Vitamins & Supplements

VITAL: Vitamin D, Omegas Reduce Autoimmune Disease Risk

By Erik Goldman

Data from the massive Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) show clearly that daily supplementation with 2,000 IU of vitamin D can reduce the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and other autoimmune conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids, at a dose of 1,000 mg per day also mitigated risk, but to a lesser degree. “Vitamin D […]

Ten Nutraceuticals for Repairing Cardiovascular Damage

By Charles K. Bens, PhD, Contributing Writer

Emerging research is challenging the long-held belief that tissue damage following myocardial infarction is permanent and irreversible. For decades, the conventional medical view has been that damaged myocardium cannot regenerate, owing to the fact that heart cells are not as readily replaced as are other cells in the body. Several research teams around the world, […]

NAC Supplements Face Ban Unless FDA Reverses Course

By Erik Goldman

Americans could lose access to N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) supplements in 2022, unless the nutrition and dietary supplements industries can prove to the Food and Drug Administration that this glutathione precursor was in widespread use as a supplement or food ingredient prior to the mid-1990s. Last year, the FDA made clear that it views NAC as […]

Vitamin D: A Top Priority for Protecting Your Patients This Winter

By Tom O'Bryan, DC, DACBN

Back in March of 1918, the ‘Spanish flu’ was spreading rapidly across the globe, killing millions and terrifying a world already ravaged by the first world war. During that summer the pandemic died down, only to rear its ugly head the following winter, killing many more. More than a century later, we are now into […]

New Studies Strengthen Case for Zinc Against COVID, Respiratory Bugs

By Erik Goldman

Daily supplementation with zinc picolinate markedly reduced the prevalence of severe symptomatic COVID-19 among a cohort of high-risk patients in the state of Florida, according to data from a new case-control study. “Individuals in the control group were 5.93 times more likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19 infection as compared with individuals in the treatment group,” […]

Is Echinacea Antiviral? It Depends

By Erik Goldman

Echinacea is consistently among the top selling herbal supplements in the US, and has been for decades. Many people take it as a go-to remedy for respiratory infections such as influenza and rhinovirus, and for general immune system support. It’s no surprise that sales of this popular herb jumped by more than 50% in the […]

“Next-Generation” Microbes & Probiotics for Metabolic & Immune Health

By Erik Goldman

The gut microbiome exerts profound influence on immunological and metabolic health.   Recent research points to two “next generation” microbes– Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii –as especially important metabolically and immunologically. In healthy people, these organisms are plentiful.  But they are found at much lower levels in people with obesity and other metabolic and inflammatory diseases. […]

Helping Patients Heed COVID’s Wake-Up Call

By Russell Jaffe, MD, Contributing Writer

We are nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, it’s worth looking into what goes on in the body and how the immune system works in critical situations like COVID-19. The pandemic has certainly put the functioning of the immune system to test, but it has also brought to light the […]

The Phytochemical Equivalency Controversy

By Elan Sudberg, Contributing Writer

Is it truly equivalent? It’s a question currently being applied to chemical compounds, formally known as phytochemicals, that have historically been made exclusively by plants, but are now–through recent advancements in genetic engineering—being manufactured by genetically modified yeasts, or protozoans like euglena. A host of widely used vitamins, amino acids, sweeteners, essential oils, and bioactive […]

Managing “Mitochondriopathy” For Healthier Aging

By Erik Goldman

What is the common theme underlying nearly all of the diseases associated with aging? Mitochondrial dysfunction. It is a simple biological fact that mitochondrial function tends to decline with age.  This affects every organ and every tissue in the body. But clinicians often fail to consider “mitochondriopathy” as they treat the various diseases that their […]