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ASTHMA / ALLERGIES
The lungs are exposed to more pollutants than almost any part of our body. Not only do we see
the air we breathe, we now can taste it. Air pollution contains ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur
dioxide, and several different hydrocarbons. All of these pollutants significantly increase the
amount of free radicals present within the lining of the lung and have been related to asthma.
Studies have shown in the acute phases of asthma, that oxidative stress is high. Antioxidant
defense systems soon are depleted. Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants in the lung
since most of this attack takes place in the aqueous fluid within the lung tissue itself. Vitamin C
levels along with other antioxidants have been found to be depleted during these acute attacks.
Epidemiological studies have shown that low dietary intake of vitamin C significantly increases
your risk of developing asthma.
I feel that asthma is epidemic in this country and around the world. My children’s PE teacher told
me that if she would ask the kids to run a mile fifteen years ago that it was not any problem.
However, when she asks them to run a mile today, she ends up with two pocketfuls of inhalers.
These kids have so much exertional asthma that they need to use their inhalers before they can
even run. This generation is exposed to more pollutants in our air, food, and water than any
previous generation. This all leads to the increase in the amount of oxidative stress that these
children need to handle. I am also seeing more and more adults developing asthma in their 50’s and
60’s. People with serious environmental allergies are popping up all over.
I believe that the development of asthma and allergies is the first sign of a depleted immune system
and a depleted antioxidant defense system. These individuals have had a tremendous response to
the aggressive nutritional supplement program that I have been recommending in my clinical
practice.
Clinical studies show an impressive imbalance in the level of free radicals to the level of
antioxidants in patients with allergies and asthma. This is especially apparent during their acute
flare-ups. These findings strongly suggest we should perform intervention trials with supplemental
antioxidants to enhance our antioxidant defenses in patients with allergies or asthma. This is the
best way to bring the oxidant/antioxidant imbalance back under control. Balance is the key. We
need to have a greater amount of antioxidants than free radicals.
I believe that there is enough evidence in the literature today to start patients on a high-quality
supplement program. I have had tremendous results in patients with both serious allergies or
asthma. Would you like to learn exactly what I am recommending to my patients with asthma and
allergies? For a minimal fee you can actually have specific details of the nutritional supplement
program I am recommending to patients with asthma and allergies in my office. Simply click on the
icon below labeled Specific Nutritional Supplement Recommendations.
ASTHMA/ALLERGIES
Specific Nutritional Supplement Recommendations
I believe my patients with asthma and allergies need to be on the most potent antioxidant
supplement they can find. I recommend that my patients take Usana Nutritional Supplements. I
believe that they are absolutely the most potent antioxidant supplements on the market today. The
results that I have observed in my patients on this nutritional supplement program have been
nothing short of amazing. The main reasons that I recommend the Usana Products to my patients
are:
1.They are pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements. In other words, they are
manufactured in a FDA-registered facility and follow good manufacturing practices for
drugs. This means they follow the same quality control as if they were producing a brand
name drug.
2.They are complete and balanced. They provide all of the essential nutrients to the cell at
optimal levels, not RDA levels. This allows me not to worry about what nutrients my
patients may be depleted in, but rather allows the cell to decide what it needs and does not
need.
3.They are simple to take and the compliance of my patients is greatly increased.
4.The antioxidants and their supporting nutrients are allowed to work in synergy, which makes
them very potent in handling oxidative stress.
5.I believe they are the most potent antioxidant supplements in their ability to handle oxidative
stress.
In my asthma/allergies patients, I recommend that they take the Usana Essentials, Actical, Ploy C,
Optomega, and Proflavanol. I have my patients take their nutritional supplements three times per
day with meals. These nutrients are better absorbed and better tolerated when taken with food. I
also make sure they are tolerating all the nutritionals for a few weeks before I start the Actical. I
will then slowly introduce the Actical because they initially can cause loose stools. However, if
added slowly after the patient is tolerating all the other nutrients, this does not usually happen or at
least it will be transient.
