Alternative Health Products & Books

Scientists at research labs are constantly analyzing the results of scientific studies to detect relationships between drugs, diet and health conditions. For instance, the discovery of the blood sugar benefits of cinnamon were accidentally discovered when diabetic volunteers exhibited improved blood sugar levels after eating apple pie. Further tests showed the beneficial ingredient to be cinnamon sprinkled on top of the pie.

At Thorne Research, a supplement producer in Sandpoint, Idaho, scientists in the technical division regularly scour existing research for anything that looks promising. "In many cases, things are out there, readily available. We just have to open our eyes to look for them. We look at virtually every journal in the world, from biochemical to phytochemical to obscure European journals. We find many things that have been overlooked or that show potential," says Al Czap, president of Thorne Research.

"Just because a dietary supplement is new to researchers in the United States doesn’t mean that it’s been ignored worldwide. In some cases, a supplement is already being used in another country as an alternative to costly prescription medications, Czap says. Doctors here have little incentive to seek out alternative remedies because insurance usually only covers the cost of prescription medications for their patients, he adds."

Once the company has decided to manufacture a supplement, Czap says, the supplements are thoroughly tested to make sure that they contain the right mixture of ingredients and are free of contamination. Samples are run through a laboratory, where an analysis is done to ensure that the product is completely mixed. A state-of-the-art instrument takes an infrared "fingerprint" of a product sample, which is then compared with the verified standard for the product and compared by computer with the other batch samples to ensure complete mixing.

The next step is to get uniform amounts of the mixture into capsules, which are made from gelatin. To make sure that all of the capsules contain the right amount of materials, samples are taken randomly and weighed. If necessary, the capsuling machine is adjusted to make sure that each capsule falls within an acceptable weight range.

How can you be reasonably sure that the product you buy contains what it says it does?

"In general, I educate my patients to buy brands recommended by a trusted professional, either a nutritionally trained doctor or health food store owner or employees with training and a good reputation in the community," says Emily Kane, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Juneau, Alaska, and senior editor of the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine.

Read the label. Look for any potentially allergenic substances such as Red Dye #4. If the product does not clearly state ingredients and their amounts, do not buy it.

Ask for proof. The supplement company should be able to provide you with a product analysis of potency and purity. That analysis gives you some assurance that the product you choose is free of contaminants such as bacteria, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Choose a reputable company. Get as much background as you can on the company you’re buying from. Consider their number of years of experience in the industry and the quality of their educational materials. The company should also be able to tell you where the raw materials for their products come from, such as organic herb farms. Other measurements are the quality of their product analysis and their commitment to research and scientific validation. Finally, you should also seek out companies that have strong medical advisory boards.

Visit your health food store. In general, supplements sold at health food stores tend to be of higher quality than those sold in grocery and chain stores.

Find a direct source. Shop for a company that manufactures its own products. There is better quality control and more responsibility to the product from such companies.

Besides being knowledgeable about labels and manufacturers, of course, you need information about the newest supplements and the claims that have been made for them. In part 2, you’ll find many emerging supplements along with the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that experts describe.

Often, the evidence and advocacy for a newly discovered supplement come from real-life stories of people who took it with phenomenal results. While such stories--what researchers call anecdotal evidence--can’t be written off as fiction, they are not accepted as proof, either. After all, what helps one person may not help another.

A Personal Story

No matter how much proof we may demand, anecdotal evidence is still compelling. Such is the case with B. Dwyer, a woman who believes that her life was saved by a little-known supplement with an unusual name. Her doctor, too, is convinced. Dwyer, of Dallas, and her doctor, Peter Langsjoen, M.D., agree that without coenzyme Q-10 (also known as CoQ-10), Dwyer’s condition probably would have been fatal. CoQ-10 is a naturally occurring compound that our cells need to produce energy. It’s found in all cells but is most highly concentrated in heart muscle cells because they use the greatest amount of energy.

Dr. Langsjoen, a cardiologist in Tyler, Texas, believes that when taken as a supplement, CoQ-10 protects the heart, normalizes blood pressure, and strengthens the immune system, among other benefits. In 1981, when Dwyer was 50 years old, she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a life-threatening condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and weak. Dwyer had asthma, and when she went to the hospital complaining of shortness of breath, she thought her respiratory problem was out of control. Subsequent tests revealed the cardiomyopathy. “My heart was increasing in size and wasn’t able to do its job. The bigger it got, the less efficient it was,” says Dwyer. “When I first went to the hospital, I was told that I could expect to live five to seven years.” At that time, doctors also told her that she’d probably need a heart transplant.

After two weeks in the hospital, Dwyer returned home for some rest and recovery, but she barely improved. She was short of breath and unable to stay on her feet for very long, and she had “absolutely no energy,” she recalls. Her condition remained poor for about three years. Then she joined a research program that was using CoQ-10 to treat cardiomyopathy. “I didn’t have anything to lose,” Dwyer says. In 1984, she began taking supplemental CoQ-10 under her doctor’s supervision.

Although previously she had taken a number of medications for her asthma and heart conditions, Dwyer was able to cut back to a single prescription drug that controls her heart rhythm. With that drug and CoQ-10, she no longer considers her diagnosis of cardiomyopathy a death sentence . “I still have the heart I was born with. And as long as it works as well as it works now, I’m going to leave it alone,” says Dwyer. Dr. Langsjoen, who has been Dwyer’s doctor since 1992, agrees that were it not for CoQ-10, she would have had to have a heart transplant. He also believes that she wouldn’t be alive today without this supplement.