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SPECIAL FOODS AND FOOD SUPPLEMENTS

The most important thing to understand about supplements is that they can be wonderful foods that complement even the best diets. It is next to impossible in the modern world to find the incredible array of outstanding foods that were routinely available to our primal ancestors daily, as a matter of course. The right carefully prepared supplements can to a great degree make up for this. There is no question but that properly selected supplements can enhance health and longevity. As with most things in life, successful use of supplements depends on knowledge and discipline.

Over forty years ago, I read a little book called Vitamin E for Ailing and Healthy Hearts. It’s still a good read. The Shute brothers, who were Canadian medical doctors, presented the case for vitamin E supplements. I began taking vitamin E and researching the usefulness of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and special foods in the treatment of health problems, eventually going on to become a naturopathic physician. Many of these substances are helpful to anyone interested in optimizing their health, while others are appropriate for people who develop various health problems typical of modernized cultures. The question is really not whether to take supplements. Rather, the questions are which ones, when, and how much.

These are hard questions, and because the answers are different for each of us and depend on individual needs, they can’t be fully answered here. However, some general information can help us make informed decisions. I’ll address the sources, types, and effectiveness of various nutritional supplements, many of which are best thought of as special foods, as well as the relationships between supplements and foods.

SOURCES AND FORMS OF VITAMINS

One of the significant factors in choosing a supplement is the source of the nutrients it contains. Vitamins may be extracted from foods or synthesized in biochemical or biological processes. It can sometimes be challenging to determine the source of the vitamin from reading its product label. For example, vitamins made in laboratories may be labeled “natural” because they are made from “natural” precursors. Moreover, these synthesized vitamins may not be biochemically identical to their counterparts in nature. When selecting fat-soluble vitamins, it is important to choose ones extracted from natural sources (such as vitamin E derived from vegetable oil).

And although fat-soluble vitamins should always come from natural sources, this is not strictly the case for water-soluble ones. There are natural sources that can provide small amounts of water-soluble vitamins for general use—acerola powder for vitamin C, for example, and low-temperature-dried yeast flakes grown on an appropriate medium for B complex. However, for larger therapeutic doses, it is necessary to use synthetic vitamins. How these vitamins are formulated makes a big difference in how well they are absorbed and tolerated.

Vitamins A and D

Decades ago, researchers definitively established the benefits and safety of reasonable doses of natural vitamins A and D. The synthetic versions appear to cause the same problems the natural vitamins can cause in excessive doses, but can do so when taken in much smaller amounts. Traditional diets are rich in these nutrients and typically contain upward of ten times the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) the government now tells us are adequate. Natural vitamins A and D are beneficial, and are particularly important for pregnant women. In fact, foods rich in these vitamins were emphasized in virtually all of the traditional cultures studied by Dr. Price.

Vitamins A and D are present in fish oils. Synthetic forms of vitamins A and D frequently used in supplements should be avoided. An example is vitamin D₂, or irradiated ergosterol, which we discussed at some length in chapter 12. Vitamin D₂ is produced by irradiation of primary grown yeast with ultraviolet light. It is added to a variety of foods, as well as vitamin supplements, particularly those formulated without the use of animal products. Irradiated ergosterol has significant biological differences from vitamin D₃, which is produced in the body when ultraviolet light strikes the skin and is also richly supplied in fish oils, milk fats from animals feeding on fresh greens, and liver. Vitamin D₃ may also be naturally derived from lamb’s wool.

Relatively small amounts of the synthetic forms of fat-soluble vitamins may be toxic. This toxicity has contributed to the media frenzy about the dangers of vitamins A and D. Unfortunately, both the mainstream media and the medical establishment fail to distinguish between the synthetic forms and natural vitamins A and D as found in or derived from animal fats.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another nutrient for which it is very important to select the proper form. Synthetic vitamin E, labeled “dl-alpha,” is biochemically different from natural vitamin E, labeled “d-alpha.” Like synthetic vitamin D, synthetic vitamin E has detrimental effects. It is incompletely metabolized in the body and may even disrupt the metabolism of natural vitamin E in the liver. The most beneficial natural vitamin E products come as mixtures of the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherol fractions. I use and recommend a mixed tocopherols product that is extracted from soybean oil and purified through distillation to be completely free of all traces of soy.

Vitamin C

Almost all of the vitamin C in supplements is made in a laboratory, despite labeling that implies otherwise. For example, the label might say “ascorbic acid from sago palm.” In this case, dextrose, a form of sugar that contains no vitamin C, is extracted from sago palm. This is used as the base molecular material for a complex laboratory process that synthesizes the vitamin. In another instance, the label might say “vitamin C derived from the finest natural sources.” This could be true, but the vitamin C still was likely synthesized. The label might also say “with rose hips and acerola,” which would mean that these substances are used as the base material for the tablet or capsule. However, a tablet of rose hips or acerola can contain only about 40 mg of truly natural vitamin C; the rest was synthesized.

Another significant factor pertaining to vitamin C is buffering. This process complexes a mineral (typically calcium, magnesium, or potassium) with ascorbic acid. Buffered vitamin C is gentler on the stomach than regular vitamin C, which because of its acidity often causes gas, bloating, and upset stomach. Buffered C offers superior absorption, as well.

The B Vitamins

As with vitamin C, the labeling of B vitamins may be misleading. Labels often proclaim that the products contain “natural” B vitamins derived from yeast. However, manufacturers almost always add laboratory-synthesized B vitamins (with the exception of B₁₂, which may be chemically refined from bacteria) to the food fed to the yeast during its growth, and then fortify the yeast with additional synthetic B vitamins once it has grown. This allows for the production of yeast at any B-vitamin potency desired. Ammonia is also generally added to the growth medium of the yeast, just as it is used in chemical farming—as a nitrogen fertilizer to increase protein content in the product. The only truly natural B-vitamin supplements are freeze-dried liver, and yeast grown without the addition of B vitamins.

SOURCES AND FORMS OF MINERALS

Unlike vitamins, which are organic compounds, minerals are elements and as such cannot be synthesized; whatever the source, calcium is calcium. However, the way in which minerals are biochemically arranged with other molecules is of considerable importance. In both foods and supplements, minerals exist as complexes with other substances, and the substances with which they are complexed affect the degree to which they are absorbed and utilized. Some mineral supplements are extracted from foods (for example, calcium hydroxyapatite), while others are complexed in the laboratory (for example, amino acid complexes of calcium) or found in nature (for example, calcium carbonate). Those extracted from foods are ideal.

Calcium

Calcium is the most commonly used mineral supplement, and it is available in many different forms. However, only one is a food extract—calcium hydroxyapatite, the form of calcium that naturally occurs in bone. In manufacturing this type of calcium supplement, low-temperature processing techniques are used to extract microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate (MCHC) from raw bovine bone. MCHC is a complex crystalline compound composed of calcium, phosphorous, delicate organic factors (thus the importance of low-temperature processing), protein matrix, and the full spectrum of minerals that naturally comprise healthy bone.

Look for a calcium supplement in which the only source of calcium is MCHC. Many supplements say “MCHC” or “calcium hydroxyapatite” on the label, but when you read the ingredients carefully, you discover that a secondary source, typically dicalcium phosphate—an inexpensive, poorly absorbed form of calcium—contributes an unstated percentage of the calcium.

The best calcium formulas contain magnesium and the trace minerals manganese and boron, which are important in the absorption and utilization of calcium. The magnesium-containing compounds that are the most efficiently absorbed include magnesium taurate, magnesium glycinate, and magnesium citrate. Magnesium oxide is somewhat less absorbable, but it has a much smaller molecular size than many other forms of magnesium and so is frequently used with MCHC because it is much easier to fit in a capsule together with MCHC.

USP NUTRIENTS AND “FOOD VITAMINS”

Understanding the labeling of vitamin and mineral supplements can also be a bit tricky in another way. In order to make informed decisions regarding specific products it is important to understand some of the differences between USP grade (or USP purity) supplements and three categories of “food vitamins”—food-based supplements, food form supplements, and food concentrates.

USP Grade Supplements

When a product is listed as USP grade, the nutrient(s) have been manufactured in laboratories by biochemical processes and meet the strict purity and potency standards of the United States Pharmacopeia. These are the quality standards used in almost all nutritional research. In other words, virtually all the published research on the benefits of vitamins and minerals has been conducted using USP grade nutrients.

Food-Based Supplements

These are made by taking standard USP nutrients and putting them in tablets or occasionally capsules with dried foods and herbs (along with fillers and other additives). Taking these vitamins and minerals is no different from taking standard USP vitamins and minerals with a meal (but a lot more expensive).

“Food-Grown” or “Food-Form” Supplements

The process of making this type of product involves proprietary methods that add standard USP vitamins to a liquid broth containing yeast. As the yeast grows, the vitamins and minerals incorporate into its cell structure. The yeast is killed in a drying process, and the residue is pressed into tablets, typically with herbs, binders, and manufacturing additives. Because of the amount of space taken up by the yeast, products made this way are very low in potency. Even if absorption is superior, the low potency and high cost make them very cost inefficient for anyone wishing to take, say, 500 mg of vitamin C or 400 IU of vitamin E, on a daily basis. Another problem I’ve encountered in my naturopathic practice is that many people taking these yeast-based supplements for any length of time develop yeast sensitivities. This is particularly true for those with a history of Candida problems, which are common in our carbohydrate-addicted culture.

Food Concentrates

These products are actually dried foods, often organic, that have been encapsulated or pressed into tablets, frequently with the aid of manufacturing additives. Because of size constraints, these products are necessarily of very low potency in terms of the amount of vitamins and minerals present, although they may have potent effects. Taking these supplements is comparable to eating good foods, in very small quantities.

POTENCY, PURITY, AND ADDITIVES

How potent a given supplement will be depends on what forms the nutrients are in and how much of the product is actually absorbed and utilized. Forms identical or close to those found in foods are generally better absorbed and utilized.

There are two issues relating to purity. The first is whether the raw materials are pure. Reputable manufacturers insure that each batch of raw materials is laboratory tested for purity, and they can provide users with copies of certificates of analysis. The other issue concerns the additives nearly all manufacturers use in the production of supplements.

Tablets may contain potentially allergenic binders, fillers, and coloring agents. They must be coated with shellac (an insect resin, usually listed in the ingredients as “natural glaze”) or vegetable coating (derived from corn, to which many people are sensitive). Other potentially allergenic fillers such as lactose are used to top off capsules. Even small amounts of additives may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. This is a major reason why so many people have adverse reactions to supplements or fail to receive the significant benefits pure supplements can offer.

The vast majority of supplements also contain stearates, manufacturing agents used as lubricants to speed up production. Most capsules and tablets are produced by “jobbers” in mass-production plants, which churn out a multitude of formulas for various companies. Magnesium stearate and stearic acid are lubricants added to the raw materials so that production machinery will run at maximum speeds.

These additives have a number of effects, including decreased absorption. In a study published in Pharmaceutical Technology in April 1986, the percent dissolution for capsules after twenty minutes in solution went from 90 percent without stearates to 25 percent with stearates. These substances clearly affect the dissolution and rapid absorption of nutrients.

Hydrogenated oils are a common source for the magnesium stearate used in pharmaceuticals and supplements. Stearates are made by hydrogenating cottonseed or palm oil. Cottonseed oil has the highest content of pesticide residues of all commercial oils. In the hydrogenation process, the oil is subjected to high heat and pressure in the presence of a metal catalyst for several hours, creating a hydrogenated saturated fat. Hydrogenated vegetable fats contain altered molecules derived from fatty acids. The metal catalyst used in the hydrogenation process may also contaminate the stearates produced.

