Supplement Choices and Nutritional Health
A recent 7 year double blinded, randomized, placebo controlled landmark study showed that anti-oxidant and vitamin supplementation use reduces cardio-vascular death rate by 37% and cancer diagnosis rate by 33% in men ages 45-60.
Even the Journal of the American Medical Association, not known as a supporter of dietary supplements, has finally agreed that everyone should take a multi vitamin. A multi could be considered "dietary insurance", since most individuals just do not get all of the required essential nutrients they need from their diet.
As we tell all of our patients,
“If you wear out your body, where are you going to live?"
“You will eventually pay to keep your physical and mental health. You can choose to do it now, when it is less costly and more effective or you can choose to do it later, when it is more costly and less effective, but one way or another, you will pay”.
As life seems to have it, we spend the early half of our lives attempting to attain wealth and success only to spend the latter half of our lives spending our achieved wealth frantically trying to regain the lost health we ignored during the first half of our life. Doesn't it make sense to pay a little now and enjoy sound health now into your later years rather than spend all your time in those later years scrambling to regain health at tremendous costs to you and your family, if it isn’t already too late by then. 
Sometime around 30 years of age, we all begin to physiologically decline. At this age and beyond we begin to age predictably and essentially our body begins a slow path into progressive deterioration as a result of a metabolic shift from an anabolic stage of high energy, growth, rebuild and repair to a catabolic stage of lower energy, break down and wear down. In our early 30’s there appears to be a balance of these two processes for a very brief period and then the decline begins rather abruptly. Most of the decline is predicated on the abrupt down slide of critical anabolic (energy, growth, repair, rebuild) hormones such as DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), growth hormone, testosterone and several others. In other words, the balance between building and breaking down is lost and the catabolic stages of progressive deterioration begin to predominate. Here is where we can intervene using the newer medical knowledge available to us. We can strive to regain our anabolic phase and thus optimize our health and stave off early disease processes.
There is now ample research to substantiate that a daily moderate exercise regimen, ample fluid intake, organic foods and a sound food supplement plan (vitamin and supplement intake) can substantially improve health, reduce catabolic states in the body, increase longevity and reduce disease processes such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other metabolic syndromes and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and senile decline.
We want to tell you about our own personal supplement plan that we follow and that have our staff and loved ones on. It takes a few minutes a day to plan it out, requires some dedication and it means we will have to consume some things that we would rather not but as we see it, the alternative is not worth it. But before we look at our plan and why we stick to it on a daily basis, we wish to tell you that it is necessary to maintain a sound diet full of organic fruits and vegetables, plenty of pure water and healthy proteins (such as fish, legumes and when chosen, organic grass fed beef, not grain fed, as grass fed is high in omega 3 essential fatty acids). It is also necessary to find 30-60 minutes a day to add some aerobic and moderate resistance exercise. However, it is important to know that no matter how hard we try to eat healthy, our food sources in this day and age alone are insufficient. Research has soundly proven this fact. The right raw materials are vitally important but depleted soils from over farming and poor soil management produce deficient fruits and vegetables (some are even grown hydroponically in water and fertilizer rendering our vegetables little more than colorful water laden empty calories). Furthermore, combining this with cooking and selective breeding, many of the essential nutrients critical for anabolic repair are simply unavailable to most Americans. Thus, our bodies demand the need for dietary supplementation.
IMPORTANT:
Why we choose the supplement companies we recommend.
Reason #1: The issue of Vitamin Dilutions. Most supplement manufacturers purchase micro-dose vitamins such as Vitamin D, K and B12 from raw material suppliers as premixed dilutions to facilitate the mixing process. Unfortunately, the dilutent used in these premixes frequently contain potentially detrimental ingredients such as lactose and the preservatives BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate and sorbic acid. The companies we carry in the office certify that they do not use pre-diluted nutrients such as these. Instead they use pure hypoallergenic ingredients free of hidden preservatives
Reason #2: Most supplement manufacturers cut corners. Some use products such as magnesium stearate, ascorbyl palmitate and stearic acid to facilitate the lubrication of the actual supplement, so that the machines that mix and produce the supplement do not clog up. The companies we carry do not subscribe to this practice. (Check the bottles of your supplements, check the fine print, you will likely find at least one of these binders or lubricants in what you are taking.)
Reason #3: The companies we carry do not produce tablets, rather they produce capsules. Why is this an issue ? Making tablets requires that other ingredients be added to the pill. Binders, lubricants, coatings, disintegrants (so they dissolve quickly - supplements must dissolve in the stomach quickly to be able to be utilized by the body) and other excipients are the ingredients most commonly added to tablets by manufacturers. Tablets are made in machines called tables presses, which compact the powdered nutrients together (that have already been mixed with binders and lubricants) with a tremendous amount of force. Then, to make them shiny and easier to swallow, the tablets are often sprayed with shellac, like the shellac found on furniture, but it's labelled "pharmaceutical glaze" or coated with a "vegetable protein" most often a protein derived from corn. So, check your products, are they tablets ?..... Do they have a "glaze or vegetable protein" ingredient ? Yet another reason why we choose the companies we do, and why we trust them for you.
The products we carry are considered the highest quality, "pharmaceutical grade" because they are free of these products and are of the purest ingredients. For the sake of your best health !
Reason #4: (and perhaps the most important) I carry only those products deemed of the highest quality, pharmaceutical grade, products which are manufactured to GMP(Good Manufacturing Practices) standards that exceed those currently proposed by the industry. Since January 2000 Thorne's (the main company we use in our office) GMP's have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia, the most stringent governmental health organization in the world. Why Australia? Because the U.S. Government doesn't do it yet. Thorne Research company is fully TGA certified and has been since 2000. NO OTHER DIETARY SUPPLEMENT COMPANY IN THEIR MARKET HAS FULL TGA CERTIFICATION ! NONE.
Dr. Waerlop and Dr Asthalter's Program
This program has been constantly evolving over the last several years as new research comes available adequately substantiating intake needs. This program acts as a supplement to a high fiber fruit and vegetable and natural protein diet.
1. 5-7 helpings of fresh (when available) organic fruits and vegetables
2. 48-64 ounces of natural spring water
3. Undenatured Whey Protein- excellent source of Glutathione, the "Master" antioxidant
4. Fish Oils (Omega 3 fatty acids)- High quality pharmaceutical grade, marine derived
5. VEMMA liquid nutritional supplement or Daily multi-vitamin (not store bought vitamins)
6. CoQ10 (an excellent antioxidant)