Supplements

[greenman]

I'm slightly confused about what supplements I should and shouldnt be taking. There is so much out there, and I wonder:

a. What is actually necessary?
b. Whether im taking anything that overlaps and gives me twice as much of some things?

Any guidance would be most appreciated :)

[Giles]

The only thing you need to be wary of are the fat soluble vitamins. Most other vitamins and minerals and such like, if taken in excess, are flushed out of our system via our kidneys.

Fat soluble vitamins, as the name implies, are dissolved in the oil phase of what we eat and transported to and absorbed in our intestines. This means that they can be stored in our bodies. The vitamins to be wary of are A, D, E and K. There will always be an RDA on the labels of the supplements you are taking, just make sure you're not going over the top.

One thing to note also is the ingestion of minerals. Normally these are ok, however if you are on any sort of medication, some minerals may block the effects of that medication. It is always a good idea to talk to your GP about these sorts of things.

Other than this info, I can't help any further as I don't know what other supplements you are on. If you could ellaborate I may be able to help

Regards

Giles

PS: The legal bit - although I have a ****** in Food Science and Nutrition, I am in no way a practitioner. If you are seeking medical reassurance I suggest you see your GP. There goes.

[callum001]

I would say the following supplements are the best mixture, and do not overlap too much:

- Green Drink: Giving you all of the benefits of a diet abundant in green veg
- Alkaline Water: Water with pH drops. As the majority of what we consume is acid forming, a decent supply of alkaline water (preferrable distilled or at least filtered) helps keep the body in an acid/alkaline balance.
- Omega Oils: Absolutely essential in keeping the body and mind working efficiently.
- Fibre: Keeps the digestive system working efficiently and therefore the absorbtion of nutrients at its best.
- Probiotics: Again helps keep the digestive system working optimally.
- Anti-Oxidants: To mop up those pesky free radicals and limit the day to day wear and tear on the bodies cells.
- Multivitamin & Minerals: For the basic nutritional building blocks.

Hope this helps clarify things.

Callum

[clarkey]

Wow

What Giles has said makes a lot of sense. I remember reading that supplements are meant to be a safety net as a lot of the things we need are not always in our normal foods and drinks every day. So the overlapping is not anything to worry about too much!

[samfly]

Omega Oils: Absolutely essential in keeping the body and mind working efficiently.


Omega oils are something I always forget about! I keep reading all the time about how important they are but I always forget to buy them!

THanks for the reminder Callum :D

[ross]

Omega Oils: Absolutely essential in keeping the body and mind working efficiently.


Omega oils are something I always forget about! I keep reading all the time about how important they are but I always forget to buy them!

THanks for the reminder Callum :D

I rank them as important as green drinks to be honest. Never miss a day!

[mike_b]

Hi Ross

What sort of benefits did you have from that? How long did it take before you noticed?

[dianah]

Is it true you shouldn't heat Udos oil eg over hot vegies
DianaH

[ross]

Is it true you shouldn't heat Udos oil eg over hot vegies
DianaH

Hi Dianah

It is true that you shouldn't heat the oil, but it can take the heat of being poured or used in a dressing over things like steamed veggies.

Heat, light & air all spoil oils - so the less interaction your oil has with these things the better!

My basic rules are:

- keep it in a dark bottle
- keep it in the fridge
- get the lid back on asap!
- don't cook with it!
- use it fresh (don't make stuff in advance)
- use it every day!!!

If you remember those rules - you're golden. like I say, you can't heat it up, but it is fine to put on top of cooked foods - especially if it is just steamed veggies and the like.

Hope this helps!

Ross

[Benson]

Actually, the question ought to be answered like this:
What supplements you ought to take is determined mainly by what your dietary behaviour is like. Supplements are intended to add in nutrients that your diet may not provide enough of.
It is true that fat soluble vitamins have the potential to cause problems if taken to excess but that applies mainly to the synthetic versions. High doses of Vitamin A and D were routinely consumed by eskimos and others through consumption of foods extremely rich in both, such as Polarbear liver.

As to the water soluble ones, there is a caveat. Much damage can be done with relatively moderate doses of Vitamin B6. Be careful.
Vitamin 6 can be tailored to your physiology by watching dream recall.

Today's common deficiencies:

Omega-3, Magnesium and micronutrients like trace minerals .

Benson

[ross]

Nice answer Benson :)

Omega 3 should be on everyones hit list without a shadow of a doubt.

