VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2012
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
GOING HERBAL FOR YOUR HEART? Garlic extract Omega-3 or fish oil Vitamin E The jury is out Your herbal history
Going herbal for your heart? THERE ARE MANY FOOD SUPPLEMENTS CLAIMING TO PROTECT YOUR HEART. WHAT IS THE TRUTH BEHIND THE STATEMENT, “NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS”?
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The heart pumps the lifeblood through your veins – no wonder many people go to great lengths to keep it healthy. Many even go as far as to pop every known pill to protect their heart (although admittedly, some people do this out of laziness to exercise rather than conscientiousness).
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2012
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any of the pills people pop to protect their pumper, though, are not medicines but food supplements. According to the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a food supplement is a processed food product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanical, amino acid, and dietary substance to supplement one’s diet. These are not medicines, nor are they replacement for drugs and medicines, because the efficacy of these products was not evaluated by FDA. OF COURSE, JUST BECAUSE THE FDA DID NOT EVALUATE THEIR EFFICACY DOES NOT MEAN THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING THE HEART. SOME HEART SUPPLEMENTS CAN, IN FACT, PROTECT THE HEART. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THEM CANNOT. SO WHICH ONE IS WHICH?
Garlic extract
Omega-3 or fish oil
Vitamin E
The claim: Available as oil or powder, it is supposed to prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease
The claim: Omega-3 is a long-chain fatty acid that is found in fish oil and other sources. It is supposed to lower blood cholesterol and the risk of heart attack.
The claim: Vitamin E has anti-oxidant properties that can protect the heart.
The truth: While animal tests show that garlic extract may protect the heart, tests in human subjects failed to show this benefit. The combined analysis of 13 studies involving over a thousand people showed that garlic extract has no effect in blood cholesterol levels, a major predictor of heart disease. The verdict: Garlic oil doesn’t seem to protect the heart, and should not be used for this purpose. Nor should it be used to replace heart medications. Garlic oil can also increase some side effects of drugs being used to treat heart disease. Garlic extract may have other uses though, such as treatment of minor infections, because it has allicin, a potent antimicrobial. Inform your doctor if you have heart disease and plan to take garlic extract.
The truth: Omega-3 supplementation is one of the most studied of all food supplements. There is strong evidence from studies in almost 40,000 people that omega-3 supplements, usually in the form of fish oil, can lower the risk of heart attack and dying from heart disease among those with risk factors for heart disease. Risk factors include male age, obesity, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes. Omega-3 also lowers blood cholesterol levels. The verdict: : For those with risk factors for heart disease, take at least 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids every day. This may be in the form of supplements or a diet rich in fatty fishes, such as salmon, sardines, or mackerel.
The truth: While the anti-oxidant property of vitamin E is true, the claim that this property can protect the heart may not be true. In fact, studies on over 24,000 people show that vitamin E given at an average dose of 400 mg daily not only showed that it does not lower heart diseases, but that it also may slightly increase the risk of death. The reason behind this finding is still unclear. The verdict: The daily recommended intake of vitamin E among Filipinos is 12 mg per day. There is no need to take more than this through supplements. Good sources of vitamin E are nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. The best sources are soybean, corn oil, olive oil, peanuts, and peanut butter.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2012
The jury is out There are other popular heart supplements where the results of studies are conflicting. Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like chemical that has been reported to lower blood pressure and prevent some forms of heart disease. L-carnitine is popularly used by people suffering from chest pains, and also as a weight loss supplement. Green tea contains a variety of phytochemicals that may have several health benefits. However, the data behind all three supplements are still weak, and further studies need to be conducted to prove whether these products actually work or not. Of course, if you want to really keep your heart healthy, you can forget about guesswork altogether by keeping to what is already proven:
• EAT A LOW-FAT DIET. • EXERCISE AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK. • AVOID SMOKING.
Your herbal history
• KEEP A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT.
Many people think that herbs, being allnatural, are 100% safe. However, many herbal products, like regular medicines, contain potent chemicals that can also have side effects. In addition, these chemicals may also interact with other medications you might be taking. These interactions may lead to side effects. So remember that the next time you consult a doctor for any illness, make sure to mention in your history the different supplements you are taking, so that your doctor may adjust your treatment accordingly.
• MONITOR YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, BLOOD
SUGAR, AND BLOOD CHOLESTEROL REGULARLY. • READ A SLICE OF ORANGE EVERY MONTH.
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A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD