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Questions about iron supplements…

Questions about iron supplements…

Iron supplementation is confusing and there is no shortage of information of dubious value and quality out there in "Internet-land". Conventional doctors often have little knowledge or training in anything other than what the drug companies have to offer – and they commonly deal with the constipation caused by their prescriptions for "nails-in-a-pill" by simply issuing yet another prescription for a laxative…

Valerie recently wrote this letter to Dr. Myatt:

Hello

Hope everyone there is having a good and healthful day.

My name is Valerie and my dermatologist says my Ferritin is 38 and she’d like to see me at around 70-75.

She is prescribing 395 mg of iron per day and wants me to take that dosage for 3 months. She has recommended Feosol – a popular over the counter iron.

For the last two years I have been taking one tablet of Every Woman’s Iron Support by New Chapter Organics. It’s called a ‘whole food’. It offers among other vitamins and minerals 9 mg of iron. I don’t know if this is important but it also contains 900 mcg of folate. I have never had any trouble with constipation at this dosage.

In an attempt to up my iron intake and in an effort to finish off the bottle before I purchase something new and different, I’ve started taking 2 a day for a week, increased to 3 a day for a week and now 4 a day for the last 2 days. Now I’m constipated. Nowhere on the bottle does it say heme or non-heme.

Apparently, the best I can get out of 6 Energizing Iron softgels is 150mg (they do come in soft gel, right?). I can’t bear the thought of swallowing 6 more pills a day anyways, and certainly not 18.

And the scariest part of all is a medical website I just saw that said non-constipating iron can lead to liver disease. Google non-constipating iron if you want to see that for yourself.

Have you any suggestions or comments about all this for me?

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Valerie in Illinois

[Nurse Mark notes: I followed Valerie’s suggestion and searched the internet for this information – the best I can find refers to a single 1973 Lancet Medical Journal article, quoted and referenced many, many times on the internet, in which a researcher discusses an esoteric study of "oxyphenisatin-induced liver damage in chronic non-alcoholic liver disease". As I mentioned in the introduction to this exchange, the internet can be a misleading and frightening place! Articles such as these are often seized upon and exploited by Big Pharma in their quest to discredit anything that is not their own patented offering.]

Dr. Myatt replies:

Hi Valerie:

As you can understand, I can’t give precise medical advice to someone who is not a patient, so these are general comments.

Swallowing iron pills is like eating nails to get your iron levels up. "Elemental iron" is difficult to assimilate. That is "non-heme" iron. "Heme iron" is the type of iron found in red meat. It is easy to assimilate, non-constipating and tends to have a much more profound effect on iron levels even at very small doses. This is all explained on our website: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/liquidliver.htm

I don’t know what form of iron you found as "non constipating iron," but there is no association between liquid liver and liver disease that I have ever seen in the medical literature, so the article you found is referring to something else. What does exist is a correlation between too much storage iron (ferritin) and liver disease, and we’re not sure which comes first. With your ferritin levels being low, this really isn’t your problem.

If you can’t swallow capsules (that’s a "mindset problem," not a real problem if you are swallowing food OK), you could always put the caps in a blender along with a drink. I’d try a chocolate Super Shake as an easy way to take the caps. They’ll break apart in the blender. They have a small taste but not ugly and this should be masked by the shake. http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/supershake.htm

Let me know how it goes!

In Health,

Dr. Myatt

P.S. – Just last week I got the medical reports back on an elderly patient who has been low ferritin for a long time. They’ve had him on "epo" and medical iron for ages, to no avail. Since he’s been on the liquid liver (aka "energizing iron") his counts are back up in the normal range.

We also had a young lady of menstrual age start using the liquid liver. (She is not a patient but communicated with me via email, like you). After two months, she emailed to order more liquid liver and tell me that her iron stores were up in the normal range for the first time in a long while. Needless to say, her local doc is pleased and so is she!

[Nurse Mark notes: "Epo" is a common term for Erythropoietin – a synthetic hormone that prevents anemia (low blood count) by helping you make red blood cells – this drug is given by injection.]

December 9, 2008

“Organic Fish” Rules Rejected by U.S. Consumers

Most HealthBeat News readers know that we have a high regard for Vital Choice Wild Seafood. They send us information and articles from time to time and since the shenanigans of the USDA with their "Organic" labeling is of interest to our readers we have reprinted this article for you here:

Most Americans surveyed opposed the lax requirements proposed for a USDA Organic label on farmed fish; We find deep nutritional and eco pitfalls in the proposals

by Craig Weatherby

A heated battle has raged for years over the rules that would govern issuance of a USDA Organic label for qualifying farmed fish.

We find it inherently absurd that the USDA is poised to allow an organic label on ocean-farmed fish … but not on wild fish.

