Daniel Schatzman, editor of Nutritional Outlook magazine, wrote a great column for the magazine’s June issue about a recent study that asserts a bias against nutritional supplements in medical journals. While it certainly seems that a bias exists, Schatzman makes a good argument as to why supplements seem unfairly represented in these publications.

After examining 11 medical journals – among these were the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine – two university researchers concluded the following:

– Journals with the most pharmaceutical drug ads published no clinical or cohort studies on dietary supplements.
– In journals with the most drug ads, mentions of supplements being unsafe or ineffective were 63 percent and 50 percent higher, respectively.

Schatzman’s take: Though advertising might have something to do with the apparent bias, there are many other factors that might be keeping supplements down. Here are some other reasons:

– There might be a bias in the article acceptance and peer-review processes at some journals.
– Editors and authors might influence these publications with their own views and interests.
– Studies on pharmaceuticals outnumber those on supplements and supplement ingredients.

Finally, Schatzman calls for the dietary supplement industry to “step up” and fund major research. Although this is certainly a great recommendation, he goes no further as to how such initiatives would be supported.

Since big pharmaceutical companies have the big bucks to conduct clinical trials and other studies, supplement manufacturers must find other ways to compete. One way might be to form partnerships or associations that would study certain ingredients. The industry at large might benefit from the results of these studies.

About 14,000 people will die this year from esophageal cancer, and nearly 16,500 Americans will be diagnosed with it, according to a late March story from MSNBC.com.

In fact, in the past 20 years, esophageal cancer has increased six-fold. Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett’s esophagus, which can trigger the development of cancerous cells, are partly to blame, reports MSNBC.

In GERD and Barrett’s, stomach acid creeps back into the esophagus, damaging stomach lining and in some cases spurring the development of cancer. The story says those with Barrett’s esophagus are 30 times more likely to get esophageal cancer.

For gastrointestinal disorders, including heartburn, many people use over-the-counter and prescription medications that suppress acid production.

However, drugs that inhibit natural acid production are associated with increased risk of hip fractures, intestinal infection and bacterial overgrowth in the stomach and small intestine. According to another MSNBC story, the overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach could lead to pneumonia, vitamin B12 deficiency and stomach cancer.

Digestive enzyme supplements, including broad-spectrum products in the WellZymes™ line, assist in the digestive process. They appear to decrease distension of the stomach, which might help relieve symptoms of GERD, according to MSNBC.

For those with ulcers or other damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, WellZymes™ Gastric Ease™ is recommended in place of antacids.

Have you ever used a pedometer? They’re the small, battery-powered devices that usually clip to a belt or the waist of your pants. I remember receiving one a few years ago at a food-industry trade show. I believe it was heart-shaped, red and about half the size of a pager.

I tried it on a couple of walks, more interested in how it actually worked than how many steps it measured. I remember being surprised, despite a few missed steps here and there, at the pedometer’s accuracy. It seemed to do a pretty good job measuring my steps, and if I had planned to make walking a regular part of my exercise regimen, I probably would have continued to use it.

I did find, however, that the steps don’t add up too quickly. Two thousand to 4,000 steps can make for a pretty good walk, maybe 20 to 40 minutes. As I did some research for an article on the benefits of walking, I came across a humorous blog post from a woman in Minnesota who also discovered it takes a little hop in your step to push the pedometer scale.

In the blog, aptly titled “My pedometer fell in the toilet,” Karla explains she started using a pedometer to reach a goal set forth by her local community’s fitness challenge. The goal: 10,000 steps per day. And, well, Karla made it. Sort of.

Within her first 5 hours, Karla had only taken 300 steps. She decided to try again the next day. Wearing the pedometer from morning to night, she logged 5,500 steps, and that included a 45-minute walk around a high school track. She finally recorded 10,000 steps when the pedometer, still hooked to her pants, survived a 4,500-step ride in her dryer. The pedometer finally met its match, though, when it fell into the toilet. Thankfully, Karla had an extra one.

