Best Bioavailability of Vitamins and Minerals Super Greens

Drop a Decade from Your Face

Secret #1: Vitamin C

Vitamin C is critical for your body and plays an important role in maintaining healthy, resilient skin. While young skin is full of vitamin C, aging skin naturally loses this nutrient over time. Other factors like exposure to UV light, pollutants and cigarette smoke compound the decline of vitamin C, contributing to signs of aging. The good news is that you can fight back by replenishing your skin’s vitamin C levels to help to combat and even reverse time’s effect on your face.

Wrinkles

One of the most powerful functions of vitamin C is its role in the production of collagen, a protein that gives your skin its elasticity. As you age, collagen breaks down and wrinkles begin to form. Stabilizing your skin’s levels of vitamin C can help to counteract wrinkle formation by increasing collagen production.

Age Spots

When it comes to treating age spots, you don’t need chemical peels and lasers – it turns out that vitamin C can have almost the same results! Age spots are essentially sun damage, and vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, shown to reduce the number of sunburned cells as well as reverse age-related damage to skin. While it’s not a replacement for sunscreen, vitamin C protects against and may repair UV damage like discoloration and fine lines.

Your Anti-Aging Rx

Taking vitamin C through a supplement or food is beneficial to your health, but to specifically target signs of aging on your face, topical vitamin C is best. In fact, applying vitamin C to the skin can be 20 times more effective than taking it orally. Topical vitamin C is sold in a wide range of products from serum to lotions. Look for products that contain between 3% and 10% of vitamin C and include the active ingredient ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid. Pay extra attention to the packaging – all antioxidants, including vitamin C, are vulnerable to deterioration in the presence of air and light. Unless the product is in an airtight and opaque package, don’t buy it!

Apply topical vitamin C once a day, ideally after you’ve exfoliated in the morning to utilize vitamin C’s sun-protecting properties. On rare occasions, topical vitamin C can cause some mild dryness or flaking. Counteract this side effect with a moisturizer. This topical nutrient is safe to combine with all your other skin care products and even works synergistically with other antioxidants. For a super powerful anti-aging punch, combine vitamins C and E together.

The length of time from when you start using vitamin C until you see results varies with each person. While some people see changes as soon as 2-4 weeks, it may take others 6-8 weeks to see a difference. After around 6 months, you’ll reach the maximum benefits.

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Top 5 Benefits of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy. It is responsible for the smooth functioning of several critical body processes.

It is possible for the body to develop a vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency is usually reported with symptoms of fatigue.

Strict vegetarians, heavy drinkers and smokers, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and the elderly usually require vitamin B12 supplements. Sometimes our body, mainly our digestive system, is not able to absorb this vitamin well. This can happen when a person has pernicious anemia, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, bacteria growth in the small intestine, or a parasite. People suffering from these conditions may need vitamin B12 supplements as well.

A deficiency in vitamin B12 can result in a host of illnesses like anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, poor memory, soreness of the mouth, asthma, vision problems, and a low sperm count. However, vitamin B12 deficiency is rare as the liver stores enough reserves to last a couple of years.

The top 5 health benefits of vitamin B 12 are:

• It is needed to convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, thus leading to energy production and a decrease in fatigue and lethargy in the body.

• It helps in healthy regulation of the nervous system, reducing depression, stress, and brain shrinkage.

• It helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Vitamin B12 also protects against heart disease by curbing and improving unhealthy cholesterol levels, protecting against stroke, and high blood pressure.

• It is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin.

• Vitamin B 12 helps protect against cancers including breast, colon, lung, and prostrate cancer.

Make sure that your body is getting enough vitamin B12 by incorporating these foods in your diet: liver, meat, eggs, milk, cheese and some varieties of fish.

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The Truth about Vitamins and Supplements

Vitamin D: Vital Role in Your Health

Source: http://www.webmd.com/

Vitamin D deficiency can be harmful -- in fact, there are real benefits to increasing your Vitamin D.

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Vitamins like C and E continue to be the darlings of many supplement lovers. But those vitamin superstars are being forced to share their throne with the long neglected vitamin D, which is finally getting the attention it may have always deserved.

No doubt, you're probably familiar with the role of vitamin D in promoting healthy bones, largely by promoting the absorption of calcium. "If you have a vitamin D deficiency, particularly in your older years, it can lead to osteoporosis or osteomalacia [bone softening]," says Lona Sandon, RD, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas.

But there is recent and mounting evidence that links low levels of the vitamin to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes, muscle and bone pain, and, perhaps more serious, cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, ovaries, esophagus, and lymphatic system.

