HealthBeat News

Author: Wellness Club

  • B Vitamins – The Stress Vitamins?

    B Vitamins – Are They Best For Stress?

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We live in a stressful world – of that there is no doubt. So, what can we do about it? Is there some vitamin or herb that we can take that will help us to handle the daily demands that stress places upon our bodies?

    Many people have heard that the B Vitamins are “Stress Vitamins” and indeed, many vitamin formulas include varying amounts of different B Vitamins and tout themselves  as being “Stress Formulas.”

    So, what’s the scoop?

    Ann recently wrote to ask about this:

    B-12 and B-6 – Would both of these be recommended / helpful during high stress periods?  Thank you

    And Dr. Myatt replied:

    Hi Ann:

    Thanks for your question about B complex vitamins and stress.

    The body needs B vitamins — ALL B vitamins, not just B6 and B12 — every day.

    These are “water soluble” vitamins and they “exit” the body quickly so they need to be replaced through food and supplements every day. And yes, stress increases the body’s need for these important nutrients.

    Do you need more B6 when under stress?

    I don’t recommend taking an isolated B vitamin or two because the entire B complex works together. If a person needs extra B vitamins, take an entire B complex supplement. Learn about the B complex vitamins here.

    If you are taking Maxi Multi as directed (3 caps, 3 times per day), then you are already getting optimal daily doses
    of all B complex vitamins. The potencies of B complex vitamins are generous in Maxi Multi; you shouldn’t have to take
    an extra supplement.

    If you are taking a different multiple, then all bets are off and you might want to add our B complex supplements to your program. I’d take one cap, 2 times per day with breakfast and dinner (minimum), or add a third one in at lunch. Because they are water soluble vitamins, they should be taken several times per day to keep blood levels optimal.

    The one exception to the “don’t take B vitamins separately” rule to consider when under stress is vitamin B12.

    Vitamin B 12 is poorly absorbed orally, which means you probably won’t be getting much of a dose from your multiple or even a B complex formula.

    For B12, I recommend a sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) which goes into the bloodstream directly.

    B-Extreme is a sublingual formula that has all 4 forms of vitamin B12. It is the only B12 product I’ve found that contains the two rarer forms of B12, adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin in addition to the more common methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin.

    One of these per day will help ensure that your entire B complex vitamin supply is healthy and helping your nerves function properly even when stress is higher.

    The B vitamins will help keep your body healthy during stress, but they don’t usually produce any notice calming effect to help you handle the stress mentally. For calming anxiety during the day and improving sleep at night, my recommended formula is called “Kavinace.”

    Kavinace is an amino acid formula supports the body’s production of the calming neurotransmitters including GABA.

    THIS STUFF WORKS! Start with just one cap. If you don’t notice the desired effect, increase to 2 caps per dose. This can be used during the day to help with stress or at bedtime to improve sleep.

    Hope this helps, Ann. Let me know how it goes!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

  • B.A.M. and Immune Boost Limited Availability

    B.A.M. and Immune Boost Will Be Available In Limited Quantities

     

    Many of our regular customers have been calling to ask what’s going on with Dr. Myatt’s B.A.M. and Dr. Myatt’s Immune Boost formulas. They have noticed that the “Buy Now” button is no longer available on the product description page for these products, and they have been removed from the Natural Pharmacy page.

    Here’s what happened:

    As regular readers know, the natural supplement industry (that’s us…) is under relentless pressure from the FDA, directed by their masters in Big Pharma.

    They have discovered that obvious attacks on supplements often backfire when the public (that’s you…) get’s wind of them and objects.

    So, they use the many other tools at their disposal to harass and frustrate and just generally make life miserable for anyone wanting to sell natural (non-drug company) remedies.

    In the case of these formulas, the FDA is now requiring the manufacturer to perform more extensive testing of each batch – with all the mountains of paperwork that go along with that.

    Now, more stringent testing of supplements is not necessarily a bad thing, and we are not really opposed to that even though these products have always met the most stringent standards possible for purity and potency – Dr. Myatt’s standards! As we’ve written before, Dr. Myatt is known as “The Dragon Lady” in the supplement industry because of her strict and unyielding quality standards, and nobody, but nobody messes with “The Dragon Lady!”

    No, stringent testing of supplements is fine by us.

