Last fall, before being named the senior U.S. health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration would liberate Americans from the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of vitamins, dietary supplements, and other substances — ending the federal agency’s “war on public health,” as he put it.

In fact, the FDA can’t even require that supplements be effective before they are sold. When Congress, at the agency’s urging, last considered legislation to require makers of vitamins, herbal remedies, and other pills and potions to show proof of their safety and worth before marketing the products, it got more negative mail, phone calls, and telegrams than at any time since the Vietnam War, by some accounts. The backlash resulted in a 1994 law that enabled the dietary supplement industry to put its products on the market without testing and to tout unproven benefits, as long as the touting doesn’t include claims to treat or cure a disease. Annual industry revenues have grown from $4 billion to $70 billion since.

With Kennedy now in the driver’s seat, the industry will likely expect more: It aims to make bolder health claims for its products and even get the government, private insurers, and flexible spending accounts to pay for supplements, essentially putting them on an equal footing with FDA-approved pharmaceuticals.

On Feb. 13, the day Kennedy was sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump issued a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda targeting alleged corruption in health regulatory agencies and instructing them to “ensure the availability of expanded treatment options and the flexibility for health insurance coverage to provide benefits that support beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention.”

Kennedy has said exercise, dietary supplements, and nutrition, rather than pharmaceutical products, are key to good health. Supplement makers want consumers to be able to use programs like health savings accounts, Medicare, and even benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to pay for such items as vitamins, fish oil, protein powders, and probiotics.

“Essentially they’re seeking a government subsidy,” said Pieter Cohen, a Harvard University physician who studies supplements.

As the Senate Finance Committee questioned Kennedy during his Jan. 29 confirmation hearing, supporters in the Alliance for Natural Health lunched on quinoa salad in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and crowed that the moment had finally arrived for their health freedom movement, which has combined libertarian capitalism and mistrust of the medical establishment to champion unregulated compounds since the 19th century.

“The greatest opportunity of our lifetimes is before us,” said Jonathan Emord, the group’s general counsel, who has brought many successful lawsuits against the FDA’s restrictions on unproven health claims. “RFK has dedicated his whole life to opposing the undue influence” of the pharmaceutical industry and “assuring that our interests triumph,” Emord said.

In speeches and in a pamphlet called “The MAHA Mandate,” Emord and alliance founder Robert Verkerk said Kennedy would free companies to make greater claims for their products’ alleged benefits. Emord said his group was preparing to sue the FDA to prevent it from restricting non-pharmaceutical production of substances like biopeptides — complex molecules related to drugs like Ozempic.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon did not respond to a request for comment on the agency’s plans vis-à-vis dietary supplements.

While the basic law governing the FDA establishes that a substance alleged to have treatment or curative effects is by definition a “drug,” and therefore comes under the agency’s requirements for high standards of scientific evidence, the new administration could reallocate money away from enforcement, said Mitch Zeller, former head of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

As a Senate aide early in his career, Zeller investigated a tainted L-tryptophan supplement that killed at least 30 people and sickened thousands in the U.S. in 1989. The scandal led the FDA to seek heavier regulation of supplements, but a powerful backlash resulted in the relatively weak supplements law of 1994.

Even that law’s enforcement could be undercut with a stroke of the pen that would keep FDA inspectors out of the field, Zeller said.

Sweeping changes couldn’t come too soon for Nathan Jones, founder and CEO of Xlear, a company that makes products containing xylitol, an artificial sweetener. The Federal Trade Commission sued Xlear in 2021 for making what it called false claims that its nasal spray could prevent and treat covid.

Jones points to a handful of studies evaluating whether xylitol prevents cavities and infections, saying the FDA would require overly expensive studies to get xylitol approved as a drug. Meanwhile, he said, dentists have been bought out by “Big Toothpaste.”

One can hardly find any products “without fluoride for oral health,” he said. “Crest and Colgate don’t want it to happen,” he said.

Kennedy’s desire to rid water supplies of fluoride because of its alleged impact on children’s IQ is welcome news, he said, and not only because it could highlight the value of his products. Jones stresses, as do many health freedom advocates, that clean air and water and unadulterated food do more to prevent and cure disease than vaccines and drugs. For example, he and other advocates claim, wrongly, that the United States eliminated the crippling disease polio through better sanitation, not vaccination.

The Alliance for Natural Health hopes that in lieu of strict FDA standards, Kennedy will enable companies to make expanded marketing claims based on evidence from non-FDA sources, Verkerk said, such as the National Institutes of Health’s nutritional information site, which describes the pros and cons of different supplements.

Kennedy has also called for relaxing the strictures on psychedelic drugs, which interest some veterans as potential remedies for such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder. VETS, a San Diego-based organization, has paid for 1,000 veterans to get treatment with the powerful hallucinogen ibogaine at clinics in Mexico and other countries, said the group’s co-founder Amber Capone.

