HealthBeat News

Category: Health Questions

  • Could This Supplement Be Causing My Symptoms?

    Could This Supplement Be Causing My Symptoms?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Many of our regular readers and visitors to our website know that Dr. Myatt has been working closely with a highly-respected reproductive immunologist and infertility specialist in New York. Dr. Jeff Braverman contacted Dr. Myatt almost a year ago – he is a conventional (allopathic) infertility specialist, but he had heard of some successes with natural remedies and supplementation and was intrigued. He wanted to know more, to know how he could apply natural solutions to help his infertility patients conceive. He and Dr. Myatt have been collaborating since then, and Dr. Myatt has formulated some specialty products with Dr. Bravermans requirements and patients in mind. It has been a match made in heaven – Dr. Braverman has related his successes to us and it is clear that the combination of allopathic, high-tech, cutting edge fertility treatments and holistic, natural fertility-enhancing and health-improving strategies is a good mix indeed.

    Still, there arise questions and problems. This is not limited to infertility treatment; we get occasional calls or letters from customers with similar complaints that seem to have begun after newly starting other supplements.

    One problem we run into is that often people do not consider that there could be an interaction between drugs and supplements. If there is such a caution with a supplement you may be sure that Dr. Myatt has listed it on the web page that describes the supplement!

    Another problem is that people often don’t think to tell one doctor about the problems being treated by or the drugs that have been prescribed by another doctor. This is the age of specialization of course, and a patient may think what business is it of the infertility specialist to know about my stomach problems?

    Well, it can be of vital importance, as you will see from my answer to this person below. This highlights just why it is so very important, in this age of specialization, to have a doctor (like Dr. Myatt) who will oversee and coordinate your medical care, ensuring that nothing is missed – that even if the bone doctor doesn’t know or care what the kidney doctor is doing, and neither of them care what the allergy doctor has prescribed, someone will be there to make sure nothing is missed and that treatments for one condition do not adversely affect another condition.

     

    Here is a letter that recently arrived here:

    Good morning Dr. Myatt, hope all is well.

    Per the suggestion of Dr. Braverman, my husband has been on 2 Maxi Flavone’s a day since New Year’s Eve.  Do you know if the herbs in Maxi Flavone will or can disrupt an ulcer?  My husband was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer 3 months ago and currently on Nexium.  Since the past 4 days of him taking it, he wakes up with pretty bad stomach pains.  I’m not sure if the Maxi Flavone’s are irritating it again as he was feeling much better until he started taking these?

    Thank you,

    ~Andrea

    And here is my reply to Andrea:

    Hi Andrea,

    While it is extremely unlikely that Maxi Flavone is causing a return of your husbands stomach pains, it is impossible for us to say with absolute certainty since there is so much else about your husbands medical condition that we don’t know. Because of this, if he feels that the Maxi Flavone has caused him to experience stomach discomfort he should discontinue it until he has spoken with his own doctor and with Dr. Braverman about this.

    There are a great many things that can cause an exacerbation or return of stomach pain. Nexium is a drug that is approved for short-term use (4 to 8 weeks), generally for GERD and healing of erosive esophagitis. It is not intended for long-term use, though your husband’s doctor will most likely be very happy to continue to prescribe it indefinitely.

    Perhaps a better solution to your husbands complaints of stomach pain would be to correct the cause of the problem instead of masking the symptoms with a drug like Nexium. Does anyone really believe that GERD and ulcers are caused by a Nexium deficiency?

    Here is some very useful information that may be of interest to you and your husband both – Dr. Myatt and I have written extensively about this subject and have resolved (we can’t use the “cure” word – conventional medicine and Big Pharma have that one trademarked – only they are allowed to “cure”) many patients complaints of GERD and ulcers without resorting to the use of acid-blocking drugs.

    What’s Burning You? The REAL Cause of Heartburn, Indigestion and GERD (and How To Correct It) By Dr. Dana Myatt

    Would You Like Some Pneumonia With Your Acid Blocker Pill? By Nurse Mark

    Help – I’m Hooked On Acid Blocking Drugs! By Nurse Mark

    Again, there is nothing in Maxi Flavone that we know could cause an exacerbation (worsening) of gastric ulcer symptoms or pain – but if you or your husband feel that it may have contributed to the return of his stomach pain then you should stop using it until you have consulted with his gastroenterologist.

