Business.com
Finance
Human Resources
Marketing
Technology
How to Create an Actionable Annual Plan for Your Business in 2018
By Brian Lim
Business.com / Strategy / Last Modified: December 27, 2017
Share this
In this article, I provide actionable tips for how to build an annual business plan for 2018. I'll teach you how to reflect on the past year, complete a SWOT analysis, set KPIs for next year and create outlook sheets.
Do you have a plan for your business in 2018 – something beyond "do better"? If you don't, then you have a new assignment before Jan. 1, because a business without a plan is a business in free fall. Benjamin Franklin said it best: "Failing to plan is planning to fail."
Don't set your business up for failure in the new year. Instead, take the last few weeks of the year to write out an annual plan that will prepare your business for a successful 2018. You can get it done in just a few steps if you get your entire company on board.
1. Reflect on 2017.
Before you start your annual plan, the first thing you have to do is reflect on what happened this year. You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been. It's what you learn from 2017 that will have the greatest impact on 2018. So, how do you go about this in a clear and logical fashion?
Start with your current year targets and actuals. Did you exceed or fall short of your targets? If you fell short, by how far did you miss your targets in 2017? If you performed better than anticipated, which targets did you exceed throughout the year?
These are a few other questions you should be able to answer:
What did we accomplish this year?
What didn't go as planned?
What lessons did we learn this year?
By answering these basic questions, you can get an overview of where your company is by the end of the year. But from there, you need to get more specific.
The next part of your company reflection should focus on each of your departments: marketing, finance, sales, HR, etc. Ask each department head to give you a list of what activities, targets and initiatives they want to start, stop or keep. There should be at least three answers per category that you can then evaluate to see what is working well, what is failing, and where the department sees opportunities for future success.
Editor's note: Looking for a business plan service? We can help you choose the one that's right for you. Use the questionnaire below to have our sister site, BuyerZone, provide you with information from a variety of vendors for free:
What are you interested in?
Note: If you're looking for a business plan template, we will redirect you to our partner, LivePlan.
Business plan template
Business plan services
NEXT ▷
2. Complete a SWOT analysis.
Once you have an overview of your business, the next step is to complete a SWOT analysis, which looks at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In a business context, this is a valuable tool for uncovering opportunities you can exploit and weaknesses you can eliminate. It's a fairly simple analysis that can have a big impact.
To get started, there are a few questions you should ask yourself:
Strengths
What do you do well?
What are your unique skills?
What experience do you have?
Weaknesses
Where do you need to improve?
What resources do you lack?
What costs you time and/or money?
Opportunities
How can you do more for your existing customers?
How can you use technology to enhance your business?
Are there new target audiences to reach?
Threats
What obstacles do you face?
What's going on in your industry?
What are your competitors doing that you aren't?
3. Set your 2018 KPIs.
Now that you know where your business is in 2017, it's time to start planning for 2018. The place to start is with your KPIs. You'll want to set basic targets for KPIs like your revenue and number of team members.
The key to setting actionable KPIs is to look at both your short-term and long-term targets. Break down your annual plan into Q1 goals. For example, at INTO THE AM, we use OKRs (objective key results), but any type of SMART goal works well.
To put this into perspective, let's say your long-term marketing KPI is 2,500 MKLs (marketing qualified leads) monthly. From there, you’ll want to go back and determine your short-term goals based on last year's numbers. Let's say you currently generate 1,500 MQLs a month, and you have 12 months to reach your target, which means you need to generate an additional 83 MQLs a month to hit your goal. In Q1, that means you need to gain 250 MQLs.
Finally, you need to define your north star metric. This is the KPI that rules them all. It's your main theme for 2018 and what you'll use to define your business and its success throughout the year.
4. Create outlook sheets.
Next, you'll want to update or create outlook sheets for your business. These create the trajectory for your business over the short and long term and ensure that everyone in your company is on the same page.
First, you'll want overall company outlook sheets – typically no more than one page each – that define your three-year and one-year plans.
Next, ask each department to create an outlook sheet that outlines and defines their initiatives for the year. It should be based on the company's overall goals and objectives.
Finally, gather your executive team together to approve all annual outlook sheets. This is to ensure that everyone is on the same page and each department is prepared to support the others.
For outlook sheets to work, you need to ensure that nothing goes live without buy-in from multiple departments. This ensures that your company has a cohesive plan and everyone is working toward a common goal.
Conclusion
For your annual plan to be successful, you'll want to overcommunicate your plan (particularly your Q1 goals) over the next few weeks and months. It's imperative that the entire company knows the plan after it's been set so everyone can execute it daily. This will help all of your employees understand how their work adds value to the company's overall mission.
Brian Lim
https://www.intotheam.com/
We collectively gross over $20M per year. I started out with $100 selling out of the trunk of my car, and was able to grow that into a 50+ person company. I was on season 6 of ABC’s Shark Tank where I received offers from all five sharks. On the show, Robert Herjavec said I was “one of, if not the best entrepreneur we’ve had here”. I took a deal from Mark Cuban for $650,000 in exchange for 5% equity in the company, and a licensing deal from Daymond John for 20% of profits. I have been featured on notable publications including Business Insider, CNN, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, CNBC, Elite Daily, BBC, Entertainment Weekly, CBS, Inc, Vice, Huffington Post, and many more. My companies have also been featured in the annual “Inc 5000” list for the past four years in a row.
How Does Your Business Stack Up? Get a Free Business Report Card!
Get My Report Card
Related Articles
See All Strategy Articles
7 Smart Tips for Evaluating Your Outsourcing Partner
6 Unexpected Lessons From Scaling Marketplaces
Unmasking Digital Transformation: 6 B2B Drivers for 2018
More Related Articles
Related Advice
See All Strategy Advice
I have a billion dollar idea, but no money. What are my funding options?
10 answers
Do investors prefer a simplified or detailed business plan?
12 answers
How can our business find legitimate sources for expansion capital?
10 answers
More Related Advice
Resources
Expert Advice
Expert Search
Community
Contribute Content
Latest Content
Our Company
About Purch
Contact
Careers
Press
Advertise With Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Copyright Policy
Our Brands
Top Ten Reviews
Tom's Guide
Laptop Mag
Tom's Hardware
Business News Daily
Space.com
Live Science
Active Junky
Shop Savvy
Join the Mailing List
Get our weekly newsletter and stay up-to-date on all things Small Business.
©2017 Purch
All Rights Reserved.
This site is made available for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information about business practices and strategy, not to provide specific business advice. Information provided on the Business.com website should not be used as a substitute for legal, accounting, real estate, business, tax, or other types of professional advice.
Thursday, 28 December 2017
Hernaes.com/Christoffer O. Hernæs: Top topics of 2017
hernaes.com
Innovation – Finance – Technology
Top topics of 2017
December 28, 2017 0 Comments
2017 have been an eventful year in the world of technology, digital transformation, and fintech. As we are approaching the end of the year, these have been the top ten topics of the year on my blog according to post popularity.
1. Bitcoin is useless. As the world is in the middle of a bitcoin fever, the success of bitcoin as a speculative object renders bitcoin useful as its original purpose, a decentralized electronic coin that could replace today’s money transfers controlled by the financial system. It is close to impossible to predict the future of bitcoin but a plausible scenario is that bitcoin will go down in history as the Myspace of cryptocurrencies. Read more here.
2. What is the value of a fintech company? Fintech valuations are often cumbersome. Market trends show that deal volume has declined some, but remain at a relatively high plateau in terms of the number of deals. Late stage valuations have experienced a drop and remain low as the sector matures. Despite this, early stage (early venture, seed and angel investments) valuations are steadily increasing. For potential investors, there are a couple of obvious pitfalls to avoid. What are the value object(s) of the company at hand and how sound are the assumptions that make up the business case? In the complex environment surrounded by hype and fear of missing out, how should entrepreneurs and potential investors go about to determine the value of a fintech company? Read more here.
3. Why Amazon is the most likely western tech giant to fully enter finance. Competition from the technology sector is the recurring theme in the financial industry, and of the four horsemen of tech (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) most attention have been devoted to Apple and Google ever since the announcement of Google Wallet back in 2011. Even though Google, Apple and Facebook are more visible in the payments space, Amazon differs from these players by relying on a low-margin business model with the already proven ability to deliver payment services, affordable loans for SMEs and current accounts for both businesses and consumers. Read more here.
4. Skandiabanken (now Sbanken) taking the next step. Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level. A shameless clickbait posted prior to our capital markets day. The presentation and material can be found here.
5. Open banking: A playbook for banks and fintechs. It has been impossible to miss the discussions surrounding open banking in 2017. After looking into the subject, it is becoming clear that it is time to stop talking about it and start implementing. There is no one size fits all open banking strategy. Rather, there are several tactical moves that are being played about by a variety of both banks and fintechs. I will attempt to describe some of the widely applied moves, as well as give some examples of the type of players that are conducting these moves. Read more here.
6. The promise of machine learning in anti-money laundering. One of the biggest hurdles for banks is the never-ending growth in complexity and regulations in the compliance department. This is one of the areas in banking where Artificial Intelligence (AI) shows vast promise. I have already covered this topic in a previous post, but as both the technology as well as my own understanding of the field advance, it was time for an update. Read more here.
