Cardiovascular Disease

Arteriosclerosis, the most well-known disease in which the walls of the arteries become thickened and lose their ability to stretch (commonly referred to as “hardening of the arteries”) is the number one killer in the United States and affects nearly 60 million Americans.

The causes of cardiovascular disease are also well known: heredity, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, obesity, smoking and high stress levels, most of which can be altered for improvement and bring about significant reduction in the risk of heart attack. Included among the preventative measures are dietary supplements, which have been found to counter at least some of the risk factors.

Antioxidants

Vitamins A, C and E, grape seed extract and pine bark extract (Pycnogenol), help slow the process of plaque build-up in the arteries by scavenging free radicals that cause oxidation.

The Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study found that vitamin E effectively reduced heart attack risk in those people in the test who were considered high risk. Those given 400 to 800 IU’s of vitamin E had a 75% lower risk of heart attacks after 18 months of use.

The New England Journal of Medicine concluded from a study of 40,000 men, that those who took at least 100 IU’s of vitamin E per day for 24 months lowered their risk of heart attacks by almost 40%.

Other nutritional supplements known to fight cardiovascular disease are Co-Q10, garlic, soy, L-carnitine, and B vitamins.

Cancer

Many cancers are significantly influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. Smoking, stress, obesity, pollutants, carcinogens, poor exercise and deficiencies in nutrients all play a role in the risk of getting some cancers.

Antioxidants

Numerous studies suggest that antioxidants as a whole prevent oxidative damage to cells and to DNA. In some cases, antioxidants are being used for cancer treatment.

Carotenoids

Beta-carotene has shown anticancer capabilities in a number of clinical trials. Lycopene, found in tomatoes, has been the subject of research relating to its role in reducing the risk of certain cancers. One study suggested that eating 10 servings per week of tomato-based foods reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer by nearly 45%.

Selenium

A 1997 study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that selenium was responsible for a 50% decrease in cancer deaths: 63% fewer cases of prostate cancer, 58% fewer cases of colon cancer, and 46% fewer incidents of lung cancer.

Osteoarthritis

More than 40 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis and 80% of them are over 50. Many of them believe that stiffness, loss of joint function, acute localized pain, tenderness and swelling or bony hardness are just a part of getting old.

The cumulative effects of years of “wear and tear” do cause degenerative changes by causing stress to the collagen matrix of cartilage. Ibuprofen is most often taken to relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, but long-term healing requires new dietary therapy.

Glucosamine

Supplemental glucosamine works by being absorbed directly into joint cartilage where it is distributed to the joint tissues. It is then incorporated into the connective tissue matrix of cartilage, ligaments and tendons. The recommended dosage for glucosamine is about 1,500 mg daily. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate may protect existing cartilage from premature breakdown by inhibiting certain enzymes that destroy cartilage or prevent the transport of nutrients.

Osteoporosis

Calcium and vitamin D intake has been reported to reduce the risk of hip fractures by almost 20%. The FDA recognizes calcium as a preventative for osteoporosis. The primary source of both vitamin D and calcium is cow’s milk. Given that 75% of Americans are lactose intolerant, dietary supplementation makes sense.

If you are planning to take any dietary supplement for a particular ailment, always check with your doctor.

Jean Carper, nutritional expert, author and syndicated columnist, suggests that you start taking these supplements when you’re young and healthy—to stay that way!

Vitamin E

The evidence is truly overwhelming, states Lester Packer, Ph.D., a molecular and cell biologist at the University of California at Berkeley. He asserts that Vitamin E drastically reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke, rejuvenates your immune system, sharpens your brain cells, helps keep skin youthful and may reduce your risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer. It also works as well as any prescription drug in delaying the progression of Alzheimer’s. It has been found to reduce the risk of a second heart attack by 70 percent. Packer recommends 500 mg. of Vitamin E daily.

Vitamin C

Dr. Packer believes that “taking a vitamin C supplement can make a huge difference in protecting against heart disease, keeping the immune system strong, preventing cataracts and even slowing down skin aging.” Research has shown that vitamin C, one of the most popular of all vitamins, can bolster the body’s resistance to various cancers. “People who take a vitamin C supplement live longer, healthier lives,” says Packer. Our ancestors may have eaten as much as 10,000 mg. of vitamin C daily, an amount not found in today’s American diet due to food processing and cooking. Packer recommends 500 mg. per day and a diet rich in vitamin C foods.

