Are fruit and veggie pills really as effective as they claim?

By Dr. Ronald Hoffman


It's been a bad season for veracity (witness our recent torrent of clickbait news): Unfounded claims abound. Product pitches assault us with no tether to reality. Science is misappropriated for commercial gain.

One example of such things: fruit and veggie pills that claim they can take the place of the whole foods you're not including enough of in your diet.

Don't get me wrong: I think there's value in certain plant-derived nutrient supplements. Before it sounds like I'm dismissing an entire group of products, you should know that there are a few categories where these substitutes for fresh produce can have benefits.

For instance, there are some phytonutrient concentrates with validated, standardized extracts of key plant constituents like resveratrol, EGCG, pomegranate proanthcyanidins, Broccophane, curcumin, quercetin and lycopene as found in my own formulation PhytoGuard. They are not merely ground up fruits and vegetables, but rather carefully distilled concentrates of specific, well-studied plant constituents.

Then there are green and red powder products that deliver some of the benefits of the plants from which they are extracted. I'm particularly impressed by beet concentrates like Superbeets and green powder drinks like HeartGreens, which at least possess the advantage of delivering measurable amounts of dietary nitrates demonstrated to support the circulatory system. And, because you consume several scoops of the powder with each serving, they are more likely to provide significant plant nutrient benefits than a couple of pills. Additionally,for those who disdain the sometimes aversive taste of nitrate-rich veggies, these formulations are pleasantly flavored with natural ingredients.

As usual with dubious marketing spiels, the "miracle" fruit and veggie pill promoters proceed from a kernel of truth. There really is a factual basis for concerns about fruit and vegetable consumption in the U.S. 87 percent of Americans don't meet recommendations for fruit consumption, and 91 percent don't meet recommendations for vegetable consumption, according to a new report.

Moreover, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health found that people who ate seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day had a 42% lower risk of death at any point in time than those who ate less than one portion. The more fruit and vegetables you eat, the more protection you're afforded from disease and death-what's referred to in medicine as a "dose-response effect."

Compared to eating less than one portion of fruit and vegetables, the risk of death by any cause is reduced by 14% by eating one to three portions, 29% for three to five portions, 36% for five to seven portions, and 42% for seven or more.

The illogical leap occurs when we falsely equate taking fruit and vegetable pills with eating actual fresh produce. They're not the same.

Are you old enough to remember the mid-twentieth century infatuation with the idea of "food pills"? It was a popular science fiction theme. Why bother with all the fuss of eating meals when science could provide you with all the nutrients you need in a concentrated pill?

The issue is tackled in a recent Discovery Magazine article entitled "The Enduring Appeal of a Meal in a Pill."

The article states: "Food pills were heralded repeatedly and with certainty. So why don't we have them? Because a meal in a pill is an impossibility."

A recent review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition addresses this succinctly, insofar as the benefits of fruits and vegetables are concerned:

"The key question is whether a purified phytochemical has the same health benefit as does the whole food or mixture of foods in which the phytochemical is present . . . We propose that the additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables are responsible for their potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, and that the benefit of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is attributed to the complex mixture of phytochemicals present in whole foods [emphasis added]."

Research indicates that the benefits of whole fruits and vegetables cannot be distilled down into a pill. Many of the health effects may be mediated by the impact of substantial portions of healthy fibers and associated phytochemicals on fostering a favorable intestinal microbiome, thus affecting metabolism, immunity, and even mood.

Marketers of fruit and vegetable pills invoke reassuring words like "purity," "real food," "nature," "superfoods," and "balance." They decry the use of "artificial" vitamins, although the ingredients of these supplements are chemically identical to the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables.

They claim that their proprietary extraction methods-"flash-freezing" or "cold extraction"-maintain 95% of the nutritional potency of fresh fruits and vegetables, but without adducing any proof of that assertion.

Unlike most supplements and foods, their labels usually do not indicate the specific amounts of vitamins and minerals in relation to the RDA.

The marketers claim that a few pills yield the equivalent of "the real nutrition of over 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day." But how can that be, when hundreds of grams of fiber, polyphenols, live enzymes (which may not survive the dehydration process) and other crucial health-supporting substances are not present? Remember, each capsule is about 1 gram (1000 milligrams); a small 2 ounce serving of a fruit or vegetable is equivalent to 57 grams! Don't tell me that 56 grams or so of that weight is simply worthless water!

