In this week’s Gary Null’s Newsletter:
• Vitamin Supplements
• Show Notes
• Recipe for Venice Noodle Soup
Vitamin Supplements
One-quarter to one-third of Americans currently take vitamin supplements. Thousands of different vitamin and mineral supplements are on the market today. Research has shown that supplements can not only help reverse nutritional deficiencies but also maintain physical as well as emotional health.
More and more, we are learning that supplements can help people fight certain illnesses and diseases. A study of more than 5,000 women revealed that high sunlight exposure and vitamin D intake of at least 200 international units per day decreased the risk for developing breast cancer. Vitamin A has been found to prevent cataracts, heart disease, and cancer. Vitamin E has been shown to boost the immune system, cut the risk of prostate cancer, and lower the risk of heart disease. Vitamin C can prevent the progression of osteoarthritis and has been found to lower blood lead levels in smokers....
Sorting the Hype from the Science
Sorting out the hype from science about supplements is not always easy for the professional let alone the average person. So many claims have been made by so many different people. Over $3 billion is being spent annually by consumers. It has become a very big business. Sorting our way through this can be challenging.
Vitamin supplements are classified by the Food and Drug Administration as foods rather than drugs. Therefore they are not tightly regulated in regard to manufacturing standards, purity standards, ingredient standards, or dosages. As over-the-counter medications the general public is free to take whatever they may believe is healthy without regard to potential toxicity or to potential interactions with other medications they may be taking. And there is no consensus right now about what a healthy dose is.
It can be difficult to know whose judgment to trust and what information we need to make our own decisions. Which supplements have undergone extensive research? What reports have been published in scientific medical journals? Dr. Michael Janson is a former president of the American Preventative Medical Association and author of The Vitamin Revolution. He graduated from Boston University School of Medicine and has served as program chairperson of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine.
Dr. Janson has this to say about published reports of supplements. "Quite a few have been reported on in many medical journals. Unfortunately sometimes the authors of these published articles found themselves later having trouble getting research grants. It was obvious that a lot of political things were going on. I think it becomes a little clearer when you realize about two-thirds of the pages of these journals are filled with ads from drug companies. You understand just how much of an influence the drug industry has on the way medicine is practiced. I think there is clearly a lot of influence that the drug companies have in suppressing information about supplements that might replace some of their medications. The medical profession has taken a stand that if you eat what they call a balanced diet you don't need dietary supplements. We know from the research that that isn't true. But it has been difficult for the medical profession to accept that what they have been saying for 40 years is incorrect. It puts them in a bad light. They are gradually starting to realize that number one, the evidence for the value supplements is overwhelming and number two, the public demand is overwhelming. They are gradually starting to change."
Shopping for Supplements
What types of supplements are best and how much should they cost? Dr. Janson some advice. "There are several guidelines I recommend. One is to shop around, a typical thing that Americans are used to doing. Find different price ranges for different supplements. For instance, find the standardized extract and the number of milligrams of something like ginkgo extract and note the price.
"Then go to a big chain store or discount place and find the same supplement with the same number of milligrams but at a lower price. If it is too cheap by far it might not be the right substance. Or if the price is too high you might be able to get it at a more reasonable price. Sometimes you can find a good deal on a supplement. Some stores offer a two-for-one special. There is nothing wrong with that.
"Another concern I have is the typical drugstore or the supermarket variety of multivitamins, the type you take one-per-day that is supposed to have everything in it. First of all, generally it doesn't have everything in it. And generally it doesn't have a large enough dose to be therapeutic, based on the research we are seeing today. I recommend that you do not get those. They also frequently have artificial colors, glazes and coatings and things that prevent their dissolving or disintegrating so that your body can use them. What you want to look for is generally a health food store brand that will be a better quality product. This is not always the case but I think it is more reliable to get them from a health food store or from a health food chain mail order company where the product itself is a brand name.
"The one-per-day types are artificially colored with red or whatever color to make them look nice but it doesn't make them more effective. In fact it probably makes them less effective. So pricing and quality of the supplement is important."
Time Released Vitamins
"People ask about time released vitamins because they reason that the vitamins would last longer in the body," Dr. Janson says. "They know the water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B complex vitamins go into your bloodstream after they get absorbed. They may not last long because they get excreted through the kidneys and out into the urine. There are several problems with some, but not all, of the time released vitamins. For one they may not dissolve early enough in the intestinal tract. Vitamins need to be absorbed at specific locations in the and gut if they don't disintegrate in time you may not get the value of the supplement. Particularly with vitamin C the time release form is a slow dissolving tablet that might gradually get into the bloodstream but never achieves the peak level that you get when you take a plain vitamin C. The plain form of vitamin C is absorbed more rapidly and will create a higher blood level although it lasts for a shorter time.
