Fwd: The DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 4, No. 11, May 5, 2004)

[Guest guest]

" Andrew W. Saul "

The DOCTOR YOURSELF Newsletter (Vol. 4, No. 11, May 5, 2004)

Tue, 27 Apr 2004 08:53:02 -0400

 

" Let no one who has the slightest desire to live in peace and quietness be

tempted, under any circumstances, to enter upon the chivalrous task of

trying to correct a popular error. "

 

(William Thoms, deputy librarian for the House of Lords, c. 1873)

 

To for free: dynews-

 

The DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER (Vol. 4, No. 11, May 5, 2004)

 

" Free of charge, free of advertising, and free of the A.M.A. "

 

Written and copyright 2004 by Andrew Saul, PhD, of

http://www.doctoryourself.com , which welcomes a million visitors annually.

Commercial use of the website or the contents of this Newsletter is strictly

prohibited.

 

HITTING A NERVE

 

The last Doctor Yourself Newsletter provoked something of an outcry from a

number of dietitians who were offended by my comment that successful vitamin

therapy " threatens dietitians because the fallaciousness of their

food-groups-always, supplements-never dogma will be exposed. "

 

In a way, I am slightly surprised that that was the ONLY statement that

caused offence. After all, the title and thrust of that issue

(http://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v4n10.txt) was the safety of vitamin

megadoses. Up to 20,000 mg/day of vitamin C for a man wanting have children?

3,000 to 10,000 mg of vitamin C per day for a healthy woman during

pregnancy? 14,000 mg/day of vitamin C for a 75-pound child? I would have

thought that these would be the lightning rods for any controversy.

 

No, it was that " food-groups-always, supplements-never " phrase that did it.

 

 

Below I will provide a sampling of the mail I received. Most of it is

negative, as registered dietitian (RD) newsgroups and listserves encouraged

their members to, well, wise me up a bit. As a writer, I take that as a

compliment. Here's what they had to say. (My response will follow at the

conclusion.)

 

" I am writing in response to your newsletter on the " Safety of Vitamins. " I

agree with the premise of your article; however, I was a bit offended at

your statement regarding dietitians and their " food-groups-always "

mentality. I belong to a group through ADA called the Nutrition and

Complementary Care Practice Group. This is a group of RD's who specialize in

alternative practices including functional medicine, supplementation, herbs,

etc. We, as a group, are very much in favor of and understand the need for

proper supplementation. "

 

 

" I just wanted to let you know that there's quite a large group of

dietitians that doesn't fit the stereotype you described in your article.

Hopefully we can all work together to educate the American public on better

nutrition. "

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Wendy Howard, RD, LD

 

Adult and Pediatric Nutrition Specialist

 

Richardson, Texas

 

ANOTHER LETTER:

 

" Your last newsletter made my husband and I laugh out loud . . . then his

comment was, '(expletive deleted)!' Have I missed something? The last I

recall, the majority of RDs take supplements themselves. Every RD I know

recommends them for our clients. So, maybe you need to do more fact

checking. I will try to find the research for you; I don't have it at hand,

since I never heard anything so ridiculous before. "

 

ANOTHER:

" Which planet are you living on ? Dietitians use and recommend the use of

vitamins. You are really behind the times; even the AMA last year

recommended a daily multivitamin. "

 

AND ANOTHER:

 

" After reading an article you wrote that was forwarded to me, I decided to

try to enlighten you about RD's and the " medical cartel. " Perhaps you should

do a little homework on the topic at hand before you so smugly criticize two

professional groups that could potentially be your allies.

 

" First, many RD's not only take vitamins, but they recommend them to their

patients as well. Same is true for physicians; I happen to be married to

one. We just happen to be educated enough to require scientific validation

of our recommendations. Yes, this means practicing evidence-based medicine,

something you might not be aware of.

 

" But that does not mean we should jump on every little nutritional bandwagon

that comes along and rush out to urge the public to throw away their food

and buy vitamins. We are not alarmists nor are we paranoid that the American

public is dying of vitamin deficiencies (a fallacy that the supplement

industry loves to sustain).

