Vitamin Supplements

Excipient: any inert substance used as a dilutant or vehicle for adrug.

Exogenous: being derived or developed from external causes. FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fibrin: an insoluble protein that forms the necessary fibrous network in the coagulation of blood.

Free-radicals: highly reactive chemical fragments that can produce an irritation of artery walls, start the arterio-sclerotic process if vitamin E is not present; generally harmful.

Fructose: a natural sugar occurring in fruits and honey; called fruit sugar; often used as a preservative for foodstuffs and an intravenous nutrient. Read the rest of this entry »

METHIONINE

Like cystine, this is another sulphur-containing amino acid. Methionine helps in some cases of schizophrenia by lowering the blood level of histamine, which can cause the brain to relay wrong messages. When combined with choline and folic acid, it has been shown to offer protection against certain tumours.

An insufficiency of methionine can break down the body’s ability to process urine and result in oedema (swelling due to retention of fluids in tissues) and susceptibility to infection. A methionine deficiency has also been linked to cholesterol deposits, atherosclerosis, and hair loss in laboratory animals. Read the rest of this entry »

Arginine

This amino acid is necessary for the normal function of the pituitary gland. Along with ornithine, phenylalanine, and other neuro chemicals, arginine is required for the synthesis and release of the pituitary gland’s growth hormone. The need for arginine is especially great in males, since seminal fluids contain as much as 80% of this protein building-block, and a deficiency could lead to infertility.

WHAT IT CAN Do FOR You:

• Increase sperm count in males.
• Aid in immune response and healing of wounds.
• Help metabolize stored body fat and tone up muscle tissue. 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 »

• Sweats and flushes can occur from too much vitamin K. Niacin should be used cautiously by anyone with severe diabetes, glaucoma, peptic ulcers, or with impaired liver function.
• Do not give niacin to your dog or cat; it causes flushing and sweating and greatly discomforts the animal. Do not supplement a pet’s diet with vitamins A or D unless your vet specifically advises it.
• Excessive amounts of PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid) in certain individuals can have a negative effect on the liver, kidneys, and heart.

• Iron should not be taken by anyone with sickle-cell anaemia, haemochromatosis, or thalassaemia. Read the rest of this entry »