Health
and Nutrition
What Every Patient Should
Know About The Use Of Nutritional Supplements
“ Doc, should I be taking this supplement?”
“ How do you know if this supplement works?”
“ What would you recommend for my urologic problem?”
It seems every day we hear these questions like these from you
and many of our other patients.
You might receive a brochure in the mail that makes a claim that
a certain vitamin or herbal supplement will cure what ails you.
The sheer number and type of supplements available is overwhelming,
and it’s hard to know which offer health benefits and which
are merely giving false promises - often the information about
supplements is confusing or unclear.
Unfortunately for you, the FDA
does not regulate or evaluate any dietary supplement for
its effectiveness.
So, a dietary
supplement must be proven unsafe before
the FDA will remove it from store shelves.
Therefore, it is up to you as the consumer
to become a savvy supplement shopper in
order to make informed choices that enhance
your health!
Because there are a lot
of different companies marketing supplemental products,
we created a Nutritional Supplement Program especially
for
our patients.
Our main
goal is to both educate our patients
about the scientifically proven benefit
of some natural occurring supplements
in urology and also provide confidence
in the quality and effectiveness of the
recommended supplements.
Although
the information presented in this section
is felt to be generally accepted by the
scientific community, we encourage you
to discuss this information with your
physician regarding their professional
opinion as it relates to your individual
goals.
By the time you’ve finished, you’ll
understand the following:
- What are dietary supplements?
- Who can benefit from vitamin
and mineral supplements?
- Supplement safety
- What to look for when buying
supplements
First, What are dietary supplements?
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) defines
a dietary supplement as a product that:
- supplements the food you
eat;
- contains one or more dietary
ingredient (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other
botanicals; amino acids, and other substances);
- comes in pill, capsule,
tablet, or liquid form; and
- is labeled as a dietary
supplement.
There are different types of
dietary, or nutritional, supplements. Vitamin and mineral
supplements are types of dietary supplements containing
micronutrients meant to help a healthy body function smoothly.
Herbal (or botanical) supplements are dietary supplements that
have a medicinal purpose. Herbal supplements generally support
a specific area of the body’s health, such as the liver,
bones or skin.
Are there health benefits of vitamin
and mineral supplements?
Absolutely.
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients
that serve a specific purpose and benefit
the body in a unique way. For example,
vitamin A supports vision and bone growth,
whereas vitamin E strengthens the immune
system and helps repair DNA.
Vitamin and mineral deficiency can impair the body’s ability
to heal and protect itself.
However, taking vitamins does not make up for an unhealthy diet.
Also, vitamins are an insufficient substitute for nutrients from
fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but a general multivitamin
and mineral supplement can be a good safeguard.
How about Herbal Supplements?
Herbal supplements are different from vitamin and mineral supplements
in that they are considered to have medicinal value. Herbs,
also known as botanicals, are one of humanity's oldest health
care tools, and the basis of many modern medicines.
In fact, primitive and ancient civilizations relied on herbs
for healing, as do contemporary cultures throughout the world.
Actually, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80%
of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies,
a major part of which are derived from plants.
If you are taking other medications,
refrain from taking herbal supplements without first checking
with us.
Some herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications or prescription
drugs can combine to cause adverse side effects that can result
in problems during surgery. Just because an herbal supplement
is extracted from a “natural” source does not render
it any less potent than any other chemicals you may ingest.
Who can benefit from vitamin and
mineral supplements?
In general,
children and adults might benefit from
taking one multivitamin per day. A multivitamin
helps provide a consistent source of the
necessary vitamins and micronutrients.
According to the Harvard School of Public
Health, "a daily multivitamin, and
maybe an extra vitamin D supplement, is
a great way to make sure you’re getting
all the nutrients you need to be healthy."
However, the very first consideration is to eat a healthy diet.
Even the best supplement is no substitute for good nutrition.
In general, most Americans consume foods that are high in calories,
but lack nutrients that are vital for good health.
What are some of The World’s
Healthiest Foods?
The George
Mateljan Foundation has created a list
of the
world’s healthiest foods.
These foods are nutrient-dense, whole foods
that are readily available, economical,
and tasty – so there’s few
excuses not to enjoy them!
You can get most of the vitamins and mineral you need simply
by eating a few choice foods. For example, one cup of steamed
broccoli will provide you with more than 50% of your daily recommended
amount of Vitamins C, K, and A, and high amounts of folate and
fiber.
Add some baked salmon, and you’ll
get over half your RDA of Vitamin D, protein, B vitamins
and Omega-3 fatty acids. That’s one nutrient-packed
meal!
Some groups of people, because of
distinct nutritional needs, especially benefit from taking
a vitamin and mineral supplement:
- Women of childbearing age (need
extra calcium and iron)
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Children and teenagers with irregular
eating habits
- Seniors
- Vegetarians or vegans (may be
deficient in key nutrients)
- Dieters or people avoiding certain
food groups (may be deficient in key nutrients)
- People with eating disorders
or medical conditions (deficiency diseases, absorption
problems, lactose intolerance, etc.)
