
By Kris Gunnars
Most supplements don't really work, or at least haven't been proven to work. However, there are some exceptions to this. In fact, a few supplements are so effective that they are comparable to pharmaceutical drugs.
Here are four natural health boosting supplements that are as powerful as drugs (if not more):
1. Berberine Drastically Lowers Blood Sugar Levels and Improves Metabolic Health
Berberine is a bioactive substance that is extracted from certain plants.
It isn't well known, but may just be the single most powerful supplement on earth.
Berberine provides all sorts of health benefits, but is particularly effective at lowering blood sugar levels (1).
It is believed to lower blood sugar via numerous mechanisms, including reducing glucose production in the liver and improving insulin sensitivity (2, 3).
Studies have shown that taking berberine can lower blood sugar levels to a similar extent as the popular diabetes drug metformin (4).
In a study of 116 patients with type 2 diabetes, berberine lowered fasting blood sugar levels by 20 percent and HbA1c (a marker for long-term blood sugar levels) by 12 percent (5).
Berberine is also very effective at improving other health markers. It leads to major reductions in total and LDL cholesterol, and lowers blood triglycerides and blood pressure levels, which should lead to a reduced risk of heart disease (1, 6, 7, 8).
Berberine has also been shown to have anti-bacterial effects, and may be protective against heart failure, cancer and Alzheimer's disease (9, 10, 11, 12).
Keep in mind that berberine is a very powerful supplement, with a wide range of biological effects, so use it with caution.
Definitely consult with your doctor if you are currently taking any other medications.
Bottom Line: Berberine is a powerful supplement. It can lead to major reductions in blood sugar levels and improvements in most major risk factors for heart disease, to name a few.
2. Curcumin (From Turmeric) is a Potent Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Turmeric is a popular spice, known for giving curry its yellow color.
It has been used in India for thousands of years as a medicinal herb.
Turmeric contains a powerful biologically active substance called curcumin, which has been studied thoroughly in recent years (13).
Curcumin fights inflammation at the molecular level by blocking an inflammatory signalling molecule called NF-kB (14, 15).
It is so effective that it has compared favorably to anti-inflammatory drugs in some studies, without any major side effects (16, 17).
For example, it has been shown to be very effective in treating arthritis. In a study of 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 500 mg of curcumin per day was more effective than the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (18).
Curcumin also has numerous other health benefits. It is a powerful antioxidant, can improve heart health, and may help prevent cancer and Alzheimer's (19, 20, 21 22).
According to one study, curcumin can also help fight depression. In this study of 60 depressed patients, curcumin was as effective as the antidepressant drug prozac (23).
Curcumin is poorly absorbed, so it is better to get a supplement that also contains piperine/bioperine, which has been shown to enhance absorption by 2,000 percent (24).
Bottom Line: Curcumin is the biologically active agent in turmeric. It is a very powerful anti-inflammatory substance that may help fight numerous diseases.
3. Red Yeast Rice Contains a Natural Statin, Which Can Lower Cholesterol and Help Prevent Heart Disease
Statin drugs are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world.
They inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver, leading to significantly reduced cholesterol levels in the blood.
Interestingly, an extract of a type of fermented rice called red yeast rice may have similar effects.
Red yeast rice contains a substance called monacolin K, which is identical to the statin drug Lovastatin (25).
According to a review that looked at 93 controlled trials, red yeast rice can lower total cholesterol by 34 mg/dL, LDL by 28 mg/dL, triglycerides by 35 mg/dL and increase HDL (the “good" cholesterol) by 6 mg/dL, on average (26).
In a massive Chinese study of 5,000 heart attack patients, red yeast rice lowered the risk of subsequent heart attacks by 45 percent and reduced the risk of dying during the study period by 33 percent (27).
Unfortunately, the amount of the active ingredient can vary up to 100-fold, depending on which brand of red yeast rice you get (28).
Therefore, there is no guarantee that you are getting a pharmacologically active dose, and it may not work as well as it did in the studies.
Keep in mind that, although “natural," red yeast rice functions just like a statin drug, and may have similar side effects.
Definitely do not take this supplement without speaking to your doctor first.
Bottom Line: Red yeast rice contains a substance that is identical to the statin drug Lovastatin. It can significantly reduce cholesterol levels, and lowers the risk of heart attacks and death in people who already have heart disease.
4. Garlic Can Cause Major Reductions in Blood Pressure
Garlic is arguably one of the tastiest ingredients in the world.
It has been used as a medicinal plant for a very long time, including by the Greeks and the Romans (29).
The main effects of garlic are mediated by its active compound, allicin, which is highly beneficial for heart health (30).
Studies have shown that garlic can lower total and LDL cholesterol by about 10-15 percent, on average (31, 32, 33).
Even more importantly, it can significantly lower blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and early death (34, 35).
In people with high blood pressure, garlic can lower systolic blood pressure by 8.4 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure by 7.3 mmHg, on average (36).
In one study of 210 people with high blood pressure, aged garlic extract was even more effective than the blood pressure lowering drug atenolol (37).
Garlic also appears to be effective at boosting immune function and helping to fight the common cold, the world's most common infectious disease.
In one study, it reduced the number of colds by 63%, and reduced the duration of cold symptoms by 70%, or from an average of 5 days to an average of 1.5 days (38).
Bottom Line: Garlic has a wide range of biological effects. It can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and help fight the common cold.
Take Home Message
Supplements, no matter how effective, can never replace a healthy lifestyle with real food, exercise and good sleep.
That being said, these natural supplements may be useful for people who need some “biological assistance," but still want to keep things as natural as possible.
Keep in mind that these supplements are incredibly powerful, and should be treated with respect.
If you currently have a medical condition or take any medication, then consult with your doctor before trying any of this out.
This article was reposted from our media associate Authority Nutrition.
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A Healthy Microbiome Builds a Strong Immune System That Could Help Defeat COVID-19
By Ana Maldonado-Contreras
Takeaways
- Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that are vital for keeping you healthy.
- Some of these microbes help to regulate the immune system.
- New research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, shows the presence of certain bacteria in the gut may reveal which people are more vulnerable to a more severe case of COVID-19.
You may not know it, but you have an army of microbes living inside of you that are essential for fighting off threats, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
How Do Resident Bacteria Keep You Healthy?
<p>Our immune defense is part of a complex biological response against harmful pathogens, such as viruses or bacteria. However, because our bodies are inhabited by trillions of mostly beneficial bacteria, virus and fungi, activation of our immune response is tightly regulated to distinguish between harmful and helpful microbes.</p><p>Our bacteria are spectacular companions diligently helping prime our immune system defenses to combat infections. A seminal study found that mice treated with antibiotics that eliminate bacteria in the gut exhibited an impaired immune response. These animals had low counts of virus-fighting white blood cells, weak antibody responses and poor production of a protein that is vital for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1019378108" target="_blank">combating viral infection and modulating the immune response</a>.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184976" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In another study</a>, mice were fed <em>Lactobacillus</em> bacteria, commonly used as probiotic in fermented food. These microbes reduced the severity of influenza infection. The <em>Lactobacillus</em>-treated mice did not lose weight and had only mild lung damage compared with untreated mice. Similarly, others have found that treatment of mice with <em>Lactobacillus</em> protects against different <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04638" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">subtypes of</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17487-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">influenza</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008072" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">virus</a> and human respiratory syncytial virus – the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39602-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">major cause of viral bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children</a>.</p>Chronic Disease and Microbes
<p>Patients with chronic illnesses including Type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease exhibit a hyperactive immune system that fails to recognize a harmless stimulus and is linked to an altered gut microbiome.</p><p>In these chronic diseases, the gut microbiome lacks bacteria that activate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1198469" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">immune cells</a> that block the response against harmless bacteria in our guts. Such alteration of the gut microbiome is also observed in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1002601107" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">babies delivered by cesarean section</a>, individuals consuming a poor <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12820" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">diet</a> and the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elderly</a>.</p><p>In the U.S., 117 million individuals – about half the adult population – <a href="https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suffer from Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease or a combination of them</a>. That suggests that half of American adults carry a faulty microbiome army.</p><p>Research in my laboratory focuses on identifying gut bacteria that are critical for creating a balanced immune system, which fights life-threatening bacterial and viral infections, while tolerating the beneficial bacteria in and on us.</p><p>Given that diet affects the diversity of bacteria in the gut, <a href="https://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/melody-trial-info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my lab studies show how diet can be used</a> as a therapy for chronic diseases. Using different foods, people can shift their gut microbiome to one that boosts a healthy immune response.</p><p>A fraction of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, develop severe complications that require hospitalization in intensive care units. What do many of those patients have in common? <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6912e2.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Old age</a> and chronic diet-related diseases like obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.</p><p><a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.12.019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black and Latinx people are disproportionately affected by obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease</a>, all of which are linked to poor nutrition. Thus, it is not a coincidence that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6933e1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">these groups have suffered more deaths from COVID-19</a> compared with whites. This is the case not only in the U.S. but also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/blacks-in-britain-are-four-times-as-likely-to-die-of-coronavirus-as-whites-data-show/2020/05/07/2dc76710-9067-11ea-9322-a29e75effc93_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in Britain</a>.</p>Discovering Microbes That Predict COVID-19 Severity
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired me to shift my research and explore the role of the gut microbiome in the overly aggressive immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection.</p><p>My colleagues and I have hypothesized that critically ill SARS-CoV-2 patients with conditions like obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease exhibit an altered gut microbiome that aggravates <a href="https://theconversation.com/exercise-may-help-reduce-risk-of-deadly-covid-19-complication-ards-136922" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acute respiratory distress syndrome</a>.</p><p>Acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening lung injury, in SARS-CoV-2 patients is thought to develop from a <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cytogfr.2020.05.003" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fatal overreaction of the immune response</a> called a <a href="https://theconversation.com/blocking-the-deadly-cytokine-storm-is-a-vital-weapon-for-treating-covid-19-137690" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cytokine storm</a> <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30216-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">that causes an uncontrolled flood</a> <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30216-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">of immune cells into the lungs</a>. In these patients, their own uncontrolled inflammatory immune response, rather than the virus itself, causes the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-020-05991-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">severe lung injury and multiorgan failures</a> that lead to death.</p><p>Several studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trsl.2020.08.004" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">described in one recent review</a> have identified an altered gut microbiome in patients with COVID-19. However, identification of specific bacteria within the microbiome that could predict COVID-19 severity is lacking.</p><p>To address this question, my colleagues and I recruited COVID-19 hospitalized patients with severe and moderate symptoms. We collected stool and saliva samples to determine whether bacteria within the gut and oral microbiome could predict COVID-19 severity. The identification of microbiome markers that can predict the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 disease is key to help prioritize patients needing urgent treatment.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.05.20249061" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">We demonstrated</a>, in a paper which has not yet been peer reviewed, that the composition of the gut microbiome is the strongest predictor of COVID-19 severity compared to patient's clinical characteristics commonly used to do so. Specifically, we identified that the presence of a bacterium in the stool – called <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em>– was a robust predictor of COVID-19 severity. Not surprisingly, <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em> has been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2011.05.035" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chronic</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10)61172-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inflammation</a>.</p><p><em>Enterococcus faecalis</em> collected from feces can be grown outside of the body in clinical laboratories. Thus, an <em>E. faecalis</em> test might be a cost-effective, rapid and relatively easy way to identify patients who are likely to require more supportive care and therapeutic interventions to improve their chances of survival.</p><p>But it is not yet clear from our research what is the contribution of the altered microbiome in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. A recent study has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.11.416180" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers an imbalance in immune cells</a> called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imr.12170" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">T regulatory cells that are critical to immune balance</a>.</p><p>Bacteria from the gut microbiome are responsible for the <a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.30916.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proper activation</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1198469" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">of those T-regulatory</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2016.36" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cells</a>. Thus, researchers like me need to take repeated patient stool, saliva and blood samples over a longer time frame to learn how the altered microbiome observed in COVID-19 patients can modulate COVID-19 disease severity, perhaps by altering the development of the T-regulatory cells.</p><p>As a Latina scientist investigating interactions between diet, microbiome and immunity, I must stress the importance of better policies to improve access to healthy foods, which lead to a healthier microbiome. It is also important to design culturally sensitive dietary interventions for Black and Latinx communities. While a good-quality diet might not prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, it can treat the underlying conditions related to its severity.</p><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ana-maldonado-contreras-1152969" target="_blank">Ana Maldonado-Contreras</a> is an assistant professor of Microbiology and Physiological Systems at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.</em></p><p><em>Disclosure statement: Ana Maldonado-Contreras receives funding from The Helmsley Charitable Trust and her work has been supported by the American Gastroenterological Association. She received The Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. She is also member of the Diversity Committee of the American Gastroenterological Association.</em></p><p><em style="">Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-microbiome-builds-a-strong-immune-system-that-could-help-defeat-covid-19-145668" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>By Jeff Masters, Ph.D.
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