I recommend the following schedule to my patients:
AM with Breakfast:
1 Mega Antioxidant
1 Chelated Mineral
1 Proflavanol
1 or 2 Poly C
2 Actical
2 tsps Optomega
Noon with Lunch
1 Mega Antioxidant
1 Chelated Mineral
1 Proflavanol
1 or 2 Poly C
2 Actical
PM with Evening
Meal
1 Mega Antioxidant
1 Chelated Mineral
1 Proflavanol
1 or 2 Poly C
2 Actical
I recommend the following schedule to my children:
1 to 4 years of age:
1 Usana Kid’s Choo-able each day along with 1 to 2 mg
of Proflavanol per pound.
4 to 8 years of age:
1 Usana Kid’s Choo-able, both morning and night. 1 to 2
mg of Proflavanol per pound. I also recommend that they
take 1 or 2 Actical Chewables.
Children who are 80 to 100
pounds:
Once a child has reached 80 pounds in weight regardless
of age, I like to start Usana's Body Rox. I have them
take at least 2 per day. These pills may be crushed or
allowed to dissolve in some kind of juice without losing its
potency. I also use 1 to 2 mg of Proflavanol per pound in
divided doses each day. I recommend that they take 2 to
3 Actical Chewables each day.
Children who are 100 to 120
pounds:
I will recommend that children who are over 100 pounds
to take three Body Rox each day. I still keep the dose of
Proflavanol between 1 to 2 mg per pound taken in
divided doses. I encourage these children to also take
between 3 and 4 Actical Chewables each day.
Some patients do not like to take their nutritional supplements with each meal. They would prefer
to take them in the AM and PM. However, it is better for my patients with asthma and allergies to
be taking good amounts of antioxidants with each meal. After I have obtained a good clinical
response in my patients, some desire to take their nutritional supplements twice a day. I simply
have them take 2 Mega Antioxidants and 1 Chelated Mineral, in the AM and then 2 Chelated
Minerals and 1 Mega Antioxidant in the evening. Whatever level of Proflavanol they are taking, I
have them divide them evenly into the AM and PM dose. The Actical may be split between the
AM and PM dose, with most of my patients taking more of the Actical with the PM dose. I still
like my adult patients to spread out their Poly C throughout the day. With my older and bigger
children, I do recommend that they also start taking some Poly C spread throughout the day.
STARTING YOUR NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM
I find that it is best when my patients begin their supplement program slowly. I have them start by
taking one tablet of each nutrient (except for the Actical) once daily with food. I find that it is best
if my patients take their nutritional supplements with a meal. This allows for better absorption, and
they are tolerated better. If they do not experience any problems over the next few days, I will
increase the amount of supplements they are taking to two tablets of each nutrient, taken usually
with breakfast and their evening meal. If they are doing well at this level for a few days, I will then
add the third dose of each nutrient with their noon meal. Once they are tolerating this level of
supplementation for about a week, I will slowly increase the amount of Proflavanol over the next
week or so to the recommended level. I have learned to add the Actical about two three weeks
after they have been taking the recommended level of nutritional supplements with no problems.
Actical may cause frequent loose stools. It is best to add this slowly over several weeks, spreading
them out throughout the day. Sometimes the Actical is tolerated better when it is taken in the
evening or even at bedtime. I eventually try to get my patients up to 4 to 8 Actical daily.
By starting the nutritional program in this manner, eighty percent of my patients tolerate their
nutritional program with absolutely no problem. However, occasionally my patients will complain of
mild to moderate body aches and maybe headaches. These nutrients are potent, and they allow the
body to finally be able to detoxify (clearing the toxins from the body). This is usually temporary and
transient and lasts only a few days to a week or two at the most. Rarely, it is severe enough that I
have to advise my patients to stop their nutritionals for a few days. It is just too much, too fast. I
then start them back on the products slowly again, having them take just one tablet from each
bottle daily. I just increase the supplements slower, making sure they have tolerated this level for a
week or so without any complaints before I increase to the next level. By being patient, I have
always been able to get all my patients on these nutrients. I find it interesting that the individual
patients who have the most aches and pains always seem to have the best results.
Patients always ask me if they can take their nutritional supplements with their medications, and if
there is any conflict with any of their medications. I ask them if they can eat food. They usually
reply by saying "YES". The nutritional supplement program that I am recommending is not a drug,
but nutrients we should be getting from our foods, at levels you just cannot obtain from your food.
The only exception to this is patients who are on coumadin, which is a blood thinner. This actually
works by blocking the effect of vitamin K in the body. Some physicians do not want their patients
taking any vitamin K. This can be accomplished by ordering Usana’s Canadian product, which has
no vitamin K.