After all, most wild fish would rival or surpass any “organic” ocean-farmed fish in terms of naturalness, purity, nutritional value, and health benefits … regardless of how the battle over the regulations proposed to govern organic fish farming turns out.

Sadly, that battle may end in compromises that deliver the worst of all possible worlds, as we’ll explain.

Panel set to allow unsustainable “organic” fish farming

The bad news starts with the regrettable decisions made last month by a USDA panel, which have been decried by consumer and conservation groups.

Key Points

The USDA would award the organic label to ocean-farmed salmon fed organic feed … but not to sustainable wild salmon with superior nutritional profiles.
Proposed provisions would permit “organic” fish farming using methods proven harmful to the ocean and wild fish.
Feed requirements based on organic livestock rule would make “organic” ocean-farmed fish less healthful than their wild counterparts.
More than 90% of consumers surveyed oppose USDA’s proposed rules for ocean-based “organic” fish farms.

On November 21, 2008, the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to approve proposed regulations that would free industrial fish farms from key principles and rules that govern production of organic meat and poultry.

The comment period closed after a November 17 hearing, after which the NOSB approved revised regulatory proposals for organic fish farming.

But it is not too late to influence the final regulations by writing to your congressional representatives.

To find your congressperson and senator, and submit comments, go to the House and Senate Web sites: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

This article summarizes some key concerns raised by the USDA board’s ill-considered rules for certifying farmed fish as “organic”.

The organic label implies a high standard of environmental sustainability and human healthfulness that farm-raised carnivorous fish – particularly farmed salmon – would remain very far from meeting under the proposed rules for labeling farmed fish “organic”.

Here’s the full story.

Proposed rules set organic principles and optimal nutrition in opposition

Critical comments submitted to the NOSB by various environmental and consumer groups reveal a contradiction inherent in the idea of farming carnivorous fish like salmon.

On one hand, existing U.S. organic food production law says that organically raised livestock can only be fed certified organic feed.

The organic advocates’ stance on feed for organic farmed fish flows from the principle – written into the U.S. organic food act – that organic livestock must be raised on organic grains grown without petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Organic livestock feed is presumed to be purer and more sustainably produced than conventionally grown corn and cereal grains.

Judging by this standard, farmed fish should not be fed any wild fish, for two reasons:

As a practical matter, wild fish cannot be certified as “organic feed” as that term is defined in existing U.S. law.
Feeding wild fish to farmed fish is an inherently unsustainable practice that threatens wild fish stocks.

Those who criticize the USDA panel’s decision to allow wild fish to make up a portion of feed given to organic farmed fish point to the contamination potential involved.

As the USDA’s critics accurately state, conventional farmed salmon display levels of organic pollutants (e.g., dioxins and PCBs) much higher than wild salmon precisely because they are fed concentrated amounts of fatty wild fish of variable purity.

Dioxins, PCBs, and similar organic pollutants accumulate in fish fat. However, even the relatively high levels in farmed salmon are vanishingly small, compared to those that can promote cancer in animals. The even more minuscule amounts found in wild salmon – a few parts per trillion – are considered completely safe.

(Click here to see the relative PCB levels of various foods, including wild and farmed salmon.)

And if, to harmonize their feed standards with those set for organic livestock, organic farmed fish were not fed wild fish or fish oil, this would compromise the animals’ own health and their nutritional value to humans.

Let’s explore that conundrum further.

New proposals make “organic” farmed fish less healthful than wild fish

To mollify the critics with regard to use of wild fish in farmed fish feed, the USDA board took two steps in their revision of the recently approved regulatory draft.

Compromise #1 – Limited proportion of wild fish in organic fish feed

First, the recently approved draft rules would only allow the feed given to “organic” fish to contain 25 percent wild fish … and that proportion would gradually drop to a maximum of five percent wild fish 12 years after the proposed regulations become law.

Consequently, the remaining 75 to 95 percent of feed given to organic farmed carnivorous fish like salmon would be certified-organic grains, seeds, and seed oils.

These land-based plant foods are absent from the diets of wild fish, which evolved and thrive on marine-source diets of seaweed, aquatic plants, plan
kton, and prey fish.

By limiting the amount of wild fish allowed in their feed, the proposed rule would result in organic farmed fish that are as high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids as their non-organic counterparts.

Why is this mandated dietary distinction – one inserted to meet the objections of people who don’t want wild fish fed to farmed fish – important?

Clinical research shows that people who eat farmed salmon raised on standard, grain-heavy chow display high levels of pro-inflammatory immune system chemicals in their blood: levels associated with higher cardiovascular risk. (See “Farmed Fish Possess Unhealthful Fat Profiles”.)

In other words, the restriction on use of wild fish meal would make organic fish similar to standard, grain-fed beef and pork in terms of their pro-inflammatory potential in the body: hence, substantially less healthful than their wild counterparts.

Since most people perceive the “organic” label as signaling a healthier, more natural food, allowing the organic label on fish raised largely on grain would be highly misleading.

Compromise #2 – No more than one pound of wild fish for every pound of farmed fish

The second and more sensible compromise inserted in the newly approved proposals is that no more than one pound of wild fish could go into producing each pound of farmed fish … a so-called 1:1 feed-conversion ratio.

Since conventional farmed fish are typically fed three pounds of wild fish for every pound they weigh at harvest, this step seems to increase the sustainability of farming carnivorous species like salmon.

However, while the new proposed standards say that the wild fish fed to organic farmed fish must come from “sustainable” fisheries, they include no clear requirements for certifying these fisheries’ sustainability.

The USDA also claims that a required contaminant-testing program for organic feed would cover wild fish fed to organic farmed fish.

However, farms would only be subject to feed testing once every five years, which is clearly inadequate to catch polluted wild fish.

And it would not prevent desperate fish farms from illegally adding prohibited pesticides and antibiotics to fish feed in order to control the parasites and infections that commonly plague salmon farms and other fish raised in offshore net pens.

The NOSB says it would rely on conventional fishmeal production systems to self-regulate, and to separate sustainable and threatened species, but that will be very difficult to do and police.

Can organic fish come from polluting systems?

In a substantial shift from earlier drafts, the proposed rules would allow the use of open-water net pens and cages, whose mesh walls allow pollution, disease and parasites to flow freely into the ocean.

Net pens are used at all salmon farms, and their inability to contain waste, drug residues, and parasites threatens wild fish and the overall health of the oceans.

Consumers Union – the folks behind Consumer Reports magazine – criticized the permitted use of net pens for organic farmed fish as inherently incompatible with organic principles (key points underlined for emphasis):

“The recommendation for net pens and related management issues should be rejected altogether. The use of open net pens is not only controversial in the discussions around organic fish standards but for conventional aquaculture production.
“In fact, the use of open net pens is banned in California and Alaska precisely because of the widespread environmental damage from these systems.
“Consumers Union concurs with comments from the Coastal Aquaculture Alliance and Food and Water Watch regarding the use of open net pens as environmentally destructive.
“Again, our poll data shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans (more than 90%) do not want organic fish to come from polluting systems …” (CU 2008)

We agree that raising fish in open ocean net pens violates organic and sustainability principles very seriously.

The NOSB addresses this concern in its proposed rules, which say that open net pens would only be permitted “… in situations where water depth, current velocities and direction, stocking densities and other factors act to adequately disperse metabolic products in order to minimize any negative impacts on the environment in areas surrounding the pen locations.”

If enforced, this provision would mean that the only organic fish farms allowed to use net pens would be ones sited far from shore, in places where currents consistently disperse and dilute waste matter.

But the major backers of the proposed organic fish label are multi-billion-dollar industrial salmon farm companies using net pens sited close to shore, which are relatively cheap for the producers, but emit waste and parasites that can damage the ocean environment and wild fish badly.

The public record shows that open net salmon farms inevitably allow escapes that threaten the genetic integrity of their wild counterparts, and fuel the spread of sea lice and infectious diseases to wild fish.

(For more on the problems linked scientifically to net pen salmon farms, search our newsletter archive for “farm”.)

Industrial salmon farmers possess great economic and political power, and this leverage gravely undermines our confidence in the USDA’s ability to resist demands to permit problematic net pen systems at “organic” fish farms.

Consumer survey finds American oppose organic fish rules

A recent poll by Consumers Union > http://www.greenerchoices.org/pdf/foodpoll2008.pdf < revealed that most American consumers reject the lax rules proposed by the NOSB for organic fish (CFS 2008):

Nine in 10 respondents said that fish labeled “organic” should be produced by 100 percent certified-organic feed, like all other organic livestock.
Nine in 10 respondents also agreed that “organic” fish farms should be required to recover waste and not pollute the environment, and 57 percent are concerned about ocean pollution caused by “organic” fish farms.

The NOSB proposals were criticized in comments submitted by Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Senior Scientist at Consumers Union, “It’s a disservice to the organic program and to consumers that the NOSB is ready to undermine the organic marketplace which relies on a higher bar for environmental health practices being met.” (CFS/CU 2008)

“These recommendations do not meet the same bar for other organic livestock production practice and in fact lower the bar, which if enacted will compromise organic quality, value, and undermine consumer confidence–not only in the organic fish that they buy but in organic foods on the whole.” (CU 2008)

Collectively, Consumers Union, the Center for Food Safety, and Food & Water Watch gathered nearly 30,000 signatures in favor of maintaining strong standards for the organic label for fish.