Although many people might find it difficult to reach a goal such as 10,000 steps per day, it’s hard to argue the health benefits walking can provide. In a story at enzymeexperts.com, some encouraging statistics show that walking can decrease the risk for heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and many other conditions. The story also touches on research that suggests a pedometer can be a great motivator for walkers. It seems even a 5,000-step walk can provide some measurable health benefits.

To supplement those walks, WellZymes™ Metabolic Balance™ might be a good product to try for enhanced energy production. With a powerful blend of enzymes, nutrients and herbs, WellZymes™ Metabolic Balance™ can help regulate sugar and lipid levels in the blood.

Walking has also been cited to help relieve arthritis, osteoporosis and sleep problems. For people experiencing the symptoms of fibromyalgia – fatigue and pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments – walking could be a difficult task. WellZymes™ Fibro Ease,™ a product formulated to address fibromyalgia, might provide the relief needed to make walking part of a weekly exercise routine. WellZymes™ Fibro Ease™ contains a combination of magnesium, malic acid, ginkgo biloba and proteolytic enzymes.

There was a brief story about the potential creation of a new class of drugs – behind-the-counter drugs (BTCs) – on the fdanews.com Web site in late January. In 1995, the Government Accountability Office issued a report on BTCs, and two democratic congressmen have requested an update to that document.

According to the story, the congressmen want to know about the potential benefits of such a drug class, which although available without a prescription would require pharmacist counsel before being purchased. One side says BTC drugs would improve patient access to medications, while another says it would raise drug costs.

On one hand, a BTC class might be unnecessary for some types of drugs, and it could possibly create longer lines at the pharmacist counter. However, as we learn more about the ineffectiveness of some types of children’s medications and the harmful side effects of NSAIDs and other pain relievers, it might be a better time now more than ever to have pharmacist intervention. And, such a class could keep over-the-counter drugs out of the hands of adolescents who use the products to get high.

It’s interesting that as some modern prescription drugs – such as acid reducers and allergy medications – gain shelf space in nonprescription form, we’re now considering placing some previously nonprescription medicines behind the counter. At the same time, there have been quite a few studies lately that have questioned the safety and effectiveness of some widely used over-the-counter drugs.

The good news for consumers? They have a safe, natural alternative.

Enzyme-based, nutritive and herbal products from Enzymes, Inc., are safe and effective in supporting a variety of conditions. Digestive enzymes help the body better absorb nutrients to promote natural healing, while systemic enzyme products can enhance natural healing. Enzymes, Inc., also carries probiotic products to aid digestion and colon health, and antioxidant supplements can help protect the body against environmental harm. In addition to helping with current symptoms, enzyme-based products can help promote whole-body health.

Good question.

An enzyme is a protein that makes everything in your body work… it’s like a spark plug in a car. The spark plug ignites the fuel and converts it to the energy that moves the car. An enzyme ignites your fuel, you could say. Your fuel is food. Enzymes break it down into the energy your body needs to function. If your food is not converted to energy–if you don’t have enzymes, your body won’t work.

Enzymes are the spark of life – without them life would cease to exist. Although the action of enzymes much like electricity, and cannot be seen, it is the driving force behind virtually all life processes. Scientists have identified literally hundreds of thousands of enzymes active in the human body. Enzymes move your muscles, stimulate your nerves, make your heart beat, keep you breathing, digest your food and even allow you to think.
An enzyme is defined in the dictionary as: a protein functioning as a biochemical catalyst in a living organism - in other words, it either starts or accelerates a chemical reaction while remaining unchanged itself. Enzymes are present in every cell in both plants and animals; and are responsible for regulating the biochemical reactions necessary to sustain life. Enzymes are at the heart of all of your body’s activities, from digesting your food to blinking your eyes. The human body is actually a series of thousands of enzymatic reactions constantly happening! Enzymes are very specific for the type of reaction they catalyze, the type of substance they work on, and the conditions under which they will work - which is why there are many thousands of enzymes in the human body. The enzymes involved in the digestion or break down of food include proteases for protein, amylases for starches, lipase for fat, cellulases for fiber, invertase for refined sugar, lactase for milk sugar and alpha-galactosidase for sugars in beans.

