Antioxidant supplements may raise death risk - study

CHICAGO - Beta carotene and vitamins A and E, antioxidant supplements taken by millions to fight disease, may actually raise the risk of death, a review of 68 studies on nearly a quarter-million people said today.
The finding drew fire from critics who said it was flawed and based largely on studies of people who were already chronically ill before they were treated with the supplements.
Tuesday's report related only to synthetic supplements and not to fruits and vegetables in everyday diets which are natural and contain less concentrated levels of antioxidants, said the study from the Centre for Clinical Intervention Research at Denmark's Copenhagen University Hospital.
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Gary Moller comments:
Over the last year I have shifted away from advocating anything other than supplements that are from natural food sources. This is due to concern that the synthetic copies of naturally occuring vitamins and other nutrients may not improve health and may even have a deleterious effect.

It is sensible to be cautious about the small one-per-day capsule that claims to contain every known vitamin, mineral and antioxidant needed by Man. To get all of that into such a small container probably means the contents are from pure synthetic sources. Supplements that are derived from natural sources, like herbs, look and smell like food concentrates and are usually the size of horse pills. Other forms for the Purists among us are elixirs like the Floradix range that are certified organic plant concentrates.
Synthetic vitamin E is not the same as the natural substance, nor is vitamin A. In their natural forms these vitamins actually include hundreds of different compounds (co-factors) that work together to do their healthy work. Pure synthetic Vitamin A, for example, can be highly toxic and is implicated in birth defects and should only be taken in small amounts, if ever. The natural form of vitamin A is derived from sources like egg yolk, butter and cod liver oil are very safe to take, despite the dire warnings that may come on the labels.

Funny isn't it? - Many of the best foods that contain the essential fats, minerals, vitamins and proteins are the ones that are bad for you - eggs, liver and butter! These are the high cholesterol foods that don't get the Heart Foundation tick. Do they really believe that margarine with synthetic vitamin A and cancer-producing trans-fatty acids is really better for you than pure New Zealand butter?

There is also the debate about "more being better". Of course, this is not the case and one should errr on the conservative side with vitamins unless the evidence tells you otherwise.

As an observation, when people with chronic health problems do consult me, there is usually more than a few signs of nutritional deficiency, such as magensium deficiency or low vitamin D. Often supplements are being taken but these may be synthetics that are poorly targetted to need. Another potential pitfall is to be taking too much of a single vitamin which may create an imbalance with others - nutrients need to be in balance with each other to be able to do their work.

So, take vitamins; but ensure they are mostly from natural sources. Take according to established need. Continue to ensure that your diet is your principal source of quality nutrients - quality meats, fruits, nuts, vegetables and whole grains.

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How to prevent muscle cramp during an event like the Oxfam trailwalker 100km

"Dear Gary,
I have entered with a team into the Oxfam 100km trailwalker this April. I have suffered really bad muscle cramps in the past when doing long runs. Do you have any advice about diet and supplements during training to prevent this happening again?
Thanks"
Anon.
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Gary Moller comments:
I have had several enquiries like this one for advice from walkers and runners who have entered the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km April 14-15, 2007). The challenge of the Trailwalker is to complete 100kms in 36 hours as a team of four and raise funds to help some of the world's poorest people.

Whether you intend to walk or run the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km, it’s a gruelling challenge and the odds are that you and your team mates are going to suffer cramping of some kind. So, let’s concentrate this article on what you can do with diet and training to avoid being hampered by cramp during the event. Train your ability to use fat stores When doing an event like the Oxfam Trailwalker, you have near limitless supplies of body fat for energy; but very limited internal supplies of your other source of energy: glycogen. When your glycogen runs low, as it will no matter how you get from A to B with 100km between, you must rely increasingly upon your fat stores for the energy to keep going. However; this is not easy if you are a typical Kiwi who is never further than several metres from a food source. Not being used to digging deep into your fat stores during intense physical exercise will result in only one thing: dead in the water exhaustion and muscle cramps. You need to train your body to operate efficiently using its fat stores.