- People who eat processed and fast
food often
- People who smoke or drink excessively
What’s the
first step before starting supplement?
Answer: Good
nutrition!
Whole foods rich in micronutrients such as fruits and vegetables
grown using sustainable farming practices are the best choice
for vitamin-rich foods. However, vitamins are only one part of
a healthy diet. Eating the right combination of fats, carbohydrates
and protein, and learning smarter eating habits, can help you
ensure a nutritious diet.
How can I ensure that I’m
being smart with my supplementation?
The word “supplement” means something
added. In this case, you’re “adding” to
a basic healthy diet and lifestyle, or
a prescription medication or therapy you’ve
been given to treat a condition or disease.
An
herbal supplement or vitamin
regiment on its own will
not necessarily cure or
treat your condition or
heath problem. And remember
that not all supplements
are good, especially when
taken in toxic doses or
combined with other medications.
The media loves exciting headlines, so the moment an herb or
vitamin is tentatively shown to be beneficial in some way, it
is touted as the next
miracle cure.
Advertising can be misleading as well, promising you “totally
safe”, “natural” and “quick and effective” solutions
to many health problems. You can keep yourself from falling prey
to false promises by researching any product you are considering
taking.
At Urology Specialists of Nevada, we make sure there is outstanding
scientific research that supports the claims of the supplements
before we ever recommend them to our patients.
Now, before you decide to take a supplement,
ask yourself these questions compiled by Iowa State University’s
Choices for Health:
- Do I need this supplement?
- Do I know that this supplement
is safe?
- Does this supplement interact
with any drug or food I am consuming?
- Do I know that this supplement
works?
- Do I know enough about this supplement?
- Can I afford this supplement?
Let’s discuss supplement
safety for a moment…
Homeopathic
vs. Herbal Supplements: What’s the
difference?
Homeopathy uses
natural substances derived
from botanical, animal
or mineral sources in small
doses to assist the body's
natural mechanisms for
protecting and healing
itself.
Homeopathic medicines
are regulated
by the
FDA, but
in different
ways than
other drugs.
According
to FDA.gov,
manufacturers
of homeopathic
drugs are
deferred
from submitting
new drug
applications
to FDA
and their
products
are exempt
from good
manufacturing
practice
requirements.
However, homeopathic drugs in solid oral dosage form must have
an imprint that identifies the manufacturer, the active ingredient
and dosage strength, and indicates that the drug is homeopathic.
Herbal remedies are made from parts
of whole plants. Herbal supplements are not regulated as
medicines by the FDA and thus can make unsubstantiated health
claims.
Dietary supplements may not be risk-free under certain circumstances.
Be sure to consult your OB/GYN or primary care physician before
purchasing or taking any supplement if you are pregnant, nursing
a baby, or have a chronic medical condition such as, diabetes,
hypertension or heart disease.
Also, while vitamin and mineral supplements are generally considered
safe for children, you may wish to check with your child’s
pediatrician before giving these or any other dietary supplements
to your child.
Why do physicians
sometimes have difficulty recommending treatments using
nutritional supplements?
Physicians
by nature and training are part scientist
and part healer. It is ingrained in them
from a very early period to rely on scientifically
proven treatments before they recommend
to their patients.
The current system of nutritional supplements has several problems
that sometimes make it difficult for physicians to confidently
recommend their use to their patients:
- Many of the current product labels
for nutritional supplements claim beneficial effects for
a condition or organ health which have no scientific basis.
They are able to do this because they are unregulated by
the FDA which tightly scrutinizes the scientific evidence
for all “prescribed medications”.
- There is no control over which
ingredients or supplements are “combined” in
any given product which is claiming a beneficial effect
for a condition or organ health.
- There is no guarantee that the
claimed ingredients and dosages listed are actually correct
and in the supplement tablet.
The 1994 Dietary Supplement Health
and Education Act made it possible for dietary supplements
and homeopathic remedies to be marketed without providing
evidence of safety or efficacy before the FDA.
In order for a product to get removed from the shelves, the FDA
must prove that it is dangerous – and that is often to
the detriment of our patients.
Supplement manufacturers are allowed to make claims regarding
health, nutritional content and structure/function subject to
limited restrictions.
Health claims describe a relationship
between a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient,
and reducing risk of a disease or health-related condition.
For example: "Provides relief from symptoms associated
with PMS and menopause such as cramps, hot flashes, breast tenderness
and moodiness" on a bottle of Evening Primrose Oil
capsules.
Nutrient content claims refer
to the percentage of DV (daily value) of the nutrient the
supplement provides.
A structure/function claim is a statement
describing how a product may affect the organs or systems
of the body, BUT it can't mention a specific disease.
For example: "COQ10 supports heart function as a component
of the electron transport system, and as an antioxidant protects
mitochondrial membranes and cholesterol from oxidation."
Specific health claims on dietary supplement labels are not approved
by the FDA and must also include a disclaimer that states the
nutritional supplement is not intended to “diagnose, treat,
cure, or prevent any disease.”
