First a word about Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements
Vitamins are a remarkable success story that has presently evolved into an equally remarkable fraud. It was a success because of the scientific discoveries of all the vitamins at the turn of the 20th century, which virtually eliminated vitamin deficiency diseases in the developed countries. American doctors now can go through their entire careers without seeing a single case of a vitamin deficiency disease. But, vitamins have also become a fraud because the vitamin and book/media industries have convinced the American public that if a little vitamin is good, then a lot is much, much better. This has never been medically proven for a single vitamin. Medical experts from virtually every medical center in the country, newsletters from Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic and Harvard to mention a few, say this. Yet, a TV shill on an infomercial or a book by a convicted swindler can convince otherwise very knowledgeable people that they have vitamin products that will increase vigor, energy, long life, skin health and prevent almost every known disease. Virtually all medical experts who do not have a financial tie to these industries will tell you that all you need, at most, is a simple, cheap, generic multiple vitamin pill a day. Otherwise, a good, well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, low fat meats, fiber, physical and mental exercise, a normal blood pressure and weight, and low cholesterol, is the best that you can do. Remain a skeptic. Do not take the snake oil or glamorized magic in a bottle or a pill. Ignore the fancy names put on these products. You will not live forever. Your skin will wrinkle. Your genes may sabbotage you in the end. Yet, the above program is the very best you can do and will always be better than something you buy in a bottle.
Supplements and herbs are the other parts of this health care scam. First, disabuse yourself about the word herb. An herb is a plant, so every grain, fruit and vegetable is technically an herb. Calling something an herb does not confer a magic property to it. True, there have been many important medical products which were first discovered in plants. Aspirin from the willow tree bark, quinine, some antibiotics and some chemotherapy drugs come to mind. However, the supplement and herb charlatans would have you believe that they have found incredible health secrets from an enormous array of plants from around the world. Again, do not believe it. Each of them has a financial interest in getting you to buy their products. There is no or little research or proof of their health claims. Even the popular herbs, echinacea and ginko bibloba, when submitted to independent, double blind studies where neither researcher or patient knows what they get, have failed to show any benefits. Herbs, for the most part, are simply innocuous and very expensive dried plants. Some are actually dangerous and deadly. Certain Chinese herbs and some mushrooms will destroy your liver rather quickly.
FIBER
Fiber in plants is another matter entirely. Fiber is the non-digestible part of a plant that ends up in the lower bowel or colon. There are 2 types. One is called soluble fiber which dissolves and absorbs water. These can lower cholesterol about 15%. Examples of this fiber are oats, psyllium (Metamucil), guar gum and a few others. The other type is insoluble fiber which includes just about all the rest of the plant kingdom. Wheat, rye, barley, and fruits are common examples. These insoluble fibers, to varying degrees, hang on to water and provide a more regular bowel pattern. It was Samuel Johnson, the famous English biographer and author of the first English dictionary, who said that it is much better to have a good set of bowels rather than a good set of brains. This action, in turn, may confer additional benefits by diluting carcinogens and other nasty chemicals we ingest and more quickly sweeping them out of the body. So plant fiber, call it an herb if you wish, is highly recommended.
But are there not other specific foods that provide chemical benefits? The answer is probably yes. But remember that these benefits are almost certainly best obtained by eating these foods rather than taking a capsule. There is something about these substances within food that is much better than taking it as an isolated pill. Two types come to mind as there is now enough research data available to suspect that these provide solid benefits. One is the chemical lycopene found in tomatoes. The concentration is much higher is cooked tomatoes. Populations that eat lots of tomatoes seem to have a lower incidence of prostate cancer. The other chemical is sulforaphane, recently found to be present in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, have been found to have up to 20 times the concentration of sulforaphane in regular broccoli. This substance is felt to be one of the key chemicals in this food group that protects against cancers. A word of caution is needed. Most of this current research is "soft" meaning that more confirmatory studies are needed. However, the available evidence comes from reputable scientists without financial ties to the vitamin, herb and supplement industries. One final comment: when a plant is dehydrated, dried and turned into a powder, water has been extracted from it, usually under mild heat. It is likely that most health benefits are retained in these powders. Certainly, that has been well proven with soluble fiber and cholesterol lowering. So turning cooked tomatoes and broccoli sprouts into powders probably is beneficial and certainly is not harmful in any known way.
Jackson Fiber Cocktail
The following are my recommendations for maintaining healthy, regular bowel function and, perhaps, reducing the chances of certain cancers and heart disease. It has been confirmed by over 40 years of use in my gastroenterology practice and in my personal use as well. It consists of
2 powders. The science behind it is described in detail in the
Healthy Eating and Fiber section. Briefly, it is as follows:
- Psyllium powder-this is a soluble fiber similar to guar gum, oat bran and many others. It absorbs water, forming a gelatinous mass which sucks up cholesterol (reducing the amount in the blood). Healthy bacteria in the colon thrive on it and the increase in stool size and softness is, in part, due to this.
- Miller's wheat bran-this is one of the many, many insoluble fibers. It is very cheap. It has no effect on cholesterol and the bacteria don't much care for it. It does, however, absorb a great deal of water, again promoting regularity and easy bowel movements.
Options you may also want to add include:
- Tomato powder-cooked tomatoes are very high in the chemical lycopene. Those populations that consume high amounts of tomatoes have a significant reduction in prostate cancer. Enough said.
- Broccoli sprout powder-most people now know that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain cancer preventing chemicals. One such is sulforaphane (search it on the web). As noted, the sprouts have a much greater concentration of this chemical. So, broccoli sprouts may be a very valuable addition to your daily diet in reducing the risk of certain cancers.
One final optional powder for the venturesome and daring:
- Cocoa powder-unsweetened cocoa has been found to be very high in antioxidants which are chemicals that counteract the effect of damaging oxidizing chemical reactions that normally occur in the body. In fact, cocoa has almost twice the amount of these antioxidants as the next highest item-blueberries. Unfortunately, the cocoa bean is very bitter, so candy makers have had to add great quantities of sugar to create the magic of chocolate that we all love.
A word about powders and pills. Lycopene and, probably sulforaphane, are sold as pills. I would caution against using these pills. Almost all nutrition experts and researchers say that the ingestion of foods that contain these ingredients is always better than taking a supplement pill. As with most pill supplements, proof of their value and benefit are almost always lacking. There are likely other things in these foods that contribute to their benefit. When you use powders, you are getting the entire food except for the water which has been removed. Contrary to taking supplement pills, eating these foods has been shown to be a real health benefit. Many fibers can be bought in the pill form. However, you really don't get very much in each pill and they are expensive this way. Using the powders is a simple daily way of getting these whole food benefits without the bother of preparing the foods each day.
A Recommended Recipe
In a very large bowl mix equal portions of these above 4 (or 5) powders-say a cup of each. Use an egg whisk to thoroughly mix the ingredients and store it in an air tight container. A daily dose might consist of 2 heaping tablespoons. A sweetener is then necessary. I use Splenda (sucralose) as it is likely safer than the other artifical sweeteners. Then you should add 4-5 ounces of the liquid of your choice, fruit juice, Crystal Light, which has a sweetener in it, or whatever works and tastes best for you. I now use Pellegrino or Perrier cold sparkling water. Mixing this in a blender for 10 seconds or so is recommended. Immediately swallow the mixture. Follow with 4 ounces of water to clear the esophagus. If you wait too long after mixing, the mixture will thicken up too much to be swallowed. Finally, no one can tell you exactly what the right mixture is for you. Experiment a little with the portions and you will find what works best for you. This mixture has about 100 calories.
Sources
Psyllium, wheat and tomato powders can be easily purchased via a web search. Unsweetened cocoa powder can be purchased at any food store. The only place I can find broccoli sprout powder is at
Natural Sprouts Company. They are a wholesaler, but if you sweet talk them on the phone and use my name, they will send you a 1.0 Kg bag for about $125. This should last well over a year. They do not accept credit cards and, being a wholesaler, they have had no direct web ordering as of 6/2006. You can now buy fresh broccoli sprouts in many food stores. Finally, store these powders in very tight lid containers, preferably in the freezer, as moths and other small wiggly critters may be attracted to them.
Pills, Pills, Pills, I Must Take My Pills
Is there anyone who does not take non-prescription pills every day? It is like brushing your teeth. It is a habit. As this essay says, there are virtually no vitamins beyond a minimal recommended dose that provide any known benefit. Same goes for herbs, except for the recommended plant herbs above. So, what can be taken with a semblance of scientific fact behind them? The following make some sense, though they should be cleared with your doctor:
- Aspirin-a small 81 mg daily dose with a regular 325 mg dose once a week may protect from blood clotting, heart attacks and colon cancer, but if your heart risk profile is already low, the very small risk of brain bleeding may outweigh any benefit.
- Vitamin B complex with folic acid. In the past a cheap multivitamin once a day was recommended. However, virtually all manufacturers now add many minerals most of which are not needed and some of which may be harmful.
- Calcium-600 mg calcium carbonate 1-2 times a day, 12 ounces of skim milk gives you all you need in place of this. Shellfish are another source.
- Fish oil-1 capsule a day. If you eat fish 2-3 times a week, especially the fatty kind, then this would not be needed.
That's it. A daily powder drink and a few pills. Quick, cheap and easy. Oh, one more thing. This cocktail will not improve your attitude or personality. And it will not improve your health and longevity any better than a good heart healthy diet, normal weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, and regular physical and mental exercise. On second thought, a regular bowel pattern will improve your attitude. Good Luck!
Disclaimer
Can anyone remember the days when companies or people did not have to post warnings on the products they sell or advice they give, so as to protect themselves from a lawsuit? Whatever happened to common sense and personal responsibility? We, indeed, live in an age of victimhood where every misfortune must have a payoff from somebody. So, the following common sense advice is given.
- Do not use this Jackson Fiber Cocktail if you have any type of bowel blockage or trouble swallowing food or liquid. See your physician first.
- You may feel bloated with this cocktail. Get used to it or use less or none of it.
- You may have increased gas or flatus.
- This is not medical advice. Get that from your doctor too.
The above discussion on healthy living and diet, and the Jackson Fiber Cocktail is my personal recommendation and does not necessarily reflect what other physicians in this group would recommend.
Health Essays: On Good Health | Jackson Fiber Cocktail | Jackson Fountain of Youth
Gastroenterology: Patient Education | Diseases/Disorders | Procedures | Diets | Drugs | Endoscopy Images | Links
Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology
| 423 North 21st Street, Suite 100 | 2626 North 3rd Street., Suite 3A | |
| Camp Hill, PA 17011 | Harrisburg, PA 17110 | |
| (717) 761-0930 | Phone: (717) 238-3111 |
Fax: (717) 761-0465
Email: contact@gicare.com
Web: gicare.com
© Copyright 2007 Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. All Rights Reserved.