“Consumer trust in the integrity of the organic label is at stake,” said Patty Lovera of Food & Water Watch. “But unfortunately, the NOSB wants to allow the farmed salmon industry to cash in on the organic label without meeting the basic tenets of organic production.” (CFS/CU 2008)

Conservation groups reject organic fish rules

Last year, a broad coalition of concerned advocates from 44 organizations –collectively representing more than one million stakeholders and concerned citizens – voiced urgent concern that the NOSB not weaken the standards embodied in the laws governi
ng organic food production.

The co-signing organizations concluded that only one kind of fish farming – onshore farming of herbivorous (plant-eating) finfish in enclosed containment ponds – could meet existing organic livestock standards.

But they all agreed that the farming of carnivorous finfish – such as salmon – in open net cage systems is inherently incompatible with current organic standards and the principles upon which they are based.

“Allowing net pens to be used on fish farms certified as ‘organic’ weakens the incentive for producers to use innovative technologies like closed containment”, said Shauna MacKinnon of Living Oceans Society, a member of the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform. “The industry needs technology that controls impacts, not standards that endorse the status quo.” (CFS/CU 2008)

We agree that the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board should limit the organic label to fish that eat 100% organic feed and are produced in closed, controlled production systems where waste is not flushed into the environment.

Otherwise, the Board should recommend that farmed fish and seafood cannot meet the current bar for organic standards and are therefore ineligible for an “organic” label.

Given the power of the aquaculture industry, it will take steady public pressure on Congress to reverse the USDA’s unwise moves.

Organic-fish rules may preclude non-native species

Depending on how you read the rather vague language in the regulations the NOSB approved last month, it could effectively disqualify non-native species raised in open ocean net pens.

That means the overwhelming majority of fish produced by salmon farmers in British Columbia and Chile would not qualify for the USDA’s organic label.

Atlantic salmon account for most of the salmon produced in Western Canada’s $350-million aquaculture industry, and 90 percent of those fish are shipped to the United States.

Atlantic salmon are alien to the Pacific Ocean, and were brought to the West Coast only because they have proven cheaper and easier to grow in captivity than indigenous species such as King (Chinook) and Silver (Coho) salmon.

Sockeye Salmon have so far proved impossible to farm-raise successfully.

Sources

Center for Food Safety (CFS). New poll reveals that proposed organic standards for fish will fail to meet consumer expectations. November 13, 2008. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/NOSBaquaPR11_13_08.cfm
Consumers Union (CU). Comment to National Organic Standards Board on Aquaculture Recommendations; Submitted by Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst, on behalf of Consumers Union, non-profit publisher Consumer Reports. November 18, 2008. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.greenerchoices.org/pdf/Public%20Comment%20Submission%20to%20National%20Organic%20Standards%20Board%20on%20Aquaculture%20Recommendations.pdf
Consumers Union (CU). New Poll Reveals That Proposed "Organic" Standards for Fish Will Fail to Meet Consumer Expectations. November 13, 2008. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/006297.html
Living on Earth/World Media Foundation. Down on the (Organic) Fish Farm. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=08-P13-00047&segmentID=4
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Livestock Committee. Proposed organic aquaculture standards: Net Pens and Related Management Issues. September 28, 2008. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5072722
Simpson S. Organic label may elude B.C. salmon farmers. Vancouver Sun. Saturday, November 22, 2008. Accessed online November 23, 2008 at http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=2f6c02d3-c224-4a59-8c17-c95601841f54

December 9, 2008

Flu Vaccinations: A Shot in The Dark?

Flu Vaccinations: A Shot in The Dark?

When I was 8, one of my friend’s dad died suddenly, at the ripe old age of 35, of the flu. Not cancer, not a heart attack, not a car wreck — the flu.

One day he was sick in bed with fever, chills, and headache. The next day he saw the family doctor who prescribed an antibiotic (which is worthless for the flu). He had an anaphylactic reaction (severe allergic reaction) to the antibiotic and died that same day. Even at the tender age of 8, it just didn’t seem right for someone to die of such a "garden variety" illness. But he did, and people still do.

As old-fashioned a disease as "the flu" (influenza) is, 24.7 million people in the US contract the flu each year and over 100,000 of these cases require hospitalization. An average of 41,400 people die from complications of the flu in the US alone every year. Notice I said "complications." People don’t die of the flu directly. They die of pneumonia or other "flu-related" diseases.^{1, 2} But don’t expect a flu shot to protect you. That’s because the effectiveness of the "flu shot" is in serious question.

