HealthBeat News

Category: Family Health

Lettuce And Spinach To Be Secretly Irradiated! Say It Isn’t So!

It Isn’t So!

There has been somewhat of a flurry of outrage recently with the FDA announcement that on August 22, 2008, they published a final rule allowing the use of irradiation on fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach. The FDA claims that this will make them "safer and last longer without spoiling."

Opponents are claiming all sorts of evil ranging from the destruction of all nutritive value in treated foods (not that there is much these days anyway – see Dr. Myatt’s article "Vitaminless Vegetables") to actually causing the consumers of irradiated food to "glow in the dark"!

So where is the truth in all of this? Somewhere in the middle, as usual.

It is true that irradiation of food can kill certain bacteria, this rendering the food safer and less susceptible to spoilage – a boon to consumers who are less likely to become ill from eating contaminated food, and for the food industry who can enjoy a longer shelf-life and thus increased profits.

It is also true that irradiation affects, alters, and reduces the nutritive values of foods – the FDA says as much in their "Final Rule" printed in the Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 164 / Friday, August 22, 2008 / Rules and Regulations.

http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E8-19573.pdf (Warning: this is a stupefyingly boring paper to read!)

According to this paper the FDA also reassures us that it really doesn’t matter that the nutritive values of foods are altered and vitamins are destroyed – after all, the FDA would have us believe that vitamins are not really necessary for health beyond the tiny amounts of the RDA’s…

It is certainly NOT true that eating irradiated foods will cause someone to "glow in the dark" as one well-known activist wrote!

In response to an article by that activist, who has a large readership for his very popular newsletter, we received this note from one of our HealthBeat News readers who is also a friend and neighbor:

This was recently sent to me … just makes me crazy. Thought you might find it interesting.
Hope all if well with both of you.
Jamie O

Jamie then referred us to a very alarmist article by "Health Ranger" Mike Adams posted on his website naturalnews.com where he reports "beginning today, spinach and lettuce sold across the United States may now be secretly irradiated before it reaches grocery store shelves."

This is the same article where he warns that those who eat irradiated foods will "glow in the dark."

Folks, you need to know that I am no friend of the FDA – I think that it is a bureaucracy out-of-control.

I also think that the jury is still out on the irradiation of food – I’m not yet convinced that it is entirely safe or healthy though I do concede that it is certainly effective for it’s stated purpose.

I further think that writer Mike Adams, the self-described "Health Ranger", makes some good points about many things – there is much we agree upon.

But for heaven’s sakes, let’s ease up on the rhetoric! I feel that there is nothing to be gained, and everything to be lost, by the sort of alarmist writing and outright fabrications that his article present. This kind of writing just gets us all branded as "nut-balls" and "conspiracy theorists" and diminishes our credibility.

Let’s look at this "Health Ranger" article: http://www.naturalnews.com/023945.html

Adams’ first claim is that "spinach and lettuce sold across the United States may now be secretly irradiated before it reaches grocery store shelves" further claiming that "irradiated foods will not be labeled as such, and consumers are going to be left in the dark about all this".

Unfortunately, Adams’ article contains no references to tell me where he found this information – I had to look for it myself and after much research I must conclude that this just isn’t true.

According to several FDA documents, "Irradiation of iceberg lettuce and spinach is voluntary on the part of food processors. FDA requires that foods that have been irradiated bear the "radura" logo along with the statement "Treated with radiation" or "Treated by irradiation.""

This regulation is found in a number of sources, including the FDA press release regarding irradiation of lettuce and spinach: http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/irradiation082208.html – there are also statements regarding mandatory labeling here: http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title21/21-3.0.1.1.10.html#21:3.0.1.1.10.2.1.3 and here: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/catalog/irradbro.html – They seem pretty clear to me…

Next Adams gives us his "glow in the dark" statement. This is pure alarmist hyperbole, and is so silly that it is not really worth commenting on. Just shake your head in amazement that he (or his editors) would allow this to be published and move on…

Then Adams claims that "The FDA, of course, insists that the levels of irradiation used to kill e.coli will have no effect whatsoever on the nutritional value of the food."

This again is not quite true: As I read through the Federal Register referred to in this article it is quite clear that the FDA is aware that a number of nutrients are adversely affected by irradiation – they just don’t think it matters very much.

Adams further claims that irradiation removes all the nutritive value from food by destroying all phytonutrients: "lowering the value to zero by destroying all the phytonutrients does not, in the opinion of the FDA, alter its nutritional value at all."

