Dietary Supplements Under Attack Again

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, Aug 31, 2018

Dietary Supplements Under Attack Again

Commentary by Bill Sardi

(OMNS Aug 31 2018) Here we go again. Another physician says there "no case for vitamin supplementation in normal, healthy, non-pregnant or lactating adults who are receiving the recommended daily intake of nutrients." [1]
Here is my comment on each of the criticisms about dietary supplementation.

Vitamin A

Vitamin critic: "Vitamin A Toxicity occurred in Antarctic and Arctic explorers who consumed the livers of seals, huskies or polar bears and can be fatal. It is characterized by raised intracranial pressure, dermatitis, nausea and vomiting, double vision and convulsions.
Rebuttal: Yes, we are talking about millions of units of vitamin A. Let's concede this point. All consumers who are eating seal or polar bear liver should refrain from doing so.
Vitamin critic: Of particular concern are other data that have linked vitamin A to an 18% increased incidence of lung cancer in a study of 29,133 Finnish smokers who received either alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) 50 mg or beta-carotene 20 mg and a 28% increase of lung cancer in a similar study in 18,314 smokers, some of whom had also been exposed to asbestos.
Rebuttal: Not this one again? This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine just prior to passage of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act in an attempt to legislatively classify all dietary supplements as drugs.[2] Here (below) a chart from that study reveals the quoted 18% difference in lung cancer incidence was only a relative number, but in absolute numbers the difference was very small, less than 1%.
Graph 1 - Incidence of Lung Cancer
Source : New England Journal Medicine [2]
And 18 years after this study was published it was revealed that excessive vitamin A supplementation via beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A in the body) impairs vitamin D blood levels and negates any reduction in lung cancer achieved by vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D supplements were found to reduce the risk of lung cancer in sun-deprived Finnish men, but not when they consumed excessive amount of vitamin A.[3] These Finnish men needed more vitamins, not less.
Excessive beta carotene is shuttled to the skin to provide internal sun protection and is not toxic to the liver as is mega-dose vitamin A. Most reports of liver toxicity from vitamin A supplementation emanate from alcoholics whose livers are compromised by their drinking habit.
The Council For Responsible Nutrition (CRN) says: "the human data, however, are often confounded by other factors such as alcohol intake, infectious hepatitis, hepatotoxic drugs, and pre-existing liver disease."
According to a CRN report: Consumption of 25,000 to 50,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day for periods of several months or more can produce multiple adverse effects, including liver toxicity; but the effects in this intake range may be dependent on compromised liver health or function.[4] A supplemental intake of approximately 25,000 IU is the lowest dose at which such effect can be confidently attributed to vitamin A in persons with mildly or moderately compromised liver health.
Vitamin critic: The vitamin critic (whose name shall remain unmentioned) warns consumers away from vitamin A supplements, saying: "the Upper Limit for both sexes is 10,000 IU per day."
Rebuttal: However, the Upper Limit (UL) is the perfectly safe upper limit, not the toxic limit. The Institute of Medicine states "the No Observed Adverse Effects Level (NOAEL) of intake is 15,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A per day." There is a long history of safe use of dietary supplements containing 5,000, 8,000, and 10,000 IU per day," says a CRN report.
Vitamin critic: "Particular care is needed not to exceed recommended doses (of vitamin A) in pregnancy because of the possibility of miscarriage and birth defects."
Rebuttal: The CRN states: a dose of 30,000 IU per day "should be considered as non-teratogenic (doesn't cause birth defects) in [humans]. [4]"

Vitamin D

Vitamin critic: At present there is no case for routine supplementation of vitamin D unless there is a clinical or biochemical indication. The Upper Limit for both sexes is 80 micrograms/day (320 IU - international units).
320 IU (international units) won't even raise blood levels. Thirty minutes of total body midday summer sunshine (11 AM - 2 PM) will produce ~10,000 units of vitamin D without side effects. Those with dark skin may need 4-fold longer exposure times. In winter, when the sun rises no more than 45 degrees above the horizon in the US, Canada, and Europe, the midday sun provides no more than 5% of the UVB rays that generate vitamin D compared to exposure to midday sunlight in the summer.
This recommendation is in the face of an epidemic of sun-deprivation disorders. A study recently showed children are only getting 7 hours of outdoor sunshine per week. [5] Those who work inside, for example, office workers commonly are deficient throughout the year. Further, sunblock absorbs the UVB rays and causes deprivation of vitamin D from sunlight.
An Institute of Medicine report indicates about one-quarter of the US population are at risk of vitamin D inadequacy and 8% are at risk of vitamin D deficiency (2001-06). [6] This amounts to millions of people. Supplements of vitamin D are therefore necessary.

Vitamin C

Vitamin critic: High doses are definitely associated with adverse reactions so there does not seem to be any place for routine supplementation in healthy individuals. RDI for both sexes is 45 mg/day without an UL.
Rebuttal: Vitamin C is depleted by illness and stress, and readily gets oxidized doing its antioxidant function. The body can regenerate vitamin C to some extent in red blood cells.[7] But this regeneration function is easily overwhelmed in sickness and even by everyday physical and mental stress. A few milligrams of vitamin C (~110 mgs per day) obtained from the diet cannot compensate for a gene mutation that occurred long ago in human history that halted the internal production of vitamin C. Prior to that gene mutation it is estimated that early primates, (our distant ancestors) endogenously produced 1800-4000 milligrams of vitamin C per day, and more when under physical or mental stress.[8] After major surgery, when vitamin C levels can go to zero, 3,000 mg of IV vitamin C has been found necessary to bring the level back to normal. [9] A similar depletion can occur under ordinary stress or in common viral illnesses. This is the rationale for supplementing with high doses of vitamin C. The equivalent dose to 3,000 mg IV is 10,000-20,000 mg in divided oral doses.
The vitamin critic's disclaimer is "There is no case for vitamin supplementation in normal, healthy, non-pregnant or lactating adults who are receiving the recommended daily intake of nutrients." But how many are truly healthy?
Diabetics have a higher need for vitamin C (100 million). Aspirin users (~50 million), users of certain drugs (steroids, sex hormones), smokers (38 million), alcohol abusers (16 million), face depletion of vitamin C. Diuretics deplete vitamin C (~20 million) Growing children need more vitamin C. Hospitalized patients and nursing home patients need more vitamin C. That amounts to over 200 million Americans out of a population of 325 million who are not likely to have adequate vitamin C intake from their diet and must rely upon dietary supplements.
Vitamin critic: The vitamin critic says the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDI) both sexes is 45 mg/day of vitamin C without an Upper Limit. Public health authorities recommend 60-200 milligrams of supplemental vitamin C to maintain health.
Rebuttal: The perfectly safe Upper Limit is 2000 milligrams is often mis-characterized as the toxic upper limit. Makers of vitamin C pills seem to know better and the lowest dose vitamin C pill on the market today contains 500 milligrams. Vitamin C is water-soluble and so is readily excreted, but when its level is depleted, e.g. during stress or illness, divided doses of up to 20,000 mg/d or more do not cause gastrointestinal upset and may be required to allow the body to quickly recover.

Thiamine (vitamin B1)

Vitamin critic: The vitamin critic says there are no indications for routine supplementation of vitamin B1.
Rebuttal: Derrick Lonsdale MD says high carbohydrate diets, sugary foods, block vitamin B1 absorption, a problem he calls "high calorie malnutrition." Alcohol, coffee, tea, also block B1 absorption. The vitamin critic warns of side effects from high doses, but absorption is dose limited to 5 mg per day. The body won't absorb any more.
Summary: The US Department of Agriculture publishes the percent of the US population withinadequate intake of essential nutrients. It is worth reprinting here:[10]
Chart 2 - Nutrient Intake Data

Summary

Many people are deficient in vitamins and minerals. The vitamins discussed here, vitamins A, B1, C, and D, are commonly deficient in up to 50% of the US population (millions of people), even by the meager standards of the US Department of Agriculture. For optimum health most people should be eating a diet that includes raw vegetables and nuts, moderate amounts of meat and fish, lots of green leafy vegetables, and a variety of colored vegetables and fruits, as well as supplements with adequate doses of the B vitamins (B1-B6, B12, folate, biotin), as well as vitamins C, D, and E.

References:

1. Kennedy M. (2018) The vitamin epidemic: what is the evidence for harm or value? Intern Med J 48:901-907. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imj.13976
2. Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. (1994) The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med. 1994 Apr 14;330(15):1029-35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8127329
3. Cheng TY, Neuhouser ML. (2012) Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin A, and lung cancer mortality in the US population: a potential nutrient-nutrient interaction. Cancer Causes Control. 2012, 23:1557-1565. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22829430
4. Vitamin A (2013). Vitamin and Mineral Safety 3rd Edition (2013) Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) www.crnusa.org. https://www.crnusa.org/sites/default/files/files/resources/05-CRNVMS3-VITAMINA.pdf
6. Looker AC, Johnson CL, Lacher DA, et al., (2011) Vitamin D Status: United States, 2001-2006. NCHS Data Brief U.S. Dept of HHS, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics No. 59 March 2011. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db59.pdf
7. Montel-Hagen, A, Sitbon M, Taylor N. (2009) Erythroid Glucose Transporters. Curr Opin Hematol 16:165-172. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19346941
8. Stone I. (1966) Hypoascorbemia, the genetic disease causing the human requirement for exogenous ascorbic acid. Perspect Biol Med. 1966. 10:133-134.https://muse.jhu.edu/article/406386/pdf
9. Berger MM. (2009) Vitamin C Requirements in Parenteral Nutrition. Gastroenterology 137:S70-S78. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19874953

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FDA warns of flesh-eating genital infection linked to diabetes medication

FDA warns of flesh-eating genital infection linked to diabetes medication

Posted: Aug 30, 2018 7:35 AM PDTUpdated: Aug 30, 2018 10:42 AM PDT
(WPTA21) -
The Food and Drug Administration is warning people that some diabetes drugs may cause a flesh-eating bacterial infection of the genitals. 
The FDA issued the warning Wednesday, saying cases of Fournier's gangrene have been reported in connection with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. This is a class medicine approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Fournier’s gangrene is an extremely rare but life-threatening bacterial infection of the tissue under the skin that surrounds muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels of the perineum. The FDA said the bacteria usually gets into the body through a cut or break in the skin. 
While having diabetes is a risk factor for the infection, it is still rare. Publications report Fournier's gangrene occurs in 1.6 out of 100,000 males annually in the U.S., and most frequently occurs in males 50-79 years.
The FDA said in the five years from March 2013-May 2018, they identified 12 cases of Fournier's gangrene in patients taking one of the inhibitors. This is compared to only six cases identified in a review of other antidiabetic drug cases over a period of more than 30 years.
The cases included 7 men and 5 women. All of the patients were hospitalized and required surgery. The FDA said some patients required multiple disfiguring surgeries, some developed complications, and one patient died.
The FDA is concerned there may be additional cases that they are not aware of. Patients should seek medical help immediately if they experience any symptoms of tenderness, redness, or swelling of the genitals or the area from the genitals back to the rectum, and have a fever above 100.4 F or a general feeling of being unwell.
Healthcare professionals should assess patients for Fournier’s gangrene if they present with the symptoms described above. If suspected, start treatment immediately with broad-spectrum antibiotics and surgical debridement if necessary. Discontinue the SGLT2 inhibitor, closely monitor blood glucose levels, and provide appropriate alternative therapy for glycemic control.
FDA-Approved SGLT2 Inhibitors
Brand NameActive Ingredient(s)
Invokanacanagliflozin
Invokametcanagliflozin and metformin
Invokamet XRcanagliflozin and metformin extended-release
Farxigadapagliflozin
Xigduo XRdapagliflozin and metformin extended-release
Qterndapagliflozin and saxagliptin
Jardianceempagliflozin
Glyxambiempagliflozin and linagliptin
Synjardyempagliflozin and metformin
Synjardy XRempagliflozin and metformin extended-release
Steglatroertugliflozin
Seglurometertugliflozin and metformin
Steglujanertugliflozin and sitagliptin
The FDA is urging patients and healthcare professionals to report side effects involving SGLT2 inhibitors or other medicines to the FDA MedWatch program.

Garlic to fight infection

Popular Kitchen Remedy Puts Antibiotic To Shame, Research Reveals

Popular Kitchen Remedy Puts Antibiotic To Shame, Research Reveals
Fighting infection with conventional antibiotics is becoming an increasingly hopeless affair. The CDC recently warned these drugs are useless in combatting deadly 'super germs.' So what can one do? Your kitchen holds the key.
Every day in this country, all day long, patients and doctors reach for conventional antibiotics when opportunistic infections present themselves. The fact that most infections are self-limiting (the body has an immune system, we often forget), and that antibacterial antibiotics are often administered for viral infections, against which they are useless and even infection-promoting, is rarely if ever acknowledged.
There is also the problem that antibiotics themselves drive the growth of antibiotic resistant subpopulations of bacteria, and as a result creating “super germs" against which the conventional antibiotics are useless. This effect can adversely alter the microbial substrate for our health for months, years, and perhaps for our entire lifetime (and our progeny’s lifetimes).
The good news is that doctors and their patients are starting to wake up. The concept of taking a probiotic to promote health, for instance, is practically mainstream knowledge now. There is even compelling research that viruses in our body are essential to fight bacterial infections and cancer, and that viruses are so important that we should consider taking proviriotics (substances that feed their growth) to support our virally-base immunity. Watch Dr. Virgin’s amazing NIH lecture below to learn about the health-promoting role of viruses as members of the virome (the viral component of the microbiome) in the video below:


To gain a greater appreciation for the ongoing paradigm shift concerning "germs," you can read my article on how the discovery of the microbiome has demolished a key tenet of Germ Theory, namely, that viruses and bacteria are primarily pathogenic in nature: How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy. Or, take a peak a my more recent article discussing how human influenza is comprised of proteins and lipids derived from our own bodies, precluding them from being classified fully as "other": Why The Only Thing Influenza May Kill Is Germ Theory.

The Rise of Natural Medicine for Treating Infections

And so, in the past few years, interest in evidence-based, natural alternatives, which provide safer and more effective relief, have increasingly expanded.  Together, we are re-learning and remembering the wisdom of the ancients: let food be your medicine.
At GreenMedInfo.com, we have indexed a broad range of natural substances that have potent anti-microbial activity, including commonly available and inexpensive ‘kitchen remedies’ like honeygarliclemon, to name but a few. In actuality, thousands of natural substances have antimicrobial activity, which unlike conventional drugs, are far more capable of restoring balance within the microbiome. We have indexed hundreds of studies on this topic, all of which can be found on our Research Dashboard dedicated to Antibiotic Resistant Infection
 

Garlic Versus First-Line Antibiotic for Vaginal Infection

A relatively recent study adds to the already impressive body of research in this field. Titled “Comparing the Therapeutic Effects of Garlic Tablet and Oral Metronidazole on Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial,” medical researchers demonstrated the power of garlic in treating bacterial vaginosis, one of the most common gynecological infections afflicting women of reproductive age today.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects 29.2% of women aged 14-49, and 25% of pregnant women in the US, according to CDC statistics.  According to the study,
“This infection is asymptomatic in 50% to 75% of cases and symptomatic cases present with homogeneous gray-white vaginal discharge with fishy odor, especially after intercourse or during menstruation”
It is believed that BV results from reduced quantities of hydrogen peroxide producing lactobacillus and increased anaerobic organisms such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, and Prevotella species. Antibiotics are notorious for lacking specificity in inhibiting only those opportunistic strains that can cause harm, which is why it is no wonder that the standard of care treatment of BV with metronidazole has a notoriously poor success rate.[1]
Moreover, antibiotics like metronidazole come with a wide range of side effects, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, dizziness weight loss, and abdominal pain.
Even more concerning is the fact that the drug has been identified as a potential carcinogen both by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP)[2] and the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer.[3]
The new study tested whether garlic could compete with metronidazole in treating BV. Garlic was a logical choice, since it has been used as an anti-infective agent for millennia, and has seen a tremendous amount of clinical validation in the past ten years, as evidenced by the literature on our Garlic Research Dashboard. You can also read previous reporting we have done on the topic of garlic’s immense value in addressing infections, such as Judy Cohain’s article on “How to Treat a Vaginal Infection with a Clove of Garlic.” Much of this research also demonstrates the potent anti-cancer properties of this powerfully medicinal food.
The design of the new study involved giving two groups of 60 married women  (aged 18 to 44 years) either 500 mg garlic tablets comprised of 85.42% garlic powder, or metradizole. Each dose of garlic powder contained the equivalent of 8.9-mg allein, a potent antimicrobial compound.  Both drugs were taken with meals at the dose of two tablets each 12 hours for seven days.
The two different treatments were evaluated using a diagnostic criteria showing active infection known as Amsel’s criteria. Not surprisingly, garlic was found superior to metronidazole at reducing infection at 70% and 48.3%, respectively. Additionally, garlic was found to have far lower side effects.
The researchers concluded:
“This study reveals that garlic could be a suitable alternative for metronidazole in treatment of BV in those interested in herbal medicines or those affected by side effects of metronidazole.”

Isn’t that amazing?   