With the exception of just one company, the "evidence" they present for the effectiveness of their products is purely anecdotal, based on testimonials that are difficult to authenticate-and sometimes strain credulity. Fruits and vegetables are healthy, but by what means does their consumption result in rapid, dramatic reversal of weight gain, cancer, high cholesterol, infectious diseases, venous stasis ulcers, or even brain lesions?

In science, double-blind placebo controlled trials are considered the "gold-standard" for proving efficacy. Testimonials are considered the most unreliable form of proof, and no good researcher would base a conclusion on them.

To its credit, one company did undertake some small studies which demonstrated treatment effects of their supplements: Juice Plus. But their studies are of poor quality, at best are only single-blind, and were underwritten by the company that makes Juice Plus, which can be a potential source of bias. It may be that for some people who are sick or don't eat many fruits and vegetables, taking a few dehydrated plant concentrates provides them with just enough basic nutrients to upgrade their health-lower their cholesterol a few points, or slightly shorten the duration of their colds, for example.

But nowhere is there evidence that such an effect could not be achieved with a basic multivitamin/mineral supplement. No studies have been performed that offer a head-to-head comparison of fruit and veggie supplements vs. conventional multis. Had they been done, it's quite likely the multivitamins would have conferred similar or superior benefits-as they have already demonstrated in many properly conducted studies of multis vs. placebo.

Of additional concern is the exorbitant price of these fruit/veggie pills. When formulating vitamin supplements, there are real costs associated with the ingredients. For example, a kilo of vitamin C goes for about 3-5 dollars on the open wholesale market. Admittedly, the markup is enormous when that raw material is formulated into a tablet or capsule or incorporated into a multi. But with fruits and vegetables, especially in a proprietary blend whose constituents might vary accord to market prices, there's no certainty as to the cost of the raw materials, which might be sourced from cheap produce deemed unacceptable for supermarket shelves. Imagine paying 70 dollars "preferred customer" price) every month for your daily dose of a few capsules of powdered fruits and vegetables?

Worse yet is the false sense of security these pills impart to those who don't eat their fruits and vegetables!

So, what's the answer? If you want to boost your health, to eat just 3-4 servings of fresh fruits or vegetables per day. Contrary to previous, unrealistic recommendations which called for at least 5 and up to 13 servings per day, a recent study showed that benefits topped out at just 3 to 4 servings per day. Saving high double digits of money per month should get you most of the way there if you shop seasonally.

Or, if you want a short-cut, blend (not juice) whole fruits and vegetables into a delicious smoothie. Add whey, rice, or hemp powder if you want added protein, and some coconut oil, avocado, or flax oil for healthy fat.

Alternatively, take supplements with standardized amounts of recognized phytonutrients, or with documented attributes like raising nitric oxide. And steer clear of expensive pills that claim they're all you need to take-to the exclusion of vitamins, minerals and other supplements-or that make outlandish claims of reversing serious diseases using dubious testimonials.

ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity)

  • In bad taste: the MSG symptom complex
  • Book review: The Crazy Makers
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Candida
  • Alcoholism (see substance dependency)

  • Alcoholism
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Hepatitis
  • Allergy

  • In bad taste: the MSG symptom complex
  • Alternatives to antihistamines
  • Molds, mites, and pollens: common causes of allergic fatigue
  • Allergic reactions
  • What is epa dha?
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • Alcoholism
  • Candida
  • 10 tips for surviving allergy season
  • 14 natural products to conquer fall allergies
  • 14 natural products to conquer fall allergies
  • 14 natural products to conquer spring allergies
  • 18 supplements for allergy relief and prevention
  • Book Review: The Allergy Solution by Leo Galland, M.D. and Jonathan Galland, J.D.
  • Histamine intolerance: A new way of looking at allergies
  • Alzheimer's and memory problems

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Chelation
  • Growing older and memory
  • Candida
  • 18 supplements that may stave off Alzheimer's
  • 18 supplements that may stave off Alzheimer's
  • Andropause