I have a little bit of a problem with the absolute nature of this statement – my review of available research indicates that irradiation does indeed alter and reduce some nutrient, phytonutrient, and vitamin levels – but it does not somehow mysteriously suck all the nutritive value from food – that is just silly.

Adams does lighten up a bit with the next statement: "irradiating food destroys much of its nutritional content, including vitamins, carotenoids, anthocyanins and other delicate protective nutrients that are right now providing the last, desperate nutritional defense against the American diet of meat, milk, fried foods and processed junk."

Fair enough – so perhaps irradiation only destroys some of the nutritive value – but if Americans are relying on that silly little bit of wilted lettuce and soggy slice of tomato to transform their deluxe cheeseburger and fries into something even remotely healthy they are sadly, tragically misinformed.

What really upsets me with the "Health Ranger" and this article is that it is clearly misleading and very alarming – obviously written to "stir up" and agitate his audience who he feels will accept these statements at face value as some sort of "gospel truth." He gets away with this by failing to provide any references for his statements. If the FDA has stated that labeling is not necessary for example, where is the reference to the FDA document where this can be found?

Like many HealthBeat rea
ders, I will continue to read Adams’ articles – but I’m afraid he has lost forever some of the confidence and trust that I had in his work.

The moral of this story? Be sure, when you read any health article that is making any sort of claim that there are verifiable references for what is being said.

Opinion is one thing – but if something is being presented as a statement of fact, well, if it ain’t referenced, it ain’t so!

September 4, 2008
Gardasil, Mandatory Vaccinations, And Health Freedom – What Can History Teach Us?
Do we learn nothing from history?

Be it the "Swine Flu" vaccine in the 1970’s that caused more deaths than the swine flu did, or the polio vaccine in 1955 that cause more disease than it prevented (known as "The Cutter Incident"), it looks like we need to be reminded over and over again that when we monkey around by introducing foreign substances into people there are likely to be unforeseen, unintended, and serious – even lethal – repercussions.

But that is just recent history – were you aware that there have been mandatory vaccination programs since the later part of the 1800’s? And that respected physicians of that day exposed the folly, ineffectiveness, and danger of those programs just as there are respected physicians who do the same today? And that those physicians, then and now, are systematically ridiculed, marginalized, harassed, and even ruined by the allopathic vaccine industry that stands to lose obscene amounts of money should the truth about vaccination become common knowledge?

Let’s follow the money for a moment: Merck is the Big Pharma giant responsible for the vaccine Gardasil. This is said to be the most expensive vaccine in common use, with a price tag of $360 per three-injection series and Merck is said to have sold some 16 million doses of the stuff so far. Now, if a three dose series is $360, then presumably each dose is worth $120. Multiplied by 16 million, that works out to $1,920,000,000.

That’s one billion, nine hundred and twenty million dollars folks. Darned near two billion dollars!

Do we begin to see why there might be a big push going on to make this vaccination "mandatory"? Especially when there are reports that women, given freedom of choice, are not flocking to be vaccinated and sales are sagging (and profits too…)

Remember, this is the company that also brought you such stellar performers as Vioxx, Fosamax, and Singulair… and has the money and power to "make things happen."

Even the mainstream media is now beginning to follow the money-trail, with reporters like CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson finding heavy financial connections between Big Pharma, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two (a lobbying group created to promote early childhood vaccination and located within a stone’s throw of the White House in Washington, DC), and vaccination proponent Dr. Paul Offit – the pediatrician and vaccine patent-holder who has been reprimanded by congress for his conflicts of interest.

Don’t get me wrong – everyone needs to make a living and pay their bills and the money has to come from somewhere – but when these organizations and doctors are taking money from Big Pharma they really shouldn’t be presenting themselves as impartial, public-service, free-from-industry-and-financial-influence when they are presented as experts promoting these drugs and vaccines.

As I was doing a bit of research on Gardasil and other vaccines I came across a fascinating, chilling little tidbit: I visited Medscape – that medics-only online repository of medical information, supposed to be impartial and unimpeachable in it’s content. I was looking for an article titled "HPV Vaccine Adverse Events Worrisome Says Key Investigator," which was posted on July 26, 2008. In it’s place I found an article titled "HPV Vaccine Deemed Safe and Effective, Despite Reports of Adverse Events" and a note explaining that the first article had been removed following "editorial review."
Removed, mind you – not left there, perhaps with an editorial caveat or warning about it’s suitability or impartiality so that the readers might draw their own conclusions – but removed. Gone. Dare I say censored? Suppressed?

