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Unfortunately, sometimes something bad has to happen before we stop and take notice. My personal obstetrician had told me years ago about a great supplement that he thought I should be taking, as well as informing my patients. His wife, who is also a physician, had researched Juice Plus+ and started their family on it after she was diagnosed at an early age with breast cancer. I took the information and filed it in the back of my mind. After all, I had a busy growing practice, a husband and two young boys at home to think about. I didn't have time to look into supplements. And why did I need this? My family was pretty healthy and we eat well. In fact, I could count on one hand the number of times my boys had been on antibiotics. Then, one year ago, my oldest son was hospitalized at CHOC and placed in the intensive care unit. For three nights, I watched him as he suffered with uncontrollable blood pressures and kidney failure. Michael was having a rare autoimmune reaction that can happen from a simple strep throat infection. It didn't help that my partners encouraged me and told me how great it was that I was a doctor and had helped to make Michael's diagnosis so early and get him to treatment before things became worse. I still had to watch as his then 7-year-old body had to slowly fight off this rare reaction. Thankfully, Michael fully recovered, but after this I realized that I needed to make sure that I was doing all that I could to ensure that my family remained healthy. When I got back to work after caring for Michael, my partner, Dr. Brooks, had two bottles of Juice Plus+ on my desk. She called them a belated birthday gift. Dr. Brooks had been offering Juice Plus+ to all of her patients and her whole family was on it. I started to take the product and soon ordered gummies for my boys and more for my husband, as well. As I began to read and look into the research behind Juice Plus+, I was amazed at what I learned. What impressed me about Juice Plus+ is that the company does not rely on personal testimonials, but instead uses leading health-care professionals to educate people. The company also invests in independent scientific research instead of making exaggerated product claims. Defining the product What is Juice Plus+ and why is it different from the hundreds of supplements out on the market? Juice Plus+ is a whole food supplement which provides the nutrients from 17 fruits, vegetables, and grains - plus fiber blends - in a convenient capsule, chewable or gummie form. The concept behind it is very simple. Your body draws what it needs from this whole food-based nutrition. The National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association all recommend eating 5-9 servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each day. Medical science has proven that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can improve your odds of avoiding diseases such as cancer and heart disease. No one antioxidant or supplement has been shown to have this same effect. After all, who knows how much isolated Vitamin C or Vitamin E you really need? However, if you provide your body with a variety of whole foods, it will draw what it needs. Doing the research As a health-care provider, I need to know that the science of Juice Plus+ backs this up, and it does. Juice Plus+ is packed with concentrated whole food nutrition. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed how Juice Plus+ raises levels of antioxidants in the blood and lowers levels of lipid peroxides and homocysteine. Studies have also shown how it helps to enhance immune function, reduce DNA damage and improve circulation. Independent scientific research is ongoing in the Children's Health Study, which started in the United States and Canada. More than 30,000 participants have been enrolled and preliminary results show that these children on Juice Plus+ miss fewer days of school, perform better when they are there, make fewer doctors visits, and eat better in general. As an obstetrician, I am most excited about a study ongoing at the University of Mississippi, which is measuring the impact of Juice Plus+ on the health of pregnant women. Preliminary results showed an improvement in the rates of pre-eclampsia, the most common complication of pregnancy in the U.S. At first I was a little shy about offering Juice Plus+ to my patients. Did I really want to be known as a vitamin pusher? If a patient would ask me about supplements and what I recommend, only then would I bring up the subject of Juice Plus+. After my husband had been on the product for six months and he had normal cholesterol ratios for the first time in five years, I realized that it would be unethical of me NOT to share Juice Plus+ information with my patients, knowing what I had learned. So much of what we do as physicians involves diagnosing disease and treating problems that have already occurred. It's nice to feel that you can make a difference on the other end and hopefully prevent these diseases from occurring. There is no substitute for eating healthy. We all know that. But if you are like most people, you don't or can't seem to do that. One of the simplest things you can do to improve your health odds is to take a supplement like Juice Plus+ every day. For the same price you spend daily at the vending machine, you can provide yourself with the variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals that only whole foods can offer. For more information on Juice Plus+ and its products, you can contact Leslie Gates, a local distributor, at 714.239.4376, or LSGates@aol.com. For more information about Juice Plus+ and the Children's Health Study, visit www.juiceplus.com/+lg44621. Dr. Lisa M. Karamardian is a board-certified OB/GYN and fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A frequent speaker in the community, she also serves as medical adviser for Contemporary Nutrition. She lives in Newport Beach with her husband and two sons, ages 6 and 8. She can be reached at 949.644.2722. |
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