Vitamin C
What It's Good For:
Helps wounds heal, strengthens blood vessels, builds connective tissue,
healthy gums, skin and promotes strong teeth and bones. May boost
immunity.
Discussion:It wrought so well that if all
the physicians of Montpelier and Louaine had been there, with all the
drugs of Alexandria, they would not have done as much in one yere as that
tree did in sixe days." Thus spoke French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535
on his second voyage to Newfoundland after seeing Native Americans cure
his men of scurvy with a strong sassafras tea. In 1747, a British Navy
surgeon experimenting with sailors' rations showed that those given
oranges and lemons each day were cured of scurvy. Throughout the following
years, British naval surgeons' medicine chests included concentrated syrup
of lemon juice (or lime, as the Brits called it, which is why British
sailors are known as limeys). Another 173 years would pass before
researchers extracted this antiscorbutic substance from orange juice and
named it vitamin C. We now know that ascorbic acid is a particularly
versatile VITAMIN. It's integral to the building and maintenance of
collagen, a PROTEIN or "glue" that holds the body's cells in place. It's
indispensable to bones and teeth (for much the same reason), to blood
vessels, to the healing of wounds. Further, vitamin C helps metabolize
several AMINO ACIDS and hormones. It's a powerful ANTIOXIDANT, too,
helping the body rid itself of carcinogenic by-products of metabolism
called free radicals. There's even strong evidence that vitamin C may
raise blood levels of HDL, or "good"cholesterol, which helps flush fatty
deposits from the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular
disease. Or so studies at the National Institute on Aging and the USDA
indicate. But researchers are quick to point out that beyond 345
milligrams of vitamin C per day for men and 215 milligrams for women, the
HDL boosting stops.
Where do I get it? Citrus fruits,
strawberries, green and red peppers, collard and mustard greens, broccoli,
spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, kiwi, guava and parsley.
Standard Process™ Supplements:
Cataplex® AC,
Cataplex® ACP,
Cataplex® C,
Congaplex®,
Cyruta®,
Cyruta® Plus,
Immuplex®,
Collagen C.
RDA: 60 mg for adults.
Calcium
What It's Good For:
Supports bones, teeth, muscle tissue, regulates the heartbeat, muscle
action, nerve function, blood clotting.
Where do I get it? Dairy products,
calcium-fortified orange juice or soy milk, salmon with bones, and green
leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and collards.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Bio Dent®,
Calcifood® Wafers,
Calcium Lactate,
Cal Ma Plus®,
Calsol®,
Min Chex®,
Min Tran®.
DRI: 1,000 mg for adults.
Calorie
What is it? A
unit of measure, like an inch or a pound. Calories measure the amount of
energy your body gets from food. You need energy to be physically active
and for your body to grow and function.
Carbohydrates,
fat and
protein provide the energy from food.
Carbohydrate
What is it? The
body's most readily available source of energy. Each gram of carbohydrate
provides 4 calories of energy. The main forms of carbohydrate are sugars
and starches. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches, such as breads,
cereals and pasta, are complex carbohydrates. Detailed information can be
found
here.
Cholesterol
What it's Good For:
Makes cell membranes, hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often
called "bad" cholesterol because too much in your blood can cause heart
disease. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is often called "good" cholesterol
because it helps remove LDL .
Where do I get it? Meat, poultry, fish, dairy
products, and eggs.
DRI or RDA: None.
More Information:
All about fats,
The Cholesterol Myths,
Glossary - Cholesterol.
Chromium
What it's Good For:
Acts cooperatively with other substances to control insulin and certain
enzymes.
Where do I get it? Cheese, whole grains, meat,
peas, beans and blackstrap molasses.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Cyruta®,
Cyruta® Plus,
Diaplex®,
Cataplex® GTF.
coenzyme
What is it? An organic
non-protein molecule that binds with the protein molecule to form the
active enzyme. Several
vitamins are components of coenzymes.
coenzyme R
What is it? Coenzyme R
denotes biotin.
RDA: see above.
coenzyme Q10
What It's Good For:
Co-enzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, improves energy production within
the heart and acts as an antioxidant. Patients with congestive heart
failure, hypertension and angina show lower levels of CoQ-10 than those
with no cardiovascular disease. It prevents lipid oxidation occurring in
fat-soluble media such as cell membranes and is useful in the treatment of
high cholesterol, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. It is
sometimes proposed as a complementary therapy to combat AIDS-related
conditions.
Where do I get it? The body makes CoQ10 from
the amino acids tyrosine and methionine, and it is found in foods such as
fish, wheat germ and vegetable oils. The therapeutic doses of the
supplement range from 30 to 100 mg per day, levels 10-40 times that found
in organ meat, the most concentrated dietary source of CoQ10. It has no
serious adverse effects, but its safety in pregnancy has not been
established.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Cataplex® E
cofactor
Tidbit: Inorganic
complement of an
enzyme reaction, usually a
metal ion.
Copper
What it's Good For:
Formation of red blood cells, pigment, bone health.
