By Dr. Steve Chaney, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina Medical School

"One of the biggest mistakes people make is taking inexpensive vitamins. Mail order vitamins offering fantastic "deals" are worth just about what you pay for them. NEVER buy these vitamins or supermarket/pharmacy brands without checking them out first.
"Cut-rate products often contain additives, food allergens, sugar, artificial food coloring and flavoring. Many are coated with shellac, or contain potentially hazardous chemicals like chlorine.
"Potency and purity can vary widely from pill to pill and bottle to bottle. A study at Duke University examined 12 bottles of one popular supplement. These samples showed they contained 60% of less of the amount of nutrients claimed on the label!
"Another problem is freshness. The FDA does not require expiration dates on supplement bottles so many companies don't include them. Calcium and some other nutrients can last for years, while others, like vitamins B and C, are unstable.
"Shaklee performs up to 176 separate tests for purity, freshness, potency and safety on the raw ingredients for a single product. Products undergo as many as 262 separate quality assurance tests throughout the manufacturing process as well. In addition, all product label claims have documented substantiation.
"Case in point, Shaklee stopped production of Asian Ginseng, (1998) despite the huge demands for the product, due to contaminants like herbicides and pesticides found in the raw ingredients after the floods in China last year. They will not resume production until they have a proven safe and pure source for the product. Many brands at supermarkets, health food stores and mail order companies continued to sell Asian Ginseng! Scary, isn't it?
"SOME THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A MULTIVITAMIN/MINERAL.
Biotin - an extremely important but expensive B vitamin B Vitamins - 100% of the DV for ALL of them (including Biotin) Antioxidants - more than 100% of C and E Trace minerals - needed to fight oxidation, regulate blood sugar, help build bones, critical for brain function and essential for growth and development. Expiration date - if you can't find one - it's loaded with preservatives Fast dissolving = better absorption. Drop it in water - how long does it take to dissolve?
"Shaklee's Vita-Lea has been the best nutritional insurance you can buy for over 40 years. Vita-Lea provides the most comprehensive, balanced supplementation available, with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
"In 1990, NBC's TODAY SHOW presented the results of an independent laboratory test showing the disintegration time of Shaklee's Vita-Lea at only 17 minutes, while some took hours!!"
"The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the cheap price is forgotten!"

Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 14:37:28 -0700
Subject: Fw: Health Care Professionals Speak Out

Below, I have printed a few testimonies I have already collected:

FROM CHRISTOPHER SCOTT, M.D., Saskatoon:
"Supplements are absolutely crucial due to the quality of our soil and food today. There are a lot of different supplements available on the market, but labels do not accurately reflect contents. Over the past ten years I have been using Shaklee supplements for personal use, as well as confidently recommending them to my patients."

FROM LINDA RODRIQUEZ, M.D., Pediatrition
"For over 19 years Shaklee has been a blessing for me, my family, and my patients who have all benefited from scientifically proven products for quality health and healthy living. Our food today is so deficient in nutrients because of what we have done to it, it is no longer the same food that Mother Nature offered to us. For my fellow physicians who are looking into incorporating nutrition in their practice, I encourage you to consider using Shaklee's quality health products that you can trust and recommend with full confidence."

FROM KATHY WICKENS, Chiropractor, Perth, ON
"Patients get results with Shaklee! There is a definite difference in the holding patterns for chiropractic adjustments for patients taking Shaklee supplements."

FROM CHARLENE DAY, Registered Nutritional Consultant, Toronto, ON
I have been in practice for over 26 years and have used many brands of supplements, including Professional brands. About 7 years ago, I was given information about the Shaklee Corporation. I was impressed when I read that over 80 research studies and articles about Shaklee products were published in prestigious nutritional and medical journals. Wanting the best for my clients, I started recommending Shaklee supplements. I was amazed at the results. My clients experienced a level of wellness far exceeding anything I had experienced in the previous 19 years."

FROM NEIL PAGETT, M.D., Internal Medicine
"Supplements make sense. You have to have good double-blind, peer-reviewed clinical studies in order to evaluate them. As a medical professional, that's the only thing I will listen to. Except for Shaklee, I am not aware of any company that does on-going, indepth studies. Shaklee is the only company I can professionally recommend."

FROM RICK MEDORA, Chiropractor, Kingston, ON
"The most trusted name in clinical science in Shaklee."
I am preparing a brochure entitled: "What Health Care Professionals Say about Shaklee". As well, Ginny & Betsy Vaughn are collecting submissions from Health Care Professionals to put in their Health & Wellness Series - "From the Heart" Booklets.