If you want to lower your blood pressure, vitamin D may be just what the doctor ordered. If you're trying to reduce your risk of diabetes, or lower your chances ofheart attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis, then vitamin D should be at the front of the line in your daily supplement regimen.

D-fense for Your Health

As the research into vitamin D is accumulating, it's hard to know where the accolades should start. "Activated vitamin D is one of the most potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth," says Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, who heads the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine. "It also stimulates your pancreas to make insulin. It regulates your immune system."

Just consider these recent studies:

• At Boston University, after people with high blood pressure were exposed to UVA and UVB rays for three months, their vitamin D levels increased by more than 100% -- and more impressively, their high blood pressure normalized. "We've followed them now for nine months, and their hypertension continues to be in remission," says Holick, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University. One theory about how vitamin D reduces blood pressure: It decreases the production of a hormone called renin, which is believed to play a role in hypertension.
• In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2003, of more than 3,000 veterans (ages 50 to 75) at 13 Veterans Affairs medical centers, those who consumed more than 645 IU of vitamin D a day along with more than 4 grams per day of cereal fiber had a 40% reduction in their risk of developing precancerous colon polyps.
• In a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in February 2004, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland showed that elderly women who took a vitamin D supplement plus calcium for three months reduced their risk of falling by 49% compared with consuming calcium alone. Those women who had fallen repeatedly in the past seemed to gain the most benefit from vitamin D.
• A study in the Jan. 13, 2004 issue of Neurology indicated that women who get doses of vitamin D that are typically found in daily multivitamin supplements -- of at least 400 international units -- are 40% less likely to develop multiple sclerosis compared with those not taking over-the-counter supplements.

Vitamin A (Retinol): A Review of Everything You Ever Needed to Know

Facts About Vitamin A

Source: http://www.drweil.com/

What is vitamin A?
"Vitamin A" is the blanket term for retinoids, biologically active compounds that occur naturally in both plant and animal tissues.

The vitamin A that comes from animal sources is fat-soluble, and in the form of retinoic acid, retinal and retinol. Because these retinoids are very bioavailable and stored in our tissues, too much animal-derived vitamin A can build up in the body and become toxic.

The vitamin A in fruits and vegetables is in the form of  "provitamin A" -vitamin A precursors also known as  carotenoids, which must be converted by the human body into usable retinoids. There are several distinct classes of carotenoids, and evidence suggests that carotenoids work together to provide their health benefits. Taken together in supplement form, these are commonly called "mixed carotenoids." The body can make all the vitamin A it needs from these plant-derived carotenoids. They are water-soluble and do not accumulate in the body, so toxicity is rare.

More than 500 carotenoids have been identified; fewer than 10 percent can be made into vitamin A in the body. Still, many that cannot be converted to vitamin A have healthful effects - lycopene, for example, has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer.

Why is vitamin A necessary?
Vitamin A plays a vital role in bone growth, reproduction and immune system health. It also helps the skin and mucous membranes repel bacteria and viruses more effectively. It is essential to healthy vision, and may slow declining retinal function in people with retinitis pigmentosa.

What are the signs of a deficiency?
Vitamin A deficiency is common in developing countries, but is quite rare in the United States. One of the earliest signs of a deficiency is night blindness. Permanent blindness can result if the deficiency is left unchecked. Vitamin A deficiency also allows opportunistic infectious diseases such as measles and pneumonia to become deadly. Alcoholics may develop vitamin A deficiencies, and should consequently include rich food sources of vitamin A in their diets (while concurrently sharply curtailing or eliminating alcohol consumption). Supplements may not be wise for alcoholics, however, because vitamin A is stored in the liver, and existing liver damage could make them more susceptible to vitamin A toxicity. In such cases, a doctor's supervision is critical.

How much, and what kind, does an adult need?
Dr. Weil suggests 15,000 IU of mixed carotenoids daily. The antioxidant formula he recommends contains beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin.

How much does a child need?
Dr Weil recommends 5,000 IU of mixed carotenoids as part of a children's daily multivitamin, but you should always consult with your pediatrician before beginning supplements.

How do you get enough vitamin A from foods?
The richest animal source of retinols is beef liver: three ounces provides over 27,000 IU, which is more than one needs for a whole day (although toxicity is not a problem unless such high intakes occur on a regular basis). The best natural sources of carotenoids are fruits and vegetables, including carrots, spinach, kale, butternut squash, cantaloupe, mangoes, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

Are there risks associated with too much vitamin A?
Excessive, chronic intake of some forms of vitamin A can be toxic. Avoid taking supplemental vitamin A as retinol or retinoic acid, and instead use plant-derived vitamin A precursors such as beta-carotene (in addition to other mixed carotenoids). Also avoid concentrated animal sources such as cod liver oil (although some forms of cod liver oil are vitamin A reduced and are safe - check the label). Warning symptoms of overdose include hair loss, confusion, liver damage and bone loss.

