This post is written by Dr. Joel Kahn, otherwise known as “America’s Holistic Heart Doc”. Dr. Kahn is a practicing interpreventional cardiologist who also writes for Reader’s Digest. He has taught dozens of residents and cardiologists, and graciously accepted to be a speaker at the launch party for The Food Babe Way in New York City back in February. I am thrilled to have him as a contributor here!
I am hardly a doctor basher. Last I checked, I was a cardiologist actively involved in seeing hundreds of patients a month. In the next few months I am lecturing at several medical meetings sponsored by University faculty and hold the position of professor at 3 universities myself. But… it is no exaggeration to say that in general conventional medicine is slow to adapt new ideas and platforms. While I could pick many aspects of practice that are due for an overhaul, I want to focus on 3 that come to mind that need to be flushed from medical jargon.
1. “Moderation in everything is the key”
This is simply wrong. My advice for patients is “extreme in diet, moderate in fitness, abundant in love”. Why do I say that? Although I wont go into detail about fitness, there is abundant research in the last few years that extreme exercise, like repeated marathons or triathalons, may acutally increase the risk of heart diseases. The current mantra is exercise is like a medication and the dose matters. More central is the issue of nutrition. Simply put, medical societies have failed to address the critical connection between diet and the origin and reversal of chronic diseases. For example, years ago Dr. Dean Ornish compared the impact of the diet and lifestyle on blocked heart arteries. The control group was told to follow their doctors dietary recommendations and the experimental group was told to follow an “extreme”diet constituting mainly plants. At the end of 5 years, heart artery blockages became more severe in the conventional group but showed reversal in the “extreme” diet! Other examples of “extreme” diets stressing quality of foods, plant-centeric approaches, and organic produce have shown reduction in cancer growth, reversal of aging, and reduced excretion of pesticides in children and adults. I advise you to be vigilant in what goes into your awesome body to maximize your health and vitality.
2. “Vitamins just make expensive urine”
Oh how doctors love to bash vitamins, or nutraceuticals if you want to impress friends. When I am at a party with doctors and it is a bit dull I just say in a loud voice, “excuse me, I have to go take my last few dozen vitamins”! Sure, there are legitimate areas of confusion but are all vitamins just window dressing to make someone rich? Hardly based on the science. For example, take Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant and substrate to make energy in every cell in the body . Can you find CoQ10 in a hospital? Can patients or their families freely bring a bottle into the hospital to use for health? The vitamins will likely be confiscated like crack. How strange when studies show improved outcome including death when CoQ10 was studied in rigorous trials. My favorite 4 vitamins, or my Core 4, for all to consider is a probiotic to improve their gut health or microbiome, chelated magnesium to assist in over 300 enzymatic reactions, Vitamin D3, and CoQ10. Shh, I take about 20 more to assist optimal cellular health on a daily basis.
3. “A sleeping pill won’t hurt you”
At that same time that medical science has shown the importance of 7 good hours of sleep to restore our metabolism to normal overnight after a stressful day, fewer and fewer people are achieving those good 7 hours. Whether it is EMF and wifi, bright lights rich in 480 nm blue waves from our PCs, pads and phones, or jobs that hyper-connect us 24/7, nearly a majority of respondents to surveys indicate that they sleep poorly. So what is the harm in your doctor giving you a prescription for a sleeping pill (hypnotic) or stress pill (anxiolytic) to help you sleep for the rest of your life? In fact, that recommendation from your doctor may risk your very life. In a recent matched-cohort study from American clinics, a prescription for even <18 sleeping pills a year was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of death and higher doses increased the risk of dying by 5-fold. Of course, it may be that people getting those prescriptions had other reasons for poor sleep that were associated with death but we must consider the possibility of a direct relationship. In another even more recent analysis involving 100,000 subjects, a prescription for hypnotics or anxiolytics was associated with a risk of dying that was over 300% higher than those without a similar prescription.
What should you do if you are sleeping poorly? I suggest you say No Thank You to your doctor’s prescription. Make your bedroom cold and dark. Turn off your wifi and cellphone if you can. Take an Epsom salt bath and meditate for 10-20 minutes before bed. Consider adding a nighttime cocktail of chamomile tea, magnesium lotions or powders, or herbs like valerian before bed. I sleep on sheets that ground me to the earth and recommend that approach to you too.
Life has changed dramatically since Marcus Welby MD and Dr. Spock advised us on how to maintain our health. Even Dr. Spock reevaluated his advice to so many mothers late in his life and advised extreme care in dietary choices for optimal health. We live in an age where it is acceptable to question medical authority, particularly on issues about nutrition, and it is advisable to link over to www.pubmed.com and search the National Library of Medicine to seek your own information. When I went to medical school at the University of Michigan my favorite professor told me that 50% of what he was going to teach us was wrong, but he did not know which 50% it was.
