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The “Cure-All Juices” Series
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We've all heard the expression that “if it's too good to be true, then it probably isn't”. Well, the makers of various “cure-all juices” lay claim an astounding assortment of health benefits, with virtually no clinical trials to support them. Enjoy this series of articles by Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN.
Cure-All Juices, Part 1 ~ Acai and Goji
Cure-All Juices, Part 2 ~ Noni
Cure-All Juices, Part 3 ~ Mangosteen
Cure-All Juices, Part 3 ~ Indian Gooseberry (Amalaki)
Essential Nutrients for Endurance Athletes: 10 for the Road
Quite simply, athletes need more nutrients than less-active people. They demand more from their bodies than even average fitness buffs and so must compensate with the right nutrients from foods or supplements to keep performance—and recovery—at its peak. The more intense the exercise or sport, the greater the body's nutrient needs.
Enzymes Can Hasten Pain Relief
One of the more common reactions to pathological processes is inflammation. Just about every disease or injury involves some form of it, which often manifests as pain. Enzymes, particularly proteases that break down proteins, can effectively be used to ease inflammation.
Keep Your Thyroid Healthy for Peak Energy
Iodide isn't enough to keep your thyroid healthy. Proper intake of selenium, iron and essential fatty acids hold the key to a healthy thyroid and metabolism. Health problems as diverse as learning disabilities in children and heart disease in older people that may be related to disorders of the thyroid gland still crop up. Dietary deficiencies and a buildup of toxins in the body can contribute to the problem.
Low Vitamin D Levels Common in Apparently Healthy Girls
Medscape Family Medicine
August 4, 2006 — In a study of healthy adolescent girls, subclinical hypovitaminosis D was a relatively common finding, with non-white girls more severely affected. According to the UK-based study team, "reduced sunshine exposure rather than diet explained the difference in vitamin D status of white and non-white girls" in the study. "Vitamin D deficiency during childhood and adolescence," warn Dr. M. Zulf Mughal and colleagues in the July issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood, "might impair the acquisition of peak bone mass at the end of skeletal growth and maturation, thereby increasing the risk of osteoporotic fracture later in life."
Vegetarian Children: How Healthy Are They? Are Their
Nutritional Needs Being Met?
Concerned parents who want to raise healthy vegetarian children often ask about their children's specific nutritional requirements. Are they getting enough iron or calcium? Should they be taking supplements? Will they be as strong and grow as fast as their omnivorous friends? These are valid concerns, but all of them can be resolved if parents provide a balanced and varied diet.
Nutrients and Botanicals for Erectile Dysfunction:
Examining the Evidence
Alternative Medicine Review 2004 (Feb); 9 (1): 4–16 ~ FULL TEXT
A review of the available empirical evidence reveals most naturally occurring compounds lack adequate clinical trials to support efficacy. However, arginine, yohimbine, Panax ginseng, Maca, and Ginkgo biloba all have some degree of evidence they may be helpful for erectile dysfunction.
Nutritional Alternatives for Statin Drugs
American Chiropractor 2004 (Sep); 26 (6)
A USAToday.com article, posted on June 8, 2004, stated that, “Bayer pulled Baycol after reports that 31 people taking the drug died of a rare but dangerous side effect called rhabdomyolysis, a toxic breakdown of muscle tissue that can lead to kidney failure. All statins have been associated with muscle problems, most of them not fatal, and patients are warned to report to their doctors any symptoms such as muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, dark urine, nausea and vomiting.” We need to focus on the statement that, “All statins have been associated with muscle problems.” In fact, muscle pain is very common in those taking statins. Long term use of statins is known to substantially increase the risk of developing polyneuropathy in some patients. [1] Statins also commonly cause fatigue [2] and memory loss and cognitive defects. [3] Severe irritability and aggression have also been attributed to statin use. [4]
Health Care For Our Bones: A Practical Nutritional Approach
to Preventing Osteoporosis
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2004 (Nov); 27 (9): 591-595 ~ FULL TEXT
When patients and doctors think of osteoporosis, calcium immediately comes to mind. “Bones contain calcium, and, therefore, take calcium to protect your bones,” is the battle cry that we hear most often from doctors, government agencies, and media sources. This commentary will provide a story of osteoporosis beyond calcium, which is one that practitioners and researchers need to consider when treating or investigating this pervasive condition.
Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products
JAMA 2004 (Dec 15); 292 (23): 2868–2873
It's long been known that certain Chinese herbal medicines contain potentially dangerous metals, but no one has determined whether Ayurvedic supplements pose the same problem. This Harvard study looked at Indian Ayurvedic herbs, and the news is not good. Researchers at Harvard bought 70 Ayurvedic products, nearly all of them made in India, and found that one in five contained potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic.
Flawed Meta-Analysis Misrepresents Vitamin E Research
November 16, 2004 ––
A flawed "retrospective review" published in the Annals of Internal Medicine took a narrow look at only 19 of the more than 2,170 published papers addressing the efficacy and safety of Vitamin E. Strangely, "18 of those 19 clinical studies showed no increase in the risk for health complications or fatalities with Vitamin E versus a control group. Only one study out of the 19 demonstrated a higher risk and that study was with patients who were using estrogen hormone replacement therapy (HRT) along with Vitamin E." You may also enjoy
another negative review of this trial.
Can Vitamins Decrease The Risk Of Women's Cancers?
Recent randomised controlled trials of supplements have yielded some unexpected findings. In trials of high-risk individuals (smokers or asbestos workers), beta-carotene, which had been believed to prevent cancer, was found to actually increase the incidence of lung cancer, while vitamin E had no effect on lung cancer risk. [ 1,2 ] Selenium, which was hypothesised to reduce risk of non-melenomatous skin cancers, had no effect on skin cancer, but instead reduced the risk of a broad range of other cancers. [ 3 ] A New York Times front page story stated: "Consumers are, in effect, volunteering for a vast, largely unregulated experiment with substances that may be helpful, harmful or simply ineffective." [ 4 ]
Dietary Supplements Survival Kit
In the film "Cast Away," Chuck (Tom Hanks) is a Federal Express employee who is the victim of a plane crash. He is washed ashore and stranded on a deserted island for four years. Several FedEx boxes also wash ashore, and Chuck makes novel use of the contents. Pretend you could have packed one of those boxes as a dietary supplements survival kit for Chuck. What would you have included?
And the Good Herb Taketh Away
Botanical medicines may be safer than pharmaceuticals, but the potential to cause ill effects still exists. Gentle, natural herbs have gained a reputation as being able to do no wrong. Most consumers consider them safe healing agents without the side effects of prescription drugs. And overall, herbs generally are safe when used appropriately in recommended doses. But, as with any medicine, there are points to keep in mind when taking them therapeutically.
Detoxification for the Body & Mind
Mary came to my practice complaining of weight gain, fatigue and severe bowel problems. She felt "toxic" and said, "Nothing in my body works right." She had gained 80 pounds over a five-year period. Her addictive and destructive eating patterns included sugary and fatty foods as well as starchy breads and pasta she believed were weight-loss foods. Chronic diarrhea forced her to the rest room after every meal. She also had a penchant for diet soft drinks: On a good day she drank eight cans, but her real quota was closer to 14. Her normal afternoon lows were relieved by a fresh can of diet cola. On many occasions she went home from her busy job as an engineer so exhausted she fell asleep by 6 p.m. More often than not, she'd wake in a few hours for a late meal.
Ginger Alleviates Morning Sickness
Ginger (Zingiber officinale), a commonly used folk remedy, has been confirmed to effectively treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. A placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 67 pregnant women with morning sickness was conducted by Teraporn Vutyavanich, M.D., of Chiang Mai University in Thailand. Thirty-two women were given 250 mg of ginger four times daily while 35 received placebo.
Rickets is Back
Along with scurvy, pellagra and beri beri, rickets is usually assumed to be an extinct nutrient-deficiency disease. But rickets is back. Caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption, rickets causes improper bone mineralization in children. In 1998 and 1999, S.R. Kreiter, M.D., of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., studied 30 patients, ranging from 5 to 35 months old, with nutritional deficiency-induced rickets. All were African-American children who were breastfed for a year on average without taking supplemental vitamin D. Dark-skinned babies are at special risk because their skin makes less vitamin D from sunlight than light-colored skin. Kreiter determined that rickets has increased because more African-American mothers are breastfeeding, fewer babies are being given vitamin D supplements, and both mothers and babies are getting less sunlight than in the past.
