By
Roy M. Arnold MD
21st Century Healthcare
445 Cross Pointe Blvd.
Suite 140
812-402-2003

It seems like we are constantly bombarded with advertising for various dietary supplements and herbal remedies – through TV ads, email spam and internet ads. Which ones really work and what can they offer you? The answers aren’t as simple as one might think nor are they easy to ferret out from the advertisements.
First and foremost, just because a supplement or over-the-counter remedy is available doesn’t mean that it is either effective, or safe. According to an article published on Med Page Today’s website April 15, 2013, over half of all class 1 (most serious) recalls in the US over the last 9 years involved dietary supplements. Most of those supplements were sexual-enhancement, body-building, or weight-loss aids, the article reported.
A branch of the National Institutes of Health, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NICCAM) has published some key points about dietary supplements on its website (www.nccam.nih.gov) These include:
• Dietary supplements contain a variety of ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or other botanicals. Research has confirmed health benefits of some dietary supplements but not others.
• To use dietary supplements safely, read and follow the label instructions, and recognize that “natural” does not always mean “safe.” Be aware that an herbal supplement may contain dozens of compounds and that all of its ingredients may not be known.
• Some dietary supplements may interact with medications or pose risks if you have medical problems or are going to have surgery. Most dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements, but the regulations for dietary supplements are different and less strict than those for prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
• Tell all your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
So – which supplements are worthwhile and which ones are wastes of money? WebMD published an analysis a few years ago. The following is an excerpt:
Multivitamins – There is no harm in taking a multivitamin daily, but a better choice would be to eat a more nutritionally complete diet. Make certain that your multivitamin contains at least 100% of the recommended minimum daily requirement of all vitamins. Women who have undergone menopause and men do not need iron supplements. There is no benefit to taking megadoses of B vitamins or Vitamin C. Women who are in their reproductive years should take 0.5 mg of Folic acid daily according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Folic acid can protect against a rare type of nervous system birth defect in the unborn.
Meal replacements like Slim Fast® and Ensure® can supplement the diet for those who are elderly, ill or trying to lose weight. A better alternative for weight loss would be a nutritionally complete, calorie-restricted diet.
Sports nutrition – This broad category includes pills, powders and drinks. Among the ingredients are creatine, amino acids, protein formulas, and fat burners. Most experts believe that they can provide a small edge in muscle building and fitness if used over the long term. One should not expect dramatic results.
Calcium and Vitamin D – These elements are vital to bone health and are lacking in most US diets. Dairy is the best source of calcium but if you can’t tolerate dairy, a calcium supplement in the form of lactate or citrate can be helpful. Vitamin D is produced in the body in response to exposure to sunlight, but with the recognized cancer risk of sun exposure, a supplement is probably a good idea. Women should consume 1200-1400 mg of calcium daily either in the diet or as a supplement. Adults of all ages should consider taking 1000 International Units of vitamin D daily.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin – These are most often taken for arthritis and joint pain. A multi-center study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found no advantage in patients with knee pain; however a small subset of patients did find some relief. There are no known harmful effects of taking Glucosamine Chondroitin.
Fish oil – Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are cardio-protective and the basis for the American Heart Association’s recommendations to consume fatty fish twice weekly. For those who cannot consume this amount of fish, fish oil supplements are a good alternative. Be certain that the capsules contain 1000mg of DHA and EPA, the two important omega-3 fatty acids.
The listed products are the only ones which have been shown to have scientific validity. Other products like ginko-biloboa, Echinacea, elderberry, cider vinegar or any other of the many products found on the shelves at health food stores have either not been rigorously tested or have not shown favorable results in tests.
Almost all supplements contain the following statement: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” These words merit your attention before purchasing or using any supplement. Always consult your primary healthcare provider before adding a supplement particularly if you are taking prescription medications.

The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation have named William (Andy) Hape, as the new head football coach for Reitz High School.

Hape comes to Reitz, following a stint since 2008 as offensive coordinator for the football team at Franklin College. Prior to Franklin, Hape served as assistant head football coach at Earlham College for four years; and as head offensive line coach at Webber International University from 2002-2004. He also was head offensive line coach at Lake Wales High School from 1999-2002. In addition to his full-time coaching positions, he has been involved in coaching all-star games and summer football camps in Florida, Kentucky and Indiana since 1999.

