| Some medical studies recommend supplementation with vitamins, fruit and vegetable juices, acaloric fluids (coffee, tea, etc.), and drugs while the patient is "fasting". These practices have not been shown to produce any advantage, and serious problems have sometimes occurred, especially when non-essential medication was permitted. (In special cases it may be necessary to maintain the patient on essential medication while fasting, e.g. thyroid, prednisone, and insulin. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 Some success in treating myopia (nearsightedness) and conjunctivitis has been had with high doses of vitamin D. vitamins A and D together have helped muscle spasms, especially when related to anxiety states. A and D have been used in the treatment of asthma and arthritis as well. Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and depression have been helped by the use of calcium and vitamin D together. However, other than the use in menopause, these other applications of vitamin D are not very common in recent years. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| OCs are known to potentiate the adverse effects of cigarette smoking and decrease numerous nutrient levels, including vitamins C, B6 and B12, folic acid, riboflavin, and zinc.11
THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS Nutrition
Numerous nutritional factors have been implicated in the etiology of cervical dysplasia, cancer of the cervix and other epithelial cancers (such as skin, buccal cavity, pharynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, lung, etc.). |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Vitamin E, with the help of vitamins C and P (bioflavonoids), may be useful in preventing progression of varicose veins, more so than treating them once they have occurred.
Vitamin E may be very helpful to women. Research shows relief from menstrual pains, as well as general relief from various menstrual disorders. Many problems of menopause, such as headaches, hot flashes, or vaginal itching due to dryness, may be reduced with the use of supplemental vitamin E. When birth control pills are used, the tocopherols may help protect the body from their possible side effects. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Depression in the aged: relation to folate and vitamins C and B12. Biol Psychiatry 1989; 26: 209-213
47. Curtius H, Muldner H, Niederwieser A. Tetrahydobiopterin: efficacy in endogenous depression and Parkinson's disease. J Neural Trans 1982; 55: 301-308
48. Curtius H, Niederwieser A, Levine R et al. Successful treatment of depression with tetrahydrobiopterin. Lancet 1983; i: 657-658
49. Leeming R, Harpey J, Brown S et al. Tetrahydrofolate and hydroxycobolamin in the management of Dihydropteridine reductase deficiency. J Ment Def Res 1982; 26: 21-25
50. |
| From a therapeutic aspect, correction of these underlying factors may be of some aid. vitamins E and B6 have been demonstrated to increase Na+,K+ ATPase activity in vitro, and vitamin E stabilizes membranes as well.123
Circadian rhythms
Manic depressive patients have disturbed circadian rhythms, seasonal patterns of exacerbations, and supersensitivity to light, suggesting that alteration of circadian light-dark cycles through light therapy may be of clinical utility (see "Seasonal affective disorder" below). |
| A likely explanation for this occurrence is that either the vitamins (particularly vitamin B6 and niacin) shunted tryptophan metabolism away from the kynurenine pathway or the contaminants are somehow metabolized by vitamin-dependent enzymes.
L-Tryptophan
The basic theory of tryptophan supplementation in depression (and insomnia) is that it will increase the level of serotonin and melatonin in the brain. This theory is supported by the considerable evidence that many depressed individuals have low tryptophan and serotonin levels. |
| When selecting a multiple vitamin and mineral formula it is important to make sure that it provides the full range of vitamins and minerals at high potency levels. Deficiencies of a number of nutrients are quite common in depressed individuals. The most common deficiencies are folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. The significance of these deficiencies is discussed below.
Dietary guidelines
Since the brain requires a constant supply of blood sugar, hypoglycemia must be avoided. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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 Following what it calls a "common sense approach," the ACS began advocating the following measures: (1) avoid obesity; (2) cut down on total fat intake; (3) eat more high-fiber foods such as whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables; (4) include foods rich in vitamins A and C in your daily diet; (5) include cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi and cauliflower) in your diet; (6) eat moderately of salt-cured, smoked and nitrite-cured foods; and (7) keep alcohol consumption moderate, if you do drink (ACS, 1988). |
| They reported that "the vitamins A, C, D and E are not essential for the growth of transplanted neoplasms" (cited in Hoffman, 1937).
In the 1930s German physicians began to use vitamin C in one- and two-gram doses in the treatment of human cancer. Irwin Stone has indicated that W. G. Deucher (1940), Von Wendt (1949), and L. Huber (1953) all had some success with this method (Stone, 1972). |
National Women's Health Network
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 In addition, many nutritional supplements containing combinations of vitamins and minerals are promoted for bone health. These combination supplements, besides being unproven, are much more expensive than basic calcium carbonate.