Why The Flu Vaccine is a Bust

The flu is caused by over 200 different viruses and infective agents; colds are caused by over 700 viruses. Vaccinations against the flu protect against only THREE influenza A and B — that’s right — three of the 200 known A & B viruses, and A and B influenza viruses comprise only a small fraction of all causes of the flu.

Influenza vaccines are designed to protect against 3 Influenza viruses A & B (solid pink piece of the pie graph). Graph courtesy of the British Medical Journal.

So, the flu vaccine protects from only a small percentage of the known causes of flu and flu vaccines may be effective as little as 39% (some studies show 0%) of the time in healthy adults^.3 According to the FDA, "The shot doesn’t do as well at preventing flu in older adults and people with certain medical problems." ⁴

Great. Flu vaccines only protect against a small number of viruses, are effective 39% or less of the time and work even less well in people who need it most, the elderly and immune-weakened folks. I’d say the flu vaccine is a real shot in the dark. Worse than ineffective or benign, the influenza vaccine is still preserved with thimerosol (mercury), a known neurotoxin. (Mercury-free vaccines exist but you won’t get it unless you specifically request it).

Of course, the flu isn’t the only malady we are more susceptible to in Winter months. Plain ol’ colds and sinus and respiratory infections also increase in the Winter, not because of cold temperatures directly but because viruses spread more easily in cold, dry air^.5

If the thought of getting sick, or possibly really sick, this Winter doesn’t inspire you, and if feel like I do —- totally underwhelmed by the effectiveness of the flu vaccine — what can you do?

Fortunately, Mother Nature has more immune-boosting strategies than modern medicine will EVER think of. Here are 4 simple, proven recommendations for keeping yourself "bullet proof" against not only the flu, but colds, sinus infections, pneumonia and all manner of Winter-time maladies.

How to Make Yourself Flu-Proof: "Winterize" Your Immune System in Four Easy Steps

1.) Eat an Immune-Boosting Diet. The two major dietary causes of immune suppression are sugar intake and food allergies.

I.) Dietary sugar. Sugar suppresses the activity of white blood cells (neutrophils) — an important part of the immune system — for up to 5 hours. Even fruit juice contains enough sugar to cause this immune-suppressing effect. Sugars which cause immune suppression include glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, and orange juice.^6,7,8 Although original studies showed an immune suppressing effect at 100 grams of sugar other studies have shown that even much lower intakes of dietary sugar have immune suppressing effects. ^9,10. The USDA and the Center for Science in Public Interest (CSPI) agree that 40 grams of sugar is an acceptable daily limit.

Imagine a "healthy" (not!) day of eating that can actually keep immunity suppressed for the entire day.

Breakfast: glass of orange juice (1 cup has 21 grams of sugar), oatmeal with raisins (2 TBS. has 20 grams of sugar), 1 tsp. of sugar (4 grams of sugar) and lowfat milk (1 cup has 13 grams of sugar). That’s a whopping 58 grams of sugar just for breakfast! Expect a suppressed immune system for the next 5 hours.

Snack: Nonfat fruit-variety yogurt (1 cup has 47 grams of sugar) Immune suppression for up to 5 hours.

Lunch: Subway Chicken Teriyaki Sanwich (6 grams of sugar) with 2 oz. fat-free French dressing (12 grams sugar) and 1 oatmeal raisin cookie for desert (16 grams of sugar) [32 grams total]. Immune system still suppressed from breakfast and snack.

Dinner: green salad with 2 TBS. fat-free french dressing (6 grams), 1 serving Weight Watcher’s chicken enchiladas (33 grams) with 2 TBS fat-free yogurt topping (2 grams) [41 grams total] Immune suppression until bedtime.

Dessert: 1/2 cup Breyer’s no sugar added vanilla ice cream (only 4 grams), but it’s the "cherry" on the immune-suppression-day cake!

There you have it. "A day in the life" of someone who thinks they are eating fairly well, with more than enough sugar to cause all-day immune suppression. Notice that fruit juice and flavored yogurt are major offenders. Avoiding sugar is the most important dietary step you can take to strengthen your immune system. Period. II.) Food allergies. Food allergies weaken the immune system. White blood cells and other aspects of immunity get "distracted" taking care of internal annoyances (allergens) instead of protecting against outside "bugs" like the flu virus. Check out the symptoms of food allergy to see if this might be a problem for you. Check Food Allergy Symptoms Here

2.) Practice simple home and hygiene techniques.

I.) Wash your hands frequently. Flu and cold viruses can survive on surfaces, including hands, for hours. Every time you touch a doorknob or anything touched by another, you can pick up a virus. And don’t rub your eyes or face, thereby transmitting the virus to yourself from unwashed hands.

