What, How Much and what they do...The ABC's of Supplements

Under Standing How to Read the Recommendations: The Alligator Rule 

This article uses the < & > signs.  In case your math memory is rusty (and our CEO didn't learn this trick until she was in her 3rd year of calculus!) Here's how it works:
The Alligator is hungry so he always eats the bigger number.
If we state "Take <300 mg", this means take less than 300 milligrams.  The alligator wants more than 299 mg's (which is less than 300) so he's going after the 300+.

The Supplement Dictionary

TOP

• Women: 400 mg

• Men: 333 mg

<300 mg; Approximately 40% of the US population gets less than the 70% of the RDA.

1.       Lower Risk for Heart Disease: Magnesium has definitively shown to be effective in stabilizing blood pres-sure, dilating con-stricted blood vessels.

2.       Bone Health:
 Magnesium works synergistically with calcium for optimal absorption. Low levels of magnesium has shown an increased incidence of osteo-porosis.

3.       Sexual Health: Due to the nature of blood vessel relaxation and dilation, the vascular actions of magnesium may work similar to Viagra®.

1. Stress
2. Sugar
3. Alcohol
4. Caffeine
5. Carbonated beverages that contain phosphates.

   ---

Any Warnings?

Whole grains cereals, artichokes, beets, date, avocadoes, soybean, nuts, banana, oysters;)

Pregnant or lactating women, individuals on diuretic medi-cation, or kidney failure patients need a lower dose of Magnesium.

What is it?

How Much?

A water-soluble B vitamin that is necessary in forming coen-zymes for protein synthesis

400 mcg, 800mcg for patients with or at risk for heart disease.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, over 50% of those consuming a western diet do not get enough folate.

1. Heart Health: Many studies have reported increased risk of heart attacks with low folate levels. Homocysteine, is a protein linked to heart disease, and accum-ulates in the absence of folic acid. A study from the British Medical Journal in 1998 found that folate lowered plasma homocysteine levels by 25%
    

2. Decreased Strokes: Another benefit related to its cardiovascular risk profile is a decrease in strokes. Homocysteine levels increase with age, and the chances of strokes increase by almost 42% when homocysteine levels in-crease unmitigated.
    

3. Lowered incidence of cancers:  Multiple stu-dies are beginning to confirm that folate supplementation can have anti-cancer po-tential. A summary of studies done by the Journal of the American Medical Association in June, 2002,  has shown positive signs of diminishing incidence of breast and colon cancer by as much as 25%, partcularily with patients that smoke and drink alcohol. Though the exact means by which folate provides this anti-cancer is still unconfirmed, genetic “repair” work with functional enzyme synthesis is a leading hypothesis of the mechanism. (MTHFR polymorphism)
    

4. Lower Risk of Birth Defects: Pregnant wo-men, or women who are childbearing age are at risk of having babies with neural tube defects. Folate supplementation at doses at least 800 mcg are necessary for ensuring healthy ges-tational development.

   ---

Dark green leafy vegetables, whole-grain cereals, fortified grain products, and animal products.

What is it?

How Much?

Selenium is a mineral necessary for the synthesis of GPx (glutathione peroxidase) which is a key element in antioxidizing process in the cell.

Women: 100 mcg

Men: (age>50): 200 mcg

1. Immune Strengthening: selenium is a crucial component of GPx, which is a “factory” of antioxidant production. Certain disorders and diseases that result from viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus, AIDS, and chronic fatigue syndrome have shown positive results with supplementation of selenium. 
    

2. Prostate Cancer:
   This deserves special mention, because 1996 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed taking 200 mcg daily dramatically reduced the risk of lung, colorectal, and es-pecially prostate cancer.

   ---

What is it?

How Much?

Up to 18 mg.

Only menstruating women, or patients diagnosed with chronic iron-deficiency anemia should be on supplementation.

Any Warnings?

1.        Iron can help in cases of iron-deficiency anemia, however this must be diagnosed with a physician and lab tests.

2.    Oxidation—i.e. acceleration of the aging process. Individuals who have supplemented iron for energy claims have discovered that heart disease and heart attacks have actually increased as a result of overdosing iron.

Multiple complications, including fatigue, diminished sex drive, diabetes, and under severe circumstances—heart failure and liver damage.

What is it?

How Much?

Family of fat-soluble com-pounds, called retinoids, known primarily for its role in vision.

5,000 IU per day.

Attempt to obtain vitamin A with a brand that provides 50-100% from Beta-Carotene, which will convert only to necessary amounts of vitamin A.

1. Vision: vitamin A is particularily crucial for night vision, as deficiency of this vitamin causes night blindness.
2. Cancer: numerous studies have shown associations with decreased cancers, however the evidence is now pointing to the beneficial antioxidant properties of vitamin A’s precursor as the true hero—Beta-carotene.

   ---

1.       At levels greater than 5,000 IU,    there is an increased risk of reversing the antioxidant effect. Instead of getting rid of radicals, overdosing vitamin A now facilitates the oxidation process.

2.       Increased osteoporosis and hip fractures: it is important to keep in mind, that, like vitamin D, vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. Too much of it will counteract the defense and delivery of Calcium that vitamin D is so necessary for. The best way to prevent these problems from occurring is to obtain products with a higher amount of beta-carotene.

3. Smokers beware!  Elevated dosages of vitamin A can increase the chance of developing lung cancer. If you are a smoker, consider skipping vitamin A completely.

Animal products, including meats, fish, egg yolks, and fortified milk.

Toxicity results in liver problems, visual impairment, and fetal impairment in women if levels of vitamin A exceed 15,000 IU

B6
(pyrodoxine)

What is it?

How Much?

A group of nitrogen containing compounds that are water soluble found in a variety of plant and animal products, B6 is necessary for protein metabolism.

 2 mg

In combination with folate, B6 has possible benefits in the reduction of homocysteine, leading to the reduction of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Poultry, fish, meat, legumes, nuts, potatoes, whole grains

Toxicity is unusual and has been associated with brain toxicity and light sensitivity when doses exceed 500 mg/d.

What is it?

How Much?

Fat soluble vitamin that like,

vitamin C, functions to “clean up” the free-radicals caused by cellular aging;  however it is found in the membrane, or wall of the cell.  

At least 400 IU for a healthy person, 800 IU for a person with preexisting heart disease, but no more than 1200 IU per day.

1. Immune Strengthening: as with any antioxidant, the primary role is to remove the cellular radicals that are pro-duced from oxidation, which facilitate the aging process.

2. Heart Disease: one of the beneficial features of an antioxidant is the ability to lower cholesterol levels, particularly in indivi-duals who have high cholesterol, diabetes, or hypertension. As with many drugs that prevent strokes, vitamin E naturally prevents platelets from adhering together within the blood vessels—a cause of atherosclerotic plaque disease.

3. According to the Nurses’ Health Study, done in 1993 reported by the Archives of Internal Medicine journal, women who were taking vitamin E at more than 100 IU (international unit) or about 20 times the normal daily dietary amount in a Western diet, there was a 44% reduction in heart disease.

   According to this study, dietary     intake of vitamin E alone had no impact.

   Another large study, called C.H.A.O.S. , (Cambridge Heart Antio-xidant Study) reported in the prestigious Lancet journal in 1996, found that vitamin E at 400-800IU reduced the 1 year rate of heart attacks with coexisting heart disease by 80%.
    

4. Prostate Cancer: There is strong definitive evidence, according to JAMA, for decreased prostate cancer espec-ially among smokers.

   ---

Too much vitamin E, especially in combination with anti-coagulants such as coumadin, herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort, ginseng, ginkgo, or even aspirin may predispose an individual to bleeding problems.

VITAMIN D
(calciferol)

What is it?

How Much?

This fat soluble vitamin Defends and Delivers Calcium and has a unique characteristic: humans are able to synthesize is with sunlight exposure.

• 400 IU,

• 600 IU if older than 70

Note: 10-20 minutes of sunlight is essential for the formation of vitamin D.

1. Osteoporosis: For either men or women, who are both at risk for this debilitating disease, vitamin D helps uptake of calcium into the bone matrix. Depletion of vitamin D, notorious in regions of the world with little sunlight, can cause the brittle bone disease of Ricketts.

2. Arthritis: vitamin D, in conjunction with Calcium has also been shown in numerous studies to diminish joint deterioration and the incidence of painful spurring in the joints—a hallmark of osteo-arthritis.

Antioxidant: D3, a version of vitamin D acts as a antioxidant inside the cell--in a similar manner to vitamin C. Studies have shown it to prevent DNA mutations, as well as increasing the level of a cancer watchdog, P53.

What is it?

How Much?

Water soluble vitamin with important for antioxidant effects and collagen synthesis. Since it is water soluble, Vitamin C functions as an intracellular antioxidant.

600mg taken twice, separate intervals is ideal, since much of it is eliminated through the urine.

1. Noted for strengthening immune function, eye function, lung health, and keeping blood pressure at healthy levels.

2. Decreases duration and severity of colds. Regular consumption of about 1 gram each day can reduce cold incidence by about 20%, and duration by almost 40%, according to Supplement Watch—an independent watchdog group.

3. Free-radicals, the waste product a cell produces, are scavenged up by vitamin C inside the cell.

4. Cancer prevention: According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is substantial evidence that certain cancers, including breast,  stomach, esophagus, and oral cavity are prevented from vitamin C supple-mentation.

5. Heart Disease: Though the evidence is still uncertain, there is strong signs that combined with vitamin E, vitamin C has benefits for individuals with heart disease.

   ---

Citrus fruits, strawberries, melons, tomatoes, broccoli, melons, peppers

Since vitamin C is water soluble, excess intake of it does not result in complications.

However diarrhea and bloating are noted side effects from too much vitamin C, in which case slowly tapering down the dose would be the best solution.