 

" Many clients I work with are on a limited budget and I am sure as heck not

going to tell them to spend their hard-earned money on a bottle of pills

when they can easily obtain all the nutrients they need in common foods. . .

But until there is solid research on all vitamins and the amount that is

needed to promote good health - and I don't mean one measly study with a

sample size of less than 10 - why should I change my mind? Just because Joe

Schmoe says, " Yeah dude, vitamin C cured my uncle of cancer and heart

disease, " I should rush out to tell all my clients to take mega doses of

vitamin C? I think not. We should all demand the highest standard of

scientific review on anything that potentially affects our health and

longevity. The American public deserves no less and that, my friend,

includes you. "

 

AND YET ANOTHER:

 

" I am a registered dietitian and am absolutely NOT a " food-groups-only,

supplements-never " practitioner. I don't know of any dietitians who are that

way. We recommend vitamins, minerals, supplements in appropriate amounts for

specific problems; I also highly recommend a multivitamin per day for

everyone. From where do you get your information? Please remove the

fallacious statement from your newsletter. "

 

STILL ANOTHER:

 

" I am an RD. I am sorry that you feel we as a profession do not agree with

supplementation.

 

I personally take a multivitamin with minerals and herbs daily. And I am a

(name deleted) distributor. Why? Because even though I want everyone to eat

well, we just can not get everything we need from foods most of the time.

And no one is perfect. I think many of us (RDs) feel this way. Please

consider this next time you label us all. "

 

 

WHY STOP NOW? HERE'S ANOTHER:

 

" I heard about your newsletter from a colleague (DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER

(Vol. 4, No. 10, April 23, 2004). Please know that not all RDs are against

supplements. There are many who understand the importance of supplementing

the diet with nutrients. Not all of us RDs are old school; many of us are

progressive in the field. Just thought you should know, and perhaps consider

seeking out the support of those who are progressive. "

 

AND MORE:

 

" Where do you come up with your information? As a dietitian I was insulted

to read that you think dietitians are threatened by vitamins! I, and the

majority of my colleagues, recommend vitamins as part of nutrition therapy.

Please get your facts straight before giving out erroneous information. "

 

AND THIS:

 

" I received this from a colleague and I'm curious how up to date your

generalizations are. It's been my experience as a practicing RD for 20+

years, that most dietitians take vitamins and supplements of one sort or

another and most recommend them for their clients and some of us even sell

them in our offices, to provide reputable brands with good quality control

and pure ingredients. Some of your remarks could be taken as libel or

slander. You may want to research the precedents. (Editor's Note: My offered

opinion was a general one. You cannot defame a large group or an entire

profession.) Even the American Dietetic Association Journal has been

publishing articles on vitamin efficacy. Your remarks seem out of date and

non-specific, more inflammatory than accurate. "

 

AND THIS, TOO:

 

" Where are you getting the information that RD's are still against

supplements? I admit that it took too long, but most RD's are now no longer

anti-supplement! I wish you would quit spreading things like this that are

no longer true. RD's tend to read the literature, which is more and more pro

supplements. Many of the people you quote are pioneers like Drs. Hoffer and

Mercola, and certainly it has taken us longer to appreciate these guys. But

we DO now. So please stop trashing us with old news. "

 

The DOCTOR YOURSELF NEWSLETTER's RESPONSE:

 

The core of my correspondents' complaints seems to center on my being out of

date or misinformed. To remedy that, and to provide a current source of my

information, I refer all interested to the official website of the American

Dietetic Association, www.eatright.org , which I accessed in April, 2004.

That's pretty much up-to-date, wouldn't you say? Here is what the 70,000

members of the " world's largest organization of food and nutrition

professionals " (Press Release January 03, 2000) collectively state about

supplements:

 

" Dietary supplements cannot make up for poor food choices. They have not

been proven to boost energy or prevent or cure diseases. " (Dietary

Supplements: Do You Know All the Facts? (March 24, 2004

http://www.eatright.org/Public/NutritionInformation/index_19201.cfm)

 

Right out the door, such a statement is both pontifical and factually

incorrect. And please note that the ADA authored that statement on March 24,

2004, only weeks before my Newsletter went out.

