Q: What herbs or supplements are dangerous, and which are most effective?
A: There are several supplements that have been taken off the market recently because of their potential danger. For example, kava kava was found to be associated with liver failure, and ephedra caused many deaths from heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeats. St. John's wort, taken for depression, is still on the market, but its use has been questioned because it has been found to have many herb-drug interactions. Potentially interacting with 50-75% of all known pharmaceuticals, St. John's wort appears to cause those drugs to break down more quickly in the liver, rendering them ineffective. Imagine how depressed you would be if your anti-depressant herb caused your birth control pill not to work!
Supplements found to be effective are numerous, and include saw palmetto for prostate problems, which affect many men over the age of 50. Soy has been shown to improve bone density and lower cholesterol. Fish oil and other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent sources of antioxidants and have been shown to lower cholesterol as well as the risk of heart attack, irregular hear beats and stroke.
For more information on this topic, please try these web resources:
www.herbmed.org; www.nccam.nih.gov; www.cfsan.fda.gov; www.consumerlab.com;
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitaminsandminerals.
Q: Does broccoli really cause thyroid problems?
A: Raw cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips, collard greens, mustard greens and rutabagas) are goitrigens, meaning that they can suppress the function of the thyroid. Fermenting (as in sauerkraut) or cooking them eliminates this problem.
I strongly recommend eating these vegetables as part of a regular diet because they contain indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that has been shown in epidemiologic studies (looking at populations) to have a preventive effect against cancer. That is, the more of these vegetables people eat, the less risk there is of cancer. Scientists have been studying this chemical in test tubes and animals, and there seems to be a definite effect on cancer cells. We are not at the point, however, where we can say, "This is the proven effective dose in a pill to help prevent recurrence of cancer." My recommendation is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and decrease sources of foods that may have cancer-promoting properties, like saturated fats.
Q: What are the pros and cons of juicing?
A: Studies show that the more fruits and vegetables consumed by a population, the lower their risks are for most cancers, heart attack, stroke, hypertension and diabetes, just to name a few of our most common killers! The American Cancer Society recommends getting at least five servings on a daily basis. In Okinawa, where there are more centenarians (people over the age of 100) than anywhere else, the inhabitants eat an average of 10-20 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. In the United States, the most commonly eaten vegetable is french fries! I recommend that my patients strive for at least 8-10 servings per day. This is difficult for most people. Drinking our fruits and vegetables is a way that one can significantly increase important nutrients into our diets, and hopefully prevent many of the diseases associated with aging. The down side is that most juicing specifically extracts the fiber from the food. Fiber is also associated with a significantly reduced risk of many cancers and diabetes. Fiber decreases the rate at which the sugar in the food is absorbed, which is a big factor in insulin production, and probably why high-fiber diets decrease the risk for diabetes. My recommendation: if you want to “juice,” do it with a product that gives you the whole food, like a Vita Mix. If you are too busy to do the work of juicing, but would like to incorporate more of these foods into your diet, add 1-2 cans of V-8 juice into your daily routine.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. Seek the advice of a medical professional before making any changes to your diet, supplements or medication.
Tanya Edwards, M.D., M.Ed., is the Medical Director for the Center for Integrative Medicine and is a staff member in the Department of Family Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. As a Family Practice physician, she sees patients at the Cleveland Clinic Independence Family Health Center, and will begin wellness consultations at the new Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center. For the past seven years, she has been teaching complementary and alternative medicine courses at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
