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| | WHY TAKE NUTRITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTS?
People take supplements for five main reasons:
- To avoid basic nutrient deficiencies, mostly because of
less-than-perfect eating habits.
- To treat current health problems.
- To prevent health problems, especially when there is a
genetic predisposition or an increased environmental risk. (Cancer, heart disease, and
osteoporosis are good examples.)
- To achieve optimal health.
- To delay and reduce the effects of aging.
Reason #1
Many government and independent food surveys show that the average American diet is
deficient in anywhere from a couple to a half dozen or more important nutrients. These
deficiencies include the much discussed antioxidants. Basic nutritional formulas can
usually satisfy these fundamental nutritional inadequacies. However, for the following
reasons #2 through #5, a wider range of nutrients, at higher potencies, is required.
Reason #2
There is no question now that higher than Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) levels of
nutrients can help in the treatment of many ailments. When given half a chance, the human
body can usually take care of itself. That means giving it the nutrients it needs, along
with avoiding antinutrients (especially nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol).
Many health practitioners now use high doses of vitamins,
minerals, essential fatty acids, coenzymes, and phytochemicals to treat diseases. The use
of these nutrients often has few negative side effects and, unlike most pharmaceutical
medications, has many positive side effects.
Reason #3
One of the best uses of nutritional supplements is in the prevention of disease. For
instance, even the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reported that about two-thirds
of all cancers are diet and environment related. Simply put, if you have plenty of the
right nutrients in your diet (especially antioxidants), while avoiding the cancer-causing
chemicals found in food (nitrosamines, aflatoxins, etc.), you can reduce your chances of
getting a diet-related cancer. Our environment presents cancer-causing hazards in the
forms of air and water pollution. And here too, nutrients can help—namely the
antioxidants.
Another good example in disease prevention is heart
disease. Atherosclerosis is the form of heart disease by which the coronary arteries
become blocked with cholesterol deposits, often resulting in a heart attack (myocardial
infarction). While low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is implicated in this
process, it may not be the main initiator. The leading theory of heart disease now
considers this substance hazardous only when it becomes oxidized (ox-LDL-C). That
is because LDL-cholesterol is not only natural, you actually cannot live without it! To
prevent LDL-C from oxidizing (essentially becoming rancid), you need to consume mostly
monounsaturated fatty acids (olive and canola oils) and a full range of antioxidants.
Another theory of heart disease (originally proposed by Dr. Kilmer McCully more than 25
years ago) considers homocysteine, a byproduct of a high animal protein diet, a culprit in
causing atherosclerosis. To prevent this problem, an adequate intake of vitamin B6,
vitamin B12, and folic acid, is needed.
Finally, osteoporosis is the classic example of a disease
that is preventable with a proper nutrient intake and a supportive lifestyle.
Unfortunately, calcium has been oversold as the answer to osteoporosis. While calcium is
indeed important, you need a whole panoply of nutrients, including vitamins (B6, B12,
folic acid, C, D, and K), and minerals (boron, copper, magnesium, manganese, and zinc).
Other important factors in preventing and treating osteoporosis include moderate (not
high) intakes of protein and phosphorous, reducing or avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and
alcohol, and an appropriate aerobic and anaerobic exercise program.
Reason #4
Optimal health means more than the absence of disease—it means high-level wellness.
This is where you have the energy and desire to do whatever needs to be done in your life,
without relying on artificial stimulants. There are four essential components for
high-level wellness: (1) a good, well-balanced diet; (2) a proper nutritional supplement
program; (3) regular exercise; and (4) a positive mental attitude.
In the above context, nutritional supplementation means at
levels above the RDA. The RDAs are not necessarily optimal levels, and to quote the 10th
Edition of the National Research Council’s Recommended Dietary Allowances, the
RDAs ". . . are judged by the Food and Nutrition Board to be adequate to meet
the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy persons."
[Italics added for emphasis.] The use of the words ‘adequate,’
‘known,’ ‘practically,’ and ‘healthy,’ does not engender any
confidence in the RDAs being optimal for everyone, especially for those unlucky people who
are not healthy. Also, the RDAs are based on the absence of clinical signs of disease, not
the presence of optimal health. There is a big difference between not being overtly sick,
and being vibrantly healthy.
Reason #5
These days, people are living longer. However, that does not mean they are living better.
In the wild, animals that avoid predation and accidents are usually healthy until they
near their maximum potential lifespan. They then experience multi-organ failure and die.
Humans, on the other hand, because of their ‘civilized diets’ of undernutrition
and overconsumption, start their decline in their thirties and forties, even though our
potential lifespan is around 120 years.
There are many theories of aging, including (1) errors in
protein synthesis, turnover, and cross-linkage; (2) DNA damage; (3) organ system-pacemaker
theory; (4) calorie overconsumption; and (5) free radical damage. Nevertheless, whatever
theory (or theories) may be the right one, nutrition will play an important role. That is
because one leading theory of aging (free radical damage) we have an easy answer to—a
full and balanced intake of antioxidants.
THE ANTIOXIDANT CHAIN
A balanced intake of antioxidants is an important point to
consider. That is because when an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, the antioxidant
itself becomes oxidized and can act as a free radical. In the body, more than a dozen
molecules have antioxidant properties. Often one antioxidant may interact with one or more
other antioxidant molecules. A good example is the relationship between vitamin E, vitamin
C, glutathione, and glutathione reductase. When vitamin E neutralizes (reduces) a free
radical and becomes oxidized, vitamin C neutralizes it. Then vitamin C becomes oxidized
and glutathione reduces it, becoming oxidized in turn. Finally, the enzyme glutathione
reductase neutralizes the oxidized glutathione. This is a balanced and complete
antioxidant chain.
When there is an overconsumption of one antioxidant (e.g.,
beta-carotene or vitamin C), an unbalanced or incomplete antioxidant chain is created.
This actually adds to the body’s free radical burden and possibly reduces the
effectiveness of other antioxidants. As with many things in life, moderation and balance
are the best way to go.
BEYOND VITAMINS AND MINERALS
The basic vitamins and minerals are as important as ever,
but in the last ten years or so, other nutrients have stolen the spotlight. These
nutrients include:
Fish (cold water) and Plant Oils (black currant,
borage, and evening primrose)
They supply the essential fatty acids omega-3 (EPA/DHA) and omega-6 (GLA), respectively.
These oils are precursors for prostaglandins, hormone-like molecules. While these
essential oils can help many ailments, they are particularly beneficial for the
cardiovascular and immune systems.
Coenzyme Q10
Found in almost every living cell on the planet, this coenzyme (sometimes called
ubiquinone because it is ubiquitous) has been researched since the 1950s. CoQ10 is a vital
link in the Electron Transport Chain, a pathway in the body that results in the production
of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a molecule often called the energy currency of the body.
While our bodies manufacture it, supplementation can be very beneficial, especially with
people over the age of thirty. CoQ10 is most helpful in treating ailments affecting the
cardiovascular and immune systems.
Plant Flavonoids
There are thousands of these bioactive substances, found in plants, including fruits and
vegetables. Some of the more researched and clinically proven ones include:
- BILBERRY: Well-known for its beneficial effects on
vision, bilberry is useful in many other areas, too.
- CITRUS BIOFLAVONOIDS: Derived from oranges,
grapefruit, lemons, and limes, these bioflavonoids are helpful throughout the body.
- GINKGO BILOBA: The ginkgo tree has been around for
several hundred million years. Obtained from its leaves, ginkgo extract is most recognized
for its valuable effects on the brain. Hundreds of scientific papers have been published
attesting to its memory-enhancing attributes. Ginkgo extract has many other clinical
applications, also.
- GRAPE SEED: Classified as an OPC (oligomer
proanthocyanidin), grape seed extract is very similar to Pycnogenol® in form and
function. It helps with inflammation, bruising, wound healing, and heart disease. It is
also a good antioxidant.
- GREEN TEA: Made from green tea, it is noted for its
anticancer properties. It has also been shown to be helpful for the cardiovascular and
immune systems.
- MILK THISTLE: Commonly called silymarin, research
shows that it exhibits liver-protective qualities. In addition, silymarin is helpful for
the cardiovascular and immune systems.
- QUERCETIN: A water-soluble plant pigment (flavonoid) that is found in apples,
berries, green and black tea, onions, and red wine. It has antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties. It helps with allergies, and reduces diabetic complications.
- RED GRAPE SKIN: Related to grape seed extract and
Pycnogenol®, flavonoids in red grape skins are also beneficial in preventing
heart disease, as well as having other attributes.
- TURMERIC: The curcuminoids found in turmeric have a
number of properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Ginger
Helpful for nausea and motion sickness, ginger also improves digestion and nutrient
absorption.
Lipoic Acid
Found in two Krebs cycle enzymes, lipoic acid is critical in the body’s conversion of
food into energy (ATP). It is also a unique antioxidant, being both water- and
fat-soluble.
L-Glutathione
Glutathione is helpful with cancer, heart disease, and the immune system. Glutathione was
previously mentioned as being an important link in the body’s antioxidant chain.
HOW TO USE THE NUTRIENT INFORMATION
The nutrient section covers vitamins, minerals, and other
nutrients, and is subdivided into five to seven sections, depending upon the nutrient:
RDA or AI for Adults
DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes) include
RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and AI (Adequate Intake) values. These amounts are the minimum needed to
prevent a deficiency disease for most healthy people. [RDIs (Reference Daily Intakes) were
not used because they do not differentiate between the needs of males and females. The
RDIs replaced the 1968 U.S. RDAs.]
Adult Maintenance - Therapeutic Range
The lower end of the range should be appropriate for the average healthy adult. The higher
end of the range is at a level many health practitioners would prescribe. NOTE: The
highest dosage levels are often based on clinical trials lasting only a few weeks or
months. Researchers sometimes use dosages higher than needed, to see an effect within the
short time of the clinical trial. A lower dosage may be just as effective, only it may
take a while longer to achieve the desired results. Also, studies are almost always done
on a single active substance. When a number of ingredients are used (e.g., B-complex vs.
a single B-vitamin, or several flavonoids vs. a single flavonoid), some of the
properties may overlap. The effects may then be cumulative, and even synergistic, yielding
better results than a single nutrient at a much higher dosage level.
Major Sources
These are some of the best food sources of the nutrient.
Non-Therapeutic Importance
These are the nutrient’s normal functions in the body.
Deficiency Symptoms
These symptoms would usually appear when the nutrient intake falls below the RDA.
Increased Risk for Deficiency
These are conditions or groups where a deficiency is more likely to occur.
Possible Therapeutic Applications
These are the diseases that may be helped when the nutrient is taken (usually at
amounts greater than the maintenance level). Cautions are included for several nutrients.
(At the Maintenance to low Therapeutic Range, there usually would not be a problem, but
erring on the cautious side is wiser.) Aliments in bold are more likely
to be helped by the nutrient. |
