Table of Contents

  1. Needs vs. Food
  2. Some examples of appropriate uses and the results obtained
  3. The alternatives
  4. Needs vs. Covid-19
  5. We don’t need that … the side effects!

Some people think it’s for preventative measures, some want to avoid medications, and others just say we don’t need that! Who to believe? Who really knows about it? It goes without saying that the truth is not that everything is good or that everything is bad. I talked about this recently in an article in the Vitoli blog “Natural Products: and what if we told you the truth?”

For those who do not know me yet, I am Eric Simard, Dr. in biology and researcher in the field of aging. I am the author of 4 books on healthy aging with the collaboration of 11 other health professionals. I am an appointed member of the Commission de l’éthique en science et technologie du Conseil des Ministres. To find out more about my ventures, I invite you to visit my website at www.esimard.com.

Here, I will tell you about the valid reasons to take natural products, among others in the context of Covid-19. Do you think there may be good reasons to take it? Would you like to understand more clearly? Well, I’ll tell you about it. I will describe certain considerations in relation to nutrients from food intake, examples of testimonials with their full name, age and region, an angle on the alternatives, the current needs according to Covid-19, and the question in regards to side effects.

Needs vs. Food

First, it is very important to eat well. You cannot compensate for a poor diet by taking supplements or natural health products. Second, if the important nutrients you want to take can be found within food, such as vitamin C, then it is best to take them from food. Increase your consumption of foods that contain it, such as green vegetables and citrus fruits in the case of vitamin C.

The needs that you should think about filling in regards to quality natural products should either be something that you cannot find within the diet, or if it’s so very important to consume a determined quantity, that it is preferable to take them in supplement form. For example, lutein and zeaxanthin which could be found in supplements recommended by doctors for macular degeneration or cataracts are also found in food. Among other sources, it can be found in egg yolks. Why don’t they tell you to eat eggs or fruits and vegetables that contain them instead? Because if you don’t eat enough, you may lose your sight. It is therefore best to make sure you take the recommended amount every day through a supplement.

There are therefore justifiable uses for quality natural health products. Think of the needs that cannot be met through the consumption of food, for example, plants that we do not eat, or whose health benefit are so important that we want to be sure of the amount consumed (preservation of vision). Here are some examples of appropriate uses.

Some examples of appropriate uses and the results obtained

I will present to you testimonials received for Vitoli products for different facets of health. The testimonials come from people who wrote to thank us and we asked them for the right to use them by mentioning the person’s full name, age and region so that they can be properly identified.

  1. I have taken Vitoli Sleep for 2 months. I have stopped sleeping pills completely which I have been taking for several years and I now have a deeper sleep, I am much more rested. Thank you Vitoli. – Pierret Fortin, 67 years old, from Québec.
  2. Hello, here is my experience. I went to the pharmacy to find a relaxant because I had to take an airplane and it really stresses me out. The pharmacist suggested Vitoli Stress and Anxiety. To my surprise, in addition to calming me down, I managed to sleep well without mental chatter… what joy! Thank you Vitoli. – Carmen Plante, 60 years old, from Nicolet.
  3. I have been taking Vitoli Joints for 2 weeks for my foot, which has been aching for eight years. I saw a lot of improvement and I even stopped my medication. I am very happy. I contacted all the specialists and the last one I saw said to me, “You will end up getting your feet cut off.” I’ve been seeing your products in pharmacies for a long time, so I decided to try them and I’m really happy. Thank you Vitoli! – Nicole Roy, 72 years old, from Quebec.
  4. I’ve tried real hormones and had a lot of side effects after, I then turned to natural products. I tried another very expensive natural product brand that helped me, but I still hot flashes and insomnia. I decided to try Vitoli and I am very impressed, because after only one week, I have no longer have hot flashes at night and I sleep much better. Thank you Vitoli. – Johanne St-Pierre, 53 years old, from Bas-St-Laurent.

Note that it is important to remember here, that Vitoli products were developed by yours truly (www.esimard.com), with two specialized pharmacists, in order to reintegrate more effective products in the practice of healthcare professionals. For low quality products, it’s true that ’you don’t need that’: it’s a waste of money. For quality products, there may be good reasons to take them. That’s what brings me to the alternatives.

The alternatives

If you maintain a good lifestyle and you have no health issues, great. Unfortunately, as you get older, you may experience temporary or permanent issues. For example, sleep problems will affect up to 80% of people, sporadically or permanently. Given the lower risk of side effects, it is advisable to try quality natural products first, before turning to medication, for health problems that can be prevented or whose impact on life daily can be decreased. In the examples I mentioned to you, you had:

  • A 67 year old lady who stopped her sleeping pills which she had been taking for years and she sleeps better,
  • A lady who was recommended Vitoli Stress and Anxiety by her pharmacist instead of the painkillers, to take the plane,
  • A lady told by her doctor that she was going to get her foot amputated, she was no longer able to take walks, she had tried a lot of medications = Vitoli Joints
  • A woman who replaced her hormonal treatments without side effects = Vitoli Menopause

I have a great aunt who lately has had sleep problems due to the Covid-19. At the age of 84, her doctor prescribed benzodiazepines for 6 months. Well, a clinical practice guide published in 2018 (in the journal Canadian Family Physician) concluded that there was no justifiable use of benzodiazepines in people over 65 and to use no more than for 4 weeks, for those under 65.

Some people say, “We don’t need this!”, But studies clearly show that our seniors take too much medication. I invite you to read the following texts written by two pharmacists and a doctor, all of whom are contributors to the Vitoli blog:

Yes, there are some completely useless products because they lack in quality or because they are for an unjustifiable use, but there are also justifiable uses, like those previously mentioned.

Be aware that the majority of health professionals have lost interest in natural products due to the lack of quality on the market. This is one of the reasons that Vitoli products have been developed and we offer training to health professionals to explain it in depth.

Needs vs. Covid-19

Currently, the stress rate in the population is at a very high level and it will probably be for the next year. Be aware that all chemical sleeping pills are not recommended; either because they develop dependence, become addictive, or because it is a drug that has its uses but the side effects cause drowsiness. And yes, some medications are prescribed for their side effects.

There are natural alternatives like Vitoli Sleep and Vitoli Stress and Anxiety. Vitoli Sleep can be taken at night, and Vitoli Stress and Anxiety at night or during the day, as needed; there is no need to take it all the time.

The current situation is causing chronic stress and it will also cause depression and fatigue. To help manage chronic stress, by reducing the symptoms of fatigue and depression, there is Vitoli Energy.

Do you want to stay healthy and reduce your systemic oxidation levels? Know that the most powerful antioxidants for the human body are in Vitoli Healthy Aging. Here I’m talking about the body’s antioxidant production which can be stimulated by certain molecules, just as physical activity increases our antioxidant capacities. Vitoli Healthy Aging is the result from our observations from our research on aging.

Finally, the immune system. A great deal of people bought different products to support their immune systems and the media was quick to say that it was useless. Vitoli Immunity (Vitamin D, zinc and specific high-quality extracts of Echinacea, Astragalus and exclusive olive polyphenols) is a formula developed with two specialized pharmacists. These two Canadian pharmacists have completed a large number of training courses in the field of natural products. The dosage is one capsule in the morning and one in the evening.

We don’t need that … the side effects!

In closing, a final point. We don’t need that! Do you prefer to use medication? Know that the main reasons why natural health products have fewer side effects, and yes, they have fewer, usually even none, is because:

  1. These are natural molecules for which natural metabolic pathways exist,
  2. The beneficial effects are often weaker, and,
  3. Generally, the benefits come from several mechanisms of simultaneous action.

Medication will usually act on a single, highly stressed mechanism of action, which can cause side effects by unbalancing biological functions. Rather, natural products will act more gently, on several mechanisms of action, acting synergistically. It is therefore normal to have fewer side effects with natural products, but be careful, sometimes low quality products have no effect at all.

Hoping that this information will help you see more clearly, I invite you to consult the other articles in the Vitoli Blog with the collaboration with 12 other health professionals.

 

 

References:

  • Barry, 2018. Patients’ perceptions and use of natural health products. Can Pharm J (Ott). 2018 Jul-Aug; 151(4): 254–262.
  • Eisenhauer B, Natoli S, Liew G, Flood VM. 2017. Lutein and Zeaxanthin-Food Sources, Bioavailability and Dietary Variety in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Protection. Nutrients. 2017;9(2):120. Published 2017 Feb 9.
  • Georgiev et al, 2013. Harpagoside: From Kalahari Desert to Pharmacy Shelf. Phytochemistry, Aug 2013. 92, 8-15.
  • Newmaster, S.G., Grguric, M., Shanmughanandhan, D., Ramalingam, S., Ragupathy, S. 2013. DNA barcoding detects contamination and substitution in North American herbal products. BMC Med. Oct 11;11:222.
  • Ogbogu and Necyk, 2016. Community Pharmacists’ Views and Practices Regarding Natural Health Products Sold in Community Pharmacies. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 23;11(9).
  • Posadzki P, Watson L, Ernst E. 2013. Contamination and adulteration of herbal medicinal products (HMPs): an overview of systematic reviews. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. Mar;69(3):295-307. Review.
  • Pottie et al, 2018. Déprescription des agonistes des récepteurs des benzodiazépines. Guide de pratique clinique. Vol 64: MAY | MAI 2018|Canadian Family Physician | Le Médecin de famille canadien. 16 pages.
  • Simmler et al, 2018. Integrated analytical assets aid botanical authenticity and adulteration management. 2018 Sep;129:401-414.