A Letter from Dr. Jamie ~ Perspective on Media Attention to Supplementation

Good News Doesn't Always Make the Headlines

 

I’d like to take a few moments of your time to provide some perspective on recent media attention to supplementation. It can be challenging to know what to trust, and we urge you to critically read articles about health and vitamins before assuming their validity - just as you would for any other reports from the Internet, a newspaper or the evening news.

Each year, hundreds of positive studies about nutrients and supplementation are published, the vast majority of which never make the news. Some examples of recently published clinical studies that have shown positive health outcomes include:

• Calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis prevention
• Folic acid for preventing progression of cervical dysplasia, which are precancerous changes in the cells that line the cervix
• Omega-3 fatty acids for reducing the risk of sudden death in people with existing heart disease,
• Vitamins C, E , beta carotene and zinc for reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
• Just recently, a study from the Netherlands showed positive metabolic effects in obese men taking resveratrol for as little as 30 days.

That’s good news, but it’s really only a very small part of it.  And focusing on the positive contributions of dietary supplements is not only good for the people who use them, but for all of us.  The Lewin Group, a healthcare consulting firm, actually estimated the U.S. could save $24 billion over 5 years if our elderly used a few basic nutritional supplements.

We are very committed to contributing to a broader understanding of nutrition and supplementation.  Our dedication to clinical and scientific research separates Shaklee from the competition and has resulted in over 100 scientific papers—90 of them published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Recent examples of Shaklee sponsored studies are

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study from February, 2011, “A Resveratrol and Polyphenol blend suppresses the oxidative and inflammatory stress response to a high fat, high carbohydrate meal” Our vitamin D intervention study published August, 2011 in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition entitled “Effects of Vitamin D supplementation on 25(OH)Vitamin D, HDL Cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk markers in subjects with elevated waist circumference”

Visit a prior blog post for more information and to see our most recently published studies.

A great way for you to read more about these and other studies and to receive regular updates on the latest research published on nutrition, supplements and health, is to visit and “like” the Health Sciences page on Facebook.

Thank you for your loyalty to Shaklee. We salute your ongoing commitment to incorporating our nutritional and other health products on your journey to a longer and healthier life.  

Be well!

Dr. Jamie McManus MD
Chair, Medical Affairs, Health Sciences & Education