Some of you may have heard about the DMAA saga. But those of you who haven’t let me give you a little history.

DMAA-containing supplements are just the latest in a long list of sports nutrition supplements that were heavily promoted as performance-enhancing supplements – but which really turned out to be either ineffective or dangerous – or both.

DMAA is short for the chemical dimethylamylamine. It is structurally very similar to amphetamine.

DMAA was originally developed as a nasal decongestant. However, it also has thermogenic and stimulant effects.

Shortly after ephedrine was banned in the United States manufacturers started adding DMAA to their weight loss and sports pre-workout supplements.

Because it is a stimulant, the World Anti-Doping Agency added DMAA to its 2010 prohibited list and numerous elite athletes have been disqualified from competition for DMAA use since then.

But that has not kept many other athletes from using DMAA supplements.

And that is a concern because, just like ephedrine, DMAA is not an innocuous substance. Reported side effects include headache, nausea and stroke.

And now, just like with ephedrine, it appears that we can add death to the list of side effects associated with DMAA usage.

After two US soldiers died following DMAA usage the US Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores ordered the removal of all products containing DMAA from their shelves.

Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, deputy director of Force Health Protection and Readiness Programs with the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness (don’t you love bureaucracy!) was quoted as saying the products were pulled from the shelves because “We are concerned about reports of heat illness, kidney (and) liver damage, and sudden death in service members who reportedly used products containing DMAA.”

Now I might have considered this as just another sad example of a sports supplement industry that puts profits ahead of safety and athletes who are willing to take almost any risk to gain an edge.

But then I read something in the February 17, 2012 issue of NUTRA ingredients-usa.com that made my blood boil.

It turns out that while GNC recalled all products containing DMAA from GNC stores on US military bases, it is continuing to sell those same products in all of its other stores.

And the CEO of GNC was bragging that the DMAA saga had “no impact whatsoever” on their sales.

I don’t know which is worse – that GNC is continuing to sell the DMAA supplements or that people are continuing to buy them.

What are they thinking?

To Your Health! Dr. Stephen G Chaney

“Over and over throughout my 35 years in business, the lack of quality THINKING has led to a Hell’s half-acre of disasters and disappointments.

And it’s not only in thinking through the solutions to the gnarly problems your business faces…

more often than not, it’s the painful reality that you’re working your buttsky off to solve the WRONG problem!”

Well… this got me to thinking — why do we work so hard to solve the WRONG problem?

It’s because we don’t always know what the RIGHT problem is.

And that’s because … as Dan says … we just don’t do enough thinking through the solutions to the problems we all have in growing our businesses…

Without all the deep-in-the-weeds details…

We know on a surface level what the RIGHT problems are in a network marketing business. It’s pretty simple really.

There are Five Key Factors that will determine whether or not we succeed at the levels we want…

1) How to invite (get the appointment, etc.)

2) How to present (what I call conversation, not presentation)

3) Follow up (which starts the moment you present — and never stops unless they do)

4) Getting those who say “yes” started right (right is the operative word here)

5) Coaching the active builders to success (if they aren’t coachable, you can’t help them)

These are the RIGHT problems to think about and solve.

Anyone … and I do mean anyone … who becomes a professional at these 5 steps will never have to worry about money. Period.

DH

By Dr. Steven G. Chaney

Since today is Valentine’s Day, it is only appropriate that that I should focus on the heart.

I came across a very interesting study recently that shows that when young women consumed a fish-rich diet high in omega-3 fatty acids they were significantly less likely to develop cardiovascular problems over the next several years (M Strom et al, Hypertension, 59: 36-43, 2012).

The investigators analyzed the data from 49,000 pregnant Danish women between 15 and 49.

The women were asked about their dietary behaviors at the time that they were enrolled into the Danish National Health System database and at several intervals over the next year.

The study then looked at hospital admissions for heart related problems over the next 8 years and compared that to the dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

The results were striking!