"The high blood level itself can be very important for helping kill viruses, enhancing immune function, or helping to detoxify the system. You need to get a high level in the bloodstream to start removing the toxins from your body.
"It is true that when you take a larger dose you may not absorb all of it because not everything will get absorbed. What gets excreted, though, is not a bad thing because when it gets excreted it helps the urinary tract. The kidneys, bladder and the urethra help to prevent infections, cancers, or inflammatory conditions so the vitamins that get excreted can also be beneficial. The time released ones may not give you all the benefits.
"However there are situations where time released forms can be a value. One example is iron. Some people do not tolerate iron supplements very well and get stomach upset or constipation. If they take a time release iron they generally tolerate it better.
"Another supplement I have found of value in time release form is niacin or vitamin B3. Plain niacin can cause flushing of the skin as though you have a mild sunburn because of histamine release. It is not a harmful reaction and although it can be severe it does not last more than 15 or 20 minutes. With the time release form people generally do not get the flush reaction. I give people with low blood sugar 250 milligrams of time released niacin two or three times a day and it does help reduce their hypoglycemia symptoms. And they don't get the flushing reaction.
There is also naturally non-flush niacin form called inositol hexaniacinite or by its brand name No-Flush Niacin. It does not cause the mild histamine reaction." "I also routinely use time release 3 milligram tablets of melatonin. Your body's melatonin level peaks at 2:00 in the morning. If you take a tablet of melatonin when you go to bed at 10:00 or 11:00, you may not be getting the peak at the time when your body would normally be expecting it. So a time released melatonin might work better for somebody who needs to take melatonin. I give it for number of reasons, one of which it helps reduce tumor growth in cancer cells."
Other Dietary Supplements
Dr. Janson also tells us about other types of supplements, "I think people should be aware that there are many things besides vitamins and minerals that enhance health. Vitamins and minerals are important but there are also other dietary supplements--nutriceutical is a fancy word for dietary supplements that combines the word nutrition with pharmaceutical. Phytochemicals are sometimes referred to as nutriceuticals. Phytochemicals are found in plants and have many different chemical and biological effects to enhance health, including things like flavonoids, isoflavones, and pigments. We've read of red wine extract or red wine itself or grape seed extract helping with either allergies or heart disease or cholesterol levels or immune function. Flavonoids are extracts of green foods that help with different things for example alfalfa and barley.
"Some people have reported importance in arthritis and many of the herbs contain a lot of these substances and have their therapeutic value because of the substances they contain that are either related to flavonoids or substitutes for them. Some of these things are available, in addition to just the herb itself, but as standardized extracts of the herbs. Again, sometimes people call them nutriceuticals but that doesn't make them much different from other nutritional factors. People should be aware that they shouldn't pay a special price just because something is called a nutriceutical if it is the same thing that can be found in a dietary supplement."
More on Phytochemicals
Relatively recent additions to the world of health, phytochemicals are plant chemicals that contain substances that protect the body while fighting disease. More than 900 various phytochemicals have been isolated as elements of food, and new phytochemicals are still being discovered. To give you an idea about how many phytochemicals there are, if you were to eat one serving of vegetables, you'd be exposing yourself to well over 100 different kinds of phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals have been shown to treat and prevent all the four major causes of death in the United States: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. (Remember, any substance that reverses a disease also can prevent it.) For example, in the aforementioned "one serving of a vegetable," are numerous phytochemicals with low estrogenic activity that have been shown to benefit both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.
During menopause, when estrogen levels are low, ingesting these "phytoestrogens" can bring about an increase in estrogenic activity. Soy, which has phytoestrogen activity, has been shown to be helpful in reducing hot flashes and vaginal dryness in menopausal women. Phytoestrogens also lessen the likelihood of breast cancer. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts (the cruciferous vegetables) possess an abundant supply of compounds that mimic the activities of estrogen, thereby defending the breast against cancer.
From Get Healthy Now: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment, and Healthy Living, with Gary Null. Senior project editor Amy McDonald. Seven Stories Press.
Note that we are continually seeing new scientific studies on vitamins. Tune in daily to Gary's broadcast to keep up on this growing body of information.