This means having your last meal about two hours before exercise and doing your longest training runs/walks of the week on water only. You should be steadily building up to being able to trot comfortably for about three hours once a week, or to walk at a steady clip for about four hours.

It is important to cut the junk carbohydrates out of your daily diet - sugar, white flour, corn syrup and so on and replace these with whole food sources like wholemeal bread, oats, Kumara, taro, yams and spuds. Whole foods sourced carbohydrates are digested more slowly, they contain more nutrients and cause less stress on metabolic regulators like the pancreas.
Consuming sweets, gels and sugary drinks while you are exercising will not allow your body to learn how to burn fat efficiently. My free e-book "Training for a Marathon" has more information about training endurance capacity (download from http://www.healthandlifestyle.co.nz/).

You may initially get intense carbohydrate cravings during your long training sessions. However, if you stick at it you will be delighted with the results: The cravings will diminish and you can maintain a steady clip for much longer. I have found that this takes at least three months to really kick in, so start now. Build your body's mineral stores while you still have time Barely a single modern person's diet is adequate in minerals. Our depleted agricultural soils and limited range of cultivated crops sees to that, as does our general aversion to eating organs like the liver and making mineral rich broths from beef bones. Magnesium and calcium are critical for health, including muscle function. It can take several months, if not a year or so of supplementation to build a depleted body's stores in muscles, bones and organs like the liver. Rich body stores of minerals are your defence against muscle cramps during events like the Oxfam Trailwalker. During the remaining weeks of your preparation I recommend that you take two tablets of Calcium Complete and two capsules of Magnesium Complete per day, spread over the day and with food.

Eat organ meats like liver and kidney and make beef bone soups that have the bones well and truly simmered to release the bone minerals. Eat your leafy vegetables. Take extra B vitamins, extra antioxidants and glutamine and boost vitamin D

Minerals and the B group of vitamins work together to keep muscles, nerves (and brain) working, so you need extra B vitamins on a daily basis when doing all of the training you must do in preparation for walking or trotting 100km. Take two Super B tablets per day with food.

Vitamin D is like a mineral magnet and without high levels in your body, your ability to uptake and use minerals like magnesium and calcium is seriously compromised (This is why sunlight deprivation causes disease like rickets, osteoporosis and muscles weakness). Its importance for health is frequently overlooked possibly because vitamin D is free and does not require a prescription.

You can also take additional antioxidants into your body to keep muscles resistant to damage by taking a daily antioxidant supplement. However, your main source of antioxidants is bright coloured fruit and veggies including berries. Dark berries like blueberries and black currant also provide some protection from sunburn which is important at this time of year. The amino acid Glutamine aids muscle repair and recovery. It is best taken before and after exercise.

Note: You can order the supplements referred to in this article from http://www.myotec.co.nz/ or you can find similar products from your local natural health store.

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Poor Athletic Performance Linked To Vitamin Deficiency

Science Daily — Active individuals lacking in B-vitamins -- including college athletes and other elite competitors -- may perform worse during high-intensity exercise and have a decreased ability to repair and build muscle than counterparts with nutrient-rich diets, according to recent Oregon State University research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

The B-vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, B-12 and folate. These micronutrients are necessary during the body's process for converting proteins and sugars into energy, and are used during the production and repair of cells, including red blood cells.

For active individuals a marginal deficiency in the nutrients may impact the body's ability to repair itself, operate efficiently and fight disease, said Melinda Manore, researcher in the Colleges of Agricultural and Health and Human Sciences. Manore analyzed the athletic performance of several elite and collegiate athletes in her research, as well as less competitive individuals.

The stress on the body's energy producing pathways during exercise, the changes in the body's tissues resulting from training, an increase in the loss of nutrients in sweat, urine and feces during and after strenuous activity and the additional nutrients needed to repair and maintain higher levels of lean tissue mass present in some athletes and individuals may all affect an individuals B-vitamin requirements, said Manore.

"Many athletes, especially young athletes involved in highly competitive sports, do not realize the impact their diets have on their performance," said Manore, who is also an Extension Service nutrition scientist. "By the time they reach adulthood they can have seriously jeopardized their abilities and their long-term health."

