Comments for Don Goldberg's Blog

Comment on Herbs & Spices: Grocery Store or Supplement Capsules? by Tiffany Youngren

Tiffany Youngren — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:47:39 +0000

Very interesting post! I have often wondered the difference (if there is one). Thanks! Tiffany Youngren Transfer of Health Healthy Living and Recipes

Comment on Ask A Question. Suggest A Topic. by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:26:02 +0000

Roger, let me know what browser you use, and I will try to show you how to make the type larger. I believe all browser have a “zoom” feature of some type that allow you to magnify the page. Very useful. Check the “help” file. It should not be a problem. Don Goldberg

Comment on Ask A Question. Suggest A Topic. by ROGER BOWERS

ROGER BOWERS — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:55:31 +0000

tHANKS FOR THIS GOOD WEBSITE. i WOULD LIKE TO USE IT TO SUBMIT A COMMENT ABOUT THE WILLNER WEBSITE. yOUR WEB HAS READABLE LETTER SIZE, BUT THE ORDER WEBSITE DOES NOT. I TRIED TO ORDER PRODUCT BUT THE LETTER SIZE IS TOO SMALL FOR MY OLD EYESIGHT. i WONDER HOW MANY SALES YOU LOSE BECAUSE OF THIS. i JUST ORDERED A CATALOG WHERE I CAN USE MAGNIFICATION IF THE CATALOG LETTER SIZE IS ALSO TOO SMALL.

Comment on Negative News About Vitamins! . . . Cause For Concern? by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:07:57 +0000

A recent study, “Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women,”
published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011, Volume 171(18):1625-1633,
has caused some concern among the public about the safety of dietary
supplements. We have thoroughly reviewed this study and share the following
analysis in order to help you better understand the study’s design and its
findings, and to help allay any concerns you may have.
The Study’s Design
This study is an analysis of data gleaned from 38,772 postmenopausal
Caucasian women enrolled in the then-ongoing Iowa Women’s Health Study.
The data for the study is based on the responses obtained through a selfadministered questionnaire initially distributed in 1986, with two follow-up
questionnaires distributed over the next 18 years, in 1997 and 2004. The
questionnaires inquired about lifestyle practices, food intake, dietary supplement
use, weight, smoking status, hormone replacement therapy, and the presence of
diabetes or heart disease.
Although study participants were asked about their intake of dietary supplements,
the study did not report how much of any specific nutrient was consumed. Nor
was information elicited from the women regarding the chemical form of the
supplement (e.g., picolinate versus sulfate) or the quality of the supplements that
were taken. Furthermore, although the women were asked whether they took a
“multivitamin,” the study does not define this term; i.e., the mineral, vitamin, and
botanical content of the study’s universal “multivitamin” cannot be determined.
Finally, no attempt was made to verify the accuracy of the answers provided in
the questionnaires, nor were any of the participating women asked why they
were taking supplements, and no attempt was made to determine the impact of
taking—or not taking—supplements on any specific individual.
One possible flaw to consider. It is well known that when an individual is
diagnosed with a serious disease, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer,
beginning or increasing the use of dietary supplements occurs commonly. If the
new or increased supplement use were reported on a questionnaire, and then
subsequent mortality resulted because of the underlying disease, the situation could very possibly exist such that the individual’s death, while properly attributed
to the disease, would also be “associated” with the use of a dietary supplement.
Such an erroneous scenario is a highly likely flaw in the study’s design.
The Study’s Findings
The results of the study’s analysis claim to show a slightly higher risk of all-cause
mortality associated with the use of multivitamins, iron, and copper. In weighing
the study’s findings, however, it must be emphasized that the Iowa Women’s
Health Study is a retrospective study of already collected data. It is not a
prospective, controlled intervention study, i.e., it is not a “clinical trial,” in which
participants would be given a specific dietary supplement or a placebo and then
followed closely over time to observe not only the specific outcomes but also the
factors possibly contributing to those outcomes.
As can only be surmised retrospectively, individual circumstances change over
time, and a significant number of the women participants likely either changed or
began new dietary supplement regimens over the course of the 18 years they
were studied. And since there was no direct contact with the participants outside
of the mailed questionnaires, general information surrounding individual deaths
had to be obtained from public records; it was not ascertained by direct medical
investigation.
With regard to iron and copper, it has been known for decades that both metals
can be potentially toxic, as exemplified by the multi-system disease states that
can result from hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease, respectively. For this
reason, many postmenopausal women, like men, probably should not take an
iron supplement in the absence of anemia or a documented deficiency. At the
very least, iron and copper supplements should be taken concurrently with
antioxidants and/or antioxidant-rich foods to prevent a potential increase in
oxidative stress. Each of these circumstances points to the merits of dietary
supplements being recommended and overseen by medical professionals.
With regard to multivitamins, there is simply insufficient data that can be gleaned
from the study to make any serious conclusion about the impact of multivitamins
on mortality. This is due to the fact that there are literally thousands of different
combinations of vitamins, minerals, and botanicals that can be considered a
“multivitamin,” as well as a whole host of considerations such as quality, potency,
dosage, protocol, and indications for use, among others.
Practitioner and Patient Concerns
We believe there are serious flaws in the methodology, analysis, and findings on
which this study is based. Retrospective surveys such as this—in which people
are asked to recall years of dietary habits or supplement use—are notoriously
inaccurate. The only conclusion that can realistically be drawn is that a slightstatistical association was found based on a limited data set of questionable
reliability—and a simple association does not reflect causation. The study’s
authors do not disagree, stating the following in their commentary to the study:
“It is not advisable to make a causal statement of excess risk based on
these observational data…” We heartily agree with this advice.
When made by a quality manufacturer, when recommended by a knowledgeable
health-care practitioner, and when taken for the appropriate indication, dietary
supplements promote, enhance, support, and help maintain overall good health
and well-being. The “results” of the recent study do not diminish this conclusion.
Alan Miller, ND Robert Rountree, MD
Director of Medical Education & Research Chief Medical Officer
Thorne Research, Inc.
For further commentary on this study:
The Alliance for Natural Health
The Council for Responsible Nutrition

