Vitamin D.  According to some recent thinking, the “cold and flu season” may actually be the “Vitamin D deficiency season.” As the days grow shorter, people get less sunshine, leading to a decline in the body’s levels of this vitamin, which is essential to good health in many more ways than we used to think. Taking Vitamin D during the winter may therefore be one of the most effective ways to prevent colds and flu. Many researchers who’ve studied Vitamin D now recommend at least 1000 IU/day, but those with a known deficiency may be advised to supplement at even higher levels. There’s a simple test available to check for Vitamin D deficiency – ask your doctor.

Cold Away. This blend of Chinese herbs from Health Concerns is designed to “clear external heat and alleviate symptoms of the common cold.” A key component of this formula is the herb andrographis, which in several recent US studies was found to significantly decrease cold symptoms and the duration of a cold; it may also be useful for prevention. (NYBC stocks  over 20 varieties of Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas, by the way.)

Vitamin C.  Many good studies have shown a decrease in cold symptom duration, but no benefit for prevention.  According to a guide to natural products published by the American Pharmacists’ Association in 2006, taking  between  one  and  three grams of Vitamin C per day may decrease cold symptoms (sore throat, fatigue, runny nose) by one to 1½ days.*

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supports respiratory and immune system function. It has been studied extensively for chronic bronchitis. NAC is also the antidote for acetaminophen poisoning, now the leading cause of liver disease in the US. (Acetaminophen’s best-known tradename is Tylenol^®, but it’s also found in many other drugs, so it’s become all too easy to overdose.)

One popular way to take NAC is to use PharmaNAC, notable for its careful quality control, pleasant “wildberry” flavor, and effervescent fizz!

Botanicals.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, astragalus is used for chronic respiratory infections, for colds and flu (both prevention and treatment) and for stress and fatigue. It contains complex sugar molecules called polysaccharides, which some studies show stimulate virus-fighting cells in the immune system. Researchers at the University of Texas and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have turned up convincing evidence that astragalus boosts immune responses in lab animals, and in human cells in lab dishes.

Elderberry extract (as found in Jarrow Formulas’ Wellness Optimizer) and American ginseng (found in two Health Concerns formulas) are two other botanicals that have been studied for cold and flu symptoms in recent North American research, with some promising results. Also, a study conducted by Israeli scientists showed that elderberry extract suppressed the growth of influenza viruses in lab dishes. The same research team reported that patients given the extract recovered from the flu faster. The perennially popular echinacea, however, has generally disappointed in cold prevention studies, but is still touted by some as beneficial at the onset of a cold.

Probiotics. They say the best defense is a good offense, so consider upping your intake of the beneficial bacteria found naturally in such things as kefir (the lightly fermented milk beverage) and yogurt: they boost the flora in your intestinal tract, which is where an estimated 80% your immune system resides.

NYBC stocks eight varieties of probiotic supplements, ranging from Florastor capsules, a favorite of international travelers, to the 40 billion beneficial baceteria-per-capsule Ultra Jarro-Dophilus, to Green Vibrance, a powder added to fruit juice or another beverage of choice (complimentary shaker cup included!).

*Natural Products: A Case-Based Approach for Health Care Professionals, ed. Karen Shapiro. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists’ Assoc. (2006), “Cold and Flu,” pp. 173-192.

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:

Vitamin D – 1000IU (Jarrow)

Vitamin D – 2500IU (Jarrow)

Note that cod liver oil also has significant amounts of vitamin A and the omega-3 fatty acids found in other fish oils. It may well be the combination of these agents that may help to improve outcomes and possibly act as a prophylaxis against tuberculosis–as well as being salutary for health in general!

“I use a lot of turmeric in my practice,” she said. “It’s an amazing spice. Usually what I do is I make sure nothing else is going on, that it’s just plain old inflammation from wear and tear.”

While many people may encounter turmeric only in curry dishes and South Asian restaurants, Dr. Santos advises her patients to find it in health food stores in pill or capsule form. She recommends a dose of 1,000 milligrams a day. The benefit of buying it in a bottle, she said, is that it’s usually combined with a compound called piperine, which aids absorption.

NYBC stocks Curcumin (Jarrow) in two formats:

Curcumin 500mg/60

Curcumin 500mg/120

As new studies of Curcumin have emerged, NYBC also began stocking additional forms from Vibrant Health, which add bioperine (black pepper extract) for enhanced absorption:

Curcuminoids 1000 mg/30c w/bioperine

Curcuminoids 1000 mg/60c w/bioperine

Read the full story at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/the-doctors-remedy-turmeric-for-joint-pain/?hp

The article is a short review of a presentation given by Professor Willem M. de Vos at the fourth Environmental Microbiology Lecture: “Microbes Inside” on October 10, 2011.

NYBC has a variety of probiotics in different forms.

We asked readers if and when patients should be assessed for vitamin deficiencies. Of the more than 2,200 votes, 69% said that patients’ vitamin levels should be assessed at least annually.

“I cannot remember how many patients have been rescued from dementia and psychosis by B12, especially when I have a geriatric focus,” said one doctor, who also touted vitamin D, calcium, fish oil, and thyroid testing. “Everybody deserves a look about once a year.”
[...]
“I have just been rescued from severely low vitamin D levels, and my daughter has been found to have low vitamin levels as well. I wish my doctors had been checking levels all along,” noted another MedPage Today reader.