In December 2011 the World Health Organization reported that several batches of magnesium stearate were contaminated with silicate, zeolinte, calcium hydroxide, dibenzoylmethane, bisphenol A and Irganox 1010. While some of these substances may not be harmful, as is the case with zeolite, others are, such as bisphenol A (BPA). The industrial chemical BPA is an endocrine disruptor found to have other harmful effects. The European Union has banned its use in baby bottles, and several consumer groups in the United States have petitioned the FDA to ban its use in food containers. Whether or not the contaminants found in the magnesium stearate are benign or harmful is not the issue. The issue is contamination.

While we don’t know the percentage of supplements in the United States that are contaminated, according to a New York Times article, nearly all of the herbal dietary supplements tested in a congressional investigation contained trace amounts of lead and other contaminants. There have also been news stories over the years about contaminated supplements, such as heavy metals in 20 percent of Ayurvedic herbal products tested in the Boston area in 2004. Clearly, contamination is an issue of concern.

While magnesium stearate is certainly not the only supplement ingredient ever found to be contaminated, the potential for contamination is just one more reason to avoid it. If you do wish to consume supplements containing magnesium stearate, it would be a good idea to ask the manufacturer if they batch-test the supplement for purity. If not, then you really do not know what you are putting into your mouth.

While contamination is a concern, I do not support stricter government regulations on dietary supplements due to contamination issues. These issues are best addressed by batch testing. Even when the most reliable ingredient suppliers are used—those in the United States, Europe, and New Zealand—raw materials going into supplements should be independently analyzed. No additives are used in the purest products, as attested by the manufacturers’ certificates of analysis. For these reasons, I recommend additive-free supplements.

Because the supplements industry routinely uses additives in their products, manufacturers and distributors always deny that the presence of these substances is in any way detrimental. Nevertheless, it seems to me a simple matter of common sense that the most desirable products would not contain non-nutrient substances added solely to expedite the manufacturing process.

NUTRIENTS PRESENT IN ANCESTRAL DIETS

Consider ancestral diets, which are invariably rich in animal fats from grass-fed wild or domestic animals, organ meats, and seafood. The following is a partial list of nutrients richly supplied in those foods, nutrients often marginally supplied in most modern diets, even the diets of those following Dr. Price’s teachings.

Fat-Soluble Nutrients

Vitamins A, D, and K₂, and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are available from raw butter, cheese, and whole milk from grass-fed animals; egg yolks; organ meats; and seafood. Cod-liver oil is a fine supplemental source of A and D, and a small amount of K₂, but most of the cod-liver oils sold today have had the majority of the natural vitamin A and D content removed. I recommend from one-half to one teaspoon daily of cod-liver oil which is unadulterated and contains the full complement of naturally occurring vitamins.

Another useful fish-oil supplement containing vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids is krill oil. A small amount of krill oil daily has been shown to have a host of benefits. This is true also of supplemental vitamin E. Good food sources of vitamin E are liver, unrefined vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

Minerals

Calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals (including iodine, zinc, selenium, and chromium) are typically found in abundant supply in ancestral diets. They are available from whole raw milk, bone broths, unrefined sea salt, and sea vegetables such as kelp and dulse. However, supplementing with calcium hydroxyapatite can be good insurance for men and women alike against osteoporosis. As previously noted but bears repeating here, the trace minerals manganese and boron are important in the absorption and utilization of calcium, thus the most beneficial calcium formulas contain these minerals.