Comment on Negative News About Vitamins! . . . Cause For Concern? by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:06:11 +0000

Supplements kill!

Multivitamins cause deaths. So said a recent research study picked up by all mainstream media outlets. Is it true? No, of course not. So still buy your vitamins. Take them. Live longer. Live better. Here’s why.

If it bleeds it leads, says the old adage about the journalism business. So when an April 15 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that among 180,000 people there was no association between multivitamin use and death from any means, what did the media have to say?

Crickets chirping.

And when a 2009 study of 77,719 people also found no increase in death and, in fact, a decrease in cardiovascular disease risk with multivitamin use as well as vitamins C and E, what did the media say?

That’s right: crickets chirping.

And when a 2007 story showed antioxidant vitamins C, E and A led to 13 percent fewer strokes and cardio deaths, plus 22 percent fewer heart attacks, and 27 percent fewer strokes, what did the mainstream media say?

CNN headlined with this: “Antioxidants not all they’re cracked up to be?”

Say what?

So it’s hardly surprising that when an Oct 10 epidemiological study—these are observational ones, where researchers give respondents questionnaires to fill out, making them inherently flawed but interesting nonetheless—found multivitamins led to higher death rates, the conclusion was:

“Is this the end of popping vitamins?”

I checked, and the same Wall Street Journal chimed in not a whit about the other studies mentioned above.

Okay, actually they did. On one. You can guess the one, can’t you? This is what they said:

“High doses of antioxidants may hurt more than help.”

Really now.

There are inherent flaws, as I said, about epidemiological studies. In this case, NewHope360.com quoted Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, noting, “The people taking multivitamins at the beginning of the study were statistically doing a lot better—there was less high blood pressure, less diabetes [than the non-supplement users]. The researchers totally ignored that.”

So the story could have easily been spun in a different direction. But what media outlet wants to report on the life-affirming properties of vitamins when it’s much edgier to intone, “The case for dietary supplements is collapsing”?

Whoa! Occupy Salt Lake City!

But there’s more to the story. According to the Nutritional Magnesium Association, the study actually showed that vitamin B complex was associated with a 7 percent reduction in deaths, vitamin C a 4 percent reduction, vitamin D an 8 percent reduction, and a 3 percent reduction for selenium, zinc and magnesium.

“This study showed a benefit from taking B-complex, C, D, and E vitamins, and calcium and magnesium. Therefore, if those wanting better health would take appropriate doses of supplements regularly, they would likely continue to achieve better health and longer life,” said Robert G. Smith, Research Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Neuroscience, and member of the Institute for Neurological Sciences

It was encouraging to read the Natural Products Association get their response right (and a lot less milquetoasty than other industry trade groups, I might add) which called the WSJ story “disappointing” and “troubling” to use a single observational study—and in the face of others pointing to the contrary—to assert that the case for dietary supplements is collapsing.

The Natural Products Association also made the point, “Research is the cornerstone of our industry, and it seems that every week there is a new report about the importance of vitamins to the health of millions of Americans. Stories like the one in the Wall Street Journal might scare some Americans away from taking dietary supplements to improve their health, and that is just plain irresponsible.”

To which I have to quote Diane Wright Hoffpauer, the R&D Director at De Wafelbakkers—the best-tasting frozen waffles on the planet, in the opinion of my kids—who said, “I think the long term movement in Baby Boomers (approximately 75 million) and Echo Boomers (approximately 80 million) is toward less drugs and more supplementation plus more self-directed health care. As the health care crisis continues, this trend should increase even with studies such as these making the headlines.”

It’s true. Today’s “disease-management system”—let us not continue calling America’s mainstream physician-pharmaceutical-device-patient scheme such niceties as a “health care system”—is a disaster. The results of processed, depleted, microwaved modern foods—diabetic, obese, ADHD, autistic kids—are for all to see.

And we all know it. Which is why more Americans continue to take more supplements. They know something is not right at the supermarket.

As natural wag David Kern once wrote, “And still, there are those who insist that we throw away our nutritional supplements because they are ‘worthless,’ or even harmful. Antioxidants don’t work, vitamins are useless, pharmaceuticals are healthy and down the rabbit hole we go. The health system is a broken shame and the American people are smarter than you think. That is the reason we continue to spend billions of dollars a year on supplements, why major cities are outlawing trans-fats in restaurants, and why Big Food is scrambling to reformulate with healthier ingredients. We are finally demanding it.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Todd Runestad
Thu, 2011-10-27 09:47

Comment on Negative News About Vitamins! . . . Cause For Concern? by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:01:57 +0000

The Natural Products Association (NPA) is the leading representative of the dietary supplement industry with over 1,900 members, including suppliers and retailers of vitamins and other dietary supplements. NPA Executive Director and CEO John Gay responds to a story about the benefits of vitamins in the Wall Street Journal:

“It is disappointing that the Wall Street Journal would devote space to such a sensationalist and inaccurate item. Trying to scare Americans away from taking dietary supplements to improve their health is just plain irresponsible. Consumers deserve to hear more about the many benefits of vitamins and other dietary supplements, and I call on the Wall Street Journal to bring fairness to its reporting.

The story makes use of two recent studies that NPA believes did a disservice to the tens of millions of American who take dietary supplements. Detailing the flaws in the studies and the conclusions reached would take too much space, but to pick one major issue: as the Wall Street Journal acknowledges, “Observational trials can only show an association, not a cause and effect.” We agree, and find it troubling that a story in the Journal would use such a study to assert that “the case for dietary supplements is collapsing.”

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. More and more studies show that vitamins have real and widely accepted health benefits. These include providing nutrients, boosting immune systems, and improving overall health. Even the authors of the vitamin E study mentioned in the article noted the benefit of vitamin E with Alzheimer’s disease and age-related macular degeneration.

The article itself notes that calcium is “important to bone health” and folic acid “reduces the likelihood of a common birth defect if taken by pregnant women.” It also states that “Researchers and nutritionists are still recommending dietary supplements for the malnourished or people with certain nutrient deficiencies or medical conditions.”

Far from collapsing, the case for vitamins is supported by experts who know best the value of good nutrition. That is why NPA has long advocated that consumers use dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle. Half of all Americans take dietary supplements because they know they work.”

Jeff Wright, NPA president and owner of Wright’s Nutrients in New Port Richey, Fla., adds:

“Like so many of my fellow health food store owners, I’m dedicated to helping consumers supplement their diets with the nutrients they need. Research is the cornerstone of our industry, and it seems that every week there is a new report about the importance of vitamins to the health of millions of Americans. Stories like the one in the Wall Street Journal might scare some Americans away from taking dietary supplements to improve their health, and that is just plain irresponsible.”

Comment on Carnitine–important, but confusing by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:14:09 +0000

I am not aware of any problem with taking L-Carnitine under these conditions. I do see that there have been a couple of studies using L-Carnitine in “hyperthyroidism.” The premise seems to be based on speculation that L-Carnitine might suppress thyroid function in some tissues. Is this the basis for your concern? I can only tell you that I see no references to this as a contraindication in the sources I consulted, and I doubt it would be a problem. But I am not a physician and you would have to get your doctor’s input if you remain concerned. Here is the abstract of the one study that may relate to this:
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;86(8):3579-94.
Usefulness of L-carnitine, a naturally occurring peripheral antagonist of thyroid hormone action, in iatrogenic hyperthyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Benvenga S, Ruggeri RM, Russo A, Lapa D, Campenni A, Trimarchi F.
Source
Cattedra & Sezione di Endocrinologia, Dipartimento Clinico-sperimentale di Medicina e Farmacologia, University of Messina School of Medicine, 98125 Messina, Italy. s.benvenga@me.nettuno.it
Abstract
Old studies in animals and unblinded studies in a few hyperthyroid patients suggested that L -carnitine is a periferal antagonist of thyroid hormone action at least in some tissues. This conclusion was substantiated by our recent observation that carnitine inhibits thyroid hormone entry into the nucleus of hepatocytes, neurons, and fibroblasts. In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-month trial reported here, we assessed whether 2 or 4 g/d oral L-carnitine were able to both reverse and prevent/minimize nine hyperthyroidism- related symptoms. We also evaluated changes on nine thyroid hormone-sensitive biochemical parameters and on vertebral and hip mineral density (bone mineral density). Fifty women under a fixed TSH-suppressive dose of L -T(4) for all 6 months were randomly allocated to five groups of 10 subjects each. Group 0 associated placebo for 6 months; groups A2 and A4 started associating placebo (first bimester), substituted placebo with 2 or 4 g/d carnitine (second bimester), and then returned to the association with placebo. Groups B2 and B4 started associating 2 and 4 g/d carnitine for the first two bimesters, and then substituted carnitine with placebo (third bimester). Symptoms and biochemical parameters worsened in group 0. In group A, symptoms and biochemical parameters worsened during the first bimester, returned to baseline or increased minimally during the second bimester (except osteocalcin and urinary OH-proline), and worsened again in the third bimester. In group B, symptoms and biochemical parameters (except osteocalcin and urinary OH-proline) did not worsen or even improved over the first 4 months; they tended to worsen in the third bimester. In both the A and B groups, the two doses of carnitine were similarly effective. At the end of the trial, bone mineral density tended to increase in groups B and A (B > A). In conclusion, L-carnitine is effective in both reversing and preventing symptoms of hyperthyroidism and has a beneficial effect on bone mineralization. Because hyperthyroidism depletes the body deposits of carnitine and since carnitine has no toxicity, teratogenicity, contraindications and interactions with drugs, carnitine can be of clinical use.

Comment on Ask A Question. Suggest A Topic. by Don Goldberg

Don Goldberg — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:40:42 +0000

Mary Ann,
You are doing good by taking Willvite. It provides not only calcium, but magnesium and the trace minerals in the recommended ratios. All of these minerals are important for bone health, not just calcium. Make sure you are taking the recommended dose of Willvite, two tablets twice a day. This will also give you 400 IU of vitamin D, but current thought is that more is better. People are now taking 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day, and I suggest you consider this as well. A vitamin D3 supplement at 1000 IU per tablet or softgel is easy to find–call Willner for guidance. You also say you take “calcium” in addition to the Willvite. That is ok, but I hope you are taking a calcium, magnesium blend–or a “bone formula”–rather than just calcium. A supplement that you might want to add to your regimen would be one of the glucosamine-chondroitin products we feature, perhaps with some MSM as well. This should help in the healing process. If you are not getting adequate protein in your diet, you could also consider a protein supplement. I suggest a whey protein supplement. Given the type of surgery, I don’t know that we can expect to do much about the nerve sensation at this point. The B-vitamins are important in this regard, but four Willvite tablets provides a good basic dose of B-vitamins. If you wanted to take an additional B-vitamin supplement for a month or two, that is an option. Good luck, Don Goldberg

Comment on Ask A Question. Suggest A Topic. by Mary Ann Corsa

Mary Ann Corsa — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:54:50 +0000

Recently I broke my clavicle and had to have it surgically repaired with a plate and screws. I am 61 and have osteopenia. I am currently taking my Willvite multivitamins, calcium, and have increased my vitamin C intake. What other supplements can I add to insure good healing of the bone? Also I am experiencing some electrical shock sensations in my arm. What supplements can I take to help traumatized nerve and soft tissue? I just got my fall catalog today and will be placing a mail order as soon as I hear from you. Thanks.

Comment on Carnitine–important, but confusing by Kate Berry

Kate Berry — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:23:05 +0000

Hi Mr. Goldberg,

I’m a woman in her mid-30s, was raised a vegetarian and would say overall I’m pretty healthy. I’m on no medication but I’ve been under some long-term (2yrs) chronic stress and now my thyroid is “borderline low” (Hypothyroid – to the point where I can definitely tell in the way I feel, but also I’ve gained about 8 lbs.). I’ve recently started natural remedies including yoga, daily excersise and a natural Gaia Thyroid Support supplement with L-Tyrosine (300mg) to get me back on track.

As a vegetarian, I’m also extremely interested in beginning a daily regimen of L-Carnitine l-tartratre. However, I’m doing research and it looks like my thyroid condition and supplement could adversely interact ? I guess my question is … should I avoid all together? ….Or is there a safe dosage of L-Carnitine l-tartratre that does NOT interact (maybe high dosages only will interact? ) …or maybe I could alter these two supplements on different days?

If you have any information I would be very grateful! There is very little reliable, high quality information.

Best,
Kate