She got involved after her husband, a retired Navy SEAL, pulled out of a suicidal spiral after spending a week at an ibogaine clinic near Tijuana, Mexico, in 2017. She wants NIH, the Defense Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund research on the illegal substance — which can cause cardiac complications and is listed as a Schedule I drug, on par with heroin and LSD — so it can be made legally available when appropriate.

Coincidentally, the push for less onerous standards on supplements and psychedelics would come while Kennedy is demanding “gold-standard science” to review preservatives and other food additives that he has said could play a role in the country’s high rate of chronic diseases.

“Put aside the fact that there’s precious little evidence to support” that idea, said Stuart Pape, a former FDA food center attorney. “There’s been no indication they want the same rigor for supplements and nutraceuticals.”

Although most of these products don’t have major safety concerns, “we have no idea which products work, so in the best case people are throwing away a ton of money,” Zeller said. “The worst-case scenario is they are relying on unproven products to treat underlying conditions, and time is going by when they could have been using more effective FDA-authorized products for diseases.”

Supplement makers aren’t entirely unified. Groups such as the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition have advocated for the FDA to crack down on products that are unsafe or falsely represented. The Alliance for Natural Health and the Natural Products Association, meanwhile, largely want the government to get out of the way.

“The time has come to embrace a radical shift — from reactive disease management to proactive health cultivation, from top-down public health diktats to personalized, individual-centric care,” Emord and Verkerk state in their “MAHA Mandate.”

The post With RFK Jr. in Charge, Supplement Makers See Chance To Cash In appeared first on Medika Life.

I do, but I need to rethink the practice.

Multivitamins have long been touted as a way to boost health and potentially extend lifespan.

However, a recent large-scale study published in JAMA Network Open has cast doubt on this claim, finding no significant link between multivitamin use and longevity.

This finding aligns with the suspicions of many experts who have long questioned the effectiveness of multivitamins in promoting healthy aging.

Multivitamin Use Is Common

Multivitamin use is prevalent among US adults, particularly older individuals, women, non-Hispanic whites, and those with a college education.

One in three Americans take a multivitamin.

Why Do Folks Take Multivitamins?

Despite the widespread belief that supplements improve or maintain health, only about one-quarter of supplements are taken based on healthcare provider recommendations.

Often, individuals perceive an increased intake of certain nutrients may lower the risk of diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

However, observational studies on the health benefits of individual supplements and multivitamins/multimineral (MVMM) have produced inconsistent results.

Furthermore, while randomized clinical trials often fail to demonstrate benefits from these supplements, it’s worth noting that many of these trials may not have been long enough to detect any positive effects.

A New Cohort Study

A cohort study is observational. Researchers prospectively follow a group (cohort) of individuals over time to assess the development of certain outcomes, such as diseases.

The study authors collected data from nearly 12,000 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Why Do People Take Multivitamins?

Here’s what the researchers discovered:

• People take supplements primarily to improve (45%) or maintain (33%) their overall health.
• Women often cite bone health as a reason for calcium supplement use (36%)
• Men are more inclined to use supplements for heart health or cholesterol reduction (18%).
• Older adults (60+) are more likely than younger ones to use supplements for specific health concerns, such as heart, bone, joint, and eye health.

However, only a small fraction of supplement users (23%) of respondents indicated that their healthcare provider recommended a multivitamin.

The Takeaway Messages

Here is the main research finding:

Multivitamin use showed no link to a reduced risk of death from any cause.

This lack of association held even when considering major causes of death and how the effect of multivitamins might change over time.

Despite widespread multivitamin use in the United States, the supplement does not improve survival.

I probably should simply eat more fruits, vegetables, fermented foods, and whole grains. I remain a work in progress.

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As we peel back the layers, we’ll explore the building blocks of sports nutrition, touching on favorites like protein and creatine, beta-alanine and amino acids, and how they play into muscle growth and your overall game plan. We’ll also tackle the less glamorous side of supplements — the risks, the regulations, and the critical importance of opting for quality over quick fixes. Think of this as your go-to guide for understanding which supplements can genuinely support your athletic ambitions, how to navigate the sea of products safely, and why a food-first approach might just be your best bet. Prepare to flex those knowledge muscles and make informed decisions that truly benefit your sports performance.

Understanding the Basics of Dietary Supplements

Definition and Types of Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements encompass a range of products, including tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids, all aimed at enhancing exercise and athletic performance. Common ingredients in these supplements include amino acids, protein, creatine, and caffeine. These components are marketed as ergogenic aids, claiming to boost strength, endurance, and exercise efficiency.

The Role of Supplements in Athletic Performance

A nutritionally adequate diet and proper hydration are foundational for peak physical performance. Dietary supplements should complement, not replace, a solid dietary foundation. For athletes, especially those engaged in prolonged or intense activities, supplements might be necessary to replace lost fluids and electrolytes and to provide additional energy through carbohydrates. However, the effectiveness of these supplements can vary based on the athlete’s level of training and the conditions of the activity. It’s crucial to ensure the quality, safety, and legality of these supplements, including understanding label contents and avoiding substances banned in sports.

