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Recommended
Nutritional Doses for Maximum Health
Benefits:
MALE
E 800 IU Daily
Magnesium 400mgDaily
Saw Palmetto 450 mg Daily
Zinc 30 mcg Daily
MALE &
FEMALE
Acidophilus (3 B CFU) Twice Daily with meals
Plant Enzymes (12,500 HUT) Three times Daily with
meals
Alpha-Lipoic Acid 200 mg Daily
Vitamin B Complex 50-100 mg Daily
Vitamin C 2,000-4000 mg Daily
Lutein 20 mg Daily
CO Q10 100 mg Daily
N-Acetyl Cystine 600 mg Daily
Niacin 320 mg Daily (Do not use the NO Flush
Niacinimide)
Omega 3 2000-3000 mg Daily
FEMALE
Amino Acid Complex (Amino 1000)
A 25,000 IU Daily (mixed carotenoids)
E 400 IU Twice Daily
Vitamin
C
Vitamin C is a
water-soluble vitamin that has a number of biological
functions.Acting as an antioxidant, one of vitamin C's important
functions is to protect LDLcholesterol from oxidative damage. (Only
when LDL is damaged does cholesterol appear to lead to heart
disease, and vitamin C may be one of the most important antioxidant
protectors of LDL.) Vitamin C may also protect against heart
disease by reducing the stiffness of arteries and the tendency of
platelets to clump together.
The antioxidant properties of vitamin C are
thought to protect smokers, as well as people exposed to secondhand
smoke, from the harmful effects of free radicals. A controlled
trial demonstrated the ability of 3 grams of vitamin C, taken by
nonsmokers two hours prior to being exposed to cigarette smoke, to
reduce the free radical damage and LDL cholesterol oxidation
associated with exposure to cigarette smoke. The smoke-induced
decline in total antioxidant defense was also diminished. These
beneficial effects were not observed in nonsmokers under normal
conditions (no free radical exposure). Vitamin C is needed to make
collagen, the "glue" that strengthens many parts of the body, such
as muscles and blood vessels. Vitamin C also plays important roles
in wound healing and as a natural antihistamine. This vitamin also
aids in the formation of liver bile and helps to fight viruses and
to detoxify
alcohol and other substances.
Recently, researchers have shown that vitamin C improves nitric
oxide activity. Nitric oxide is needed for the dilation of blood
vessels, potentially important in lowering blood pressure and
preventing spasms of arteries in the heart that might otherwise
lead to heart attacks. Vitamin C has reversed dysfunction of cells
lining blood vessels. The normalization of the functioning of these
cells may be linked to prevention of heart disease.
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.
People with recurrent boils (furunculosis) may have defects in
white blood cell function that are correctable with vitamin C
supplementation. A preliminary study of people with recurrent boils
and defective white blood cell function, found that 1 gram of
vitamin C taken daily for four to six weeks, resulted in
normalization of white blood cell function. Ten of twelve people
receiving vitamin C became symptom-free within one month and
remained so for periods of one to three years without additional
supplementation. The other two people required long-termvitamin C
supplementation to prevent recurrences. A double-blind trial found
that 500 mg of vitamin C per day for one year reduced the risk of
developing reflex sympathetic dystrophy (a painful nerve condition
of the extremities), after a wrist fracture. In a small,
preliminary trial, vitamin C (500 mg twice daily) combined with
rutoside (500 mg twice daily), a derivative of the flavonoid,
rutin, produced marked improvement in three women with progressive
pigmented purpura (PPP), a mild skin condition. Although not a
serious medical condition, cosmetic concerns lead people with PPP
to seek treatment with a variety of drugs. The vitamin C/rutoside
combination represents a promising, non-toxic alternative to these
drug
treatments, but larger, controlled trials are needed to confirm
these preliminary results.
Alpha Lipoic
Acid
Alpha
lipoic acid (ALA) is a vitamin-like antioxidant, sometimes referred
to as the "universal antioxidant" because it is soluble in both fat
and water. ALA is manufactured in the body and is found in some
foods, particularly liver and yeast. ALA is capable of regenerating
several other antioxidants back to their active states, including
vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10. ALA has
several potential benefits for people with diabetes. It enhances
glucose uptake in type 2 (adult onset or non-insulin-dependent)
diabetes, inhibits glycosylation (the abnormal attachment of sugar
to protein), and has been used to improve diabetic nerve damage and
reduce pain associated with that nerve damage. Most studies have
used intravenous alpha lipoic acid, but oral supplementation has
nonetheless proved partially helpful in treating at least one form
of diabetic neuropathy, using 800 mg per day. Preliminary evidence
indicates that 150 mg of alpha lipoic acid, taken daily for one
month, improves visual function in people with glaucoma.
B
12
Vitamin B12 is is a water-soluble vitamin
needed for normal nerve cell activity, DNA replication, and
production of the mood-affecting substance SAMe
(S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Vitamin B12 acts with folic acid and
vitamin B6 to control homocysteine levels. An excess of
homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease,
stroke, and potentially other diseases such as osteoporosis and
Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes fatigue. Years
ago, a small, double-blind trial reported that even some people who
are not deficient in this vitamin had increased energy after
vitamin B12 injections, compared with the effect of placebo
injections. In recent years, however, the relationship between B12
injections and the energy level of people who are not vitamin
B12-deficient has been rarely studied. In a preliminary trial,
2,500-5,000 mcg of vitamin B12, given by injection every two to
three days, led to improvement in 50-80% of a group of people with
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), with most improvement appearing
after several weeks of vitamin B12 shots. The ability of vitamin
B12 injections to help people with CFS remains unproven, however.
People with CFS interested in considering a trial of vitamin B12
injections should consult a doctor. Oral or sublingual
(administered under the tongue) B12 supplements are unlikely to
obtain the same results as injectable B12, because the body's
ability to absorb large amounts is relatively poor.
Coenzyme
Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also called ubiquinone,
a name that signifies its ubiquitous (widespread) distribution in
the
human body. CoQ10 is used by the body to transform food
into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy on which the body
runs. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from
free radicals and helps preserve vitamin E, the major antioxidant
of cell membranes and blood cholesterol.
CoQ10 supplementation has been investigated as a way to improve
physical endurance because of its effect on energy production;
however, most research shows that CoQ10 does not improve athletic
performance. In other research, investigators reported no
differences in CoQ10 in muscles or blood from patients with
fibromyalgia compared with healthy people. Synthesis of sperm
requires considerable energy. Due to its role in energy production,
CoQ10 has been studied in infertile men. Preliminary research
reports that supplementation of CoQ7, a related molecule, increased
sperm counts in a group of infertile men. Healing of the gums of
the mouth (periodontal tissue) may require increased energy
production; therefore, researchers have explored the effects of
CoQ10 supplementation in people with periodontal disease, which has
been linked to CoQ10 deficiency. Double-blind research shows that
people with gum disease given CoQ10 achieve better results than
those given a placebo.
The role of CoQ10 in energy formation also relates to how the body
uses carbohydrates. Preliminary research suggests that a close
relative of this nutrient lowered blood sugar levels in a group of
people with diabetes. People with type 2 (adult onset) diabetes
have been found to have significantly lower blood levels of CoQ10
compared with healthy people.
Virtually every cell of the human body contains CoQ10. It is
concentrated in the mitochondria, the area of cells where energy is
produced. The heart and liver contain the greatest amount of CoQ10.
It has helped some people with congestive heart failure,(CHF) an
effect reported in an analysis of eight controlled trials and found
in some, though not all, double-blind studies. The beneficial
effects of CoQ10 may not be seen until after several months of
treatment. Discontinuation of CoQ10 supplementation in people with
CHF has resulted in severe relapses and should only be attempted
under the supervision of a doctor. Similar improvements have been
reported in people with cardiomyopathies-a group of diseases
affecting heart muscle. Research (including double-blind studies)
in this area has been consistently positive. Also, due to its
effect on heart muscle, researchers have studied CoQ10 in people
with heart arrhythmias. Preliminary research in this area reported
improvement after approximately one month in people with premature
ventricular beats (a form of arrhythmia) who also suffer from
diabetes. Angina patients taking 150 mg per day of CoQ10 report a
greater ability to exercise without experiencing chest pain. This
has been confirmed in independent investigations. CoQ10 appears to
increase the heart's tolerance to a lack of oxygen. Perhaps as a
result, preliminary research has shown that problems resulting from
heart surgery occurred less frequently in people given CoQ10
compared with the control group. Muscle mitochondria lack adequate
CoQ10 in people with muscular dystrophy, a problem that could
affect muscle function. In a double-blind three-month trial, four
of eight people with muscular dystrophy had improvements in heart
function and sense of well-being when supplementing CoQ10.
Mitochondrial function also appears to be impaired in people with
Alzheimer's disease. Due to CoQ10's effects on mitochondrial
functioning, one group of researchers has given CoQ10 (along with
iron and vitamin B6) to several people with Alzheimer's disease and
reported the progression of the disease appeared to
have been prevented for one and a half to two years.
CoQ10 also modulates immunity. Perhaps as a result, a few cases
have been reported in which women with metastatic breast cancer
(cancer that had spread to other tissues) had a regression of their
cancer after treatment with a very large amount of CoQ10 (390 mg
per day). CoQ10 appears to modulate blood pressure by reducing
resistance to blood flow. Several trials have reported that
supplementation with CoQ10 significantly reduced blood pressure in
people with hypertension, usually after ten weeks to four or more
months of treatment. In a double-blind study of 21 patients with
chronic renal (kidney) failure, 15 of whom were on dialysis,
supplementation with 60 mg of CoQ10 three times per day for four
weeks improved certain measures of kidney function (BUN [blood urea
nitrogen], serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance), compared
with placebo, and eliminated the need for dialysis in some
patients. Because chronic renal failure is a serious and
complicated disease, individuals with this condition should take
CoQ10 only under strict medical supervision. In a double-blind
trial, administration of 1,200 mg of CoQ10 per day for 16 months to
people with early Parkinson's disease significantly slowed the
progression of the disease, compared with a placebo. Smaller amount
of CoQ10 were slightly more effective than placebo, but the
difference was not statistically significant.
Lutein
Lutein is an antioxidant in the carotenoid
family (a group of naturally occurring fat-soluble pigments found
in plants). Lutein is the primary carotenoid present inthe central
area of the retina called the macula. Lutein may act as a filter to
protect the macula from potentially damaging forms of light.
Consequently, lutein appears to be associated with protection from
age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in
older adults).
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