Discussion Board

Hi,
I have been following Dr. Joel Fuhrman for a bit (after hearing him at the ASW) and am wondering about his advice on supplements. Dr Mcdougall and Dr Campbell only advise to supplement B12. Dr Furhman is quite insistent that if you are eating a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet you need to supplement additionally with zinc, iodine and DHA, especially as you get older as your absorption gets less.

Can anyone comment on this?

Do you know of any other doctors in the lifestyle medicine group who also recommend this?
What do you do with your kids? We live in Germany where the winters are long and sunless, do I give them D then? I am very impressed with Fuhrman's book "Super Immunity", but am wondering about these recommendations, as he seems to be the only one suggesting this.
Do our absorption rates get less as we get older?

Appreciate any comments.
Best,
Julia

I have a problem when someone tells me I need to take supplements, and they sell supplements. Mind you, I'm not saying he is wrong. I just question his motives.

http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/supplements.aspx#GCF

This is a most contentious subject. In fact supplementation of any substance brings out the fire in people everywhere. Here, on this board, the recommendation is to supplement with B12 if you are following the program closely. Beyond that, any supplementation would come from an established need under the care of a trained professional. Most dietary deficiencies are easily tested for. It's urged you establish the need before embarking on supplementation. It's the point of view of Dr. McDougall that supplementation without the established need is unnecessary and possibly dangerous.
f1jim

My daughter lives in Seattle and was shocked to find that she is Vitamin D deficient, since she is outdoorsy. She and her husband spend as much time outside as they can hiking, running, training for marathons, etc. Apparently it has something to do with the way the sun's rays hit the earth in the Pacific Northwest. I would get your family tested for D and then supplement if it is warranted.

I do supplement. I have an office job, live in the Northeast and am a fair-skinned redhead, so I stay out of the direct sun, so I take D3. I take black cohosh and evening primrose for menopause symptoms, and I take C to boost my immune system.

Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. McDougall differ considerably on the subject of Vitamin D needs. I suggest anyone who thinks they are deficient in Vitamin D read Dr. McDougall's newsletter item on the subject which he wrote in March 2011.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2011nl/mar/vitd.htm

I remember witnessing someone having a reaction from taking a vit d pill, and was surprised, then after reading Dr. McDougall's Newsletter it put it into perspective.

Aloha, patty

Maybe this will bring concern for supplements..

http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/_ne ... ement-tips

I think the best comments are those made by Dr McDougall and Dr Fuhrman. I recommend rereading what they each say AND seeking out and reading any studies they reference and then making your own decision on it. One thing I do know from reading is that Dr Fuhrman is well aware of the dangers of certain supplements and considers those dangers very carefully in making his recommendations. From what I have seen, I think both doctors have the exact same motivation i.e. the best health of their patients and dietary followers.

And this newsletter regarding supplementation:

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/may/vitamins.htm

Well it's obvious that supplementation is one of the major differences between McDougall and Fuhrman. Read this and you will see that Fuhrman thinks lack of supplentation by vegans can cause various disease including Parkinson's, Alzheimers and artery disease.

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/he ... udies.html

I am grateful I only purchased one set of Dr. Fuhrman's vitamins and DHA. And I purchased a set for one of my sons. I will have to make sure I send him the two links for Dr. McDougall's newsletters to make sure he is not taking any supplements, except B12. I know Dr. Shintani feels the same way.

Mahalo, patty

The iodine one is interesting to me. Assuming you've cut out fortified table salt, where are folks here getting their regular intake of iodine?

The assumption may be wrong. Dr. McDougall has not said to throw out your salt shaker. He recommends getting the sodium out of your diet by removing the source of the vast majority of it by eliminating processed foods and eating whole foods which contain iodine as well as sodium in various quantities. Everyone knows about seaweed being a high source of iodine but it's in many plant foods. This is the source for it used by fish and other animals. They tend to avoid supplementing in their daily life.
f1jim

Iodine is only in plant foods to the extent that it is available to them in the soil. This can be quite problematic as you move inland which is why table salt was iodized originally. So don't be counting on your food for iodine unless you live right near the ocean and even then... how much you really need is somewhat of a question. Also, we do know that increased sodium intake is a health risk in a number of ways which is why Dr McDougall says that if you use added salt, add it only at the table right when you are going to eat so you get maximum salt taste with minimum salt intake.

I try not to think about it. Thanks a lot.

I still use salt, including iodized salt, but according to this http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... nt&dbid=69 sea vegetables (excellent) and strawberries (very good) are good iodine sources.

I really don't like sea vegetables because of their fishy factor. I like strawberries, but don't eat them all the time. Generally I'll eat more of them when they're in season.


http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natu ... ine-foods/
This one adds cranberries, organic navy beans and potatoes w/skin to the iodine source list.