Vitamin Supplements

The ability to keep your bones strong (a prerequisite for preventing arthritis and osteoporosis) depends to a large extent on how your body makes use of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Of these, calcium is the most abundant mineral in bone. However, more and more evidence is accumulating to show that dietary calcium intake is only one of a number of factors that influence the proper use of calcium in the body. The degeneration of cartilage seems to herald the beginning of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. And the cartilage of osteoarthritic sufferers appears to be different in composition from that of non-sufferers. Read the rest of this entry »

ZINC

Zinc is found in high concentrations in bone tissue and has an important role in bone formation. Research proves that zinc is important for those with osteoporosis or low bone density. In one study it was shown that there is a connection between low bone density and zinc deficiency in women with osteoporosis.

Good sources of zinc are Brazil nuts, bean sprouts, oysters, peanuts, pecan nuts and pumpkin seeds. If supplementing zinc take the more absorbable forms which are zinc picolinate, glycinate and citrate. Take it separately from food and other supplements, especially calcium. Read the rest of this entry »

Calcium and Magnesium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, accounting for 1.6 per cent of our body mass. Of the 1200g of calcium in us, more than 99 per cent is in our bones and teeth. The rest is present in muscles, nerves and the bloodstream, where it plays a crucial role in many enzymes and the production of nerve signals and muscular energy.

Calcium is relatively well absorbed, with an average of 30 per cent of ingested calcium reaching the bloodstream. But its absorption into the bloodstream depends on many factors. An excess of alcohol, a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, or an excess of acid-forming foods (mainly protein) decrease its absorption. So does the presence of lead, which competes with it for absorption sites. Read the rest of this entry »

Glucosamine sulphate (GS) is an essential part of cell membranes and the cellular ‘glue’. It therefore plays a fundamental role in the formation of joints, tendons, ligaments, synovial fluid, bone and many more body parts including skin and blood vessels. Read the rest of this entry »

Minerals in multivitamin and mineral tablets often omit the `elemental’ value of the compound, stating only the amount of the mineral compound. For instance, 100mg of zinc amino acid chelate will provide only 10mg of zinc and 90mg of the amino acid to which it is chelated (attached).

You want to know the amount of the actual mineral — in this example, 10mg. This is called the ‘elemental value’. Most reputable manufacturers make your life easy by stating something like ‘zinc amino acid chelate (providing 5mg zinc) 50mg’ or ‘zinc (as amino acid chelate) 5mg’, both of which mean you are getting 5mg of elemental, or actual zinc. Read the rest of this entry »

While the golden rule of any supplement programme is to take the right doses and take them regularly, there are many other issues to consider when choosing supplements. For instance, is it better to have natural rather than synthetic nutrients? Are capsules better than tablets? Are certain forms of minerals better absorbed? Are there good and bad combinations? What if you’re on medication? Are there any drug—nutrient interactions or situations when you shouldn’t take supplements? Read the rest of this entry »

Most of the minerals essential for health are supplied from food to the body as a compound, bound to a larger (food) molecule. This binding is known as chelation, from the Greek word chela, meaning ‘a claw’. Some form of chelation is important, since most essential minerals in their ‘raw’ state are positively charged. The gut wall is negatively charged, so once separated from food through the process of digestion, these unbound positively charged minerals would be attracted to the gut wall. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is water-soluble so any excess is readily excreted from the body via the urine. RDAs vary considerably from country to country. A general consensus, based on up-to-date research, is that 100mg a day represents a good basic intake. The optimal intake is between 1000 and 3000mg a day.

A number of studies have investigated the effects of vitamin C on specific diseases, using over 10,000mg a day. The recommendation of these high levels has attracted controversy and allegations that vitamin C can cause kidney stone formation, Read the rest of this entry »

The safety of minerals depends on three factors. Firstly, the amount — all minerals show toxicity at exceedingly high doses. Secondly, the form — trivalent chromium, for example, is essential, while hexavalent chromium (which is not found in food or supplements) is very toxic. Thirdly, the balance with other minerals in the diet — iron supplementation, for instance, can exacerbate zinc deficiency since it is a zinc antagonist. The reason for this antagonism is that many minerals are atomically very similar to each other. So if you lack one mineral but take in an excess of another similar mineral it can slot into the wrong enzyme, speeding up or slowing down or simply stopping the enzyme from working. Read the rest of this entry »

Phytochemical

Plants are a rich source of nutrition, but everything that is found in plants is not necessarily a nutrient.

Nutrients are things that our bodies need to grow and function correctly. If you think of a person’s body as a chessboard, nutrients are the chess pieces that are needed to play the game. Sometimes, however, the plants also contain some substance_s that are not chess pieces, although they can influence the game.

Many plants contain chemicals that, just like prescription medicines, have a modifying effect on the body’s processes. About 25% of prescription medicines come from plants. Aspirin, for example, comes from the bark of a type of willow tree, but is a chemically purified and modified form of the original salicylate. Read the rest of this entry »