I used to think the FDA was interested in protecting my health. Was I wrong! They may be helpful in identifying foods contaminated by E. coli or salmonella. But when it comes to drug approval, the Food and Drug Administration is protecting the interests of pharmaceutical companies — and coming down hard on supplement companies at the same time.
First they came after weight loss products. They pulled many safe ones off the market for fear of expensive litigation. Now they're going after supplements that can help regulate diabetes. Instead of giving us more choices, they're giving us less.
While they're sending stern warning letters to supplement companies, they're giving a quick okay to new diabetes drugs. Like Exubera, an inhaled insulin powder from Pfizer. The FDA gave Exubera their seal of approval in January 2006, but Pfizer is holding back its launch date because they discovered the drug can cause lung damage. Why didn't the FDA discover this? This is a much more serious side effect than you'll get from taking a nutritional supplement.
The FDA keeps approving new drugs even though many of them have side effects. They're also approving more expensive drugs that are really identical to less expensive drugs that are already on the market.
The FDA approved Byetta, a single dose drug-in-a-syringe that lowers blood sugar on an as-needed basis. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, dizziness, and headaches.
hey approved Merck's new drug, Januvia, which costs $3 to $6 a day. Representatives from Merck announced that Januvia lowered blood sugar levels as much as glipizide, an older drug. Glipizide costs $.50 a day.
It's time to treat the lifestyle causes of adult onset diabetes — obesity, a poor diet, and lack of exercise — not just rely on insulin. Nutritional supplements play a significant role in this approach. But the FDA doesn't want you to take them.
Drugs are good, supplements are bad
This is the message we're getting from the FDA. They're warning supplement companies to stop misrepresenting their products as being either a cure or treatment for diabetes. Well, inflated and unsubstantiated claims should be stopped. Supplements don't work like insulin. But you may find you can greatly improve your glucose levels by adding certain supplements to your regime.
If you have diabetes, you should always have a health care provider monitor whatever you're taking whether its prescription drugs or nutritional supplements. There can be unsafe interactions between nutritional supplements and drugs just like there are between various drugs. If you're on any medications, ask your pharmacist about possible drug-nutrient and drug-drug interactions.
Pharmaceutical companies may have proven to the satisfaction of the FDA that various diabetes drugs are effective in lowering blood sugar. But the side effects listed for each show they're not completely safe. Many supplements, on the other hand, have few side effects. Their manufacturers just haven't proven to the FDA's satisfaction that they're effective. My suggestion: Start with supplements and use the drugs only if you must. If you're already using the drugs, work with your doctor to introduce the supplements. In time, you may be able to reduce or eliminate your need for insulin.
What you can do
If you have type-2 diabetes, or if you're heading in that direction, start changing your lifestyle today. Lose weight. Stop eating refined sugars and starches. Get enough protein to help keep your blood sugar level. I know it's not easy. But believe me, it's a much better alternative than checking your blood sugar throughout the day and giving yourself insulin shots.
Remember that nutritional supplements are not a replacement for a poor lifestyle. Think of them as "food-in-a-tablet" to be eaten along with other nourishing foods. Don't expect them to act like drugs. They work much more slowly. But they may be all you need if you lose weight, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly.
You may want to educate your doctor about the benefits of nutritional supplements in diabetes treatment. Studies are available on the Internet at www.pubmed.com and some are referenced at the end of this article. Here are some nutrients to check out.
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an anti-oxidant that lowers blood sugar. It also destroys harmful free radicals. Studies show it can greatly help the pain or loss of feeling in hands and feet called peripheral neuropathy. In a three-month study, 75% of patients given 600 mg of ALA a day had fewer symptoms of neuropathy. Twenty percent had no symptoms. If you use ALA, monitor your blood sugar very carefully to make sure you don't lower blood sugar too much. For more information on ALA and diabetes, you may want to read The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough by Burt Berkson, MD, PhD (Prima Health, 1998).
Chromium is an essential trace mineral popularly used to regulate blood sugar. It may be a safer choice when it's used to prevent diabetes than to control it. It can cause insulin to drop too low in diabetics. Brewer's yeast, high in chromium, may be a better choice for diabetics. Add one or two tablespoons to your morning cereal or breakfast drink. This could lower your fasting glucose levels and reduce the amount of insulin you need. If you use chromium supplements (200-500 mcg per day), monitor your blood sugar.