Supplementing Vegetarian Diets
Vegetarian diets have blossomed and proliferated far beyond their countercultural roots in the early 1970s. Scientific evidence now makes clear that eliminating meat from the diet can indeed be a healthy choice. In fact, switching to a high intake of plant foods will provide the body with substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals and low amounts of saturated fat—factors that have been associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. [1] During the last 30 years, interest in such plant-based diets has shifted from assessing their adequacy to determining their specific health benefits. [2] And although scientists agree that there are a number of advantages, many also feel that, under certain circumstances, vegetarians may not be getting enough of a handful of nutrients.
Turning the Tables on Drug Interactions
As vitamin supplements and herbal remedies move to the mainstream, health care professionals are closely monitoring the interactions between natural products and drugs. However, understanding such biochemical interactions is no easy task. Vitamins and herbs clearly complicate the existing problems of drug interactions. Medical journals that are addressing vitamin, herb and drug interactions are using the watchword "caution" for those clinicians prescribing natural products in conjunction with pharmaceuticals.
Nutritional Support for Wound Healing
Alternative Medicine Review 2003 (Nov); 8 (4): 359–377 ~ FULL TEXT
Healing of wounds, whether from accidental injury or surgical intervention, involves the activity of an intricate network of blood cells, tissue types, cytokines, and growth factors. This results in increased cellular activity, which causes an intensified metabolic demand for nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies can impede wound healing, and several nutritional factors required for wound repair may improve healing time and wound outcome.
The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease and its Regulation by Nutrients
Alternative Medicine Review 2004 (Mar); 9 (1): 32–53 ~ FULL TEXT
Nutrients such as arginine, antioxidants (vitamins C and E, lipoic acid, glutathione), and enzyme cofactors (vitamins B2 and B3, folate, and tetrahydrobiopterin) help to elevate nitric oxide levels and may play an important role in the management of cardiovascular disease. Other dietary components such as DHA/EPA from fish oil, tocotrienols, vitamins B6 and B12, and quercetin contribute further to mitigating the inflammatory process.
Hot Flashes: A Review of the Literature on Alternative and Complementary Treatment Approaches
Alternative Medicine Review 2003 (Aug); 8 (3): 284–302 ~ FULL TEXT
Hot flashes are a common experience for menopausal women, with an 85-percent incidence in the West. With the increased knowledge of side effects attributable to conventional treatment options, more women are exploring natural alternatives. Although more definitive research is necessary, several natural therapies show promise in treating hot flashes without the risks associated with conventional therapies. Soy and other phytoestrogens, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, vitamin E, the bioflavonoid hesperidin with vitamin C, ferulic acid, acupuncture treatment, and regular aerobic exercise have been shown effective in treating hot flashes in menopausal women.
Outcome-based Comparison of Ritalin versus Food-supplement Treated Children with ADHD
Alternative Medicine Review 2003 (Aug); 8 (3): 319-330 ~ FULL TEXT
Numerous studies suggest that biochemical heterogeneous etiologies for AD/HD cluster around at least eight risk factors: food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low-protein/high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, essential fatty acid and phospholipid deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, and B-vitamin deficiencies. The dietary supplements used were a mix of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, essential fatty acids, phospholipids, and probiotics that attempted to address the AD/HD biochemical risk factors. These findings support the effectiveness of food supplement treatment in improving attention and self-control in children with AD/HD and suggest food supplement treatment of AD/HD may be of equal efficacy to Ritalin treatment. NOTE: You may also want to refer to the ADD/ADHD Page for more on this topic.
A Supplement Plan for Seniors
In fact, with current knowledge, older customers can design a supplement program to protect them from the age-related decline that typically occurs among people who do not take care of themselves. The following supplements can be added gradually to their plan as they grow older. Start them with a basic comprehensive multivitamin and mineral with enough B complex; basic amounts of vitamin C and E; beta-carotene; trace minerals including chromium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc; and, if possible, adequate magnesium and calcium, which may need to be taken separately because of their bulk.
Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals - Is the Science There?
A 1998 nationwide survey of 1,000 randomly selected consumers,
commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) in Washington, D.C., found that 95 percent of Americans believe certain foods have health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition and may reduce the risk of disease, 92 percent believe they have control over their own health, and 78 percent can name a particular food or component and the health benefit associated with it. Broccoli, oranges and orange juice, carrots, fish and fish oil, garlic, green leafy vegetables, milk, and fiber were most often mentioned by consumers, in that order.
Supplements Facts ~ All the Facts: What the New Label Does
And Doesn't Disclose
Alternative Medicine Review 1999 (Feb); 4 (1): 5-9 ~ FULL TEXT
Under "Other Ingredients," just below the Supplement Facts box, you will find additives: Binders (to bind tablets together); Lubricants (to assist powder flow in manufacturing); Coatings (to coat tablets and permit easier swallowing); Colorings (cosmetic reasons); and Fillers (used to fill space). The following is a list of many such additives grouped into general categories relative to their potential to cause allergic or sensitivity reactions, impede absorption, or have an undesired physiological effect.
The Cancer Prevention Diet
Cancer is a prominent killer of Americans--second only to heart disease--and responsible for more than a half million deaths yearly. The good news is that scientific validation for the protective power of food is accumulating. And empowering people to preserve their health through daily choices puts responsibility in patients' hands.
High Doses of Multiple Antioxidant Vitamins: Essential Ingredients in Improving the Efficacy of Standard Cancer Therapy
J Am Coll Nutr 1999 (Feb); 18 (1): 13–25
Numerous articles and several reviews have been published on the role of antioxidants, and diet and lifestyle modifications in cancer prevention. However, the potential role of these factors
in the management of human cancer has been largely ignored.
Sweet Alternatives for Blood Sugar Balance
Imagine a person eating his or her body weight in sugar. Sound unhealthy? The average American eats about 150 pounds of sugar per year in the form of sodas, candies, cookies and other sweets. Excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates—the body turns foods such as pasta and bagels into simple sugars—is also a culprit in what some people call sugar shock.
Effects of Coenzyme Q10 in Early Parkinson Disease: Evidence of Slowing of the Functional Decline
Arch Neurol 2002 (Oct); 59 (10): 1541–1550
Shults, et al., present the findings of a clinical trial that demonstrates that patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease, given coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation for 16 months, showed significantly less impairment than placebo-treated patients. The efficacy of treatment was readily apparent by the eighth month, and the study showed that patients given the highest dose of CoQ10 had the best overall results. There are many more articles like this in the
CoenzymeQ10 Section.
Better Nutrition Nets Good Behaviour
An extended UK study has found that adding vitamins, minerals and other nutritional elements to the diets of young criminals held in custody can help reduce anti-social behaviour and the number of offences they commit. The 18-month long study, on 230 men at a maximum-security institution found that the supplement group committed a quarter fewer offences, with violent offences falling by 40 per cent. There was no drop in offence rates in the control group.
How Nutrients Differ From Drugs
Many physicians use vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent and treat disease. For example, vitamin E reduces coronary artery disease risk, and it can benefit people with confirmed cardiovascular disease. [1] Similarly, selenium supplements reduce some cancer risks [2] and improve the health of AIDS patients. [3] But do large supplemental doses somehow turn nutrients into drugs? I would argue that once a nutrient, always a nutrient.
Complementary Treatment for Diseases ~ New Articles
Enjoy this extensive selection of FULL TEXT articles from the premier complementary medicine journal, Alternative Medicine Review. There are articles here on arthritis, asthma, attention deficit, cancer, chronic fatigue, diabetes, fibromyalgia, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, and many other disorders and diseases. Thanks to PubMed for making all these articles available to non-subscribers! Please read our Disclaimer.
Research perspectives in Asthma: A rationale for the
therapeutic application of magnesium, pyridoxine, Coleus forskholii and Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of adult and pediatric asthma
Thanks to the American Chiropractic Association Council On Family Practice for their permission to reprint this article exclusively at Chiro.Org You may also enjoy these other articles on
Chiropractic and Asthma
Archives of Our "Older" Nutrition Articles
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Organic Foods ~ Are They Better?
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Organically Grown Foods: Evaluate Your Options
Mayo Clinic ~ Dec 22, 2004
Most supermarkets carry organic foods, including organic fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products. There are several differences between organic and nonorganic foods and many factors that might influence your decision to buy — or not buy — these products. Let's review them now.
Organic Food “Proven” Healthier
BBC News January 3, 2000
Mr. Holden said organic crops also have a measurably higher level of vitamins, and that this can benefit people who eat them. By contrast, he said, "intensive farming is devitalizing our food". Mr. Holden said the research, from Denmark and Germany, would be presented in the UK at the association's conference on organic food on 8 January.
Is Organically Grown Food More Nutritious?