[mike_b]

Nice answer Benson :)

Omega 3 should be on everyones hit list without a shadow of a doubt.

What difference have you noticed since youve been taking it?

Mike

[kronos]

My basic rules are:

- keep it in a dark bottle
- keep it in the fridge
- get the lid back on asap!
- don't cook with it!
- use it fresh (don't make stuff in advance)
- use it every day!!!


I'd add keep unopened bottles in the deep freeze. Oil isn't like water, it contracts evenly over all temperatures so the bottle won't crack.

[ross]

I'd add keep unopened bottles in the deep freeze. Oil isn't like water, it contracts evenly over all temperatures so the bottle won't crack.

Definitely - good pick up mate.

[Pinky]

I do use the Flax Oil on salads, but only buy 1 large bottle at a time, and keep in fridge. I poured a bit over some fresh Asparagus yesterday. :D

I also buy the Golden Flax Seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder, and sprinkle them on soup, veggies, salads too. They too have to be kept in the fridge. Thay have to be ground fresh each time or they lose their viability. But they ARE a good way to get the Omega 3's if you're not going to be using the Flax oil on anything.

[clarkey]

I also buy the Golden Flax Seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder, and sprinkle them on soup, veggies, salads too.

Brilliant - why didnt I think of that! All this time I have been thinking that I needed some fandangled juicer grinder extention piece - when my coffee grinder has been sat unused in my cupboard for months and months.

Great tip Pinky! :)

[Pinky]

Glad to be of help, Clarkey. :D

I tried cutting up some Brazil Nuts the other day in my coffee grinder:!: DON"T :!: I thought I'd broken it. :oops: My next try is with a strong hammer, at least to get them into smaller pieces.

[Benson]

I know the founder of Barlean's personally. David Barleans of Whatcom County, Washington. You cannot go wrong with his superior product. He has always believed in the best or nothing (like Carl Benz of Daimler Benz Mercedes).

Benson

[dianah]

What do you rank as the best nuts to eat?
Diana

[ross]

I personally go for almonds every time. :)

[ross]

Oh and cashews and peanuts are best avoided due to the way they are stored and warehoused (for long periods) - which leads them to becoming infected with various yeasts/fungi/mycotoxins which makes them highly acidifying.

Ross

[Benson]

Excellent point, ross. Aflatoxins are common and can be deadly in the long run.
Benson

[Pinky]

At this point, I'm preferring Almonds too. Forget the Brazil nuts unless you can bite into and chew them well.

What about Walnuts :?: And Pecans :?:

[kronos]

I was interested by Robert Young's view on Probiotics in his recent newsletter.

<Introduction at the top of the newsletter by Robert Young>

The following is an answer to a question sent to me via email concerning the need for probiotics in the gut. This question comes up alot so I thought I would share with you my point of view.

<Question>

The comments Dr. Mercola makes near the end of this article seem right along the lines of what you would say. But then he says we need probiotics. Most "health gurus" DO say that. Why are they not good to use, as I heard you say on listening to the recent weight loss series of CD's from the teleconference?

<Answer by Robert Young>

Food digests from the inside out not the outside in. You need no enzymes or probiotics to digest food if you chew it well. Bacteria and enzymes are the waste products of digested foods and drinks. In fact, when the food or drink has a tangy or fizzy taste it is fermenting and that is when you know it is full of bacteria and acid that can make you sick, tired and fat.

We need to clean up our guts with alkalizing foods and drinks and throw away our probiotics and our digestive enzymes and start drinking salt water and sodium bicarbonate to help alkalize the food we eat and to help maintain the alkalinity of the mouth, stomach and intestines. The pH of the stomach should not be at 1.5 to 3 but should be at 7.2 to 8.2. The stomach is not an organ of digestion but an alkalizing organ that produces sodium bicarbonate to alkalize the food and drink we eat in preparation for the small intestine. It is in the small intestine where food is transformed into new blood. This happens in an alkaline environment of 8.2 to 8.4 pH.

The reason obesity is associated with sugar and bacteria is when bacteria ferments sugar it becomes acid (acetlyaldehyde and alcohol) and the body retains fat to buffer or park these acids to protect the organs that sustain life. If we want to be healthy and fit we need to maintain the alkaline design of our body's and get off all our acidic foods, drinks and supplements. This includes digestive enzymes and probiotics which are all acidic and a major contributor to digestive disorders including cancer.

