ANTACIDS
by, Dr. Schuyler Lininger, Jr.
If you’ve been to your doctor recently, you may have been surprised to hear him recommend a calcium supplement. Doctors in the past have not been known for their willingness to recommend many vitamins or minerals to their patients. The reason for the prescription is simple: osteoporosis (or loss of bone calcium) is an American epidemic.
Fortunately, then, doctors are recommending calcium supplements; unfortunately, many of them are recommending antacids as the source of calcium. Why is this? The reason is antacids use calcium as one of the main alkalizing agents. If you are one of the many people following the advice of getting your supplemental calcium with an antacid, here is what your antacid tablet may contain besides calcium:
SODIUM (up to 53 mg., used in many - but not all - antacids, not good for you if you have high blood pressure).
MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE and DIHYDROXYALUMINUM (aluminum compounds that most nutritional doctors believe may be harmful).
METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN AND POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (three widely used food preservatives).
MINERAL OIL (can coat the digestive tract and impair the absorption of nutrients like Vitamin D.
TALC (probably better used as a powder than as a food).
FLAVORING (not usually defined, which means flavoring can be made up of synthetic chemical compounds).
SUCROSE (plain old table sugar, not good for you if you have either diabetes or hypoglycemia).
CORN STARCH and CORN SYRUP (not good for you if you are allergic to corn products).
FD&C RED #3 (not good for you if you are chemically sensitive - probably not good for you even if you aren't chemically sensitive.
The ingredients listed above are in many of the antacids available in grocery and drug stores. You won't find these products in your health food store because of the variety of nonfood chemicals that accompany the calcium.
But even if you were able to find a chemical-free antacid, would it then be a good source of supplemental calcium as many doctors suggest? My answer would be “no”" and here’s why:
The calcium carbonate contained in antacid tablets ranges from 317 mg 500 mg. per is the mg. per tablet. Unfortunately, calcium carbonate is only 40% calcium; the other 60% is the carbonate carrier. So the actual calcium content ranges from 127 mg. to 200 per tablet.
The conservative adult recommended allowance for calcium is 1,000 mg. If you want to get the RDA for calcium using antacids, you need to take between 5 and 8 tablets a day. Since the per tablet cost of antacids in 100 count jars is about 25 cents, your daily cost of taking 5-8 tablets ranges from $1.25 to $2.00. The cost of a 1,000 mg. calcium supplements in your health food store is only 12-14cents per day. It doesn’t look as if supplements in your health food store are overpriced after all, does it?
For the sake of argument, let’s imagine an antacid that contained no harmful chemicals and that wasn’t overpriced as a calcium supplement. If such antacid existed, would that be a good source of supplemental calcium? Unfortunately, the answer would still have to be “no” - and here’s why.
Aluminum compounds have received a great deal of publicity in recent years due to the association of aluminum in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. It has been proven the aluminum in antacids is absorbed from the intestine. Furthermore, aluminum containing antacids have been shown to interfere with normal mineral metabolism.
Observations have linked prolonged aluminum-containing antacid use with severe bone pain and fractures. In fact, some doctors have gone so far as to suggest such antacids cause bone-loss and their use should be considered one of the causative factors whenever there is bone disease of unknown origin. These conclusions are certainly at odds with those who recommended antacids as a calcium supplement!
A key factor in protein digestion and some mineral absorption (including calcium absorption) is an adequate supply of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach.
Since the function of antacid tablets is to reduce stomach acidity, antacids will reduce stomach acidity. Antacids will reduce rather than increase, calcium absorption. This fact alone should concern you, but if it doesn’t, remember why people often need to spell “relief” from acid stomach in the first place.
Stomach acid is very strong, it is strong enough to dissolve metal. One of my favorite stories demonstrating the strength of HCl involves a schizophrenic who swallowed a razor blade wrapped inside some bread (mentally ill people often swallow foreign objects). After eight days, an endoscopy was performed to remove the razor blade. Only corroded and crumbling fragments were recovered; the HCl had eaten completely through the razor blade.
Frequently when stomach HCl is in short supply, the symptom is heartburn. With low HCl, people usually cannot tolerate fried or spicy foods. Some cannot even handle eggs, butter, milk, meat or cheese. These are the same symptoms that antacids are prescribed for. Other symptoms include a feeling of fullness after eating, belching, constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence (gas). Why does HCl cause such symptoms and why do antacids relieve the symptoms?