II.) Cover your mouth and nose — preferably with a tissue — when you sneeze or cough. Remember, flu and cold viruses are transmitted primarily through airborne droplets.

III.) Take the day off! If you’re suffering from a cold, do co-workers and friends a favor and quarantine yourself at home until you’re no longer sneezing and hacking. Of course, if you’ve got a bona fide case of the flu, you WILL be taking the day off. Flu symptoms are almost always severe enough to cause prostration.

IV.) Keep your house humid. Indoor fountains (even the little table-top varieties), humidifiers and live plants all help keep indoor Winter air moist. Viruses spread more slowly in higher humidity because airborne water droplets "grab" the viruses and pull them out of circulation. In dry air, viruses are left to float around from one sneezing, coughing host to another.⁵

3.) Strengthen your immune system with supplements.

I.) Take an optimal potency vitamin/mineral supplement every day. If you only take one supplement to strengthen your immune system, it should be a good multiple formula. Studies have shown that seniors who take a multiple have stronger immune systems and are less lik
ely to get a respiratory tract infection or the flu.^11,12,13A deficiency of any single vitamin, mineral or trace mineral can lead to weakened immunity. ^12-23

Improved nutritional status by supplementation can also improve the body’s response to vaccinations. ²⁴

Notice I said optimal potency, not "minimal." Studies have also shown that a one-per-day formula does virtually nothing to improve immunity. That’s because you can’t fit enough nutrients into one tablet or capsule to do anything but prevent severe deficiency diseases (like just enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy but not enough to strengthen the immune system). In the nutritional industry, we call that "pixie dust." An optimal-potency multi vitamin will require at least 6 caps per day (in divided doses). My Maxi Multi recommendation is 9 caps per day, which also includes a full dose of calcium and magnesium (which take up a lot of space in a capsule).

Here are the nutrients of particular immune-enhancing importance, and they should all be found in a good multiple nutrient formula.

* vitamin C – people with daily intakes of 500-1,000mg per day are less likely to catch colds, respiratory tract infections and pneumonia. Vitamin C also shortens the duration and severity of these infections.^25-29,45

* vitamin E – 200IU or more per day reduces the rate of common colds and upper respiratory tract infections ^30,31 and increases resistance to influenza in seniors.^{18, 32-35,44}

* beta carotene – seniors with a high plasma beta-carotene concentration have a lower occurrence of acute respiratory infections.³⁶

* vitamin A – needed to maintain normal "barrier" function of skin and mucous membranes, thereby preventing entry of viruses. Normal levels improve immunity and disease resistance.^{14,23,29,37-38}

* vitamin D – Improves immunity and may enhance response to vaccinations.^14,23,37,39

* zinc – normal zinc status lowers the risk of pneumonia by nearly 50% ⁴⁰ and decreases the incidence, duration and severity of upper respiratory infections and pneumonia.^18,38,41,45 Improved zinc status also enhances the body’s response to vaccinations.^11,29

* selenium – Decreases the risk of respiratory tract infections. Improved selenium status also enhances the body’s response to vaccinations.^{11,18,35,42-43}

If you are not getting these target doses in your multiple vitamin, then add them separately OR switch to a better multiple vitamin/mineral formula. You can take a lot of "separate stuff" to achieve immune-boosting "target doses" of nutrients, but why would you want to work that hard?

SHAMELESS PITCH HERE: my own Maxi Multi’s contain target doses of all these immune-boosting nutrients. Check to see how your multiple stacks up: Optimal Doses of Vitamins and Minerals for Good Health (scroll to the vitamin and mineral charts toward the bottom of the page)

II.) Supplement with additional immune-boosting herbs. For additional protection, add an immune-enhancing formula throughout the colder months (recommended Nov.-April). There are literally hundreds of herbs that can be used to strengthen the immune system. Some work better — and some work MUCH better — than others. I’ve put together my own formula of the most "tried and true" (and proven) immune enhancing herbs including Echinacea, astragalus, medicinal mushrooms (Maitake, Shiitake, Reishi), Ligustrum, Goldenseal and Garlic. Learn more about my Immune Support formula here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/immunesupport.htm

I Guarantee You Won’t Get The Flu This Winter

I’m so confident that Immune Support formula, when used in combination with an optimal potency multiple like Maxi Multi, will help you avoid the flu that I offer a "guaranteed no flu this Winter" money-back guarantee. How confident is that?! Did your local doctor promise if you got a flu shot you wouldn’t get the flu or your money back? (Hahahaha….) See my "No Flu for You" Guarantee here >>>

And for Goodness sakes, don’t wait until you feel fever and chills coming on to start taking supplements or eating better (although even late in the game, studies show you can shorten the severity and duration of a winter infection). Prevention is surer and safer than cure, and looks to me to be surer and safer than the flu vaccine, too!

