Time to Throw Out Your Herbs - the New York Attorney General Says So

Ah, yes.  This is one of those headlines that rears its head every few months -- another "supplement effectiveness disproved, once and for all!"  The New York attorney general recently released a report, along with cease-and-desist letters, for the herbal supplements sold by four major retailers.  The retailers were Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, and GNC. The issue was that DNA analysis of many of these herbal products showed none of the actual herb claimed on the label. There were plenty of dire quotes about "false advertising," and "an unbelievably devastating indictment of the industry."

This sounds like an open and shut case, but let's take a little but a closer look. The first problem is with the testing method. Mark Blumenthal of the American Botanical Council gave a great concise explanation about why the DNA testing that was done was inappropriate for this type of research.
The main take away points are:

• DNA testing does not test for botanical extracts, only whole herb products
• There was no microscopic or chemical testing (techniques much more widely used to confirm herb quality) for confirmation
• The analysis was performed by a researcher with no background in botanical medicine
• There was no repeat confirmation by a different lab
• Trace contamination of other plants, or even common fillers (rice, potato, etc.) would show up on DNA analysis, since this test only shows the presence of those plants, not their quantity

Contrary to the attorney general's statement, this test did not prove widespread fraud in the supplement industry. However, there is also the concern that these store brands are being held up as the standard for the entire supplement industry.  A professor at Harvard Medical School stated that "mainstream retailers like Wal-Mart and Walgreens...are expected to be the absolute highest quality."

Wait, what? There are very likely our quality control issues with many supplements, especially cheap store brands. That is why I often recommend professional supplements for my patients when we want a specific therapeutic effect. Some people wonder why a bottle of supplements by Metagenics, Integrative Therapeutics, Vital Nutrients, Ortho Molecular Products, or Thorne Research costs twice as much or more than a "comparable" product at the drugstore. The answer is quality control. These professional brands spend the time and money to independently verify each batch of raw ingredients that they use, as well as the final product, to ensure quality and potency.  You wouldn't want to buy a pharmaceutical medicine that hadn't undergone rigorous quality control -- why would you accept less from your supplements, if you are depending on them for your health?

I wouldn't throw out my supplements just yet. Especially if you got them from a trusted source.

Conventional Medical Doctors Acknowledge Supplement for Prostate Cancer

Conventional physicians are not always known for their open-mindedness about natural therapies, such as nutritional and herbal supplements.  However, in light of good scientific research, they cannot keep their eyes closed to the benefits.

Results of a new research study were presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology that showed a new supplement led to significant lowering of prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in prostate cancer patients.  This was a randomized placebo-controlled trial, which is considered the highest level of scientific evidence available in the medical world.  The supplement, called Pomi-T, is a combination of well-known cancer fighting botanicals, including turmeric, green tea, broccoli, and pomegranate.

This study examined 203 men who had been treated for prostate cancer, but had a relapse of elevated PSA.  Half of the subjects were randomized to receive Pomi-T, and half received a placebo.  After six months, the botanicals group had a 63.8% lower increase in PSA versus the placebo group.  They were also three times as likely to have stable or even lower than baseline PSA levels versus the placebo group.  Furthermore, there were no significant side effects from the supplement.

The medical community, which historically has been skeptical, if not downright antagonistic, towards nutritional supplements, heralded this research for two important reasons.  Firstly, the design and quality of the supplement was closely monitored.  This is important, since many off-the-shelf supplements are questionable in terms of their quality and purity.  Secondly, this study was well designed, and had enough subjects to draw good statistical conclusions.  Many times, when you read about "clinical research" on a supplement manufacturer's website, this is based on a handful of subjects, with no placebo control.

Remember, too, that any supplement is an addition to a healthy lifestyle: good diet and regular exercise.  But if you are dealing with prostate cancer, this supplement looks like a good fit.  If you can't find it, you can find supplemental forms of each of the components; just be sure to get standardized products from reputable manufacturers.  When it comes to cancer, don't bet your life on the cheap stuff off the shelf at Wal-Mart.

2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Abstract 5008. Presented June 3, 2013.

Natural Medicine Myth #5: One-A-Day

This is a continuation of my series (in no particular order) on misperceptions in the field of natural medicine.  My previous articles focused on policosanol, cinnamon, systemic candida, and acai berry.

Those of you who know my articles and recommendations will find it no surprise that therapeutic lifestyle changes are the foundation of naturopathic medicine:

• diet
• exercise
• sleep
• stress management

In many cases, though, specific nutritional and herbal supplements can be critical for supporting a patient's vis medicatrix naturae:  the healing power of nature.  Particularly in the case of complex or chronic disease, such supplements are often necessary for a certain period of time.

One thing that often surprises patients is the dosages I recommend for many nutritional and herbal supplements.  I think that many of us have been conditioned by "One-A-Day" multivitamins to think that all supplements work that way.  In fact, this under-dosing is a key reason why many folks find that self-treatment with herbs and supplements is ineffective.

As an example, take one of my favorite supplements:  fish oil.  The beneficial components of fish oil are the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA (that's eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid for you nutritional biochem geeks out there).  Some folks take one softgel a day of fish oil -- 1000 milligrams!  Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  Well, research shows that for general cardiovascular health, you should take around 1000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day.  "Well, great, then," you think, "I guess I'm covered."  Hold it right there:  fish oil supplements are not 100% omega-3 fats; each softgel might have only 300-400 mg of omega-3s.  So now you're faced with 3-4 softgels per day to get the recommended amount.  Do you see why I recommend liquid cod liver oil so often now?  Much easier to blend a teaspoon into a breakfast smoothie, yielding 1200 mg of omega-3s.

If you already have conditions such as high triglycerides that can benefit from omega-3 supplementation, now you need to up that dose to 2000-3000 mg per day:  7-10 softgels, or 2 - 2.5 teaspoons of liquid.  Omega-3 fats can benefit so many different conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, skin problems, menstrual cramps, depression, and anxiety -- as long as you're taking the proper dose.

Feel a cold coming on?  Yes, zinc lozenges can help -- as long you get a total dose of at least 75 mg of zinc per day (be sure to take with food, to avoid stomach upset).  Herbs such as echinacea, and my favorite combo of lomatium (Lomtium dissectum) and osha (Ligusticum porteri), are wonderful immune boosters -- just be sure take a dose every 2 hours during those first couple of days of a cold.  Less than that, you might as well skip it.

Nutritional and herbal supplements require these larger doses since they work synergistically to support the body's natural functions, rather than to suppress symptoms like pharmaceuticals.  So shift your mindset, and reap the benefits that nature has to offer.