Fortunately, with a bit of careful searching, this article can be found elsewhere – though for how long, no-one knows. So that it may remain available to our HealthBeat News readers, I have placed the contents of this article in our archives. We believe that it should be the author of this article Allison Gandey who should decide the fate of her research and work – not Medscape or Merck. Ms. Gandey is welcome to contact us if she feels it should be removed…

But I have digressed – this was supposed to be an article about mandatory vaccination programs, and it was prompted by recent news articles reporting that New York was considering a new law – Assembly Bill 10942 – would make all vaccines recommended by the CDC mandatory for all children to attend school. Not only that, but for the first time vaccines would become mandatory for infants and toddlers.

Additionally, according to sources like the "Home School Legal Defense Association" this bill would allow doctors to give a vaccine to children without the consent or knowledge of the parents. Says the Association: "Theoretically, a doctor could ask if a 12-year-old girl had a boyfriend and when told “yes”, the doctor could tell this young girl that she would recommend the HPV vaccine to prevent her from getting cancer. The doctor could administer the vaccine without ever getting the parents’ consent and without their knowledge."

Best of all, this boon-to-Big Pharma would require all children in the state to be given EVERY vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – some twenty in all, some of which require multiple doses to achieve their desired "effect."

So, once again we have legislators looking to remove from us any ability to exercise free will or choice with respect to our health.

Perhaps the biggest question for us here is just who is at risk when someone is not vaccinated? It would seem to us that the person most at risk is the person who has decided to be at risk. We hear from the CDC, the FDA, the AMA, Big Pharma and others that vaccinations are supposed to "stop the spread of disease" and that this is justification for forced vaccination. But is this really so? Smallpox is said to have been "eradicated" through near universal vaccination – but the truth is that there are still isolated outbreaks of this disease today. People still get sick with this disease – most recover, a tiny few succumb. Smallpox vaccinations have not been given routinely to children since 1977. Why? the WHO would have us believe that because smallpox has been "eradicated" they are no longer needed. Could the truth be that no-one is willing to deal with the liability issues created by a vaccination that causes as much suffering and misery as it is said to prevent?

Vaccinations are a contentious issue. There is ample evidence that vaccines can cause harm and illness. There is ample evidence that vaccination is considerably less than fully effective in preventing disease. There are many people who are suspicious of vaccination, and given the choice would rather take their chances with the disease than with the vaccination. As a kid I can remember "Chicken-pox parties" where moms would gather their children around an infected kid so that all could "enjoy" the illness and subsequent immunity. In fact, the earliest form of "vaccination" for smallpox was simply to rub against the open lesion of an mildly infected person. This usually resulted in a limited, mild infection which conferred immunity. This time-honored practice, known as Variolation, is of course scorned by "modern" medicine.

Those who refuse vaccination expose only themselves to any possible risk of illness – those who wish to be "protected" are free to be vaccinated and then smile smugly at their "unprotected" neighbors. They are welcome to have a hearty "told you so" at my expense if I spend a day or two longer in bed with the flu because of my decision to forego
the risks of immunization.

We are not entirely anti-vaccination – indeed, Dr. Myatt has been known to prescribe certain vaccinations to some patients in order to stimulate immunity. But this is a carefully considered recommendation, not a wholesale mass inoculation program as Big Pharma would like to see.

We support the right of informed people to make their own decisions. We feel that it is just plain wrong for government or Big Business to force any drug or vaccine or chemical on anyone. Especially when the motivation looks more like profit than health.

Further reading / Resources:
- "The Cutter Incident" book review – http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/332/7543/733
- smallpox myths – http://www.the7thfire.com/Politics%20and%20History/SmallpoxMyths.htm
- thiomersol controversy – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal_controversy
- "Worst Vaccine Bill Ever" article – http://www.infowars.net/articles/may2008/300508vaccines.htm
- Reflections on the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination Program – http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no01/05-1007.htm
- NY Times – "The Rush To Vaccinate" article – http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25CIfry-revere.html
- Wall Street Journal Article Questions Cost-effectiveness of Gardasil – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121928503311259059.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
- "DR. PAUL OFFIT: QUOTE MACHINE FOR HIRE" – http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/05/dr-paul-offit-q.html
- 60 Minutes-REMINDER of who Dr. Paul Offit is: – http://www.whale.to/a/offit.html
- "Serious Questions About HPV Vaccine" CBS article – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/07/eveningnews/main4239462.shtml
- VaccineEthics.org article: "HPV Roundup: Gardasil safety worries, Cervarix FDA delays, more on mandates" – http://blog.vaccineethics.org/2008/07/hpv-roundup-gardasil-safety-worries.html
- Variolation and historical inoculation – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inoculation
August 24, 2008
"Double Standards" and Natural, "Non-Conventional" Health Care

I was discussing the subject of drugs and drug testing with a friend online the other day, and thought that the following might be of interest to HealthBeat readers:

My friend wrote:

The problem: pilots are human, and subject to all the normal problems everyone else goes through. When a pilot gets depressed, they cannot seek help, or they will be grounded for a period that can last for years.