As we have said throughout this book, low bone mineral density is not the same as fracture risk. Some studies show that women who eat diets rich in calcium lose less bone and are less likely to fracture. A fourteen-year study of older men and women found that hip fractures occurred less in those whose diets contained moderate amounts of calcium. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Supplements
Length of fast
Loss of minerals or vitamins is usually not a concern, and deficiencies while fasting are rare.22'29'65'69'108'109 In fact, problems, such as nausea and indigestion, have been reported when these were supplemented during the fast.32,101 For example, it is well known that nicotinic acid supplementation inhibits the release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue.36 In one patient in whom vitamin deficiency was reported in the medical literature, the actual fasting protocol was not described. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 What Else to Take with This Drug
Supplements which replenish the above vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
Gemftbrozil (Lopid, Novo-Gemfibrozil, Apo-Gemfibrozil) What Does It Do in the Body?
Its major effect is to lower triglycerides and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein), but it may also lower LDL levels, and it may raise HDL levels.
What Is It Prescribed For? Reducing triglycerides.
What Are the Possible Side Effects?
As is true with most of the other cholesterol-lowering drugs, this drug is essentially toxic and therefore stresses your liver and kidneys. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 I can't swear that they'll relieve IBD, but they're certainly loaded with fluids and vitamins and minerals, which can be depleted if you have chronic diarrhea.
In Enzymes Galore, I have no problem with the banana, mango, papaya and pineapple. All are used extensively in the tropics for digestive troubles. The special protein-digesting enzymes in pineapple and papaya (pancreatin and bromelain) have been shown in clinical studies to have anti-inflammatory action. They also have added value in fighting autoimmune diseases. |
| Fruits and vegetables are our main sources of potent antioxidants: vitamins C and E, the vitamin A-like carotenoids and folate, a B vitamin. Many studies show that as dietary consumption of these nutrients increases, risk of heart attack plummets by up to 40 percent. (And cancer risk drops about 50 percent as well).
No wonder the National Research Council, the National Cancer Institute and most nutritional health authorities urge all Americans to "strive for five." This means getting at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. |
| Supplements that may help include vitamins B6, C and E, chromium picolinate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc, plus omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
In addition to exercising and taking supplements, you can try many herbs to help normalize blood sugar levels. The first, jackass bitters, I've already described. Here are the others in the lineup.
VW Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). About half of fenugreek seed (by weight) is a soluble fiber called mucilage. It contains six compounds that help regulate blood sugar levels. |
| Although I prefer to recommend that you get your vitamins and minerals from foods rather than supplements, deficiencies of folate (the naturally occurring form of folic acid) are quite common, and you might need a folic acid supplement. The average American consumes only 61 percent of the Daily Value of 400 micrograms of folate. Whether or not you take a supplement, however, don't neglect good food sources such as spinach, pinto beans, asparagus, broccoli, okra and brussels sprouts.
V Wheatgrass (Agropyron, various species) and other grasses. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Primarily vitamins B6 and folic acid. See the sections on synthetic estrogens and progestins for details.
What Else to Take if You Take These Drugs
Vitamin B6 (50 mg daily), folic acid (400 meg daily), vitamin C (2,000 mg daily).
Synthetic Testosterone Fluoxymesterone (Halotestirv)
Methyltestosterone (Android, Oreton Methyl, Testred, Virilon) What Do They Do in Your Body?
The synthetic testosterones tend to have more of the muscle-building properties of testosterone, and less of the effects such as deepening of the voice and the growth of body hair.
What Are They Prescribed For? |
| Without enough magnesium, the calcium can't be absorbed onto the bone. vitamins are also involved. For example, vitamin B6 works with magnesium to get calcium onto your bones.
The hormones testosterone, estrogen and progesterone are also actively involved in the making and unmaking of bone. Testosterone and progesterone build bone, while estrogen slows bone loss.
In osteoporosis, the old bone is being reabsorbed faster than new bone is being made, causing the bones to lose density and become thinner and more porous. The integrity and strength of our bones is related to bone mass and density. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Vitamin D intake must be more finely tuned in regard to the right therapeutic level than most other vitamins, and it is considered by many authorities to be the most potentially toxic vitamin. Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity can easily occur when vitamin D is taken in large amounts or with excessive sun exposure. (It is possible that part of sun poisoning symptoms are due to vitamin D toxicity.)
Sources: Provitamin D is found mainly in animal foods. D3, or "natural" vitamin D, is found in fish liver oil, which is the traditional source of both A and D. Cod liver oil is a commonly used source. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Beans are an excellent and nutritious source of protein and contain many important vitamins and minerals.