If you are a Health Care Professional in Shaklee, would you be willing to submit a brief statement that you would allow to be used in both the brochure and booklet?

If you are not a Health Care Professional, but you know Health Care Professionals that are using Shaklee, would you pass this request on to them and ask for a submission that they would allow you to submit to us to be printed in both the brochure and booklet?

We would like to collect submissions from
Medical Doctors
Dentists
Chiropractors
Physio Therapists
Registered Nurses
Registered Nutritional Consultants
Massage Therapists
Naturopaths
Etc.


Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2002 17:16:38 -0400
Subject: Fw: Cracks in the medical wall

Dear Friends,
This is an interesting example of the medical establishment slowly, but surely, recognizing that many people really do need to work on their nutrtion, and that nutrition is vital for warding off many diseases. Things take their time, but the truth does eventually come out. How far we have come since our early days in Shaklee thirty two years ago.

Here is the most important line in the article "Many physicians may be unaware of common food sources of vitamins or unsure which vitamins they should recommend for their patients." That should be a clarion call for us to put our fears aside and at least communicate with our own physicians. Many will still not be ready to listen, but many will. If we can provide a solution to the problem of reliable knowledge about nutrition, and a reliable source of supply, we will earn a great deal of new business.

Best Wishes,
Bob

(Note: I recently sent the text of a Columbus Dispatch article which I have reprinted below the text of this abstract. I believe that this is the article from which the Dispatch article was derived.)
- Jeff Sanborn
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http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n23/abs/jsr20000.html
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CLINICIAN'S CORNER
Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults
Scientific Review
Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, DrPH; Robert H. Fletcher, MD, MSc

Context Although vitamin deficiency is encountered infrequently in developed countries, inadequate intake of several vitamins is associated with chronic disease. Objective To review the clinically important vitamins with regard to their biological effects, food sources, deficiency syndromes, potential for toxicity, and relationship to chronic disease.

Data Sources and Study Selection We searched MEDLINE for English-language articles about vitamins in relation to chronic diseases and their references published from 1966 through January 11, 2002.

Data Extraction We reviewed articles jointly for the most clinically important information, emphasizing randomized trials where available.

Data Synthesis Our review of 9 vitamins showed that elderly people, vegans, alcohol-dependent individuals, and patients with malabsorption are at higher risk of inadequate intake or absorption of several vitamins. Excessive doses of vitamin A during early pregnancy and fat-soluble vitamins taken anytime may result in adverse outcomes. Inadequate folate status is associated with neural tube defect and some cancers. Folate and vitamins B6 and B12 are required for homocysteine metabolism and are associated with coronary heart disease risk. Vitamin E and lycopene may decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin D is associated with decreased occurrence of fractures when taken with calcium.

Conclusions Some groups of patients are at higher risk for vitamin deficiency and suboptimal vitamin status. Many physicians may be unaware of common food sources of vitamins or unsure which vitamins they should recommend for their patients. Vitamin excess is possible with supplementation, particularly for fat-soluble vitamins. Inadequate intake of several vitamins has been linked to chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

JAMA. 2002;287:3116-3126
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Columbus Dispatch / Health News, 6/20/02

Adults advised to take vitamin daily, eat fruits and vegetables
Reversing a longstanding anit-vitamin policy, the Journal of the American Medical Association yesterday advised all adults to take at least one multivitamin pill each day.
It now appears that people who get enough vitamins may be able to prevent such common chronic illnesses as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis, accordint to Drs. Robert H. Fletcher and Kathleen M. Fairfield of Harvard University, who wrote the journal's new guidelines.
The last time the journal prepared a comprehensive review of vitamins, about 20 years ago, it concluded that multivitamins were a waste of time and money. People could get all the nutrients they needed from their diet, it advised.
But health experts are increasingly worried that most American adults do not consume healthful amounts of vitamins in their diet.
Almost 80 percent of Americans do not eat at least five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day, the recommended minimum amount believed to provide sufficient essential nutrients. Humans do not make their own vitamins, except some vitamin D, and they must get them from food to prevent metabolic disorders.
---------------------------------------------------------
- Jeff Sanborn

Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 23:21:26 EDT
Subject: Long maligned vitamins now have doctors' official stamp of approval

Long maligned vitamins now have doctors' official stamp of approval

By Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon, PhD
Syndicated Columnists
Seattle Times July 28, 2002

The vitamin wars are officially over. Record the date for posterity: June 19, 2002. That's when the American Medical Association published a radical new recommendation - most Americans should be taking vitamins.

