The vessel of your soul - the human body- is one of the most remarkable creations in the world. Designed to serve us well, it is magnificent in its ability to heal and maintain health. In this age of increased pollution, processed foods, and fast-paced, stressful lifestyles it is vitally important to give your body all the tools that it needs to function optimally. My prescription is simple: eat right, have a positive attitude, follow a health promoting lifestyle, and nourish your body with three key dietary supplements. It is especially important to follow this prescription if you are in a state of poor health or if you want to give yourself the best chance to prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Q. What are three key supplements that you recommend?

A. The three key dietary supplements that I recommend to provide a strong foundation for a proper nutritional supplement plan are:

1. A high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula (MultiStart).
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2. A "greens" drink product (Enriching Greens).
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3. A pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement (RxOmega-3 Factors).
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The specific products that I recommend are manufactured by Natural Factors - one of the leading manufacturers of nutritional supplements in the world. This family owned company has been in business for over 50 years and adheres to the highest standards in the natural product industry. I chose to align myself with Natural Factors because of their tremendous reputation and my firsthand knowledge of their quality control standards. The bottom line is that when you buy a Natural Factors product you can be assured that what is stated on the label is actually contained in the product. Beyond adhering to Canadian government imposed strict standards of potency and purity, Natural Factors has their own internal guidelines to insure that you are getting the absolute best product possible.

The three foundational products that I recommend from Natural Factors (MultiStart, Enriching Greens, and RxOmega-3 Factors) deal with some basic needs of the cells of your body. They work synergistically and in harmony with each other because of the key roles they each play in promoting vibrant health.

Q. Do I really need to take a high potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula and what makes MultiStart special?

A. A high potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula is absolutely essential for optimum health, especially one that provides sufficient levels of antioxidant nutrients and provides extra insurance that you are giving your body all of the essential vitamins and mineral it needs. A deficiency of any nutrients that your body requires on a regular basis can lead to cellular dysfunction. The human body utilizes these nutrients as components of enzymes - molecules that give us life by either making or breaking down other molecules - or as structural components (e.g., calcium in our bones). A deficiency of any nutrient can mean the difference between health and disease. In addition to the enormous number of studies showing benefits from the individual nutrients in a high potency multiple, studies have shown that people taking a multiple vitamin and mineral formula may experience higher energy levels, improved brain function, fewer colds or infections, improved ability to deal with stress, greater sense of wellbeing, and reduced risk for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. health benefits.

What makes MultiStart special is that I formulated these age and gender specific multinutrient formulas to provide the optimal levels of nutrients and important phytochemicals based upon your age and sex. Each of the formulas is designed to be a complete supplement for most people. In other words, unless a person has extra special needs they will not need to take any extra vitamins or minerals. Although the Women's versions have a dosage of 3 tablets twice daily and the Men's versions have a dosage of 2 tablets twice daily when you take a look at how complete these formulas are it is amazing how much is packed into each tablet. You won't need to take a B complex, calcium, extra vitamin C, trace minerals, and even some key phytochemical supplements if you rely on one of the MultiStart formulas as your key foundational supplement.

Q. If the MultiStart is so complete, then why do you also recommend Enriching Greens and RxOmega-3 Factors?

A. I recommend these other supplements because of the additional benefits they provide. For example, the Enriching Greens is a concentrated drink mix that is a source of powerful phytochemicals from herbal extracts, barley grass, wheat grass, chorella, and spirulina. The compounds are powerful antioxidants and fill in any gaps that might be missing from your diet. One serving is equal to 5 to 10 cups of mixed salad - and it takes FANTASTIC!!! Enriching Greens is a phenomenal way to increase all of the valuable antioxidants from these super green foods and it goes a very long way in boosting your energy levels. It is also a great way to curb your appetite, simply drink a serving between meals to avoid snacking or 20 minutes before a meal to reduce your food intake.

Q. Why is it important to supplement with RxOmega-3 Factors?

A. The health benefits of the long-chain omega-3 oils from fish oils are now well known. Using a high quality fish oil supplement is the perfect solution to people wanting the health benefits of fish oils without the mercury, PCB's, dioxins, and other contaminants often found in fish. RxOmega-3 Factors is a "pharmaceutical grade" fish oil supplement because of its tremendous potency and purity. Each capsule provides over 600 mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

With the development of pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements, these products are emerging as the preferred source of omega-3 fatty acids. Although the body can convert the short-chain omega-3 fatty acid - alpha-linolenic acid - from flaxseed oil into the more potent molecules of EPA and DHA, it is much more efficient and beneficial to use fish oils. All told about sixty different health conditions have been benefited by fish oil supplementation including not only diabetes, but also cancer; heart disease; rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases; psoriasis; eczema; asthma; attention deficit disorder; and depression. It is estimated that the use of fish oil supplements may reduce overall cardiovascular mortality by as much as 45%.

Q. Do I really need to take all three of these foundational formulas?

A. Yes, I highly recommend that you do. Our health is the sum of the functioning of each of our trillion of cells in our body. For each individual cell to function properly, there are certain basic needs that need to be addressed. As far as nutritional supplementation goes, the first step is to make sure that the cell has all of the necessary building blocks it needs - that is where the MultiStart comes into play. The next key is to make sure that the cellular membranes are healthy. Your cells require a constant internal environment in order to carry out its many tasks. The technical term for this goal is homeostasis, which literally means "same standing." A major determinate in achieving this goal is the health of the cell membrane.

The health of the cell membrane is dependent upon having the right structural components. Cell membranes are largely composed up of fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids play a huge role in cell membranes. A lack of these structural components means that the cells will not function properly - that is where the RxOmega-3 Factors come into play. Boosting the omega-3 fatty acid content of cells is associated with improvements in all aspects of cell function.

The last piece of the puzzle is the Enriching Greens. This supplement is valuable because it contains a wide range of antioxidant phytochemicals that protect cell membranes and other cellular components from being damaged as well as promotes the detoxification of harmful compounds.

Good health is a worthwhile goal. Most diseases that Americans are falling prey to are largely preventable. I urge you to seize the opportunity for health while you still can. It begins with a strong foundation.

 

Key References:

1. Ford ES. Vitamin supplement use and diabetes mellitus incidence among adults in the United States. J Epidemiol 2001;153:892-7.
2. Giovannucci E, et al. Multivitamin use, folate, and colon cancer in women in the Nurses' Health Study. Ann Intern Med 1998;129(7):517-524.
3. Schlebusch L, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, double-centre study of the effects of an oral multivitamin-mineral combination on stress. S Afr Med J 2000;90:1216-23
4. Carroll D, et al. The effects of an oral multivitamin combination with calcium, magnesium, and zinc on psychological well-being in healthy young male volunteers: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Psychopharmacology 2000;150:220-5
5. Johnson MA, Porter KH. Micronutrient supplementation and infection in institutionalized elders. Nutr Rev 1997;55:400-4.6. Benton D, Haller J, Fordy J. Vitamin supplementation for 1 year improves mood. Neuropsychobiology. 1995;32:98-105.
6. Hu FB, et al. Fish and omega-3 fatty acid intake and risk of coronary heart disease in women. JAMA 2002;287:1815-21.
7. Albert CM, et al. Blood levels of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death. N Engl J Med 2002;346:1113-8.

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Michael T. Murray, N.D., is widely regarded as one of world's leading authorities on natural medicine. A prolific author, Dr. Murray has written over 20 books on health and nutrition including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and his latest book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Dr. Murray is also Director of Product Development and Education for Natural Factors one of the leading manufacturers of natural products.