Lipoic Acid

The most versatile and powerful of all antioxidants, lipoic acid is unique in its ability to replenish other antioxidants and to get directly into the brain cells. Packer says that his research has shown that lipoic acid is potent protection against stroke and heart disease. It has been used for more than 20 years in Europe to treat diabetic complications. Packer recommends taking 100 mg. of lipoic acid daily since tiny amounts are only available in red meat, spinach, and potatoes.

L-glutathione

It doesn’t matter if you’re young, middle-aged or elderly, low blood levels of L-glutathione in your body predict disease and premature death. Levels of L-glutathione drop dramatically about the age of 40. L-glutathione is the body’s main detoxifier of toxins, which is critical to survival. Packer recommends lipoic acid to help boost glutathione levels since L-glutathione is a supplement that can be destroyed by digestive enzymes before it gets into the bloodstream.

Coenzyme Q-10 (CO-Q10)

In a recent American study, CO-Q10 improved the heart functioning in more than half the patients studied. This antioxidant, although less well known than vitamins C and E, has shown real promise in fighting degenerative brain diseases, gum disease and breast cancer. Parker noted that heart-muscle biopsies in patients with various heart diseases showed that 50 to 75 percent had a Co-Q-10 deficiency.

Oxygen is essential to life and must be present in the human body in order for our cells to convert matter into energy for vital processes and activities. However, among the by-products of this metabolic process are what is knows as free radicals, a substance that is created as a result of adverse environmental influences such as smoking, drinking, excessive exercise, pollution, and over-exposure to the sun. These free radicals “roam” the human body and can deform and corrode any cell they touch.

Production of the free radicals species of oxygen is a normal mechanism that the body’s immune system uses to harm and kill potentially infectious microbes and viruses. As long as the ratio of oxidants to antioxidants remains in balance, the negative effects of free radicals are kept in control. When uncontrolled, free radicals can damage vital biological molecules, cells, tissues and even organs. The result: premature aging and/or disease.

Researchers have found that antioxidant nutrients — which can neutralize, balance and sponge up free radicals — may be effective in combating free radical damage. Antioxidants, whether produced in the body naturally or obtained through diet or supplements, are substances that function to destroy free radicals.
Foods such as carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yellow corn, apricots, mangoes, red and purple grapes, peaches, and all dark green leafy vegetables are natural antioxidants. Dietary supplements useful in maintaining the proper oxidant/antioxidant ratio include vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, L-glutathione, CO-Q10 and SOD (Super Oxide Dismutase).

Everybody knows that the human body needs oxygen to survive. But oxygen in the form of free radicals is quite harmful, for it breaks down cells and contributes to chromic disease as the body ages. It’s about the same thing as metal rusting when it comes into contact with water. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that the “rusting” of our bodies is not inevitable and can actually be prevented, say researchers, whose conclusions from numerous studies suggest that anti-oxidants, the nutrients found mainly in fruit and vegetables, may prevent the onset of disease and can even slow the aging process.

For example, in the Journal of Cellular Biology, a recent article pointed to a relationship between certain antioxidants and the protection from cervical cancer. The researchers found a higher rate of cervical cancer among women deficient in vitamin A and beta-carotene, both major antioxidants found in yellow, orange and green vegetables. Also, women who contracted cervical cancer were found to have lower-than-average levels of beta-carotene, vitamin E and C in their blood. The Journal concluded that it is wise to encourage consumption of more fruits and vegetable high in antioxidants.

However, an argument for antioxidant supplementation can also be drawn from another study of 100 men published in the prestigious Cancer Research. Half of the men were given 100 mg. of vitamin C, 280 mg. of vitamin E and 25 mg. of beta-carotene over a twenty-week period. The other half was given a placebo. Those taking the supplements showed decreased oxidative damage to their lymphocyte DNA. This appears to suggest that antioxidant supplementation boosts the immune system and prevents the onset of disease caused by free radicals, such as cancer.

Echinacea can also fight off a myriad of ills and numerous studies show that it bolsters the activity of the immune system and is an excellent defense against infections. Knowledgeable physicians recommend echinacea for young children prone to ear infections.

Pycnogenol, often nicknamed “the supreme antioxidant,” is known as the defender of the circulatory system. Studies in Great Britain, France and Germany have shown that the proanthocyanidins in Pycnogenol improve peripheral circulation, revive declining capillary activity, and fortify failing blood vessels. Pycnogenol is also used to mend varicose veins and aids in preventing bruising.
Pycnogenol has been extensively tested throughout the world and is considered completely safe and non-toxic.

Patients suffering from a variety of heart problems, including angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, hyperthyroid heart failure and mitral valve prolapse have shown extraordinary clinical improvement when given CoEnzyme Q-10, another major antioxidant, which is also a vital enzyme.