  • Natural hormones: longevity drugs of the future
  • Hormone replacement for andropause
  • Hormone Nazis to men: "No testosterone for YOU!"
  • Testosterone bad for men's hearts? so not!
  • Arthritis

  • Arthritis: not for seniors only
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Gout: an overview
  • Gout: a detailed discussion
  • NSAIDs increase heart risk: Now what for osteoarthritis pain?
  • Asthma

  • Fighting asthma: building a stronger immune system
  • Asthma update
  • Candida
  • Asthma: What causes it, and what can help alleviate symptoms?
  • Oregacillin
  • World trade center protocol
  • Atherosclerosis

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Chelation
  • Is your Coumadin killing you? (The remarkable potential of vitamin K to stop arterial calcification)
  • Autism

  • Candida
  • Autoimmune disorders

  • Plant sterols and sterolins: potential immune system modulators
  • The top 15 supplements for natural MS treatment
  • Vitamin D
  • Cancer

  • Phytoguard
  • EGCG - potent extract of green tea
  • 6 crucial lifestyle hacks for women with DCIS breast cancer (part two of series)
  • 18 supplements for women with early breast cancer (part three of series)
  • Cancer update 2007
  • Clinical Focus: The cancer-preventive properties of sulforaphane
  • Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez: In Memoriam
  • Intravenous vitamin C for cancer
  • Intravenous vitamin c validated by new studies
  • Multivitamins vindicated: they do reduce cancer!
  • Natural treatment for prostate cancer: How changing your lifestyle could save your life
  • Natural treatment of PCOS
  • Something fishy this way comes . . .
  • Update on cancer
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamins can cause cancer-REALLY??
  • You've just been diagnosed with breast cancer: Don't just stand there . . . do NOTHING! (part one)
  • Candida

  • Candida
  • The Yeast Connection vindicated-35 years later
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome

  • Frequently asked questions about fatigue
  • Iron: deficiency and toxicity
  • Candida
  • Vitamin D
  • Claudication

  • Chelation
  • Colds and respiratory tract infections

  • Common cold buster: simple 3-step plan that works
  • Treating respiratory tract infections in the age of resistance
  • Catching a bug: infection and the immune system
  • Nutrients that boost immunity
  • Olive leaf extract
  • Xylitol
  • Candida
  • 17 nutraceuticals that can boost your immune response
  • Immunity
  • Oregacillin
  • Stress and immunity
  • Top supplements for immune support this flu season
  • COPD

  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • World trade center protocol
  • Depression and anxiety

  • Panic attacks and anxiety
  • The wolves within
  • Alcoholism
  • Candida
  • Can natural medicine cure panic attacks
  • Diet vs. depression: The success of SMILES
  • The origin of "panic"
  • Vitamin D
  • Diabetes

  • Glucose tolerance test (GTT) - Why do I need a GTT?"
  • Sugar disease
  • How sweet it is: an examination of alternatives to sugar
  • Diabetes, diet and herbs
  • Diabetes mellitus: nutritional protocol and analysis
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Vitamin D
  • Advice to Tom Hanks
  • Conquering gestational diabetes
  • How does Dr. Hoffman treat metabolic syndrome?
  • Is diagnosing "pre-diabetes" medical overkill?
  • Diverticulitis

  • Diverticulosis and diverticulitis: integrative prevention and treatment
  • Dizziness and meniere's syndrome

  • Researchers uncover the weak and dizzy gene
  • Environmental illness

  • Idiopathic environmental intolerance
  • Clinical allergy and immunology: food hypersensitivity and adverse reactions
  • Candida
  • Who's really in charge here-you or your germs?
  • Eye disorders

  • Retinitis pigmentosa (RP)
  • Cataracts: inevitable or avoidable?"
  • Dry eye: often ignored
  • Glaucoma: the thief of sight
  • Macular degeneration: starvation of the retina there is hope
  • Ocular health update 2007
  • What you need to know about glaucoma
  • What you need to know about glaucoma
  • Fibromyalgia

  • Frequently asked questions about fatigue
  • Vitamin D
  • Food sensitivity

  • Candida
  • Clinical allergy and immunology: food hypersensitivity and adverse reactions
  • Gall bladder disease

  • Gallbladder disease
  • Myths about gall bladder disease
  • Myths about gall bladder disease - part two
  • General nutrition

  • Vitamin c / atherosclerosis scare
  • Functional food science
  • Is your diet making you sick?
  • Drugs that steal
  • Iron: deficiency and toxicity
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 2 of 3)
  • 12 supplements you should NEVER take
  • "Death by food pyramid": a review
  • "Don't take your vitamins"? So not!
  • "Fed Up": A movie review
  • Intelligent Medicine Bone Health Protocol available now!
  • Intelligent Medicine Health News Review
  • 10 "Duh!" health and nutrition stories
  • 10 simple hacks to improve your diet
  • 10 ways the foods you eat can affect your sex life
  • 11 reasons why you should be using extra virgin olive oil
  • 11 things worth trying if you suffer from tinnitus
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 1 of 3)
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 3 of 3)
  • 12 supplements you should NEVER take
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays (part one)
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays (part two)
  • 16 reasons to go nuts for nuts
  • 5 easy Paleo diet hacks
  • 6 new products that I'm excited about in 2015
  • A nerd in the kitchen: My review of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji Lo
  • American Heart Association doubles down on outmoded saturated fat recommendations
  • Are "paleo snacks" an oxymoron?
  • Are fruit and veggie pills really as effective as they claim?
  • Are fruit and veggie pills really as effective as they claim?
  • Are vegetarians healthier than meat-eaters? So NOT, according to shocking new studies
  • Can a low-salt diet actually be BAD for you?
  • Can what you eat really damage your thyroid?
  • Clinical Focus: Nicotinamide Riboside
  • Confessions of an EX-vegan
  • Could a vegetarian diet undermine your mental health?
  • Could a vegetarian diet undermine your mental health?
  • Could Big Sugar become the next Big Tobacco?
  • Death by Food Pyramid? by Denise Minger: A Review
  • Defensive Eating: Taming your addiction to food
  • Detox in a box
  • Dispatches from the front lines of nutrition-what you need to know about the latest health headlines
  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Do you really need to eat breakfast?
  • Frontline gets it wrong about supplements
  • GMO non-browning apples: A risky solution to a non-problem
  • Happy one millionth podcast! Let's review the best of 2015 so far
  • How a raw foods diet can make you sick
  • ICYMI: Dr. Hoffman's Store now available through Fullscript!
  • Iron: Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?
  • Is fructose really that bad for you?
  • Is the "pandemic" of vitamin D deficiency exaggerated?
  • Is the way to a (wo)man's heart through his(her) stomach?
  • Is the Whole30 diet right for you? (part one)
  • Is the Whole30 diet right for you? (part two)
  • Is your grill killing you? Your personal anti-AGEing program
  • More good news about olive leaf extract
  • Olive Leaf Extract
  • Organic produce trumps conventional: Here's why!
  • Paleo pitfalls
  • Paleo Pitfalls
  • Pro-vegan website outs apostate meat-eaters
  • Repeat after me: "Hunger is my friend!"
  • Rethinking Super Size Me: Is it a Big Whopper?
  • Rethinking breakfast
  • Revisiting salt intake - are you eating too much or too little?
  • Sorry vegans, but humans were designed to eat (some) meat
  • Supplements that I take
  • The artificial sweetener controversy: who should you believe?
  • The Whole30: A review
  • The WORST health and nutrition stories of 2015
  • There's no "one-size-fits-all" diet, according to new research
  • To juice or not to juice?
  • Top 10 "duh!" health and nutrition stories of 2016
  • Vitamins can cause cancer-REALLY??
  • What do Bill Gates, eggs, and soylent green have in common?
  • What week is it, kiddies? Why, it's National Folic Acid Week!
  • Why I liberally indulge in high-test chocolate
  • Why you don't have to feel guilty about those Valentine's Day chocolates
  • Why you should keep taking your supplements
  • Will the "real" China study please stand up
  • Yet more reasons to go gluten-free
  • GERD

  • Ulcers
  • Antacids -- not the anti you think they are
  • Mastic gum
  • Candida
  • How to reduce your dependency on acid-blocking meds - or eliminate them entirely!
  • NEWSFLASH: Heartburn not caused by excess acidity!
  • The 7 best supplements for GERD sufferers
  • Gluten intolerance

