01.29.09
Saccharomyces boulardii: When a Yeast is Good
Here’s a testimonial about the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii that we recently came across on the website http://www.florastories.com/. No doubt there’s a connection between the site and the product tradenamed Florastor, but nonetheless this is an important clarification for those wondering about the relationship between other yeasts and the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii.
Note that the NYBC purchasing co-op has stocked Florastor for several years, and its predecessor DAAIR imported a similar product from Europe for a decade longer. So we have accumulated a store of knowledge about its usefulness and do have confidence in the reliability of its formulation. (By the way, a Consumer Labs review last year gave Florastor good marks, confirming our view.)
Here’s the clarification about “yeast” and Saccharomyces boulardii:
Yeast. It’s a word that makes many women cringe.
And it comes as no surprise, according to Patricia Raymond, MD, board-certified gastroenterologist, author and assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. For many women, the thought of yeast conjures up bad thoughts of yeast infections.
“Before I was a gastroenterologist, I was a physician,” says Dr. Raymond. “Before I was a physician, I was a medical student. Before I was a medical student, I was a regular woman and frankly, yeast was not my friend. Anything that causes you to lose your self-confidence, lowers your self-image and destroys your sex life is not a friend.”
What many people don’t know is that there are different varieties of yeast. Candida albicans is the yeast infection-causing yeast that many women have learned to hate, while Saccharomyces is a beneficial yeast that can be broken down into different types.
For example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a brewer’s yeast that’s used in making wine, bread and beer, while Saccharomyces boulardii is a powerful probiotic that’s been clinically shown to maintain and restore the natural flora in our small and large intestines.
“For those women who have never had a positive relationship with yeast, fear not – pharmaceutical yeast doesn’t equal yeast infection,” Dr. Raymond reports. “In the last several years, there have been more and more studies – clinical trials on humans – using yeast, using specifically Saccharomyces boulardii, and, as a practicing gastroenterologist, I have come to the conclusion that yeast is, in fact, good.”
This website entry then goes on to detail some of the main applications of Saccharomyces boulardii: preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea; managing traveler’s diarrhea; treating recurrence of C. diff (Clostridium difficile).
For more information, see the NYBC entry:
01.28.09
Resveratrol: Why It Matters in HIV
This is the title of a posting by John S. James on the www.aidsnews.org website. Resveratrol, found in red wine (but also derived from other sources to produce dietary supplements), has been the object of research in the last couple years pointing to its potential as a life-extending compound with strong cardioprotective effects. As John James suggests below, it may also be of special interest for people with HIV. One problem, however: in the scramble to create a patentable drug from the resveratrol molecule, well-financed biotech companies may be disregarding some of the compound’s potential, while focusing merely on the fastest way to produce a “blockbuster drug” that will yield big profits.
Summary: Large doses of resveratrol (found in small amounts in red wine) made headlines recently for extending the lifespan of mice on an unhealthy diet. This and other substances found in some wines and foods may protect against cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and improve the functioning of mitochondria in cells (which could reduce certain adverse effects of HIV or the drugs used to treat it).
[...]
Comment re HIV: Studies We Need Now, and Why We Are Unlikely to Get Them
Earlier, some researchers looked at resveratrol as a possible HIV treatment — although we have not seen any papers published on this since 2004. (To check what has been published in peer-reviewed journals and read the abstracts, visit http://www.pubmed.gov and enter “resveratrol hiv” without the quotation marks into the search bar near the top of the window, then click Go).
Today we would most want to see small trials to find out if resveratrol might help relieve certain drug side effects, or other problems resulting from HIV disease — including lipid or other metabolic abnormalities, or neuropathy, or other symptoms suspected of being caused by mitochondrial damage. Trials aiming to relieve symptoms, or normalize blood levels that are easily measured, could potentially get results fairly quickly and with a fairly small number of volunteers. This is because a measurement is always available, avoiding the need to wait for rare “events” like disease progression or death, for end-point data to be collected.
The main problem in organizing such trials is that there is little economic incentive, unless the goal is to develop a costly, proprietary drug (requiring lots of bureaucracy and generating years of delay). Today greed is usually the sine qua non of drug development within the U.S. and multinational corporate system, and this system imposes its standards on the world. Greed in medicine is prone to intolerable abuses (when companies or individuals sacrifice the health of thousands of people for the promise of more profit for themselves). Therefore it requires heavy-handed controls, which cause major administrative delays and other lost opportunities, delays and losses that are not medically or scientifically necessary. We need alternative drug development systems. But institutional abuses (such as patents on human biology) make alternatives difficult.