 

Recent though the ADA statement is, I ask my critics to consider if, just

possibly, it may be the American Dietetic Association that remains out of

date. Supplements not curing disease, not even preventing disease? Oh,

please! Prevention and cure of disease by vitamins is thoroughly established

and repeatedly demonstrated by decades of well-controlled studies, literally

numbering in the thousands. I have taught nutrition at the college level and

clinical nutrition at the graduate level. What I have learned in the process

is collected into the hundreds of articles and numerous major bibliographies

at my searchable website (http://doctoryourself.com). But my work is hardly

the authoritative source. Look instead to the experience of respected

researchers and eminently qualified physicians such as Abram Hoffer, M.D.,

Robert F. Cathcart, MD, Thomas Levy, MD, Hugh D. Riordan, MD, and many

others. I have about 4,000 references at my website to back me up. Links to

the doctors' work are provided further below, and also at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/links.html .

 

 

Judging from the more polite feedback I received, it would appear that a

goodly number of registered dietitians (RDs) personally and professionally

use supplements. I admire and applaud their individual use of vitamins for

themselves and their clients. I have my doubts as to just how high a dose

they're using; I will be pleased to receive email from dietitians on their

usage of megadoses anytime (drsaul).

 

However, I must first ask all supplement-friendly dietitians a question:

 

Exactly how do you feel about your Association's making that previous

statement ( " not been proven to prevent or cure diseases " )? Furthermore, how

do feel about the following ADA statement, accessed April 2004:

 

" Registered dietitians and other nutrition experts agree that if you make

healthful food choices, you will get all the vitamins, minerals, and other

nutrients you need for good health. "

 

(Vitamin & Mineral Supplements: Do I need to take a supplement?

 

http://www.eatright.org/Public/NutritionInformation/92_11826.cfm)

 

Now I have a follow-up question: Are you personally one of those dietitians

who " agrees " with this foods-only, supplement-negating statement, or aren't

you? Do you agree word-for-word, or would you like to modify it a bit?

Exactly how would you change it?

 

And, as of April 2004, why have you not yet done so?

 

The two statements at the ADA's website are particularly broad ones, and

all-inclusive in tone. If you are advocating supplement use beyond a

low-potency multivitamin, I believe you have broken ranks with the American

Dietetic Association. If you personally use high-dose vitamin therapy, or

even recommend it, I believe you may be skating on thin ice with the ADA

leadership.

 

PRESSURE TO CONFORM

 

In 1994, the American Dietetic Association disciplined Shari Lieberman,

Ph.D., R.D., for " alleged nonadherence " to the ethical standards ADA set out

in 1985. The association suspended Dr. Lieberman's R.D. credential for three

years because Lieberman was supposedly not in line with Principle 7 of the

ADA Code of Ethics, the part that states, " The dietetic practitioner

practices dietetics based on scientific principles and current information. "

After Dr. Lieberman sued the ADA for $40 million for defamation, her R.D.

was reinstated.

 

Anyone looking even briefly at Dr. Lieberman's work can see that she has

long been a proponent of megavitamin therapy. She is one of the authors of

The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book (NY: Avery, 2003) which, the publisher

says, " explains exactly why you need vitamin and mineral supplements not

only to protect yourself against disease, but to reach the highest levels of

mental and physical well-being. . .The authors then provide a scientifically

documented Optimum Daily Intake (ODI) to follow, which is generally well

above the government's Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). "

 

I think Dr. Lieberman's book (which I recommend you read) constitutes an

unmistakable departure from the party-line of the American Dietetic

Association. And by that, I mean the Association's published stance, as of

today. The ADA states repeatedly on their website and in their press

releases that, with precious few exceptions, 100% of the government standard

is all that people need to take in a supplement, if they even need a

supplement at all, which they probably don't. While Dr. Lieberman's " Optimum

Daily Intake " recommendations certainly have my support, I am unaware that

ADA has either proposed or endorsed any such increases in nutritional intake

recommendations for the public.

