All drugs have side effects. That's why I look for alternatives for you like diet, exercise, and nutrient therapy. Sometimes medications are your best option — especially when they're used short-term. Other times they just seem so much easier than making lifestyle changes that you may be tempted to take a pill and hope it won't hurt you.
Often, it does.
I've come across four popular pharmaceuticals that all have similar side effects: They contribute to heart disease. You could be taking a drug for your diabetes or arthritis that seems to be safe, and end up causing a more serious condition.
I must admit that these drugs are effective. Anti-diabetic drugs do prevent type-2 diabetes. Arthritis drugs often do block the pain from arthritis. Cholesterol-lowering drugs do lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. But all of them come with a price: an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. And they put you at a higher risk for dying of heart disease.
I'm not suggesting you stop taking any medications. I'm also not suggesting that you avoid a medication if it's absolutely your best option. But my hope is that this article will encourage you to have a serious discussion with your physician to see how you can avoid these increased risks for heart disease. More likely than not, there are other options. You may have to make some changes in your lifestyle, but that's better than dying of a heart attack, isn't it?
Which are you choosing?
You may be unwittingly choosing heart disease over diabetes without realizing it. Two oral anti-diabetic drugs are known to harm the heart. These drugs, pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia), belong to a classification called thiazolidinediones (TZDs), They control blood sugar all right. The problem is, both of these medications can increase your risk for congestive heart failure.
Unfortunately, that's not all.
In a study published late last year, researchers found that Avandia can actually increase your risk for a heart attack and death. In fact, these scientists warned doctors not to wait for Avandia to be taken off the market. They wanted doctors to stop using it for all of their diabetic patients who are at risk for heart disease.
Their request fell on deaf ears.
In spite of these findings, an FDA advisory panel decided not to take Avandia off the market. Why? Even with the recommendations from scientists, the panel claimed there was insufficient evidence.
The problems with Avandia don't end with heart disease. It can also increase your risk for osteoporosis, especially if you take it long-term like most people do. That's because this drug causes bones to become weak and break easily. Here's why:
Bone is living tissue. It constantly breaks down and rebuilds. There's a delicate balance between the deposit of new bone and the removal of old bone. While Avandia is treating your blood sugar, it's also stimulating the cells that break down bone and depressing the cells that build bone. This means that your body is destroying bone faster than it's replenishing it. When you take Avandia, you run the risk of both heart disease and osteoporosis.
This cholesterol-lowering drug builds plaque
Vytorin is a new drug that combines two familiar drugs: Zetia and Zocor. Zetia lowers cholesterol, and Zocor is a statin. The reason for designing this combined drug is strictly financial. Merck's patent for Zocor ran out in 2006. Vytorin is their solution for turning an inexpensive generic statin into a patentable and profitable product. The problem is, some top cardiologists say it not only doesn't work, it contributes to clogged arteries.
Researchers released the results of a two-year study 21 months after the study was completed. In this study, they gave some patients Zetia alone, while giving the others Vytorin. Here's what they found: Patients who took Zetia alone (the cholesterol-lowering drug) reduced their LDL cholesterol by 41%. Patients who took the combined drug (Vytorin), had an even lower LDL (58%). Sounds great, doesn't it?
It's not.
The patients on Vytorin had twice the amount of artery-clogging plaque as those who took Zetia alone. This high buildup of plaque cancelled out any benefits from lowering "bad" cholesterol. Either taken alone or in Vytorin, no one has ever proven that Zetia reduces heart attacks or has any medical benefits.
Dr. Steven E. Nissen is the chairman of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute. According to U.S. News & World Report, this has been the #1 heart center in the country for 13 years. Dr. Nissen flat out said about Vytorin, "This drug doesn't work. Period. This is as bad a result for the drug as anybody could have feared."
Dr. Nissen is concerned that millions of people are taking a drug that raises their risk of heart attacks and puts them at risk for possible side effects. Just because it lowered LDL levels doesn't mean it prevented any disease, or lowered deaths from heart disease.
It's your choice: arthritis pain or arrhythmias?
Celebrex is a well-known drug that reduces pain from arthritis. It blocks the inflammatory enzyme COX-2, which reduces pain. You may remember that Vioxx, another COX-2 inhibitor. Its manufacturer had to pull it off the market a few years ago when studies found it increased your risk for heart attacks and stroke. Well, the same goes for Celebrex.
And more. But no one's talking about it.
Laboratory studies show that even taking low amounts of Celebrex causes irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). It does this by blocking potassium — a mineral essential to heart health — from getting in and out of heart cells.
Now, arrhythmias can be life-threatening medical emergencies that lead to cardiac arrest and death. Or they can simply be minor annoyances that don't lead to anything serious. It all depends on the type of arrhythmia you have.
But when you're messing with the heart's electrical circuitry, you're risking problems with your heart. If you take any COX-2 inhibitors, like Celebrex, and you notice you've had some irregular heartbeats, speak with your doctor about this. Better yet, have a work-up from a cardiologist to make sure you're all right.
Bottom line: All of these medications can be dangerous. Check with your doctor to make sure they aren't causing any problems. After you've seen your doctor, consider switching from any of these to a more natural solution. The best heart treatment is a great alternative for any of these potentially harmful drugs. It's completely safe and is my all-time favorite supplement for any kind of heart disease, as well as other chronic illnesses. The solution: magnesium. Magnesium stops arrhythmias, rather than causing them. Magnesium reduces your risk for diabetes. Magnesium relaxes your arteries and prevents calcium deposits. And magnesium alleviates arthritis pain. My rule of thumb is: when in doubt, take magnesium. Take as much as your bowels can tolerate, up to 1,000 mg/day.
Diabetes drug Avandia could weaken bones, www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_58326.html.
Journal of the American Medical Association, December 12, 2007.
Moss, Ralph W., PhD. The Moss Report, January 27, 2008.
University at Buffalo (2008, January 25). "Popular Arthritis Drug May Disrupt Heart Rhythm, New Research Finds." ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com.
These "Health" Drinks Are Making Beverage Companies Rich ... But How Much Will They Profit Your Health?
Food manufacturers are always looking for the next gimmick that can earn them millions of dollars. If a product is healthful, all the better. Recently, a number of companies have hit upon a category of products that are making a big splash in the market. They found a way to make beverages healthier.'
A friend of mine who was president of the largest wholesale organic produce company in the world once told me that products containing water make companies the most money. This includes juices, sodas, and ... plain old bottled water. They've become so popular that they've flooded the market. You can now find them in health food stores and supermarkets alike.
Thirst-quenching beverages used to be limited to water and juices. Now, bottled water companies have beverages containing a sprinkling of vitamins. Or herbs that you're told will make you smarter, boost your immune system, and generally improve your health. But will they? Or are they just lightening your wallet?
Vitamin waters, juices, and sodas may sound healthful, but you're really buying an illusion. There aren't enough vitamins or herbs in most of these products to do much of anything except make cash registers go "ka-ching."
You'd be better off saving your money and drinking green tea — hot or iced. Or take a good quality multivitamin. One that is high enough in quality that your body can break it down and absorb it. And one that's high enough in nutrients to make a difference in your health.
Here is a random sampling of some of the new beverages on the market. Read about them, read their labels, and then decide if they're worth buying.
Vitamin waters
Propel is a low-calorie (10 per serving), naturally flavored "fitness water." The folks who make it (and Gatorade) say it "helps you feel better during your workout and your day." Yet the amount of nutrients it contains is negligible and their quality is unknown.
By comparison, look at a supportive multivitamin, which contains around 100 mg each of niacin and pantothenic acid. A serving of Propel has 5 mg of niacin and 2.5 mg of pantothenic acid. It has even less vitamin B6. Propel also contains antioxidants to neutralize free radicals. I doubt that many of them are destroyed by its paltry 3 IU of vitamin E and 6 mg of vitamin C.
The first ingredient in Propel after water is sucrose (sugar). Sucralose, or Splenda, a man-made chlorinated sweetener is further down the list.
