Multi-supplements increase life span
The NutriShield concept
by Dr Paul Clayton
When I was first asked to design NutriShield, the brief was to take the most protective nutrients and combine them. We defined ‘most protective’ as ingredients that improve well-being and reduce the risk of long term illness.
What we didn’t know was that a Canadian university was aiming to do the same thing, starting at almost the same time.
In 2005 Jennifer Lemon and her team at McMaster University, Ontario, had reviewed the effectiveness of hundreds of health supplements and concluded that there was little evidence that supplementing with a single ingredient, or even taking a one-a-day A-Z vitamin supplement, increased life expectancy.
What was needed, they decided, was a supplement that combined multiple ingredients for a long term synergistic health effect to counteract the processes of ageing and the deterioration usually associated with growing older.
The McMaster University 10-year study
Since it is impossible to do the sort of before and after brain and body research that they needed to do on humans, the tests were on mice. Mice (or rats) are used in these tests because their metabolism, biological processes and susceptibility to age-related disease are very similar to those of humans.
The study comprised four groups of mice:
1) Normal healthy mice fed a standard diet.
2) Normal mice fed with the MDS – Multi-Ingredient Dietary Supplement.
3) TGM (transgenic growth-hormone mice) fed a standard diet. This mouse strain normally ages faster, lives for a shorter time and suffers marked brain deterioration. This parallels Alzheimer’s in humans.
4) TGM mice fed with the MDS.
Compelling Results
The supplemented normal mice (group 2) lived 11% longer than the control group (1) of non-supplemented normal mice – about 8 years longer in human terms.
They had absolutely no deterioration in brain function, learned twice as fast, fully maintained exercise levels, motor co-ordination and vision health.
The supplemented (genetically vulnerable) TGM mice lived 28% longer than non- supplemented TGM mice – over 20 years longer in human terms!
Their brain, sense of smell, vision and sensory functions were equivalent to far younger TGM mice. The report states:
“The MDS completely abolished severe brain cell loss and reversed cognitive decline...
“It ameliorated key mechanisms of ageing ... brain cell numbers increased and brain function improved ... Retinal atrophy associated with AMD (Macular Degeneration) was reduced. ”
McMaster MDS and NutriShield compared
The McMaster MDS formula contains 31 ingredients; NutriShield Premium has 43.
Of course, there are some ingredient differences – not the least that two of the original Canadian supplements are now prohibited in the UK. In addition, over the 11 years since the McMaster formula was set, it’s inevitable that new research strongly suggests extra nutrients.
These include lycopene (linked to reduction in breast and prostate cancer risk), lutein (for maintaining healthy vision), vitamin K2 and betaine (both help lower heart attack risk).
McMaster’s MDS also included cod liver oil. Omega 3 is a far better documented source of quality DHA and EPA fatty acids to reduce inflammation and build healthy cells.
Similarly, whilst McMaster included ginger, curcumin is a far better anti-inflammatory.
McMaster’s conclusion: “Powerful impacts can be achieved through multi-ingredient dietary supplementation that addresses the multi-factorial nature of ageing.”
Exactly the NutriShield concept.