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Nutritional Medicine

Communicating with Patients About Dietary Supplement Use

The use of dietary supplements among patients affected by cancer is extensive, with an estimated 20-90 % of patients using these products. Their use of these products is often not shared with the treating physician. “Doctors need to understand why patients with cancer use dietary supplements in the first place. Patients tend to use these supplements because they want to do everything possible to feel hopeful, empower themselves, enhance the body’s natural defenses, use less toxic treatments, or reduce side effects of mainstream treatments,” said Dr. Victor Sierpina, UTMB professor of family medicine. “In fact, most patients choose to use dietary supplements to improve their quality of life rather than seeking a cure for their disease.” In the September issue of Current Oncology Reports, researchers at University of Texas Medical Branch, Sierpina describes a patient centered approach to managing dietary supplement use in cancer care. By Moshe Frenkel and Victor Sierpina, published in Current Oncology, Sept. 2014.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Chronic Disease: Treatment With Natural Supplements

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Chronic Disease

It is well known among researchers that mitochondrial genetic or primary mitochondrial disorders contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction as well as secondary or acquired degenerative disorders. This review will concentrate on nongenetic or acquired mechanisms that could explain mitochondrial dysfunction and their replacement treatment with natural supplements and combinations of natural supplements, including vitamins, minerals, enzyme cofactors, antioxidants, metabolites, transporters, membrane-type phospholipids, and other natural supplements. Combinations of supplements can reduce significantly the fatigue and other symptoms associated with chronic disease and can naturally restore mitochondrial function, even in long-term patients with intractable fatigue. By Garth Nicholsen, PhD, published in Alternative Therapies Health Med. 2014, Vol. 20, Suppl. 1.

Perioperative Supplementation Enhances Surgical Recovery After Distal Gastrectomy

This study was a pilot study to assess the effect of perioperatively administering oral cystine and theanine in gastric surgery patients and suggested that oral administration of these amino acids may reduce inflammation and promote recovery after gastric surgery. This study postulated that cystine and theanine would reduce excessive inflammation and immune suppression during the perioperative periods of abdominal surgeries, which decreases GSH levels in blood and skeletal muscle. The researchers examined the effects of perioperatively administering cystine and theanine on the postoperative course of gastric cancer patients undergoing distal gastrectomies as a pilot study. By Tomohiro Miyachi MD, Takashi Tsuchiya, MD et al., published in J of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 2012.

Citicoline Improves Teen/Adult Attention in Two Trials

In an age where attention spans are short and activity levels are low for teen boys, a new study shows citicoline may improve concentration and motor speed. The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical trial conducted by The Brain Institute, at the University of Utah, was presented at the annual AmericanRead

Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Multivitamin & Calcium Supplements

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, with over 1 million new cases diagnosed
every year worldwide. Over recent decades, considerable interest has emerged regarding whether vitamins and/or other supplements can lower the risk of BC. However, previous epidemiologic studies that investigated the association between intake of multivitamin and supplements of single vitamins and minerals and BC risk have reported conflicting results. Whether vitamins can actually reduce BC risk is still controversial. This study examined whether multivitamin and calcium use was associated with BC incidence and DNA repair capacity (DRC).

College Students’ Familiarity with CAM Supplements

As parents increasingly turn to complementary and alternative medicine for their children, researchers pondered whether college students were more or less receptive to CAM. Would a history of use at home influence attitudes as they take control of their own health. These study results may surprise you about overall awareness

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A Case for Ending Calcium Supplements

Should physicians stop prescribing calcium supplements for bone loss? Ian Reid makes a case for ending the practice. Calcium supplements may have little role to play in the modern therapeutics of osteoporosis. Therapy today should be based around prescribing safe and effective anti-resorptive drugs to individuals demonstrated to be at increased risk of future fractures.

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