the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
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 You know how important teamwork can be in a family or when playing a sport. vitamins and minerals work together in the same way to help prevent macular degeneration. Healthy eyes have a high concentration of the antioxidant vitamins C and E. They help each other do their job and end up protecting your retinas from free radical damage. Another team player is selenium, a trace mineral that combines with vitamin E to protect your eyes from the dangers of oxidation.
You can get these important team players from the food you eat. |
Christopher Hobbs
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 It contains large quantities of vitamins and minerals in a readily assimilable form, as well as substances (such as polysaccharides) that the body can use to rebuild a weakened immune system. This recipe also provides a great opportunity to try some of the mushrooms mentioned in this book. Try adding shiitake, turkey tail, common poria (such as Oxyporus corticola (Fr.) Ryv.), Cordyceps, or any sweet-tasting polypores, such as Fomitopsis pinicola, available in your local area. |
| Button mushrooms do contain significant amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals, but when one considers the possible carcinogenic effect of their chronic consumption, and the possible trace amounts of malathion that may be present, it is probably wise to eat them no more than 2-3 times weekly in moderate amounts.
Calvatia Cigantea (Batsch:Pers.) Lloyd, C. spp.
Giant Puffball, Ma Bo
Some authors say that the large fruiting body of this fungus is the largest of all fungi (Mcllvaine and Macadam, 1973), though Arora disputes this (Arora, 1994). It has been recorded that specimens of C. |
| It is not known for certain whether vitamins and minerals play a significant role in the healing properties of medicinal fungi, but again, immune-enhancing minerals, such as germanium and zinc, are more accessible to the human system after cooking.
Antinutritional Properties of Mushrooms
It is important to consider anti-nutritional factors that may be present in raw mushrooms. For instance, it is known that A. bisporus and P. ostreatus contain hemagglutinins that have been shown to interfere with protein absorption in rats and have even produced lesions in the small intestine. |
Michael Castleman
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 Some supplements are natural, meaning that their vitamins and minerals have been extracted from plants—for example, vitamin C from rose hips. Others are synthetic laboratory creations.
Until the 1990s, mainstream medicine scoffed at supplements. Critics insisted that a balanced diet would supply all of the nutrients that a person could need. They charged that except for preventing vitamin-deficiency diseases (such as scurvy, rickets, and beriberi), supplements were medically worthless and a waste of money. |
| Megadoses of some vitamins and minerals can cause problems," Soloway explains. "For example, vitamins A and D can be harmful in amounts higher than three to four times the recommended intakes. But few people take a large enough dose for a long enough time to become sick." You're much more likely to be struck by lightning than to be killed by vitamin or mineral supplements. |
| Few people understand that vitamins and minerals work synergisti-cally," explains clinical nutritionist Shari Lieberman, Ph.D. "Nature packages nutrients together in foods. They should be taken the same way in supplements. I always advise people to start with an insurance formula and to take additional supplements as necessary to prevent or treat specific conditions."
Check for selenium and chromium. Not all multivitamin/mineral supplements contain selenium and chromium. Make sure that yours does. Both minerals may play important roles in disease prevention. |
Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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 It is best to take a multivitamin that contains 100 percent of the Daily Value for most vitamins and minerals. See below and the next page for specific guidelines for calcium, vitamin D, vitamin Bl2 and iron.
For every serving of calcium-rich dairy and soy foods you do not eat, make sure your supplement contains 300 mg of calcium. (Refer to the Calcium Food Chart on page 88.) If necessary, take an added calcium supplement that contains vitamin D, for optimal absorption. |
Michael Castleman
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| As ongoing nutrition research revealed important information about various vitamins and minerals, the Food and Nutrition Board continued tinkering with the RDAs. The board raised the values 10 times, most recently in 1989.
But by the early 1990s, board members had become bitterly divided. Traditionalists believed that the RDAs should stay true to their original mission of preventing deficiency diseases. Progressives argued that the RDAs should be raised to reflect mounting evidence that much larger amounts of nutrients could help prevent and treat an array of diseases. |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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 It is important to avoid eating food or taking vitamins and minerals at the same time because the hydrogen peroxide can cause rapid oxidation of these substances resulting in stomach irritation. However, I do not recommend either intravenous or oral hydrogen peroxide to my patients since it is such a highly caustic substance, and if handled improperly can cause permanent tissue damage.
