Category: Nutritional Supplements

If you are taking medication to reduce stomach acid, you should consider a B-12 supplement. I was inspired to write this entry after reading the “Top 200 Prescription Drugs of 2008” list in one of my pharmacy magazines. I wasn’t too surprised to find Nexium as the number 7 drug by number of prescriptions and number 2 by sales. Prevacid was number 31 and 9 accordingly. These are part of a class of stomach acid- blocking drugs known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPI’s for short). And clearly, lots of people are taking them! Several studies have uncovered that PPI’s deplete nutrients such as B-12, especially in long-term users. The good news is this can be minimized with proper B-12 supplementation.

Simply put, PPI’s decrease stomach acid and stomach acid is necessary for proper B-12 absorption. B-12 is an essential vitamin that is famous for supporting energy levels. Your body needs it for healthy nerve cells, red blood cells, and to make DNA. It actually takes years to develop B-12 deficiency, but you may have symptoms if your B-12 levels are just slightly below normal. These include irritability, weakness, numbness, low blood pressure, anemia, personality changes, and confusion. There is also an increased risk of birth defects, brain disorders, heart disease, and colon cancer associated with low B-12 levels.

As always, there are conflicting study results on the matter of PPI’s depleting B-12 levels. But this is my conclusion based on what I researched: Long-term use of PPI’s (greater than one year), especially in the elderly, increases the risk of a B-12 deficiency. Keep in mind that B-12 deficiency is already common in this group. But with more and more young folks taking PPI’s and for longer periods of time, I suspect this may become a bigger problem across all age groups. A B-12 supplement of at least 25-100 mg daily may be necessary to maintain B-12 levels.

Bottom line, it’s a good idea to have your B-12 levels checked if you’re on a high-dose and/or long-term treatment with a PPI (Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, or Aciphex for example). A true B-12 deficiency may be underdiagnosed if you look at your B-12 levels alone because sometimes levels are within a normal range. Ask to have your homocysteine or methylmalonic acid levels checked too since these are also markers of your B-12 status. If you are looking for a B-12 supplement to balance your PPI therapy, feel free to consult with a Village Green practitioner for a recommendation.

NOTE: In theory, B-12 depletion may also happen with other stomach medications like Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, Alka Seltzer, Pepcid, or Zantac. I didn’t find a lot of good evidence at this point but I will keep you posted…

Are you about to start a course of antibiotics? Well don’t forget your probiotics. While the appropriate use of antibiotics does serve a role in fighting off unruly bacterial infections, it can also do a number on your gastrointestinal tract (and vaginal tract for females). As the public’s familiarity of probiotics increases thanks to the marketing of such products as Activia yogurt, the advice to supplement with probiotics while on antibiotics isn’t so “alternative” anymore. There is substantial research to support the use of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, as well as managing inflammatory bowel diseases and allergies (just to name a few of the other uses).

Simply put, probiotics are the good bacteria that keep potentially bad bacteria and yeast in check. When you take a course of antibiotics, it indiscriminately kills bacteria, including your normal flora of good bacteria. This sets the stage for antibiotic-associated side effects (gas, diarrhea, and yeast infections). It can take up to 3 months for your body to reestablish balance after a course of antibiotics. Foods rich in probiotics include yogurt, fermented cheeses, kefir, kombucha, and miso. But it is difficult to obtain enough probiotics for health benefits from dietary sources alone, since high-doses are required.

Quality probiotic supplements are available in capsules, powders, and liquids. I recommend that you support your body with probiotics for at least 2 weeks after your last dose of antibiotics. Remember to separate the probiotics from the antibiotic dose by at least 2 hours. Antibiotics will actually kill probiotics if you take them too close together. And did you know that your gut contains about 60-70% of your immune system cells? So supporting a healthy gut supports a healthy immune system – an added bonus! Here are some quick tips to help you select a quality probiotics supplement:

• Should have several strains of Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium species
• Should be stocked in the refrigerator, even if it is stable at room temperature
• Should be freeze-dried in capsules, not tablets
• Capsules should be enteric coated, so they will open in your intestines

• Container should be dark and moisture-proof
• Ideally the product should have been tested for live bacteria levels at the time of manufacture and at the expiration date (this will be noted on the label)

As always, feel free to ask for recommendations from any of the Village Green staff.

With the overwhelming amount of nutritional supplements available on the market, it can be a confusing process figuring out which health products are the best for you. When it comes to choosing the most beneficial products, there are four important things to look for:

1. Quality ingredients

Patented, trademarked ingredients (examples: Ester-C®, Suntheanine®)

Vitamin and mineral forms that are highly absorbable (examples: calcium hydroxyapatite or calcium citrate, rather than calcium carbonate)

2. Purity

Products that are free of wheat, gluten, corn, dairy products, eggs, yeast, heavy metals, preservatives, and artificial colors or flavors

Products that do not contain any unnecessary binders and fillers

3. Scientific Validation

Ingredients and formulas demonstrated to be effective in clinical trials and research studies

Independent third-party testing

4. Careful Manufacturing

Meticulous quality assurance procedures followed

Products tested to ensure proper breakdown by the body

Different supplement lines have different values regarding these four aspects of product quality. At Village Green Apothecary, it is our passion and commitment to provide our customers with premium products, and to this end, we created the Pathway line, which has over 120 single nutrient and combination formulas. Pathway products meet all of the criteria listed above – they are carefully formulated to contain the finest raw materials in forms that are well absorbed and assimilated into the body, as well as being 100% natural and hypoallergenic, designed with our customers’ health in mind.