7. The next generation of robo-advisors. Robo-advisory is a hot topic, and the use of machine learning to democratize wealth creation is an area I am heavily involved in by planning a launch of Sbankens robo-advisory service early 2018 as well as chairing the board at Quantfolio. My friend Thomas Brand shares many of my thoughts on the field and has written an excellent piece as a guest blog post that can be found here.
8. What does PSD2 mean for online merchants? The coming payment service directive from the European Commission marks a shift in banking regulations. Instead of prohibitions and limitations, the overall purpose of PSD2 is to create an even playing field and encourage innovation in the payment space as a part of SEPA (Single Euro Payment Area). Although all the technical details is yet to be sorted out, the directive states that banks need to offer payment APIs to third party-providers of financial services, also known as TPPs (Third Party Provider) under the XS2A (Access to account) rule. The players on this field include banks, fintechs, the PCI (Payment Card Industry) and merchants. I have explained the basics of the directive in this post. While banks are at risk of losing up to 43 percent of retail payment revenues by 2020, the directive represents several opportunities for online merchants. Read more here.
9. Fintech and the disruption of banks – Where are we now? Payments. Payments is still the biggest and most mature field within fintech. Changing consumer behavior, eCommerce, smartphone adoption, digital currencies and PSD2 are just some of the trends that are making payments ripe for disruption. This used to be a field of opportunities for promising startups, and has given us successes such as Klarna, iZettle, Square and Venmo. Now this field is gearing up for a clash of the titans, where fintech challengers like Klarna and Transferwise face off with tech behemoths like Facebook, Apple, Google, converging industry players from the telco and retail industry, incumbents from the payment industry such as Paypal, Visa and Mastercard, the banks and Alipay as the dark horse in this battle royale for the future of payments. Read more here.
10. Digitaliseringens syv dødssynder. The last post on my list was co-authored with Silvija Seres and was originally published at Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). Read the post here.
Thanks for all the great feedback and recognition throughout the year, and to be recognized as one of three best practice examples of how top executives should be visible on social media thanks to my blog. Make sure to hit subscribe to get the latest updates as 2018 should be an even more exciting year.
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)14Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)14Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
A summary of the first half of 2016June 27, 2016Similar post
Brace yourselves for the next wave of fintechSeptember 21, 2016In "Fintech"
Bitcoin is dead - long live bitcoinDecember 15, 2016In "Bitcoin"
← Fintech – hype or reality?
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment
Name *
Email *
Website
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Recent Posts
Top topics of 2017
Fintech – hype or reality?
Bitcoin is useless
How to reinvent your core business
Finansbransjens digitale revolusjon har så vidt begynt
Tags
API Artificial Intelligence Banking Bitcoin Blockchain Brexit Business model Compliance Convergence Crowdfunding Digital Digital Ecosystems Digitalization Disruption ecommerce Education Facebook Financial Inclusion Financial Services Fintech Game Development Gaming Google Innovasjon Innovation Insurance Investments IoT Leadership Lending Nintendo Nordics Norway Open banking P2P Lending Payments Politics PSD 2 Sharing economy Startups Tech Transactions Valuation Venture Capital Wealth management
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Join 3,867 other subscribers
Email Address
This is the personal blog of Christoffer O. Hernæs. Passionate about innovation and digital disruption. Currently focusing on digital transformation of financial services and fintech.
Archives
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
Copyright © 2017 hernaes.com. All rights reserved.
Theme: ColorMag by ThemeGrill. Powered by WordPress.
Innovation – Finance – Technology
Top topics of 2017
December 28, 2017 0 Comments
2017 have been an eventful year in the world of technology, digital transformation, and fintech. As we are approaching the end of the year, these have been the top ten topics of the year on my blog according to post popularity.
1. Bitcoin is useless. As the world is in the middle of a bitcoin fever, the success of bitcoin as a speculative object renders bitcoin useful as its original purpose, a decentralized electronic coin that could replace today’s money transfers controlled by the financial system. It is close to impossible to predict the future of bitcoin but a plausible scenario is that bitcoin will go down in history as the Myspace of cryptocurrencies. Read more here.
2. What is the value of a fintech company? Fintech valuations are often cumbersome. Market trends show that deal volume has declined some, but remain at a relatively high plateau in terms of the number of deals. Late stage valuations have experienced a drop and remain low as the sector matures. Despite this, early stage (early venture, seed and angel investments) valuations are steadily increasing. For potential investors, there are a couple of obvious pitfalls to avoid. What are the value object(s) of the company at hand and how sound are the assumptions that make up the business case? In the complex environment surrounded by hype and fear of missing out, how should entrepreneurs and potential investors go about to determine the value of a fintech company? Read more here.
3. Why Amazon is the most likely western tech giant to fully enter finance. Competition from the technology sector is the recurring theme in the financial industry, and of the four horsemen of tech (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) most attention have been devoted to Apple and Google ever since the announcement of Google Wallet back in 2011. Even though Google, Apple and Facebook are more visible in the payments space, Amazon differs from these players by relying on a low-margin business model with the already proven ability to deliver payment services, affordable loans for SMEs and current accounts for both businesses and consumers. Read more here.
4. Skandiabanken (now Sbanken) taking the next step. Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level. A shameless clickbait posted prior to our capital markets day. The presentation and material can be found here.
5. Open banking: A playbook for banks and fintechs. It has been impossible to miss the discussions surrounding open banking in 2017. After looking into the subject, it is becoming clear that it is time to stop talking about it and start implementing. There is no one size fits all open banking strategy. Rather, there are several tactical moves that are being played about by a variety of both banks and fintechs. I will attempt to describe some of the widely applied moves, as well as give some examples of the type of players that are conducting these moves. Read more here.
6. The promise of machine learning in anti-money laundering. One of the biggest hurdles for banks is the never-ending growth in complexity and regulations in the compliance department. This is one of the areas in banking where Artificial Intelligence (AI) shows vast promise. I have already covered this topic in a previous post, but as both the technology as well as my own understanding of the field advance, it was time for an update. Read more here.
7. The next generation of robo-advisors. Robo-advisory is a hot topic, and the use of machine learning to democratize wealth creation is an area I am heavily involved in by planning a launch of Sbankens robo-advisory service early 2018 as well as chairing the board at Quantfolio. My friend Thomas Brand shares many of my thoughts on the field and has written an excellent piece as a guest blog post that can be found here.
8. What does PSD2 mean for online merchants? The coming payment service directive from the European Commission marks a shift in banking regulations. Instead of prohibitions and limitations, the overall purpose of PSD2 is to create an even playing field and encourage innovation in the payment space as a part of SEPA (Single Euro Payment Area). Although all the technical details is yet to be sorted out, the directive states that banks need to offer payment APIs to third party-providers of financial services, also known as TPPs (Third Party Provider) under the XS2A (Access to account) rule. The players on this field include banks, fintechs, the PCI (Payment Card Industry) and merchants. I have explained the basics of the directive in this post. While banks are at risk of losing up to 43 percent of retail payment revenues by 2020, the directive represents several opportunities for online merchants. Read more here.
9. Fintech and the disruption of banks – Where are we now? Payments. Payments is still the biggest and most mature field within fintech. Changing consumer behavior, eCommerce, smartphone adoption, digital currencies and PSD2 are just some of the trends that are making payments ripe for disruption. This used to be a field of opportunities for promising startups, and has given us successes such as Klarna, iZettle, Square and Venmo. Now this field is gearing up for a clash of the titans, where fintech challengers like Klarna and Transferwise face off with tech behemoths like Facebook, Apple, Google, converging industry players from the telco and retail industry, incumbents from the payment industry such as Paypal, Visa and Mastercard, the banks and Alipay as the dark horse in this battle royale for the future of payments. Read more here.
10. Digitaliseringens syv dødssynder. The last post on my list was co-authored with Silvija Seres and was originally published at Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). Read the post here.
Thanks for all the great feedback and recognition throughout the year, and to be recognized as one of three best practice examples of how top executives should be visible on social media thanks to my blog. Make sure to hit subscribe to get the latest updates as 2018 should be an even more exciting year.
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)14Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)14Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
A summary of the first half of 2016June 27, 2016Similar post
Brace yourselves for the next wave of fintechSeptember 21, 2016In "Fintech"
Bitcoin is dead - long live bitcoinDecember 15, 2016In "Bitcoin"
← Fintech – hype or reality?
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment
Name *
Email *
Website
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Recent Posts
Top topics of 2017
Fintech – hype or reality?
Bitcoin is useless
How to reinvent your core business
Finansbransjens digitale revolusjon har så vidt begynt
Tags
API Artificial Intelligence Banking Bitcoin Blockchain Brexit Business model Compliance Convergence Crowdfunding Digital Digital Ecosystems Digitalization Disruption ecommerce Education Facebook Financial Inclusion Financial Services Fintech Game Development Gaming Google Innovasjon Innovation Insurance Investments IoT Leadership Lending Nintendo Nordics Norway Open banking P2P Lending Payments Politics PSD 2 Sharing economy Startups Tech Transactions Valuation Venture Capital Wealth management
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Join 3,867 other subscribers
Email Address
This is the personal blog of Christoffer O. Hernæs. Passionate about innovation and digital disruption. Currently focusing on digital transformation of financial services and fintech.
Archives
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
Copyright © 2017 hernaes.com. All rights reserved.
Theme: ColorMag by ThemeGrill. Powered by WordPress.