While you don’t throw out the baby, or your health care provider, with the bathwater, it is permissible to question medical advice with the simple question: “Why?”
More about Dr. Joel Kahn:
Dr. Kahn is a practicing interpreventional cardiologist, known as “America’s Holistic Heart Doc”, who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1983. Dr. Kahn has been practicing invasive, interventional and preventive cardiology in suburban Detroit since 1990, and was advanced to full Clinical Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Wayne State University School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at Oakland University Beaumont School of Medicine. Reader’s Digest magazine selected Dr. Kahn for their Holistic Heart Doc column and their publishing arm published his book, The Whole Heart Solution, in 2014. He appears regularly on Fox TV 2 in Detroit as a health commentator. He has been nominated as a Top Doc in cardiology for most of the past years. In 2011, he received a certification from the University of South Florida in Metabolic Cardiology, and became the first physician to complete the program in the world. He is now a visiting lecturer for that university and has traveled the country speaking. To learn more, visit drjoelkahn.com.
Note from Vani: What do you think about Dr.Kahn’s post? Please share your thoughts in the comments below! Are there other topics you’d like to see addressed?
It’s funny you said this…
“…there is abundant research in the last few years that extreme exercise, like repeated marathons or triathalons, may actually increase the risk of heart diseases…”
I just read an article by a physician who also made that statement. Good article, and even better picture, Food Babe. Thanks for all you do!
Not that this is a huge case study, but where I live, there were 2 recent marathons where 2 men literally dropped dead after the race. I’m not saying don’t run, but it really makes you think…….they died from heart attacks. It really makes you assess what you should and shouldn’t do. Maybe exercise should be more about hard work and not killing your body!! And take those vitamins I say!!!
People drop dead doing a lot of things. Personally, I’d rather wear out than rust. More people are mararhoning today than ever before. It’s the law of averages.
I think that too many people do not understand about oxidative stress on the body. Running produces more free radicals, so you need to eat even more fruits and vegetables to offset the damage! People need to eat right, lots of fruits and vegetable, not isolated vitamins!
They probably dropped dead because they didn’t train up to it to get their body/heart used to it.
There’s a Pittsburgh marathon and a 23-year-old who *use* to play football in school, thought he could run the marathon without training up to it, he dropped dead on the finish line of a heart attack because I’m sure he did not train up to it. A football player is actually more lazier than a runner/Track Star. As a football player is only slightly running for a few moments and then is stopped because they were tackled or got the ball where it was suppose to go… whereas with a Track Runner, they’re body is more used to the running.
I am in extreme pain and on opiates and several medications for other issues as have bladder cancer, five autoimmune diseases, heavy metal toxicity, essential tremors, candida though under very good control.I had a spinal fusion that failed; plus severe osteoarthritis. I seem to be getting many of these things under control and my major problem besides the pain is that I have to take 30 mg. of Dalmane every night to get a good night sleep. Have tried all sorts of things with little success. I wish I could get off that drug as well as Dilaudid and Baclofen.
Nick, you may want to consider sleeping grounded as Dr Khan mentions above. It has transformed my previously erratic sleep to a much deeper sleep in which I wake only once during the night.
What does sleeping grounded mean?
Locksly -Here’s a link to sleeping grounded: http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/56492/Sleep-Grounded-5-Natural-Ways-to-Find-Restful-Sleep
Sleeping grounded is sleeping connected to the earth. You can purchase a grounding sheet or mat. There are also devices you can make yourself online. Dr Mercola’s website has mats and Earthing.com has both sheets and mats. Not only does it improve sleep but apparently has other health benefits as well.
Nick….first you should definitely start taking high quality magnesium (the kind you get from the health food store or online) research Dr.Carolyn Dean, she is the magnesium expert and has been studying it for over 30 years I believe…she details how deficiency in magnesium can lead to TONS of problems in the human body…what I tell everyone to do is look at the list that Dr.Carolyn Dean has on her website of the things that deficiency of magnesium can cause…which is a lot…and things you wouldn’t expect..then look into how much you should take daily. Her website is http://www.drcarolyndean.com
Nick I also want to tell you about Jim Humble and MMS..miracle mineral solution….checkout his first interview with project camelot on YouTube (there is a few interviews with him now) but def watch the first one. He has had a lot if success helping people with all sorts of things from malaria to a list of different cancers. Keep in mind that you will also find lots of bad things written about him online( these are the folks that don’t want his info out there) but if you do the research yourself, you will see the science behind MMS (which is just a salt…NOT CHLORINE as many online disinformation people will say) and see that it all makes sense… His website is
http://Www.jimhumble.is
Good luck with everything and I hope you find some relief soon! 🙂
Thank you for posting! My husband and I are true ‘holistics’ when it comes to our good health. Not to say that we don’t visit our docs, but we do do our homework. The CoQ10 is amazingly good for your heart and the cellular strength products (Healthy Cell and Cell Strength) are a mainstay in our regiment. We also do not eat sugar (very low carb diet) and feel great. We do swim everyday and enjoy being in good health in our 70’s… Here’s to our 80’s!!!
