Vitamin A
RDA: 5,000 IU
Dose: To fight an infection, 50,000 to 100,000 IU daily for two days.
Back in 1928, British researchers dubbed vitamin A the "anti-infective vitamin" because it worked so well in preventing infections. This use was largely forgotten until the early 1980's, when Alfred Sommers, M.D., discovered that one or two large doses of the vitamin could prevent death from measles. Vitamin A works on other respiratory infections as well, and slows the progression of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition that causes blindness. Do not repeat high dosages more than once a month, and do not take these amounts if you're pregnant or planning to conceive in the near future. For retinitis pigmentosia, 10,000 IU daily.B-Complex Vitamins
As a group, the B vitamins play critical roles in the synthesis and repair of your genes and in your body's production of energy. Please note: Since the B vitamins work together, it's always best to take a B-complex supplement (with 5 to 15 mg of the major B vitamins) in conjunction with high doses of any single B vitamin.Vitamin B1
RDA: 1.5 mg
Dose: 100 to 200 mg daily
Some diuretic drugs ("loop" diuretics) deplete B1 from the body and contribute to congestive heart failure. Not surprisingly, B1 supplements can compensate for this loss. Delirium is also strongly associated with B1 deficiency. In children, a lack of B1 can mimic the symptoms of infections, such as fever and enlarged lymph glands.Vitamin B2
RDA: 1.7 mg
Dose: 100 to 200 mg daily.
Vitamin B2 is necessary for the body's production of energy. In one recent study, European researchers gave supplements of B2 and other vitamins to people with genetic defects that left them fatigued all the time. Their stamina and strength improved. B2 turns urine yellow, but it's nothing to worry about.Vitamin B3
RDA: 19 mg
Dose: 500 to 3,000 mg daily.
The niacin (flushing) form of B3 can lower cholesterol, and both the niacin and niacinamide (non-flushing) forms can control some types of schizophrenia by compensating for a biochemical defect. Recently, researchers have been able to reduce the incidence of juvenile-onset diabetes by ensuring that children get enough niacinamide. The characteristic flush associated with niacin goes away with daily use.Vitamin B6
RDA: 2 mg
Dose: 50 to 100 mg daily.
This vitamin is of particular benefits in carpal tunnel syndrome and other types of repetitive-movement disorders. It can also boost your immune system, particularly in the face of toxins that compromise immunity. Very high doses-more than 500 mg daily-for long periods sometimes lead to nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy.Vitamin B12
RDA: 2 mcg
Dose: 500 to 1,500 mcg daily.
Vegetarians are typically at risk for vitamins B12 deficiency because meat is the vitamin's richest dietary source. Large numbers of elderly people also lack this vitamin. Studies have found that many cases of senility are the result of inadequate B12. Adequate B12 also helps vaccinations work better, probably because the vitamin is involved in the body's immune response. In addition, people with multiple sclerosis are deficient in B12, and large doses may help them. A suggestion: Sublingual tablets or an injection from your doctor can efficiently boost B12 levels.Biotin
RDA: None
Dose: 5 to 10 mg daily.
Diabetics can benefit from biotin-supplements reduce and stabilize blood-sugar levels. That's especially important to insulin-dependent diabetics, because high insulin levels also pose health risks. Also, in both diabetics and people with kidney problems, biotin supplements can reduce nerve tingling and pain in fingers and toes.Choline
RDA: None
Dose: 500 to 1,000 mg daily.
Your brain needs acetylcholine to work, and to make it, your body needs plain old choline. People with Alzheimer's disease don't use choline anywhere near as well as healthy people do, and research suggests that this vitamin can help sometimes. Eggs and liver are the best dietary sources of choline. Researchers have also found that choline can give a boost to developmentally delayed children. It might even help people with multiple sclerosis, since their neural cells have lower than average levels.Folic Acid
RDA: 200 mcg
Dose: 400 to 2,000 mcg daily.
The big recent news is that folic acid prevents the accumulation of homocysteine, a dangerous compound that contributes to coronary heart disease and some types of birth defects. When you don't get enough folic acid, your chromosomes break apart, increasing your risk of cancer. Not surprisingly, then folic acid can eliminate dysplasias, which are groups of precancerous cells. Despite frequent warnings, folic acid is safe up to 5,000 mcg daily.Inositol
RDA: None
Dose: 12 gm daily.
Although you may never have heard of coenzyme A, pantothenic acid is essential for its formation. Coenzyme A links strands of your DNA together. It's also involved in the body's manufacture of hormones and utilization of vitamins A and D.Vitamin C
RDA: 60 mg
Dose: For colds, 1 to 6 gm daily; higher doses for more serious infections.