ICIJ: The Struggle Against Offshore Secrecy; More Than $500m Recovered Worldwide
DONATE TO ICIJ
The Long Twilight Struggle Against Offshore Secrecy
Dear Reader,
Here we are, the final email from ICIJ for the year – and what a year it has been!
We also calculated how much money tax authorities across the world have recouped since we published the Panama Papers in April last year - more than $500 million (and counting!)
And in true holiday spirit, we have insight into what our team members (though maybe not me!) are doing this holiday season.
Finally, I’d like to thank you all for your support. Our weekly emails have received amazing reactions from most of you – emails of gratitude and tips about what we should cover next!
It’s also the last chance for you to support ICIJ financially before the end of the year. We want to raise $100,000, and News Match is still matching gifts until Dec. 31, so now’s the perfect time to donate. If you want to make a donation there are so many ways. You can use Facebook, Paypal, online payments, you can mail us a check and you even can get yourself Snax Haven sticker! And if your employer matches donations, don't forget to ask for that match.
Until next time! (And next year!)
Amy Wilson-Chapman
ICIJ’s Community Engagement Editor
P.S. You can view this email as a webpage if you\'d prefer.
| LATEST NEWS
The Long Twilight Struggle Against Offshore Secrecy
A new mass data leak, this time from an elite law firm with elite clients, shows how deeply offshoring is embedded in the global financial system.
Panama Papers Helps Recover More Than $500 million
Tax authorities worldwide have recouped millions of dollars since the Panama Papers were first published in April 2016.
Questions Remain Over Ross’ Disclosure As He Confirms Divestment
The U.S. Commerce Secretary has sold his stake in a shipping firm with Russian ties, but did he disclose enough information prior to his appointment?
What ICIJ Is Reading (Or Watching) This Holiday Season
Being an investigative journalist isn’t all secret meetings in carparks and hanging out in dark bars in the middle of the night. So how does our team chill out?
| IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Nevis an offshore haven of opportunity
Paradise Papers data reveal Nevis attracts businesses that may want to shelter assets from judgments.
Questions Over Glencore’s $440m Congo Discount
New research looks at how commodities giant Glencore won $440m in discounts in Congo.
Four Caribbean Tax Havens Added To Leaks Database
Data on more than 680,000 entities in 55 secrecy jurisdictions can now be searched and downloaded.
Want To Support Us? Giving To ICIJ Just Got Easier
Create a fundraiser for ICIJ to highlight the importance of our work – and support our next investigation.
A trip to Bermuda draws an odd call from the government
ICIJ’s reporter wanted to learn more about the island, but when he returned home he got an odd call.
New EU ‘blacklist’ omits major tax havens
EU member states voted on a list of tax havens that includes Barbados and Panama.
The End Of Elusion For PokerStars
An online gambling firm used the offshore world to cater to U.S. players until a legal crackdown.
Belgian Authorities Raid Bank Linked To Offshore Companies
Belgian police raided the Brussels offices of the bank Belfius as part of a probe into tax avoidance.
What Is Your University Doing In The Paradise Papers?
We're looking for journalists to answer this question - and more - for our latest project Alma Mater.
Blackstone Group's Tactics To Slash Its Tax Bill
Read the documents that reveal the "fairly aggressive" tactics used by Blackstone to slash its tax bill.
Swedish Business Chairman Resigns Amid Paradise Papers
Bronfman’s Offshore Links Lasted Longer Than He Said
READ MORE NEWS
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE ICIJ
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists | 910 17th Street NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20006
Dr. Mercola: 5 Ways To Be Happy and Healthy
Mercola.com
Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695
Tweet
5 Ways To Be Happy and Healthy
December 28, 2017 • 3,517 views Disponible en Español
Previous
Next
ways to be happy and healthy
Story at-a-glance
When you are consistently in a happy frame of mind, you are more likely to adopt beneficial habits associated with optimal health, such as eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping better and managing stress
More than 200 scientific studies have associated happiness with a reduced risk of heart disease, while at least 160 studies have linked happiness to increased longevity
Research suggests you may feel happier and less stressed if you simply smile more, even when you are not in the mood
By Dr. Mercola
If I were limited to only one area of my life in which I could aspire to be happy, undoubtedly I would choose my health. In my experience, having a sense of health and well-being opens the door to contentment, purposeful living and pleasure. In contrast, the absence of health can be limiting and sometimes downright depressing. It's easy to regard happiness as something that happens to you, but I believe being happy is a choice, a state of mind you must actively seek.
When you are consistently in a happy frame of mind, you are more likely to eat well, exercise regularly, get better sleep and manage stress more effectively. All of those activities are beneficial habits associated with optimal health. It's well known that happiness and good health are closely linked. In fact, scientific research has shown happiness positively affects your heart health, immune system, stress levels, disease rates and longevity.
Being Happy Protects Your Heart
A 2012 analysis1 by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), suggests positive mood may reduce your risk of heart attacks, strokes and other heart-related events. After reviewing more than 200 previous studies published in two major scientific databases, the authors found happiness, life satisfaction and optimism were associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Said study author Julia Boehm, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of society, human development and health at HSPH:2 "The most optimistic people had an approximately 50 percent reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to their less-optimistic peers. From the research, it also appears these positive factors slow the progression of disease."
Notably, the favorable association between happiness and heart health remained true regardless of factors such as age, body weight, smoking and socioeconomic status. Boehm and her team observed optimistic people seem more motivated to treat their bodies better than those with a negative disposition, which may impact heart health. Boehm notes:3
"We found if you have a positive disposition you're more likely to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep at night. This can have positive biological effects in terms of inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure and lipids. Engaging in healthier behaviors can lead to healthier bodily functions."
Emotional Vitality Is a Great Health Resource
The featured analysis echoes previous long-term research.4 A 2007 HSPH study involving 6,025 men and women aged 25 to 74, followed over a mean period of 15 years, concluded emotional vitality influences the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Researchers characterized emotional vitality as a sense of positive energy, the ability to effectively regulate emotion and behavior, and positive well-being, which includes feeling engaged and interested in life. About the research outcomes, study author Laura Kubzansky, Ph.D., HSPH professor of social and behavioral sciences, said:5
"Findings suggest individuals with higher levels of emotional vitality had reduced risk of developing CHD. … [O]ne mechanism underlying this relationship may be health behaviors.Greater emotional vitality was significantly associated with less smoking, moderated alcohol consumption and more physical activity."
Being Happy Strengthens Your Immune System
While evidence from scientific studies suggests your mental state can influence your overall health, it has proven difficult to explain how subjective moods affect your body on a molecular level, especially your nervous and immune systems. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is the field tasked with searching for these explanations.
Under the umbrella of PNI, a small body of research led by Steven Cole, professor of medicine, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine, has linked happiness to the function of your immune cells."There's an intrinsic connection between our experience of life and the molecular function of our bodies," says Cole.6
According to Cole, the balance of your immune system's two primary functions — fighting viral infection and fighting bacterial infection through inflammatory response — is changeable based on your life experiences. His earlier work suggested negative experiences such as being diagnosed with cancer or depression result in increased activity of inflammation genes in your immune cells.7,8
"Over the past 15 years, we have found diverse social and psychological experiences that cause a sense of threat or uncertainty can evoke a similar response in our immune cells. We're now beginning to ask how positive life circumstances might potentially counteract those negative-threat effects at the molecular level."
Emotional States Influence Genetic Expression
Cole partnered with researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, to examine the notion of happiness in biological terms.9 The team asked 80 healthy adults 14 questions about their well-being. Questions ranged from how happy participants felt to how often they felt their life had meaning, and were designed to distinguish between two forms of happiness recognized by psychologists:10
Hedonic well-being (happiness characterized by emotions related to material and bodily pleasures)
Eudaimonic well-being (deeper satisfaction resulting from involvement in activities with a greater meaning or purpose, such as charity work, intellectual pursuits or social relationships)
After analyzing the questionnaires to assess each participant's level of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, Cole's team took blood samples to study the functioning of each contributor's immune cells. The bloodwork was necessary because although both types of well-being are positive emotional states associated with happiness, the gene expression they produce is different.
Interestingly, participants whose sense of happiness was rooted in eudaimonic well-being were found to have favorable gene-expression profiles, meaning their immune cells showed higher levels of antiviral response and lower levels of inflammatory response. In contrast, individuals reflecting more hedonic well-being produced gene profiles similar to people undergoing stress due to adversity.
Meditation and Mind-Body Modalities Can Pay Off in Health Dividends
In terms of follow-up research, Cole hopes to figure out how to evoke a more eudaimonic-linked profile in the immune system. For now, he believes mind-body practices like meditation can help. After all, such practices "have been shown to cultivate positive and happy immune cells," states Cole.11
Research specifically indicates meditation, prayer and yoga, particularly in the context of long-term practice, have many beneficial effects on your health, including your immune system. Researchers suggest the relaxation response realized through these activities results in:12 "… enhanced expression of genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance, and reduced expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways."
Being Happy Combats Stress
Although conventional wisdom maintains smiling is an effect of being happy, it may in fact be the other way around. Research suggests if you "put on a happy face" you indeed may feel happier and less stressed. A 2012 study13 conducted at the University of Kansas affirms smiling as a stress reducer regardless of your actual mood.