When the investigators looked at the dietary intake of omega-3-rich fish at the time of enrollment they found that the group with the lowest omega-3 fatty acid intake was almost twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

Of course, a single diet recall could be influenced by many temporary factors, so the investigators strengthened their analysis by obtaining dietary intake data three different times over a 30-week period.

And when they compared those women who had consistently low omega-3 intake with those who had consistently high omega-3 intake the increase in cardiovascular risk was almost three-fold!

So what is the bottom line for you?

1) This study is consistent with many other studies showing that omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart.

What makes this study unique is that it shows that the heart health benefits of omega-3s occur even in young women. Most of the previous studies have been done with men and women who were over 50.

2) This study was done with young women, but there is no reason not to expect the same benefit of omega-3s in young men.

3) This study was only done with fish because very few Danes take fish oil supplements, but other studies have shown that fish and fish oil supplements have similar heart health benefits.

So celebrate this Valentine’s Day with a nice fish dinner.

Your heart will thank you!

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

By Dr. Steven G. Chaney

Many of you have been asking me about the latest craze – taking coconut oil as a remedy (or even a preventative) for Alzheimer’s.

Most of the hype originates from a book written by Dr. Mary Newport about her use of coconut oil to help reduce her husband’s Alzheimer’s symptoms and subsequent news reports.

So I’ve been asked “Is there any truth to these reports? Is coconut oil the long-awaited cure for Alzheimer’s?”

Let’s start with the theory, as described by it’s proponents.

1) Coconut oil is a rich source of medium chain triglycerides (66% of the fat in coconut oil consists of medium chain triglycerides).

Now that statement requires a bit of explanation.

Triglyceride is another name for fat. Chemically, triglycerides consist of a glycerol backbone to which three fatty acids are attached.

If the chain length of those fatty acids is between 6 and 12, we refer to triglyceride as “medium chain”. If the length of those fatty acids is >12, we refer to the triglyceride as “long chain”.

So the statement that coconut oil is a rich source of medium chain triglycerides is TRUE.

2) Medium chain triglycerides are metabolized differently than long chain triglycerides.

Medium chain triglycerides are absorbed directly into the portal circulation where they go to the liver and are primarily converted to water soluble metabolites called ketone bodies.

Long chain triglycerides, on the other hand, are transported into the circulation through the lymphatic system and are either stored as fat or used for energy – except during starvation or glucose deprivation when they are also converted to ketone bodies by the liver.

So this statement is also TRUE – so far, so good.

3) The theory goes on to say that glucose metabolism gradually becomes impaired in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and postulates that Alzheimer’s disease occurs because the brain cells are starved for energy.

Now the theory is starting to get a little fuzzy. It is true that glucose metabolism decreases in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, but it is not clear whether that is the cause of Alzheimer’s or a result of the disease.

And, it is also an overly simplistic hypothesis. Both amyloid protein deposits and inflammation are also thought to contribute to the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s.

4) Finally, the theory goes on to say that since brain cells can also use ketone bodies as an energy source, adding coconut oil to the diet should improve brain function in Alzheimer’s patients.

As a professional skeptic (another word for scientist) my immediate reaction is to ask whether there is any proof for the theory.

The answer is almost none!

There was one small clinical study a few years ago in which 40 grams of medium chain triglycerides (equivalent to three tablespoons of coconut oil) were given to Alzheimer’s patients and a small improvement in symptoms was observed a short time latter – and that’s it.

I would hardly consider that to be overwhelming scientific evidence.

I have also seen video news reports showing Dr. Newport and her husband. I will take her word for it that his Alzheimer’s symptoms were improved, but he obviously still had pretty advanced Alzheimer’s.

5) The proponents of coconut oil go on to say that it has received a bum rap as a saturated fat, and, in fact, it raises good cholesterol (HDL) rather than bad cholesterol (LDL).

