Posts Tagged Forms of supplements & absorption

… benefits. This monoglyceride, called monolaurin, appears to disrupt the outer coating of pathogenic organisms, such as, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Monolaurin is naturally found in …

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of having to watch our aging parents develop the diseases commonly associated with age. If you are like me, you have a nearly obsessive desire to make sure that we don’t follow along the same path. In order to succeed in this mission, we need to start with a paradigm that allows us to understand why we develop these diseases in the first place.

A well-respected researcher at the University of California, Berkley, has come up with a theory that may give us insight into how to avoid common diseases associated with aging, including:

1.      Heart disease (specifically calcifications of the arteries)
2.      Osteoporosis
3.      Various forms of cancer
4.      Diabetes and insulin resistance
5.      Breast fibroid
6.      Fatigue
7.      Weight gain
8.      And more…

Dr. Bruce Ames announced that he had a new theory of aging, which he named, “Triage Theory”. Triage theory states that when the body does not have sufficient nutrients to feed all tissues equally, the urgent needs of the body will outweigh the less urgent needs, even if they both share a high level of importance. A good way of illustrating this theory is to associate it with principles of time management.

I am a student of time management, mostly because I am terrible at it. One principle that is at the core of time management is the process of differentiating between urgent and important tasks and non-urgent but important tasks. Urgent/important tasks are things that need to be handled right now or you will suffer immediate consequences. Examples of urgent/important tasks include:

1.      A phone call from an important client
2.      Paying your mortgage on time
3.      Urgent staffing issues, and work emergencies.

Non-urgent/important matters are important to the long-term goals but there are few immediate consequences to not doing them. Examples include:

1.      Learning about new technology that may impact your job or business in the future
2.      Upgrading accounting software to be compliant with next year’s tax laws
3.      Setting up your next dental-hygiene appointment

If your life is filled with urgent/important tasks, usually the non-urgent/important tasks will be thrown by the wayside resulting in a lack of personal and organizational growth. In other words, the organization may remain healthy for today, but in the long run, the neglect of non-urgent-but-important matters will cause the person or organization to fail from ineptitude.

Dr. Ames suggests that the body is doing the same thing; prioritizing immediate needs above the future needs of the body.  He believes that the body does this because we evolved during a time when we weren’t expected to live to be 100 years old anyway.  Instead, nature prioritized the act of keeping us alive long enough to procreate rather than long enough to see our great grandchildren.

Iodine is a good example of how this theory presents itself within the body. When iodine is moderately deficient, the thyroid will take precedence at the expense of other tissues that need it, albeit in a less urgent manner. This assures that the body has enough iodine to keep the metabolism functioning, at the cost of long-term health of other tissues such as the breasts, prostate, and immune system.

Another example of the Triage Theory in action is vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K has biological effect in most cells of the body including the arteries and the bones. When vitamin K is moderately deficient, the liver will snatch the vitamin K from the blood in order to make sure that it can produce clotting factors needed to prevent you from bleeding to death from a paper cut. Unfortunately, because the K is being used in developing clotting factors, the bones grow weak and the arteries develop calcifications from being slowly starved of vitamin K.

To protect against the consequences of biological triage, you must make sure that there is an abundance of nutrition that is available to the body so that both urgent/important processes and non-urgent/important processes are able to function on all cylinders. Doing so will allow you to enjoy optimal health well into your later years.

A multi-vitamin is a good start in assuring that the body has sufficient levels of the various nutrients to feed the urgent/important and non-urgent/important processes.  Unfortunately, most multi’s (even high quality multi’s) fall short in providing sufficient levels of various nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin K and iodine. Given this fact, we typically need to supplement with higher levels of these nutrients than are supplied by a multi.

Previously, I was taking these nutrients separately. Luckily, they are now provided in a single capsule to support your current supplement program. This supplement combines 5,000 iu of vitamin D3, 1.1 mg of vitamin K2 and 1 mg of whole-food iodine. The product is called Vitamins D and K with Sea-Iodine by Life Extension Foundation.