Why is it OK for police, judges, firemen, other jobs with great social responsibility, to be successfully treated with anti-depressants, but pilots are expected to be superhuman physically and mentally?

And I replied:

Hi,

You are quite right – it is really NOT ok for there to be such a double-standard. No one is functioning at their best when filled with side-effect producing pharmaceuticals. Fortunately the FAA has the oversight and the clout to do something about it – most other professions do not, and you have judges making bad decisions that affect peoples lives, cops putting themselves, their partners, and the public at risk with dulled reflexes, crane operators making bad picks with dulled judgment, and so on.

It is worth remembering however that depression is not caused by a Zoloft or Paxil or Effexor deficiency, anxiety is not caused by a Valium or Xanax deficiency, high blood pressure is not caused by a Norvasc deficiency, diabetes is not caused by a drug deficiency… and yet these are common problems that people use sense and reaction-time dulling drugs for.

Fair enough perhaps if you get this stuff "covered" by some health care plan, and it doesn’t affect your employability, and you really don’t care that you are disabled to some degree by side effects…

But in the case of a pilot, this is a big concern. Conventional treatment for many illnesses using conventional drugs will ground a pilot, resulting in a sudden and severe loss of income – no wonder many attempt to self-treat. While hypertension or arrhythmias or diabetes will be found on the FAA physical, depression can be hidden with varying degrees of success.

But it need not be so. Given the financial incentive for a pilot to maintain the ability to fly, perhaps it might be worth stepping outside of the "corporate medical insurance plan" box and seeking some alternative, non-conventional health care.

A visit with a naturopathic physician, while reportable to the FAA, could be legitimately reported simply as "Nutritional and Dietary Counseling" even though the desired effect of such counseling might be the correction of imbalances that may be manifesting as, say, neurotransmitter imbalances resulting in feelings of depression. Result: reporting legitimately accomplished with privacy maintained.

As far as drugs go, a good Naturopathic Medical Doctor would perform neurotransmitter testing and make dietary and supplement changes to correct out-of-range neurotransmitters, without using reportable drugs. This is not fantasy or psychic woo-woo stuff – we do it successfully, every day here. Though we can prescribe drugs (Dr Myatt is an NMD – Naturopathic Medical Doctor – and is fully licensed and in possession of a DEA number which allows her to prescribe any FDA-approved drug) we very rarely do so – it just isn’t necessary. Drugs are more like Band-Aids – they treat the symptoms while the patient heals them self. We treat the causes, resulting in much faster and more complete healing.

Further, dietary supplements like L-5HTP, SAMe, St. Johns Wort, bromelain, grape seed extract, niacin, etc. are NOT reportable to the FAA as "drugs"…

We are constantly amazed at the medical "problems" that folks drug themselves for that we correct without drugs. Some examples; hypertension – easily correctable without Norvasc or other drugs, type 2 diabetes – not just correctable but curable without drugs, allergies – yep, drugless relief, high cholesterol – back to healthy ranges without drugs, GERD – a "slam-dunk" with Nexium NOT required, heart arrhythmias – most respond nicely to drugless treatment (we have a lawyer patient who was told after 3 successive ecg’s that he had a permanent and irreversible heart block – that he was "a ticking time-bomb" and would likely need a pacemaker. After a month of drugless treatment his cardiologist repeated the ecg and shook his head saying "If I were a lawyer I would not want to have to go into court to explain this – it is gone and your heart is fine – and that is not supposed to happen!") The list goes on and no, but you get the idea – mankind survived and thrived for millennia without the help of modern drugs – what the heck has changes so in the last century to make us any different?

It also amazes me that folks insure their automobile but don’t expect the insurance company to pay for their tune-ups, oil changes, new tires, or new muffler – but when you suggest to someone that they might part with a few of their hard-earned dollars for a health care consultation or vitamins or supplements they react with horror, expecting that to either be "covered" by "the plan" or they just won’t do it. Yet in the case of a pilot, that refusal to take some personal responsibility for one’s own health could result in being grounded with the loss of income that would result.

The analogy would be to knowingly drive on your bald tire, waiting for it to blow out on the road so that you can call road service to come out and put the spare on… and still not bothering to get new tires "because the insurance won’t cover it."