    If you wish to take a more holistic and natural approach to your husbands stomach / ulcer / digestive problems, Dr. Myatt is available for inexpensive Brief Phone Consultations and for more intensive and in-depth Alternative Medicine Consultations .

    One final note: Dr. Braverman recommended the Maxi Flavone for your husband in order to improve certain aspects of his nutritional status, thus enhancing his fertility too. When he is using acid blocking drugs such as Nexium his ability to properly digest and assimilate food and nutrients is being altered and his nutritional status is most likely significantly compromised. Improved nutritional status, that is having all the essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients necessary for proper health and body function will be very important to your work with Dr. Braverman.

    Hope this helps,

    Cheers,

    Nurse Mark

  • Please, Doctor, Tell Me The Pill That Will Make Me Slim!

    Please, Doctor, Tell Me The Pill That Will Make Me Slim!

    By Dr. Myatt

     

    Nurse Mark Forward: We get many, many inquiries about “magic formulas” that folks read and hear about. These come-on’s are most especially targeted at the overweight and almost universally promise “effortless” weight loss – all one needs to do is drink the magic tea or swallow the magic supplement and then sit back and relax while “a new, slim, healthy you” emerges as “the pounds drop away” at a satisfying rate. Ha! For those who really believe such stuff, I just happen to have a nice piece of ocean-front property in Arizona that I could make a great deal on!

    For the rest of you, here is Dr. Myatt’s recent reply to one of our patients who had the good sense to question the hyped-up claims for weight loss products that she’d been recently bombarded with.

     

    Hi Jo:

    Miracle cures for overweight don’t exist, although I know hope springs eternal in the mind of most dieters. Ads are filled right now with products that promise “two pounds a week weight loss without diet changes or exercise.” Yeah, right. In your dreams. And mine.

    Ever notice how all these “miracles” come in waves, one promise following another? Hoodia, irvingia, fucoxanthin, starch blockers, cha de burge tea and on and on the recent list goes. In my twenty-one years of medical practice (yup, 21 as of 2010!) I have never once had a patient who lost weight simply by taking a pill of anything. Even thyroid replacement in a patient who is truly thyroid deficient doesn’t magically make fat go away. Diet and exercise are still the mainstays of weight loss.

    In the midst of all this disappointing hype, however, there really are several supplements that can improve weight loss / dieting success when used correctly. Here’s the scoop.

    Chromium, an essential trace mineral, has been found to be indispensable when a person is chromium deficient, but it has little effect when someone isn’t deficient. People who are diabetic, hypoglycemic or insulin insensitive (syndrome X) fall into the category of those most likely to benefit from additional chromium. Instead of expensive testing, I recommend 1,000mcg of chromium per day for a two-month trial. Chromium at this dose is safe and effective. Find Chromium here.

    Modifilan, a product made from a specific type of seaweed, helps keep metabolic rate from dropping during dieting. Although it contains fucoxanthin, a substance purportedly helpful in weight loss, I believe the “real magic” is the bio-available iodine which promotes normal thyroid function.

    This product is also a potent detoxifying agent and detox is crucial during weight (fat) loss. Many toxins are stored in fat cells and these will be released as fat is released. Modifilan helps bind up these toxins so they don’t simply “re-intoxicate” and make you feel crummy during weight loss. This double-duty benefit can be a real boon to dieters. Find Modifilan here.

    Chitosan, a fibrous material derived from the outer shell of crustaceans, binds up fat and prevents if from being absorbed. Not only that, but it is also useful for binding many types of toxins. It does this “bind up toxins” so well that newer research shows it to be useful for those with damaged kidneys. I have even used it successfully in kidney patients on dialysis and the result was that they needed less dialysis! It also helps lower cholesterol levels (as all fiber does).

    Back to weight loss. If 6 caps of chitosan are taken with a high-fat meal, some of the fat will be carried out of the body instead of winding up on your hips. This allows for some high-fat “cheats” without consequence.

    I don’t recommend chitosan with every meal, because it can also bind up the good fats and fat-soluble vitamins that we need. But using it once a day or taken with high fat meals can be most helpful.

    One note. Chitosan was promoted several years ago for weight loss (as oh-so-many products are), but this one didn’t sell well. It is becoming increasingly harder to find chitosan for this reason. Don’t let its lack of availability fool you. This really is one product that can serve a dieter well, both for detoxification and fat-binding. Find Chitosan here.