Current national B-vitamin recommendations for active individuals may be inadequate, and athletes who follow the recommended daily allowances set by the U.S. government may be receiving lower amounts of nutrients than there bodies need, said Manore.
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Gary Moller comments:
The B group of vitamins is especially important for any person who is under stress, be that physical or emotional - which probably applies to 99% of the population! Stress not only steps up the body's need for these vitamins, it also chews through them at a higher rate. While a wholesome diet will supply the RDA (recommended daily allowance) this is not the case when the body is under constant stress.

Stress also chews through magnesium. Organs, like the adrenals, require ample magnesium, as well as the B vitamins, to function poperly.



Let me tell you about Beriberi. Beriberi is a third World disease, causing paralysis and heart failure. It is unheard of in a well-nourished country like New Zealand (Last seen on the sailing ships that carried explorers to this far-flung land 150+ years ago). Beriberi is caused by chronic thiamine (vit B-1) deficiency. Well, I can tell you that I have seen two severe cases over recent years in older men who have been in ill health which has caused enormous stress and affected their digestion. They have suffered varying degrees of nerve damage, inclusing limb paralysis. Frustratingly, treatment has consisted of powerful medications, including large doses of prednisone. Needless to say, this has been without any benefit.

All they required was a diet rich in B vitamins and a quality B vitamin supplement. Modern medicine can be very frustrating at times. I'll write more about this later.

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Are omega-3 products really the good oil?

Consumers buying foods with omega-3 may not be getting the good oil they think they are says Rufus Turner, a lipids scientist with Crop & Food Research. He and colleague, Dr Carlene McLean, have studied commercially available fish oil in New Zealand, that’s been manufactured overseas. They found it contains varying levels of primary and secondary oxidation products
"These oxidised products result in variations in the quality of fish oils and may explain the mixed results in international human clinical trials investigating omega 3 health benefits” Dr McLean said. Recent results from international cellular, animal and human trials indicate that the oxidised products in fish oils may have potential carcinogenic and pro-inflammatory actions. These products have the potential to increase the risk of atherosclerosis and thrombosis and reduce the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids..
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Gary Moller comments:
While there are undoubted health benefits from consuming fish oil, it is clear that not all fish oils are the same. If the oil is of a poor quality it is possible there will be no health benefits and possible harm. If you are buying fish oil:

• Do not buy product that has been sitting about on a warm, brightly lit shop shelf


• Purchase a known brand that is from a store that you know has high rates of product turnover


• Preferably purchase fish oil that has added vitamin E which stabilises the oil, preventing oxidation and/or


• Take a capsule of natural vitamin E with your fish oil


• Once opened, keep the fish oil capsules sealed tight and stored in a dark cool, dry place and


• Consume the lot in good time, rather than leaving capsules lying about for several weeks

Note: The fish oils that are stocked at www.myotec.co.nz are leading brand New Zealand products. Only small stocks are held and these are turned over quickly. For the industry response to the report above, read this.

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Fossy Jaw - jawbone death, bone decay, or jaw rot

"As potent inhibitors of osteoclast activity, the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates might retard skeletal repair processes associated with trauma to or infection of the oral mucosa that involves the underlying bone. Since the jawbones are in constant use and are characterized by active remodeling, bisphosphonates might accumulate there preferentially, resulting in concentrations that exceed those found elsewhere in the skeleton. "
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Gary Moller comments:
Losing your jaw is not pleasant. More to the point: horrific!

While this is the most commonly reported side-effect of these anti-osteoporosis drugs, I think this is only one of many possible adverse side effects that are coming to the fore. This class of drugs may be causing damage to arterial walls and kidney leading to early onset of cardiovascular disease of various forms and even dementia. Rather than preventing fractures, the longterm result may be more fractures and poor healing because the poor victim is left with old bone that does not heal.

These drugs have an estimated 1/2 life of 10 years, so if a user stopped today it could be as long as 20 years before the drug is completely eliminated.

