Download Nutrient supplements offer a proven way to better health

T H E G L O B E A N D M A I L • T U E S DAY, M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 2
PAGE 1 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE
Special
NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS
Nutrient supplements offer a proven
way to better health
ccording to a Statistics
Canada report released last
year, 24.3 per cent of men
and 23.9 of women in Canada are
obese, an increase in obesity rates
of 10 per cent for men and eight
per cent for women since 1994. Not
surprisingly, nine in 10 Canadians
have at least one risk factor for heart
disease, and the prevalence of Type
2 diabetes is increasing dramatically.
A growing body of research
indicates that supplementing the
critical nutrients lost through food
processing, lifestyle and aging may
be important to stemming this trend.
For example, research has
provided plentiful evidence for the
benefits of omega-3 supplementation, says Dr. Jonathan Beatty, a
naturopathic doctor as well as a
natural product formulator and
health educator for Prairie Naturals.
Two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA
and DHA, are proven general antiinflammatories, he says. “They’re
very important for cardiac health,
and studies have shown they can
actually increase the uptake of
certain chemotherapeutic agents
in cancer cells. In addition, they’ve
been shown to help in the treatment of diabetes.”
Dr. Beatty also prescribes coenzyme Q10 regularly. Used in energy
generation in every cell of the
body, the supplement is important
for muscle health, including the
cardiac muscle. Studies have shown
that optimum levels of another
supplement, creatine, can improve
the speed at which individuals
can perform arithmetic functions
and can improve hand-eye coordination. “As we age, we produce
less creatine naturally,” he notes.
“That’s why it’s so important to
supplement it.”
It’s also essential to be alert for
nutrient deficiencies caused by
medication, Dr. Beatty says. “Many
of the side-effects of medications
are caused by nutrient deficiency,
and because of that, they’re actually very simple to treat.”
A common example is statin
drugs, used to lower cholesterol.
“Statins deplete CoQ10, so without
supplementation, patients taking
statins may be reducing one heart
disease risk factor while increas-
BY THE NUMBERS
Canada’s Natural Health
Products Industry
70
Percentage of Canadians who
use Natural Health Products
(NHPs) on a regular basis.
45
Percentage of Canadians who
take an NHP on a daily basis.
85
Percent of those who use NHPs
decided to use these products
because they want to help
maintain and promote their
health.
10,650
Estimated number of
establishments directly
involved with the sale of natural
and organic health products.
All Natural Health Products (NHPs) must undergo a pre-market review before they may be sold in Canada.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
“All Canadians can
benefit from natural
health products (NHPs)
as part of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle.
Natural health products
are a great option for
Canadians looking to
proactively manage
their health, as there
are many options for
dealing with an array
of symptoms and
ongoing ailments.”
Helen Sherrard,
President,
Canadian Health Food
Association (CHFA)
ing another. Any time a drug is
prescribed, I encourage patients to
ask their doctor if there are any nutrients they might need to supplement,” advises Dr. Beatty.
There is excellent clinical science
supporting the claims of nutrients
being sold in health food stores
today, says well-known nutrient
researcher and product formulator Lorna Vanderhaeghe. “There
are so many human, double-blind,
placebo-controlled clinical trials.”
Two nutrients have been approved by Health Canada for the
treatment of diabetes: Conjugated
Linoleic Acid (CLA), a fatty acid
that been shown to burn fat; and
green tea extract for weight loss.
“That combination works exceptionally well, even with no diet
change,” says Ms. Vanderhaeghe. “I
do hundreds of lectures across the
country every year, and it continues
to surprise me how many people
with Type 2 diabetes don’t know
that if they lose weight and eat the
right foods, their diabetes could be
a thing of the past.”
A study of post-menopausal
women, the demographic that has
the most difficulty losing weight,
found that they lost an average of
seven pounds over 90 days with the
combination of CLA and green tea
extract, even with no other dietary
change.
Another nutrient, Chirositol,
has been shown in more than 30
clinical trials at the Virginia Medical
School to reduce belly fat and prediabetes symptoms, such as skin
tags. Fibre and chromium supplements are also approved by Health
Canada for use by individuals with
diabetes; lipoic acid is approved for
the treatment of diabetes-related
neuropathy.