You can read the complete posting at
01.27.09
“Good Fats/Bad Fats”: new dietary recommendations for supporting heart health and reducing cardiovascular risk
We were interested to read the Personal Health column by Jane Brody in the New York Times earlier this month. The article was entitled New Thinking About How to Protect the Heart, but you might also give this advice column on cardiovascular health the title of “Good Fats/Bad Fats.”
The main reason for revisiting diet recommendations for people trying to reduce their risk of heart attack is a new focus on the importance of inflammation in assessing cardiovascular risk. It’s been found, for example, that even people with normal cholesterol levels have a heightened risk of heart attack if they have a high reading of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation that correlates with clots that block blood flow to the heart.
So, if it’s not just cholesterol levels that people should be watching in order to minimize cardiovascular risk, what kind of diet should they be following to support a healthy heart? The short answer is not entirely new: it’s the Mediterranean diet, which actually turns out to be quite high in fats–think olive oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds and certain vegetables. It’s just that these are sources of “good fats”–not the heart-unfriendly saturated fats (=solid at room temperature) derived from red meats and cheese. And guess what? These “good fats” are found not only to lower cholesterol ratios, but also to decrease inflammation levels.
Recent studies, from the last 10 years or so, are pretty clear in showing the value of the Mediterranean diet, which is not only tasty and easy to follow for most people, but also appears to reduce the rates of heart disease recurrence and cardiac death by 50 to 70%.
As cardiovascular research sorted out the role of inflammation markers and the good fat/bad fat distinction, there also emerged a better understanding of the potential of supplements to maintain heart health. Fish oil, with its heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, is now widely recognized as a useful supplement for reducing cardiovascular risk. Other supplements, which incorporate elements of the Mediterranenan diet (such as olives), have also become available.
Here are a few entries from the NYBC catalog that are of special interest for this discussion:
Fatty Acids (see especially MaxDHA, and the ProOmega fish oil supplements)
C-1000 Ascorbic Acid plus Olea Fruit Extract This Vitamin C supplement from Jarrow has been enriched with an olive extract in a combination designed to support cardiovascular health.
01.22.09
Glutamine and other supplements for gastrointestinal health (and to maintain lean muscle mass): Looking at Westerly Market’s online information about managing HIV/AIDS
Before there was Whole Foods, a friend likes to remind us, there was the Westerly Natural Market on Manhattan’s West Side. One of the nice things about Westerly, we’ve just been informed by the same person, is that they offer a very user-friendly website for those interested in getting more information about supplements, herbs, and how these substances or other “complementary and alternative” therapies are used for various conditions.
So, we took a look at the Westerly website’s Reference Library entry on HIV and AIDS, and found a concise account with several good points. One of these, we thought, was the discussion about maintaining muscle mass and preventing diarrhea, which over time deprives the body of needed protein. Here’s an excerpt:
Using certain supplements may help in maintaining body weight. A well-designed study compared the use of a daily supplement regimen that included enormous amounts of the amino acid glutamine (40 g per day), along with vitamin C (800 mg), vitamin E (500 IU), beta-carotene (27,000 IU), selenium (280 mcg), and N-acetyl cysteine (2,400 mg) to placebo. People who took the supplements gained significantly more weight after 12 weeks than those who took the placebo.
Glutamine is a key supplement here, and has long been recommended by NYBC and its predecessor DAAIR for gastrointestinal support. See the NYBC entry
or
Note that N-acetyl cysteine, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, beta carotene (as Carotenall), and selenium are also available through NYBC’s purchasing co-op–follow the links to see specific recommendations in each category.
01.21.09
CoQ10 – 200mg
NYBC has recently decided to stock CoQ10 in a 200mg/capsule format (Jarrow)</, since many research studies involve supplementation at that daily level or even higher. As a not-for-profit purchasing co-op, NYBC seeks low-cost options for people choosing to use supplements, so this format from the well-regarded Jarrow line seemed a good value as well.
An extract from the NYBC write-up on this supplement–
Clinical studies have shown repeatedly that coenzyme Q10 has potent abilities to assist the heart muscle, and as an adjunct treatment for angina, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, hypertension (high blood pressure), and drug toxicity.