    Myatt bread and Myatt muffins, with their off-the-charts fiber content, no flour or grains, ease and speed of preparation and great flavor and texture, are a dieter’s best friend. I recommend that you eat one or better yet two of these per day. They will help you feel satisfied and make a great bread substitute. In your case, they will also help keep your cholesterol in check.

    Here is the recipe for Myatt Bread

    Here is the recipe for Myatt Muffins

    I pre-mix the dry ingredients to make 20 servings, then keep the pre-mix in the freezer. Doing it this way, I can whip out a muffin or fresh bread in under five minutes including cooking time. Yes, you read that right. (Use your microwave oven. It’s a wonderful kitchen appliance and all the “scare stories” you may have heard are unfounded). Or bake ’em the “hard way” in the oven and waste energy if you prefer. Whatever.

    The recommended ingredients can be found here:

    For bread:

    Recommended ingredients:

    Psyllium

    Flax seed

    For blueberry muffins, also add these ingredients:

    Red Alert

    E-Z- Fiber

    Remember that you need a high-quality, optimal dose multiple vitamin/mineral supplement all the time, but especially when cutting calories or carbs. A deficiency of any single nutrient can slow metabolic processes and delay weight (fat) loss. I’m partial to my own Maxi Multi, one of the most complete daily supplement available. Find Maxi Multi here.

    __________

    Non-supplement stuff.

    Exercise is an important factor in weight loss, not only for its calorie-burning benefit but also because it increases metabolism. A muscular person at rest burns more calories than a fat person at rest. Exercises also decreases appetite and increases “feel good” hormone levels. This serves as a natural appetite suppressant and anti-depressant. Most people who are successful with weight loss and long-term maintenance rely on exercise as an important part of their program. Weight training is especially important for those over 50 in order to re-build muscle mass.

    ____________

    There you have it, my highest recommendations for supplemental nutrition that can aid you in your weight (fat) loss attempts. Please keep me posted about your progress and let me know if you have other questions.

  • Compliments And Questions

    Questions And Compliments

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We get plenty of questions, and sometimes compliments. We especially like to receive the compliments…

    Heather writes:

    I just finished reading your book “Physician’s Diary”. I thought it was fantastic. I have come to the conclusion that people get better despite Modern Medicine. I want to find alternatives to the present medications that I am taking. I have PTSD (Police Officer) and am currently coming off Effexor. I plan on using St Johns Wort. Can you tell me what dose would typically be acceptable? Also I have high BP. Is there some alternative to using ACE Inhibitors? Thanks for all the wonderful work you are doing!
    Cheers,
    Heather

    Heather, I’m glad you found Dr. Myatt’s book A Physician’s Diary helpful as so many others have.

    With regard to PTSD, Effexor, and alternatives such as St. John’s wort I hope you will read my recent reply to Kimberly on the subject of neurotransmitters. Much of the advice to her will be useful for you as well.

    For your high blood pressure, please see our webpage with information and recommendations for Hypertension. There you’ll find information to get you started, and if those self-help measures don’t do the trick for you as well as you would like you’ll want to consider a consultation with Dr. Myatt. Hypertension is easily controlled without drugs in most cases which is a great thing since all the current drugs prescribed for hypertension come with unpleasant side effects.

    Some great information about cardiovascular health can be found in a previous HealthBeat News article called ‘Want To Do Something About Your Heart Health?’ – it is well worth a read.

    Thanks for your kind words Heather, and we thank you for your service to us as a police officer – a dangerous and often thankless job if there ever was one!

  • Depression, Prozac, And Neurotransmitter Precursor Questions

    Depression, Prozac, And Neurotransmitter Precursor Questions

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Neurotransmitter, neurotransmitter balance, and “what herb should I take if I’m depressed?” are common subjects for those who contact us here at The Wellness Club. Unfortunately, though it all looks like it should be fairly simple it really isn’t – the hormones that regulate and control our thoughts and moods are many, with complex inter-relations and balancing mechanisms. Too much, too little, or the wrong ratio of any one neurotransmitter (brain hormone) to another and our mood can be seriously altered or our thought processes badly deranged.

    Despite the fact that our brains and the electrical and chemical circuitry that affects, guides, and regulates everything that we do is far more complex than even the largest super-computer many folks feel they have no alternative but to fiddle with these delicate balances themselves; trying this herb or that with little more to guide them than medical urban legend and suggestions from well-meaning friends: “My aunt Effie’s next door neighbor’s husband was depressed so he took St. John’s wort and that fixed him right up!”

