A few supplements you should be consuming according to the research:

• Multivitamin /mineral
• Fish Oil (Omega 3)
• Vitamin D
• Fiber

This is according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study “Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage”. This study was done in the Bay Area right at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute.

Dr Cohen’s insight: I think these are supplement recommendations in addition to a healthy diet is very wise. I also think the quality of the supplement is important because you get what you pay for. For example a multi vitamin should not make you upset to your stomach and I often hear patients complain of that when I suggest a supplement. The reason it upsets your stomach is the cheaper drug store or grocery store brands often cut corners to keep the price very low so they use forms of the vitamin or mineral that your body can not digest or utilize.  Many of the omega-3 supplements I pick up at the store have a bunch of junk in them and very little EPA/DHA which is the part of the Omega-3 fish oil that is anti-inflammatory, I’ve even seen them filled with canola junk oils. Bottom line you get what you pay for. If you’re in doubt bring your supplements in with you and I’ll go over the ingredients with you.

This is one reason why I don’t recommend people just pick up supplements off the shelf, especially simply because they are on sale. There are a few reputable companies that I have researched and feel very comfortable recommending with including Metagenics, Standard Process, Apex Energetics, Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health.  I use a variety of supplements because depending on what you need some companies have better quality or formula. Some I stock and others you can order direct from them or I can special order.  Currently my favorite for the fish oil (omega 3) is Metagentics.

But one key feature about these companies verses all of the ones named in the suit is they are health provider only which means typically they have a higher level of scrutiny by independent labs.  The health benefits of high quality fish oil are massive and have been highlighted on this blog. But a rancid oil or a contaminated oil will do more harm than good, that’s why it’s important that the supplement is stored and shipped properly. At home, I keep my fish oils either in the freezer (for capsules) or fridge for liquid because I don’t want to take any chances.

Press release below:

U.S. fish oil makers, drugstores, sued over supplements

By Alexandria Sage

SAN FRANCISCO, March 2 (Reuters) – A group including a California nonprofit organization is suing fish oil manufacturers and pharmacies that sell the popular supplements over their purported toxicity.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Court, claims that the makers and sellers of certain supplements found to contain high levels of PCB compounds — man-made industrial chemicals — have failed to alert consumers as required under California’s right-to-know law.

The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation, one of three named plaintiffs, tested 10 fish oil supplements out of more than 100 on the market. The other plaintiffs in the case are New Jersey residents.

Defendants include the world’s largest producer of omega-3 fish oil, Houston-based Omega Protein (OME.N), as well as drug stores Rite Aid Corp (RAD.N) and CVS Caremark Corp (CVS.N).

“The people buying these fish oil supplements are not being told the PCBs are there,” said plaintiff’s attorney David Roe.

People consume fish oil supplements for the health benefits obtained from omega-3 fatty acids, but there are currently no standards for PCB contamination in fish oil in the United States, according to Roe.

Also named as defendants are General Nutrition Corp, a subsidiary of GNC Acquisition Holdings Corp, Now Health Group Inc, Pharmavite LLC, the maker of the NatureMade brand of supplements, Solgar Inc and TwinLab Corp. (Reporting by Alexandria Sage, editing by Maureen Bavdek)

Research shows that the Mediterranean diet is more effective than low-fat diets in lowering participants’ blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels. The Mediterranean diet  is characterized as high intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish, and unsaturated fatty acids (mostly olive oil); low intake of saturated fats, meat and poultry; low to moderately high intake of dairy products (mostly cheese or yogurt); and a regular but moderate intake of alcohol (primarily wine) with meals. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

FDA currently does not have a realiable way to assess the food and products safety containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are now found in more than 80% of (non-organic) foods sold in conventional grocery stores in the U.S.  This study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, states:

The biological plausibility of a subchronic or chronic side effect of the GM diet, linked to the new toxin in the mammalian regimen, or due to the mutagenesis effect of the genetic modification itself, is thus non negligible. Finally it should be stressed that statistically significant effects of GM diets, or of residues of pesticides that are contained by GMOs, have also been observed in other instances [21-25], but not in all studies [26, 27] enlightening the necessity of a case-by-case approach, and that the real toxicological studies are quite limited up to date for that [28]. All these observations taken together in our opinions do not allow a clear statement of toxic effects, but to suggest them as such, because they are clearly undeniable.

In English that means there are certainly more risks and indication of caution than previous claims of a Monsanto-supported expert panel about a GMO.  The research, conducted by scientists from France, Italy, New Zealand, U.K. and U.S., corroborates the decade-long criticism by public interest organizations.  This is an important step, wish it would have been done before GMO’s flooded the US market.  But this is another case that supports buying organic produce because currently certified organic can not be a GMO.

Some people are more sensitive to gluten than others and eating out can be a disaster because often times gluten will be hidden in some ingredient the server isn’t aware of.  A new supplement GlutenFlam from Apex Energetics utilizes a few key ingredients (DPP IV, brush border enzymes and flavonoids for gluten response) that have been studied and found to be effective in aiding  in digestion and during inflammation promoted by unexpected exposures. It is not to be used in place of gluten or casein-free diet, but rather to be used to digest hidden sources of gluten.

Many patients have been pleased with this product since we’ve begun carrying it. Talk to me if you are interested in adding this support and I’ll provide you with supporting literature.