Nutrition Supplement Recommendations For Diseases: Not One-Size-Fits-All

As a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, I am often asked “What should I take for ______” (fill in the health condition).  The answer is almost never as simple as most people think.  Nutrition supplement recommendations for diseases should be based on multiple factors.

One of the most important factors is current medications.  Besides all non-prescription and prescription drugs having side effects, drugs and supplements go through specific biochemical detoxification pathways.  Some drugs or supplements slow down detoxification, and some speed up it up.  I have to determine which detoxification pathway each drug and supplement go through.  This is absolutely necessary to prevent any negative drug-nutrient interactions.  For example, grapefruit juice is high in a substance called naringin.  Naringin has known drug interactions due to it slowing down detoxification of certain drugs, thereby, raising the levels of the drug in the body.

In addition, whenever a patient is on multiple drugs the evaluation is complex because all drug-to-drug and drug-to-nutrient interactions have to be considered.   This is why I often tell people that a lot of considerations have to be made prior to providing a nutrition supplement or dietary program.

Most people do not like the trouble and/or the expense of taking a lot of pills.  Thus, one major factor I have to evaluate is the patient’s disease conditions, and the dietary and nutrition supplement program that will give the most favorable effect with the least amount of nutrition supplements.  I always have to focus on the top nutrition requirements to address the particular disease condition(s) and to cause the greatest impact on the underlying processes involved to help their body restore normal physiologic function.

I also need to consider the severity of altered disease function, how long has it existed, the extent of damage to particular organ systems that has occurred, and the complications involved due to drug interventions.  I recall a patient who expected me to give them a quick answer on what nutrition supplement to take.  This patient had multiple chronic autoimmune diseases, had been taking various courses of a powerful steroid anti-inflammatory medication with many severe side effects, was near kidney failure and was taking other powerful drugs.  They were hesitant to take the time or financial investment in undergoing a proper functional medicine  and nutrition consultation.  This patient somehow thought I could just tell him what nutrition supplement to take.

It is in your best interest that your specific health conditions, diet, medication and nutrition supplement are taken into consideration before recommending a nutrition supplement.  In the same way, you should not self-prescribe a nutrition supplement for your health condition based on what you read.

Dr Husbands is a Chiropractor, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, an Anti-Aging Healthcare Practitioner and a Functional Medicine Doctor.  For more information, visit http://www.holistichealthbayarea.com.

Copyright © 2009; Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN, ABAAHP. All rights reserved.