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Things that are going on that you might want to know.

September 29, 2005

In This Issue...

No More Mass Confusion in the Vitamin Aisle -- What You Need to Know When Buying Vitamins and Other Natural Remedies

2-Week Heart and Artery Makeover -- No Drugs or Surgery

No More Mass Confusion in the Vitamin Aisle (Continued) -- Other Considerations When Buying Supplements

Say Good-Bye to Weak Bones, Low Energy and
Any Age-Related Ailment

No More Mass Confusion in the
Vitamin Aisle

Confused about vitamin and mineral supplements? I don't blame you. How can a consumer be sure that a product really contains what's on the label? Or that the manufacturer is using the best form of a substance, since research has shown that not all types of vitamins or parts of plants are equally effective. I'm not sure which is rising faster -- interest in nutritional and herbal supplementation or confusion about where, how and what to purchase. It is time to sort things out.

I spoke with Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. ConsumerLab.com has been conducting quality-control testing on vitamins, minerals, protein drinks, energy bars and the like for years and reporting its findings on its information-packed site. It is one of the most respected companies in the country when it comes to product quality evaluation of this kind.

"We've tested 1,300 products in the last six years," Dr. Cooperman told me, "and we've found that one out of four has some type of problem. The product might be missing an ingredient, or it might be contaminated. For example, we test most supplements for lead. And if we're testing a fish oil, we'll check for rancidity, mercury and PCBs. Rancidity in particular is a potential problem with fish oil."

Most Common Problems

Problems with supplements run a very wide spectrum, ranging from too little of an ingredient or too much to some kind of contamination.

Not surprisingly, complex products are more prone to problems than single-ingredient products. "A multivitamin has a 40% chance of some problem," he said. "The chance of a problem with a simple product such as vitamin C is much less."

In many cases, a product will not acquire an "approved" rating -- not because it has too little of a compound, but because it has too much. One startling finding was that Weil Balanced Cal-Mag contained 2.3 micrograms (mcg) of lead per daily serving. Theragran-M Advanced Formula High Potency multiple vitamin also contained lead -- 3 mcg per serving. Both of these amounts are more than the amount allowed by the state of California without a warning label! And Lil Critters Gummy Bears Vites, a vitamin marketed for children, contained a high amount of lead and was missing half of the folic acid content claimed on the label. Lead is of particular concern to children -- even minimal amounts can affect mental functioning.

I asked Dr. Cooperman about the tales I've heard of vitamin tablets found completely unabsorbed, intact in toilet bowls. Dr. Cooperman explained to me that it's very important to find out if a product breaks apart properly. "We'll do a disintegration test in which we drop the tablet or capsule in a solution at the correct acidity and temperature to simulate what happens to it in the body," he told me. "Just recently, we found a product that would not break apart at all. We even gave it extra time in the acidic solution and extra agitation."

According to Dr. Cooperman, the top problems with supplements are...

Too little of the active ingredient
Too much of the active ingredient
Wrong ingredient
Contamination
Misleading or unsupported health claims
(especially with herbal products)
Dangerous or illegal ingredients (sometimes found in
bodybuilding supplements)
Poor disintegration (product is not digested properly or fully).

WHAT'S IN A NAME

In the absence of more knowledge, consumers often assume that a well-known brand will mean better quality. As was seen with Weil's Balanced Cal-Mag, this is not necessarily the case. Similarly, consumers assume that a generic product from a discounter will be of lower quality. Interestingly, Wal-Mart supplements are actually higher quality than other mass brands. "Wal-Mart has used its considerable economic clout to demand that its suppliers produce products to higher specifications," said Dr. Cooperman. "I'm much more comfortable with Wal-Mart's Spring Valley line than I am with many other drugstore brands, such as Rite-Aid's." Dr. Cooperman also said that he'd put more faith in a Costco or a Sam's Club than a supermarket brand because of the pressure they are placing on manufacturers.

According to Dr. Cooperman, it's impossible to say which brands are the very best. However, some companies choose to participate in programs, such as Consumerlab.com's Voluntary Certification Program, on a regular basis, so consumers are more likely to find product information on the following brands...

