Sources of Vitamins When D Is What the Doctor Ordered
Getting enough Vitamin D is much typically not a huge issue for most people today, but it was just a few years ago that a lack of this vitamin was a serious health issue. As recently as the early 1900s, many children suffered from rickets, a severe malformation of legs caused by a lack of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is vital to the formation of strong bones. When both children and adults don’t get enough Vitamin D, they may have a tendency toward skeletal problems, such as osteomalacia, rickets and weak bones. This is also one of the vitamins that can help regulate growth, making it very important for children in their formative years.
You may think that milk is a natural source of Vitamin D, but milk is actually fortified with several vitamins, including Vitamin D. The practice began in direct response to the high number of rickets cases that hit the United States in the early 1900s. While milk is a good source of Vitamin D because it’s fortified with this vitamin, it’s not a natural source.
Some fish are high in Vitamin D and make excellent sources of this vitamin during a typically daily intake. Two of the more common are tuna and salmon. That means that a tuna sandwich for lunch each day can provide a significant start on the amount of Vitamin D needed to maintain healthy bones. Mackerel, sardines and cod are also sources of Vitamin D - which means those doses of cod liver oil had some serious health benefits for the pioneers who had access to few real medicines.
Eggs are another natural source of Vitamin D. You can use eggs in many ways to increase the amount of Vitamin D in your daily diet. Egg salad sandwiches are a quick “on the go” option, but boiled eggs also make a good “fast food” for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack.
Many people don’t like liver, but beef liver is a good source of Vitamin D. There are other benefits of liver, including the fact that this is an excellent natural source of iron - important if you’re trying to boost your iron or battle anemia. Unfortunately, it takes quite a large serving of beef liver to significantly increase the amount of Vitamin D in your diet.
One thing to remember is that many dairy products are fortified with Vitamin D, but are not natural sources. That means that milk, cheese and other dairy products won’t help you get the Vitamin D you need unless those products have been fortified with this important vitamin. Be sure to check the label before you assume that you’re getting the Vitamin D you need from your daily dairy consumption.
Bob Benson is the founder of Vitamins online. You can check out our website at http://www.nutritional-vitamin-supplements.info.
[tags]vitamins, health supplements[/tags]
Fast Food and Vitamins Take Up Some Healthy Habits
If you ask most adults why they don’t get the vitamins they need as part of their daily food intake, they’ll likely tell you that they just don’t have the time to eat like they should. It’s true that eating right does take some time and effort, but it’s also true that you can develop and maintain healthier eating habits without any drastic changes. Take a look at some facts and some alterations that can make a big difference in how you eat, and how you feel about what you eat.
Think the only healthy food is food that’s served on a plate that you eat with a fork? The truth is that many foods that are very rich in vitamins that your body needs everyday are available for your consumption on the go. And with some minor changes, even your fast foods can be healthy choices when you’re considering vitamins.
A cheeseburger from your favorite fast food place doesn’t have to be something you only indulge in now and then. While there are some other issues to consider (the amount of grease and salt, for example), a cheeseburger can provide you with many of the vitamins you need. A regular cheeseburger with a double patty gives you about 30 percent of your body’s B12 needs for the day and the dill pickles are a source of Vitamin K.
Instead of ordering French Fries to go with your burger, choose a salad. That doesn’t mean that you have to stop what you’re doing and sit down to eat the salad. Pile those veggies on the burger! The tomatoes are a source of Vitamin C, and the lettuce and mayonnaise has Vitamin K. Add it all up and a cheeseburger isn’t a bad choice when you’re trying to get the daily requirement of some necessary vitamins. Even a fast food taco can be a good source of Vitamin B12.
Sandwiches are generally not associated with healthy eating, but the same “cheeseburger rule” applies to any sandwich. Pile on the jalapeno or bell peppers for Vitamin C. Oils are also a good source of vitamins. Sunflower oil is very high in Vitamin E, for example.
Many foods that aren’t naturally high in vitamin content are fortified with vitamins. Most dairy products are fortified with Vitamin D. Taking just the time for a bowl of vitamin-fortified cereal in the morning can provide you with all the vitamins you need for the entire day. The next time you’re ready to dismiss a particular food as just empty calories, take a minute to evaluate what you’re really eating. You may be surprised to find the vitamin content is higher than you thought, or you may find that some simple changes can rectify the vitamin-poor choices.
Bob Benson is the founder of Furniture online. You can check out our website at http://www.vitamins-nutrition-supplements.info
[tags]vitamins, health supplements[/tags]
Sports and Nutrition
Sports medicine or sport medicine is an interdisciplinary subspecialty of
medicine which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes, both
amateur and professional. The team includes specialty physicians and surgeons,
athletic trainers, physical therapists, coaches, other personnel, and, of
course, the athlete.
Illness or injury in sport can be caused by many factors - from environmental to
physiological and psychological. Consequently, sports medicine can encompass an
array of specialties - cardiology, orthopaedic surgery, biomechanics,
traumatology, etc. For example, heat, cold or altitude during training and
competition can alter performance or may even be life threatening. What about
the female triad of disordered eating, menstrual and bone density problems, and
the pregnant or the aging athlete? In addition, the management of dermatological
and endocrinological diseases and other such problems in the athlete demands
expertise and sport-specific knowledge. The use of supplements, pharmacological
or otherwise, and the topics of doping control and gender verification present
complex moral, legal and health-related difficulties.
Then there are the
particular problems associated with international sporting events, such as the
effects of travel, acclimatization and the attempt to balance an athlete’s
participation and her or his health. Much of this represents new fields of study
where extensive clinical and basic science research is burgeoning.
Finally, prevention is an area of increasingly specialized knowledge, interest
and expertise.
For More Details Click Here
Specialized in Herbs, Vitamins, Enzymes, Diet & Weight loss and Nutritional supplements
[tags]Vitamins, health supplements, Source Naturals, Now Foods, Natrol, Planetry Formula, Jarrow Formulas,[/tags]
Get Your Vitamins Naturally When Possible
There’s no doubt that there are times when supplemental vitamins are a good idea, but the best way to get your daily requirements of all vitamins is to consume them naturally. The problem is that most people don’t eat enough of the right foods to get all the vitamins needed to keep your body healthy.
One of the strikes against getting the right vitamins through diet alone is time. It simply takes time to stop for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. Another is the sheer availability of fast food. Most people are filled with the need to grab something to eat on the go.
Arguably the biggest strike against eating right is simply habit. We tend to grab a package of chips instead of an apple or banana for a mid-morning snack. A donut and coffee could easily be replaced by a muffin and fruit juice or milk, but we tend to crave those less healthy foods. Take a minute to consider some sources of vitamins that could easily be part of your daily food intake. You may be surprised at easy a few substitutions could be.
Orange or apple juice instead of one soda a day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you develop a taste for the juice. With this one change, you’re greatly increasing your intake of Vitamin C, needed to keep your immune system healthy. Not only that, apple juice provides a pick-me-up very similar to the caffeine rush some people look for.
Bake it, broil it or eat it raw. We tend to fry so many foods - including the popular potato. Instead of French Fries at your next meal, choose a tossed salad or baked potato. Unless counting calories is an issue, slather on the dressing or sour cream to make it more appealing. The bottom line is that baked or raw veggies are generally higher in vitamins than their fried counterparts.
Breakfast cereals are often fortified with vitamins - even those “good” cereals. Choose foods fortified with vitamins instead of those “empty” calories to help get the vitamins you need to keep you going throughout the day. Manufacturers are meeting the demands for “food-to-go” with cereal bars and other nutritious foods that are rich in vitamins.
At the end of the day, most people simply don’t eat right. If you measure the intake of vitamins over the course of a typical day, you’ll probably find that you’re not getting all the vitamins you need. When that’s the case, find good vitamins in the form of tablets, chews or other supplements as the next step.
Bob Benson is the founder of Furniture online. You can check out our website at http://www.anti-aging-natural-supplements.info
[tags]vitamins, health supplements[/tags]
Nutritional Supplements The Amazing Vitamin C
The real facts about Vitamin C may surprise you. First of all what is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. Unlike the oil soluble vitamins such as A and E, Vitamin C cannot be stored by your body. Since Vitamin C is not stored by your body, we need to get it from our diet or from supplements.
But Can’t Our Bodies Just Make Vitamin C?
Great question! Most animals have the ability to make their own Vitamin C. And make it they do… lots of it. It is estimated that if we had the ability to make our own Vitamin C we would make between 3000 and 10,000 mg every day… and 3 to 4 times that amount if we were being stressed by infection.
Unfortunately, humans along with guinea pigs, fruit bats and gorillas are the only mammals that need to ingest our daily dose of Vitamin C. The only vitamin we humans have the ability to make is Vitamin D… and we need the sunshine to help us do that.
Some very exciting facts about Vitamin C have sprung up within the last few years. First off, Vitamin C along with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), have been called the most essential of the “essential nutrients.” That is, without an adequate supply of these two, you die. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but certainly years sooner than the folks with optimal levels of both in their bodies.
Arrrrr!!! Shiver Me Timbers!
Remember the stories about the sailors of old and the disease they contracted during long voyages called scurvy? Scurvy was nothing more than not having enough Vitamin C in their bodies. Without an adequate supply of Vitamin C, the blood vessels did not have enough collagen to repair themselves. Some of these sailors literally bled to death through cracks in their blood vessel walls.
Fortunately, in 1747 a Scottish doctor got a clue about Vitamin c and linked citrus fruits with a decreased incidence of Scurvy. Towards the end of that century, the Brits began sending along lime juice with their sailors on long voyages. Now you know why British sailors are called “limeys.”
Facts About Vitamin C and its Antioxidant Properties
If you’ve read the section of my site on the facts about Vitamin E, you’ve no doubt read about what an antioxidant does. If not we can review quickly.
The cells of your body are under a lot of stress… oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when highly unstable molecules called free radicals roam freely throughout your body.
Free radicals are a by-product of not only the normal metabolic processes of your cells but also your environment… things such as air pollution, sun exposure, industrial chemical exposure, ozone, nitrous oxide (from auto exhaust), cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption and so on.
Free radicals damage cell membranes and DNA and can result in changes to your cells that cause life threatening chronic diseases down the road. When your cells are being damaged by these free radicals, we say your cells are experiencing oxidative stress… and one of the facts about Vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant and can significantly neutralize the free radicals and the damage to your cells that cause oxidative stress.
Facts about Vitamin C and Heart Disease
One of the facts about Vitamin C that we feel is most significant is the role Vitamin C plays in the production of collagen.
Collagen is a protein. It is the connective tissue that holds our bodies together and keeps us from falling apart. Collagen is found in your skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, liver, cartilage, bone marrow and blood vessels.
Collagen is essential for the repair of our bodies. Without collagen our bodies don’t heal. And without Vitamin C we don’t make collagen.
What Does Collagen Production Have to Do With Heart Disease?
Remember the facts about Vitamin C above and the sailors with scurvy? They weren’t getting any Vitamin C. So when their blood vessels cracked, no collagen was being produced to repair the cracks.
Why do your blood vessels crack in the first place? Well consider this. Your heart beats about 4000 times every hour. That’s 96,000 times a day and 35,040,000 times every year (yes that’s million)! The blood vessels of your heart are being squeezed and released that many times as well.
Imagine you were to run over a garden hose laying in your driveway that many times. Do you think it might soon develop some cracks?
Although your body has a difficult time repairing those cracks in the complete absence of Vitamin C (and hence scurvy), most folks in the developed world get just enough Vitamin C to keep scurvy at bay… but not much more.
Problem is, as this sub-optimal amount of Vitamin C in their body is repairing with collagen, it’s not quite enough. Your liver then determines that the repairs are not being made quick enough and sets about to produce a special form of LDL called lipoprotein-a.
Lipoprotein-a is very sticky and acts as a putty to fill in the cracks that the lack of collagen left behind. Great right? Leak stopped.
Well the leak is stopped yes, but being as sticky as it is, lipoprotein-a catches and glues down all the other LDL (bad cholesterol) that floats by. This action results in plaque build-up inside the vessel walls and can eventually close off these blood vessels… and we all know what that means!
Facts about Vitamin C and Cholesterol
Can Vitamin C lower cholesterol? A relationship has been shown experimentally between high levels of Vitamin C and low levels of cholesterol. An article appearing in the National Library of Medicine shows that Vitamin C provides the same mechanism for inhibiting the production of cholesterol as do cholesterol lowering statin drugs.
The American Heart Association also reported that Vitamin C lowered LDL cholesterol in children who were predisposed to high cholesterol.
The facts about Vitamin C also show that Vitamin C lowers cholesterol without the dangerous side effects of these statin drugs. Statin drugs have been shown to inhibit the production of another essential nutrient called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Decreased levels of CoQ10 result in significant muscle myopathy (wasting away). And since the heart is a muscle, statin drugs have been linked to Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).
More Facts about Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s when taken with Vitamin E and cut your chances of having a stroke.
Why is that? Remember the facts about Vitamin C above as an antioxidant? Well, most researchers agree that Vitamin C’s powerful antioxidant properties are responsible. By neutralizing the cell damaging effects of those free radicals running around in your body, Vitamin C works to keep your cells healthy and free of damage. And if your cells are healthy, you are healthy!
Vitamin C is also known to protect the immune system. Vitamin C aids in the manufacture of white blood cells. White blood cells destroy viruses and bacteria.
Also remember the facts about Vitamin C as aiding in the manufacture of collagen? Well collagen being the connective tissue that holds our skin together, our skin is what keeps pathogens out in the first place.
Yeah, But I Drink My Glass of Orange Juice Everyday… Well Almost
What are the facts about Vitamin C concerning the amount you should take? Well who do you want to believe? The official U.S. Government RDA for Vitamin C is 60 to 90 mg. Some would argue that this level does nothing more than ward off scurvy. They would also argue that these levels do nothing to prevent chronic, long term, debilitating diseases.
An article in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition reports on a study done on antioxidant vitamins and coronary heart disease risk. The study looked at 9 other studies which included participation by Harvard School of Public Health and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Conclusions: “The results suggest a reduced incidence of major CHD (coronary heart disease) events at high supplemental vitamin C intakes.”
How high was the daily Vitamin C intake of the 293,172 patients during this ten year study? Above 700 mg!
Ok, But Is Vitamin C Safe?
In an article titled “Vitamins E and C Are Safe Across a Broad Range of Intakes” published in THE AMERICAN JOURNAL of CLINICAL NUTRITION, a large study concluded that Vitamin C supplements of up to 2000 mg per day were safe for most adults. Exceeding that limit could result in gastrointestinal upset or mild diarrhea.
You can learn much more than just the facts on Vitamin C at our content rich site called Health Supplements Advisor.
[tags]nutritional supplement, dietary supplements, vitamins, health supplements, vitamin c[/tags]
Vitamins Is There Such Thing as Too Much
You probably hear lots of information about the need to get sufficient amounts of vitamins in your daily diet, and to take a vitamin supplement if you aren’t getting those necessary vitamins. If vitamins are good for you, it stands to reason that more is better, right? Actually, overdoing it with vitamins can cause some problems as well. Take a look at some of the more common vitamins and what you can face by getting too much of a good thing.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D is readily available in milk and dairy products, but only those that have been Vitamin D fortified. There are some other sources of this vitamin, with tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel among those with the higher contents. You also get Vitamin D from sunshine. A lack of Vitamin D causes bone problems, including rickets.
An overdose of Vitamin D will likely first let itself be known in the form of nausea. In extreme cases, loss of appetite, weakness and abnormal heart rhythm can occur.
Despite what some people may think, it’s unlikely that you can get an overdose of Vitamin D from the sun. Sunburn will show itself long before your body absorbs enough Vitamin D from the sunshine. Too much calcium in the diet can also cause problems with major organs, including the heart and kidneys.
Vitamin A - Vitamin A is often associated with the “orange” fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges and carrots. There are other sources as well, mainly in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A is good for vision, healthy skin and hair.
An overdose of Vitamin A can result is some serious health risks and will first be seen as headaches, vomiting, dizziness and a lack of coordination in the muscles. Most commonly, Vitamin A toxicity arises from consuming a huge amount of Vitamin A over a short period of time, usually in the form of vitamins as supplements. Damage to the central nervous system or liver, and birth defects are among the possible long-term effects of overdoses of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B - There are several vitamins that make up the group known as the B-Complex vitamins. B6 and B12 are among the more common of that group. Both are touted in connection with healthy hearts and maintaining a youthful appearance, but it’s important to note that there are some important differences in the toxicity potential for vitamins in this group. Notably, there have been few cases of B12 overdoses, especially cases that caused adverse symptoms.
By contrast, B6 typically can result in nerve damage. As a rule, the effects are reversed when the levels of B6 are brought back under control.
As a rule - As a rule, it’s difficult to consume sufficient amounts of vitamins to cause severe toxicity. Nausea will typically be your first clue to a problem. Talk to your doctor or health care professional before starting any vitamin regimen or making major changes to your diet.
Bob Benson is the founder of Vitamins online. You can check out our website at http://www.health-food-supplements.info.
[tags]vitamins, health supplements[/tags]
Sources of Vitamins When A is What You Need
Of the vitamins necessary for a healthy life, Vitamin A is one that’s often overlooked. You seldom hear anyone touting the positive effects of Vitamin A, but it is one of the most necessary vitamins for proper growth and development. In addition, Vitamin A is also necessary for the proper function of the reproductive organs and the immune system. Children who are deprived of Vitamin A at an early age may experience severe health problems related to an underdeveloped immune system.
One positive point of Vitamin A that is often overlooked is the maintenance of healthy skin and hair. That means that a person who isn’t getting sufficient amounts of Vitamin A is likely to have a more difficult time keeping hair and skin looking healthy, vital and young.
So why is it that we hear so little about Vitamin A? Part of the reason may be that most people get enough of this vitamin without any supplementation. Since there’s little need to “push” extra Vitamin A in a normal, healthy daily food intake, there’s little focus on Vitamin A and more on those vitamins that most people lack in their daily diets.
Vitamin A is also called Retinol. One of the most common ways to determine whether a particular food is rich in Vitamin A is the color. Orange-colored foods are typically good sources of this vitamin. Cantaloupes, carrots and sweet potato are among the more common sources. If you’re a woman and you eat a half-cup of sweet potato, you’ll have consumed two times the daily requirement of Vitamin A. It’s important to note that the requirements for men are slightly higher than the requirements for women, but a half-cup of sweet potato also provides more than one and a half times the daily requirement for men.
Some other good orange-colored sources of Vitamin A are red bell peppers, oranges and papaya. Other sources are kale, milk, eggs, broccoli and tomatoes. Raw foods are more viable sources of Vitamin A though some of this valuable vitamin is retained through processing and cooking.
If you’re looking for ways to round out your daily intake of particular vitamins, you should pay attention to the foods you’re eating that are sources of Vitamin A. As a general rule, you can rest assured that it’s very simple for most people to include sufficient natural sources of this vitamin. Cereals are often fortified with various vitamins and this may be another good source of Vitamin A.
Bob Benson is the founder of Furniture online. You can check out our website at http://www.buy-nutritional-supplements.info.
[tags]vitamins, health supplements[/tags]
The Most Important Supplement You Can Take For Better Health
This article will reveal one easy change you can make that will help better your health…
It’s absolutely crucial that your body gets the nutrients it needs to function effectively and efficiently. The daily stress of pollution, fatty and processed food and stress deplete your body of nutrients and it’s up to you to replace these nutrients. You can do this through healthy nutrition, or even better, through healthy nutrition and quality nutritional supplements.
For the average person, it’s difficult to get the proper amount of nutrients needed from food alone. Even the healthiest of eaters might not be getting the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals. This is because it’s hard to judge exactly how many nutrients you are getting from the food you are eating, not to mention certain forms of cooking actually destroys the vitamins and minerals in the food.
The best thing you can do for your body is to eat a balanced diet and supplement it with a quality multivitamin. You’ll get some of the nutrients your body needs from the food and then back it up with a multivitamin for a very effective one-two punch.
There are five forms of mulivitamins you can buy: capsule, tablet, softgel, powder and liquid. Avoid tablets at all costs because they are the hardest for your body to breakdown and absorb. Liquid multivitamins are the easiest for your body to absorb because there’s nothing for your body to breakdown. Both capsules and softgels, and powders, are also good forms of multivitamins in reference to absorption rate.
So which multivitamins are good ones to buy? Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. The cheap supermarket multivitamins are inexpensive but can’t compare to a quality, more expensive multivitamin. Your best bet is to decide how much you can afford to spend and then do research on the Internet for the multivitamins that fall within your price range.
Multivitamins are probably the single most important supplement you can take. If you aren’t taking one, you really should consider doing so. Combine this with good nutrition and a solid exercise routine and you’ll be amazed at how great you look and feel!
Ryan Cote is the owner of http://www.SimpleHealth123.com, a leading health and wellness resource. Come visit and download his free health and wellness e-mail course, 4 Days to Better Health.
[tags]nutritional supplements, supplements, multivitamin, multi vitamin, health supplements, vitamins[/tags]
Anti-Aging and You!
We are a product of our environment and must be realistic in knowing that the environment is not pure and because of the basic instinct of greed, we are living in a polluted world. The people who live the longest, exist in the high mountains where the air is not polluted, the water is full of healthy minerals and the food is free of synthetic chemicals. In the polluted world, we must recognize that polluted air, water and food produce free radicals and pathogenic germs that cause us to prematurely age with diseases and pain. For those of us that live in the chemical world, we can live 20 years or more longer, if we prevent free radicals and pathogens from shortening our life. Anti-aging depends on fighting free radicals and pathogens. Conventional medicine may let us live 20 years longer, but with the expectation of suffering. Fortunately, the choice is ours.
ANTIOXIDANTS:
Antioxidants are chemicals that defuse free radicals and other biologically damaging molecular fragments in the body.
They consist of nutrients such as Beta-Carotene, Coenzyme Q10, Selenium, Vitamin C and Vitamin E are well known for their antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants are found in a full-range of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some meat, like fish. However, fruits and vegetables are the key source of antioxidants.
Although, our bodies produce its own antioxidants, the level of product declines over time because of environmental factors and through the aging process.
ANTIOXIDANT THEORY — HOW THEY WORK:
Free Radicals
As part of the normal cell function, cells make toxic molecules called free radicals.
Free radicals are damaged molecules-molecules that are missing electronics
Free radicals are regarded as the primary force of destruction in nearly all-living things.
Free radicals take electrons from other non-damaged molecules. By doing so, the free molecules damage the cell.
As cell damage continues, it contributes to certain diseases and aging.
Free radicals can cause cancer, diabetes, cataracts, cardiovascular disease and wrinkles.
THE BENEFITS OF ANTIOXIDANTS:
Slowing Down Oxidation
Antioxidants are good at slowing down the oxidation process.
When oxidation occurs in food, fatty acids undergo chemical changes
Fatty acids are also found in the blood, which can undergo similar chemical changes, as does food.
Mental Decline Resulting From Aging
A study published by the Journal of Neuroscience showed that rats fed antioxidant-rich strawberries and spinach had better memories and slower decline of nerve cells functions than rats fed a standard diet.
Most of us knows that we need to consume more fruits and vegetables than meats. Fruits and vegetables plays an important role in protecting against and possibly reversing the cognitive declines seen from aging.
Free radical destruction is said to be a key factor to a decline in memory and motor performance seen in aging.
The brain is especially vulnerable because it is relatively deficient in antioxidants to begin with.
WHICH ANTIOXIDANTS ARE BEST THEN?
Two general types of antioxidants work together to protect the cells and tissues of our bodies. One type protects the aqueous (watery) portion of the tissues and the other the hydrophobic, or lipid (fatty) component. The aqueous environment is protected by vitamin C, and at least two additional antioxidants produced by tissues, glutathione and thioredoxin. Cell membranes are protected by the lipid-soluble antioxidants, including vitamin E, and the ubiquinols (CoQ10). Another antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid, is unique in that it can enter and protect both lipid and water environments.
When vitamins C and E react with and neutralize a free radical, the oxidized or spent vitamins are converted back to the reduced or recharged, active form. Vitamin C can donate electrons to oxidized vitamin E and convert the E back to its active state, leaving vitamin C oxidized. Vitamin C, in turn, can be recharged after reacting with glutathione or the more potent antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid.
The most versatile antioxidant in the cell is alpha lipoic acid. It is one of the more potent antioxidants, owing to its property of being the most easily oxidized. Alpha lipoic acid is the foundation of an antioxidant network involved in the conversion of the spent or oxidized forms of four different cellular antioxidants back to their active protective forms. The obvious questions, then, are how lipoic acid is regenerated and whether this process ever ends.
The answer lies in the unique property of lipoic acid, its solubility in both water and lipid. Lipoic acid can be converted from its oxidized state to its reduced state with the aid of a mitochondrial enzyme (the organelle within the cell where energy is produced). Unlike vitamins C and E, the cell has machinery specifically designed for the regeneration of reduced lipoic acid. Therefore, lipoic acid can itself react with and neutralize free radicals in addition to recycling vitamins C and E (as well as CoQ10, glutathione and thioredoxin). This is critical, since each antioxidant has a unique function. The conclusion, then, is that all of these antioxidants are required for optimal cellular health.
FOODS HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS:
Beta-carotene — Found in dark green, dark yellow and orange vegetables and fruits.
Selenium — Found in meats, fish, cereal, dairy products, Brazil and some other nuts.
Vitamin C - Found in orange juice, kiwi, grapefruit, strawberries, watermelon, green peppers, cauliflower and broccoli.
Vitamin E - Can be found in mayonnaise, margarine, salad dressing, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, crab, shrimp and fish.
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE:
Make sure you get the RDA for vitamin C, E and beta-carotene. If you rarely eat dark-green or orange varieties of fruits and vegetables, take a supplement, which supplies 100% of the RDA vitamins and minerals.
Studies show that people, especially as they age, don’t get the RDA for vitamin E. Good food sources for vitamin E again are breakfast cereals that are fortified with 100% of the RDA for vitamins and minerals, shellfish, mustard or turnip greens, kale and collards.
Ito Nakamura is a Internet Health Enterprenuer specialising in marketing health supplements; health exercise equipments & beauty products. http://www.detoxprofessor.com
[tags]anti-oxidants,anti-agings,vitamins,health supplements,beauty,cells,healthy aging,health food,aging[/tags]
Designing a Health Supplements Program for One
Multivitamins come in all shapes and sizes and should you browse through any drugstore or super market, you will know that multivitamins also come in all prices. Knowing what vitamins suit you best is something that takes time and research, particularly if you are supplementing in response to a deficiency brought about by a disease of illness. In this case it is worth consulting a physician and nutritionist to get the best nutrition plan based on solid scientific evidence. Of course an off-the-shelf multivitamin may not contain all the required nutrients in sufficient quantities or it may contain substances that you do not want to take. The best way to start choosing the best multivitamin for you is to decide if you need an individual approach or not.
Get Professional Advice and Get Informed
The first step should always be your physician, but you could also see a dietician and do some research prior to visiting the doctor’s office, in this way you will know the right questions to ask. Although due to the lack of training in medical school, there is a gap in understanding in the medical community concerning herbs and nutrition so it may be useful to present the reasoning behind your desire to supplement. If you know the predicted pharmacological action of the supplement, this would also be useful so the doctor may be better able to determine the relation to your illness. Most healthcare professionals will tell you to take a standard pill, which may not be the best multivitamin for your health so some evidence based research is required to find the best vitamins, herbs and minerals for your situation.
Follow the Mass Market Approach or Create Your Own Nutrition Plan?
Generally most people will take a multivitamin daily and these can come in specialized formulas for women, older people and other special needs groups. It is worth noting that the formulas usually contain somewhere near the Daily Values amount of each supplement, which is probably not the most suitable to your condition if you are looking to achieve enhanced effects or replace an induced deficiency. This mass market approach is fine for people who just want to make sure that they have not missed anything in their diet but some nutritionists insist that dosages must be far in excess of the FDA set daily values to achieve the desired result. This of course should be taken on research and advice for each individual case. Remember, more is not always better.
Choose a Method of Delivering the Nutrients
Multivitamins also now come in many forms such as gel, capsule, chewable caps, drinks or tablets. It is worth noting that from a pharmacologist’s point of view the delivery method of the multivitamin has no differences whatsoever to the effect or the biologically available amount of the multivitamin, and the best multivitamin is one that does not interfere with your drugs. There is a difference if it is delivered intravenously, but please do not try this at home! To find out if a supplement has any interactions with your medication, consult your doctor and see the resources on this site.
Getting children to take their pills can be a pain so there are also many flavored and shaped multivitamins that may not be any better for them than pills but will be infinitely better for your stress levels.
Time release multivitamins may have some small clinical value in allowing the supplement to be available to the bloodstream for longer; however most scientists agree this does not have much more than gimmick value.
Taking your Multivitamin - Get Used to it!
Compliance is a huge issue when choosing a vitamin regime, according to statistics, less than 30% of people who have bought vitamins, multivitamins or other supplements forget to take them as regularly as they first intended and vitamin bottles end up expiring on bathroom shelves.
Multivitamins are best taken with food, which helps the absorption of the nutrients. Taking a multivitamin with meals can also help with compliance, if you get into the habit of taking a multivitamin with your breakfast, the routine may stick.
Yet Another Miracle Cure
If you are considering starting to take a multivitamin on a regular basis, then you have probably heard of the benefits that certain nutrients can bring to the body. Although it does seem that practically every day new research is presented telling us the preventative or curative effects of certain nutrients against a huge variety of diseases from cancer and diabetes, to weight loss and cholesterol. It is always worth actually reading these published results yourself if you are considering following the indications of these studies as the dosages or the situations may not be repeatable, particularly with the mass market multivitamins. There is plenty of specialist advice available on the internet, just make sure you get your information from a number of sources to ensure a balanced view. Government sites are generally reliable.
Not a Replacement for a Good Diet!
Lastly, it is probably worth reminding you that supplements are not a replacement for a good balanced diet and the best multivitamin can not have everything your body needs and of course, a nice meal always tastes better than a pill.
Iris is a Canadian trained physician who has been involved in the nutritional world for over 15 years and has a major interest in traditional Chinese medicine. Iris currently works as a medical advisor to Mitamins, the custom made Health Supplements company.
Mitamins Health Directory
Informative health information and custom nutrition formulas for a huge array of health concerns from Allergies to Osteoporosis.
[tags]multivitamin, choice, review, choosing, vitamins, minerals, herbs, custom multivitamin[/tags]
