Finding the right prescription for a healthy diet is becoming more and more complicated.

Super foods, juices and supplements compete with celebrities for magazine cover stories while Dr. Oz and Oprah counsel television audiences on good nutrition.

Consumers are challenged to know which sources of information for health and nutrition are trustworthy.

Judith Dodd, a licensed dietician and nutritionist and assistant professor of Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, endorses Web sites such as those sponsored by the Mayo Clinic and Dole Foods. The sites are helpful for general information, but Dodd insists people should consult with doctors and licensed dieticians and nutritionists.

“Nutrition and health advice should be personalized” she said. “What works for me may not work for you. You cannot make generalizations about prevention and cure.”

Super juices
Some of the newest products to gain popularity in the media are super juices such as Noni juice, Manogosteen and pomegranate juice.

Noni juice is made from a tropical fruit indigenous to the Pacific islands. Health benefit claims include a cure for everything from diabetes to allergies.

“I have a case of it,” said Rose Trombetta, a retired nurse from Collier Township. “It builds up your immune system.”

Trombetta decided to try Noni juice after hearing several personal testimonials.

Like many fruits, the Noni fruit is a source of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants, but it is also high in potassium and should be used with caution, according to Mayo Clinic cardiologist Gerald Gau.

Dodd notes that juices are not recommended in uncontrolled amounts, particularly for diabetics, because they are a natural source of fructose.

“You can take in a lot of calories in a small volume,” she said.

Another patented blend of juice claiming health benefits is Manogosteen, which – like all fruit juices – contains antioxidants.

Pomegranate juice, now a mainstay in supermarkets, shows a slight benefit for those with prostate cancer and certain types of heart disease. According to the October 2007 Men’s Health Magazine, “The fruit’s deep red juice contains polyphenols, isoflavones, and ellagic acid, elements researchers believe make up a potent anticancer combo. It’s been shown to delay the growth of prostate cancer in mice, and it stabilizes PSA levels in men who’ve been treated for prostate cancer.”

Omega-3 fatty acids
Along with the barrage of super juices on grocery shelves are cereal boxes, beverages and other products plastered with the nutritional buzzwords “antioxidants” and “omega-3 fatty acids.” These terms can be confusing to the average consumer. Which foods provide them, what do they do for our bodies and how much do we need?

Most health benefits related to omega-3 are associated with the prevention of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are most abundant in cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil contain lesser amounts.

By choosing low-fat protein sources such as those listed above it is possible to lower triglycerides and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, according to an article on mayoclinic.com.

Dodd prefers that people get omega-3 fatty acids from food.

“I am not sending people out to take omega-3 fatty acids,” she said. “Supplements are something you take in addition to, not in place of. They are not a requirement of a healthy diet.”

Denise Happe, a board-certified traditional naturopath and owner of The Grape Seed, a Natural Health Center in Bridgeville agrees.

“Food comes first,” she said.

For healthy adults with no history of heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week. In particular, fatty fish are recommended, such as anchovies, bluefish, carp, catfish, halibut, herring, lake trout, mackerel, pompano, salmon, striped sea bass, tuna (albacore), and whitefish. It is also recommended to consume plant-derived sources, such as tofu/soybeans, walnuts, flaxseed oil and canola oil.

The American Heart Association, in its 2003 recommendations, suggests that people with known coronary heart disease consume approximately one gram of EPA and DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) (combined) each day. This may be obtained from eating fish or from fish oil capsule supplements. For fish oil supplements, dosing should be based on the amount of EPA and DHA in a product, not on the total amount of fish oil. Supplements vary in the amounts and ratios of EPA and DHA. A common amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules is 0.18 grams (180mg) of EPA and 0.12 grams (120mg) of DHA. Because of the risk of bleeding from omega-3 fatty acids (particularly at doses greater than three grams per day), a physician should be consulted prior to starting treatment with supplements.

According to the Mayo Clinic, omega-3 fatty acids from food or supplements can reduce risk of heart disease but the most important factor in reducing cholesterol is to limit how much saturated and trans fats you eat.

One way to do so is by substituting legumes, beans, lentils or a soy burger for meat. The high soluble fiber found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains is also beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidants
According to the National Cancer Institute, “Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E and A, and other substances.”

Antioxidants can help prevent the oxidation of LDL “bad” cholesterol as well as help the body arrest the natural rusting or oxidation process that comes with aging.

The Dole Superfoods Web site provides thorough information on fruits and vegetables that have been identified as the most powerful nutritionally by the USDA (United States Department
of Agriculture).

In order to be labeled a “super food for the heart,” one serving of a particular food must include the minimum amount of at least three heart-healthy nutrients or two nutrients at the required level plus antioxidant phytochemicals or substances found in plants.

Foods designated as “antioxidant super foods” are those highest in either direct or indirect antioxidants. Direct antioxidants can neutralize free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules) on the spot, rendering them harmless.

The antioxidant power of a particular food is found by measuring the food’s oxygen radical absorbency capacity or ORAC value. Antioxidant super foods have an ORAC score of greater than or equal to 3,400 per serving.

For example, one cup of fresh blueberries has an ORAC score of 9,012 per serving, ranking them number one in the fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA.

Indirect antioxidants are foods such as horseradish, rutabaga, turnips, radishes and cabbage that contain glucosinolates. Glucosinolates can indirectly neutralize free radicals by stimulating the body’s own natural detoxification systems. This gradual antioxidant activity – unlike the one-shot amount you get from direct antioxidants – continues to protect your system for as many as three to four days after the glucosinolate-containing food has been consumed.
Both kinds of antioxidants combat the oxidation or rust of our cells and the negative effects of aging.

Multivitamins
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, scientists are discovering that, “Intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement may prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases.”

Even though people have been taking their daily vitamins for over 100 years, multivitamins along with supplements are not yet regulated for public use.

“Right now, the term multivitamin encompasses hundreds – if not thousands – of products with varied content and dose of vitamins and minerals. It is really difficult to guide customers if we don’t even know what is in the vitamins they are taking,” writes Irwin Rosenberg, MD, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The National Institutes of Health and Dietary Supplements provide general information about supplements but do not offer brand information. Conscientious consumers need to contact the company that distributes products and learn about them before they buy.

“You have to be strict and read labels. If you don’t, you’ll fill yourself up with chemicals,” Trombetta said.

Individual factors such as age, lifecycle needs, health, food allergies or medications may impact the need for supplements.

In addition, some nutrients such as B-12, calcium, folate, vitamin D and iron may be difficult to get with food choices. (See sidebar on page 15)

The American Dietetic Association concludes that the best way to get all the vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients is by eating the appropriate number of servings of food from the Food Guide Pyramid food groups.

However, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, “A standard multivitamin supplement doesn’t come close to making up for an unhealthy diet. It provides a dozen or so of the vitamins known to maintain health, a mere shadow of what’s available from eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Instead, a daily multivitamin provides a sort of nutritional safety net.”