Are Natural Supplements Really Good For You? – Huffington Post Canada

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Are Natural Supplements Really Good For You? – Huffington Post Canada

There has been a recent flood of media attention lately that natural supplements are bad for you. In fact, apparently, some writers of major news publications have even gone as far to tout supplements as “magic pills” saying that they may even do us harm in the long run. I mean wow, they may be right! I mean imagine the look of disappointment on my face after spending money on supplements when no magic sprinkles or pixie dust unleashed from my capsules! But ladies and gentlemen, doctors and writers, I can, with much relief report, that I came out unscathed.

Whew… that was a close one.

If you’re new to this whole debate, the Western medical community has released a set of studies that claim that supplements did not reduce heart disease, the risk of cancer or slow down the risk of cognitive ability. In fact some even speculate that there may even be a long-term risk when consuming these magic pills.

So what’s a trained practitioner like myself to do? Look into it of course.

Supplements: Nutritional deficiencies & the root cause

I mean lets face it, we’re always told the complete truth and nothing but the truth from the media, right? So when the study on the efficacy of supplements on cardiovascular-related disease was released, they of course would have conducted this study on the known nutritional deficiencies of its subjects, right? Well, not exactly. I suppose this was the part where they didn’t read our magic sorcery book. I mean really, what does the current nutritional deficiencies of any subject have anything to do with their health right? Pffft, forget that, let’s just smack them with a truckload of supplements to treat the symptom, in this case cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer rather than the underlying problem.

You see this line of thinking isn’t new. Got a problem? Here’s a pill for that. Problem is, what most people fail to understand is that two people who have the same issue (take CVD and cancer for instance) don’t necessarily have it for the same reason. Factors such as genetic composition, hereditary factors, organ function, stress levels, past drug use and of course diet play a major role. So despite administering supplements like vitamin A, E, optimind, and selenium, it may actually prove to have little to no effect. After all, these supplements are given via a Band-Aid approach rather than addressing the root cause.

Multivitamins the jack of all trade & masters of none

Of these studies, a multivitamin was administered over the course of 12 years to prevent cognitive ability and still, poof! No magical reveal. Well consider this, a multivitamin contains a certain level of each vitamin and minerals as set by the RDA (recommended daily allowance). And this amount can be quite low for someone who may be a smoker and have high stress levels (holla to the majority of the North American populace!). It’s why as a Nutritionist and Acupuncturist I never recommend them to my patients. Rather I uncover the root and treat the primary imbalance and catalyst of it all with a therapeutic dose of specific supplements.

Supplements: Are they really dangerous?

With a flurry of media attention touting studies to show that supplements are dangerous, it’s no wonder why it may set off alarm bells in some. In fact the main study that keeps getting attention is the one from the early 90’s conducted in Finland. They administered beta-carotene prophylactically to a group of subjects at high risk for lung cancer. The test was suspended when the beta-carotene group started developing cancer at higher rates than the control group. You see, it’s true, at a high dose, these beta-carotene metabolites might work to block vitamin A, but it’s not exactly a big surprise that an overdose could cause problems. I mean Vitamin A is toxic at high doses but so is water.

You see the average individual will go into a health food store and pick up a certain handful of supplements. They would never overdose unless advised to while under the care of a qualified practitioner. The rates of death by these “nefarious natural supplements” is actually not cited but rather speculated. Moreover, you may be surprised to learn that there is an estimated 100,000 deaths from improperly prescribed medications annually. Because while there is a place for Western medical drugs, it is important to know that they do affect various elimination organs. Take Accutane for example (a popularly prescribed acne medication) has been known to cause birth defects, can raise the risk for potential heart and promote liver problems. Or Fosamax (a readily prescribed weekly pill to prevent osteoporosis) has had hundred of lawsuits filed where plaintiffs allegedly developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. You see, yes, Fosamax does prevent the breakdown of bone, but we actually need to continue the cycle of breakdown (osteoclasts) in order to rebuild bone (osteoblasts).

In fact, there actually has been multiple studies to show the efficacy of supplementation rather then ineffectiveness of them.

So where does this leave us?

If you’re concerned about the supplements you’re taking, then seek the expertise of a qualified practitioner (nutritionist, naturopath, etc.) rather than listen to the media that doesn’t always give you the whole story. Remember that supplements are only there to supplement or rather compliment a proper nutrient-rich, whole food diet. Because understand this: no supplement is the magic bullet.

