From The September 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Back Talk

If You Had To Recommend Just One Supplement Product To Customers Or Colleagues, What Would It Be And Why?

Stephanie Gailing, C.N.

Dietary supplements have become an integral part of the American health care regimen. Yet, for many people, as the number and types of products have increased, so has the confusion regarding such supplements. Whether it is to simplify their health care protocols or simply to have increased confidence in their choices, many consumers want to identify which products should be at the core of their health maintenance efforts. We posed this question to a host of health care and industry experts to see what they felt were the most promising and important supplement products available.

"If there was only one nutrient that I could recommend, it would probably be magnesium. The average American consumes less than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium, and requirements appear to be increased by various physical, mental and environmental stresses—including noise, to which many of us are exposed repeatedly. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia and muscle spasms. Magnesium has been used successfully to treat a wide range of medical problems, including heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, migraines, cardiac arrhythmias and some types of urinary incontinence. Magnesium has also been shown to increase bone density in postmenopausal women. Rarely does a patient leave my office without receiving a recommendation to increase his or her magnesium intake."

Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
Professor of Therapeutic Nutrition
Bastyr University
Kenmore, Wash.

"I think one of the more valuable supplements on the market is the fungus Cordyceps sinensis. Its origins are in Tibet, and the medicine has long been prized as one of the most valuable agents in the Chinese materia medica, traditionally used for coughs, lung disorders and stamina.

"When buying C. sinensis, people should either look for the CS-4 strain or the wild variety because they have been the most thoroughly tested.

"Studies show C. sinensis helps to improve lipid metabolism, has a slight blood thinning effect, has hepato- and nephroprotective activity, and helps to support immune function."

Jim LaValle, R.Ph, C.C.N.
Chief Clinical Officer
IntraMedicine Inc.
Cincinnati, Ohio

"My answer would be acidophilus. The reason is that a lot of people have compromised intestinal flora, which can cause complications such as stomach ulcers and stomach pains. Additionally, imbalanced flora may be associated with symptoms unrelated to the gut but involving the immune system, such as sinus and ear infections. I believe that taking acidophilus will help to strengthen the gut and, in a lot of cases, the immune system as well. When buying acidophilus, it is important that people choose a reputable brand so that they can ensure they are getting the full amount of activity that is claimed on the label."

Suzanne Rosenberg
Pharmacy Manager
Nature's Fresh Northwest
Lake Oswego, Ore.

"Assuming that most people already take a multivitamin/mineral, I would suggest the antioxidant category of supplements. Antioxidants are a health and wellness basic, especially important in the busy, stressful and toxic environment in which we live.

"While the big three antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, if I had to choose just one supplement to recommend it would be the mineral selenium. There have been many good clinical studies supporting selenium's role as an important antioxidant in the prevention of cancer and a variety of degenerative disease conditions. Additionally, there are many places around the world that have selenium-deficient soil and thus selenium-deficient food, so it therefore becomes even more important to supplement."

Constance Grauds, R.Ph.
President
Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists
San Rafael, Calif.

"I would recommend the category of digestive aids rather than just one particular product. The reason is that if the digestive system is functioning optimally, you will be able to accomplish two important objectives. First, you will be able to obtain maximum nutritional benefits from the food you eat. Second, you are able to properly break down macronutrients—proteins, carbohydrates and fats—and will thus have less undigested food passing into your colon. Ultimately this means you will produce less toxic digestive by-products."

Karl Riedel
Chief Operating Officer
Nature's Life
Garden Grove, Calif.