Its not worth the risk taking these things. If you are diagnosed by a bone scan or blood test as having osteoporosis or close to it here is my advice:

• Challenge the accuracy of the test because these tests are more often unreliable than reliable.
• If you are small, the odds are the bone density test will have you with a low bone mineral density which is probably dead wrong.
• If you have been unwell or in hospital for any reason and your blood calcium levels are high (A reason for putting you on these drugs) and you are given a biphosphenate don't take it.
• Blood calcium goes through the roof if you are deprived of sunlight and unable to exercise - its a normal thing.
• Read Gillian Sanson's book about the Myth of Osteoporosis first.

Instead of taking these awful drugs that also cost a fortune:

• Insist on getting your vitamin D levels tested. If below 120 then:
• Get some sunlight on your back and tummy and thighs 3 times a week for about 10 minutes. Failing that, find a sunbed and get a few minutes that way (No burning and no excessive tanning please).
• Repeat the vitamin D test about 3 months later to see how you are going.
• Take a multi mineral like Calcium Complete daily and take cod liver oil.
• Cut right down on dairy and refined grains and eat your veges, especially ones like brocolli and cabbage.
• Walk briskly daily, do housework, dig the garden and lift light weights above your head.

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What is Resveratrol?

hi,Gary,

first time i have responded to a blogg site- Have you heard or do you know about this new vitamin- "resveratrol"sounds good but what do you know about it?

regards Mike

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Gary Moller comments:

Mike, you are not the first to have asked: This compound is found in the skin of red grapes and as a constituent of red wine and various other nuts fruits and veges, including blue berries; but apparently not in sufficient amounts to explain the “French paradox” that the incidence of coronary heart disease is relatively low in southern France despite high dietary intake of saturated fats.

The more likely explanation of the French paradox is a combination of factors including red wine intake. The most powerful factor may be vitamin D levels: the further South one lives in France, the higher the vitamin D levels. Strangely, research findings of this association between regional variations of heart desease, cancer and vitamin D levels in France is largely ignored. Perhaps it is because sunlight cannot be patented and packaged and it certainly is not PC to recommend sunbathing as a healthy activity!

I think resveratrol is expensive in pill form. here's my general advice: Eat lots of coloured fruit and veges and take a multi vitamin, a mineral supplement and some omega 3 oil and you will be quite well covered. Have a smoothie now and then with blueberries in it. Get your vitamin D levels tested and, if you have some spare dosh after all that, buy some resveratrol.

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Why should you take Vitamin E when you take fish oil?

Essential fatty acids, such as fish oil, and flax seed oil tend to oxidise rather quickly. And when they oxidise, they form free radicals and lipid peroxides, both of which are toxic to nearly all of our cells.

Vitamin E is one of the most powerful antioxidants (with many health benefits), so taking it along with any sort of essential fatty acid -- including fish oil -- helps prevent this oxidation, which allows you to get the most nutritional benefit from the oil. This is especially the case with fish oil which is most unstable.

When purchasing fish oil capsules, look for the ones with added natural vitamin E. (Stay away from synthetic vitamins which are of questionable benefit). While they may be a little more expensive than the budget fish oils, the added Vit E more than makes up for it.

When taking other oils such as flax seed oil, consider taking a capusule of natural vitamin E with it.

By the way; natural vitamin E helps stabilise all fats in circulation, including cholesterol, thus reducing the possibility of harm to arterial walls by rancid cholesterol.

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kiwifruit slashes risk for heart attacks and strokes in just 28 days

Effects of kiwi fruit consumption on platelet aggregation and plasma lipids in healthy human volunteers.
Duttaroy AK, Jorgensen A.
Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Norway.
"...Kiwi fruit which contains high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenols may be beneficial in cardiovascular disease; however very little is known about its cardioprotective effects.... We report that consuming two or three kiwi fruit per day for 28 days reduced platelet aggregation response to collagen and ADP by 18%... In addition, consumption of kiwi fruit lowered blood triglycerides levels by 15%... whereas no such effects were observed in the case of cholesterol levels. All these data indicate that consuming kiwi fruit may be beneficial in cardiovascular disease.
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Gary Moller comments:
An 18% reduction in potential for blood clotting and a 15% reduction in blood triglycerides is spectacular to say the least. This is as effective as one could expect when on drugs medication and without the risk of terrible side effects and crippling financial costs to you and the country.

