Secret Supplements

Vitamins like A, E, C and supplements like co-enzyme Q10 are widely publicized. But for every supplement that headlines, there are others ready to prove their worthiness... Here are some impressive natural products that may help you prevent disease and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

ANTIOXIDANT FOR HEART AND BRAIN -- ASTAXANTHIN

BENEFIT: Astaxanthin is used for treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, “brain attack” (stroke), high cholesterol, and an eye condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is also used for preventing cancer.

Astaxanthin is applied directly to the skin for protection against sunburn.

Astaxanthin has applications in multiple areas of health including muscle endurance, visual acuity, skin health, immune function and cardiovascular health. Astaxanthin is superior to many other antioxidants, up to 6,000 times more powerful than Vitamin C. An increasing body of research shows how Astaxanthin can be used to support skin health, vision, cardiovascular health and many other important areas of health.

THE SCIENCE: Astaxanthin is a reddish pigment that belongs to a group of chemicals called carotenoids. It occurs naturally in certain algae and causes the pink or red color in salmon, trout, lobster, shrimp, and other seafood.

How does it work: Astaxanthin is an antioxidant. This effect might protect cells from damage. Astaxanthin might also improve the way the immune system functions.

HEART— INOSITOL HEXANIACINATE

BENEFIT: Improves cholesterol profile.

THE SCIENCE: A compound made of two vitamins in the B family (niacin and inositol), this is considered the best-tolerated form of niacin supplement. Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is a natural agent for lowering cholesterol levels. But at the high doses necessary for effectiveness, formsnicotinic acid and nicotinamideoften cause unpleasant side effects. People can experience flushing, like a massive hot flash, or liver problems, advises J. David Forbes, M.D., a board member of the American Holistic Medical Association. Inositol hexaniacinate is better on both counts, with fewer people experiencing flushing and liver toxicity. Sometimes marketed as no-flush niacin, the compound can have comparable benefits to statin drugs, lowering LDL cholesterol by 5 percent to 25 percent and triglycerides by 25 percent to 50 percent, and raising HDL by 15 percent to 35 percent.

Start with 500 mg twice a day, and gradually increase over two weeks to 1,000 mg three times a day.

Cautions: Skin flushing is less likely but still possible. Taking inositol hexaniacinate with meals reduces the chance of stomach upset. At the high doses needed to lower cholesterol, there is a risk of serious side effects, including liver damage and stomach ulcers. Any niacin product should be taken under the supervision of a health-care provider, who can check your liver function periodically. Niacin is inappropriate for people with liver disease, gout, peptic ulcers, glaucoma, or a bleeding disorder. Check with your physician if you're already on cholesterol medication, since combining niacin with a statin could increase the risk of side effects.

MOOD LIFTER — 5-HTP (5-HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN)

BENEFIT: Relieves depression, anxiety, and insomnia; enhances mood; may ease migraines and promote weight loss.

THE SCIENCE: A derivative of the amino acid tryptophan, this nutrient is converted into serotonin, the feel good neurotransmitter. Serotonin promotes a sense of well-being, decreases depression, and makes the glass look half fulland 5-HTP helps the body synthesize more serotonin in a more natural way, says Russell Canfield, M.D., a clinical assistant professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Its also a great sleep promoter, lengthening and deepening sleep; it appears to promote the particularly restorative stage-four deep, dreamless sleep, when growth hormone is released. There's also evidence that the supplement decreases carbohydrate cravings. Safety concerns have lingered regarding 5-HTP since 1989, when contamination of a related supplement, L-tryptophan, led to its removal from the market. It was reintroduced in 1996. I believe that the current manufacturing process for tryptophan is safe, Canfield says.

DOSE: Begin with 50 to 100 mg once or twice a day. Can be slowly increased up to 400 mg daily.

Cautions: Drowsiness and temporary nausea may occur. Seek a physicians guidance if youre on an SSRI antidepressant (e.g., Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil), since excess serotonin can cause confusion, rapidly fluctuating blood pressure and heart rate, agitation, and loss of coordination.

ENERGIZER — RHODIOLA (RHODIOLA ROSEA)

BENEFIT: Boosts alertness and energy; enhances concentration; fights fatigue; may improve performance capacity and help prevent stress-related illness.

THE SCIENCE: Sometimes called golden root or Arctic root, this high-altitude herb has long been used in Russia to boost energy and fight fatigue. Its classified as an adaptogen, which means that it helps the adrenals work better to adapt to various kinds of stress, says Jamey Wallace, N.D., medical director of the teaching clinic at Bastyr University in Seattle. It can enhance concentration levels and alertness, and help people through stressful periods. While not a substitute for sleep, he notes, rhodiola can be particularly helpful in countering exhaustion from excessive physical or mental activity. Research suggests that rhodiola can increase physical work capacity and shorten the recovery time between bouts of high-intensity exercise.

DOSE: 100 mg once daily before noon; can be increased to twice daily.

Cautions: To avoid sleep disruption, take this herb first thing in the morning. Prolonged use may lead to bouts of irritability and insomnia, so reserve rhodiola for brief periods of excess stress

FATIGUE FIGHTER — RHODIOLA (RHODIOLA ROSEA)

BENEFIT: Boosts alertness and energy; enhances concentration; fights fatigue; may improve performance capacity and help prevent stress-related illness.

THE SCIENCE: Sometimes called golden root or Arctic root, this high-altitude herb has long been used in Russia to boost energy and fight fatigue. Its classified as an adaptogen, which means that it helps the adrenals work better to adapt to various kinds of stress, says Jamey Wallace, N.D., medical director of the teaching clinic at Bastyr University in Seattle. It can enhance concentration levels and alertness, and help people through stressful periods. While not a substitute for sleep, he notes, rhodiola can be particularly helpful in countering exhaustion from excessive physical or mental activity. Research suggests that rhodiola can increase physical work capacity and shorten the recovery time between bouts of high-intensity exercise.

HOW TO TAKE IT: 100 mg once daily before noon; can be increased to twice daily.

CAVEATS: To avoid sleep disruption, take this herb first thing in the morning. Prolonged use may lead to bouts of irritability and insomnia, so reserve rhodiola for brief periods of excess stress

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Chasteberry can be particularly helpful during peri-menopause, when the hormones can go completely crazy. During this time, progesterone levels often start to decline before estrogen levels fall, which can lead to depression, headache, bloating, fatigue, irritability, and breast tenderness. Unlike creams that introduce progesterone from an outside source, chasteberry helps the body increase its own natural levels of progesterone. It may also be helpful for infertility caused by high levels of prolactin, since chasteberry can suppress the release of this hormone from the pituitary gland.

Dose: One 400-milligram capsule daily.

Caution: Discontinue if nausea, rash, headache, or agitation occurs. Chasteberrys influence on hormones can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, and its effect on prolactin makes it inadvisable for women who are pregnant or nursing.

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DETOXIFIER — SELENIUM

BENEFIT: Essential for proper immune function; may reduce the risk of certain cancers; helps rid the body of free radicals.

THE SCIENCE: While some people have already crossed paths with selenium, few know how critical it is to overall health, or how agricultural and processing practices degrade food sources of this essential trace mineral. A powerful antioxidant, selenium works especially well with vitamin E to fight damaging free radicals. Its vital for the immune system, boosting the body's defenses against bacteria and viruses, and it may reduce cancer risk, particularly in the prostate, colon, and lungs. The National Cancer Institute is currently sponsoring a study on whether supplementing with selenium and vitamin E can help prevent or delay prostate cancer.

Selenium is found in meat, wheat germ, nuts (particularly Brazil nuts), eggs, oats, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. But modern farming practices have depleted the soil, so many people don't get sufficient selenium from their diets anymore, says Tanya Edwards, M.D., medical director for the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Refining and processing also reduce selenium levels, which is why eating whole, unprocessed, organic food is the best way to obtain the nutrient.

Dose: 200 micrograms per day, in combination with vitamin E for best results. Since vitamin C can interfere with the absorption of selenium, take them at separate times. –

HORMONE BALANCER — CHASTEBERRY (VITEX AGNUS CASTUS)

BENEFIT: Relieves symptoms of PMS and peri-menopause and may be helpful for some kinds of infertility.

THE SCIENCE: A shrub in the verbena family, chasteberry bears a fruit that has been used medicinally for centuries. As the name suggests, it was once thought to dampen sexual desire; its also called monks pepper, since brothers in orders reportedly chewed the dried berries to decrease libido. Contemporary studies have found that the herb can help regulate hormones, and it has become a standard European treatment for premenstrual syndromeits especially effective in helping decrease symptoms of cyclic breast tenderness and fibrocystic breast disease.

By Rob Long