Coenzyme Q10 — This antioxidant is best known for its positive effects on heart and brain function. But studies show it can lower blood sugar as well. A group of diabetics in Australia were given 100 mg of CoQ10 twice a day for three months. The results were encouraging. The CoQ10 had a long-lasting effect of controlling blood sugar levels. This is one of my favorite nutrients because of its known benefits to the heart and brain. Blood sugar control is an added benefit.
Magnesium — There's a correlation between a magnesium deficiency and type-2 diabetes. A large analysis of nine double-blind studies found that people who took around 360 mg of magnesium a day had significantly lower fasting blood sugar compared with the placebo group. Magnesium is my favorite supplement of all. Whenever I look at chronic health problems, I see that magnesium plays a role in an integrative treatment plan. I advise all of my patients to take magnesium to bowel tolerance — enough to soften the stool, but not cause any discomfort.
Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, has antioxidant properties that can affect blood sugar. In a randomized, double-blind study of more than 50 patients with diabetes published in Phytotherapy Research, those who took 200 mg of this herb three times a day for four months along with their conventional diabetes therapy had improved liver function and improved fasting blood-sugar levels. Although the researchers don't know exactly how milk thistle improved blood sugar in diabetics, they feel there's definitely a role for this herb in its treatment.
Be careful
Don't be taken in by deceptive advertising either by pharmaceutical companies or supplement companies. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Look at the studies behind each product you're thinking of putting in your body. And become familiar with its potential side effects as well as its benefits.
While nutrients that protect against diabetes aren't always a replacement for insulin and other prescription medications, they can help reduce the need for these drugs in many cases. And by improving your lifestyle and including nutritional supplements into your regime, you may, in time, be able to forgo the medications. Find a doctor who is willing to work with you to reach this goal.
Berkson, B. The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough, Prima, 1998.
Hodgson, J.M., et al. "Coenzyme Q10 improves blood pressure and glycemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2 diabetes," Eur J Clin Nutr, November 2002.
Huseini, H.F., et al. "The efficacy of Silybum marianum (l) Gaertn (silymarin) in the treatment of type II diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial," Phytotherapy Research, October 2006.JAMA. 2007;297:842-857
Kimura, C. "New oral drug approved by the FDA," www.bellaonline.com, 2006.
Lima, Mde L. "Magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus," Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol, December 2005.
Negrisanu, G., et al. "Effects of 3-month treatment with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid in diabetic peripheral neuropathy," Rom J Intern Med, July-September 1999.
Song, Y., et al. "Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind control trials," Diabetes Med, October 2006.
www.diabetes.co.uk/vitamins-supplements.html
www.nccam.gov
Your Antacids Are Putting You at Risk for Thyroid Problems and a Broken Hip
If you're taking that little purple pill, Nexium, for acid reflux — watch out.
If you use Tums or other antacids because some foods don't agree with you — you could be headed for trouble.
I've warned you about the dangers of antacids before. They don't solve heartburn problems. They only treat its symptoms. And they reduce your ability to digest and utilize protein, calcium, magnesium, and iron. This means you could be eating the right foods and still be deficient in one or more of these nutrients. In addition, stomach acid kills off bacteria that can lead to stomach infections (such as H. pylori), which, in turn, can cause stomach ulcers and gastritis.
As if all that wasn't bad enough, new studies indicate that antacids interfere with the absorption of your thyroid medication and increase your risk for a broken hip. If you take antacids, this is a good time to re-evaluate what you're taking and why. And to look for a safer solution.
Your thyroid and antacids
You don't need stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, or HCl) just to help break down and utilize proteins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. You need HCl to utilize your thyroid medication.
If your T4 blood test is low, you have an underactive thyroid and you're probably taking oral thyroxine. Thyroxine is T4. You should have 20 times as much T4 as T3, another thyroid hormone. But if you're using any antacids, you're reducing stomach acid, which is needed to absorb thyroxine.
A group of Italian researchers discovered that people with low stomach-acid secretion who were taking thyroxine needed between 22% to 34% more thyroid hormone than those with normal secretions. All of the participants in this study had a goiter. And all of them had some form of reduced acid secretion.
If you're taking any antacid, remember that it can affect the levels of a number of medications. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure your medications are working for you at the prescribed levels, and that there are no negative interactions. People who take antacids and thyroid medications are frequently asked to separate them by two to four hours. This isn't possible if you're taking a long-acting antacid, like Nexium.
Hip fractures
But antacids don't just cause problems for people on thyroid medication. They negatively affect everyone who takes them. And women are especially susceptible. A recent study published in JAMA found that if you've been taking antacids for more than a year, you have a 44% increased risk of breaking your hip! Your risk for hip fracture is based on how long you take antacids as well as their strength. Nexium, for instance, is stronger than Tums and puts you at a higher risk than the over-the-counter antacid.
