The Importance Of Vitamins In Antioxidant Support For optimal Health....
Good nutrition occurs when we provide our bodies with an adequate supply of essential nutrients, the elements required for normal body functioning that can’t be made by the body itself.
We're all aware that it’s very important to include nutrient-rich fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our diets. The best of intentions notwithstanding, it’s still hard to always be in control of what ends up on our plate. A powerful way to stand up for your body, though, is by adding nutritional supplements.
Many health care professionals and scientists recognize that vitamin
supplements play an important role in supporting your overall health
and wellbeing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated
in a consumer report on their web site in part that supplements of
vitamins, minerals or ber also may help meet special nutritional
needs, including elderly, young children, women who may become
pregnant, people with various illnesses and medical conditions that
include asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, hypertension and high
cholesterol, those who are dealing with stress and those who are
taking certain medications that affect the way that food is metabolized.
To put it in plain words, everyone can bene fit from taking quality natural health supplements. One of the biggest benefi ts of including health supplements in our
diets is preventing de ciencies. If we have a vitamin or mineral
de ciency, our energy levels can plummet; we can feel mentally
sluggish and even develop de ciency-related diseases. For instance,
in 2009 the International Osteoporosis Foundation reported that
vitamin D de ciency was on the rise, causing serious bone-health
problems. In a 2009 issue of the “American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition,” it was reported that vitamin C de ciency could lead to
impaired brain development.
So now let's take a closer look at the vitamins and mineral essential for optimum human health:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin with four major functions in the body: (1) It helps cells reproduce normally, a process called differentiation (cells that have not properly differentiated are more likely to undergo pre-cancerous changes). (2) It is required for vision; vitamin A maintains healthy cells in various structures of the eye and is required for the transduction of light into nerve signals in the retina. (3) It is required for normal growth and development of the embryo and fetus, influencing genes that determine the sequential development of organs in embryonic development. (4) It may be required for normal reproductive function, with influences on the function and development of sperm, ovaries and placenta.
Vitamin C
Evidence indicates that vitamin C levels in the eye decrease with age and that supplementing with vitamin C prevents this decrease, possibly leading to a lower risk of developing cataracts. Healthy people have been reported in some, but not all, studies to be more likely to take vitamin C and vitamin E supplements than are people with cataracts. Vitamin C has been reported to reduce activity of the enzyme, Aldose Reductase, in people. Aldose Reductase is the enzyme responsible for accumulation of sorbitol in eyes, nerves, and kidneys of people with diabetes. This accumulation is believed to be responsible for deterioration of these parts of the body associated with diabetes. Therefore, interference with the activity of aldose reductase theoretically helps protect people with diabetes. Vitamin C may help protect the body against accumulation or retention of the toxic mineral, lead. In one preliminary study, people with higher blood levels of vitamin C had much lower risk of having excessive blood levels of lead. In a controlled trial, male smokers with moderate to high levels of lead received supplements of 1,000 mg per day of vitamin C, 200 mg per day of vitamin C, or a placebo. Only those people taking 1,000 mg per day of vitamin C experienced a drop in the blood lead levels, but the reduction in this group was dramatic..
Vitamin D
The fat-soluble vitamin D’s most important role is maintaining blood levels of calcium, which it accomplishes by increasing absorption of calcium from food and reducing urinary calcium loss. Both effects keep calcium in the body and therefore spare the calcium that is stored in bones. When necessary, vitamin D transfers calcium from the bone into the bloodstream, which does not benefit bones. Although the overall effect of vitamin D on the bones is complicated, some vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D plays a role in immunity and blood cell formation and also helps cells "differentiate"—a process that may reduce the risk of cancer. From animal and human studies, researchers have hypothesized that vitamin D may protect people from multiple sclerosis, autoimmune arthritis, and juvenile diabetes. Vitamin D is also needed for adequate blood levels of insulin. Vitamin D receptors have been found in the pancreas where insulin is made, and preliminary evidence suggests that supplementation may increase insulin secretion for some people with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes and other fat-soluble parts of the body, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL; “bad” cholesterol) cholesterol, from damage. Only when LDL is damaged does cholesterol appear to lead to heart disease, and vitamin E is an important antioxidant protector of LDL.1 Several studies, including two double-blind trials, have reported that 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E per day reduces the risk of heart attacks. Other recent double-blind trials have found either limited benefit6 or no benefit at all from supplementation with synthetic vitamin E. One of the negative trials used 400 IU of natural vitamin E8 —a similar amount and form to previous successful trials. In attempting to make sense of these apparently inconsistent findings, the following is clear: less than 400 IU of synthetic vitamin E, even when taken for years, does not protect against heart disease. Whether 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E is, or is not, protective remains unclear. Vitamin E also plays some role in the body’s ability to process glucose. Some, but not all, trials suggest that vitamin E supplementation may eventually prove to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In the last ten years, the functions of vitamin E in the cell have been further clarified. In addition to its antioxidant functions, vitamin E is now known to act through other mechanisms, including direct effects on inflammation, blood cell regulation, connective tissue growth, and genetic control of cell division.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is needed for proper bone formation and blood clotting. In both cases, vitamin K does this by helping the body transport calcium. Vitamin K is used by doctors when treating an overdose of the drug warfarin. Also, doctors prescribe vitamin K to prevent excessive bleeding in people taking warfarin but requiring surgery. There is preliminary evidence that vitamin K2 (menadione), not vitamin K1 (phylloquinone; phytonadione), may improve a group of blood disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). These syndromes carry a significantly increased risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Large-scale trials of vitamin K2 for MDS are needed to confirm these promising early results.
