Archive for Supplementation
Selenium and diabetes risk
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know that selenium supplementation can increase the risk of diabetes by as high as 50%? Another reason to be extra cautious in taking supplements.
Selenium is a trace mineral that works closely with Vitamin E as an antioxidant, reducing free radical damage and contributes to the prevention of cancer, arthritis, and coronary heart disease. It helps the immune system and keeps liver, pancreas and thyroid functions healthy. But like anything else, more doesn’t necessarily mean better — specially if its not eaten as food.
About 60 percent of Americans take multivitamins, many of which contain between 33 and 200 micrograms of selenium. This is addition to what they get from food. The RDA for selenium varies by age. For people aged 14 and over, 55 micrograms per day is recommended for the body to function normally.
I personally eat 1 brazil nut a day, which translates to about 75 mcg delivered as part of a natural food — rather than as an isolated chemical. Brazil nuts (of all the nuts and seeds) has the highest amount of selenium: a whopping 1917 mcg per hundred grams of nuts.
Eating brazil nuts is cheaper, safer, and definitely tastier than popping a pill!
The importance of Vitamin D
Posted by: | CommentsVitamin D deficiency is much more common than we think, and can cause serious health issues that may be be erroneously attributed to other causes. Not enough vitamin D can lead to or worsen muscle weakness, osteopenia, osteoporosis, fractures, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. According to the National institutes of Health:
… Americans age 50 and older are at an increased risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. As people age, skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently and the kidney is less able to convert vitamin D to its active hormone form. As much as 30% to 40% of hip fractures are due to vitamin D insufficiency.
Deficiencies are usually the result of dietary inadequacy, impaired absorption and utilization, increased requirement, or increased excretion (loss). A deficiency of vitamin D can occur when: (a) when usual intake is below recommended levels, (b) when there is limited exposure to sunlight. (c) when the kidney cannot convert vitamin D to its active hormone form, and (d) when someone cannot adequately absorb it from the digestive tract.
“It is estimated that over 25 million people in the United States have, or are at risk of developing, osteoporosis. It is a disease characterized by fragile bones, and it significantly increases the risk of bone fractures. It is most often associated with inadequate calcium intake. However, a deficiency of vitamin D also contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption and is an example of a long-term effect of vitamin D insufficiency. Adequate storage levels of vitamin D help keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in older people, in non-ambulatory individuals (those who have difficulty walking and exercising), in post-menopausal women, and in individuals on chronic steroid therapy. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with greater incidence of hip fractures. In a review of women with osteoporosis hospitalized for hip fractures, 50 percent were found to have signs of vitamin D deficiency. Daily supplementation with 20 micrograms (800 IU) of vitamin D may reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly populations with low levels of vitamin D.”
Muscle strength and avoidance of falls also require adequate vitamin D stores in the body. As vitamin D levels decrease, the chance of falls increases. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is a dangerous cycle, since it increases the risk of falling and reduces the strength of bones to withstand breaking on impact.
Some good food sources of vitamin D: cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
(Caveat: Cod liver oil is problematic. Just one teaspoon of cod liver oil has 4,500 IU of vitamin A, for instance, and the standard dose is one to three teaspoons a day. Studies have found that as little as 6,000 IU of vitamin A daily can interfere with bone growth and promote fractures. And women of childbearing age should not exceed 10,000 IU of vitamin A because of the risk of birth defects. Cod liver oil is made from livers, so toxins (such as PCBs) get concentrated there. Cod liver oil is more likely to be contaminated than other fish-oil sources.)
Plant-based omega-3
Posted by: | CommentsA study from from King’s College London has found that relatively small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from algae (even as little as 0.7 grams of DHA) can lower pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Unlike fish oil, has the advantage of being both sustainable and acceptable to vegetarians.
The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was extracted from the marine algae crypthecodinium cohnii. Results showed that the daily intake of 0.7g DHA lowered diastolic pressure by 3mm of Hg. This reduction can prevent thousands of heart attacks and strokes.
Previous studies using fish oil required more than 2-3g of omega-3 fatty acids to lower pressure. Fish oil generally contains more eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) than DHA. This study shows that even relatively small amounts of DHA can effectively improve cell membrane function and lower pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are manufactured by the body and must be obtained from fish and certain plant sources. Many studies show that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, help prevent certain chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, arthritis) and play a critical role in brain function.
‘Our findings provide further evidence that relatively small amounts of this form of omega-3 helps promote a healthy heart,’ said T. Sanders, Head of King’s College London’s Nutritional Sciences Research Division. ‘There are long-term worries about the sustainability of fish stocks and our results suggest that a sustainable vegetable source synthesised by algae may be useful for preventing cardiovascular disease. Importantly, this form of DHA is acceptable to people who do not eat fish, for example vegetarians.’
Omega mind
Posted by: | CommentsOmega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can affect mood, personality and behavior, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In a study of 106 healthy volunteers, researchers found that participants who had lower levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.
Benefits of fish oil
Posted by: | CommentsAdvice from the Mayo Clinic:
“For heart disease prevention, near-maximum benefit comes from eating two 3-ounce servings of cold water fish a week. More than that doesn’t appear to offer any additional preventive benefit. (It’s advisable to avoid farmed fish (e.g., farmed salmon) because of its inferior nutrients and potential chemical contamination. Wild salmon is always a better choice.)
Higher amounts of two kinds of omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), may benefit some people with established heart disease or high triglyceride levels and can have an anti-inflammatory effect for people with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, DHA is being studied to see if it can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
For those who don’t eat fish, a fish oil supplement or an algae supplement can provide omega-3 fatty acids. However, supplements aren’t cheap, and the amount of DHA and EPA in supplements varies widely. Except for people who have established heart disease, the evidence of heart disease prevention is stronger when one eats fish instead of taking supplements. Supplements can pose risks, too. Taking more than 3 grams of fish oil a day may increase the risk of bleeding, worsen heart rhythm problems in those who have arrhythmias or cause other side effects.”
Be very careful about supplements
Posted by: | CommentsScary stuff from the Johns Hopkins University health reports:
“… vitamin E supplements in dosages of 200 IU or greater raise the risk of death. The Hopkins team analyzed data from 19 studies involving nearly 136,000 participants that compared vitamin E supplements with placebo. They found that increasing amounts of vitamin E were associated with a greater risk of , and the risk was especially great in people taking more than 400 IU of vitamin E daily. It is important to note that it is impossible to consume this much vitamin E from food alone. The typical American diet supplies just 6 to 10 IU daily; the recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is about 22 IU daily.
Much of the fanfare for antioxidant supplements came from the largely unregulated industry that manufactures and sells them. But many doctors recommended antioxidant supplements because of the recognized dangers of free radicals and because some benefits were reported from observational studies of people taking antioxidant supplements and eating antioxidant-rich foods. The trouble with such observational studies is that 1) they could not tell whether antioxidant supplements caused the benefits; 2) people may not accurately report what they eat; and 3) the health-conscious people who usually take part in such research may be less likely to smoke and more likely to practice other good health habits. These factors — or a combination of them — may be responsible for the protective effect attributed to antioxidant supplements. So these benefits may only be a perception — not real.
Meanwhile, test-tube studies have found that high doses of antioxidants can turn into pro-oxidants, in other words, produce free radicals. Antioxidant supplements, unlike the nutrients found in food, may somehow upset the balance of antioxidants absorbed into the body. Carefully controlled clinical trials, the gold standard in medical research, have not yet found any positive evidence for antioxidant supplements.”
Here’s the bottom line based on the studies:
“… not to spend your money on vitamin E or C, selenium, or beta carotene supplements, or on any of the antioxidant tails on the market. To help your body fight aging and disease caused by free radicals, your best course of action is to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens), and whole grains. Nuts, in moderate amounts, are an excellent addition. … A healthy diet should be your chief source of vitamins, minerals, and other life-giving nutrients.”
Be careful of vitamin supplementation
Posted by: | CommentsThe best way to get vitamins is through food, not vitamin pills, according to Susan Taylor Mayne, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health’s Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology. A major problem with supplements is that they deliver vitamins out of context, she says. The vitamins found in fruit, vegetables and other foods come with thousands of other phytochemicals, or plant nutrients that are not essential for life but may protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic ailments. Carotenoids in carrots and tomatoes, isothiocyanates in broccoli and cabbage, and flavonoids in soy, cocoa and red wine are just a few examples.
The combined effect of all these vitamins and phytochemicals seems to have much greater power than one nutrient taken alone, Mayne explains. For example, lycopene—the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue—has been associated with a lower risk for prostate cancer, causing many supplement makers to rush to market pills bearing this healthy stuff. But research suggests that taking it in supplement form does not confer the same benefit as eating tomatoes or tomato products, such as pasta sauce and ketchup, that preserve some of the tomatos chemical integrity.
A healthy diet is paramount, but is there ever a time for supplements? Meir Stampfer, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, recommends that healthy adults take a multivitamin and extra vitamin D, if they don’t get a lot of sun. Taking more than the Institute of Medicine’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) of certain vitamins may lower one’s risk for certain chronic diseases, he says. For example, Stampfer’s research suggests that men and women taking vitamin E supplements for years at a time have a lower risk for heart disease. “The evidence for benefit is weak,” but there is also “good evidence for no harm” associated with taking 200, 400, or even 600 IUs (international units) per day, Stampfer explains. (The RDA levels for vitamin E are 22.5 IUs, or 15 milligrams, for men and women.)
Mayne disagrees, pointing to a recent meta-analysis suggesting that vitamin E supplementation increases mortality of all causes. “We can debate” whether this analysis shows that vitamin E supplements are harmful, she says, but “there certainly wasn’t any benefit shown.” With the possible exception of vitamin D, there is no need to consume more than the RDA of vitamins, Mayne contends. In fact, there is increasing evidence that excessive intake of certain micronutrients is deleterious.
Stampfer acknowledges that overdosing on certain vitamins can be dangerous. “The most common one to look out for is preformed [active form] … vitamin A. It does not take too much to get too much,” he says. Try to avoid retinol, retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate, which may increase the risk of hip fracture and certain birth defects when taken at levels exceeding 10,000 IUs.
But Mayne and Stampfer both agree that more randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the health effects of vitamin supplements—and that such supplements are critical for certain people. Many African-Americans and people living in sun-deprived areas are vitamin D–deficient and could benefit from supplements, Mayne explains. Pregnant women, and even women who might want to get pregnant, should be taking folic acid supplements to help prevent serious birth defects in their babies. People over 50 years of age can benefit from B12 supplementation because absorption of this vitamin in the digestive tract becomes less efficient with age, says Roberta Anding, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Finally, HIV-positive patients should take multivitamins to boost immunity and slow the rate of disease progression, says Wafaie Fawzi, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Ironically, “the people who are most likely to take vitamin supplements are the people who least need them,” Mayne says. The affluent and health conscious are popping supplements faster than anyone. It may not be doing any good, and it could be harming them, she says. Anding concurs: “If you eat well, you probably don’t need a multivitamin.”
There are two sides of the coin, but here are my takeaways (YMMV):
Stop taking multivitamins that have Vitamin A in it. Vitamin D and B12 supplementation can be useful. Get micronutrients from food, i.e., green leafies, other greens, and fruits – instead of being a supplement junkie.
