Which Dietary Supplements Are Best for You?
Dietary supplements are big business. Last year alone, Americans spent more than $25 billion dollars on them.
Their manufacturers claim they work for everything from sexual dysfunction to memory woes, depression and weight gain.
And now, more Americans than ever are giving supplements a try before turning to medications.
But which ones are right for you?
On "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Dr. Daniel Amen provided some answers.
He's the author of the current best-seller, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body."
A walk through the aisle of your local vitamin store can be overwhelming, so Amen offered some guidance, stressing that this isn't a matter of one-size-fits-all: Supplements' effectiveness varies by the person. And some aren't very good at all.
Supplements can be very helpful but, he points out, just because something is natural doesn't mean it is innocuous. Having a thoughtful approach is very important.
If you are not taking any supplements at the moment and you feel pretty healthy, should you still take supplements?
I recommend three things for my patients: A good multivitamin, because 91 percent of Americans do not have the minimum requirement of five servings of fruit and vegetables per day -- the minimum requirement to get the nutrition you need. I recommend all of my patients take Omega 3 fatty acid supplements because, when those levels are low , people are vulnerable to dementia, depression, even suicide. Taking Omega threes has been found to be good for your heart, skin, eyes, joints , hair and brain. And everyone should get their Vitamin D level checked.
In the last five years, there has been a lot of information that has suggested that two-thirds of Americans are low in Vitamin D. And when you are low in Vitamin D, you are hungry all the time and you are at risk for cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart attack.
RHODIOLA for Energy
Rhodiola was actually used by cosmonauts on the space station to help them with focus and energy. You can find it in energy drinks. We did a study on RHODIOLA and found it boosted blood flow to the front part of your brain. It is better than caffeine, because it enhances overall brain function and caffeine does the opposite.
5-HTP for Weight Issues
5-HTP is a supplement that boosts Serotonin, a chemical in your brain. When Serotonin is low, people can get obsessive, they can get over-focused and have mood problems. Research suggests it can also help you lose weight. And the dosage should be somewhere between 200-250 mg per day.
It can also be helpful for people who tend to be anxious, who tend to be depressed. But not all anxious, and not all overweight people are the same. You have to know your type of brain. So, it is very important to not just go out and take 5 HTP, but talk to your naturopath, your doctor and find out if it is the right thing for you.
Huperzine A for Memory
Huperzine A is a Chinese moss extract that has been found in a number of studies to aid memory. One study even suggested it may help kids with learning issues.
Green Tea
I am not a big fan of caffeine, but I am a big fan of green tea. It has a little caffeine in it. It also has something called an ingredient that can help you focus and relax at the same time. So, it can boost your willpower, to help you stay on track with things. And there are a number of studies that say it enhances brain function and makes your DNA look younger.
Are these supplements also good for your heart?
What I always say is that whatever is good for your brain is good for your heart - it is all about good blood flow. It is very important to understand that your physical health affects your brain health. And when your brain works right, you can make the right decisions about your health.
What is the most common misperception about supplements?
Well, there is the big debate! Some claim supplements don't work and there is no science behind them. That is not true. It is just important that you target them to your specific brain and your specific needs.
Is there any supplement you should not take
Well, it depends on the individual, which is why I write in the book about what is good and bad for your brain, depending on your brain type -- and we help you determine that.
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. Their manufacturers claim they work for everything from sexual dysfunction to memory woes, depression and weight gain.
And now, more Americans than ever are giving supplements a try before turning to medications.
But which ones are right for you?
On "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Dr. Daniel Amen provided some answers.
He's the author of the current best-seller, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body."
A walk through the aisle of your local vitamin store can be overwhelming, so Amen offered some guidance, stressing that this isn't a matter of one-size-fits-all: Supplements' effectiveness varies by the person. And some aren't very good at all.
Supplements can be very helpful but, he points out, just because something is natural doesn't mean it is innocuous. Having a thoughtful approach is very important.
If you are not taking any supplements at the moment and you feel pretty healthy, should you still take supplements?
I recommend three things for my patients: A good multivitamin, because 91 percent of Americans do not have the minimum requirement of five servings of fruit and vegetables per day -- the minimum requirement to get the nutrition you need. I recommend all of my patients take Omega 3 fatty acid supplements because, when those levels are low , people are vulnerable to dementia, depression, even suicide. Taking Omega threes has been found to be good for your heart, skin, eyes, joints , hair and brain. And everyone should get their Vitamin D level checked.
In the last five years, there has been a lot of information that has suggested that two-thirds of Americans are low in Vitamin D. And when you are low in Vitamin D, you are hungry all the time and you are at risk for cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart attack.
