The vast majority of people get their health information from the television. I can all but guarantee you that the newscaster reading off the teleprompter has zero medical training. Magazines, the newspaper, and the radio all advertise the latest and greatest supplement to come down the line.
Not too many natural health practitioners will give you the truth about supplementation, especially when they are selling them. A few dietary supplements are beneficial, but most are not.
Being healthy is not just taking a handful of pills every day. Your health depends almost entirely on the foods you eat and the amount of exercise you get. No amount of supplementation can make up for a poor diet and lack of exercise.
Required Supplements
This short list of supplements should be on everyone’s list. These are what I take every day.
Quality Multi-Vitamin
Notice this title is QUALITY multi-vitamin. This is not something you can find at your local grocery store. A quality multi-vitamin is your foundation for covering the gaps that will develop in your nutrition. If you were to write down everything you eat over the course of a month, you’ll notice that the same 15-20 foods make up all of your diet. Without a multiple vitamin, you will eventually become deficient in several vitamins and/or minerals. You are just not getting what you need from food. If fact, the fruits and vegetables today have about 1/3 the amount of nutrients from 50 years ago. The soil is depleted and the farming methods today reward quick growing produce.
Many prescription medications also decrease certain vitamin levels. Many diseases today can be directly linked to vitamin deficiencies. When the vitamin is returned to the diet, the patient’s symptoms diminish.
Think of your multi-vitamin as insurance. You don’t want to have to use it, but you know it’s there if you need it. Realistically, you will not fulfill your body’s nutritional requirements with your diet, therefore, take a multi-vitamin.
Omega-3 Oil
The Mediterranean Diet has recently become popular in longevity circles. One of the main focuses of the diet is the emphasis on getting a high amount of omega-3 fats. The main benefit of omega-3 oil is cardiovascular health but it is also useful for many other conditions. Just 400mg a day improved behavior in children with ADHD and low omega-3 levels are associated with depression. Omega-3 oil has been used successfully to treat diabetic neuropathy, dry eye syndrome, high cholesterol, painful periods, high blood pressure, weight loss, osteoporosis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
An excellent way to get your omega-3 oil is through flax seed. Most people will not take the time to grind fresh flax seed onto their food prior to eating and the oil has an unpleasant taste. Most people will take their flax oil in a capsule form. An alternate to flax oil is fish oil. Both are good and should be kept refrigerated as they tend to oxidize and break down.
Four grams a day of fish omega-3 fish oil is sufficient to maintain cardiovascular health.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin but a hormone. Humans do not get any significant amount in our diet but our bodies make vitamin D in our skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately, the majority of us avoid the sun and must therefore supplement with oral vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to dozens of diseases including arthritis, diabetes, cancers, gingivitis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and skin disorders. Keeping vitamin levels high is very important to overall health.
In order for your body to effectively absorb and use calcium, it must have adequate levels of vitamin D. Without it, calcium cannot be absorbed from neither your food nor your supplements. Women aged 65 or older who took vitamin D and calcium had a 46% lower risk of falling in one study.
If you take an antacid for your stomach, you will deplete your body of vitamin D. Contrary to that, thiazide diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) will actually increase the activity of vitamin D.
If you have no health issues and do not go out into the sunlight often, take 5000 IU a day. Those with any of the health conditions listed above will benefit from 10,000 IU a day. Everyone should have a blood level of at least 60 nmol/L. and if you have a health condition, get that level above 100 nmol/L. Be sure you are taking the vitamin in the D3 form.
You don’t necessarily have to supplement with vitamin D if you receive enough unfiltered sunlight on your skin. Your body will produce a maximum of 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day when exposed to sunlight. The general rule of thumb is to be outside, in full sun, for 15 minutes in the summertime and 30 minutes in the wintertime. This should provide you with enough sunlight.
DHEA
We’ve already discussed the importance of DHEA in chapter 6. This is why it is a definite in your supplement regimen.
For women, the recommended dose is 10mg to 12.5mg a day. Females will get an increase in testosterone when given supplemental DHEA. After a couple weeks, if you notice an increase in acne or oily skin, cut the dose in half to 5mg or 6.25mg a day.
This increase in testosterone is not normally seen in men. The dosage for men begins at 25mg a day and can be increased until levels are in a youthful range.
Probiotics
Probiotics is the name for the beneficial bacteria that live inside our digestive system. These bacteria “kill off” harmful bacteria, lower pH by producing lactic acid, and even produce a small amount of hydrogen peroxide that can kill the yeast, Candida. In our society, much of our beneficial bacteria are destroyed by chlorine in the drinking water, artificial sweeteners, and antibiotics.
In order to digest food properly, our intestines need an adequate amount of probiotics. Without them, digestion may not be complete and gas and bloating can occur. When everything is there in balance and the population of beneficial bacteria has been restored, you will get enhanced food absorption, improved gut tone, improved gut motility, decrease in gas and bloating, and a decrease in percentage of harmful bacteria.
Probiotics are a mixture of three main organisms; Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum. Follow the directions on the package to get the benefit and try to take 10 billion daily.
If you really want to kick-start your digestive system, add FOS (fructooligosaccharides) to the probiotics. FOS is the food for the Bifidobacterium species. FOS is also not absorbed by the digestive system so there is no risk of side effect or over dose.
Optional Supplements
This is a list of supplements that are proven effective and can benefit a number of people. I personally do not take these on a regular basis. I just don’t feel it is necessary to take a whole handful of pills to be healthy.
Beta Sitosterol
Beta-Sitosterol is a plant sterol that is chemically related to cholesterol. It has been proven to lower cholesterol and is now being added to certain food such as margarines to promote “heart health.” These plant sterols will decrease cholesterol absorption by almost 50%. Clinical studies have shown it to significantly lower total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol but it has little effect on high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. To effectively lower cholesterol, take 300mg to 500mg before meals.
Beta-Sitosterol is also useful for an enlarged prostate. Scientific studies show that taking beta-sitosterol orally significantly improves urine flow, urinary symptoms, and decreases post-void urine volume. It works here by blocking the action of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT attacks the prostate causing it to enlarge. An effective dose for prostate health is 40mg to 60mg of beta-sitosterol twice a day.
Coenzyme Q-10
Coenzyme Q-10 is present in virtually every cell in the body with an especially high concentration in the heart, liver, kidney, and pancreas with the majority located in the mitochondria. The mitochondria produce the energy for the cell.
Coenzyme Q-10’s main function is to act as an antioxidant, to stabilize cell membranes, and to be involved in the energy production inside the cell. The body produces some coenzyme Q-10 and a small amount is consumed in foods like meat and seafood. Levels are highest during the first 20 years of life then decline to below birth levels by age 80. Restoring a youthful level of coenzyme Q-10 has proven beneficial to many health conditions.
When people begin supplementing with coenzyme Q-10, HDL increases while total cholesterol and LDL decreases. The supplement is being studied and is showing great promise in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. People who suffer with migraine headaches are low in coenzyme Q-10. When given the supplement, they had 30% less headaches.
Coenzyme Q-10 has also been proven to be effective in congestive heart failure, HIV/AIDS, Huntington’s disease, high blood pressure, muscular dystrophy, and heart attack prevention. It is currently being studied for angina, breast cancer, diabetes, enlarged heart, male infertility, and hair loss.
It is well known that anyone taking a statin drug will have reduced levels of coenzyme Q-10 by as much as 52%. The statins block the body’s manufacturing of coenzyme Q-10. Supplementation in this instance is a certainty.
Those in good health will benefit from taking 100mg a day. If you are in poor health or have a health condition, 200mg a day for one year only, and then decrease to 100mg a day is the proper dosing. It is rather expensive and is manufactured by fermenting beets and cane sugar with a special form of yeast.
Taking it with the supplement L-carnitine seems to have an additive effect. Also, coenzyme Q-10 does not dissolve in water and can be taken with flax oil or fish oil to increase absorption.
Lipoic Acid
The number of people with diabetes or insulin resistance is increasing at an alarming rate. Lipoic acid is an important supplement for those with any type of blood sugar issues. It improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin and helps remove glucose from the blood. This is an important supplement to take on a regular basis to help normalize blood sugar levels.
