Question: I was looking for iron on your website & did not find anything in the general area or under the Women’s section.

Do you not carry that supplement?

Thanks

Julie

Answer: Julie,

You request something and we answer your request!

Our Vegetarian Iron Complex™ utilizes the Albion Labs patented Ferrochel® Iron chelate where research has demonstrated it to be highly absorbed, well tolerated and non-constipating at recommended levels.

• Superior Bioavailablity
• Non-Constipating
• Enriched with Vitamins & Herbs
• A Vegetarian Dietary Supplement
• 100 Tablets

This is an extremely absorbable form of iron with natural co-factors. I find that iron deficiency anemia is not so common. Most people lack the co-factors for absorption and utilization. This formula has it all. Plus, the form of iron we use is the least constipating of all forms. You will want to take 1 per day with meals.

Take care and have a wonderful 2012

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcus Ettinger, BSc., D.C.

Response Back: Good Morning….

That is great news, I will check back & order some along with my Liquid Power Multi-V. I had my annual doctor appt & when my blood work came back it showed me being anemic, so was told to take 325mg of iron a day. We think that part of it is my “pre-menopause” stage & the 2 week long cycles vs. the good ole 5 days.

Thank you for your time & wonderful supplements…

You too have a very Happy New Year!

Julie

Question: I’m interested in your Vegetarian Iron Complex, but I don’t want to buy any supplements with folic acid in them.  Is the folate listed in your Vegetarian Iron Complex true folate or folic acid?

Thanks,
Julia

Answer: Julia,

Our “folate” is “folate”, not folic acid.

I’m sure your are already aware that the terms “folate” and “folic acid” represent two different forms of the same vitamin. Folic acid is the synthetic (man-made) form that is used in vitamin supplements and fortified foods and folate is the form of the B vitamin found naturally in whole-foods. Both forms of folate have their pluses and minuses. The one thing they both have in common is that they are good for people of all ages.

I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy our Vegetarian Iron Complex.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcus Ettinger, BSc., D.C.

Response Back: Thanks so much for your response.  I wasn’t sure only because on another supplement it said folate as folic acid.  I’ve done extensive research on the most current (2011) studies on long-term folic acid supplementation and fortification, which wasn’t done in original studies, and depending on a person’s unique genetic make up & whether or not they have cancer, long-term exposure to folic acid can do harm to certain vulnerable groups while helping others.  More studies on long-term use need to be done, but initial studies are solid, with high P-values, and are raising red flags.

Anyway, thanks so much for the info. and I’ll definitely be buying the iron formula.

Julia

Question: Hi,

I have been taking your Liquid Power Multi-V and your Mangosteen Elxir and I love it!  I am very interested in your Ultra Supreme Greens & Fruits and I just wanted to know is taking the liquid power multi-v and the Greens & Fruits a good idea or is it too much and I only need one.  I noticed the Greens & Fruits has a decent amount of vitamins in it already.  If I only need one which one do you recommend and if you recommend both how do you recommend I take them.  Both at the same time in the morning to start my day or one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  Thanks!

Answer: Jason,

Liquid Power is the base and you will build from there. Here are a few other ESSENTIALS.

A complex of essential fatty acids Ultra Omega 3-6-9 and Lecithin granules (lecithin in the emulsifier that allows you to metabolize the oils, plus the brain is 30% lecithin, and it’s good for cholesterol metabolism).

Whey Protein: Proteins are essential parts of all living organisms and participate in every process within our cells. Protein is also what makes up our muscles, immune system, internal organs, hair, nails, skin, and connective tissue. Whether your body resembles a brick house, stick house, or straw house is determined by the level of protein in your body. When a client comes in for a consultation with weak nails, poor hair growth, a weak immune system, and/or low energy, I always know they are deficient in their intake of (quality) protein. I usually take one scoop a day (25 grams of protein), but two scoops on the days I am working out in the gym.

Vitamin D is mandatory for all of my patients – 5-6,000IU’s per day (see www.vitamindcouncil.org for more data)

Here is a protocol I put together some time back.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger, BSc., DC

A high potency magnesium supplement

Question: I am writing for information concerning my sister. She is only 57 and her fingers are already starting to be deformed due to rheumatoid arthritis. Is there anything she can take to reverse it or keep it from getting worse. I was wondering about coral calcium but she has a problem with calcium deposits. Will coral calcium cause calcium deposits? Also wanted to know if coral calcium will cause kidney stones as I have an aunt that would like to take calcium supplements but she has a problem with the kidney stones.