“All Canadians can benefit from
natural health products (NHPs) as
part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle,”
says Helen Sherrard, president of
the Canadian Health Food Association. “Natural health products are a
great option for Canadians looking
to proactively manage their health,
as there are many options for dealing with an array of symptoms and
ongoing ailments.”
All NHPs must undergo a pre-market review before they may be sold
in Canada. “This process requires
that evidence supporting the safety,
efficacy, or any claims made, and
34,000
The estimated number of
individuals, directly employed
by the industry.
70
Percentage of Canadian NHP
users who support developing a
new act for NHPs in Canada.
151
The number of licensed NHPs
that have a recommended use
or purpose associated with
menopause.
quality of the product be submitted to the Natural Health Products
Directorate for assessment in order
to be licensed,” says Ms. Sherrard.
It’s also easy for individuals to
do their own research, adds Ms.
Vanderhaeghe. “Anyone can go to
PubMed, the public medical library.
For example, just type in CLA and
weight loss to find all the related
studies. All the abstracts are there,
so the average person can read and
understand.”
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Connection Between We
know there is a connection between our
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Skin Tags, Male
causes belly fat and an elevation in circulating
Facial Hair Growth male hormones in women, causing facial hair
growth and acne too. In men, elevated insulin
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results in a beer belly and breasts.
Elevated insulin promotes weight gain, high cholesterol, diabetes and
excess belly fat. Skin tags are an early sign of pre-diabetes. Thankfully,
busting belly fat and normalizing insulin just got easier. The nutrient
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works for pre-diabetes, Type-2 diabetes, excess male hormone-related
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AN INFORMATION FEATURE • PAGE 2
T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L • T U E S DAY, M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 2
NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS
Natural health products help Canadians live
healthier, happier lives
By Helen Sherrard
President of the Canadian Health
Food Association (CHFA)
s the health care landscape continues to evolve,
many Canadians are
taking a more active approach to
their own health and that of their
families. It’s no coincidence that
more than 70 per cent of Canadians use natural health products
(NHPs) to maintain and improve
their health, as well as to treat
various ailments. People recognize
more and more that they have
options for addressing their health
concerns. Many are seeking a more
holistic, natural approach to their
health care.
While there is a role for both
natural and pharmaceutical treatment, the NHP industry, which
contributes $3 billion to the Canadian economy and helps millions
of Canadians meet their health
care needs, is increasingly recognized as a core part of mainstream
health care in Canada.
A 2011 Natural Health Product
Tracking Survey, conducted by
Ipsos Reid for Health Canada,
shows that Canadians use NHPs
in three main ways: to prevent or
treat a health condition; to reduce
health risks; and to maintain good
overall health. Moreover, the latest
Consumerology Report on health
care suggests that Canadians are
choosing “what’s seen as being
more naturally produced health
supplements,” instead of overthe-counter (OTC) drugs. The 2011
study of 1,500 Canadians focused
on consumer consumption, perceptions and behaviours regarding
“While there is a role
for both natural and
pharmaceutical treatment, the NHP industry,
which contributes
$3 billion to the Canadian economy and helps
millions of Canadians
meet their health care
needs, is increasingly
recognized as a core
part of mainstream
health care in Canada.”
The latest Consumerology Report on health care suggests that Canadians are choosing “what’s seen as being
more naturally produced health supplements” rather than over-the-counter drugs. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
OTC drugs and health supplements, including vitamin, mineral
and herbal supplements.
An easy way to take a more
holistic approach to your health
care is to visit your local health
food store and buy an NHP-based
cough remedy for a sore throat.
Another option is to try natural
zinc or elderberry lozenges, which
will help heal and restore the body
naturally. It’s a simple yet powerful
choice for consumers who want
to know what is in the products
they are using and feel good about
those ingredients. NHPs give them
that option.
