Nutritional Supplements: Can Th... Video Transcri...

Participants

Sam Benjamin MD, Lisa Clark , Nate Lebowitz MD

Summary

Nearly 60 million Americans are diagnosed with heart disease every year and it's the leading cause of death in both men and women. But there's been a lot of talk lately about how nutritional supplements might help. Which supplements are effective? Join our panel of specialists as they discuss the pros and cons of various supplements that are currently available on the market.

Webcast Transcript

LISA CLARK: I'm Lisa Clark. Welcome, and thanks for joining us for this webcast. The quest for a healthy heart leads many Americans to the drugstore or the health food store, where the aisles are packed with vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances alleged to help prevent or reduce the effect of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country, and of increasing concern to an aging Baby Boomer population. But what nutritional supplements are worth your time and your money? For the next few minutes, we'll discuss the multi-billion dollar nutritional supplement industry, and try to separate the science from the speculation.

Joining our discussion today, Nate Lebowitz, a cardiologist and assistant clinical professor at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Welcome.

And also Sam Benjamin, director for the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at State University of New York, Stony Brook. He is also one of the founders of Mariposa, a natural supplement company. You should have a lot to say about this.

Let's begin by stating that nutritional supplements fall into three basic categories: Those which are proven effective, those which are proven not effective, and those which are untested and sometimes controversial.

I think let's start with a couple of the supplements from the proven category, and ask you both to address the research behind them. Let's start with fish oil supplements. What do they do?

NATE LEBOWITZ, MD: As a cardiologist, I can tell you that I think fish oil has clearly entered the standard of care or mainstream range. And I think this was highlighted by a very large study last summer, with thousands of Italian men who had had a heart attack. Those who were put on fish oil, or omega-3 supplements from fish oil, had a dramatic drop in arrhythmias, sudden death from arrhythmias, and repeat heart attack. So we're clearly in the realm, and we've also known that it lower triglycerides, it can help with cholesterol, and it can help protect your arteries.

LISA CLARK: Sam, how much and how often should people be taking fish oil supplements?

SAM BENJAMIN, MD: I think the dose varies, and I don't want to be held to this. I think it also depends on the medications you're taking. For example, if somebody is on Coumadin, or is taking aspirin, or both of those, they really need to discuss this with their physician, because fish oils as well will affect the clotting mechanism, and that's an important consideration.

If they have other problems going on, for example, if they had hemorrhoids, for example. Somebody that I treated, that became a real problem. You need to be very careful about it. If they happen to have other issues like inflammatory bowel disease, the dose would vary. So I think it's something they need to think about. And they need to consider the options. Flaxseed oil, if they can't handle the fish oil. And the other possibility -- well, I suppose flaxseed oil would be the best -- hemp oil, which can be gotten in stores, and is not psychotropic, but does come from the marijuana plant, are definitely possibilities.

LISA CLARK: And they all have those omega acids in them.

SAM BENJAMIN, MD: They have omega-3 and, in fact, the flaxseed and hemp have a substantial amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which are also really good for you.

LISA CLARK: Let's talk about Resveratrol. Now, this is made from the skin of grapes.