Rachel, what’s your diet like?
I agree until it comes to Vitamins. I even agree with him on Vitamins BUT there is NO WAY to know if the Vitamin you are taking has any of the substance note on the label. Supplements are not considered food or drugs, so they have long been only loosely regulated. Federal guidelines require companies to ensure that their products are safe and accurately labeled, but the FDA has little power to enforce that rule. The system essentially operates on the honor code.
The recent report from New York catching Walmart, GNC Target, and Walgreens of selling hers without a trace of the herbs in the pills only resulted in a cease order. Someone needs to go to jail over this.
Under a 1994 federal law, supplements are exempt from the FDA’s strict approval process for prescription drugs, which requires reviews of a product’s safety and effectiveness before it goes to market.
The law’s sponsor and chief architect, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, is a steadfast supporter of supplements. He has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the industry and repeatedly intervened in Washington to quash proposed legislation that would toughen the rules.
Hatch led a successful fight against a proposed amendment in 2012 that would have required supplement makers to register their products with the FDA and provide details about their ingredients.
I wouldn’t trust the FDA to regulate anything. They are just as guilty as the Senator Hatch for taking in funds for getting things to the front of the line and letting other things linger that would probably be more beneficial. Follow the money, and the FDA is just as corrupt. They would probably regulate vitamins right off the shelf if the pharmaceutical companies pay enough and you know they will.
Never ever wish for vitamins to be regulated by the government. That will be another freedom taken away from us. Vitamins are considered FOOD which is why it is not regulated. In the cases you mentioned, there will always be a few out there who are dishonest and in those cases, LET THE BUYER BEWARE applies, not the government.
We Strongly need a truth in labeling Law. How can a buyer beware when major manufactures sell you products which contain zero amount of what is claimed? How are we to know what is in the product? I worked analyzing water samples with some of our testing machines costing close to a million dollars. An individual can not do their own testing. As it is now, you buy from whoever and trust in their honesty for today. No repercussions if they cheat you.
Rex, this is a very good reason why one does not buy cheap synthetically manufactured vitamins from the stores you mentioned. They are derived from coal tar – a petroleum product. It’s important to educate people about toxic excipients, i.e., (titanium dioxide, propylene glycol, soybean oil, polysorbate 80, talc, artificial colors, magnesium stearate, etc,) in vitamins that you find under “other ingredients.” The answer to this dilemma: buy organic food-based vitamins that the body recognizes and assimilates as food. There are a couple very good companies out there who have integrity. It’s just that people want cheap and quick answers without doing their homework or reading a label. Investigate your companies. Do research. Then you won’t be duped. Please don’t buy vitamins from grocery stores or pharmacies. Additionally, the FDA CANNOT be trusted. Period. They have blatantly refused to remove toxic products, pharmaceuticals, hygiene products, etc., from the shelves that other countries have banned years ago. They are NOT a good measure of what is safe for the public.
Very interesting and informative! Thank you!
I would like to see future articles about immunodeficiency and also hypothyroidism, particularly Hashimoto’s Tyroiditis. I am struggling with these two chronic conditions along with menopause. I rarely feel good but have found some relief with cutting out almost all dairy, soy and gluten in my diet.
I also have found an alternative MD who switched me from Synthroid to NatureThroid. This was a huge help to me as well.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
Mrs. Jacobs: Check out Dr. Alan Christianson’s The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease and Isabella Wentz’s Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause. Book great resources! You are doing well by changing your diet and working with alternative doctors and taking NatureThroid! Best in health!
Sorry typo…”book” is supposed to be “both” …No way to edit! Thank you! 🙂
Thanks Marianne!!
What you eat is PART of the equation of health. Vini gets 5 stars on that. However, Joan Vernikos, Ph.D at NASA life Sciences Division explains in her Book, “Sitting Kills, and Moving Heals” – how simple everyday movement will prevent pain, illness and early death, which exercise alone won’t do. I also recommend Albert Carters book “The Cancer Answer” where he explains the importance of Rebounding. As a Doctor of Naturopathic medicine I have been recommending the need for grounding for the last 23 years. There is good stuff about that on the Longevity web site. The Book the Food Babe Way is very good. I would like to see her publish a list of ALL the chemicals that are put in food. (or at least were to get it) Good work Vini.
I agree about 80%.
In particular, probiotics and chelated magnesium are not vitamins.
Jim
Right, Jim. Supplements and minerals often get lumped into the catch all terminology “vitamins”. But you are right. All in all supplementing as suggested is a good thing. It’s true about vitamins being confiscated like crack. Nazi regime at hosp. and nursing homes alike. Land of the free ends at the doors of these establishments.