The reason that such a blend is so powerful is because of the broad importance and the relative deficiency of these nutrients. By providing the body with optimal levels of these three nutrients, you are helping to shore up the body’s defenses against many of the previously reported disease associated with aging.

Recently I have been getting a number of questions about Oracine™, a formula trademarked and distributed by n3 Oceanic, Inc.; the makers of Res-Q 1250. As with their other products, Oracine ™ is marketed through a syndicated radio infomercial in talk show format. Claims that are being made range from:
Improvements in athletic performance
1. Cure for fatigue
2. Cure for heart failure
3. Cure for heart arrhythmias and palpitations
4. Cure for high blood pressure
5. A preventative against heart attack
6. Anti-inflammatory
7. Rebuilds damaged cells
This is a tall order for any supplement. So, is any of it true?

What is Oracine ™?

Oracine ™ is the brand name of a formula that contains two main ingredients, magnesium orotate and inosine phosphate. Magnesium orotate is superior form of magnesium that readily enters the cell where it can have its positive effects. The oritic acid, which is bound to the magnesium is used in the production of DNA and RNA as well as the production of energy in the cell. The inosine is known as a purine ribnucleotide that is also used in the production of energy as well as DNA and RNA.

Sounds good, but is there research to support the health claims, much less the high price tag?

In six words, ” yes and no…but mostly no”.

As I stated earlier, magnesium orotate is a superior form of magnesium and the orotate itself is likely beneficial to the body. In our practice, we use magnesium for heart health as well as blood pressure problems. Magnesium also appears to benefit people with diabetes and heart failure. But is the 40 mg of magnesium provided in a daily dose of the formula enough to benefit the body? Possibly, but there just isn’t enough research to gauge the benefit. There certainly is not enough research to support the wild claims that are made on the website and radio infomercial. Magnesium deficiency is common and most people would benefit from supplementing with magnesium, however, the 40 mg provided by this formula is likely insufficient to result in significant therapeutic benefit.

What about the inosine? Inosine has, in fact, been studied for its effect in improving muscular endurance in athletes. The conclusions of the research, however, go contrary to those reported by n3 Oceanic, Inc. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition gave trained athletes high doses of inosine and found no benefit to endurance. This is consistent with other research which also found no benefit to endurance. Uric acid did increase in subjects who took the inosine, an effect that the n3 Oceanic website lists as a benefit due to uric acid’s antioxidant benefit. Although uric acid is, in fact, an antioxidant its buildup is also a cause of gout and kidney stones. Some research suggests that increases in uric acid could help protect the nerves of patients suffering with multiple sclerosis. A recent study did, in fact, show inosine to increase uric acid in multiple sclerosis patients, however, the researchers recommend that patients be closely monitored while pursuing such a treatment. As for the claims about inosine’s benefits to regenerating damaged heart cells and reversing heart failure, there just is no research to support these claims. After searching the research literature, I can only assume that n3 Oceanic Inc. is basing these claims on pure hypothesis. Isn’t it interesting that n3 Oceanic offers no reference for the outrageous claims surrounding their formula?

So, the bottom line is this…Most of us are already taking a number of supplements and in my opinion the addition of this formula is simply not worth the expense. Your money is best spent on supplements with a more proven record, in fact, any record of benefit would be an improvement over Oracine™. It is easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest thing, especially when such claims are being made. In this instance, the hype far outweighs the science. With that said, if you are still convinced that Oracine™ is effective then I recommend that you purchase the individual ingredients separately and save a boatload of money! Source Naturals produces an inosine supplement and magnesium orotate is available from Priority One.

As these protein caps shorten, research suggests that our cells are more susceptible to disease and the aging process is accelerated. Free radicals and stress have been closely linked to the process of telomere shortening and thus it appears that our lifestyle can play an important role in the rate at which we age.

A recent study evaluated the effect of certain supplements on slowing the process of telomere shortening. In this study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists discovered that taking a multivitamin daily can actually slow the rate at which the telomeres shorten. In fact, regular multi-vitamin users enjoyed 5.1 percent longer telomeres. This may not sound like much but it may turn out to be quite significant. What if that results in a 5.1% increase in lifespan? What if that 5% difference means the difference between developing a disease and not suffering with that disease? Admittedly, we do not know what that 5.1 percent difference translates into as far as health and wellness is concerned. With the information we have, I feel that any protection we can provide to the chromosome the better off we will be.