  • Candida
  • Is gluten intolerance bullsh*t?
  • Headaches and migraines

  • Headaches: hunting down the cause of your pain
  • Headaches
  • Glucose tolerance test (GTT) - Why do I need a GTT?
  • Healthy hair

  • Healthy hair
  • What's new on the hair re-growth horizon?
  • Heart disease

  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Chelation
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Heart disease: Are modern lifestyles at fault?
  • 20 risks for heart disease you didn't know you had
  • Intelligent Medicine Shorts:
  • 12 natural ways to protect your heart and lower your CRP
  • American Heart Association doubles down on outmoded saturated fat recommendations
  • Bergamot: A promising new cardio-protective nutraceutical
  • Bush's unnecessary stent--but wait folks, there's more!
  • Can a low-salt diet actually be BAD for you?
  • Carnitine in the cross-hairs: a fishy tale?
  • Everything you need to know about the new cholesterol guidelines
  • Former President G.W. Bush stampeded into undergoing a stent operation
  • Is the way to a (wo)man's heart through his(her) stomach?
  • Natural compounds that reduce cholesterol
  • NSAIDs increase heart risk: Now what for osteoarthritis pain?
  • Testosterone bad for men's hearts? so not!
  • The breakthrough $200,000 per year drug that prevents heart attacks (but can lead to fatal infection
  • The truth about fish oil
  • Vitamin D
  • When it comes to heart disease, can lifestyle overcome bad genes?
  • How does Dr. Hoffman treat crohn's and ulcerative colitis?

    How does Dr. Hoffman treat osteoporosis?

    Hypertension

  • Alternative approaches to hypertension
  • Chelation
  • High blood pressure
  • 20 natural ways to lower your blood pressure
  • 25 Supplements for high blood pressure (part one)
  • 25 Supplements for high blood pressure (part two)
  • Can a low-salt diet actually be BAD for you?
  • Overnight, half of American adults were reclassified as hypertensive: Is it Diagnosis Creep?
  • Vitamin D
  • What's the right diet for high blood pressure?
  • Hyperthyroid

  • Grave's disease: a nutritional approach
  • Hypoglycemia

  • Hypoglycemia
  • Glucose tolerance test (GTT) - Why do I need a GTT?
  • How sweet it is: an examination of alternatives to sugar
  • Sugar disease
  • Hypothyroidism

  • Doctors' panel doubles-down on recommendation for only synthetic thyroid for hypothyroidism
  • Hypothyroidism
  • The truth about thyroid function that doctors always seem to get wrong
  • The ugly truth emerges about synthetic thyroid medication
  • IBD

  • Addressing inflammatory bowel disease
  • Candida
  • Inflammatory bowel disease update
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • One patient's UC success story
  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Do you have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth)?
  • How does Dr. Hoffman treat crohn's and ulcerative colitis?
  • Inflammatory bowel disease: What is it and what causes it?
  • Natural treatment options for inflammatory bowel disease
  • IBS

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Bowelsoothe
  • Candida
  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Do you have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth)?
  • Liver disease

  • 21 ways to save your liver!
  • 21 ways to save your liver!
  • 21 ways to save your liver!
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Hepatitis
  • Menopause

  • Natural hormones: longevity drugs of the future
  • Estrogen dominance syndrome
  • Hormone replacement therapy; a closer look
  • Mitral valve prolapse

  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Glucose tolerance test (GTT) - why do I need a GTT?
  • Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils
  • What are EPA/DHA?
  • Optimization