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
Vitamin B1 is is a water-soluble vitamin needed to process carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Every cell of the body requires vitamin B1 to form the fuel the body runs on—adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Nerve cells require vitamin B1 in order to function normally.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin needed to process amino acids and fats, activate vitamin B6 and folic acid, and help convert carbohydrates into the fuel the body runs on adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Under some conditions, vitamin B2 can act as an antioxidant.
Niacin
The body uses the water-soluble vitamin B3 in the process of releasing energy from carbohydrates. It is needed to form fat from carbohydrates and to process alcohol. The niacin form of vitamin B3 also regulates cholesterol, though niacinamide does not. Vitamin B3 comes in two basic forms—niacin (also called nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (also called nicotinamide). A variation on niacin, called inositol hexaniacinate, is also available in supplements. Since it has not been linked with any of the usual niacin toxicity in scientific research, some some doctors recommend inositol hexaniacinate for people who need large amounts of niacin. doctors recommend inositol hexaniacinate for people who need large amounts of niacin.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is the master vitamin for processing amino acids—the building blocks of all proteins and some hormones. Vitamin B6 helps to make and take apart many amino acids and is also needed to make the hormones, serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine. Vitamin B6 aids in the formation of several neurotransmitters and is therefore an essential nutrient in the regulation of mental processes and possibly mood. In combination with folic acid and vitamin B12, vitamin B6 lowers homocysteine levels—an amino acid linked to heart disease and stroke, and possibly other diseases as well, such as osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. A rare, but severe, form of childhood epilepsy results from an inborn error in the metabolism of vitamin B6. Children with this form of epilepsy have an abnormal dependence on vitamin B6 and are usually mentally retarded. Seizure activity is reversible with intravenous injections of vitamin B6, which must be administered by a doctor.
Folate
Folic acid is a B vitamin needed for cell replication and growth. Folic acid helps form building blocks of DNA, the body’s genetic information, and building blocks of RNA, needed for protein synthesis in all cells. Therefore, rapidly growing tissues, such as those of a fetus, and rapidly regenerating cells, like red blood cells and immune cells, have a high need for folic acid. Folic acid deficiency results in a form of anemia that responds quickly to folic acid supplementation. Folic acid is needed to keep homocysteine (an amino acid by-product) levels in blood from rising. A growing body of evidence suggests that an elevated homocysteine level is a risk factor for heart disease10 and may also be linked to several other diseases. Folic acid and certain other B vitamins function as cofactors for enzymes that can lower homocysteine levels. Research has shown that supplementing with folic acid reduces homocysteine levels. Of the B vitamins with a role in homocysteine metabolism, folic acid appears to be the most important in lowering homocysteine levels for the average person. A deficiency of folic acid has also been associated with peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease even in people with normal homocysteine levels, suggesting that the vitamin may have protective effects that extend beyond its role in maintaining normal homocysteine levels.
Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin)
Methylcobalamin is a cobalamin, a form of vitamin B12. It differs from cyanocobalamin in that the cyanide is replaced by a methyl group. It appears that methylcobalamin is better absorbed and retained in higher amounts within your tissues. In simple terms, they are used much more effectively. In general, methylcobalamin is used primarily in your liver, brain and nervous system. Methylcobalamin is the specific form of B12 needed for nervous system health. Because of this it should be the first form of this vitamin thought of when interested in attempting to optimize the health of the nervous system with vitamin supplementation. Indications of a potential deficiency of B12 in the nervous system might include numbness, tingling, loss of feeling sensation, burning sensations, muscle cramps, nerve pain and slowness of reflexes.
Because of methylcobalamin's importance in nervous system health, it is also an important nutrient for vision. In fact, continued visual work (like work on a computer) often leads to a reduction in something called "visual accommodation". Methylcobalamin can significantly improve visual accommodation, while cyanocobalamin appears to be ineffective. An elevated level of homocysteine is a metabolic indication of decreased levels of the coenzyme forms of vitamin B12, especially methylcobalamin. Homocysteine has received a tremendous amount of emphasis in the scientific literature because of its associations with heart disease and a variety of other specific health conditions. I have even seen advertisements on television promoting folic acid, as a vitamin needed to lower homocysteine. While this is true, and folic acid does lower homocysteine levels, the combination of methylcobalamin and folic acid appears to work much better.
Biotin
Biotin, a water-soluble B vitamin, acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in the Kreb’s cycle of energy production and is needed to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It is also essential in producing, transporting, and releasing energy from fats. Synthesis of cholesterol (needed to manufacture vitamin D and steroid hormones) depends on pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid also activates the adrenal glands. Pantethine—a byproduct of pantothenic acid—has been reported to lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant, essential mineral in the human body. Of the two to three pounds of calcium contained in the average body, 99% is located in the bones and teeth. Calcium is needed to form bones and teeth and is also required for blood clotting, transmission of signals in nerve cells, and muscle contraction. The importance of calcium for preventing osteoporosis is probably its most well-known role. Although calcium plays at least some minor role in lowering blood pressure, the mechanisms involved appear complex and somewhat unclear. The level of calcium in the blood is tightly regulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH), and low intake of calcium causes elevations in PTH, which in turn have been implicated in the development of hypertension. By reducing absorption of oxalate, a substance found in many foods, calcium may be able to indirectly reduce the risk of kidney stones. Calcium also appears to partially bind some fats and cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract. Perhaps as a result, some research suggests that calcium supplementation may help lower cholesterol levels. Through a variety of mechanisms, calcium may have anticancer actions within the colon. Most preliminary studies have shown high calcium diets are associated with reduced colon cancer risk. Most, but not all, preliminary studies have found taking calcium supplements to also be associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer or precancerous conditions in the colon. One preliminary study reported that high dietary, but not supplemental, calcium intake was associated with a decreased risk of precancerous changes in the colon. In double-blind studies, calcium supplementation has significantly protected against precancerous changes in the colon in some, but not all, studies.
Iron
Iron is an essential mineral. It is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. Iron-deficient people tire easily in part because their bodies are starved for oxygen. Iron is also part of myoglobin, which helps muscle cells store oxygen. Without enough iron, adenosine triphosphate (ATP; the fuel the body runs on) cannot be properly synthesized. As a result, some iron-deficient people become fatigued even when their hemoglobin levels are normal (i.e., when they are not anemic). Although iron is part of the antioxidant enzyme catalase, iron is not generally considered an antioxidant, because too much iron can cause oxidative damage.
Iodine
Iodine is a trace mineral needed to make thyroid hormones, which are necessary for maintaining normal metabolism in all cells of the body. Reports suggest that iodine may have a number of other important functions in the body unrelated to thyroid function that might help people with a wide variety of conditions.1 These other uses for iodine are only supported by minimal research. « back »
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral to the human body. It is needed for bone, protein, and fatty acid formation, making new cells, activating B vitamins, relaxing muscles, clotting blood, and forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP; the energy the body runs on). The secretion and action of insulin also require magnesium. Magnesium also acts in a way related to calcium channel blocker drugs. This effect may be responsible for the fact that under certain circumstances magnesium has been found to potentially improve vision in people with glaucoma. Similarly, this action might account for magnesium’s ability to lower blood pressure.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 300 enzymes needed to repair wounds, maintain fertility in adults and growth in children, synthesize protein, help cells reproduce, preserve vision, boost immunity, and protect against free radicals, among other functions.
Selenium
Selenium is an essential trace mineral. Selenium activates an antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, which may help protect the body from cancer. Yeast-derived forms of selenium have induced “apoptosis” (programmed cell death) in cancer cells in test tubes and in animals. A double-blind trial that included over 1,300 people found those given 200 mcg of yeast-based selenium per day for 4.5 years had a 50% drop in the cancer death rate compared with the placebo group. In that same study, however, selenium supplementation was associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing one type of skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma).Another study found that men consuming the most dietary selenium (assessed indirectly by measuring toenail selenium levels) developed 65% fewer cases of advanced prostate cancer than did men with the lowest levels of selenium intake. Selenium is also essential for healthy immune functioning. Selenium supplementation has reduced the incidence of viral hepatitis in selenium-deficient populations, presumably by enhancing immune function. Even in a non-deficient population of elderly people, selenium supplementation has been found to stimulate the activity of white blood cells—primary components of the immune system.8 Selenium is also needed to activate thyroid hormones.In a placebo-controlled study, supplementation with 200 mcg per day of selenium for three months reduced anti-thyroid antibody levels (indicating a reduction in disease activity) in people with autoimmune thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland). In a double-blind trial, selenium supplementation of infertile men improved the motility of sperm cells and increased the chance of conception.