Some of my patients may experience an upset stomach after a few days. This is usually related to
the potent vitamin C that is contained in the Mega Antioxidant. I have them stop the Mega
Antioxidant for a few days and then start with just one of the Mega Antioxidants with their largest
meal. After they are tolerating that level of Mega Antioxidant, I will add a second tablet with their
next biggest meal and eventually add a third Mega Antioxidant.
Some patients will start to have loose stools and even may get diarrhea. This is one of the ways the
body detoxifies itself, so I am not real concerned for the most part. However, sometimes their
bottom gets pretty sore. The most likely culprit is the Actical. This is why I recommended earlier to
be sure that my patients had been tolerating all the nutritionals for a few weeks before I add the
Actical. Then I add it slowly until they are taking 4 to 6 Actical each day, spread throughout the
day with meals. Some of my patients actually tolerate the Actical better if they take them all at
bedtime. Calcium citrate actually causes constipation, and it is the magnesium that increases the
motility of the GI tract and leads to the loose stools. If my patients are usually constipated, they
love the Actical. However, occasionally I have to add some straight calcium citrate from the health
food store to the Actical in order to control the loose stools. I strongly believe in trying to get my
patients to take as much of the Actical as possible, since magnesium deficiency is related to over
300,000 cardiac deaths each year. Proflavanol can cause diarrhea on occasion, also. This is usually
not as significant, and my patients can usually build up to the recommended dose if they simply
increase their Proflavanol slowly to the recommended dose.
I will occasionally see a dull, red rash that appears more like a sunburn or dry red skin. This is not
evidence of an allergic reaction, but rather another way that body detoxifies. The skin is an
important way that the body gets rid of toxins. It will occasionally cause this mild red rash which is
transient.
Minerals can cause a natural relaxation response as they are absorbed into the body. This does not
happen very often, but when it does my patients get concerned. I advise them to just take all their
minerals at bedtime. They not only tolerate them better, but it also allows them to sleep better at
night.
As I mentioned earlier, well over eighty percent of my patients tolerate their nutritional supplement
program with no problems. All the potential problems that I have mentioned are temporary and
transient. This is a dietary change for the body. You are nourishing your body like you have never
nourished it before. You just occasionally have to give it some time to adjust.
ADJUSTING YOUR NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM
Once my patients have been on the full-recommended dose of supplements for one month, I will
then see them back in my office. If they are having a good clinical response, I do not make any
changes to their program. If they have not noted any significant improvement, I will increase the
amount of Proflavanol to two tablets with each meal, which makes a total of six Proflavanol each
day (with my children, I move them towards 2 mg per pound per day). I will then see them back in
my office in another month and make the same observations. If they are showing significant
clinical improvement, I will just keep them at this level. However, if they are not noting much
improvement, I will increase to three Proflavanol with each meal or a total of nine Proflavanol
each day. With my children, I will even increase them to 3 mg of Proflavanol per pound. It takes
about six months for children to build up their immune system or replenish a nutritional deficiency.
It takes an adult about 12 months to build up their immune system and over 6 months to replenish a
nutritional deficiency. This means that my patients with allergies or asthma do better after they
have been on the program for 6 to 12 months than they do right away. Therefore, I do not tend to
increase the level of supplementation beyond this point. It is better to have these patients stay on
the program for a longer time. Therefore, some of my patients will choose to stay on the original
level of supplementation rather than increasing their Proflavanol. However, If my patients become
ill or are suffering a setback, I will increase the amount of Proflavanol and Poly C they are taking
for about 10 to 14 days or until things settle back down.
If I have increased the amount of Proflavanol to obtain a good clinical response, I will stay at that
level for about two to three months. Then I will slowly back them off to a maintenance level. This
is usually back to the original level that I first recommended. However, if they get worse as I am
decreasing the amount of Proflavanol they are taking, I will simply just increase the amount again.
I want to maintain any improvement they have gained.
Adequate doses of calcium and magnesium are necessary to maintain relaxation of the smooth
muscles of the lung. By keeping the smooth muscles relaxed, it allows for the airway to remain
open. Remember, bronchospasm (the spasm of the smooth muscles around the bronchial tubes) is
what causes so much problem in patients with asthma. Also, since vitamin C is the most important
antioxidant within the lung tissue, it is critical that my patients be taking large amounts of vitamin C
in supplementation.