Where do I get it? Nuts, black pepper,
blackstrap molasses and cocoa.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Allorganic Trace Minerals B12®,
Cataplex® C,
Chezyn®,
Copper Liver Chelate,
Immuplex®.
DRI or RDA: None.
Vitamin D
What it's Good For:
Calcium and phosphorus metabolism, aids bone growth and integrity,
promotes strong teeth.
Where do I get it? Fortified milk, egg yolks
and fatty fish, like herring, kipper and mackerel.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Calcifood® Wafers,
Cataplex® D.
DRI: 5-10 mcg for adults.
DRI
Dietary Reference Intakes:
A joint collaboration with Canada and the US, DRIs are revised
recommendations for vitamins and minerals from the Institute of Medicine,
an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, which will gradually replace
the Recommended Dietary Allowances or RDA guidelines. DRIs are being
developed for vitamins and minerals that currently have no RDAs.
Vitamin E
What it's Good For:
Antioxidant powers protect cell membranes, essential for red blood cells,
aids cellular respiration and protects lung tissue from pollution.
Where do I get it? Vegetable oils, wheat germ,
green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, seafood, apples, carrots and celery.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Cataplex® E,
Cataplex® E2,
For-Til B12®,
Wheat Germ Oil,
Wheat Germ Oil Perles Fortified.
RDA: Between 8 to 10 mg for adults
Essential Fatty Acids (a.k.a. Omega-3 and Omega-6)
What They're Good For:
Make cell membranes, hormones, and prostaglandins.
Where you get them: Vegetable oils such as
canola, flaxseed, walnut, corn, soybean, and safflower oils, fish, and
fish oil supplements.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Black Currant Seed Oil,
Chlorophyll Complex Perles Fat Soluble,
Cataplex® F Perles,
Cataplex F® Tablets,
Linum B6,
Wheat Germ Oil,
Wheat Germ Oil Perles Fortified.
Tidbit: Flaxseed oil is a great source of
omega-3s, but not for cooking because heat destroys them.
DRI or RDA: None.
Fat
What is it? A
concentrated energy source. Fat provides 9 calories per gram, more than
twice as much energy as protein and carbohydrate. Fat also provides
essential fatty acids, is an important component of cell structure, and
transports vitamins A, D, E and K.
More Information: Go
here for detailed information about fats.
Fiber
What it's Good For:
Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, helps move waste through the
intestines. Diets rich in plant fiber are related to a reduction of heart
disease, colon cancer and diabetes.
Where do I get it? Fruits, vegetables and
whole-grains.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Tidbit: If you're upping your fiber intake, do
it slowly to avoid stomach upset. Also, drink lots of water.
DRI or RDA: None.
More Information: Go
here for detailed information about fiber.
Folic Acid - Also known as: Folacin; Folate; Pteroylglutamic Acid; PGA
What it's Good For:
Discovered only in 1945, this B VITAMIN is used by the body both to
synthesize and break down
AMINO ACIDS and to synthesize
DNA/RNA-like nucleic acids, which in turn are needed to build new
cells, especially new red blood cells. Its role in preventing two
devastating birth defects — spina bifida (a condition in which the
backbone doesn't envelop and protect the spinal cord) and anencephaly (a
fatal malformation of the brain) — is so significant the FDA, to ensure
that pregnant women receive sufficient folacin, aims to add it to the list
of nutrients now being used to enrich flours, cereals, breads and pastas
(140 micrograms folacin per 100 grams [3 1/2 ounces] food is the proposed
amount). In addition to preventing these birth defects, folic acid may
also protect against certain types of cancer (lung, cervical, colorectal)
and coronary heart disease. Even so, nutritionists recommend getting folic
acid from food, not vitamin pills. There is some concern, however, that
too much folacin masks pernicious anemia and makes it difficult to
diagnose.
Where do I get it? Green leafy vegetables,
dried beans, liver, poultry, fortified cereals, oranges and nuts.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Folic Acid B12.
DRI or RDA: 180 for women and 200 mcg for
men.
Folate
What it's Good For:
Helps cells grow and divide, reduces risk of certain birth defects,
important for red blood cells and crucial in creating amino acids.
Where do I get it? Green leafy vegetables,
dried beans, liver, poultry, fortified cereals, oranges and nuts.
Standard Process® Supplements:
Folic Acid B12.
Tidbit: Pregnant women or women trying to
conceive are often told to take folate.
RDA: 180 for women and 200 mcg for men.
Fluoride
What it's Good For:
Dental health.
Where do I get it? Tea, fish eaten with their
bones, processed foods, and treated drinking water.
DRI: Between 3.1 to 3.8 mg for adults.
Vitamin F
Tidbit: Vitamin F
refers to the Essential
Fatty Acids, or EFAs. These are still accepted as being required by
the human body, but are no longer denoted as a vitamin. The FDA outlawed
this terminology when fast-food chains started claiming "vitamin enriched
foods" based on the fact that frying food in oil adds EFAs.
RDA: Not established
Sources of Information:
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