Most people, especially individuals with low thyroid function (usually undiagnosed because of the inadequacy of standard thyroid tests), benefit from extra iodine in the form of a supplement. This may be a sea vegetable extract or, if larger doses of iodine are appropriate, as they often are, a combination of iodine and iodide extracted from kelp. In fact, moderate doses of a balanced iodine-iodide formula benefit most people in many ways besides improving thyroid function, because most diets are deficient in iodine.

Zinc, selenium and chromium are other commonly supplemented trace minerals. Zinc is important for a healthy prostate. Selenium has antioxidant properties and functions together with vitamin E in many biochemical processes. Poorly supplied in modern foods, selenium is especially important as a supplement in areas of the country where the soil is deficient in selenium since such areas statistically correlate with higher incidences of cancer. Chromium helps regulate blood sugar and is particularly important for people with poor glucose metabolism.

Therapeutic doses of chromium and selenium may be considerably higher than is generally thought, based on therapies now used at cutting-edge alternative-medicine clinics. Quality multivitamin-mineral supplements, designed to be taken in a dosage of anywhere from one to six capsules daily, typically supply 30 mg of zinc and 200 mcg each of chromium and selenium when taken at the full dosage.

Antioxidants

Vitamin E, vitamin C, coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀), alpha lipoic acid, and other antioxidants are featured in the primal diet. They are richly supplied in organ meats such as the heart and the liver. There is ample evidence that antioxidants help retard the aging process, thus many researchers think this is a critical area to supplement. Ironically, the foods richest in many antioxidants—organ meats—are among those most vilified by the medical establishment for their cholesterol content. I have long found freeze-dried supplements made from the organs and glands of grass-fed animals to be a wonderful complement to the diet (more on this below).

Vitamin E is among the most important antioxidants. How much supplemental vitamin E is ideal is difficult to determine. The RDA of 11 to 15 IU (for people age nine and older) was arrived at by averaging the amount found in the diets of several thousand people surveyed; it reflects the modern norm rather than an optimal intake. The native groups with high immunity that were studied by Dr. Price consumed at least ten times the amount of both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins provided by modern diets, and ten times the RDA should prudently be considered a minimal intake. Higher amounts may be important for women during menopause and in many other situations.

Vitamin C, too, often is a useful supplement, even if the diet is rich in vegetables. Hunter-gatherer diets provided an estimated 400 mg daily. A supplement is useful for many people, even in amounts up to several thousand milligrams a day under special circumstances.

I also recommend that CoQ₁₀ be supplemented by many people, in a dosage of anywhere from 25 mg to 1200 mg per day. This natural antioxidant is found in many foods and is synthesized by the body. Some people experience increased energy on CoQ₁₀ and endurance athletes may perform better. CoQ₁₀ is best absorbed with fats. The richest food source is heart.

Supplementing with alpha lipoic acid, from 25 mg to 600 mg per day, can also be useful for many people. Benefits to athletes include enhanced energy production in muscle tissues, decreased glucose uptake by fat cells, and improved muscle recovery. Alpha lipoic acid helps regenerate damaged nerves, and is a standard prescription by doctors throughout Europe for this problem and for neuropathies in general. Organs and glands are a rich natural source of alpha lipoic acid.

SPECIAL FOODS

By “special foods” I mean supplements that are clearly foods, but that in small quantities may have great potency. Cod-liver oil, described above, is a good example of a supplement that is a special food. Quality cod-liver oil provides critical nutrients in a concentrated dose.

Other special foods available as supplements, such as freeze-dried organs and glands or colostrum, may be used in much larger quantities.

Colostrum is a marvelous special food, providing a wide variety of health enhancing and therapeutic benefits. The most potent colostrum is available as a freeze-dried powder made from the first milking of cows that have just given birth.

Bovine tracheal cartilage, freeze-dried from tissues taken from New Zealand cattle and then encapsulated, is another supplement that is a special food with a rich history of therapeutic usage. John Prudden, M.D., whose work with bovine tracheal cartilage was detailed in chapter 9, studied this substance extensively for decades and published many articles about its benefits in a wide variety of conditions, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, and wound healing.