I went crazy on my dads doc when he was in the hospital and told him tha tee would be continuing his regimine. He wasn’t too keen on it but was less keen on arguing with me! Don’t let them control what you do.
Very good for you, Tricia, Fight ON!! So very many people are not as fortunate to have a family member advocating for them and the Nazi regime remains. Thank goodness your dad has you to speak up to the Pill heads that are our medical professionals!
Under 2. How strange when studies show improved outcome including death when CoQ10 was studied in rigorous trials. The word death has to be a typo!
Improved outcome as in lower death rates, a pretty solid end point in any study. Thanks for reading this Dr Joel http://www.drjoelkahn.com
I was scrolling to see if anyone else caught that 😉
As a nurse practitioner, I didn’t recommend those things. And my own doctor doesn’t suggest them either, possibly because he knows I won’t listen. He knows that I know what I’m doing and will do what I want.
I would like to proofread Dr. Joel Kahn’s writings for future use. He says a lot of good things, but since he’s a professional, it would be highly professional of him to ensure that the words he uses are spelled right and are the right words in the right places. I know that blogs tend not to be proofread, but that’s highly unprofessional!
My Dr., Cory Rice, at Forney Wellness Medical, will agree with Dr. Kahn and will love what Vani has to say about most things.
Thanks Paul You are rite, I made some misteaks ha ha ha Thanks http://www.drjoelkahn.com
omg, you used the wrong “rite” – it’s “right”.
Oh my goodness, he was kidding!!! I loved all the info. Very, very good. Thank you Vani!
Don’t worry, Dr. Kahn, your mis-*steaks* are rare! 😉
Yes I was kidding, misteak? rite? Just humor thanks
I’ve taken Multi supplements and found they have helped me very much when I got off of them I seem to have gone down hill again. With all they are doing with our
foods it is hard to know if it is trustworthy with organic or otherwise how does one really know when they spray organic before harvesting doesn’t make them any better than the non organic. It’s very hard to know who to trust and not trust.
I could have died had I not taken the Multi Supplements.
I received a pdf file which said studies have found that food such as Broccoli and Kale are very bad for you and should be avoided.
What Gives !!!
Huge amounts of raw cruciferous veggies like kale could have an effect on thyroid function, very very rare and the flip is with 95%plus of Americans eating too few veggies daily, hardly a concern. Mix them up, variety of greens, and other colored veggies
Large amounts can rob the thyroid of iodine – anything in the cabbage family.
Absolutely! They are human, they do make mistakes, and they are not always right! I don’t really trust many who refuse in any way to think outside the box. This also comes from years of working with them as well!
Thank you for this wonderful information. Can you or Dr. Kahn please recommend good quality magnesium lotion or powder to use to help sleep? Thank you. I read your posts everyday.
I do not know of a magnesium powder. I have a magnesium spray by Activation that is very high quality http://www.drjoelkahn.com
Here is a point I’ll bet no one has ever considered before. I have always told everyone that if you want the answers to anything dig into history. The answers are there…but you have to want the truth enough to dig. In the Bible book of Daniel you will find an account (Daniel 1:3-21) that finds Daniel and his three Hebrew friends (who later walked through Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace) selected for training in the king’s service. Daniel refuses to eat the king’s delicacies but instead insists on eating vegetables. Worried, the principal court official asks Daniel what he should say to the king if Daniel and his three friends should look worse in appearance then the others who were being fed the king’s delicacy’s. Daniel asks him to allow him and his three friends TEN DAYS of eating only vegetables. The following is a direct quote from Daniel 1:15, ” At the end of ten days their (Daniel and his three friends) appearance was better and healthier than all the youths who were eating the king’s delicacies.”
There are many treasures in the Bible but, like any treasure, you must want them in order to receive them. Is an extreme vegetable diet good for you? You bet! This account was written about 2,500 years ago. Is the Bible’s ancient advice valid in today’s world. Without a doubt!
The closer we all eat and drink amidst nature’s divine formula(s), the better. The closer we live in synchronicity’s paradigm(s), the greater the reflections are ,’so above, so below!’ His nature does not hurry! Yet everything is accomplished! Health is one day at a time; wisely so! Health grows one meal at a time!!!
CoQ10 is ok if you are under 30. After that you should be taking ubiquinol instead. Our bodies turn CoQ10 into ubiquinol and then absorb that but as we age it becomes much more difficult to absorb the CoQ10. 100mg morning and night is normally plenty.
@Michael Tuttle… What vitamin manufacturer do you trust the most for the ubiquino? thanks!
I don’t know what to fill in above for “website.” My computer is run by Windows 7.
I get my Ubiquinol from Dr. Mercola along with a few other of his products – probiotics and Krill Oil.
Yes, Mercola.com is a good choice. Search around the net. There are less expensive options. I’m not loyal to any one brand.