Show Notes
from 02 15 22
Alpha-lipoic acid and cholesterol
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Iran), February 14 2022.
Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research indicated that supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid was associated with improvements in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. Researchers at Tabriz university of Medical Sciences in Iran selected 12 randomized, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated the association between supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid and lipid levels among a total of 548 participants. Analysis of all 12 studies (which included data concerning triglycerides) found a significant reduction in triglycerides in association with alpha-lipoic acid. Dose-response analysis found a nonlinear relationship of LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels with alpha-lipoic acid dosage that was dependent upon the duration of treatment.
Positive attitudes about aging reduce risk of dementia in older adults
Yale University, February 7, 2022
Research has shown that older persons who have acquired positive beliefs about old age from their surrounding culture are less likely to develop dementia. This protective effect was found for all participants, as well as among those carrying a gene that puts them at higher risk of developing dementia, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health has found. Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study reports that older persons with positive age beliefs who carry one of the strongest risk factors for developing dementia—the ε4 variant of the APOE gene —were nearly 50% less likely to develop the disease than their peers who held negative age beliefs.
Running helps brain stave off effects of chronic stress
Exercise protects vital memory and learning functions Brigham Young University, February 14, 2022
Most people agree that getting a little exercise helps when dealing with stress. A new BYU study discovers exercise — particularly running — while under stress also helps protect your memory. The study, newly published in the journal of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, finds that running mitigates the negative impacts chronic stress has on the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. “Exercise is a simple and cost-effective way to eliminate the negative impacts on memory of chronic stress,” said study lead author Jeff Edwards, associate professor of physiology and developmental biology at BYU. Inside the hippocampus, memory formation and recall occur optimally when the synapses or connections between neurons are strengthened over time. That process of synaptic strengthening is called long-term potentiation (LTP). Chronic or prolonged stress weakens the synapses, which decreases LTP and ultimately impacts memory. Edwards’ study found that when exercise co-occurs with stress, LTP levels are not decreased, but remain normal.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Why It’s Healthier Than Other Cooking Oils
University of Hertfordshire (UK), February 14, 2022
Numerous studies have shown that consuming olive oil—in particular extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)—can have many different benefits for our health. For example, the Spanish PREDIMED study (the largest randomised control trial ever conducted on the Mediterranean diet) showed that women who ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil had a 62% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who were advised to eat a low-fat diet. Experts who have since examined multiple scientific studies looking at the Mediterranean diet and its effect on chronic diseases conclude that a primary reason the diet protects against breast cancer is because of EVOO. There’s also evidence that EVOO may protect against type 2 diabetes and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. Alongside its fat, EVOO contains many natural substances, such as polyphenols. Polyphenols occur naturally in plants, and have been linked to many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive disorders.
Find these show notes at: https://prn.live/the-gary-null-show-notes-02-15-22/
Recipe for Venice Noodle Soup
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced
6 cups water
1 potato, sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
¼ cup sliced button mushrooms
½ cup broccoli florets
2 cups uncooked noodles
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and celery until the onion is translucent.
Add the water, potato, parsley, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and salt and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and noodles and simmer for about 10 minutes until the noodles are cooked.
This recipe is only gluten-free if you use gluten-free noodles, and there are many tasty options available at your health food store these days.
From: Anti-Arthritis Anti-Inflammation Cookbook: Healing Through Natural Foods. By Gary Null, PhD. Essential Publishing
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About Gary Null
An internationally renowned expert in the field of health and nutrition, Gary Null, Ph.D is the author of over 70 best-selling books on healthy living and the director of over 100 critically acclaimed full-feature documentary films on natural health, self-empowerment and the environment. He is the host of ‘The Progressive Commentary Hour” and “The Gary Null Show”, the country’s longest running nationally syndicated health radio talk show which can be heard daily on here on the Progressive Radio Network.
Throughout his career, Gary Null has made hundreds of radio and television broadcasts throughout the country as an environmentalist, consumer advocate, investigative reporter and nutrition educator. More than 28 different Gary Null television specials have appeared on PBS stations throughout the nation, inspiring and motivating millions of viewers. He originated and completed more than one hundred major investigations on health issues resulting in the use of material by 20/20 and 60 Minutes. Dr. Null started this network to provide his followers with a media outlet for health and advocacy. For more of Dr. Null’s Work visit the Gary Null’s Work Section or Blog.GaryNull.com In addition to the Progressive Radio Network, Dr. Null has a full line of all-natural home and healthcare products that can be purchased at his Online Store.
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