Supplements, antioxidants, lowering inflammation, & good health....

Today's post: Tuesday, 3-10-2009

There have been some negative reports recently about antioxidant vitamins not preventing cancer in large studies.

I already suspected that was because the supplements tested were the man made versions and not the natural versions; too little may have been used; and where the natural vitamin was part of a group of related compounds in the foods where it’s found only the best known or cheapest one of those compounds was tested without the others or the foods that contain them.

Also, we now know that lowering inflammation and reducing the oxidation of LDL in the blood helps prevent heart attacks, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Plus we know that gout caused by physically sharp particles of excess uric acid in the blood causes inflammation.

Today I got some very clear and useful info on all these issues.

It seems you CAN use antioxidant supplements to avoid these problems or turn them way down in ways that improve &/or protect your health.

First, many health experts have long recommended that people take over 1,000 mg a day of vitamin C for general health and to help protect their hearts and cardiovascular systems.

Other health experts have said that more than 250 mg a day of vitamin C was a waste of money.

Those experts turn out to be wrong!

Late yesterday, Reuters online health news broke the story that taking 1500 mg a day of vitamin C dramatically reduced the incidence of gout. (I just saw it this morning.)

“Men with a higher intake of vitamin C from food or supplements have a lower risk of developing gout, a form of arthritis from uric acid build-up that causes inflamed joints, researchers said on Monday.”

“Gout can lead to permanent joint damage…. and is increasingly common and afflicts 3 million people in the United States.”

“Among the men studied those with daily intake of 1,500 supplemental mg a day had a 45 percent lower risk of gout than those who took in less than 250 mg a day, said the team headed by Choi, who is now at Boston University.”

(Their article also notes info suggesting that if you limit your alcohol to one or two drinks a day; limit eating fatty meats and cheeses by eating lean meat and cheese a bit less often instead and eating wild caught fish, lean poultry, and beans, nuts, and lentils for protein instead of meat and cheese many days; and you lose weight if you get fat in part by exercising and eliminating refined grain foods and sharply reducing sweets and eating more vegetables that also tends to prevent gout as well. They state that heavy drinking, heavy consumption of fatty meats and cheese; & being fat all tend to be causes of gout. Those things tend to cause high blood pressure as well which is also associated with gout.)

Our recommendation is to do those things AND take a total of 1,000 to 1500 mg a day of vitamin C. You and your heart will be healthier plus it looks as if your chances of getting gout will drop dramatically.

Then today, the Total Health Breakthroughs email had two related stories.

Here they are.:

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

Inflammation -- Cut It Off at the Pass

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Internal inflammation is now known to be an underlying factor in almost all chronic disease, for example heart disease. Control it and you should be able to drastically reduce your risk for not just one but several diseases.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a term used to describe internal inflammation and the free radicals produced as a result. Free radicals are neutralized by antioxidants. Thousands of articles over the last few years have carried the message loud and clear to consumers, "Make sure you are taking in enough antioxidants to help counteract internal inflammation."

Yet some recent studies that have looked at the disease preventive effects of taking antioxidants have had dismal outcomes. So people are getting mixed messages and are wondering, "Does taking in additional antioxidants do any good?"

There are two issues playing out here. One is that in these recent studies, the types of antioxidants used were very dated, and the dosages were low. A study just reported in the November 2008 JAMA gave some participants 400 IU of synthetic alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and 500 mg of a synthetic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to see if it lowered cancer or heart disease risk compared to those who didn't take the supplements. It didn't lower any risks.

Unfortunately, this study was started in 1997, just before a 1998 study found that natural vitamin E was much better absorbed than synthetic forms.1 And further study has found that mixed tocopherols are even better at protecting us against free radical damage than just alpha-tocopherol alone.

Synthetic ascorbic acid is absorbed about the same as vitamin C contained in foods, so absorption may not be the reason no benefits were seen, but dosage may be. One study found that those who took in 700 mg or more of vitamin C per day had a 25% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease.2

So, the form of nutrients given and the dosages given MUST be considered to draw an accurate conclusion. From this study, we can conclude that when people were given low dosages of two synthetic vitamins, it was not enough to lower their disease risks.

That should not be surprising to anyone, because of the other big issue at play here, which is this -- the sheer quantity of free radicals we are dealing with is astronomical. If you don't do anything to reduce your oxidative stress or internal inflammation to begin with, it may not be realistic to expect a few antioxidant supplements to protect you.

The answer to inflammation and free radicals isn't simply to take in as many antioxidants as we can. A much wiser approach is to look at the causes of rampant free radical production and do all we can to address them. Here are some of the factors that raise inflammation, free radicals and oxidative stress:

Metabolic imbalances. For example, low thyroid function raises oxidative stress. A disease itself can cause oxidative stress -- for example, hypertension was found to be both a cause and effect of OS.3

Belly fat is a huge source of inflammation; it puts out inflammatory compounds like IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

Diet. Too many sugars and trans fats steer our prostaglandin pathways toward inflammation. In addition, sugars consumed in excess can "glycate" our tissues. Glycation occurs when a sugar molecule attaches to a protein molecule and causes biochemical damage. Glycated tissues cannot function properly and are a source of free radicals. Overheated oils contain free radicals that can increase oxidative stress in our body. If you combine these dietary factors with low antioxidant intake from fruits, vegetables and beans, you have a diet that promotes oxidative stress.

Chronic sleep deprivation. Research has shown that lack of sleep causes higher than normal blood glucose levels4,5 which again takes us back to glycation. Then you get a double whammy since sleep deprivation lowers production of melatonin, a potent antioxidant.6
Chronic stress can affect all these areas because it increases belly fat7 and disrupts sleep.8 Increased stress hormones can also disrupt thyroid hormone conversion, causing even more inflammation.
Pollution is another cause of increased free radicals in our body. Heavy metals like mercury and lead cause very high free radical production, which is one of the reasons they cause disease. Lead is associated strongly with heart disease, for example.

How high would our antioxidant intake have to be to counter all this? From my experience, it is pretty high. While antioxidants in foods hold great promise for reducing disease risks (see Laura's article), it only makes sense that we should reduce the free radical production where possible, as well.

Change the diet, manage chronic stress, and by all means be proactive in preventing or reversing metabolic imbalances like low thyroid or insulin resistance using supplements as the needs indicate. For instance, alpha-lipoic-acid (ALA), a potent antioxidant, has been shown to decrease blood pressure and increase insulin sensitivity.9

Don't be discouraged by the headlines on these studies saying that antioxidants don't work. You can address oxidative stress, but the best approach is to find a health practitioner that can help you measure your level of oxidative stress, look at all the factors contributing it, and develop a comprehensive program to address it.

References

1. Burton G, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;67:669-84.

2. Knekt P, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80(6):1508-1520.

3. Hypertension. 2006;48; 828-829.

4. Lancet. 1999;354:1435-39.

5. Journal of Clinical Endocrine Metabolism. 2004;89(11):5762-71.

6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12220332.

7. Epel E, et al. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2000(62):623-32.

8. Buckley TM and Schatzberg AF. J Clin Endocrin Metab. 2005.

9. Hypertension. 2002;39:303-307

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of The Metabolic Code Diet: Unleashing the Power of Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss and Vitality and the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription…..]”

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

“#Nutrients & Health:

Antioxidants - Can You Get Too Many?

By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

As a result of an increased awareness of the damaging effects of free radicals, everywhere you turn someone has a high antioxidant supplement they want you to buy. They range from supplements containing vitamins C and E and the trace mineral selenium (give or take a few nutrients) to supercharged juices made from exotic berries, like acai berries. The prices are anywhere from about $10.00 all the way up to $70.00 for a bottle of juice; or $2.00 for one small square of acai-added chocolate.

One of the features used to market these products is their high ORAC value, and the manufacturers are now trying to outdo one another by getting higher and higher on their ORAC values. So what is ORAC and are these products really worth the high prices?

ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity.1 Researchers at the National Institute of Aging developed ORAC testing as a way to measure the level of antioxidant protection capacity of a product or food. If a product has a high ORAC value, it has the ability to neutralize many free radicals.