Common Supplements for Athletes and Their Claims

Protein and Amino Acids

Protein supplements, including amino acids, are touted for their ability to enhance muscle mass and recovery. Proteins break down into amino acids, which are absorbed faster in crystalline form, providing immediate benefits during and post-exercise. For instance, leucine, a key branched-chain amino acid, is crucial for protein synthesis and muscle repair. Supplementing with amino acids like alanine and proline can significantly boost glycogen production, crucial for energy during prolonged activities.

Creatine: Myths and Facts

Creatine is well-known for its ability to improve muscle power and recovery. Contrary to common myths, creatine does not cause kidney damage or dehydration but rather enhances muscle hydration and overall performance. It’s important to note that creatine is not an anabolic steroid and does not have the associated harmful effects. It supports ATP production, crucial for high-intensity performance.

Vitamins and Minerals Essential for Athletes

Vitamins play critical roles in energy production and muscle recovery. For example, Vitamin B complex helps in metabolizing proteins and fats, while Vitamin D is essential for bone health and immune function. Iron and calcium are pivotal for muscle function and nerve signaling. Athletes should ensure adequate intake through diet or supplements, particularly when under increased physical demands or dietary restrictions.

To ensure the quality and safety of these supplements, always check for third-party testing labels and avoid products with banned substances. Consulting with a healthcare provider is advised to tailor supplement use to your specific athletic needs and health conditions.

The Risks and Regulations Surrounding Supplements

Potential Contaminants and Banned Substances

Navigating the world of dietary supplements can be tricky, especially with the risk of encountering banned or contaminated products. It’s crucial to understand that even minor contamination can lead to positive doping tests, with substances like anabolic steroids sometimes not listed on labels. This underscores the importance of third-party testing, which evaluates the purity and safety of supplements before they reach you. Always check for a seal of approval from reputable testing organizations to minimize the risk of inadvertent doping.

FDA Regulations and Third-Party Testing

The FDA oversees dietary supplements with a focus on post-market regulation, meaning the responsibility initially falls on manufacturers to ensure their products are safe and correctly labeled. However, without pre-market approval, the burden of proof for safety and efficacy lies with the consumer. To aid in this, third-party certification programs assess and verify the quality of supplements. These programs are crucial for athletes, particularly those subjected to drug testing, as they help ensure the supplements are free from banned substances. Always look for certifications from trusted bodies like NSF Certified for Sport® to ensure compliance and safety in your nutritional choices.

Food First: A Healthier Approach to Athletic Nutrition

Whole Food Alternatives to Popular Supplements

Embracing a diet rich in unrefined carbohydrates such as wholegrain breads and cereals not only forms the foundation of an athlete’s nutrition but also serves as a natural alternative to processed supplements. High-quality dietary proteins found in lean meats, milk, and eggs support muscle repair and growth, negating the need for additional protein supplements. Incorporating these whole foods can effectively meet the increased protein needs through a balanced diet rather than supplementation.

The Importance of a Balanced Diet for Athletic Performance

A well-planned diet provides the necessary energy and nutrients to support intense training and recovery. Athletes should focus on a variety of foods, including leafy greens, fruits, and low-fat dairy, to enhance long-term nutrition habits and achieve optimal body weight and hydration levels. Tailoring nutrition plans to individual needs, considering factors like sport type and personal goals, ensures that athletes receive the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, fostering both immediate performance and long-term health benefits.

Conclusion

Through this comprehensive exploration of dietary supplements in the athletic realm, we’ve unraveled the essentials of optimizing performance through both supplementation and a robust nutrition plan. The pivotal role of dietary supplements, such as proteins, amino acids, and creatine, has been highlighted alongside the integral practice of maintaining a food-first approach to fulfill athletic nutrition needs. This discourse reinforces the thesis that while supplements can support peak performance, they should not overshadow the fundamental importance of a balanced diet rich in natural nutrients.

Moreover, we emphasized the criticality of evaluating dietary supplements’ quality, safety, and legality — a practice indispensable for athletes aiming to enhance their performance ethically and healthily. By advocating for informed decisions based on product labels and third-party certifications, we not only advocate for heightened awareness but also encourage a proactive stance on navigating the complex domain of sports nutrition. Thus, armed with knowledge and discernment, athletes can stride towards their goals, bolstered by the conscious integration of supplements into a holistic nutrition strategy.

The post Dietary Supplements for Athletes: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Medika Life.

Here’s the context of why I incorporated the supplements into my routine.

Fish oil supplements have been hailed as a wonder weapon for heart health for decades.

Doctors routinely recommended them, and health-conscious individuals faithfully popped their daily dose.

My Goals

In this article, we will delve into the recent study published in BMJ Medicine that challenges the long-held belief about the benefits of fish oil supplements for heart health.

