March 24, 2012
NYBC Welcomes Nelson Vergel • Friday March 30
New York Buyers’ Club presents
A Conversation with Nelson Vergel:
The Latest on Living Healthy with HIV
Friday, March 30, 2012
5:30 – 7:30pm • 420 West 45th St, NYC
Free admission; light refreshments will be served
Nelson Vergel holds a chemical engineering degree and has over 20 years of experience in health education. He has been HIV+ since 1983.
He is the author of the books Built to Survive: A Comprehensive Guide to the Medical Use of Anabolic Therapies, Nutrition and Exercise for HIV + Men and Women and Testosterone: A Man’s Guide. He is the founder of the Body Positive Wellness Clinic in Houston, and serves as a member of the DHSS’ HIV treatment guidelines review panel, and moderates PozHealth, one of the largest online HIV health discussion groups.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to ask a peer expert questions that can change your life!
January 6, 2012
Lower Vitamin D level associated with larger breast cancer tumor size, greater likelihood of relapse
An international symposium on breast cancer at the end of 2011 featured a presentation from researchers who looked at the Vitamin D levels of women at the time they were diagnosed with breast cancer. The main finding: women with higher levels of D at diagnosis had significantly smaller tumors. Additional analysis of the follow-up data in this study showed that there was some relationship (termed of “borderline significance”) between higher levels of Vitamin D and lower risk of death from breast cancer. Furthermore, researchers detected a significant relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and risk of breast cancer relapse over a three year period.
The researchers suggested that Vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory effects might be the main mechanism by which Vitamin D levels influence breast cancer tumor size. The scientists presenting this research also called for further study to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship between Vitamin D supplementation and breast cancer prevention. They also urged more research to determine the usefulness of Vitamin D supplementation as an additional therapy to bolster standard breast cancer treatments.
We accessed information about this presentation at the Dec. 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium at
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/30191
For more on Vitamin D dosage recommendations, see NYBC’s entries for this very inexpensive supplement:
May 7, 2011
NYBC Blog Has Moved…
Please join us on our new blog where we will continue to endeavor to bring you news from the NYBC back office and the wider world of nutritional supplements!
January 28, 2011
CoQ10 with statins
Researchers studying the effects of the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs over the last decade found that patients taking statins were likely to also have lowered levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a coenzyme naturally produced in the body and important to the function of organs such as the heart. Further study has also indicated that supplementing with CoQ10 while taking statins can reverse the deficiency and limit the side effects.
A few facts and recommendations about CoQ10:
CoQ10 functions inside cells to make energy; the highest amounts of the coenzyme are found in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas. The muscles of the heart are especially sensitive to CoQ10 deficiency.
Statins act by inhibiting an enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, that is responsible for synthesizing both cholesterol and CoQ10. So statins seem to simultaneously decrease cholesterol and CoQ10 levels.
A 2004 report in the American Journal of Cardiology found that 70% of people in a study group taking the statin Lipitor showed heart muscle weakness after six months. This weakness was reversed by taking CoQ10.
CoQ10 has also been studied for these statin side effects: muscle pain and weakness, fatigue, memory loss, shortness of breath and peripheral neuropathy.
A common recommendation for those taking a statin: supplement with 100 mg CoQ10 softgel twice daily, in the morning and at noon. Avoid insomnia by taking it early in the day. Be sure to consult your doctor about the possibility of CoQ10 interacting with any blood thinner you may be taking.
Reference: Marc Silver et al. Effect of atorvastatin on left ventricular diastolic function and ability of coenzyme Q10 to reverse that dysfunction. American Journal of Cardiology. Volume 94, Issue 10 , Pages 1306-1310, 15 November 2004.
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See the NYBC entries for more details:
http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=317
(Jarrow 100mg CoQ10 Qsorb)
or
http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=357(Douglas Labs 200mg chewable tablet formula)
December 10, 2010
Resveratrol and Resveratrol Synergy
Recent well-regarded research has provided evidence that resveratrol can decrease the kinds of inflammation associated with heart disease, and can improve motor coordination, reduce cataract formation and preserve bone mineral density in aging laboratory animals. (See, for example, the report on an NIH-funded study published in the journal Cell Metabolism in August 2008.) In short, resveratrol may counteract many typical types of age-related deterioration in the body. As the researchers have noted, these anti-aging effects mimic the effect of drastically reducing (by 30-50%) food intake—but without requiring such a near-starvation diet.
That’s the recent research background on resveratrol. We’ll also note that resveratrol as a compound with potential health benefits was originally isolated as a component of red wine. Of course, in supplement form resveratrol can provide its health benefits without requiring the user to drink alcohol. That’s a practical advantage to supplementation that can’t be ignored.