The condition known as peripheral neuropathy is a complication of uncontrolled diabetes. Lipoic acid reduces symptoms such as burning, pain, numbness, and tingling of the feet. The effect takes about two weeks to occur. In fact, alpha-lipoic acid is an approved treatment for diabetic neuropathy in Germany.
If you are a diabetic, 1000mg a day will improve your condition.
N-Acetyl Cysteine
When someone takes N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), it enters the cell and is changed into cysteine. Cysteine is then converted into glutathione. It is the glutathione that is the beneficial substance here and the one we are trying to increase. Glutathione is not effective when taken orally and is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzymes.
The lungs benefit the most from NAC as it is proven beneficial in asthma, bronchitis, COPD, influenza, emphysema, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. The glutathione reduces the amount of mucus formed and assists the body in breaking down thick mucus. NAC is also promising is studies involving kidney disease as it reduces stroke and heart attacks by 40% in these patients. It is helpful in treating epilepsy and decreases trichotillomania (hair pulling) by 40%.
Scientists are currently studying NAC for prevention and treatment of noise-induced hearing loss. Early results show that intravenous NAC is preventing or reducing hearing loss associated with certain medications as well as repeated exposure to loud noises.
N-Acetyl Cysteine has a significant drug interaction with nitroglycerine. Taken together, they can cause a severe drop in blood pressure.
The normal effective dose for NAC is 200mg three times a day to treat bronchitis, 600mg once a day for six months for COPD, 5 grams a day for epilepsy, 600mg twice a day for influenza and for cardiovascular event prevention in kidney disease, and 2 grams a day for trichotillomania.
Vitamin E
Nearly everyone in the United States is deficient in vitamin E. This is due to our diet lacking those foods which are high in vitamin E; liver, nuts, and whole grains. When grain is refined to make white flour, the vitamin E is removed in the process. Unless you take supplements, you are surely lacking in vitamin E.
When looking for a quality vitamin E supplement, find a brand that contains four natural mixed tocopherols. Taking just the inexpensive alpha-tocopherol will not get you near the same benefits as the mixed.
Vitamin E, taken with other nutrients, has been shown effective in reducing the risk of macular degeneration by 27%. Studies show elderly men taking vitamin E had a decreased risk of dementia. Taking 200IU twice a day starting two days before menstruation and continuing for the first three days of bleeding can significantly reduce menstrual pain. Men taking vitamin E showed a 21% greater chance of conceiving than those taking a placebo in one study.
Vitamin E has also been effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease, anemia, bladder cancer, Huntington’s disease, intracranial hemorrhage, Parkinson’s disease, Pre-eclampsia, PMS, physical performance, rheumatoid arthritis, sunburn, and a host of other conditions.
Taking 200IU a day should be plenty for most people but, if you feel inclined, you may take 400IU a day. High doses can thin the blood and reduce your blood’s clotting ability.
Diindolylmethane (DIM)
DIM is a natural substance found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage. The typical diet only gives a person about 5mg of DIM a day.
Artificial estrogens are all around us. These estrogen-like compounds enter our body and remain in us for long periods of time. When estrogen levels are too high and are unopposed by progesterone, cells grow uncontrollably. This uncontrolled growth often leads to cancer. DIM’s main benefit is the enhanced metabolism of estrogens in men and women. The supplement greatly increases the body’s ability to remove excess estrogens from the body.
Taking 200mg twice a day is beneficial for both men and women to regulate and normalize estrogen levels. DIM does not dissolve in water so it is best taken with food to increase absorption.
Zinc
Zinc is the second most abundant trace element in our body with each of us having about two grams in us. Zinc is found in over 300 enzymes and about 100 enzymes require zinc to be active. It is involved in hundreds of vital reactions that occur inside the body.
One of the most common conditions treated with zinc is wound healing. Doctors routinely prescribe a regimen of zinc to accelerate healing. Diarrhea, acne, macular degeneration, anorexia, ADHD, burns, the common cold, gingivitis, leprosy, muscle cramps, osteoporosis, ulcers, pneumonia, and vitamin A deficiency have all been treated successfully with supplemental zinc. Men with prostate issues or infertility will benefit from taking 15mg a day of elemental zinc. Zinc also has the tendency to deplete the body of copper, be sure to add 2mg of copper when taking zinc.