Diets that are plentiful in high ORAC foods are associated with decreased disease risks,2 and more recent studies are trying to clarify which compounds are responsible for those benefits. For example a study of several high antioxidant legumes (black bean, kidney beans, lentils and more) found that these foods have the potential for preventing the development of atherosclerosis (plaque formation) by inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation. The study found that the foods' phenolic compounds seemed to be most responsible for that effect, and that the foods' ORAC values correlated well with those effects.3

When most people think about antioxidant protection they tend to think about the well-marketed super fruits such as gogi berries (from China) and acai berries (from Brazil). Freeze-dried acai berry is indeed very high in antioxidants with an ORAC value of 161,400 units. Gogi berries have an ORAC score of 25,300, but there are many common foods that also have high ORAC scores that can be found at your supermarket right now.
Spices, for example. The ORAC value of ground cloves is very impressive at 314,416 units. Cinnamon and oregano are also right up there on the list of high ORAC foods. Unsweetened dry cocoa powder weighs in at 80,933 units. Pecans have a score of 17,940, and English walnuts which are known for their healthy omega-3 fats, have an ORAC value of 13,541. Kidney and black beans both have ORAC scores greater than 8,000.

A good website to visit for easy ORAC searches is http://oracvalues.com/sort/orac-value/. The values reported are for 100 grams of the food.

As Jim described, we find that the best way to lower oxidative stress is to address all the factors causing the increased oxidative stress to begin with, but for the dietary component we follow at LMI, we don't send patients out with acai drinks or pills. These products can be quite expensive and they only address one thing -- ORAC value. And believe it or not, we are still learning about all the effects of an excessively high intake of antioxidants, even those from substances like plant flavonoids. Some studies are showing they may have negative effects, like inhibiting key enzymes in the body.4

Researchers will continue to try to identify if there is a level of antioxidant intake that is too high. In the meantime, many people eat diets that are almost devoid of antioxidants, and in this polluted world, that is not good. So, I want to emphasize that the preponderance of the evidence does show dietary antioxidants are beneficial to our health, and even the researchers who are concerned, say that antioxidants are safe and beneficial even at amounts that would be consumed from a typical vegetarian diet, which is much higher than a typical low fruit and vegetable intake diet.

We try to put our patients' dollars to better use by choosing supplements for them that address their specific health needs. We find that a low carbohydrate, organic foods diet that includes plenty of high antioxidant foods like spices, beans, nuts, plentiful vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruit or berries each day can go a long way to reducing oxidative stress -- without the expensive super-high ORAC supplements that still need more research.

References

1. What Is ORAC? Found online at: http://www.oracwatch.org/what_orac.php.
2. Leighton F, et al. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 25:133-141
3. Xu BJ, et al. Journal of Food Science.
Found online at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118510071/abstract.
4. Skibola CF, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 200 Aug; 29(3-4):375-83.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute. Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet - containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body's chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace…..]"

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Regular exercise, particularly progressive strength training and interval cardio, in people who get enough antioxidant supplements and foods also lowers excess inflammation and CRP readings.

So does daily tooth and gum brushing plus daily flossing plus regular dental check ups and teeth cleaning as these prevent the inflammation from gum disease by preventing gum disease itself.

Also, eliminating refined grain foods and eating far fewer sweet foods and eliminating soft drinks plus eliminating any hydrogenated oils and all added omega 6 oils in favor of vegetables, beans, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts if you aren’t allergic plus taking purified fish oil and eating wild caught fish high in omega 3 oils all help to reduce excess inflammation and CRP readings.

Lastly, a quick note, 200 mg a day of alpha lipoic acid is a decent preventive amount that will also help in addition to the standard vitamin A, mixed carotenoids from vegetables high in them, vitamin C as noted above, 200 iu daily of natural vitamin E with the other 3 tocopherols also included (Solgar makes that exact supplement.), and 200 mcg a day of selenium all are antioxidant vitamins.

If you take those and eat the real foods and use the spices Laura LaValle notes, your antioxidant intake will be high and, if you also stop eating the bad stuff and exercise, your inflammation will be low; your chances of disease will be very low; and your health will tend to stay good.