Who needs the 'super' supplements? To boost energy, strengthen immunity and enhance memory - maybe you do

Vegetarian Times, March, 1998 by Jack Challem

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the vitamin shop, along comes a brave new world of supplements with unfamiliar names that promise to do everything from increase your stamina to burn your fat away. Coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, phosphatidyl serine, N-acetylcysteine and gamma-linolenic acid may not yet be household names, but they happen to be five of the fastest-rising stars in the supplement universe.

Out of the dozens of "hot" supplements, we selected these five because research has shown them to be the most effective in their respective categories: cell energizers, blood sugar regulators, memory enhancers, immune boosters and anti-inflammatories. Each of these vitaminlike substances is produced by the body and found in trace amounts in food. But because everyone produces, consumes or utilizes them with varying degrees of efficiency, some of us could benefit from getting a little extra.

That doesn't mean you should rush out and scoop them up. For starters, you probably don't need all five. For another thing, many of these supplements are frightfully expensive. However, if you're suffering from nagging health problems--or think you might be at risk for some or would like to prevent them in the first place--these supplements could make a tremendous difference in how you feel and function. Of course, before you start taking any supplement, you should check with a nutritionally oriented health-care practitioner.

CELL ENERGIZER

COENZYME [Q.sub.10]

If you don't have the strength or endurance you once did, there may be a disruption in your cells' energy-producing process. If so, coenzyme [Q.sub.10] (co[Q.sub.10]) may be for you.

Co[Q.sub.10] plays a crucial role in "bioenergetics"--the process by which your body's 60 trillion cells make energy. (British researcher Peter Mitchell, Ph.D., won the 1978 Nobel prize in chemistry for his analysis of this role.) Your body puts co[Q.sub.10] to use primarily in muscle cells, which do everything from pumping your blood to letting you tap dance.

But the supplement also has been proven to be effective for healing specific muscle disorders, particularly those relating to the heart. Peter Langsjoen, M.D., a cardiologist in Tyler, Texas, gives large doses of co[Q.sub.10] (300 to 400 milligrams [mg.]/day) to patients suffering from cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. By boosting the energy output of heart cells, co[Q.sub.10] makes heart muscles stronger and better able to pump blood.

If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as lovastatin, which interfere with the body's co[Q.sub.10] production, supplementation is a must, says Langsjoen. However, people taking digitalis and other heart-stimulating drugs should exercise caution to avoid overworking the heart. If you do decide to take co[Q.sub.10], work with your physician to adjust the dosage of both the supplement and your medication.

While many people consider co[Q.sub.10] primarily a heart tonic, it also can increase energy levels in generally healthy people. Langsjoen, a fit 43-year-old, has been taking it preventively for 14 years.

For vegetarians, yeast-based co[Q.sub.10] supplements are certainly preferable to organ meats, the richest dietary source of co[Q.sub.10]. The recommended dose is 30 to 100 mg. daily. Be sure to take it with peanut butter or another oily food to enhance absorption.

BLOOD SUGAR REGULATOR

ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID

As our bodies age, they become less responsive to the hormone insulin, which moves glucose from the blood to cells. As a result, our blood sugar (glucose) levels creep up. Elevated levels are the hallmark of adult-onset diabetes--and they set the stage for hypertension, coronary heart disease and obesity, according to Gerald M. Reaven, M.D., a leading researcher in glucose disorders at California's Stanford University.

Alpha-lipoic acid safely lowers and stabilizes blood sugar levels, making them more like those of a younger person. Lipoic acid (as it's commonly called) has two functions: It helps insulin move glucose out of the blood and into the cells so more gets utilized, and it increases the efficiency with which glucose is used within cells. Consequently, glucose levels are restored to more normal ranges, and the risk of diabetes is reduced. In 1996, Stephan Jacob, M.D., of the University of Tubingen, Germany, presented data at an American Diabetes Association symposium showing that for diabetics, 600 mg. daily can lower and stabilize glucose levels by 10 percent to 30 percent. Because lipoic acid is also a powerful antioxidant, it neutralizes the free radicals that can cause cancer and heart disease.

A routine blood test can determine whether your glucose levels are high. Taking 50 to 200 mg. of lipoic acid daily should help lower elevated glucose levels and reduce long-term risk of diabetes or heart disease. Diabetics, who have a higher risk of developing heart disease or obesity, may do better with 600 mg. daily but should only take it under a physician's supervision since it may lower their requirements for insulin or hypoglycemic drugs.