Vitamin Supplements

Absorption: the process by which nutrients are passed into the bloodstream.

Acetate: a derivative of acetic acid.

Acetic acid: used as a synthetic flavouring agent, one of the first food additives (vinegar is approximately 4 to 6 percent acetic acid); it is found naturally in cheese, coffee, grapes, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries; Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) when used only in packaging.

Acetone: a colourless solvent for fat, oils, and waxes, which is obtained by fermentation (inhalation can irritate lungs, and large amounts have a narcotic effect). Read the rest of this entry »

DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA)

This form of the essential amino acid phenylalanine is a mixture of equal parts of D (synthetic) and L (natural) phenylalanine. By producing and activating morphinelike hormones called endorphins, it intensifies and prolongs the body’s own natural painkilling response to injury, accident, and disease.

Certain enzyme systems in the body continually destroy endorphins, but DL-phenylalanine effectively inhibits these enzymes, allowing the pain-killing endorphins to do their job. Many people who do not respond to conventional pain-killers do respond to DLPA. Read the rest of this entry »

Amino Acid Supplements

Free-form amino acids are now available in balanced formulas or as individual supplements, because so many have been found to offer specific health-enhancing properties — from improving the immune system to reducing dependence on drugs.

It’s wise, when taking amino acid supplements, to take also the major vitamins that are involved in their metabolism, for instance: Vitamins B6, B12, and niacin. And if you’re going to take an amino acid formula, make sure it’s well-balanced. Read the label! For protein synthesis to occur, there must be the balance between “essential” and “nonessential” amino acids, and the essentials in proper proportion to one another. (Lysine should be in a 2:1 ratio to methionine, 3:1 to tryptophan, and so on. Read the rest of this entry »

MilkIf you’re still craving milk as an adult, you might need acalcium supplement. Then again, it might be the amino acids — such as tryptophan, leucine, and lysine — that your body needs. Nervous people often seek out the tryptophan in milk, since it has a very soothing effect.

Chinese food Of course it’s delicious, but often it’s the monosodium glutamate in the food that fosters the craving.

People with salt deficiencies usually go all out for Chinese food. [MSG can cause a histamine reaction in some individuals. Headaches and flushing may occur. Most Chinese restaurants will now prepare your food without MSG if you request it.] Read the rest of this entry »

Shingles

Shingles [herpes zoster] is caused by a virus much like the one that causes chicken pox. But where chicken pox causes a general skin eruption, shingles usually erupts along a nerve path. Differences aside, the nutritional deficit caused by both diseases is high.

Vitamin A, 10,000-25,000 IU 1-3 times daily for 5 days, then stop for 2

Vitamin B complex, 100 mg. [time release] A.M. and P.M.

Rose hips vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 1,000-2,000 mg. A.M. and P.M.

Vitamin D, 1,000 IU 1-3 times daily for 5 days, then stop for 2 Read the rest of this entry »