Taking digestive enzymes supplements before meals will help “lighten the load” on the body’s own enzyme production. The help to break down the food, and fully assimilate its nutritional components. For more information visit www.enzymesinc.com!

An article appeared on Forbes.com yesterday concerning the data from new cox-2 inhibitor research. A Journal of Clinical Investigation study focused research on two Cyclooxegenase-2 (cox-2) derived compounds, referred to as PGI2 and PGE2. The production of these two compounds is “inhibited” when a cox-2 specific medication - like Vioxx, Celebrex, or Bextra - is taken for pain and inflammation.

Apparently PGI2 and PGE2 are: “thought to help maintain cardiovascular health by preventing platelets in blood vessels from clumping together.” Hence the heightened risk of heart attack when taking a cox-2 medication. The researchers studied PGI2 and PGE2 in an attempt to determine which of the two compounds was paramount in this increased risk.

Through the study of genetically engineered mice, the researchers determined the “depression of cox-2-dependent PGI2″ was the “biochemical culprit.” In the PGE2 portion of the research, the focus was directed on the enzyme microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1), which “works as a partner with cox-2 in the biosynthesis of PGE2.” It was determined “that inhibiting mPGES-1 suppressed PGE2 (just as cox-2 medications do) while increasing PGI2 to heart-healthy levels had no measurable effect on either blood pressure or clotting in the treated mice.”

So, get ready folks. There is another medication soon to be rushed through all the appropriate channels…bye bye cox-2 inhibitor, hello mPGES-1 inhibitor. A new wave of promotional pens, golf tees, and other big-pharma chattel will be popping up in no time (and we wonder why medication is so expensive…).

In the article, an expert on cox-2 medication stated: “the safety and efficacy of ‘mPGES-1 inhibitor’ drugs is in its infancy, and it will be many years before consumers see these medications available in pharmacies — if ever.” It will be interesting to see how quickly big-pharma runs this race.

Of course, a naproxen / proton pump cocktail is recommended in the meantime to relieve pain and inflammation with diminished GI risk - the former duty of the cox-2 inhibitors.

Interestingly enough, a University of Texas SW Medical Center study published in The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found InflammEnz, a high-potency proteolytic enzyme based supplement, was incredibly effective in relieving inflammation. The study reported InflammEnz relieved inflammation, and actually accelerated healing time by two to three days - this happened in 77% of the subjects studied.

Why don’t the experts recommend InflammEnz as a cox-2 alternative for inflammation?

Not enough pens and golf tees, I guess…

Business Week.com recently posted an interesting story concerning difficulty Standard Process is having in keeping their products, supposedly exclusively available through health care practitioners, out of the hands of any one with an Internet connection and a credit card (read the story here).

The author, David E. Gumpert, declares it an “uphill battle” while giving the company at least credit for trying. Apparently the company has issued a zero tolerance policy regarding the resale of their supplements online - you get caught, you get cut off - no more Catalyn or Almond Crunch bars for you…

It appears Mr. Gumpert was unfamiliar with Standard Process, and the concept of certain nutritional supplements available only at the recommendation of a health care practitioners, when he began work on this piece. Even after he did a bit of research, he thought of it as simply “making his life more difficult.”

Standard Process has grown into a quite a conglomeration since its humble beginnings in 1929 - perhaps that’s part of the problem. With 175 or so different products, and thousands of qualified buyers, it would be quite a daunting task to monitor the vast expanses of the Internet in search of these renegade supplement suppliers.

As a much smaller company than Standard Process, Enzymes, Inc. has not experienced this degree of problems with our professional product lines. Of course, we are focused mainly on enzyme supplements, and we do offer different product lines available to consumers.

We’ve also heard, through the grapevine, of Standard Process products actually being available at retail health and nutrition outlets. Health care providers can rest assured this will never happen with the professional product lines from Enzymes, Inc.

Like Standard Process, we are vigilant in monitoring the Internet for unauthorized distribution of our products. But since our focus is more concentrated, the road isn’t nearly as rough.