Note that in addition to “Resveratrol,” NYBC also offers a compound supplement from Jarrow called “Resveratrol Synergy.” This product includes includes resveratrol, grape seed extract, and green tea extract. Grape seed extract has been studied mostly for cardiovascular support, while green tea has recently accumulated some interesting research supporting its anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.
To read more about these two supplements, see the NYBC entries:
Resveratrol: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=330
and
Resveratrol Synergy: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=245
December 7, 2010
Higher Vitamin D Recommendations
You may have heard reports about a scientific advisory panel that recently called for increasing the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D and calcium. The same panel also revised upward the “tolerable upper limit,” or highest advisable daily dose, for D and for calcium.
The new guidelines, issued by the Institute of Medicine, are summarized as follows:
Vitamin D; Ages 1-70: 600 international units (IUs) per day. Older than 71:800 IUs. The IOM previously said 200 IUs was adequate for people aged 50 and younger, 400 IU for people aged 51-70, and 600 IUs for people older than 70.
The tolerable upper limit (UL) is 4000 IUs for ages 9 and above (up from 2000 IU in the IOM’s previous guidance).
Calcium: based on age, ranges from 700 to 1300 milligrams (mg) daily with a tolerable upper limit range of 1000-3000 mg.
Note that the recommended daily allowances are basically for the sake of maintaining health. When deficiencies are identified in individuals or groups (such as people with HIV), then higher dosages may be recommended.
See NYBC’s entry on Vitamins and Minerals for further details about multivitamins, Vitamin D, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals:
December 4, 2010
Healthy cholesterol levels the botanical way
We’ve long known about certain supplements like niacin, pantethine, omega-3 fatty acids that can have an effect on cholesterol levels. In recent years, research attention has also focused on “plant sterols” and other botanical substances that can provide help in supporting healthy cholesterol levels.
Responding to this emerging science, supplement suppliers have devised some combination supplements. Among them is Douglas Lab’s Cardio-Edge, which includes: plant sterols (phytosterols) from soy; Sytrinol (a proprietary extract obtained from citrus and palm fruits); and pomegranate extract.
Here’s a little more detail on the product:
Cardio-Edge is designed to help maintain cardiovascular health and support healthy cholesterol levels. Sytrinol is intended to have the following effects, some of which you can monitor with routine bloodwork to assess its effect for you. These include:
1) Decrease apoprotein B, needed for LDL synthesis
2) Decrease action of an enzyme in the liver that makes triglycerides
3) Inhibit HMG-CoA reductase in the liverPatented combination of citrus PMFs and alpha, delta and gamma tocotrienols derived from palm fruit (U.S. patents #6,251,400, and #6,239,114). Palm tocotrienols have been shown to inhibit HMG CoA reductase, the enzyme responsible for regulating cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Clinical studies in both animals and humans support Sytrinol’s role in reducing total and LDL-cholesterol as well as triglycerides.
Plant Sterols
Blood cholesterol is derived from the diet and synthesized in the liver. Sterols work by reducing the absorption of both forms of cholesterol – Sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption. Sterols and sterol esters can now be found in many foods including orange juice, rice drink, and margarine.Pomegranate
Recent science has been focusing on the cardioprotective aspects of pomegranate. These brightly colored fruits contains numerous cornpounds known for their antioxidant capabilities, induding anthocyanidins, catechins, tannis, and gallic and ellagic acids. Research has shown that supplementation with pomegranate juice can decrease macrophage lipid accumulation, and cellular cholesterol accumulation in mice. Recently, research in humans has confirmed a beneficial effect of consuming pomegranate juice on parameters such as LDL oxidation, blood pressure, and blood vessel health.In human clinical studies involving hypercholesterolemic subjects, no side effects were observed and four weeks of supplementing with a daily dose of 300 mg of Sytrinol.
See further information on recommended dosing on the NYBC website:
September 18, 2010
NIH ODS info sheets
The Office of Dietary Supplements, one of the many parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the US federal government, has released a series of Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets (click to review).
These info sheets are mostly dated 2003-2007, and we see that some of the older ones have now been removed as out of date. Meaning that the ODS–like the rest of us!–has some trouble keeping up with the steady flow of new studies and findings related to dietary supplements. Generally the ODS info sheets are quite conservative in their conclusions, and often suggest that “more research is needed.” When the info sheets are mostly positive in tone–as is the case, for example, with the info sheet on the liver-supportive botanical silymarin–it usually signifies that there is a very substantial body of good research already done.
September 7, 2010
SAMe augments antidepressants
Interesting article. The caveat with SAMe is that it may not be advisable with people diagnosed as bipolar. The caveat with antidepressants is that they are costly, have side effects experienced by many, some can be addictive and they may begin not to work (or actually cause depression). So if you ARE using such a medication, it may be smart to try SAMe to improve the profile.