So, if you have aviation buddies who are dancing around the FAA trying to avoid reporting ground-able stuff have them tap us – I’ll bet we can help keep ’em flying… and get them healthier than they’ve ever been…

As an aside, I would love to have the opportunity to apply some simple dietary and vitamin techniques to a training class of aviators, with a parallel class as a control – I’m certain we could demonstrate improvements in strength, stamina, endurance, coordination, alertness, resistance to fatigue and illness, reaction times, and more… at little cost to Unka Sam.

Cheers,
Nurse Mark

August 22, 2008
When "Sorry" Doesn’t Help

A Commentary By Dr. Myatt

When I was a child, I would occasionally do something I wasn’t supposed to. ("Oh, no, NOT Dr. Myatt!" I can hear you thinking :-)) Sometimes when I would apologize, my dad would say "Sorry doesn’t help." Like the time I deliberately dropped one of my mom’s antique bowls on the lawn to see if it would break (I didn’t think it would). It did. I was confused when dad would say "Sorry doesn’t help," because I thought that "sorry" was ALWAYS the "cure" for wrongdoing. Now that I’m older (O.K., MUCH older), I understand what he meant.

For all the apologies and "true confessions" I hear in practice, you’d think I was a priest instead of a doctor.

" Oh, Doctor Myatt, I just HAD to eat that food over the holidays. My parents (or children, friends, great-aunt Millie) would have been SO disappointed if I didn’t eat that special cake they baked." (Yeah, right, like they don’t know you’re a type I diabetic with a kidney transplant).

" I felt sorry for myself so I’ve been eating the wrong foods. Don’t get mad at me." (I’m not mad — not even angry — with you. Sick people keep me in business).

" I just can’t give up carbohydrates. I’ve got to have my fruit every day." (Suit yourself. I guess you won’t be giving up your high triglyceride or blood sugar levels then, either).

" I’m sorry. I haven’t taken my supplements like you told me to. That between-meal dose is just so hard to remember." (Gosh, seems like every time you practically cough up a lung you’d remember that you’re supposed to take bromelain for your chest congestion).

" I’m too busy to take my supplements four times a day. You just don’t understand." (You’re right; I’m not busy. I sit at home all day and listen to "true confessions").

I forgive you, each and every one, for falling off the diet wagon, failing to get sufficient sleep or exercise, not taking your supplements. I forgive you for eating junk food, smoking, skipping breakfast and not practicing sensible stress reduction habits. In fact, I can forgive you indefinitely. The problem is, MY forgiveness doesn’t help you, and all the "sorry" in the world doesn’t either. Your body is generous, but not nearly so much as I am.

Would you apologize to your car if you let it run out of gas? And if you did, would that help? Not one bit. You’d still have to put gas in the tank to get it going again. Fortunately, running out of gas won’t ruin your car, just like skipping a meal or one night’s good sleep won’t ruin your body. But what if you run out of oil in your car? The oil lubricates the bearings and cylinder walls so the pistons slide up and down. Running out of oil while driving is almost always fatal to the engine. The motor seizes and you are sunk. Adding oil at this point doesn’t help. Neither does saying "I’m sorry" to your car for failing to add oil. Past a "point of no return" like this, sorry doesn’t help.

Your physical body needs what it needs: nutrients, air, water, sleep, sunshine. If you miss out on any of these for too long, you will feel the inevitable effects. An occasional "running out of gas," like skipping your supplements for a day or two, or blowing your healthy diet once in a while, won’t "make or break" you. The problem is, many people are breaking the "health rules" far more than this. Lack of nutrients, exercise, sleep and healthy food has negative effects on the body that are cumulative. Although the body can be quite forgiving when we finally get around to giving it the "basics" that it needs, we still endure the effects of our negligence. Sometimes, we pass the point of no return— like running out of oil while driving— and we can’t reclaim health simply by "being good" and being sorry.

It’s not too late to quite smoking after you have lung cancer. Studies show that this measure will still prolong your survival time. But you WILL almost certainly die from lung cancer, which is still largely incurable at this time. Sorry won’t help.

Heart disease can be greatly aided and often completely reversed by corrective diet, exercise and nutritional supplementation. It’s never too late to help your heart. The problem is that many people don’t get a chance to make amends. Fifty percent of first heart attacks are also last heart attacks, if you get my drift. Sorry doesn’t help.

A lifetime of insufficient calcium and magnesium can lead to bone mineral loss— osteoporosis. Although bone mineral density can be recouped with proper diet, exercise and natural hormone replacement therapy, many people don’t discover osteoporosis until they’ve broken a hip. If you survive a serious fracture and live to tell about it, corrective measures will help. The problem is, more women die from the health hazards of hip fracture than from breast cancer. A lifetime of nutrient deficiencies can’t always be made up for, and sorry doesn’t help.