Nutrilite
Nature Made
Nature's Resource
Puritan's Pride
Vitamin World.

If you buy your supplements from a multilevel marketing company, such as Usana and Shaklee, you will be pleased to know that most do a surprisingly good job of quality control and produce excellent products in spite of their high prices. "Every company makes mistakes from time to time, but in general, the multilevels do a very good job. Their supplements are correctly labeled, they go out of their way to give you good information and they recommend a dose that's appropriate. They break apart, they're pure and they have all the ingredients on the label," said Dr. Cooperman.

NATURAL versus SYNTHETIC

I wondered if "natural" products are better than "synthetic." Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, says that synthetic is the same as natural. He also reminded me that if you eat well with lots of fresh whole foods and simply use supplements to augment your nutrition, then either version will usually provide support.

Read more on supplements below...

2-Week Heart and Artery Makeover --
No Drugs or Surgery

Without dangerous drugs or painful surgery, he's rejuvenating the hearts of even seriously ill patients -- scrubbing blocked arteries clean and sending cholesterol and blood pressure readings into a nosedive.

Best of all, if you follow his advice you can eat all you want. You won't need painful surgery. And you won't endure a life of increasing dependence on dangerous heart drugs.

A California physician is revolutionizing the way heart problems are treated.

Read on...

No More Mass Confusion in the Vitamin Aisle (Continued)

Other Considerations When Buying Supplements

What are the most important things you need to know when buying nutritional supplements? Here are Dr. Cooperman's top recommendations...

Know what ingredient you're looking for. "If you're told to take an herb, understand that there are different species and parts of plants known to be effective. Know which one you're looking for -- it should be clearly marked on the label." For example, if you are told to get "dandelion root," make sure it is dandelion root, not something that sounds or looks the same -- i.e, dandelion root is not identical to dandelion.
If you're buying an herbal, know what form you're looking for. "Is it an extract or a powder?" asked Dr. Cooperman. Extracts can be 10 times as strong as the whole powder!
Read labels carefully. "With, for example, soy isoflavones, manufacturers can label them in different ways that can be misleading," said Dr. Cooperman. For example, "genistin" is isoflavone and sugar, and "genisten" is just the isoflavone. If you saw two products with the same amount, the one that says "genisten" contains about 50% more soy.
Ask your doctor. Your naturopathic physician probably has brands that he/she prefers for different items.

Finally, and most important...

"Buy brands that have been independently tested," Dr. Cooperman says. While the US Pharmacopeia just recently began testing products, ConsumerLab.com remains the gold standard for product testing, having tested more than 250 brands of every possible supplement. Its Web site, www.consumerlab.com, and its book, ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins & Supplements, are valuable resources for those interested in getting the best nutritional bang for their supplement buck.

Be well,

Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News

Say Good-Bye to Weak Bones, Low Energy and Any Age-Related Ailment

Major new studies prove that you have the power to ward off heart disease, stroke and cancer -- the three biggest threats to your health. Did you know that...

The majority of risk factors for heart disease and stroke are 100% under your own control? That's right: Weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and five other disease-deciders are up to you.
Cancer risk plummets 40% (60% if you're a woman!) when you follow the American Heart Association's simple guidelines on fatty foods?
Vitamin C flushes fat from your arteries... slashes your risk for stroke... and doubles your chance of surviving a heart attack? All for pennies.

Details...

Source:

No More Mass Confusion In The Vitamin Aisle

Tod Cooperman, MD, noted researcher, writer and speaker on consumer health-care issues and president, ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, New York.

Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

Medicare Q&A

I have Medicaid now and will become eligible for Medicare next month. In reading the materials that Medicare sent me, it says that I will be responsible for Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. I can’t afford to pay for these expenses – is there any help available? –L

Dear L,

Once you become eligible for Medicare, it will become your primary insurance and Medicaid will pay after Medicare. As secondary payer, Medicaid will pay your Medicare out-of-pocket costs and may pay for other services not covered by Medicare, such as dental care or personal care at home.

Medicaid will also pay your Medicare Part B premium ($78.20 a month in 2005), but you may need to enroll in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program (QMB) in addition to Medicaid.