 

 

Check their website. ADA's statements are what their membership empowers

them to make. If you agree with the ADA's statements, as written, it would

seem that I was right, rhetorical hyperbole notwithstanding.

 

If you do not agree with the Association's statements, it is your

professional and ethical duty to have them rescinded. Better yet, substitute

in some new, positive, supplement-assertive language. For it is supplement-u

nfriendly content that the public and the media are currently seeing at the

American Dietetic Association's website. It is there right now as you read

this.

 

Progressive dietitians are to be commended at every turn. But when their own

Association openly negates them, we must admit that the progressives speak

with an unofficial, though laudable, minority voice. I welcome all

dissenters into the Doctor Yourself family.

 

ON A POSITIVE NOTE, ONE LAST LETTER:

 

" I recently read your article on vitamin supplementation, in which you

indicated dietitians do not believe in vitamins nor recommend them.

Unfortunately, you are correct, when looking at our profession as a whole. I

have been a dietitian for 27 years, and one of the first things I learned in

school was that I'd better keep my mouth shut about vitamins if I wanted to

get my degree. Most of my colleagues continue to state we should just eat

right. I respond with all the studies that prove that we are NOT eating

right. I believe we should stop beating this dead " just eat right " horse,

and meet people where they need help.

 

" I also do not believe we can get everything we need from food even if we

make wise food choices, but do not use organic sources, are exposed to

pollution, chemicals, stress, etc. And who among us is not exposed to all

those things?

 

" So, I apologize on behalf of my profession that we are not the nutrition

experts we need to be. And I apologize for dietitians who have probably

criticized and ridiculed you for your stance. However I would also like you

to know that there is an increasing number of us who are practicing the type

of nutrition intervention and support that I believe you would be proud of.

Keep up the good work. Hopefully, as we all pull together, we can help turn

the health status of our citizenship around. It will happen . . . one by

one. "

 

 

LET'S CALL THE QUESTION

 

I propose a simple, if blunt, " litmus test " to indicate a practitioner's

fundamental attitude about HIGH-DOSE vitamin therapy (which was what my last

Newsletter was REALLY about). I now ask any physician, nurse, PA, dietitian,

or dietetic association, to " answer me these questions three " :

 

 

1) Do you agree that enormous (100,000 mg/day) intravenous doses of vitamin

C are preferentially toxic to cancer cells in the human body, killing cancer

cells as chemotherapy does, only more safely? (References 1,2,3)

 

2) Do you agree that cardiovascular deaths can be reduced by 40% in people

who take regular megadoses (400-800 IU/day) of vitamin E? (4,5)

 

3) Do agree that thousands of milligrams of niacin a day constitutes

effective treatment for schizophrenia and psychosis? (6,7,8,9)

 

Please send me the answers you get, and own thoughts, too. This Newsletter

will value, and perhaps publish, continued input, pro or con, from all

interested readers. (Comments may be sent to drsaul)

 

But as for my opinions, bear in mind that is a subscription Newsletter. If

you do not like my periodical peaches, why shake my editorial tree?

Un now (the link is right the top) and thank you for your past

readership.

 

References:

 

1.) Riordan, N.H., Riordan, H.D., Meng, X., Li, Y., Jackson, J.A.

Intravenous ascorbate as a tumor cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent. Medical

Hypotheses 44:3 (March, 1995): 207-13.

 

2.) Padayatty SJ, Sun H, Wang Y, Riordan HD, Hewitt SM, Katz A, Wesley RA,

Levine M. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics: implications for oral and intravenous

use. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Apr 6;140(7):533-7.

 

3.) Riordan HD, Hunninghake RB, Riordan NH, Jackson JJ, Meng X, Taylor P,

Casciari JJ, Gonzalez MJ, Miranda-Massari JR, Mora EM, Rosario N, Rivera A.

Intravenous ascorbic acid: protocol for its application and use. P R Health

Sci J. 2003 Sep;22(3):287-90.

 

4.) Stampfer, M.J., Hennekens, C.H., Manson, J., Colditz, G.A., Rosner, B.

and Willett, W.C. (1993) Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary

disease in women. New England Journal of Medicine. 328:1444-1449.

 

5.) Rimm, E.B., Stampfer, M.J., Ascherio, A., Giovannucci, E., Colditz, G.A.

and Willett W.C. (1993) Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart

disease in men. New England Journal of Medicine 328:1450-1456.

 

6.) Hoffer A and Osmond H: How To Live With Schizophrenia. University Books,

New York, NY, 1966. Also published by Johnson, London, 1966. With Fannie

Kahan. New and Revised Ed. Citadel Press, New York, NY, 1992. Revised Ed.

Quarry Press, Kingston, ON 1999.

 

7.) Hoffer A: Orthomolecular Medicine for Physicians. Keats Pub., New

Canaan, CT, 1989.

 

8.) Hoffer A: Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery,

Controversy. Quarry Press, Kingston, ON 1999.

 

9.) Hoffer, A. Orthomolecular Treatment For Schizophrenia. Keats, 4255 West

Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, Ill 60646-1975, 1999.

 

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

 

For information about my in-your-face megahealth book, " DOCTOR YOURSELF:

Natural Healing that Works " please take a look at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html . When purchased directly from

me, I am of course happy to autograph your book for you.

 

AUTHOR SIGNING

 

Okay, it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but should you happen to be

in the general vacinity of Walla Walla, Spokane, or Pasco, I will be doing a

book signing at the Kennewick, WA Barnes and Noble bookstore on Tues, May 4,

at 7 PM.

 

SOME ADDITIONAL " INFLAMMATORY " WORDS

 

It is highly unlikely that the ADA will be putting up a link to

http://www.doctoryourself.com or recommending this Newsletter to its

membership anytime soon. In addition to my strong advocacy of high-dose

vitamin therapy, there are just a few other areas where we may disagree.

 

For example, the American Dietetic Association's website endorses the use of

saccharin and aspartame ( " Nutrasweet " )

 

http://www.eatright.org/Public/Other/index_adap0598.cfm and promotes

fluoridation of water

(http://www.eatright.org/Public/Other/index_adap1000.cfm). The Doctor

Yourself Newsletter is opposed to those practices, and has been for some 85

issues now.

 

(More on fluoridation: http://www.doctoryourself.com/fluoridation.html and

http://www.doctoryourself.com/fluoride_cancer.html

 

(More on artificial sweeteners: http://www.doctoryourself.com/fakesweet.html

(saccharin)

 

and especially http://dorway.com , Dave Reitz's non-commercial aspartame

( " Nutrasweet " ) information supersite.)

 

The American Dietetic Association also supports more governmental

restriction and FDA regulation of supplements including vitamins. (American

Dietetic Association statement to FDA on Regulation of Dietary Supplements,

June 8, 1999. June 8, 1999

 

http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/98_lg060899.cfm) This

Newsletter thinks such restriction is unwarranted and bordering on the

tyrannical. Vitamins are extraordinarily safe substances. There is not even

one death per year from vitamin supplements (American Association of Poison

Control Centers' Toxic Exposure Surveillance System).

 

(More on vitamin safety: http://www.doctoryourself.com/safety.html)

 

(More on recent governmental efforts to restrict your access to supplements,

including vitamins:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/limitUSA.htm)

 

FOR ADDITIONAL READING:

 

The following medical doctors have written favorably on the value of

megadose vitamin therapy:

 

 

Robert F. Cathcart III, M.D.

 

http://www.orthomed.com

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cathcart_thirdface.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/biblio_cathcart.html

 

Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_factoids.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_editorial.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_cancer_2.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cancer_hoffer.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_vitc_can.html

 

Ewan Cameron, M.D.:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/cameron.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/biblio_cameron.html

 

Thomas Levy, M.D.:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/levy.html

 

William J. McCormick, M.D.:

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/mccormick.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/mccormick1951.html

 

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate

 

Hugh D. Riordan, M.D.:

 

http://www.brightspot.org/cresearch/index.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan1.html

 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/biblio_riordan.html

 

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dynews-

 

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physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program

necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one

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service marks of Andrew W. Saul. All rights reserved.

 

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