That’s only partially true. When you substitute medium chain triglycerides for the saturated and trans fats in the typical American diet, HDL levels are modestly increased.

However, when you substitute medium chain triglycerides for polyunsaturated fats you see an increase in LDL levels as well.

So medium chain triglycerides aren’t necessarily bad fats in terms of heart health, but they are clearly not the best fats.

So with all of that here are my bottom line recommendations:

1) If you have a loved one who is experiencing Alzheimer’s, adding a small amount of medium chain triglycerides is probably not unreasonable.

There is a tiny bit of evidence that it may offer very modest benefit, and you’re probably not concerned with the risk of heart disease.

2) However, we have no idea what is the optimal amount of coconut oil.

As I said before, one study showed modest benefits using the equivalent of three tablespoons of coconut oil.However, no dose-response studies have been done

However, in the absence of clinical studies establishing efficacy and safety I would not recommend higher intakes of coconut oil. You run the risk of increasing calories or displacing valuable nutrients from the diet.

3) There is no evidence that coconut oil is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. And since impaired glucose metabolism is just one of several probable causative factors, I consider it unlikely that any treatment that increases ketone bodies will have more than a modest effect.

4) I would not recommend coconut oil as a preventative for Alzheimer’s. There is absolutely no evidence to support it playing a preventative role and, as I said earlier, it is not the best fat for reducing the risk of heart disease.

5) Finally, there is one aspect of metabolism that proponents of this theory have ignored completely.

While other tissues can use ketone bodies as an energy source immediately, the brain requires several days to adapt before it can start using ketone bodies effectively.

That leads the skeptic in me to question whether the reported immediate effects of medium chain triglycerides on Alzheimer’s symptoms are due to improvement in brain metabolism at all.

But that’s another question for another day.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

By Dr. Steven G. Chaney

There are two big misconceptions people have about supplementation.

#1: Supplementation can cure disease.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked “I have “disease X”. What supplements should I take? – as if supplements were drugs that can be taken to cure a disease.

We shouldn’t think of supplements as drugs that cure diseases. We should think of them as providing the nutrients that are the building blocks of health – or perhaps the ammunition that the body uses to fight diseases.

Diseases, after all, are an abnormal state of being, and our bodies have an amazing capacity to fight those diseases.

When we have infections or cancer our body activates its immune system to fight it.

When we have inflammation our body tries to put out the fire.

When we have damage to our DNA – our genetic information – our body tries to repair it. The list is almost endless. Our bodies are wondrously designed!

Our immune systems require nutrients like protein, B vitamins, antioxidants, zinc and iron.

The omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants and polyphenols like resveratrol are anti-inflammatory.

Nutrients like antioxidants and polyphenols support DNA repair.

So proper diet and supplementation are not “magic bullets” that cure diseases. They are simply the building blocks that allow the body to do what it does best. And because no two of us are alike the nutrients that we need the most to allow our bodies to do their job efficiently may be different for each one of us.

So while there is no magic food or supplement that will cure a specific disease, a healthy diet and a holistic approach to supplementation can often work wonders.

#2) It doesn’t matter what you eat.

This is the flip side of the coin. I often come across people who have been told by the “experts” that the cause of their disease was not related to diet so they shouldn’t worry about what they eat and supplementation will not do any good.

Let’s take the most extreme example – genetically caused diseases or serious degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s for which the causes are still not fully understood.

It is generally true that these diseases were not caused by poor diet (MS may be the exception because there is some evidence that it can be caused by inadequate vitamin D during childhood). And I know many people who take the “expert’s” advice to heart and eat whatever they like and consider supplementation a waste of money.

Is that a sound approach? Let’s consider.

Any nutritionist will tell you that an inadequate diet can lead to malaise, low energy, inflammation, weakened immune system and impaired wound healing – just to name a few maladies. Even if you don’t end up with the symptoms of a nutritional deficiency a poor diet can rob you of energy and vitality.