Weight-loss waters
Kellogg's entered the enhanced water market with their Special K2O Protein water. It has artificial sweeteners and flavors and has only 5 grams of protein – hardly enough to call it a protein drink, in my opinion.
The company makes no direct claims, but when they say "Losing up to 6 lbs in 2 weeks just got easier!" this sure as heck implies it helps you lose weight.
If 5 grams more of protein will make a difference in your protein intake, and you don't mind the artificial taste, try it. But if this amount of protein isn't an issue, add an ounce of pure fruit juice in your water. It's natural, cheaper, and supresses your appetite.
Vitamin juices
Fruit juices are naturally high in antioxidants and have no added nutrients. If they taste good and are affordable, by all means, drink some occasionally. Just don't overdo it. They're high in carbohydrates, and can cause blood sugar spikes and drops.
Bossa Nova sells juices made from organic acai berries — no water added — and sweetened with agave syrup. Agave won't upset your blood sugar, and acai is very high in natural antioxidants (much like blueberry and pomegranate juices). Compare prices and read all labels carefully. Each bottle of Bossa Nova contains 1.2 servings, which translates to 27 grams of carbs per bottle — not the 23 grams on the label.
Minute Maid now has dozens of enhanced juice drinks. They add plant sterols to their Heart Wise orange juice. Since sterols reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol, this juice could support good heart health. Their Multi-Vitamin Enhanced Juice contains only a sprinkling of B vitamins, but it has meaningful amounts of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. Minute Maid Active, with 750 mg of glucosamine per 8-oz serving, could actually reduce joint pain – especially if you drink a few glasses every day. Of course, buying glucosamine supplements would be cheaper.
Vitamin Sodas
Soft drink companies know their sodas aren't healthy. They're either laced with sugar and caffeine or a non-sugar sweetener like aspartame. Now they've added vitamins with the hope that you'll think these sodas are healthy drinks.
Diet Coke Plus is one example of the new, enhanced sodas. The antioxidant version has a bit of added green tea powder and vitamin C. Another version contains a spattering of B vitamins and zinc. Its sweetener is artificial. This soda doesn't contain enough nutrients to support your health.
Whatever small benefits these drinks may have disappear before you get to drink them. Sodas are slightly acidic, and the water-soluble vitamins added to them break down. Refrigeration slows down the breakdown time. If there's a lag time between the factory and the refrigerator in a store or your home, the vitamins in your drink may dwindle to almost nothing.
Energy drinks
There are dozens of energy drinks on the market. Most are high in sugar or caffeine — or both. Many contain taurine, an amino acid that can help lessen muscle fatigue from strenuous exercising.
One example is Hiball Energy, a clear, carbonated drink with no sweeteners. Just a few herbs and B vitamins — and taurine.
It also has guarana, an herb that contains a chemical almost identical to regular caffeine. This drink gives you 105 mg of caffeinated energy — about as much as a cup of coffee.
Before you buy any enhanced beverage, read the label carefully. Some don't have enough nutrients to affect your health.
Others are mostly water and sugar. Not all "health" drinks are healthy.
Feeling Overwhelmed by All Your Supplement Choices? Here's How to Simplify
Do you feel overwhelmed with all the supplements on the market? Do you have a hard time sifting through all the information you receive? There are times when I feel overwhelmed by all the choices — and this is what I do for a living. There are just too many to choose from. So how can you narrow your choices down, get the nutrients you need, and not spend too much money? Let me show you how I do it. The key is to scrutinize, prioritize, and individualize.'
If you really want to get the most out of your supplements, you have to start with your diet. All the supplements in the world can't save you from a poor diet. So before you look at the supplements, ask yourself some tough questions about what you eat. Do you eat healthy foods low in sugar and white flour? Do you eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit each day? Do you get enough protein to keep your muscles toned? Are you exercising regularly?
Maximize your health with the right supplements
Once your diet is on track, it's time to really maximize your health with the right supplements. As you begin to look at supplements, know that you're looking for one thing from every one you buy — quality.
Scrutinizing the supplements you buy — and adding only good quality supplements to a healthy diet — can help you get results in days or months, rather than years. That's because quality supplements work faster and better than poor quality supplements.
Poor quality supplements aren't absorbed — even when they are in powders or liquids! Most of their molecules are too large to get into your bloodstream. So you're wasting your money. But a high percentage of good quality supplements break down and get absorbed into your cells. High quality supplements usually have better science behind them. And they are much cheaper in the long run — even though they cost more up front. They can be either capsules or tablets.
First things first
Eliminating poor quality supplements will reduce your choices substantially. But there are a lot of good quality supplements out there. So now it's time to prioritize. There are essentially four areas every person needs to focus on. We all need to focus on our general health, digestion, detoxification, immunity, and inflammation.
General health — Start by taking a good multivitamin/mineral (with fish oil) for broad-spectrum coverage. A comprehensive multi is the foundation for an effective supplement plan. A one-a-day supplement from a health food store may contain good quality ingredients, but it will be low in potency.
For example, it won't contain enough calcium and magnesium for healthy bones. They take up too much space. It will be low in other ingredients, as well. You just won't get much benefit from them. Instead, look for a multi that has four to six tablets a day. You can take them with breakfast and dinner. If you must, take them all at once — with food.
Digestion — I wrote in my first book, The Nutrition Detective, back in 1985, "You are not what you eat. You are what you eat, digest, and absorb." If your digestion is poor, you're not getting the maximum benefits from your diet — or supplements. Take a look at the following, and take one or two products for three to six months.
Begin by chewing your food well and eating in a calm setting. This can be more effective than any supplement.
Take a probiotic formula for one to three months to re-establish friendly bacteria in your gut. Many products work. I use Advanced Probiotic Formula (800-728-2288) because studies show its bacteria attach well to the intestinal walls and thrive.
Digestive enzymes can help you break down and use your foods. Source Naturals (health food stores) and ProThera (888-488-2488) are two excellent brands. I prefer Integrative Digestion Formula (IDF) because it repairs the digestive system while helping to break down food into useable particles (800-728-2288). Take any of these products before meals. If you forget, take them with or right afterward.
Detoxification — Good digestion will help with detoxification. If you're constipated, you're not eliminating toxins from your colon. Magnesium is an excellent and inexpensive solution. Any form will do. Take it to bowel tolerance and never be constipated again. Don't forget to drink plenty of water and eat foods with fiber. Magnesium will also keep your heart strong.
Environmental toxins and heavy metals can prevent you from getting and staying well. If you have silver fillings in your teeth, take medications, or if you're around smog, cigarette smoke, or other toxins, the best and least expensive oral detox product you'll find is PectaSol Chelation Complex (PCC). It removes pharmaceutical drugs as well. After using it for three months as directed, add PectaSol Detox Complete to bind to toxins that have been trapped in your tissues (800-728-2288).
That's leaves us with only two more — immunity and inflammation. These are at the root of just about every chronic illness you can name. Here are the basics:
Immunity — A strong immune system will help you fight all the bugs you come into contact with every day. It will also help you avoid immune disorders. Astragalus, Eleutherococcus, and green tea all strengthen immunity. My personal preference for immune support supplements is medicinal mushrooms. The specific formula that keeps me healthy year after year is MycoPhyto Plus (800-728-2288). Take two capsules, three times a day for two weeks or more. Then take one twice a day.
Inflammation — Anti-inflammatory supplements are appropriate for anyone with a condition that ends in "itis." This would include arthritis, bursitis, periodontitis – as well as diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers. The many products available at health food stores include bromelain, curcumin (from turmeric), and rosemary. The strongest formula I've found at the best price is InflaThera from ProThera (888-488-2488). Take one capsule twice a day; double that amount after two weeks if needed.
If you don't have any health problems, this may be all you need. It's a simple program that will help you stay healthy for years to come. But if you have specific health problems, then you need more help.
Finally, focus on your individual needs
There are different supplements that can help you fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and most other health problems. Concentrate on one health problem at a time — even if you have several — and use one or two supplements for that condition (along with the best diet you can eat and the above program). Do this for three months, then re-evaluate, and choose a different supplement or continue with this one.