In some studies ubiquinol caused the participants to experience extreme fatigue according to cardiologist Dr. Sinatra. And a friend of mine experienced that fatigue after switching to ubiquinol. Therefore, we take ubiquinone. There are many poor quality CoQ10 products out there simply because of all the GMO soybean oil and other toxic excipients added. We use NutriGold COQ10 (ubiquinone) high absorption 100 mg – non GMO ingredients. It’s the best one I could find. CoQ10 also excellent for brain & nervous system health which many people do not know.
I would love you to look into company’s putting unnecessary iron into our food. They actually put in iron filings! Kellogg’s and many other cereal company’s all put unnecessary added iron into their breakfast cereals. There are in the world many diagnosed people with Haemochromatosis but there are millions more who are undiagnosed.Haemochromatosis causes arthritis, fatigue/lethargy or extreme tiredness and heart problems plus many other symptoms.
Such an easy disorder to treat – but getting the initial diagnosis is the hardest to accomplish as many doctors don’t want to treat it! If people want to take extra iron then they can do so by taking iron tablets and will allow other people to safely eat their chosen food without added extra unwanted iron! I think you could help all those people out there who are loading iron and it is going into their organs. Please could you try?i would be very grateful thank you xx
I found this article very interesting. I also think there’s a lot more that could be added to this list.
I really would love to see the modern medicines make peace with traditional medicines and actually work together.
My own experience is that there is a place for both to help us find optimal health but more importantly it’s time for everyone to stop being completely reliant on any one expert and to read, learn, listen and apply what works best for them. Most important is to start listening to what your body is telling you. Our bodies are very good at telling us what they need if only we would listen and follow through Then you can seek advice/help/information to assist in recovering/maintaining optimal health. I’ve a lot more faith in 2,000 years of anecdotal evidence and experience than 2years or less of commercially backed, biased and manipulated scientific research.
My last comment is to share an observation that ideally “good” health should be the norm but so rarely is – it’s usually “good – except for”. How wonderful if the reply to “how are you?” could be a consistent “very well”!
Just my thoughts.
I like the Halo around Vani’s head .
It is very disheartening to pay for vitamins and not get what you expected.
My husband and I are Tri Vita customers. This is a company started by Michael Ellison who was a man searching for better health for he and his wife and not finding what he wanted he started his own company. Every nutrient in his bottles is listed and are pure. Hope this helps for anyone looking for good supplements, I am sure there are other companies out there who claim the same but for sure this one does. Company name again is TRI VITA) located in Tempe Arizona, Contact me and I will help you.
Where are the sources that talk about excessive exercise causing an increase in heart disease? It’s something I’m very curious to look more into!
If you have to take 20+ vitamins a day, then you’re eating wrong.
I take them not for a deficiency but based on pathways of aging and disruptive biochemistry. Age lowers levels of pathways and activities important in maintaining cellular function. Certain supplements may return those pathways, like AMPK activation, to higher levels. I will let you know when I am 120 if it worked 🙂
That’s not necessarily true. Some people who are dealing with severe illness may require more vitamins than what might be considered ‘normal’. Health is not a one size fits all, unfortunately 🙂
As a cancer survivor, I can understand that.
But the article read as though the person took them every day for life, just ‘because’ I take a multivitamin myself as I know my diet isn’t always what it should be.. I just had an issue with someone who wrote that in a way that people might think that she need or should do the same. Without talking to their doctor first. 🙂
This is good material, but at this level surely you can afford an editor or proofreader. Punctuation such as commas and possessive apostrophes are missing, making the reading difficult. And what is one to make of the following phrase, in point #2: “studies show improved outcome including death”? In the doctor’s biography there is the sentence, “He has been nominated as a Top Doc in cardiology for most of the past years.” . . . Someone needs to “get on the ball,” as we say.
Thank God science skills not grammar was needed for medical school graduation. You are right and I look forward to a good proofreader Thanks Neall
Dr. Kahn, you’re awesome. Neall, you’re silly.
It is good to see and know another MD is promoting preventive health care through diet. The best defense against chronic disease(s) is centered upon what one eats/drinks. Diet is the least expensive treatment for fighting/reversing and better yet, preventing disease. Bottom line you are as strong as your weakest link. The food /drink that you partake will make or break you. Most of the medical research coming out of Pub Med does verify what really works in preventing and or resolving disease’s at the physical, mental and or emotional levels of our being. DIET!!!. Pub Med is the world’s largest medical research engine. It comprises more than 23 million citations of biomedical literature. Reading books on nutrition is paramount to bridging the gap between knowing what to eat/drink and what to avoid. Buy a copy of The Food Babe Way. I also recommend :: ‘Eat Right4Your Type’ and ‘Water for Health, For Healing For Life,’ These two books will help fine tune your daily game plan. Another note for you is learn as much about smoothies as you can. Fruit/Veggie Smoothies are one of the quickest ways to help your body detox, remove heavy metals, bring large scale nutrition to your cells and build your immune system; just to mention a few benefits. Food Babe has information on this to get you started. Lastly, start checking out ‘Super Foods.’ You would be surprised how easy it is to incorporate these foods into your diet. Many are available at your grocery already. Bottom line :: buy Organic!!!
I really appreciate the post as I am always open to evidence based supplemental plans. However, I think the crux of the problem with the supplemental industry is that since it is not regulated (not that is a total guarantee these days ) I think it is prudent to belong to an independent consumer lab ( which may cost about 40.00 a year av) that will test the products for you to review. These supplements are typically volunteered to the testing lab by the manufacturer to help make sure you are taking in what the label is declaring. Plus they will check for other toxicities included during packaging such as cadmium. I think a good example is that some time ago, some pet vitamins were contaminated with lead and some supplemental products really did not have the dosage as they claimed. All were recalled and tested again. This information helps both the consumer and these companies who manufacture these supplements that so many depend on. The worst thing is to take these supplements and they might not be so healthy and cause problems or exacerbate health conditions down the road.
Absolutely right. Just pity there are so few medical doctors with that kind of attitude and knowledge. Thank You Food Babe! Don’t you want to change your name to Organic Food Babe, by any chance??:)
I loved this article and passed it on to my 2 grown daughters! I take all four of the same supplements as Dr. Kahn. I have always been very active and healthy until last year when i had a heart event! my cardiologist said it was not life threatening but that if i stopped taking the calcium channel blocker that could be life threatening! So I changed doctors and I am now off of the heart prescription and all is well. I do monitor my BP everyday and stay in touch with my doctor. Thanks Dr. Kahn. And Thank you Vani for all your hard work.
I see the recommendation of Valerium for sleep. What about melatonin? My husband takes it like candy at night.
I’d love to hear about your (or other trusted) view(s) on the use of therapeutic grade essential oils. EO’s have gained much popularity in the last year and there are differing opinions on the use of these ancient oils. Being a faithful food and follower, would YOU use EO’s topically and/or ingest them? Why or why not? Thanks so much for all your hard work to clean up this culture!
Great to hear a different perspective
I enjoyed Dr. Kahn’s blog very much and would love to see a presentation by him on PBS. Vani, you as well. That’s more my medium. One question: How do sheets ground you to the earth? (for better sleep) What’s that about?
if you are low in coQ10 hoe much should you take each day
Great article… Thank-you… i will be forwarding this one to friends…
This was a very good article. I have for a couple years now come to question everything my doctors tell me. I have multiple health problems, and one of them being chronic pain. I have been on opioids for many years and have started having memory problems. I was told that opioids would do that, so I immediately told my pain doctor I wanted off them and instead put me on something that was not a narcotic. Now I’m thinking that there must be something holistic I could take to help with the pain. I also have hypothyroidism and Sjögren’s syndrome and take prescription drugs for as well. There has to be a better solution to these issues than what the doctors are giving us. I feel they are doing more harm than good! Thanks Dr. Kahn for the recommendations for supplements. I currently take D3, a probiotic, and vitamin B12. One of my doctors suggested I take coq10, but have not tried that yet. I think I will get some tomorrow. As for magnesium, will that have any interactions with other meds?
This was a very good article. I have for a couple years now come to question everything my doctors tell me. I have multiple health problems, and one of them being chronic pain. I have been on opioids for many years and have started having memory problems. I was told that opioids would do that, so I immediately told my pain doctor I wanted off them and instead put me on something that was not a narcotic. Now I’m thinking that there must be something holistic I could take to help with the pain. I also have hypothyroidism and Sjögren’s syndrome and take prescription drugs for as well. There has to be a better solution to these issues than what the doctors are giving us. I feel they are doing more harm than good! Thanks Dr. Kahn for the recommendations for supplements. I currently take D3, a probiotic, and vitamin B12. One of my doctors suggested I take coq10, but have not tried that yet. I think I will get some tomorrow. As for magnesium, will that have any interactions with other meds? Also, what is up with buying sheets that ground you to the earth? I’ve never heard that before!
I see plenty of doctors. Many of them know that I take vitamins. Quite a few have told me to “save my money” however, I believe it’s because of the vitamins that I take and the diet that I eat, that I’m doing as well as I am. My nephrologist (kidney specialist) just told me that I show no signs of my kidneys getting worse and I’m doing better now than Ive been in the last 7 years I’ve been seeing her. I eat entirely organic and supplement with certain vitamins to help with the health problems I do have. Research is key. Also make sure you take quality vitamins. Vitamins from the grocery store and gnc and ” big” stores are not going to be selling trusted quality vitamin brands. Again do your research.
Besides the Core 4 vitamins Dr.Kahn mentions, I’d love to hear what else he takes. You too Vani!
Dr. Kahn advised me to take Magnesium. I started taking it and my sleep greatly improved.
Thank you Dr. Kahn!
ALERT: seems to be a grammar error in this sentence “confiscated like crack. How strange when studies show improved outcome including death when Co….”
Sounds like death is an improvised outcome??
Love you Vani and the FBabe Team.
Thank you so much for the wisdom from dr. Joel Kahn. Vani, your advise is so right on the mark. Very good info form you two warriors. Best Wishes Loy xo [email protected]
Wondering if there are any good vitamins, supplements or minerals one should take for liver and pancreatic health. Responses appreciated! 🙂
Terrific info!!! Without vitamin supplements to complement the healthy ingredients often not fully available in even healthy food my daily food intact would be incomplete. Supplements are a critical element in living fully along with exercise, creativity, effective relationships, sleep, meditation, and caring for others. Keep up the great work you are doing, Vani.
Thanks Vyana Appreciate it You got it nailed Joel Kahn MD http://www.drjoelkahn.com
You got it right Vyana Appreciate you comments Joel Kahn MD http://www.drjoelkahn.com
I agree with much of what was said. I just wanted to add an alternate viewpoint on the exercise aspect. I enjoy running, simply because I feel as though it energizes me. I’ve never done a full marathon, but have done several half marathons and it SHOCKS me what many runners put in their bodies. At the last race I was at Red Bulls were being handed out to everyone and for all marathons electrolyte gels are handed out during the race. I understand that our bodies need to replenish their energy stores on long runs and I find that raisins or other dried fruit work for me, but in general runners just assume that in order to be able to keep going long distances they need these gels filled with all sorts of chemicals. Is it possible that those could be contributing to the increase in heart disease in athletes?
My mother has high BP, and now she’s on meds from the doctors… I’m just curious as to what herbs she might be able to take to where she can get off the damn high bp meds… other than to cut her sodium levels down.
Her motto is also: Everything in moderation. But I know that is B.S., they just bought fried chicken from Giant Eagle, that of which has TBHQ in the oil as well as an anti-foaming agent chemical… which I passed up on because I’m tired of putting that crap in my body… the only thing I can’t get off of that does have the damn BHA or BHT in it is coritzone that really helps the skin on my face because it gets super dry, almost like maybe dehydrated, and no matter what other creams/lotions I try they don’t seem to make my skin look rehydrate, The only thing I could do is not use the cortizone at all and just see how my face does without any creams or lotions… other than using vaseline.
They also bought potato salad and coleslaw, both of which I don’t touch because of the corn syrup, as well as the artificial sweeteners these companies loaded it up with.
My brother isn’t much smarter on the other hand: he thinks that if something states: Organic, that nothing’s been added to it, when there are organic items I’ve picked up and read the label only to find yeast extract which is a form of MSG, He then was getting on me about Corn Syrup in the Honey I use… when I had already contacted the company and they replied back telling me that they do not use any corn syrup what-so-ever! And then he thinks they are lying… that the FDA is in on telling them to lie… can you say “Heather’s brother is tyranny”?
I’m like you: I investigate… he doesn’t, he goes to ONE site and thinks it’s right… the internet is so full of misinformation and he stumbles upon that misinformation constantly.
60 Minutes did a segment recently where it said that the fastest growing demographic group in the country is people aged 90+. The researchers had very extensive medical histories of a large group (thousands) of people in that age range collected over a 35 year period. They found that the following factors applied to these people: They ate whatever they wanted to eat in moderation including dessert; those who drank alcohol in moderation regardless of the type of alcohol lived longer; they exercised regularly; they stayed socially active. Eating in moderation, everything, is not BS. It’s very good and simple advise. I think stress and worry over everything little thing in the food supply is far more detrimental to your health than actually enjoying a good meal and a glass of wine.
You think I’m going to believe 60 minutes? Do you not know that eating sugar every day, a non-“moderation” amount will give you diabetes, as well as eating white/bleached flour and fats… I highly doubt they did this study in 35 years… it would’ve cost… and I also doubt they would’ve had the money. I’m very dubious they even did any blood tests on these people over this 35 year period to find out what they were on the borderline of getting. You think I care what you think? I ate ice cream every day after dinner and it made me crave for sweet stuff after eating dinner after the ice cream was gone… Which has High Fructose corn syrup in it… my belly is also bloated outward from eating stuff with Corn Syrup in it. I think you’re tyranny.
I left out that smoking is a no no.
I have mentioned this 60 Minutes segment on this site before and the responses are generally that these people haven’t been exposed to the pesticides we have. Those comments are somewhat accurate. The 90+ age group consumed a lot of DDT, Toxaphene, arsenic and many other banned pesticides and food additives that most of us have only limited history with if you ate food in the early 70’s or earlier.
Oh, you left out that smoking is a “no no.” Smoking doesn’t have anything to do with people dying in their 60s, it has to do with what they were exposed to that they inhaled while they were in construction or some other occupation. My maternal grandfather didn’t die from all the smoking he did. Your lungs will heal with Vitamin E, the non-synthetic vitamin E. Too much sugar is bad for you, but that don’t mean you should be having dessert in moderation.
Okay, if you’ve mention this before, and people stated they weren’t exposed to DDT, then what is your take on the so many women and men coming out stating: “I’m a man trapped in a woman’s body/I’m a woman trapped in a man’s body”… what’s your take on that?
I don’t worry over every little thing in food, I simply check the ingredients and decide: “I don’t want that in my body.” ‘Cause I simply don’t want that ingredient in my body, no one knows what the long term effects are from certain ingredients that shouldn’t be in food; Such as those pesticides you just stated about.
Good article. However i really have trouble believing that people that do repeated marathons and triathalons often get heart diseases. I really have a hard time believing that. There could be another factor missed in the research. Maybe those athelets feel they can eat whatever they want because they exercise so much and that brought the heart disease?
This picture proves she is THE food BABE . Gorgeous
I enjoyed the article and agree with the “revised” advice. I’ve listened to many talks by allopathic physicians who incorporate and recommend many holistic alternatives to traditional medicine. I am a PA who believes that food is our primary medicine. I have incorporated what I’ve learned into my own diet and shared my experiences with patients. The biggest issue I face is finding consistently reliable/pharmaceutical grade sources for herbs and supplements. Subscription sources for these products are not always reliable if they receive funding from certain players. I may have missed an answer in the comments, but I would appreciate recommendations. Thank you and good health to all!
Dear Food Babe:
I have worked with breast cancer victims and others, for twenty years, helping them avoid surgeries, chemo, radiation and poisonous pharmaceuticals as well as disfigurement and to help them overcome the side effects of these dangerous, expensive nonsensical interventions. Our results making breast lumps disappear are remarkable. When institutions like Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center tell women that they must have mammograms every three months to check on “suspicious areas”, these hospitals do no counseling of these clients on what course of action to take to reverse the lumps and avoid mastectomies. After working with us, the client returns for their mammogram and the “suspicious areas” are gone, the client is told she doesn’t have to return for a year to be checked again “because the suspicious areas are gone.” But since they never ask how they reversed the precancerous lesions, isn’t it obvious they don’t care about women’s health? If they did, they would ask what was done to reverse the lumps that they only have the ability to surgically remove!
One case of breast cancer or any other cancer means $500,00 in gross revenue for the medical establishment. Reverse the lumps for less than a thousand dollars and they lose their cash cows! Americans have been pink-washed by komen, the nih, cdc,and ama. They use falsified psuedo-science which they “practice” at everyone’s expense. You should all read “The Cancer Cure that Worked” by Barry Lynes and John Crane. And the next time you are “racing for the cure”, run backwards, because the cure was invented in 1934 by Royal Rife and hidden by the A.M.A. and Morris Fishbein.
Using light frequency, Lupus was cured in 1906. Dr. Niels Ryberg Finsen received the Nobel prize for his work. Because his work was suppressed by the medical establishment, Lupus remains a cash cow for doctors and a living hell for the sufferers. The A.M.A. was created as a legal entity to protect the business interests of doctors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and hospitals. Rockefeller gave money to be used to crush the cures verified by solid research, research by inventors and doctors who toiled in service of humanity, yet Rockefeller used homeopathy for his own healthcare while paying the medical establishment to discredit homeopathy.
The a.m.a. only serves itself, tortures you and expects you to worship them as you die for their new Mercedes and yacht payments. Educate yourselves and start reading these books, the suppression of truth in medicine is more rampant than ever. Read “Plague” by Dr. Mikovits, “Secret History of the War on Cancer” by Devra Davis as well as “Disconnect” on cell phone cancer risks. “The History of a Crime Against The Food law” by Harvey Wiley in 1929. He was leader of the “Bureau of Chemistry”, of which was born the “F.D.A.” Kids, we are in the information age. Be informed or be victimized
Keep the great information coming Food Babe, we love you!
I buy my vitamins from Life Extension. They have been around for well over 40 years. They are dedicated to optimal health and longevity. I believe them to be very reputable and honest. They do extensive research, review scientific studies, and have a staff of knowledgeable technicians to answer any questions about all supplements. They also review clinical studies on certain medications that are providing good results with the least amount of side effects. I recently switched to a med for hypertension that is working very well. (Life Extension does not sell meds, and does not benefit in any way from their recommendations.) Changes in diet and supplements were not helping my high blood pressure. So, I appreciate the open minded approach that Life Extension provides. There is an annual membership cost (around $75) that is worth its weight in gold.
I second the endorsement of the Life Extension Foundation!!
I purchase my Vitamins from a company out of New Zealand called X-Tend Life. They use all natural ingredients & absolutely NO synthetic ingredients.