And before you go thinking I’m anti-Western med, know that I believe there are some pretty incredible Western medical doctors around doing great things. I simply believe that what we need to do is analyze the entire spectrum of an individual’s case rather than group a subset of individuals with similar symptoms (cancer for example) containing multiple root causes.
You see, I believe that there’s room for both of us and that a Naturopath or a Nutritionist & Acupuncture like myself for example, can definitely compliment a Western Medical approach. There’s room for both of us but sometimes insecurities do yield greater in volume than confidence.

In the meantime, I will continue to effectively and properly recommend nutritional supplementation to my patients and continue to see them thrive – because they do!

Hmm…I suppose I really do believe in magic after all.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST:

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  • Vitamin D

    Studies have found that people who have higher levels of vitamin D have significantly lower rates of breast, ovarian, renal, colon, pancreatic, aggressive prostate, and other cancers. Researchers have even predicted that raising vitamin D levels in the United States and Canada would prevent 58,000 people from getting breast cancer and 49,000 from getting colorectal cancer. However, Americans are woefully short on this essential nutrient. We get more than 90 per cent of vitamin D from sunshine, but people are avoiding the sun for fear of getting skin cancer, Dr. Teitelbaum says. “Avoid sunburn, not sunshine,” he says. And take a vitamin D nutritional supplement. He recommends that everyone take 1,000 to 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day, which you can find in a good multivitamin.

  • Curcumin

    Curcumin has killed cancer cells in the laboratory, shrunk tumors in animals, and helped prevent several forms of cancer from developing in animal studies. “Curcumin is a pretty remarkable herb,” Teitelbaum says. There are more than 1,000 studies showing that it’s effective for cancer, he says. But if you’re not eating foods made with curry every day (because curcumin is derived from turmeric), you’re probably not getting enough for cancer protection, he says. Should everyone take a dietary supplement? It’s probably only necessary if you have a strong family history of cancer, Teitelbaum says. Be sure to find a supplement specifically designed for easy absorption, such as the product Curamin.

  • Vitamin B

    Some research has shown that B vitamins, including folic acid (vitamin B9), can lower the risk for some cancers, but the research hasn’t been conclusive. Observational studies have found that people who get more folic acid may be less likely to get colon cancer, especially compared to people who are deficient in folic acid, and that getting vitamin B6 may lower the likelihood of getting colorectal cancer. But researchers haven’t done large clinical trials on these vitamins. The best option is to choose a good multivitamin that includes B vitamins rather than individual supplements.

  • Green Tea

    Studies done in the laboratory suggest that some compounds in antioxidant-rich green tea may help stop cancer cells from growing by cutting off their blood supply. One study from China found that people who drank green tea and did not smoke had a lower risk of getting esophageal cancer than those who didn’t drink green tea, but the results from other studies have been mixed. “It’s not the first place I reach to in terms of anti-cancer effect,” Teitelbaum says. But there are other reasons to sip: It lowers anxiety and heart attack risk, he says.

  • Selenium

    In areas of the world where the soil has high levels of selenium, there are significantly fewer deaths from cancer, including lung, breast, colon, ovarian, cervical, bladder, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers. However, clinical trials that have looked at selenium’s role in cancer prevention have been mixed. Because your body only needs a small amount of this mineral, the American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables rather than taking selenium in nutritional supplements. You can get selenium from Brazil nuts, seafood, whole grains, cereal, meat and poultry, kidney, and liver.

  • Garlic

    Eating garlic may lower your risk for breast, colon, esophageal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers, according to preliminary studies. When researchers looked at the results of seven population studies, they found that those with higher amounts of garlic in their diet had lower risk for stomach and colorectal cancer. But the results of clinical trials have been mixed, and researchers don’t know how much garlic you may need for protection. The World Health Organization recommends that people get about a clove of garlic a day in their diet.

  • Fish Oil

    Truth be told, fish oil’s strength is not cancer prevention, Teitelbaum says. Some research has shown that women who eat fish twice a week have a lower risk for endometrial cancer, but in general the research looking at cancer protection hasn’t shown much of a link. However, fish oil can do so much for your health, including helping to prevent heart disease or stroke and lowering rates of depression. There’s good reason to focus on getting fish in your diet and consider taking fish oil nutritional supplements.

  • Beta Carotene

    Animal studies have suggested that vitamin A (which includes beta carotene) could shrink tumors, slow down the growth of tumors, and enhance cancer treatments. However, getting too much beta carotene or vitamin A can be toxic. When smokers took vitamin A dietary supplements, their risk of dying from lung cancer and heart disease increased. If you take a high dose of beta carotene, you can cause relative deficiency of other nutrients in the body, Teitelbaum says. For that reason, don’t get more than 5,000 international units of beta carotene a day.

Follow Melissa Ramos on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sexyfoodtherapy

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