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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nancy Snyderman, M.D. , Renowned Physician, TV Personality Urges Physicians to `Wake Up' to Natural Antioxidants, Alternative Patient Care
March 18, 1998, LA GRANGE, IL -- U.S. physicians should "take their blinders off" and embrace the use of natural antioxidants and other natural forms of patient care backed by scientific research, said Nancy Snyderman, M.D., renowned physician, journalist and author.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Henkel Nutrition and Health Group during Natural Products Expo West, Anaheim, CA -- the largest trade show for the natural products industry -- Dr. Snyderman urged her colleagues to recognize the value of research that supports natural antioxidants to treat and prevent illness. She commented on the growing trend toward "integrated medicine," which combines conventional and natural alternatives.
"Most of you who take natural antioxidants already know the health benefits they provide; you are the `already converted.' Our goal is how to reach the rest of the country," said Dr. Snyderman, the medical correspondent for ABC-TV's Good Morning America and Prime Time Live. "That's going to require a significant change in mindset in this country. We aren't there yet, but we're going to get there."
Dr. Snyderman, who will be hosting a new show called "Pulse" on ABC-TV, is a board-certified surgeon of otolaryngology as well as a trained pediatrician. She practices surgery at the California-Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Last year, Dr. Snyderman published a book, entitled, "Dr Nancy Snyderman's Guide to Good Health for Women Over Forty," which cites many studies involving antioxidants.
Numerous studies have shown that natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E, carotenoids, Pycnogenol(R) French maritime pine bark extract and alpha-lipoic acid provide powerful protection against free-radical damage that leads to cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and other degenerative conditions.
"We give a lot of lip service to preventive medicine in this country," Dr. Snyderman said. "If we could count on the next generation of physicians to listen to their patients about the supplements they want to take to prevent heart disease and other conditions, we could save $20 billion a year in hospital charges ."
Dr. Snyderman was referring to numerous studies showing that vitamin E can help reduce heart attacks, including the Cambridge Heart Anti-Oxidant Study, a controlled trial of natural vitamin E in 2,000 coronary disease patients (Lancet, March 23, 1996). In the study, vitamin E reduced documented heart attacks by a striking 75 percent. Two Harvard studies, involving about 135,000 health professionals, found that those who took daily vitamin E supplements had one-fourth to one-third less coronary risk than those who did not take the supplements. In yet another study of 11,178 individuals over 65, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin E supplements reduced the risk of heart disease mortality by 41 percent.
"It's crazy that the No. 1 cause of death in this country [heart disease] is something that is completely preventable," Dr. Snyderman said. "Research shows that vitamin E has a lot to offer in this area. I can't tell you that if you smoke like a chimney and take a lot of vitamin E you're going to be OK. What I can tell you is that if you don't smoke, you watch your diet and you take vitamin E, you're going to be a lot better off," she said.
Dr. Snyderman suggested that partnerships be formed to pave the way toward quality preventive health care in America. "The only way to get the nation's physicians to take their blinders off is by good science and mutual relations between the supplement industry, physicians and the pharmaceutical companies," she pointed out. "Let's remove the barriers and begin working together toward the same goal -- to prevent unnecessary disease in this country through smart, healthy lifestyles that include healthy diet, exercise and supplements as science shows they are needed," Dr. Snyderman concluded.
Henkel Nutrition and Health Group is a leading supplier of natural antioxidant branded raw material ingredients. Its premium antioxidants are found in supplements manufactured by all major vitamin companies and sold at fine health stores, pharmacies and other retail outlets. The Henkel antioxidants include Pycnogenol(R) French maritime pine bark extract; Betatene(R) natural beta-carotene with mixed carotenoids; Covitol(R) natural-source vitamin E; Lipoec(R) alpha-lipoic acid; and Covi-ox(R) natural mixed tocopherols.
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