For the experiment, 170 college students were trained to hold chopsticks in their mouths while maintaining one of three different facial expressions: neutral, standard smile and Duchenne (more emphatic) smile. According to researchers, the chopsticks were used to force participants to smile without them being aware they were doing so, and only half of the group members were actually told to smile.
Next, the students completed stress-inducing tasks during which they self-reported their stress levels and researchers measured their heart rates. Based on heart rate being an indicator of your body's response to stress, the results seem to reflect smiling can reduce your stress levels regardless of your mood. The main outcomes from the study were two-fold:14
Participants who were instructed to smile, and especially those bearing bigger Duchenne smiles, maintained lower heart rates as compared to the neutral-expression group
Participants who had not been explicitly told to smile, but were forced into a smiling expression because of the chopsticks, also had lower heart rates than the neutral-expression group, but to a smaller degree
Study co-author Sarah Pressman, who currently is an associate professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, Irvine, said:15 "The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment. Not only will it help you 'grin and bear it' psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well."
Joyful Activities Are an Important Part of Self-Care
You may have already realized many of the aspects of your life that create happy feelings are also very likely to be stress relievers. Activities such as being creative, enjoying your work, exercising, investing in a hobby and relating to friends serve a dual purpose for generating happiness and relieving stress. According to VeryWell.com, incorporating life-affirming activities into your lifestyle to balance potential stressors is an important aspect of caring for yourself:16
"When you're overwhelmed with stress, often just relieving the imminent pressures is foremost on your mind; however, following a stress-relief program that also incorporates activities known to increase overall happiness can give you short-term stress relief and the lasting gains of a happy life. And when you incorporate into your life a general state of happiness, and make habit the lifestyle features that promote it, you'll be better able to weather future stress in your life."
Being Happy Minimizes Pain, Illness and Disease
Because your emotions are a form of energy, positive emotions seem to contribute to better physical health. According to Dr. Bradley Nelson, holistic chiropractor and author of "The Emotion Code," when you feel an emotion, what you're really sensing is the vibration of a particular energy.17
These "balls of energy," particularly the ones associated with intense emotions, can become lodged just about anywhere in your body, where they tend to cause disruptions in your body's energy system. When left unchecked, the disruptions created by negative emotions may eventually translate into physical issues such as pain, illness and disease. You may not realize your body cannot tell the difference between an actual experience that triggers an emotional response and an emotion fabricated through a thought process alone.
For example, when you worry about something negative that might occur but has not actually happened, your body may not know the difference between mere thoughts and reality, which may trigger your body's stress response. Persistent ruminating and over-focusing on the negative in an emotional sense can open the door to all sorts of health problems.
The converse is true for positive emotions like happiness. If you choose to consistently dwell on the positive and pleasant aspects of life, your mind will elevate in ways that give you a more upbeat outlook. This upbeat outlook, or happiness, can in turn fuel healthy attitudes and habits that will help you combat illness and disease.
Wherever You Are, Be Present
A great technique to help elevate your thoughts is the practice of mindfulness, which is a means of actively paying attention to the moment you're in right now by maintaining an internal rather than external focus. Rather than letting your mind roam free, when you're mindful you're tuned into the present moment inside yourself versus focused on your racing thoughts about external circumstances.
Aside from helping you harness an internal sense of strength to go after what you want in life, including a more positive, happier mental state, mindfulness can also help reduce stress-induced inflammation. Simple techniques such as the following can help you to become more mindful:
Pay focused attention to an aspect of sensory experience, such as the sound of your own breathing
Distinguish between simple thoughts and those colored by emotion (such as "I have a performance review tomorrow," versus "What if I get a bad review and don't get the raise I need?")
Reframe emotional thoughts as simply "mental projections" so your mind can rest
In the video below, Dr. Mike Evans, former staff physician at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital and founder of Reframe Health Lab, speaks to some of the science of happiness, including mindfulness.
Being Happy Lengthens Your Life
While it's long been thought being happy can improve your quality of life, research shows it may increase the quantity of your life too. In 2014, researchers from Princeton University, Stony Brook University and University College London (UCL) studied 9,050 English people to determine if happiness contributes to a longer life span.18
Participants, who were an average age of 65, were asked to respond to a questionnaire designed to measure their eudemonic well-being (the type of happiness related to your sense of purposefulness and meaning about life). Researchers divided respondents into four categories based on their answers, ranking them from highest to lowest well-being.
The study results were adjusted for factors such as age, gender, physical health and socio-economic status to rule out any influences that may negatively affect length of life. Notably, people expressing the greatest sense of well-being were 30 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period, and lived on average two years longer than those reporting the least well-being.
Study leader and professor Andrew Steptoe, head of the research department of behavioral science and health at UCL's Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, suggests the research raises the possibility that higher levels of well-being may indeed be related to improved physical health and longevity:19
"We have previously found happiness is associated with a lower risk of death. These analyses show the meaningfulness and sense of purpose older people have in their lives are also related to survival … [T]he findings raise the intriguing possibility that increasing well-being could help to improve physical health."
Happiness — A Secret Leveraging Agent
A 2011 review20 of more than 160 studies of human and animal subjects, published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, also suggests "happy people tend to live longer and experience better health than their unhappy peers." Lead author Ed Diener, University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology and Gallup senior scientist, shares his perspectives on the research:21
"Happiness is no magic bullet, but the evidence is clear and compelling that it changes your odds of getting disease or dying young. Although there are a handful of studies that find opposite effects, the overwhelming majority of studies support the conclusion that happiness is associated with health and longevity."
With a few exceptions, Diener notes most of the long-term studies his team reviewed discovered variables such as anxiety, depression, a lack of enjoyment of daily activities and pessimism are associated with higher rates of disease and shorter lifespans.
If you struggle with happiness and need more tips and pointers beyond what's been suggested here — such as meditation and mindfulness training — please see the following link to a previous article with a long list of habits known to promote happiness and a joyful state of mind.
+ Sources and References
Most Popular
How to Treat Dysphagia
Syphilis Can Be Dangerous
Squat Exercises
Food Hacks
Post your comment
Show Comments (2)
Previous Article
Next Article
Health
Health Articles
Health Videos
Health Guides
Health Guides
Body Hacks
Common Health Questions
Diseases Directory
E-books
Fitness Plan
Food Facts
Health Blogs
Herbal Oils
Herbs and Spices
Infographics
Nutrition Plan
Recipes
Vitamins and Supplements
About Dr. Mercola
Shop for Health Products
Pets
Fitness
Shop
Contact Us
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Charities and Organizations
Charities and Organizations
Organic Consumers Association
NVIC
Consumers for Dental Choice
Regeneration International
GrassrootsHealth
Fluoride Action Network
Center for Nutrition Advocacy
Cornucopia Institute
Vitamin D Council
Alliance for Natural Health USA
IRT
Caminos de Agua
OCA
American Botanical Council
IFOAM - Organics International
CANWI
MRSA Survivors Network
Rabies Challenge Fund
AHVMF
Mercola.org
FAQ
Sign in
Join
Subscribe to Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Newsletter
Thank you! Your purchases help us support these charities and organizations.
Inside Mercola.com
About Dr. Mercola
Contact Us
Employment Opportunities
En Espanol
Health Articles
Health Videos
Media Inquiries
Mercola Community FAQ
Mercola Social Responsibility
Press Room
Special Reports
Terms & Conditions
Updated Privacy Policy
Special Info Sites
Aspartame
Cancer
Fitness
Fluoride
Fructose/Sugar
GMO
Mercury
Nutritional Typing
Pets
Vaccines
Vitamin D
Shopping
Autoship Program
California Residents
FAQs
GMO-Free Products
Healthy Rewards Program
Low Price Guarantee
Online Product Guide
Online Shopping
Our Service Commitment
Premium Products
Product Badge Glossary
Return Policy
Shipping Policy (Domestic)
Shipping Policy (International)
Store Locator
Wholesale Program
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Mercola Health Resources, LLC BBB Business Review
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
TRUSTe online privacy certification
Click to Verify - This site has chosen a GeoTrust SSL Certificate to improve Web site security
Privacy Policy
Dr. Mercola: Why You Should Try This Sweet-Smelling and Health-Boosting Essential Oil
Why You Should Try This Sweet-Smelling and Health-Boosting Essential Oil
December 28, 2017 • 48,443 views
Previous
View More
Cinnamon Bark Oil
Story at-a-glance
Beyond its wonderful scent and flavor, cinnamon bark oil also offers an array of therapeutic and healing benefits. In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon bark was used as an antiemetic, antidiarrheal, antiflatulant, and a general stimulant
Beyond its wonderful scent and flavor, cinnamon bark oil also offers an array of therapeutic and healing benefits. Here's what you need to know about this essential oil.
What Is Cinnamon Bark Oil?
Cinnamon bark oil is obtained from the bark of trees that belong to the Cinnamomum species (also called Cinnamon zeylanicum), which comprise more than 250 aromatic evergreen trees and shrubs all throughout Asia and Australia, although it is native to Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India.1 Cassia oil, sassafras and Ho leaf oils fall under the same category.