Alternative Therapies 1998; 4: 58–69
The most relevant studies then, are not those that simply assess nutrient content, but are those that feed organic or conventional feed to animals and then look at how healthy they are. There are 14 such animal studies that have been performed over the last 70 years. In ten of these, the organically fed animals fared better; in one, the animals fed organic feed came in second among several chemically fertilized feeds; and 3 studies showed no difference, possibly due to weaknesses in the study designs.
New Organic Food Guidelines Take Effect
Prior to the USDA’s new statute, a product sold anywhere in the U.S. with as little as 1 percent of its ingredients comprised of organic material could claim to be an “organic” product to consumers. Now, any product imported from other countries or grown in the U.S. that wants to use the label organic must follow strictly worded guidelines and be free of conventional pesticides, GMOs and radiation.
Organic Food Is More Nutritious
For years, organic food proponents have suspected that organic food is higher in minerals and vitamins than conventionally farmed produce. As part of her doctoral dissertation, Virginia Worthington, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, reviewed available research comparing the nutritional value of organically grown and conventionally grown produce. She concluded that organic produce is nutritionally superior.
Are Organics Really Healthier?
High on the list of consumer food safety concerns are pesticide residues in food. Annual surveys in the UK and US typically reveal that approximately one-third of all conventional food samples and half of all fresh produce tested contain low levels of pesticide residues. Regulators assert that rigorous safety assessments have confirmed that these levels are not a threat to food safety. Consumers intuitively know this is a false assurance. No rigorous scientific safety assessment has or can be made of the infinite number of mixtures of compounds consumers are exposed to. Individual samples sometimes contain up to seven different pesticides, and the US FDA has found up to 350 different pesticides in foods sampled.
Our Food is Becoming Less Nutritious. Why?
In the April 1943 issue of Organic Farming and Gardening, our visionary founder J.I. Rodale wrote: "The United States Government has admitted that the reason 50 percent of the men called for the draft were rejected was because they were undernourished. Now, all these men ate plenty of food, but this food lacked enough minerals and vitamins to make them physically fit.
What's Behind Your Organic Food?
What constitutes an organic product? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dictates that organic foods must be produced by farmers who “emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance the environmental quality for future generations.” But what this really means varies depending upon the product. Meat, poultry, egg and dairy products must be from animals that are never given synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics. The animals must also be fed an organic diet and be allowed to roam freely. Organic fruits and vegetables may not be grown using any conventional pesticides, nor may the land be treated with synthetic fertilizers or sewer sludge.
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Are Supplements Worth the Money?
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Why Not Buy the Cheapest Vitamins?
Quality IS an issue when buying supplements, just like it is an issue when buying carpet or clothes. There are 100's of brands of food supplements on the market, but let's look at some quality issues.
Why Supplements Are Necessary
I am breaking my "non-commercial-only" tradition by listing this article, from Rodale Presses "Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution", which I found on a commercial vitamin-sales website. That's because this chapter is clear, accurate, and easy to understand! Please remember that commercially available vitamins usually haven't been tested for the purity and potency of their raw-materials, the accuracy of their dosage, or their bio-availability once it's inside your digestive tract. The research findings presented in these pages are based on the use of pharmaceutically produced products for that trial, not products available in "health food" stores or pharmacys.
Military Program Proposes Saving Money Through Vitamin E Supplementation
A 1997 report by the National Defense Council Foundation finds that the federal government
could save up to $6.3 billion annually by increasing the health of active and retired military personnel through a anti-aging program that includes the use of vitamin supplementation.
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Fad Diets ~ Do They Help?
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The Trend Diets
Strictly speaking, our “diet” is whatever we eat. For some years, however, the term has been synonymous with weight loss. It conjured up images of calorie counting, carbohydrate charts, and fat grams, all topped with a helping of discipline, and maybe a lapse or two on the side. Nutrition or health often were meager portions if they were served at all. The goal was to trim the waistline. But increasingly, creators of weight-loss diets present health concerns, e.g. nutrients and exercise, as integral parts of their programs. Likewise, proponents of health-based diets say that achieving proper weight is a natural result of their regimens.
Fad Diets Analyzed
In this article, we will examine the scientific pros and cons regarding low carbohydrate, high protein diets such as the Atkins and South Beach diets in managing our weight and achieving optimal body composition. In order to understand the principles of weight management, we will first review the basics of Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) and Total Energy Requirements (TER), which include BEE and energy requirements for external activities. We will then discuss a few tips for safe and permanent weight management.
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