Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus)


“Chaste Berry” for Hormone Balance

Vitex, commonly known as “Chaste-berry” because of it’s effect on hormones, has hormonal effects on both men and women.

Vitex inhibits the action of male androgens (sex hormones). The name “Chaste tree” came from it’s use by monks to decrease libido. Vitex effects prolactin, the hormone responsible for making breast milk in women (although men have prolactin hormone, too). In very small doses, (120mg), prolactin may be increased in men. In higher doses, prolactin is decreased in both men and women.

In men, Vitex is used to treat prostate cancer because of its ability to inhibit male hormones and keep prolactin levels low. In women, Vitex has progesterone effects and is often used as a hormone regulator when more progesterone is indicated, such as in menopause.

The more common uses of Vitex include:

  • Prostate cancer
  • Female menopause
  • PMS
  • Irregular periods
  • Infertility

Recommended dose: 2 caps (500mg) per day between meals.

REFERENCES

  1. Merz G, Gorkow C, Schrödter A, Rietbrock S, Sieder C, et al. The effects of a special Agnus castus extract (BP1095E1) on prolactin secretion in healthy male subjects. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1996; 104(6): 447-453.
  2. Sliutz G, Speiser P, Schultz AM, et al. Agnus castus extracts inhibit prolactin secretion of rat pituitary cells. Horm Metab Res 1993;25:253–5.
  3. Böhnert KJ. The use of Vitex agnus castus for hyperprolactinemia. Quart Rev Nat Med 1997;Spring:19–21.
  4. Bone K. Vitex agnus-castus: Scientific studies and clinical applications. Eur J Herbal Med 1994;1:12–5.
  5. Milewicz A, Gejdel E, Sworen H, et al. Vitex agnus castus extract for the treatment of menstrual irregularities due to latent hyperprolactinemia. Arzneim Forsch 1993;43:752–6 [in German].

 

URINARY INCONTINENCE

Natural Support For This Embarrassing Problem

Inability to completely control the flow of urine is a common complaint, effecting up to twenty million Americans. Symptoms may range from a mild inability to hold urine when coughing or laughing to inability to hold urine at any time. The condition occurs in both men and women, although women and elderly people are more commonly afflicted.
Causes of urinary incontinence include weak pelvic floor muscle tone, weak urethral (bladder) muscle tone, medication side-effects, nerve damage, food allergy, urinary tract irritation (from drugs, foods, bacteria, viruses, fungi), imbalanced pH, and increased intestinal permeability. Some of the drugs used to treat incontinence have dangerous side-effects and should be avoided if at all possible. Self-help measures prove highly valuable.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Finish daily water intake by 5 p.m. (This helps decrease nighttime urination). DO NOT, however, decrease daily water intake. Drink 64 ounces of pure water daily. Dehydration predisposes to urinary tract infections.
  • Eliminate known food allergens (which can irritate the urinary tract and cause increased frequency).
  • Check with your physician or pharmacist about any medications you are taking. Some can cause incontinence.
  • Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Excess weight pushes down on the bladder and compromises muscular ability.
  • Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, all of which increase urination.
  • Practice KEGEL exercises: tighten muscles to stop the flow while urinating. Feel the muscles at work? Tense these muscles during the day, hold as tightly as possible for a count of 10, relax. Repeat up to 20 times per day. (Do these when you are NOT urinating. The first time is done just to “feel” which muscles are at work). You can do this in a car, in line at the grocery store, etc. You will notice improvement beginning in 3 weeks.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of antioxidants (A,C,E,beta carotene, selenium), are particularly important in treating urinary incontinence.
  • Saw Palmetto: 1 cap, 2 times per day between meals. [Target dose: 240mg per day]. Although best known for male prostate gland enlargement, this herb is useful in both men and women to tone the urinary bladder sphincter muscle. It also has a positive effect on male and female libido.

Tests

  • Consider having a male or female a href=”http://207.7.84.118/product/compplus-hormone-profile-with-2-16-eq/”>hormone profile performed. Decreased sex hormones are associated with a laxity of the bladder sphincter muscles. Natural hormone replacement therapy can be very helpful in this condition.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment

The above-listed measures, especially weight loss (if overweight), Kegel exercises, saw palmetto and hormone balancing really do work to correct urinary incontinence, even in very old people. Start those Kegel’s without delay or excuses and you can get rid of the adult diapers!

Women’s Health


Natural Support For Healthy Hormone Balance

Although men and women are both susceptible to many of the same diseases, those areas of women’s health that pertain to the sex hormones and female sex organs can vary greatly from those of a man. Maintaining the correct balance of female sex hormones is one of the unique and most important aspect of women’s health.

Maintaining Hormone Balance

Normal weight is crucial to hormone balance. Fat cells manufacture estrogen. This can lead to an excess of estrogen in both men and women. Maintaining normal weight is important for balanced hormones. This is believed to be the reason that hormone-related cancers (breast, uterine, endometrial) are seen more frequently in overweight and obese women.

Although synthetic and horse-urine derived hormones have been the standard in conventional medicine for years, such forms of hormone replacement therapy are unsafe. Higher risk of heart disease and hormones-related cancers are the most worrisome side effects of conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Most holistic physicians prefer to use natural HRT (nHRT), an alternative that actually reduces the risk of heart disease, hormone related cancers, osteoporosis and premature aging.

Natural hormone replacement therapy is conducted by first performing a female hormone profile. Such testing of the entire complement of female hormones including estriol, estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA is almost NEVER done in conventional medicine. Instead of using a “generic” prescription, the holistic physician can instead use the results of the female hormone profile to write a custom-tailored Rx. for each patient. These customized hormone prescriptions can be filled by a “compounding pharmacist,” meaning a pharmacist who specializes in making custom formulas.

Unlike convnetional HRT which uses high doses of estradiol and synthetic progesterone almost exclusively, nHRT typically encompasses all the sex hormones and in doses that attempt to duplicate the hormone pattern that a woman had in her younger years. This is a very different and much safer approach to hormone replacement therapy.

Short of consulting a physician, having a female hormone profile performed and getting a custom-tailored natural hormone prescription written, there are self-help measures that a woman can take to improve female hormone balance without hormone replacement.

Certain hormone-containing herbs have a balancing effect on the system. (See the following recommendations). It is HIGHLY INADVISABLE to take actual hormone supplements, even if they are sold without a prescription, without the advice and laboratory testing that a doctor can offer. Such hormones, available without prescription, include DHEA and progesterone. [NOTE: Many health food store brands of progesterone creams do not contain any hormone, and the body cannot convert wild yam (dioscorea) into progesterone, no matter how much the lady at the health food store argues otherwise! In natural medical circles, we call this “The Yam Scam”!]

Also remember that other non-hormone factors can create imbalances in the sex hormones. An excess or deficiency of thyroid hormone will change sex hormone levels, and no amount of sex hormone replacement will correct the problem until the thyroid function has been compensated for. Sluggish liver function has a major impact on hormone balance because the liver “processes” and converts sex hormones to forms that can be eliminated from the body.

Those seeking self-help measures should try the following approach to hormone balance. If symptoms persist (hot flashes, depression, loss of libido, skin aging, bone loss, elevated cholesterol or heart disease), then consultation with an holistic physician and determination of a customized natural hormone Rx. should be considered.

Click here for more information about Menopause

DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Diet: eat a diet high in nutrient-rich foods.
  • Increase consumption of soy products (if tolerated).
  • Achieve and maintain a normal weight.
  • Don’t smoke! The climacteric (menopause) occurs sooner in people who smoke.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi, 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals.
    OR
  • MyPacks, one packet per day with a meal.
  • Cal-Mag Amino: as needed to increase calcium intake to 1,500mg per day (post menopausal only). If taking Maxi Multi with a total of 1,000 mg per day of calcium, take an additional 3 capsules of Cal-Mag Amino daily.
  • Easy Soy Gold: 1 tablet, once per day with breakfast. [Target dose: 100mg or more of soy isoflavones; 50-100mg or more of genisteins].
  • Milk Thistle Plus+: 1 cap, 2 times per day with meals.
  • Melatonin: 3mg at bedtime.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

For Hot Flashes:

  • Black Cohosh Plus+: 1-2 capsules, 3 times per day as needed. When symptoms improve, decrease the dose to the smallest amount needed to continue feeling well.
    AND
  • Vitamin E: Take an additional 400IU per day extra with meals. (Maxi Multi contains 400IU per day). [Target dose: 800IU per day].
    OR
  • DHEA: 25 mg with breakfast. Higher doses might be needed, but it is inadvisable to take higher than 25mg per day without first obtaining a female hormone profile. See “Dr. Myatt’s Comment” below.
    OR
  • Hormone replacement creams or natural prescriptions as recommended by your holistic physician.

DR. MYATTS COMMENT: Hormone tests can take the guesswork out of hormone balancing and make correction surer and safer. If you do not see noticeable improvement in six to twelve weeks with self-help measures, consider consulting myself or another holistically-oriented physician. Youthful hormone balance is one of the best health and longevity measures you can take! 

 

OSTEOPOROSIS


Prevent or Reverse the “Bone Thinning Disease”

Osteoporosis means, literally, “porous bone.” It is a bone-thinning disease that affects an estimated 28 million Americans. Osteoporosis is called a “silent” disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of weakened bones. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain.

In elderly women, complications from hip fracture that result in death are far more common than death from breast cancer, yet few people realize the potential seriousness of this condition. Although osteoporosis is more common in post-menopausal women, it also occurs in younger women, men, and in all age groups. White and Asian women are at greatest risk because their bones tend to be less dense to begin with.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

There are a number of factors that can be involved in the development of osteoporosis. These include:

  • Lack of vitamins and minerals. Osteoporosis is caused by a demineralization of bone. Although calcium is one of the major bone minerals, there are a number or other minerals found in normal bone. These include boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, strontium and zinc. Vitamins B6, K, D, C and folic acid are also needed for normal bone mineralization. A deficiency of any of these can accelerate bone loss.
  • Gastric acid or digestive enzyme deficiency. Hydrochloric acid (gastric acid) and digestive enzymes are necessary for the assimilation of minerals, yet more than half of the general population over age 60 is deficient in one or both of these digestive functions. A gastric acid self-test is indicated for anyone with osteoporosis regardless of age.
  • Lack of physical activity. Exercise that stresses bone causes an uptake of minerals. Conversely, immobility leads to a demineralization of bone. Exercise alone has been shown to increase bone mineral density.
  • Dietary factors. Certain dietary factors can hasten the loss of minerals from bone. These factors include diet high in sugar and starch, excess phosphorus in the diet (as found in soda pop, processed foods, and meat), excess alcohol consumption, and possibly excess caffeine consumption (more than two cups per day).
  • Cigarette smoking.
  • Certain drugs, especially adrenal steroids (cortisone and prednisone).
  • Heavy metal toxicity. Certain heavy metals, which may be introduced into the body through cigarette smoke, drinking water, and a number of other sources, can trigger demineralization of bone by displacing the normal bone minerals. A hair mineral analysis is accurate for evaluating toxic mineral levels. Because there is substantial evidence that fluoride found in drinking water and toothpaste contributes to destruction of bone, use of pure (non fluoridated) water and alternative toothpaste is highly advisable.
  • Stress. Perhaps because perceived stress changes digestive and assimilative abilities, although the exact mechanism is unclear. Stress also increases adrenal steroid hormone output, see factor # 6 above.
  • Sex hormone imbalance. Alterations or decline in sex hormones, including estrogens, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA are significant factors in bone demineralization in both men and women.
    A female hormone profile or male hormone profile should be performed to evaluate potential sex hormone deficiencies and imbalances, especially in those over age 40.
  • Food allergies. When a person is allergic or intolerant to a food, they are unable to digest it completely. Incompletely digested food plus  possible antibodies created by food reactions damage the villi of the duodenum (the finger-like projections of the intestine that are vital for the absorption of nutrients). This reduces the amount of nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream.

    Which nutrients are most effected? Calcium, iron, iodine, all B complex vitamins, vitamin C, most water-soluble vitamins, and most of the trace minerals such as zinc, boron, manganese and magnesium— many of the same vitamins and minerals necessary for bone health.

  • Other factors. These include genetic predisposition and various disease states.

What About The New Drugs for Osteoporosis?

A new class of drugs, the bisphosphonates, cause a bone-rebuilding response that is 5% greater than placebo in most women who use them. For some, this is enough of an effect to help prevent fracture. For others, the drugs alone are insufficient to prevent consequences of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates have side-effects that can be problematic, including GERD (heartburn), diarrhea and immune suppression (one side effect that is rarely mentioned). Their best use appears to be in cases of cancer, to prevent bone destruction.

Read “The Ugly Truth About Bone-Building Drugs” here

Obviously, osteoporosis is not caused by a bisphosphonate deficiency! There are, however, ways to reverse osteoporosis. This is because bone is a living, growing tissue, not a static material as some people wrongly believe. I recommend consultation with myself or another holistic physician for evaluation and recommendations for preventing or reversing osteoporosis. When the potential causes (as listed above) are carefully evaluated and discovered, osteoporosis can be halted and even reversed through non-drug methods.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Eat a nutritious diet. Emphasize soy products, nonfat yogurt and milk, and green leafy vegetables.
  • Avoid soda pop (“pop is slop”) and use alcohol and coffee in moderation if at all.
  • Exercise regularly, especially weight-bearing exercise. Walking and running are some of the best exercises for increasing bone strength.

Primary Support

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal doses (not minimal doses) of B complex vitamins, C, D, K, calcium, magnesium, vanadium, zinc, and boron are particularly important for strong bones. A “once per day” vitamin supplement does not supply anything close to an optimal daily dose of the necessary bone nutrients.
  • Cal-Mag Amino: Post-menopausal females take 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals in addition to the 1,000:500 mg from Maxi Multi. (Target: 1200-1500 mg/day calcium, 500-800 mg/day magnesium for post-menopausal women. Men and peri-menopausal females get sufficient calcium/magnesium/boron from Maxi Multi).
  • Strontium: 1 capsule, 1-2 times per day with or between meals (take separately from calcium).  One capsule per day is advised for prevention, 2 caps per day for those at high risk of osteoporosis or in already-established cases of osteoporosis. NOTE: Maxi Multi does not contain strontium. There is evidence that strontium should be taken away from calcium and magnesium for best absorption.
  • Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases calcium absorption. Deficiencies of Vitamin D are associated with cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatic pains, and dental disease. Please learn more in our Vitamin D Special Report. Daily adult dose range: 800-2,000 IU. Doses as high as 10,000 IU may be needed to normalize vitamin D levels. Vitamin D testing is easy and convenient and inexpensive – find Vitamin D tests here.
  • Vitamin K2: a blood clotting factor, it is also important in bone formation. Major deficiency associations include osteoporosis. The optimal adult dose range is 45 to 65 mcg. Vitamin K2 helps to direct calcium to the bone and out of blood vessel wall plaques.

Additional Support

  • Follow the recommendations for menopause if you are a peri-or post-menopausal female, or for male menopause if you are a male.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment

If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is best to consult an alternative medicine physician who can order a hormone profile test, evaluate risk factors, and get you on a precise program for bone-remineralization.  Osteoporosis is a reversible condition when treated correctly. Natural hormone replacement therapy is safe and effective for aiding bone loss but must be conducted with a physician’s guidance.

Sex Hormone Balance:


For Serious Anti-Aging and Disease Prevention

In both males and females, a decline or imbalance of the sex hormones is associated with a wide variety of health problems.

Imbalanced or decreased sex hormones in women can cause:

  • Acne or oily skin
  • Bloating
  • Bone loss
  • Breast disease including cancer
  • Cancer (hormone-related: breast, ovary, uterus)
  • Decreased fertility
  • Depression
  • Endometriosis
  • Excess facial and body hair
  • Heart disease
  • Heavy or painful periods
  • Hot flashes
  • Irregular periods
  • Irritability
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Loss of scalp hair
  • Low libido
  • Memory lapses
  • Menstrual irregularities
  • Mood swings
  • Nervousness
  • Night sweats
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Poor concentration
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Tender or fibrocystic breasts
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Weight gain

Imbalanced or decreased sex hormones in men can cause:

  • Bone loss
  • Decreased mental clarity
  • Decreased muscle strength
  • Decreased stamina
  • Decreased urine flow
  • Depression
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Heart disease
  • Hot flashes
  • Increased abdominal fat
  • Increased urge to urinate
  • Irritability
  • Low sex drive
  • Mood swings
  • Night sweats
  • Poor concentration
  • Sleep disturbances

Youthful hormone balance, achieved with natural (“bio-identical”) hormone replacement therapy is considered a main-stay of anti-aging and longevity medicine.

Best Test for Sex Hormone Balance

The sex hormones can be tested in blood, saliva or urine. Urine provides the most accurate results, saliva is next best and blood testing is least accurate. Here’s why:

The sex hormones are released in “pulsed” doses throughout a 24-hour period. One hour, the output may be high, the next hour it may be low. This is a normal pattern for both sex and adrenal hormone excretion.

A blood sample gives us only a “photograph” of the hormones present at the time the blood is drawn. It tells us nothing about the 24-hour average of hormones (which is the real number we are concerned with). Blood testing is the least accurate measure of sex and adrenal hormones.

Saliva, which reflects an “average” of the 24-hour hormone content of the blood, is the next most accurate.

Because a 24-hour urine test “captures” both the highs and lows of hormone output for an entire 24-hour time period and averages them, this method of hormone testing is in my opinion the “Gold Standard” of hormone testing.

I currently recommend urine hormone testing for any patient who has concerns of hormone balance (which should be everyone over age 35-40!). Saliva testing is next best but does not appear to be as accurate.

What’s Your EQ?

Do you know what your EQ — estrogen quotient — is? You should, because this may be the single most important piece of information for preventing breast and prostate cancer. Here’s why:

Estriol (E3) is a “good” estrogen and higher levels of estriol are associated with less cancer risk. Estriol appears to block many of the effects of the carcinogenic estrogens, estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and other related “pro-carcinogenic” estrogens. How do you find out if you have enough estriol to protect you from cancer? You calculate your EQ.

Studies done in the 19060’s and 1970’s showed that women with an EQ above 1.0 had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Many women today have EQ’s of less than 1.0, and breast cancer rates are on the rise. This is no coincidence.

Although the EQ ratio has been best-studied in women, it appears that a similar ratio may be predictive for prostate cancer in men.

I now recommend that my patients who have hormone testing done have the EQ performed at the same time. The results, if unfavorable, are easily improved with dietary changes, supplements, iodine therapy or other natural measures. Where cancer is concerned, “prevention” trumps “early detection” every time.

Learn more about urinary sex hormone testing, The “Gold Standard” of hormone testing, here: Comprehensive Plus Hormone Testing

 

PreNatal Vitamins – A Review

You’re pregnant – Congratulations!

You have been careful to do everything just right and your hard work and attention to detail has paid off. Now you need to be sure that you are just as careful during this pre-natal period as you were in your pre-pregnancy period so that you can have an uneventful pregnancy and a happy, healthy baby.

The old saying “you are eating now for two” has a lot of truth to it (though it’s not an excuse to go overboard!) and it holds true for all essential nutrients. If your diet is lacking in any nutrient, that can be reflected in the development and health of your baby-to-be.

Let’s look at some of the nutrients that are essential for baby’s healthy development in the womb.

The Big Three:

Folic Acid / Folate

Folic acid is one of the best known of the prenatal essentials, since it is needed for proper development of brain and spinal cord. Neural Tube Defects such as Spina Bifida can result from folic acid deficiency. Low folate status has also been linked to recurrent pregnancy loss, low birth weight and a variety of age-related high risk complications of pregnancy.

One of the B Vitamins, folic acid is a synthetic form of folate found in many nutritional supplements. Synthetic folic acid is metabolized in the body into the useable form, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Approximately 10% of the general population lack the enzymes needed to receive any benefit from folic acid and another 40% of the population may convert only a limited amount of folic acid into 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and cannot fully process supplemental folic acid at higher doses or even RDA levels The remaining 50% of the population do metabolize folic acid more efficiently, but obtaining folate in its 5-methyltetrahydrofolate form avoids any concerns about effective metabolization. Conventional medicine recommends a daily intake of 400 to 800 micrograms (mcg) daily.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium and vitamin D are vital especially during the third trimester, when baby’s bones are growing and strengthening. Conventional medicine recommends 250 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily.

The usual recommendation is to obtain calcium through diet – from “fortified foods” and milk and dairy products. Unfortunately, milk and many dairy products contain casein which can be very problematic for many people. Further, calcium taken without an appropriate amount of magnesium to balance it will have only very minor bone-building effects. Magnesium must be a part of any formula that contains calcium.

Calcium also tends to contain an unwanted substance, lead. This includes natural sources of calcium, like milk and dairy, leafy green vegetables as well as almost all calcium supplements.

While the lead that may be present in supplements is undesirable, this must be balanced with the need for calcium for fetal development. Some forms of calcium supplements such as calcium citrate and calcium malate are better absorbed and tend to have lower levels of lead. And, according to The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group of Australia, “Lead is released from the bone through resorption (the recycling of calcium and other minerals including lead from the bone to the bloodstream) during pregnancy, and there is strong evidence that calcium supplements reduce blood lead during this crucial period, in turn reducing lead levels in the newborn child.”

Vitamin D and calcium work hand-in-hand for bone creation and health, and vitamin D is perhaps best obtained in the form that Mother Nature intended – that is, from sunlight on skin. Our skin can produce approximately 10,000 IU of Vitamin D in response to as little as 30 minutes of unprotected summer sun exposure – but obviously this is neither practical nor even possible for many people and so vitamin D deficiency is very common. Supplementation becomes essential, but should be done carefully at higher doses. Vitamin D testing is available inexpensively and can remove the element of guesswork.

Recent research is suggesting that very high doses of vitamin D, once thought to possibly cause birth defects, are not only safe, but even beneficial. Neonatologist Carol L. Wagner, of the Medical University of South Carolina reports that in her study women who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily in their second and third trimesters not only showed no evidence of harm, they had half the rate of pregnancy-related complications like gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, as women who took 400 IU of vitamin D every day and they were also less likely to give birth prematurely.

Learn more about Vitamin D here.

Iron

Iron is almost universally recommended for prenatal vitamins by conventional medicine in doses of around 30 to 60 mg daily

During pregnancy, more iron is needed to supply the growing baby and placenta, and iron supports normal brain development in the fetus. In the third trimester baby builds up iron stores for the first six months of life. Iron deficiency can lead to maternal anemia, premature delivery, low birth weight, and an increased risk of perinatal infant mortality.

However necessary iron is, it is neither benign nor free of problems and side effects. The most common form of supplemental iron, iron sulfate or ferrous fumarate, is about as absorbable as swallowing nails, and frequently causes either diarrhea or (more often) constipation and nausea – not something that is desirable for a mom in the first trimester especially! Iron-containing supplements can also be highly toxic to children.

A more bioavailable form of iron called heme iron is not only better absorbed but also causes far less side effects. One clinical study demonstrated that heme iron increased serum iron levels 23 times better than ferrous fumarate on a milligram-per-milligram basis.

Excessive iron levels, while not common during pregnancy, can be problematic and iron supplementation should be guided by the information obtained with regular, routine lab studies – especially serum ferritin. Thus, it may be wise to use a separate iron supplement instead of a prenatal containing iron as this allows fine-tuning instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all dose of this important nutrient.

Important Supplement Interaction Note: Calcium, taken at the same time or within an hour or two of taking iron can interfere with the absorption of iron – another very good reason to not include iron in a multiple vitamin that contains calcium!

Those are the “Big Three” of supplements almost universally recommended by conventional medicine.

Many conventional doctors are now recognizing the value of Omega 3 fatty acids to both mother and baby-to-be.

Omega 3 fatty acids, in the form of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) each have unique benefits. EPA is important to the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response and DHA supports development of the brain, eyes, and central nervous system.

While many people think that flaxseed and flaxseed oil contain omega-3s. That is true, but flaxseed contains a short chain omega-3, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is different from the longer-chain EPA and DHA. It was once thought that we could convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but current research shows that this conversion rarely occurs and only very inefficiently when it does happen.

Fish oil is the most reliable source of EPA and DHA but because of concerns with contamination of fish by mercury and other pollutants it is important to choose a fish oil supplement that is highly purified and certified free of contaminants. Further, these oils are easily damaged by heat, so low-temperature processing such as molecular distillation is essential to prevent oxidation.

Liquid oils may be preferred by those who dislike swallowing capsules, but can be hard to tolerate due to their taste and many are artificially flavored and colored in an attempt to make them more palatable. Capsules can likewise cause “fishy burps” for some, especially if their digestion is poor. Some premium quality fish oil supplements are supplied in enteric coated capsules which avoid the “fishy burps” problem by passing through the stomach intact before dissolving in the small intestine for absorption.

Other conventional recommendations for inclusion in a prenatal vitamin usually include:

Vitamin A. Most sources recommend between 4000 and 5000 IU per day, and warn about the potential for “large doses” to be teratogenic (causing birth defects). The World Health says that “During pregnancy, a daily supplement should not exceed 10,000 IU.”

All vitamin A is not the same however. Retinyl palmitate which preformed vitamin A is the most common form and comes from animal sources. Beta carotene, a provitamin, is derived from vegetable sources – carrots being a good example. Retinyl palmitate is the form that is acknowledged to be a possible teratogen in very high doses. Beta carotene has never been associated with any teratogenic risk.

Vitamin C is usually included in prenatal vitamins since it is necessary for collagen synthesis which is important to your baby’s normal development of connective tissues. The RDA for pregnant women as stated by the USDA is a comically low 85 mg per day – just about enough to prevent scurvy. Having a low intake of vitamin C may be associated with complications in pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, anemia and having a small baby.

Unlike most other animals, humans do not make vitamin C – we have lost that ability and must obtain it from diet or supplements. It is very important to remember this when reading research that details ill effects caused by high doses of vitamin C given to lab rats. Vitamin C is water soluble and is not retained to any degree in the body – any excess is quickly flushed out in the urine.

In the experience of Dr. Frederick R. Klenner who published his findings in the Journal of Applied Nutrition in 1971, doses of from 4 grams to 15 grams per day of vitamin C given to pregnant women conferred significant benefits to both baby and mother.

In Dr. Kenners words: “Observations made on over 300 consecutive obstetrical cases using supplemental ascorbic acid, by mouth, convinced me that failure to use this agent in sufficient amounts in pregnancy borders on malpractice.”

There are anecdotal reports on the internet and other places of vitamin C being used as an abortificant. This may be related to the lab rat studies mentioned above. The dosages usually quoted for this purpose are in the region of from 6 to 12 grams per day for 5 to 10 days, and most sources are very specific that only pure ascorbic acid may be used because any bioflavonoids will “work to prevent miscarriage.”

Finally, for vitamin C, there is a recent study showing that vitamin C has a protective effect on the lungs of all babies, and especially those born to mothers who smoke:

“Vitamin C is a simple, safe and inexpensive treatment that may decrease the impact of smoking during pregnancy on childhood respiratory health,” said lead author Cynthia McEvoy, associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. “Though the lung function of all babies born to smokers in our study was improved by supplemental vitamin C,” she said, “our preliminary data suggest that vitamin C appeared to help those babies at the greatest risk of harm during their development from their mother’s smoking in pregnancy.”

The B vitamins group includes folate – which is widely recognized as necessary to prevent Neural Tube Defects in baby. This group also includes a number of other related vitamins with a wide variety of positive effects on both mother and baby.

Vitamin B-6 is well-known to be useful in combatting nausea during pregnancy (though the reason for this is not yet known), and vitamin B-12 is strongly linked to neural (brain and nervous system) development in baby. Inadequate B-12 levels may also contribute to pre-term delivery.

Vitamin E is best known for its importance to fertility, but it is also important during pregnancy. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006: “In summary, our results suggest that α-tocopherol is positively associated with fetal growth. It is plausible that circulating concentrations of α-tocopherol could be associated with some increase in fetal growth by greater blood flow and nutrient supply to the fetus.”

Maternal vitamin E deficiency may be associated with pre-eclampsia and pregnancy induced hypertension.

Vitamin K – most commonly known as “clotting factor” – is not normally considered to be essential for baby’s development by conventional medicine. However, developing teeth and bones contain two proteins that need vitamin K to function: matrix gla protein is necessary to keep growing cartilage from calcifying prematurely and bone gla protein is important for tooth mineralisation.

Vitamin K deficiencies can cause severe developmental defects as was demonstrated by an unfortunate baby born to a mother who had been on warfarin therapy during pregnancy. The warfarin drug essentially creates a vitamin K deficient state and the child was born with facial and spinal deformity and calcifications and was quadriplegic by 20 months. Clearly, adequate to generous vitamin K status during pregnancy is critical for normal fetal development. There are 2 natural forms of vitamin K: K1- phytonadione and K2 menaquinone. K1 is converted in the body to K2 and for this reason Dr. Myatt prefers the K2 form for supplementation.

Biotin deficiencies have been linked in rat studies to limb and palate defects – but there has been little research in humans except for studies that show biotin deficiencies are common during pregnancy.

The minerals: Iodine, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper and others.

Conventional medicine thinks little about minerals other than iron in pregnancy, however these trace minerals are all highly important to your growing baby as they participate in many enzyme and transcription factors that are critical to the correct functioning of developing DNA and RNA. With actions closely inter-related, deficiencies in one mineral can also affect the function and availability of other minerals.

Copper deficiencies can result in skin, neuronal and hair abnormalities and possibly to breathing problems such as persistent respiratory distress syndrome and to an increased risk of aortic aneurysm in early life because of reduced elasticity of these structures.

Zinc is essential to hundreds of enzymes and proteins and deficiencies can cause birth defects and post-natal problems for baby. Zinc is vital to immunity and deficiency can result in permanently compromised immunity for baby. Deficiency can also cause complications of labor including premature rupture of membranes and an increased risk of pre-term delivery.

Maternal iodine requirements increase during pregnancy, mostly due to increased thyroid activity. Iodine deficiency can lead to cretinism.

Selenium is essential to the enzyme glutathione peroxidase and to the function of glutathione – a vital antioxidant in our bodies and also important for metabolic and biochemical processes such as DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, and enzyme activation. It is also thought that selenium and iodine work together to prevent cretinism.

What’s important in a prenatal multivitamin?

Cost?
Price can be an important factor in the decision to purchase and take a multivitamin. Bargain prices are attractive, but these may come with suboptimal potency, substandard quality, inappropriate forms of ingredients, poor bio-availability or unwanted contaminants. A half-price vitamin is no bargain if one has to take twice as much of it to achieve the same effect!

Quality?
The world of vitamins, minerals, and supplements is still “the wild west” – largely unregulated, with few consequences for those sellers who put more effort into their sales copy than their quality control. Wild claims and glowing “patient testimonials” are often a tip-off to this sort of seller. A conscientious formulator or seller will also be able to provide a very important document, the Certificate of Analysis or CofA for a product to attest to its purity and potency.

Number of pills per day?
There is no such thing as an optimal dose “one-a-day” vitamin. It is simply not possible to put meaningful doses of vitamins, minerals and nutrients into a single pill or capsule of any reasonable size. Those multivitamins that claim to do so end up having “pixie dust” doses of ingredients in them. Read the product label, and be sure that you are receiving meaningful, optimal doses of nutrients. Experience has shown us that optimal doses cannot be achieved in less than 6 to 9 capsules of a reasonable size. These should be taken divided into three times per day since many vitamins are water-soluble and do not remain in the body for long.

Chewable? Liquid? Tablet? Capsule?
Let’s face it – taking pills is no fun. Even less if they are large. Candy-like chewable or “gummy” formulations have become popular, as have liquid preparations since they are easier to swallow. Unfortunately, many vitamins and most minerals taste terrible, and so it takes a lot of flavoring, sweetening, and coloring to make them palatable. Do you really want to be eating artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, artificial food colorings, and preservatives when you are carrying your new baby-to-? Tablets have a different problem, in that they often don’t dissolve well especially if digestion is weak and almost any nurse can tell stories of seeing vitamin tablets passed out into a bedpan looking virtually unchanged. Capsules tend to dissolve more easily.

One pill with everything in it?
As we have seen, there are good reasons to keep some nutrients separate from others. For example, calcium interferes with the absorption of iron and prenatal formulations that contain both these minerals make little sense. On the other hand, some nutrients are synergistic – calcium should always be accompanied by magnesium and copper should always accompany zinc to avoid deficiencies. A well-designed multiple accounts for these factors, providing maximum benefit with a minimum of separate products.

A good formulation would include plant enzymes to ensure absorption of nutrients since many people have deficient digestion. Also, a formula must be hypoallergenic, ultra-pure and suitable for even highly sensitive individuals. Some potential problems to look for are artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, corn, gluten, casein, soy, yeast, lactose, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and fillers. Some fillers and flow agents may be needed to allow a product to be packed into capsules, but these should be natural, functional, and the minimum possible consistent with good manufacturing practice.

What should a good formulation look like?

Opinions vary wildly. Much of conventional medicine is vitamin-phobic and will recommend that vitamins are best obtained “from a healthy diet.” Others are fond of mega-doses of vitamins or minerals for a variety of usually unproven reasons. The internet is full of theories, advice, conjecture and fantasy from scientists, laypeople and salespeople. Who to believe?

Dr. Myatt has applied over 23 years of clinical experience and a lot of scientific research to the formulation of her Maxi Multi. She believes that it is a perfect multivitamin for pre-conception, pre-natal, and post-natal use. Is it a complete, one product solution? Of course not! As we have seen, there are some nutrients that must be taken separately from a multiple vitamin, like iron and Omega-3 fish oil. These and other nutrients will be needed in different doses at different stages and so should be taken as needed.

With this consideration, her Maxi Multi is the most complete optimal dose multiple vitamin, mineral, and trace nutrient formula available and we always suggest that comparison shoppers use the Maxi Multi ingredient list as a standard that they can compare other formulations to.

Here is the Maxi Multi ingredient list:

Nine (9) Capsules (the recommended daily dose) contain:

Vitamin A (as natural beta-carotene) from D. salina

15,000 IU

Vitamin A (from palmitate)

2500 IU

Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate)

1200 mg

Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol)

800 IU

Vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols)

400 IU

Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone)

150 mcg

Vitamin B-1 (as thiamin hydrochloride)

100 mg

Vitamin B-2 as Riboflavin

60 mg

Niacin (as niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate)

200 mg

Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal-5-phosphate)

100 mg

Folate – 5-methyltetrahydrofolate

800 mcg

Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin)

400 mcg

Biotin

300 mcg

Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate)

400 mg

Calcium (as carbonate, citrate, malate)

1000 mg

Iodine (from kelp)

150 mcg

Magnesium (as mg oxide, aspartate, citrate)

500 mg

Zinc (as zinc monomethionine)

20 mg

Selenium (as l-selenomethionine)

200 mcg

Copper (as copper amino acid chelate)

2 mg

Manganese (as amino acid chelate, gluconate, aspartate)

5 mg

Chromium (as picolinate and polynicotinate )

200 mcg

Molybdenum (as molybdenum amino acid chelate)

150 mcg

Potassium (as aspartate, chloride and succinate)

99 mg

Choline (as choline citrate and bitartrate)

350 mg

Inositol (Inositol, Inositol hexanicotinate)

200 mg

Vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate)

20 mcg

Boron (amino acid chelate)

2 mg

para-aminobenzoic acid

50 mg

Citrus bioflavonoids

100 mg

Lipase (8,000 USP u /g)

27.5 mg

Amylase (1,000,000 FCC u /g)

19 mg

Protease (5,000,000 FCC u /g)

5 mg

Other ingredients:  Gelatin, water (capsule), Arabinogalactan from Western Larch leaf, magnesium stearate and silica.

Dr. Myatt encourages her patients and customers to “comparison shop” to be sure that they are getting exactly what they need, and nothing that they don’t need – and to make sure they are getting the best quality and value for their money. The best way to do that is to compare actualingredients lists – not just advertising claims. The claim “Everything you need in one easy-to-swallow pill” sounds great, but a look at the label shows that claim to be misleading – such a formula is almost certain to be lacking in meaningful doses.

We have compared a few popular pre-natal formulas with Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi for you:

Daily intake of nutrients from recommended daily serving:

Nature’s Way Completia Prenatal:
2 tabs twice daily

Rainbow Light Prenatal:
One tab once daily

Thorne Research Basic Prenatal:
one cap 3 times daily

Vital Nutrients Prenatal: 6 caps daily

Dr. Myatt’s
Maxi Multi Optimal Dose:
3 caps three times daily

Vitamin A (as natural beta-carotene) from D. salina

8000 IU

4000IU

3000 IU

7500 IU
beta carotene, mixed carotenoids, vit. A acetate

15,000 IU

Vitamin A (from palmitate)

2000 IU

2500 IU

Vitamin C

120 mg
calcium ascorbate

100 mg
ascorbic acid

150 mg
ascorbic acid

500 mg

1200 mg
ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate

Vitamin D3

400 IU

400 IU
D2 Ergocalciferol

1000 IU

800 IU

800 IU

Vitamin E

30 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate

30 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate

50 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl

400 IU
as d-alpha tocopheryl

400 IU
as mixed tocopherols

Vitamin K

90 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

65 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

100 mcg
K1:
phytonadione

100 mcg
K1

150 mcg
K2: menaquinone

Vitamin B-1

1700 mcg
thiamin mononitrate

10 mg
thiamin mononitrate

4 mg
thiamin hydrochloride

50 mg

100 mg
thiamin hydrochloride

Vitamin B-2 as Riboflavin

2 mg

10 mg

3.6 mg

10 mg

60 mg

Niacin

20 mg
niacinamide

20 mg
niacinamide

30 mg
niacinamide

50 mg
niacinamide

200 mg
niacinamide and inositol hexanicotinate

Vitamin B6

2.5 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

15 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

10 mg
pyridoxal-5-phosphate

50 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride

100 mg
pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal-5-phosphate

Folate

800 mcg
folic acid

800 mcg
folic acid

1000 mcg:
500 mcg as Calcium Folinate and 500 mcg as 5-mthf

400 mcg
L-5-mthf

800 mcg
L-5-mthf

Vitamin B12

8 mcg
cyanocobalamin

25 mcg
cyanocobalamin

200 mcg:
100 mcg as adenosylcobalamin and 100 mcg as methylcobalamin

200 mcg
methylcobalamin

400 mcg
methylcobalamin

Biotin

300 mcg

300 mcg

50 mcg

300 mcg

300 mcg

Pantothenic acid (as d-calcium pantothenate)

10 mg

15 mg

16 mg

100 mg

400 mg

Calcium (as carbonate, citrate, malate)

720 mg

200 mg

200 mg

400 mg

1000 mg

Iron

45 mg

30 mg

45 mg

30 mg

0

Iodine (from kelp)

150 mcg

150 mcg

150 mcg as Potassium Iodide

225 mcg as Potassium Iodide

150 mcg

Magnesium

300 mg
oxide, citrate

100 mg
oxide

100 mg
citrate, malate

200 mg
malate

500 mg
oxide, aspartate, citrate

Zinc

15 mg
chelate

15 mg
citrate

25 mg
picolinate

25 mg

20 mg
monomethionine

Selenium (as l-selenomethionine)

25 mcg

100 mcg

50 mcg

200 mcg

200 mcg

Copper (as copper amino acid chelate)

2 mg

2 mg

2 mg
picolinate

2 mg
glycinate

2 mg

Manganese

2 mg
chelate

2 mg
citrate

5 mg
picolinate

5 mg
citrate

5 mg
chelate, gluconate, aspartate

Chromium

50 mcg
polynicotinate

120 mcg
nicotinate

100 mcg
picolinate

200 mcg
polynicotinate

200 mcg
picolinate and polynicotinate

Molybdenum (as molybdenum amino acid chelate)

75 mcg

50 mcg
picolinate

50 mcg
citrate

150 mcg

Potassium

50 mg
chelate

10 mg

90 mg
chloride

99 mg
aspartate, chloride and succinate

Choline

4 mg
bitartrate

10 mg

350 mg
choline citrate and bitartrate

Inositol

10 mg

10 mg

200 mg
Inositol, Inositol hexanicotinate

Vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate)

50 mcg

20 mcg

Boron (amino acid chelate)

1 mg

1 mg
picolinate

1 mg

2 mg

para-aminobenzoic acid

2 mg

50 mg

Citrus bioflavonoids

200 mg
raspberry leaf, dandelion root, nettle leaf, peppermint leaf

90 mg
“Gentle Prenatal Blend” Flavonoids

100 mg

DHA

50 mg
from tuna

0

Lipase (8,000 USP u /g)

“Complete Digestive Support“
24 mg, Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase

27.5 mg

Amylase (1,000,000 FCC u /g)

19 mg

Protease (5,000,000 FCC u /g)

5 mg

References and Additional Information:

Fernández-Ballart J.D: Iron Metabolism during Pregnancy. Clinical Drug Investigation, Volume 19, Supplement 1, 2000 , pp. 9-19(11)
On average, about 4.6mg of absorbed iron per day is needed during the second and third trimesters, or about 3.3mg per day more than in the nonpregnant state, to complete a full pregnancy cycle without iron deficit.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/adis/cdi/2000/00000019/a00100s1/art00002

A clinical study demonstrated that HIP increased serum iron levels 23 times greater than ferrous fumarate on a milligram-per-milligram basis.
http://www.proferrin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/HIP.pdf

The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group
Lead is released from the bone through resorption (the recycling of calcium and other minerals including lead from the bone to the bloodstream) during pregnancy, and there is strong evidence that calcium supplements reduce blood lead during this crucial period, in turn reducing lead levels in the newborn child.
and
Unfortunately calcium interferes with the absorption of iron and should not be consumed in significant quantities (more than one glass of milk or 2 slices of cheese) in conjunction with iron rich meals. Calcium can also interfere with phosphorus absorption.
http://www.lead.org.au/lanv10n2/lanv10n2-11.html

Ministry of Health Canada, Prenatal Nutrition Guidelines for Health Professionals – Iron Contributes to a Healthy Pregnancy, 2009
During pregnancy, women need more iron to support the increased maternal red blood cell mass. This supplies the growing fetus and placenta, and supports normal brain development in the fetus. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the fetus builds iron stores for the first six months of life (Fernández-Ballart, 2000).
and,
There are three main inhibitors of non-heme iron absorption in the diet: polyphenols from tea and coffee, phytate in legumes and some vegetables, unrefined rice and grains, and calcium at levels greater than 300 mg (Hallberg and Huthen, 2000).
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/iron-fer-eng.php

Leif Hallberg: Does calcium interfere with iron absorption? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998
The balance of evidence thus clearly indicates that calcium in amounts present in many meals inhibits the absorption of both heme and nonheme iron.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/1/3.full.pdf

Véronique Azaïs-Braesco and Gérard Pascal: Vitamin A in pregnancy: requirements and safety limits. American Society for Clinical Nutrition 2000
The recommendations of the World Health Organization can be summarized as follows:
During pregnancy, a daily supplement should not exceed 10 000 IU (3000 RE) and a weekly supplement should not exceed 25 000 IU (7500 RE).

and
Today, vitamin A supplementation is the most efficient way of correcting vitamin A deficiency. Its only drawback is the potential risk of teratogenesis. Interesting attempts have been made to replace vitamin A with the provitamin β-carotene, which has never been associated with any teratogenic risk.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/5/1325s.full

Linda Houtkooper, Vanessa A. Farrell: Calcium Supplement Guidelines, University of Arizona
Dolomite, Oyster shell, and Bone Meal are naturally occuring calcium carbonate sources which may contain heavy metals, including lead. Minimizing lead intake is important for pregnant and nursing women, and children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set an upper limit for the amount of lead a calcium supplement can contain (7.5 micrograms per 1000 milligrams of calcium).
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1042.pdf

C Carlier et.al. A randomised controlled trial to test equivalence between retinyl palmitate and beta carotene for vitamin A deficiency. BMJ 1993;307:1106
beta carotene is therapeutically equivalent to retinyl palmitate
http://www.bmj.com/content/307/6912/1106

americanpregnancy.org
Omega-3s have been found to be essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby. However, the standard western diet is severely deficient in these critical nutrients. This omega-3 dietary deficiency is compounded by the fact that pregnant women become depleted in omega-3s, when the fetus uses omega-3s for its nervous system development. Omega-3s are also used after birth to make breast milk. With each subsequent pregnancy, mothers are further depleted. Research has confirmed that adding EPA and DHA to the diet of pregnant women has a positive effect on visual and cognitive development of the baby. Studies have also shown that higher consumption of omega-3s may reduce the risk of allergies in infants.
Omega-3 fatty acids have positive effects on the pregnancy itself. Increased intake of EPA and DHA has been shown to prevent pre-term labor and delivery, lower the risk of pre-eclampsia and may increase birth weight. Omega-3 deficiency also increases the mother’s risk for depression. This may explain why postpartum mood disorders may become worse and begin earlier with subsequent pregnancies.

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/omega3fishoil.html

High Doses of Vitamin D May Cut Pregnancy Risks: Study Shows 4,000 IU a Day of Vitamin D May Reduce Preterm Birth and Other Risks. WebMD Health News, May 4, 2010
Women who take high doses of vitamin D during pregnancy have a greatly reduced risk of complications, including gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and infection, new research suggests. Based on the findings, study researchers are recommending that pregnant women take 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day — at least 10 times the amount recommended by various health groups.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100504/high-doses-of-vitamin-d-may-cut-pregnancy-risk

Cleveland Clinic Prenatal Vitamin Recommendations
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2800/2801.asp?index=9754

Javert CT, Stander HJ (1943). “Plasma Vitamin C and Prothrombin Concentration in Pregnancy and in Threatened, Spontaneous, and Habitual Abortion”. Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics 76: 115–122.
However, in a previous study of 79 women with threatened, previous spontaneous, or habitual abortion, Javert and Stander (1943) had 91% success with 33 patients who received vitamin C together with bioflavonoids and vitamin K (only three abortions), whereas all of the 46 patients who did not receive the vitamins aborted.

Frederick R. Klenner, M.D., F.C.C.P. : Observations On the Dose and Administration of Ascorbic Acid When Employed Beyond the Range Of A Vitamin In Human Pathology. Journal of Applied Nutrition Vol. 23, No’s 3 & 4, Winter 1971
Observations made on over 300 consecutive obstetrical cases using supplemental ascorbic acid, by mouth, convinced me that failure to use this agent in sufficient amounts in pregnancy borders on malpractice. The lowest amount of ascorbic acid used was 4 grams and the highest amount 15 grams each day. (Remember the rat-no stress manufactures equivalent “C” up to 4 grams and with stress up to 15.2 grams). Requirements were roughly 4 grams first trimester, 6 grams second trimester and 10 grams third trimester. Approximately 20 percent required 15 grams, each day, during last trimester. Eighty percent of this series received a booster injection of 10 grams, intravenously, on admission to the hospital. Hemoglobin levels were much easier to maintain. Leg cramps were less than three percent and always was associated with “getting out” of Vitamin C tablets. Striae gravidarum was seldom encountered and when it was present there existed an associated problem of too much eating and too little walking. The capacity of the skin to resist the pressure of an expanding uterus will also vary in different individuals. Labor was shorter and less painful. There were no postpartum hemorrhages. The perineum was found to be remarkably elastic and episiotomy was performed electively. Healing was always by first intention and even after 15 and 20 years following the last child the firmness of the perineum is found to be similar to that of a primigravida in those who have continued their daily supplemental vitamin C. No patient required catheterization. No toxic manifestations were demonstrated in this series. There was no cardiac stress even though 22 patients of the series had rheumatic hearts. One patient in particular was carried through two pregnancies without complications. She had been warned by her previous obstetrician that a second pregnancy would terminate with a maternal death. She received no ascorbic acid with her first pregnancy. This lady has been back teaching school for the past 10 years. She still takes 10 grams of ascorbic acid daily. Infants born under massive ascorbic acid therapy were all robust. Not a single case required resuscitation. We experienced no feeding problems. The Fultz quadruplets were in this series. They took milk nourishment on the second day. These babies were started on 50 mg ascorbic acid the first day and, of course, this was increased as time went on. Our only nursery equipment was one hospital bed, an old, used single unit hot plate and an equally old 10 quart kettle. Humidity and ascorbic acid tells this story. They are the only quadruplets that have survived in southeastern United States. Another case of which I am justly proud is one in which we delivered 10 children to one couple. All are healthy and good looking. There were no miscarriages. All are living and well. They are frequently referred to as the vitamin C kids, in fact all of the babies from this series were called “Vitamin C Babies” by the nursing personnel–they were distinctly different.
http://www.doctoryourself.com/klennerpaper.html

HomeSpun – A Women’s Networking Newsletter: Home Abortion Remedy – Vitamin C
I found this recipe in a book called “A Woman’s Book of Choices: Abortion, Menstrual Extraction, RU-486” by Rebecca Chalker and Carol Downer.
The books says to take 6-10 grams of ascorbic acid a day for 5-10 days. It says specifically ascorbic acid. Don’t use vitamin C with bioflaviniods in it, because they work to prevent miscarriage. Read the label and check the ingredients, write down what to look for if you think you won’t remember when you get to the store. Tons of vitamin c products are available, look for the cheap generic brands, they are usually the ones that have pure ascorbic acid. Don’t use anything that has Rose-hips in it, they conntain bio-flaveniods which help to prevent miscarriage.

http://www.sisterzeus.com/Hsp1shlp.htm

American Academy of Pediatrics 4 May 2013
Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers
“Though the lung function of all babies born to smokers in our study was improved by supplemental vitamin C,” she said, “our preliminary data suggest that vitamin C appeared to help those babies at the greatest risk of harm during their development from their mother’s smoking in pregnancy.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/aaop-vcm042613.php
http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS13L1_1165.7

Surén P, et al.: Association between maternal use of folic acid supplements and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children. JAMA. 2013 Feb 13;309(6):570-7. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.155925.
” Use of prenatal folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in the MoBa cohort. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they do support prenatal folic acid supplementation.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23403681

Molloy AM, et.al.: Effects of folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies during pregnancy on fetal, infant, and child development. Food Nutr Bull. 2008 Jun;29(2 Suppl):S101-11; discussion S112-5.
The role of folic acid in prevention of neural tube defects (NTD) is now established, and several studies suggest that this protection may extend to some other birth defects.In terms of maternal health, clinical vitamin B12 deficiency may be a cause of infertility or recurrent spontaneous abortion. Starting pregnancy with an inadequate vitamin B12 status may increase risk of birth defects such as NTD, and may contribute to preterm delivery, although this needs further evaluation. Furthermore, inadequate vitamin B12 status in the mother may lead to frank deficiency in the infant if sufficient fetal stores of vitamin B12 are not laid down during pregnancy or are not available in breastmilk.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18709885

Theresa O Scholl, et.al.: Vitamin E: maternal concentrations are associated with fetal growth. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 December; 84(6): 1442–1448.
In summary, our results suggest that α-tocopherol is positively associated with fetal growth. It is plausible that circulating concentrations of α-tocopherol could be associated with some increase in fetal growth by greater blood flow and nutrient supply to the fetus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876684/

Howe AM, et.al.: Severe cervical dysplasia and nasal cartilage calcification following prenatal warfarin exposure. Am J Med Genet. 1997 Sep 5;71(4):391-6.
It supports the hypothesis that warfarin interferes with the prenatal growth of the cartilaginous nasal septum by inhibiting the normal formation of a vitamin K-dependent protein that prevents calcification of cartilage. The child also had severe abnormalities of the cervical vertebrae and secondary damage to the spinal cord.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9286443

Harry J McArdle and Cheryl J Ashworth: Micronutrients in fetal growth and development
-Developing teeth and bone contain two vitamin K dependent proteins; matrix gla protein, necessary to maintain growing cartilage in a noncalcified state and bone gla protein which is important for tooth mineralisation. -Maternal vitamin E deficiency may, however, be associated with pre-eclampsia and accumulation of lipid peroxidase products in vitamin E deficient mothers causes vasoconstriction and consequent pregnancy induced hypertension
http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/3/499.full.pdf

Nature’s Way Prenatal
http://www.naturesway.com/products/Vitamins/14903-Completia-Prenatal-Multivitamin.aspx

Vital Nutrients Prenatal
http://www.vitalnutrients.net/Products/Product.aspx?ID=123

Thorne Research Prenatal
http://www.thorne.com/products/womens-health/prd~vmp.jsp

Rainbow Light Prenatal
http://www.rainbowlight.com/prenatal-vitamins-prenatal-one-multivitamin.aspx

PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a tragedy because it affects so many young women who desperately want to have babies of their own – and it affects their partners and other family members as well.

What is PCOS?

PCOS is a condition in which a woman’s ovaries and, in some cases the adrenal glands, produce more androgens (a type of hormone) than normal.  High levels of these hormones interfere with the development and release of eggs as part of ovulation.  As a result, fluid-filled sacs or cysts can develop on the ovaries.

Because women with PCOS do not release eggs during ovulation, PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility.

How does PCOS affect fertility?

A woman’s ovaries have follicles, which are tiny, fluid-filled sacs that hold the eggs. When an egg is mature, the follicle breaks open to release the egg so it can travel to the uterus for fertilization.

In women with PCOS, immature follicles bunch together to form large cysts or lumps. The eggs mature within the bunched follicles, but the follicles don’t break open to release them.

Normal and PolyCystic Ovaries

Image courtesy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As a result, women with PCOS often have menstrual irregularities, such as amenorrhea (they don’t get menstrual periods) or oligomenorrhea (they only have periods now and then). Because the eggs are not released, most women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

In addition to infertility, women with PCOS may also have:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Hirsutism, or excess hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, thumbs, or toes
  • Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
  • Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
  • Patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin

Also, women who are obese are more likely to have PCOS.

Although it is hard for women with PCOS to get pregnant, some do get pregnant, naturally or using assistive reproductive technology.  Women with PCOS are at higher risk for miscarriage if they do become pregnant.

Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for associated conditions, such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Metabolic syndrome—sometimes called a precursor to diabetes, this syndrome indicates that the body has trouble regulating its insulin
  • Cardiovascular disease—including heart disease and high blood pressure

What is the treatment for PCOS?

Conventional medicine says here is no cure for PCOS, but holistic doctors like Dr. Myatt believe that many of the symptoms can often be managed, improved greatly, or even eliminated with carefully targeted natural therapies.

It is important to have PCOS diagnosed and treated early to help prevent associated problems.

Conventional medicine will offer medications that may help control the symptoms, such as birth control pills to regulate menstruation, reduce androgen levels, and clear acne. Other medications can reduce cosmetic problems, such as hair growth, and control blood pressure and cholesterol. Many of these medicines have significant, serious, even dangerous side effects.

Naturopathic physicians like Dr. Myatt can offer more natural solutions including metabolic modification diets, hormone testing and balancing, strategies for the reduction of inflammatory factors, and more.

Lifestyle changes such as corrective diet and regular exercise will aid weight loss and help reduce blood sugar levels and regulate insulin levels more effectively.  Weight loss can help lessen many of the health conditions associated with PCOS and can make symptoms be less severe or even disappear.

Surgical treatment may also be offered as an option, but it is not recommended as the first course of treatment.

Recent research has also examined the effects of the anti-diabetes drug metformin on fertility in women with PCOS. Dr. Myatt can help her patients to understand the mechanisms of this option.

Extensive recent human research also shows that myo-Inositol, a part of the B-complex family, helps to support healthy ovulatory activity, ovarian function, and reproductive system function

How is PCOS diagnosed?

Your health care provider will take a medical history and do a pelvic exam to feel for cysts on your ovaries.  He or she may also do a vaginal ultrasound and recommend blood tests to measure hormone levels.

When examining hormone levels, remember that your conventional doctor will almost always order a blood test. (and it is likely that a blood test is the only hormone test your disease insurance will pay for) This blood test, while technically accurate, is only a “snapshot” – an accurate picture of your hormone levels only at the moment the test was performed.

Sex hormones are made and secreted in “waves” over a 24 hour period and a blood test cannot show the averages of those waves or highs and lows.

A more accurate test is an examination of saliva – this will provide a look at hormone levels over the past few hours. It still runs the risk of catching a “peak” or “trough” of a hormone level and thus providing an erroneous result. Dr. Myatt finds this to be a useful test when performed and interpreted correctly and offers it as an economical alternative to more expensive (and more accurate) 24 hour urine testing – find more information here.

The “Gold Standard” of hormone testing is considered to be the 24 hour urine collection. While it may be a bit time-consuming and awkward for someone who is busy and “on-the-go” it will provide the most accurate possible look at overall hormone health as it will show your body’s hormone production over a full 24 hour period.

Dr. Myatt finds that the 24 hour  COMPREHENSIVE PLUS HORMONE PROFILE is the most accurate and useful of the hormone tests when performed and interpreted correctly. Interpretation of the results of this test, which includes and examination not only of the major sex hormones but of their intermediates and metabolites as well, is time consuming and complicated – this may be one reason most conventional doctors are reluctant to perform it. Dr. Myatt spends a great deal of time analysing the results of this test for her patients and she offers Brief Phone Consultations to non-patients.

Other tests may include measuring levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides. Vitamin D levels, and Iodine levels.

Iodine Testing is especially important to PCOS since so many Americans are Iodine deficient and Iodine Deficiency is a major contributor to cystic conditions of all sorts – especially the breasts, ovaries, and thyroid.  Learn more about Iodine testing here – Dr. Myatt offers two accurate Iodine tests.

Fertility Knowledge Center – Naturally


Fertility-Relarted Medical Conditions

PCOS / PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome

Cytokines: A Simplified Look At Messenger Molecules

Nutrition and Diet

The Mediterranean Diet – Is It All It Claims To Be?

Vegetarian And Fertile – Is It Possible?

Gluten and Casein – The Modern Poisons In Your Diet

Fertility Supplements Questions and Answers



Using Flavones to Lower IL-6: Which is better – Luteolin / Diosmin or Maxi Flavone?

Milk Thistle – is it safe?

Green Tea – Causes Inflammation?

“#Myo”>Myo-inositol in the Treatment of PCOS and Non-PCOS Infertility


What’s So Special About Maxi Greens?

PreNatal Supplements – Questions and Answers

PreNatal Vitamins: A Review and Discussion

MENOPAUSE…. “The Climacteric”


SEX HORMONES: What they are, what they do

Ever stop to wonder what makes a man look “male” and a woman look “female”? (Gender-neutral hairdos and clothing not withstanding!) The answer: sex hormones.

Sex hormones are chemical messengers made and released by the gonads (ovaries in women, testicles in men), and adrenal glands in both sexes.

In both sexes, these hormones are responsible for maintaining fertility. They also give men and women characteristic features of their sex. For example: estrogens cause breasts to develop, while testosterone causes muscles to accumulate more protein.

Sex hormones have other roles in the body, many of which have only recently been discovered. The sex hormones play a role in bone growth and strength. In females, a decline in hormone levels is sometimes associated with an increase in cardiovascular disease. Scientists believe that there are other unknown functions of the sex hormones.

Surprisingly, men and women have the same sex hormones. (Women have testosterone, men have estrogen). It is the relative amounts of these hormones that make a difference in physical characteristics. And while we used to believe that the role of “opposite sex” hormones was minimal, modern medicine has begun to recognize the importance of all hormones to both sexes.

Facts & Myths about “The Climacteric”

Myth: only women go through menopause (a decrease in production of sex hormones).

Fact: Both men and women have decreased hormone outputs with advancing age, but the decrease is not as rapid in men as it is in women. Men may have hot flashes, psychogenic changes, bone mineral loss and other symptoms identical to the female menopause.

Myth: If sex hormones are taken after the climacteric, they will help maintain youthfulness.

Fact: Science doesn’t know. Children are youthful before their sex hormones develop. Once the sex hormones come into play, they mature —- in other words — age.

And there’s much we don’t know about the long-term negative consequences of hormone-replacement therapy.

For example: the total number of years that a female breast is exposed to estrogens, especially the more potent estradiol, is directly related to an increased risk of breast cancer. The more estradiol, the greater the risk.

In males, higher levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone derived from testosterone, is associated with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and possibly prostate cancer. Increased levels of estrogens in males also appear to play a role in the development of BPH.

Myth: Conventional hormone replacement is safe and effective for women and men who need hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Fact: Conventional HRT uses a “one size fits all” approach to hormone replacement and often employs high doses of semi-synthetic hormones. (Which are different from the hormones the human body produces).

A presumably safer and more effective approach to hormone replacement therapy is used by holistic physicians. This involves testing the patient’s personal hormone levels and prescribing pharmaceutical or herbal hormones that are custom-tailored to the individual.

Few holistic physicians, whether N.M.D., M.D., or D.O., believe that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is desirable. Most are doing individual testing and custom prescribing, myself included.

The Climacteric is not always a simple hormone decrease

Most people assume that “menopause” (whether in men or women) is caused by a simple decrease in hormone levels. While this is often the case, there are many other changes that cause the “climacteric.”

Changes in liver function cause a shift in the relative amounts of various hormones. That is because the liver processes most sex hormones. I have found many menopausal-aged people, both men and women, who still had normal or even high levels of the circulating sex hormones. Additional mammalian hormones in this instance are inadvisable, because they can create an excess of hormones with the attendant problems.

Safety and Effectiveness of Herbal “Hormones”

Let’s be very clear on this: herbs do not contain significant amounts of human hormones. What many herbs DO have are chemicals that are structurally similar to human hormones — similar enough to bind to human hormone receptors and have an effect on hormone levels. These plant substances are called phytohormones, meaning “plant hormones.”

Phytohormones have a unique effect that prescription hormones (mammalian hormones) do not, in that they are amphoteric. This means that plant hormones can act to balance hormone levels regardless of the direction of imbalance. It’s really an eloquent process.

Plant hormones are much weaker than human hormones, but they will bind to human hormone receptors. In the climacteric, when hormone levels are low, there are “empty” hormone receptors. Plant phytohormones will bind here, and although their effect is weaker (about one-fifth that of human hormones) it is a hormone effect.

Without a laboratory test, it is difficult to know exactly which hormones are out of balance and by how much. But there are still good self help measures that you can take.

First, remember that overall good health is critical to the body’s production of hormones. Inadequate nutrients from diet is a major factor in hormone imbalance. Excesses of certain foodstuffs, especially alcohol, refined carbohydrates (sugars), and fats, can all change hormone levels for the worst.

Faulty liver function, as evidenced by high cholesterol levels, contributes to inadequate transformation of hormones. Improving liver function is a key step in normalizing hormones and the body’s response to hormones. (It is possible to have adequate hormone levels and still have symptoms of deficiency or excess if the liver is not working properly).

Normal weight is crucial to hormone balance. Fat cells manufacture estrogen. This can lead to an excess in both men and women. Ever see a man with a “beer belly” and breast-buds? (Female-like development of breasts)? This is caused by an estrogen excess made by the fat cells. Maintaining normal weight is important for balanced hormones.

When taking hormones without a doctor’s assistance, be sure to take an herb formula that is balancing. (See the following recommendations). It is HIGHLY INADVISABLE to take actual hormone supplements, even if they are sold without a prescription, without the advice and laboratory testing that a doctor can offer. Such “hormones,” available without prescription, include DHEA and progesterone. (Many health food store brands of progesterone creams do not contain the hormone, and the body cannot convert wild yam (dioscorea) into progesterone, no matter how much the lady at the health food store argues otherwise!)

Also remember that other non-sex-hormone factors can create imbalances in the sex hormones. An excess or deficiency of thyroid hormone will change sex hormone levels, and no amount of sex hormone replacement will correct the problem until the thyroid function has been compensated for.

Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations

  • Diet: eat a nutritious diet high in nutrient-rich foods. Increase consumption of soy products (both sexes) if tolerated.
  • Achieve and maintain a normal weight
  • Exercise regularly. 30 minutes, 3 times per week minimum.
  • Don’t smoke! The climacteric occurs sooner in people who smoke

Primary Support for Women

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of vitamin E, C, B6, B12, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, boron, and vanadium are particularly important for peri or post-menopausal women.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids:
    Flax seed meal, 2 teaspoons per day with food
    OR
    Flax seed capsules
    : 2-4 caps, 3 times per day (target dose range: 6-12 caps per day)
    OR
    Flax seed oil
    : 1 tablespoon per day
    OR
    Max EPA
    (Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals (target dose: 3-6 caps per day).

Primary Support for Men

  • Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of vitamin E, C, B6, B12, folic acid, magnesium, selenium, zinc and bioflavonoids are particularly important for “menopausal” (40+ years) men.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids:
    Flax seed meal, 2 teaspoons per day with food
    OR
    Flax seed capsules
    : 2-4 caps, 3 times per day (target dose range: 6-12 caps per day)
    OR
    Flax seed oil
    : 1 tablespoon per day
    OR
    Max EPA
    (Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals (target dose: 3-6 caps per day).
  • Super Saw Palmetto: 1 cap, 2 times per day. May be increased to 3 times per day if symptoms of BPH are present.

Additional Support

See Female Menopause or Male Menopause for additional recommendations.

Dr. Myatt’s Comment

A hormone profile is the first step toward making a good prescription for individualized, natural hormone replacement therapy. Hormone tests can take the guesswork out of this process and make correction surer and safer. If you do not see noticeable improvement in six to eight weeks with self-help measures, consider a telephone consultation with me. You will feel better and delay the aging process by maintaining a youthful hormone profile.

 

HealthBeat News

Are Your Supplements Safe? What You Should Know

So, why all the fuss? Why are our Senators getting involved? Are supplements really safe after all? How can you be sure that the supplements you are taking are safe and of good quality? “The dietary supplement market is the wild west” says California Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman. He’s right – Dr. Myatt has known this for a decade, and she has worked tirelessly to bring you the very best products through The Wellness Club.

Dietary and herbal supplements have been used safely for thousands of years. But make no mistake, they are as potent as any drug, and must be used with care. Some can have adverse interactions with medications or other herbs, some can cause adverse effects in the presence of certain medical conditions. Some concoctions can be downright dangerous.

Many supplements may not be all that they claim to be. The popular supplement Glucosamine Sulfate, used to stimulate joint repair and to relieve pain is a perfect example. It is a combination of Glucosamine which stimulates the production of glycosaminoglycans (GAG’s) which are the main structural material of our joints, and elemental Sulfate which is a carrier molecule for Glucosamine and which stimulates the production of joint substances (GAG’s) in it’s own right. When it is bound to Glucosamine, Sulfate acts to carry the Glucosamine molecule into the joint and it helps to activate joint substance production. But here is the rub. There is only one manufacturer that produces Glucosamine Sulfate that is molecularly bound together. This is so important that they have a patent on it. Other manufacturers throw glucosamine and sulfate together in the same capsule and tout it’s benefits based on the research done on molecularly bound Glucosamine Sulfate but it just isn’t the same. Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club is one of the very few places where you can get the “good stuff” – the molecularly bound product. There are lots of other scams like this out there – poor quality or ineffective supplements, often sold at big prices. Other supplement concoctions claim to have amazing effects (like growing certain body parts “larger” or ending menopause symptoms) but contain only trace amounts of effective active ingredients – “fairy dust” we call them.

How do you protect yourself?

First, Be sure they are safe for you. Don’t take supplements based solely on advertising claims you see in magazines, tabloids, the internet, TV, or elsewhere. Don’t believe that what is good for your friend must be good for you too. A few minutes spent talking with a naturopathic doctor (not the clerk or salesperson in the health food store!) could save you a lot of grief. Secondly, be sure you are buying quality supplements. Don’t take the word of the clerk or salesperson – do the research, or let your holistic medical practitioner do it for you. If it looks like too good a deal, it probably is. When was quality ever cheap? Those supplements on sale for such a low price at your local superstore may have been sloppily manufactured, improperly shipped or stored (most supplements must be kept in carefully temperature controlled conditions), may contain impurities, or may just be old stock. There is usually a good reason for a really low price. Why risk it? Finally, if you have a medical condition or are taking any medications, you really must be in a good cooperative relationship with both your regular doctor and with your holistic health provider and / or Naturopathic Doctor. Only that way can you protect yourself from shoddy or unneeded products and potentially harmful side effects or interactions.


Hot Flashes:

Miracle beverage lowers cholesterol, blocks cancer, fights heart disease, and more!

A nice cup of Oriental Green Tea can be a delicious, relaxing, soothing break in your day. But more than that, recent research is pointing out other benefits as well. A recent article in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that enriched green tea extract may be effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Subjects in a treatment study group showed decreases of 6.7% in total cholesterol and 9.6% in LDL-C after only 4 weeks of supplementation, and reductions of 11.3% and 16.4% after 12 weeks! Another study, done at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and reported in the journal Carcinogenesis showed that green tea may be useful in the prevention of intestinal (colon) cancer in humans. Yet other studies show it useful in the prevention of heart disease, and there are studies suggesting it may be a potent antiviral, effective in combating HIV. It is further thought to have antimicrobial powers. What is so special about green tea? It is a rich source of catechins – flavinoid phytochemical compounds and polyphenols. Both are potent antioxidants, helping to prevent the damaging effects of free radicals.

Nurse Mark’s comment: Both Dr. Dana and I make green tea a part of our day. Traditional flavors are fine, and newer flavors such as fruit or spice offer a nice change. It is a great pick-me-up, and green tea is thought to have thermogenic properties, helping us to burn fat. There really is no down side, unless you just don’t like the taste of it, in which case you can obtain the benefits of green tea in capsule form as green tea extract capsules from the Wellness Club. Either way, you really owe it to yourself to make this simple, relaxing, and delicious addition to your daily wellness protocol.