A safer method is the use of hydrogen peroxide as a detoxifying bath. Add one pint of 35 percent food-grade hydrogen peroxide to a full bathtub of warm water. |
Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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| Oxidants include substances that can cause cell damage such as, environmental pollutants, food additives, pesticides, trans fatty acids and oversupplementation of certain vitamins and minerals. (See the Foods Rich in Antioxidants and Other Vitamins chart on page 79.)
Many fruits and vegetables also contain phytochemicals, plant compounds that appear to have the ability to enhance the immune system and protect against cancer and heart disease. |
Kathi Keville
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 Look for vitamins and minerals designed especially for children, and avoid those sweetened with sugar to make them chewable.
For children with asthma, 200 milligrams of vitamin C (for a 50-pound child) is recommended as an antihistamine. To support their adrenal glands, children with asthma can also take pantothenic acid 1 Vi hours before exercising. Other vitamins recommended for children with asthma include magnesium and the B-complex vitamins, particularly B6, which have been shown in various studies to reduce the severity of asthma attacks. |
the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
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| Like its cousin the carrot, parsley's packed with vitamins and minerals — beta carotene, folate, and iron, to name a few. Plus, like other tasty greens, it's brimming with flavonoids, powerful plant chemicals that may prevent cancer and fight heart disease.
4 ways parsley keeps you healthy
Holds off heart disease. Experts say you might be at a greater risk of dying from heart disease if you don't eat enough flavonoids, those natural antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. |
| And because food passes through your intestines so fast, your bloodstream doesn't have time to absorb vitamins and minerals.
If your diarrhea lasts more than 48 hours, see a doctor to avoid complications from dehydration. For ordinary diarrhea, a few nutritional strategies will help you recover quickly and easily.
Nutritional blockbusters that fight diarrhea
Water. Since dehydration is one of the greatest dangers of diarrhea, make sure you drink plenty of water. This means downing at least eight to 10 glasses of liquid each day. Water isn't the only fluid that helps. |
| While most high-protein foods contain plenty of vitamin B12 and iron, they are low in other vitamins and minerals. Only a diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains supplies the other nutrients that keep you healthy.
Make digestion easier. Your body can digest and use animal protein more easily than plant protein. But be sure to avoid excess fat by choosing lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Legumes are next easiest to digest, followed by grains and other plant sources. |
| They're high in protein and fiber, and are a good source of many important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, niacin, manganese, folate, magnesium, and potassium.
Former President Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer with a keen interest in their health benefits, is always eager to defend the lowly peanut. "They contain zero cholesterol and are highly nutritious. Even for people that are losing weight, eating peanuts can help them to control their diet. In addition, eating peanuts can prevent heart disease."
3 ways peanuts keep you healthy
Keeps your heart hardy. |
Michael Castleman
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| Biochemically, vitamins and minerals play key roles in virtually every body system. So, yes, they are involved in energy production, stress responses, sexual enjoyment, and myriad other bodily functions. "But by themselves, supplements won't turn your life around," Somer explains. "They work with good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. They're valuable, but they won't make all your dreams come true."
Elimination Diet:
Pinpoint the Source of Symptoms
When nutrition researcher Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 Basic vitamins and minerals are also important.
Diverticulitis is a progression of diverticulosis, caused by inflammation and subsequent perforation of one or more of the sacs in the colon. Milder forms of diverticulitis begin with gradually increasing symptoms emanating from the lower left quadrant of the abdomen. Cases of acute complicated disease present with dramatic onset of abdominal pain, followed by fever. Chronic diverticulitis can be debilitating. The treatment is the same as described
I recall one very difficult case. |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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| I made a list of all George's drugs and over-the-counter medications, including vitamins and minerals and any natural medication self-prescribed or recommended by an alternative heath care provider. I investigated his allergic condition by reviewing the results of his previous allergy testing, and ordered some new tests; I also ordered a comprehensive chemistry panel and complete blood count. Then, after an examination of his throat, ears, and lymph nodes, and taking his temperature, I formulated my conclusions on his case. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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 Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the most vitamins and minerals, plus fiber and enzymes in proper balance: phytonutrients, working together (syner-gistically) to enhance each other's healing qualities. Try to cultivate a taste for them.
2. Whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes are also necessary in a balanced diet. They provide fiber to keep your body's digestive tract regulated. These are better sources for your proteins than meat, yet still supply all of your amino acid requirements. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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 Even so, the secret is undernutrition, not malnutrition, which means reducing calories while still providing all the vitamins and minerals in optimal amounts for health. That means cutting back on unnecessary calories, which come entirely from modern-day foods such as saturated fat, sugar, and alcohol, while focusing on foods typically found in ancient times. |
| Modern-day foragers who eat similar levels of plants also consume diets rich in vitamins and minerals. The fact that our bodies have thrived on pounds of nutrient-packed produce for hundreds of thousands of years explains why plant-derived nutrients, such as beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the B vitamins, are nontoxic even at high doses, while some nutrients typically consumed in meat and milk, such as vitamin A (in liver) and vitamin D (in fortified milk), can accumulate to toxic levels when consumed in excess. |
| Phytochemicals are health-enhancing compounds other than vitamins and minerals that prevent cancer, possibly boost the immune system, and protect against aging and heart disease. They're found only in unprocessed, natural foods—from fruits, vegetables, garlic, and soybeans to walnuts, wheat germ, and green tea. "Phytochemicals have completely changed the way we view foods. It's no longer appropriate to evaluate a food solely on its vitamin, mineral, and fiber content," says Mark Messina, Ph.D., associate professor at Loma Linda University. |
| Preliminary evidence already shows, for example, that a phytochemical called gingerol in ginger is a potent antioxidant, that the lignans in whole grains enhance fiber's protective effects against colon cancer, and that phenolic compounds in green tea might be major players in pro-
Compare to Our Ancestors'
Our bodies evolved on levels of vitamins and minerals that are difficult to get today from diet alone. Dr. S. Boyd Eaton at Emory University in Atlanta has estimated our ancestors' intakes based on diets of 35 percent lean wild meat and 65 percent wild plants. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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| The question may come because they are concerned about the cost of a multitude of vitamins and minerals. Or it may simply be intended to clarify priorities in what needs to be taken. Inevitably, no matter what their condition is, my answer is garlid
Garlic's Healing Qualities Known Throughout History
Garlic is one of the oldest medical remedies known to man and used in almost all cultures throughout history. The earliest reference to garlic as a medication is in the Ebers Papyrus from sixteenth century b.c.e. Egypt, which lists twenty-two remedies using garlic. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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| Even though the following menus are loaded with vitamins and minerals, you still might consider taking a moderate-dose multiple vitamin and mineral supplement, plus extra vitamin E and fish oils.) Recipes for the dishes with asterisks can be found starting on page 247. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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| Again, these important chemicals are found in the proper amounts and with the appropriate vitamins and minerals in whole, green foods. Live enzymes are also among the chemicals "killed" by processing.
What Can Be Done?
Unfortunately, in our modern American society, for the majority of us whole green vegetables are not a large portion of our diets. There are a number of "green food supplements" that could fit into today's fast-paced lifestyle and can prove to be an excellent alternative to whole green vegetables. |
The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
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 They can help hair
Except in cases of starvation, it doesn't seem that vitamins and minerals affect hair growth in men. On the other hand, nutrients may prove helpful for some women who have experienced hair loss. Here's what the experts tecommend. have the appearance of body and fullness by temporarily swelling the hair shafts, but that's about it."
Hair care products can't help hair grow because the hair on your head is dead. The only way nutrients can affect hair growth is if they make it to the scalp, where hair is produced, explains Dr. Zemtsov. |
| While the reasons for taking vitamins and minerals are now based on solid science, shopping for nutrients is still nothing less than overwhelming.
You know what happens when you make a trip to your local pharmacy or supermarket to buy nutrients. You're faced with overwhelming choices. Shelf
XI after shelf in aisle after aisle offers nothing but confusion. Letters and numbers, single nutrients and combinations, capsules and tablets, bottles in different sizes and colors from different companies, covered with enticing claims that compete for your attention and your precious consumer dollar. |
| Of course, vitamins and minerals can't cure everything. But they can do a lot. Research breakthroughs over just the past few years are making interest in the topic heat up all over again. Some of the things that scientists have discovered about the healing power of these vital nutrients all but boggle the mind.
Let's take a brief look at just one study that didn't get all that much publicity. Researchers in London looked at 180 middle managers employed in the manufacturing industry in Britain. |
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