Before the advent of modern, conventional medicine, the world over used natural substances – spices, foods, herbs – to prevent and reverse disease.  In fact, so important and valued were these that they were sometimes traded for their weight in gold. Now we know that the ancients were not as “primitive, superstitious, or pre-scientific,” as widely believed, we can appreciate science that honors their wisdom.  In fact, it was their use of these substances that enabled them to survive thousands of years without modern medicine, and it is the use of these substances that will now allow us to survive modern medicine itself, which has become a primary cause of death.
For more information on natural healing alternatives to common drugs view our database sections titled, “The Superiority of Natural Substances versus Drugs,” and “Natural Substances Equipotent To Drugs,” to see research comparing natural versus synthetic approaches to prevent and treat disease.
And of course, please use our Research Dashboard, which contains research on over 3,000 ailments that can prevented or treated naturally, as evidenced by published, peer-reviewed research culled from the National Library of Medicine’s database MEDLINE (accessible viapubmed.gov)
Looking for more in-depth information on natural remedies used since ancient times? Watch the  upcoming docuseries on the topic by registering here.


References

[1] Review Bacterial vaginosis: a review on clinical trials with probiotics. Mastromarino P, Vitali B, Mosca L New Microbiol. 2013 Jul; 36(3):229-38.

[2] "Metronidazole CAS No. 443-48-1" (PDF). Report on Carcinogens, Twelfth Edition (2011). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program. Retrieved 2011-10-28.

[3] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (May 2010). "Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–100" (PHP). World Health Organization. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

FDA warns of flesh-eating genital infection linked to diabetes medication

FDA warns of flesh-eating genital infection linked to diabetes medication: The Food and Drug Administration is warning people that some diabetes drugs may cause a flesh-eating bacterial infection of the genitals.

Naturally lower your blood pressure by drinking hibiscus tea

Naturally lower your blood pressure by drinking hibiscus tea

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hibiscus-tea(NaturalHealth365) High blood pressure or hypertension is a progressive condition that can lead to many life-threatening events, like a heart attack.  Sadly, Western medicine believes that a toxic medication is the ‘only answer.’  But, in truth, there are many ways to naturally lower blood pressure – like our featured beverage (today) – hibiscus tea.
This Nigerian study is a perfect example of how published scientific research (in many cases) is way ahead of what gets mentioned in the mainstream media.
The study results, published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, showed that hibiscus tea lowered lisinopril levels as well as ACE counts. Drinking the tea was as effective in lowering blood pressure as taking any of the standard blood pressure medications. (Big pharma will hate this news!)

Lower blood pressure naturally with hibiscus tea and stress reduction techniques

Researchers believe hibiscus tea is so effective because it inhibits ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme), in the same way conventional blood pressure drugs are designed to work.  By the way, tart cherry juice works much the same way, reducing systolic blood pressure as well as LDL cholesterol.
Remember: high blood pressure, if left untreated, can lead to a stroke, heart attack, dementia, kidney disease and other serious conditions.  The point is: lifestyle changes can make a big difference in controlling hypertension. (translation: ‘eliminating the threat!’)
In addition, exercising, calorie restriction, eating more organic fruits and vegetables plus the reduction of simple sugar consumption, meat and processed foods can all make a difference.
If possible, regular sauna use is a relaxing way to lower blood pressure – naturally.  A study of Finnish men showed visiting a sauna regularly at least four times per week resulted in a 50 percent reduction in stroke risk.
Other blood pressure reduction strategies include: meditation, slower (deeper) breathing exercises and yoga as a way of lowering blood pressure – naturally.

Clinical studies find hibiscus tea and beet juice lowers blood pressure without side effects

Taking a hypertension medication is an option, but there are many (unwanted) side effects associated with these drugs. A better option is to drink hibiscus tea, specifically made from red hibiscus sabdariffa flowers and incorporate some the other suggestions in this article.
Hibiscus tea has been found to reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure as effectively as the most common hypertension medications, without side effects.
Have you tried beet juice – as a natural way to reduce blood pressure?  Just one cup daily can reduce hypertension symptoms as well as inflammation, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension.
This study also showed improvement to blood vessel flexibility in those who drank beet juice daily.

Key point: Dietary and lifestyle changes can help to lower blood pressure

Another great tip: Chocolate lovers will be happy to learn that eating bitter chocolate is another effective way to lower blood pressure naturally.  But, a word of caution, this tasty treat should be enjoyed in moderation.
Less than once ounce of chocolate per day is enough (not the whole bar!) to receive health benefits.  Other foods that can help lower your blood pressure include organic green tea, kale, garlic, pomegranate and turmeric.
Bottom line: living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle is the way to go.  From diet and exercise to stress reduction techniques, these key lifestyle changes can all add up to better health for a lifetime.
Sources for this article include: