Introduction

On June 30, 2019, the New York Times published an article by Gina Kolata entitled, “10 Medical Myths We Should Stop Believing. Doctors, Take Note.”

 Medical reporters make their bread and butter educating the masses. They don’t usually take on doctors, especially in a reproving tone. But Ms. Kolata is one of the best medical journalists in the world. So, skeptic that I am, I read the piece avidly. Nutritional supplements hit the fan in two of her first four attacks. The “definitive” study on fish oil to prevent heart attacks, she wrote, had failed to show any benefit. Nor did ginkgo biloba prevent mental decline.

Those were the last straws. I had to break my professional silence as a physician and nutritionist and write this book. I’ve studied the research results on popular nutritional supplements for 25 years, sometimes out of scientific interest; sometimes because of stories from friends or patients; sometimes for my own health problems. As an internist, a clinical pharmacology specialist, a Ph.D. nutritional biochemist, and a medical research author with over 200 published works, I’ve seen and been able to evaluate many a paper debunking nutritional supplements, whether by journalists, scientists, or even impaneled committees of experts.

But what good does all that background do you?

If you don’t have an open mind—if you adhere to standard (allopathic) medicine without question—don’t read another word, it will only upset you. On the other hand, if you have blind faith in supplements, this book may also upset you.

But if you have unsatisfied health concerns (and who over the age of 30 doesn’t?), and if you have an inquiring mind, this book will help you take care of yourself more proactively and more8 effectively. We will hit each of the biggest topics in chronic-care medicine, and I promise that you will get worthwhile tools for self-care.

Many a myth abounds when it comes to supplements for heart disease, stroke, dementia, degeneration and inflammation of joints and bones, diabetes, and male and female problems. But gold can be found among all the dross. Let’s mine it.

Part I gives the principles to make supplements work for you. Each chapter shows a problem and tells how to work around it. In “How Supplements are like Drugs,” we will see how dose strength and dosing interval are crucial. In the next chapter, “Most Supplements are Unproven,” we will explore the knowledge gaps about supplements. Next, in “Supplement Makers Play the Name Game,” we will discuss the problem of under-dosing, especially with combination supplements. Then, in “Supplements Cannot Combat Bad Habits,” we will put supplements into perspective with the other important aspects of self-care. Finally, in “Work with your Doctor,” we will discuss how touchy most medical practitioners are about supplements.

In Part II, we will hit the ten top chronic health problems and the supplements that can help, critically examining the most hyped supplement for each but expanding the discussion into take-home positives. If several supplements are of value for a problem, they are tabulated, giving recommendations and doses.

Each chapter starts with a paragraph summary. It’s too brief to be complete because every topic is complicated. But it does give you a chance to see the forest before you try to walk through the trees. And if you are not a skeptical reader, or you are not inclined to absorb the fine points, the summary might be all you care to read unless the chapter topic is of personal concern. The text uses boldface to emphasize the main points.

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