Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

Metabolic Syndrome is a recently identified and increasingly common health condition. It is characterized by an increase in abdominal fat. Blood tests show elevated triglycerides as well as cholesterol and often borderline high blood sugar.

Metabolic Syndrome is associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and other diseases of aging.

It has been my standard practice over the past several years to recommend a moderately low-carbohydrate diet for people with this condition. Certain supplements, to help normalize blood sugar, increase detoxification, and other products based on individual circumstances can also be of use.

Following these simple steps, my patients often notice rapid and significant improvements and blood tests quickly normalize. Recent studies show that two simple and readily available supplements can further enhance the process of reversing Metabolic Syndrome. Read More »

Tags: Diabetes, Fish Oil, Supplements
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People often ask me if I can be of help for conditions like OCD, in addition to depression, anxiety, ADD, and so forth. My answer is always a resounding “yes!” although as with everything else results can vary from person to person.

When results are good, everyone is satisfied, and the next referral is just around the corner. However, when results fall short of expectations, it can lead to a lot of soul searching and disappointment on my part, and the patient often feels that there is no good alternative to drugs.

Recently the topic of natural treatments for OCD was discussed on an email list to which I subscribe. Most subscribers to this list are medical doctors, including many psychiatrists, and all have an interest in natural or integrative medicine.

The opinions expressed greatly validated my own beliefs and approach to healing this challenging condition. Current scientific opinion holds that OCD is the result of an imbalance between the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, whereby there is too much dopamine activity in relation to serotonin. Read More »

Tags: Mental Health, Supplements
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The headlines have been everywhere and it seems that we are back in the dark days of vitamin bashing, perhaps prompted by reports that even in these hard economic times vitamin sales are booming. As in the past, for every negative study on vitamins there are many positive ones, except that only the research with negative findings gets reported, no matter how poorly designed or unreliable it is! Among the latest news you may have heard or read about, vitamin E was supposedly found to cause prostate cancer. As simple as that, or maybe not…

Let’s take a closer look at the data that prompted this “finding.” (1) When taking low-quality synthetic vitamin E or a placebo, the risk of prostate cancer was found to be higher in people taking vitamin E with no other supplement by an astounding 0.63%! Whenever the difference is less than 1% it is hard to attribute much significance to it, because any study done on a sample of the population will have a margin of error. To conclude that vitamin E causes prostate cancer based on a 0.63% rate increase in a single study is preposterous.

There is more. In this very same study, when people took Vitamin E plus Selenium the increased risk fell to just 0.24%. Selenium does only one thing: it makes vitamin E more effective. So if vitamin E causes cancer, the rate should go up, not down, when it is taken with selenium. In reality, it has been common knowledge for years that antioxidants like vitamin E should not be taken alone but in a balanced complex containing all the major antioxidants. When taken alone they can be counterproductive and even lead to worse health. Read More »

Tags: Antioxidants, Cancer, Supplements
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These are supplements that have either been recently released or are new to me and are now available from my office.

Cereboost 6-hour: this supplement contains extracts from the herbs American ginseng, which improves focus and overall brain function, and Rhodiola rosea, which normalizes stress hormones, and therefore has a positive effect on irritability, impulsivity, and other related symptoms. This combination is fast-acting and seems to be very effective. Early reports have been that children are more organized and pay more attention, and adults are more able to multitask when taking it. Though my sample is small, so far no side effects were reported and only one child appeared not to tolerate it.

Though fast-acting the effects of this supplement wear off within approximately six hours of taking it, hence the name. While not a complete or long-term solution, it can be helpful as a brain booster when a little extra help is needed, or for children having trouble focusing in school.

XanthiTrim: this newly formulated supplement from Pure Encapsulations may turn out to be a major help for people trying to lose weight. With ingredients like decaffeinated green tea extract, pomegranate juice and seaweed it contains nothing that comes even close to being a stimulant or an appetite suppressant that could be harmful. What these ingredients all have in common is the ability to stimulate the body to burn fat. Therefore it is no surprise that in studies it was shown to enhance the weight loss effects of diet and exercise. Read More »

Tags: ADD/ADHD, Bone Issues, Exercise, Mental Health, Skin Conditions, Stress, Supplements, Weight Loss
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