And another expressed similar exasperation. “It was not until I was diagnosed with osteoporosis that I had a vitamin D 25-OH test, and found out that despite being outside every day, my level was insufficient. By then it was too late. I am very disappointed that my physician did not order this inexpensive test years ago. Now, I have asked for a B12 test as well.”

See details at http://www.medpagetoday.com/

The mechanisms of cognitive decline associated with low levels of B12 include brain atrophy and cerebral infarcts (=blood flow blockage leading to tissue death). Other recent research has suggested that supplementing with B12 may slow brain atrophy as we age, so the current study linking low B12 levels to greater degrees of brain atrophy is not a big surprise.

The Institute of Medicine, an organization that establishes recommended daily allowances for vitamins, currently advises older adults to supplement with Vitamin B12, since seniors frequently are deficient in the vitamin due to declining ability to absorb nutrients. But according to one of the current study’s authors, it may make sense to screen adults for B12 deficiency even before they reach senior status, and address early signs of deficiency with supplementation.

NYBC stocks Vitamin B12 as in a highly absorbable form:

Methylcobabalmin

Also available is the B-complex:
B-right (Jarrow)

For more information about the B12 research on cognitive decline, see: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/28740

A recent review of ALA for diabetes concluded that the supplement’s side effects were generally limited, and found that it was generally safe for use even by those with impaired kidney or liver function. (NYBC adds only a caution about a potential thyroid issue, especially for those taking higher doses of ALA.)

See the NYBC entry

Alpha Lipoic with Biotin

Reference:

Poh Z, Goh KP. A current update on the use of alpha lipoic Acid in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2009 Dec;9(4):392-398.

But what excited us recently were reports about the potential of Quercetin to thwart the hepatitis C virus, and so perhaps provide a new, less toxic way of combating this debilitating disease that affects an estimated 270 to 320 million people worldwide. While there are currently approved treatments for hepatitis C (ribavirin and interferon), they can have significant side effects, and are not always effective. The recent Quercetin research, published in 2010, finds that this plant-derived compound may inhibit hepatitis C replication in a novel way, targeting cellular proteins rather than viral proteins. Clinical trials with Quercetin are now planned, and will focus especially on a type of hepatitis C that is least susceptible to successful treatment by the current medications. We will certainly stay tuned for more news on this topic!

NOTE: NYBC stocks Quercetin 500mg/100 and Quercetin 500mg/200

Reference:

Samuel W. French, et al. The heat shock protein inhibitor Quercetin attenuates hepatitis C virus production. Hepatology, Volume 50 Issue 6, Pages 1756 – 1764.

We recommend this web page for a recent study of folate and REDUCED colorectal cancer risk:

http://www.michaelmooney.net/FolateReducesCancerWillet.html

The 2011 article cited, by a well-known nutrition scientist, finds folate from diet and folate from supplements both associated with reduced colorectal cancer incidence–when taken over a long period (we’re talking about 15-20-30 years). This fits with what is generally understood about the value of vegetables in reducing cancer risk. Not surprising to us is the other finding of the study: that short-term folate intake, around the time of the development of pre-cancers, is not going to help reduce cancer incidence! Indeed, many supplements do not necessarily produce pronounced short-term effects, but rather show health benefits over the long term.

In recent decades, this old spice has drawn the attention of a large crop of US-based scientific researchers, who have focused on its powers to address illnesses including cancers, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s. A 2007 review of research concluded that curcumin could protect against skin, oral, intestinal and colon cancers by inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, by restricting blood supply to tumors, and by other mechanisms as well. As a researcher at the M. C. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas has put it: “The reason curcumin is so effective against cancer is that it hits not just a single target or cell signalling pathway but dozens of targets implicated in cancer.”

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin has also been adopted as a potential therapeutic agent by scientists investigating difficult-to-treat liver disease. Preliminary research published in 2010 found that curcumin blocks several types of inflammation that can lead to cirrhosis (=scarring of tissue and destruction of liver function). The study authors suggest that the botanical, as a natural substance with few side effects, may ultimately prove a better treatment than currently available medications for some liver disease.

Frequently, supplement research looks for refinements and synergies in investigating the medicinal powers of traditional botanicals like curcumin. That’s been the case with a recent study involving Vitamin D3 and derivatives of curcumin known as curcuminoids. This combination of supplements, remarkably enough, proved helpful in clearing the kind of plaque in the brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. Of course the University of California researchers who conducted this study are now looking for further confirmation of D3/curcuminoids as a preventive and as a therapy for Alzheimer’s.

NYBC stocks Curcumin (Jarrow) in two formats:

Curcumin 500mg/60

Curcumin 500mg/120

As new studies of Curcumin have emerged, NYBC also began stocking additional forms from Vibrant Health, which add bioperine (black pepper extract) for enhanced absorption:

Curcuminoids 1000 mg/30c w/bioperine

Curcuminoids 1000 mg/60c w/bioperine

References:

Surh YJ, Chun KS. Cancer chemopreventive effects of curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007.
Champeau, R. Vitamin D, curcumin may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s. Press release, UCLA, July 15, 2009.
Baghdasaryan, A et al. Curcumin improves sclerosing cholangitis in Mdr2-/- mice by inhibition of cholangiocyte inflammatory response and portal myofibroblast proliferation. Gut, 2010.