    Were it only so easy… Here is an example of the sort of questions we receive:

    Kimberly writes:

    I am slightly confused. I was on Prozac for a few months and it was like a miracle drug for me. I moved and don’t have a PCP, so I started taking 250 mg L-5-HTP and 500mg L-Tyrosine (after HTP didn’t seem to work). Neither the combination or HTP alone seemed to have any effect (battling severe depression). Doctors in FL surprisingly aren’t up for prescribing Prozac for me again, so I just wondered if you had any suggestions or ideas. Thanks!

    Prozac, and other SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) drugs can indeed seem to provide miraculous relief for depressive symptoms – for a while. Unfortunately, since they do not address the cause of the problem, a lack of the “feel-good” neurotransmitter serotonin (or other neurotransmitters), and because they actually cause further depletion of serotonin and launch many people into a miserable spiral of depression, drugs, returned depression, more drugs, worse depression, stronger drugs, and so on. While this is great for the drug companies, it is a terrible existence for the poor victim who is left to wonder if they will ever be normal and happy again.

    To answer Kimberly’s question – yes, Prozac undoubtedly did offer great relief for those few months. This is good news as it gives you some very strong clues to how you might find more permanent, non-drug relief. It is also good news that no one seems willing to prescribe this drug for you again since this means that you will not be further depleting what must be a limited supply of neurotransmitters. While L-5-HTP and L-Tyrosine  are indeed neurotransmitter precursors that the body may use to rebuild it’s supply of neurotransmitters it is difficult to say if these are the right precursors for someone without knowing more about their Neurotransmitter status and balance – this can only be accurately determined by Neurotransmitter testing. Using this information a skilled and experienced practitioner can make effective recommendations and provide prompt and welcome relief.

    Here is my suggestion Kimberly: Please read through our information about restoring neurotransmitters. When you have read through all of this information you will probably know more about neurotransmitters and how conventional “head-meds” and how natural neurotransmitter precursor supplements work than many conventional doctors! You will certainly be in a much better position to knowledgeably decide what is best for you.

    Then, for more concrete suggestions with which you can develop your own protocol for overcoming your depression please see our page discussing Mental Health and then our page discussing Depression specifically.

    If you still have questions or need more specific guidance, consider a Brief Telephone Consultation with Dr. Myatt – the 15 minutes you’ll spend with Dr. Myatt could well be life-changing, and certainly the best money you’ve ever spent!

  • A Potpourri Of Questions

    A Potpourri Of Questions

    By Nurse Mark

    The following letter is representative of many we receive here – we hear many of these same questions, asked in slightly different ways, over and over. This tells me that these are things that folks are really concerned about, and rightly so. Here is a potpourri of questions, that I’ll do my best to answer.

    Hello, Dr. Myatt-
    I am a 30 year old female, who has taken a new-found interest in the health and well-being of myself and my family (my husband and 2-year old daughter). I’m starting to “awaken” to the reality of the big pharmaceutical companies who stand to make greedy politicians and free-world leaders a LOT of money with the flu “vaccines” in the up and coming months.  There are some crazy things going on that I do not think most Americans are aware of. With that said, I am searching for new ways to keep my family healthy. Certain things that I have researched suggest the following products would be good to take:
    -tumeric (but in the powder form which I do not see on your site)
    -ground flax seed or flax oil
    -astragalus
    What else would you recommend to fight off the flu virus this year? We are interested in your multimax as well as finding out what we can safely give to the 2-year old for a general health vitamin.  Finally, I am scared of cancers and damaging free radicals, and feel that our toxic environment has lead us to be somewhat unhealthy. Have you ever heard of chem trails? If so, what can we take to counter the effects of this bad air?  Finally, why do we choose your products, versus the thousands of other online holistic medicine websites, to purchase these products?  Where do you receive them from?  Thanks!
    Sincerely,
    Ashley

    Hi Ashley,

    Dr. Myatt has asked me to respond to your questions since she is very busy with some extremely sick patients just now.