I have always been a fan of NZ Kiwi Fruit which has a number of powerful nutritional qualities, including guaranteeing "regularity". Here in New Zealand where the modern Kiwi Fruit was first developed and commercialised, fat juicy ones can be purchased from the famer's market for as little as $1/kg. In fact, I have just returned from the market this morning with another large bag of Kiwi Fruit. At this time of year I ravenously consume 4-5 per day at a cost of about 50-60 cents. The oversized, blemished, or misshapen fruit are rejected for export so we get to buy them for a bargain. Often they are the best inside.

The message coming from this kind of research is loud and clear: There are highly effective natural therapies for preventing and managing most modern day ailments and getting old (Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, droopy dick, depression, anxiety etc).

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Chocolate as a source of antioxidants

http://www.ffnmag.com/NH/ASP/strArticleID/240/strSite/FFNSite/articleDisplay.asp

Gary,
Its me again. Hello.
Can I ask if you have an opinion on chocolate - nice way to take an antioxidant!
please see above site
thanks
John
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Gary Moller comments:

John,

While I love chocolate, I am very sceptical of what is said in the article by a spokesperson for the cocoa industry. Chocolate is a billion $ industry and we hear little of research of the downside simply because there is no funding and no massive publicity machine to get the bad news out, even if the research somehow gets done.

We have a similar problem with products like coffee and sports drinks which are equally harmful to health.

A kiwi fruit or an apple can equally claim to have similar antioxidant benefits of cocoa but without the side effects.

I recall a client who was very unwell. It turned out he was addicted to peanut slabs, eating 8 per day.

There is merit in topping up the antioxidant levels. If you want a quality antioxidant here is one of the best:

All the best John.

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Link Between Autism And Abnormal Blood-vessel Function And Oxidative Stress

"....Oxidative stress is the result of an excessive formation of chemically unstable byproducts, called free radicals, within the cell. Under normal conditions, the cell is able to destroy the free radicals. However, when excessive free radicals accumulate, these molecules mount an attack against the cell in search of chemical stability. "During oxidative stress, it is as if the free radicals have only one leg," explains Pratico. "They are searching for the second leg in order to keep from falling. Unfortunately, the ability of the excessive free radicals to reestablish their chemical equilibrium comes always with a price for the organ -- irreversible cellular and organ damage."

Free radicals can damage cell membranes, proteins, and genes by oxidation -- the same chemical reaction that causes iron to rust. Pratico and colleagues measured levels of isoprostane, the chemical byproduct of free radicals attacking fat cells and found that patients with autism possess nearly double the level of oxidative stress than that measured in healthy controls......

Autism is a complex neurological disorder and oxidative imbalance is one feature of the autistic syndrome. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that oxidative imbalance may also play a role in this disease: autism is characterized by an impaired anti-oxidant defense system, higher free-radical production, and improvement of behavioral symptoms after taking anti-oxidants......"

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Gary Moller comments:

This article gives a very comprehensible explanation about free radicals and anti-oxidants and why it is essential that we have sufficient anti-oxidant substances in our bodies; especially during times of oxidative stress, such as injury, infection, environmental pollution or excessive exercise. Anti-oxidants help keep you healthy by neutralising free radicals before they can do harm to healthy cells.

While the authors do not offer a cure for this controversy-ridden condition (autism), they do offer one line of action that parents can follow for its management: ensuring that the autisitc child has a nutrient rich diet that is packed with anti-oxidants. Berries, fresh fruit, leafy and coloured vegetables, Omega 3 oils, nuts and whole grains, for example. Included should be a multi vitamin and a mineral supplement that includes trace minerals like selenium and zinc. If these vitamins and minerals are in tablet form, they can be crushed and then blended into a Super Smoothie.

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