Vitamin Supplements

Who benefits from supplements?

The answer is simple: Everyone. Many of my colleagues will probably want to burn me at the stake for this but there is enough evidence to prove that most people today do not eat a balanced enough diet to get all the vitamins they need. In addition, the fast pace, stress and pollution of modern society result in a greater need for vitamins and other nutrients. Read the rest of this entry »

A common protest of patients whom I advise to embark on a fat- free diet is, ‘But don’t our bodies need some fat?’ Yes, in order to achieve optimum health they do. Now I’m going to introduce you to what I call the golden drops: essential fatty acids. So powerful are these fatty acids in maintaining health that they have been nicknamed ‘Vitamin F’. I like to think of them also as the master vitamins, because they play such a crucial role in nutrition. Read the rest of this entry »

Onion

The humble onion has a variety of health-protective and cleansing benefits. The pungent flavor of onions helps to improve circulation and reduce excess mucus in the respiratory tract and throughout the body. They are rich in sulfur, which promotes detoxification from heavy metals and parasites. Natural compounds in onions help to regulate blood pressure and eliminate damaging LDL cholesterol while increasing levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. For the most powerful benefits, eat onions both raw and cooked. Red and yellow onions contain quercetin, a potent antioxidant that neutralizes carcinogens and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Read the rest of this entry »

Carrots

Carrots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, with approximately 5,000 units of this health-protective nutrient in one carrot and 25,000 units of beta-carotene—an entire day’s health protective allowance—in one cup of fresh carrot juice. Beta- carotene promotes healthy liver function, and has powerful antioxidant properties, which protects cells from the damaging changes that are the primary cause of degenerative diseases. Carrots are also rich in pectin, which helps to alleviate constipation, cleanse the colon, and lower blood cholesterol levels. Read the rest of this entry »

Science is finally beginning to acknowledge that food truly is our best medicine. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals, as well as a variety of beneficial natural substances that protect the cells from changes that lead to cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases. Fruits and vegetables are also nature’s most potent cleansing foods. The high soluble fiber content of fresh produce helps to cleanse the intestinal tract and also helps to reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Because of their rich mineral content, fruits and vegetables help to restore the blood to a healthy alkaline balance. Many fruits and vegetables have gentle diuretic or laxative properties, as well. Following are some examples of fruits and vegetables with powerful cleansing and healing properties. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C is the great healing vitamin of the body. It has many functions and is very important, especially when the body is under some stress, such as during a prolonged illness or when fighting a severe infection. It is needed for the cells that produce the collagen substances that hold the tissues together. It is particularly important in maintaining the walls of the smaller blood vessels. It also aids in the absorption of iron from the digestive tract. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin D is not like other vitamins. Because the body can manufacture this nutrient, in fact, vitamin D fails to meet the classic definition of a vitamin. Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin, with ultraviolet light driving the process. With regular exposure to sunlight, most people can manufacture enough of this vitamin to meet all of their needs. People who do not get enough year-round exposure, however, may require dietary D as well. Certain groups, including older people, have difficulty producing vitamin D themselves and may also require dietary D.

While rickets, a disease caused by a vitamin D deficiency, has been around for thousands of years, our knowledge of the vitamin itself has a relatively short history. It was first isolated and synthesized. Read the rest of this entry »

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you (or your child) have an above-average risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency.

• Are you an older person? Skin production of vitamin D tends to slow down with age. Studies of older people—particularly older women—show that as many as 75 percent are at marked risk for vitamin D deficiencies.
• Are you confined indoors and not exposed to sunlight? With limited sun exposure, your skin will produce a minimal amount of vitamin D, leaving you to rely on diet alone for your vitamin D needs.
• Do you have kidney or liver disease? Vitamin D, formed in the skin, must be modified chemically in the kidney and liver before the body can use it. This process can be severely impaired if these organs are diseased. Read the rest of this entry »

Phosphorus

Another very important mineral upon which the body depends is phosphorus. This mineral plays a leading part in many of our vital processes.

It is present in every tissue and has much to do with the growth and functions of all the cells of the body. Phosphorus enters into a great many different chemical reactions, especially those involving enzymes, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Phosphorus is essential for all the muscles. Believe it or not, you could not lift an eyebrow without phosphorus! It is part of the nuclear structure of every cell. Phosphorus also helps to maintain the normal acid-base balance of the body.

In combination with calcium it forms a large part of the bony framework on which the rest of the body depends. It is essential in building sound, healthy teeth. Most of the phosphorus in the body is stored in the bones. Like calcium, it can be drawn upon for needs elsewhere. Read the rest of this entry »

Within the human body there is a surprising assortment of minerals. They have much to do with keeping us in good physical condition. Some minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, are needed for building strong bones and teeth. If it were not for these, our bodies would collapse. Other minerals act more or less like chemical “spark plugs” through their association with the enzyme systems of the body. Still others have special functions of their own to perform.

The chief minerals of the body are calcium, phosphorus, iron, and iodine. We need more of these than of the others. For that reason, these four are the most likely to be missing from a deficient diet. There are only traces of the other minerals in the body, but most of them must also be present for normal health. Read the rest of this entry »