Copper
Copper is an essential trace element present in the diet and in the human body. It is needed to absorb and utilize iron. It is also part of the antioxidantenzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD). Copper is needed to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy the body runs on. Synthesis of some hormones requires copper, as does the synthesis of collagen (the "glue" that holds connective tissue together). In addition, the enzyme, tyrosinase, which plays a role in the production of skin pigment, requires copper to function. Copper supplementation has been shown to increase SOD levels in humans.
Manganese
Manganese is an essential trace mineral needed for healthy skin, bone, and cartilage formation, as well as glucose tolerance. It also helps activate superoxide dismutase (SOD)—an important antioxidant enzyme.
Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. In addition to its well-studied effects in diabetes, preliminary research has found that chromium supplementation also improves glucose tolerance in people with Turner’s syndrome—a disease linked with glucose intolerance. Chromium may also play a role in increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol,while lowering total cholesterol levels. Chromium, in a form called chromium picolinate, has been studied for its potential role in altering body composition. Preliminary research in animals and humans suggested that chromium picolinate increases fat loss and promotes a gain in lean muscle tissue. Double-blind research has also reported a reduction in body fat and body weight in people given 400 mcg of chromium (as chromium picolinate) per day for three months. However, other studies have failed to show a significant effect of chromium picolinate on body composition.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is an essential trace mineral needed for the proper function of certain enzyme-dependent processes, including the metabolism of iron. Preliminary evidence indicates that molybdenum, through its involvement in detoxifying sulfites, might reduce the risk of sulfite-reactive asthma attacks. However, a physician should be involved in the evaluation and treatment of sulfite sensitivity.
Chloride (As Potassium Chloride)
Potassium is an essential mineral needed to regulate water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure, and neuromuscular function. This mineral also plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart. People with low blood levels of potassium who are undergoing heart surgery are at an increased risk of developing heart arrhythmias and an increased need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.1 Potassium is also required for carbohydrate and protein metabolism.
Lycopene
Lycopene, found primarily in tomatoes, is a member of the carotenoid family—which includes beta-carotene and similar compounds found naturally in food and has potent antioxidant capabilities. A study conducted by Harvard researchers examined the relationship between carotenoids and the risk of prostate cancer. Of the carotenoids studied, only lycopene was clearly linked to protection. The men who had the greatest amounts of lycopene in their diet (6.5 mg per day or more) showed a 21% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating the least. This report suggests that lycopene may be an important tool in the prevention of prostate cancer. This study also reported that those who ate more than ten servings per week of tomato-based foods had a 35% decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating less than 1.5 weekly servings. When the researchers looked at only advanced prostate cancer, the high lycopene eaters had an 86% decreased risk (although this did not reach statistical significance due to the small number of cases). Contrary to popular opinion, research suggests that there is no preferential concentration of lycopene in prostate tissue. Although prostate cancer patients have been reported to have low levels of lycopene in the blood, and lycopene appears to be a potent inhibitor of human cancer cells in test-tubes, evidence is conflicting concerning whether an increased intake of tomato products is protective against prostate cancer.
Saw Palmetto
Originally used by Native Americans as a remedy for urinary problems, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is now popular as an over-the-counter supplement for prostate health. And for good reason. Evidence is building that this herb—extracted from the dark purple berries of the American saw palmetto plant—may help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the fancy name for an enlarged prostate gland. In Germany, Austria, Italy, and other European countries, saw palmetto is an accepted medical treatment for BPH. BPH is an overgrowth of the cells in the prostate gland, possibly due to changes in hormone levels that occur with age. It affects many men over age 40, and more than half of men over 60. BPH is not cancer, nor does it cause cancer. But an enlarged prostate that presses on the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) can interfere with urination, causing a frequent, urgent need to urinate (often in the middle of the night), a decreased or stop-and-start urine flow, and the feeling that you haven’t completely emptied your bladder. If symptoms worsen, the first line of treatment is usually prescription drugs—alpha blockers (such as tamsulosin, brand name Flomax) and finasteride (Proscar). Another option is saw palmetto.
Bromelain
Is a group of enzymes extracted from the stem and fruit of the pineapple. The mechanism by which it works seems to be related to its constituents' ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and it may be able to alter leukocyte response and activation.
Ginger
Studies suggest that Ginger inhibits the synthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, by inhibiting both the cyclo-oxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes. It also has antioxidant properties and contains protease enzymes, which may add to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Quercetin and Rutin
Quercetin and Rutin are closely related antioxidants that naturally occur in many plants. Preliminary research indicates that quercetin may be effective in reducing inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory agents such as histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandins, and it may slow COX-2 production.