Generally, to keep your costs down, you should see doctors and other medical providers who accept Medicaid. If you go to a doctor who does not take Medicaid, you will have to pay the 20 percent Medicare coinsurance yourself. In addition, you should have Original Medicare (not a Medicare HMO) with Medicaid. If you join a Medicare HMO, Medicaid will not generally cover your HMO copayments, deductibles or premiums.
Currently, Medicaid probably covers your prescription drugs, but that will change. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid drug coverage will end on December 31, 2005. At that time, people with Medicaid will be enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug benefit. If you do not choose and sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan, you will be randomly assigned one.

If you have Medicaid, you should receive a letter this fall detailing which plan you will be enrolled in if you do not choose one yourself before December 31, 2005. You should call 800-MEDICARE to make sure the plan you have been assigned covers the drugs you need and that the pharmacies you use regularly are part of that plan's network. If not, ask the counselor to help you enroll in a plan that does meet your needs.

Note: As a rule, to be eligible for Medicaid, your monthly income must be less than $798 in 2005 ($1,070 for couples) and you must have little or no assets (savings and investments). Each state has its own method of determining eligibility depending on your age, family size, medical condition and financial situation. If you have high medical expenses, you may still qualify for Medicaid even if your income is higher. Call your state department of social services for more information.

The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The U.S. Department of Education has a pamphlet examining the civil rights of students with hidden disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The introduction of the pamphlet states: "If you are a student with a hidden disability or would like to know more about how students with hidden disabilities are protected against discrimination by Federal law, this pamphlet is for you."
"Section 504 provides that: 'No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance....'"

The pamphlet examines issues such as disabilities covered under Section 504, the responsibilities of Department of Education recipients in preschool, elementary, secondary and adult education, and how the needs of students with disabilities can be addressed.

While this pamphlet came out a few years ago, it is still relevant today, especially with the new school year starting all across the country.

To read the pamphlet on the Department of Education website, use the following link:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html

National Network of Libraries of Medicine provides health information in multiple languages

The NNLM Multilingual Web site http://nnlm.gov/train/chi/multi.html includes many links to Web sites that include resources with more than one language, and then further down the page are language specific Web sites. Some that might be of special interest to you include:

MedlinePlus en español is the Spanish language gateway to MedlinePlus, filled with over 600 health topics, prescription drug information, a medical encyclopedia and more, all written in Spanish.
Immunization Action Coalition contains PDF files of information on immunizations, including vaccination information sheets in 32 different languages.
Refugee Health ~ Immigrant Health provides information on refugee and immigrant populations and their experiences with Western medicine.
Health Education Brochures in Multiple Language. This University of Utah site includes an audio component so those with low literacy or vision problems can listen to the information using Real Player, Windows Media, or an MP3 player.

In addition, the NNLM Mid-Continent Region has put together a Web site that provides access to health information based on racial and ethnic health concerns at http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/minority.html. Found on this Web site are links to pages of resources organized by the four nationally-designated racial and ethnic categories: African American, Latino American, Native American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander. Linking to the Latino American and Asian America pages will provide you with additional language resources.

New Online Medicare and Medicaid Timelines Summarize Key Developments

MORE INFORMATION

Dear Interested Party:

The Medicare and Medicaid programs, signed into law 40 years ago on July 30, 1965, continue to play vital roles in our nation’s health insurance coverage system. As we approach the two programs’ shared anniversary, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is pleased to release interactive timelines that track their evolution and mark major developments in the programs.

The two timelines, Medicare: A Timeline of Key Developments and Medicaid: A Timeline of Key Developments, feature one highlight from every five-year period in the history of each program — with a click you can access the full summary of developments from that five-year period. Within the summaries you will find links to related material, including reports and videos, providing more background information. The timelines also feature a sliding enrollment indicator so you can see how coverage under the programs has grown since 1965.

We hope that the timelines are useful to you and we encourage you to share them with others. You can find information about adding links to the Medicaid and Medicare timelines to your website.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

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9/30/2005 mjg ^Ó2003 carmelo gonzalez webmaster@carmelogonzalez.com www.CarmeloGonzalez.com

Last updated on 07/19/2008