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
biologically active chromium, or glucose tolerance factor (GTF), is not simply chromium, but rather a complex of substances that includes chromium, nicotinic acid and some amino acids
chromium picolinate is superior to both chloride and nicotinate (for muscle building effects)
Actions:
chromium is essential for normal glucose metabolism, insulin metabolism, and muscle growth
the body cannot handle sugar without chromium as it evolved with a sugar source containing chromium ie. the sugar cane
chromium, in the form picolinate, increases muscle growth and decreases bodyfat
Deficiency:
average daily intake in America is 33 mcg for males and 25 mcg for females
RDA 50-200 mcg
thus, chromium is one of the most deficient minerals in the American food supply
impaired GT is found in diabetes and hypoglycemia, and chromium deficiency is now considered the leading cause of these conditions
chromium is rapidly depleted during exercise
severe deficiency is rare in the US, but borderline deficiency is common
marginal deficiency probably occurs with age, as our bodies tend to store less
food choices greatly affect chromium health: white flour, sugar, and rice, along with butter and margarine are low in chromium and often make up the most part of ones diet today
Interactions and Toxicity:
trivalent chromium in foods is non-toxic but hexavalent chromium or chromate is highly toxic and a known carcinogen
Sources:
brewer’s yeast is one of the richest sources of biologically active chromium
GTF is not the biologically active form and must be converted to it in the body
rich sources of chromium are brewer’s yeast, whole grain cereals, bran, wheat germ and cheese
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
