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Vitamins, Herbs, & Supplements: Can They Help You Live Longer?

(with photo)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Americans may not be seeking the fountain of youth but most do want to learn

how to stay healthy longer and not spend their last years fighting

degenerative diseases.

"We want to slow down the aging process and get more life out of our years,"

Richard Frankonis told an attentive audience in the Monsignor Conroy Room at

St Rose School Monday evening.

Mr Frankonis, a registered pharmacist and certified nutritionist, had been

invited by Sally O'Neil, coordinator of the Parish Nurse Ministry program at

St Rose, to speak on the subject of "Vitamins, Herbs And Supplements: What Is

In Those Little White Pills?"

Most people know that life expectancy has increased dramatically during the

last century, Mr Frankonis said. "Life expectancy was 45 years in 1900; by

1999 it has reached 71 years for men, 77 years for women."

What people generally do not realize is that this is mostly due to a

significant decrease in infant mortality, he said. If the rate of infant

mortality is removed from the computation, the average American actually is

living only 3.7 years longer in this century.

Maximum Lifespan

As a species, humans have a maximum lifespan that is believed to be about 120

years. Few live that long, however, partly because an internal "genetic clock"

causes some bodies to age faster and also because such factors as diet and

pollution cause damage to the body's genetic material and DNA.

"Free radicals from sources such as sunlight, X-rays, radiation, chemicals,

some foods and beverages, and even those made in our own bodies cause damage

that leads to aging," Mr Frankonis explained. "Arteriosclerosis, hardening of

the arteries, Alzheimer's disease, osteoarthritis, Lupus and other diseases of

the immune system are attributed to damage caused by free radicals."

Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene, selenium, flavinoids,

sulphur-containing amino acids and glutathione are free radical scavengers.

These can be found in foods and also in supplements.

Another process, called glycosylation, is caused when glucose molecules attach

themselves to cellular proteins in the cell membranes and enzymes. This is a

factor in such diseases as macular degeneration, kidney disease, diabetes, and

those involving the immune system. To counter this, individuals must control

blood sugar, take higher doses of vitamins E and C, and adequate amounts of

B6, he said.

Eat Less, Live Longer

"Can the life span be extended? Probably, yes," Mr Frankonis said. "The major

way is by eating less, eating a low-caloric diet. Overweight or severely

underweight persons don't live as long."

Exercise is important, too, he said.

"Unfit people are eight times as likely to develop degenerative diseases," he

said. "It is said that if you exercise for one hour, you live two hours

longer."

Many supplements on the market aren't worth taking because a well-nourished

body will itself supply all that is needed, he said.

Beta Carotene, in such vegetables as broccoli and carrots, is found in the

pigments of plants. A high intake is believed to reduce the likelihood of

cancer.

Flavinoids are found in such vegetables as red cabbage and beets -- "anything

colorful is good for you," said the pharmacist --, as well as berries, citrus

fruits, parsley, onions, legumes, green tea and red wine.

Sulphur-containing amino acids are found in such foods and herbs as garlic,

onion, fish, liver, eggs, brewers yeast, and nuts.

Today drug companies advertise their products in magazines and on television,

but when Richard Frankonis started in business years ago, pharmacists didn't

even put the name of the drug on the label of the pill container.

"Advertising was unheard of those days," he said. "Doctors didn't want

patients to know what they were taking."

Today drug companies are making and selling supplements in a market that is

driven by consumer demand.

Nearly everyone should take a high-potency multiple vitamin and mineral pill

daily, Mr Frankonis said. In addition, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E

are important.

Mr Frankonis suggested that 500 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C be taken

daily, in divided doses so as not to cause stomach or intestinal distress.

Vitamin E, 400 to 800 units, can be taken in one dose.

Other daily supplements should be taken as follows, he continued: beta

carotene, 25,000 units; selenium, 100 to 200 micrograms; ginko biloba, 40

milligrams, two or three times a day; calcium, 1,000 milligrams a day with 500

milligrams of magnesium.

"Calcium carbonate is the least well absorbed; calcium citrate is better," Mr

Frankonis said.

Take supplements with your main meal or with a substantial breakfast, he said.

"You don't need to take everything every day, such as amino acids," he added.

"Many of these are stored and are available to the body even if you miss a

day."

Vitamin C will not prevent persons from catching a cold virus, but it may help

with the duration and severity of a cold, he said.

Ginko biloba increases the blood flow into the tissues. This supplement is

said to be good for conditions such as ringing in the ears, memory loss,

depression, stroke, male impotence, premenstrual symptoms, macular

degeneration, cerebral-vascular insufficiency, stroke, and dementia.

"It seems to increase the quality of life in the elderly and is safe, there

are no contra-indications," Mr Frankonis said.

Ginseng, a tablet or two a day, seems to be helpful in many ways, he said,

including helping the heart beat a little slower and stronger.

Standardized Products

Persons who take supplements should make sure they take standardized products

whose labels spell out the quantity in each dose. "Don't buy crushed leaf or

ground root -- you won't know how much you are taking in each dose," he said.

Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration so consumers

also cannot be sure of the potency of the product. "You get what you pay for

-- don't buy by price, find a company that you trust."

Some popular supplements, such as DHEA, are taken because they are believed to

help restore vitality and build a lean body mass. But they contain a steroidal

hormone and should not be used except under medical supervision, Mr Frankonis

said.

"They're not for people who are at risk for breast cancer or prostate cancer

because they add hormones to your body," he said. A new formulation of DHEA is

touted to contain all the benefits and won't break down into sex hormones.

Melatonin, used to treat conditions such as jet lag and insomnia, can be

useful if taken occasionally, not on a regular basis, Mr Frankonis said. It

also is a hormone, he explained.

CoEnzyme-Q10 is an antioxidant that also is concerned with energy production

in the cells. It works in the mitochondria in the cell and in the blood stream

where it has antioxidant activity. Its effect is blocked when a person also is

taking an cholesterol-reducing drug.

Although some vitamins and supplements are water soluble and excesses are

excreted from the body, taking too much of others can cause problems.

"Too much Vitamin B6 will cause neuropathies," Mr Frankonis said. "Don't take

more than 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin E. Limit Vitamin A to 10,000 to 15,000

units. And you can get in real trouble if you take too much Vitamin D.

"Generally, if you are taking too much of a particular vitamin, you will get

the same symptoms as if your body has too little."

Mr Frankonis recommends educating yourself about supplements before taking

them and telling your health care practitioner what you are taking.

The former owner of Newtown Pharmacy, Richard Frankonis now operates

Nutrition-LAB. He is a compounding pharmacist, making drugs that are not

available commercially, and is available for nutrition consultations by

appointment at 270-7322.