Hello everyone,
Dr. Chuma here for another health segment.
I know I spoke about supplements in the past, but I had a special request for a repeat, specifically commenting on any supplements which can help with nerve and cognitive issues.
People take a lot of supplements. When I ask my patients why they take them, most report hearing, usually from a friend or online, that they will boost immunity, delay aging, reverse or prevent disease and make other medications unnecessary. Well those sources rarely have any legitimate credentials to make any claims.
Not only do the majority of supplements not help, they can cause interactions with many medications. Some thin the blood, magnifying the effects of commonly used prescription blood thinners. They may also impair the function of drugs like thyroid medication.
Some are linked to increased cancer risks. For example, orange and red vegetables containing beta carotene are super healthy for you and smokers who eat a lot of them have lower lung cancer rates. But the isolated nutrient beta carotene as a supplement actually increases lung cancer risk! The same goes for vitamin E supplements which increase prostate cancer risk. Vitamin E is important, but in whole foods, there are 8 different types. Supplements overdose you on 1 or 2 types, blocking the uptake of the other 6 from natural sources.
For the majority of supplements, claims of benefit have just not been proven. This includes the flood of supplements to help with brain health and prevention of cognitive decline. Not one of these products has shown any real benefit. In fact, one of the more popular ones which advertises a lot on TV was sued over false claims. They lost, had to pay a huge fine but are still allowed to advertise on TV. Sales remain strong despite no actual proven benefit.
Supplements have not been regulated by the FDA at all since 1994. As insane as it sounds, companies can claim whatever health benefits they want without any studies or proof. Many tested supplements have little to none of the claimed ingredients. Many are contaminated with toxic chemicals and even unlisted pharmaceuticals.
Good quality supplements are third-party tested for contaminants as well as active ingredients by reputable independent research labs like Consumer Labs and NSF. If a company has paid for such certifications, you can bet they will be promoting it on their labels.
Whole foods are always your best source of nutrition. This includes calcium and iron, which can also cause more problems than benefits when taken as supplements. Although food is less nutritious today, it is not as dire as some supplement companies would have us believe. Overall, there has been about a 10% drop in nutritional content in our fruits and vegetables but they are still very nutritious.
Animal products like meat, dairy, fish and eggs contain 65x fewer vitamins and minerals than plants and their fat content has increased dramatically over the years, a result of breeding, genetic manipulation and feeding animals poor quality foods. For example, the fat content of chicken has quadrupled in the last 30 years. This is really important since fat is what stores all the toxins and it bioaccumulates.
All this having been said, there are particular conditions and deficiencies for which some well researched and tested supplements are of benefit.
There are also some supplements most of us should consider taking because of very common deficiencies.
95% of Americans do not reach the USDA recommended minimal fiber consumption levels of 25-35 grams. Traditional diets contain 70-100 grams. Fiber only comes from plants and each plant has a unique type of fiber. It slows digestion, slows sugar absorption and feeds the healthy microbes in our intestines, which in turn, keeps you healthy. Start slowly and gradually increase allowing your gut microbiome to grow and adapt to the fiber. If you still can’t reach your goals, a great fiber supplement is Psyllium Husk from the company Organic India. It is cheap, clean, gentle and very effective.
Vitamin D is not a vitamin but a hormone and is essential not only for healthy bones but also for a healthy immune system. UV rays from the sun start the conversion of cholesterol in the skin into a Vit D but we just don’t get enough sun exposure to make enough of it, even in the summer months. Other than fortified foods like cereals and beverages, food is not an adequate source of Vitamin D.
Vitamin B12 is important for proper nerve function and red blood cell production. It is actually made by bacteria in the soil. As a result of all the chemicals used in agriculture, these bacteria have died off. Small amounts of these microbes are on plants but we wash them away. Ruminant animals have these bacteria in their intestines so meat can also be a source, but again, the numbers are dwindling since most are fed grains rather than feeding on grasses.
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential because we do not make them and they are crucial for brain health. 40% of the brain is made up of these fats which also improve heart health and support our immune system. Although cold water fish like salmon, herring and sardines contain O3s, you would need to eat them more than 3 times a week to get adequate amounts and 100% of fish are contaminated with chemicals, heavy metals and plastics. The fish do not make O3s but consume them as algae, a healthier supplement source than fish oil. Great plant sources include walnuts, flax and hemp seeds and dark, leafy greens.
A few other important vitamins and minerals to consider are zinc, selenium, and iodine. These are all readily obtainable from healthy whole foods like nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens and sea vegetables like nori or dulse.
Some targeted supplements may also be helpful for certain conditions.
Nerve issues are often a result of toxic levels of glucose from diabetes, cardiovascular disease in general and as a complication of chemotherapy for cancer and autoimmune conditions. Some supplements to consider are:
- Alpha Lipoic Acid, an antioxidant which helps restore blood flow to damaged nerves and improves nerve conduction
- Omega 3 fatty acids, given their importance in the brain
- Vitamin B12, which affects nerve function
- Magnesium, which is involved in over 300 metabolic functions
- Turmeric, Ginger and Garlic, which are just awesome for everything.
For cardiovascular health and muscle cellular energy production, the antioxidant CoQ10 is important to consider, especially if you are on a statin.
For diabetes, consider Berberine, a compound found in a few plants, particularly the barberry plant. You can eat the berries regularly or take a supplement. It has been shown to be just as effective as metformin, the most prescribed diabetes drug worldwide.
For bone health, don’t immediately reach for the calcium supplements. Most of that calcium ends up in your heart arteries rather than your bones. And dairy is actually not a good source of bone-healthy calcium. In fact, the countries which consume the most dairy, the US and Sweden, have the highest osteoporosis rates. And there are areas in rural China where calcium consumption is a fraction of what ours is, yet they have almost no osteoporosis. The real bone-health supplement is exercise, specifically, resistance exercise. If there is any advantage to being overweight, it’s that it puts more stress on the bones and osteoporosis and bone fractures are lowest in overweight people. They might die much earlier from cancer, heart disease or diabetes, but their bones will be strong!
In the world of wellness, there are boulders and there are pebbles. If you don’t address the boulders, moving the pebbles is irrelevant. The boulders are:
- a whole food, plant based diet low in processed foods, added sugar and salt. Remember that supplements are exactly that, things meant to “supplement” deficiencies in your diet. These deficiencies are a product, for the most part, of a plant-poor diet.
- regular movement and exercise,
- good sleep,
- stress management and
- love and social interaction.
Addressing the boulders gets us 95% of the way to good health. The pebbles like supplements, and other esoteric hacks like cold showers, saunas or time restricted eating don’t compensate for poor lifestyle habits. Focus on the boulders and stress less about the pebbles.
Be Well and Stay Safe.