Other special foods I include in my diet are freeze-dried powders prepared from a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs, including wheat grass, barley grass, berries, carrots, and beets. These special foods in small amounts supplement a range of very important nutrients. A number of other herbs and food-derived supplements belong in the special foods category, along with freeze-dried organs and glands, discussed below. These essential primal traditional foods are useful in even the best diets.

Organs and Glands

Individual organs and glands, including liver, heart, brain, thymus, kidney, pancreas, adrenal, spleen, ovary, and testicle, are available as food supplements. Multi-gland combinations are also available. The best products are from freshly harvested organs and glands from grass-fed New Zealand cattle, which are raised without the use of pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics.

The organs and glands are freeze-dried at 40 to 60 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). Freeze-drying tissues preserves the unaltered proteins, the enzymes, and the fat-soluble activators so important in traditional diets. The freeze-dried powders are encapsulated, providing a convenient way to include organs and glands in your regular diet. (See Dr. Ron’s Ultra-Pure at www.drrons.com.)

Herbal Supplements

The potency of herbal supplements depends on the quality and potency of the raw herb used, the care taken in manufacturing, and the concentration of the finished product. A tremendously wide range of quality is found in different products. A poor-quality product may have no effect whatsoever, while the same dosage of a superior one may be very effective. The quality and potency of herbal extracts, as well as correct dosing, are of critical importance in achieving good results.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn has historically been a key herb in the support of heart and cardiovascular health. Double-blind studies by teams of European medical doctors over the past twenty years have demonstrated dramatic benefits to the heart, even in cases of advanced heart disease, from the use of properly prepared and dosed hawthorn extract, as well as from berberine extracted from the herb goldenseal.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle regenerates liver cells and helps protect from chemicals and toxins to which we all are exposed. Milk thistle dramatically enhances liver health by protecting the outer membrane of liver cells and acting as a powerful antioxidant. It can help reverse the liver damage caused by toxins, including alcohol.

Dandelion

Dandelion, too, has a marked benefit on the liver, and it acts as a cleansing agent for the entire system. Dandelion used in sufficient quantity is also an effective diuretic.

Grape Seed Extract

Another useful supplement for many people is grape seed extract. In addition to their potent antioxidant action, the oligo-proanthocyanidins (OPCs) in grape seed extract strengthen the blood vessels and capillaries in the eyes, thus helping to maintain vision. One study of 805 men showed that the higher the intake of OPCs, the lower the risk of heart disease.

LIVING BETTER AND LONGER

Whole foods have always formed the core of my approach to health. In the early 1970s, I belonged to one of the first food co-ops in western Massachusetts. From there, I went on to naturopathic medical school, believing that if I learned enough about how food affects people, I could help them recover from most medical problems. That turned out to be even truer than I realized, once I discovered the work of Dr. Price and other pioneers of nutritional therapy.

My studies and years in practice have shown me that certain high-quality nutritional supplements and special foods can play a critical role in optimizing health and longevity. Supplements work best in conjunction with proper diet and, properly understood, these nutrients, herbs, concentrates, special foods, and extracts complement even the best diets. If the diet is less than optimal, an individual may achieve marked relief from particular symptoms, but unless the diet is corrected, other imbalances will soon occur, and with them, other problems. A deeper and more lasting healing occurs when recovery is based on providing multiple factors present in proper foods rather than just a particular substance the body is obviously lacking.

Our knowledge about the body’s needs is growing rapidly, and just as we embrace the wonderful health-giving qualities of traditional whole foods, we should embrace the best of what modern science has given us. Although we must be cautious of marketing campaigns that claim every new supplement is a magical elixir, scientists and clinicians have clearly demonstrated the efficacy of a wide range of these products. The challenge and realistic goal is to separate the wheat from the chaff and apply this knowledge so we can live healthier, happier, and longer lives.