<End of answer>

Discuss !?!

[Benson]

Dr Young stated:

The pH of the stomach should not be at 1.5 to 3 but should be at 7.2 to 8.2. The stomach is not an organ of digestion but an alkalizing organ that produces sodium bicarbonate to alkalize the food and drink we eat in preparation for the small intestine. It is in the small intestine where food is transformed into new blood. This happens in an alkaline environment of 8.2 to 8.4 pH.

The reason obesity is associated with sugar and bacteria is when bacteria ferments sugar it becomes acid (acetlyaldehyde and alcohol) and the body retains fat to buffer or park these acids to protect the organs that sustain life.......

I don't mind a bit of a renegade and outside the box thinker but this goes too far.
The stomach is NOT an "alkalizing" organ.
Food is not transformed into blood in the small intestine.
Bacteria do not ferment sugars into acids that are alcohol and acetaldehyde.
Actually, yeasts perform the anaerobic conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol . Acetaldehyde is a breakdown product from alcohol, it is produced through the action of alcohol dehydrogenase.
The body does not retain fat to buffer these acids to protect the organs. What the body does, in fact, is to further break down acetaldehyde to vinegar-like substances. This is accomplished through the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and it also triggers the mobilisation of tissue water to dilute the substances so they can be flushed out of the body.

I get the impression that someone is attempting to re-write biology.
Benson

[kronos]

I too was surprised to read what I did in Dr Youngs newsletter. He has written a lot of things that I had to think about & understand before I accepted it but this seems like another level.

Hey Ho ...

[Pinky]

Personally, I think it may depend on the individual person's system.

And especially if one has had to take any Antibiotics or other meds that tend to compromise the gut flora. I usually depended on Yogurt, but we're Not allowed that :!:

Not everyone is the same :!:

[ross]

I'm personally a little bit surprised by this too - but here is my take on it.

Firstly, Dr Young and Dr Mercola have both had little digs at each other on numerous occasions. Both have very strong beliefs and neither are willing to budge an inch with what they say.

So it does not surprise me that there are more incongruities between what they say.

I haven't read Dr Mercola's article either but I would imagine that in this case - Dr Young is referring to Yakult type probiotic products - yoghurts, milky drinks etc as he *****ted digestive enzyme and probiotic products throughout his books.

I think that his answer comes from the viewpoint (but is not explicit in his email) that if you are eating a diet that is 80% fresh vegatables, salads, raw foods etc then your body does not need Yakult and Activa type yoghurts (which of course are dairy).

Regarding the salt water and sodium bicarb - not sure what that is all about - will have to do some researching of my own on that one!

Still - I worry about how extreme Dr Young gets. It seems that he does not have much of an appreciation of how much he alienates people with communications like this.

If he stuck to the basis of what the alkaline diet is - making 80% of your diet up from fresh, raw foods, green veggies, salads etc and avoiding things like beer, ciggies, sweets, fizzy drinks, pizza etc then a LOT more people would understand it and a LOT more people would embrace it.

Anyway, just my 2c

Ross

[Benson]

You guys are too nice! It is apparent that Dr. Young does not have a good understanding of human physiology, biochemistry or any of the other life sciences. Writing what he did shows him to be completely at odds with established knowledge and, frankly, I am astonished to see this in print.

What's his background?
Benson

[mike_b]

I think his book is a lot less sensational than some of his emails on his newsletter.

not sure of his background other than him being a microbiologist though

Mike

[kronos]

Some good words there Ross. I agress totally. Very true about alienating people. QuackWatch will love this :-)

If anyone wants a copy of the original newsletter, PM me.

[Benson]

I could not find any real background on Dr. Young. He could not be a microbiologist though. He does not understand the basics.
Benson

[ross]

Don't even get me started on Quackwatch. In the large part that site is the biggest pile of ****e I have ever seen.

[harith]

Hi guys

Ive just started with including probiotics in my diet - im hoping it will help with my digestion.

will let you know how i iget on

harith

[warro]

I use pro biotics every day and Ihave found them to help with my digestion and a skinrash i had for two years has now gone away too. Might not be because of them but they might have helped!

W

[ross]

Thats good to hear warro.

I personally have found them to be helpful too, particularly when I have been feeling run down (due to overwork and lack of sleep!)

Helps keep everything in order if you know what I mean!!!