Coffee, Alcohol and Cigarette Smoking
Here's yet another good reason to either give up coffee and alcohol or use them in moderation. And do you need to be told how important it is to stop smoking now? (It's never too late to reap the benefits of quitting smoking.) Each of these substances creates a negative calcium balance in the body. Substances called phytates and oxylates bind with calcium in the large intestine and form insoluble salts, rendering the calcium useless. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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 Malnutrition (deficiencies in iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, A, D, E and/or K)
124. Mast cell degranulation
125. Menarche, delayed (delayed by over 1 year)
126. Menopause, early (occurs 2-4 years earlier in CD patients)
127. Mental symptoms and disorders: a. Inability to concentrate b. Mental deterioration c. Mental lethargy d. Distractibility e. Intelligence deficits f. Dementia g. Down syndrome h. ADHD i. ADD j. Autism k. Schizophrenia
128. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| In addition to the vitamins you're taking as part of the Six Core Principles for Optimal Health (see Chapter 8), you will support your body if you take the following supplements.
• Your biggest ally in fighting infection and speeding healing is vitamin A. Take 15,000 IU of vitamin A (not beta-carotene) daily for a week before surgery, and 50,000 IU the two days before and after surgery, then continue with 15,000 IU daily for about 10 days. (If you're pregnant, don't take more than 15,000 IU daily. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| You can also mix one tablespoon each of witch hazel, olive oil and glycerin and give that a try.
V vitamins and minerals. In my database, vitamin E (tocopherol) is the nutrient most cited for anti-sunburn activity. You might want to try a cream containing vitamin E to soothe sunburned skin.
In addition, one study showed that 1-selenomethionine, a natural amino acid, reduces the skin damage caused by sunburn. The study was done by Karen E. Burke, M.D., of Cabrini Medical Center in New York City. Selenomethionine is effective both applied to the skin and taken orally. Dr. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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| In addition, Manner was criticized for not testing laetrile, enzymes, and vitamins separately. Specifically, his study did not determine if laetrile in and of itself had any effectiveness against cancer.
In a follow-up experiment involving a total of 550 C3H/HeJ mice, Manner attempted to clarify some of these problems. Enzymes alone, combinations of enzymes and laetrile, or of vitamin A and enzymes, produced between 52 and 54 percent total regressions of cancer. |
| This is especially true of smokers and hard drinkers, who sometimes suffer serious depletion of vitamins due to their habits (Merck, 1987: 932).
Linus Pauling points out that the Committee on the Feeding of Laboratory Animals of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council recommends far more vitamin C for monkeys than the Food and Nutrition Board of the same organization recommends for people!
I am sure that the first committee has worked hard to find the optimum intake for the monkeys, the amount that puts them in the best of health. |
| In June, 1989 FDA agents raided Great Lakes Metabolics of Rochester, Minnesota and A-0 Supply Company of Millersport, Ohio and seized their stocks of hydrazine sulfate as well as other drugs, vitamins, supplies, and books (Budd, 1989). The Burton and Burzynski chapters, in particular, show how the agency in recent years has expended an extraordinary amount of energy keeping nontoxic approaches to cancer off the market.
Admittedly the situation is now in flux, making a definitive analysis difficult. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Organic: Scientifically speaking, all vitamins are organic, in that they contain carbon, but as with the term "natural," the health industry uses this term differently. Here, "organic" means that foods or supplements come from pesticide- and herbicide-free plant sources or naturally raised animals. In the body, nutrients can also be "organically" bound into tissues, for example, iron in the hemoglobin of the red blood cell. The agricultural term "organic" means that foods are grown without the addition of chemicals to the soil or the food. |
| Inorganic: vitamins are organic, and minerals are inorganic—that is, they do not contain carbon. Within the meaning of our agricultural term, though, almost all nutritional supplements are "inorganic" (really nonorganic) in the sense that they are chemically manufactured or extracted from foods grown with chemicals.
Chelated: When minerals are bound to another molecule to enhance absorption from the digestive tract, they are said to be "chelated." This organic molecule must have a dicarboxylic acid with two negatively charged sites to hold the mineral. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| If you're following the Six Core Principles for Optimal Health, you'll be getting plenty of these vitamins.
Japanese women have a significantly lower rate of osteoporosis than American women do, and it's likely that their high consumption of soy products is a factor. Adding soy products such as miso, tempeh and tofu to your diet will contribute to better overall health and stronger bones.
Progesterone and Osteoporosis
John Lee, M.D. |
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