Therefore, a product cannot make the claim that “this product
cures prostate cancer.”
In addition, keep in mind the
following safety concerns when taking vitamin or mineral
supplements:
Don't
substitute supplements for medication
If you’re considering using a dietary supplement in place
of drugs, consult your primary care provider first. And remember,
just because it is “natural” doesn’t mean its
gentler or more beneficial to your body - many supplements contain
active ingredients that have strong biological effects and their
safety is not assured.
Caution: Interactions
with other medications
Some supplements may interact with prescription and over-the-counter
medicines. Taking a combination of supplements or using the products
with medications (whether prescription or OTC drugs) can cause
dangerous interactions which could be life-threatening.
Some common negative
interactions:
- Calcium can interact with heart
medicine, certain diuretics, and aluminum and magnesium-containing
antacids.
- Magnesium can interact with certain
diuretics, some cancer drugs, and magnesium-containing
antacids.
- Vitamin K can interact with blood
thinners like Coumadin.
- St. John's Wort is known to adversely
affect selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs
(i.e., anti-depressant drugs), and birth control pills.
At Urology Specialists of Nevada,
we are aware that some supplements can have unwanted effects
during urologic surgery
We usually recommend that you stop taking certain products 2-4
weeks ahead of time to avoid potentially dangerous supplement/drug
interactions, such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure and
increased bleeding.
Talk with us about everything you are taking before
the surgery – vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements,
as well as medications.
Important: Some supplements are known
to be dangerous!
Just because a product is on the market does not mean it is definitely
safe. There are some known toxic herbs that are still available
to the consumer, such as:
- aristolochia (conclusively
linked to kidney failure and cancer in the U.S., China,
Europe, and Japan)
- yohimbe (a sexual
stimulant that has been linked to heart and respiratory
problems)
- bitter orange (has
effects similar to those of the banned stimulant ephedra)
- chaparral (linked
to liver damage).
Researching and buying vitamin, mineral
and herbal supplements
The safest way to purchase supplements is from a knowledgeable
health care provider who has evaluated all of the important research
and can recommend trusted supplements based on your medical situation,
rather than trusting your health with a clerk who can just point
to a shelf, and say “How about that one?”
We’ve done the research for you…
The physicians at Urology Specialists of Nevada have created
a specific nutritional supplementation program for our patients
with certain urologic conditions.
It seemed to us that many of our patients wish to optimize their
health and treat certain conditions by using natural occurring
nutritional supplements.
We believe that done correctly, there are scientifically proven
benefits to using some of these supplements in certain urologic
conditions.
What makes our nutritional supplement
program different?
SCIENCE. Not
all urologic conditions have shown to have
a natural occurring nutritional supplement
that has been supported by science to have
a beneficial effect.
For example: Prostate Cancer Prevention is an area where
there is ongoing extensive research to determine if one or more
nutritional supplements can be beneficial in preventing prostate
cancer in men.
Some of these include Zinc formulations, Selenium, pomegranate
extract, resveritrol, etc... To date, none of these has shown
to have conclusive beneficial effect.
Hence, we will only recommend naturally
occurring nutritional supplements for urologic conditions
in which there is a scientific body of evidence that these
supplements have a proven benefit to our patients.
QUALITY CONTROL. Urology
Specialists of Nevada has developed a nutritional
supplement program in partnership with Farr
Laboratories, LLC which is a US pharmaceutical
company that has worked closely with national
and international experts in the field of
nutritional supplements and urologic diseases
to formulate and produce supplements which
have shown to be beneficial in certain urologic
conditions.
Farr Laboratory’s production processes are regulated by
the FDA (as they also make other medications that require FDA
approval) and assure that the nutritional supplements in this
program are of the highest quality and grade of natural ingredients
available and are combined at the specified dosages and are produced
under the tightest of quality control measures.
COST. We
wanted to make sure our patients received a discount on ALL
products purchased. So by going from our website
to Farr Laboratories’ website, our patients receive
a 10% discount through this special supplementation program.
We hope that you now have a much
better understanding of nutritional supplements and how they
can help you.
Here’s our recommended Three Step Process for maximizing
your health benefits:
- Locate the disease process listed
below in blue that you are most interested in improving.
- Click on that disease process
to further discover how you would benefit from that specific
supplement.
- Click
the “Buy” tab
which will quickly link you to the Farr Labs webpage.
Receive
a 10% Discount by using this special code NV876510 when
ordering. You can also order on the phone by simply
calling 877-284-3976 and be sure to mention
your special code for a 10% discount. Specific
Urologic Conditions That May Be Improved:
BPH
Bladder Cancer
Chronic Pelvic Pain
Incontinence (After surgery)
Interstitial Cystitis
Kidney Stone Prevention
Painful Bladder Syndrome
Prostatitis (Non-bacterial)
Sexual Dysfunction (Low sex drive in men)
Side Effects of Hormone (Lupron)
Therapy
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI
Specific
Medical
Conditions
That
May
Be
Improved:
Bone Protection
Diabetes
Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
Immune Health
Memory
Obesity
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