RHODIOLA for Energy
Rhodiola was actually used by cosmonauts on the space station to help them with focus and energy. You can find it in energy drinks. We did a study on RHODIOLA and found it boosted blood flow to the front part of your brain. It is better than caffeine, because it enhances overall brain function and caffeine does the opposite.
5-HTP for Weight Issues
5-HTP is a supplement that boosts Serotonin, a chemical in your brain. When Serotonin is low, people can get obsessive, they can get over-focused and have mood problems. Research suggests it can also help you lose weight. And the dosage should be somewhere between 200-250 mg per day.
It can also be helpful for people who tend to be anxious, who tend to be depressed. But not all anxious, and not all overweight people are the same. You have to know your type of brain. So, it is very important to not just go out and take 5 HTP, but talk to your naturopath, your doctor and find out if it is the right thing for you.
Huperzine A for Memory
Huperzine A is a Chinese moss extract that has been found in a number of studies to aid memory. One study even suggested it may help kids with learning issues.
Green Tea
I am not a big fan of caffeine, but I am a big fan of green tea. It has a little caffeine in it. It also has something called an ingredient that can help you focus and relax at the same time. So, it can boost your willpower, to help you stay on track with things. And there are a number of studies that say it enhances brain function and makes your DNA look younger.
Are these supplements also good for your heart?
What I always say is that whatever is good for your brain is good for your heart - it is all about good blood flow. It is very important to understand that your physical health affects your brain health. And when your brain works right, you can make the right decisions about your health.
What is the most common misperception about supplements?
Well, there is the big debate! Some claim supplements don't work and there is no science behind them. That is not true. It is just important that you target them to your specific brain and your specific needs.
Is there any supplement you should not take
Well, it depends on the individual, which is why I write in the book about what is good and bad for your brain, depending on your brain type -- and we help you determine that.
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I have read in this article how great green tea is, which I also have, and L-carnitin pils (which help our body to transportate body fat), but I have never found a dietary supplement as citricdiet.
I think it is based on the lemon diet, or also the lemon/syrup diet. However, it is better to have it in powdered doses which can be taken anywhere.
http://www.brainlings.com/2011/11/mr-supplements/
I stick with the supplements that are considered "safe" by a review of the literature.
I just heard--Saliva causes cancer!!!!
When can you make D from sunlight?
When your shadow is shorter than your height, i.e. between 11 and 1. But for people living north of LA or Atlanta, the ultraviolet B rays don?t reach us from November to March. The more melanin in a person?s skin, the longer sun exposure they need.
Why are we lower now than ever before?
Kids don?t play outside as much (thanks, Pac-Man!), we all use sunscreen more, fish is no longer a major item of the menu (now it?s a luxury), and even the fact that we eat less lard means we get a lot less D.
Can?t we overdose on D?
This fear traces back to a faulty 1984 study which found that 3,800 IU a day produced toxic symptoms like kidney stones and vomiting -- but the amount given participants was mistakenly about 100 times higher, 380,000 IU! This one flawed study still rules, despite hundreds of more recent studies showing the 200 IU a day is completely inadequate. Think about it, how could 3,800 IU be toxic when a pale person sunbathing in a swimsuit , for 20 minutes midday in the summer makes about 20,000 IU of vitamin D? GrassrootsHealth.net has a chart showing that an average person would have to take 30,000 a day to overdose.
Why is the government standard so low?
See above, the FDA is still stuck in that 1984 study. And the cogs of bureaucracy move slowly. This is particularly unfortunate because until the standards rise, the national school lunch (and breakfast) program won?t need to provide adequate levels of D. As a teacher, I deduce that the Achievement Gap is nothing more than a vitamin D gap, and that the epidemics in children of allergies, ADD, asthma, obesity, diabetes, and even hypertension would all drop if kids got enough D. See more at GoodSchoolFood.org (upper left corner).
What?s the right daily amount?
It would be best to get a test ($40 at GrassrootsHealth.net) but until you get around to that most people can safely start with 1000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight. It makes sense that most of us need to catch up. Once a person is replete, they can cut back to a maintenance dose, mine is 10,000 IU a day, because I want to keep my blood level at 65 nanograms per milliliter.
What are the correct warnings about D?
D supplementation needs dietary calcium and magnesium, which are easily provided by greens (chard, kale, spinach), nuts, and milk products. Anyone with liver or kidney disease, or sarcoidosis, needs medical supervision.
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I had high triglycerides and my doctor recommended Omega-3 supplements to bring them down. It did exactly that.