If you layer the consequences of a poor diet on top of the underlying disease, your chances of being able to cope with the disease and function optimally are greatly diminished.

I have come across many people with very serious diseases who are able to function at a very high level through proper diet and a holistic approach to supplementation.

Diet and supplementation did not cure their disease as they quickly discover if they stop supplementing and go back to the way they used to eat, but in many cases you would consider them to be perfectly healthy as long as they keep doing what they have been doing.

So what is the bottom line for you?

1) There is no perfect food or supplement that is capable of curing disease, but if you give your body the nutrients that it needs it often has the ability to cure itself.

2) Proper diet and supplementation can make a difference even if the disease was not caused by poor nutrition.

3) Each of us have unique nutritional needs so in both cases a holistic approach to diet and supplementation is best.

I didn’t specifically talk about weight control and exercise, but you should know from my previous e- letters that I consider them to be an essential part of any holistic health program.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

By Dr. Steven G. Chaney

You have probably heard that slowly digested carbohydrates (legumes, whole grains and other high fiber foods such as raw vegetables & fruits) are better for you than foods containing primarily white flour and simple sugars.

Simply put, slow is better. That’s the “slow” part of my title. What about the “low”?

Most of you have probably also heard that inflammation is bad for you since it can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many more chronic diseases.

Ideally, we want to keep systemic inflammation as low as possible.

The study that I am writing about today shows that diets rich in slowly digested carbohydrates (or in scientific terminology – diets with a low glycemic load) significantly lower C-reactive protein, a marker of systemic inflammation.

Hence the title “slow and low”.

Dr. Marian Neuhouser and colleagues at Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center (Journal of Nutrition: doi: 10.3945/jn.111.149807) conducted a randomized control study with 80 participants – half men and half women – and half normal weight and half overweight.

Each of the study participants consumed both high glycemic load diets and low glycemic load diets for 28 day periods in random order (some consumed the high glycemic load diet first and then switched to the low glycemic load diet, while others started with the low glycemic load diet).

Other than the type of carbohydrates, the diets were identical. They were 15% healthy proteins, 30% healthy fats and 55% carbohydrate.

Markers of inflammation were low in the participants who were of normal weight and diet did not significantly affect them.

However, markers of inflammation were elevated in the obese participants. This was not unexpected because many studies have already shown that obesity triggers inflammation.

The low glycemic load diet significantly lowered C- reactive protein in the obese patients. In addition, levels of adiponectin, a hormone that helps the body regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism, were slightly increased.

So what is the bottom line for you?

1) Your mother was right. Those fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains really are better for you.

Inflammation is a silent killer. And, even if it doesn’t kill you, it can cause chronic diseases that destroy your quality of life.

And inflammation is just the tip of the iceberg. Those fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains are full of fiber, phytonutrients, trace minerals and antioxidants that provide many more health benefits.

So keep it “slow and low”.

2) Of course, you might be tempted to interpret this study as saying that if you maintain normal weight you don’t need to worry about consuming foods containing white flour and simple sugars.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. These were very healthy diets designed by dietitians. Even the high glycemic load diet was pretty healthy.

These diets were a far cry from what most Americans are eating. For example, the kinds of fats in the typical American diet can also trigger inflammation.

My recommendation is to choose low glycemic carbohydrates as much as possible even if you are slender – and to also consume moderate amounts of healthy fats and healthy proteins.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

Master Coordinator Bob Ferguson decided (and that’s the key) that he wanted to increase his overall OGV.

He understands that to make that happen, people in his organization need to increase their volume. Pretty simple mathematical principle.

He decided (there’s that word again) to I institute a 10% increase in PGV goal just for fun of it — to see what would happen.

Bob sends a Leadership Letter to his group every month. And he has graciously given me permission to send his latest Leadership Letter to you.

I found it inspiring. I hope you do.