SAM-e May Boost Effects of Antidepressants
SAM-e May Work as an Add-On Therapy in Treating Major Depression
By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
Sept. 3, 2010 –SAM-e plus prescription antidepressants may spell relief for hard-to-treat depression, according to a new study published in the August 2010 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Short for S-adenosyl methionine, SAM-e is a dietary supplement that is often used in the treatment of depression.
Click on the paragraph above for the complete article.
See the NYBC entry for further information:
August 31, 2010
Vitamin A bad for breastfeedng women?
A recent review article by Villamor et al. states that vitamin A alone is not good for women living with HIV who are pregnant and breastfeeding. Not that it is merely ineffective, that it indeed could be dangerous as it appears to increase viral shedding. Thus, the chances of the baby becoming infected are increased. The article from EATG is below.
Unfortunately, the article fails to point out that the research by Fawzi, Villamor and their colleagues showed a number of benefits for the women who were in the multiple-micronutrient arm. The relatively low-dose (and thus very inexpensive) multiple micronutrient’s benefits included reduced risk of developmental delays, reduced risk of clinical malaria, improved pattern of weight gain among the mothers, slowed loss of weight after birth, reduced the risk of depression, reduced fetal death and low birthweight babies and increased CD4 counts. In the aspect of this large study described in NEJM 2004;351:1:23-32, progression rate was slowed among more women with more advanced disease, while higher CD4 counts and lower viral loads were observed in the multi-micronutrient arm. Other studies, notably by Jiamton and Kaiser, tend to support these findings.
Also, it should be underscored that when the study was conducted, the women did not have access to ARV. Whether these findings are applicable to women on ARV is unknown–but frankly, seems unlikely if they have an undetectable virus load.
Still, the takeaway message is that beta-carotene or Vitamin A alone are probably not a good clinical strategy.
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27/08/2010
Vitamin A and beta-carotene supplements unsafe for HIV-positive women
Vitamin A and beta-carotene supplements are unsafe for HIV-positive women who breastfeed because they may boost the excretion of HIV in breast milk—thereby increasing the chances of transmitting the infection to the child, a pair of new studies suggest.
Epidemiologist Eduardo Villamor of the University of Michigan School of Public Health says transmission of HIV through breastfeeding happens because breast milk carries viral particles that the baby ingests. Supplementing HIV-positive women with vitamin A and beta-carotene appears to increase the amount of the virus in milk.
This may be partly because the same nutrients raise the risk of developing subclinical mastitis, an inflammatory condition which causes blood plasma to leak into the mammary gland and viral particles to then leak into the milk, he says.
Villamor’s findings appear in two separate articles in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition. The results are significant because they provide biological explanations for a previous report that supplementation with these nutrients increased chances of mother-to-child HIV transmission.
“So there are now strong arguments to consider the implications of supplementation to pregnant or lactating women who are HIV-positive,” said Villamor, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health sciences. “It does not look like it’s a safe intervention for them.”
Mother-to-child HIV transmission is a huge problem in developing countries where HIV is prevalent, Villamor said. In 2008 alone, there were 430,000 new infections and more than 95 percent of those resulted from mother-to-child transmission. Most were in sub-Saharan Africa.
In one of the studies, 1,078 HIV-infected women were divided into four groups. The test groups received either 5,000 IU of vitamin A and 30 mg of beta-carotene everyday during gestation and the lactation period, or a control regimen. The dose for beta-carotene was higher than the amount usually provided by the diet, according to Villamor. Smaller doses might not have the same effect.
Villamor said tests trying to separate the effects of each nutrient showed that beta-carotene seemed to increase the amount of HIV in breast milk independent of vitamin A, but an effect of vitamin A alone cannot be ruled out. The findings are potentially controversial because vitamin A is an important supplement for postpartum women in countries where HIV infection is highly prevalent, but supplementation programs may not take into account a woman’s HIV status.
“The takeaway is that daily supplementation of HIV-infected pregnant or lactating women with vitamin A and beta-carotene at the doses tested is probably not safe and efforts need to be strengthened on preventing mother-to-child transmission through other interventions such as anti-retroviral regimens,” Villamor said.
August 24, 2010
NEW POCKET GUIDES FROM NYBC
The New York Buyers Club has available online two pocket guides to using supplements:
HIV MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS & POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: a guide to using supplements for preventing and managing HIV medication side effects such as diarrhea, malabsorption, nausea, high cholesterol/cardiovascular issues, poor sleep, fatigue, diabetes, liver damage, bone loss, lipodystrophy, nerve damage (neuropathy), and depression/anxiety.
50+ WAYS TO LOVE YOUR LIVER: liver health basics, how the liver gets sick, and when to consider alternative as opposed to standard therapies; nutrients and Western herbs to support liver health; Chinese herbal combinations for liver health and how to use them most effectively; and how to tell if nutrients and/or botanicals for liver health are working for you.
Both these pocket guides are available at:
