LifeSpan Nutrition Guide To Dietary Supplements

Vitamin Confusion

Confused about vitamin supplements?  Told that you can get all the vitamins you need out of a good diet and you don’t need supplements?  Advised to take food-based vitamin pills rather than synthetic vitamins?  Told that liquid vitamins are better absorbed than vitamin pills?  None of the last three statements are true. 

The best diet will not provide adequate folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium, magnesium, omega-3 oils, vitamin B12 or vitamin E to prevent disease or deliver optimal nutrient levels for energy and mental performance.  Food-based vitamin pills, while widely promoted, cannot supply adequate dosages to make up for common deficiencies.  Liquid vitamins are absorbed faster, but not better. 

Consumers read negative reports about dietary supplements, especially well-orchestrated headline news reports claiming high-dose vitamins and minerals can cause side effects.  While the vast majority of Americans do not consume sufficient amounts of vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, magnesium or selenium, researchers claim that high-dose supplements are problematic.  Who are consumers to believe?  The public has not caught on to the massive effort by dominant forces in healthcare to ensure there is a sufficient level of disease in the population to treat with drugs and surgery by limiting or scaring the public away from dietary supplements.  Consumers must be wise to the pseudo-science now being disseminated in news reports. 
This is not to say that dietary supplements do not have their own drawbacks. The large discrepancies between the labeled and actual amount of nutrients in a dietary supplement is an industry embarrassment.  For example, a study showed that vitamin E supplements varied from the labeled dosage by -41% to +57%.  Saw palmetto, a supplement for prostate health, varied by -97% to +140%.  Lycopene differed by -38% to +143%.  [Journal Urology 168: 150-54, 2002]  Granted, supplement manufacturers put more than the labeled amount in pills to make up for small losses over the 2-year self life of the product.
Legislation introduced by Rep. Ron Paul (HR 2117) would make it possible for responsible supplement manufacturers to provide consumers with information they are searching for. 

Vitamin D

We are living in the midst of a vitamin D revolution.  Research reports are being published at a furious pace that are re-writing the textbooks on this vitamin.  For far too long consumers have been misled that so-called high-dose vitamin D is potentially toxic and could cause calcifications.  In truth, the very lack of vitamin D results in massive calcifications throughout the body.  Virtually every American has been frightened away from sunning in order to prevent skin cancer.   Not only is sunlight the natural way of getting vitamin D, but sunscreen lotions block the very UV rays that produce vitamin D, which has led to the skin cancer epidemic now underway.  Suffice to say, few Americans get enough vitamin D from sun exposure and there is no way to reach optimal vitamin D levels from dietary sources.  Supplements represent “sunlight in a bottle,” a way of getting vitamin D without sunburn or risk of skin cancer. 

Vitamin D3 is the form to look for in dietary supplements.  Vitamin D2, the synthetic form, is not appropriate for human use, but is offered by some supplement companies.  The latest studies suggest the Recommended Daily Allowance, 400 IU (international units) is not sufficient to health maintenance, and dosages ranging from 1000-4000 IU are entirely safe.  Studies show vitamin D toxicity does not begin till 40,000 IU is consumed for many months.  To put your mind at ease, standing in the summer sun for an hour at noontime in swim trunks produces about 10,000 IU of vitamin D which has never been shown to be toxic.  LifeSpan Nutrition offers the most potent and economical brand of vitamin D in a wide dosage range.

Calcification

Few Americans realize calcification is a major process that accelerates aging and disease.  Most Americans are fixated on controlling cholesterol, not calcium.  In fact, in countries with high calcium diets, heart disease is a leading cause of mortality.  Men begin to accumulate excess calcium once full growth is achieved (around age 18) while women begin to calcify with the onset of menopause as calcium is lost from the bones and deposited in arteries, kidneys, the eyes and elsewhere.  Magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K, and IP6 rice bran extract help to clean calcium deposits from the body. 

Fish Oil benefits

Hardly a month goes by before another breakthrough report is published extolling the health benefits of fish oil…………… lowering high triglycerides, reducing inflammation, preventing age-related mental and visual decline, preventing blood clots, boosting the immune system, even reducing mortality rates and sudden cardiac death. 

The best diet will not likely provide you with the amount of omega-3 oils your body needs, and fish sources of omega-3 oil are contaminated with mercury, whereas there is no mercury found in any fish oil supplement. 

Gone are the days of sour-tasting cod liver oil on the end of a spoon.  Natural flavored fish oils are now widely available, and stabilization with vitamin E prevents the burping so commonly experienced with earlier versions of fish oil capsules.  Now there are fish oil caps for kids that are strawberry flavored.  Kids love them and omega-3 oils enhance mental and visual development of children, improve sleep patterns and inhibit behavior problems.  Omega-3 fish oil is strongly recommended for pregnant moms, growing children, people with Crohn’s disease, people who have mood swings (bipolar), and anyone who wants to avoid age-related nervous system problems. 

Fish oil provides two important fatty acids, known as EPA and DHA.  Bottles of fish oil capsules will be labeled for EPA and DHA, and the more DHA the better. 

Dosage ranges are as follows:
 International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids. (ISSFAL) Recommended Dosage Chart

Note that flaxseed is rich in omega-3 oil.  Flaxseed oil must be converted to EPA or DHA in the liver following consumption.  This is a long process.  Fish oil has already been processed through a fish’s liver and has ready-to-use EPA and DHA. 

Glucose stabilization

In Europe, alpha lipoic acid is the most common drug used to treat blood sugar problems.  In the USA, doctors are unfamiliar with it because it is a dietary supplement.  Carnosine is another excellent dietary supplement for people with blood sugar problems.

Other suggested dietary supplements for diabetics are vitamin C, vitamin E, niacin, fish oil, magnesium and vitamin D. Lutein and zeaxanthin continue to be essential nutrients for retinal health. 

General Children's Nutrition

There is no way a growing child will achieve optimal growth and immunity eating foods.  Even breast-fed babies benefit from dietary supplements.  Fish oil and vitamin C should be at the top of the list. 

Liquid vitamin C can be added to infant formula or toddler’s drinks.  Suggested dosage is 20 milligrams per pound of body weight (the amount animals make naturally).  Humans are genetically flawed from a gene mutation that occurred centuries ago and do not make vitamin C as they once did.  Vitamin C is needed for production of collagen, wound healing, stability of blood vessels, and a health immune response.  Kids should be given more vitamin C when ill, and the development of diarrhea signals the body has reached a tolerance point.  Particularly give your children more vitamin C during bouts of the flu, when undergoing vaccinations, and with middle-ear infections. 

Infants and toddlers may not get enough natural vitamin D from sun exposure, particularly during the winter months, especially in northern climates, and may benefit from 400-1000 IU of vitamin D3.  When middle-ear infections and fevers develop, think of vitamin D.

Elderberry syrup should be handy in every home with young children since it has been shown in human studies to limit the duration of flu symptoms. 

Multivitamins for kids are strongly recommended.  Toddler Health is a nutritional beverage for toddlers loaded with nutrients.  If you persist on giving your children cow’s milk, boil and refrigerate it before giving it to your children as milk cartons are contaminated these days with an unfriendly bacterium that is not killed off by Pasteurization.

The human brain is largely comprised of omega-3 fat.  The brain cannot function properly without omega-3 fat.  During the growth years children are making millions of new brain cells per minute.  They need all the omega-3 oil they can get to do this. 

Keep in mind that children have high need for iron to make new red blood cells.  Iron is a two-edged sword.  Iron supplements may cause stomach problems, especially for kids.  Iron feeds bacteria, viruses and fungi, so you don’t want to go overboard.  Shortages of iron are universal in growing children and cold hands and feet are a general sign of anemia.  The best way for kids to get iron is from meat, preferably red meat.  Supplemental vitamin C enhances iron absorption from foods.  Generally, for most kids, iron supplements are not needed.  During growth spurts, kids may appear to develop symptoms and signs of attention deficit disorder.  Look for cold hands and feet and need to take naps.  Make sure your kids get adequate amounts of iron to produce new red blood cells.  The human brain has a high demand for oxygen, delivered by red blood cells.

Natural Antibiotics

There is not a person on the planet who is not at risk for infection from a germ-resistant (antibiotic-resistant) bacterium.   Germs like E. coli, Helicobacter pylori, and Salmonella are now commonly found in the food supply.  Mankind must search for alternatives to antibiotic drugs.  The more you rely on antibiotic drugs the less effective they are going to be in your future. 

Natural antibiotics are carvacrol from oregano, allicin from garlic and oleuropein from olive leaf.  Keep these herbal antibiotics handy in your home to fight fungal, viral and bacterial infections.  Little or no antibiotic resistance has been noted from these natural germ-fighting molecules.

Because the human food chain is now contaminated and bacteria levels are high in animal-derived food products, it is important to add these spice antibiotics to your meals, to prevent food-borne infection from occurring in the first place. 

Foods are not sterile.  They all harbor bacteria.  Another way to increase your defense against food-borne infection is to take acid-forming bacteria that will kill off the germs in your foods.  These are called probiotics, like acidophilus and bifidus.  These are safe for infants.  Take daily.

For young children with middle-ear infections, olive leaf ear drops are now available.  For people with gum and dental plaque problems, try brushing your teeth with oregano oil.

Pain Relief

There are many causes of pain.  Nerve pain is common, from the pinched or raw nerve or a nerve that is being irritated by an erupting virus, like herpes (shingles, Bell’s palsy, and herpes lip sore).  Joint pain can emanate from a lack of cushioning material (hyaluronic acid), or when the immune system misdirectedly attacks the joints (autoimmunity, like rheumatoid arthritis).  Taking oral hyaluronic acid is helpful in restoring the cushioning around nerves in the lower back, knees, heel, neck, shoulders. 

Inflammation

Inflammation is a source of pain, and natural anti-inflammatory agents are quercetin, ginger, fish oil, and tart cherry.  Some of these have been shown to be as effective as aspirin or ibuprofen without the gastric side effects (gastric bleeding ulcers, which are mortal for thousands of Americans) and nutrient depletion (aspirin depletes the body of folic acid, vitamin C and iron).

 Healthy Prostate

Fellas, if you’re standing at the urinal for a long time, and urinary flow has slowed to a dribble, and you are getting up frequently at night to urinate, well, your prostate gland has enlarged and its crimping the urethra.  So it's time to start taking dietary supplements like saw palmetto berry, cernitin pollen extract, quercetin, vitamin D, all which are known to reduce prostate inflammation.

Nucleotides

A unique way to boost immunity is to consume nucleotides.  What are they?  Nucleotides are parts of DNA.  Nucleotides are needed to rapidly form new white-blood cells when challenged by an infection.  It usually takes three days for the human immune system to catch up with a rapidly progressing viral infection.  Nucleotides speed up white-blood cell production.  Nucleotides are given to astronauts during space trips to keep them healthy and are added to infant formula to keep babies well.  Nucleotides are great for young kids, particularly autistic children.  The nucleotide immune formula is exclusively available from LifeSpan Nutrition.  Give it to your kids when they are ill or have a fever.  Super for adults with immune problems.

Update on Eye Health

The most promising new dietary supplement for the eyes is carnosine, an amino acid that has been shown in eye-drop form to clear up cloudy cataracts and to improve retinal health.  Middle-aged adults should try carnosine when they notice they need reading glasses.

About a third of adults over the age of 60 will develop early signs of retinal disease and 9% will lose some vision.  It’s important to prevent excessive calcification of the eyes with advancing age.  Dietary supplements such as magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D and IP6 rice bran extract help to prevent or erase calcium plaque in the eyes. 

Lutein and zeaxanthin continue to be essential nutrients for retinal health.  Lutein and zeaxanthin serve a light filters at the back of the eyes and improve contract and reduce glare. 

An excellent dietary supplement for people with floaters (what appear to be cobweb-like spots in the visual field) is hyaluronic acid.  Many people have reported dissipation of floaters with this supplement.
  
Gall Bladder Health

If you experience sharp knife-like pains under your lower right rib or sternum after you eat, or have recurrent bouts of air and gas, you may have an angry gall bladder.  Various nutrients can help cleanse the gall bladder and improve bile flow.  Bile is the substance that breaks down fats and oils that are consumed.  The gall bladder is a “squirt gun” for bile.  The Gall Bladder Support Formula is unique to LifeSpan Nutrition.  Testimonies abound from users who claim it was a godsend to them. 

Health Notes

Loss of Pregnancy: Vitamin D to the Rescue

It has been suspected that 80% of unexplained loss of pregnancy involves the immune system. An over-reactive immune system can spontaneously cause the pregnancy to be lost. Vitamin D is known to normalize the immune system, keeping it from over-reacting. Researchers now suggest women believed to be at risk for loss of pregnancy supplement their diet with vitamin D. [Medical Hypotheses 63: 250-53, 2004]

Prolonged Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy? Think of Vitamin B1

Researchers in Italy report that pregnant women with prolonged vomiting, nausea and anorexia during pregnancy may be deficient in vitamin B1. Supplements (50-100 mg) are recommended for trial use. [Nutrition 21: 967, 2005]

Clean up Brain Plaque by Chelating Metals

Researchers at Harvard Medical School indicate beta amyloid plaque in the brain, associated with Alzheimer’s memory loss, interacts with metals such as copper and iron. Metal–chelating drugs “could produce a significant reversal of amyloid-beta plaque deposition,” say researchers. [Subcell Biochemistry 38: 235-54, 2005 IP6 phytate from rice bran is a natural mineral chelator capable of removing heavy metals from brain tissues. [J Agriculture Food Chemistry 47:4714-7, 1999]

Potato Chips that Could Make You Go Blind

Well, maybe overstated, but those Olestra potato chips that are supposed to reduce fat absorption, also reduce absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as beta carotene (converts to vitamin A to facilitate night vision) and lutein/zeaxanthin, essential visual pigments at the back of the eyes. Even when supplemented with a vitamin pill containing these nutrients, adults developed nutrient deficiencies. Buyer beware. [Journal Nutrition 135: 1456-61, 2005]

Does Total Cholesterol Influence Life Expectancy?

Well, doctors are a bit shagrined over the fact total cholesterol cannot correlated with life expectancy. [Journal Hypertension 23: 1803, 2005] In fact, a report in the Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan says there is “an urgent need” to back away from cholesterol reduction medications now that it has become clear cholesterol reduction doesn’t lower mortality rates. Researchers are calling for the use of omega-3 fish oil which does appear to reduce death rates. [Journal Pharmaceutical Society Japan 125: 833-52, 2005]

Getting Enough B12?

Well, many adults only absorb 1% of vitamin B12 from dietary sources and need supplementation. However, researchers are saying most multivitamins don’t provide enough B12 to remedy the problem. The lowest dose required to normalize even mild vitamin B12 deficiency is 200 times higher than the current Recommended Dietary Allowance. A minimum of 250 micrograms of B12 should be provided in multivitamins. [Archives Internal Medicine 165: 1157, 2005]

Fibromyalgia: Remove the Excitotoxins

Researchers have finally shown that the removal of nerve stimulants (called excitotoxins) from the diet, such as aspartame (Nutrasweet) and MSG (monosodium glutamate) improve symptoms among patients with fibromyalgia. [Annals Pharmacotherapy 35: 702-06, 2001]

The Other Viagra

The poor man’s Viagra may be Red Korean ginseng. It works well for many males, says a report in the Journal of Family Practice [January 2003]. Red Korean Panax ginseng, 900 mg taken 3 times a day, is recommended dosage. [Journal Urology 1508-11, 1999]

Vitamin D: Builds Muscle?

Researchers are now saying vitamin D is “an authentic strength-preserving hormone.” Yes, it’s called a hormone because exposure to sunlight will create vitamin D in the skin. Age-related muscle loss is a significant problem that can result in falls, fractured hips and loss or urinary control. [Molecular Aspects of Medicine 26: 203, 2005] The vitamin D Council is calling for dietary supplements to provide 2000 IU or more per day.