Dan

Part 1

From Bob Ferguson:

Ok leaders. Here’s my progress. The GPV number I needed for a 10% increase was 9,478.

As of a few minutes ago it was 10,450 so far this month.

I had a large order that comes in every 3-4 months, so I’m continuing to drive forward to see if I can make the 10% increase on top of that order.

Again, increasing GPV is a short to medium-term strategy.

The best way to create an enduring business for the long term is to build organizations.

Our ability/desire to do that will vary, so depending on what you want, adding to your personal GPV might emphasize gaining new members or servicing and communicating better with those you have, or it may focus on finding new partners and helping people move up the business-building ranks.

In any case, more activity means higher volume —

and if you keep your eyes and ears open, many possibilities will emerge. If you put your attention on finding business partners, or solid referral partners, you will see/find them.

Now permit me to tell you about my international morning.

I started my day with my laptop propped up in bed talking on a Des Moines, Iowa number hooked to a Magic Jack — hooked to a computer in Gujarat India — with the daughter of good friends on the line.

She had contacted me about Shaklee in India. I told her not yet, but China was open now.

She told me her mom had deep connections and interest in China.

I sent her links, she listened/watched and we are off to the races.

She asked how she can build a U.S. based business, which I said she’d need to do to take advantage of building leaders in other countries. I told her…

“Just exactly like we are doing it now. It’s 9 am here, 9 pm in India, we are both relaxing, talking on the phone as if we were next to each other, and each with our laptops open going over web sites with all the assets you’ll need to learn.”

It was an astounding moment — realizing the world had collapsed to a point, and it was no more difficult for her to build nationally in the U.S. from India than it was for me in Fairfield.

If I’m connecting to Boston electronically, who cares whether I’m in Fairfield, India, or Timbuktu?

What a revelation!

I got off the phone with her in 20 minutes, and headed for a meeting with a former professor of Chinese from Harvard who bought products from us in the early 70s.

He now lives in Fairfield with his Taiwanese wife, after living in Taiwan for 20+ years. I called him the other day and said we need to talk about what is happening in China.

After two hours, several cups of coffee, and a lot of laughs, Grace, his wife, and Douglass, are both excited about her new business!

He will support — continuing his work doing personal development seminars all over Taiwan and China.

We went right on the Shaklee China web site and she skated around looking at all the products.

I had sent them links to China info and multiple links to talks by Roger to review prior to the meeting.

So, I had a pretty good morning!

Part 2

Amazing how things happen when we put our attention on exactly what we want.

Then things come to us we weren’t even expecting! I told you about my excellent morning yesterday.

Well, today, I spent another two hours with a house guest about Shaklee and it looks like we have a near-perfect fit.

Margherita is a non-profit strategy consultant, originally from Italy, who came to town for a strategic planning session for the Institute for Responsible Technology — where I serve on the board.

As part of my contribution, Kay and I agreed to house Margherita in our upstairs office/apartment.

We had a great time, and this morning over tea she told me she was fascinated by the Shaklee brochure she found.

Hmm, wonder who put it there?

I played her a couple of Roger links from the attached sheet, and we headed off to breakfast at Cafe Paradiso (she thought it felt just like she was in Cambridge or Berkeley) and a serious business talk.

She is top-flight pro with 18 years in non-profit workforce development.

She has no debt and some savings, but nothing near what she needs to retire.

She also needs more current income.

It took just a little talk, a 10 minute explanation of the Dream Brochure, a validation of Shaklee culture and values, and she totally got it.

We’ll see, but I expect this will be a perfect fit for her.

So that inspired me to let you know what the group would look like if we all averaged our 10% GPV increase this month, which many of you have blown right through in a big way.

Have fun and let’s keep our eyes open!

Bob

That’s great advice — but we all know there’s more to it than just seeing the people.

When you do see them, what you say to people and how you say it — has a lot to do with how successful you’ll be.

