Radio VNA Health  

BASIC NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM

Newspaper articles and various clinical trials state that no credible medical evidence  has been able to demonstrate that taking vitamins and minerals can prevent cancer, stroke, heart disease or other ailments.  But vitamin supplement industry sales continue to rise. Since almost all of us take supplements, I have reviewed the medical literature on supplements (including vitamins, trace metals, calcium and others). 

I support using the following nutritional supplements in healthy adults over 50:

1.                 Centrum or other all-purpose multivitamin daily

2.                 Vitamin B12 (1 mg daily)

3.                 Vitamin D3 (800 IU [20 mcg] daily)

4.                 Calcium (1200 mg to 1500 mg daily)

5.                 Omega-3 fish oil fatty acids (1000 mg daily)

6.                 Aspirin (81 mg daily) – if not contraindicated

7.                 Vitamin E (400 IU daily – higher dose contraindicated)

Using Drugstore.com as a pricing source, the total cost per year is $124 or about $10 per month.

Most multivitamins contain appropriate amounts of most vitamins and trace elements.  Vitamin B12 absorption decreases with age and about 20% of the older population has some deficiency. Calcium and Vitamin D help maintain bone density. Most adults should eat a diet containing at least one to two servings of oily fish per week.  If they do not, a daily fish oil supplement is recommended. Low dose aspirin is substantially underutilized in patients with known cardiovascular disease. This is reasonable in men (over 50) and women (over 60) without a history of internal bleeding or easy bruising or allergy. It is of particular benefit to adults over 40, who are overweight and have hypertension or elevated blood pressure.  Taking more than 400 IU of Vitamin E daily was reported to increase all-cause mortality (an analysis of 19 trials with 135,000 patients). Vitamin E has no cardioprotective effect at any dose, but it is recommended for treatment of macular degeneration.  This is the only anti-oxidant I support beyond that found in multivitamins.

Supplements that I DO NOT recommend:

1. Glucosamine/chondroitin therapy. My clinical experience is that they are  beneficial in the knee and hip joints about 1/3 of the time. 

2. I-Caps have not been shown to prevent cataracts. I only recommend their use for macular degeneration with the counsel of an ophthalmologist.

3.    Coenzyme Q10 or garlic – since there are no reliable randomized controlled trials to confirm their value.

In summary, I recommend a low-cost basic nutritional support program.  Obviously these suggestions do not supercede the recommendations of your personal physician.

Thomas F Reynolds, MD, FACP

73271 Fred Waring Dr

Palm Desert, CA 92260

760-773-3200