All Supplements Are The Same, Right?

For most of us, this is what we've been told.  All supplements are the same.  It doesn't matter what you take or where you get them from.  Just buy the cheapest...it doesn't matter.  But is this true?

No, it is not.  In a nutshell, supplements can be broken down into (2) categories of quality:  Food Grade and Pharmaceutical Grade.

So what's the difference?  Food Grade supplements are overseen by the FDA.  These are the supplements you will find at your local store in the vitamin aisle.  There are a few issues with these types of supplements. 

1.  They may or may not contain all the ingredients listed on the bottle. 
2.  They may or may not contain those ingredients in the amounts advertised. 
3.  The FDA also allows fillers, binders, dyes, etc to be included, but the manufacturer is not required to list them on the label.  These can make up 10% or more of the contents.  Meaning if an ingredient is listed as having 100mg, you may only be getting 90mg (or less).
4.  ConsumerLabs (an independent tester of supplements) has found "foreign substances" in some of these products, such as metal shavings.
5.  There is no guarantee the supplement will actually dissolve in your body.  If it doesn't dissolve, it is not absorbed and is, essentially, worthless.  It basically comes out looking like it did when it went in.
6.  To keep costs down, many manufacturers use synthetic ingredients rather than pure forms.  An example is Vitamin E.  Check the label on your bottle.  If it is using DL-Alpha Tocopheryl, this is synthetic and does not absorb into your body very well.
7.  According to the FDA, manufacturers are NOT required to provide evidence that the supplement is effective or safe.

Pharmaceutical Grade supplements adhere to strict rules regarding the manufacture of supplements and their purity.  These are the same rules used by pharmaceutical companies.  They must follow GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and follow USP (United States Pharmacopedia) guidelines.  Some also have NSF certification (a 3rd party consumer watchdog organization who randomly inspects and tests products).

1.  All ingredients listed on the label must be included in the bottle.
2.  The amounts of those ingredients must be found in the bottle.
3.  Binders, fillers, dyes, etc are not allowed and the ingredients must be OVER 99% pure.
4.  Because these follow GMPs and USP guidelines (and in some cases, NSF certification), there are NO foreign substances in the products.
5.  Generally, these supplements are guaranteed to dissolve in the body.
6.  These products use higher quality ingredients (see #3).  The higher quality ingredients are more expensive, thus the large price difference.  Again, using the Vitamin E example, D-Alpha Tocopheryl is the natural form of Vitamin E and will absorb into the body.
7.  And again, because of USP guidelines, these products can give the consumer peace-of-mind.

So as you can see, all supplements are not created equal.  When you are looking for a supplement, weigh the differences and remember, 'You get what you pay for'.  Seek out supplement manufactures who follow GMPs, USPs, and have NSF certification to ensure you are getting the highest quality supplement.  Or in other words, make sure you get more 'Bang for your Buck'.

To Your Health

The Top 6 Supplements for Keeping Blood Pressure in Check

According to numerous clinical studies, various supplements have been shown to have positive effects with regards to maintaining and/or reducing your blood pressure.  In this latest posting, I have listed the Top 6 supplements, along with references to studies from such organizations as The Mayo Clinic and University of Maryland.

In no particular order, these supplements are:

1.  Fish oil - It seems as though the DHA and EPA does have an effect on blood pressure.  2-3g/day seems to be recommended.  Clinical studies also show beneficial uses with regards to high cholesterol, diabetes, ADHD, and Lupus.

2.   Olive Oil - In my opinion, probably the most impressive test results.  Taken from the March 27th, 2000 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine:  "The most important finding in this study is that the daily use of olive oil, about 40 grams per day, markedly reduces the dosage of [blood pressure medication] by about 50% in hypertensive patients on a previously stable drug dosage,"

3.  Vitamin D - Called "The Sunshine Vitamin" due to the body's ability to transform sunlight into Vitamin D.  Studies show this helps to prevent hypertension.

4.  Magnesium - Studies show this may help regulate blood pressure.

5.  Grape Seed Extract - A study from UNC - Davis showed participants taking 150mg of grape seed extract saw their blood pressure drop after 4 weeks.

6.  Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) - A review of 12 clinical studies hinted that CoQ10 has the potential to reduce blood pressure without major side effects.

