Why a vitamin a day is not enough - What goes with what

[Guest guest]

Note: This is not written specifically for those with

liver disease. People with liver disease need to avoid

iron supplements, and large amounts of vitamins A, B-3

(Niacin) D & K. People with liver disease are commonly

deficient in magnesium and don't metabolize calcium

well, and are more prone to osteoporosis, so

additional supplements of these may be a good idea.

From THE TIMES of London

Taking too much of one vitamin can prevent the

absorption of another. explains how to get

the balance right

Why a vitamin a day is not enough

What goes with what

Most people who take vitamin and mineral supplements

self-prescribe according to what they think they

should take, and even what is fashionable. As well as

being a waste of money, this is likely to do more harm

than good.

Why? Because taking an extra dose of one vitamin can

lower levels of another. Falling short of a particular

mineral can prevent the absorption of another,

seemingly unrelated, one. A dose of an isolated

vitamin or mineral that is too high can produce the

same symptoms as a deficiency of another nutrient.

This is what nutritionists call synergy and it

explains why taking extra calcium to build stronger

bones may backfire on you. Too much calcium in the

body can cause a deficiency in iron, zinc, magnesium

and phosphorous by preventing their proper absorption.

All these minerals are vital for good bone health and

their ongoing deficiency can lead to osteoporosis -

the condition you were trying to prevent by taking

calcium supplements.

Vitamin D, which is also known as the sunshine vitamin

since the body needs exposure to sunlight to make it,

enhances the absorption of calcium, but too much can

cause a potassium deficiency. Vitamin A is an

antioxidant that is said to help to prevent premature

ageing. It does help to maintain the surfaces of the

body, including the skin, but too much increases the

body's need for another antioxidant, vitamin E, which

protects against heart disease.

Despite some recent and unverified scare stories

suggesting that vitamin C could be a health risk, it

remains the most popular of the self-prescribed

supplements: an estimated ten million Britons take it

every day. Research papers now prove that it has

powerful antioxidant properties that protect against

cancer and heart disease, and show how it boosts the

immune system to protect against infections and can

even speed up wound healing. Yet not many people know

that it works much better in the presence of vitamin A

or that, to use it properly, the body needs calcium.

Ask any alternative cancer specialists what nutrients

their patients should be eating and they will specify

bioflavanoids. Though not a true vitamin, these are a

group of biologically active substances found in

plants that are sometimes called vitamin P. As well as

cancer-fighting properties, they all have an

antibacterial effect in the body, where they promote

healthy circulation, stimulate bile production for the

breakdown of fats and lower blood cholesterol levels.

Foods that are rich in flavanoids include apples,

beetroot, blackberries, blackcurrants, cabbage,

carrots, cauliflower, cherries, dandelions, lemons,

lentils, lettuce, oranges, parsley, plums, peas,

potatoes, rhubarb, rose hips, spinach, tomatoes,

walnuts and watercress. But what you may not be told

is that they all work even better when taken with

vitamin C, and vice versa.

Synergistic partners are rarely monogamous. To correct

a deficiency in vitamin A, you also need six

additional nutrients: choline, zinc, vitamins C, D and

E, plus the essential fatty acids found in oily fish

or evening primrose oil supplements. To restore normal

levels of vitamin C, you need the bioflavanoids,

vitamin A, plus calcium and magnesium. These last two

minerals are so closely linked that if you plan to

take a supplement, you need to follow a ratio of 2:1

in favour of the calcium. So, if you are taking 800mg

of calcium, you need to take 400mg of magnesium, too.

To correct a shortage of calcium in the hope of

building stronger bones, you also need magnesium,

boron, manganese, phosphorous, vitamins A, C, D and F,

plus essential fatty acids.

To complicate the picture further, synergy may not

affect the whole body but only specific cells, so the

impact of what you are doing may be hidden. Smoking,

for example, wipes out vitamin C in the body, but this

deficiency may be confined to the cells of the lungs.

If you smoke, you need to add another 35mg to the new

recommended daily dose (RDA) for vitamin C of 75mg for

women and 90mg for men. You also need to remember the

RDA is the dosage designed to prevent disease, not to

promote optimum health. Those seeking to achieve the

latter take a much higher dose, often closer to 1g a

day.

The best example of synergy is that of the B vitamins,

which are all synergistic with each other and more

potent when used together. Known as nature's

stress-busters, they share many of the same

characteristics, including the fact that they are

water-soluble, which means that any excess is not

stored in the body, but excreted - thus they must be

replaced daily.

Vitamin B1 is widely known as the " morale " vitamin,

thanks to its beneficial effect on mood and the

nervous system. You need more of it in times of

stress, when you are sick or after surgery, and it

always works best in balance with other members of the

B vitamin family, including B2, B6 and B12, plus folic

acid and pantothenic acid.External factors also play a

role in detemining how much of any particular nutrient

you need. Antibiotics, for instance, destroy vitamin

C. Taking the contraceptive pill increases the need

for vitamin B1 and alcohol depletes levels of all the

B vitamins and magnesium.

What goes with what

Vitamin A can help to prevent acne and protect against

cancer but it needs to be taken with choline,

essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamins C, D and E

Vitamin B complex provides all the anti-stress B

vitamins, which also help with digestion, but you also

need calcium, plus vitamins C and E.

Vitamin B6 can help to relieve PMT but it needs

potassium, all the B vitamins in a B complex and

vitamin C.

Vitamin C can protect against heart disease, boost

immunity and speed up wound healing - but not without

bioflavanoids, calcium and magnesium.

Vitamin D is important for strong bones and needs

calcium, choline, essential fatty acids, phoshorous as

well as the antioxidant vitamins A and C.

Essential fatty acids are important for energy and

brain health, but these need the antioxidant vitamins

A, C, E and the " sunshine " vitamin, D.

Magnesium, essential for nerves and muscles and wiped

out by stress, is the second most common deficiency in

women. You cannot rebuild levels without calcium,

phosphorous, potassium, vitamins B6, C and D.

Calcium is crucial for strong bones but no good

without vitamins A, C, D and F, boron, essential fatty

acids, lysine, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous

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