In Health,

Dr. Myatt

References

1.) J. Dushoff, J. Plotkin, Cc Viboud, D. Earn, L. Simonsen. Mortality due to Influenza in the United States—An Annualized Regression Approach Using Multiple-Cause Mortality Data. American Journal of Epidemiology 2006 163(2):181-187
2.) Molinari NA, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Messonnier ML, Thompson WW, Wortley PM, Weintraub E, Bridges CB. The annual impact of seasonal influenza in the US: measuring disease burden and costs. Vaccine. 2007 Jun 28;25(27):5086-96. Epub 2007 Apr 20.
3.) Demicheli V, Rivetti D, Deeks JJ, Jefferson TO. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;3: CD001269.
4.) The Flu. US Food and Drug Administration Fact Sheet, Aug. 2005.
5.) Lowen AC, Mubareka S, Steel J, Palese P (2007) Influenza Virus Transmission Is Dependent on Relative Humidity and Temperature. PLoS Pathog 3(10): e151. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030151
6.) Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26: 1180-84
7.) Van Oss CJ. Influence of glucose levels on the in vitro phagocytosis of bacteria by human neutrophils. Infect Immun. 1971 Jul;4(1):54-9.
8.) Ringsdorf WM jr, Cheraskin E and Ramsey RR jr. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, and Resistance to Disease. Dent Surv 1976; 52 (12): 46-48
9.) Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26: 1180-84
10.) Ringsdorf WM jr, Cheraskin E and Ramsey RR jr. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, and Resistance to Disease. Dent Surv 1976; 52 (12): 46-48
11.) Girodon F, Galan P, Monget AL, Boutron-Ruault MC, Brunet-Lecomte P, Preziosi P, Arnaud J, Manuguerra JC, Herchberg S. Impact of trace elements and vitamin supplementation on immunity and infections in institutionalized elderly patients: a randomized controlled trial. MIN. VIT. AOX. geriatric network. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Apr 12;159(7):748-54.
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13.) Winkler P, de Vrese M, Laue Ch, Schrezenmeir J. ffect of a dietary supplement containing probiotic bacteria plus vitamins and minerals on common cold infections and cellular immune parameters. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2005 Jul;43(7):318-26.
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15.) Beck MA, Handy J, Levander OA. Host nutritional status: the neglected virulence factor. Trends Microbiol. 2004 Sep;12(9):417-23.
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35.) Beck MA. Selenium and vitamin E status: impact on viral pathogenicity. J Nutr. 2007 May;137(5):1338-40.
36.) van der Horst-Graat JM, Kok FJ, Schouten EG. Plasma carotenoid concentrations in relation to acute respiratory infections in elderly people. Br J Nutr. 2004 Jul;92(1):113-8
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43.) Beck MA. Selenium and host defence towards viruses. Proc Nutr Soc. 1999 Aug;58(3):707-11.
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December 4, 2008
Laughter is Good Medicine: Remembering Hollywood Squares

Laughter is Good Medicine: Remembering Hollywood Squares

If you remember the Original Hollywood Squares and its comics this may bring tears of laughter to your eyes. These great questions and answers are from the days when game show responses were spontaneous and clever, not scripted and often dull, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course.

Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he’s married?
A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.

Q Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can’t Get Enough"?
A. George Gobel: I don’t know, but it’s coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you’ve just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I’m too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what’s a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I’m always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn’t neglected.

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do ?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q. When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I’ll lend him the car, the rest is up to him

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.

November 26, 2008

Dr. Myatt’s Christmas Gift Ideas and suggestions

Nurse Mark Comment:

Be sure to check out these suggestions if you are looking for a bargain – Our subscribers and Wellness Club Members gave us such great feedback on last year’s Gift Suggestions Article that Dr. Myatt has again this year negotiated special discounts for Wellness Club Members and HealthBeat News subscribers!

And, don’t forget that you can give the gift of good health anytime – just call me at 1-800-Dr Myatt (1-800-376-9288) and tell me that you would like to give someone you care for a Wellness Club Gift Certificate. We’ll send it in the amount of your choice to the person of your choice with the message of your choice in a nice card.

Christmas Gift Ideas and Suggestions

By Dr. "Santa" Myatt

Forget "Black Friday"! (That doesn’t even SOUND good, does it?).

If you hate crowded shopping malls as much as I do, or feel stumped about what to give for holiday gifts, here are my recommendations for unique gifts to consider and there’s still plenty of time to order for holiday gifting. Best of all, you can browse and order from the warmth and comfort of home — in your jammies if you want to! — instead of fighting the crowds. Here are my top picks for holiday gifting.