Numerous studies document the health benefits of healthful living and good nutrition when done consistently over time. Long-standing intake of calcium decreases the risk of colon cancer and osteoporosis. Adequate intake of B6, B12 and folic acid prevent heart disease, depression and dementia. A lifetime of small but consistent exercise greatly reduces the risk of heart disease and many types of cancer. And please keep in mind this doesn’t mean you need to be a saint. It’s what you do 80% of the time, not what you do 20% of the time, that will determine your long-range health and longevity.

Think about it. Are you eating well, following a nutritionally complete dietary supplement program, getting regular exercise even if modest in amount (10 minutes per day will make a difference), getting adequate sleep and breathing deep of some good air? I’ll forgive you until the cows come home if you’re not doing these things, but your body, which doesn’t understand forgiveness quite like I do, may be another matter. Make those positive changes on a regular basis today, while you still have the opportunity to maintain or reclaim good health.

Remember, after the engine seizes, sorry doesn’t help.

July 18, 2008
The 5 Most Important Supplements For Health and Longevity

Many nutritional supplements and herbs have documented value in maintaining health and possibly also extending lifespan. The following list of recommendations comprises my picks for the 5 most important supplements the average person should take to preserve or reclaim optimum health and vitality. I have chosen this list based on what I call the "preponderance of evidence" (scientific data). Although many substances have proven value for various conditions, this list includes only those that have a substantial amount of scientific study and data behind them. Substances tested for 3 weeks in lab rats do not make my list. Neither do supplements tested in only poorly-controlled or small samplings of people. The supplements and substances on my "A" list have all been thoroughly tested and proven, and the body of scientific documentation leave little doubt as to their importance.

The list is given in order of priority. Please keep in mind, however, that an individual might need a specific nutrient lower on the list or something not on this list at all for the prevention or reversal of a particular illness. For most healthy people, these are the nutrients of highest importance if one is concerned about maintaining health and promoting longevity.

The Five Most Important Supplements For Health and Longevity

1.) Optimal Potency Multiple Vitamin / Mineral / Trace Mineral Supplementation (Maxi Multi) including:

I.) Broad-spectrum vitamin & mineral formula. Many Americans take nutritional supplements for good reason. A wide variety of illnesses have known links to nutritional deficiencies. Adding certain nutrients in supplemental form is an inexpensive insurance policy against some of the worst diseases of modern times. Here are just of few of the known deficiency / disease connections:

A deficiency of antioxidant nutrients (especially beta carotene, vitamins C & E, and selenium) is associated with higher incidence of cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, mouth, lungs and skin. Some researchers believe that antioxidant deficiencies may be related to higher incidence of all cancers.

A mineral deficiency, especially magnesium and potassium but also calcium, is associated with high blood pressure.

Deficiencies of vitamin E, C, B6, B12, folic acid (a B vitamin), and bioflavonoids are associated with cardiovascular disease. The connection between vitamin E and heart health is so well established that conventional medical cardiologists are instructed to recommend vitamin E to their patients.

Healthy bones, and the prevention of osteoporosis, depend on sufficient levels of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, copper, B vitamins, and vitamin D.

In males, benign prostatic hypertrophy is associated with decreased levels of zinc. Zinc deficiency also correlates to decreased immune function. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and diabetes (high blood sugar) occur more frequently in people who are chromium deficient. After diabetes is present, low levels of vitamin A, C, E, plus zinc, selenium, choline, bioflavonoids and B complex vitamins are associated with more complications from the disease.

This list could go on for pages, but you get the idea. Deficiencies of key nutrients are correlated with disease. Such deficiencies are also common in the modern American diet. Depleted soils result in lowered nutritional content in produce AND Americans eat less fresh produce than ever before. Much of our food is highly processed, removing not only nutrients but also fiber and enzymes.

The best health insurance may not be an expensive medical policy, but the addition of sufficient nutrients to fill in the gaps in our day-to-day nutritional status.

II.) High potency antioxidant formula ("ACES": vitamins A,C,E, and selenium and bioflavonoids). Antioxidants are molecules which "quench" and render free radicals harmless. Free radicals are unstable molecules that steal electrons from other molecules and thereby cause damage to normal cells. The damage they cause in the body is called oxidation, and it is the body-equivalent to rust on a piece of tin. Free radical damage is linked to heart disease, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration, immune suppression and aging in general.