Other findings of this study include:

1. B12 supplementation also resulted in increased telomere length
2. B-complex showed no benefit or detriment to telomere length
3. Vitamin C and E from food protected the telomere from shortening
4. Iron supplementation sped up the process of telomere shortening

Supplement Recommendations Based on Article:

This study used a simple once-daily multivitamin. If you are a regular reader of the newsletter or a regular listener of our radio program then you know that a standard one-a-day multi is insufficient for optimal benefit. If you would like a simple multi-vitamin then I usually recommend the Multi-T/D by Pure Encapsulations which is taken one capsule twice daily. This simple formula would be significantly better than the one-a-day multi used in this study. If you want even more protection then I would recommend trying the Nutrient 950 without iron by Pure Encapsulations. This formula is taken 3 capsules twice daily. For a detailed discussion of the multi-vitamins we offer, check out our Virtual Pharmacist section https://www.illnessisoptional.com/virtual-pharmacist/78.html .

Argument: If I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, then I don’t need to add vitamins and minerals.
Answer: The argument that the nutritional needs of the body can be thoroughly met through diet is probably a valid one, as long as certain assumptions hold true. The main assumption is that the diet is made up almost entirely of fresh fruit and vegetables from local and trusted growers who understand crop rotation and proper soil fertilization. A fruit’s nutrition is highest at the height of its ripeness when the fruit is just about to fall from the tree, bush or vine. This makes great evolutionary sense as the purpose of the fruit is to propagate the species of the plant. The survival of the seed is most probable when the fruit contains the nutrition necessary to allow the seedling to develop. In addition, the sweetness and nutrition content of the fruit increase the likelihood that the fruit will be eaten by animals that scour the grasses for food. This helps both the animal and the plant as the animal gets food and the plant’s seed gets spread to different areas as it passes through the stool of the animal onto fertile ground elsewhere. The problem is that most conventional fruit is picked unripe and then ripened on the way to the store through artificial processes using ethylene. This makes for a fruit or vegetable that contains suboptimal levels of nutrients. A study performed at Oregon State University found that green blackberries contain only 74 mg/100 grams of anthocyanins (a plant compound/antioxidant known to protect the body from heart disease and cancer) compared to 317 mg/100 grams for vine ripened blackberries. (J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Sep 22;52(19):5907-13.) Research in Spain demonstrated that cherries picked prematurely contained one-half the level of vitamin C as cherries picked ripe (J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Apr 6;53(7):2741-5.)

In addition, due to the over farming of lands there is not enough nutrition in the soil to make for highly nutritive foods. For example, each time a watermelon is picked from the land some of the nutrition goes with it, after all, a fundamental law of physics is you cannot make something from nothing. Over time the soil gets depleted and the nutrition in the fruits and vegetables suffer. To make matters worse, the growers use a process of selective breeding to increase pith and water (the pith is the fibrous material such as the netting around the pulp of the orange and the white fluff just under the skin). This makes for big, attractive and heavy fruit with less vitamin and mineral content. These plant breeders lovingly refer to this process as the “dilution effect”. An example of this effect is with a very popular breed of broccoli called “Marathon” which is big and green and according to the USDA contains half the calcium and magnesium of other more nutritious hybrids of broccoli. All of this results in more weight and less nutrition.

In a 2004 study, scientists discovered that the nutrition content for 6 nutrients have declined significantly in fruits and vegetables since 1950. These nutrients include calcium, riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, potassium and protein. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6):669-82) This study from the University of Texas evaluated the nutrient content over time of 43 garden crops. This study takes into account the effect of many different factors including ethylene ripening, the dilution effect, the use of commercial fertilizer, over farming, etc.
So is it possible to find nutrient dense fruits and vegetables? I believe so. Studies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables have more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when compared to conventional produce. (J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62; J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1237-41) Even if you regularly use organic produce, you will need to eat larger quantities of these fruits and vegetables to meet the vitamin, mineral and antioxidant needs of the body. I believe that people who meet these produce requirements are the exception rather than the rule.

