Published Articles: Newsweek - January 16, 2006

The Gurus' Guide To Daily Nutrition

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Dean Ornish BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
He takes: Fish oil (three grams daily) and a multivitamin
Tip: Iron-free multivitamin for men, postmenopausal women

Ken Probst

The most important supplement for peopleto be taking is fish oil. Just three grams a day may provide enormous benefits. It may lower the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death by 50 to 80 percent. It may reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer. It may reduce depression. When given to pregnant and nursing mothers, it may increase a baby's IQ. It helps with brain development... I take three capsules of fish oil a day (each with one gram). More than that doesn't provide any additional benefit. I also take a multivitamin that is iron-free. You should take one without iron if you're a man or a post-menopausal woman. The way to get rid of iron is to bleed, so menstruating women can bleed out the excess. Too much iron oxidizes the LDL cholesterol, which makes it more toxic and more likely to end up in the arteries. My multivitamin also has some selenium. One study found that 200 micrograms of selenium a day was associated with a marked decrease of a number of common cancers.

I think most people don't get enough vitamins and minerals in their diets. But it's silly to think that taking a multivitamin gives you the license to eat whatever you want. What you include in your diet is as important as what you exclude. There are at least 1,000 protective substances, found in certain foods, with anti-cancer, anti-aging and anti-heart-disease properties. You find these substances predominantly in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products. Diet and lifestyle changes can be even more powerful than drugs and surgery. And the only side effects are good ones. You have a spectrum of choices—to the degree you eat more healthfully, you're going to look good, feel good, lose weight and gain health. Joy of living is a much better motivator than fear of dying.

Continued
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