Nutritional Supplements

SOME THOUGHTS ON NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS  

There is some debate about whether normal healthy people need supplements to enhance their health in their every day life. Maybe if you eat 5 huge portions of vegetables and four portions of fruit (or more)  and live in a rich neighborhood with a great food store you can do without supplements. But I do not think so. In my mind, there is no doubt that you need supplements when you are dieting. You need Aspirin 81 mg. per day if you are 39 years old or older and can take aspirin. You need Folic Acid 400 units a day along with Vitamin B6 about 10-25 mg a day and Vitamin B12 about 1000 mcg daily. You also need Vitamin C 100-2000 mg and Vitamin E 400 units a day. There are a lot of other nutrients that you need to improve your mental and physical functioning.

THE MULTIVITAMINS 

Heritage Complete is a high potency-supplement with over 40 bioavailable vitamins, chelated minerals and herbs in a base of Coenzyme Q10.  Coenzyme Q10 is an interesting nutrient, and antioxidant, that was originally noted to prevent periodontal disease. Some consideration has been recently been given to the role of infections in the development of plaques in the coronary arteries. Perhaps CoQ10 works by reducing the number of oral infections that contribute to coronary artery disease. Perhaps it is just a sensational antidepressant. I add an extra 500 mg of CoQ10 to my nutritional regime. This dose form comes dry from Pure Encapsulations in Massachusetts.   

THE CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT 

Fem Osteo HRT is the idea calcium supplement, and is used by women who need 1000mg to 1500 mg. calcium a day for prevention of osteoporosis. It is made by Metagenics and also has a complete supply of vitamins and nutrients for women taking this product. You need Magnesium, Manganese, silica, Boron, Potassium 400 U of Vitamin D3 and phosphates to complete the group of nutrients required for absorption and metabolism of Calcium. Ipriflavones from soy are needed to process calcium into bone. We use various soy products to give 16 milligrams of isoflavones a day for women patients. We use soy shakes (UltraMeal fom Metagenics) and soy capsules when needed. The addition of black cohosh root with large doses of Magnesium (800 mg a day) is often all that is needed to get through the change of life hot flashes and avoid estrogen progesterone hormone replacement therapy. 

OsteoGuard also has MCHC or microcrytalline hydroxyapatite as a form of calcium that can be readily absorbed. It easily provides a daily dose of 1000 or 15000mg of calcium. 

Lately we have been using “Viactiv” a calcium product from Mead Johnson. It is a chewy chocolate and provides 500 mg of Calcium along with vitamin D3 and Vitamin K. Patients love it. It goes down real well at 3:30 in the afternoon when there is a craving for a sweet. We are using it with many patients and they are happy and satisfied to get a therapeutic chocolate fix. It tastes good, 

BRAIN NUTRITION 

Many of my patients are concerned about their memory and their ability to learn. They are usually brilliant people with important jobs and they want to keep their edge on the younger people crowding into their work spaces. I like them to take Pregnenolone 30mg. a day,  L-Glutathione 100MG a day, alpha lipoic acid 100MG  2/day along with   Phosphatidyl Serine,  Phosphatidyl Choline,  COENZYME Q10 120MG. and Trocotienols and vinpocitene. Now that is quite a package and choline and inositol are often added to that mix. This is for people who are very brilliant and want to improve and stay that way. Deprenyl 5 mg. three times a week is added for alertness and energy and anti-aging properties. This work is only done in my office under strict dietary supervision. 

Heritage E-Lite can increase your arousal level and make you more able to attend to relevant stimuli. It has to be used carefully when your primary goal is to increase your intelligence with supplements. 

MOOD FOOD ™ 

You need omega-3 oils to prevent sudden death from a heart attack. There is an overemphasis on cholesterol and triglycerides and a lack of emphasis on blood viscosity (density). You need a doctor who is conversant with DHEA, chronic inflammatory disease, and the use of circumin and relatives of Tumeric.   Recent studies in the archives of General Psychiatry show that omega threes given in a fairly large dose, decrease the wildness of manic patients, who have uncontrolled anger, grandiosity, expansiveness, sexuality and money spending. It is effective treatment for rapid cycling manics who are the most difficult patients to treat. Manic people are hyperactive and hostile and loud and out of control and may be calmed down by Omega 3 oils. 

SAMe (pronounced sammy, or sam E) is a nutritional product that is derived from the amino acid methionine. It is a natural body chemical and present in food. The most sensational stories about it’s effect as an antidepressant have been revealed over the last year. I mean it is interesting stuff. It lifts the blues, makes you feel energetic and decreases that negative angry attitude. It is available in $30 for 20, 200mg capsules bottle and chases the blues away. 

EXERCISE 

What about exercising? I suggest a daily regime of fast walking two to three miles. However, that's not for everyone. Many exercises tend to distract and defocus from weight loss. In my experience, a 260 pound woman has a lot of trouble just getting around and does not need the added aggravation of exercise. A lot of feelings get hurt when a doctor says, "Just shut your mouth and exercise more.”  Many of my patients exercise a lot and it does not help them lose weight. It can become a way to defocus from the need to monitor calories more carefully.  Exercise can be a stress and my patients overeat when they are stressed. Despite all the pompous phrases uttered in favor of exercise, and the likelihood that it is good for keeping weight off, I do not think it is great for losing weight in obese people. Mild exercise may increase your intelligence. So does reading four books and fifteen magazines a week. 

TEA 

Drink one cup a day of green tea and one cup a day of black tea. Every day. Relax and enjoy and help your head and your heart and maybe your overall resistance to cancer.   

Copyright 1999 Monte J. Meldman M.D. 400 Lake Cook Rd. Deerfield, IL. 60015 

All Rights Reserved.

So call us at 1-847-236-9999 and make an appointment today. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.