We will explore the potential impact of this new research and its implications for individuals who have incorporated fish oil capsules into their daily routines.

Additionally, we will discuss the traditional benefits associated with fish oil supplements and examine the study’s surprising findings, offering a comprehensive analysis of the implications for heart health.

First, a look at the potential benefits of fish oil supplements.

Fish Oil: Supporting Heart Health

Fish oil supplements, which boast high omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA, have been a mainstay in heart-healthy routines for years.

Traditionally, many viewed fish oil supplements as beneficial for heart health due to their high content of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Here’s a breakdown of some potential benefits:

• Reduced triglyceride levels: There’s growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce blood triglyceride levels, a type of fat associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
• Lower cholesterol levels. The effect on cholesterol is more nuanced. While there may be a slight increase in “good” HDL cholesterol, some studies suggest a possible increase in “bad” LDL cholesterol.
• Better mental health. Omega-3 fatty acids might help prevent the onset or improve the symptoms of some mental health conditions like depression.
• Potential anti-inflammatory effects: Omega-3s possess some anti-inflammatory properties, which may be helpful in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

• Improve brain function: Some studies suggest omega-3s play a role in cognitive function and benefit brain health as we age.
• Pregnancy support. While some research suggests fish oil supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding might benefit a child’s cognitive development, vision, and allergy risk, more studies are needed to confirm these effects definitively. It’s important to discuss any supplement use with your doctor before starting them, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Fish Oil, Heart Disease, and Stroke Risk

Given my current use of fish oil supplements, a recent British Medical Journal Medicine study on its pros and cons caught my eye.

Here are the research objectives:

• Participants: Over 415,000 individuals from the UK Biobank study, aged 40–69, were included.
• Objective: To assess the link between fish oil supplements and the risk of major cardiovascular events, including atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Researchers also tracked deaths from any cause.

Study Follow-up

Researchers surveyed participants between 2006 and 2010 to gather baseline information on their health habits, including fish oil supplement use, dietary fish intake, and other lifestyle factors.

They then used medical records to track participants’ health outcomes until March 2021 or their death.

About one-third (31.5 percent) of the participants reported taking fish oil supplements regularly. This group tended to be:

• Older
• White
• More likely to be female
• Have higher alcohol consumption and oily fish intake
• Less likely to be current smokers or live in deprived areas

Key Findings

The study revealed a surprising association between fish oil supplements and heart health in individuals with no prior cardiovascular issues.

The findings indicated that using fish oil supplements had different roles in cardiovascular health, disease progression, and death.

Fish oil hurts those with no known cardiovascular disease

For those with no known cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with:

• A slightly (1.13 times) heightened risk of developing atrial fibrillation
• A 1.05-fold rise in stroke risk.

Fish oil helps those with known cardiovascular disease.

Among those who had cardiovascular disease at the start of the monitoring period, regular use of fish oil supplements was associated with:

• A one-seventh (15 percent) lower risk of progressing from atrial fibrillation to a heart attack
• A one-tenth (9 percent) lower risk of progressing from heart failure to death.

In-depth Analysis

Further in-depth analysis revealed that age, sex, smoking, consumption of non-oily fish, high blood pressure, and use of statins and blood pressure-lowering drugs changed the associations observed.

Regular use of fish oil supplements and the risk of transitioning from good health to heart attack, stroke, or heart failure was 6% higher in women and 6% higher in non-smokers.

The protective effect of these supplements on the transition from good health to death was greater in men (7% lower risk) and older participants (11% lower risk).

Study Problems

The researchers acknowledge this is an observational study, meaning it can’t prove cause and effect.

For example, people who take fish oil supplements might also have other lifestyle habits that influence their heart health. Observational studies are a lower-quality type of research.

Additionally, the study needed more information on the dosage or specific formulations of the fish oil supplements used by participants.

This omission makes it difficult to draw precise conclusions about the impact of different fish oil types or amounts.

Finally, the study population was predominantly white.

The findings may not be generalizable to people of other ethnicities.

We require additional research with more diverse participants to confirm these results across different populations.

Fish Oil: Potential Risks

The National Institutes of Health gives a recommended daily dietary intake (RDI) of 1,100 mg for women and 1,600 mg for men.

WebMD explains:

While fish oil supplements have generally been considered safe at recommended doses (around 3 grams daily), this study raises questions about their impact on heart health, particularly those without pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.

Here are some general safety points to remember about fish oil supplements:

• Dosage matters: Taking with daily consumption of more than 3 grams might increase their risk of bleeding.
• Potential side effects: Common side effects include heartburn, loose stools, and nosebleeds. Taking fish oil with meals or freezing capsules can help minimize these.
• Dietary sources vs. supplements: Consuming high amounts of fish from your diet (due to potential mercury and contaminant risks) differs from taking fish oil supplements, which are typically processed to remove these impurities.

Considering fish oil supplements, it’s wise to have an open conversation with your healthcare provider to determine if they’re right for you, given your health.