Research has also shown that as cellular levels of coenzyme Q10 decrease, HIV disease progresses. Other studies have documented its immune restorative qualities, including restoration of T cell function. Absorption of dietary fat soluble coenzyme Q10, due to the high inflammatory cytokine levels, is disrupted, so supplementation may help. Many PWHIV believe CoQ10 is an important nutrient to aid in detoxification if one uses nucleoside analogues (AZT ddI, ddC, d4T, etc.) or any toxic drug. Due to this impaired absorption, its best to take a form of CoQ10 that is mixed with lecithin or some other fat to improve its uptake. However, it may be that only very high doses will help (like 200-400 mg a day!) This will not be cheap.
CoQ10 is very helpful in conjunction with certain drugs. Studies have shown clear benefit when used with a heart toxic chemotherapy drug called adriamycin. In addition, some have suggested that it is very important to use CoQ10 when taking one of the statin drugs, used to manage high LDL cholesterol since the level of CoQ10 in the blood is depleted when using this class of drugs.
01.14.09
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) improve treatment results for people taking prescription antidepressants
It was depressing (word play intended!) to find out in the last few years how much the major pharmaceutical companies have suppressed or distorted evidence about the effectiveness of prescription antidepressants. These big sellers for the Pharma companies (we’re talking about tradenames like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro) turn out to be less effective–and less frequently effective–than the massive TV and print advertising campaigns might suggest. Indeed there are many people who receive very limited benefit from taking them, while also enduring side effects ranging from sexual dysfunction to increased risk of suicide.
It’s no wonder, then, that there’s been a steady stream of research in the last few years devoted to identifying non-prescription alternatives and adjunct treatments for depression. One of the most promising choices has turned out to be omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and now widely available in fish oil supplements. In the past, epidemiological studies found suggestive correlations between high fish consumption and low levels of depression in various communities and populations. But more recently, there have also been controlled trials using omega-3 fatty acid supplements for depression, which provide evidence of effectiveness comparable to that expected for the approval of prescription drugs. Here’s a brief summary of two such trials, which show notably improved results and decreased side effects when omega-3 fatty acid supplements are added to standard antidepressant treatment:
1. Twenty patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week, parallel-group, double-blind addition of either placebo or an omega-3 fatty acid supplement to ongoing antidepressant therapy. Seventeen of the patients were women, and three were men. RESULTS: Highly significant benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were found by week 3 of treatment. (Nemets et al.)
2. Seventy patients with persistent depression despite ongoing treatment with an adequate dose of a standard antidepressant were randomized on a double-blind basis to placebo or an omega-3 fatty acid supplement at dosages of 1, 2, or 4 g/d for 12 weeks in addition to unchanged background medication. Patients underwent assessment using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory.
The 1-g/d group showed a significantly better outcome than the placebo group on all 3 rating scales. All of the individual items on all 3 rating scales improved with the 1-g/d dosage of the omega-3 fatty acid supplement vs placebo, with strong beneficial effects on items rating depression, anxiety, sleep, lassitude, libido, and suicidality. (Peet et al.)
References:
A review article on fish oil and other nutrients for treatment of depression: Volker D, Ng J. Depression: Does nutrition have an adjunctive treatment role? Nutrition and Dietetics. 2006 December; 63(4):213
Nemets B, Stahl Z, Belmaker RH. Addition of omega-3 fatty acid to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Mar;159(3):477-9
Peet, M and Horrobin, D. A Dose-Ranging Study of the Effects of Ethyl-Eicosapentaenoate in Patients With Ongoing Depression Despite Apparently Adequate Treatment With Standard Drugs. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:913-919.
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NYBC recommends this fish oil supplement:
ProOmega – Nordic Naturals 60 sg also available in a larger size: ProOmega -Nordic Naturals 180.
01.13.09
Supplement recommendations in “The Ultramind Solution” by Dr. Mark Hyman
The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First
Mark Hyman, M.D.
This is one of many books published in recent years that seek to translate the enormous body of research findings from the last few decades about nutrition and brain function into simple, useful guidelines for improving and maintaining good mental functioning and psychological well-being. While it’s a popularizing text (Dr. Hyman has even been on Martha Stewart–see link below!), this book does, we feel, accurately register many important trends in our knowledge of nutrition and nutritional supplements and how these factors relate to mental health.
Here’s the statistic that sets off Dr. Hyman’s project: one in three Americans suffer from some kind of “brain dysfunction” (one term in use: “brain fog”), including symptoms such as depression, anxiety, memory loss, attention deficit disorder, autism, and dementia.
“The Ultramind Solution” contends that revising your diet–changing your nutritional intake–can often make a huge difference in these symptoms. Dr. Hyman’s recommendations focus both on weeding out elements that adversely affect the system (too much sugar, poorly chosen carbs, alcohol, cigarettes), and sticking to a menu of what’s good, especially what’s good for brain function: 1) omega fatty acids (found in salmon, sardines, flaxseed); 2) amino acid sources (nuts, lean meats); 3) high-quality carbs (for example, beans, peas, and lentils); 4) phyto-nutrients (plant foods containing antioxidants and other helpful substances, like blueberries, cilantro, etc.).
Finally, Dr. Hyman observes that, since more than 90% of Americans don’t get adequate nutrients from food (a finding of an often-cited US government survey), people realistically will need to supplement at least periodically in several key categories: 1) a multivitamin; 2) fish oil (omega fatty acids); 3) Calcium/Magnesium; 3) Vitamin D; 4) B complex vitamins; 5) probiotics (for good digestion/absorption of nutrients); and 6) occasionally a sleep aid like melatonin to insure a good amount of rest.
Here are some NYBC suggestions for supplementing in the categories recommended by Dr. Hyman:
Multivitamins: Added protection with Iron (Douglas) ; Added Protection without Iron (Douglas) – recommended for those with liver conditions; Opti-Pack – iron-free (SuperNutrition); Super Immune Multivitamin – iron-free (SuperNutrition)
Fish oil: Max DHA (Jarrow); ProOmega (Nordic Naturals) 60 caps; ProOmega (Nordic Naturals) 180 caps;
For Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, NYBC recommends Bone-Up (Jarrow), which provides all three nutrients in the most useful dosages.
B complex vitamins: B-right (Jarrow)
Probiotics: NYBC recommends Jarrodophilus EPS (Jarrow) because it doesn’t require refrigeration. But other probiotics may be useful as well–see the Probiotics entry on the NYBC website.
NYBC also stocks Melatonin in several formats.
See Dr. Hyman on Martha Stewart:
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=0f545e9ea969e110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
01.10.09
A theanine-GABA combination supplement for anxiety
Theanine Serene (Source Naturals)
This is a supplement for those seeking to avoid the prescription benzodiazepines (tradenames Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, Halcion, etc.), which are intended to be taken only for a short period (2-3 weeks) and if taken longer can develop addiction and lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. (Other side effects of these prescription drugs are dulled awarenesss, diminished brain function, leading in some cases to accidents.)
Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea, and has an excellent safety profile. It acts as a relaxing agent by increasing levels of various brain chemicals including GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), a neurotransmitter with soothing, relaxant effects. This Source Naturals formula also includes GABA itself.
For more on using theanine and GABA as a substitue for benzodiazepines, see other entries in this blog, especially regarding the recommendations of Dr. Hyla Cass, a physician who specializes in nutritional supplement alternatives to prescription medications.
Note: Theanine Serene contains wheat/gluten. Do not use if pregnant or if using other MAO or serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.
01.09.09
Vitamin C: what to take, how to take, and why take
The NYBC purchasing co-op stocks several different choices for those who wish to supplement with Vitamin C. We are in the cold season in North America, after all, and, yes, there is evidence that Vitamin C has some effect in shortening the duration and decreasing the intensity of colds. But there are other reasons as well to supplement with this critical antioxidant Vitamin–see some details below.
1. Super C Powder (SuperNutrition).</ Each bottle, 82 grams of sugar-free powder. Each one half teaspoon contains:
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid/Ascorbate) – MG – 1,690
Sodium (as sodium bicarbonate) – MCG – 57.5
Potassium (As Chloride & Succinate) – MG – 50
Other Ingredients
Bicarbonate (from sodium & potassium bicarbonate) – MG – 175
Natural Lemon flavoring (from lemons) – Trace
Suggested use is to sip, over 10-15 minutes, a quarter teaspoon in at least one half cup of water (for 845 mg of vitamin C). Or 1/2 tsp in one half cup of water for 1690 mg of C, or a full tsp in a full cup of water for 3,380 mg of vitamin C. Remember that taking too high a dose of C all at once can cause diarrhea!
2. Esterol (Allergy Research Group). Each bottle, 200 tablets. Each tablet contains 675 mg of ester C polyascorbate, 75 mg of calcium polyascorbate, 50 mg of rutin, 25 mg of quercetin, and 2.5 mg of grape seed proanthocyanidins (antioxidant compounds which are also found in high concentrations in blueberries).
This ARG product contains ascorbic acid and calcium in a formulation designed to enhance absorption and retention of vitamin C. (One of the problems in supplementing with Vitamin C is rapid removal from the system.) The ester formulation is non-acidic and should be minimally irritating to the intestines.
ARG Info Sheet on Esterol:
http://www.allergyresearchgroup.com/proddesc/discuss/EsterolPDFProductSheet011106.pdf
3. C powder, Calcium Ascorbate (Source Naturals) Each bottle, 8 ounces of vitamin C as calcium ascorbate. A serving of 1/2 a rounded teaspoon (about 2.7 grams) provides 2,150 mg of vitamin C as calcium ascorbate and 245 mg of calcium. This is a non-acidic form of vitamin C and thus will not harm the teeth (as a powdered ascorbic acid might). It also provides a bit of extra calcium.
4. C1000 – Ascorbic Acid plus Olea Fruit Extract (Jarrow) Vitamin C Overview: Vitamin C is another critical nutrient, an antioxidant and highly efficient free radical scavenger, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal which should be in any HIV protocol. Vitamin C is responsible for the reactivation of key antioxidants, particularly vitamin E, beta-carotene, and glutathione, after they have been oxidized by donating electrons to neutralize a free radical (known as the redox process). Vitamin C and certain sulfur amino acids are the only water-soluble nutrients which can be taken in sufficiently large, yet safe, quantities to effectively conduct this redox process. Vitamin C is available in both quick and slow release tablets, powders, as well as esterified form (vitamin C chemically bonded with one or more minerals in a compound containing aldonolactones; (see U.S. patent #4,822,816) and effervescent forms. However, note that the Vitamin C Foundation flat out states that ascorbic acid is the only worthwhile vitamin C and everything else is just marketing nonsense. They claim there is no convincing evidence to support superior bioavailability of these other forms that supports their excessive cost. (Of course, take any powdered form of ascorbic acid with care to avoid damaging tooth enamel.)
01.08.09
D3: Still another treatment note on the “sunshine vitamin”
We get a lot of health newsletters and offers of same in the mail, especially newsletters that focus on dietary supplements. Sometimes it’s hard to get through the pile, but we do keep sifting in search of notes of interest.
So here’s a tidbit from the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. It’s in the form of a thank you note from one of their subscribers, who followed the newsletter’s advice and tried daily Vitamin D supplementation for “unspecified musculo-skeletal pain”–in his case, long-term, nightly knee pain that led to sleep loss and did not respond to physical therapy or acupuncture. The result of Vitamin D supplementation, taken with food every evening: the pain was relieved, and he was able to sleep soundly.
Of course we know much about the role of Vitamin D and calcium in maintaining healthy bones, but this little anecdote suggests that the Vitamin may also have application to some specific everyday quality of life issues. Certainly it’s a low-cost, low-impact intervention!
For more on Vitamin D (the best-absorbed form is D3), see the NYBC entry
Many will want to consider this Vitamin D3 + Calcium combination supplement, which provides dosages similar to those used in a number of recent research studies on Vitamin D:
Bone Up (Jarrow)
(available at http://www.newyorkbuyersclub.org)
01.07.09
Using B vitamin supplements for neuropathy: recommendation from Lark Lands
Peripheral neuropathy, or tingling/flushing/burning in the extremities (hands and feet), is a side effect found with diabetes, and can also be a side effect of some HIV medications. Here’s an approach to dealing with this condition described by Lark Lands, a treatment educator who has served as an advisor to the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, from whose online Fact Sheets the following excerpt is drawn:
To treat peripheral neuropathy
Although vitamin B12 is most commonly associated with the treatment of peripheral neuropathy, supplements of other B vitamins may also improve this condition. In her book Positively Well, Lark Lands reports that biotin and thiamine supplements have helped improve symptoms of neuropathy. Other “unofficial” B vitamins such as choline and inositol, which are often included in B vitamin supplements, may also help to treat neuropathy. According to Lark Lands, these vitamins have improved symptoms of neuropathy in many of her HIV-positive patients. She recommends supplementation with all of the B vitamins, as taking only only one of this group can lead to deficiencies in others.
For more information, see the NYBC entry for B-Right (Jarrow), a B vitamin supplement that the purchasing co-op has chosen to stock because it meets many of the recommendations for supplementation with this vitamin (25mg dosage for B1, B2, B3, B6; includes choline and inositol).
Note that for effective B12 supplementation, NYBC recommends the B12 – Methylcobalamin format.