Nexium is just one of a number of prescription antacids called proton pump inhibitors (PPI). It may get rid of your heartburn, but PPI therapy also decreases calcium absorption and bone density. What's more, 20% of people who break their hips due to PPIs die during the first year after their fracture. The same percentage needs nursing home care. And while this study examined the effects of PPIs that are stronger than over-the-counter antacids, a second study published last year (Calcif Tissue Int) found that common antacids also contribute to hip and spine fractures.
Forget the costs of health care. A broken hip, especially in later years, is a life-changing event that you want to avoid at all costs. The researchers of this study suggest that older patients who need high doses of PPIs increase their dietary calcium and calcium supplements. But too much calcium without enough magnesium creates other problems, such as arthritis and heart disease.
I have a better solution — avoid antacids
If you have acid reflux, first repair your digestive tract. As surprising as it may seem, you actually need more stomach acid, not less. I explained this in an article that appeared in June 2003 ("Take acid – not antacids — to end your heartburn"). You can find this article on my website.
For those of you who don't have computers, this information is in my new book (The Health Detective's 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets). This book is now available through bookstores. But you can get it free just by renewing your subscription (800-728-2288).
Indigestion and acid reflux are indications either of a poor diet or poor digestion. Begin by chewing your food extra well. If that's not enough, take a good probiotic (friendly bacteria) to help with your digestion and to help fight bad bacteria. Some of the more expensive brands, such as Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics 12 Plus are excellent (877-262-7843). But you may find that more affordable products — like Advanced Probiotic Formula (Advanced Bionutritionals, 800-728-2288) — work well for you.
Next come digestive enzymes. They help you digest protein, fats, and starches. Lower your total fat intake and take a digestive enzyme with each meal for three to six months. You can find enzymes in any health food store. Or you can call ProThera (888-488-2488) and try a bottle of their TheraGest. I've used it successfully with many of my patients.
Antacids treat symptoms. They don't address the core of a problem, and they lead to more health risks. I don't believe in just treating symptoms.
"Acid suppression medication linked with increased risk of hip fracture," JAMA, December 27, 2006.
Centanni, M., MD, et al. "Thyroxine in goiter, Helicobacter pylori infection, and chronic gastritis," NEJM, April 27, 2006.
Vestergaard, P., et al. "Proton pump inhibitors, histamine H2 receptor antagonists, and other antacid medications and the risk of fracture," Calcif Tissue Int, August 2006.
Surprising News for Coffee Lovers … It's Good for You!
Years ago, a local doctor sent one of his patients to me for nutritional counseling. The young man had a number of health problems that couldn't be resolved because he drank a lot of coffee. I mean a lot. Fifty cups a day!
What could I possibly say to him? Would he be willing to cut his coffee consumption in half? That was still too much. Instead of making any suggestions, I asked him what the fewest number of cups he could drink would be. His answer astonished me. "Two," he said. And two it was. His health problems were quickly resolved and he was happy that he didn't have to give up coffee entirely. In fact, drinking a few cups a day could improve his health.
Most of my patients are relieved to find that I don't "take away" their morning brew. That's because I know that a few cups of coffee aren't going to harm the majority of people. And new studies are confirming what I've thought for a long time — coffee is actually good for your health.
That's right. Most people will actually benefit from drinking this popular beverage. It could be beneficial for a number of conditions: diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, cancer, and liver disease.
Since I talked earlier about various drugs and nutrients for type-2 diabetes, let's start by looking at coffee's role in this disease. There are literally dozens of studies that concluded that drinking coffee protects against getting type-2 diabetes. Drinking coffee is associated with better glucose tolerance. One reason may be due to protective nutrients it contains, including heart-protective magnesium and a number of antioxidants. This protection is particularly good news for all women, because diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease – the number one killer of postmenopausal women.
The benefits of coffee are less clear with heart disease itself. This is because caffeine can cause arrhythmias in a small number of people who are not used to drinking it. And a recent Canadian study found that drinking coffee increased the incidents of non-fatal heart attacks. But only in people with a genetic predisposition for slow caffeine metabolism. In a Finnish study, people with type-2 diabetes who drank coffee had fewer deaths from heart disease. Most people seem to adapt to caffeine, and it doesn't contribute to heart problems.
What about high blood pressure? Coffee lowers blood pressure in some people, slightly raises it in others, and has no effect in another group. So check your blood pressure after drinking a cup or more of coffee. When you look at the best studies — random controlled trials — you find that avoiding coffee has little if any effect on raising blood pressure.
