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To Your Health
Are U.S. Vitamin Recommendations (RDA) Out of Date?
It was in 1941 when the first RDAs (Recommended Daily Allowances) for vitamins first came out. Clear little easy-to-understand numbers that let you know how much of a vitamin you needed to prevent a deficiency disease (like rickets or beri-beri). People began to get the idea that vitamins might do more than just prevent scurvy and rickets. They might actually have a role in preventive medicine and general health—helping to stave off cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis... actually, just about any condition you can name.
Walt Edwards, Ph.D. - Dr. Health
First we had the revised RDAs which morphed into the RDIs (Reference Dietary Intakes) and the DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes). And let's not forget the AIs (Adequate Intakes) and the ULs (tolerable upper limits). This all could make your head spin just thinking about it. And don't forget that, like any government approved recommendation, these numbers represented averages and compromises. They changed depending on your sex, your age, and whether or not you were pregnant. And there was hardly unanimity of professional opinion about them in the first place.
Even the most brilliant list of new and improved recommendations would have enough asterisks for exceptions, cautionary notes, medical conditions, and special cases to make the number of earmarks in the average 900-page congressional bill look like a pittance. Virtually every disease will have special requirements different from those below (usually higher, but sometimes lower!). Under a lot of stress? It's a different ball game. Got kidney stones? Heart disease? Liver problems? Cognitive impairment? PMS? Are you breast feeding? Menopausal? The list goes on. And on. And on...
So with that said, here's my best guess about how to put together a daily vitamin and mineral regimen for general health. I'll leave out the asterisks—but understand that everyone is different and different conditions or situations demand different combinations. I'm also leaving out the tremendous number of herbals that might be useful and a few of the "designer nutrients," such as CoQ 10, Omega 3, many antioxidents, and some important minerals, that aren't on any of the RDA, RDI or DRI lists but would make good sense to take anyway. It makes sense to take a good multi-vitamin/mineral like Super Nutrition's Men's Blend or Woman's Blend or Source Natural's Life Force or Solaray's Spectro.
Vitamin A: You rarely have to take this by itself because it's found in most multi-vitamins. It's a great immune system booster and important for the reproductive function and the eyes. Look for between 3000-5000 IUs daily.
Vitamin B Complex: The B's include thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5) and vitamins B6 and B12. Each has different strengths and overlapping circles of influence in the body. I consider a 50 mg B complex (or equivalent in a multi) to be a really good insurance policy. An acceptable multi should have at least 25 to 50 mg B complex.
There are many times you might want to use an individual B vitamin therapeutically, in which case it's still best to take the B complex and then take the "therapeutic" B separately at a different time. For example, PMS responds really well to a higher dose of vitamin B6, usually along with magnesium and evening primrose oil. But 50 mg across the board is a good basic intake. Vitamins and minerals should be taken with food for best absorption.
Folic Acid: Folate (or folic acid, which is the synthetic version of folate) is grouped with the B vitamins. The folic acid form you see in supplements is actually better absorbed by the body than the kind found in food. I can't overstate enough the importance of this vitamin, which not only helps prevent birth defects, but can improve mood and brain function—and has virtually no toxicity. It also helps lower a toxic compound called homocysteine. The absolute daily minimum should be 800 mcg, but you can certainly take more.
Vitamin C: Don't make the mistake of believing the bad press vitamin C got recently because it didn't cure the common cold. That would be like thinking golf clubs were useless because you can't play tennis with them. The number of metabolic functions this powerful antioxidant and cancer-fighting nutrient performs has filled more than a few books. The human body can't manufacture its own vitamin C so we must get it from the diet. At least 500 mg twice a day, but you won't go wrong with up to 2,000 daily.
Vitamin D: Even the conservatives are beginning to realize they underestimated this powerhouse vitamin when they put together the recommendations. It has anti-cancer properties, enhances performance, and helps get calcium into the bones.
Vitamin D deficiency—which is epidemic—plays a role in causing 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, and periodontal disease. I take at least 1000 IUs a day (which is what the Canadian Cancer Society recommends during the winter).
Vitamin E: Ignore the negative reports and badly designed studies which have been completely discredited. This is a powerful antioxidant with multiple benefits. For most purposes 400 IUs is a good amount to aim for. But note well: vitamin E has eight components, and up till now most supplements have contained only one of them—alpha-tocopherol—which may turn out to be one of the least important. Look for supplements that have plenty of gamma-tocopherol, or at least contain what's called "mixed tocopherols". Also be aware of the synthetic vitamin E labeled as Dl-alpha tocopherol. The more absorbable, preferred natural vitamin E is labeled as D-alpha tocopherol.
Vitamin K: This vitamin has a huge role in maintaining healthy bones. It's found in all the green vegetables, and the body actually makes it, so this is one of the ones you don't need to worry too much about supplementing with. It's nice when it's included in a multiple and you'll often see it in the better bone formulas. For once, the RDIs are accurate: 80 mcg is fine.
The Low-Glycemic Diet: A review of 37 studies involving 40,129 patients reveals that a low-glycemic diet reduces risk of diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disease, and breast cancer. By including some exercise, such as walking, will increase the affect of any diet and improve your health.
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Thought For The Day:
The game of life is the game of boomerangs. (For every action there is a reaction). Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy. Be good to your self and take time each day to smell the roses.
Contact Dr. Health:
Walt Edwards, Ph.D.
29820 Ellensburg Avenue
PO Box 283
Gold Beach, OR 97444
541-247-7077
walt4health@gmail.com
MEDICAL HERBALISM:
The Science Principles and Practices of Herbal Medicine
Medical Herbalism contains comprehensive information concerning the identification and use of medicinal plants by chemical structure and physiological effect, the art and science of making herbal medicine, the limitations and potential of viewing herbs chemically, and the challenge to current research paradigms posed by complex plant medicines. It also includes information on toxicology and contraindications, the issues involved in determining dosage and formulation types for an individual, guides to the different measurement systems and conversion tables, and the pros and cons of both industrial and traditional techniques.
With additional sections devoted to the principles of green medicine, the history of Western Herbalism, the variety of other medical modalities using medicinal plants, an extensive resource directory, and a discussion of treatments organized by body system, Medical Herbalism is the comprehensive textbook all students and practitioners of clinical herbalism need to develop their healing practices.
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