For instance, if you have diabetes, use a supplement that helps regulate blood sugar, such as cinnamon (health food stores) or a combination formula like Metabolic Defense (800-728-2288) that includes blood sugar regulating herbs, spices, chromium, and other nutrients. This formula is currently working effectively in a clinical study.
I spend a lot of time talking about supplements for individual health challenges in these pages. My website has all of my articles posted so you can find exactly what you need. If you don't find it there, send me an e-mail at [email protected] and let me know what you're looking for. I try to answer as many questions as I can on page 8 each month. If I get enough interest about a particular topic, I'll write an article about it to give you more detail. And keep reading Women's Health Letter, as I've got some new and exciting stories coming up — including one on a new product that fights cancer as well as chemo (without the side effects).
Bottom line
When you can't afford all the supplements you may need or want, choose one good quality product over two or three mediocre ones. Take them for at least three to six months. That's how long it takes for many changes to occur. The brands mentioned here are ones that have passed my scrutiny. TwinLab, Source Naturals, and Rainbow Light are other good brands found in health food stores. Check their potency and price against those mentioned here.
Only buy products from sources you trust, and look at the science behind their formulas or ingredients. Testimonials mean very little without scientific studies.
Ask Dr. Nan
Q: What can be done for noise in the ears? — W.T., via e-mail
A: Tinnitus is the name given to a ringing or hissing in the ear. It can be caused by a number of factors including too much earwax, a blocked Eustachian tube, or a problem with the auditory nerve. So your first step would be to see an MD to rule these out.
Taking a lot of aspirin or other medications can trigger tinnitus. This suggests that detoxifying with something like PectaSol Chelation Complex could reduce the noise. Try a three-month regimen. Take two capsules twice a day on an empty stomach. At the very least, this will reduce your toxic load and could eliminate the noise in your ears.
Another possibility is a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder. Simply put, there may be an inflammation in the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull. Sometimes the muscles that connect your TMJ to your skull become overused (by chewing gum or biting your nails) and cause a misalignment that leads to tinnitus. This is a problem your dentist or an osteopath should be able to identify and correct.
Finally, your inner ear needs sufficient vitamin A to function. Even a slight deficiency can increase your sensitivity to noise. Make sure you're eating plenty of red and orange foods. They're high in vitamin A. If your diet isn't consistently high in these fruits or veggies, make sure your multi contains 5,000-10,000 IU of this essential vitamin.
Goldberg, Burton. Alternative Medicine, Celestial Arts, 2002. Werbach, Melvyn R., MD. Textbook of Nutritional Medicine, Third Line Press, 1999.
Q: I'm confused. My doctor tells me to take 1,500 mg of calcium a day. So does everything I read — except you. Why shouldn't I take this amount — just to be on the safe side — K.F., e-mail
A: I'm opposed to this high amount of calcium because it isn't safe, not because it's unnecessary. And I'm not alone. Research published in the British Medical Journal (January 14, 2008, bmj.com) found that taking high amounts of calcium supplements increased the risk of heart attacks in healthy postmenopausal women.
If you haven't seen this information before, it means that the media ignored the study. And that your doctor missed it, too. Researchers at the University of Auckland, in Australia, looked at the role of calcium supplements in heart attacks, stroke, and sudden death.
Nearly 1,500 healthy postmenopausal women took either one gram (1,000 mg) of Citrical calcium supplement or a placebo. Then the researchers checked them every six months for five years. There was an increased risk for heart attacks in the calcium-supplemented group. This could easily outweigh the benefits on bone from calcium supplements.
We need more studies to confirm these results. You see, past studies didn't evaluate vascular problems. Now you know why I say to keep your calcium levels lower, rather than higher. And it's the reason I've been endorsing multivitamins with 500 mg of calcium and magnesium for more than 20 years. Women's Vitality (formerly Vitality Plus) is one of them (800-728-2288). That amount, along with a diet that contains some calcium (green leafy vegetables, as well as dairy), gives sufficient calcium for bone growth, as well as magnesium to move the calcium into bones.
Bolland, M.J., et al. "Vascular events in healthy older women receiving calcium supplementation: randomized controlled study," bmj.com.