  • Anti-aging medicine
  • Reflections on "health"
  • Growing older and memory
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 2 of 3)
  • 13 reasons why most health studies are wrong
  • 13 tests your doctor is not likely to offer, but you should ask for anyway
  • 14 supplements you should NEVER take - updated! (part one)
  • 9 things your doctor doesn't know about supplements (but definitely should)
  • Want to live longer? Here's how!
  • What's your Health IQ? Take this test to find out!
  • "Don't take your vitamins"? So not!
  • "Don't take your vitamins?" so not!
  • Intelligent Medicine Bone Health Protocol available now!
  • Intelligent Medicine Health News Review
  • Intelligent Medicine Shorts:
  • 10 epic medical fails: Bet most of you have fallen for at least one! (Part one)
  • 10 responses to supplement naysayers
  • 10 things I got right 30 years ago
  • 10 ways the foods you eat can affect your sex life
  • 11 ways you can predict how long you'll live
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 1 of 3)
  • 12 drugs you should never take (part 3 of 3)
  • 12 supplements you should NEVER take
  • 13 holiday survival tips
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays (part one)
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays (part two)
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays: Part One
  • 13 tips for surviving the holidays: Part two
  • 14 supplements you should NEVER take - updated! (part two)
  • 14 things YOU know better than your doctor
  • 14 things YOU know better than your doctor
  • 17 nutraceuticals that can boost your immune response
  • 18 supplements that may stave off Alzheimer's
  • 21 ways to save your liver!
  • 24 ways we should fundamentally transform our healthcare system
  • 28 things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
  • 6 new products that I'm excited about in 2015
  • 8 reasons why the FDA's recent ban on anti-bacterial cleansers is a good idea
  • A year-end message from Intelligent Medicine
  • American Heart Association doubles down on outmoded saturated fat recommendations
  • Are some medicines stealing your brain power?
  • Beating the winter blahs
  • Book review: "the story of the human body", by Daniel E. Lieberman, Ph.D.
  • Can a low-salt diet actually be BAD for you?
  • Chill out--it may be healthy for you!
  • Click bait health reporting: I'm calling BS on these 5 health stories
  • Clinical Focus: Nicotinamide Riboside
  • Cold, painful fingertips? Try these remedies!
  • Could a vegetarian diet undermine your mental health?
  • Debating a skeptic
  • Debunking the top 7 supplement myths
  • Defensive Eating: Taming your addiction to food
  • Detox in a box
  • Diversify your exercise portfolio
  • Do you have "poor protoplasm"?
  • Do you have WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?
  • Does this plug-in make me look fat? and does it matter anyway?
  • Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez: In Memoriam
  • Exercise that I do
  • Five health victories we've already won
  • Four more drugs you should avoid
  • From wraith to warrior: Hoffman Center's Grimaldy Vargas triumphs in her first Spartan Sprint race!
  • Frontline gets it wrong about supplements
  • GMOs: a primer
  • Happy Fourth of July! Plan a health revolution, and what's in store for Intelligent Medicine
  • Happy one millionth podcast! Let's review the best of 2015 so far
  • How to protect yourself from the harmful effects of antibiotics
  • ICYMI: Dr. Hoffman's Store now available through Fullscript!
  • Innovative therapies for Multiple Sclerosis
  • Intravenous vitamin c validated by new studies
  • Iron: Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?
  • Is the way to a (wo)man's heart through his(her) stomach?
  • Is there really a vast conspiracy to deprive us of cures and profit off our misery?
  • Is your BBQ killing you? Your personal anti-AGEing program
  • Is your Coumadin killing you? (The remarkable potential of vitamin K to stop arterial calcification)
  • Is your doctor a psychopath?
  • Jurassic World: A parable
  • Listen to your gut: What your microbiome can tell you about your overall health
  • Medical evolution will affect you, but how?
  • Michele Obama's water advocacy based on 'murky' science, say experts
  • My foray into personalized genetic testing
  • My foray into personalized genetic testing (part two)
  • My triathlon comeback
  • Paint-by-numbers medicine (part one)
  • Part two: 10 epic medical fails you may have fallen for
  • PhytoGuard: Your 'one-stop-shop' for phytonutrient benefits
  • Pushing back on the supplement alarmists
  • Real healthcare reform
  • Repeat after me: "Hunger is my friend!"
  • Saving the VA hospitals
  • Should doctors be role models for their patients?
  • Spring detox
  • Stem Cells: Panacea or snake oil?
  • Supplement of the week: DIM
  • Tamiflu: Our first-line drug against the flu is an epic-fail
  • Test your "Health IQ" ? round three!
  • Test Your Health IQ: Round Five!
  • Test Your Health IQ: Round four!
  • The artificial sweetener controversy: who should you believe?
  • The digital revolution: health benefit or bane?
  • The five health battles we need to fight next
  • The flu shot: Does it really work, and should you get it either way?
  • The hidden toll of Harvey
  • The new intelligent medicine communications revolution
  • The roadmap for extending longevity has been discovered: Are you following it?
  • The top 10 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2014
  • The top 10 health news stories of 2014
  • The top 10 resolutions you can actually keep
  • The top 12 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2017
  • The truth about Trump's physical
  • The WORST health and nutrition stories of 2015
  • Top 10 Intelligent Medicine articles of 2015
  • Top 10 Intelligent Medicine podcasts of 2016
  • Top 10 supplements for 2017
  • Top ten Intelligent Medicine podcasts
  • Top ten intelligent medicine stories of 2013
  • Vacation time is here - but do you suffer from WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?
  • Vacation time is here-but do you suffer from WWS (Work Withdrawal Syndrome)?
  • Vitamins can cause cancer-REALLY??
  • What gets ignored in the pot debate: it's not good for you!
  • What week is it, kiddies? Why, it's National Folic Acid Week!
  • What's your Health IQ? Round two!
  • Who's really in charge here-you or your germs?
  • Why I've finally taken up yoga in my sixties - and why you should too
  • Why I've finally taken up yoga in my sixties - and why you should too
  • Why intravenous vitamin therapies are a mainstay of integrative practice
  • Why you should keep taking your supplements
  • Why you shouldn't get your health advice from celebrities
  • Osteoporosis