At Franklin, Hape has coached an offensive line that has been instrumental in winning four of the last five Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships along with NCAA Playoff berths in each of those championship seasons. Franklin College has a conference record of 46-12 since Hape arrived in 2008.

A 1999 Western Kentucky University graduate with certification at all levels in physical education, Hape was honored as a two-time All-American and team captain and MVP on offense during his collegiate football playing career. Hape graduated from WKU with a bachelor’s degree in science and a major in physical education. He is currently working on his master’s degree in sports administration.

His awards and honors include being named to the Western Kentucky University All Centennial Team; being awarded the physical education major of the year in 1999, and being named the Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1998, as well as All-American for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Hape and his wife, Kristi, have three daughters, Mia, Sophie and Addi.

The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation has named Cory Brunson as the new head football coach for Harrison High School.

Brunson comes to Harrison, following a position as assistant football coach and offensive coordinator for Reitz High School, since 2008; and the same position at Mt. Vernon High School from 2003-08. He has orchestrated the offensive scheme during the success of the past several seasons at Reitz, which includes the run to the state finals.

Brunson graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a B.S. degree; and received his master’s in education from Indiana Wesleyan University. He holds certifications for physical education at all grade levels and in grades 5-12 for math.

Brunson was an athlete in high school at Reitz, and was a three-year letter winner in football, with a record of 31-5 over four years. He received All State recognition during 1996-97. He was also a standout basketball player and All-State in 1996, holding the honor of 2nd All-Time Leading Scorer with 1408 points. He had a full-ride basketball scholarship to the University of Missouri-Rolla from 1997-99 and for USI from 2000-01. He also played quarterback and wide receiver on the Evansville Blue Cats during the 2003-04 season.

Beginning this fall, Lincoln School students will start school on Aug. 14, just like the rest of the EVSC schools, following a vote during the EVSC School Board meeting tonight (5-6-13) moving the school from its “balanced calendar” to the EVSC school calendar. Lincoln will also offer 15 additional days of optional extended learning opportunities to the beginning of the school year. This “Jump Start” session from July 24 to Aug. 13, will accommodate the individual needs of families as a result of the calendar change.

This school board vote was taken following a thorough analysis of the effectiveness of the balanced calendar on student learning, school community input, and thoughtful consideration of other impact points. Parental opinions were gathered through site council meetings, two phone surveys, one door-to-door survey, and a paper survey that was sent home to families, who had not responded to the other surveys.

Families were found to be largely in favor of the move to the EVSC calendar, citing such advantages as having all of their children on the same school calendar (many have children at more than one school); and the ability to balance daycare and vacations more easily. It also allows students to take advantage of 21st Century Summer Learning opportunities that were not available in 1996, that are now in place and puts Lincoln into the EVSC timelines and support for testing and enrollment.

The history of the balanced calendar at Lincoln began the 1996-97 school year. This calendar is often referred to as the “year-long” calendar, because while students still attended school for the same 180 days the rest of the EVSC does, the days they attend are spread out all year, with vacation breaks throughout, as well as optional educational intersessions.

It was believed that by reducing the amount of summer vacation time, and balancing the school year with shorter vacations, the summer learning loss would be lessened. Intersession activities were planned for students that complemented lesson plans during the regular school year, with fun and educational activities combined. The components of the balanced calendar were funded through Title 1 monies.

Conversations about the efficacy of the intersessions began recently as state and federal funding cuts have grown, as well as the recent sequester that is reducing federally funded Title monies. An investigation showed that the balanced calendar was not having the educational effect it was hoped to – and ISTEP scores have remained basically flat for the past several years, following some modest gains. It was also determined that the number of students taking advantage of the intersession activities has declined steadily, including those enrolled for this summer.

Lincoln’s last day of school this year will be June 7. Then, the June intersession will still take place from June 10-21. Summer vacation will begin on June 24 and run to the start of school on Aug. 14. For those families wishing to take advantage of the Jump Start, it will begin on July 24.

Catch the latest addition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show” radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.

Download the program from the Network Indiana public website at www.networkindiana.com. Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.

The radio program was titled “Signal-10” in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show” and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.

Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.

This week’s show features First Sergeant Brian Olehy, of the Indiana State Police Public Information Section. F/Sgt. Olehy discusses the departments role at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Indianapolis 500 and offers tips to for people attending the race.