Even more important than treating an illness is avoiding being sick
altogether, and NHPs can certainly
help with that. It’s always recommended to consult with your
health care practitioner before
starting a new regime; however,
learning about and practising
preventive health care can help
avoid sickness from occurring. It’s
about taking a proactive approach
towards health, diet, exercise and
lifestyle.
Just one example of such an
approach is to use omega-3 fatty
acids, which act as an anti-inflammatory, lubricate muscles, lower
blood pressure, protect vision,
reduce osteo- and rheumatoid
arthritis, improve your mood and
more. Utilizing this one supplement shows the possibilities of
preventing uncomfortable and
painful symptoms, while improving your quality of life. However,
our health care system is geared
toward treating illness, which is
expensive and only adds to the
demands already placed on the
system. Using NHPs as part of a
healthy lifestyle and preventive
health care routine is a valuable
investment in personal health –
and a necessary investment in our
health care system as a whole.
RETAIL
Health food stores
provide choice, education
“In less than 10,000
square feet, our stores
sell just over 30,000
different products, so
it’s very important
for us to be able to provide education support
for our employees.” ”
Alan Thompson,
Store Management Coordinator,
Planet Organic Market
In addition to educational offerings for customers, Planet Organic
arranges regular educational sessions for its staff. “In less than
10,000 square feet, our stores sell
just over 30,000 different products,
so it’s very important for us to be
able to provide education support for our employees,” says Mr.
Thompson.
“Almost weekly, we have different vendors, suppliers and guest
speakers do morning or evening
classes with our teams,” he adds.
“And if there is a new item, the
vendor or broker will arrange a
class to go over the product information and benefits, so our team
can help educate our customers.”
Visit the
Canadian
Health Food
Association
(CHFA) website
for more
information:
www.chfa.ca
ccording to the Canadian
Health Food Association
(CHFA), there are more
than 40,000 natural health products licensed for sale in Canada.
“The natural health product
category has grown remarkably
over the past 40 years and now
represents a $3 billion industry,
with thousands of jobs in smalland mid-sized businesses,” says
CHFA president Helen Sherrard.
With that range of choice
available, buying natural health
products from health food stores
can result in a superior level of
care, while supporting the local
economy, she says.
“Most health food store sales
staff are trained and skilled,” says
Ms. Sherrard. In addition, such staff
are often part of a greater holistic
treatment community, she notes,
so they are able to direct customers to health professionals such
as dieticians and naturopathic
practitioners when further advice
is needed.
At Planet Organic Market, for example, it is common for individuals
to visit one of the stores for the first
time after being diagnosed with
celiac disease or food allergies, says
Alan Thompson, store management coordinator. “We can arrange
a shopping trip in which we point
out the items in the store that are
appropriate for their new diet. We
also hold education sessions, and
the most popular are cooking classes for people with food allergies and
raw food preparation classes.”
Online?
Your little miss sunshine
benefits from a little vitamin D.
Healthy Canadians understand
the advantages of NHPs.
PROFILE: PRAIRIE NATURALS
In fact, seven of every ten Canadians understand that Natural Health
Prairie Naturals, a family business
headquartered near Vancouver,
researches, develops, markets
and distributes more than 150
premium quality nutritional and
fitness supplements and natural
hair and body care products
through hundreds of retail stores
across Canada.
All Prairie Naturals ingredients are tested by independent,
government-approved laboratories before production begins;
all finished products are further
tested to ensure label claim,
potency and purity.
To help Canadians “live the
healthy life” at any age, the
company sponsors ongoing educational programs for the public
and its retail partners. Frequently
presented by holistic pharmacist
RoseMarie Pierce or naturopathic doctor Dr. Jonathan Beatty, the
programs focus on all aspects
of healthy living, from diet and
nutritional supplementation to
exercise and attitudinal healing.
prairienaturals.ca
This report was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc. (www.randallanthony.com) in conjunction
with the advertising department of The Globe and Mail. Richard Deacon, National Business Development
Manager, [email protected].
Products (NHPs) are an essential part of their lives. The Canadian Health
Food Association (CHFA) works to ensure that you have access to, and
choice of safe, innovative and effective natural health products.
Visit chfa.ca today.