Although the body produces many of it’s own antioxidants (such as CoQ10 and glutathione), exposure to environmental chemicals in food, air and water, plus the effects of stress, smoking excess alcohol and sunlight can generate more free radicals than the body’s antioxidants can "quench." Internal antioxidant production also declines with age. Since so many diseases are associated with declining antioxidants and numerous studies have proven the benefit of keeping these levels high, it is recommended that a high potency antioxidant formula be a part of every basic supplementation program.

III.) Calcium / magnesium / boron / vanadium (bone nutrients) Calcium and magnesium are the primary minerals comprising bone, and inadequate levels can lead to osteoporosis. In combination with trace mineral boron, vanadium and vitamin D, these nutrient serve to protect bone health. Calcium and magnesium have a much more widespread function in the body than preserving bone health, however.

Calcium and magnesium are necessary for normal heart function and blood pressure. Deficiencies of either can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure. Magnesium is necessary for normal energy processes including nerve function and enzyme activation. Deficiencies are associated with cardiac arrhythmias.

Insufficient calcium has recently been shown to be associated with colon cancer, and people who have generous calcium intakes are less susceptible to this condition.

These two major minerals are frequently insufficient even in a "good" diet. Because they take up a lot of space in a capsule, it is impossible to get an optimal daily dose in any "one-a-day" formula. A suggested daily dose is 1,000 -1,500mg per day of calcium and 250-500mg magnesium for both men and women.

IV.) B Complex vitamins (higher doses than in most multiples). B vitamins are used in the body individually and in combination with enzymes to help release energy from food. They are also of extreme importance to the nervous system. B vitamins are required by the metabolic pathways that generate the energy. Every system in the body depends on these vitamins for their role in energy production, and a deficiency of even a single B vitamin can have widespread and serious health consequences. Unfortunately, the B complex vitamins are routinely deficient from the Standard American Diet, because these nutrients are removed when grains and sugars are processed. Deficiencies of B complex vitamins are too numerous to mention here, but the most serious consequences include heart disease (B6, B12 and folate), depression, neuropathy, high cholesterol, cataracts, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and fatigue to name only a few. Because deficiencies of the b vitamins are so common even in a "good" diet, they higher potency formulas should always be part of a basic multivitamin supplement program.

Recommendation: Maxi Multi is a superior formula of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, flavonoids and high potency antioxidants that provides the optimal nutritional levels of all four formulas listed above in a single supplement. Whether you take four separate formulas or enjoy the convenience and savings of Maxi Multi, this Optimal Potency Vitamin / Mineral / Trace Mineral program should be the cornerstone of any supplement program because it provides s
o many well studied nutrients. Dose: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals (9 per day total) or as directed by physician.

2.) Green Food Herbs and Veggies (Maxi Greens)

The Federal government, the USDA and multiple other government agencies are advocating that Americans consume more fruits and vegetables for a healthier life style. As we discussed in the last issue of HealthBeat, however, the nutritive value of these foods has declined dramatically within the last 30 years. In addition to this, few Americans obtain the daily recommended target of 5 fruits and/or veggies.

Plants contain hundreds of non-vitamin, non-mineral substances known as "Phytonutrients" (Phyto=plant). Although not absolutely essential to life like vitamins and minerals are, these plant-derived nutrients never-the-less perform many important functions. Phytonutrients act as detoxifiers, antioxidants, oxygenators, immune stimulators, and anti-mutagenics (Preventing cancerous changes in cells). The typical American diet is far too low in produce, and the produce we do eat is nutritionally deficient, so plant-derived nutrients are often lacking.

Some examples of phytonutrients include:

Indole-3-carbinol (IC3) from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts). This phytonutrient has been shown to prevent cancer through multiple mechanisms including I.) Protecting the genomic structure of DNA. II.) Converting dangerous estrogens (16-alpha-hydroxyestrone) that cause the development of cancer into safer forms of estrogen (2-hydroxyestrone) that prevent the development of cancer. III.) Blocking estrogen receptor sites on the membranes of breast and other cells. IV.) Inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells. V.) Protecting cells against the effects of pesticides and other environmental pollutants including dioxin that mimic estrogen in the body. VI.) Slowing the propagation of aberrant breast and prostate cells.

Pycnogenols (OPC’s) and resveratrol from grapes seed and skin exhibit 50 times more antioxidant power than vitamin E and 20 times more than vitamin C. They easily cross the blood-brain barrier and prevent free radical damage to the brain and nervous system. OPC’s bind to collagen and help increase elasticity of skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It also acts as a smooth muscle relaxant in blood vessels. OPC’s have antihistamine effects that make it useful for allergies and asthma.

