Awesome article on supplements

[Eos of the Eons]

"Regular exercise helps raise the body temperature to fight minor infections," Fisher said.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16083483.htm

With good advice! They discuss a supplement made by a 2nd grade school teacher with

17 herbs, vitamins and nutrients, according to the label. It comes in various flavors and includes 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, or 1,667 percent of the U.S. recommended daily amount.

With a flu kit at the local pharmacy that has vitamin C supplements, it's nice to see an article with sound advice and a critical look at supposed benefits of overdosing on supplements.

One good reporter, one good read, with links to do something about malicious products:

To complain about a product that advertises health benefits, contact MedWatch, a Food and Drug Administration program. The FDA encourages you to download a reporting form and ask a physician to help fill it out. You may complete the online reporting form at www.fda.gov/medwatch/

I still had to ignore the homeopath, and probiotic propenent references, but they weren't as biased as usual either.

 

[luchog]

[I still had to ignore the homeopath, and probiotic propenent references, but they weren't as biased as usual either.

Not too bad overall, but they appear to misuse "homeopathic" when referring to what is clearly an herbal remedy. Although since it doesn't appear to have any beneficial effect, the mistake isn't that egregious.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I don't agree, Eos. The article reinforces misinformation while seemingly trying to get people to tone down their supplement use.

For example

"When you feel symptoms coming on, it's fine to take a little extra C," said Sandon, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "But anything more than 500 milligrams at one time is going to get washed out."

A better tactic is to take 500 mg in the morning and again at night, she said.

is nonsense. Research has failed to confirm any of Pauling's initial results on vitamin C and infection.

The article lists products with no supporting research, only claims of research by the manufacturers then instead of pointing that out it makes weak statements about moderation in using them.

This article does not promote an evidence based approach to supplements.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Yeah, but it's not blatantly outright supporting supplements and while bashing doctors like usual. And they are encouraging reporting of blatantly false claims. It's different than most in mainstream newspaper or magazine articles. I think it may get someone to stop and think for a second.

Could be better yes, but this will hopefully get people thinking about all the crazy junk they are buying, and who from.

The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 exempts such products from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. They must, however, include a warning that the product is not regulated. Health professionals can report problems with products through MedWatch, a voluntary reporting program operated by the FDA.

Most people don't even know that much, and I end up arguing with people who don't believe me. Who ever saw the warning that it is not regulated or even knows what that means?

 

[Iamme]

If it's body heat that fights disease, and not just a biproduct of something else that is really doing the fighting...then perhaps people should take more saunas. That has surely got to raise internal body temperature.

Regarding Vitamin C. I think that is over-hyped as a panacea. I have taken LOT's of vitmain C, both by drinking fresh orange juice with pulp, and V-8 juice, and have downed pills in the past, and I still get colds.

 

[skeptifem]

well, you pretty much just pee out whatever vitamin c you dont use (except for extreme cases) so theres not a whole lot of point to taking a bunch of it. Other vitamins are dangerous to overdose with but not water soluable ones like C.

 

[Iamme]

So then...people spending money on Vitamin C pills could very well be peeing their money right down the drain?

 

[Lisa Simpson]

They are peeing Vitamin C down the drain, along with all the B vitamins. Anything your body doesn't use, out it goes into the toilet.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

If it's body heat that fights disease, and not just a biproduct of something else that is really doing the fighting...then perhaps people should take more saunas. That has surely got to raise internal body temperature.

Let's NOT oversimplify things please. That is only ONE of the immune responses to invaders, and it doesn't work alone.

It is beneficial to raise the temperature via exercise for only the reasons that the body might do it to fight of certain microbes. It wouldn't work on a microbe that is not affected by a rising body temp. It is not a method of prevention, but will aid your body better than vitamin c if you have a minor infection already, to take a sauna. Raising the body's temp via exercise is not exactly the same as sitting passively in a sauna either. There are even more health benefits to exercising in preventing infections in the first place, blah blah blah.

Your statement above is a prime example of turning a small thing into woo silliness Iamme. Don't take things out of context and add more to it than was originally intended.

 

[Badger]

That was a great post, Eos.

Thanks for summarizing things so concicely!

 

[Iamme]

That was a great post, Eos.

Thanks for summarizing things so concicely!

Ya. Your'e probably her boyfriend going for browny- points, to try to get some nooky tonight.

 

[Badger]

Ya. Your'e probably her boyfriend going for browny- points, to try to get some nooky tonight.

Nope, it just struck me as significant how she summed up how "something that's good for you" can turn into woo in a hurry.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Ya. Your'e probably her boyfriend going for browny- points, to try to get some nooky tonight.

*puts on teacher's hat*

Oh dear, ANOTHER assumption.

Iamme, you is bad bad bad, and I thought you might start learning here.

So, please don't dissapoint me again, or I might have to get that dunce cap on you, and have you sit in the corner. For now, you can spell "brownie" 100 times on the black board.


Thank you Badger, for clarifying the point on how things go easily to woo. It's that lack of critical thinking that makes things go awry. For your clear and repeated demonstrations on logical conclusions, I think you can have the star sticker

*eats the apple on the desk*

 

[Badger]

* eats star sticker *

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Badgerrrrrrr, noooo, what will I tell your mom when you get sparkly doo doo

 

[Badger]

Um, it could be worse....

Ok, now that we've thoroughly taken this thread for a serious ride, BACK ON TOPIC!!

People rarely consider Dr. Norman Bethune, what he did, and the reverence the Chinese still hold for him when they invoke "Ancient Chinese Medicine". I find that amazing, and sad.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

I had to look the doctor up, sorry

Although he was forced to work under extreme circumstances, sometimes operating for forty hours straight without sleep, and within minutes of the front lines, he saved the lives of many Chinese partymembers and soldiers. He died of septicemia, contracted when he cut himself while operating under great pressure from advancing Japanese forces.

http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/nb.html

Yeah, it's ironic how a western medicine proponent is hailed as a hero for performing westernized medicine, and even surgery, in a country that ignorant westerners figure only herbs and tea and other "natural medcine" are used for healing.

 

[ChristineR]

Saunas were the usual treatment for syphilis and plague. I'm not aware of any scientific evidence for efficacy, but I've always assumed there was something to it.

 

[Eos of the Eons]

Well, if you had nothing better, then it might help the poor bugger rather than doing nothing. Wouldn't recommend it over more effective and timely treatments available now. I think either will cause death or sterility + birth defects.

 

[Badger]

I had to look the doctor up, sorry http://www.iisg.nl/~landsberger/nb.html

Yeah, it's ironic how a western medicine proponent is hailed as a hero for performing westernized medicine, and even surgery, in a country that ignorant westerners figure only herbs and tea and other "natural medcine" are used for healing.

From the guys I talked with (pipeline operators...50 years after he had his major impact....consider that!) Dr. Bethune was revered for bringing such concepts as sterilization of equipment, and cleanliness of OR garb to the Chinese.

Ironic that he'd die of septicemia, but there are statues of him that people almost hold as religious icons.

Roots and weeds have their use, but intelligence is something else indeed.