Guest guest Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 Wed, 26 May 2004 08:25:18 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Choosing Wilson Choosing Wilson Health Sciences Institute e-Alert May 26, 2004 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, Imagine you're stranded on a tropical island, like Tom Hanks in Castaway. And during your time on the island you can have an unlimited supply of any five dietary supplements you choose. What would they be? I put this question to HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., after I received the following e-mail from an HSI member named Matt: " Over the year and a half that I've received HSI's e-Alerts it seems that I've heard about dozens of 'must take' supplements for optimal health. There's only so much I can swallow (literally). Would you please issue a newsletter summarizing the supplements you think that today's male and female adult should take, and why? " I knew that if I just threw this open-ended question, as-is, to Dr. Spreen, he could write a book in reply (and in fact he has: " Nutritionally Incorrect: Why the American Diet is Dangerous and How to Defend Yourself; " Woodland Publishing). So that's why I narrowed the choices down to just five, with the caveat that he could cheat and add a couple more if he absolutely had to. But he didn't. He kept it at five, but called the request a, " REALLY tough question for a dyed-in- the-wool health nut who not only takes lots of supplements, but would also take more if he could afford them. " ----------------------------- Putting the team on the field ----------------------------- Dr. Spreen began his comments with this important point: " With the state of our food, the soil, the water, the air, the amounts of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, colors, flavors, antibiotics, hormones, etc., etc. (and not counting individual poor absorption, digestion, genetic weaknesses, etc., etc.!), I don't think there's the slightest chance we can get all the vitamins and nutrients we need from food. " Supplement One: " Right off the bat I'll cheat by listing a good multi- vitamin/mineral supplement as number one. We need a team on the field to even consider playing the game, so a good multi is primary. And by 'good' I mean one that has at least 25 milligrams of each of the numbered 'B's (B-1, B-2, B-6), along with having a choice NOT to have to have the RDA of iron (good companies give you your choice), and in non-time- release, capsule form. " As Dr. Spreen has explained in past e-Alerts, the body absorbs capsules and softgel supplements much more effectively than hard pills. And any supplement that provides time-release is designed to prevent quick absorption, which may end up inhibiting the general absorption. ----------------------------- C... no surprise ----------------------------- Supplement Two: " Extra vitamin C is necessary, since no multi (in my opinion) can have enough. I'd consider 1000 milligrams twice/day adequate. " Dr. Spreen has also stressed how important it is to spread out vitamin C supplementation throughout the day: " Taking 3000 milligrams of vitamin C at one time is nowhere near as potent as taking 1000 milligrams 3 separate times. In fact, I'm against taking vitamin C less than twice/day, as it is utilized so quickly that there may be none of the original dose left in the bloodstream long before the next dose arrives if you wait 24 hours. " For a complete soup-to-nuts overview of the different types of vitamin C, courtesy of Dr. Spreen, see the e- Alert " Attack of the Vapors " (1/6/04), which you can easily find with the " Search the e-Alert archives " feature on our web site at www.hsibaltimore.com. ----------------------------- Antioxidants & enzymes ----------------------------- Supplement Three: " Next would be alpha lipoic acid (ALA), the best antioxidant out there in my opinion. And it's the only antioxidant that's both fat-soluble and water-soluble. I'd take maybe 400-800 milligrams per day. " In a previous e-Alert, Dr. Spreen called ALA one of the outstanding nutrients for acute illness because ALA plays an invaluable role in protecting DNA and maintaining healthy mitochondria, the cellular powerplants that process the nutrients and oxygen that feed the cells. ALA also helps your body put vitamins C and E to their best use. But ALA's antioxidant effectiveness requires high levels, which can only be achieved through supplementation. Supplement Four: Dr. Spreen picked digestive enzymes for his fourth choice: " I believe most people (not all) are malabsorptive, maldigestive, and therefore could use a full-spectrum digestive enzyme supplement, taken with, or just after, meals. " In the e-Alert " Chew On This " (12/4/03), I told you about a full-spectrum systemic enzyme formula (developed by HSI Panelist Jon Barron) called Proteolytic Enzymes that combines nine key enzymes including Seaprose-S (regulates protein function and helps reduce inflammation), nattokinase (helps facilitate oxygen and nutrient flow to cells), amylase (helps digest carbohydrates), lipase (helps break down fats in fatty acids), and rutin (an antioxidant polyphenol that's demonstrated cancer-fighting potential in clinical studies). You can find much more detailed information about Proteolytic Enzymes in the December 2003 HSI Members Alert. ----------------------------- Last call ----------------------------- Supplement Five: " For the last one I'd get more personal, playing around with specifics for the individual. For a guy over 40 with any history of a decreasing urine stream, for example, I'd recommend a good prostate supplement that included (as a bare minimum) saw palmetto standardized extract. I'm taking one of those, and I'd never (ever) give that one up. However, for a teenage girl with menstrual cramps, saw palmetto would be last on the list, leaning instead on more B-6, or magnesium, or herbs for cramping. For an older person with lung problems, say, it'd be n-acetyl cysteine (NAC), or milk thistle extract for someone with liver trouble. " That's how I'd go about filling out the 'list of 5'. " My thanks to Dr. Spreen for providing us with these essentials in a nutshell. Hopefully, if you ever find yourself marooned for years on a tropical island, it will be someplace with four-star hotels, like Antigua or Bora Bora, and you'll have your pet volleyball or whatever else makes you smile. In any case, now we know the core supplements to bring along. ************************************************************** To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/freecopy.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. ************************************************************** ... and another thing Are cicadas poisonous? According to one web site, during the 1987 cicada invasion, injections of cicada venom caused more than 7 million deaths in Cincinnati alone. This shocking news is 100 percent fiction, of course. But for those of us who are living in areas that are starting to come alive with the humming din of thousands of mating cicadas, some humor is a welcome relief. HSI members who are far from cicada territory are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. A few more bugs than usual? So what? Bugs are bugs. But cicadas are a true phenomenon of nature. For 17 years, cicadas live underground - out of sight and out of mind - munching on roots and waiting for their 17th birthday. Then at the end of May, out they come, shedding their shells, sprouting wings, and ready to party. Fortunately, they have no interest in humans and don't bite. But their numbers are staggering. In areas that have heavy concentrations of trees, there will be more than one million cicadas per acre. That's a whole lotta bugs. Within a couple of weeks, we'll have cicadas just about everywhere here in Maryland. Their range extends north of New York City, all the way down to north Georgia, and as far west as Illinois. And I can't speak for the other citizens of these great states, but I find the bugs less tiresome than the relentless local media coverage, which invariably includes tips on ways to cook cicadas. Um... no thanks. Which brings us to the web site cicadaville.com, which provides comic relief for those of us in the middle of cicada country. Cicadaville.com offers no recipes, just plenty of fascinating " facts. " Including: * " Cicadas are seething with deadly venom and flesh-eating bacteria. " * " Many of the cicadas in this year's strain stand over 3 feet tall and weigh over 50 pounds. " * " Human children are the primary source of nutrition for cicadas. " The site also has an official cicada countdown to the next cicada invasion in the spring of 2021, just 16 years, 348 days away. But for right now, those of us in cicada country are trying to hang onto our sanity while the invasion continues through most of June. Wish us luck. Just don't send any recipes. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute To start receiving your own copy of the HSI e-Alert, visit: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/freecopya.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the HSI e-Alert. ************************************************************** Sources: " Beat Everything from Bronchitis to Blood Clots with Panelist's All-In-One Enzyme Therapy " HSI Members Alert, December 2003, hsibaltimore.com Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please visit here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Messenger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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