) High C-reactive protein levels are associated with inflammation and heart disease/stroke. The authors concluded that, in apparently healthy persons with elevated C-reactive protein levels, rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events.

Their much-publicized claim, that this statin lowers the risk of heart attack by approximately one half, is technically correct though highly misleading. The reported annual incidence of coronary events was 37 people in 10,000 (controls) and 17 people in 10,000 (treated). Similar results were reported for risk of stroke. When expressed as a proportion, a 46% improvement (17/37) sounds large. However, an improvement of 20 events (37-17) in 10,000 people known to be at risk is less impressive. Such an improvement means that 500 people (10,000/20) with this increased risk would need to take the tablet daily for a year, to prevent one person suffering an event.

The paper does not explicitly report deaths. One reason for this may be that if a person on statins suffered a heart attack, that person was about three times more likely to die than a control who was not on statins.

The cost of rosuvastatin per person is approximately $1000 per year. So, treating enough people to prevent one heart attack costs $500,000 per year. Since about 70% of the heart attacks were not fatal, prevention of a single death from heart attack would cost even more, approximately $1,700,000. Giving the benefit of the doubt, we may allow for a similar reduction in stroke and say that "only" $250,000 is needed to protect one person from a stroke or heart attack. It is hardly surprising that Astra Zeneca's share price increased by $1.3 billion dollars on release of this paper and the corresponding media hype. (2)

The media suggested millions of healthy people could cut their risk of heart disease by taking statins. (3) They also claimed that statins could cut the risk of heart attack for "everyone". (4) This is inaccurate and incorrect. The study did not include normal healthy people, only a sample of a relatively small number of people, suffering from inflammation (increased C-reactive protein) - a known cause of heart disease and stroke. Out of 89,890 people considered for inclusion, 17,802 people (19.8%) met the specific criteria of poor health for the study. Widespread prescription of statins to healthy people is not supported by these findings.

The fact that statins produce a modest improvement is unsurprising, since they are known to lower inflammation, as do many nutritional supplements. It has pointed out that Crestor lowered C-reactive protein by 37%, but vitamin E lowers it (C Reactive Protein) by 32%, (5) and vitamin C by 25.3%. (6,7) These effects are similar to those of statins and would be expected to provide comparable benefits, without side effects and at a lower cost.

Crestor and other statin drugs have serious side effects. The incidence of established side-effects, such as rhabdomyolysis (0.3 per 10,000 per year), myopathy (1.1 per 10,000) and peripheral neuropathy (1.2 per 10,000 per year) seems low, (8) but may be underestimated as it takes time to establish long-term side-effects. (The depletion of coenzyme Q10 by statins is a particular concern.) The figures imply that for every ten people who avoid a cardiovascular event, at least one previously healthy person will suffer a non-trivial side effect of the statin drug.

The doctors reported a statistically significant increase (270) in diabetes in the statin group compared to the placebo group (216). Over the course of the study, this corresponds to an increased risk of approximately 61 in 10,000 people. So, the number of people on statins reported to become diabetic was greater than the number that avoided a heart attack! These people might have shorter lives and be at greater risk of heart disease in the long term.

Notably, the Jupiter study was stopped early, which the authors admit prevents assessment of how side-effects might outweigh reported benefits in the longer term. The study was to last 3-5 years and the criteria for stopping were not included in the original published design. (9) The paper claims that when the study was stopped "these [diabetic] events were not adjudicated by the end-point committee". The committee either knew about the diabetes in which case it was considered, or it did not and the committee was not doing its job properly.

