Vitamin Supplements

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 »

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 »

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 »

Zinc Minerals

Zinc is one of the most thoroughly researched and widely deficient minerals. About a thousand papers are published each year indicating its value for a variety of conditions. The best absorbed forms of zinc include zinc picolinate, amino acid chelate, citrate and gluconate. Zinc supplementation is relatively non-toxic. In doses of 2000mg symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fever and severe anaemia have been reported. Small amounts of zinc, particularly in the form of zinc sulphate, can act as an irritant in the digestive tract when taken on an empty stomach. There is also some evidence that zinc, at levels of 300mg per day, may impair rather than improve immune function. It is generally considered safe to supplement up to 50mg per day. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Salt

Sodium and chlorine are both very powerful substances when they are alone. When combined they form a useful combination called sodium chloride. This is ordinary table salt. Without sodium chloride in our bodies, we could not live. This salt is necessary in maintaining the normal acid-base balance of the body. This is good news, for most of us like a little salt with our food. Read the rest of this entry »

Time Release and Sustained Release

A major step forward in vitamin manufacturing has been the introduction of time release supplements. Time release also known as sustained release is a process by which vitamins are enrobed in micropellets [tiny time pills] and then combined into a special base for their release in a pattern that assures eight- to twelve-hour absorption. Most vitamins are water soluble and cannot be stored in the body. Without time release, they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and, no matter how large the dose, are excreted in the urine within two or three hours.

Time-release supplements can offer optimum effectiveness, minimal excretary loss, and stable blood levels all during the day and through the night. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Understanding Your Digestive System

Knowing how your digestive system works will clear up, right at the start, some of the more common confusions about how, when, and where nutrients operate.

Mouth and OesophagusDigestion begins in the mouth with the grinding of food and admixture of saliva. An enzyme called ptyalin in the saliva already begins to split starches into simple sugars. The food is then forced to the back of the mouth and into the oesophagus, or gullet. Here is where peristalsis begins. This is a kneading “milking” constriction and relaxation of muscles that propels material through the digestive system. To prevent back-flow of materials, and to time the release of proper enzymes — since one enzyme cannot do another enzyme’s work — the digestive tract is equipped with valves at important junctions. Read the rest of this entry »

Selenium

FACTS:

Vitamin E and selenium are synergistic. This means that the two together are stronger than the sum of the equal parts.

Both vitamin E and selenium are antioxidants, preventing or at least slowing down aging and hardening of tissues through oxidation.

Males appear to have a greater need for selenium. Almost half their body’s supply concentrates in the testicles and portions of the seminal ducts adjacent to the prostate gland. Also, selenium is lost in the semen. Read the rest of this entry »