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References:

Fish Oil Study University of Maryland

Fish Oil Study 1

Olive Oil Study
WebMD Olive Oil Article

Vitamin D Mayo Clinic

Vitamin D Linus Pauling Institute

Magnesium and BP

WebMD Grape Seed Extract Article

CoQ10 University of Maryland

Nutritional Value of Fruits and Vegetables is Diminishing

An article about something I've been telling my friends and family members for some time now.  (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37396355/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/?gt1=43001) and reprinted from Prevention Magazine.

Essentially, the gist is that the amount of nutrients we get from eating fruits and vegetables has been decreasing steadily over the years.  This is due to modern farming techniques.  Why is this important?  When trying to decide if you should take supplements, the #1 argument is, "I get what I need from what I eat".  However, studies have shown that generally, people do not eat well enough to receive all the essential nutrients they need for optimal health.  This latest study simply makes the process even more difficult.

For instance, to get 400IU of Vitamin E, you would need to eat about 29lbs of spinach every day.  If you decide to take a multi-vitamin to fill in those gaps in your diet, make sure you take a high quality, pharmaceutical grade supplement that follows GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices).  This is the only way you can be sure you are getting the most bioavailable form of the nutritionals you are taking.  And guaranteed to break down and be free of toxins.  Don't fall for the cheapest vitamin at the corner store because the old adage holds true:  You get what you pay for.

To Your Health

General Discussion

Today, I had a great conversation with a friend of my Aunt's about vitamins.  She had several excellent questions...all valid...and all that I've heard before.  Rather than posting a recent study or new info, I though I would share some of that info with you here.

A question was raised referring to the fact that many people don't feel any different when taking vitamins.  My response is always, "How do you know?".  Let's just say you are taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil to try and lower your cholesterol.  Can you actually SEE or FEEL your cholesterol coming down?  Or how about your blood pressure?  Unless you are monitoring your BP at home, you really can't see or feel a difference.  The point is, just because you can't SEE or FEEL as difference, doesn't mean changes aren't happening in your body.

Your body is made up of billions of cells.  Every day, cells die and new cell regenerate.  In fact, in the span of 9-12 months your body will regenerate all new cells.  Yes, in 1 year you are a "new person".  The trick is to get rid of the bad cells in your body and and keep the old healthy cells, as well as the new cells, healthy.

Cells become bad through a process called oxidation.  And how does that happen you ask?  Think of a car left out in the rain for an extended period of time.  What happens?  It rusts, or oxidizes.  The same thing is happening in your body.  And to fight that, you need to take anti-oxidants.  Free Radicals are the cause and they carry a charge with them.

A quick analogy is this.  Remember when you were young and you would rub a balloon on your head and stick it to a wall?  You are giving the balloon a static charge.  That charge is what causes it to stick to the wall.  Likewise, let's take cholesterol as an example.  If cholesterol becomes charged in your body, it sticks to the walls of your arteries.  But if it's NOT charged, it won't stick to the walls and won't create blockages.  Therefore, the way to combat damage to your arteries is to make sure your cholesterol doesn't become charged from free radicals.

Dr. Ladd McNamara has an excellent book call 'The Cholesterol Conspiracy ' which details this further.  But for now, it's worthwhile knowing the basics.

Keep this in mind when thinking about free radicals.  Smoking (1) cigarette creates 1 quadrillion free radicals in your body (http://www.hyperhealth.com/demo/free_radicals.htm).  OK, that sounds like a big number, but have you even HEARD of a "quadrillion".  Oh, it's a number.  Let me put in into perspective.  If you spent $1 Million dollars every DAY since Christ was born (AD 0) that would equal $733 Billion Dollars.  A quadrillion is the next step after a billion.  That's a lot.  And we are exposed to free radicals every day.

Ben Franklin once said, "An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure".  Those are words to live by.  Literally.

Vitamin D May Combat Asthma

From Dr. Ray Strand's Newsletter:

Here is another benefit of maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D above 60 ng/ml.  Researchers at the National Jewish Health Center in Denver Colorado showed that optimal levels of vitamin D improved all aspects of lung function as it decreased the risk of asthma.  Of the fifty four pariticipants studied, the lower the vitamin D status of the individual, the lower their lung function.  The researchers concluded that vitamin D influences a number of important features of asthma, including lung function, bronchospasm, and response to treatment.  Just another reason to be sure that your vitamin D levels are adequate.  I personally recommend that all of my patients have their vitamin D levels checked by ordering a 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum level.  You want this level to be at least above 50 ng/ml and at optimally greater than 60 ng/ml.