Be Careful With Other Medications

Fish oil supplements can interact with certain medications, so it’s important to be aware if you take any of these:

• Blood thinners: Fish oil, like blood thinners (medications or supplements), can reduce blood clotting. Taking them together might increase your risk of bleeding.
• Blood pressure medications: Fish oil might slightly lower blood pressure. If you take blood pressure meds already, combining them with fish oil could lead to your blood pressure dropping too low.

• Birth control pills: Some birth control pills might interfere with how fish oil affects your triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood).
• Alli or Xenical (weight loss drugs): These medications might reduce your absorption of the beneficial fatty acids from fish oil. If you take both, consider taking them a few hours apart.
• Vitamin E: Fish oil can lower your vitamin E levels. Talk to your doctor if you take both.

My Take

I don’t eat enough fish (even though I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States), so taking supplements should help, right?

Not so fast, Michael.

The recent BMJ Medicine study throws a curveball into my thinking.

I must now consider that fish oil supplements might slightly increase my risk of suffering from a first-time heart attack or stroke.

Benefits Review

The study also hints that fish oil might offer protection against disease progression and even death for those already battling cardiovascular issues.

On the other hand,

Those without known cardiovascular disease might increase their relative risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke.

I have been using fish oil to lower my triglycerides (successfully, although I ramped up my exercise and improved my diet).

Now, I will get the omega-3s my body needs by eating reasonable amounts of oily fish. Broiled or baked, not fried.

I live in the Seattle area, after all.

The post Fish Oil Reversal: New Study Says Supplements Might Not Be What You Think for Heart Health appeared first on Medika Life.

A seeming relationship appeared to exist between eating salmon and the incidence of a specific mental health disorder. The earlier research, omega-3, indicated it could lower schizotypy because people who ate more fish when they were 3 to 5 years old had lower rates of schizotypal personality disorder when they were 23 years old. New research has tested that idea.

A community group of 290 11–12-year-olds who met the criteria for conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or high aggression scores on a standard test were included in the intention-to-treat, single-blind study. Three groups were entered into the study: omega-3 alone, CBT alone, and omega-3 and CBT together. Schizotypy was down 25.7% in the omega-3-alone group and 36.6% in the omega-3-plus-CBT group three months after treatment.

Compared to the CBT group 9 months after treatment, the interpersonal schizotypy factor showed stronger effects in both omega-3 groups. Reductions in schizotypy were much stronger in people who ate a lot of omega-3 nutrients. The results have indications for benefit not simply to patients, but to society in general.

The high costs these behaviors have for society make finding ways to stop them important, if cost is the sole purpose of such research. I tend to dispute a dollars-and-cents approach and prefer the benefit shown to the patients.

One type of intervention is adding nutrients to the food. Research shows a link between insufficient nutrients and acting aggressively or antisocially. For instance, not getting enough food when you are 3 years old has been linked to acting aggressively and unsocially when you are 8, 11, and 17 years old. Also, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that taking multivitamins and mineral supplements can help lower antisocial behavior.

Children not getting enough nutritional food are more likely to have problems with their brains and thinking, which can lead to behavior problems that appear in public throughout childhood and youth. The results show that cutting malnutrition in children may help lower antisocial and violent behavior later on. We know the need for specific nutrients for proper brain development at an early age, yet nutrition has received insufficient attention.

Many studies have been done over the years on the biological and social factors that make kids more likely to be aggressive. Still, surprisingly, little is known about how poor nutrition can lead to aggressive behavior in kids. It is not often that a nutrition shortage is looked at in terms of externalizing behavior. Still, many studies have shown that food additives, hypoglycemia, and, more recently, cholesterol, can change how people act. Why salmon and omega-3; how does it work?

Getting more omega-3 may help make up for the structural and functional problems seen in people who are aggressive and antisocial. This is because omega-3 helps control the activity of membrane enzymes, protects neurons from cell death, encourages neurite outgrowth, and improves synaptic functioning and dendritic branching. When viewed in these terms, salmon and its omega-3 seem like wonder drugs you can easily buy in the fish department of the market.

If most research points toward these supplements or salmon, one major problem remains even in the face of research singling out these supplements and salmon in particular. What is it? Finance plays a major role in household incomes; supplements and salmon can be expensive, ergo inaccessible, items to add to any shopping list.

Should local groups or the government begin to provide the supplements (we know they won’t give out fish vouchers) to help kids in terms of brain development and functioning? But the case must be viewed in the face of how violence, either proactive or reactive, adds to the local budgets, instills fear in the community, and may relegate young people to lives of despair or imprisonment. What is cheaper, a bottle of supplements or maintaining someone in a prison cell for years? It’s patently clear which is preferred.

The time for dietary medicine would seem to have come, and we have to wonder why it’s not being emphasized more.

The post Salmon Is Taking Center Stage in Kids’ Personality Disorders appeared first on Medika Life.