For decades doctors derided those who used dietary supplements. These nutritional nihilists maintained that all we needed was a well-balanced diet and that extra vitamins merely created expensive urine.

Vitamin boosters, on the other hand, asserted that a well-balanced diet was a myth, especially for teenagers, older folks, and busy people who ate on the run. They insisted that vitamin insurance was a good health investment.

Now the Journal of the American Medical Association, a bastion of conservative medical thinking, has come out in favor of vitamins for "chronic disease prevention."

The authors are no granola gurus. These Harvard physicians reviewed the research published on vitamins since 1966.

They conclude diseases such as beriberi and scurvy are rarely seen, many people are at risk of other problems: "Because suboptimal vitamin status is associated with many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis, it is important for physicians to identify patients with poor nutrition."

The B vitamins are especially significant. Many people are low in folic acid, a nutrient particularly important in preventing birth defects, heart disease, cancer, and perhaps, even Alzheimer's disease.

Tantalizing new research suggests that thiamin (vitamin B1) might be important in maintaining optimal brain function. Vitamin B12 is also critical for nerve function; mild deficiencies are more common among older people and vegetarians than many physicians might realize.

Urologists and ophthalmologists are ahead of many of their colleagues in recommending that their patients take supplements, including vitamins E, C, and zinc.

Cartenoids - red and yellow pigments in vegetables - are also on the short list. Urologists are especially interested in the benefits of lycopene (found in tomatoes) for prostate health.

Eye doctors, on the other hand, praise lutein (found in corn, squash, and other yellow vegetables) for its apparent ability to delay the development of macular degeneration.

Many prescription drugs can interfere with the absorption or utilization of critical nutrients.

now that the medical establishment has recognized the value of vitamin supplements, the question remains: How much of it will they recommend you should take? (smile)

We'll have to wait for future research to refine the answer, but for now a daily multivitamin makes sense.

***********************
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition exert. Their newest book is the People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies


Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 13:26:56 -0500
Subject: Hi Steve ... thought you'd enjoy this.

A Chiropractor's Story

Shaklee Friends,

I get many requests from the Shaklee field from distributors who want to share Shaklee with their chiropractor (see a typical request below).
Some even want to hear my "story".

Karen (my lovely wife Karen Hanrahan) introduced me to Shaklee in 1997. She challenged me to take on the High energy/Wellness Program (Instant Protein/Vita-Lea/Vita C/B Complex) and I noticed a difference in my health. I also fell in love with my upline (Karen) and asked her to be my bride.

We are in the "relationship" business. Before you can enroll a doctor (or anyone) into trying your products, you have to have a relationship with them...a combination of friendship AND credibility that comes over time. There is no shortcut, and I for one am doubtful that a postcard or a newsletter can generate that relationship for you.

She also introduced me to network marketing and the personal growth movement. That has had a profound impact on how I listen and communicate.

Although there are no shortcuts, there are some points which your doctor wants to know. There are 2 things I stress to my DC friends:

1. My patient love our (Shaklee) products. Many of them (like myself) had taken supplements in the past, and we all felt "reassured" we were doing the right thing. When we started taking Shaklee, we noticed improvements in our energy level, stress reduction, improved immunity, and we actually felt better! That's a vast improvement over just feeling "reassured"!

2. Patients I haven't seen in the office for several years are still purchasing products, and appreciate the member services my wife Karen provides to them with our monthly newsletters. This passive income won't happen when you sell Standard Process, Metagenics or whatever other company's products which may have caught your fancy in the past.

I attended a Science weekend recently in Norman, Oklahoma and had a chance to meet with the heads of our research (and manufacturing) divisions. Our products ARE superior to what other manufacturers produce and sell. But, even if they were only "comparable" to the above mentioned companies (which chiropractors are fond of) ask yourself truthfully, how many patients come back to buy those products 3 years after terminating chiropractic care?

Shaklee is another way to provide ongoing service to our clients, one that is appreciated by them, and is one way in which I can maintain an ongoing relationship with them, even when they are feeling well.

I hope this is of value to you.

Frank M. Painter, D.C.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
--Goethe



Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 7:27 PM
Subject: Need Information from a D.C.

Dr.Frank,
I am working with a prospect that is looking into Shaklee. He is planning to go to Chiropractic College next Aug. He wanted to look at providing a total approach to natural means of wellness and healing. He asked me for some testimonies from any Chiropractors that are using Shaklee products as a part of their practice and what results their patients have been having. If you would be able to provide me with your Shaklee story and how you are using Shaklee in your practice I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration in this matter. Have a happy and healthy day.
All The Best!