If HCl is low, the stomach holds the food longer. (This is why one symptom of low HCl is a feeling of fullness after a meal.) Whatever HCl is present mixes in with the food. The stomach churns and instead of emptying its contents into the small intestine, some food regurgitates into the esophagus. Since the throat is not protected against acid with the same mucosal barrier of the
stomach, the throat gets burned. This burning is called “heartburn.” By treating this heartburn with antacids, the burning stops - but all the problems documented above can occur.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? If antacids aren’t good as a calcium supplement and they aren’t good for heartburn - what are they good for?
x x x x x x x x
Less Gas, Better Nutrient Absorption*
Good news for you. Even better news for your family and friends. EZ-Gest uses five different plant-based enzymes to optimize digestion of all the foods you eat: dairy products, gas-causing vegetables, proteins, starchy carbohydrates, and fats. While others use animal-based enzymes, Shaklee EZ-Gest uses multi-action, plant-based enzymes so you're less bloated and gassy, and your body is better able to absorb the nutrients in your food.*
http://www.shaklee.net/members/shopNowProd/20633
For Calcium:
Chewable Cal Mag Plus
Now with more vitamin D - 600 IU!
Chewable Cal Mag Plus provides 1,000 mg of elemental calcium to help build bones and optimize peak bone mass, maintain bone density, and slow bone breakdown, reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life.** And its chewable, tasty berry formula makes it easy to add this unique combination of nutrients and trace elements to your daily regimen. For those with a preference, this formula does not contain vitamin K.
http://www.shaklee.net/members/shopNowProd/21216
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Truth about Soy and Breast Cancer
The truth about Soy and Breast Cancer
Soy is a phytoestrogen and decreases cancer stimulation
1.fills bloodstream with phytoestrogens that are much weaker than the body’s own homemade estrogen (1/1000th in strength)
2.binds to receptor sites on the cells where steroid estrogen would normally bind
3.phytoestrogens block steroid estrogens from binding – antagonists
a.also protective
4.prevents strong stimulation of cancer cells
a.own estrogen feeds breast cancer in some cases
b.your body is going to continue to produce estrogen
5.less stimulus would also slog down growth of cancer cells
6.soy builds the immune system
What to look for in a soy protein:
1.organically grown
2.water processed – not alcholol processed
3.all 9 amino acids are present in product
4.low heat used – heating destroys amino acids
5.anti-thyroid and anti-growth substances removed
6.calcium is added – when remove oil from soy the product becomes acidic – you want it neutral and calcium does that
Shaklee Energizing Soy Protein meets all these criteria
This information is provided to you by Laurie Schoeck RN
and is not intended to treat, diagnose or replace the
care of a medical practitioner.
TO purchase: http://profitandprosperity.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20665
Soy is a phytoestrogen and decreases cancer stimulation
1.fills bloodstream with phytoestrogens that are much weaker than the body’s own homemade estrogen (1/1000th in strength)
2.binds to receptor sites on the cells where steroid estrogen would normally bind
3.phytoestrogens block steroid estrogens from binding – antagonists
a.also protective
4.prevents strong stimulation of cancer cells
a.own estrogen feeds breast cancer in some cases
b.your body is going to continue to produce estrogen
5.less stimulus would also slog down growth of cancer cells
6.soy builds the immune system
What to look for in a soy protein:
1.organically grown
2.water processed – not alcholol processed
3.all 9 amino acids are present in product
4.low heat used – heating destroys amino acids
5.anti-thyroid and anti-growth substances removed
6.calcium is added – when remove oil from soy the product becomes acidic – you want it neutral and calcium does that
Shaklee Energizing Soy Protein meets all these criteria
This information is provided to you by Laurie Schoeck RN
and is not intended to treat, diagnose or replace the
care of a medical practitioner.
TO purchase: http://profitandprosperity.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20665
Fish Oil FIghts Colon Cancer
Fish Oil Compound Fights Colon Cancer
May 25, 1999
ORLANDO (Reuters Health) -- The omega-3-fatty acids found in some fish oils
appear to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in laboratory studies,
researchers report.
"The growth inhibitory effect was most prominent in rapidly proliferating
(cancer) cells," according to graduate student Angela Jordan and colleagues
at J.W. Goethe University, in Frankfurt, Germany. Jordan presented the
findings at the recent Digestive Disease Week conference of digestive tract
specialists, held in Orlando.
In an interview with Reuters Health, the researcher explained that
omega-3-fatty acids, the main active ingredient in fish oil supplements, have
already shown anticancer potential in malignancies of the breast, pancreas,
and prostate.
In their latest study, the German team introduced two types of human cancer
cells (Caco-2 and COLO-320) to an omega-3-fatty acid emulsion under
laboratory conditions.
According to Jordan, "the omega-3-fatty acids inhibit(ed) the growth of colon
cancer cells." They seemed especially effective against COLO-320, the most
aggressive of the two cancer cell lines, halting all growth within 72 hours
of exposure to the compound. This inhibitory effect appeared to stem from
"both growth arrest and apoptosis (death of cells)," the authors explain.
If further study confirms these findings, Jordan explained that the emulsion
used in the study may be used as a potential secondary treatment for cancer
patients, delivered as an added ingredient in their IV therapy. She also
believes that daily fish oil supplementation may prove to be beneficial in
healthy individuals who hope to reduce their risks for cancer.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
May 25, 1999
ORLANDO (Reuters Health) -- The omega-3-fatty acids found in some fish oils
appear to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in laboratory studies,
researchers report.
"The growth inhibitory effect was most prominent in rapidly proliferating
(cancer) cells," according to graduate student Angela Jordan and colleagues
at J.W. Goethe University, in Frankfurt, Germany. Jordan presented the
findings at the recent Digestive Disease Week conference of digestive tract
specialists, held in Orlando.
In an interview with Reuters Health, the researcher explained that
omega-3-fatty acids, the main active ingredient in fish oil supplements, have
already shown anticancer potential in malignancies of the breast, pancreas,
and prostate.
In their latest study, the German team introduced two types of human cancer
cells (Caco-2 and COLO-320) to an omega-3-fatty acid emulsion under
laboratory conditions.
According to Jordan, "the omega-3-fatty acids inhibit(ed) the growth of colon
cancer cells." They seemed especially effective against COLO-320, the most
aggressive of the two cancer cell lines, halting all growth within 72 hours
of exposure to the compound. This inhibitory effect appeared to stem from
"both growth arrest and apoptosis (death of cells)," the authors explain.
If further study confirms these findings, Jordan explained that the emulsion
used in the study may be used as a potential secondary treatment for cancer
patients, delivered as an added ingredient in their IV therapy. She also
believes that daily fish oil supplementation may prove to be beneficial in
healthy individuals who hope to reduce their risks for cancer.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Healthy News Worth Shouting About!
Healthy News Worth Shouting About!
[Here is a truly remarkable story from Nedra Sahr. M.S., C.N.S. about Ruth Barnes. Many thanks to Nedra for her Shaklee leadership and extensive knowledge!]
Ruth Barnes, our dear friend, got a quadruple genetic whammy from her parents and grandparents. Her father died of a heart attack at age 60, and her mother struggled with angina all her adult life. Ruth never knew any grandparents- they all died young of heart disease. Ruth was aware of her genetic risk and has pursued a healthy diet and Shaklee supplement program for years.
Her cardiologists have told her that her pro-active strategies have definitely kept her alive. Four years ago, she had to have 4 stents put in 2 arteries after a triple-by-pass did not work as well as they had hoped. Even after this, Ruth’s ejection fraction measure- the measure of blood pumped out of the ventricles with each heart beat was in the 35% range. Healthy levels are 55-75%. She increased her Omega Guard from 6 to 12 per day. Many of you would say, “Isn’t that dangerous- isn’t she over-dosing”?
Quite the opposite…Her ejection fraction measurement in July of this year was 76%. Her cardiologist was truly impressed and very supportive of her supplement routine.
Ruth gave him even more reason to be impressed this week when she had her cholesterol levels checked. She has been on Cholesterol Reduction Complex since late August. Her LDL cholesterol levels dropped a whopping 14.9% with a 15% increase in the HDL’s. Her cardiologist felt that her HDL increase was the most impressive. He said, “I haven’t seen anyone increase their HDL levels to this degree…ever.” Remember the main function of HDL’s are to soak up excess cholesterol from the walls of the blood vessels and transport them to the liver where they are broken down and then moved to the intestines where they are bound with bile and removed from the body. There is a corollary function of Cholesterol Reduction Complex- it has to do with the LDL cholesterol. Ruth’s LDL levels dropped because the sterols and stanols in the Cholesterol Reduction Complex keep the cholesterol in the intestines so they are bound with bile from the liver and removed from the body. Ruth is so excited she said she’d like to go out on the street and shout the good news. Perhaps we can help!
