forty percent of Americans take vitamin and mineral supplements
optimal bodily function, especially in athletes, cannot occur without daily ingestion of a precise mix of 59 substances, in the correct amounts
oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur are needed in large amounts, while the remaining 54 are needed in medium or small amounts
the 54 substances previously mentioned are less plentiful in the environment and thus in our food, so you are more likely to develop a deficiency in those ones
as of May 1992, 13 vitamins, 22 minerals, 6 cofactors, 8 amino acids, and two essential fatty acids (EFAs) were recognized as essential to the human system
all nutrients act in synergy to produce, maintain, and renew the body, and if even one is missing, or in short supply, the functions of the others are impaired
the word ”essential” means: 1) nutrients have to be present in adequate amounts or function is impaired, 2) the body cannot make nutrients or cannot make enough of them for normal tissue function, and 3) you have to get them from your diet
supplements can make up for shortcomings in your diet.
supplements can make good health easier for you to achieve.
on 9 April, 1991, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Nutrition, a Washington lobby representing 3000 physicians, asked the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to abandon the four food groups and to reclassify meats and dairy as ”optional foods” – 2004 Harvard has instituted a food pyramid that tips the USDA and Health Canada food pyramids upside down.
a professor of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, presented evidence that the excess intakes of meat and dairy products in America is strongly linked with their high rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis
on 27 April 1992, the USDA issued a food pyramid emphasizing whole grains, then vegetables, then fruits, as the basis of nutrition, with meats and dairy as minor foods
just a ”balanced” “mainstream” diet alone is not enough to ensure good nutrition.
pregnant women, dieters, and senior citizens, simply cannot obtain the recommended allowances for certain nutrients through “mainstream” food alone.
sometimes supplements are a safer source of certain nutrients than certain foods.
Principles Of Nutrition
Synergy. Nutrients are co-dependant on other nutrients to exert function within the body. They function only by interdependent interactions with each other.
Completeness. The corollary of synergy is that even if one essential nutrient is in short supply, none of the others can function properly.
Biochemical Individuality. Nutritional needs of individuals differ as much as their faces and fingerprints. Each person requires an individual nutrition program
Lifestyle Dynamics. Lifestyle choices such as the choice of training level, or the choice of living in a polluted urban area, dramatically affect nutritional needs.
Precision. There is only a narrow range of intake of each nutrient that will produce the optimum function.
Physiological Dynamics. Improved nutrition must wait on nature to renew whole bodily systems before its effects can show.
boron provides biochemicals called hydroxyl groups, essential for the manufacture of the active forms of some steroid hormones; especially the hormones involved in Ca, P, and Mg metabolism in bone, and in muscle growth
adequate boron status is necessary for normal testosterone production
post-menopausal women who supplemented 3 mg./day of sodium borate showed increased blood levels of testosterone and 17-beta-estradiol, the most active form of estrogen
Interactions and Toxicity:
intakes above 50mg/day may interfere with phosphorus and/or riboflavin metabolism
Sources:
soybeans, almonds, peanuts, prunes, raisins, dates and unprocessed honey
copper in the blood is bound to a protein called ceruloplasmin
Cu is a part of many enzymes including one that produces noradrenaline
Deficiency:
levels of ceruloplasmin (a copper-containing enzyme) are used to test for Cu deficiency
a rare genetic disease called Menke’s syndrome, is marked by a copper deficiency, but it is failure to absorb copper rather than an inadequate intake to blame
Interactions and Toxicity:
kidney disease can impair Cu nutrition
high intakes of zinc and vitamin C can impair Cu absorption
Sources:
best: oysters and dried yeast
good source: nuts, seeds, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables
K is the main cation inside the cells with a host of important functions
Actions:
K interacts with Na and Cl in the conduction of nerve impulses
mankind evolved on a high K, low Na diet as most foods naturally occur this way (even those that naturally taste salty are higher in K than Na)
food processing today reverses this healthy K:Na ratio and produces foods which are unhealthy
beneficial effect on blood pressure and is therefore expected to interact somehow with sodium, the mineral best known for its effect on blood pressure
with sodium (Na) outside the cells and potassium (K) inside the cells, the two work together to maintain the body’s water balance
K allows for the normal functioning of the nerves and muscles, particularly the heart
K also assists in the body processes that synthesize proteins and store carbohydrates
Deficiency:
average American intake of K is only 2500 mg.
RDA is 3500 mg
deficiency is rarely seen but most often happens in those with chronic diarrhea or vomiting, alcoholism, and anorexia nervosa
diabetics that progress to the state of ketoacidosis and those with hyperaldosteronism are also at risk of K deficiency
excessive loss of K occurs in the sweat of those with cystic fibrosis
impaired kidney function as well as the use of diuretics can predispose one to K deficiency
a desirable diet should contain Na and K in equal amounts
K weighs 1.7 times that of Na (so in weight you would need twice as much K as Na)
naturally occurring foods normally have this K:Na ratio needed for good health, however, processing reverses this healthful ratio
symptoms of K deficiency include:
average K intake in America is estimated at 2800 mg. for men and 2300 mg. for women while the Na intake is estimated at a whopping 4000-6000 mg. (2-3 times the K intake)
Interactions and Toxicity:
infants and children should never be given large amounts of potassium chloride
the body contains 20-30 g. of magnesium (60% in the skeleton and 40% in the soft tissues)
Actions:
allows for smooth functioning of the nervous system, helping in the task of transmitting nerve impulses
more than 300 enzyme systems depend on magnesium
half of the body’s Mg is stored in the bones
the kidneys monitor the amount of Mg in the blood
required for synthesis & output of adrenal hormones required to regulate the stress response
Deficiency:
drugs that cause the body to excrete more Mg or lose it from the blood include some antibiotics, anticonvulsants, diuretics, the antigout drug probenecid and the heart drug digitalis
alcohol can also interfere with Mg nutrition
80% of the Mg in a whole grain is lost with removal of the germ
Mg is one of the 8 nutrients required for the proper metabolism of carbohydrates
RDA for men is 350 mg. and for women it is 280 mg.
Mg is lost in sweat
hemolysis, destruction of RBCs, falsely increases serum levels of Mg
symptoms of deficiency: cramps, muscle ticks and tremors, and muscle weakness
magnesium oxide, a common source of Mg in multi vitamin/mineral supplements, is only 1/10 as bioavailable as magnesium aspartate
Interactions and Toxicity:
with sound kidneys there is no evidence of toxicity up to 6000 mg.
healthy kidneys will go to great lengths to keep too much Mg from accumulating in the body, specifically in the blood
Mg overload is called hypermagnesmia and generally refers to a blood Mg level greater than 2.5 milliequivalents/millileter
may get too much Mg from Mg-rich antacids, laxatives, or supplements
dolomite is a source of Mg but a poor one because it almost always contains high levels of toxic metals, such as lead
infants, children, pregnant women, mothers-to-be, nursing mothers and the elderly (as well as the rest of the health conscious population) should therefore avoid dolomite
milk and other dairy products are usually also a source of these toxic substances and should thus be avoided
high doses of Mg and impaired kidneys do not go well together
Mg decreases body’s ability to absorb tetracycline
lithium can increase blood Mg level
an intake of 1000 mg. (diet and supplement combined) has a high degree of safety in the absence of kidney impairment