Cinnamon bark oil is quite rare and expensive. From 1983 to 1992, exports from Sri Lanka, which was virtually the only major supplier of cinnamon bark oil, only reached 2.8 tons.2 Western Europe, especially France, is the major importer of cinnamon bark oil, followed by the United States.3
Uses of Cinnamon Bark Oil
Cinnamon bark oil has a delicate aroma and a sweet, pungent taste. It is typically used as a flavoring in toothpaste to hide the disagreeable taste of pyrophosphate, a compound that inhibits plaque calcification. In Ayurvedic medicine, cinnamon bark was used as an antiemetic, antidiarrheal, antiflatulant, and a general stimulant. Today, cinnamon bark oil has been proven to naturally:4
• Lower cholesterol
• Kill bacteria
• Heal wounds
• Control blood sugar levels5
• Relieve stomach flu caused by harmful bacteria like salmonella6
Because of its honeyed taste and smell, cinnamon bark oil is frequently added in meat and fast food seasonings, sauces and pickles, baked goods, confectionery, cola-type beverages, and tobacco. However, cinnamon bark oil is seldom used as a main ingredient in perfumes and soaps because it has skin-sensitizing properties.
Composition of Cinnamon Bark Oil
Cinnamon bark oil has no less than 90 identified compounds and over 50 minute unidentified compounds.7 It contains about 65 to 75 percent cinnamon aldehyde and 4 to 10 percent eugenol compared to cinnamon leaf oil, which contains 70 to 75 percent eugenol and only 3 percent cinnamon aldehyde.8 Unlike cinnamon bark oil, cinnamon leaf oil gives off a warm, spicy and sometimes foul scent, and does not have a smooth consistency.
Usually, the higher the cinnamaldehyde content of the cinnamon bark oil, the higher its price. In the USA, the Essential Oil Association (EOA) standard specifies an aldehyde content of 55 to 78 percent.9 But there is no international standard set for cinnamon bark oil.
Cinnamon bark oil is significantly more expensive than cinnamon leaf oil and probably among all essential oils. In 1992, cinnamon bark oil was sold at $385 per kilogram (35.2 ounces), essentially due to the raw material's high cost. By 1993 and early 1994, it was so costly that dealers in London only quoted prices upon request. In 2017, an essential oil world market report quoted a price of $295 per kilo.10
Benefits of Cinnamon Bark Oil
Most therapeutic uses of cinnamon bark are rooted in its historical use as a traditional Chinese medicine. According to several studies, cinnamon bark oil can potentially help:
• Fight serious viral diseases like herpes11 and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)12
• Kill leukemia cancer cells as observed in animal testing due to the fungus Antrodia cinnamonea13
• Reverse the symptoms of Parkinson's disease14
• Treat fungal infections, including those caused by Candida albicans, Histoplasma capsulatum and Aspergillus niger, which is known to cause serious sinus infections
• Counter cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease,15 a severe form of dementia, which almost 5.54 million Americans are suffering from right now.16 Check out my article on Alzheimer's and discover how you can save yourself from this debilitating condition.
German health authorities approve the use of cinnamon bark oil for treating mild gastrointestinal spasms, stimulating appetite and relieving indigestion based on the positive results seen in animal studies.17
How to Make Infused Cinnamon Bark Oil
Cinnamon bark oil is made through steam distillation. In Sri Lanka, this high-value essential oil is produced by distilling the chips and variable amounts of featherings (pieces of inner bark from twigs and twisted shoots) and quillings (broken fragments of quills). Cinnamon bark oil can only be grown and produced in tropical countries, so the ones sold in the U.S. are mostly imported. This is why it's rather difficult to find in local stores, and may come with a hefty price tag.
A more practical alternative that I would recommend is to create your own essential oil using cinnamon sticks, which is simpler and more pocket-friendly. Here's how:
Infused Cinnamon Bark Oil
What You'll Need:
• Cinnamon sticks
• Wide-mouthed glass jar
• Extra-virgin olive oil
Procedure:
1. Fill the glass jar with cinnamon sticks without leaving any space, if possible.
2. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into the glass jar, soaking the cinnamon sticks completely.
3. Seal the lid tightly.
4. Put in a warm place in your kitchen. Leave it there for three weeks.
5. During the three-week waiting period, shake the jar every day to release the oils from the cinnamon sticks and blend with the carrier oil.
6. After three weeks, your cinnamon oil infusion is ready.
7. Use a cheese cloth to filter out the sticks and other solid particles from your essential oil when transferring in a separate container. Keep at room temperature.
How Does Cinnamon Bark Oil Work?
To relieve stomach upset, a few drops of cinnamon bark oil in a hot cup of water or tea will do the trick. Nevertheless, I strongly suggest consulting your doctor or a natural health practitioner before taking cinnamon bark oil or any essential oil internally.
For aromatherapy applications, put a few drops of cinnamon bark oil in your diffuser along with a few of your favorite essential oils. Cinnamon bark oil blends well with bergamot, cardamom, clove, frankincense, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, marjoram, nutmeg, orange, peppermint, peru balsam, petitgrain, rose, vanilla, coconut oil and ylang-ylang.18
Is Cinnamon Bark Oil Safe?
Cinnamon bark oil has cinnamonaldehyde which, in high amounts and when used improperly on a daily basis, can be toxic to your body.19 In addition, cinnamon bark oil has strong psychological effects, which could possibly cause adverse nervous system reactions. This is why it's highly recommended to blend it with other essential oils during oral, topical, and aromatherapy applications.
Cinnamon bark oil is relatively safe when used in small dosages and blended with mild carrier oils. Do not attempt to use it as an everyday supplement without an expert's advice, especially if you have an existing illness. Pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid using cinnamon bark oil or any form of essential oil as much as possible to avoid negative consequences.
Side Effects of Cinnamon Bark Oil
Cinnamon bark oil causes different reactions in different people, especially sensitive individuals. Here's a list of some of its reported side effects:
Skin sensitization
Dermocaustic effect (burning) on skin
Nausea
Heart palpitations, especially when taken with coffee or black tea
Headache
Hypertension
While cinnamon bark oil provides heaps of health benefits, I highly recommend that you see a natural holistic practitioner before incorporating it into your treatment protocol, to stay on the safe side.
Back to Herbal Oil List
+ Sources and References
Most Popular
Ketogenic Diet
How to Use Activated Charcoal
How to Get Rid of Head Lice
Healthy Body Hacks
Post your comment
Show Comments (2)
Previous Article
View More
Subscribe to Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Newsletter
Thank you! Your purchases help us support these charities and organizations.
Inside Mercola.com
About Dr. Mercola
Contact Us
Employment Opportunities
En Espanol
Health Articles
Health Videos
Media Inquiries
Mercola Community FAQ
Mercola Social Responsibility
Press Room
Special Reports
Terms & Conditions
Updated Privacy Policy
Special Info Sites
Aspartame
Cancer
Fitness
Fluoride
Fructose/Sugar
GMO
Mercury
Nutritional Typing
Pets
Vaccines
Vitamin D
Shopping
Autoship Program
California Residents
FAQs
GMO-Free Products
Healthy Rewards Program
Low Price Guarantee
Online Product Guide
Online Shopping
Our Service Commitment
Premium Products
Product Badge Glossary
Return Policy
Shipping Policy (Domestic)
Shipping Policy (International)
Store Locator
Wholesale Program
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Mercola Health Resources, LLC BBB Business Review
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
TRUSTe online privacy certification
Click to Verify - This site has chosen a GeoTrust SSL Certificate to improve Web site security
Privacy Policy
Mercola.com
Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695
1Save
0
Read Previous
View More
Dr. Mercola: Worst Habit Ever, if You Want to Build Wealth and Be Healthy
Mercola.com
Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695
Tweet
Ghost in the Machine, Part 2 — Success Breeds Greed That Gets in the Way of Ethics, Common Sense and Caution
December 28, 2017 • 13,718 views
Previous
Next
drug advertising
Story at-a-glance
Direct-to-consumer drug advertising has led to wider use of prescription drugs by American adults and children
FDA conflicts of interest result in approvals of increasingly dangerous drugs
Pharma defends high drug prices with high-priced PR campaigns and patient front groups
By Dr. Mercola
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising, which began in 1997, has done a lot more than make Pharma arguably the most profitable industry in the world and a Wall Street success story. It has greatly increased the number of prescription drugs that Americans take. In 1992, five years before DTC advertising began, Americans took an average of seven prescription drugs a year. A mere 15 years later that number had nearly doubled to 12 per year.1,2
To sell drugs, aggressive drug advertising whips up fears over rare diseases like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (introduced at the 2017 Super Bowl) and make a disease out of common, nearly universal conditions to frighten and motivate people into taking prescription drugs.
Another DTC advertising tactic is convincing people to take drugs simply because they might be "at risk" of a condition. Sadly, drug advertising is not the only way Pharma gets dangerous drugs into the nation's medicine chests. Thanks to outrageous conflicts of interest at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — the new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, is a drug company consultant — drugs that would once have not been approved fly through their approvals.
DTC Advertising Does More Harm Than Good
Pharma-funded "patient groups" also create a false sense of demand for an expensive drug. And, last year, the FDA began clearing the way for Pharma "off-label" speech, once illegal.3 Now marketers and drug reps can claim benefits to their drugs not backed by the FDA, raising the question of "why have an FDA?"
Aggressive drug ads telling people to get medication from their doctors are especially unethical in the middle of an opioid epidemic and war on drugs. Moreover, the 21st Century Cures Act, passed in 2016, allocates $1 million to "opioid addiction" treatment drugs to address the opioid crisis Big Pharma created, allowing the industry to profit twice.4
Pharma's marketing of dangerous drugs, often which is often completely unnecessary, does not just harm overmedicated people. Poor people who legitimately need medical care and medication are also neglected because no profits can be made from them.
DTC Advertising Creates Patients
As previously noted, DTC advertising has greatly increased the number of prescription drugs taken in the U.S. A decade and a half after DTC began, the use of prescription medication went up 71 percent, adding $180 billion to U.S. medical spending.5
By 2014, 70 percent of adults and 25 percent of children in the U.S. were on at least one prescription drug.6 Today, 20 percent of Americans are on five or more prescription drugs.7 DTC drug advertising "is now the most prominent type of health communication that the public encounters," reported Pharmacy and Therapeutics, adding:8
"The average American television viewer watches as many as nine drug ads a day, totaling 16 hours per year, which far exceeds the amount of time the average individual spends with a primary care physician."
Pharma is legally required to include risk information about drugs in its ads, but the info seldom scares patients away. Everything from actors who use an appealing voice tone, to beautiful images and music choices is designed to make you tune out the risks.
DTC Ads Are Highly Effective
DTC ads are so effective, the average number of prescriptions for advertised drugs is nine times greater than prescriptions for non-DTC advertised products.9
DTC ads have put tremendous pressure on doctors who are aware that denying a prescription request can decrease patient satisfaction and cause patients to switch doctors. "Refusal skills" have even been taught to doctors, says an article at the Center for Health Journalism:10
"Writing a prescription may seem quicker but 'explaining to a patient why a highly-advertised drug might not be appropriate only takes three minutes,' said [Dr.] Richard Pinckney, professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine where such a program existed.
'The insurance savings could pay for programs like these,' he said. The Vermont project included 'secret shoppers' who asked doctors for an expensive brand name drug they had seen on TV after the refusal training.
'Doctors have a hard time saying no if a drug is effective, even if it is expensive,' said [Dr.] Audiey Kao, vice president of ethics at the American Medical Association at a 2010 conference. Doctors are 'nervous' that rebuffed patients will go elsewhere, agreed Dr. Pinckney."
Highlighting Symptoms Sells Pills
Once upon a time, a medical professional sought to reassure patients and tell them they were not sick. Who remembers, "Take two aspirins and call me in the morning?" Today, thanks to DTC advertising, patients receive the exact opposite message: You probably are sick and should see your doctor.
Normal conditions like sad moods or indigestion are now said to signify potentially serious conditions, and when someone has no symptoms at all they could still be "at risk" of silent killer diseases, say DTC ads. Some DTC ads even tell you what to tell your doctor when you visit him or her and provide coupons to provide a discount for the drug being promoted.
This type of advertising is called "disease awareness" and Pharma says it is "educational" since it acquaints people with conditions and symptoms they may not know about. The truth is it increases hypochondria, self-diagnosis and the pool of patients who might use a new, advertised drug.
Sometimes disease awareness ads are "unbranded," meaning they do not even mention the drug they are selling. This leads people to believe they are hearing public service messages from a government agency instead of calculated Pharma messages to make people think they are sick.
One example of a disease "grown" by DTC advertising is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you have heartburn, acid reflux, GERD, peptic ulcer disease or any acid-related condition, chances are you've been offered a prescription for a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like the best-selling Prilosec.
Contrary to Pharma marketing, PPIs actually cause the very symptoms they're intended to prevent by creating "rebound acid hypersecretion" when you stop taking them; built-up acid can be unleashed with a vengeance. In one study, more than 40 percent of healthy volunteers experienced heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia (pain and fullness in your abdomen) in the weeks after stopping PPIs; these were symptoms they did not have before.
Other Diseases Grown by DTC Advertising
One of the clearest examples of how DTC advertising "grows" the amount of people identifying with a condition has been the statin drug class, prescribed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
Until it went off patent, Pfizer's Lipitor was the best-selling drug in the world.11 The popularity of statins reflects Americans' and medical practitioners' impulse to treat a condition quickly with a pill rather than more slowly but more effectively with lifestyle changes. Needless to say, Pharma makes no money on better lifestyle choices. Here is how AlterNet described the success of statins.12
"Patients loved statins because they could ignore diet and exercise advice and still, apparently, reduce heart attack risks; their body would 'forgive' the bacon cheeseburger. But not all medical voices agreed. Some wondered why the nation spent approximately $20 billion a year on cholesterol-lowering drugs instead of effective, less dangerous and less expensive lifestyle and diet changes."
Another example of an overexposed condition is erectile dysfunction (ED). According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 12 percent of men younger than 60 and 30 percent older than 70 suffer from ED. However, the market for the top three ED drugs is over $1 billion annually and expected to reach $3.2 billion by 2022. This means many men are treating a condition that may be well within the range of normal.
The same overdiagnosis and overtreatment can be seen with low testosterone or "low T." Rather than making diet and exercise changes, men are erroneously told they need to treat their testosterone decline with drugs.
Pills for Rare Diseases Are Pharma's Biggest Profit Center
If you have noticed aggressive DTC advertising for drugs that treat rare diseases, you are right. Approximately 1.2 percent of Americans (3.2 million) have schizophrenia, yet drugs that treat the condition have been among Pharma's bestsellers.13 Specialized, highly expensive drugs that treat rare mental disorders, cancers, autoimmune diseases and other specialized ailments "have been growing in leaps and bounds in recent years," says the financial site Motley Fool:14
"[That] means that volume may not necessarily be driving sales of these therapies higher so much as price hikes. A good example would be Amgen's … anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel, which grew revenue by 14 [percent] in 2016, but actually had units sold of the drug fall by 6 [percent] year-over-year. This means price increases drove its 14 [percent] total growth."
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which also afflicts a small number of people, is very aggressively advertised because of the high price tags of the drugs that treat it. As I have often warned, rheumatoid arthritis drugs are among the most dangerous drugs available. Humira, Remicade and similar drugs double your chances of getting a serious infection and triple your risk of some cancers. They also fail miserably in not addressing the underlying foundational reasons why the condition began in the first place.
The drugs are linked to lymphoma, tuberculosis, pneumonia and skin, gastrointestinal, breast and lung tumors. Older patients who take the drug for long periods are at highest risk.
These dangerous drugs are almost always unnecessary for most people taking them. It has been my experience that virtually all rheumatologists are clueless about the root cause of the disease they are treating. Because they don't have a clue about the cause, they have to rely on toxic concoctions that can devastate your health.
Over the past 16 years, however, I've treated more than 3,000 patients safely by using my extensive RA protocol, which does address the underlying conditions, as does my new book "Fat for Fuel," which helps you optimize your mitochondrial function.
Greed Sends Health Care Costs Soaring
In the past few years, the public, health care professionals and Congress itself have been appalled at Pharma's profiteering. Many remember how Martin Shkreli, former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO, raised the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim, crucial for AIDS patients, from $13.50 a tablet to $750 per tablet, and the similar EpiPen price hikes.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. hiked the price of a once-daily form of Wellbutrin, a 30-year-old antidepressant, to $1,400 a month despite the existence of a $30 generic, and refused to lower prices on the millions hospitals pay for its life-saving heart medicines.15
The ruse of patient assistance for expensive drugs is just that: a ruse. Pharma, trying to look like it has a heart, simply shifts the high cost to privately insured patients and still gets its high prices. Taxpayers also pay. A Senate committee found that the hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni cost taxpayers $5 billion in 2014. Of course, there are cheaper drugs, but they are not the ones promoted, reported Pharmacy and Therapeutics:16
"Another common complaint is that manufacturers often use DTCPA [direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising] to promote expensive 'me-too' or 'copycat' drugs that might not offer any significant benefits over older and cheaper medications.
For example, two heavily promoted diabetes treatments, rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) and pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda), were found to be no more effective — or safe — than older drugs, even though they were much more expensive.
In another study, older drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia were found to be equally effective and to cost as much as $600 per month less than olanzapine (Zyprexa, Eli Lilly), quetiapine (Seroquel, AstraZeneca), or risperidone (Risperdal, Janssen)."
Other Ways Pharma Ensures Its High Prices
As mentioned, outrageous conflicts of interest at the FDA allow drugs that once might not have been approved to fly through their approvals and onto Wall Street.17
It is no surprise, then, when rushed-to-market drugs are withdrawn, since an insufficient amount of time was allotted for safety problems to emerge. Patient front groups — a typical "astroturf" strategy, since they are not really grassroots — keep drug prices high. According to AlterNet:18
"More than 80 percent of patient groups are Pharma-funded ... including the National Hemophilia Foundation, the American Diabetes Association and the National Psoriasis Foundation.
But the most insidious are the mental health front groups like the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) and Mental Health America. Not only do psychiatric drugs represent four-digit outlays per month per patient, and sometimes much more, patients are kept on them for decades or for life, with few medical attempts to determine if patients still need them or ever needed them.
Side effects of the drug cocktails are viewed, thanks to Pharma spin, as confirmation of the 'mental illness,' not the side effects they almost always are. The use of such drugs in the elderly, despite their links to death in those with dementia, has become epidemic and is an underreported cause of falls."
