Practitioner Chat—Sunil Pai, MD … Continued
Sunil Pai, MD is board certified in holistic integrative medicine. He is a deacon of the House of Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health & Lifestyle Center located in Albuquerque, NM, an integrated auxiliary of the Priory of Santa Fe. Dr. Pai specializes in custom formulations of dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals, ayurvedic herbs, medical foods, and homeopathics using safe, clinically effective ingredients. He has been a consultant to various nutraceutical companies as well as functional medicine testing companies. Over the past 14 years, Dr. Pai has studied the processing of raw materials from farm to manufacturing and from the bench top research to clinical studies. His interest in the benefits of natural therapies led to the development of House of Sanjevani nutraceutical products.
Dr. Pai consults with integrative clinics in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, Panamá, Thailand, India and China on teaching his integrative cancer supportive protocols. He is also currently working on establishing a Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health and Lifestyle Center in Costa Rica for education, products and services.
Dr. Pai’s recently released book, An Inflammation Nation, which includes a forward by Dr. Andrew Weil, describes the health benefits of plant-based diets and the use of natural anti-inflammatories for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and cancer.
Here is the continuation of the interview featured in the magazine:
Q: What dietary supplements do you recommend?
A: I always recommend improving the diet and testing for food sensitivities that cause inflammation. After improving the diet, I check nutrient testing to see if there are any deficiencies. Dietary supplements are supposed to “supplement” the diet not replace it. However, even with optimum dietary habits due to our stressful lifestyle and toxic environments I recommend the following base supplements to all may patients. 1) Bosmeric-SR—this is my flagship product. It is the strongest natural anti-inflammatory available. It is unique with its patented ingredients. The dosages and delivery system—a fast acting (within 20 minutes) and long-lasting sustained release (over eight hours) makes it a one-of-a-kind product. Unlike many companies that use similar or generic ingredients, Bosmeric-SR provides potency, purity and most important a clinically effective product. My book describes the differences in turmeric and curcumin extracts in detail and scientifically demonstrates fact and fantasy marketing. Many companies market their brands as “new and improved,” “better absorbed,” “activated” but these are just buzzwords. Having a background working with clinical trials, I clearly define what the consumer (and health providers) needs to understand about the differences and actual outcomes. I formulated the synergistic combination Curcumin C3 Complex, Boswellin PS, Ginger (20 percent gingerols) and Bioperine at their clinical doses to have the highest efficacy possible of each ingredient and as a synergistic formula. After extensive testing of each ingredient at various doses, the optimum amounts of the combinations were discovered. It’s not about just having the highest amounts and specific ratios of ingredients but more importantly testing to see what nature has provided us and how we can attain that perfect synergistic outcome.
Many companies over the past few years have introduced “newer” curcumin formulations claiming better bioavailability but that does not translate into clinical efficacy. These extracts that claim between 29 to 185 times better absorption are testing metabolites, like glucuronides, which have now been shown not to have any anti-inflammatory properties. Thus this information about what is better absorbed can be misleading. In addition, test tubes and cell cultures are the starting point, but human data is the gold standard. With the Curcumin C3 Complex in Bosmeric-SR there are 80-plus human clinical studies in comparison to all the other competitors combined which would be about 25 human studies total. Some companies actually have only white papers written and claim they are studies. Some of the competitors who claim to have a large number of studies are actually funded by the companies who own the ingredients. I choose to follow the studies that are independently financed and are non-biased to begin with. Just recently an independent study was published on the various curcumin extracts from Curcumin C3 Complex to other major suppliers of standardized extracts and it was found that Curcumin C3 Complex demonstrated the best physiological anti-inflammatory activity. The same goes for the other ingredients in Bosmeric-SR with regards to Boswellin PS compared to standardized boswellia extracts, ginger extract (at 20 percent gingerols) to ginger extracts at lesser potencies and Bioperine compared to generic black pepper extracts.
Another key importance of Bosmeric-SR is the bi-layered caplet. Not only is it easier to swallow than tablets, the bi-layering prohibits the ginger (or any ingredients that has enzymatic properties such as bromelain, papain, nattokinase, or even fermented ginger) from degrading the other ingredients. This is what happens when those ingredients are placed into capsules—the enzymatic activity degrades the turmeric or curcumin, boswellia, etc. Therefore with Bosmeric-SR it is guaranteed the potency of what is on the bottle in each caplet every time you take it unlike what others may provide in capsules.
So when one investigates dietary supplement efficacy, it is not just the amounts of patented ingredients, but the source of ingredients, delivery system and actual human clinical data that makes the difference. Most health care providers have not been educated to understand these critical differences as they are taught from nutritional marketing and sales reps (as with the pharmaceutical industry). My book is a wealth of knowledge for both the health provider and the consumer. My philosophy is that although it takes more effort and time to educate each person one at a time, once they truly learn the differences, they will never go back to the other products.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: An Inflammation Nation is a book that every practitioner should read and recommend to their patients. Although it is very comprehensive, the reader can follow each step at one’s own pace. Almost every scientific component directed towards health care providers will have an example that even the consumer can easily understand. Since the book has over 700 references and scientific data sites, I incorporate musical quotes within each chapter to evoke thoughts, emotions, and creative ideas to keep the reader from getting bogged down with minutia and enjoy moments of levity. The book is written in the same open, honest yet incredibly friendly and sometimes witty dialogue I use in-person. It’s time to finally prevent or reverse disease—rather than simply managing it.