I think what Dr. Shaklee meant is that you need to see “lots” of people. And that if you don’t share your product or business opportunity, obviously, nothing good will happen.

I think he said something like …

“The product works, but it won’t walk across the street and knock on your neighbors door.”

I believe in working smart. But I really believe there is something to be said for sheer tenacity — and hard work.

Assuming you and I work equally smart — I think the one who works hardest — and most consistently — will win the day.

Abe Lincoln said, “Work is great a merit, it should be encouraged.”

I’m with Abe. I know for sure that hard work, worked for me.

The point here is that if your Shaklee business isn’t going the way you want it to go, maybe the answer is to redouble your efforts — see more people — tell the story more often and tell it more persuasively.

Believe in the law of averages to work in your favor.

And while you’re working hard. Try to get better at how you do what you do. Grow and learn.

And may I add — learn all you can, as fast as you can — about human nature. Learn about people. What makes them tick?
What turns them on and what turns them off?

What you know about your prospect is far more important than what you know about Shaklee products. If you blow it with personal interactions — it doesn’t matter how much you know about the
product.

Back to hard work…

Goethe wrote, “Whoever strenuously endeavors, him we can rescue”

I love this. What this says to me is that if someone is willing to make a serious effort, we can help them win. If they are not willing to make a serious effort, all the coaching in the world won’t help them.

Ironically, a lot of people who work really hard like to pretend that they don’t.

And a lot of people who don’t work very hard at all — like to pretend they do.

I watched a bit of Australian Open tennis last night. Murray vs Djokovic — amazing stuff. I couldn’t help but think how hard these two amazing players had to work to be that good.

If success was easy— everybody would be rich.

If success was easy — everybody would be a Master Coordinator.

I’ve never told one prospect that building a Shaklee business was easy or automatic. That doesn’t ring true for people. They know better.

I tell them if they are coachable and treat it like a business, they will eventually win.

I believe that. I know that.

If you’re coachable and willing to work at —
if you’re willing to treat it like a business —
it may never be easy, but it will get easier and more predictable.

I’ll make you these two promises today…

1) There is a price to be paid for real, lasting success

2) The personal freedom and financial peace of mind that will come to you as a result of finding three key people will be worth the effort.

All the best,

Dan

Let me start with a bit of background:

Caloric restriction in the range of 30-50% has been shown to extend the lifespan in every species studied (Of course, lifespan studies are impossible in humans because we live too long).

Human clinical studies have shown that both caloric restriction and endurance exercise exert many of the same metabolic effects in humans as caloric restriction in animals.

The effects of endurance training is particularly interesting.

Endurance training increases the activity of mitochondria (the power packs of our cells), especially the ability of our mitochondria to use fat as an energy source. In addition, endurance training increases the ability of the muscle cells responsible for endurance exercise to store fat.

This increased ability of those muscle cells to store and utilize fat makes them more efficient and less dependent on carbohydrates as an energy source.

All of this is fascinating, but not very practical.

Very few people want to starve themselves half to death just so they can live longer.

And, as for the effects of endurance training, we are talking about the metabolic effects observed in elite endurance athletes – not just the casual jogger or cyclist.

That makes the question about whether resveratrol and other naturally occurring polyphenols could exert some of the same beneficial effects particularly interested.

Studies in mice have suggested that possibility.

Mouse studies have shown that resveratrol exerts many of the same effects on longevity as caloric restriction, and it does that by affecting the activity of genes associated with the aging process – genes that affect the diseases associated with aging.

For example, mouse studies have shown that both caloric restriction and resveratrol decrease inflammation (which is thought to be a root cause of many diseases) and production of the free radicals (reactive oxygen species) that damage DNA and lead to aging at a cellular level.

Mouse studies have also shown that both caloric restriction and resveratrol lower blood pressure and triglycerides (which decreases the risk of heart disease), lower blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity (which decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes) and increase the number and activity of mitochondria (the power packs of the cell) which improves exercise endurance.

