No to Drugs, Yes to Nutrition

By Ronald Klatz, MD, DO

Pharmaceutical companies spend billions every year to convince us drugs are the only answer when our health is in jeopardy. Fortunately, research and experience are proving otherwise. We're finally waking up to the dangers of medication and the health benefits of natural alternatives.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in five Americans will be age 65 or older by the year 2030. This age group is projected to increase to 88.5 million in 2050, more than double the number in 2008 (38.7 million). And the 85-and-older population is expected to more than triple between now and 2050, from 5.4 million to 19 million.

As life expectancy continues to increase, older Americans face new and growing challenges to their health, productivity and independence. Where do they turn? For too long, the answer has been drugs, at least according to the pharmaceutical industry and the conventional medical profession. But all that may be changing.

In September 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a report that confirmed the hazards of pharmaceuticals. According to the FDA, there were more than 450,000 adverse event reports (AERs) filed for life-threatening injuries resulting from prescription medications over a six-month period in 2008. By contrast, there were just 604 AERs reported for nutritional supplements during the same time frame.

With that said, it's important that we appreciate the perspective of Carl C. Pfeiffer, MD, PhD, researcher, author and founding director of the Brain Bio Center (Princeton, N.J.), who said, "For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can achieve the same effect."

Research is increasingly demonstrating the value of natural, nontoxic, nutritionally-based preventive approaches and interventive therapies, particularly for the purpose of prolonging a healthy, productive lifespan. In this article, let's review recent study findings that validate the safety and efficacy of various nutritional supplements for the prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases.

Don't Run Short on Vitamin D

At Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, researchers have completed a study suggesting that low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a 26 percent increased risk of death from any cause. Erin Michos and colleagues analyzed data collected during a six-year period from 13,331 adults, after which the study subjects were followed for nine additional years. People with vitamin D levels of less than 17.8 ng/mL had a 26 percent increased rate of death from any cause, compared to people with the highest vitamin D levels (more than 32.1 ng/mL).

Low vitamin D status also has been suggested as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Paul Knekt, from the National Public Health Institute (Finland) and colleagues completed a study involving men and women ages 40 to 74 years, all of whom did not have diabetes at the study's start. Researchers followed the participants for 22 years. As reported in the September 2007 issue of Epidemiology, men with the highest serum vitamin D levels were the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. The researchers explained that inadequate intake of vitamin D interferes with insulin secretion: "The results support the hypothesis that high vitamin D status provides protection against type 2 diabetes."

• Good food sources of vitamin D: fortified milk, cod liver oil, salmon.

Remember Your Omega-3

Upwards of 12 million people in the United States and the European Union suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and millions more are affected by mild age-related cognitive impairment. Following on two studies published in April 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that reported regular consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids was effective in preventing age-related cognitive decline, Chih-Chiang Chiu, from Taipei City Hospital (Taiwan), and colleagues found that omega-3s actually provide therapeutic benefits for the condition. The team studied 23 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and 23 people with mild cognitive decline; a segment of each group received 1.8 grams of omega-3 per day for 24 weeks. The researchers concluded: "Omega-3 fatty acids may improve general clinical function in patients with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment."

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness for people age 55-plus in the Western world. There are two types of AMD - wet and dry, with the latter occurring more frequently. Astrid Fletcher, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom), and colleagues found that an increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids also slashes the risk of AMD. People who ate at least one serving of oily fish per week had a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing wet AMD, said the researchers, compared to people who consumed less than one portion per week. People who consumed at least 300 mg per day of DHA and EPA were 68 and 71 percent less likely, respectively, to have wet AMD than those with lower consumption.

• Good food sources of omega-3 fatty acids: mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.