  • Natural approach to preventing osteoporosis
  • Vitamin D
  • 'A Perfect Storm for Broken Bones' or a perfect marketing pitch for osteoporosis drugs?
  • How does Dr. Hoffman treat osteoporosis?
  • Ostera, a novel approach to osteoporosis
  • Strontium for bone health
  • Overweight

  • Sugar disease
  • Obesity treatments and tax deductions
  • How sweet it is: an examination of alternatives to sugar
  • A holistic approach to weight loss
  • Book review: In Bad Taste: the MSG Symptom Complex
  • Obesity and disease risk
  • New obesity statistics
  • Epidemic of childhood obesity
  • Fatty liver disease
  • 10 reasons why it's not your fault you're fat
  • 10 reasons why it's not your fault you're fat - UPDATED!
  • 8 reasons why it's not your fault you're fat
  • Can you really "lose 40 pounds in 40 days"?
  • It's been a bad month for carbs
  • Maximizing your metabolism
  • Nutritional weapons to fight the battle of the bulge
  • Our sisyphean battle against obesity
  • Repeat after me: "hunger is my friend!"
  • Parkinson's disease

  • Parkinson's disease and glutathione
  • Prostate disorders

  • Dealing with the prostate
  • Cernilton
  • 20 supplements that men with prostate cancer need to know about (part one)
  • 20 supplements that men with prostate cancer need to know about (part two)
  • Natural treatment for prostate cancer: How changing your lifestyle could save your life
  • Sinusitis

  • Supplement of the month: xylitol
  • Candida
  • Oregacillin
  • Skin conditions

  • Candida
  • Skin disorders
  • 10 natural solutions for winter skin dryness
  • 10 natural solutions for winter skin dryness
  • 10 natural sun-care supplements you may not have heard of
  • 10 natural sun-care supplements you need to know
  • Everything you need to know about natural therapies for acne
  • Sleep

  • Healthy sleep: recharging your batteries
  • Common sleep problems and solutions
  • Sleep update 2007
  • Stroke and TIA's

  • Chelation
  • Substance dependency

  • Nicotine dependency and smoking cessation
  • Alcoholism
  • Hepatitis
  • Could Big Sugar become the next Big Tobacco?
  • What gets ignored in the pot debate: it's not good for you!
  • Surgery

  • Supplements for surgery
  • Dr. Hoffman lists the supplements he takes for his broken hip
  • Supplements and surgery: what you need to know (part one)
  • Supplements and surgery: what you need to know (part two)
  • Underweight and malabsorption

  • Do you have SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)?
  • Underweight and malabsorption
  • Urinary tract disorders

  • D-mannose: an aid in ameliorating urinary tract infections
  • Kidney stones: treatment and prevention
  •