A Finnish researcher proved Linus Pauling, Ph.D., was right: Vitamin C (1 to 6 gm per day) can reduce cold symptoms by one-third. High doses can also extend the life expectancy of terminal cancer patients. There's also strong evidence that vitamin C can reduce plaque on arteries, strengthen blood vessel walls, and lower blood pressure.Vitamin D
RDA: 400 IU
Dose: 400 IU daily.
This vitamin works with calcium to strenghten bones and prevent osteoporosis. Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that vitamin D might be helpful in treating some types of cancer. A daily walk in the sun helps the body make its own vitamin D. Don't take more than 400 IU daily without a physician's supervision.Vitamin E
RDA: 10 IU
Dose: 400 to 1,800 IU daily.
A recent study at Cambridge University found that large doses of natural vitamin E daily reduced the incidence of coronary heart disease by 77 percent! The succinate form of vitamin E, in particular, may have value in cancer therapy.Vitamin K
RDA: 80 mcg
Dose: 100 to 200 mcg daily.
Researchers have long recognized vitamin K as essential for normal blood clotting. Recently, they've asked what anti-coagulant drugs might do to biochemical processes dependent on vitamin K. They've found that such drugs can interfere with vitamin K and impair the integrity of skeletal bone, increasing the risk of fractures.Calcium
RDA: 1,200 mg
Dose: For blood pressure, 1,000 mg daily; for colon cancer prevention, 2,000 to 3,000 mg daily.
Sure, calcium builds strong bones. It also can lower blood pressure, particularly among people who don't get enough calcium in their diets - and lots of people don't. Interestingly enough, high salt limits the body's absorption of calcium. Calcium supplements may also lower the risk of colon cancer.Chromium
RDA: None
Dose:
200 to 400 mcg daily.
Bodybuilders and dieters swear by chromium. But it's good for other people, too. If you're concerned about high blood levels of triglyceride, a fat associated with heart disease, chromium can help lower its blood levels. One study found that chromium picolinate extended the life expectancy of laboratory rats by one-third.Copper
RDA: None
Dose: 2 to 5 mg daily.
Most people get enough copper in their diets or through multimineral supplements. But if your immune system isn't up to snuff, consider supplementing with this mineral. In a study, men placed on a copper-deficient diet had decreases in protective T cells and antibody-producing B cells.Iodine
RDA: 150 mcg
Dose: 150 to 200 mcg daily.
Pregnant women who are deficient in iodine risk giving birth to mentally retarded children. But even moderate deficiencies can empair mental function. Italian researchers found that low-iodine diets didn't affect thinking processes, but they did slow reaction times in children. A number of foods can interfere with iodine absorption, including milk, nuts and turnips.Iron
RDA: 10 to 12 mg
Dose: 15 mg daily.
There's evidence that large amounts of iron can increase the risk of coronary heart disease in men, so it might be best to avoid this supplement unless you have been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. It appears to be less of a problem for women, perhaps because they lose iron during menses.Magnesium
RDA: 300 mg
Dose: 400 to 800 mg daily.
This mineral can lower your blood pressure, ease leg cramps and often eliminate dangerous arrhythmias. Some hospital emergency rooms now give it in intravenous form to heart attack patients. But it's never too late to start taking it. One recent study found that magnesium increases the success rate of balloon angioplasties.Manganese
RDA: None
Dose: 10 to 125 mg daily.
One of your own body's most powerful antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, depends on the presence of manganese. The body increases production of manganese when it's under assault by dangerous free radicals. Deficiencies of this mineral can result in abnormal curvature of the spine, swollen joints and elevate blood sugar.Potassium
RDA: None
Dose: 99 mg daily.
Many diuretic drugs, prescribed for water retention and high blood pressure, flush potassium from the body - and set the stage for high blood pressure, stroke and long-term dependence on medications. The heart's ability to pump blood depends in large part on a balance between potassium and sodium. Too much sodium (table salt) can tip the scales.Selenium
RDA: 55 mcg
Dose: 100 to 400 mcg daily.
One recent study at the University of Arizona found that selenium supplements resulted in a 41-percent reduction in cancer incidence and a 52-percent drop in cancer deaths. What makes selenium so good? It is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase, one of the body's most powerful antioxidants.Zinc
RDA: 15 mg
Dose: Approximately 13.3 mg in lozenge form 8 times daily during the onset of a cold.
In one study, patients had a 42-percent reduction in the length of their colds, from 7.6 to 4.4 days, when they took zinc lozenges every few hours immediately after the start of a cold.
| Shopping | Come Inside | Health Tips | Home Page |