So is all of the hype about this recently published clinical study true?

It was a relatively small study, but it was very well designed.

11 obese men (average age 52, average weight = 220 pounds, average BMI = 31) were enrolled in the study.

The study was what scientists call a randomized, double-blind crossover study.

In plain English that means that half of the men received 150 mg of resveratrol during the first 30 days and the other half received a placebo. This was followed by a four week washout period to remove resveratrol from the bloodstream. Then in the final 30 days of the trial the groups were switched. Those that received the placebo during the first 30 days were given resveratrol and vice versa.

The strength of this kind of study is that each subject serves as their own control – which eliminates a lot of individual variability.

The result of just 30 days on resveratrol were impressive:

1) The same gene regulators (AMPK, SIRT1 and PGC-1a) were activated in this study as are activated by caloric restriction and resveratrol in mice and endurance training in humans.

2) Blood glucose levels and blood insulin levels were decreased and insulin sensitivity was improved.

3) Triglyceride levels and levels of inflammation markers (eg IL-6 and TNFa) were decreased.

4) Systolic and average blood pressure was decreased.

5) Both gene expression and metabolic studies showed that mitochondrial efficiency was increased – especially the ability of mitochondria to generate energy from fat stores. In addition, fat stores in the muscle fibers responsible for endurance exercise were increased.

6) Fat stores in the liver (a pathological condition associated with obesity that can lead to liver damage) were decreased and blood markers of liver health were improved.

7) No adverse effects of resveratrol supplementation were observed.

The authors concluded “[This study] shows that resveratrol supplementation exerts favorable metabolic adaptations that in many aspects mimic the effects of caloric restriction and/or endurance training.”

And these results are fully consistent with two other human clinical studies published just this year.

Wong et al, (Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 21: 851-856, 2011) have already reported that resveratrol at doses as low as 30 mg/day improves arterial blood flow.

Similarly, Ghanim et al (The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96: 1409-1414, 2011) have shown that 100 mg of resveratrol plus polyphenols from muscadine grapes was sufficient to blunt the inflammatory response and free radical damage caused by a high fat meal.

So, what is the bottom line for you?

1) Clearly, more human clinical trials are needed, but evidence is starting to accumulate that resveratrol supplementation may provide some substantial health benefits.

2) Many of the metabolic effects of resveratrol seen in this and other studies (improved blood sugar control, decreased blood pressure, lower triglycerides, decreased markers of inflammation, decreased free radical damage and decreased fat stores in the liver) have the potential to reduce the risk of many of the diseases associated with aging.

3) The improvement in mitochondrial efficiency and ability to utilize fat as an energy source should be of interest to many athletes – especially endurance athletes.

4) While the dose of resveratrol used in this study was 266 fold lower than the highest dose used in mouse studies, the blood levels of resveratrol were two times higher than the highest blood levels achieved in those studies.

This puts to rest the argument by some experts that if we were to extrapolate from the mouse studies to humans it might take thousands of mg/day of resveratrol to exert a beneficial effect in humans.

Based on the published clinical studies to date doses in the range of 30 to 150 mg/day appear to be effective in humans.

5) Not only was 4 weeks without supplementation sufficient return blood resveratrol levels to baseline, but it also returned all of the improved metabolic parameters to baseline. This means that continuous resveratrol supplementation is likely to be required to achieve long term health benefits.

6) While long term clinical studies are clearly needed, the available data suggest that doses of resveratrol in the 30 to 150 mg/day range are safe in humans – which is in sharp contrast to the side effects observed in clinical trials of the synthetic resveratrol derivatives being developed by the pharmaceutical industry.

7) Finally, I would like to point out that other naturally occurring polyphenols exert health benefits that resveratrol does not. And, if we have learned anything over the last 10 or 20 years it is that high potency individual nutrients can sometimes cause more harm than good – probably by interfering with the absorption of closely related nutrients.