We’ll look at health claims and the evidence regarding fish oil.

If you don’t care to read anything more, here is my key takeaway: The EPA dose analysis of 255 fish oil supplements across 16 major brands found “substantial variability.”

Moreover, multiple randomized clinical trials have shown no cardiovascular benefit to fish oil supplements.

Here is principal author Dr. Joanna Assadourian’s take on fish oil:

“As a preventive cardiologist, I tell my patients — that are taking fish oil to try to avoid heart disease — they can stop taking it because it’s not helping them. Their money would be better spent on something that will prevent a heart attack, like more fresh vegetables, their blood pressure or cholesterol medication, or a gym membership.”

Supplements Bring in $$$

Dietary supplements are a huge business in the United States. The industry is worth over $50 billion.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Six out of 10 adults regularly take a supplement to support their health.

The CDC discovered that from 2017 through 2020, 35 percent of children and adolescents took at least one dietary supplement in the previous 30 days.

Use appeared higher among females than males (except among children 12 to 24 months). Supplement use rose with income and education among adults.

Supplement use, in general, increased with age among adults. This finding is in accord with what I find with my patients.

Fish Oil Supplements — Qualified Health Claims

Many manufacturers make claims that fish oil supplements have health benefits. My patients who take them tend to do so to improve their heart health.

A new analysis from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas (USA) examined data from on-market fish oil (and non-fish omega-3 fatty acid) supplement labels.

The researchers reviewed the prevalence of two types of claims regarding cardiovascular disease: qualified health claims and structure/function ones.

The study revealed two cardiovascular-related qualified health claims for fish oil:

• Coronary heart disease benefits
• Blood pressure benefits

Here is an example the study offers: “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumptions of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Fish Oil — Structure/Function Claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains that a structure/function claim “describes the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient intended to affect the structure or function in humans.’’

Such claims cannot declare that the supplement prevents, treats, or cures any illness or disease.

You probably have heard some structure/function claims: “Supports heart, mind, and mood” or “promotes heart health.”

How Common Are Fish Oil Health Claims?

My patients frequently take fish oil supplements based on second-hand information. Are claims for fish oil supplements common? Absolutely.

Here are the numbers for cardiovascular disease: About six in 10 (62 percent) related to heart health.

Of over 2,800 unique fish oil supplements assessed, 74 percent had at least one health claim, mostly structure/function. Another 19 percent made qualified health claims, mostly relating to coronary heart disease.

Are These Fish Oil Claims Problematic?

Let’s get back to why I no longer take fish supplements. It all boils down to this statement from the study authors:

“Multiple randomized clinical trials have shown no cardiovascular benefit to fish oil supplements.”

Moreover, they add that the pervasiveness of structure/function claims could lead to misinformation among consumers.

The researchers observe that one in five adults over 60 take fish oil supplements for heart health despite no high-level evidence to support the practice.

Oh, it gets worse: After examining the dose within 255 fish oil supplements (across 16 major brands), the scientists discovered “substantial variability” in the daily dose of EPA (median 340 mg; range 135–647), DHA, and total EPA + DHA (median 600 (300 to 1100) mg/day.

Over nine percent contained a daily dose of two grams or more EPA _ DHA.

Why I Stopped Taking Fish Oil

Are you using fish oil for brain, joint, or eye health? Again, no data from randomized clinical trials supports any such benefits. That’s why I stopped taking fish oil.

If you’re considering fish oil supplements, they are not harmless for everyone. Please check with a valued healthcare professional before adding it to your wellness routine.

To learn more about the potential side effects of fish oil, here’s a link to WebMD:

FISH OIL: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

www.webmd.com

My Strategies to Improve My Heart Health

I use these approaches to optimize my heart health, ones endorsed by the Mayo Clinic (USA):

1. I don’t use tobacco.
2. I move, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity weekly and two resistance training sessions.
3. I eat a heart-healthy diet.
4. I maintain a healthy weight.
5. I get quality sleep (most of the time).
6. I manage stress.
7. I get regular health screening tests.

The post Why I Stopped Taking Fish Oil appeared first on Medika Life.

Today we explore the clinical literature showing some studies reporting an association between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but others finding no such link.

Vitamin D and cancer — A randomized study

A 2018 clinical trial randomized participants to a control (marine omega-3 fatty acids, one gram daily) or vitamin D (cholecalciferol, 2000 IU daily).

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) clinical trial enrolled nearly 26,000 American men (50 and older) and women (55 and older) to examine the impact of vitamin D3 on several outcomes:

• Cancer prevention
• Cardiovascular disease risk (heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality).
• Secondary endpoints included site-specific cancers, cancer mortality, and additional cardiovascular events.

The results? With a median 5.3-year intervention, vitamin D supplementation did not reduce cancer or cardiovascular risk, the study’s two primary endpoints.

There appeared to be no significant differences in the secondary endpoints, either. The vitamin D3 intervention did not reduce the incidence of total cancer mortality or breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer. Finally, treatment effects did not differ by baseline vitamin D blood levels.

The researchers reported no excess risks of high calcium levels (hypercalcemia) or other side effects associated with vitamin D supplementation.

But are we sure that vitamin D3 supplementation does not reduce cancer risk? A 2019 meta-analysis analysis of the scientific literature concluded that:

Vitamin D3 did not reduce cancer incidence but did drop cancer mortality.

In addition, a secondary analysis of the VITAL clinical trial published in 2019 showed that while vitamin D supplementation did not lower cancer incidence, it appeared to be associated with a reduced incidence of advanced cancer.

My take

The VITAL clinical trial has tremendous strengths, including a large population with racial and geographic diversity. The daily vitamin D dosing seems reasonable, with follow-up blood collection in many participants showing blood levels in the target range.

The study has some significant limitations, however. For example, the researchers examined only a single dose of vitamin D3. Hopefully, future studies will look at another dose. Finally, the follow-up is not nearly long enough. For example, cancer can take decades from its birth before it is clinically observable.

We may also need to consider cancer risk by genotypes of vitamin D-associated genes.

Here are the US Preventative Services Task Force recommendations:

• Premenopausal women. The USPSTF recommends against daily supplementation with 400 IU or less of vitamin D and 1000 mg or less of calcium for the primary prevention of fractures in community-dwelling, postmenopausal women. Current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of the benefits and harms of daily supplementation with doses greater than 400 IU of vitamin D and greater than 1000 mg of calcium for the primary prevention of fractures in community-dwelling, postmenopausal women.
• Men and premenopausal women. The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of the benefits and harms of vitamin D and calcium supplementation, alone or combined, for the primary prevention of fractures in men and premenopausal women.

Note this USPSTF observation: “These recommendations do not apply to persons with a history of osteoporotic fractures, increased risk for falls, or a diagnosis of osteoporosis or vitamin D deficiency.” Given we don’t routinely test for deficiency, how would I know if I am deficient?

Daily vitamin D3 supplementation for five years among initially healthy adults does not appear to lower cancer or major cardiovascular event risk. The evidence is insufficient to make supplement recommendations for community-dwelling individuals.

Thank you for joining me in this look at vitamin D and cancer risk. Today, I will not examine the impact of vitamin D (and vitamin K) on bone fracture risk.

The post Does Vitamin D Drop Cancer Risk? appeared first on Medika Life.

USDA does not have official statistics on U.S. organic retail sales, but information is available from industry sources. U.S. sales of organic products were an estimated $28.4 billion in 2012 — over 4 percent of total food sales — and will reach an estimated $35 billion in 2014, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. Yes, the data is a bit behind the times right now.

The organic food market is bursting thanks to the pandemic and consumer awareness of the dangers of food additives (can you say estrogen-like chemicals or red dye 40?). It is now worth USD 135920 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 201700 million by 2028… Yes, this sounds like mixing apples and oranges because the figures are so out of synch. The first figure was all organic products, and this is only food.

But what about supplements instead of food or in addition to food? Would they help us tackle the psychological problems our current state of affairs is raining down on us? In 2020, the supplement market was $61B, and by 2028, it will be slightly over $128B. It’s growing, but is it helping us?

First the Market Entry Then the FDA

The question that should be foremost in consumers’ minds regarding supplements of any kind ought to be whether or not they are safe and, second, do they do what their manufacturers claim they do. This is where the significant challenges for consumers lie.

On their website, the FDA says: Since companies can often introduce a dietary supplement to the market without notifying the FDA, the agency’s role in regulating supplements primarily begins after the product enters the marketplace. But that’s not all the information the FDA provides.

The FDA monitors adverse event reports submitted by dietary supplement companies, health care professionals, and consumers as well as other product complaints for valuable information about the safety of products once they are on the market.

In other words, the consumer or healthcare professionals are responsible for reporting adverse reactions to supplements. As far as the FDA is concerned, they watch for inaccurate labeling, claims to treat or cure disease or make claims from a single clinical study the company may have supported.

The Mental Health Supplement Market

Many supplements aim at a market where consumers want to improve their health or immune system, ward off aging, reduce stress, and help with insomnia, reduce anxiety, and even depression.

What does the research show? There is an interesting relationship between depression, diet, and inflammation. Inflammation plays a pivotal role in this mental health disorder, so anything in our diet that may decrease inflammation may have a beneficial effect on mood.

If diet plays a vital role in depression and other mental health disorders, might supplements be a replacement for what is lacking in the diet? But there is a caveat here pertaining to supplements.

Using primarily the National Library of Medicine journal database and SciFinder for current reports, 47 toxic compounds in 55 species from 46 plant families were found to demonstrate harmful effects due to hepatic, cardiovascular, central nervous system, and digestive system toxicity. The products most purchased by consumers include Echinacea, ginseng, Ginkgo, and saw palmetto.