    Turmeric is a very useful spice, and tasty too. Dr. Myatt has been recommending turmeric to her patients for many years – long before it became a popular “herb of commerce” in the supplement industry. Powdered turmeric can be found on the spice racks of your local grocery store, and another place to look will be the ethnic groceries that are often found in larger cities. You might even find turmeric root. Remember though, that turmeric sold as a spice will not have the high potency and has not been standardized and subjected to the same stringent quality controls as the turmeric that Dr. Myatt offers in capsule form as a supplement. Read more about this wonderful spice here:

    Flax seed and flax seed oil are valuable sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids and they are a big deal in our household – we use flax oil and ground flax seed in our Super Shakes, and we take flax oil capsules every day as part of our supplement protocol. Flax is a valuable source of lignans – a form of fiber that is also a potent anti-cancer substance. Learn more about various forms of Flax and Omega-3 essential fatty acids here:

    Astragalus: what a great herb for supporting both immunity and endurance! Dr. Myatt has created several formulations that take advantage of the immune and energy enhancing effects of astragauls – read more here:

    What would we recommend to help protect your family from the flu? (Including the so-called “Bird Flu” and “Swine Flu”!) Please check out our HealthBeat News articles Flu Vaccinations: A Shot in The Dark?, ‘Tis the season… for Colds and Flu!, and  The Flu Can Be A Brutal Enemy As you re-read those articles you will note that Dr. Myatt has made a really crazy money-back guarantee: She guarantees that if you follow her recommendations you will not catch a flu! Will your local doctor promise if you get a flu shot you wouldn’t get the flu or your money back? See Dr. Myatt’s “No Flu for You” Guarantee here

    Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi is the finest Optimal Dose multiple vitamin, mineral, and trace mineral supplement you can buy and it is a cornerstone in the foundation of any health optimization program. For a two year old, vitamin recommendations become a little more critical, and it is not a good idea to “shoot from the hip” with generic advice. Infants and toddlers are not just “small people” in this regard, and recommendations for adults and children cannot be just “scaled down” safely. Here’s the good news though: your toddler is still entirely dependant on you for food – he or she is not out snacking down on soda pop, candy, chips, Twinkies, Ding-Dongs, or other ugly junk foods – so most children of that age are usually not particularly nutrient-deficient if you have been providing a healthy, low-sugar diet to them. Dr. Myatt does have a multivitamin called Children’s Basic Nutrients that is recommended for kids 4 years and up – it should be possible to scale down the dose for a two year old, but if it were me I would want to do that in consultation with Dr. Myatt. This is a great use of Dr. Myatt’s inexpensive Brief Telephone Consultation service!

    Now, on to cancer, free radicals, and our toxic environment:

    We recently ran an article in out HealthBeat Newsletter titled I’m Not Afraid Of Cancer Any More! Those were the very words spoken by one attendee at the fifth annual NW Herb Fest in Eugene, Oregon who had listened to all of Dr. Myatt’s lectures there. Please visit our website where you will find vast amounts of information that can help you to not be afraid of cancer anymore too!

    Free radicals have long been made out to be terrible things that must be battled, fought, quenched, eliminated or neutralized at any cost. Dr. Myatt’s research is showing us however that while excessive free radical production and the resulting oxidative stress to the cells is certainly not a good thing, some free radicals and some oxidative stress is necessary to normal cell and immune function. Anti-oxidants have long been a mainstay of natural health programs and should certainly remain so – but we mustn’t become obsessive about quenching everything! Look for an informative article on this subject by Dr. Myatt soon…

    Regular readers of HealthBeat News know our position on this toxic environment that many of us are forced to live in – we feel that the multitude of toxins that many people, and not just those living in our cities, are exposed to every day are certainly contributing to many of the illnesses that are plaguing our modern society. There is much that can be done to address these toxic effects, but again, since every person and every family has different exposures and different risks, it is tough to make generalized recommendations of the “take this herb, that vitamin, and these minerals and you’ll be fine” variety. A consultation with Dr. Myatt will save you money in the long run and allow you to focus your health protocols far more effectively than just shooting in the dark with whatever miracle supplement happens to be being promoted at any given time.

    Chem trails: Ah, chem trails… Yes, we believe that there really are chem trails. How can there not be chem trails? Jet aircraft burn hydrocarbons (jet fuel) to make the thrust that keeps them flying. That burning produces a chemical soup of exhaust – one that is very rich in water vapor. (Ever wonder at the water dripping from an idling automobile’s tailpipe? Same thing – remember; hydrocarbon…) That water vapor often condenses into visible trails in the cold air of high altitudes, and those trails (clouds) can be very persistent. On busy flight paths, under the right atmospheric conditions, the sky can become littered with these exhaust trails. Modern aircraft (and old ones too) also produce soot, unburned or partially burned hydrocarbons, and even raw hydrocarbons in the form of leaked or jettisoned fuels and lubricating and hydraulic oils. There is no doubt that aircraft are big contributors to our toxic environment.

    But – and this is a big but – let’s think about this for a moment: Everyone; you, me, the Big Corporate Bosses, the Big Military Generals, the CIA spooks, the guys flying the secret black helicopters, and our government bureaucrats and politicians – everyone must breathe the same air. No-one can really pick and choose what air they will breathe, and we don’t see any of these Big Poohahs strolling about wearing filters up their noses or gas masks on their faces. If some secret CIA conspiracy were truly putting toxic chemicals into jet fuel with the intent of achieving “mind control” or “dumbing-down” the population [actually, television is doing a fine job of that already!] or any other evil, nefarious plan to harm us then those very same spooks and Big Poohbahs, and their families – their spouses, children, parents,  would be affected right along with everyone else. It just wouldn’t make much sense.

    Yes, chem trails are a real thing – and they are toxic and not good for us. But no, we do not believe that there is some sort of evil conspiracy afoot to intentionally fill those chem trails with additional harmful things – the “collateral damage” would be too great and totally uncontrollable. Logic says that this would not be a winning program for anyone, no matter how evil their intentions.

    Finally, why should you buy from us and not from any of the thousands of others out there – especially when many of those others may be cheaper?

    Well, we hope that after visiting our website and drinking in the wealth of free information that you find there you will come to see that we are all about health – your health. Sure, we sell supplements – that is what allows us to have the website and to provide all that great free info! Dr. Myatt also charges for her consultations (no surprise!) and that is what pays the mortgage and keeps the lights on. In that regard we are very much the same as many of those thousands of other websites out there.

    But beware – there is no real government-mandated quality control in the supplement industry. Quality is something that is up to each and every individual seller, and some sellers have higher standards than others. This is often reflected in the price – again, no surprise!

    Dr. Myatt has become known as “The Dragon Lady” in the supplement industry for her unwavering insistence on purity, potency, and quality in each and every one of her formulations and products. She presents each of her suppliers with a rigorous quality control audit, and those who fail to meet her standards find themselves losing her business. We personally visit the manufacturing plants of our suppliers whenever possible. Dr. Myatt has been known to send off samples of products for independent analysis, and refuses to sell any product that fails to meet her standards.

    Why does she do all this?

    Dr. Myatt’s standards are strict because these are products that she recommends to her private practice patients. She needs to be able to count on the effect of a product when she prescribes it – she must know that if the herb or vitamin or product does not achieve the desired effect in a patient it is not because the product lacked potency or contained some unknown substance but because there may be some complicating factor in the patient’s condition that needs to be considered.

    Dr. Myatt’s practice includes a large number of “hopeless cases” – people who have come to her after everyone else, with all their conventional “miracles of modern medicine” have failed and have given up. The words “They told me ‘There is just nothing more we can do’ at that other clinic” are heard often here. These are tough cases, and for us to be able to help them – and we do help them – we must be absolutely confident of the quality of the supplements we recommend. These are the same products you see offered for sale on our website.

    Wherever possible, products must be ‘Pharmaceutical Grade’ – these are manufactured to stricter standards of quality and consistency, often in the same facilities that make FDA-approved drugs. ‘Standardized’ in an herbal product means that the strength or potency of the product will be the same from one batch to the next – this helps to eliminate surprises and treatment failures. Supplements that contain any sort of food colorant or tablets coated in vegetable shellac are a tip-off that the maker is more concerned with appearance than with quality.

    But remember – a manufacturer can say almost anything on a label, because there is virtually no enforcement of label claims in this industry. Dr. Myatt has found supplements that contain significantly less than what they claim, and she has even found supplements that contain none of what they are supposed to or contain something else altogether! Has the supplement been tested for heavy metals? Organic solvent residues such as benzine? Aflatoxins? Molds? Bacteria? Dr. Myatt has encountered all of these things in her quality control examinations.

    How can you as a consumer be sure of all these things? Well, unless you have a quality control program like Dr. Myatt’s, and unless you are willing to send products out for independent testing, you can’t. Better to let “The Dragon Lady” do the quality control for you – after all, if it’s good enough for her private practice patients it is good enough for your family!

    Stay tuned: Dr. Myatt will be writing an article soon to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about quality in the supplement industry, along with some things you might wish you didn’t know!