One final argument on this subject doesn’t have to do with the nutrient content of the food as much as it has to do with nutrient needs of the body. Today’s body has to deal with an onslaught of toxic attack that we did not evolve on. Cleaning product, pollutions, stress and out gassing of carpets and paint all cause a withdrawal from the antioxidant and nutrient reserves of the body. We cannot assume that the nutrient needs of yesteryear apply to today! In other words, you need more nutrition today just to meet the minimum needs! Research has found that the great majority of the population does not meet the pitiful RDA requirements for one or more nutrients.

Argument: Doesn’t supplementation just cause expensive urine?
Answer: Whenever I debate the need for supplementation it seems that the first argument is always the same, “All that you are doing with nutritional supplements is making expensive urine.” This argument comes from the point that any excess of water soluble nutrients that you take in will be excreted through the urine. So if you take 1,000 mg of vitamin C and your body only uses 500 mg then you will kick out 500 mg of the vitamin C as “waste”. My answer to this is, better a surplus than a deficiency! When you supplement, you do run the risk of losing some extra nutrients in the urine. This argument can be made for those who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as you will likely see more vitamins and minerals in their urine as well. Does this mean that you should not eat fruits and vegetables? In addition, if you want to talk about expensive urine let’s talk about the urine of people who take medications. You will find a significant amount of these medications in the urine and stool of these patients. So you choose- expensive urine full of vitamins or expensive urine full of medications.

Argument: We eat more food than most other countries, aren’t my nutrition needs being met?
Answer: I agree with the first statement regarding the quantity of food that we eat, however, I disagree with the second part of the statement which refers to the quality of food. Our society has built a food culture that creates a population of overfed and undernourished people. This means that calories are plentiful but nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are deficient. This is the main reason why supplementation is so important. Starvation as it pertains to energy is not a common problem here in the United States, however, cellular starvation is a major problem. This means that the cells have all of the fuel that they require to function; however, the cells may not have the micronutrients necessary to be able to convert the fuel to energy and appropriately distribute that energy to various functions such as the immune and repair systems. This is like a car with a full tank of gas and no spark plugs. Remember, practically every study that has evaluated various vitamin and mineral levels in the blood have correlated higher levels of food nutrients with significantly better health. This means getting nutrients from whole food sources when possible and supporting with supplementation as an insurance policy.

Argument: There are no studies to support the need for supplementation.
Answer: This statement is just plain ridiculous! There is a tremendous amount of research on nutrition and its benefit to health. I have never understood how people make this comment when I am drowning in studies published in peer reviewed journals demonstrating the benefit and safety of nutritional supplementation. Search PubMed or Medline (the same search engine used by your doctor) on omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, coenzyme Q 10, vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. You will be blown away by the results that you get. As far as safety goes, according to the 2005 annual report in the journal Clinical Toxicity, which evaluates the reports from 61 poison control centers in the U.S., out of 53 billion doses of supplemental vitamin supplements there was not even one death reported. Tragically, Tylenol was not so lucky being responsible for numerous adverse events and deaths.
I have dedicated my life to the study of longevity and, more importantly, to the study of vitality. My definite purpose is to design a system of living that allows people like you and me to live long, energetic lives full of LIFE ENERGY! To accomplish this goal, a system is needed that will prevent disease and promote energy production, circulation, repair and rejuvenation throughout our entire lives. It is my belief that this goal can be met with a healthy diet full of fresh, raw, organic, healthy foods. It is also my belief that with each day that science “revolutionizes” our lives and food industries this becomes harder and harder. Although it is possible to live long and healthy lives without supplementation, it is less likely today than ever before and the majority of us need supplements to meet our body’s needs.

The second study tracked 36,282 postmenopausal women for seven years who were on calcium and vitamin D to determine if the supplements would offer any benefit as far as preventing invasive breast cancer. After the studies were wrapped up, the researchers found no benefit from either supplement program.

After the publishing of these studies, the press published news articles which were titled “No proof of vitamin C, D, E benefit” suggesting that these two studies prove the ineffectiveness of vitamins and antioxidants for promoting health. Obviously, this headline is both misleading and ridiculous.

The first study which evaluated the effectiveness of vitamin C and E in preventing heart attack or stroke used just 500 mg of vitamin C taken daily and 400 IU of vitamin E taken every other day. These doses are both very conservative and unlikely to offer significant benefit. The vitamin E used in the study was a synthetic vitamin E made from petroleum that is far inferior to natural, mixed tocopherol vitamin E formulas.

In the vitamin D study, just 400 IU of vitamin D was used in the study which studies have shown is not sufficient to improve blood vitamin D levels one bit. Our general recommendation for vitamin D is 2,000 IU daily and this dose may not even suffice. To properly evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D, we would expect researchers to do vitamin D blood tests and then optimize the dose to achieve sufficient vitamin D blood levels. Research suggests that blood levels in the 50-60 range are considered optimal.

These studies were both heavily flawed. First, the doses of the vitamins were insufficient to positively impact health. This would be equivalent to evaluating the benefit of 1 capsule daily of amoxicillin in treating an infection when 3 capsules daily is the recommended minimum dose. In addition, using a synthetic vitamin E would be like using a chemical which resembles amoxicillin but isn’t quite the same and then making a final conclusion that “antibiotics don’t treat infections.” I hate to say it, but tax payers wasted millions of dollars on two studies which were doomed from the outset. There is an old saying that goes, “At first a new truth is ridiculed, then it is vehemently opposed and then it is accepted.” The good news in all of this bad news is it confirms our belief that we are in the second phase where the world of natural medicine is violently opposed which means that “acceptance” is right around the corner. Call, me optimistic…but that is my belief.

So let’s look at some recent studies that ended with a different conclusion to the above mentioned studies:
1. Circulation, 2007;116:1497-1503 – In this study performed at Harvard University, 39,876 women over the age of 45 were given either 600 mg of natural vitamin E or a sugar pill for a period of 10 years. The group that was given the natural vitamin E had a 21% lower risk of developing a life-threatening clot and the women who entered the study with a history of forming clots experienced a 44% decreased risk of additional clots. In addition, the group given vitamin E enjoyed an 8% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a stroke that involves bleeding in the brain.
2. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007;167:1610-1618 – This was another study performed at the Harvard School of Medicine. In this study, researchers studied 8,171 women who were given either 500 mg of vitamin C daily, 600 IU of natural vitamin E every other day or 50 mg of beta carotene every other day. This study was similar in design to the study recently mentioned in the press. The researchers reported that the group who took the vitamin E enjoyed an 11% decreased risk of cardiovascular event. When the researchers only included people who consistently took the vitamin E, there was a 22% lower risk of heart attack, 27% lower risk of stroke and a 9% decrease in risk of death from cardiovascular disease. When the people consistently took the vitamin C and E the results were even more significant.

To help you with your mission, you have likely been blessed with a gift for nagging that commonly forces your loved one into vitamin-submission.
When you understand the importance of nutrition and supplementation you want to share that knowlege with your family and friends so that they can enjoy good health well into their later years. So how do you get them on board when you are met with skepticism? Here are my recommendations:

Get someone else involved who has credentials that your loved one respects. There is an old saying that goes “A prophet is accepted everywhere…but in their own home land.” This basically speaks to a well known truth that your family will not listen to your advice on health just because they are your family and for no other reason! My parents helped to put me through private school, not to mention, 7 years of undergraduate work and pharmacy school only to ignore my advice! It is nothing personal, there just seems to be this unwritten law of life “Thy family shall not listen to your counsel”. Get a health professional involved who has the credentials that your family member respects. This means that the local acupuncturist or chiropracter will not do if they only respect physicians and pharmacists. Just be sure that you get them in touch with a practitioner who knows what they are talking about when it comes to natural products!
Make it VERY easy for them. I take over 60 pills, capsules and liquids daily. I see the long-term value of each and every one of those pills, however, I would never delude myself into thinking that my stubborn loved-one shares in that level of understanding. Pick your battles wisely, in all liklihood you will only be able to get them to take between 1 and 4 capsules daily. Just accept this as better than nothing and choose only the supplements that will provide them with the most benefit.
Use the most powerful negotiation tool known to…child. Children seem to have an instinctual ability to negotiate parents into deals that you would never thought you would have agreed to. They use a technique that has been adopted by some of the greatest negotiators in the world. Here it is…recommend a supplement program that you know they will balk at and then after they cringe or refuse follow up with a more reasonable request. For example, a conversation may go something like this, “Hey John, I am going to treat you to a nutritional supplement program, can you take 4 capsules twice daily?” (John grumbles in discontent) “Okay, that is too much for you, how about if you just take this one supplement every day, can you manage that?” I realize that this is a little tricky, but it works.
Once daily is okay when it mean compliance. In an ideal world, I like to see people get on a twice daily schedule for their supplement program. For stubborn loved-ones, however, once daily is a great victory and usually all that they will agree to. I specifically love blister packed products or supplements in a convenient celophane packet.
Recently I discovered a product that makes your job a lot easier. The product is called Four Pillars and provides a solid supplement program in a convenient blister pack. Each blister packed strip provides 4 capsules to be taken once daily. Each daily dose provides your stubborn loved one with a vitamin and mineral formula that puts Centrum to shame while also providing the other pillers of healthy supplementation: whole food antioxidant formula, an omega-3 fatty acid formula and capsule containing billions of healthy bacteria. Simply give your loved one a box of the Four Pillars with instructions to take one strip of 4 capsules once daily.

The Four Pillars makes your job easy because the blister packs are convenient, easy to take and even a little fun. There are no bottles to pluck through, just tear a strip of capsules away from the pack and swallow them at your next meal.

What Are Chia Seeds?
Are They as Nutritious as They Are Reported to Be?
What are the Benefits of Chia Seeds?
Does it Really Matter if You Buy Black or White Chia Seeds?

Yes, we are talking about the chia seeds used in the popular 80’s commercials for chia pets. It turns out that there is much more to these tiny seeds than growing green plumage on ridiculous ceramic heads. In fact, these seeds are a wonderful source of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and both soluble and insoluble fiber.

The story behind chia seeds is quite interesting, the ancient Aztecs and Mayans relished the chia seed as an integral part of their diet. The seeds were utilized for an easily digested and utilized source of nutrition until the Conquistadors nearly eradicated the crops in an attempt to conquer the Aztec civilization.

It wasn’t until the 90’s that the chia crops were brought back to life when Dr. Coates, began growing the chia crops in Argentina. Now the chia seeds have made a great resurgence and supplement companies are jumping at the chance to bring these seeds to market as another “superfood” full of wonderful nutrition.

But are the all that they are cracked up to be?

Chia seeds are indeed good sources of nutrition. An analysis of chia seeds reports the following:

44% Carbohydrate, 16 percent protein, 31% fats (mostly omega-3)
1.5 grams of omega-3 per tablespoon
60 mg of calcium per tablespoon
25 mg of magnesium per tablespoon
Assortment of B-vitamins and minerals
2500 mg of fiber per tablespoon
Chia appears to be the real thing, a superfood that provides appreciable amounts of nutrition. There are other benefits to chia seeds, for instance, unlike flax seed you do not need to grind the seeds up as they break down and absorb very easily. They help to slow the absorption of carbohydrates due to their high fiber content. Research has shown benefit to cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, chia seeds do not attract insects and therefore do not require pesticides for optimal growth.

There are two main varieties on the market, black and white chia seeds. The white chia seeds are reported to be higher in nutrition, although, this still needs to be confirmed by independent sources. For now, either black or white seeds will provide significant amounts of nutrition. Chia seeds do not need to be expensive, with more and more companies offering the chia seeds you should be able to get a pound for under $10.

It was then suggested that many diseases were a consequence of accumulated free radical damage. The result of this damage was dysfunction in the organs. This can be likened to targeting a car with a gun, it is unlikely that one bullet would stop the car but if we riddled the car with bullets, it would ultimately stop working. This theory infatuated scientists and they began testing it .. .

Initial studies, performed with animals and in test-tubes, confirmed the theory. Then came the human studies and results were hot and cold, some studies lending support and others calling the theory into question. You have likely read articles in the newspaper with titles like “Vitamin C Causes Cancer” or “Vitamin E Useless for Preventing Heart Disease”. Although these studies were horribly flawed and the findings nothing more than statistical lies, they nonetheless caused doctors and the public to question the benefits of antioxidants.…

So what do we make of these inconsistent results?

First, it is important to realize that the story about antioxidants and free radicals is a complex one. I have decided to use this article to describe how I have utilized the free radical theory to enhance my own lifestyle and supplement program rather than debate the theory itself. I believe that the free radical theory of aging does provide us valuable insight into the disease process, however, I also feel that our understanding of how to fully use antioxidants is incomplete at best. So here are my personal beliefs based on the data we have to date:

Food is my foundation. This is one of the few areas where I agree with the conventional stance on nutrition. Supplementation should be used to SUPPLEMENT your diet, not replace it. When you look at any particular food it can be placed into two main categories; processed and unprocessed food. Making unprocessed food a big part of your diet will play a huge role in determining whether or not free radicals run rampant in your body.

Fortified food is NOT the same as foods naturally high in nutrition. In nature, vitamins are much more complex compounds than those we fortify food with. For example, food source vitamin C is actually a combination of numerous compounds including bioflavonoids which are encased in a protective shell which we call ascorbic acid. The ascorbic acid is the antioxidant protection for the full vitamin C molecule, but when we fortify food with “vitamin C”, in fact, we are only fortifying it with the protective shell of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Now, ascorbic acid does benefit the body, but it is not nearly as beneficial as the vitamin C molecule found in an orange, pepper or kiwi.

The goal is not to completely eradicate free radicals from the body. Free radicals, when left unchecked, appear to damage the cells and do appear to play a significant role in the formation of disease. This does not mean, however, that free radicals do not play an important role in the human body. In fact, free radicals are used by immune cells to destroy offending bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. In addition, free radicals are your cell’s barbells for keeping in shape. Last year, scientists discovered that when ascorbic acid was given in high doses before intense exercise free radicals were significantly decreased. This sounds like a good thing, however, the eradication of the free radicals decreased the ability of the cell to produce mitochondria. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and one of the positive consequences of exercise is an increase in the number and size of the mitochondria found in the cells. The increase in these cellular engines is partially responsible for the increase in energy and vitality associated with exercise. Loading the body with too many antioxidants appeared to inhibit the process of mitochondria production. Why does this happen? Free radicals seem to give feedback to the cell that more energy producing mitochondria are needed because free radicals are an indication that your body is using more oxygen! The goal is to provide the body with sufficient antioxidants to defend the cell rather than trying to mount a massive offensive.

Antioxidant Supplements, the secret is getting enough but not too much. People who are familiar with our work know that it is rare that we recommend high doses of vitamin E or selenium or vitamin C without discussing the importance of balance. No vitamin or antioxidant exists in a vacuum, in fact, our body is a nutrient and antioxidant soup full of thousands of different antioxidants, enzymes and nutrients all commissioned with the job of protecting us from disease. I just do not believe that throwing huge doses of one antioxidant into this complex nutrient soup is going to result in any significant gain for the whole body. This is why research on vitamin E has been so disappointing. Vitamin E itself is not made up of one compound but MANY! All of which play a role in the body, just because we may not fully understand that role does not mean it is not important. So here are the secrets to antioxidants: First rely on food for your foundation as previously discussed. Second, supplement with a balanced multi-vitamin formula such as Nutrient 950. Third, get antioxidant protection from whole food and herbal supplements…

The formula that I personally use as my antioxidant formula is called Botanical Treasures by Natura Health Products. This product combines a number of herbal and food based ingredients such as: turmeric, green tea, grape seed extract, knotweed, grape skin, ginger, holy basil, amla and rosemary. All of these herbs contain hundreds or thousands of nutrients and antioxidant compounds that work in unison to protect the whole body. In addition, many of these compounds provide other powerful benefits to the body such as normalizing the inflammatory response, normalizing cell division, activating genes known to protect the cell from aging, etc. By taking whole food based antioxidant formulas I feel that it is nearly impossible to over saturate the system with antioxidants because the body treats these compounds as food. This means that the body has some say as to what is absorbed and utilized.

To summarize, the free radical theory of aging gives us great insight into one path by which disease is potentiated in the body and aging is promoted. Much more research is needed to determine how best to utilize this understanding. In the mean time, eating good raw and unprocessed fruits and vegetables and supplementing with whole food antioxidants is likely to provide our bodies with sufficient defense against the ravages of free radicals.

Cliff Notes” that will highlight the 16 key points regarding vitamin D. For those of you who consider yourselves nutrition nerds like me, these facts make for great conversation at parties. So here we go!

Vitamin D is a hot topic right now and I recently read a wonderful article that I felt did a great job of summarizing the research literature on vitamin D. Rather than writing another boring article on this topic, I decided to write up the “Vitamin D Cliff Notes” that will highlight the 16 key points regarding vitamin D. For those of you who consider yourselves nutrition nerds like me, these facts make for great conversation at parties. So here we go!

1. Vitamin D is a potent steroid hormone that plays an important role in over 200 repair and maintenance genes of the body. This means vitamin D has over 200 known mechanisms by which it promotes health and longevity aside from its benefits to the bones.
2. Your blood test levels for vitamin D should stay between 40-50 ng/ml all year round. During winter months, many people may need up to 5,000 iu daily in order to maintain this level.
3. A recent study found that 1,100 iu of vitamin D3 daily over a 4 year period dramatically decreased the risk of non-skin cancers.
4. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many other diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, blood pressure problems, multiple sclerosis, periodontal disease, macular degeneration, inflammatory diseases, stroke, diabetes, mental illness and instability on your feet. Now you see why this is such a hot topic!
5. A recent analysis of the research suggests that 2,000 iu of vitamin D may virtually eliminate cold and flu.
6. Vitamin D deficiency may lead to unexplained back pain and, in these people, high doses of vitamin D (5,000 iu to 10,000 iu) may alleviate the pain!
7. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant and affects young and elderly alike. Vitamin D deficiency can occur even in people who live in sunny climates.
8. Stress fractures in otherwise healthy people may indicate vitamin D deficiency.
9. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to muscle pain and weakness.
10. Prescription vitamin D is not human vitamin D and is 2-4 times less effective than cheaper, non-prescription vitamin D (cholecalciferol).
11. The average adult needs 2,000-4,000 iu of vitamin D daily to maintain a healthy level. Although this is a good “standard recommendation” each person absorbs, utilizes and produces vitamin D to different degrees and may require a little more or a little less to optimize their blood levels.
12. If you are aged, obese and/or dark-skinned you may need 3,000-5,000 iu to maintain healthy levels.
13. Pregnant women should have their vitamin D blood tests performed every 3 months and optimize the blood levels using supplements. Lactating women should consider doses up to 6,000 iu daily to provide acceptable amounts to their child through breast milk. Vitamin D is crucial for the proper development of a growing child.
14. Bottle-fed infants should be supplemented with 400 iu of vitamin D daily. Breastfed children should be supplemented with 800 iu daily unless the mother takes high enough doses of supplemented vitamin D. Toddlers and older children who do not get sufficient sun should take 1,000-2,000 iu depending on their weight.
15. Vitamin D is safe. Most adults would have to take well over 10,000 iu of vitamin D for many months or years before they would suffer side effects from toxicity.

For those who would like to read the entire review article, it can be downloaded for free from The Vitamin D Council by clicking the following link: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/PDFs/diagnosis-vitdd.pdf. There are many vitamin D supplements on the market, recently Carlson Labs came out with a very high potency line of liquid vitamin D. They have three formulas: 400 iu per drop, 1,000 iu per drop and 2,000 iu per drop. These products are convenient alternatives to softgels. If you would like a powerful multivitamin that provides 2,000 iu of vitamin D daily, I recommend the Purity’s Perfect Multivitamin.