Coffee can raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol. But only when you boil it. This is because boiled coffee contains cholesterol-raising fats called cafestol and kahweol. These fats are removed by coffee filters. So if you make filtered coffee, it should have no negative effects on your cholesterol. And remember, coffee contains antioxidants that can help lower free radicals.
There is no association between coffee and an increased risk of getting various cancers. But two recent studies found a lower risk of breast and liver cancers in coffee drinkers. This may be due to its antioxidants or other chemicals that haven't been thoroughly studied as yet. Coffee also protects against cirrhosis of the liver, especially in heavy drinkers.
What's bad about coffee?
The caffeine can keep you awake at night and prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. And it causes stomach upset and heartburn in some people. But drinking one to four cups a day appears to be both safe and beneficial.
The pesticides on non-organic coffee probably cause the most harm. They certainly do for the young women who harvest coffee beans. I've talked before about the buildup of toxins from pesticides and other environmental pollutants that can cause numerous health problems. So please, drink organic coffee.
A little aside: At one time in my life, I drank too much coffee — around 15 cups a day. To stop my addiction, I switched to tea. Now I drink a few cups of coffee on weekends or when I'm traveling. The rest of the time, I prefer the taste and lower amount of caffeine in green and black teas, and in yerba maté. The beverage you choose to drink is all a matter of preference. The amount you drink is a matter of knowledge and discipline. Since moderate amounts of coffee are safe, limit your intake to a few cups of organic coffee a day.
Bidel, S., et al. "Coffee consumption and risk of total and cardiovascular mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes," Diabetologia, November 2006.
Nutrition Research Review, Arbor Clinical Nutrition Updates, November 2006.
Ask Dr. Nan
Q: For a few years, I used skin care products containing argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3, known as AH-3). Many people call it natural botox. While I was using the products, I got numerous cold sores. AH-3 comes from the amino acid arginine. I contacted several skin-care companies. But they were no help. Can you help? — J.D., via e-mail
A: Janet Zand, who formulated skin care products under the ZMei label, is a big help. Their products contain no AH-3. I've talked about these products in the past because I've had such remarkable results using them. I contacted Janet after hearing from you and this is what she said:
"I love l-arginine because it does so many things for the skin. But I'm afraid your reader is correct. L-arginine is an antagonist to lysine. It can cause an imbalance that leads to opportunistic cold sores/herpes virus, etc. Certain people who already have a sensitivity will be more prone to breakouts. I recommend people with cold sores avoid using products with any form of l-arginine."
If you have any problem in finding skin care products without l-arginine, or if you just want to try the ZMei products, call 800-576-0232 or visit their website at www.zmei.net.
Q: I am allergic to glucosamine, but would like to take it for joint pain. Do you have any suggestions for what I can use that doesn't contain glucosamine? — G.G., e-mail
A: If you have joint pain caused by inflammation, there are plenty of other natural anti-inflammatory herbs, nutrients, and formulas. Glucosamine isn't your only option. But before you rush to order a supplement, I suggest you read more about the causes of inflammation. There are plenty of lifestyle changes that can help reduce its pain.
Go to my website and do a search on inflammation. You'll be able to read everything I've written on the subject both in weekly health alerts and in this newsletter. Be sure to begin by cleaning up your diet. Sugar and animal proteins both contribute to inflammation. It doesn't make sense to take expensive supplements if you're not eating the right diet to support your healing.
Some good anti-inflammatory supplements include MSM, ginger, turmeric, and rosemary. I've used an excellent formula from ProThera (888-488-2488) called InflaThera. It's twice as potent and half the price of Zyflamend, a popular formula found in health food stores. And both are free of glucosamine.
Incidentally, if you're allergic to seafood, the source of glucosamine, it doesn't mean you're allergic to glucosamine. The manufacturing process removes the allergens. It's possible that you're not allergic to it at all. Talk with you health care provider about this.
Good News About Vitamin D
I've talked about getting very high doses of vitamin D to prevent cancer, increase bone density, and prevent or treat colds and flu. In the fall and winter months, few people can get much vitamin D, even if they spend time outdoors every day. Therapeutic amounts are from 2,000 to 5,000 IU, but most supplements contain 1,000 IU at best.
I've found a 5,000 IU capsule from ProThera (888-488-2488). This means I can take one capsule a day now, and use a lesser amount when I'm gardening or kayaking in the summer. What's more, it costs less than a dollar a week.