Music Boxes and Musical Jewelry Boxes.

You really need to check these out! A thoughtful and unique gift for both men and women. These are top-quality gifts at most affordable prices. The music works are Swiss made and sound beautiful. Many of the boxes are fine inlaid wood designs, and you can pick the box and musical tune separately, creating a custom combination.

They have a "Listening Station" where you can hear the tunes played (very neat!), and a custom engraving service if you want to further personalize your gift.

Prices range from under $20 to big bucks, but you can give a fabulous gift for $40-$100. An excellent and delightful gift for both men and women, and perfect for the person who already "has everything." (Bet they don’t have one of these)!

Their shipping is lightening-fast. You’ll have your gift in a couple of days. Use the "sort by price" feature if you’re looking for a unique gift under $50. Order through this special Wellness Club member link and get an additional 10% off the already-affordable prices: Wellness Club members and HealthBeat subscribers save an additional 10% off at Music Box Attic on any purchase by using Coupon Code "percent10".

Sink and/or Shower Water Purifier.

Know someone who is still buying bottled water? (Or worse, drinking unknown tap water?) Or showering in chemical-filled municipal H2O? Aquasana makes a nifty sink water purifier with a sleek design and easy installation. Ditto for a shower-head water purifier. Best of all, these water filters and purifiers have received the highest ratings for quality.

A very thoughtful and healthful gift. Head over there today if you want to grab a "special" they’re featuring: both sink and shower purifiers in a smokin’ deal combo package. They also feature an auto-ship filter replacement service, very nice since all water purifiers must have regular filter changes to function optimally (and many people forget this important step).

Organic Salmon and Seafood.

We all know that salmon is healthy, but only if it is wild caught Pacific salmon. Vital choice has some of the finest salmon and seafood available anywhere, delightfully packaged for easy gifting. Recommended by Dr. Perricone, Dr. Christiane Northrup and of course by Dr. Myatt! Not cheap, but some of the highest quality seafood and other organic products money can buy.

Flowers, Live Plants, Gift Baskets and More.

This is my favorite flower delivery company, but I hesitate to call them just "flower delivery" because they have so much more. Great gift baskets, including wine and cheese baskets, plus living plants that will be treasured long after the holidays are past.

Best of all, you can shop from hundreds of arrangements from home and most can be delivered the very same day. (I wouldn’t recommend waiting until the day before Christmas to order, however). This is a great resource to keep on hand for other holidays, birthdays, sympathy, get well, anniversaries.

They have been voted "Best Online Florist" a number of times. Shop for Flowers, live plants and gourmet gift baskets.

Perh
aps A Cruise Vacation:

Looking for Something Really Special? How about a luxury cruise vacation? Whether to local ports of call like Hawaii or Alaska, or someplace warm like the Caribbean or Bahamas, or a fabulous tour of Europe, cruising is the preferred way to vacation.

Unpack only once and see many beautiful ports of call, enjoy world-class buffets and entertainment daily, and be pampered by the finest luxury spas by day.

Search cruises by length, location, price (and these folks offer a "low price guarantee," meaning you won’t find a great cruise for less anywhere). Imagine how surprised your special someone would be to receive tickets for a cruise vacation!

Nifty Gifts Under $20.

Got a list of friends you’d like to gift, but can’t afford to spend a fortune on each one? Collections has a large selection of nifty gifts, nothing over $20. You’re sure to find something suitable for the "friends" list. Their gifts also make great stocking-stuffers.

A note of caution: the gifts are good quality, as represented in the catalogue. But they come in funky, junky Chinese-made boxes and bags. Expect to re-box these items to show them in their best light. Other than that, this is a great place for inexpensive presents (including some fabulous, inexpensive gifts for kids).

Order through this link and get an additional 15% off any total over $65 — but hurry! These special prices are only good until Nov. 30th, 2008.

Remember Our US Troops for Christmas.

Head on over to Healthy Troops and send a service man or woman a care package for the Holidays If you send a package now, they will still receive it in time for Christmas. You don’t have to personally know a troop; we’ve got lots of them signed up and requesting these packages.

Or (I’m doing this), send a care package to a troop on behalf of someone else, a charitable donation in their name. We’ll include a certificate that shows what was sent on their behalf, and any thank-you note we receive will be forwarded to them as well.

Don’t Forget Fifi and Fido!

Organic and healthy treats for your favorite four-legged friends. No kidding, they have a special "Christmas gift selection" for cats and dogs. Wellness Club Members and HealthBeat subscribers save an additional 5% through this link: Save 5% on your first order at Only Natural Pet Store!

November 26, 2008