Catechins from green tea have been shown to neutralize cancer-causing agents and prevent cellular mutations leading to cancer. In addition, green tea prevents abnormal blood clotting, reduces total cholesterol, aids high blood pressure and protects arterioles.

Silymarin from milk thistle has been the subject of over 100 clinical trials. It powerfully protects the liver from the effects of environmental toxins. Is also stimulates liver cell regeneration and is useful for all types of liver disease including the liver-toxic effect of many drugs.

Flavoglycosides in ginkgo biloba are one of the most well-studies herbs for age-related memory changes. ginkgo is a potent antioxidant that increases circulation to small-diameter blood vessels (such as those in the brain and extremities) Studies have verified ginko’s effectiveness in early-stage Alzheimer’s, multiple infarct dementia ("mini strokes"), age-related depression, glaucoma, impotence, vascular insufficiency and MS. It has anti-allergy effects that make it useful for chronic respiratory allergies and asthma.

THIS IS JUST A SMALL SAMPLE of they types of "phytonutrients" found in herbs and vegetables.

Recommendation: Take specific herbs for any medical condition you may have, but for general prevention and health maintenance, Maxi Greens combines a broad spectrum of these important plant substances. Daily dose: 2 to 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Those wanting a great-tasting green food drink with the equivalent of 10 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits in each serving should try Greens First.

3.) Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: Fish Oil or Flax Oil

On May 27, 2003, The White House urged government health agencies to encourage Americans to increase their consumption of foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and decrease their intake of trans fatty acids. The release from the Executive Office of The President stated:

"Health researchers have found that Americans can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease with a modest change in their diets. The government should make this life-saving information as widely available as possible."

This Executive initiative is based on the new guidelines of the American Heart Association which now recommends eating cold-water fish at least twice a week and other oils and food sources high in omega-3 fatty acids. (Fish and flax oil are the richest sources). The Office of The President also cited the "growing body of scientific evidence, both experimental and epidemiological, that suggests that consumption of trans fatty acids increases the risk of coronary heart disease."

Recommendation: Americans eat far too little Omega-3 fatty acids and far too much trans fat (any amount of "trans" is too much). Eating or and/or supplementing Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil and flax oil) is known to help prevent over 60 illnesses including heart disease. Dose: 1 TBS. of flax oil OR 6 capsules of flax oil OR 3-6 capsules of Fish Oil OR 2 TBS. ground flax seed meal daily. Some people lack the enzyme to convert flax oil to EPA & DHA (the "active ingredients" from these oils). These people should use the Fish Oils exclusively.

4.) CoQ10 (ubiquinone)

Coenzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant produced by the body. It functions as an "energizer" to the mitochondria, the body’s energy producing units. Dr. Michael Murray says to think of CoQ10 as the body’s "spark plugs." Mitochondria, which produce energy, require CoQ10 to "spark" their production on energy units (ATP). Muscles, and the heart in particular, have high requirements for CoQ10. Although it is manufactured in the body, aging humans produce only 50% of the CoQ10 that young adults do. This finding makes CoQ10 one of the most important nutrients for people over 30. Cholesterol-lowering drugs including statins are known to lower CoQ10 levels.

CoQ10 is beneficial in ALL types of heart disease (mitral valve prolapse, angina, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, arrhythmia), periodontal disease, immune deficiency, cancer, chemotherapy side-effects, overweight and obesity, muscular dystrophy, fatigue and for enhancing athletic performance. The suggested dose is 50mg per day for health maintenance and 100-400mg per day for heart disease, cancer and weight loss programs.

Recommendations: For primary prevention, 50-100mg CoQ10 daily should be used. Higher doses (100-400mg) are recommended for heart disease, c
ancer, and overweight/weight loss programs.

5) Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone manufactured from serotonin in the pineal gland. This hormone helps regulate the sleep/wake cycle and set the Circadian rhythms (24-hour cycle) of the body. This, in turn, regulates the release of all other hormones.

Melatonin is a potent antioxidant that helps protect the central nervous system from disease, free-radical injury and aging. Melatonin increases the production of immune cells and is used in cancer medicine for its immune-enhancing and antioxidant effects. (DO NOT use in leukemia or lymphoma until more is known). Recent studies have shown that melatonin helps reduce high blood pressure.

Many researchers consider melatonin to be one of the most powerful anti-aging substances available, but like many other hormones, secretion of melatonin declines with age.

Recommendation: A typical preventative dose is 3mg at bedtime, although higher doses are used (10-20mg) in cancer and certain advanced disease states. Anyone with a neurological disease should certainly be taking melatonin.

July 18, 2008