Vitamin Supplements

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 »

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 »

Now you know how to read the labels and find out if a particular supplement contains what you need, here’s how to turn your nutrient needs into a supplement programme.

Theoretically, you could take a mega-mega-multi that has everything you could possibly need in it. The trouble is, this would be enormous, impossible to swallow and no doubt give you a lot more than you need of some nutrients. The other extreme is to take one supplement for each vitamin, exactly matching your requirements — but you’d end up with handfuls of pills. Read the rest of this entry »

Now that you’ve worked out what to take, you’ll want to know when to take them. This depends not only on what is technically best, but also on your lifestyle. If taking supplements twice a day would mean that you’d forget the second lot, you’re probably better off taking them all at once. After all, nature supplies them all in one go, with a meal. Here are the `ten commandments’ of supplement-taking: 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 »

There are very few dangerous drug—nutrient interactions, but there are many drugs which interfere with the action of nutrients, thereby increasing your need:

• Aspirin increases the need for vitamin C
• The birth control pill and HRT increase the need for B6, B12, folic acid and zinc
• Antibiotics increase the need for B vitamins and beneficial bacteria 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 »

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 »

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 »