The Jupiter name stands for Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin; the reader might think this "justification" sounds more like a marketing plan than a scientific endeavor. The researchers did not address the underlying cause of the inflammation and increased C-reactive protein: they simply treated the condition with drugs. In many cases, raised C-reactive protein is a result of nutritional deficiency. (10)

It is worth mentioning that several nutritional supplements inhibit inflammation and lower C-reactive protein, without causing known side effects. Deficiency in vitamins A, (11) B6, C, E, A, folate, carotenoids and lycopene, (12) and selenium (for example) is associated with raised C-reactive protein. (13,14,15) We suggest that the $250,000 cost of preventing a single cardiovascular event with rosuvastatin might be better spent funding a study of such inexpensive alternatives the deficiency of which may be the cause of the problem.

The people at risk could be encouraged to supplement their diet and restore their health without using these expensive drugs to conceal their underlying sickness.

Stick with the supplements!

References:

(1) Ridker P.M. Danielson E. Fonseca F.A.H. Genest J. Gotto A.M. Kastelein J.J.P. Koenig W. Libby P. Lorenzatti A.J. MacFadyen J.G. Nordestgaard B.G. Shepherd J. Willerson J.T. Glynn R.J. for the JUPITER Study Group (2008) Rosuvastatin to Prevent Vascular Events in Men and Women with Elevated C-Reactive Protein, NEJM, 359(21), 2195-2207.

(2) Mail Online (2008) Crestor news helps AstraZeneca market value leap by more than £1.3bn, 9:25 PM, 10th Nov.

(3) Smith R. (2008) Millions could cut heart attack risk by taking statins, study finds, telegraph.co.uk, 7:55AM GMT, 10 Nov.

(4) Hope J. (2008) The new statin drug that cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes for EVERYONE, Daily Mail, 11th Nov.

(5) Devaraj S. Tang R. Adams-Huet B. Harris A. Seenivasan T. de Lemos J.A. Jialal I. (2007) Effect of high-dose alpha-tocopherol supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease, Am J Clin Nutr, 86(5), 1392-1398.

(6) Block G. Jensen C.D. Dalvi T.B. Norkus E.P. Hudes M. Crawford P.B. Holland N. Fung E.B. Schumacher L. Harmatz P. (2008) Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein, Free Radic Biol Med, Oct 10. [Epub]

(7) Sardi B. (2008) The Headline You Should Be Reading: Statin Drugs Don't Save Lives And May Increase Your Risk For Diabetes, Knowledge of Health Report, Nov 11.

(8) Law M. Rudnicka A.R. Statin Safety: A Systematic Review, The American Journal of Cardiology, 97(8), Suppl 1, S52-S60.

(9) Ridker P.M. JUPITER Study Group (2003) Rosuvastatin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among patients with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein: rationale and design of the JUPITER trial, Circulation, 108(19), 2292-2297.

(10) Ford E.S. Liu S. Mannino D.M. Giles W.H. Smith S.J. (2003) C-reactive protein concentration and concentrations of blood vitamins, carotenoids, and selenium among United States adults, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57, 1157-1163.

(11) Root M.M. Hu J. Stephenson L.S. Parker R.S. Campbell T.C. (1999) Determinants of plasma retinol concentrations of middle-aged women in rural China. Nutrition 15, 101-107.

(12) Boosalis M.G. Snowdon D.A. Tully C.L. Gross M.D. (1996): Acute phase response and plasma carotenoid concentrations in older women: findings from the nun study, Nutrition, 12, 475-478.

(13) Friso S. Jacques P.F. Wilson P.W. Rosenberg I.H. Selhub J.(2001) Low circulating vitamin B(6) is associated with elevation of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein independently of plasma homocysteine levels, Circulation, 103(23), 2788-2791.

(14) Devaraja S. Jialal I. (2000) Alpha tocopherol supplementation decreases serum C-reactive protein and monocyte interleukin-6 levels in normal volunteers and type 2 diabetic patients, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 29(8), 790-792.

(15) Upritchard J.E. Sutherland W.H. Mann J.I. (2000): Effect of supplementation with tomato juice, vitamin E, and vitamin C on LDL oxidation and products of inflammatory activity in type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Care, 23, 733-738.

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

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Posted in: cholesterol,Crestor,health news,natural health news,natural news,niacin,nutrition,supplements,vitamin C,vitamin E

Fertility Concerns

Several new reports show that the effect of supplements can be very helpful when conception and fertility are concerned.

Read the new news notes...

And do remember that your nutritional status has a great impact on your health, especially when planning for a baby.

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Posted in: conception,fertility,health news,men,natural care,natural health news,natural news,nutrition,pregnancy,supplements,women

MSM Pushing Supplements Out of Consideration

I'm really pleased I sought advanced education away from the MPH or MPA degrees as I was being encouraged by some doctors who were friends of mine back in the 60s and
70s. Knowing what I know now, how, even more so, these degrees are designed to encourage you to become a keeper of the status quo, I know it surely doesn't fit my style.

Had I followed this track I guess I had a twenty years stint in the USPHS and be long gone on a fat retirement having been a GS 15-16. Also I probably would have been bucking the 'system' on a daily basis.

I'm what is called a giraffe or turtle, depending on who you talk with. You know, someone who gets ahead by sticking out its neck.

Mainstream Medicine, and medical education, is really very controlled by the CDC, and in turn, the FDA, and in turn, Big Pharma, and in turn, Big Insurance...

And round and round we go in the circle game...

Of course right now in the tenuous situation the US health system finds itself these kind of reports do little to compare their design to earlier studies that conclusively show that both vitamins do, in fact, prevent and reverse heart disease.

Of course we also have no report from the AP writer on what type of E and C vitamins were used, the dose, and other important factors.

And, yes, vitamin E in high doses does have a very beneficial action of "thinning" your blood. If more doctors used vitamin E first, rather than heparin or coumadin, we would have less trouble with side effects, healthier patients and less in the way of long term problems. The science proves it.

Doctors, especially the ones doing this study, need to read that science before they do another study, then replicate it. This is science and real research based on the Scientific Method.

Another study with women not too long ago (and reported here and Natural Health News) showed poor results with supplements. I was able to locate the data showing synthetic vitamins were used with exceptionally low dose rates, well below therapeutic level.

Hope they can do better next time.

And, make sure you do write your members of Congress and demand health parity for supplements.

Drugs kill, vitamins don't!

Health News
Studies: Vitamin pills don't prevent heart disease AP - Sun Nov 9, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Vitamins C and E — pills taken by millions of Americans — do nothing to prevent heart disease in men, one of the largest and longest studies of these supplements has found.

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Posted in: health news,heart,heart disease,natural health news,natural news,promoting drugs,studies,supplements,vitamin C,vitamin E,vitamins

AIDS treatment should be started sooner

Bill Gates' foundation recently awarded a grant to a Japanese scientist who hopes to engage mosquitoes in the vaccination of everyone.

When I read the story about these awards I wondered what kind of a crazy idea this is, because just like the fluoridation of municipal water supplies, the concept overlooks informed consent, practicing medicine without a license, and not taking adverse reactions or allergy into consideration.

With AIDS, I am not denying that treatment should start as early as possible, but I'd rather get a grant from Gates to run a trial of my suggestion to provide a set of four nutritional supplements to people with HIV, in an effort to show that this pack prevent the progression from HIV to AIDS.

So Bill, I know I won't have any trouble locating a test group for my project. I'm sure to get cooperation of a supplement company to provide the items needed in the amount needed. Then we can support this research for many more people for a longer time period than in a lab, and most likely get real outcomes and a ton of better health for everyone involved.

Of course if this is too logical for you, I'm sure Bono or some one else would bbe willing to work on my team.

AIDS treatment should be started sooner, study saysMonday, October 27, 2008 By Marilynn Marchione

ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- People who have the AIDS virus should start drug treatments sooner than current guidelines recommend, suggests a large new study that could change the care of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

The study found that delaying treatment until a patient's immune system is badly damaged nearly doubles the risk of dying in the next few years compared with patients whose treatment started earlier.

Doctors have thought it would be better to spare patients the side effects of AIDS drugs as long as possible.

"The data are rather compelling that the risk of death appears to be higher if you wait than if you treat," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which helped pay for the study. The institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health.

If the results prompt doctors to change practice, as Fauci and other AIDS specialists predict, several hundred thousand Americans who are not taking AIDS drugs now would be advised to start.

The study was reported yesterday at an infectious-diseases conference in Washington.

About 56,300 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year. The virus ravages T-cells -- "helper cells" of the immune system that fight off germs. Once that happens, people can fall prey to a host of diseases that prove fatal.

Powerful drug combinations available since the mid-1990s have transformed HIV infection into a manageable chronic condition rather than the death sentence it once was. But the drugs can cause heart and cholesterol problems, diarrhea, nausea and other side effects. They also must be taken faithfully, or resistance develops and the drugs stop working.

That is why guidelines by the government and the International AIDS Society recommend that patients who are not yet having AIDS symptoms delay starting on the drugs until their T-cell counts fall below 350 per cubic millimeter of blood (healthy people have more than 800).

"There was this thinking, maybe the drugs were worse than the disease. If you could wait as long as you possibly could wait, you would have fewer side effects," said Dr. Robert Schooley, infectious-diseases chief at the University of California, San Diego.

The new study is the largest to look at whether that advice is sound. Researchers led by Dr. Mari Kitahata of the University of Washington in Seattle pooled information on 8,374 people in the United States and Canada with T-cell counts of 351 to 500 from 1996 to 2006.

About 30 percent started taking AIDS drugs right away; the rest waited until their T-cell counts fell below 350, as guidelines recommend.

"We found a 70 percent improvement in survival for patients who initiated therapy between 350 and 500" compared with those who waited, Kitahata said.

Two other recent studies found that people who start taking AIDS drugs while their T-cell count is above 350 have a better chance of getting their count back to normal than those who start later. Another key study found that briefly interrupting treatment to give patients "drug holidays" puts them at grave risk.

"These studies have all shown the same thing -- that we were starting too late" and need to keep treatment going once it starts, Schooley said. He helped write the AIDS society guidelines and consults for several companies that make AIDS drugs.

The bigger problem is that as many as a third of people diagnosed with HIV only discover they are infected after their T-cell counts already have fallen below 350 and they have serious complications.

"People are still being tested and identified way too late," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an AIDS specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He said the new study shows how important it is to test and find people sooner.

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Posted in: AIDS,Bill Gates,Bono,grants,health,HIV,natural health news,natural news,supplements,vaccine in mosquito

Health Care and Elections

With the US election only days away this topic is certainly one you need to consider before placing your votes.

"Medical Bills, Drug Prices and Access to Health Care -- Election Guide"
Health care proposals are on most voter's minds and whether or not I like either candidate's proposals (and I don't - speaking from my years as a health planner).

A major oversight is one that would include access to care of choice, including natural care (not exclusive to licensed hybrid natural medicine providers) and supplement parity.

In my estimation the insurance industry still has too great a hold through its lobbyists on the DNC and RNC campaigns.

Less you forget, it is insurance (and their many levels of middlemen) that is the greatest source of increase in health care costs. It isn't the tort lawyer scam that the industry and media want you to believe.

Insurers actually control what service a health care provider can offer and what they will get paid for it. Insurers do control what drugs they will pay for and how much so both these issues directly impact your employer plan, your access and your out of pocket costs.

And don't think for a minute Big Pharma isn't twisting the arm of Big Insurance to put pressure on limits to coverage.

Sorry all you R's, you are the ones who have the biggest push to put $$$ in the pocket of your cronies in the insurance industry. Maybe this is one reason why you moved to bail them out while you forgot that tax proposals can't be in legislation originating in the Senate.

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Posted in: choice,drug prices,election,health insurance,medical costs,natural care,supplements