So until the safety of high dose, high purity resveratrol has been unequivocally demonstrated, my personal recommendation would be to use supplements with resveratrol plus a blend of related polyphenols rather than with resveratrol alone.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

By Dr. Steven G. Chaney

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil have become a nutrition sensation over the past 15 or 20 years.

If you believe what you see in the media, diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, many types of cancer, anxiety and depression – just to name a few. But how much of this is true, and how much is just hype?

The beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke have been established by multiple randomized clinical trials, but many of the other supposed benefits are based primarily on associations rather than on hard clinical data.

That is why three recent randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical studies caught my eye.

#1) In the first study (Kiecolt-Glaser et al, Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 25: 1725-1734, 2011) 68 healthy medical students at Ohio State were given either placebo capsules or capsules containing 2.5 gm of omega-3 fatty acids (primarily EPA or DHA) for 12 weeks. The placebo contained the fatty acid composition of the standard American diet (SAD) and was given a fishy taste to make it indistinguishable from the omega-3 capsules.

None of the medical students had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but all of them reported the normal anxiety associated with medical school. (As an anxiety- inducer (ie, Professor) for the past 39 years I am well aware of the fact that medical school causes a wee bit of anxiety for many of our students.)

Blood samples were drawn and the Beck Anxiety Inventory was performed on low stress days and on the day before exams.

Students receiving the omega-3 supplements had a 14% decrease in the inflammatory marker IL-6 and a 20% decrease in anxiety compared to the placebo group. While those percentages are small, that is to be expected because the incidence of both anxiety and inflammation is very low to begin with in a young, healthy population like this one. More importantly, both decreases were statistically significant.

#2) In the second study (Sinn et al, British Journal of Nutrition: doi:10.1017/S0007114511004788) 50 people over the age of 65 (average age = 74) were given either 1.8 grams of an omega-3 supplement enriched for EPA or a placebo containing an equivalent amount of the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid for 6 months. Depressive symptoms were assessed on the Geriatric Depression Scale.

In this study the omega-3 group had a significant decrease in depressive symptoms.

#3) In the third study (Aronson et al, Cancer Prevention Research, doi: 10.1158/1940-6207. CAPR-11-0298) men with prostate cancer who were scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy (an operation that removes the prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissue) were randomly assigned to receive either a low-fat diet with 5 grams of fish oil daily (an omega-6:omega-3 ration of 2:1) or a low-fat diet with 5 grams of the oils in the standard American diet (an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 15:1) for four to six weeks prior to the operation.

At the time of the operation, the number of rapidly dividing cells in the cancer tissue was determined.

The results were fairly dramatic. The tumors from the individuals receiving the omega-3 supplement had a significant reduction in the number of rapidly dividing cells.

The authors considered this a highly promising result saying that “the rate at which cancer cells are dividing can be predictive of future cancer progression. The lower the rate of proliferation, the lesser the chances that the cancer will spread outside the prostate, where it is much harder to treat.”

The limitations of these studies are fairly obvious.

1) They are relatively small studies and need to be replicated by larger, longer duration studies.

2) The studies are using high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the prostate cancer study. That is typical for clinical trials, which are designed to maximize the possibility of a positive outcome in a short period of time. However, it will be important to test whether lower intakes of omega-3 fatty acids over a longer period of time confer the same benefits.

The strength of these studies is that they are fully consistent with population studies showing that people with high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and certain forms of cancer.

So what is the bottom line for you?

1) You already knew that omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk of heart disease. The studies described above are consistent with many previous studies suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids may have many other health benefits as well.

2) The typical American diet is very low in omega-3 fatty acids (an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 15:1), so if you are like most Americans you should be looking at how you can increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

3) Many fish – and many fish oil supplements – are contaminated with heavy metals and PCBs, so you need to do your homework and chose food and supplements that are low in these contaminants.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney