FOOD SUPPLEMENTS: THEIR EFFECTS ON THE BODY Version 6.02 (c) Copyright 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 by George M Lucich P.O. Box 424, Glenns Ferry, ID 83623 INTRODUCTION The listing of sources for the different vitamins and minerals assumes that they are grown under ideal conditions. Since very few farmers add trace elements, (boron, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium, zinc, etc) with their fertilizer most soils are depleted of these essential nutrients. Adding trace elements does not increase the bottom line. There is no way of knowing the nutrient value of the food we buy in the grocery stores. Tests have shown that an orange can contain from zero to 180 milligrams of vitamin C. Lettuce stored at room temperature loses 50 percent of its vitamin C in twenty four hours. The vitamin A content of raw carrots varied from 70 IU to 18500 IU for a 3 1/2 ounce serving. Vitamin E in wheat germ varies from 3.2 IU to 21 IU per 3 1/2 ounces. The selenium content of some foods varies by a factor of 200. Selenium is deficient in the farm soils of all states east of the Mississippi and in most of the Pacific North West. The high incidence of breast cancer mortality in these areas is a direct indication of the amount of selenium in the farm soils. Thirty two states have a shortage of zinc in the soil. Ninety percent of the population consumes diets deficient in zinc. White bread made with "enriched flour" has had thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium and iron added back, but it has lost its pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc,copper, phosphorus and manganese. The reference page shows the sources for most of the information contained herein. Some medical doctors are ignorant of nutrition. It is not a course that is taught in medical schools. Most are unaware of the vast body of evidence relating to the value of nutrients in the prevention of illness and the slowing of aging. ANTIOXIDANTS: Antioxidants prevent oxidation by free radicals which damage cells causing aging and mutations which can become cancerous. They have been shown to prevent cancer. Margarine is an oxidant. The data shows that there is a direct relationship between the advent of margarine and the increase in cancer cases in the United States. Oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are scavenged by macrophages which form a mass of cells. These cells adhere to arterial walls that have been damaged by free radicals forming an artery clogging plaque. Antioxidants will prevent this from happening. Antioxidants are among the most critical nutrients for the prevention of illness and to increase longevity. Antioxidants or their precursors include BHT, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, vitamins A, B-5, C, E, coenzyme Q-10, L-cysteine, glutathione, lycopene, flavonoids and the carotenes. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS: These can have effects similar to cortisone without adverse side effects. There are some who now believe that Alzheimer's disease may be caused by inflammation of nerve endings in the brain and that these supplements may reduce the effects or delay the onset of this disease. Anti-inflammatory agents include: copper, selenium, glutathione, vitamins B-5, B-12, C, and the gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E and bioflavonoids. Some cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as MEVACOR (lovastin) and PRAVACHOL (provastatin) are reported to reduce incidence of dementia to 30 to 40 percent of that observed in other patients while those taking ZOCOR (simvastatin) showed no anti-Alzheimer's benefit. See Science News, 2-10-01 for more information. CHELATORS: These combine with toxic metals and flush them from the body. They also help remove blockages in arteries. Many of the more enlightened doctors are now using EDTA chelation therapy. This highly successful procedure was widely used in the early 1960s until the medical profession discovered the bonanza of bypass surgery. At this time each chelation session takes about three hours and costs about $100.00. Ten to twenty may be required. The profits from this is much less than the thousands of dollars a doctor can charge for one bypass. Natural chelators are of value as a preventive but in most cases cannot reverse years of injury and neglect to the circulatory system. These include selenium, calcium, magnesium, sulfhydryl group (see text), vitamins A, C, B1, E, inositol, coenzyme Q-10, lysine and others. VASODILATORS: These tend to dilate the blood vessels in the body and to improve circulation. The most dramatic is niacin, another is vitamin E. Niacinamide is not a vasodilator. A shortage of some of the B vitamins can cause nerve problems. One problem might be muscle control or unsteadiness. It has been reported by the University of Miami School of Medicine that there is a significant association in the presence of the pesticide dieldrin in the brains of people suffering Parkinson's disease. Low heat sauna, aerobic exercise, niacin or niacinamide, and other nutrients are ways of reducing levels of dieldrin in the body. Many reports from research laboratories state that some types of calcium formulations are hard to absorb. Some doctors prescribe calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the most abundant and stable form of calcium existing in nature. The reason for this is that few naturally occurring acids are strong enough to dissolve them. Our stomach acids weaken as we get older and the carbonate form of calcium is very poorly absorbed and as such is a worthless supplement. The body can absorb up to 10 times more calcium from the same dosage in the citrate form. I would appreciate readers bringing to my attention any errors that you might find or any reports giving information that conflicts with what I have given here. For personal use only. Not for sale or hire. Permission to make copies by you for you and your friends is hereby granted. If you find this site to be of value a donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated. You are advised to consult a knowledgeable physician before using any of the nutrients listed herein. See note 10 for information on obtaining a list of this rare breed of medical doctors. |
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS: THEIR EFFECTS ON THE BODY Version 6.02 (c) Copyright 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 by George M Lucich P.O. Box 424, Glenns Ferry, ID 83623 INTRODUCTION The listing of sources for the different vitamins and minerals assumes that they are grown under ideal conditions. Since very few farmers add trace elements, (boron, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium, zinc, etc) with their fertilizer most soils are depleted of these essential nutrients. Adding trace elements does not increase the bottom line. There is no way of knowing the nutrient value of the food we buy in the grocery stores. Tests have shown that an orange can contain from zero to 180 milligrams of vitamin C. Lettuce stored at room temperature loses 50 percent of its vitamin C in twenty four hours. The vitamin A content of raw carrots varied from 70 IU to 18500 IU for a 3 1/2 ounce serving. Vitamin E in wheat germ varies from 3.2 IU to 21 IU per 3 1/2 ounces. The selenium content of some foods varies by a factor of 200. Selenium is deficient in the farm soils of all states east of the Mississippi and in most of the Pacific North West. The high incidence of breast cancer mortality in these areas is a direct indication of the amount of selenium in the farm soils. Thirty two states have a shortage of zinc in the soil. Ninety percent of the population consumes diets deficient in zinc. White bread made with "enriched flour" has had thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium and iron added back, but it has lost its pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc,copper, phosphorus and manganese. The reference page shows the sources for most of the information contained herein. Some medical doctors are ignorant of nutrition. It is not a course that is taught in medical schools. Most are unaware of the vast body of evidence relating to the value of nutrients in the prevention of illness and the slowing of aging. ANTIOXIDANTS: Antioxidants prevent oxidation by free radicals which damage cells causing aging and mutations which can become cancerous. They have been shown to prevent cancer. Margarine is an oxidant. The data shows that there is a direct relationship between the advent of margarine and the increase in cancer cases in the United States. Oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are scavenged by macrophages which form a mass of cells. These cells adhere to arterial walls that have been damaged by free radicals forming an artery clogging plaque. Antioxidants will prevent this from happening. Antioxidants are among the most critical nutrients for the prevention of illness and to increase longevity. Antioxidants or their precursors include BHT, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, vitamins A, B-5, C, E, coenzyme Q-10, L-cysteine, glutathione, lycopene, flavonoids and the carotenes. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS: These can have effects similar to cortisone without adverse side effects. There are some who now believe that Alzheimer's disease may be caused by inflammation of nerve endings in the brain and that these supplements may reduce the effects or delay the onset of this disease. Anti-inflammatory agents include: copper, selenium, glutathione, vitamins B-5, B-12, C, and the gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E and bioflavonoids. Some cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as MEVACOR (lovastin) and PRAVACHOL (provastatin) are reported to reduce incidence of dementia to 30 to 40 percent of that observed in other patients while those taking ZOCOR (simvastatin) showed no anti-Alzheimer's benefit. See Science News, 2-10-01 for more information. CHELATORS: These combine with toxic metals and flush them from the body. They also help remove blockages in arteries. Many of the more enlightened doctors are now using EDTA chelation therapy. This highly successful procedure was widely used in the early 1960s until the medical profession discovered the bonanza of bypass surgery. At this time each chelation session takes about three hours and costs about $100.00. Ten to twenty may be required. The profits from this is much less than the thousands of dollars a doctor can charge for one bypass. Natural chelators are of value as a preventive but in most cases cannot reverse years of injury and neglect to the circulatory system. These include selenium, calcium, magnesium, sulfhydryl group (see text), vitamins A, C, B1, E, inositol, coenzyme Q-10, lysine and others. VASODILATORS: These tend to dilate the blood vessels in the body and to improve circulation. The most dramatic is niacin, another is vitamin E. Niacinamide is not a vasodilator. A shortage of some of the B vitamins can cause nerve problems. One problem might be muscle control or unsteadiness. It has been reported by the University of Miami School of Medicine that there is a significant association in the presence of the pesticide dieldrin in the brains of people suffering Parkinson's disease. Low heat sauna, aerobic exercise, niacin or niacinamide, and other nutrients are ways of reducing levels of dieldrin in the body. Many reports from research laboratories state that some types of calcium formulations are hard to absorb. Some doctors prescribe calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the most abundant and stable form of calcium existing in nature. The reason for this is that few naturally occurring acids are strong enough to dissolve them. Our stomach acids weaken as we get older and the carbonate form of calcium is very poorly absorbed and as such is a worthless supplement. The body can absorb up to 10 times more calcium from the same dosage in the citrate form. I would appreciate readers bringing to my attention any errors that you might find or any reports giving information that conflicts with what I have given here. For personal use only. Not for sale or hire. Permission to make copies by you for you and your friends is hereby granted. If you find this site to be of value a donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated. You are advised to consult a knowledgeable physician before using any of the nutrients listed herein. See note 10 for information on obtaining a list of this rare breed of medical doctors. |
