Dear Subscriber,
A recent article has come out supporting the findings of several other reports that vitamin supplements do not extend life, and therefore could be simply a waste of money. You have “expensive” and colorful urine. Strangely enough, I agree. I don’t like most multiple vitamin/mineral supplements. They are not food derived – syntetic alternatives. I believe that the Creator put into plants and whole foods what we need to stay healthy. There are micronutrients we are still discovering which work synergistically with each other for our metabolism. For example, vitamin A works best with zinc, C (which many believe is ascorbic acid) needs bioflavonoids which are found in foods containing ascorbate. The concept is simple – eat whole foods. “If God did not make it, don’t eat it.” (That is my saying we tell to all clients.)
Observational research bears this out in the lack of findings that those who take multi factor containing supplements don’t extend life. ON the other hand, what these studies don’t account for is the improvement in quality of life the supplements can bring. For example, osteoarthritis can be improved with niacinamide, boron, bioflavonoids, and more. In my case, macular degeneration can be slowed with zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, bioflavonoids and more.
I have long believed that simply taking synthetic vitamins have limitations. I’ve not taken a non-specific vitamin supplement. But I take lots of supplements and recommend them. What’s the difference? I want to use nutritional supplements for exactly that – supplementing the best diet you can eat, and for specific conditions. Depending on symptoms, conditions, degenerative diseases, research suggests specific nutrients may help with modulating the problem. I am a vegetarian. From time to time I take an injection of vitamin B12 or take amino acids. But as supplements – not as staples. For my eyes, I take everything under the sun that I have researched that might help slow the progression. And my eye doctor has expressed surprise that I can still see just fine. If I had hypertension, I’d take specific nutrients known to improve circulation such as magnesium, potassium, olive leaf for hydroxy tyrosol, nattokinase or others, depending on the collection of my challenges and my mainstay diet. We know that pregnancies do better with folate, which reduces neural tube birth defects.
So, what’s the bottom line? For me, I do believe in minerals as our soils are depleted and our produce, even organic, might not have the levels of minerals they contained a few generations ago. I like plant based essential fatty acids because most people are eating foods laden with toxic/adulterated oils. Even vitamin C, which many professionals push for everyone, I don’t take regularly. I follow the teachings of the late Emanual Cheraskin. I am old enough to have personally attended his lectures decades ago. I read his research and books. His message was if you were getting at least 300 mg of vitamin C daily in your food, you would not likely benefit from any more. Now, most people don’t eat like me, but my diet is extremely rich in vitamin C. I easily eat a cup of cruciferous vegetables every day, providing me with 80mg. Summers I eat fresh tomatoes, lots, each one loading me with at least 20 mg of vitamin C. I once calculated my intake to be at least 500 mg daily. So, for me, I feel the supplement would be superfluous.
There are nutrients I do believe in supplementing based on modern research. Particularly bioflavonoids, including luteolin, fisetin, olive leave or black seed extracts.
Be wise with your dollars. Eat a high-quality organic diet, purchased from local farmers where possible. Supplement to fill gaps, perhaps with the advice of a nutritional expert. And please remember my mantras:
1. If God didn’t make it, don’t eat it.
2. Eat what grows around you, ripe, raw, organic and when in season, where possible.
3. Never, never eat fried foods or foods cooked in oil, including olive oil. Butter, ghee and coconut oil are exceptions.
4. If an omnivore, make sure the animal sources are raised humanely, killed humanely, organic and pasture raised.
Strawberries are super rich in vitamin C (and fisetin!). For me, blueberries are loaded with anthocyanins, a water soluble blue bioflavonoid extremely helpful for eyes. They are in season. So are colorful bell peppers. These plant-based foods are chock full of micronutrients in correct proportions (what Nature provided), which no supplement can provide.
To Your Excellent Health!
Robert Jay Rowen, MD
Appreciate all you do Dr Rowen!
I am a grateful recipient of a consult with you after I suffered some mini strokes last year. I have been following your vascular protocol and feel quite well. When I went for my follow up with the Mayo Clinic neurologist, he was appalled that I went off of their protocol. My blood pressure was all over the map for the two months on their protocol plus I felt miserable. When I showed him my normal blood pressure readings after weaning off all the pharma meds he could have cared less … said at least three times during the visit - well I wouldn’t be doing what you’re doing it’s dangerous especially not taking statins and blood thinners. I couldn’t resist saying - thankfully we have free choice unlike during mandate mania (just read that a judge is allowing trials to commence against Mayo on their mandate policy. I thanked him for his time and left - never to return! When I die someday thankfully it will be without the side effects from statins!
So glad you are feeling better after your miserable bout with shingles - you were, and remain, in my thoughts and prayers!
Best - Susan
Me too, a vegetarian for about 25 years, the same age as Dr. Rowen. Me and my wife eat only organic food. San Benedetto water from the Italian Alps. Unfortunately it's in plastic bottles, but the plastic is much thicker than our local mineral water in Israel. And we have 4 brands of local water, all are underground sources. I do believe in supplements, as the soil everywhere is badly depleted from minerals. In Jewish tradition, the soil where vegetables grow, should rest one year, without planting anything. Not all follow this valuable rule, but many do. Those who do that, they post big signs around the fields saying so. I buy a lot of supplements on iHerb, using DHL Express as an option. I get them in 5-6 days. All kinds. Quercetin Phytosome, different supplements by Thorne Research, Paradise Herbs which are very clean, no fillers of any kind, Arthurr Andrew Medical, NutriBiotic, Sports Research, Natural Factors, Himalaya, Organic Ghee, Glycine Powder with Taurine powder in black coffee early morning around 5 am, Gaia Herbs...etc.
I drink Swedish Bitters by Flora twice a day, sometimes three times a day, 1 tsp, Aloe Vera about 3 times a week, ....and more. Also three times a week I put 5 drops of Iodine(J.Crow) in my coffee in the morning.
And Thank you Dr. Rowen!