Thank you, Bonnie

Answer: Bonnie,

This request is way too complex for this forum. I wish it was as simple as saying yes to the coral calcium and all would be better, but it wouldn’t. RA is an auto immune disease and the triggers are unique to the individual. I have helped many of my patients with RA, with the initial work-up being the most important component. Treatment involves dietary and lifestyle changes, along with targeted nutritional supplementation.

I have a distance patient program that will do all of this. Here is a link to that information. Also, please read my blog-post, There is a cure for arthritis – Reactive Arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome). This form of auto-immune arthritis is similar to RA.

As far as your aunt goes, she would be better off with magnesium than calcium. Calcium supplementation is very, very over rated. Magnesium deficiency is of a greater concern and more prevalent than that of calcium. So is vitamin D. My recommendation would be to take 3000 IU’s (3 caps) of our Vitamin D (power D3) and 800mg’s (1 cap in the AM & 1 cap in the PM) of our magnesium (Calm).

I hope this information helps.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger, BSc., DC

Question: Dear Dr. Ettinger,

Could you please advise if there are any synthetic versions of vitamins in Kidamins? could you also comment on another liquid multi I have purchased which uses a synthetic form of vitamin E as they (the supplier/manufacturer) state that the natural version is too unstable in a liquid formula????

Kind regards,

Rob Brady
Australia

Answer: Rob,

The only way to get a natural source of a vitamin would be to buy a food based supplement. Most likely it will be a tablet and only one or a few vitamins will be included. A label would look like this:

Cataplex C – Standard Process – $13.00

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 3 Tablets

Calories    4
Vitamin C    17 mg    25%
Calcium    30 mg    4%

Three tablets supply approximately: 225 mg veal bone PMG™ extract, 80 mg bovine adrenal, and 40 mg buckwheat leaf juice.

Proprietary Blend: 595 mg
Veal bone PMG™ extract, bovine adrenal, dried buckwheat (leaf) juice, buckwheat (seed), nutritional yeast, dried alfalfa (whole plant) juice, alfalfa flour, mushroom, magnesium citrate, bovine bone, defatted wheat (germ), calcium acid phosphate, echinacea (root), carrot (root), veal bone, soybean lecithin, mixed tocopherols (soy), and rice (bran).
Other Ingredients: Calcium lactate, honey, acerola (berry), camu camu (berry), manioc (root), calcium stearate, and arabic gum.

My 6 year old daughter takes Kidamins (Kidamins YouTube Video) and the quality of the product is of the highest standards. I am an alternative medicine practitioner of 22  years and have no problem giving it to her. I do give her other products, some of them being food based.

It would be impossible to make a 100% broad-spectrum, high-potency, whole-food based supplement. The key is to have a good diet and supplement what may be missing with this product. It’s safe and effective.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger BS, Sc

Question: Hi,

I am a renal dietitian in western Massachusetts and have a patient who takes your liquid B vitamins.  I noticed several minerals included in the ingredients and was wondering if these are in trace amounts, or not.  For instance, potassium and phosphorus are included, and renal patients need to limit their intake of these minerals.  Any info you may have on this would be helpful.

Thank you.

Emily Lewis, MS, RD

Answer: Emily,

The amount of minerals in our Liquid Complete B Formula is in TRACE quantities. I totally understand that you want to limit supplemental forms of certain minerals, but it’s the form and total amount that matters the most. As you know, a person would die (or not do well) without adequate daily potassium and other minerals. The RDA for potassium, for instance, is 3.3 grams per day, really should be 4.0 grams/day. That would be 33, 99 mg potassium (gluconate or citrate) caps/day. The issue with a doctor… restricting a particular mineral should be based on, not going above or beyond the RDA values. If a clients diet is one of fast-food or void of fruits and vegetables, supplemental minerals should be prescribed, even if the client is on dialysis. Just my professional opinion.

I usually run a routine blood chemistry to determine the blood levels of these minerals: potassium, calcium, sodium, chloride and magnesium, as they are added back, to mimic plasma concentrations, during dialysis. If these minerals are low or not in, what I call the functional range (a narrower bell-curve range than is used by Quest, LabCorp….), I will supplement until a stable range has been achieved on follow-up  blood tests.

I hope this helps and sorry for the drawn out answer.