To defend its high prices, Pharma has also rolled out PR campaigns targeting lawmakers who want to stop the profiteering. They are designed to show the "value" that drugs that cost five and six figures represent. The prices are always presented as fixed and non-negotiable, but the Senate Finance Committee said last year they do not reflect research and development but are simply an opportunistic and arbitrary "revenue" push.19
The message of the campaigns, showing patients whose lives were saved or lengthened by expensive Pharma medicines, is that questioning Pharma's outrageous drug prices means you're heartless and don't care about these patients' lives. Even as Pharma companies seek to incorporate overseas to duck U.S. taxes, and manufacture almost all their drugs overseas, these campaigns also claim its high-priced medicines help the U.S. economy by creating jobs, like for "sheet metal workers."20
+ Sources and References
Most Popular
Mold Exposure
Moringa
How to Get Rid of Head Lice
Healthy Recipes
Post your comment
Show Comments (6)
Previous Article
Next Article
Health
Health Articles
Health Videos
Health Guides
Health Guides
Body Hacks
Common Health Questions
Diseases Directory
E-books
Fitness Plan
Food Facts
Health Blogs
Herbal Oils
Herbs and Spices
Infographics
Nutrition Plan
Recipes
Vitamins and Supplements
About Dr. Mercola
Shop for Health Products
Pets
Fitness
Shop
Contact Us
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Charities and Organizations
Charities and Organizations
Organic Consumers Association
NVIC
Consumers for Dental Choice
Regeneration International
GrassrootsHealth
Fluoride Action Network
Center for Nutrition Advocacy
Cornucopia Institute
Vitamin D Council
Alliance for Natural Health USA
IRT
Caminos de Agua
OCA
American Botanical Council
IFOAM - Organics International
CANWI
MRSA Survivors Network
Rabies Challenge Fund
AHVMF
Mercola.org
FAQ
Sign in
Join
Subscribe to Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Newsletter
Thank you! Your purchases help us support these charities and organizations.
Inside Mercola.com
About Dr. Mercola
Contact Us
Employment Opportunities
En Espanol
Health Articles
Health Videos
Media Inquiries
Mercola Community FAQ
Mercola Social Responsibility
Press Room
Special Reports
Terms & Conditions
Updated Privacy Policy
Special Info Sites
Aspartame
Cancer
Fitness
Fluoride
Fructose/Sugar
GMO
Mercury
Nutritional Typing
Pets
Vaccines
Vitamin D
Shopping
Autoship Program
California Residents
FAQs
GMO-Free Products
Healthy Rewards Program
Low Price Guarantee
Online Product Guide
Online Shopping
Our Service Commitment
Premium Products
Product Badge Glossary
Return Policy
Shipping Policy (Domestic)
Shipping Policy (International)
Store Locator
Wholesale Program
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Mercola Health Resources, LLC BBB Business Review
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
TRUSTe online privacy certification
Click to Verify - This site has chosen a GeoTrust SSL Certificate to improve Web site security
Privacy Policy
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
In 2018 Will President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia Surprise The World By Publicly Publishing Their Assets And Those of Their Spouses?
It is hard to fathom why even the most decent of Ghanaian politicians still fail to see the many benefits for Mother Ghana (whom they claim to love), and their own long-term political futures, of publicly publishing their assets and those of their spouses - before and after their tenures in office.
One can understand the wolves in sheep's clothing who go into politics simply with the sole aim of amassing wealth through corrupt means, hiding behind Ghana's disgraceful and shocking asset declaration laws (in which politicians simply declare their assets in sealed envelopes that are handed over to the Auditor-General who apparently never looks at what they contain), to justify not publicly publishing their assets and those of their spouses.
The question to ponder over is: Why do even decent and principled individuals such as the Kwabena Frimpong-Boatengs and the Alan Kwadjo Kyrematengs not ever think of disregarding those harmful and nation-wrecking asset declaration laws, and instead publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses, to set an example to the rest of our nation's political class?
It is rather disappointing that before they were sworn into office, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia did not see the many political advantages of ignoring those in their inner-circles (such as the sly John Boadus and brazen Freddie Blays who boldy rejected the idea during the campaign for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections), who advised against the idea. They should have opted instead to go ahead to publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses before being sworn into office.
Judging by what we are now seeing, it would have brought about a sea change in our nation's politics, and secured their place in the 21st century's Pantheon of great African leaders.
And it would have also forced all the president's appointees to do the same thing too. If they have nothing to hide, it is still not too late for President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia to ignore their advisors and publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses. Doing so will help establish a convention in our nation's politics that despite our rather odd asset declaration laws, honest politicians will always publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses, to reassure Ghanaians that they are in politics to give back to society by serving Mother Ghana honestly and diligently - not to grab endless opportunities to send their personal net worth into stratospheric heights.
Thus, to the two gentlemen now at the helm of affairs in our country, whom we desperately want to succeed - for the sake of all the ordinary people of Ghana, particularly our much-talented younger generations, who put all their hope in them and consequently voted them into power - this blog says: Ye ma mu Afiyhia pa - in 2018 please go ahead and surprise the world: by publicly publishing your assets and those of your spouses.Ye da mu asi in advance.
One can understand the wolves in sheep's clothing who go into politics simply with the sole aim of amassing wealth through corrupt means, hiding behind Ghana's disgraceful and shocking asset declaration laws (in which politicians simply declare their assets in sealed envelopes that are handed over to the Auditor-General who apparently never looks at what they contain), to justify not publicly publishing their assets and those of their spouses.
The question to ponder over is: Why do even decent and principled individuals such as the Kwabena Frimpong-Boatengs and the Alan Kwadjo Kyrematengs not ever think of disregarding those harmful and nation-wrecking asset declaration laws, and instead publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses, to set an example to the rest of our nation's political class?
It is rather disappointing that before they were sworn into office, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia did not see the many political advantages of ignoring those in their inner-circles (such as the sly John Boadus and brazen Freddie Blays who boldy rejected the idea during the campaign for the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections), who advised against the idea. They should have opted instead to go ahead to publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses before being sworn into office.
Judging by what we are now seeing, it would have brought about a sea change in our nation's politics, and secured their place in the 21st century's Pantheon of great African leaders.
And it would have also forced all the president's appointees to do the same thing too. If they have nothing to hide, it is still not too late for President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia to ignore their advisors and publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses. Doing so will help establish a convention in our nation's politics that despite our rather odd asset declaration laws, honest politicians will always publicly publish their assets and those of their spouses, to reassure Ghanaians that they are in politics to give back to society by serving Mother Ghana honestly and diligently - not to grab endless opportunities to send their personal net worth into stratospheric heights.
Thus, to the two gentlemen now at the helm of affairs in our country, whom we desperately want to succeed - for the sake of all the ordinary people of Ghana, particularly our much-talented younger generations, who put all their hope in them and consequently voted them into power - this blog says: Ye ma mu Afiyhia pa - in 2018 please go ahead and surprise the world: by publicly publishing your assets and those of your spouses.Ye da mu asi in advance.
Dr. Mercola: What Are Selenium’s Benefits and Uses?
Mercola.com
Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695
Tweet
What Are Selenium’s Benefits and Uses?
• 3,604 views
Brazil nuts selenium source
Story at-a-glance
Selenium is an essential trace mineral found in human tissue, mostly in skeletal muscles, and in different foods, and is said to deliver numerous health benefits to the body
Lean more information about selenium’s benefits, food sources and possible side effects by reading this article
Selenium (Se) was first discovered nearly 200 years ago by Swedish chemist Baron Jöns Jacob Berzelius. Many decades later, scientists deem selenium to be essential in improving human health. This page will help you learn more about selenium: its health benefits, foods rich in this mineral and potential side effects to watch out for.1
What Is Selenium?
Selenium is an essential trace mineral found in human tissue, mostly in skeletal muscles, and in different foods,2 and is said to deliver numerous health benefits to the body (more on this to come later). While researchers emphasized that selenium is highly essential, selenium deficiency remains a big issue. Nearly 1 billion people worldwide suffer from it, while more people consume less than the daily recommended amount needed to provide protection against diseases.3,4
To help offset risks linked to a selenium deficiency, taking selenium supplements can be recommended. Usually, selenium can be taken as a component of a vitamin-mineral supplement or as a nutritional antioxidant formula.
Most selenium supplements contain a form of selenium called selenomethionine.5 Should you come across a product called selenium sulfide, don’t use it to address selenium deficiency, given that it comes in lotion form and is applied as a shampoo to aid with alleviating dandruff and addressing tinea versicolor, a fungal skin infection.6
Selenium-Rich Foods You Should Try
Apart from taking selenium supplements, you can also combat the negative effects of a selenium deficiency by eating foods high in selenium. Examples of foods abundant in selenium include:7
Brazil nuts
Fish like sardines, wild-caught Alaskan salmon and herring
Garlic
Sunflower seeds and chia seeds
Pastured organic eggs
Pasture-raised organic chicken and turkey
Grass fed liver (lamb or beef)
Mushrooms
Take note that selenium levels in some foods depend on the amount of this mineral present in the soil where they were grown. Ideally, eat these foods raw or slightly cooked, or look for organic items that didn’t undergo further processing, because selenium can be destroyed when foods are refined or processed.
Health Benefits of Selenium
Selenium has been linked to various benefits, with some already being proven by research:8
Serving as an essential component of glutathione peroxidase: This is an enzyme that can convert hydrogen peroxide to water.
Possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for improved immune function:
When selenium is utilized for producing glutathione peroxidase, the mineral delivers antioxidant properties and serves as a first line of defense against free radical build-up in the cells.
Selenium also has the potential to influence immune response via selenoproteins (selenium-containing proteins), which can help regulate excess immune responses and chronic inflammation.
Assisting with combatting infectious diseases and viral infections: Selenium may be beneficial in inhibiting HIV, as patients with this disease have low selenium levels.9
Taking selenium supplements was shown to decrease hospitalizations and improve white blood cell count among HIV patients.
Several studies also emphasized that selenium may help combat viral infections, such as influenza, and bacterial infections such as Coxsackie, which can mutate to highly pathogenic strains.10
Aiding in maintaining proper thyroid function: Although its definite effects are still being studied, selenium is said to play a role in preserving proper thyroid function.11
The thyroid contains more selenium per gram of tissue than any other organ in the body and can express specific selenoproteins.
Promoting a healthy pregnancy: Selenium has been suggested to lower the risk of miscarriage.12
Addressing fertility concerns among men: It has been found to have a favorable effect on male fertility.13
Helping people with chronic asthma: Observational studies demonstrated that those with chronic asthma may have lower selenium levels compared to those without this condition.14
Helping mitigate cancer risk: This is due to selenium’s potential to prevent build-up of free radicals, a known cancer precursor.
Numerous studies highlighted that low selenium levels were linked to an increased risk of death from cancer and all causes.15,16,17,18
Remember that greatly increasing your selenium intake must be done properly to prevent health risks. I suggest consulting a doctor first before taking selenium supplements or increasing your intake of selenium-rich foods.
Ideal Dosage of Selenium
Selenium is needed in very small microgram (mcg) amounts. I suggest that you moderate your selenium intake, whether from food sources or supplements, because it can lead to a selenium toxicity. Ideally, I recommend not exceeding a 200 mcg serving of selenium daily.
Most research surrounding selenium supports the 200 mcg daily serving and highlights that no significant benefits were recorded at higher dosages.
If you want to increase selenium levels by eating Brazil nuts, consuming two to three nuts daily can be sufficient. Supplements can also be taken to increase selenium levels, provided that you consult a doctor first. Once you get the go signal, make sure you get the correct form of selenium supplements. A high-selenium yeast form, which is the scientifically tested and most recommended version, is ideal.
Side Effects of Selenium
Although it's difficult to "overdose" on selenium from foods, the case isn't the same for selenium supplements. Selenium poisoning, or selenium toxicity, is a major health risk linked to selenium. Ingesting too much selenium can trigger various selenium toxicity symptoms. Selenium poisoning can either be acute or chronic:19
• Acute selenium poisoning: People develop this condition through inhalation (usually in the form of selenium dioxide or hydrogen selenide) or oral exposure to selenium. Different side effects are linked to these two methods of exposure:20
Irritation of mucous membranes in the nose and throat
Pulmonary edema
Coughing
Lung lesions
Nosebleeds
Tachycardia
Dyspnea or difficulty breathing
Nausea
Bronchial spams
Vomiting
Bronchitis
Diarrhea
Chemical pneumonia
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Effects on the liver
Nausea
Aches
Irritation of the eyes
Irritability
Headaches
Chills
Malaise
Tremors
Cardiovascular effects
• Chronic selenium poisoning: This can arise because of exposure to high levels of selenium in food and water. Chronic selenium poisoning can result in complications such as:21,22
Discoloration of the skin
Deformation and loss of nails
Baldness
Excessive tooth decay and discoloration
“Garlic breath”
Weakness
Lack of mental alertness
Listlessness
Skin rashes
Fatigue
Irritability
Weight loss
Excessive amounts of selenium have also been linked to an increased risk of high cholesterol levels and diabetes. If you belong to any of the following groups, avoid taking selenium supplements without consulting a doctor:23
• People diagnosed with hypothyroidism
• People who have had skin cancer
• People at risk for skin cancer
Medications to Avoid If You Plan on Taking Selenium Supplements
If you or someone you know is taking any of these medicines, do not take selenium supplements without consulting or informing your doctor, because of the risk of contraindications such as:24
• Reduced levels of selenium: These drugs are known to lower your body’s levels of this mineral:
◦ Cisplatin (a known chemotherapy drug)
◦ Clozapine (Clozaril)
◦ Corticosteroids like prednisone
◦ Valproic acid (Depakote)
◦ Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, or blood thinners
• Increased risk of bleeding: Taking selenium supplements alongside these medicines can raise the risk for internal bleeding:
◦ Clopidogrel (Plavix)
◦ Warfarin (Coumadin)
◦ Heparin
◦ Aspirin
◦ Barbiturates
• Longer-lasting sedative effects: Some animal studies showed that selenium can make the sedative effects of these medicines last longer:
◦ Butabarbital (Butisol)
◦ Mephabarbital (Mebaral)
◦ Phenobarbital (Nembutal)
◦ Secobarbital (Seconal)
• Interference with chemotherapy: Patients undergoing chemotherapy are advised to talk to an oncologist or doctor before taking selenium supplements, as this mineral can interfere with the treatment’s effects.
• Decreased effectivity of cholesterol-lowering medications: Selenium was suggested to reduce the effectiveness of statin drugs.
If you’re a woman taking birth control pills but want to try selenium supplements, consult a doctor or OB-GYN first. Researchers proposed that women taking birth control pills may already have high selenium levels, and further selenium intake can trigger selenium poisoning or toxicity.
Meanwhile, gold salts, which are chemical compounds, were said to reduce selenium levels in the body and cause symptoms of selenium deficiency.
Selenium: This Mineral Is Worth the Praise
When something is deemed "essential," there must be a list of reasons why it deserves this accolade. Selenium has proven its worth as an essential nutrient, thanks to its health benefits for people of various conditions.
Unfortunately, you must exercise caution when optimizing your levels, given the risk of selenium poisoning or selenium toxicity caused by excessively high levels, as well as the potential side effects associated with selenium supplements. As I mentioned earlier, it would be wise to consult a doctor first before supplementing with selenium to help reduce your risk of these complications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Selenium
Q: What is selenium good for?
A: Selenium has been linked to health benefits such as:
Serving as an essential component of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme
Having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to boost immune function
Helping combat infectious diseases and viral infections
Assisting with maintaining proper thyroid function
Assisting pregnant women
Addressing fertility concerns among men
Aiding people with chronic asthma
Helping mitigate cancer risk
Q: Which foods contain high amounts of selenium?
A: There are food sources of selenium that you can benefit from. These include Brazil nuts, sunflower and chia seeds, garlic, pastured organic eggs, pasture-raised organic chicken and turkey, grass fed liver (from beef or lamb), fish like wild-caught Alaskan salmon and herring, and mushrooms.
Q: How much selenium should you take per day?
A: I highly advise taking a 200 mcg daily dose of selenium. Avoid going over this amount, because this can raise your risk for selenium toxicity or poisoning. When buying selenium supplements, purchase the high-selenium yeast form, which is scientifically tested and is the most recommended. Talk to a doctor as well to know how much of this mineral your body will need.
+ Sources and References
Most Popular
Ketogenic Diet
Syphilis Can Be Dangerous
Make Your Own Lovage Soup
Alternatives to Cooking Oil
Post your comment
Show Comments (2)
Health
Health Articles
Health Videos
Health Guides
Health Guides
Body Hacks
Common Health Questions
Diseases Directory
E-books
Fitness Plan
Food Facts
Health Blogs
Herbal Oils
Herbs and Spices
Infographics
Nutrition Plan
Recipes
Vitamins and Supplements
About Dr. Mercola
Shop for Health Products
Pets
Fitness
Shop
Contact Us
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Charities and Organizations
Charities and Organizations
Organic Consumers Association
NVIC
Consumers for Dental Choice
Regeneration International
GrassrootsHealth
Fluoride Action Network
Center for Nutrition Advocacy
Cornucopia Institute
Vitamin D Council
Alliance for Natural Health USA
IRT
Caminos de Agua
OCA
American Botanical Council
IFOAM - Organics International
CANWI
MRSA Survivors Network
Rabies Challenge Fund
AHVMF
Mercola.org
FAQ
Sign in
Join
Subscribe to Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Newsletter
Thank you! Your purchases help us support these charities and organizations.
Inside Mercola.com
About Dr. Mercola
Contact Us
Employment Opportunities
En Espanol
Health Articles
Health Videos
Media Inquiries
Mercola Community FAQ
Mercola Social Responsibility
Press Room
Special Reports
Terms & Conditions
Updated Privacy Policy
Special Info Sites
Aspartame
Cancer
Fitness
Fluoride
Fructose/Sugar
GMO
Mercury
Nutritional Typing
Pets
Vaccines
Vitamin D
Shopping
Autoship Program
California Residents
FAQs
GMO-Free Products
Healthy Rewards Program
Low Price Guarantee
Online Product Guide
Online Shopping
Our Service Commitment
Premium Products
Product Badge Glossary
Return Policy
Shipping Policy (Domestic)
Shipping Policy (International)
Store Locator
Wholesale Program
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.
If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
Terms & Conditions | Updated Privacy Policy | Sitemap
© Copyright 1997-2017 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
Mercola Health Resources, LLC BBB Business Review
McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
TRUSTe online privacy certification
Click to Verify - This site has chosen a GeoTrust SSL Certificate to improve Web site security
Privacy Policy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