Do you know someone who has high levels of cholesterol? Would you be willing to speak with them? Whether they are not taking any medications or they are on cholesterol medications, they simply take 2 CR Complex with two meals each day. Then get their results checked in 3 months. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could work with their doctor to reduce their medications after lowering their cholesterol levels? And wouldn’t you feel good knowing you helped someone to better health?
Nedra’s note: Could Ruth have gotten these results with supplements from the drug store or big box store? I think not. Remember the article in our July newsletter that told of an environmental agency suing ten distributors of Omega-3 fish oils because their labels said pure and safe while the contents of the fish oil capsules showed high levels of PCB’s? I’m certain there are other supplement companies who are advertising cholesterol lowering medications as well. Are they safe?
There are supplement companies and then there is Shaklee…350 tests on every new raw ingredient—over 80,000 quality tests a year on our supplements. Who else does this? Check out the Brand X company the next time you consider switching brands. Call the company and ask how many tests their company does on the raw ingredients for their supplements. Then ask if they test during manufacture and again after the product is complete. The company reps may well tell you that is excessive testing. My answer is- it’s not excessive…It’s the Shaklee way of keeping us safe.
[Here is a truly remarkable story from Nedra Sahr. M.S., C.N.S. about Ruth Barnes. Many thanks to Nedra for her Shaklee leadership and extensive knowledge!]
Ruth Barnes, our dear friend, got a quadruple genetic whammy from her parents and grandparents. Her father died of a heart attack at age 60, and her mother struggled with angina all her adult life. Ruth never knew any grandparents- they all died young of heart disease. Ruth was aware of her genetic risk and has pursued a healthy diet and Shaklee supplement program for years.
Her cardiologists have told her that her pro-active strategies have definitely kept her alive. Four years ago, she had to have 4 stents put in 2 arteries after a triple-by-pass did not work as well as they had hoped. Even after this, Ruth’s ejection fraction measure- the measure of blood pumped out of the ventricles with each heart beat was in the 35% range. Healthy levels are 55-75%. She increased her Omega Guard from 6 to 12 per day. Many of you would say, “Isn’t that dangerous- isn’t she over-dosing”?
Quite the opposite…Her ejection fraction measurement in July of this year was 76%. Her cardiologist was truly impressed and very supportive of her supplement routine.
Ruth gave him even more reason to be impressed this week when she had her cholesterol levels checked. She has been on Cholesterol Reduction Complex since late August. Her LDL cholesterol levels dropped a whopping 14.9% with a 15% increase in the HDL’s. Her cardiologist felt that her HDL increase was the most impressive. He said, “I haven’t seen anyone increase their HDL levels to this degree…ever.” Remember the main function of HDL’s are to soak up excess cholesterol from the walls of the blood vessels and transport them to the liver where they are broken down and then moved to the intestines where they are bound with bile and removed from the body. There is a corollary function of Cholesterol Reduction Complex- it has to do with the LDL cholesterol. Ruth’s LDL levels dropped because the sterols and stanols in the Cholesterol Reduction Complex keep the cholesterol in the intestines so they are bound with bile from the liver and removed from the body. Ruth is so excited she said she’d like to go out on the street and shout the good news. Perhaps we can help!
Do you know someone who has high levels of cholesterol? Would you be willing to speak with them? Whether they are not taking any medications or they are on cholesterol medications, they simply take 2 CR Complex with two meals each day. Then get their results checked in 3 months. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could work with their doctor to reduce their medications after lowering their cholesterol levels? And wouldn’t you feel good knowing you helped someone to better health?
Nedra’s note: Could Ruth have gotten these results with supplements from the drug store or big box store? I think not. Remember the article in our July newsletter that told of an environmental agency suing ten distributors of Omega-3 fish oils because their labels said pure and safe while the contents of the fish oil capsules showed high levels of PCB’s? I’m certain there are other supplement companies who are advertising cholesterol lowering medications as well. Are they safe?
There are supplement companies and then there is Shaklee…350 tests on every new raw ingredient—over 80,000 quality tests a year on our supplements. Who else does this? Check out the Brand X company the next time you consider switching brands. Call the company and ask how many tests their company does on the raw ingredients for their supplements. Then ask if they test during manufacture and again after the product is complete. The company reps may well tell you that is excessive testing. My answer is- it’s not excessive…It’s the Shaklee way of keeping us safe.
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