The Truth about Vitamins & Supplements - Clinical Nutrition

The A-Z of vitamins and minerals

Source: http://www.saga.co.uk/health

You can’t make vitamins or minerals in your body so you have to get them through diet and supplements - but what should you take and how much?

To be healthy you only need small amounts of each one but you need to get them regularly - ideally, every day. Deficiency diseases caused by inadequate intakes are rare, but not unknown, in the UK.

Among other things, vitamins help drive biological processes, they help absorb other essential nutrients such as minerals, they protect us from free radical damage, are involved in hormone production and help release energy from food.

Minerals are involved in a wide range of crucial functions throughout the body. They are a necessary part of over 600 enzymes, and are involved in every tissue. Some are needed in amounts of more than 100 mg a day, and these are called macro-minerals. Others are needed in much smaller quantities and these are called micro-minerals.

As we grow older, our body becomes less efficient at extracting nutrients from our food and absorbing them into the blood. It becomes more important to top up our reserves as time goes on.

Vitamins are either fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) or water-soluble (the Bs and C). Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body, so we need less, but they can also build up if we take too much. Water-soluble vitamins pass through easily, so we need daily top-ups. They are washed out of foods during preparation and cooking.

Minerals come from the soil and are absorbed by plants that we eat or are eaten by animals. The mineral content of food depends on where the plants grow and on what the animals are fed. Modern farming methods produce large amounts of food, but a lot of it does not have the nutrients of the equivalent organic crop or traditionally farmed version.

Dietary vitamins and minerals

Fresh food, destined for the supermarket and stored in chilled containers, can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles and take several days to get to and from distribution centres.

Processing removes most of the nutrients. White flour, white rice and refined white sugar contain no vitamins at all and only 10% of the minerals they originally had. Manufacturers compensate by adding back some, but not all, of the nutrients removed or destroyed – the “fortified” foods. Cereals, margarines, bread, milk and orange juice have added vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and D and also minerals such as iron and calcium.

Many fruits and vegetables contain a lot less of some nutrients now compared to 40 years ago. For instance broccoli and pineapples now have less than half the calcium; the vitamin C in cauliflower is 40% less and 30% less in sweet peppers; watercress has 80% less iron, and some oranges have no vitamin C at all.

Specialist diets such as low-protein, low-carbohydrate, vegetarian and the like may mean you get less of the essential vitamins or minerals that you need. Research shows that most of us don’t come anywhere near to reaching the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals, and suffer from minor deficiency symptoms as a result.

Choosing vitamin and mineral supplements

Supplements are a simple way to compensate for the falling standards of our food and the modern lifestyle. True deficiency diseases are uncommon, but this does not mean we don’t need supplements to help our health.

Supplements can’t compensate for poor food choices, and they don’t replace missed meals. Buy the best supplement you can afford. Cheap does not necessarily mean poor quality, but may come with fewer ingredients. Check the label for ingredient range. Including herbs or cod liver oil is not necessarily a good plan as there needs to be reasonable amounts of such "extras" to have any positive effect.

Liquids or granules get into the blood stream quickly and efficiently. They are the best but also the most expensive. Tablets are less costly and less efficient at delivering the goods. Capsules are in between – a bit more expensive than tablets, but gentler on sensitive stomachs and release the nutrients quicker. Prolonged action or time-release tablets and capsules tend to pass through the gut too quickly to dissolve properly.

Consider the physical size of the tablet or capsule. Swallowing an enormous bomb of a capsule puts some people off. Make sure you are capable of getting it down.

How much?

The supplement label lists ingredients in grams (G), milligrams (mg) or micrograms (mcg) then gives this amount as a percentage of the RDA - the Recommended Daily Allowance. This is a measure of the minimum amount of a vitamin or mineral the body needs to avoid a deficiency disease. Please remember it’s not the ideal, nor the optimum but the absolute minimum. The better supplements give you 100% of the RDA in each dose.

Side effects

Stop taking the supplement if you feel worse or have unexpected allergic reactions and side effects. Tell your doctor or health professional and ask for advice.

There is a wide safety margin between what most supplements deliver and what would be required to cause side effects or toxic reactions. As an example, it would take at least 100 times the RDA of vitamin D to cause a possible toxic effect.

Minerals can and do cause more toxicity problems than vitamins. But, a multi-mineral supplement is unlikely to cause such problems since they contain only small amounts of each mineral.

Single mineral supplements can be helpful if a particular mineral is extremely deficient, e.g. iron in anaemia. But if they are not needed they can give sudden excesses that unbalance other vitamin levels and could cause more problems than they solve.