Since you do this every day and I don’t, if you have data that will help me in my practice on this matter, can you e-mail me back.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger BS, DC

Dr. Ettinger,

I wonder what do you offer to treat hair loss. Do you have a specific line of products or just products to enhance general well being ?

Your advice will be greatly appreciated .

Viva

Viva,

I have personally researched this area for years and there is no effective, natural substance for hair loss. Propecia (medication) and Minoxidil (topical) is the still the gold-standard. I wish there was a natural product to offer but there isn’t one, as I would be using it too. Also, please don’t buy into any natural product scams that claim they can reverse or stop hair loss, as they are just scams.

One thing I would recommend is Liquid Power Multi-V. The best approach to hair loss prevention, and disease prevention for that matter, is to make sure that you’re getting all of your needed vitamins, minerals and antioxidant, daily. Liquid Power Multi-V will make sure you get it.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger BS, DC

Question: Hey Dr Ettinger, can you please tell me how many times a day I should use  your Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus and would that dose be different if I had sickle cell anemia? Thanks ahead for your time.

David

Answer: David,

The dose of the  our protein isolate would be once per day unless you are using it as a meal replacement (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Note: It is important to have five to nine daily servings of green, red, and yellow vegetables, fruits, or juices that are rich in antioxidants and other important nutrients. Some research suggests that antioxidant foods or supplements (such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, CoQ10 (our CoQ10 has the C and E in it!) and Resveratrol) may help inhibit the formation of the dense cells that trigger a sickle-cell crisis. I would also take Liquid Complete B complex (1 teaspoon 2x/day) to help with better cell differentiation.

Let me know what you think of this idea. Take care.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger BSc, DC

“These are the 5 most common nutritional deficiencies I see in my Orange, chiropractic and integrative medicine practice: Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Omega 3 Fatty Acids (ALA, EPA, DHA). I feel that these deficiencies are not just representative of my local area but are a glimpse of what the world, in general, is experiencing. Below is a brief summary for each nutrient. My ranking of nutritional deficiencies are based on dietary analysis, clinical observation and blood tests.” Marcus Ettinger BSc., DC

1. Magnesium

Deficiency: 8 out of 10 clients show clinical signs of magnesium deficiency. The average American diet only contains 50% to 60% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). According to Dr. Guosong Liu, half the population of industrialized countries have a magnesium deficit, which increases with aging.

Symptoms: Anxiety, confusion, heart attack, hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD), insomnia, nervousness, muscular irritability (twitches, spasms or cramps), restlessness, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), weakness, heart palpitations, depression….

Recommended Foods: All green leafy vegetables (ex. Swiss chard and spinach), Seeds (pumpkin or sunflower seeds), Beans (black or navy beans).

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Calm “magnesium caps” See: Magnesium and the Pathogenesis of disease (400 – 600 mg’s per day)

2. Zinc

Deficiency: 7 out of 10 clients show clinical signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Acne, ADD/ADHD, brittle nails, delayed sexual maturity, depression/apathy, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, growth impairment, hair loss, high cholesterol levels, immune impairment, impotence, irritability, lethargy, loss of appetite, loss of sense of taste, low stomach acid (HCl), male infertility/abnormal sperm, memory impairment, night blindness, paranoia, white spots on nails, poor wound healing, psoriasis….

Recommended Foods: Calf’s liver, beef, mushrooms, spinach, green peas and pumpkin seeds.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Zinc Glycinate (50 – 100mg’s per day).

3. Vitamin D

Deficiency: 10 out of 10 clients show deficiency (99.8% of all of my Labcorp, client blood tests have shown deficiency).

Symptoms: Allergies, auto immune diseases, burning sensation in mouth, cancer, diarrhea, insomnia, myopia, nervousness, osteoporosis, poor calcium utilization, rickets, scalp sweating, weight gain….

Recommended Foods: Cod liver oil, shrimp and eggs.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Power Vitamin D3 or Power D3 Softgels. Recommended dosage of Vitamin D3/Cholecalciferol is (6,000 – 10,000 IU’s per day for adults and 2,000 IU’s for children above the age of five. A base-line blood test should be done with a goal of achieving a blood level between 50 – 70 ng/mL ). Skin exposure to the sun, 15 minutes per day, is another great way to get adequate Vitamin D exposure. Note: living in southern California, I only take my Vitamin D during the months of October – the beginning of June. I surf a lot and as soon as my wetsuit comes off and I can get 15 minutes+ of direct sunlight, I no longer need the supplement form. In fact if if I kept taking it I would sunburn within 15 minutes. This is what your body does when the vitamin D level is sufficient.

4. Vitamin E

Deficiency: 3/10 Males and 2/10 Females show signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Neurological disturbances (gait disturbances, poor reflexes, loss of position sense, loss of vibration sense), shortened red blood cell life….

Recommended Foods: Green leafy vegetables (Mustard greens, chard, spinach and turnip greens), almonds and sunflower seeds.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Power E Complex – d-alpha Tocopherol w/mixed Tocohperols (400 – 800 IU’s per day)

5. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (ALA, EPA, DHA)

Deficiency: 8/10 show signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Diarrhea, dry skin and hair, hair loss, acne, eczema, psoriasis, immune weakness, infertility, poor wound healing, premenstrual syndrome, gall stones, liver degeneration, ADD/ADHD and depression….

Recommended Foods: Wild-caught salmon (Important: avoid farm-raised salmon because of pollutants, artificial color and lack of EFA’s), flax seed and/or flax seed oil, walnuts and sardines.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Ultra Omega 3-6-9 (2 – 4 caps per day) or High Lignan Flax Seed Oil (3 – 6 caps per day)

Dear Dr. Ettinger,

I am so confused. Now they say that levels of Vitamin D over 30 INCREASE your chances for cancer. If I back my dose back to 2,000 IU’s a day, is that going to make my levels above 30? My co-worker, Husband, and myself just stopped taking any of it because we don’t know what to do. I always thought that levels between 50 – 70 were ideal. I take the Vitamin D (Power Vitamin D3 Liquid) that you recommended. They have also stopped suggesting that we  take multi vitamins. I never took a multi, but my Husband did until this came out. He has Parkinson’s and does very well, but we don’t want to do anything to cause harm. Is there anything safe to take in your line of supplements? I told my co-worker and Husband that I would see what you have to say because I trust your opinion. We all await what you have to say.

Linda.

Linda,

Whatever source said that is either wrong, misinformed or interpreting the data to fit their agenda – one of the three. Go to www.vitamindcouncil.org for all your vitamin D needs. This is where you want to go to find-out the truth about Vitamin D . NaturalNews.com, is another good source for non-biased data. Personally, I will never drop my daily dosage of Vitamin D below 6,000 IU’s (accept during summer when I surf 3 days a week w/o my wetsuit). My 6 year old daughter takes 2,000 IU’s per day. Your husband is fine with 6-10,000 IU’s a day (get routine tests for proper blood levels) and should have a blood level between 50-80. His multi is also okay as well.

Marcus Ettinger BSc., DC

Dr. Ettinger,

The IOM expressed concern about excessive intake of vitamin D. But raised the Upper Tolerable Intake Levels (ULs) (above which there is a risk of harm) for vitamin D. The UL for individuals aged 9 and older was set at 4,000 IU’s/daily, up from 2,000 IU’s daily. The IOM noted that some studies showed an increase in adverse events (including overall mortality, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, fractures and falls) at vitamin D blood levels (I.e., 25-(OH)D levels) ranging from about 30 ng/mL to 48 ng/mL (75 to 120 nmol/L).

ConsumerLab.com has updated this review to reflect the IOM recommendations. For a summary of the IOM report, click here.

Linda D.

Linda,

This explains everything and personally I don’t believe a word of it.  It’s a government sponsored study, very prejudiced in favor of “not promoting supplements” or true health, for that matter! Study Sponsors

• Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Department of the Army, U.S. Department of Defense
• Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Health Canada
• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• National Institutes of Health (Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin, National Cancer Institute, and Office of Dietary Supplements), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Marcus Ettinger BSc., DC Dr. Ettinger,

If you have been taking 6,000 of D3 with no bad effects that is good enough for me. I do trust you and Life Extension a whole lot more than anything the government says. I do know that they want to regulate vitamins and make it so you can only get them by prescription. I did not look at who did the study so what you are saying makes perfect sense. If it were going to affect the liver it should show up in blood tests. I’ll start back with my 6,000 of D3 tonight! I have read so many good things about D. I did read to take it with K which I do not do. I will take supplements over drugs any day.

I really do appreciate you being there and taking your time to answer some questions.

Have a very merry Christmas!!!!

Linda