    The problem is, all this testing and paperwork comes at a price. and the manufacturer of our formulas gave us a choice: we could either continue to order these products in our customary smaller lots (to ensure that we always have the freshest possible products for you) and pay a significantly higher price, or order in much larger quantities – in which case the price increase would not be so great.

    Since Dr. Myatt hates to have to increase prices she reluctantly made the decision to not stock these – but to wait until there was sufficient demand for them to allow her to order the larger quantities, thus shielding our customers from these price increases as much as possible.

    The time has come now that we are receiving enough requests for these and we are considering placing our order.

    For those who would like to replenish their supplies of these great formulas, now is the time to let us know how many of each you would like to reserve.

    When you are thinking about how many to order please remember that 1.) these are top quality tinctures and have a great “shelf-life” and, 2.) you may want to order a few since it may be a while before we place our next order for these products.

    So, please call or email us to tell us how many of each of these to reserve for you – Dr. Myatt would like to be these items available for you in September so you must let us know your wishes soon!

  • When Supplements Are Marketed Like Drugs

    When Supplements Are Marketed Like Drugs

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Everyone is constantly bombarded being with advertising and it is often difficult to separate the fact from the fiction and from the hype which can be either. While the Big Pharma marketing departments are the unquestioned masters at this, the natural supplement industries are not immune to the siren song of the advertising and marketing consultancies and agencies either.

    Ethel wrote recently to ask:

    What is your opinion of Amberen, that promotes to be the choice for women experiencing menopause?

    Here are some of my thoughts on this new product:

    This is a supplement that is being given the look of a drug, complete with a Big-Pharma-style website and “free trial” offer. While I respect the right of this supplement maker to market this supplement in any way they like, the amount of “hype” involved makes the B.S. warning lights on my dashboard begin to glow…

    The website relies heavily on the power of the “testimonial” as “proof” of the value and effectiveness of this supplement – and while it is always great to hear of these “success stories” they are not proof of anything other than that these women claim that they feel better. Testimonials are not scientific proof of anything – and my B.S. warning lights are glowing brighter…

    Speaking of scientific proof, the website offers a page detailing “clinical trials”. There they present their one human trial and two lab rat studies. They offer 3 links to journals which have published the human study. Here is the kicker though: the human study was relatively small at 70 women and brief – lasting only 35 days, and it was sponsored (paid for) by the company that makes Ambren. Here is the acknowledgement at the end of the paper:

    The authors’ research in this paper was supported by Mikhail L. Uchitel, The Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of RAS (Pushchino, Russia), and The Scientific-Production Company “Biophysics, Ltd.” (Moscow, Russia). The publication of this article was initiated and supported by “Lunada Biomedical, Ltd” (USA).

    Now my B.S. light is not just glowing brightly – it’s actually beginning to flash. This is a standard technique used by Big Pharma: create a product, pay for a study or trial, and publish the positive results of that trial so that there are “Clinical Trials Proving The Effectiveness” that you can use in your advertising materials.

    They mention a second human trial of 32 women studied over 5 years, but provide no reference where one might actually see the study. I guess we just have to take their word on that one…

    Then there is the classic marketing technique of the “free sample.” Big Pharma has a harder time with this one since their offerings usually require a prescription – so they handle it with ads that encourage you to “Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you!”

    Your local street drug dealer has it a little easier – the pusher can simply say “go on kid, try a hit – it’s free, it’s on the house, and you’ll like it!” He knows you’ll be back for more as soon as you are hooked… The Ambren people have settled on a compromise: they offer to have you “Try Amberen free for 30 days”. But it’s not actually free – they will send you a 90 day supply if you will pay the shipping up front, and they will not charge your credit card for that 90 day supply until the 31st day. Is that a warning horn that I hear along with my flashing B.S. warning light?

    So much for their marketing practices – what about the product?

    Their theory sounds intriguing: Stimulate an aging hypothalamus and encourage it to produce signals that will tell the endocrine glands to produce more youthful hormone levels. And indeed, if their studies are to be believed, this does in fact occur. They claim that Amberen use results in increased estrogen production. This is wonderful if decreased estrogen is the sole cause of a woman’s symptoms.

    I have some concern about some of the ingredients: since this is a “proprietary blend” and is not a drug they are not required to list specifics but one of the ingredients is Monosodium L-Glutamate – good old MSG. This is a substance that can have some not-so-good effects on the nervous system as anyone who is sensitive to it will quickly tell you. Even in those who do not show a “sensitivity” (think “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”) are affected neurologically by this substance – it functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter which, if taken in excess, can become neurotoxic. (This is what happens when the chef at the local Chinese buffet goes a little too heavy on the MSG and you end up with symptoms like numbness, burning sensations, tingling, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, weakness, or difficulty breathing for asthmatics – the MSG becomes an excitatory neurotoxin.)

    Now, I’m not suggesting that the amounts of MSG in Amberen are problematic – their website claims that the product is well-tolerated and that “Animal studies, toxicology and clinical trials with Amberen did not reveal any significant side-effects.”

    I also have some concern any time someone suggests a “shotgun” approach to any health concern, where they’ll just throw something at it, based on the success of someone else, and hope it works for them.

    Unfortunately, while decreasing levels of estrogen can indeed be a part of menopause, this is often not the whole story. Our bodies, both male and female, are a veritable stew of different hormones, none of which work in isolation – they are all interdependent and inter-related. Hormones can be deficient, excessive, or relatively deficient or excessive in that there may be too much or too little of one hormone in relation to another hormone that counteracts or balances it.

    When Dr. Myatt works with menopausal women (and men!) she doesn’t guess – she performs detailed hormone testing and analysis and this allows her to make precise corrections using herbs, nutrition, bio-identical hormones, or more likely, a combination of these. Her patients won’t stand for guess-work – they want results, and they want those results to be provable with lab testing, not just by subjective symptoms.

    You see, Dr. Myatt’s patients are very well-educated about their health – Dr. Myatt insists on that. They know that, to use the now-discredited drug Premarin as an example, it is possible to give a single substance (i.e.: to make an isolated correction) that will improve symptoms – and Premarin was very effective at improving symptoms – but that can result in multiple other problems and even dangers, as Premarin was eventually shown to do.

    So, Ethel, should menopausal women try Aberen?

    Well, maybe: The product looks like it should be safe. The theory behind it looks good. There are limited studies suggesting that it is effective and generally well-tolerated. It is not excessively expensive.

    For me however, the jury is still out. Until I see some additional scientifically-conducted, peer-reviewed studies my advice would be to wait – there are plenty of women out there who will be the testers for this product – the guinea-pigs. Let’s wait until there is some history behind this product and there are no unforeseen or even nasty surprises with it’s use.

    I can tell you with certainty that Dr. Myatt will not likely recommend this to her patients until there is more evidence of it’s safety and effectiveness. She will continue to work with her menopause patients the “old-fashioned” way – one person at a time, individually, uniquely, and based on hormone testing lab results, not guess-work. If a patient were to say to Dr. Myatt “I want to use Ambren” I’m sure she would say “fine – let’s follow your lab results to be sure that it is doing what we want it to, and let’s not forget all the other supportive measures that go along with this too.”

    You see, we firmly believe that in anything as complicated as the human organism there are no one-pill, one-size-fits-all answers or remedies. Every woman is different, and every woman’s menopause will benefit from an approach tailored just for her, based on her own unique needs.

    And that’s our Bottom Line!

  • "Waxman Amendment" To Return?

    Will The “Waxman Amendment” Be Back To Threaten Your Freedom Again?

    Nurse Mark Thinks “Yes!”

     

    Opinion By Nurse Mark

     

    HealthBeat News readers will remember that I recently wrote about a piece of political shenanigans that has come to be known as “the Waxman Amendment”. Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA) attempted to insert his unrelated legislative language into The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173) – an underhanded ploy that we exposed in this HealthBeat article: HEALTH FREEDOM ALERT – URGENT ACTION NEEDED! The offensive language was eventually stripped from the bill, thanks to the efforts of people like you: Waxman Amendment Fails – You Win!

    But beware – the enemies of your vitamins, supplements and natural remedies are nothing if not patient.

    I wrote an article two years ago describing the propaganda – er, public relations – efforts that were underway then and that no doubt continue today. EXPOSED: FDA’s Self-Critical Report is a PR Scam

    Why do I bring all this up now?

    You may have noticed over the past few days and weeks that there have been a increasing number of news articles about vitamins, minerals, and supplements – all warning of the dangers faced by anyone foolish enough to use these things instead of FDA approved drugs and treatments.

    A WebMD article warns us that Calcium causes heart attacks.

    A drugs.com press release tells us that the FDA warns people not to use Miracle Mineral Solution, an oral liquid solution also known as “Miracle Mineral Supplement” or “MMS.” warning that it produces bleach and can cause serious harm.

    A recent news article produced by Consumer Reports breathlessly warns of the dangers of a “dirty dozen” dietary supplements and bemoans the powerlessness of the FDA to quickly and easily remove products from the market.

    Even the Consumer Reports article that goes on to list 11 supplements that it feels might be beneficial is grudging and guarded in it’s language.

    A common thread running through many of these articles is a cry to give the FDA increased powers to “protect” consumers and dewy-eyed hand-wringing that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) protects dietary supplements from the FDA and prevents the FDA from regulating them as if they were drugs.

    While much is made of the rare cases where people have gotten themselves into trouble by mis-using (or abusing) dietary supplements, like the woman who developed a bluish skin discoloration from the chronic overuse of colloidal silver or the overweight and out-of-shape baseball player who became dehydrated and collapsed and died with ephedra in his system at spring training camp, we rarely hear about the serious, even fatal side effects of common, FDA-approved prescription drugs.

    Oddly enough, we hear little about those people foolish enough to take topical analgesic gels by mouth, or others who find themselves in need of liver transplants after abusing common Tylenol, or who suffer heart attacks or stroke after using Advil, Motrin or Aleve… or the any number of other medical disasters that can ensue from the use of these “safe and effective” FDA approved drugs.

    And really now, why would anyone worry about such a minor little inconvenience like rhabdomyelosis and liver damage from statin drugs, or skin necrosis (death) from several commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals, or the fatal “side effects” and “adverse reactions” that can be a part of taking so many of the FDA’s “approved” drugs… after all, they are “approved”, and they are profitable.

    Here is my prediction: we are going to see an increasing number of “news” articles detailing the “dangers” of dietary supplements over the next few months. These stories will be replete with heart-breaking anecdotal tales of personal pain and suffering endured by the unwary “victims” of the unregulated vitamin industry.

    The well-meaning writers of these stories will point to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act as being the reason that the FDA cannot adequately “protect” the public from these dangers.

    In time there will be some example of harm that will be suffered by some celebrity or sports star or there will have been enough negative press and “the public will demand action.” At this point a legislator will step forward with a solution and that solution will, strangely enough, look a lot like Henry Waxman’s failed initiative.

    This solution will call for new powers to be given to the FDA to allow it to “protect consumers” by regulating vitamins, minerals, and supplements as strictly as any synthetic offering from Big Pharma. This, of course, will have the effect of driving many vitamin and supplement makers out of business and raising the prices of any surviving vitamins or supplements so high as to make prescription drugs seem like a bargain.

    Watch for it. It is coming. Americans reportedly spend $26.7 billion a year on vitamins, minerals, and supplements.

    Big Pharma jealously covets that money.

    The Waxman Amendment will return. It is already written and it’s just waiting for the right time, the right incident, the right politician. The DSHEA will be attacked. We are seeing the foundations for that attack being laid now.

    Those who have been in the military will be familiar with the concept of this sort of repeating attack; it is known as “BOHICA” – which stands for “Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!”

  • Brown Cows and Engine troubles

    A pilot had engine trouble and made a forced landing in a field.

    As he walked around the plane to check out the problem, he heard a voice behind him say, “You have a clogged fuel line.”

    Looking around, the pilot saw no one, except a cow.

    Startled out of his wits, he ran across the field to the farmer’s house and pounded on the door. When the farmer appeared at the door, the out-of-breath pilot stammered to him that his cow had just talked — and had even tried to explain what was wrong with the airplane.

    The farmer drawled, “Was it a brown cow?”

    “Yes” said the pilot.

    “Did it have a white patch on its forehead?” asked the farmer.

    “Yes, yes, that’s the one.” the pilot exclaimed.

    “OK, that’s Flossie” said the farmer, “Don’t pay no attention to her. She doesn’t know nothin’ about airplanes.”