April 17, 2012: by Bill Sardi
According to a recent survey, 1 in 10 drugs were prescribed for off-label (unproven) uses, most which were not substantiated by existing science. (Archives Internal Medicine April 16, 2012). Physicians frequently respond to patient inquiries about dietary supplements by saying they are “unproven.” However, that doesn’t seem to bother physicians if it is a drug.
Furthermore, there is no drug that cures cancer (chemotherapy drugs only need to temporarily shrink a tumor by 50% before drug/tumor resistance sets in to gain FDA approval).
There is no single drug (diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium blockers) that adequately controls high blood pressure, and then none address the most common cause of hypertension (inability of blood vessels to dilate upon mental or physical exertion).
Posted in Dietary Supplements, Modern Medicine, Resveratrol ; No Comments »
April 2, 2012: by Bill Sardi
In the past decade or so red-wine resveratrol has been the most intensively studied anti-aging molecule. Resveratrol’s calling is that of a molecular mimic of a calorie-restricted diet that has been found to double the lifespan of all life forms tested.
Despite all the research, the confirmation of the first anti-aging pill has been elusive if for no other reason than the impracticality of conducting a long-term study to validate such an idea. The only conclusive evidence would be a long-term (many decades long) study. Many thousands of people would have to be followed for 8-10 decades to produce convincing data.
Posted in Anti-Aging, Dietary Supplements, Resveratrol, Vitamins ; No Comments »
March 23, 2012: by Bill Sardi
Worldwide headlines herald a test that may make it possible for cardiologists to predict an impending heart attack. The test may be particularly beneficial for people who have silent (non-painful) heart attacks or heart attacks that cannot be detected by conventional methods.
Compared to healthy adults, four times as many loose cells that slough off the inner lining of arteries, called endothelial cells, were found among heart attack patients who arrived at a hospital emergency room complaining of chest pain. A quicker and more efficient test is now being developed to count circulating endothelial cells in a blood sample.
Posted in Dietary Supplements, Heart, Resveratrol ; No Comments »
March 8, 2012: by Bill Sardi
(March 8, 2012)- Millions of Americans are paying with their lives and their eyesight for the US Food & Drug Administration’s denial that nutriceuticals prevent, treat or cure disease says Bill Sardi, dietary supplement industry executive and health writer, speaking at the annual Nutracon meeting in Anaheim, CA this week.
“Nutriceuticals, a more sophisticated name for dietary supplements, do in fact prevent, treat and cure essential nutrient deficiency diseases such as vitamin D for rickets, vitamin C for scurvy, vitamin B1 for beri beri, as well as many chronic diseases, yet the FDA bans (censors) statements of fact, keeping the public in the dark over the obvious health benefits and cost effectiveness of nutriceuticals,” says Sardi.
“The US FDA maintains a narrow pharmaceutical model for chronic diseases, which are basically treated as drug deficiencies. The FDA maintains dietary supplements must become expensive drugs before statements can be made they cure or treat disease, which is absurd,” says Sardi.
Posted in Dietary Supplements, Heart, Resveratrol ; No Comments »
October 27, 2011: by Bill Sardi
The CNN article entitled “Steve Jobs: A Difficult Patient” provoked hundreds to comment online. Here is a sampling of some of the responses:
Mr. Jobs survived by nearly 9 years a slow-growing form of pancreatic cancer first discovered in 2003. He initially shunned surgery (a drastic operation called a Whipple procedure) which is a very trying operation for surgeon and patient. You can get a view of this complicated operation at the Mayo Clinic website here. The operation involves removal of the head of the pancreas where most tumors originate as well as removal of the gall bladder and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) and reconnection of the digestive organs.
Posted in Cancer, Dietary Supplements, Modern Medicine, Resveratrol ; No Comments »
April 28, 2010: by Bill Sardi
So much is said about antioxidants these days. The public has been educated to believe antioxidants are generally beneficial when consumed in foods and dietary supplements. Antioxidants counter the effects of what are called free radicals, unstable species of oxygen, and to a lesser degree, nitrogen. These free radicals can damage tissues in the body.
Yet, in recent years, a growing body of data points to certain health benefits from employing mega-dose antioxidants, such as vitamin C, curcumin and resveratrol, to actually generate free radicals to treat disease.
But before we get to these recent discoveries, maybe it is best to briefly background readers in the science of antioxidants.
Read the whole post »
Posted in Resveratrol, Vitamins ; 4 Comments »
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