Researchers, however, advise that problems patients experience cannot be attributed to supplements or diet alone. An assortment of factors enters into any patient’s diagnosis and treatment. Three factors appear interesting: inflammation, diet, and depression.

Currently, there is no blood test for diagnosing depression. Often levels of thyroid hormones or possibly vitamin D deficiency might be used to assume that they could be causing depression. But there is no test for depression itself.

Although there are many articles on the benefits of supplements, we must remind ourselves that too much of a good thing is not good. For example, anyone who wishes to prevent deficiencies in vitamins and begins megadosing could experience problems with their GI tract, fatigue, cramps, or even in some cases, mild nerve damage, confusion, or memory problems. If you’re concerned about depression and anxiety, that’s the last thing you want to have happen to you.

Inflammation may be detected by several blood tests looking for specific levels of proteins but the way to remediate this isn’t necessarily by taking supplements.

Regarding anxiety, there is intense interest in finding biomarkers for anxiety to make the diagnosis as accurate as possible. There is potential in the research, but no biological means of measuring it has been found to date. However, several organic compounds have been suggested as having qualities that would lead to decreases in anxiety. As always, there is no assurance that any of these products is absolutely 100% safe, pure, or helpful. It is as always, let the buyer beware.

One substance that has been suggested to be helpful for anxiety or depression is kava, yet we know that it also can potentially be a danger to the liver. Other supplements can be dangerous to your physical or mental health.

The advisories are out there, but many people believe that if it’s available for purchase in a store, it’s safe and effective, and that is questionable.

The post Are Supplements Really the Answer to Anxiety, Depression, and Everything Else? appeared first on Medika Life.

Here are the numbers — Among patients found to have breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer:

• 40 percent reported dietary supplement use
• 19 percent believed dietary supplements could reduce cancer recurrence risk

Researchers recently reported these findings in the journal Cancer.

There appeared to be differences in supplement use by subgroups. Females appeared nearly 2.5-times more likely to take supplements. Perhaps not surprisingly, a belief in the importance of supplements to reduce cancer recurrence risk led to a 3.1-times higher chance of supplement use. Obese individuals were nearly half as likely to use dietary supplements.

What are the most common supplements? Thirteen percent reported fish oil use, while 9 percent used calcium (with or without vitamin D). Over eight percent consumed multivitamins and minerals. For those with breast cancer, 15 percent used calcium (with or without vitamin D).

Do supplements improve cancer outcomes?

Study author Rana E. Conway, BSc (Hons), Ph.D., RNutr, research fellow in the obesity group at the research department of behavioral science and health at University College London, offers this:

“There is no evidence that self-prescribed supplements reduce the risks of cancer coming back, and they could interfere with treatment.”

There is good evidence that a healthy diet and physical activity are beneficial; supplements appear to be an easier option, but we don’t have evidence that they prevent cancer from coming back.

On the other hand, mixing supplements with chemotherapy comes with peril. While common, such supplement use can lead to serious potential medication interactions. A 2021 study demonstrates this problem.

Prescription medications are most often associated with drug interactions, followed by herb and supplement-related interactions. Over one-third of potential medication interactions are considered significant.

Moreover, supplements may lead to poorer outcomes for those receiving chemotherapy for cancer. In a study of patients with breast cancer, patients who took vitamin B12 before and during chemotherapy had poorer disease-free and overall survival odds.

Iron consumption before and during chemotherapy appeared associated with a higher probability of a return of cancer. On the other hand, multivitamin use did not seem linked to changes in survival.

Certain antioxidants may help you fight cancer (or provide protection for your normal cells). However, we know that some supplements may make cancer treatment less successful. If you have cancer management, please ensure that your care team knows about any supplements you are taking.

Do supplements improve life length?

Moving beyond the realm of cancer, do supplements improve mortality? Do we live longer if we add this form of nutrients into our diets? While adequate intake of specific nutrients derived from food appears associated with lower all-cause mortality, nutrients derived from supplements are not helpful.

When Fang Fang Zhang, MD, Ph.D. (of Tufts University) evaluated data from the 1999 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and National Death Index to determine how dietary supplement use and levels of nutrient intake from foods affect all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality among adults in the U.S. aged 20 years or older, she discovered:

• There appeared to be no association between the ever-use of dietary supplements and mortality outcomes.
• Participants with adequate vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, and copper via foods, not supplements, had lower all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality rates.

Dr. Zhang offers this: “The general U.S. population should aim for achieving adequate nutrition through a healthy and balanced diet rather than counting on dietary supplements.

She adds: “For certain subgroups such as individuals with medical conditions that lead to malabsorption of nutrients from foods or those who have specific dietary practices that could cause nutritional deficiency, their nutritional needs including the use of dietary supplements shall be evaluated separately.”

These findings remind us that we health care professionals should review the use of dietary supplements with our patients. Thank you for joining me today.

The post Got Cancer? Supplements May Be Dangerous appeared first on Medika Life.