Our Second October Meeting

On October 21, we had Brenda's daughter, Allison, present on low carb/high fat food plans. We only had one member absent and Allison started after Tim introduced her.

Allison stated that low carb/high fat could vary from person to person. The grams of carbohydrates can vary from a low of 30 grams to about 100 grams per day. She next said that the number of grams should vary depending on what your meter tells you works for you. She said that some people set 140 mg/dl as the upper limit for post prandial meter reading.

She continued that this is even what I recommend as the upper limit. She said that some of you have lower limits, which are good for you, and this is what each individual should do. Next, she asked for a show of hands, telling people if they had not set an upper limit not to raise their hands when she said a number. She started at 140 and six hands went up. When she said 130, another six hands were raised, and 120 had 11 hands raised. Then she said 110 and 12 hands were raised. When she said 100, no hands were raised. She then asked if there were other numbers, several said 115 and a few said 125. Allison said there is a good mix for a group this size.

She then said that food plans should not be a one-size-fits-all food plan and I am happy that while many are using the same food plan, there are variances that can be worked with. She continued that unlike dietitians, she and Suzanne worked with what the person wants and may make some suggestions that will be workable. Your blood glucose meter should be your friend and used regularly by testing in pairs. Once the newer members have their food plan settled, then you should have one or both of us back to help refine it and create a balanced food plan.

She said we don't demand you eat a certain number of carbohydrates, and we don't dictate what fruits and vegetables you consume. Most important we don't demand that you include whole grains in your food plan. She continued that she might consider them for a few individuals that show her that the quantity they consume does not exceed the blood glucose goal (she said that she only has two individuals that have this possible).

Next, she asked if some were taking vitamin and mineral supplements. She was a little surprised at the number of hands raised. Next she asked how many had the cooperation of their doctors and been tested for the supplements they used. Only about half of the hands went up. Now she had a concerned look on her face and asked why they were not being tested. The one comment she heard was that they were natural and didn't need to be tested.

She then stated that for some people, the supplements could conflict with medications and cause more severe side effects. She asked Tim to put the slide up and she asked me what the slide meant. I said it is grapefruit and tells us that it can cause some heart, statin, and blood pressure medications to become toxic to our systems and put us in the hospital and if not avoided might kill us.

Next, she asked Tim for the second slide and she said that even Bob knows why we should be tested and where to research for medications the vitamin or mineral may cause prescription medication conflicts. You even need to take some of them only under the supervision of a doctor. She stated that Bob and the older members are aware of why you need to be tested and that is why you need to read the blogs posted about supplements and know where to research information for yourself.

Then she asked Tim if the blogs with links they should use could be included in an email. Tim said that when she gave him the slides, he had started composing an email and would finish it and send it to all members. Allison asked if he would include her as well as she said that she needed to use these for other patients she helped. Tim agreed and she looked at me, and I said they are available for everyone to read.

At that point, she open the discussion for questions and she spent the next half an hour answering questions, as did the older members. She thanked Tim for putting up the slides and then she thanked me for listing the blogs I did for her.

She talked with Tim and thanked him for having her do a presentation. Tim said she covered some important points many of the members needed and we would be asking her again.

Diabetes Patients Benefit From Naturopathic Care

When I read this study, I knew my inbox was going to be full of emails about “see naturopathic care works.” Some were polite and just asked me to read this and a few were proclaiming their wares and few were not so pleasant in their language. If this study was not so small, and an obvious attempt to get more funding, it could have been more interesting.

The other part that I must point out is that conventional medicine was part of the study and patients continued to take their medications. There was not any control groups so that comparisons could be made. For those that still believe that their naturopathic ways cure diabetes, I think you need to reread this study and understand that the two disciplines, conventional medicine and naturopathic practices, worked together to achieve the results. The largest flaw in the study is that it was an observational study, which could distort the figures any way desired.

If there was true collaboration between conventional medicine and naturopathic medicine, I say this could become valuable when the correct types of studies are done using this method. I will continue to denounce situations as I did in this blog, when patients throw conventional medicine out because they believe there is a cure. Seeking only alternative medicine is not the answer.

The other sticking point is when patients do not list the alternative medicines and supplements because they are “natural”, and their doctor has no need to know. Many patients may not have problems with this until they need certain prescription medications that conflict with these supplements and several can cause severe health problems and even death. Some supplements may even mask certain health conditions and prevent the proper treatment.

At the same time, I will denounce doctors that are so full of themselves that they will not recognize supplements, herbal medicines, and naturopathic medicines. These doctors often belittle a patient for mentioning these, and some doctors even bully their patients to stop taking them. When this happens, patients should do themselves and their health a favor and seek out another doctor. It is sad that these doctors cut off lines of communication that affect the health of their patients.

There can be advantages when doctors of all types of medicine work together, but too often each type of medicine thinks they have the only solution. When the whole patient is treated, and not just the disease, more patients will have greater health benefits. Many doctors of all medicine types do not treat the mind-body-soul part of the patient.

Vitamins and Mortality - In Defense of Supplements

The latest controversy of many involves supplements. We have heard about salt and fats (more on this in another blog), but now researchers are coming out on both sides of the supplements issue. I have a number of blogs on supplements and many of the dangers. My suggestion, as always, is to use caution and research those that you are taking. Overdosing can be hazardous to your health and some overdoses can be fatal.

Also, consult with you doctor or your pharmacist to make sure you are not overdosing or using supplements that should not be taken with certain prescriptions. Just because they are natural does not make them always safe. Three of my blogs about taking supplements are here, here, and here.

The article that started this blog is here and the article (of Oct 10, 2011) they are disputing is here. They could also have been referring to my blog and the article it covered here but they did not. The controversy is not so much about the results of different studies, but the methodology used in the previous study. The fact that some variables that could have had value were not used and too much reliance on individual reporting led to somewhat vague reporting.

The authors of the study reported in October themselves conceded, "It is not advisable to make a causal statement of excess risk based on these observational data." Yet they proceeded to make some statements that the evidence did not confirm.

The commentary of the article on Feb 1, 2012, did do some analysis of the potential effects of following some conclusions to show that the original study may have miscalculated in making their conclusions. I found this statement rather compelling, “In addition, unlike for pharmaceutical agents, the source of vitamin supplement plays an important role. Synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) is thought to be much less potent than its natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) counterpart and may have a varying clinical effect.”

In conclusion, the use of naturally found vitamins and minerals in our food may be more beneficial in the long term, but minus these being adequate, supplements may be necessary. If done with the knowledge of physicians that understand the importance of supplements in the proper amounts, generally people will have few problems. Not exceeding the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is important.

Trash the Vitamins - Convince Your Patients

This is an attitude prevalent among many members of the medical community. They have a complete dislike for supplements and some are very vocal about it. This study gives them one more reason to vocalize their feelings. While the American Heart Association is the only medical group advising against supplements, they proclaim that with all the groups against it that older patients should not be using supplements.

Now I will agree that some vitamins and minerals, plus some herbal supplements are more than a passing concern. Some deadly hazards exist if taken with some prescriptions. So how do we warn patients, certainly not by taking them away from patients and advocating against them. Talk with the patient and explain to them the actual hazards for the particular supplements that generate the problems with the prescription medications.

According to the study, there is some evidence that some supplements in general are raising the mortality rate, but this has been concluded without some factors being confirmed. This being an observational study leaves open the possibility of confounding by indication. Specifically, there is the possibility that women with higher risks for mortality or who developed serious chronic illnesses, as they grew older had a wider use of supplements.

Physicians are offered several lessons. They should ask what nonprescription therapies are used by the patient and make sure their records reflect these therapies. The study does say that physicians make such errors as the peril of their patient. Physicians should be a trusted resource for patients, but many physicians refuse to recognize dietary supplements and ignore their existence rather than being the needed resource for their patients. Physicians could help monitor what their patients use and warn them when problems could exist or develop.

Older patients can be a problem because they think more could be better and if they are experiencing a medical problem, often they will turn to dietary supplements and not communicate with doctors that have played down supplements. So physicians that are against and discourage supplement use are not keeping the lines of communication open for future years when their patients need them for advice on supplements.

For the doctors that believe “trash the vitamins - convince your patients”, they are putting their patients at risk in the future because they have severed the lines of communication. Their patients will never trust them for information about the dangers for some supplements or even supplements in general.

The Risks of Excess Vitamins and Other Nutrients

This is an excellent topic to fit with the last two on supplements and multivitamins. I do not think about it generally because I am aware of the difference between fat and water-soluble nutrients. I do not consciously think about this because of the few supplements I do take, but I do tend to be more careful with fat-soluble because the body does not automatically flush excess out of the body.

The body sometimes does not automatically flush excess water soluble, but in general, it does. Water-soluble excess is generally flushed and not stored by the body. There are exceptions that you need to be aware. Too much vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage. Excess niacin can cause flushing and excess vitamin C may cause kidney stones. A serious problem may be caused by excess folic acid, which may mask vitamin B12 deficiency and is most common in people over the age of 50.

Fat-soluble is dissolved in fat and stored by body tissues for use later. However, fat-soluble is not equal as Vitamin D is a hormone and apparently allows higher tolerances than other fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin D is one of the more controversial vitamins as many think the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has set the limit too low for the needs of the body. Many are claiming vitamin D has more health benefits than it may have.

Vitamins A, E, and K are also fat-soluble. Because they are stored, over time they can rise to dangerous levels and lead to a condition called hypervitaminosis. This means excess amounts of a vitamin in the body that are unhealthy and can cause health consequences. Excess vitamin A in women can cause birth defects and too much vitamin E may increase the risk of hemorrhaging. Excess vitamin K can reduce the effect of blood thinner medications and prevent normal blood clotting.

Exceeding the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of many nutrients can cause the vitamins to act like drugs and may lead to health problems. Research has shown at what levels nutrients can cause potential problems and these levels do take into account all sources of vitamins and minerals from food, fortified food and supplements.

Fortified foods is a way for people to help fill the nutrient gaps and has resulted in production practices of adding iodine to salt, enriching grains with vitamins B and iron, and milk fortified with vitamins A and D. In combination with whole foods, supplements, and fortified foods is raising concerns from the experts. These concerns are that the supplements may cause the diets of people to exceed the safe upper limits and potentially lead to a toxic buildup of certain nutrients.

Even though the article advises consulting a doctor, I am leery of this because many doctors will advise against supplements without doing any testing to determine if there are deficiencies to be concerned about. Consulting a dietitian is good advice. Even with this, it is still wise to know the upper limit for vitamins and minerals that you are taking, check all labels of your food choices to know which food are enriched with the same nutrients.

Carefully read the article by WebMD and read the previous two blogs on supplements and multivitamins. Here's to your good health!

How to Choose a Multivitamin

Again, WebMd has an article when needed. The last blog about supplements was inline with this. We do need to be aware of supplements and which ones are age appropriate. It appears that the food industry goes out of their way to prevent balanced nutrition with the highly processed foods we are exposed to in the stores. It should not be that difficult to eliminate the highly processed foods, but occasionally they can be substituted with little nutritional damage, but only occasionally.

If you are using supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps, you may want to consider a multivitamin. We do not always use the best eating plans or have a dietitian or nutritionist available to consult on a regular basis, so depending on the test results from your doctor, you may need a multivitamin to fill in the gaps. If so, which one do you chose when you are looking at the large variety on the shelf? I would encourage you to read the WebMd article as it covers many points.

First, make sure that your daily food intake includes a variety to be complete in nutrients as possible. This may eliminate the need for a multivitamin, but depending on the tests done by your physician, do consider supplements or a once daily multivitamin if necessary. “The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified calcium, vitamin D, dietary fiber, and potassium as nutrients of concern for inadequate intake in adults and children. All of these nutrients, except fiber, come packaged in a multivitamin. Fiber can be obtained as a separate supplement, but it's still best to try to get all your fiber from the foods you eat.” 

Some pointers to consider while looking over the variety of multivitamins include: reading the label carefully, getting the basic vitamins and minerals, check the percentages of what the multivitamin has listed, look for extras that you may not need or do need, check the formulas for men, women, and age, and do not overdo the multivitamin routine.

Look for the multivitamin that fits your sex, stage in life, and your health conditions. This more than a salesperson's promotion should determine what is appropriate for you. Most multivitamins are sold in capsule form, but they are also available as tablets, powders, chewables, and gummies. Liquids and injectable formulations can be found that can be administered by healthcare providers.

Supplements and multivitamins can lose their potency over time and especially when improperly stored. Also, check expiration dates, store in a cool dry place and avoid hot, humid places like the bathroom. Make sure that the location is secure and out of the reach of children.

It really does not seem to matter when you take the multivitamin, but taking it with food can be an advantage in lessening stomach discomfort. “A measure of safety is to look for the designation "USP" on the label. A multivitamin that meets the requirements of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP) meets the standards and ensures the product is pure and actually contains the listed ingredients.” Always consult your health care provider when taking any supplement or multivitamin to be sure that they will not have conflicts with prescription medications.

Are You Using Supplements for the Right Reasons?

Are you using supplements for the right reason? Many do not and take a cocktail of supplements based on what the salesperson says. This can lead to over taking many of the supplements and creating a toxic effect when the supplements are not needed. Think about it for a while and decide if you are on this path.

The promises of the salesperson and claims on the packages are not the reason to be taking them. We all know that there may be a temporary energy boost, but this will not last long. The supplements will not help with weight loss, reduce stress, or reduce wrinkles. Yet many people take supplements for these reasons and spend money for pie-in-the-sky reasons.

Experts agree that there is a proper place for vitamin and mineral supplements to fill gaps in our nutrition. They should not be used to take the place of real food because they will not replace other important nutrients we obtain from eating healthy meals. Yet it is common knowledge that may people do this and can create other shortages in their diet that real food can meet the needs for and fulfill.

This blogger has the right attitude about supplements and rightly believes in obtaining supplements in their natural state from food. Supplements cannot replace every nutrient and benefits of whole foods. Supplements are meant to do just that, supplement gaps occurring in your diet. It is best to obtain your nutrients from food first and fill the gaps with supplements. A pill does not contain the phytochemicals and fiber necessary that eating whole foods can supply.

Learn that your doctor does many tests to see which essential nutrients you are not getting in the foods you eat. By obtaining copies of your lab tests and tracking them, you will soon learn which supplements to add to your intake and avoid those that have little to no benefit. We all need to keep the levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin D and Vitamin B12 at proper levels and your doctor can help determine these with the proper tests. You may need to have a long conference with your doctor as many do not see the value in any supplements and will tell you not to take them. This is where research on the internet may become necessary for some of them.

“Beyond filling in gaps, other studies have demonstrated that supplemental vitamins and minerals can be advantageous. However, the exact benefits are still unclear as researchers continue to unravel the potential health benefits of vitamins and supplements.”


If your doctor agrees that you need supplements, remember to take them. They can do nothing if left in the bottle. Set up a daily routine for taking them and follow it. Remember too if what the salesperson or the packaging advertising says is something that is too good to be true, it probably is. You should avoid those making unrealistic claims. Expect only what it would do for you if you were eating sufficient quantities in your food, not what people want you to believe to make a sale.


Take time to read the WebMD article carefully as it has some pointers not included above.

No Double Standards for Natural Health Products

I am almost sure our Canadian neighbors have heard this before, but it is interesting that both the American Medical Association and Canadian Medical Association are constantly calling for regulation of natural health products. While I know this is part of the checks and balances for both countries, both medical communities have increased the rhetoric recently for some reason.

While it is true in these difficult times that more people are turning to natural products to avoid the cost of any medical office visits or expensive medications, it is a shame that the medical communities are trying harder to make alternative medicine even more expensive and unaffordable to many more.

While the Canadian press release is short, it does spell out some excellent points. I do not think all of theirs applies here, but this does not negate concerns on both sides of the border. The one issue that is common is the mantra that because the ingredients are natural, there is not reason to be concerned about taking the alternative medications. This is one falsehood or myth that needs busting and here is my agreement that the regulatory agencies in both countries have been looking the other way for far too long. Allowing this reasoning to continue will do more harm than good in the short- and long-term.

I have written several blogs about the dangers of some alternative medications and supplements that do damage and harm if mixed with some prescription medications. Why with the internet and even the many pharmacists that are aware of the problems, why do people still not check out the harm that can be caused by taking alternative medications with prescription medications? Again, the false information put forth by the natural health products industry sells the perception that because its products are "natural," they must also be safe because they are not required to be tested.

While I agree that testing of many of the alternative medications is not necessary, I am concerned that those that need testing because of known conflicts are being given a pass and not required to be labeled with the known facts of causing harmful or even deadly conflicts. This is where both medical groups in both countries have a valid case and need to pursue it with vigor.

Consumer protection is a valid concern and the one area that the natural health products industry is negligent, this is their weakness, and this needs to be closed and the responsible parties held financially responsible. This carelessness is a concern well founded and needs attention in both countries.

Read my blogs here, here, and here. Read the press release here.

Dietary Supplements and Your Doctor Visits

This is a topic that I cannot seem to stay away from as it is constantly in the news. I understand the concerns of the medical community in trying to warn patients about the harmful effects and potential deadly effects of some supplements and herbal medications. Having just written recently about the toxic effects of overdosing in Vitamin D, I am not immune to the need to bring this to the attention of the public as well.

The consumption of dietary supplements as increased from about 20 percent in 1970 to about 50 percent in 2006. This is a fact of life and people need to be aware of the dangers inherit in taking some supplements when certain prescriptions are taken. Most people ignore these warnings because they think because these supplements are found in nature, they can do no harm.

This article in Medscape should be read and serve as a reminder of some of the more common dangers people often overlook. This part of the article is very important and needs to be read as it could affect you. If you think this is a joke, I do not want to think about the complications you could suffer if you need to take some of the medications they react with in unfavorable ways.

The medical profession often strikes out at supplements, but in these proven circumstances, their concern is well justified and I have to support their concerns. If you are asked what supplements you are taking, please, please list all of them to prevent conflicts and even potentially deadly results. It is for your benefit they are asking.

If you are in excellent health, then there should be no concern, but if you blood pressure is elevated, some of the supplements are known to raise blood pressure and it might be that stopping these supplements could bring your blood pressure back within the desired range. This could save the need for blood pressure medications.

Many people also do not think, yes, I said think, that some supplements can cause some of the other problems mentioned in the table. I admit I was a believer is a couple of the supplements (Aloe and Goldenseal) and when I developed loose bowel movements, I wonder why. I was finally able to get to the information (a little more difficult 20 years ago) and stopped using them and problem solved, but not overnight.

This is why I encourage and urge everyone to fully disclose to your doctor(s) what supplements you are taking, the dosage taken, and even how long you have been taking them. I also strongly suggest that you learn everything about the supplement(s) you are taking to know what side effects are possible, what dangers may be present, and what limits you should be aware of to prevent dangerous toxic effects.

Even on today's internet, some information is very difficult to find. Yes, promoters of supplements and ardent herbalists will provide the health benefits with little or no scientific support, but they seldom provide any information about side effects with prescription medications or what levels may cause the supplement to be toxic. Many will deny that there can be problems.

Just because they are derived from nature, does not mean they are safe. This is a myth followed by most people and promoted by herbalists and health food stores. If you are a regular reader, you know this is a topic of many blogs and until people learn to be careful and know there are some dangers and potential problems, I will probably continue to blog about them. Recent blogs – No 1, No 2, No 3, No 4, No 5, No 6, and No 7.

Do I use supplements? Yes, and I am very careful in how I use them and generally I have researched the manufacturers to know their reputations and what, if any, problems they have had with business practices.

Some Supplements Create Risk of Death

This was a disturbing piece of news and one that deserves attention. While it has yet to be studied in men, women between the ages of 55 to 69 need to be cautious and possibly talk this over with their doctor. I would suggest all women in the change of life and older should be cautious.

Many supplements are safe, but there are those that pose an increased risk for death in women. These supplements include multivitamins, Vitamin B6, and folic acid. Then there are the following minerals that need attention, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

In a related editorial European researchers stated, "to the growing evidence demonstrating that certain antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene, can be harmful."

"We cannot recommend the use of vitamin and mineral supplements as a preventive measure, at least not in a well-nourished population," they add. "Those supplements do not replace or add to the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and may cause unwanted health consequences."

The authors of the study did state, "Although we cannot rule out benefits of supplements, such as improved quality of life, our study raises a concern regarding their long-term safety,"

This should be taken as meaning you should talk this over with you doctor and be safe in the use of these supplements (vitamins and minerals). Please read the press release here, and what Dr. R Centor says here in his blog.

Do Your Homework Before Taking Supplements - P2

Now that I have covered manufacturer seals and the lack of significant backing for them, we need to cover the supplements and the cautions put out by the National Institutes of Health.

"Supplement is a broad term that includes vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals," says Carol Haggans, a registered dietician and science and health communication consultant for the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health.
“Herbs and botanicals are derived from plants, while other supplements may include animal sources. Vitamins are essential nutrients made up of organic compounds, while minerals are an imprecise term for certain chemical elements necessary to life, like calcium.”

"They're regulated under the umbrella of foods and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, cure or prevent disease. If something claims to do that, then it becomes a drug under FDA regulation," Haggans says.

This last statement is where things fall through the cracks of oversight. Too many claims that should bring supplements under FDA regulations go uninvestigated. The manufacturers have learned over time where the line is and don't cross the line. They leave that up to the stores to have leaflets and pamphlets available for customers making these claims. Then if a complaint is filed, they can righteously claim not to have made any such statements.

Haggans adds, "The FDA has instituted 'good manufacturing practices' (GMP) that manufacturers must follow to ensure the identity and quality of supplements and they can take enforcement action if it's unsafe or unfit for human consumption, but they do not routinely test products." Once manufacturers implement these practices, they can display a seal on their packaging, noting their compliance. The problem with this is that the FDA has not issued regulations outlining the GMPs. People think that because congress authorized this, that it must be so.

To be clear about this, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) authorized but did not require the FDA to adopt new federal regulations for GMPs for dietary supplements. Under DSHEA, the FDA can issue GMP regulations for dietary supplements that are modeled after food GMPs. To this day, the FDA has not issued any regulations about GMPs.

Like drugs, supplements can combine with other medications in unhealthy ways. "Dietary supplements can interact with both over-the-counter and prescription medication," Haggans says. "That's one reason we tell people to talk with their doctors about all the supplements that they're taking." For example, the anticoagulant medicine warfarin (Coumadin) can interact with gingko biloba and with garlic and cause bleeding. St. John's wort, which is often used to treat depression, can weaken the effects of birth control pills and other medications. Vitamins C and E can also potentially interfere with chemotherapy used to treat cancer.

Doctors might not know about interactions between supplements and prescriptions and since supplement labels don't list warnings, patients need to do their own research: look for guidance from the sites listed in the resource section and talk to a nutritionist or check with reliable sources at "health food" stores or reputable "wellness" centers. This is a situation where watching carefully for side effects is especially important and consumers are mostly on their own to be vigilant.

Some supplements can be monitored by testing blood levels. This can be expensive but it might also reduce problems related to potential toxicity or unusual individual reactions. Check with your doctor to see if blood tests might be suitable for you.

Where can consumers get information? Check with the Office of Dietary Supplements, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Both keep regularly updated fact sheets on the most commonly used herbs, supplements and vitamins.

Read this article about the supplements.

Do Your Homework Before Taking Supplements - P1

Have you heard of GMP (good manufacturing practices)? Most people have not and for good reason. Congress authorized FDA to set up a plan, but did not make it mandatory. Several organizations that have members among the supplement manufactures set up and submitted some plans to the FDA, but nothing happened. The Federal Drug Administration has done nothing about this, except, yes there is always an exception, occasionally rattling the cage about investigating some supplement here and there.

If you are looking for a reliable manufacturing seal on supplements, forget about it. Those that do exist have no weight of enforcement behind them and are industry developed to say that they have seals of quality for the supplement. The level of quality varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and does not guarantee absolute quality or even that what may be claimed on the product can be depended upon.

I have had health store employees tell me that their products are manufactured under the GMP and have a quality guarantee seal. When I ask who issued the seal, they look at me as if I must have misunderstood their statement and repeat it. When I ask to see the official government seal, they point out the manufacturers seal. I ask if it has been approved by the FDA. Their answer is often yes. Then I ask under which government authorization act was this authorized. Smiles come then and they say The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Thinking they had me, they want to know which supplements I wish to purchase.

I then say that I am aware of the act of 1994, but it only authorized FDA to set up regulations, but that the FDA had never set up any regulations. I then say I don't like smoke being blown up my - you know where - and promptly leave the store. One store even had the nerve to call me back to inquire which government agency I worked for. I refused to answer naturally, but did say a full report would be filed. This I did, but to my congressional representative in an email, which I am sure was routed to the delete file.

Over the years, I have only had one store that answered my questions correctly and admitted there was no way to be sure of the quality in every batch from the manufacturer, but that if I felt that something was wrong with any purchase I made they would refund any money upon presentation of the store receipt. I was tempted, but could not bring myself to pay the price asked as it was almost double what I would have paid from any grocery store or warehouse type store.

Do I use any supplements? Yes, I do after I have check out the manufacturer and found few, if any complaints via their local better business bureau and several other agencies. I also look at their internet site for possible claims they make about their products.

There are many conflicting sites of information about supplements and I may not have the best ones, but I looked at approximately 20 sites and chose these.  Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, and Site 4.  Even though several of the sites show seals to be applied to products, none of them have any government enforcement authority to assure quality.

Just Diagnosed and In a Panic? Part 2

People may get tired of my stating this as some form of this is used in every blog I write about herbs, supplements, vitamins, minerals, and natural remedies. Until people realize how important this is, and how deadly ignoring this can be, I will continue to write this. I am a patient and not in the medical profession.

Because of some of the problems, and the fact that many people will not read labels, or follow their doctor's instructions, I feel compelled to say this for all non-medical subjects.

The following information is for your reading and is not a cure. I am not endorsing any herb, supplement, or natural remedy. At best, many have short-term benefits only until your body gets what it is missing, with a few exceptions.

WARNING! This is important!!! If you are taking supplements or anything not prescribed by a doctor, please make sure that the doctor is informed. Some supplements and natural remedies, when taken with oral medications and/or insulin can cause hypoglycemia, have toxic effects, or even cause death.

It is important that everyone maintain a list of every herb, vitamin, mineral, supplement, and home remedy you are taking and give a copy to your doctor (and do indicate anything new since the last visit). I am aware that many people do not feel this is important, but the consequences for persons with diabetes can have severe medical implications. If you have other medical problems plus diabetes, this may even be more critical.

One statement I get from the naturalists or homeopath followers is what I take is natural and found in nature - the doctor does not need to know. Wrong! Even natural herbal remedies can cause problems when used with prescribed medications. In the USA, not all are manufactured under the Food and Drug Administration's specifications, and some may not be quality checked. They can often have ingredients not mentioned on the label, and some even have chemicals added that when combined with prescriptions can cause severe reactions.

Vitamins: Vitamins can be very beneficial and sometimes are not emphasized enough. Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and several others are critical if you are on some oral medications. Talk to your doctor about them. Metformin is an example as it can deplete the B12 and additional may be needed. If you have been on Metformin for a long time, your doctor should be testing you for B12 levels. Another issue is some lifestyles can be short of B12 and Omega-3's. See my blog here. I encourage people to find the lifestyle that is comfortable for them. The big caution here is understanding the nutritional needs to avoid problems.

Minerals: This should be divided into two groups, supplemental and trace minerals. WARNING, taking minerals should always be done under a doctors supervision to avoid problems with prescription medications and toxicity. Many people take too large a dosage of trace minerals for too long a period and this can lead to toxic side effects.

Some people avoid all the problems because they are consuming the right fruits and vegetables in quantities that have the vitamins and minerals in sufficient quantities. Talk to your doctor about doing the necessary tests. Most will not need to be done on a regular basis and most U.S. medical insurance companies will cover the tests on a yearly or longer basis. They will cover testing more often if problems are found.

Make sure the doctor covers the test results and gives you a copy for your records.

Part 2 of 3.  To read Part 1 and Part 3 of this blog, click on the links.