I want to make a very important point that I always make with my patients. We are not curing
their underlying disease. They still have their asthma and allergies. We are simply building up the
body’s own antioxidant and immune system. A principle that has become very obvious to me since
I have been involved with nutritional supplementation in my patients, is the fact that our own body
is the best defense against asthma and allergies--not the drugs we prescribe. This is not alternative
medicine. These are not drugs, but simply nutrients that we should be getting from foods, at levels
that we cannot obtain from our foods. Therefore, the sooner a patient begins this nutritional
supplement program after they have been diagnosed as having asthma or developing allergies, the
better. All of my patients seem to improve on this program; some just have greater improvement
than others. They also seem to just get better year after year that they are on the program.
This is the present program that I have personally been recommending to my patients. I have been
seeing amazing clinical responses to these recommendations. This is the main reason that I have
taken the time and energy to share my clinical experience with you. Not everyone experiences
results, but by following this program in my practice, I have been able to obtain more consistent
and more long lasting clinical improvements. If you would personally like to start the Usana
Nutritional Program that I have recommended on this web page, simply show these
recommendations to the individual that directed you to this web page. If you found this web page
through your own search, contact the site administrator at info@raystrand.com to get started on
these amazing products.
I also offer personal consultations in my Comprehensive Wellness Clinic located in Rapid City,
South Dakota. I also offer telephone consultations to patients in regard to developing their own
personal supplementation program. The cost is $80 for the initial consult and $45 for any follow up
consults. You may arrange either a personal visit to my office or a telephone consultation by calling
605-342-7785.
If you have had or if you do have a significant clinical response to this nutritional program, I would
like to hear from you. Time restrictions do not allow me to respond to everyone. However, this is
how I have learned what I am sharing with you today. Please send me a very short and concise
case history regarding your clinical response to Comprehensive Wellness Publishing, PO Box 9226,
Rapid City, SD 57709. Please include details of any specific laboratory or clinical improvements
that you or your physician has noted since starting this nutritional program.
G. D. Buffinton, and W. F. Doe. Depleted mucosal antioxidant defenses in inflammatory bowel disease. Free
Radical Biology and Medicine 19, no. 6 (December 1995): 911-918. Pulmonary Disease
I. Rahman, et al. Systemic oxidative stress in asthma, COPD, and smokers. American Journal of Respiratory
Critical Care Medicine 154 (1996): 1055-1060.
Z. Novak, et al. Examination of the role of oxygen free radicals in bronchial asthma in childhood. Clinical
Chimica Acta 201, no. 3 (September 30, 1991): 247-251.
G. E. Hatch Asthma, inhaled oxidants, and dietary antioxidants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61
(1995 [supplement]): 625S-630S.
P. J. Barnes. Reactive oxygen species and airway inflammation. Free Radical Biology in Medicine 9 (1990):
235-243.
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Disclaimer:
The information shared on these web pages is for educational purposes only. Every effort has been made to
make this web page as accurate as possible. It is the review of scientific evidence and my personal clinical
experience in using nutritional supplements. This information is not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment, or
the justification for accepting or declining any medical treatment for any health problems or diseases. Any
application of the information presented in these web pages is at the reader's own discretion. Therefore, any
individual who has a specific health problem should consult his or her health care provider licensed in his or
her state of residence before starting any nutritional program.
Users of this web site shall not hold Dr. Strand, or any associated persons or entities, liable for any use or
misuse relating to the information provided. This information is provided to the general public and it is the
sole responsibility of persons using this information to consult with his or her health care provider licensed
in his or her state of residence prior to using this information.
The information contained on this web site is not intended, and should not be construed, as professional
medical advice or recommendations. No information provided should be construed as the practice of
medicine or an offer of medical advice. None of the information provided shall be construed to establish a
physician/patient relationship. Neither access to this web site nor payment of any fee establishes a
physician/patient relationship with Dr. Strand.
Ray Strand, M.D.
© 1999 Ray D. Strand M.D.
All the materials published on this web site are the property of Ray D. Strand, M.D. Copyright 1999. All rights are reserved. The materials and
information contained herein cannot be edited, altered, or used in any other format.
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